I realy don't understand this, is a flamer not ENOUGH??? The Marines get a lot of new toys to tortue the Animals...very sad. Whats wrong with a pistol, knife and a rifle (LMG)??? Why there is ataser needed? I totaly disagree. Maybe its fun, but its not matching, because in a cattle farm they use taser, ok but not in a ship outside the earth...to fight against Aliens.
<!--quoteo(post=1719019:date=Jul 23 2009, 03:27 PM:name=Price)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Price @ Jul 23 2009, 03:27 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719019"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe its fun, but its not matching, because in a cattle farm they use taser, ok but not in a ship outside the earth...to fight against Aliens.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Little known fact, before Max presented the engine to Flayra, the games actual working title was <i>Star Trek</i>: Cattle Farmer 2010. They had some pretty wild ideas back in the day. I mean, just look at the size of the cows.. :x
We need to get a replacement name ASAP to prevent any nasty lawsuits - how about something based around the marines anyway, like TSARR - TSA Rechargable Repulsor or something (see if anyone can come up with a nice acronym and description) - close enough so people will know what it may be described as being "like", but so closely tied to the game environment as to avoid litigation...
I haven't read all the posts before me, 11 pages is quite alot ;), but I think that a way to make the pistol more balanced and more real is to make it accurate at range while taking your time to fire and giving it more spread when shooting faster with it. I think that's pretty realistic because pistols do have recoil on them which has to be stopped by your arm muscles without having a riflebutt to your shoulder to keep it steady. I do like the idea of a taser, but not as a replacement with to many functions, more as a fun alternative.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I am trying to stay open-minded, but I'm still very skeptical.
The idea of throwing a secondary gun and a melee weapon into one is fine. From a modeler's perspective, I guess it'll save some time... although, from a player's perspective, it doesn't really matter.
The gradual, long-term damage sounds terribly obnoxious. Imagine being a skulk, getting hit by a "Zapper," and then having the marine just dance around while he slowly shocks you to death, even if you manage to hide somewhere nearby. This would be frustrating. Come to think of it, it's beginning to remind me distantly of lerks' gas, which I was never a huge fan of.
I also do not see exactly why this would break the monotony of killing buildings. You are still standing around the building while it slowly gets damaged. The only solution I can think of for that problem is making it so you have to shoot specific parts of alien buildings to bring them down. (Aim for the glowy parts like in Star Fox! Just kidding...) Then again, maybe UWE can think of other ways to make building-killin' more thrilling. I personally never minded killing buildings. While not action-packed, it was still suspenseful.
Perhaps I missed it, but does the shock not work if the target is out of line-of-sight? Otherwise, offense chambers will be completely useless. Simply shoot an OC, hide around a corner, and let the zappiness do its magic.
On the bright side, when MvM is released, I look forward to tasing so many bros.
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
I do agree that a marine would need some kind of backup/multi-tool, but the taser just doesn't screen TSA marines as much as it says handbag defense weapon.
but any chance of duel weilding a taser to ride an onos? <img src="http://www.albinokraken.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/worm_rider.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Strangely I dont think, that killing structures (as a marine or kharaa) has ever been monotonous. I always felt a little excitement when killing an enemy structure, thinking: "Will I make it? Will I be spottet? I cant see ######!" But i liked that. When someone spotted and interrupted me it came to an interesting fight which I could win to fullfill my quest to kill the structure. And even it just went well I had a good feeling by just knifing a chamber down, because I did something that actually took time but was worth it - i hope you know what I mean :)
Another thing: Killing Sttructures NEEDS to take some time. Thats is very important to make the structures important - if they are easy to kill, they are not very much worth, are they? Through their big health structures also gave some kind of security to whomever built them.
In NS1 the siege was the only weapon that structures were REALLY vulnerable to.
How bout you pay for the pistol model to be made professionally by whatever contractor you want... then I'll model and texture a knife for you... free of charge. (I know that wont happen but w/e)
I just can't see NS2 without the pistol and knife.. they were my two most favourite things from NS1. A tazer also seems a little under powered to use against the kharaa, it doesn't look as though it would have enough power to break through their tough hides.
<!--quoteo(post=1718986:date=Jul 23 2009, 08:58 PM:name=kfli)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (kfli @ Jul 23 2009, 08:58 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1718986"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hi, I'm a space marine. I'm going to bring a taser to space. How about we add pepper spray as well? LET GO OF MY SPACE PURSE, YOU DAMN ALIEN!!!!!!
This taser makes me want to vomit.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Believe it or not, tasers come in many forms. A quick tour on their website shows that Taser has applications even in the military.
That being said, when I think "taser" I think "law enforcement" but that's probably because they aren't allowed to be carried by citizens in most countries.
<!--quoteo(post=1719006:date=Jul 23 2009, 03:39 PM:name=niaccurshi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (niaccurshi @ Jul 23 2009, 03:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719006"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Welcome to the Forum, a modern day REAL taser is used to subdue subjects. The "Taser" as described in the article is used to hurt them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Thanks. I couldn't have figured that out without your expert help.
Well here's some more expert help: a taser in a futristic sci-fi shooter doesn't necessarily carry out the same role as the ones in our current world, something you seemed to fail to realize when assuming that the weapon design wasn't meant to dish out damage when it was written explicitly on the article.
<!--quoteo(post=1719040:date=Jul 23 2009, 02:48 PM:name=schkorpio)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (schkorpio @ Jul 23 2009, 02:48 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719040"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I do agree that a marine would need some kind of backup/multi-tool, but the taser just doesn't screen TSA marines as much as it says handbag defense weapon.
but any chance of duel weilding a taser to ride an onos? <img src="http://www.albinokraken.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/worm_rider.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Drink the blood of the Onos after slaying it for precog
What made ns a great game was it's differences to other games. Every bloody game uses a pistol and knife so trying to do something different is a big plus in my eyes. Stop complaining when you haven't even tried it yet, give them the benefit of the doubt. It's a great idea if you ask me, always found pistol/knife boring.
I'm sure someone has said this but since I don't want to read 12 pages I'll say it anyway. The pistol in NS1 also functioned as a long range weapon. The LMG was less effective at long range due to its inaccuracy and the shotgun was completely useless. It meant that aliens couldn't just sit back and pelt marines from long range with their projectiles. Be careful that you don't create a situation where aliens have the ability to kite marines with long range weapons and slowly work down their health. I think that would be frustrating for marines and lead to pretty boring games.
<!--quoteo(post=1719049:date=Jul 23 2009, 11:08 PM:name=jamin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jamin @ Jul 23 2009, 11:08 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719049"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->How bout you pay for the pistol model to be made professionally by whatever contractor you want... then I'll model and texture a knife for you... free of charge.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Haha, I bet this was UWE's plan all along - make controversial announcements to get free stuff done.
As a programming and modeling student, I see the value and logic behind the combination weapon. I have to agree with some of the early posts, while the design is fresh and well thought out for futuristic battle, it does look a little slight to be weilded as a melee weapon, but the proper shading and textures can make any material pop correctly. I leave that to your modelers.
I'm confused why some members were posting concerns about a stun system, I didn't see a stun effect mentioned... Rather thanthinking of this as a TASER members need to think of it as a weapon dealing "poison" daamage, as objects hit with the transponders would take damage over time. If you think of this from a nnumbers perspective, 3-4 marines could take down a structure relatively fast, i'm sure you guys are balancing out the damage functions, but think of 3 marines entering a room, each unloading 3-4 transponders and charging them to deal damage on a structure.
Quite effective. And to those worried about wires and what not laying about, the transponders conceptually don't need to be attached by wirrs, you all are thinking too much of current TASER models, not to mention the process it would eat to run multiple wires firing out of each marine's weapon...
I like the idea of powering structures and what not with the weapon, this will surely give a new tactical element to the game, well done gents.
R.I.P pistol & knife, you'll be missed
//also to the few genius' complaining about the game dev time, maybe you should volunteer your time to help model and rig the project? I know how long it takes to animate from scratch, and that's not even touching the scripting. If you aren't contributing then keep the negativity to your self.
I propose we copy the rifle in Perfect Dark, for nintendo 64, which had a alt+fire mode where you can throw it on the floor and it works like a proximity mine.
Very cool idea we can apply to the LMG... i mean then we don't need to have some pesky mines model created which can cut costs and accelerate delivery of NS2 OMFG!!! You can just throw your weapon away as a last minute move and kill anything that walks over it. Maybe their can be some safety mode that it doesn't blow if another marine goes to pick it up because they actually need it for shooting purposes...
Now all of those discarded LMGS on the floor (when the entire team gets real guns like HMG, SHOTGUN, GL), can now be used as MINES in defense of marine start!!! This idea is brilliant i know.
We can take it a step further and say that whenever a marine dies that his lmg falls to the floor and auto-enters the MINE mode xD
This also takes care of the problem that we don't need to have weapons auto-disappear after a period of time after being dropped... instead they turn into mines!!!
I don't think the taser is going to accomplish these "minimalist" goals. Planning out and balancing this new & unique weapon very well may be as time consuming (if not more time consuming) than going with the tried & true.
I have no problems with trying something new - and I haven't played the game yet, but they want our opinions, so... based on the very limited information available
I don't want to see this be like the pyro when if you light someone on fire (in this case, hit with the taser bolts) you're guaranteed a certain amount of damage over time. (excluding if the person gets extinguished in tf2, of course...) Also I don't think the aliens should get stunned. At all. Ever. it's not fun and skulks are already slower in NS2 they say. Also don't like the idea of a taser "shield" just holding it out w/ constant fire - unless it's terrible - which makes it useless for the marines. But I'd hate to see a skulk have to run away from some marine that's just standing in a corner holding out their taser...
I love the idea of using a taser, however, if you strap on some electrodes onto your happy family household plant it would eventually kill it, but it would take ages. Plants do not have nerves, so electricity does not affect it in the same way. The leaf will die that is receiving the shock, but the plant will continue to live on. If it is strong enough it will eventually die but we are talking about weeks. The power needed to kill it in the time to make it applicable to game play... well I think it would have to be something like a nuclear accelerator out of Ghostbusters on their backs in order to kill an organic structure. Granted, Infestation is definitely not plant like and is more animal like, and presumably all connected to the hive mind. If electric shock would kill structures in the way purposed, then I say if you try electrocuting infestation with your taser it should kill it slightly, or at least make kill a small hole where you shocked it on say, an infected wall. If this happened, you would please me and I wouldn’t have any gripes about it being unrealistic to the point of silly. I don’t think it would really effect game play since the taser would have a realistic and dynamic effect to the infestation, but after an infested area receive the shock it would just grow back, leaving us all pleased.
NS has never been a super realism shooter by any means, but it has always managed to keep a fair amount of believability to it. I think there should be a better way to kill structures... maybe taser + knife. Taser is basically doing same thing as a knife, but it would see a little silly to mean that you can kill alien structure half as high as a space marine maybe even taller with a taser, when it would do only minimalistic damage to living aliens, when compared with other weapons.
Taser vs alien = cool
Taser vs structure = a bit silly... unless it had some non-electrical based damage...
"When fighting the Kharaa menace, I prefer to use a Tazerâ„¢ Brand weapon. Tazerâ„¢: the responsible outlet for my aggression."
I like the idea. It's unique, and I've never been terribly fond of either the pistol or knife. The pistol was an adequate backup weapon, but it's the de facto sniper of NS1. I imagine marines will get a new long range weapon for NS2, or maybe the ol' LMG will receive an accuracy buff. The knife was just cheesy. This thing is different. I've never played an FPS with something like it (unless you count the riot prod from Deus Ex), so I look forward to alien-zapping fun.
Lots of people have complained about how the proposed Tazer-like weapon isn't "gritty" enough. What exactly do you fellas mean by that? Is it not gritty because it doesn't fire conventional munitions? Is it not gritty because of its appearance or its uses? I don't understand what basic quality grittiness refers to. In my mind, the Tazer-wannabe is more gritty than the NS1 pistol, since instead of leaving a nice clean bullet hole in the skull, it fries your enemies' nervous systems and roasts them from the inside. That sounds just plain nasty to me. But that's just my opinion: I think if you fellas who don't like, or are unsure of, the Tazer-doppelganger, you should be very specific with your criticisms. If enough people complain about the same aspect of it, maybe it well get changed. Simply voicing your disapproval will not help. I hope they change the appearance a little bit; NS1's weapons aren't easily compared to real-world equivalents, and I hope that trend continues. I'm also concerned about how the things sounds (I dislike stock electrical effects that so often accompany electrical arcs in media), but that and so much else we won't know until we play with it.
aww... no don't get rid of the knife and pistol! Those where probably my two favorite weapons in that game! Honestly I really don't like this idea of a zap-gun/dart-gun as a secondary... Although I think you should incorporate it also, and let the player have a choice between the knife/pistol, and the zap-gun thing. That would be sweet!
how r skulks meant to fight if everytime they try to attak a forcefield pushes them back. i wudnt mind trying it out...but the knife wasnt useless at all since u ran out of ammo prety quickly. And now the commander doesnt even need to drop ammo since all da marines r just gona taser the hive
Seeing concept art and talking about "chaining electricity" ideas gives me a lot of worry about a 2009 release. Im kind of shocked that there is even talk about "concepts" at this stage in the game. I was hoping to see something like "We've run the second batch of 100 game playtesting, and analyzed the statistics and have made a 5th change in initial default values of this dmg / buildtime/ etc..."
Is anyone else worried by seeing this concept art ?
I’m not that fond about this idea; primarily I don’t like the concept with a “taser in space†nor do its functions seem that appealing or useful. Subsequent I sort of get the impression reading about their thoughts on the pistol and killing structures; that it may be a long time since any of the devs played the game.
In most other fps game the secondary weapon is mainly used as a last resort, where as in NS the pistol actually have uses beyond this, contradictory to what stated in the dev post. Some of the pistol many uses are killing of fleeing fades/lerks, killing aliens hiding in vents or as a pressure against para-skulks. The high ROF you can obtain with a script/mwheel is perhaps somewhat to high, but this does not in any way make it easier to aim actually quite the opposite. The post says that killing alien structures is to monotony, which I cannot recognize at all?! You can kill a RT or a chamber rather fast (even faster with a sg, used in most competitive games), in addition you have to be highly aware all the time since the alien team will try to defend the RT at all cost. The most action in good games will be around aliens RT and in hive areas. The only real repetitive thing in NS is chewing RTs as a skulk; I have spent entire games trying to halter the marine res flow.
I say you should keep the pistol in its current form, but perhaps find an alternative to the knife. I really like grepdashv idea about using the welder as a melee/armor-repair weapon; in fact I really like his post.
I can't help but think that a lot of negativity focused on this new concept is being produced simply because of its name. People are linking the word Taser with the modern and well known form of the Taser, which is primarily used as a non-lethal law enforcement aide. You must understand that the name Taser in this circumstance is simply being used as a sort of nickname, and hence we should look at this concept without thinking of it as such that we already know (IE, a modern day taser device).
The issue of how Marines destroy structures in a way that lends itself to the atmosphere is important. In Natural-Selection 1, Marines would typically slash violently with their knives at a structure to destroy it. From a gameplay perspective this is perfectly reasonable. The Marines are choosing the most cost-efficient way to attack these structures, but also leaving themselves vulnerable to attack. From a visual and atmospheric perspective the notion is quite ludicrous. The Marines are slashing all around this Alien structure to destroy it. Realism is not the word I am looking for in terms of this issue. It is more about atmospheric immersion. We want to be part of a serious event, involving Marines attacking Aliens. The game has a very harsh premise and atmosphere. The art style is gritty and industrial. However the gameplay in many respects does not lend to this atmosphere, the knifing of alien structures is an example of this. The issue of the Taser therefore is to create a solution to both sides, the gameplay and the atmosphere. The Taser must be an alternative to simply gunning down the structure. It must be cost-effective (IE no ammunition wasted and quite damaging) but still leaves the marines vulnerable to attack. This must operate in a way that is visually pleasing and contributing to the atmosphere. Personally I believe shooting a wired transponder into the target structure and then juicing it with electricity is a perfect solution. Marines would be essentially tethered to the object as they fry it, bound to it. They would have to be sure it is safe to destroy the target in this way. It will save ammo and destroy the structure faster, but they are vulnerable. Also it lends to the atmosphere. I like the idea of several marines standing around a structure using their sidearms to electrify the target. If the "Taser" is implemented in such a way, it retains the gameplay mechanics of the knife while managing to create a believable and immersive way to destroy alien structures. In terms of simply using the Taser as a knife to attack aliens, it can't get much simpler than using it like a Taser for short range electrocution. There should be no stun for such an event, in should operate like a knife, only visually different.
The pistol side of the Taser is tougher issue. Decisions need to be made about how the transponders can be used. Perhaps they should be reserved for structures only? It is essential that the "Pistol mode" is simple to use and effective in its role. After all, the pistol is seen as the trusty-sidearm. It is simple, effective and always ready for use. I personally don't think transponders should be used on the aliens themselves, unless it is an option for an alternative way of damaging the aliens. The "Taser" must have a simple way of inflicting damage to aliens at a reasonable range for reasonable damage. The transponders should be an alternative, that is more useful in some situations. This creates a skill level for the Taser, as more experienced players will know when attaching transponders to a target for increasing damage is more effective. I do not approve of the "ganging up" idea. I must have missed something but surely Marines couldn't just all attach transponders to a Bone Shield Onos advancing down a corridor and juice it for all its worth. To be honest the transponder system is hard to understand and needs further explanation.
Overall a very bold plan to remove the standard pistol/knife combination from a modern FPS. The risk is worth taking if you can pull off what you are suggesting.
<!--quoteo(post=1719114:date=Jul 24 2009, 01:42 AM:name=Shzar)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shzar @ Jul 24 2009, 01:42 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719114"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Lots of people have complained about how the proposed Tazer-like weapon isn't "gritty" enough. What exactly do you fellas mean by that? Is it not gritty because it doesn't fire conventional munitions? Is it not gritty because of its appearance or its uses? I don't understand what basic quality grittiness refers to. In my mind, the Tazer-wannabe is more gritty than the NS1 pistol, since instead of leaving a nice clean bullet hole in the skull, it fries your enemies' nervous systems and roasts them from the inside. That sounds just plain nasty to me.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ok, basically the word gritty has several facets we can look at:
- courageous - source: dictionary - It seems like too good of an option to pull out the taser. It doesn't have that feel of being a last resort of a desperate marine. And I think we can agree that arcing lightning and whatnot isn't really a good way of saying "I'm the puny weapon in the game."
- tough - source: dictionary - Guns hit flesh. Tasers mess with the nervous system, if you want an electrical attack with high amps for flesh burning you're essentially talking about a welder (we make these today and they take large power supply converters about half the size of a refrigerator even while tapping into the power grid). Also, when you think tough in the gritty sense you think of something that can be dragged through the mud and still function, like an AK47 or a knife. If the electrical components of a high amp taser were covered in gorge spit or water from part of the level by all rights it should have a pretty good chance of killing the marine attempting to use it or completely shorting it and burning out its more delicate control circuits.
- realistic - Ok, I know a lot of you think that science can do anything in the future, and I'd like to address this by asking you to consider attacking an alien with an incredibly deadly amorphous disease-ridden stick of pink cotton candy. If the alien bites down on something like that, chances are you could have it kill them very quickly. Do we want it? Some of us design things for a living and have a clue what the future holds by what is possible and not possible by governing equations. New phenomenon we discover are either very expensive prohibiting mass production or only occur under obscure conditions. Others of us have a bit more sense about what belongs with the feel of the marines, or at least who we believe them to be. These are not spies, scientists, or students... they've more than likely just been sentenced to death by being sent on this mission, and they know it.
Here's a rule that I think should go along with keeping things gritty: If a leather-neck marine can't disassemble it and understand it, it's not gritty. Granted, marine non-defensive buildings aren't gritty and perhaps this is a fitting weapon for the commander that stays back there with the expensive toys that occasionally shake to show they're working.
On a side note, I also felt the "electrifying" of buildings was a bit of a stretch especially without a recharge time on each zap. If your proposed circuit is to go from the rt, to the alien, and then the floor; then it should be constantly shorting out as it's in contact with the floor and have no effect on a jumping alien or one standing on top of it. You could have it covered with electrodes for the desired effect, but it wouldn't look all "shocky." Static charge also changes nearby O2 into O3 which is more commonly known as smog so the entire area should favor the aliens because no one should be able to see let alone breathe with that much static nearby. I see the taser as an extrapolation on this fantasy of how electricity works. Electricity is not magic. You shouldn't use it in place of magic.
Comments
The Marines get a lot of new toys to tortue the Animals...very sad.
Whats wrong with a pistol, knife and a rifle (LMG)???
Why there is ataser needed?
I totaly disagree.
Maybe its fun, but its not matching, because in a cattle farm they use taser, ok but not in a ship outside the earth...to fight against Aliens.
Little known fact, before Max presented the engine to Flayra, the games actual working title was <i>Star Trek</i>: Cattle Farmer 2010. They had some pretty wild ideas back in the day. I mean, just look at the size of the cows.. :x
One need not look too far for evidence of this.
I do like the idea of a taser, but not as a replacement with to many functions, more as a fun alternative.
The idea of throwing a secondary gun and a melee weapon into one is fine. From a modeler's perspective, I guess it'll save some time... although, from a player's perspective, it doesn't really matter.
The gradual, long-term damage sounds terribly obnoxious. Imagine being a skulk, getting hit by a "Zapper," and then having the marine just dance around while he slowly shocks you to death, even if you manage to hide somewhere nearby. This would be frustrating. Come to think of it, it's beginning to remind me distantly of lerks' gas, which I was never a huge fan of.
I also do not see exactly why this would break the monotony of killing buildings. You are still standing around the building while it slowly gets damaged. The only solution I can think of for that problem is making it so you have to shoot specific parts of alien buildings to bring them down. (Aim for the glowy parts like in Star Fox! Just kidding...) Then again, maybe UWE can think of other ways to make building-killin' more thrilling. I personally never minded killing buildings. While not action-packed, it was still suspenseful.
Perhaps I missed it, but does the shock not work if the target is out of line-of-sight? Otherwise, offense chambers will be completely useless. Simply shoot an OC, hide around a corner, and let the zappiness do its magic.
On the bright side, when MvM is released, I look forward to tasing so many bros.
but any chance of duel weilding a taser to ride an onos?
<img src="http://www.albinokraken.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/worm_rider.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
When someone spotted and interrupted me it came to an interesting fight which I could win to fullfill my quest to kill the structure. And even it just went well I had a good feeling by just knifing a chamber down, because I did something that actually took time but was worth it - i hope you know what I mean :)
Another thing:
Killing Sttructures NEEDS to take some time. Thats is very important to make the structures important - if they are easy to kill, they are not very much worth, are they?
Through their big health structures also gave some kind of security to whomever built them.
In NS1 the siege was the only weapon that structures were REALLY vulnerable to.
Plus: I really liked the feel of the pistol :)
(I know that wont happen but w/e)
I just can't see NS2 without the pistol and knife.. they were my two most favourite things from NS1. A tazer also seems a little under powered to use against the kharaa, it doesn't look as though it would have enough power to break through their tough hides.
This taser makes me want to vomit.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Believe it or not, tasers come in many forms. A quick tour on their website shows that Taser has applications even in the military.
That being said, when I think "taser" I think "law enforcement" but that's probably because they aren't allowed to be carried by citizens in most countries.
Thanks. I couldn't have figured that out without your expert help.
but any chance of duel weilding a taser to ride an onos?
<img src="http://www.albinokraken.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/worm_rider.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Drink the blood of the Onos after slaying it for precog
Haha, I bet this was UWE's plan all along - make controversial announcements to get free stuff done.
I'm confused why some members were posting concerns about a stun system, I didn't see a stun effect mentioned... Rather thanthinking of this as a TASER members need to think of it as a weapon dealing "poison" daamage, as objects hit with the transponders would take damage over time. If you think of this from a nnumbers perspective, 3-4 marines could take down a structure relatively fast, i'm sure you guys are balancing out the damage functions, but think of 3 marines entering a room, each unloading 3-4 transponders and charging them to deal damage on a structure.
Quite effective. And to those worried about wires and what not laying about, the transponders conceptually don't need to be attached by wirrs, you all are thinking too much of current TASER models, not to mention the process it would eat to run multiple wires firing out of each marine's weapon...
I like the idea of powering structures and what not with the weapon, this will surely give a new tactical element to the game, well done gents.
R.I.P pistol & knife, you'll be missed
//also to the few genius' complaining about the game dev time, maybe you should volunteer your time to help model and rig the project? I know how long it takes to animate from scratch, and that's not even touching the scripting. If you aren't contributing then keep the negativity to your self.
Very cool idea we can apply to the LMG... i mean then we don't need to have some pesky mines model created which can cut costs and accelerate delivery of NS2 OMFG!!! You can just throw your weapon away as a last minute move and kill anything that walks over it. Maybe their can be some safety mode that it doesn't blow if another marine goes to pick it up because they actually need it for shooting purposes...
Now all of those discarded LMGS on the floor (when the entire team gets real guns like HMG, SHOTGUN, GL), can now be used as MINES in defense of marine start!!! This idea is brilliant i know.
We can take it a step further and say that whenever a marine dies that his lmg falls to the floor and auto-enters the MINE mode xD
This also takes care of the problem that we don't need to have weapons auto-disappear after a period of time after being dropped... instead they turn into mines!!!
I have no problems with trying something new - and I haven't played the game yet, but they want our opinions, so... based on the very limited information available
I don't want to see this be like the pyro when if you light someone on fire (in this case, hit with the taser bolts) you're guaranteed a certain amount of damage over time. (excluding if the person gets extinguished in tf2, of course...)
Also I don't think the aliens should get stunned. At all. Ever. it's not fun and skulks are already slower in NS2 they say.
Also don't like the idea of a taser "shield" just holding it out w/ constant fire - unless it's terrible - which makes it useless for the marines. But I'd hate to see a skulk have to run away from some marine that's just standing in a corner holding out their taser...
I love the idea of using a taser, however, if you strap on some electrodes onto your happy family household plant it would eventually kill it, but it would take ages. Plants do not have nerves, so electricity does not affect it in the same way. The leaf will die that is receiving the shock, but the plant will continue to live on. If it is strong enough it will eventually die but we are talking about weeks. The power needed to kill it in the time to make it applicable to game play... well I think it would have to be something like a nuclear accelerator out of Ghostbusters on their backs in order to kill an organic structure.
Granted, Infestation is definitely not plant like and is more animal like, and presumably all connected to the hive mind. If electric shock would kill structures in the way purposed, then I say if you try electrocuting infestation with your taser it should kill it slightly, or at least make kill a small hole where you shocked it on say, an infected wall. If this happened, you would please me and I wouldn’t have any gripes about it being unrealistic to the point of silly. I don’t think it would really effect game play since the taser would have a realistic and dynamic effect to the infestation, but after an infested area receive the shock it would just grow back, leaving us all pleased.
NS has never been a super realism shooter by any means, but it has always managed to keep a fair amount of believability to it. I think there should be a better way to kill structures... maybe taser + knife. Taser is basically doing same thing as a knife, but it would see a little silly to mean that you can kill alien structure half as high as a space marine maybe even taller with a taser, when it would do only minimalistic damage to living aliens, when compared with other weapons.
Taser vs alien = cool
Taser vs structure = a bit silly... unless it had some non-electrical based damage...
WHOOSH
"When fighting the Kharaa menace, I prefer to use a Tazerâ„¢ Brand weapon. Tazerâ„¢: the responsible outlet for my aggression."
I like the idea. It's unique, and I've never been terribly fond of either the pistol or knife. The pistol was an adequate backup weapon, but it's the de facto sniper of NS1. I imagine marines will get a new long range weapon for NS2, or maybe the ol' LMG will receive an accuracy buff. The knife was just cheesy. This thing is different. I've never played an FPS with something like it (unless you count the riot prod from Deus Ex), so I look forward to alien-zapping fun.
Lots of people have complained about how the proposed Tazer-like weapon isn't "gritty" enough. What exactly do you fellas mean by that? Is it not gritty because it doesn't fire conventional munitions? Is it not gritty because of its appearance or its uses? I don't understand what basic quality grittiness refers to. In my mind, the Tazer-wannabe is more gritty than the NS1 pistol, since instead of leaving a nice clean bullet hole in the skull, it fries your enemies' nervous systems and roasts them from the inside. That sounds just plain nasty to me. But that's just my opinion: I think if you fellas who don't like, or are unsure of, the Tazer-doppelganger, you should be very specific with your criticisms. If enough people complain about the same aspect of it, maybe it well get changed. Simply voicing your disapproval will not help. I hope they change the appearance a little bit; NS1's weapons aren't easily compared to real-world equivalents, and I hope that trend continues. I'm also concerned about how the things sounds (I dislike stock electrical effects that so often accompany electrical arcs in media), but that and so much else we won't know until we play with it.
Is anyone else worried by seeing this concept art ?
In most other fps game the secondary weapon is mainly used as a last resort, where as in NS the pistol actually have uses beyond this, contradictory to what stated in the dev post. Some of the pistol many uses are killing of fleeing fades/lerks, killing aliens hiding in vents or as a pressure against para-skulks. The high ROF you can obtain with a script/mwheel is perhaps somewhat to high, but this does not in any way make it easier to aim actually quite the opposite.
The post says that killing alien structures is to monotony, which I cannot recognize at all?! You can kill a RT or a chamber rather fast (even faster with a sg, used in most competitive games), in addition you have to be highly aware all the time since the alien team will try to defend the RT at all cost. The most action in good games will be around aliens RT and in hive areas.
The only real repetitive thing in NS is chewing RTs as a skulk; I have spent entire games trying to halter the marine res flow.
I say you should keep the pistol in its current form, but perhaps find an alternative to the knife. I really like grepdashv idea about using the welder as a melee/armor-repair weapon; in fact I really like his post.
The issue of how Marines destroy structures in a way that lends itself to the atmosphere is important. In Natural-Selection 1, Marines would typically slash violently with their knives at a structure to destroy it. From a gameplay perspective this is perfectly reasonable. The Marines are choosing the most cost-efficient way to attack these structures, but also leaving themselves vulnerable to attack. From a visual and atmospheric perspective the notion is quite ludicrous. The Marines are slashing all around this Alien structure to destroy it. Realism is not the word I am looking for in terms of this issue. It is more about atmospheric immersion. We want to be part of a serious event, involving Marines attacking Aliens. The game has a very harsh premise and atmosphere. The art style is gritty and industrial. However the gameplay in many respects does not lend to this atmosphere, the knifing of alien structures is an example of this. The issue of the Taser therefore is to create a solution to both sides, the gameplay and the atmosphere. The Taser must be an alternative to simply gunning down the structure. It must be cost-effective (IE no ammunition wasted and quite damaging) but still leaves the marines vulnerable to attack. This must operate in a way that is visually pleasing and contributing to the atmosphere. Personally I believe shooting a wired transponder into the target structure and then juicing it with electricity is a perfect solution. Marines would be essentially tethered to the object as they fry it, bound to it. They would have to be sure it is safe to destroy the target in this way. It will save ammo and destroy the structure faster, but they are vulnerable. Also it lends to the atmosphere. I like the idea of several marines standing around a structure using their sidearms to electrify the target. If the "Taser" is implemented in such a way, it retains the gameplay mechanics of the knife while managing to create a believable and immersive way to destroy alien structures. In terms of simply using the Taser as a knife to attack aliens, it can't get much simpler than using it like a Taser for short range electrocution. There should be no stun for such an event, in should operate like a knife, only visually different.
The pistol side of the Taser is tougher issue. Decisions need to be made about how the transponders can be used. Perhaps they should be reserved for structures only? It is essential that the "Pistol mode" is simple to use and effective in its role. After all, the pistol is seen as the trusty-sidearm. It is simple, effective and always ready for use. I personally don't think transponders should be used on the aliens themselves, unless it is an option for an alternative way of damaging the aliens. The "Taser" must have a simple way of inflicting damage to aliens at a reasonable range for reasonable damage. The transponders should be an alternative, that is more useful in some situations. This creates a skill level for the Taser, as more experienced players will know when attaching transponders to a target for increasing damage is more effective. I do not approve of the "ganging up" idea. I must have missed something but surely Marines couldn't just all attach transponders to a Bone Shield Onos advancing down a corridor and juice it for all its worth. To be honest the transponder system is hard to understand and needs further explanation.
Overall a very bold plan to remove the standard pistol/knife combination from a modern FPS. The risk is worth taking if you can pull off what you are suggesting.
Ok, basically the word gritty has several facets we can look at:
- courageous - source: dictionary - It seems like too good of an option to pull out the taser. It doesn't have that feel of being a last resort of a desperate marine. And I think we can agree that arcing lightning and whatnot isn't really a good way of saying "I'm the puny weapon in the game."
- tough - source: dictionary - Guns hit flesh. Tasers mess with the nervous system, if you want an electrical attack with high amps for flesh burning you're essentially talking about a welder (we make these today and they take large power supply converters about half the size of a refrigerator even while tapping into the power grid). Also, when you think tough in the gritty sense you think of something that can be dragged through the mud and still function, like an AK47 or a knife. If the electrical components of a high amp taser were covered in gorge spit or water from part of the level by all rights it should have a pretty good chance of killing the marine attempting to use it or completely shorting it and burning out its more delicate control circuits.
- realistic - Ok, I know a lot of you think that science can do anything in the future, and I'd like to address this by asking you to consider attacking an alien with an incredibly deadly amorphous disease-ridden stick of pink cotton candy. If the alien bites down on something like that, chances are you could have it kill them very quickly. Do we want it? Some of us design things for a living and have a clue what the future holds by what is possible and not possible by governing equations. New phenomenon we discover are either very expensive prohibiting mass production or only occur under obscure conditions. Others of us have a bit more sense about what belongs with the feel of the marines, or at least who we believe them to be. These are not spies, scientists, or students... they've more than likely just been sentenced to death by being sent on this mission, and they know it.
Here's a rule that I think should go along with keeping things gritty: If a leather-neck marine can't disassemble it and understand it, it's not gritty. Granted, marine non-defensive buildings aren't gritty and perhaps this is a fitting weapon for the commander that stays back there with the expensive toys that occasionally shake to show they're working.
On a side note, I also felt the "electrifying" of buildings was a bit of a stretch especially without a recharge time on each zap. If your proposed circuit is to go from the rt, to the alien, and then the floor; then it should be constantly shorting out as it's in contact with the floor and have no effect on a jumping alien or one standing on top of it. You could have it covered with electrodes for the desired effect, but it wouldn't look all "shocky." Static charge also changes nearby O2 into O3 which is more commonly known as smog so the entire area should favor the aliens because no one should be able to see let alone breathe with that much static nearby. I see the taser as an extrapolation on this fantasy of how electricity works. Electricity is not magic. You shouldn't use it in place of magic.