Ariel Hanson Co-op Commander Concept

Co-op Missions Discussion
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I was bored so I decided to make an in-depth concept for if everybody’s “favourite” doctor made into Co-op.

Ariel Hanson

Selfless Doctor
After Raynor aligned with the Protoss and exterminated her people, Ariel got herself infested and knew Raynor would surely kill her. And so she fled the Hyperion in hopes to rid herself of her infestation and ensure nobody else suffers a similar fate. She would align with Umojan, who find her sentience despite her infection to be very curious. They would develop a cure of sorts, but it does not seem as effective as initially hoped.

  • Recommended for experienced players
  • Use advanced technologies to sway the course of battles
  • Control a varying army of supportive Terrans and aggressive Infested

Abilities

Ariel has two energy bars which recharge over time while the opposite form is used (if in Terran form, the infested energy bar will recharge and vice versa). Ariel can swap every 45 seconds.

Nano-Organic Heal Drones (Heals all friendly units in a large radius by 200HP)

Adrenaline Trigger (All friendly units in a small radius gain increased movement and attack speed for 20 seconds)

Units

Guard (Basic Marine) – Warrior (Infested frontline) (Barracks)

Medic (Basic healing unit) – Leech (Aggressive unit that drains enemy health for energy) (Barracks Tech Lab)

Frostbat (Crowd controlling unit that slows down crowds of enemies) – Plaguebat (Crowd killing unit that damages enemies over time) (Barracks Tech Lab)

Sentry Bot (High durability anti-ground vehicle) – Extermination Bot (High damage anti-air vehicle) (Factory Port)

Peace Hound (High damaging unit which is able to stun flying enemies with Disabling Missiles) – Savage Hound (High damaging unit which is able to clear groups of ground enemies with Explosive Spores) (Factory Port Tech Lab)

Dropship (Fast transport aircraft with the ability to Ignite Afterburners) – Dead Bearer (Slower but more durable aircraft with the ability to Launch Cargo) (Factory Port)

Science Vessel (Support aircraft with increased energy regeneration and the ability to provide Shields) – Parasite Vessel (Disruptive aircraft with the ability to Bio-Boost, increasing unit attack and move speed, and Irradiate) (Factory Port Tech Lab and Biology Lab)

Structures

Command Center – Infested Command Center

Refinery – Infested Refinery

Colonist Hub (Contains workers that automatically repair nearby structures and vehicles) – Infested Hub (Contains infested that automatically attack nearby enemies) (Limit 2)

Barracks – Infested Barracks

Engineering Bay – Infested Engineering Bay

Medical Bunker (Heals units inside) – Infested Bunker (Can move around, does not spawn infested troopers)

Missile Turret – Infested Missile Turret

Factory Port – Infested Factory Port

Armory – Infested Armory

Biology Lab – Disease Lab

Upgrades

Increased Housing (Increases maximum supply) – Expanded Nesting (Same effect) (Repeatable until max supply, Colonist Hut)

Medistim (Grants Guards the ability to heal themselves) – Adrenastim (Grants Warriors the ability to increase their move and attack speed at the cost of life) (Barracks Tech Lab)

Safe Plating (Increases the armor of Frostbats by 3) – Expulsing Growths (Increases the life of Plaguebats by 125) (Barracks Tech Lab)

Infantry Weapons – Infested Infantry Attack (3 levels, Engineering Bay)

Infantry Armor – Infested Infantry Armor (3 levels, Engineering Bay)

Neosteel Armor – Organic Chitin (Life regeneration for structures) (Engineering Bay)

Neosteel Frame – Bio-Mechanical Movement (Double movement speed for structures) (Engineering Bay)

Guard Protocol (Grants Sentry Bots the ability to reduce damage taken by nearby units at the cost of no movement and attack) – Destruction Protocol (Doubles Extermination Bots attack speed at the cost of no movement) (Factory Port Tech Lab)

Safety Barrage (Halves the cooldown of Disabling Missiles) – Death Fall (Halves the cooldown of Explosive Spores) (Factory Port Tech Lab)

Supporting Fire (Grants Dropships an anti-light auto gun which fires at ground targets) – Spore Missiles (Grants Dead Bearers spore missiles which deal anti-armor damage to air targets) (Factory Port Tech Lab)

Vehicle and Ship Weapons – Infested Mechanical Attack (3 levels, Armory)

Vehicle and Ship Armor – Infested Mechanical Armor (3 levels, Armory)

Cellular Reactor (Specialist units gain +100 starting energy and +100 maximum energy) – Organic Reactor (Specialist units regenerate energy twice as fast) (Biology Lab)

Levels

Half-Cured (Level 1) – Ariel is able to swap between Terran and Infested, gaining different units, structures, and abilities. All upgrades improve both the normal and infested versions in different ways. Starts with a Colonist Hub.

Protective Barrier/Hunterling Pack (Level 2) – Ariel gains a new ability in both forms:

  • Protective Barrier (Spawns a circular barrier which allies can move through, but enemies cannot. Lasts for 10 seconds)
  • Hunterling Pack (Select a small aura in which 5 Hunterlings will leap upon enemy forces, stunning them and lasting for 30 seconds)

Infantry Upgrade Cache (Level 3) – Unlocks the following upgrades at the Barracks Tech Lab:

  • Emergency Operation (Doubles the rate Medics heal and spend energy) – Desperate Drain (Increases the damage and energy gain of Leeches by 50%)
  • Far-Reach Bioengineering (Increases the healing range of Medics by 2 and allows them to heal mechanical units) – Expansive Tendril (Increases the attack range of Leeches by 2 and allows them to target flying units)
  • Concentrated Frost (Increases the slowing effect of Frostbats by 50%) – Loose Disease (Widen Plaguebats’ damage radius by 50%)

Helping Hands (Level 4) – Colonist Hubs contain additional workers/infested and affect a 50% larger area.

New Unit: Predator/Terror (Level 5) – Melee Mech. Built at the Factory Port.

  • Predator: Damages enemies in a small area upon attack.
  • Terror: Leaps at enemies dealing high anti-armor damage.

Expert at Work (Level 6) – Ariel has improved Terran abilities:

  • Nano-Organic Heal Drones (Heals 100 more HP and also grants a 30HP Shield for 15 seconds)
  • Protective Barrier (Lasts for 5 more seconds)

Factory Port Upgrade Cache (Level 7) – Unlocks the following upgrades at the Factory Port Tech Lab:

  • Updated Code (Sentry Bots are able to move while Guard Protocol is active) – Infested System (Exterminator Bots are able to attack ground while Destruction Protocol is active)
  • Electric Claws (Predators deal +10 damage against light units) – Bony Jaws (Terrors deal an additional +15 damage against armored units)
  • EMP Taser Missiles (Disabling Missiles lasts 25% longer and deals 30% more damage) – Splitter Spores (Explosive Spores affect a 30% larger aura and deals 25% more damage)
  • Fast Deposit (Dropships drop their cargo almost instantly) – Launching Impact (Launch Cargo has +3 range and deals damage in a small area upon landing)

Micro-Filtering (Level 8) – Refineries produce vespene gas 25% faster.

Extreme Measures (Level 9) – Ariel has improved Infested abilities:

  • Adrenaline Trigger (Affects a 25% larger aura and lasts for 10 more seconds)
  • Hunterling Pack (Spawns 8 Hunterlings)

Unusual Equilibrium (Level 10) – Upon switching to Terran Ariel’s units regenerate 100HP over 10 seconds. Upon switching to Infested Ariel’s units gain 40% movement speed for 10 seconds.

Armory Upgrade Cache (Level 11) – Unlocks the following upgrades at the Armory:

  • Safety Barrier (Vehicles gain a 50HP shield) – Thick Chitin (Vehicles gain +2 armor)
  • Optimized Functions (Vehicles cooldowns are 25% shorter) – Overloaded Functions (Vehicle abilities are 25% more effective)

Charitable Work (Level 12) – Both players start with an additional 150 minerals.

Science Vessel Upgrade Cache (Level 13) – Unlocks the following upgrades at the Biology Lab:

  • Resurrection Operation (Grants Science Vessels the ability to revive recently killed allied units) – Parasitic Domination (Grants Parasite Vessels the ability to take control of enemy units permanently
  • Infused Reactor (When switching Science Vessels gain 100 energy) – Infused Heart (Same effect)

Swift Operations (Level 14) – Global energy recharges 40% faster.

Together in a New Future (Level 15) – While Terran, your ally takes 15% less damage. While Infested, your ally deals 15% more damage.

Mastery

Power Set 1:

  • Research Resource Cost and Time (up to -30%)
  • Combat Unit Vespene Gas Cost (up to -30%)

Power Set 2:

  • Together in a New Future Effectiveness (up to +15%)
  • Switch Cooldown (up to -30 seconds)

Power Set 3:

  • Specialist Energy Regeneration (up to +45%)
  • Combat Unit Life (up to +15%)

Prestige

Frontline Scientist

Ariel Hanson deploys to the frontline as either an elite healer who can revive fallen units or as a durable frontline fighter with the ability to pull in and stun enemies with her tendrils.

Reactors are unavailable. Tech labs cost an additional 25 vespene gas.

Miracle Worker

Tech Labs and Reactors combine into Tech Reactors. Terran global energy constantly regenerates and at a 30% faster rate.

Unable to swap to Infested form.

Cursed Soul

Parasites gain the ability to spawn infested. Infested Hub limit increased to 3. Combat units cost 20% less minerals. Infested global energy constantly regenerates.

Unable to swap to Terran form.

Achievements

Advanced Developments: Research all upgrades in a single mission on Hard difficulty.

Helping Hands (and Claws): Repair 3,000 life and deal 3000 damage with colonist hubs in Co-op Missions.

Flick of a Switch: Switch forms 15 times in a single

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I must say Hanson is certainly a hot coop topic.
Amount of threads about her is inspiring.

That’s so much food for thought, that if Coop was still in development, we’d certainly get her as next Terran commander.

Chronological, in case someone would like to look for old threads:

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Wow, did not know there were so many concepts for Ariel. I actually made this concept specifically because I didn’t think anybody else would have made one for such a disliked character. It is cool though seeing all of the different concepts as to how she would work and the explanations as to how she got into Co-op.

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Neat to see blurb tabs filled in! Namely: Info (not that “for Experienced Players” or “new players” means much :smiley: ), Units, and Upgrades (aka the talents).

I’ve never started my own thread for Hanson. Only had a few ideas which included that CO can switch between regular and “infested modes”. Another thing is if they generally do NOT like being infested (I mean, who would?), but it’s more powerful, and comes at a cost (resources and/or some morale system).

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Dave Spectre made a sensational trailer for Ariel Hanson commander

Also, there is a fan-made commander map called Nexus Co-op where you actually get to play Ariel commander (but different).
Her gameplay involves minor terran troopers and infested units.
You can actually get to play special DoN units like Chokers, Hunterlings and Stank!

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One thing I found that is weird to me is this whole belief that Ariel Hanson as a CO would have or involve infested. Like I get where the ‘belief’ comes from but really it doesn’t really fit.

While her story arc has this element, it is largely due to necessity. It’s like the scientists in our world who came up with vaccines against covid. Then we conceptualize them into a military commander… then all of a sudden they must specialize in covid-affiliated warfare? Like really?

If I was in Hanson’s shoes, I’d want to stay as far away from such things as possible. After almost becoming the infested, I’d have a much higher appreciation of how wrong it can go. Not a mentality of “I know I almost got it, so let me just work on it more and experiment and mutate fellow village people.”

Ya know what I mean? :joy:

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Wow pretty cool, this is super extensive.

@FearrWhalins I feel you on that. She would probably hate the virus and be all about purity or whatever. A real germaphobe.

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Well Hanson was not only a Scientist she was a Colony administrator. Also… if you were a scientist who specialized in developing cures for covid, and you had to turn your skills to military use… are you going to be producing particle beam weapons/minitaurized nukes?.. no you will be making bio/chemical warfare agents, its the closest thing to your specialty. PhDs in immunology don’t work in the DoD’s advanced tank armor division.

Anyways, in her story she was willing to work on a cure over burning her village. So if you have a cure for yourself, it can be a valid weapon. [my concept had it as a small part of her kit, but still a part]

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No, but it definitely makes more sense for a scientist to be a CO to be ya know… a commander. The main job being to command militia formed by the colony. This leaves Hanson open to be any other themed CO rather than narrowing her down to another infested commander. Whereas the assumed idea that the colony is somehow fused with mutations and infested technology not only makes less sense, it also prevent other ideas to conceptualize.

It’s a cooler perhaps more sensational idea but seriously my dude lol. You clearly are defending the idea far too much lmao. All I’m saying is…

A cure for a disease is far from a biological weapon. That’s like comparing a blacksmith to sword-smith . Just cuz one can in theory forge weapons as a blacksmith, their main job is not weapon-smithing but tool repair…

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According to some news outlets, that is exactly what’s going on, lol.

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We’re still in non canon territory. I’d say Mengsk and the good guys being willing to work with each other is already a stretch. Then you have Abby, Swann, and Karax who even though are engineers of their respective races who work on the war machine, they’ve never been in direct combat except for Karax. And even then, he got 1 or few missions? Hardly something enough to make someone into a full fledged CO.

Hell, I thought so with Stetmann. I don’t know if there were any materials (novels, comics, whatever else) from WoL to when he became a CO, but Stetmann being a CO who controls mecha Zerg, and being high on T ended up hitting me like a wrecking ball. After this, I was expecting we’d get “mecha Protoss”, or “mech hybrid” :smiley:

As for Hanson, yeah, this is kinda of a stretch, but not that huge if ya ask me. But if she’s going to be a CO, this would be one way to go (the dev team mentioned that when they came out with new COs, while popularity was important, being having the material to work with something couldn’t be overlooked). In our non-canon story, she wants to help the forces that are fighting Amon, so this be it. Her research shifted here.

Do agree that having another infested would indeed have to be done carefully as to not end up too similar to Stukov. Like with Zeratul, Vorazun is already Nerazim, so he ended up being the “Xel’Naga tech guy”.

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