The Observatory

Quovatis

<div class="IPBDescription">Does it do anything right now?</div>Doesn't seem like the Observatory is even worth building at the moment. Am I wrong? The only thing that really works is scan. Transponders on IPs don't seem to do anything yet.

As for beacon, it doesn't work like NS1. I was in a game yesterday where I was the only marine left on a team of 7. Instead of building an IP, I thought I'd just beacon. It didn't do anything. I later found out beacon only transports marines that are ALIVE back to the nearest tech point of the obs. So if you build an observatory in an expansion tech point and beacon, all the marines will go there. Unlike NS1, beacon also just uses energy, not resources. I like the way it is linked to the nearest tech point, but think it should work like NS1 as well and bring back all the dead marines too.

Don't take this wrong. I'm not complaining. I know it's not finished yet, and that's fine. I just want to know if anyone has actually found a good use of the observatory so far.

Koruyo

Atm its more like a phasegate, just port your ppl around if something gets attacked... - profit.

Especially usefull next to a hive if the powernode is online.

Quovatis

Yeah, except the marines often get stuck in the walls, etc when you beacon at alien hives, or even the center tech point on tram.

Cerebral

I couldn't get the transponders to work either. We upgraded the tech and upgraded an IP but it just made a weird failure sounding noise when you pushed the button the back. Maybe they will work again once squads are fixed.

Quovatis

Once everything works, the observatory will be pretty critical to defend. Unlike NS1, you can't build an observatory in the field and spawn back at marine start. Once the observatory goes down at the main base, it's not going to be pretty for the marines. It will need to be well-hidden as it should be the first target of an alien base rush.

Ramblemoe

I've gotten the transponder to work on several occasions, it teleports you to a squad.
If it has some sort of priority I dno, but it will teleport you to a squad.
It glitches in the same way that the emergency beacon teleport does, very possible to get stuck in walls etc..

The few times I've gotten it to work I've spammed the use key 5-10 times before it actually ported me.
=)

l3lessed

The only thing I can figure is the transponder wasn't worked because there was no squads out on the field to teleport too. The way I understand it is there has to be a squad of some sort for you to teleport to. So I imagine if there isn't one then it wouldn't work. It isn't suppose to teleport you to where you died. That would just be unfair for the aliens.

Quovatis

<!--quoteo(post=1829081:date=Feb 1 2011, 04:15 PM:name=Ramblemoe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ramblemoe @ Feb 1 2011, 04:15 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1829081"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've gotten the transponder to work on several occasions, it teleports you to a squad.
If it has some sort of priority I dno, but it will teleport you to a squad.
It glitches in the same way that the emergency beacon teleport does, very possible to get stuck in walls etc..

The few times I've gotten it to work I've spammed the use key 5-10 times before it actually ported me.
=)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Interesting. So does it transport you to the nearest Tech point spawn point (where eggs would spawn), or just some random place near the squad? I'll have to test this out.

Quovatis

Seems transponder only works if you are in a squad at the time you "use" the IP. Of course that means the rest of the squad has to be near the IP, making it pretty pointless to transport 2 feet. But it works. I assume when squads can be assigned and more permanent it will be of some use.

ScardyBob

Beacon is pretty useful. I've started to use it as a quick way to bring back marines to defend the main base.

Quovatis

<!--quoteo(post=1829147:date=Feb 2 2011, 02:31 AM:name=ScardyBob)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ScardyBob @ Feb 2 2011, 02:31 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1829147"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Beacon is pretty useful. I've started to use it as a quick way to bring back marines to defend the main base.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yep, and it doesn't cost any resources, which is different. Since beacon is observatory-dependant, it can be used like a phase-gate for a ninja. Of course, half the marine team ends up in the walls or outside the map.

ScardyBob

<!--quoteo(post=1829208:date=Feb 2 2011, 11:09 AM:name=Quovatis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quovatis @ Feb 2 2011, 11:09 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1829208"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yep, and it doesn't cost any resources, which is different. Since beacon is observatory-dependant, it can be used like a phase-gate for a ninja. Of course, half the marine team ends up in the walls or outside the map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Bugged doesn't mean it isn't useful. You just need to make sure you place the obs in an open area.

I've seen people use the obs as a ninja phase-gate, but I'm not sure how useful it really is. Maps are currently small enough that it doesn't take very long for a marine to travel the entire map. Also, it has the downside of transporting away marines who are defending your base/extractors.

Quovatis

Well, for a commander that feels like he's herding cats, forcing them to appear where you want them has some benefits.