Second 'resource' type

StixNStonz

<div class="IPBDescription">a different approach</div>***UPDATE: Instead of a 2nd resource type, this is much more of a revamping of the NS1 weldable system into a full-fledged Secondary Objectives system for NS2.***

I didn't want to hijack your <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=104819" target="_blank"><u>thread</u></a> spellman, but I had some serious deviations, so I made my own thread.

I would like to see a second resource type, but in a different fashion. Namely that it would be <u>secondary</u>, and <u>indirect</u> somehow. That is, the current RT format would be kept and would absolutely remain the focus of the economy, but this second resource type would be available as the age old 'secondary objectives'.


I need to explain this to be clear:

<u>SECONDARY</u>. Res nodes would be placed as usual, and would be the primary economic focus. But dispersed around the map, with a completely different balance than RT placement, would be these areas for access to the second resource. I would envision that they need to be welded for marines, and gorges would have to healspray them. I would even go so far as to say that the secondary resnodes should be separated by team; the mapper would place each individual weldable for the 2nd resource (for marines), and each sprayable for the aliens separately. This would really mix up the dynamics of how teams as a whole as well as individuals decide to push and defend.

<u>INDIRECT</u>. This is very important to get the full effect of my proposal for the secondary resource. It would NOT be required for anything; it would simply 'help out'. A list follows of potential types of indirect resource types


Options for an <b>Indirect Secondary Resource Types</b>:

<u>Multiplicative</u>, where each node that's been welded multiplies each capped RT's output by 1.25 (or whatever is deemed the most balanced)

<u>Discount</u>, where each node can discount one area of the economy. One node discounts all guns by 1 res, another discounts turrets, another discounts scans. Perhaps some could even 'discount' research time by speeding up all research by 15% or so. Same would go for aliens with chamber and lifeform costs, gestation time, even hive build times.

<u>Boosting</u>, where each node can boost its set feature, or where every node boosts the same feature by a set amount. These boosts could be to damage (1% per node?), to discounts, to run speed, to rate of fire, to explosive damage, to spore range, to whatever.

<u>Lighting, Dynamic Architecture, etc</u>. Lower the nearby light levels or darken them, open up the room or tighten it up, open vents or close them. This is basically the entirety of what Weldables are in NS1; this new secondary res / objectives system would be pretty much its evolution.


Following such a design, the secondary 'resources' would be much more akin to map-specific secondary objectives that remain true to the word 'secondary'. They would offer small rewards, but would give players more to do. More options. They would be easily balanced too, given that their location, density relative to one another, weld/spray time, health (to destroy), and rewarded boosts would all be mapper controlled, and hence easily tweaked after playtesting.

Thoughts?

spellman23

OK, so the resource is more akin to bonuses. I can jive with that.

This reminds me a lot of another thread:
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=104438" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...howtopic=104438</a>

The part I like is you also give distinct rules on how these special points are controlled.

I would be more inclined towards the the boosting system, but I like the discount and always a fan of more dynamic maps. I'm not too keen on the multiplier. More nodes multiplied up = pain and imba.

Also, one minor point, even though there are separate ones for each team, can the other team reverse the control? i.e., disable them? I would hope so.

ryknow69

Basicly, a control area? like a master control center for each team?

Having these near the opposing enemy's base would further the hardship to get these upgrades, or 'secondary' res


Having the old Marine Weld points would be a splended thing to keep in though, I've always loved weld points, and wished they used them more for better things.

Having these around the map would be nice, but i personaly dont like having team specific, it wouldnt make it much of a Res rather than a team bonus. Having multiple node things can be put out like this...

You weld/spray it open, you go in, you can weld/spray one of the X bonuses, and after you weld one, the others disable, then you must move to the next node, and choose the OTHER bonuses, you can't choose the same bonus twice, to prevent stacking of upgrades.


=)

StixNStonz

Well, think of the current weldable system. For one, it is ONLY for the marines; aliens have no 'secondary objective' equivalent. Furthermore, while the weldables leave it open to the mapper to decide what they do, the mappers are still limited by the trigger system of NS1. In NS1, weldables are pretty much restricted to moving or destroying brushes (so closing vents, or opening new paths, or removing cover from rooms, etc). Actually, the rare weldable turns on additional lights.

With the design of NS2 not yet finalized, the weldable system of NS1 could be revamped. My proposal to do so basically gives it to both sides in their own respective format; leaves each weldable/sprayable to still be placed at the mapper's choosing; and adds in further options for the weldable/sprayable effects. Instead of simply moving or destroying brushes, they could have the option of offering bonuses to their respective teams. If the coding infrastructure were put into place for this, mappers could be a lot more creative in their inclusion of true-to-form secondary objectives.

And Ryknow, I definitely do NOT mean that each would be a 'control room', where the teams choose from multiple options for each weldable / sprayable. I mean that each one would be set to its boost or effect. Your method, while it has its perks, would just be over complicating the whole concept.

ryknow69

I see,

I would always love it if the NS2 team made the weldables better, like doing more stuff for the marines, and added some other sprayables, like maybe starting growth of DI in this room?


Weldables are control panels with covers that must be removed, or a panel that must be destroyed

Why not make the aliens bacteria!? That would make it logical why a gorge whould be spraying something, the heal spray incourages growth, and with an unstable bacteria, mutation, into a energy sucking one(turns lights off) or make it turn into DI.

Hawkeye

I think 'control' should be left untouched. The advantage of controling areas is already there. You shouldn't get a further advantage by getting some sort of control.

Here's what I propose. Have a specific ability for each team which ties into that kind of resource.

For example, an onos requires 2 of this kind of resource to spawn into one. Perhaps to drop a marine jetpack, you'd need 1 of this kind of resource. In this way, you could put one or two on a map. It'd add a new type of strategy. The resources help with mostly everything and cannot be placed aside for the new resource, however in the late game, the controller of these nodes is crucial.

This would also allow a mapper to downscale the types of available lifeforms / upgrades available if the map were too small to support the onos and jetpackers.

Maybe nobody would be in favor of making the better abilities and lifeforms dependent upon this new resource, so perhaps they ought to create a new lifeform and a new human upgrade ability based on this resource. It wouldn't be strictly required to win (and perhaps not even entirely useful), but it would diversify gameplay and allow more flexibility for the team who controls it.

StixNStonz

Hawkeye, that sounds more like a potential custom, LUA'd, completely separate mode of NS2 gameplay. And it could be kinda fun too. Call it something like 'bare bones NS2', where both teams start at basically skulks vs lmg marines, and can only use their res for teching should they hold control points specific to the tech they want. Or, there's no res, and they get the tech from holding the control points.

But I would see this as a non-standard feature of NS2. You could wind up with some pretty cool maps and games with such a mode of NS2. But for the standard game, it would be adding way too much unnecessary complexity. This is part of the reason I turned my 2nd resource proposal into a much more streamlined Weldable Evolution that basically just puts more power into the mapper's hands, while only offering small boosts that would hardly effect the balance of the game (or at least could be easily tweaked to do so).

gamakun

I just hope the res looks cool and distinct from the environment. So it can help reveal to any new player that this is something useful.