Combat Mode

SamR

I think it would be sweet if combat mode looked nothing like the ns game mode, and looked more like a virtual environment. Kinda like the VR missions on metal gear, or something like the holodeck in next gen ! All player models could be skinned in blue / green and rendered holographically. Not only would it look cool, but it would encourage people to play the main NS game for all it's industrial gritty glory.

Also, in this combat mode, you should be able to play a Marine VS Marine mode (for training purposes) in which the same resource point + commander based system as the main ns game mode could be played.

Just an idea. I remember there was talk and the possibility of MarineVSMarine for NS1, but it never happened which I think was a shame.

There are maybe new ideas for Combat Mode in development already, but I think the NS1 combat mode was a little lacking and seemed compromised. Perhaps it should teach combat players some team skills rather than them coming to ns game mode and playing rambo?

How did everyone else find the ns1 combat mode? When I used to play regularly, I remember a lot of players disgruntled with the introduction of combat.

Like this, but more complex and experimental.

<img src="http://soucali.com/img/d/291-1/PSX-MGS_VR.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/en/images/thumb/a/a9/Holodeck_empty.jpg/180px-Holodeck_empty.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

These are holograms ! Just imagine marines and aliens like this, a little transparent and that flicker every now and then.

<img src="http://www.meyerovich.com/close/art/hologram.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://www.txpinball.com/images/cftbl_hologram3d.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

This is someone putting there hand through a hologram. This is just reference for some really cool effects and environments that combat mode could be played in:

<img src="http://www.solfire.com/yna/artists/protius/hologram_42.3.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/optmod/imgopm/chesr21.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

A hologram of Iraq.. don't ask me why ! But it has the kinda holographic colour scheme I'm talking about.

<img src="http://www.ufobc.ca/Beyond/Images/Mantis-III/hologram-iraq.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

SamR

Hologram videos:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQT0vcw7xZM" target="_blank">Kate Moss hologram at fashion show</a>

This has some cool effects in:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCSfGmMRvtc" target="_blank">Diesal Fashion Show Holograms (I don't know why so many fashion shows like using it)</a>

I'm not sure this is strictly a hologram, but anyway:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd7NClJOUOI" target="_blank">Interactive projection display</a>

CanadianWolverine

007 Everything Or Nothing also has a "virtual" Combat Level.

I think this is an excellent idea for both a tutorial and a way to present Combat that takes nothing away from the real bad ass game we all know and love.

May I suggest a twist? For the next Combat, make it only MvM or KvK, as a way of teaching players about the life forms and their abilities, with the Kharaa "holograms" looking and feeling more animal like where as the marines would have a robotic feel and look.

If there are any ideas on how Combat can be more goal and team oriented, I would love to hear those too.

schkorpio

a training mode would be awesome - it doesn't need to be tied to combat though, it can be seperate again. it would kind of like a sandbox type game.
Load the training level or even a real map.
Select your load out or kharaa upgrades and the computer just spawns bots with whatever loadout or abilities you choose.
So say you want to practice being a fade with celerity and focus, you can <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> if you die you just respawn, but you can continuesly spawn with those upgrades so you cna consistenly train and learn how to counter certain enemies with certain upgrades of your choosing.
Would probably be handy way to find bugs and exploits too.

MasterPTG

<!--quoteo(post=1650383:date=Sep 19 2007, 12:12 AM:name=schkorpio)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(schkorpio @ Sep 19 2007, 12:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1650383"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Load the training level or even a real map.
Select your load out or kharaa upgrades and the computer just spawns bots with whatever loadout or abilities you choose.
So say you want to practice being a fade with celerity and focus, you can <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> if you die you just respawn, but you can continuesly spawn with those upgrades so you cna consistenly train and learn how to counter certain enemies with certain upgrades of your choosing.
Would probably be handy way to find bugs and exploits too.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yes, this would actually be very GOOD, b/c Ns actually penalizes you for dying w/ a higher lifeform. This would enable you to practice some basic moves b/f getting slaughtered in multiplayer. At least you would KNOW why you died so fast as fade or onos, if you had a chance to kill some random sorta-good-or-bad bots in a minimal confined space with perhaps 3 rooms total. Also as a marnie, you could practice killing some skulks or lerks or whatever.

Select what you want to kill, select your side/class/weapon/armor/whatever, and kill them. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />. rinse, repeat. Also, have a short & concise video tutorial for the game as a whole and for the commander (and maybe gorge too). Videos can convey information much faster than just text or a tutorial map.

SamR

Yes, there could be a whole range of modes to play in combat, and it should be somewhat different from NS main game play. It would be pretty quick to make too if the graphics were in this kind of style. Texturing and making levels would be fast, and all the models could just be reskinned in different colour tones and made to shimmer.

If you gave this game mode enough options to tamper with, you may even end up with people making up their own types of games, similar to Halo 2 online, whereby people would make up new game modes using weapon restrictions and vehicles etc.