I posted <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=17469&hl=' target='_blank'>this</a> back in December. I am a firm believer that no mod can be balanced for both pub and match play. At it's simplest level, what your average clanner can accomplish is above and beyond what your average pubber can. Working from that base it's easy to see why you need 2 modes of play.
I don't think you can make sure pub games are perfectly balanced. They all are a different level of skill. They all need a different balance. Clan games deserve a consistent balance. If a server is far enough below the skill of a clan match to need a handicap, then they can set one. This is, of couse, all assuming that whatever handicap system in use works very well.
Even in RTS games like Warcraft 2 or Total Annihilation where both sides are quite similar (in W2 the only difference were some spells) there are still fanatic believers in the superiority of one side. NS has much more variety than those games, so it's going to be much harder to balance and keep it fun at the same time.
Having waded through several identically themed topics, I've got to the stage where its going to have to be short and sweet.
1) Most comms suck. Its a hard fact. And comms win marine games.
2) The earlygame belongs to aliens, the endgame to marines. Aliens are meant to dominate early with their cheap, easily produced defense. Marines dominate late game because their highest level tech flattens anything the aliens make.
3) The reason most comms suck is that they're are trying to do very odd things, and new comms listen too much to their marines, who are STILL screaming for jetpacks when earlygame there's no point.
Look at most endgame stalemates. Marines, in a space, working together with LMGs and no armour (can't afford it). They can hold back anything. Listen to the marine comms - instead of "spawn turrets just outside base so we can try and push the back" you get "Comm, dude, need HMG, HMG now". All very well with an HMG but thats not getting you outside the base matey.
If marines can hold a base ENDGAME, against the best aliens have, using only LMGs and no armour, then there is absolutely no reason they can't do so earlygame.
The difference? Late game you can't rambo, and you're forced to stick together in a room. Earlygame half your team will leave the waypoint because you didn't give them something to do (yeah, like they're not meant to be DEFENDING the fraggling waypoint).
Comments
1) Most comms suck. Its a hard fact. And comms win marine games.
2) The earlygame belongs to aliens, the endgame to marines. Aliens are meant to dominate early with their cheap, easily produced defense. Marines dominate late game because their highest level tech flattens anything the aliens make.
3) The reason most comms suck is that they're are trying to do very odd things, and new comms listen too much to their marines, who are STILL screaming for jetpacks when earlygame there's no point.
Look at most endgame stalemates. Marines, in a space, working together with LMGs and no armour (can't afford it). They can hold back anything. Listen to the marine comms - instead of "spawn turrets just outside base so we can try and push the back" you get "Comm, dude, need HMG, HMG now". All very well with an HMG but thats not getting you outside the base matey.
If marines can hold a base ENDGAME, against the best aliens have, using only LMGs and no armour, then there is absolutely no reason they can't do so earlygame.
The difference? Late game you can't rambo, and you're forced to stick together in a room. Earlygame half your team will leave the waypoint because you didn't give them something to do (yeah, like they're not meant to be DEFENDING the fraggling waypoint).
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