Personally I think recycling is abit overpowered atm. I've commed games where I just keep recycling res nodes and rebuilding them when skulks are aggressively taking them down and somehow still find the res to win the game.
Meaning theres not that much incentive to keep them up. Just recycle and rebuild. :p
Make res nodes initially very inefficient. Each time you upgrade (which wouldn't be that expensive but takes time), it would decrease the time it takes to extract res. With up to three upgrades, it would make nodes worth defending, and a tasty target for Kharra.
So, if you recycle a node, you still get your money back. But it takes a long time to get it back to being efficient.
Example implementation (would have to be balanced, etc): Level 0 (initial) - One res every 15 seconds Level 1 - One res every 10 seconds. 30 seconds to upgrade (Cost 5 res) Level 2 - One res every 6 seconds. 60 seconds to upgrade (Cost 10 res) Level 3 - One res every 4 seconds. 120 seconds to upgrade (Cost 15 res)
This was fine in original NS because when skulks saw the res tower was being recycled they just left and started on the next one. However playing the current build of ns2 you cant see if the bulding is being recycled or not, also the commander can cancel the recycling process. This means the skulks must waste time biting the rt even though its being recycled.
If you recycle a structure, and the recycle process finishes in the 0%-25% range, you get 50% of the structure resource cost 25%-75%, you get an additional 1 resource for each 10% on top of the base 25% health rounded up.
So basically, if you recycle a structure, and it finishes with 75% or more, you get all your resources back, if it recycles at say 45%, you would get 7 resources back.
The numbers could be tweaked, but I think I explained the concept well enough. A little balancing and we'd find what feels right for recycling.
Also, no more recycling ability in unpowered rooms, or on unbuilt structures.
QuovatisTeam InversionJoin Date: 2010-01-26Member: 70321Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
Yeah, it's pretty annoying biting on an extractor only for it to recycle at 1% health. The marines should only get 75% * %health remaining of the resources back. It's only fair. At the very least, put in a recycle initiated animation/sound so the skulk knows it's wasting its time continuing to bite it.
<!--quoteo(post=1880347:date=Oct 17 2011, 05:39 PM:name=Quovatis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quovatis @ Oct 17 2011, 05:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880347"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah, it's pretty annoying biting on an extractor only for it to recycle at 1% health. The marines should only get 75% * %health remaining of the resources back. It's only fair. At the very least, put in a recycle initiated animation/sound so the skulk knows it's wasting its time continuing to bite it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> There has to be a cut off I think though, otherwise the majority of recycling will be pointless, as at 10% or less, you're looking at not even a resource for a successful recycle (non-rounded).
Maybe a successful recycle gives 25% at the bare minimum, plus structure health * 50% base cost.
QuovatisTeam InversionJoin Date: 2010-01-26Member: 70321Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
Have the minimum be 1 resource recovered, but still tied to %health. It gives marines some incentive to kill whatever is biting it and also gives the aliens a reason to keep attacking it. A win-win solution.
<!--quoteo(post=1880356:date=Oct 17 2011, 05:57 PM:name=Quovatis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quovatis @ Oct 17 2011, 05:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880356"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Have the minimum be 1 resource recovered, but still tied to %health. It gives marines some incentive to kill whatever is biting it and also gives the aliens a reason to keep attacking it. A win-win solution.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> In that case, lets just have %health * structure cost rounded up. But to balance this, reduce recycle time. I believe the recycle process needs a bit of a dynamic nerf, but not one so extreme.
I think recycle is fine considering the marines have no way of repairing structures without MACs. I would just adjust it so that recycle can't be cancelled once it's started and let aliens see if it is being recycled. They still need to be able to see the buildings health though, as it's obviously better for the aliens to destroy the building rather than let it be recycled.
Comments
Meaning theres not that much incentive to keep them up. Just recycle and rebuild. :p
It only takes an Extractor on average, 20 seconds after being built to pay for itself, if it is successfully recycled.
I think the resources Recycling returns are slightly too high, considering they take so long to destroy.
Make res nodes initially very inefficient. Each time you upgrade (which wouldn't be that expensive but takes time), it would decrease the time it takes to extract res. With up to three upgrades, it would make nodes worth defending, and a tasty target for Kharra.
So, if you recycle a node, you still get your money back. But it takes a long time to get it back to being efficient.
Example implementation (would have to be balanced, etc):
Level 0 (initial) - One res every 15 seconds
Level 1 - One res every 10 seconds. 30 seconds to upgrade (Cost 5 res)
Level 2 - One res every 6 seconds. 60 seconds to upgrade (Cost 10 res)
Level 3 - One res every 4 seconds. 120 seconds to upgrade (Cost 15 res)
However playing the current build of ns2 you cant see if the bulding is being recycled or not, also the commander can cancel the recycling process. This means the skulks must waste time biting the rt even though its being recycled.
25%-75%, you get an additional 1 resource for each 10% on top of the base 25% health rounded up.
So basically, if you recycle a structure, and it finishes with 75% or more, you get all your resources back, if it recycles at say 45%, you would get 7 resources back.
The numbers could be tweaked, but I think I explained the concept well enough. A little balancing and we'd find what feels right for recycling.
Also, no more recycling ability in unpowered rooms, or on unbuilt structures.
There has to be a cut off I think though, otherwise the majority of recycling will be pointless, as at 10% or less, you're looking at not even a resource for a successful recycle (non-rounded).
Maybe a successful recycle gives 25% at the bare minimum, plus structure health * 50% base cost.
In that case, lets just have %health * structure cost rounded up. But to balance this, reduce recycle time. I believe the recycle process needs a bit of a dynamic nerf, but not one so extreme.