Biomass
Biomass is a tech progression system that serves two functions: increase all lifeforms' maximum Health pool and enable unlocked lifeform abilities after research from the Hive. Each Hive can contain up to 3 Biomass levels; 1 level for being an active Hive and 2 additional levels can be upgraded by the Alien Commander.
The Biomass progression bar contains slots that will light up to show the current Biomass level, and shows the corresponding ability underneath each slot. It is always visible to the Alien Commander, but is only visible to players when they access the Mini-map, Evolve Menu or check the Research menu (default "j"). If a Hive is attacked, its section of Biomass levels will pulsate red to alert all Kharaa players.
If a Hive is destroyed, the additional health provided to all lifeforms and abilities enabled by its Biomass levels will be lost. Lifeforms existing before the Hive is destroyed will retain their unlocked abilities, but new lifeforms will not possess them; maximum health pool will decrease according to the current Biomass level. When Biomass levels are regained by building and upgrading a new Hive, maximum health pool will increase again and researched abilities for new lifeforms will be unlocked.
| Biomass Levels & Unlocked Abilities | ||||||||
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| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 |
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| Babbler Egg | Rupture | Bone Wall | Leap | Web | Spores | Stab | Stomp | Xenocide |
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| Charge | Bile Bomb | Umbra | Bone Shield | Contamination | ||||
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| Nutrient Mist | Metabolize | Advanced Metabolize | ||||||
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| Gorge Egg | Fade Egg | |||||||
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| Lerk Egg | Onos Egg | |||||||
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Classes - Skulk • Gorge • Lerk • Fade • Onos
Mechanics - Alien Vision • Evolve Menu • Hive Sight
Base Abilities - Skulk (Sneak • Wall Walking • Bite • Parasite) • Gorge (Belly Slide • Spit • Heal Spray • Build Menu) • Lerk (Flight • Roost • Poison Bite • Spikes) • Fade (Swipe • Blink) • Onos (Gore)
Unlockable Abilities - Sulk (Leap • Xenocide) • Gorge (Bile Bomb) • Lerk (Spores • Umbra) • Fade (Stab) • Onos (Stomp • Charge • Bone Shield)
Traits - Shift Hive (Adrenaline • Celerity • Crush) • Shade Hive ( Aura • Camoflauge • Focus) • Craig Hive (Carapace • Regeneration • Vampirism)
Removed - Frenzy • Swarm • Phantom • Silence • Feign Death • Hypermutation
Mechanics - Alien Commander • Biomass • Dynamic Infestation • Maturation • Resource Model
Abilities - Heal Wave • Ink • Echo • Nutrient Mist • Rupture • Bone Wall • Contamination • Enzyme Cloud • Hallucination Cloud • Mucous Membrane
