Should Bomb Bots Leap?

So I was watching the video () and around 25 minutes in the devs talk about bomb bots. Bots that would themselves explode to kill enemy units. I like the idea but I have a though. In almost every game I have played with self destructing units like this, because of their effectively melee nature they almost always die before reaching their targets.

So my idea is this. What if the bomb bots got within a certain distance of their target then jumped almost like an artillery shell. This could make them more effective and perhaps more visual appealing, (and also less generic suicide trooper). Longer range units like the sniper bots could still take them out and "Disarm" them before they could do damage but tehy would stand an equal chance against standard infantry and tanks.

Just a random though, let me know what you think : )

Although interesting, I think I would spend too much time launching them out of unit cannons at my enemy's base to notice the difference for leaping.

I think the bomb bot should take a page out of Zero-K's book. It could either be like the Roach, which can function either as a suicide bomb bot, or as a mobile mine, or the Skuttle, which is a powerful jumping assassin kamikaze bomb bot that can kill even very large units in one shot.

This is an absolutely beautiful idea.

I think bomb bots should have a very light weapon as their primary damage, and their secondary weapon should be self-destruct.




The issue with bomb units in EVERYgame is that they never get close enough to their targets to be a serious threat, except against undefended structures, and let's face it, if the structures are undefended you're better off using non-suicidal weapons that can keep damaging your opponent.

I think they should line dance and do cart wheels as well.

You know what? Yes, this must be a thing : D

kidding of course

Can we name the leaping bombs Facehuggers?

Or you could call them Fredo Frogs

Jokes aside, I think a leaping Flea/roach bomb would be a great idea

But a crawling bomb launched out of a unit cannon would always reach its target.

Banelings from star craft seem to do really well.

yes.
it would be epic for attacking walled bases.

Making the crawling bomb the ammunition for the unit cannon interplanetary artillery?

Don't you think that we will possibly be able to intercept units being shot by the unit cannon while they're passing through the orbital and air layer? I mean with defense sattelites, or flak cannons for example.

Maybe. All I'm really sure of is that I will find a way to use crawling bombs as interplanetary artillery.

Best way to do it.

Jumping would be great. They'd be like little walking rockets.

Would making these T2, but at a T1 price point be a good idea? I'm not sure what the effects of being able to spam these out of cheap T1 factories would be, especially since that's when Commanders are easy to find and hard to protect.

I think an interesting way to do it would be to have bomb vehicles, that when they get within "leaping range" of an enemy, stop moving, charge up, and then dash forward quickly. Maybe spinning out their wheels in the process. This would give the enemy a second or so to shoot them before they dash.

I can see bomb units being effective against swarms of dox and buildings, but not so much tanks.

Well the way I imagined it they would only do enough damage to kill one t1 bot, but with some splash damage. Low health, and shorter "jump" range then the t1 laser turret so they couldn't just bum rush a well defended base. So yes a group of them could devastate a commander, but only if that commander was stupid enough to be caught by them. Otherwise they are basically self throwing grenades : D

Definitely something that would need some heavy balance work though : P
I just think this would make them far more interesting : )