Dropped Ammo
ultranewb
Pro Bug Hunter Join Date: 2004-07-21 Member: 30026Members
Pro Bug Hunter Join Date: 2004-07-21 Member: 30026Members
<div class="IPBDescription">profoundly changed marine spread/rushes</div> I think the effect of dropped ammo has been underestimated. I like it, but it's had quite an impact.
I find the early "rambo and get nodes" normal strat is more succesful. I find myself having to call for ammo so much less in games (less res drain/personal attention from the COMM) and a death in the group or upstream means more ammo for those still standing or those 1 node downstream. Live for any extended amount of time early game and if marines aren't dying, you cap most of the RTs on the map. If some of the marines are dying, I'll find many players running around with an extra large amount of ammo. The common "traveled routes" almost always have ammo around and require less armory humping after spawning.
Where I see the biggest change is around the ~5 minute mark where a phase gate rush starts and the waves of marines poor in. Before, when decimation occurs, marines beacon + phase in, but with a light amount of ammo. Picked up big weapons in the field were almost always empty and a liability requiring the marine to either request ammo and likely die durring a reload, or phase back to base to hump the armory. Now, with beacon + phase, the lights have plenty of dropped ammo on the other side and dropped weapons require no extra COMM attention or abandoning the attack point. I see much less "lost" big weapons durring these points and the COMM's RFK flow gets a nice boost to account for the spent res for the attack. It's almost always win-win situation wether or not marines die.
Early game belongs to the marines, and with ammo drop - it's easier and costs less.
I find the early "rambo and get nodes" normal strat is more succesful. I find myself having to call for ammo so much less in games (less res drain/personal attention from the COMM) and a death in the group or upstream means more ammo for those still standing or those 1 node downstream. Live for any extended amount of time early game and if marines aren't dying, you cap most of the RTs on the map. If some of the marines are dying, I'll find many players running around with an extra large amount of ammo. The common "traveled routes" almost always have ammo around and require less armory humping after spawning.
Where I see the biggest change is around the ~5 minute mark where a phase gate rush starts and the waves of marines poor in. Before, when decimation occurs, marines beacon + phase in, but with a light amount of ammo. Picked up big weapons in the field were almost always empty and a liability requiring the marine to either request ammo and likely die durring a reload, or phase back to base to hump the armory. Now, with beacon + phase, the lights have plenty of dropped ammo on the other side and dropped weapons require no extra COMM attention or abandoning the attack point. I see much less "lost" big weapons durring these points and the COMM's RFK flow gets a nice boost to account for the spent res for the attack. It's almost always win-win situation wether or not marines die.
Early game belongs to the marines, and with ammo drop - it's easier and costs less.
Comments
Next the ammo thing is cool I actually think it removes some frustration from marines
I don't think it would have such a large effect if people used sensible loadouts, and made good use of their ammo to start with.
When you're talking about heavier weapons, then the change was needed. Much of that "frustration" definately comes from picking up an empty gun and being unable to reload at all for entirely too long. It definately quickens the pace of the game, and any time spent shooting instead of humping is for the better.
If it turns out to be a big problem balance wise, it should still stay. There are other things that can be tweaked without making marine play less natural.