Current Map Exploits
radforChrist
USA Join Date: 2002-11-04 Member: 6871Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Subnautica Playtester
USA Join Date: 2002-11-04 Member: 6871Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Subnautica Playtester
<div class="IPBDescription">How commanders can built outside the map in not good ways</div>I'm putting this here, but if a mod/dev wishes it to be moved to a more private area, go for it, just let me have access to add as I find more.
I've only tested on Rockdown for the moment. Truth is, There's probably a lot more places this stuff can be done, but I wanted to provide a proof of concept of things that need to be addressed.
These may in no way be limited to the locations I am displaying.
<b>Marine Commander on Rockdown:</b>
<ul><li>Marine commanders can drop structures in odd places. I'm using sentries as they're one of the most dangerous examples. This sentry is almost impossible to hit.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uYsJul.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>There's a sentry IN THE WALL behind that light. This is the vent above the node east of MS. coupled with the powernode exploit below, this it a death trap.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/X0ifil.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Node left of MS. It has no blindspot.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/Raai8l.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Containers beside the extractor in MS. No blindspot. the sentries can be sunk partially into world models, and they still aim great.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/udmHml.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Any recessed cavity like this one is a perfect set up for invincible sentry.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/7LOuIl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Here I'm building a power node outside the map. The MACs can reach it no problem, but after built, the aliens can't touch it.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/dYB9jl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Again, a location outside of playable area that I can drop support structures. What's to stop acommander form dropping a power node, or worse, an armory and upgrading it knowing he can't lose it?
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/6hR5bl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>A view of the above power node from alien perspective. Can't touch it.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/2JZfWl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></li></ul>
Album: <a href="http://imgur.com/a/N7Ysm#uYsJu" target="_blank">http://imgur.com/a/N7Ysm#uYsJu</a>
I've only tested on Rockdown for the moment. Truth is, There's probably a lot more places this stuff can be done, but I wanted to provide a proof of concept of things that need to be addressed.
These may in no way be limited to the locations I am displaying.
<b>Marine Commander on Rockdown:</b>
<ul><li>Marine commanders can drop structures in odd places. I'm using sentries as they're one of the most dangerous examples. This sentry is almost impossible to hit.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uYsJul.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>There's a sentry IN THE WALL behind that light. This is the vent above the node east of MS. coupled with the powernode exploit below, this it a death trap.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/X0ifil.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Node left of MS. It has no blindspot.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/Raai8l.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Containers beside the extractor in MS. No blindspot. the sentries can be sunk partially into world models, and they still aim great.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/udmHml.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Any recessed cavity like this one is a perfect set up for invincible sentry.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/7LOuIl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Here I'm building a power node outside the map. The MACs can reach it no problem, but after built, the aliens can't touch it.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/dYB9jl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Again, a location outside of playable area that I can drop support structures. What's to stop acommander form dropping a power node, or worse, an armory and upgrading it knowing he can't lose it?
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/6hR5bl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>A view of the above power node from alien perspective. Can't touch it.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/2JZfWl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></li></ul>
Album: <a href="http://imgur.com/a/N7Ysm#uYsJu" target="_blank">http://imgur.com/a/N7Ysm#uYsJu</a>
Comments
<ul><li>Found out a funny thing. If there's infestation on the floor. A gorge can drop a spot ANYWHERE above it, and the place a structure on it, and it will never die! Those clear gratings all over rockdown? Hydras work just fine up there (which I'd like to see stay), BUT you can't hurt THEM one bit.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/hINIml.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>An example of alien comm using unplayable area for crag support. A power node goes just fine here, too.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/dMMQ1l.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>Another example.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/mt9mgl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
</li><li>From the marine perspective.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/pi9gVl.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></li></ul>
Album: <a href="http://imgur.com/a/Jj6wr#pi9gV" target="_blank">http://imgur.com/a/Jj6wr#pi9gV</a>
These aren't posted for players to suddenly use, but for devs to see things that are currently allowable. I don't know if there's a map flag that says *cannot build here*, but there may need to be.
I think the simplistic fix is to add what you had to do in NS1, a circle around buildings on marines so it couldn't be stacked too close together. Except, make it require you to be that far from geometry to drop. Then its can't be exploited into cramped/out of play spaces.
As always, great job on NS2 devs. I'm really enjoying it.
I'll hop on Tram soon and continue looking...
Also, I'm pretty sure you can shoot through gratings/rails, but you won't get the hit indicators or see the percentages of the damaged building. Hydras and sentries don't fire at targets behind railings though.
To add another one, though I don't have a screen shot. I've noticed it runs rampant in rock down. The alien commander can infest through the walls even those completely blocked off...no vents no nothing. This allows them to quickly infest the resource nodes and cut the marines off from any hope of survival. They can also completely infest the marine base by doing this. I believe this is done by infesting non playable areas like shown in the pictures above. The only way to get rid of this is by the very slight chance of getting a second comm chair up and getting flame throwers. Which then the marines have to exploit the FT by flaming through the walls at MS angled up towards the ceiling to burn out the infestation. Problem is we don't know when we have gotten rid of it.
Exploiting is considered cheating. You can't use the excuse "It's part of the game!" An exploit is something the developers never intended to have apart of the map or game. I get sick of people using that excuse.
<ul><li>the marine by the extractor is using a flamethrower to destroy all structures on the other side of the wall.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/1IrhA.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></li></ul>
Thanks, I didn't know that. Will do so from now on. However most of these aren't really map specific, but due to current issues with the game mechanics. For my two map threads, I ensure to do this in the future.
I agree, but NS2 is so buggy right now, its hard to tell whether something is an exploit or part of the game design. Some things, like flamethrower through walls and building structures outside the map are clearly exploits. However, I wouldn't consider sentries built in corners or recesses to be exploits. They may be op, but I haven't heard UWE say that isn't part of their game design.
Also, with regards to DI through walls, I agree that using it with the specific purpose of connecting through walls is an exploit, but there is a lot of grey area there that makes it hard to determine whether the DI patch you just dropped is 'exploiting' it. For example, if you drop a hive in elevator transfer on tram, the DI from the hive itself spreads out into tram tunnel. Is it an exploit to drop its next DI patch in tram tunnel? Also, even if you spread DI through passageways, you can't control whether it is connected to another patch via a wall. Even when doing your best not to exploit DI, you can still unintentionally exploit DI.
My point is the line between an exploit and intended game design is pretty blurry in the beta. The best we can do is post things that seem op or exploitable on GS or the forums and hope UWE fixes them.
I don't agree. Sentries are deterrents not area denial. With the only blindspot hidden or unreachable, they become more powerful than intended. If they're supposed to be that powerful, remove the "sunken" behavior and up the HP.
<!--QuoteBegin-ScardyBob+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ScardyBob)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->My point is the line between an exploit and intended game design is pretty blurry in the beta. The best we can do is post things that seem op or exploitable on GS or the forums and hope UWE fixes them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This. If the devs say this is intended, then I'll use the fool out of it. If not, then they can address it before any major releases.
I don't expect the threads I've posted on map issues and possible exploits to be completed in the next patch. They've got a roadmap and bigger issues to resolve. What I am doing is consolidating it the way I know how.
Sentries are target practice, sentries in corners are deterrents.
<ul><li>Flamers going trough walls - not yet volumetric == future feature</li><li>DI ignoring walls - obvious lack of feature on a prototype gameplay element</li><li>Being able to build outside the map - lack of nobuild or clipbrushing</li><li>Not being able to shoot trough grating - again lack of clipbrush types, currently there is only one used for movement smoothing/bullet stopping</li><li>[edit] MACs and Drifters going trough walls and able to build outside the map needs a fix, which I'm sure is scheduled at some time</li></ul>
In other words. These things are being worked on, but probably aren't at the top of the list right now what with all the technical issues the engine still has... I'm not sure if putting these mapping annotations on Rockdown will be all that useful either. Tram would be a better place to do this as that is actually an official map :)
Exploiting: with nothing said from devs I'll exploit what I can in any way I can unless it's totally retarded and obvious like that exploit with fading out of map then lerking.
What.
while playing on tram as commader I welded the door in marine start with a mac.
once the door was welded the mac continued to weld it and consequently I kept getting 3 points for it every second and this only stopped when I commaded the mac to go do something else by which point I had amassed 7k+ points.
"Fix issue where commander could get infinite points when mac was welding door."
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/progress" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/progress</a>