Default Ns
MrBen
ns_eclipse, ns_veil caretaker Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8575Members
ns_eclipse, ns_veil caretaker Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8575Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Not exactly userfriendly</div> A while ago i uninstalled NS out of pure hatred and loathing, whilst my opinion about the game remains unchanged for the most part right now, so does my finicial situation so i reinstalled to give me something to do during my boring evenings. It was then i realised that default NS is actually the worst thing ever and it's no wonder that most players suck hard. It single handily turned my game to mush. I want to use this thread to discuss what i feel are current issues with default NS and what changes we could be made to make things more user friendly.
A number of things reallly bothered me about default NS:
1) hud_fastswitch 0: This is quite probably the most important thing to have in your config ever. Without it set to 1 it is nigh impossible to grasp any of the more complicated skills within NS. Lifeforms such as the fade are totally unplayable and manuevers such as leap bite extremely difficult. I suspect that most new players having hud_Fastswitch 0 is the route of the whole leap bite script fiasco.
2) Default crosshairs: Who doesn't use custom crosshairs? I don't know a single clanner who does, even the developers use the custom crosshair pack i slung together for them. The current crosshairs are far too large, i couldn't hit a skulk with the HMG crosshair because i couldn't actually see it behind the large blue circle taking up 75% of my screen. I really think it's time that a more managable and less intrusive set of crosshairs were included and for the love of pete, change the god damn shotgun crosshair, it's so misleading that i cried when i saw it.
3) There are a number of console commands that need to be better documented for newer players. Some things as simple as fps_max 100 are unknown to most new players, hell i didn't change my FPS till 3 or 4 months ago and i've been playing since day 1. I couldn't believe how big a change it made. I was also really concerned by the volume of the ingame music and ambient noises, i couldn't hear skulks above some of them and i found myself going mad trying to find cl_musicenabled 0.
NS has a difficult learning curve but the default package doesn't make things any easier for players. I tried to fade with it as an experiment and all my experience couldn't save me. I was unable to aim and perform the simplest yet most important things within NS such as drawing my pistol after firing a clip of LMG. It was really sad to play with and i felt a lot of sympathy for players who do not know otherwise.
What else could we do to make the game more user friendly without totally annihlating any skill curve for the competitive community? I'm againist the idea of making things just easier to use but this experience made me realise there are a lot of things that could be done without changing the actual game. Discuss.
A number of things reallly bothered me about default NS:
1) hud_fastswitch 0: This is quite probably the most important thing to have in your config ever. Without it set to 1 it is nigh impossible to grasp any of the more complicated skills within NS. Lifeforms such as the fade are totally unplayable and manuevers such as leap bite extremely difficult. I suspect that most new players having hud_Fastswitch 0 is the route of the whole leap bite script fiasco.
2) Default crosshairs: Who doesn't use custom crosshairs? I don't know a single clanner who does, even the developers use the custom crosshair pack i slung together for them. The current crosshairs are far too large, i couldn't hit a skulk with the HMG crosshair because i couldn't actually see it behind the large blue circle taking up 75% of my screen. I really think it's time that a more managable and less intrusive set of crosshairs were included and for the love of pete, change the god damn shotgun crosshair, it's so misleading that i cried when i saw it.
3) There are a number of console commands that need to be better documented for newer players. Some things as simple as fps_max 100 are unknown to most new players, hell i didn't change my FPS till 3 or 4 months ago and i've been playing since day 1. I couldn't believe how big a change it made. I was also really concerned by the volume of the ingame music and ambient noises, i couldn't hear skulks above some of them and i found myself going mad trying to find cl_musicenabled 0.
NS has a difficult learning curve but the default package doesn't make things any easier for players. I tried to fade with it as an experiment and all my experience couldn't save me. I was unable to aim and perform the simplest yet most important things within NS such as drawing my pistol after firing a clip of LMG. It was really sad to play with and i felt a lot of sympathy for players who do not know otherwise.
What else could we do to make the game more user friendly without totally annihlating any skill curve for the competitive community? I'm againist the idea of making things just easier to use but this experience made me realise there are a lot of things that could be done without changing the actual game. Discuss.
Comments
Also i don't think hud_fastswitch should be on by default because new players won't know what all the weapons do and being able to see what its called will get them familar with each ability. I've been playing NS for a year and i just turned fastswitch on a few months ago.
Actually, I think it looks like a general discussion about a certain aspect of how NS looks as a game currently. But hey, what do I know.
Who uses mwheel to change weapon tho o.O
but a training map would be very helpfull.
but a training map would be very helpfull. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Gecko, a training map was already thought-up, created (well-created at that) and turned down by the devs respectfully.
Usually, I am not one to say this in the "complaint" threads that I usually see in these forums, but I have to agree with most of the stuff MrBen says.
First of all, I can relate to him, since I too have been around since day 1. Naturally, like he said, I too have been scrambling to find certain user variables that in my mind, unlock the key to either A) looking better or B) offering me better performance. Since I have a machine that likes to support NS now, I'd like to find A more than B.
Although, I disagree that hud_fastswitch should be made default to 0, I do agree that there is a manual to read and many, many more people should take a look at it.
The crosshairs. Wow, thats a real interesting perspective. The only custom crosshairs I have installed are certain ones like Onos devour or fade blink (i like to see where i'm flying) But I must agree that A) others improve performance, B) the current ones are just a little bit too loud, obnoxious and big, and C) on a lot of maps they might be hard to see.
The only resolution I see for crosshairs? Making them brighter and smaller. Other than that, they seem to work fine for me. I just dont like having a shotgun crosshair that is a GIANT O. A smaller o would be nice, if you want to cover all the range that is.
When you look at the battle between user-friendliness and complexity.. we're also peering into a similar battle of "LIEK OMG NEWBS COMING TO NS" A lot of people, and myself, agree that like most previous versions you and I played.. there should be a heavy learning curve, not to scare off people, but to make it a more funner game. Games like these should take a bit of knowledge.. if I wanted to just kill, kill, kill I would play duke nukem 3d or blood or something.
The learning curve in today's ns maps and co maps are next to nothing, because usually in ns maps.. people just res-****.
Anyways, my two cents.
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84414' target='_blank'>BAM!</a> Problem solved. That & fps_max 101 as the default would make the game much nicer for the newbs.
Since tweaking the config seems to be every serious ns players hobby, I think these new players should be made more aware what options are open to them to configure NS up comfortably and effectively, since some of those important console commands are kept nice and hidden, and I bet alot of people don't feel comfortable messing around with the config file.
NS 1.04 x-hairs, clean and simple, ftw !
2) I like the default crosshairs, but that's just cause I've used them since day 1 and so I'm used to them. I can see how different crosshairs would help.
3) Yes, please. Document the most important commands and the recommended settings for different connection speeds somewhere. Shouldn't be that hard; some ordinary forumites could write a guide up in 5 minutes. The only thing I disagree with is the ambient sounds. The mapper put them in for a reason; for some people to shut them off would be a big advandtage. I'd even recommend locking the ambient and environmental sounds.
Exactly. =P
There's plenty of information for those who look for it.