User blog:Willbachbakal/Singleplayer Enemies: Alpha



Compared to the heavily publicized Rumbler, the Alpha Series in the original game were more of a surprise new enemy. They were tough, deadly and at times unpredictable. However, after a while they just turned into tougher Leadheads, as they were almost completely functionally identical. If these guys were to get bumped up as fully-fledged Big Daddies, they'd have to have a much more distinctive arsenal, namely Plasmids.

Research Bonuses

 * Level 1: Increased ammo carry capacity
 * Level 2: +Damage
 * Level 3: New Gene Tonic (will be added later)
 * Level 4: ++Damage
 * Level 5: Elemental Storm Gene Tonic

Changes
Since most of the Alpha's unique abilities apply only at close range, they could specialize in the Shotgun instead of wielding the Gatling Gun and Launcher, which would tread on other Big Daddies' abilities. On the plus side, Alphas have an upgrade to their Shotgun which will determine their fighting style: for example, an Alpha Series with a clip-increased Shotgun will tend to take cover more frequently, while another with a melee upgrade to their Shotgun will charge you head-on. Since there are a total of three basic upgrades to the Shotgun, there'd be three different Alpha builds, just like before.

Did I mention Plasmids? Right. In addition to the Shotgun, each Alpha will have access to one elemental Plasmid which they'll use to its full potential: Electro Bolt will lock you in place, increase their melee power and deal critical damage in water; Incinerate! will deal you damage over time, and Winter Blast will slow you down and make you more vulnerable to attack.

In addition, Alphas are supposed to be the smartest of all Big Daddies, and so could an AI to show that. They could be able to set off environmental hazards, flank you whenever possible, use cover, use other enemies as a distraction, or even employ advanced weapon-Plasmid tactics like the One-Two Punch or a shot of Winter Blast followed by a charge. In return, though, they'd still remain the weakest of all protectors. Also, did I mention they'd be guarding Little Sisters? Basically, that means they won't attack you on sight anymore, although they'll lose patience much more quickly than any other Big Daddy if you stay too close to their LS.

Evolution
As you'll upgrade your own weapons and Plasmids, the Elite Alphas will have also caught up in the arms race. Both their weapons and their Plasmids will be fully upgraded, expanding their already vast range of tactics. Since they'll be three different ways to fully upgrade a Shotgun, four different ways to fully upgrade a Plasmid and Alphas have three Plasmids to choose from you'd end up with... *gets out calculator* 3x4x3 = 36 different Alpha types, each with their own unique set of tactics and powers. That way, you'll never fight the same Alpha twice.

Now that I've covered all of the existing Big Daddies, I'm going to reveal my own addition to the series: the Hawker. Can anyone guess what it does?

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