Analyses Of 2.0's (im)balance
MrPink
Join Date: 2002-05-28 Member: 678Members
We all know it's true, 2.0 has balance issues. However, they aren't as easy to pinpoint as most games, where you can just say x is overpowered, and balance by lowering x damage from 15 to 10. Instead, the balance issues are more fundamental. Heres how I see it:
1) Marines are hindered by res to research, time to research, and res to drop equitment, while the aliens are only held back by resources. The aliens can have an onos as soon as someone saves up to 104 res (with 2 upgrades), but the marines typically go through over 300 res before they start dropping heavy sets.
<i>Solution - Removing research times and res for marines is definatly not a step in the right direction, instead I think the aliens need some prerequisites before they can start evolving to higher forms.</i>
2) Marines are incapable of doing more than one thing at a time later in the game. The aliens <i>will</i> have higher forms at this point, even if held to very few nodes. A marine team can get heavy sets for the entire team, but as soon as they stage an offensive attack the onos destroys one of several marine bases, because there is no one left to guard. Now, the marines are right back where they started if they were lucky enough to be successful in completing their objective. If they try to leave a guard, he will get destroyed being alone. If they leave several guards, they won't have a chance at being successful in their offensive.
<i>Solution - There is no simple answer. In other words, I have no idea.</i>
3) Regeneration allows for alien rambos. One fade or onos can single handedly occupy at least half of the marine team with little or no support from their team. Celerity adds to this in the case of the onos. The marines will not be able to chase down a regenerating fade or onos (with celerity), so they have to rely on the mistake of the alien to misjudge his health before retreating to have a chance at killing him.
<i>Solution - Regeneration has fundamental flaws, I suggest a quick fix by having regeneration only work on health, not armor. This way, it is still very useful but it requires either team support or a trip back to the hive. As for celerity, I think the numbers should be toned way down on the onos specifically.</i>
4) The second hive for the aliens is up before the marines can deal with it, and if it goes up for even a few seconds the aliens will have level 3 upgrades from two chambers for the rest of the game.
<i>Solution - Chambers are only active when they have a hive supporting them.</i>
5) Onos has absolutely no counter. Jetpacks do not work because of the fact that the NS maps were designed to be small and cramped to promote ambience, but the fact is that an onos can reach the cieling most of the time. Heavy armor gets stomped and devoured.
<i>Solution - Jetpacks need to be reworked, or stomp needs to be nerfed</i>
1) Marines are hindered by res to research, time to research, and res to drop equitment, while the aliens are only held back by resources. The aliens can have an onos as soon as someone saves up to 104 res (with 2 upgrades), but the marines typically go through over 300 res before they start dropping heavy sets.
<i>Solution - Removing research times and res for marines is definatly not a step in the right direction, instead I think the aliens need some prerequisites before they can start evolving to higher forms.</i>
2) Marines are incapable of doing more than one thing at a time later in the game. The aliens <i>will</i> have higher forms at this point, even if held to very few nodes. A marine team can get heavy sets for the entire team, but as soon as they stage an offensive attack the onos destroys one of several marine bases, because there is no one left to guard. Now, the marines are right back where they started if they were lucky enough to be successful in completing their objective. If they try to leave a guard, he will get destroyed being alone. If they leave several guards, they won't have a chance at being successful in their offensive.
<i>Solution - There is no simple answer. In other words, I have no idea.</i>
3) Regeneration allows for alien rambos. One fade or onos can single handedly occupy at least half of the marine team with little or no support from their team. Celerity adds to this in the case of the onos. The marines will not be able to chase down a regenerating fade or onos (with celerity), so they have to rely on the mistake of the alien to misjudge his health before retreating to have a chance at killing him.
<i>Solution - Regeneration has fundamental flaws, I suggest a quick fix by having regeneration only work on health, not armor. This way, it is still very useful but it requires either team support or a trip back to the hive. As for celerity, I think the numbers should be toned way down on the onos specifically.</i>
4) The second hive for the aliens is up before the marines can deal with it, and if it goes up for even a few seconds the aliens will have level 3 upgrades from two chambers for the rest of the game.
<i>Solution - Chambers are only active when they have a hive supporting them.</i>
5) Onos has absolutely no counter. Jetpacks do not work because of the fact that the NS maps were designed to be small and cramped to promote ambience, but the fact is that an onos can reach the cieling most of the time. Heavy armor gets stomped and devoured.
<i>Solution - Jetpacks need to be reworked, or stomp needs to be nerfed</i>
Comments
2 3 4 is exactly meant to be that way.
Put one marine as guard near a rt and it would not die.
Aliens are meant to be loners to **** off marine outposts. see above.
Just kill the upgrade chambers in team attacks. On clan matches this is no big problem. Theyre not as strong as turret farms.
5 is a lie, onos is counterable. Only problem is "1" upgrades coming slower than onoses. Jeah jps are weak. They are meant to be used in vents. When will they ever learn?
There is one simple way killing an onois. hunt it as team. You cant miss that fat slow alien.
<i>Solution - Jetpacks need to be reworked, or stomp needs to be nerfed</i> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
You <b>got</b> to be kidding me.
I've found killing an onos quite easy, counter? any weapon! Seriously, it's a big clumsy piece of alien bacteria, use the terrain.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1) Marines are hindered by res to research, time to research, and res to drop equitment, while the aliens are only held back by resources. The aliens can have an onos as soon as someone saves up to 104 res (with 2 upgrades), but the marines typically go through over 300 res before they start dropping heavy sets...
<span style='color:gray'>OH MY GOD...... I am not going to say anything. *x*</span>
2) Marines are incapable of doing more than one thing at a time later in the game. The aliens <i>will</i> have higher forms at this point, even if held to very few nodes. A marine team can get heavy sets for the entire team, but as soon as they stage an offensive attack the onos destroys one of several marine bases, because there is no one left to guard. Now, the marines are right back where they started if they were lucky enough to be successful in completing their objective....
<span style='color:green'>I guess you have not used turrets to keep Oni at bay and Gorges dying. If a team of 5 HA/SG/HMG/GL are walking to a hive, if the aliens arn't trying to stop them, the commander will be setting up a new base in NO TIME!
</span>
3) Regeneration allows for alien rambos...
<span style='color:blue'>I try to be a very friendly person, but if you keep hurting me like this I will have to be rude.... Your basicly playing this game from the marines said only, try playing as aliens, cause from what you have posted.. I don't think you ever have even tryed playing as a Kharaa </span>
4) The second hive for the aliens is up before the marines can deal with it, and if it goes up for even a few seconds the aliens will have level 3 upgrades from two chambers for the rest of the game.
<i>Solution - Chambers are only active when they have a hive supporting them.</i>
<span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>WHAT</span>... WHAT... I can't see the keys.. the blood... AHhh My eyes are bleeding so badly!</span>
5) Onos has absolutely no counter...
<span style='color:orange'>/paramedics "CLEAR"... ZAPPPPP, "hes still not breathing".. "OK CLEAR"... ZAPPPP "I have never seen someones brain explode like that before!"......!</span>