[DEVBLOG#267] Exploring different genelines. (Patreon)

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new development blog!

Previously, we have discussed different player-built hives in Vanilla Factions Expanded - Insectoids 2. You can see this blog post here!

This time, I'd like to tell you all about the brand new genelines of insectoids that we're adding.

Generally, there are several new Insectoid genelines on top of the usual, baseline Sorne geneline insectoids. They won’t however all be present in all raids. Players will always face the Sorne geneline (the usual megascarab, megaspider etc), and one other geneline.

This means that no raid will come with both acid insectoids and lava insectoids at the same time. It’s always basic insects + 1 other geneline.

This also applies to Insectoid base defenders, infestations, insectoids spawned via events etc.

The reason I didn't want to allow insectoid mixing is quite simple: There is a lot of new insectoids in the mod, but I still want the Insectoids to feel like vanilla - their raids, imho, should always consist of megascarabs, megaspiders, spelopedes etc. The new insectoids will surely spice up the regular raids though!

There are four new insectoid genelines:

• Nachudus - a volanic planet of Nachudus gave birth to fire-resistant insectoids capable of breathing liquid fuel and spitting balls of fire at their enemies.

• Chelis - a steppe planet of Chelis has led to the evolution of swift, flying insectoids excelling in melee combat. These insects can fly through the battlefield and will shred even the most armored enemies up close.

• Kemia - native to the toxic jungles of the planet Kemia, these insectoids spit acid at their enemies. While weak in melee and lightly armored, their job is to make sure everyone suffers from their acid burn.

• Xanides - mineral-rich planet of Xanides has taught the insects to use minerals as armor. They are capable of creating a shell of highly resistant armor which chips away as they take damage.

The insectoids I will show you below are all white, but that's because we color them in code!

The mod also introduces some Sorne geneline insectoids you may or may not remember from Insectoids 1. Let's take a look!

MEGAPEDE

• Label: megapede

Description: A giant, heavy insectoid that glides on dozens of tiny legs. Its thick chitin armor and sharp mandibles the size of an elephant’s tusk make it an excellent siege machine. Due to being extremely slow, they are somewhat vulnerable to hit-and-run tactics.

You probably remember megapedes quite well. They excel at destroying the rock between the hive and your base, and are generally as tanky as centipedes. They are however very slow.

QUEEN

• Label: insectoid queen

Description: A giant, genetically-engineered insectoid responsible for creating new spawn. A mother to the insects in her hive, a queen doesn’t do heavy work, and tries to avoid combat if possible. As massive as an adult thrumbo, the queen instills fear in most opponents. Her thick chitinous armor makes her hard to kill, whilst long, deadly blades can tear through plasteel shielding in seconds. Despite being quite slow in open terrain, an insectoid queen is capable of creating new swarmlings at a rapid pace, and should never be allowed to settle down.

Queen works slightly different than it used to before. It's no longer a boss-level threat, and it doesn't fill people with the sense of dread at mere sight like it used to before. It's just as deadly in melee as it was, however instead of spawning larvas, it will now spawn swarmlings.

It spawns one bunch of swarmlings every 100 seconds.

SWARMLINGS

This is a small, temporary insectoid created by the Queen and the Empress.

• Label: swarmlings

Description: The juvenile form of insectoids, swarmlings are more or less harmless, slow and easy to kill. After some time has passed, they undergo a metamorphosis, forming a cocoon from which an adult insectoid will emerge. There is no way to tell what kind of insect will crawl out of its cocoon.

Swarmlings are a small swarm of tiny, gellatinous insects that's very easy to kill, however their main strength lies in their numbers. Upon death, they don't leave a body - they simply turn into insect blood.

After 10.000 ticks, swarmlings form an insectoid cocoon, which may turn into any other insectoid type if you don't deal with it in time.

Now how about we cover...

Nachudus geneline

BOOMTICK

• Label: boomtick

Description: A large, genetically-engineered tick. Bred for the purpose of fuel refining on the molten planet of Nachudus, boomtick is now often seen across many planets, where it is considered a dangerous, volatile pest. It’s chemfuel sack explodes on death, setting everything nearby on fire. A eusocial creature, it cannot reproduce individually.

Boomticks are reminiscent of megascarabs, however they generate a small fire explosion upon death. They become particularly dangerous if other insectoids have spewed plenty of highly flammable chemfuel all over your base.

HELLBEETLE

• Label: hellbeetle

Description: Not actually a beetle, the hellbeetle is a genetically-engineered giant insectoid the size of a bear. Designed for the forges of the planet Nachudus, hellbeetles have brittle armor, but are capable of spitting liquid fire from their giant jaws. In close quarters, the sharp horns and ripper-blades will dispose of flesh and metal alike. It is, however, quite slow in open terrain.

Hellbeetles are not actually very well armored, but their sharp horns and their capability to spit fire make them deadly adversaries. They can light up any puddles of chemfuel on fire quickly, rendering your colonists unable to do anything.

FUELMITE

• Label: Fuelmite

Description: A large, genetically-engineered mite native to planet of Nachundus, where it fuels gigantic megaforges of the corporations. Fuelmites are capable of synthesising volatile chemfuel in their fuel sacks, and can eject it from their fuelglands over huge distances. While fuel itself is not dangerous, a single spark is enough to set the area on fire. It is, however, quite slow in open terrain.

Fuelmites are not entirely dangerous directly, but they can lead to some nasty situations. Their main attack is spitting huge volleys of chemfuel that will cover the area in very highly flammable filth. They themselves are unable to set it ablaze though, and need other Nachudus geneline insectoids to do that for them.

Now...

Chelis geneline

MACROFLY

• Label: macrofly

Description: A medium-sized bioengineered flying insectoid the size of a pig. The macrofly is the lowest caste of the chelis hive, responsible for most of the resource gathering and work. It’s capable of lunging towards enemies at incredibly speed, and it uses the digging claws to rip them in close quarters. It's dangerous in combat, but slow on open ground.

Macroflies are strong spelopede-sized insectoids that are capable of using their wings to jump over a short distance. Their deadly claws have very high armor piercing.

MEGAWASP

• Label: megawasp

Description: Not actually a wasp, the megawasp is a genetically-engineered giant flying insectoid the size of a cow. Designed as the hunter and the hive defender, megawasp soars through the air to engage enemies in close quarters, where it uses long and sharp ripper-blades and mandibles to cut anyone they face into pieces. The sharpness of the claws means that they are capable of eliminating even the most heavily armored enemies. It is, however, quite slow in open terrain.

A large insectoid, similar to the megaspider, megawasp is capable of lunging into the air and flying over your pesky killbox. It will use the sharp claws to rip apart your powered armors and tanks. Very deadly.

GIGALOCUST

• Label: gigalocust

Description: A genetically-engineered hunter drone the size of an elephant. It can fly over long distances, dropping down on unsuspecting targets, ripping them to shreds with its several sets of ripper-blades and sharp mandibles. It is, however, quite slow in open terrain.

You might remember gigalocusts. Now they fly. And they actually fly for quite a while. They may jump over walls and killboxes and you should already know how deadly they are.

I will cover Kemia geneline, Xanides geneline and the Insectoid bosses in the next development blog, because this one is getting quite long already!

Oh, and we're also wrapping up work on Insector xenotype! Just in time, eh?