I was thinking, what if aliens had a ground based building: Nest of spiders. Like dretchs but smaller and easier to kill. Here's how it works:
The Nest will spawn small spider like aliens that attack humans that come close. Similar to hives, but based on the ground. Multiple nests could be combined to make swarms of spiders. The spiders themselves would have terrible damage on their own but be extremely effective when the nests are combined.

Perhaps battle suits can not be hurt by them, since they would crush the spiders underfoot.

Quick concept design I just whipped up on mudbox of the nest:
Without webs:


With webs:

Wow! Really nice idea TheTravellingMerchant. I really like it. This can be replace with hives to make something new

Awesome idea, but they could drastically decrease FPS

Awesome idea, but they could drastically decrease FPS

Hmm, possibly. They are small though so they don't have to have super impressive textures. A swarm could count as 4-5 spiders. They don't have to be huge swarms with 30 odd spiders.

I may also try make smaller concept idea's for the spiders themselves. Anyone seen the spiders in Metro last light? I was thinking small four legged things like those. Maybe with a bone like top and mouths on the bottom? Think headcrab with a helmet and spike like feet similar to the other trem aliens.

Nice idea, similar defensive structure like hive but with lil spiders climbing on human's body

The hive insectoids in tremulous is just a projectile with a bbox size of 0,0,0 that changes direction every 0.5 seconds, and has a particle system emiting from it that takes its inertia similar to the blaster particle system, and the particles are just two .tga files of the insects animating. The visuals do not do anything and the missile sacrifices itself upon contact with a buildable, player or <world> (the game map). It's a very simply version of a homing missile basically.
TL;DR: The hive insectoid is just an invisable single projectile that chases humans and emits visuals of insectoids.

For the spider nests, well i don't see why can't we just have a wallwalking-missile that chases its opponent. Although that would be silly to look at around corners though.

Then again, i don't know the capabilities of the UE...

Ok but: If a jetpack coming close to hives, they kill him.
So what happen if a jetpack come close to that spiders. How they can fly to him?

The hive insectoids in tremulous is just a projectile with a bbox size of 0,0,0 that changes direction every 0.5 seconds, and has a particle system emiting from it that takes its inertia similar to the blaster particle system, and the particles are just two .tga files of the insects animating. The visuals do not do anything and the missile sacrifices itself upon contact with a buildable, player or <world> (the game map). It's a very simply version of a homing missile basically.
TL;DR: The hive insectoid is just an invisable single projectile that chases humans and emits visuals of insectoids.

Who cares about this?

Yeah, the main problem isn't gameplay but performance. We already had problems with mass hives/acids at single alien base.

Ok but: If a jetpack coming close to hives, they kill him.
So what happen if a jetpack come close to that spiders. How they can fly to him?

This would mean hives still have a use. Maybe the spiders can be a S2 kind of thing? In small corridors it wont really matter. The spiders could probably just jump onto them from the roof or something. It can't hurt to give a building a weakness of some kind.

Also, about performance, from my understanding they are using Unreal Engine 3 right? The game can become a lot more optimized then the old trem but if it is a problem, a limit to the buildings could be set in server set up? I have seen rota talking about having stuff like that a choice by the player.

Edit: Actually, I have just been playing through dishonored and realized something. Why can't the spiders be a bit like the rats? They turn corners well and don't lag at all. They are also quite freaky. Just imagine a hord of spiders jumping onto your team mate and eating them alive.  (It's also in the same engine, so it can be done)

I really like this idea even with that battlesuit foot thing . Performance should be no problem, Unreal Engine can animate hundred characters at once without problems. Another thing is synchronizing through internet but it would be worth trying out.

but it would be worth trying out.

Do you mean you're actually going to try it out? If so, awesome!

Performance should be no problem, Unreal Engine can animate hundred characters at once without problems

Just out of curiosity: did you do any tests of multiple (think ubp retspam) objects performance on big open spaces (like ATCS outside)?

but it would be worth trying out.

Do you mean you're actually going to try it out? If so, awesome!

Firstly we need to do planned things. After that - yes.

Performance should be no problem, Unreal Engine can animate hundred characters at once without problems

Just out of curiosity: did you do any tests of multiple (think ubp retspam) objects performance on big open spaces (like ATCS outside)?

Yes. 300 teslas in around atcs bunker - flawless.

but it would be worth trying out.

Do you mean you're actually going to try it out? If so, awesome!

Firstly we need to do planned things. After that - yes.

Performance should be no problem, Unreal Engine can animate hundred characters at once without problems

Just out of curiosity: did you do any tests of multiple (think ubp retspam) objects performance on big open spaces (like ATCS outside)?

Yes. 300 teslas in around atcs bunker - flawless.

Great!

And wow, 300? Was that on a powerful machine or on a average one? Either way, that's pretty darn impressive.