Stunner
La Chupacabra
Join Date: 2008-02-25 Member: 63729Members
Join Date: 2008-02-25 Member: 63729Members
<div class="IPBDescription">New tactical weapon idea</div>The name is quite dodgy I know ;p it would probably need to be changed..
The idea behind "the stunner" would be to give Marines a weapon that doesn't make too much damage (since those we have enough), but which is useful in other ways.
Don't know how it would look like exactly, but I imagine it as a rifle of some sort, which shoots by some kind of pressure or electromagnetic mechanism, since the bullet itself is quite fragile (so a explosion in the barrel would cause it to malfunction). The bullet, on impact, would cause small electric shock to the attacked life form. The electric shot and uncontrolled muscle contraction/pain which goes with it would be the cause of various effects (listed below).
Alternative to that is an energy weapon, but don't think that it would look good in the NS(1) theme (maybe NS2 will change it?).
<b>(all the amounts and numbers are just to give an idea, it would have to be estimated by play-testing)</b>
About the weapon:
- small magazine (3)
- medium-slow reload
- slow rate of fire (1 bullet per second or more) - the weapon animation would show the player when he can shoot again, as it is in the case of shotty or nade launcher
- small damage (35 per shot, well maybe does not look so small at first sight, but remember that the rate of fire is low)
- on impact with an alien life form it would (apart from dealing small amount of damage) cancel its current action (for example Fade would stop to blink, Onos would stop a charge attack, skulk would stop in the middle of biting etc.) and for 1 second he would be slowed down and both his attacks and special abilities would be disabled, for example:
> skulk would fall of walls (as it is when pressing crouch), lerk would stop to flapp his wings and loose control over the flight trajectory (as it is when pressing crouch), only for a very short amount of time but enough to cause the lerk to fly into a wall rather than escape into a vent, and generally no attacks would buy more time for marines and, even though that it would last only a second or so, it might case a fleeing fade to fail to blink away in the most crucial moment, etc.
I would like to add that the time for which an alien is "stunned" (slowed down and having it's abilities disabled) would be somehow proportional to the rate of fire, so an alien can no be stunned for a longer period by shooting him continuously (stun time slightly shorter than the rate of fire).
- on impact with a chamber - would inactivate it for double the duration it stuns a life form, so for example, would make a sensory chamber stop cloaking for 2 seconds, defensive chamber would not heal, movement chamber would not teleport etc.
- on impact with the hive - would additionally slow down or freeze it's regeneration ability for double the time it stuns a life form
- on impact with any - equivalent of marine parasite, alien \ structure showed as it is when motion track enabled, but alien doesn't have to move to be seen
- could cause the screen to blink a bit on impact
so... what do you guys think?
The idea behind "the stunner" would be to give Marines a weapon that doesn't make too much damage (since those we have enough), but which is useful in other ways.
Don't know how it would look like exactly, but I imagine it as a rifle of some sort, which shoots by some kind of pressure or electromagnetic mechanism, since the bullet itself is quite fragile (so a explosion in the barrel would cause it to malfunction). The bullet, on impact, would cause small electric shock to the attacked life form. The electric shot and uncontrolled muscle contraction/pain which goes with it would be the cause of various effects (listed below).
Alternative to that is an energy weapon, but don't think that it would look good in the NS(1) theme (maybe NS2 will change it?).
<b>(all the amounts and numbers are just to give an idea, it would have to be estimated by play-testing)</b>
About the weapon:
- small magazine (3)
- medium-slow reload
- slow rate of fire (1 bullet per second or more) - the weapon animation would show the player when he can shoot again, as it is in the case of shotty or nade launcher
- small damage (35 per shot, well maybe does not look so small at first sight, but remember that the rate of fire is low)
- on impact with an alien life form it would (apart from dealing small amount of damage) cancel its current action (for example Fade would stop to blink, Onos would stop a charge attack, skulk would stop in the middle of biting etc.) and for 1 second he would be slowed down and both his attacks and special abilities would be disabled, for example:
> skulk would fall of walls (as it is when pressing crouch), lerk would stop to flapp his wings and loose control over the flight trajectory (as it is when pressing crouch), only for a very short amount of time but enough to cause the lerk to fly into a wall rather than escape into a vent, and generally no attacks would buy more time for marines and, even though that it would last only a second or so, it might case a fleeing fade to fail to blink away in the most crucial moment, etc.
I would like to add that the time for which an alien is "stunned" (slowed down and having it's abilities disabled) would be somehow proportional to the rate of fire, so an alien can no be stunned for a longer period by shooting him continuously (stun time slightly shorter than the rate of fire).
- on impact with a chamber - would inactivate it for double the duration it stuns a life form, so for example, would make a sensory chamber stop cloaking for 2 seconds, defensive chamber would not heal, movement chamber would not teleport etc.
- on impact with the hive - would additionally slow down or freeze it's regeneration ability for double the time it stuns a life form
- on impact with any - equivalent of marine parasite, alien \ structure showed as it is when motion track enabled, but alien doesn't have to move to be seen
- could cause the screen to blink a bit on impact
so... what do you guys think?
Comments
a) very expensive and effective in order to counter the kind of tactical advantage it gives, which would probably make it less desirable than other weapon forms that are cheaper and traditional in terms of the damage they cause
or
b) moderate price but with low effectiveness - maybe useless against Onos, much weaker against other lifeforms than you suggested - which makes it possibly useful against structures or as a support weapon. Any stunning effects are incredibly potent against fast-moving lifeforms (walker skulks excluded).
Also, it is really important on whether this weapon is hit-scan or projectile based and what kind of range is involved. Obviously hit-scan will be very potent, whereas projectile based will make it require more skill to use effectively. Will it have splash damage or only direct damage? This will also be important on how overpowered or how useless the weapon will turn out in gameplay.
Overall, it's an interesting idea in theory but I think it would not be very enjoyable for alien players in practice. As always, you have to consider both sides of the game when thinking of new additions to weaponry.
Thank for a constructive response Sarisel!
First of all - I was thinking of a hit-scan, direct damage weapon.
I was actually thinking about both sides when suggesting this weapon, differently however from what you probably mean. I though of it as a "counter" weapon, weapon that give the frontiersmen a similar (but not as good) abilities to the stunning attack of an Onos, which can inactivate half of the marine team if lucky enough... This also is rather unenjoyable for the marine team (who in addition can neither move nor change their aim), not to mention being digested, but it is still there and the game seems more interesting because of it.
In terms of the alien team, I was thinking that introducing such a weapon in the game play would have an impact on team work. Why?
Have you ever had one of those moments in the game when you or some other marine have spotted an Onos in the mid-game? There is no other single event in the game that would stimulate team-work and make a marine team stick together more than a 4-legged-hippo-like-sweetness, which we all know and love <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
As you said, a single Onos would have a decreased chance of survival if there would be at least one guy with a stunner in a team. However, if only aliens would try to coordinate their attacks the effect of a stunner would be not that great due to a small amount of ammo and medium-slow reload. Maybe the term "stunner" would became the team-work stimuli of the alien team? Also umbra would be much more helpful, since the one bullet which don't reach it's target might be the one of a stunner gun.
EDIT:
ideas about adrenaline-affecting weapon moved <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=103895" target="_blank">here!</a>
EDIT 2:
If that doesn't convince anybody than some changes can be made. If that weapon would only cancel the current action (onos starting a stomp attack, xenocide of a skulk etc.) and slow down as shotgun does when fired at skulk in close range, so short that it's hard to say how much it takes, less than a second for sure. Magazine and rate of fire might be also increase a bit, to make it a bit better damage-dealer.
Neither the <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/faq/" target="_blank">FAQ</a> nor the <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/about/" target="_blank">about</a> page say anything about stun weapons. They're not really a good idea IMO, but that's my opinion and not the devs.
I was advising sth more of stomp but less effective. Doesn't matter now really ;p