I prefer the original alien vision over the MOD. Alien vision is awesome and helps me a lot and it's way more effective than the mod. Just keep it the way it is. KThanks!
I use Alien vision the same way I use a Marine flashlight. It really isn't necessary anywhere else. I use the Marine flashlight more because Aliens can literally be anywhere and you've gotta check your ceilings. Even in low light a Marine 99% of the time is on the floor and you should be able to see one unless the room is completely black.
For some odd reason I find it more difficult to hit Marines with Alien vision on. I won't go without in a black room but even in real low light I won't use it to attack.
I like alien vision, but I actually heavily agree with OP. The restricting of vision range is good, and the lighting up of marines is good, but the desaturation of every color on the map is bad.
It makes the maps look bland and ugly, and we can't see how nice they are, and it makes it much more difficult navigate the maps because landmarks are much more difficult to see and identify.
I do kind of understand the logic behind it, orange shows up well on puke green, so you never have a case where a brightened up marine camouflages into the map... but I think that should be done by outlining the marines model in green, not by making the ENTIRE MAP green.
In my opinion, alien vision is almost fine the way it is. I just want my bile bomb projectile to be highlighted, and I'd also like alien lifeforms and structures to be a slightly different colour than everything else on marines.
If people don't like the current alien vision, then let people choose which alien vision they want in the options menu...don't remove the current one, it has an inhuman Predator sort of look to it (which I guess is the point).
I feel that alien vision has only one small drawback - if you're planning to roost as a lerk or hide as a skulk, you can't see where the shadowed areas are. I turn it off briefly to find the darkest spots (the places that are completely pitch black even if your gamma is turned way up). Those shadow effects are awesome BTW, no amount of gamma will illuminate them and you actually have to turn your flashlight on to see (East Wing ceiling is a good example).
I don't understand the part about not knowing where you are when alien vision is on. Aside from hitting the map button and checking, I can recognize where I am on most maps and it really didn't take long to do so. Maybe UWE can add a mini map for aliens?
I also find it kind of a shame that I don't experience the true visuals of the maps because I run around in alien vision 99% of the time. Everything just becomes so clear and easily navigateable and the marine outlines are so perfectly visible. I would give up the good navigation for just seeing marine outlines clearly and getting to experience all the other textures too
I'm using alien vision 100% of the time, the ability to spot a marine anywhere instantly is way too good to pass up. Also when I'm flying around as fade or lerk very fast, alien vision allows me to lock onto targets much faster.
I think that what Tech was trying to say was that its a pretty nice benefit. But its not really required to be used all the time to reach maximum efficiency.
You don't have to use it all the time, and I would say it doesnt even necessarily help in many situations. Maybe you just have to play a little more to get an idea of when a situation is approaching that you need to be able to see it. For example when I'm eating the east wing RT I turn it on because I can only see a little slit of the hallway and I need to be able to make out the motion of a marine passing it at a distance. So the solid color helps alot with that. But when I'm just running around the normal parts of the levels, I rarely have it on except in certain large and confusing rooms like Cargo in Veil and I almost never have any trouble immediately identifying marines.
Anyway if you feel you need it on always, then what would you suggest would work, but look cool and be roughly as effective without unbalancing anything?
I don't know about you guys, but I can see my gorge bile bomb just fine with alien vision on...
Also, even if you're on the marines team you need to check your big mini map to see what's going on over on the other side of the map. If you aren't hitting the map button every time you hear somethings under attack or see that a team member just died you're probably doing it wrong. With that in mind, I know all the maps very well 70 hours into the game. I know them well enough to command 40 hours into the game.
Just a different perspective, and what I'm hearing from you is 'I want more servers to support the mod I like' versus there being any real issue with alien vision in the stock game. If you can't learn maps with alien vision on, you might have a learning disability. If you're the type of person that gives up one of the big advantages in the game because you can't spend a lot of time admiring all the pretty textures...I simply don't know what to say to you other than you probably don't get to look at the textures much when skulks are nipping all around your heels either.
With the maps being as dark as they are in spots, are you really seeing much of the textures anyway? I mean, optimally speaking the lights should always be off in an aliens held area due to the massive dark sight advantage they have. So as aliens, if you're playing with the lights on, don't. Make sense now?
The irony of being suspected of having a learning disability from someone who has obvious problems with reading comprehension
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, even if you're on the marines team you need to check your big mini map to see what's going on over on the other side of the map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's a difference between using the mini-map to relocate and using the mini-map because you don't know the map. The mini-map isn't going to help you learn as well as seeing the surrounding in its third-dimensional form without the ######-green overlay.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just a different perspective, and what I'm hearing from you is 'I want more servers to support the mod I like' versus there being any real issue with alien vision in the stock game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Reading comprehension problems in action. Why do I prefer that mod? <i>Oh right</i>, because of actual issues with stock Alien Vision.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you can't learn maps with alien vision on, you might have a learning disability.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You can still learn the maps. No one is suggesting they <i>can't</i>. It does impact learning the maps, however. I mean, it's pretty much common sense that the more you are given to remember of something, the faster and better you can commit it to memory. That's why I learn maps faster on Marines than on Aliens.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you're the type of person that gives up one of the big advantages in the game because you can't spend a lot of time admiring all the pretty textures... With the maps being as dark as they are in spots, are you really seeing much of the textures anyway?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's not my issue in particular, but it <i>is</i> an issue. The map being dark in a lot of spots is one of the reasons beginners are going to be keeping Alien Vision on "for good" and why I don't get why people think it's optional. Do you guys have your brightness settings cranked up? That sure takes away from the whole experience, that shouldn't need to be removed because of a ###### vision mode that tries too hard to look cool.
It seems so pointless spending so much time on graphics, just to have it covered up by a really ###### filter by one side of the teams.
Why not allow the vision to only highlight humans and instead show everything else as normal or something. That would make a lot more sense as well. that it just highlights lifeforms.
When you play as aliens, just put all your graphics on low and turn everything off to max out your fps, because your wanna be using the vision the entire time. you wont even notice, but you will notice the fps gain :)
alien vision is fine. remember when in ns1 everyone competitive turn up their glare (or whatever it is) to detect cloaks making sc almost useless when the cloak is 95%?
<!--quoteo(post=2011957:date=Nov 5 2012, 08:49 PM:name=Ansom)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ansom @ Nov 5 2012, 08:49 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2011957"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The irony of being suspected of having a learning disability from someone who has obvious problems with reading comprehension
There's a difference between using the mini-map to relocate and using the mini-map because you don't know the map. The mini-map isn't going to help you learn as well as seeing the surrounding in its third-dimensional form without the ######-green overlay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is there? If your commander is screaming for you to get to Data Core, and you hit the map key, there's a big room labeled 'Data Core'. Takes two seconds. Not to mention, as others have pointed out, there's an explore option if you need extra time to learn the maps with less pressure. If three dimensional objects are not enough for you to navigate with in an environment that doesn't repeat shapes for multiple rooms then I don't know what to tell you. Also, just to point out, using the big map shows you enemy units and structures that your friends are seeing, so popping it up every few seconds will give you vital information about where you should be.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Reading comprehension problems in action. Why do I prefer that mod? <i>Oh right</i>, because of actual issues with stock Alien Vision.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In your opinion. In a dark room, a partial option or 'highlighting' is going to make aliens horrible as you wouldn't be able to see the various obstructions to your path nearly as well. Especially since you ignored the part where I told you the aliens team, far more than the marines team, is required to navigate in the dark. You might not notice it because you have your night vision on, but you can't see jack diddly in the dark without alien vision. So you propose gimping the aliens in their home turf. No thanks. I'm all for you being able to use a mod that gives you what you want, I just don't want it myself. That's the beauty of mods, and why I said that's what I was hearing from you. That way, it doesn't screw us both. Only you'll be blind and unable to find your way through a vent, the rest of your team will be useful.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You can still learn the maps. No one is suggesting they <i>can't</i>. It does impact learning the maps, however. I mean, it's pretty much common sense that the more you are given to remember of something, the faster and better you can commit it to memory. That's why I learn maps faster on Marines than on Aliens.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is actually counter-intuitive and ruins your entire thought process. The more you're given to remember, the harder it is to remember it.
It just sounds like you prefer Marines to aliens. Remember, marines bases are going to be lit as a necessity for their structures to be built. Aliens will not have light as it gives them a huge home base advantage since their hives are <i>not</i> lit for precisely this reason. For someone that bullet posts why I'm wrong, you sure don't seem to understand that basic tenants of game play.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That's not my issue in particular, but it <i>is</i> an issue. The map being dark in a lot of spots is one of the reasons beginners are going to be keeping Alien Vision on "for good" and why I don't get why people think it's optional. Do you guys have your brightness settings cranked up? That sure takes away from the whole experience, that shouldn't need to be removed because of a ###### vision mode that tries too hard to look cool.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->*SNIP* I need to learn to be nicer -Kouji San<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> @Kouji San, Yes I do. Blood pressure...rising...
They need alien vision to see, <i>precisely</i> so they don't just derp into a wall in the dark trying to find a door that's unlit in a quadrant of the map that does not have any light. What's more frustrating, not being able to admire the pretty textures for the two seconds before you get shot in the face or being completely unable to see what just shot you in the face? I think we both know the answer. A toned down version of alien sight that lets you see textures will simply make hive sight less effective at letting you successfully navigate the maps. By all means, servers could open up to more mods for people like you who want to mod. Just don't lie and say it'll make things easier for new players to not be able to see at all.
It only takes a few games on each map to know the map by heart... I didn't have any problems navigating in alien vision after that, and it does what it is supposed to do very well. You can always turn it off if you really have a problem with it, I love it.
By now I move around the maps like a ninja on steroids with celerity, it's plenty easy to walljump and use leap or blink to get around super fast.
Your problem seems to be not that is isn't functional (it is perfectly functional) but that you can't recognise your land marks in alien vision... Give it a few more games and you'll know them in both vision modes... No need for a knee jerk reaction bashing something that is perfectly good.
If it weren't for having to turn off alien vision to identify dark spots on the environment to perch on/skulk from , I'd have it up 100 percent of the time instead of 90 percent of the time.
As a player new to NS2. I find the maps frustrating as alien because I'm constantly going the wrong way and getting lost. I need to use alien flashlight because I'm moving too fast to see marines in the blink of an eye if it's off, while at the same time, I hate using it because the map looks all the same when I do, so I constantly get lost.
I DO use the macromap. It's just frustrating because NS1 didn't have this problem of alien flashlight being so disorienting, and the hive sight was WAY WAY better. I didn't have to press the 'c' button every 5 seconds, more like every 30 seconds.
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
i agree alien vision is pretty much useless.
i'd rather it be completely removed, and have marines glow automatically when they are in dark areas. e.g. when the lights go out marines have an inner glow to them that can only be seen by aliens.
I'm seeing a bit of misinformation about how my alien vision mod works. It does highlight edges, so you really don't have problems navigating in dark areas. For example: <img src="http://i.imgur.com/diOSX.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Here's an <a href="http://imgur.com/a/VKfOe#0" target="_blank">album</a> containing shots with different lighting levels.
That was at the end of my post, so I suppose you read it all. It irritates me when someone up-front admits that what they want is already available but they still want that something changed for everyone despite all the evidence to the contrary that says the change is a bad idea.
Can you honestly imagine trying to navigate through the infestation-clogged hallways when all your night sight highlights are enemy structures? Especially as a new player? Saying this would somehow help someone that doesn't already know the map perfectly is either lying or simply doesn't play on aliens often enough to know better. If it's the former, I'm justified in calling him out on it. If it's the latter, then I'm sorry. Even being sorry, you're still wrong. Aliens are punished enough by needing to get up to point blank range to deal damage. The lighting is the way it is, and the flashlight/hivesight are the way they are, specifically to give the aliens a decent chance to close <i>some</i> of the distance without being blown into bits.
It's an inherent part of the game balance and should definitely not be messed with unless the player specifically wants to put themselves at a combat disadvantage for aesthetic reasons. Server availability of the mod is probably also there for a reason, as flashlight mods could easily be imported by someone to use hive sight as a marine I'm sure.
@Huze;
It does highlight the edges, I have no problem with allowing people to use it. It's just harder to discern three dimensional shapes in the dark with it for my tastes. If it goes standard, maybe I'll be the one using a mod.
Alien vision is a trade off, you have the advantage of being able to see enemies more easily but you give up some other situational awareness. I haven't had a problem with it personally.
I personally have no issue with Alien vision at the moment, since I'm going to notice the orange marine or base coming around the corner a lot quicker than they'll notice me. Also I open my map so much I almost never have issue navigating quickly around a map, especially after my first few games. It's not hard to get used to map layouts with so few maps.
But as I stated, I don't think that's the point of this thread. Maps are a little easier to grasp when you can see the environment, and take in the key locations. Not to mention you don't even get to enjoy the work and detail that went in to these environments if you're on alien vision all the time. And I think what the players are calling for is either an improved Alien vision, or an automatic one that by default compensates for rooms without power to lighting, and always highlights marines (or at least something along those lines).
Which to be honest sounds great to me. I do generally stick to alien vision because its just easier on my fps and on focusing on the enemy, but it does feel dull not being able to see the environment to great detail. From what I've heard this hivesight business in the original NS1 was one of the big things that helped Aliens, and I think regardless of the lights being on or off Aliens would definitely be able to "detect" humans in a manner that' goes beyond just regular vision.
So yea, if I understand what's going on here, I'm all for a vision that doesn't take away so much from the environment and still retains its advantages.
<!--quoteo(post=2012128:date=Nov 5 2012, 09:17 PM:name=Sops)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sops @ Nov 5 2012, 09:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2012128"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Alien vision is a trade off, you have the advantage of being able to see enemies more easily but you give up some other situational awareness. I haven't had a problem with it personally.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, you don't. What does a veteran who already knows the maps trade for Alien Vision? Nothing. My thread is merely about how Alien Vision hinders a beginner's speed in learning new maps by taking out key features that help them remember locations. It's a meta-game complaint, not a balance complaint.
<!--quoteo(post=2012249:date=Nov 6 2012, 05:46 AM:name=Ansom)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ansom @ Nov 6 2012, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2012249"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->No, you don't. What does a veteran who already knows the maps trade for Alien Vision? Nothing. My thread is merely about how Alien Vision hinders a beginner's speed in learning new maps by taking out key features that help them remember locations. It's a meta-game complaint, not a balance complaint.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I honestly disagree... NS2 maps are very difficult to learn with alien vision on or not.. After 400+ hours I still find myself with c held down most of the time. (althought I do spend most of the time looking for enemies/what my team mates are doing)
Once new players learn the formula that almost every map is:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1--> Tech + Res res Tech + res res Tech + res res Tech + res res Tech + res<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
With corridors connecting all of them, it becomes alot easier to learn the maps.
I was able to recognize the maps with alien vision on pretty easily when I first started. It just takes textures out and highlights certain objects. You still see the geometry of everything.
<!--quoteo(post=2012272:date=Nov 6 2012, 05:58 AM:name=Ansom)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ansom @ Nov 6 2012, 05:58 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2012272"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What does a veteran <i><b>who already knows the maps</b></i> trade for Alien Vision?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Inability to see Umbra, inability to see cloaked ######... nothing else... The ability to turn textures down to ugly-as-your-mothers-arse-crack without feeling bad and thus being able to run the game at a higher fps? Why should they? NS1 vision never had any drawbacks...
Comments
For some odd reason I find it more difficult to hit Marines with Alien vision on. I won't go without in a black room but even in real low light I won't use it to attack.
It makes the maps look bland and ugly, and we can't see how nice they are, and it makes it much more difficult navigate the maps because landmarks are much more difficult to see and identify.
I do kind of understand the logic behind it, orange shows up well on puke green, so you never have a case where a brightened up marine camouflages into the map... but I think that should be done by outlining the marines model in green, not by making the ENTIRE MAP green.
If people don't like the current alien vision, then let people choose which alien vision they want in the options menu...don't remove the current one, it has an inhuman Predator sort of look to it (which I guess is the point).
I feel that alien vision has only one small drawback - if you're planning to roost as a lerk or hide as a skulk, you can't see where the shadowed areas are. I turn it off briefly to find the darkest spots (the places that are completely pitch black even if your gamma is turned way up). Those shadow effects are awesome BTW, no amount of gamma will illuminate them and you actually have to turn your flashlight on to see (East Wing ceiling is a good example).
I don't understand the part about not knowing where you are when alien vision is on. Aside from hitting the map button and checking, I can recognize where I am on most maps and it really didn't take long to do so. Maybe UWE can add a mini map for aliens?
The only problem with it is that you can't see your spit/bile bomb/projectiles. They should be highlighted red maybe?
You don't have to use it all the time, and I would say it doesnt even necessarily help in many situations. Maybe you just have to play a little more to get an idea of when a situation is approaching that you need to be able to see it. For example when I'm eating the east wing RT I turn it on because I can only see a little slit of the hallway and I need to be able to make out the motion of a marine passing it at a distance. So the solid color helps alot with that. But when I'm just running around the normal parts of the levels, I rarely have it on except in certain large and confusing rooms like Cargo in Veil and I almost never have any trouble immediately identifying marines.
Anyway if you feel you need it on always, then what would you suggest would work, but look cool and be roughly as effective without unbalancing anything?
Also, even if you're on the marines team you need to check your big mini map to see what's going on over on the other side of the map. If you aren't hitting the map button every time you hear somethings under attack or see that a team member just died you're probably doing it wrong. With that in mind, I know all the maps very well 70 hours into the game. I know them well enough to command 40 hours into the game.
Just a different perspective, and what I'm hearing from you is 'I want more servers to support the mod I like' versus there being any real issue with alien vision in the stock game. If you can't learn maps with alien vision on, you might have a learning disability. If you're the type of person that gives up one of the big advantages in the game because you can't spend a lot of time admiring all the pretty textures...I simply don't know what to say to you other than you probably don't get to look at the textures much when skulks are nipping all around your heels either.
With the maps being as dark as they are in spots, are you really seeing much of the textures anyway? I mean, optimally speaking the lights should always be off in an aliens held area due to the massive dark sight advantage they have. So as aliens, if you're playing with the lights on, don't. Make sense now?
This reminds me of Batman: Arkham Asylum. Tons of money spent on making good looking character models, mostly wasted.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, even if you're on the marines team you need to check your big mini map to see what's going on over on the other side of the map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's a difference between using the mini-map to relocate and using the mini-map because you don't know the map. The mini-map isn't going to help you learn as well as seeing the surrounding in its third-dimensional form without the ######-green overlay.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just a different perspective, and what I'm hearing from you is 'I want more servers to support the mod I like' versus there being any real issue with alien vision in the stock game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Reading comprehension problems in action. Why do I prefer that mod? <i>Oh right</i>, because of actual issues with stock Alien Vision.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you can't learn maps with alien vision on, you might have a learning disability.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You can still learn the maps. No one is suggesting they <i>can't</i>. It does impact learning the maps, however. I mean, it's pretty much common sense that the more you are given to remember of something, the faster and better you can commit it to memory. That's why I learn maps faster on Marines than on Aliens.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you're the type of person that gives up one of the big advantages in the game because you can't spend a lot of time admiring all the pretty textures... With the maps being as dark as they are in spots, are you really seeing much of the textures anyway?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's not my issue in particular, but it <i>is</i> an issue. The map being dark in a lot of spots is one of the reasons beginners are going to be keeping Alien Vision on "for good" and why I don't get why people think it's optional. Do you guys have your brightness settings cranked up? That sure takes away from the whole experience, that shouldn't need to be removed because of a ###### vision mode that tries too hard to look cool.
Why not allow the vision to only highlight humans and instead show everything else as normal or something. That would make a lot more sense as well. that it just highlights lifeforms.
When you play as aliens, just put all your graphics on low and turn everything off to max out your fps, because your wanna be using the vision the entire time. you wont even notice, but you will notice the fps gain :)
There's a difference between using the mini-map to relocate and using the mini-map because you don't know the map. The mini-map isn't going to help you learn as well as seeing the surrounding in its third-dimensional form without the ######-green overlay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is there? If your commander is screaming for you to get to Data Core, and you hit the map key, there's a big room labeled 'Data Core'. Takes two seconds. Not to mention, as others have pointed out, there's an explore option if you need extra time to learn the maps with less pressure. If three dimensional objects are not enough for you to navigate with in an environment that doesn't repeat shapes for multiple rooms then I don't know what to tell you. Also, just to point out, using the big map shows you enemy units and structures that your friends are seeing, so popping it up every few seconds will give you vital information about where you should be.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Reading comprehension problems in action. Why do I prefer that mod? <i>Oh right</i>, because of actual issues with stock Alien Vision.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In your opinion. In a dark room, a partial option or 'highlighting' is going to make aliens horrible as you wouldn't be able to see the various obstructions to your path nearly as well. Especially since you ignored the part where I told you the aliens team, far more than the marines team, is required to navigate in the dark. You might not notice it because you have your night vision on, but you can't see jack diddly in the dark without alien vision. So you propose gimping the aliens in their home turf. No thanks. I'm all for you being able to use a mod that gives you what you want, I just don't want it myself. That's the beauty of mods, and why I said that's what I was hearing from you. That way, it doesn't screw us both. Only you'll be blind and unable to find your way through a vent, the rest of your team will be useful.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You can still learn the maps. No one is suggesting they <i>can't</i>. It does impact learning the maps, however. I mean, it's pretty much common sense that the more you are given to remember of something, the faster and better you can commit it to memory. That's why I learn maps faster on Marines than on Aliens.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is actually counter-intuitive and ruins your entire thought process. The more you're given to remember, the harder it is to remember it.
It just sounds like you prefer Marines to aliens. Remember, marines bases are going to be lit as a necessity for their structures to be built. Aliens will not have light as it gives them a huge home base advantage since their hives are <i>not</i> lit for precisely this reason. For someone that bullet posts why I'm wrong, you sure don't seem to understand that basic tenants of game play.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That's not my issue in particular, but it <i>is</i> an issue. The map being dark in a lot of spots is one of the reasons beginners are going to be keeping Alien Vision on "for good" and why I don't get why people think it's optional. Do you guys have your brightness settings cranked up? That sure takes away from the whole experience, that shouldn't need to be removed because of a ###### vision mode that tries too hard to look cool.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->*SNIP* I need to learn to be nicer -Kouji San<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
@Kouji San, Yes I do. Blood pressure...rising...
They need alien vision to see, <i>precisely</i> so they don't just derp into a wall in the dark trying to find a door that's unlit in a quadrant of the map that does not have any light. What's more frustrating, not being able to admire the pretty textures for the two seconds before you get shot in the face or being completely unable to see what just shot you in the face? I think we both know the answer. A toned down version of alien sight that lets you see textures will simply make hive sight less effective at letting you successfully navigate the maps. By all means, servers could open up to more mods for people like you who want to mod. Just don't lie and say it'll make things easier for new players to not be able to see at all.
By now I move around the maps like a ninja on steroids with celerity, it's plenty easy to walljump and use leap or blink to get around super fast.
Your problem seems to be not that is isn't functional (it is perfectly functional) but that you can't recognise your land marks in alien vision...
Give it a few more games and you'll know them in both vision modes... No need for a knee jerk reaction bashing something that is perfectly good.
If it weren't for having to turn off alien vision to identify dark spots on the environment to perch on/skulk from , I'd have it up 100 percent of the time instead of 90 percent of the time.
I DO use the macromap. It's just frustrating because NS1 didn't have this problem of alien flashlight being so disorienting, and the hive sight was WAY WAY better. I didn't have to press the 'c' button every 5 seconds, more like every 30 seconds.
i'd rather it be completely removed, and have marines glow automatically when they are in dark areas. e.g. when the lights go out marines have an inner glow to them that can only be seen by aliens.
For example:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/diOSX.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Here's an <a href="http://imgur.com/a/VKfOe#0" target="_blank">album</a> containing shots with different lighting levels.
That was at the end of my post, so I suppose you read it all. It irritates me when someone up-front admits that what they want is already available but they still want that something changed for everyone despite all the evidence to the contrary that says the change is a bad idea.
Can you honestly imagine trying to navigate through the infestation-clogged hallways when all your night sight highlights are enemy structures? Especially as a new player? Saying this would somehow help someone that doesn't already know the map perfectly is either lying or simply doesn't play on aliens often enough to know better. If it's the former, I'm justified in calling him out on it. If it's the latter, then I'm sorry. Even being sorry, you're still wrong. Aliens are punished enough by needing to get up to point blank range to deal damage. The lighting is the way it is, and the flashlight/hivesight are the way they are, specifically to give the aliens a decent chance to close <i>some</i> of the distance without being blown into bits.
It's an inherent part of the game balance and should definitely not be messed with unless the player specifically wants to put themselves at a combat disadvantage for aesthetic reasons. Server availability of the mod is probably also there for a reason, as flashlight mods could easily be imported by someone to use hive sight as a marine I'm sure.
@Huze;
It does highlight the edges, I have no problem with allowing people to use it. It's just harder to discern three dimensional shapes in the dark with it for my tastes. If it goes standard, maybe I'll be the one using a mod.
I personally have no issue with Alien vision at the moment, since I'm going to notice the orange marine or base coming around the corner a lot quicker than they'll notice me. Also I open my map so much I almost never have issue navigating quickly around a map, especially after my first few games. It's not hard to get used to map layouts with so few maps.
But as I stated, I don't think that's the point of this thread. Maps are a little easier to grasp when you can see the environment, and take in the key locations. Not to mention you don't even get to enjoy the work and detail that went in to these environments if you're on alien vision all the time. And I think what the players are calling for is either an improved Alien vision, or an automatic one that by default compensates for rooms without power to lighting, and always highlights marines (or at least something along those lines).
Which to be honest sounds great to me. I do generally stick to alien vision because its just easier on my fps and on focusing on the enemy, but it does feel dull not being able to see the environment to great detail. From what I've heard this hivesight business in the original NS1 was one of the big things that helped Aliens, and I think regardless of the lights being on or off Aliens would definitely be able to "detect" humans in a manner that' goes beyond just regular vision.
So yea, if I understand what's going on here, I'm all for a vision that doesn't take away so much from the environment and still retains its advantages.
No, you don't. What does a veteran who already knows the maps trade for Alien Vision? Nothing. My thread is merely about how Alien Vision hinders a beginner's speed in learning new maps by taking out key features that help them remember locations. It's a meta-game complaint, not a balance complaint.
I honestly disagree... NS2 maps are very difficult to learn with alien vision on or not..
After 400+ hours I still find myself with c held down most of the time. (althought I do spend most of the time looking for enemies/what my team mates are doing)
Once new players learn the formula that almost every map is:
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With corridors connecting all of them, it becomes alot easier to learn the maps.
Inability to see Umbra, inability to see cloaked ######... nothing else...
The ability to turn textures down to ugly-as-your-mothers-arse-crack without feeling bad and thus being able to run the game at a higher fps?
Why should they? NS1 vision never had any drawbacks...