Natural Selection 2 News Update - Build 190 released

Kouji_San

<!--quoteo(post=1893971:date=Jan 13 2012, 12:06 AM:name=Dusteh)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dusteh @ Jan 13 2012, 12:06 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893971"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Looking forward to this mine hotfix, cant stand them in-game at the moment, apart from that 190 seems ok.

Couple of issues that Fana mentioned:

Would love to see this change reverted also, parasite is nowhere near as fun/usefull.


This needs to be addressed also, when firing the pistol there seems to be a delay with some shots, very strange.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<strike>I don't quite like the slower parasite either</strike>. -> " it wasn't done on purpose" :P

The pistol firing rate was nerfed, you can't fire as fast as you can click anymore and seconday fire is even slower now. They were extremely powerful in the hands super clicketyclick people.

Flayra

Hey everyone,

It's clear that late-game aliens are having a tough time of it, so there are going to be some improvements there (especially with regard to alien upgrades and armor in general). Mines are also going to be nerfed a bit, so they are easier to kill groups of them and to make them less spammy in general.

Kurrine

<!--coloro:#aadd00--><span style="color:#aadd00"><!--/coloro-->I'm having an issue joining any servers suddenly, it will run the loading screen, authenticate, load, then dump me back into the main menu with no message. Last night after release of the new patch it played fine for hours, the next day I was able to join one game, after leaving I couldn't join servers even after a proper reinstall and verification upon encountering this.

Has anyone else encountered this? This bug is a new one for me.

Edit: to add to this I've tried a restart as well.
Edit Edit: Haha, interesting, the bug left as mysteriously as it came.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

Fluid Core

<!--quoteo(post=1893851:date=Jan 12 2012, 04:41 PM:name=SomaZ)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SomaZ @ Jan 12 2012, 04:41 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893851"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Performance still not at the level I wish it was. 20-30 fps on 1024x600 (very low res), or 15-25 on 1366x768 (my highest res), fullscreen and awful graphics settings. In other words, unplayable. Turning everything down and off seems to give a very small fps boost. CPU is the bottleneck then? Core i5 2.27 Ghz, HD5470 1 GB, 4 GB RAM. Input latency has been decreased (thank god!) but I can still feel it, especially when below 30 fps.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo(post=1893888:date=Jan 12 2012, 06:32 PM:name=konata)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (konata @ Jan 12 2012, 06:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893888"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->30 and above? I still struggle to get above 20 and average 15/16. That's what na i7 with a 6970 and 8gb of ram gets you for your money!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1893916:date=Jan 12 2012, 08:29 PM:name=Misfire)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Misfire @ Jan 12 2012, 08:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893916"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Don't feel too bad, I average around 30fps as well during firefights, when at base and running around it goes up to 40. Resolution does not affect the FPS in any way, same with graphical settings. Still needs a ton more optimizing before it'll be great. However its still playable although not that enjoyable (30fps feels like ###### to me).

Specs

i7 930 @ 4.0GHZ
16GB DDR3 Ram
Geforce GTX 560TI

The odd thing is NS2 runs roughly the same as my old rig which had a core 2 duo at 3.6ghz and a gtx 260.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


<!--quoteo(post=1893967:date=Jan 13 2012, 12:14 AM:name=sherpa)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (sherpa @ Jan 13 2012, 12:14 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893967"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->- Performance is terrible. r_stats showed me going down to 15fps at one point (when I spawned and vision became greyscale/underwater: the invis upgrade?; I'm on i7 @ 3.5GHz). Averaged 25-30fps.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I get pretty much the same performace as Misfire, maybe slightly higher. I was at about 44 FPS while running around on the map, but I didn't check what it dropped to in combat. I was more trying to focus on winning the gather :). Entirely playable though, I would estimate to never below 30 FPS.

I got
i5 750 @2.67GHz
4GB DDR3 RAM (2x1333GHz)
ATI HD4850 512MB

Playing at medium settings, 1280x1024 (my max) and atmospherics on. Can't recall about AA. Not tried max settings, I lowered to medium a few patches back to have it playable.

MuYeah

What fana says seems to hold true.

My specs are:

HD 6870,
i5 2500k @ 4.6 GHz,
8GB DDR3,

and the FPS I'm getting is 100+ in the readyroom, 70-75 on an empty server and ~50-70 with other players.

IronHorse

~50-70 in general, despite major props or players.
~30-40 in combat with 6 people

major improvements, keep em coming! :)
i wonder whats different during combat that destroys everyone's performance?

killer monkey

Wall magnetism is weaker...why? Its really annoying, Im falling off walls and ceilings like mad.

Fluid Core

<!--quoteo(post=1893995:date=Jan 13 2012, 03:20 AM:name=killer monkey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (killer monkey @ Jan 13 2012, 03:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893995"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Wall magnetism is weaker...why? Its really annoying, Im falling off walls and ceilings like mad.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I've noticed that if you press ctrl when standing on a wall, you will not reattach even if you release it. This may be a bug, now that I think about it, but at the time I noticed I imagined it as a feature. Could be what you are experiencing?

autograder

<!--quoteo(post=1893939:date=Jan 12 2012, 03:55 PM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Jan 12 2012, 03:55 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893939"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You get more armor from shells, not hives. 3x shell = max armor, Fade has 80 armor...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

This seems important to know.

How much team res do shells cost?
Do they require additional hives to be built?
I'd go figure it out myself, but I'm working.. waiting for code to compile actually..

Kouji_San

At the start you need to choose your hive type (Crag, Shade or the not yet implemented Shift in the future). After which you can place structures based on the type of hive you have chosen.

IE: The reason why the Crag upgrades have been taken from the Crag, because the Crag is a "front" support structure. You can now place 3 Shells in the safety of you hive, making your +3 upgrade safer from marines. The hives no longer give more armor, instead you now need these three shells.


Shells and Veils<!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->*<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> cost 10 tres each, upgrading a hive costs nothing, but does lock your hive into a type. Similar to how it worked in NS.

You need to research the currently implemented upgrades (Carapace, Regeneration and Camouflage) for 10 tres each, the upgrades stay available as long as your hive is alive, but the +1,+2,+3 additions to the upgrades are dependant on the amount of upgrade structures you have (Shell and Veil (3 max)). However, while you can still evolve into carapace and regen for example, you do need shells for them to be add anything to your upgrade

The whip still has upgrades as well, I'm not sure if these will stay in NS2
Crag still has healing and Umbra
Shade still has the cloaking ability


<!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->*<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
I'm fairly certain camouflage doesn't get better with buying more veils right now, so one should suffice. There is no transparency effects in the engine yet so you're either visible or invisible currently (not a 33%,66%,99%)

Sidenote, the Alien HuD is also going to get a overhaul when the devs get to that, Adding information like this :)

Fluid Core

First shell cost 10. Not sure if they got increasing cost. I hope not, as that would mean that if you lost 1 shell structure, you would need to but an expensive new one, compared to if you lost all crags before, you just needed 1 new crag. Well, I assume you needed a new one to get the armor upgrades at least.
<i>
They all cost 10 at all times</i>

skat0r

People complaning about performance should check their computer its not normal, with my old computer : intel core duo and a hd4830(which is pretty old) i had almost 40fps in build 180...

now with a i5 and hd6850 i have over 50fps...

yimmasabi

The Good Thing there is Build 191 Spark Editor :D Wowww !

The Bad is Build 190 is crashing at the "Starting server..." on both lan and internet maps.
Couldnt play yet :(

Dash-El

.

Smaug

Was the 73mb NS2 update the hotfix?

dux

Yep, should be.

stickyboot

Thank you so much UW! You guys are doing such a fantastic job! With every release, performance gets better and better. I have been trying to shake my doubts that you would never take care of optimizing the game well, but you have now convinced me all the way that you can do it.

190 has to be the best improvement in performance yet! Fantastic work. It's really a lot of fun to play without so many technical drawbacks.

subshadow

<!--quoteo(post=1893877:date=Jan 12 2012, 12:04 PM:name=Schimmel)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Schimmel @ Jan 12 2012, 12:04 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893877"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->point of the change is that you can place crags / shades / shifts at tactical positions without risking to lose upgrades tied to that tech route<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Isn't that redundant?
A hive can always use a crag nearby to assist in healing. Or a shade/shift.
On the other hand: If you place a structure in harms way, it is your responsability to back it up or get a duplicate in a save location.


No I don't like this change. Just makes it look more like all the other RTS-games. And it requires more models being designed/more names being remembered

ForlornHope

I have discovered that my PC is hanging when I hit the Voice Comms key. I don't think it is gfx card related after all.

Some times it's be first press and sometimes after the first couple of pushes and then it'll hang my PC the instant I hit it again causing the screen to switch off, the music to continue and the sfx to stop. I can't get any response from my PC after.

I'm going to check my sound driver but it wasn't a problem until 190. Were there any changes that could have related to Voice comms?

EDIT - It's probably my PC as I've found incorrect drivers. Sorry to bother folk.

Tig

6:08 shotgun hit reg didn't look great. that skulk should have died.

Steelz

I just bought the game with the onos and all that goodies stuff around the corner. I like it alot so far, the feeling of the game is def there and it will only get better and better. Performance wise I think I jumped in at the right time too I didnt check my fps yet but Im getting a steady smooth over 30 fps while walking around and in combat on a full 14 pop server, with very rares 0.5-1 secs microstutters sometimes.

graphics on high with 1024x768 resolution , nothing fancy with the resolution but it looks nice nonetheless. Ill try out higher res when I log on later.

phenom x4 975 O/C at 4104mhz , hd 5750 1gb, 6go ddr

on a side note I personally dont like the shotgun crosshair or the ''feeling'' of it but yea its something minor, I guess we'll be able to customize those things anyway.


edit : Alright tried it at 1280x960, obviously some fps drop on a full server filled with cysts and stuff but still very playable and enjoyable. Based on the previous performance the optimization is coming well, my comp is nowhere bad but im surprised how well I run it after reading some comments. Keep up the good work guys , you're making a gaming masterpiece.

after playing around for another good 2h and a long 1h game filled with stuff everywhere the game did slowdown however no matter what resolution

SkymanderX

<!--quoteo(post=1893703:date=Jan 11 2012, 09:18 PM:name=Flayra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flayra @ Jan 11 2012, 09:18 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893703"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yes, it's hard to believe I know! It's been a long time coming.

(every time we fixed them they would break again!)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Its true. Its the only reason i even play teh ns2 nowz.

Drakior

I know this is probably not the right place to ask this but would it be possible to add a better chat system? Such as a history to view and or dial system to get people into certain areas without talking if you don't have a mic. And have that on the chat as well? Of course this could be spammed unless you limited it. But it would help greatly with communication.