2 Minute Res Delay On Nodes

TickTock

<div class="IPBDescription">Non-intuitive?</div> Right now in beta you have to wait 2 minutes to get res from a node after building it. This seems terribly strange to me, as you've already finished the structure... but it's not working? I still support the reasoning behind it though. To make it feel more right, perhaps disable gorge's ability to help build resnodes(as if they were a hive), and give it a 2 minute timer for it's build ring to complete. The same could be said for the marine resnode. Don't allow marines to help construct it, but give it a 2 minute auto-build time. Not only would this feel right, but both players and the commander could see how much longer the node has 'til completion. Also, on the beta boards, the view that a node should only be electrifiable once it is giving res has been expressed. This system would account for that automatically.

meatball

i dont think this would work for the marines b/c the com can drop the RTs without any marines being there,
but if the cmo does that it would be easy for some <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> or a <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo--> to take them down b/c they lack defens if the node haven't been electrified..

TickTock

Well, you could always require a marine to +use it once to activate it. Or you could leave the option open as a high risk maneuver for a comm to attempt.

Mad_Man

I can see a comm droping an ip and an armory and then sjut droping rts on all the nodes and saying go activate the rt's

TickTock

Not only would that be asking to lose massive res as the aliens found and destroyed most of your nodes, but that's not so different from how 1.04 is now. A comm can drop a resnode anywhere, but it takes a marine to build it right now.

Talesin

At this point, the game is not a 'drop IP and move on' thing. Each resnode is like a v1.04 mini-Hive... what happens is that if you drop an RT, you're saying that you're going to defend that area for two minutes after it's built, or risk having a net loss if you try to RT-rush. The nodes are probably about as important as the Hives are currently, in all honesty.

And if you're looking for a logical reason why they need to build, and then need time to start putting out RP... just think of how much mass an RT contains. Certainly a lot of that is occupied by nano-sludge. Maybe the RTs need to fill themselves with the sludge before they can properly start processing it, after they've been built and are operational.


Though I agree with needing to have the node built (and possibly giving res) before it can be electrified, due to some portions of current gameplay dynamics.

Twex

I hope there's visual feedback to tell whether the tower is producing resources yet. Otherwise it would indeed be confusing.

TickTock

Well, it's not so much that I'm looking for a logical explanation. That is easy to provide with a bit of fiction. But in the current system, you build it, but it doesn't WORK for 2 minutes. Apparently resnodes were built by the lowest bidder. But if you treat it so it takes 2 minutes to finish building, the system is self-explanatory.

Also, if it takes 2 minutes to finish, the build ring indicator becomes a source of visual feedback.

Talesin

Gameplay > Realism. The keystone.

They're made like this as:
1) Currently, every Alien can go Gorge and drop an RT with starting res. At once.
2) Marine RTs are extremely difficult to take down once they're in place.
3) Build times for BOTH sides are still in place to hamper RT rushing. It's still a tactic, but not one that will become the *only* tactic, as had been with elec in place and the instant-res-upon-build of 1.04

And honestly... the Marine team is about teamwork. Doesn't seem very team-y for a Comm to just drop one, have a single Marine go and tap it (if that) and have it bring itself up. No real risk. No real devotion to an area. Which is one thing that's happening... it's no longer rush-rush-rush. You expand. Instant charging and expecting to win woks a lot less. Gaining ground, instead, is a more assured way to see victory.

It's a change in tactics, is all. Besides, you'll get more res defending that new node from attackers trying to kill it before it comes up fully than you would from it alone, if it gave res instantly. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

TickTock

Actually I think you are misunderstanding me Talesin.

I'm saying...
- Comm drops RT
- Marine must +use it once.
- It THEN begins building over the course of the next 2 minutes. Once it's physically finished building, it supplies res as usual and can electrify as normal.

Flayra

I definitely won't claim that it's the most intuitive thing, but I do think it's necessary. Without it, I couldn't stop people from building nodes at every opportunity, and I want players to think about when to expand and when not to.

At the very least, the model doesn't start it's harvesting animation and sounds until it's active, and of course you won't see the +1 resource messages until it's active.

esuna

How about some sort of team-based sound which says "Resource node activated" or something when it comes online?

TickTock

I have no problem with the 2 minute delay, I'm only recommending a method of implementation. If someone asks why they aren't getting res yet, it's easier to say it's still building, rather than explaining the whole 2 minute thing. Plus with the build ring, the nearby marines can keep the comm updated on progress even when he's away.

Zel

ticktock, leave the marines out of this discussion, you are just confusing matters.

two minutes sounds like an awful long time, but i am not a PT, i can only hope its changed to one minute <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

Jasp

Hmmm dont u think the whole 2 min thing could cause some issues in pub games, a bad marine team has trouble guarding a Rt just outside thier base never mind one miles away, Also what would this do to reloacs? u move to atmo but can only get res 2 mins after u have made the RTs <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->.

On another note will marines get anyway to find out a RT is under attack? apart from the comm screaming down the mic at em. Maybe a mark on the minimap or summit to say its under attack would be nice.

Soz if these have been covered.