Is it possible to have a raider/support Strider?

Possibly, but nobody has shown the courage to attempt to make one. Heavy units are balanced around the efficiency that can be gained when they make an assault then retreat to repair. The players defending against a heavy unit need to concentrate enough firepower to either kill it or drive it back before it inflicts too much damage.

More often than not, firepower doesn't outright kill the strider. Rather, it threatens the strider with being chased down and killed as it tries to retreat. A speedy strider can ignore a lot of this threat. Designing a speedy strider that feels good to use and fight seems quite difficult.

Zenfur if that's the old Razorback, then that's exactly what came to my mind too when somebody suggested this :)

@[1uP]archl what else do you want raiders to do?

When i think of a raider Strider something like a monowheel comes to my mind.




Cost: 900m-1200m
Hp: 1600-2900
Weapons: (2x dual Glaive MG)

(2x)Dual Pulse MG
Damage: 12 × 6
Reload Time (s): 0.30
Damage per Second: 240
Range (elmo): 185
Projectile Speed (elmo/s): 500
Inaccuracy (deg): 2.4
Total Damage per Second: 480

Movement Speed (elmo/s) ~250-300* (100-120*)
Turn Rate (deg/s) 30-50* (100-110*)

*Special (Probably D-Key) Mode (Gear?) switch:
Toggle to switch between high speed + low turn rate
and low speed and high turn rate (~4-5 sec cd to prevent rushing in turning around and rushing out within 1-2 sec)

Idk if Zero-k already has some kind of acceleration system but for this unit it would probably feel really good with speed buildup and slowdown (at the same time it will probably work out even without it).

Reason for existance:

Midgame/lategame raider.
- Rushing trough (around) some higher defended areas to get to lesser defended mexes/eco or overall map support with other units tanking the dmg.
- Using speed to flank and create army advantages.
- To rush in and kill these annoying artillery units if they aren't properly protected by defense.

Counterplay:
- The unit will barely be able to steer while in high speed mode so you eventually have to slow down to hit properly or redirect your movement path.
- While is is slowed down it is extremely vulnerable (low hp per cost) but will be able to utilize all of its weapons to hit the enemy.
- Bombs will be able to easily take out these raiders if they run over them.
- The Strider raider will lose in any direct confrontation if used as an assault unit due to its low hp pool.



Idea pool:

- add damage on impact if anything stands in its way
(About impact: meant as a hazard of using high speed mode: both the unit and enemy take damage. Beware of dirt bags!)
- add hovering/moving over water while in high speed mode: this means it is able to path over e.g. the small mid lake in Tangerine, but dont you dare switching to low speed mode as this will sink your strider raider (use with extreme caution) (can be recoverable by terraform or maybe lobster)

quote: So it behaves like slowed down plane that moves on the ground? Gotcha.

Planes have 2 great advantages over ground units:
- they ignore terrain
- they ignore ground defence

This was simply my idea of a (probably) working strider raider.
Feel free to comment your problems or concerns and additions for that idea.

quote: It could be fun concept - maybe add damage on impact if anything stands in its way?

I was thinking about this but it would probably be a nightmare to code/work out as movementspeed would go against unitmass (defence).
This would probably be something for an even heavier strider raider because it would have to lose firepower to compensate.
I guess that this would result in some kind of assault raider because it would be weird if it wouldnt take dmg on impact too.

quote: I was merely reflecting the "fast and barely able to steer" analogue to planes - especially when slowed down.

It is sometimes hard to notice what a comment was trying to say in the first place if not properly explained.
Though i myself see what you meant and i guess this is the take a strider raider probably has to take to be balanceable and useful.

I've always liked monowheel, so this strider is okay in my book.

... It also sounds like the gameplay would be interesting, but that's less important than it being a beautiful, perfect monowheel.

Role of that one-wheel strider: Strider hub's very first raider to re-enforcement? Get boost in speed to rescue retreating strider fellows? A faster stronger outlaw is very difficult to balance if it support dante, in the case. Strider's Raider are very much riot-like to other factory. A fast riot, sounds like mace.

Maybe krow could be on strider hub instead of gunship plant? It is the most expensive unit in a factory I think (4500), probably double than most expensive in the other factories

I'm not convinced that such a monowheel unit can feel good to use. Imagine plane physics with much lower acceleration and the ability to bump into units and terrain.

truth is that monowheel will have glitches and will not work on mountain terrain if u made an armadillo strider then that can roll ;D.