Spikes were brilliant in theyre time, as for wishing for lerk bite back never, i remember the posts stating that lerk was going to be a support class hence why it took primal scream from the onos and why it has umbra. Then they decide to give it bite, call me strange that isnt much of a support role all your doing is giving it a close range defensive weapon, the lerk is far from an attacker. Hell i remember the days when you used to die with armor left as a lerk.
Point being spikes would at least fit into the "support" role of the lerk. Im sure theres a few people out there that agree with me and a few that dont, Either way perhaps it should be put back to the vote.
you already have 3/4 of the lerks abilities "support weapons".
besides bite fits the current flight system (way better than before) much more nicely than spikes would ever.
you can still play support role with the lerk, stick close to the gorges and skulks.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hell i remember the days when you used to die with armor left as a lerk.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
propably, because the old armor system allowed dying with still having armor left. thats got nothing to do with this. you could die as skulk with armor left.
<!--QuoteBegin-TheAdj`+Oct 11 2004, 03:01 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheAdj` @ Oct 11 2004, 03:01 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I don't understand WHY people think spike is so much better than any other lerk weapon. Bite + the current flight model is a powerful weapon in itself, and spikes would require you to fly in a straight line to get a constant hit on someone or sit still. Wow, a lerk will live real fast doing that. Spores are ridiculously powerful, an area affect weapon at hive1 that removes armor and health at a good rate. Spikes don't even touch that power. Umbra saves more hives than any other single ability combined, spikes can't touch that either. Unless they were super powered, even primal scream beats them. The only way I would consider spikes being useful on a lerk is if the current 4 weapon system was broken and spikes were added as an additional weapon to one of the slots<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Agreed.
Spikes were retarded. Why anyone would want a weapon that required direct line of site for a steady duration of time from an extremely fragile creature to a marine who can kill it in a single pistol clip is beyond me.
Bite on the current flight model, however, is excellent for picking off lone marines, assuming they're not equipped with heavy weaponry. If they are, then use spores and wear them down, and umbra teammates (or yourself if you're feeling lucky).
Jetpacker on the hive? What would spikes do? If the jetpacker is either competent, or has a competent commander your spikes will just be wasting your time, and get your hive killed.
I don't want to hear a single person say spikes were great for taking down electrified structures, or cracking through two hive lockdowns or I think I'll cry.
The only time I can imagine spikes would come in handy would be on some of the fun maps, since a lot of them consist of extremely large rooms or what not. So long as the weapon_spikegun entity remains in NS, then plugins can be made to accomodate those fun map servers.
And for those of you saying bite isn't a support weapon: How is a weapon that is excellent at killing jetpackers not supportive?
ChurchMeatshield grunt-fodder // Has pre-ordered NS2Join Date: 2002-12-31Member: 11646Members, Constellation
I can't even remember how many times I've taken down that PG and TF in Viaduct hive by hiding on the catwalk or in the vents and just spiking. I forced half the marine team to try to kill me while I regened whenever they hit me, and pretty much siinglehanded delayed their push towards our second hive for many minutes, giving it time to go up and allowing half our team to Fade. Spikes were sooo easy to use.
Heh.. want spikes, bite and spores? Well, move the primal scream back to Onos in place of the mostly useless "charge". Now you have room for all the weapons for the Lerk. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Of course, IIRC everybody here is a Combat-basher so in place of Resupply put Medspam. Problem solved. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
As much as I'd like spikes back, the current flight system is discouraging. With the old flight system you could fly in almost any direction. Forwad, backwards, to yur left, to the right, above, below, etc. That would have been a much better system for spikes instead.
However, bite works fine with the current flight system. I don't see why we'd want to change it back when we've gone through it before (1.1/2.0 had spikes bc of votes, then 3.0 has bites because of votes)
Going back to spikes will just be a step backwards anyway.
And before anyone starts going on about how great it was against structures, that's provided that nobody knows you're shooting it (which is imposible in NS games anyway) and it takes countless minutes to destroy, during which you could do much more important stuff, like help umbra your teammates in a coordinated assault in X location or something.
TheAdjHe demanded a cool forum title of some type.Join Date: 2004-05-03Member: 28436Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
Look the entire "omg it kills tfs and breaks lockdown" argument is an exact opposite of the "it's a support class" argument, they don't go hand in hand. Support creatures don't break lockdowns alone, they HELP other people break lockdowns. The current lerk in capable hands is entirely capable of not only shredding the marine team with spores, it can pick off lone marines or marines that are focused on killing other things (fades for example). That's what a support unit does, it assists others. It doesn't mean it can't kill things on it's own. It does mean that it can't take on fortified positions on its own, however. Spiking down a electrified TF and PG would qualify as a fortified position, so it shouldn't be able to break that on it's own. For those of you that argue spikes are a JP counter, you've lost your mind. Can you track a fade that blinks around the room, or a lerk that knows how to fly well? Try tracking a marine with spikes that's flying, it'll be pretty similar. Not only that, you have to fly at the same time, and you can only shoot in the direction you're flying. This assumes spikes are hitscan, if they aren't you could compare them to spit instead of bullets. It's ludicrous to assume spikes would be a good JP counter, bite is far more effective.
<!--QuoteBegin-sawce+Oct 11 2004, 05:16 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (sawce @ Oct 11 2004, 05:16 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-TheAdj`+Oct 11 2004, 03:01 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheAdj` @ Oct 11 2004, 03:01 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I don't understand WHY people think spike is so much better than any other lerk weapon. Bite + the current flight model is a powerful weapon in itself, and spikes would require you to fly in a straight line to get a constant hit on someone or sit still. Wow, a lerk will live real fast doing that. Spores are ridiculously powerful, an area affect weapon at hive1 that removes armor and health at a good rate. Spikes don't even touch that power. Umbra saves more hives than any other single ability combined, spikes can't touch that either. Unless they were super powered, even primal scream beats them. The only way I would consider spikes being useful on a lerk is if the current 4 weapon system was broken and spikes were added as an additional weapon to one of the slots<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Agreed.
Spikes were retarded. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I disagree. Spikes were stupidly fun ^-^
I doubt we'll see that much changing to the lerk anyway.
Im not in side of putting them back jsut some blokes going with nostalgia(oh babbklers my dear babblers....)
Spikes were horribly overpowered if abused. You could easily kill tfarm elctrf reloc with one lerk.... I don`t think devs meant that lerk sits in vent shooting pg4min then tf 4min.
And what comes to spores i think it shoud be made staccable by one lerk, if you have 2 lerks it stacks but it would be great to make them stack from 1 lerk. This could be solution to resupply > spore too
ChurchMeatshield grunt-fodder // Has pre-ordered NS2Join Date: 2002-12-31Member: 11646Members, Constellation
Spikes were definitely hitscan, no matter what the animation might have shown.
Yep, lerks way back when could definitely take out fortified areas on his own with little risk because spikes owned so much. Most commanders learned quickly where NOT to place PGs and TFs and such because of spikes.
<!--QuoteBegin-|ds|meatshield+Oct 11 2004, 03:11 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (|ds|meatshield @ Oct 11 2004, 03:11 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I can't even remember how many times I've taken down that PG and TF in Viaduct hive by hiding on the catwalk or in the vents and just spiking. I forced half the marine team to try to kill me while I regened whenever they hit me, and pretty much siinglehanded delayed their push towards our second hive for many minutes, giving it time to go up and allowing half our team to Fade. Spikes were sooo easy to use. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> You'd be more effective with gas/bite....
Bite the PG, if marines phase in, gas them, wait for them to leave, bite, repeat...
Gas is <b>ridonculous</b>. Especially on pubs where marines won't get meds usually.
<!--QuoteBegin-Alkiller+Oct 10 2004, 09:33 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Alkiller @ Oct 10 2004, 09:33 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I remember before 3.0 we were reading the change log and me and my buddies were saying "OMG! Lerk bite is back! Oh this is gonna rock!" Now we're all like "Man, I wish we still had spikes! Those were... tubular."
I find it amusing <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> The man speaks the truth.
I was one of those people, but I guess I was just excited at such a big change to the lerk again. Having played with both spikes and bite for substantial times now, I much prefer the spikes. I'm gonn ahve to join one of these spike servers.
Sitting in the vent at double res on ns_tanith, with regeneration, spiking everything and sporing (if you had 2/3 hives...?) was so much fun. A few spikes were a mild irritance to HAs, but with a constant stream it was awesome <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I personally think Lerks should not be close combat...all the other Kharaa, bar the Gorge, are close combat - the Lerk used to be unique. Of course spores still make him a long range weapon, but its just not the same.
Spikes plugin drives me crazy. Nothing like flapping up to someone's face and attacking only to find that instead of biting you're spiking. And then dying, very quickly. If I happen across one of those servers while pub-hopping, I'll usually leave pretty fast.
<!--QuoteBegin-TheAdj`+Oct 11 2004, 03:01 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheAdj` @ Oct 11 2004, 03:01 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I don't understand WHY people think spike is so much better than any other lerk weapon. Bite + the current flight model is a powerful weapon in itself, and spikes would require you to fly in a straight line to get a constant hit on someone or sit still. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> While this is powerful, its ineffective unless you are trying to take down lone LA marines w/o shotguns. The rest of the time, lerks ususally get owned <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::lerk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/lerk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='lerk.gif' /><!--endemo--> in close combat (their only major damaging attack), and against HAs they are almost completely useless (as attackers).
Spikes are fun, and I enjoy playing on the servers that have spikes via the plug-in. But I wouldn't want spikes in regular NS because the current flight model isnt designed for it. If they bring spikes back (which im sure they won't), they would need to bring back the ability to fly in all four directions (back to 1.04) in order to make spikes really useful again.
I still find it amusing that 'rine JPers are now faster and more manuverable than lerks <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/nerd-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Heh.. want spikes, bite and spores? Well, move the primal scream back to Onos in place of the mostly useless "charge". Now you have room for all the weapons for the Lerk. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Heh.. want spikes, bite and spores? Well, move the primal scream back to Onos in place of the mostly useless "charge". Now you have room for all the weapons for the Lerk. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Charge is mostly useless? I hate to derail this thread, but a Charge + adrenaline Onos is simply unstoppable in base-busting.
[pathetic attempt to re-rail thread] Carbon: try a nicely upgraded lerk in combat. A Lerk chasing a Jetpack is currently one of the most entertaining ways to pull a Jetpack out of the sky.
Only thing I would want changed on the lerk is make it cheeper, and be able to swoop in, bite, swoop out without having to pause at all; staying in the air and in motion the whole time.
Spikes had to be removed as they wanted bite back in again and something had to go. Lerk without bite was boring. I think it was Max that created this new brilliant lerk flying system yet all people did with it was to fly onto a perch and spike and spore. Flying wasn't really used in combat with marines, as there was no need to get close to them.
With primal scream as it is now though, it might aswell be removed and have spikes in there. Until they make primal scream regenerate adrenaline its pretty much useless.
I'd rather have Primal Scream made more useful than replaced with spikes.
Primal Scream is great in concept, but the way it's implemented is crap. About all it's good for is speeding up killing the chair on an ns_ map, assuming you get three hives.
Aaronvroom vroom der party startahJoin Date: 2002-11-05Member: 7020Members
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I don't understand WHY people think spike is so much better than any other lerk weapon. Bite + the current flight model is a powerful weapon in itself, and spikes would require you to fly in a straight line to get a constant hit on someone or sit still.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I don't think it's "better" as in <i>more powerful</i>, i think it is "better" as in <i>more fun for me to play</i>. That's just my opinion. Personally I find <i>run-up-to-marine, mash-keys-repeatedly, run-away</i> game play rather unrewarding.
TheAdjHe demanded a cool forum title of some type.Join Date: 2004-05-03Member: 28436Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I don't think it's "better" as in more powerful, i think it is "better" as in more fun for me to play. That's just my opinion. Personally I find run-up-to-marine, mash-keys-repeatedly, run-away game play rather unrewarding.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What's fun and what's balanced and useful aren't always bed buddies. I think it would be great fun if the lerk had 200/150 and flew at 750 speed default, but I don't think it would be quite balanced. If you find that playstyle unrewarding, then I guess you don't play aliens because that's what aliens do. Move in, get hits, move out (in too many cases people decide getting hits is more important than moving out, and die).
To those of you saying lerks aren't good at taking marines down, please PM me the IP addresses of the servers you play on regularly if they're in the US. I'll stop by and show you why the current flight model + bite is brutally effective.
I think clearly what's needed is a new alien class with spikes, babblers, paralyze and the nuke as abilities. Then everyone whining about things that are gone would be happy.
<!--QuoteBegin-semi-psychotic+Oct 11 2004, 07:19 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (semi-psychotic @ Oct 11 2004, 07:19 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Heh.. want spikes, bite and spores? Well, move the primal scream back to Onos in place of the mostly useless "charge". Now you have room for all the weapons for the Lerk. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Charge is mostly useless? I hate to derail this thread, but a Charge + adrenaline Onos is simply unstoppable in base-busting.
[pathetic attempt to re-rail thread] Carbon: try a nicely upgraded lerk in combat. A Lerk chasing a Jetpack is currently one of the most entertaining ways to pull a Jetpack out of the sky. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I hear nothing but complaints on how unintuitive and useless the charge ability is. Sure, there are some uses, but on the whole it's a rather cumbersome weapon that 98% of players would not miss.
The real problem with my idea would be how to sort the weapons per hive. Clearly spikes would be good as a hive 2 weapon, but it would bump umbra which NEEDS to be hive 2. As a hive 1 weapon it might be a little too powerful. (but nonetheless interesting... mixes up the combat some) Would have to improve gas again as a hive 3 weapon. As a hive 3 weapon, spikes would be somewhat useless but in line with how acid rockets work.
I just gave you the best idea to re-implement spikes without taking away a weapon that any meaningful percentage of players care about: charge.
<!--QuoteBegin-Gadzuko+Oct 11 2004, 08:14 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Gadzuko @ Oct 11 2004, 08:14 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I think clearly what's needed is a new alien class with spikes, babblers, paralyze and the nuke as abilities. Then everyone whining about things that are gone would be happy. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Best. Solution. Evar.
I've played with the spike plugin a little bit and it doesn't unbalance things too much. I wouldn't mind if it replaced primal scream or something.
I think also think they shoud remove primal scream from the lerk becouse it has a very short range for the so calld support alien if they give spikes instead of primal scream i think it woud me a lot better, maybe they can move primal scream to another alien i think that a onos just as before the best alien is for the primal scream maybe they can do a primal scream while they charge so they can realy leed the other aliens to battle by stopping bulits by his masive size and giving creatures in range a attack bonus as long as the charge last and offcourse charge does still damange to other rines/buildings
Comments
Point being spikes would at least fit into the "support" role of the lerk. Im sure theres a few people out there that agree with me and a few that dont, Either way perhaps it should be put back to the vote.
besides bite fits the current flight system (way better than before) much more nicely than spikes would ever.
you can still play support role with the lerk, stick close to the gorges and skulks.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hell i remember the days when you used to die with armor left as a lerk.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
propably, because the old armor system allowed dying with still having armor left. thats got nothing to do with this. you could die as skulk with armor left.
Agreed.
Spikes were retarded. Why anyone would want a weapon that required direct line of site for a steady duration of time from an extremely fragile creature to a marine who can kill it in a single pistol clip is beyond me.
Bite on the current flight model, however, is excellent for picking off lone marines, assuming they're not equipped with heavy weaponry. If they are, then use spores and wear them down, and umbra teammates (or yourself if you're feeling lucky).
Jetpacker on the hive? What would spikes do? If the jetpacker is either competent, or has a competent commander your spikes will just be wasting your time, and get your hive killed.
I don't want to hear a single person say spikes were great for taking down electrified structures, or cracking through two hive lockdowns or I think I'll cry.
The only time I can imagine spikes would come in handy would be on some of the fun maps, since a lot of them consist of extremely large rooms or what not. So long as the weapon_spikegun entity remains in NS, then plugins can be made to accomodate those fun map servers.
And for those of you saying bite isn't a support weapon: How is a weapon that is excellent at killing jetpackers not supportive?
Resupply > Spikes
Of course, IIRC everybody here is a Combat-basher so in place of Resupply put Medspam. Problem solved. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
As much as I'd like spikes back, the current flight system is discouraging. With the old flight system you could fly in almost any direction. Forwad, backwards, to yur left, to the right, above, below, etc. That would have been a much better system for spikes instead.
However, bite works fine with the current flight system. I don't see why we'd want to change it back when we've gone through it before (1.1/2.0 had spikes bc of votes, then 3.0 has bites because of votes)
Going back to spikes will just be a step backwards anyway.
And before anyone starts going on about how great it was against structures, that's provided that nobody knows you're shooting it (which is imposible in NS games anyway) and it takes countless minutes to destroy, during which you could do much more important stuff, like help umbra your teammates in a coordinated assault in X location or something.
Agreed.
Spikes were retarded. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I disagree. Spikes were stupidly fun ^-^
I doubt we'll see that much changing to the lerk anyway.
Spikes were horribly overpowered if abused. You could easily kill tfarm elctrf reloc with one lerk.... I don`t think devs meant that lerk sits in vent shooting pg4min then tf 4min.
And what comes to spores i think it shoud be made staccable by one lerk, if you have 2 lerks it stacks but it would be great to make them stack from 1 lerk. This could be solution to resupply > spore too
Yep, lerks way back when could definitely take out fortified areas on his own with little risk because spikes owned so much. Most commanders learned quickly where NOT to place PGs and TFs and such because of spikes.
You'd be more effective with gas/bite....
Bite the PG, if marines phase in, gas them, wait for them to leave, bite, repeat...
Gas is <b>ridonculous</b>. Especially on pubs where marines won't get meds usually.
I find it amusing <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
The man speaks the truth.
I was one of those people, but I guess I was just excited at such a big change to the lerk again. Having played with both spikes and bite for substantial times now, I much prefer the spikes. I'm gonn ahve to join one of these spike servers.
Sitting in the vent at double res on ns_tanith, with regeneration, spiking everything and sporing (if you had 2/3 hives...?) was so much fun. A few spikes were a mild irritance to HAs, but with a constant stream it was awesome <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I personally think Lerks should not be close combat...all the other Kharaa, bar the Gorge, are close combat - the Lerk used to be unique. Of course spores still make him a long range weapon, but its just not the same.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Spikesumbrasporesprimalscream4tehw1n!!!1</span>
While this is powerful, its ineffective unless you are trying to take down lone LA marines w/o shotguns. The rest of the time, lerks ususally get owned <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::lerk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/lerk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='lerk.gif' /><!--endemo--> in close combat (their only major damaging attack), and against HAs they are almost completely useless (as attackers).
Spikes are fun, and I enjoy playing on the servers that have spikes via the plug-in. But I wouldn't want spikes in regular NS because the current flight model isnt designed for it. If they bring spikes back (which im sure they won't), they would need to bring back the ability to fly in all four directions (back to 1.04) in order to make spikes really useful again.
I still find it amusing that 'rine JPers are now faster and more manuverable than lerks <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/nerd-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Preach on Brother Pseudoknight
Charge is mostly useless? I hate to derail this thread, but a Charge + adrenaline Onos is simply unstoppable in base-busting.
[pathetic attempt to re-rail thread]
Carbon: try a nicely upgraded lerk in combat. A Lerk chasing a Jetpack is currently one of the most entertaining ways to pull a Jetpack out of the sky.
I liked lerk spikes because I could lurk in the shadows and snipe.
If they could only stick to walls like a skulk too, then it would be perfect.
With primal scream as it is now though, it might aswell be removed and have spikes in there. Until they make primal scream regenerate adrenaline its pretty much useless.
Primal Scream is great in concept, but the way it's implemented is crap. About all it's good for is speeding up killing the chair on an ns_ map, assuming you get three hives.
I don't think it's "better" as in <i>more powerful</i>, i think it is "better" as in <i>more fun for me to play</i>. That's just my opinion. Personally I find <i>run-up-to-marine, mash-keys-repeatedly, run-away</i> game play rather unrewarding.
What's fun and what's balanced and useful aren't always bed buddies. I think it would be great fun if the lerk had 200/150 and flew at 750 speed default, but I don't think it would be quite balanced. If you find that playstyle unrewarding, then I guess you don't play aliens because that's what aliens do. Move in, get hits, move out (in too many cases people decide getting hits is more important than moving out, and die).
To those of you saying lerks aren't good at taking marines down, please PM me the IP addresses of the servers you play on regularly if they're in the US. I'll stop by and show you why the current flight model + bite is brutally effective.
Charge is mostly useless? I hate to derail this thread, but a Charge + adrenaline Onos is simply unstoppable in base-busting.
[pathetic attempt to re-rail thread]
Carbon: try a nicely upgraded lerk in combat. A Lerk chasing a Jetpack is currently one of the most entertaining ways to pull a Jetpack out of the sky. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I hear nothing but complaints on how unintuitive and useless the charge ability is. Sure, there are some uses, but on the whole it's a rather cumbersome weapon that 98% of players would not miss.
The real problem with my idea would be how to sort the weapons per hive. Clearly spikes would be good as a hive 2 weapon, but it would bump umbra which NEEDS to be hive 2. As a hive 1 weapon it might be a little too powerful. (but nonetheless interesting... mixes up the combat some) Would have to improve gas again as a hive 3 weapon. As a hive 3 weapon, spikes would be somewhat useless but in line with how acid rockets work.
I just gave you the best idea to re-implement spikes without taking away a weapon that any meaningful percentage of players care about: charge.
Best. Solution. Evar.
I've played with the spike plugin a little bit and it doesn't unbalance things too much. I wouldn't mind if it replaced primal scream or something.