Ideas for adding the flood into Halo Wars 2

Games Halo Wars Series
1

Let’s call the leader ‘The Gravemind’.

OPTION 1
Make it half banished half UNSC.

Buildings:
Infected Harvester
Infected Generator (flood tentacles are spinning the fan blades instead of the wind)
Infected Banished main base (because it seems there are more crevices that flood matter can squeeze into)
Infected Armory
Infected Raid Camp
Infected Airpad
Infected Foundry
Infected UNSC minibase

Units:

Infected Banished Main base:
Combat form squad (replacing grunts)
Infection form swarm (replacing chopper, able to convert enemy infantry)

Infected Raid camp:
Infected jump pack brutes
Carrier flood form (replacing suicide grunts, can convert enemy infantry to join your team)
Ranged form (replacing elite rangers)
Tank form (replacing hunters)

Infected Foundry:
Infected Marauder
Infected Reaver
Flood Spitter (artillery, spits globs of acid at enemies, replaces kodiak)
Infected Scorpion

Infected Airpad:
Bloaters (replacing engineers, shield ability replaced with self-repair ability)
Flood Swarm (replacing banshee, shoots balls of acid at enemies, from HW1)
Spore cloud (replacing shroud)
Infected Vulture

Infected Armory:
Proto-Gravemind (Hero unit, gives units around it siphoning abilities. It will be dragged along the ground by tank forms)
Infected Condor

OPTION 2
Make a completely new flood faction.

Buildings:
Flood Root (Supply Pad)
Flood Verdure (Generator)
Hive (Main Base)
Cranium (Armory)
Spawn Pit (Barracks)
Swarm Nest (Airpad)
Plague Den (Garage)
Flood Lair (Minibase)
Flood Launcher (Turret; Anti-air upgrade is a goop launcher, Anti-vehicle upgrade is a acid launcher, Anti-Infantry upgrade is a spore launcher)

Units:

The Hive (Main Base):
Combat form squad (replacing grunts)
Infection form swarm (replacing chopper, able to convert enemy infantry)
Blob (meat shields, high health, very low damage like marauders. simply looks like a blob of flood mass with some tentacles)

Spawn Pit (barracks):
Flood Thrasher (shown in halo wars 1. Anti-building, like Goliaths)
Carrier flood form (much like suicide grunts, but can convert enemy infantry to join your team)
Ranged form (anti-infantry)
Tank form (anti-vehicle)

Plague Den (garage):
Flood Worm (unable to attack conventionally. However, it has a fast-recharging y-ability to dig underground and bash enemies from underground)
Flood Spider (anti-air, shoots web-like goop at air that stuns them and damages them over time)
Flood Spitter (artillery, spits globs of acid at enemies that deal damage over time)
Flood Transporter (non-combative, releases 8 infection form swarms upon death and covers enemies in acid, dealing damage over time)

Swarm Nest (airpad):
Bloaters (Similar to engineers, shield ability replaced with self-repair ability)
Flood Swarm (Core Air, shoots balls of acid at enemies, from HW1)
Spore cloud (Similar to shroud/nightingale. Y-ability drops a green fog that only flood (and detecting units) can see through)

Cranium (armory):
Proto-Gravemind (Hero unit, gives units around it siphoning abilities. It will be dragged along the ground by tank forms)
Flood Leviathan (The flood super unit. A massive, hovering, squid-like floating flood form with a bloated head that shoots acid blobs. It’s y-ability is to devour an enemy unit, instantly killing it, but this does not apply to other ultimate units.)

Leader powers:
Tier 1:
Flood dispersal pods (drops 5 infection form swarms into battle, upgrade makes it 8 infection swarms)
Famine (recycle infantry units for resources/population)
Tier 2:
Spore pods (set up spore pods that detonate on proximity to enemy units, upgrade increases no. of pods and no. of infection forms per pod)
Accelerated growth (decreases build time for infantry by 40%, upgrade decreases build time for structures and non-infantry units by 15%)
Tier 3:
Plague (set an area of effect where enemy units take damage and are unable to see, upgrade increases damage and AOE)
Tendril Lock (tentacles shoot out of the ground and disable vehicles, upgrade disables infantry and aircraft as well)
Tier 4:
Self-repair (all infantry constantly heal themselves, upgrade will increase healing rate)
Mechanical Carriers (all vehicles release infection forms once destroyed)
Tier 5:
Hostile Takeover (take over/infect bases that are below 15% health)
The Gravemind (summon the gravemind for 30 seconds to massacre the enemy team)

2

I hope so much that 343i brings the Flood in Halo Wars 2. No matter with your idea or completely re-fashioned.

3

Two factions are enough. Have you noticed how with every DLC leader that drops there are a bunch of people that complain about it being OP and whatnot? Think about how much CA and 343 have worked to balance the DLC leaders. Then think about how many times that work would have to be multiplied to balance an entirely new faction. Unless you want a faction that is no different than the Banished or UNSC (which in that case you should really just be pushing for a skin, not a faction), balance is going to be difficult.

Then again, as the legendary Silent Lamb 2 once brilliantly said:

> Who cares about whether it’s balanced or not!? Aren’t games supposed to be fun anyways!? Balance shouldn’t be an issue, the main question should be would it be fun? And the answer is 100% YES!!! Take that people who only care about balance!

4

It’s a bit of a long shot bringing the flood back. We haven’t seen them for 10 years now (excluding H4 flood and Spartan Assault Co-op). We will have to wait and see if they return once the mainline story progresses. If they are introduced back into the story, it’s possible we could be seeing them in Halo Wars 3. Whenever that comes out.

5

As much as id love to see the flood return even as AI I’m quite doubtful they will. The reason is to build a whole new faction would take months. At the moment its taking roughly one month to release a leader with most of the architecture available already (this is actually very quick). It would take a minimum of three months to design, build, test and distribute any new faction. However that doesn’t mean 343 won’t give the green light. I think if they did the Halo community would go nuts.

6

The Flood faction has been requested since the original game, I just can’t wrap my head around 343/CA missing this opportunity.

I was disappointed at the game not having a third faction but there’s still hope. I’d be incredibly sad if the game’s lifespan ends without ever having a Flood Faction.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love this game.

7

It isn’t going to happen. 343 seems to be trying to bury the flood, and there was no mention of them anywhere in the game. I doubt that the devs would design an entirely new set of assets for a new faction at this point in the game.

8

> 2533274884964985;1:
> Leader: Gravemind
> Make it half banished half UNSC.

I see you spent sometime doing this. The way you did it make it ´easy´ to make the visuals of the faction. I think it is something that can happen some how. BUT if I am honest with you, I prefer that they take and design everything from zero than making half UNSC half flood… I would rather something completely organic, where you can infect bases… So actually the mission of the Flood players is to infect the enemy or kill them.

For the main base, I was imagine something like an organ with a transparent sphere area where inside there is amniotic fluid (with a lot of glossiness, bump), you can see something been birth inside, metastasis of new units. I was imagine like the flood don’t have the same layout of building as banished or UNSC. I was imagine the extension of the main building like tumors on the main body. On the other hand, I was imagine the flood have the ability to change the area they touch or infect, making units and buildings stronger.

There are so many ideas we could talk about. I feel if they do the flood, I would rather to make a reaaal incredible highly detailed design of the flood than a Half unsc looking flood. I know the limit of time. If you cannot do it right, then don’t do it. Just my opinion.

9

> 2533274830489835;3:
> Two factions are enough. Have you noticed how with every DLC leader that drops there are a bunch of people that complain about it being OP and whatnot? Think about how much CA and 343 have worked to balance the DLC leaders. Then think about how many times that work would have to be multiplied to balance an entirely new faction. Unless you want a faction that is no different than the Banished or UNSC (which in that case you should really just be pushing for a skin, not a faction), balance is going to be difficult.
> Then again, as the legendary Silent Lamb 2 once brilliantly said:
>
>
> > Who cares about whether it’s balanced or not!? Aren’t games supposed to be fun anyways!? Balance shouldn’t be an issue, the main question should be would it be fun? And the answer is 100% YES!!! Take that people who only care about balance!

> 2533274969455749;5:
> As much as id love to see the flood return even as AI I’m quite doubtful they will. The reason is to build a whole new faction would take months. At the moment its taking roughly one month to release a leader with most of the architecture available already (this is actually very quick). It would take a minimum of three months to design, build, test and distribute any new faction. However that doesn’t mean 343 won’t give the green light. I think if they did the Halo community would go nuts.

That’s why i made it a half-banished half-UNSC faction. Things like the infected vulture, the infected marauder and the infected jump pack brute won’t need to be balanced. And ranged forms would simply be re-skins of elite rangers. Hence, much less units will have to be balanced; namely the infection form swarm, the leader powers, the flood spitter, and the tank form which are completely unique units. The flood swarm would be similar enough to a banshee, the bloaters would but just like engineers but with a different Y-ability, etc. Of course I’d rather a full set of unique buildings and units, but if balancing is going to be an issue; problem solved! Only 4 units to balance, just 1 more than colony’s 3 new units (not including the heroes).

This way, it’s completely feasible. Of course, the art and design might mean that it would take, say, 2 months instead of 1 to get this leader out. But I’m willing to wait.

10

> 2553380145882876;8:
> > 2533274884964985;1:
> > Leader: Gravemind
> > Make it half banished half UNSC.
>
> I see you spent sometime doing this. The way you did it make it ´easy´ to make the visuals of the faction. I think it is something that can happen some how. BUT if I am honest with you, I prefer that they take and design everything from zero than making half UNSC half flood… I would rather something completely organic, where you can infect bases… So actually the mission of the Flood players is to infect the enemy or kill them.
>
> For the main base, I was imagine something like an organ with a transparent sphere area where inside there is amniotic fluid (with a lot of glossiness, bump), you can see something been birth inside, metastasis of new units. I was imagine like the flood don’t have the same layout of building as banished or UNSC. I was imagine the extension of the main building like tumors on the main body. On the other hand, I was imagine the flood have the ability to change the area they touch or infect, making units and buildings stronger.
>
> There are so many ideas we could talk about. I feel if they do the flood, I would rather to make a reaaal incredible highly detailed design of the flood than a Half unsc looking flood. I know the limit of time. If you cannot do it right, then don’t do it. Just my opinion.

I do agree with you. But hey, how fun would this leader be? Even if it’s not a completely separate faction?

Damn fun. :wink:

11

What would the Leader be? My original thougt was it would be like the Prophet and Oracle that are trapped in the Gravemind tentacles in H2 when Arby and Chief meet it.

12

> 2716903703776124;11:
> What would the Leader be? My original thougt was it would be like the Prophet and Oracle that are trapped in the Gravemind tentacles in H2 when Arby and Chief meet it.

Nah, the leader’s just the Gravemind. I think that makes the most sense.
IF, however, they decide to add a full-blown flood faction instead of my half UNSC, half Banished idea, they could do that. Flood leaders: Mendicant bias, Gravemind, The Primodoral, Infected Prophet, etc.

13

> 2533274884964985;12:
> > 2716903703776124;11:
> > What would the Leader be? My original thougt was it would be like the Prophet and Oracle that are trapped in the Gravemind tentacles in H2 when Arby and Chief meet it.
>
> Nah, the leader’s just the Gravemind. I think that makes the most sense.
> IF, however, they decide to add a full-blown flood faction instead of my half UNSC, half Banished idea, they could do that. Flood leaders: Mendicant bias, Gravemind, The Primodoral, Infected Prophet, etc.

The Primordial would be amazing.
It’d be like 343 just completely skipped the Forerunners and went straight for the Precursors.
We could have star roads and those bits of dust they used that became flood, as well as new species popping up out of nowhere.

14

> 2533274884964985;12:
> > 2716903703776124;11:
> > What would the Leader be? My original thougt was it would be like the Prophet and Oracle that are trapped in the Gravemind tentacles in H2 when Arby and Chief meet it.
>
> Nah, the leader’s just the Gravemind. I think that makes the most sense.
> IF, however, they decide to add a full-blown flood faction instead of my half UNSC, half Banished idea, they could do that. Flood leaders: Mendicant bias, Gravemind, The Primodoral, Infected Prophet, etc.

Sorry this is unrelated to this topic. I just recently became interested in H2A invasion and saw you made a map and gamemode for it awhile back. Can I ask you how that worked out? Did you ever get people to play test it?

15

main base.
infection form: core infantry
combat form: core infantry
infected ghost: scout vehicle

infection form stats: cost: unit cost 1 resource cost 20 energy cost 0 general: attack 2 hp a hit 5 infection forms displayed when spawned 5 hp when unit kills enemy unit (infantry only) loses 1 hp but enemy that died becomes combat form to continue attacking enemy unit. upgrade 1: 3 more flood and hp, faster build speed of infection form unit. upgrade 2: (on Xbox controller) y ability infect one whatever there called from enemy infantry unit and turns it into combat form 2 more flood and hp, faster build speed of infection form unit, ability to heal bases and infantry units (not other flood infection forms) at cost of 1 hp of infection form for every hp missing in bases and infantry units.

By the way this is UNSC variant.

16

Combat form stats: cost: unit cost 2, resource cost 29, energy cost 0. General: attack 2 hp a hit, 1 combat form displayed when spawned, 10 hp, good (green) against infantry and bases, meh (yellow) against vehicles, red (bad) aircraft, has random chance to harvest enemy unit when it kills enemy unit max harvest amount is 3. If it comes in contact infection form unit the harvest count goes down and infection form hp but with 1 more combat form produced. If it has been alive for 2 minutes it will transform into a carrier form (note this will be the only way to get a carrier form unless it infects a grunt. grunts automatically transform into carrier form). Upgrade 1: 5 extra hp, upgrade 2: (on Xbox controller) y ability hijack vehicles and 2 more hp, upgrade 3: two guard infection forms.

17

> 2535430038043569;16:
> Combat form stats: cost: unit cost 2, resource cost 29, energy cost 0. General: attack 2 hp a hit, 1 combat form displayed when spawned, 10 hp, good (green) against infantry and bases, meh (yellow) against vehicles, red (bad) aircraft, has random chance to harvest enemy unit when it kills enemy unit max harvest amount is 3. If it comes in contact infection form unit the harvest count goes down and infection form hp but with 1 more combat form produced. If it has been alive for 2 minutes it will transform into a carrier form (note this will be the only way to get a carrier form unless it infects a grunt. grunts automatically transform into carrier form). Upgrade 1: 5 extra hp, upgrade 2: (on Xbox controller) y ability hijack vehicles and 2 more hp, upgrade 3: two guard infection forms.

STOP DREAMING ABOUT THEM PLEASE, ITS HURTING ME

No point in thinking about the Flood at all

18

> 2535412942001413;17:
> > 2535430038043569;16:
> > Combat form stats: cost: unit cost 2, resource cost 29, energy cost 0. General: attack 2 hp a hit, 1 combat form displayed when spawned, 10 hp, good (green) against infantry and bases, meh (yellow) against vehicles, red (bad) aircraft, has random chance to harvest enemy unit when it kills enemy unit max harvest amount is 3. If it comes in contact infection form unit the harvest count goes down and infection form hp but with 1 more combat form produced. If it has been alive for 2 minutes it will transform into a carrier form (note this will be the only way to get a carrier form unless it infects a grunt. grunts automatically transform into carrier form). Upgrade 1: 5 extra hp, upgrade 2: (on Xbox controller) y ability hijack vehicles and 2 more hp, upgrade 3: two guard infection forms.
>
> STOP DREAMING ABOUT THEM PLEASE, ITS HURTING ME
>
> No point in thinking about the Flood at all

No! Flood is best enemy and HW2 needs it.

19

infected ghost stats: same as standard ghost stats.

20

> 2535430038043569;18:
> > 2535412942001413;17:
> > > 2535430038043569;16:
> > > Combat form stats: cost: unit cost 2, resource cost 29, energy cost 0. General: attack 2 hp a hit, 1 combat form displayed when spawned, 10 hp, good (green) against infantry and bases, meh (yellow) against vehicles, red (bad) aircraft, has random chance to harvest enemy unit when it kills enemy unit max harvest amount is 3. If it comes in contact infection form unit the harvest count goes down and infection form hp but with 1 more combat form produced. If it has been alive for 2 minutes it will transform into a carrier form (note this will be the only way to get a carrier form unless it infects a grunt. grunts automatically transform into carrier form). Upgrade 1: 5 extra hp, upgrade 2: (on Xbox controller) y ability hijack vehicles and 2 more hp, upgrade 3: two guard infection forms.
> >
> > STOP DREAMING ABOUT THEM PLEASE, ITS HURTING ME
> >
> > No point in thinking about the Flood at all
>
> No! Flood is best enemy and HW2 needs it.

They confirmed there won’t be any new factions.