Some Thoughts On Spores
playerman
Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7854Members
Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7854Members
<div class="IPBDescription">a powerfull weapon</div> Spores are quite powerfull, maybe the single most powerfull weapon in the game.
All of the above are area effect weapons, with one big difference:
grenades, bile-bombs and accid rockets project damage to an area -only momentarily-.
While spores project damage to an area *for a prolonged period of time*.
The area of effect is fairly large to, probably larger than the blast radius from other area effect weapons.
A marine exposed to that damage for the duration will probably suffer more damage than he would have from a bile bomb or accid rocket.
On top of that, a Lerk with 3rd level Adrenaline can Spam an area with Spores *Continuously*.
Come to think of it, marines have 3 area effect weapons: grenade launcher, siege turret and mines. siege is limited to structures and only accidentally does damage to aliens. mines are stationary and fairly easy to avoid, and a fade can often neutralize mines fairly easily
That leaves one 'real'/mobile area effect weapon (GL) for marines. Marines have nothing special like spores.
Aliens have 3 'real'/mobile area effect weapons, with spores being extra special.
I leave it to others to decide if maybe this is a bit unbalanced or not.
(ok well, my suggestion would be to somewhat reduce the area and/or the damage, and certainly reduce the firing rate with full adrenaline so that continuous firing of spores is not possible)
All of the above are area effect weapons, with one big difference:
grenades, bile-bombs and accid rockets project damage to an area -only momentarily-.
While spores project damage to an area *for a prolonged period of time*.
The area of effect is fairly large to, probably larger than the blast radius from other area effect weapons.
A marine exposed to that damage for the duration will probably suffer more damage than he would have from a bile bomb or accid rocket.
On top of that, a Lerk with 3rd level Adrenaline can Spam an area with Spores *Continuously*.
Come to think of it, marines have 3 area effect weapons: grenade launcher, siege turret and mines. siege is limited to structures and only accidentally does damage to aliens. mines are stationary and fairly easy to avoid, and a fade can often neutralize mines fairly easily
That leaves one 'real'/mobile area effect weapon (GL) for marines. Marines have nothing special like spores.
Aliens have 3 'real'/mobile area effect weapons, with spores being extra special.
I leave it to others to decide if maybe this is a bit unbalanced or not.
(ok well, my suggestion would be to somewhat reduce the area and/or the damage, and certainly reduce the firing rate with full adrenaline so that continuous firing of spores is not possible)
Comments
1) they are a 3 hive weapon, so tyhey are suposed to be nasty
2) lerks are the most physicly weak of the aliens, thus why they have some of the nastier abilities
compare spores to the other 3 hive abilities:
Primal scream, if they remember to use it, it is amazing
Babbelers: one man army
xenocide, I like making things go boom <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Bile bomb (working version that is), well bile bomb does nearly as much DMG but only to structures, thus it is sorta evened out, lerk=antipersonel, Fade=and base
and remember, 3 hive is NOT equal to HA/HMG, it is hells of harder to get and thus better
Translation: I don't know how to play Lerk effectively, but I think I know how the game should be drastically changed.
Translation: I don't know how to play Lerk effectively, but I think I know how the game should be drastically changed.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
so true
Whenever I see lerks using spores, I wonder why the idiot isn't using umbra, which is FAR more fearsome an ability. Not being able to hit the fades right in front of you is BAD.
A patient lerk sitting up on the rafters can take down a turret factory and then clear out all the turrets by himself just using spikes and bites. I've freed a hive room doing that before. Lerks are great for supporting fades or for ranged attacks.
But perhaps the NSteam should make it use a little more energy? Because if you have adrenaline lvl 3 you can shoot almost 3 spores in a row.
I personaly will sit infront of the marine base and just throw out umbras for the fades, then when we get 3 hives I will throw out umbras as well as killing any marines and leave strucs to fades
Please don't try to act elite when you aren't. I know very well how to play each different alien because I've done pretty alot of it.
Please don't try to act elite when you aren't. I know very well how to play each different alien because I've done pretty alot of it.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Lerks do not suck. Lerks with level 3 adrenaline tear through multiple marines with bite and umbra easily. Spores are generally only for spamming the spawns of the last marine base which just annoys people and gets you banned if the server admin is on marines. One lerk makes every other alien nearby take 6x as many bullets.
I don't know how you could possibly use umbra and bite well together without making weapon changing scripts, that are by the way forbidden by the devs. It's the same thing as biding leap so that when you press a button, the lerk leaps and automatically switches back to bite. Also, how is it good if all allied aliens take 6x the bullets they would normally take? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I don't know how you could possibly use umbra and bite well together without making weapon changing scripts, that are by the way forbidden by the devs. It's the same thing as biding leap so that when you press a button, the lerk leaps and automatically switches back to bite. Also, how is it good if all allied aliens take 6x the bullets they would normally take? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
hud_fastswitch "1"
easy enough
I don't know how you could possibly use umbra and bite well together without making weapon changing scripts, that are by the way forbidden by the devs. It's the same thing as biding leap so that when you press a button, the lerk leaps and automatically switches back to bite. Also, how is it good if all allied aliens take 6x the bullets they would normally take? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Are you **obscenity** kidding me? Fly quickly to an unassuming marine, release umbra as you land, then take your time (10 seconds) chewing the pants off the unlucky **obscenity**. If you take over 10 seconds to bite his face off, which shouldn't happen unless you suck (seriously), just pop off another umbra and finish the job.
This could be difficult if you don't have adrenaline, but with 2 hives, you really should have movement chambers.
ROFL
talk to eBnar...
<a href='http://www.planetns.com/strats/flyinglessons.htm' target='_blank'>learn to fly</a> then start talking about how useless the lerk is...
personaly, lerk is my top fav class (that and skulk)
if you think lerks suck, then you don't know how to play as them, same as anyother class
I personaly can't stand fades, but thats just me Iknow they don't suck, jsut not the class for me
Lerks are NOT DESIGNED FOR COMBAT!!
they are even sneakier bastds then skulks(remember spores dosn't have a projectile sprite for it, it just appears)
nad are the second best assist class (gorges are first unless there is a siege around)
basicaly, if you don't like lerks, ok, just don't rag on my fav class <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The funny thing is a lerk often will do more damage in combat than a fade or onos due to umbra.
today I was playing a game (lerk as always) and there were a few marines that knew how to deal with me, RUSH
they would either scare the idiot fades out of umbra (stupid fade) or come in and gun for ME specificly (better yet knife me and that is it)
Also, <b>spore does damage to armor. </b>This means you have to burn off <b>ALL </b>of the armor of a HA marine (remember, 95% absorption) before you can kill him. He can walk out of the cloud and waste you before even 100 points get taken off his armor (HAs usually have HMG). This is supposing you haven't put up umbra, but remember umbra takes up half your energy.
today I was playing a game (lerk as always) and there were a few marines that knew how to deal with me, RUSH
they would either scare the idiot fades out of umbra (stupid fade) or come in and gun for ME specificly (better yet knife me and that is it)<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're really not supposed to be in situations like that if you're a lerk. If you are, oh well, suck it up. Stay out of the umbra you make, let your teammates use it and stay 10 or so feet behind them. Keep walking up, hitting umbra, and falling a little ways back. If your teammates are smart, they'll know it's better to stay in there than try to flee. If they <i>don't</i> realize that, follow some different teammates around.
And you're 50 zillions times faster than marines, you shouldn't let them knife you (or grenade you if you can learn to listen for them). Know your flight escape routes out. Practice flying and if they try to knife you or your hear the clanking of naeds, you'll be off in a flash, before they can even get the machinegun back out to shoot you.
You sound like you're having a hard time playing lerk because you don't have a cautious enough mentality about it. Paranoia about everything will save your life.
I'm a dedicated Lerk and I really think that is life the Spy of the Alien forms. A majority of my time is spent in the rafters picking away at Turret Factories (munching or spikes). With a Lerk, I find it easier to exploit poor turret placement (not that it's hard with a Skulk).
Also, to those people who always complain about taking corners when flying: Just slow yourself down by giving a few puffs in the opposite direction and continue on. Usually you don't have to be at the speed where you become a splat on the wall to get wherever you want fast.
[Also, know that you can fly using strafeing keys. My friends were unaware, so just in case.]