discussion on skulks

135

Comments

  • MuYeahMuYeah Join Date: 2006-12-26 Member: 59261Members
    A 2 hive skulks is equal to an lmg marine with some upgrades.
    Skulks scale better with skill than marines and this thread is worthless
  • vmsvms Join Date: 2005-06-15 Member: 53927Members
    I dont think the skulk is underpowered, but i can see a problem in 10vs10+ games where some off the benefits of getting a kill is simply removed unless your team gets several kills on a global scale.
    For example there will always be a marine nearby to pick up the killed marines weapon and continue what he is doing since with 10 players you can have the marine team cover the whole map at the same time and most of the time the marines can go in groups making it harder to get a kill, you can also afford to have marines spawncamping without taking anything away from your pressure team or cappers, mt also becomes more viable since even if several marines on the field dies you can still cover most of the maps without phasegates.
    10vs10 really kills the time advantage you get when you kill a marine and force him to walk all the way back but then so many other things change at 10vs10+ so whatever.
  • DuoGodOfDeathDuoGodOfDeath Join Date: 2002-08-01 Member: 1044Members
    I remember when cri used to go motion first. They lost a lot.
  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    <!--quoteo(post=1593319:date=Dec 30 2006, 04:39 PM:name=DRagon)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DRagon @ Dec 30 2006, 04:39 PM) [snapback]1593319[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    if you're smart you can take 3 decent marines easly tbh.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--quoteo(post=1593298:date=Dec 30 2006, 03:11 PM:name=Admirable)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Admirable @ Dec 30 2006, 03:11 PM) [snapback]1593298[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    <!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->aA warps<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
  • KhazeKhaze Join Date: 2006-12-12 Member: 59031Members
    The "problem" here is not that the Skulk is not tough enough or doesn't do enough damage.

    The problem is that a newly spawned Skulk, versus a newly spawned Marine, the Skulk is at a horrible disadvatange.

    The Skulk always needs to spend a few seconds to evolve his upgrades, or evolve in to another lifeform. During which time, the Skulk is helpless. Even if the Skulk gets the upgrades, it is unlikely he will last any longer than without them.

    Whereas a Marine spawns with a full clip for his LMG and pistol. They even get a hand grenade instantly upon spawning if researched. With this configuration a single marine has the potential to easily kill 3-4 Skulks and never leave the spot.



    My view on things may be a bit biased towards the Aliens, but no matter how you put it, a fresh Skulk is like an infant that doesn't know how to walk compared to a fresh Marine.

    You could just call it "a part of the game", but that doesn't justify the fact which I mentioned earlier. A single marine can hold an entire hive at bay with the BASIC EQUIPMENT, and even receive resources for killing such feeble lifeforms in a situation like that.

    I still stand behind the suggestions I mentioned earlier:<ol type='1'><li>Scale the RFK according to the level of the lifeform, Skulk being the lowest and giving 0 RFK.</li><li>Make Skulks re-spawn faster than other lifeforms so they can keep the pressure up better against the attacker.</li></ol>
  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    edited December 2006
    <!--quoteo(post=1593434:date=Dec 31 2006, 06:18 AM:name=Khaze)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Khaze @ Dec 31 2006, 06:18 AM) [snapback]1593434[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    -Scale the RFK according to the level of the lifeform, Skulk being the lowest and giving 0 RFK.
    -Make Skulks re-spawn faster than other lifeforms so they can keep the pressure up better against the attacker.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    -Isn't scaling RFK according to the level of lifeform just the complicated way of reducing rfk to 1 since skulks give most of the RFK during a game? And moreover this doesn't change the learning-curve or role of the skulk at all.
    -Skulk is the only lifeform that spawns <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nerd-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::nerdy::" border="0" alt="nerd-fix.gif" /> ..and afaik the spawnrate has already been increased depending on the amount of (dead?) players considering big servers.
    If you increase the spawnrate, marines will have a tougher time to rush or even push a finished 2nd or 3rd hive due to lot of spawning and leaping skulks.
    I rather see 2 skulks spawning at once in the same time 2 skulks successively spawn with only one hive and many dead alienplayers, but this adresses only spawncamping.
  • XCanXCan Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5904Members, Constellation
    edited December 2006
    Why are you still argueing? The PTs have spoken and as usual disagree with any remotely possible inbalance that might be in the game (get skills as their usual answer) which means that nothing will be change no matter how much you whine.

    IMHO if you as a marine can't figure out the usual (most actually) ambush points and take them down (unless they've cloak) then you suck as marine.

    Either way, NS will NEVER EVER obtain a large player base in its current game form, the fun factor is interperted way too different from player to player. Not to forget how the devs strongly refuse to consider anything that might add balance to normal people rather than the "Well the game is balanced for 6v6" crap.
  • TOmekkiTOmekki Join Date: 2003-11-25 Member: 23524Members
    if normal means "too stubborn and/or stupid to learn the game and have fun, instead whines on forums to people who couldnt care less, probably no real life at all" then i guess a lot of us aren't normal
  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    Nonsense or not, it is there goal to balance the game for 6 vs 6 and to be honest. I like 6 man teams. Huge teams on huge servers just does not feel right. We are a squad, not a army rushing in to win the fight.

    I laught at the comm getting MT if kharaa have not desided a chamber yet. (yes, he has motion. now all get focus and get him) Not to forget that cloak counters MT and we have a win.
  • semipsychoticsemipsychotic Join Date: 2003-07-09 Member: 18061Members
    edited December 2006
    Motion tracking doesn't need to be up before the two minutes to be early. Most of the time, it appears around the five minute mark.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->later game u have to realize that skulks can only be effective against marines when grouped up with fades or lerks. if theres an hmg out there and you're with the fade, work with him instead of leaping in, and dying needlessly. have the fade go in and swipe, blink past, and then you come in and finish the marine off, or vice versa. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    The fade blinked out because there's enough firepower to threaten him back there, so skulks aren't destined for glory.

    A lot of the discussion here is about balance, but that's not the problem. The game is well-balanced at this point; it's just not all that fun for a skulk later on. They can chew on resources, they can throw parasites all over the place, and they can even serve as fodder and pests while higher lifeforms open up. These are all things that we do as skulks, and we find satisfaction in nudging the team toward victory. But they're often boring, and it's deadening to work these jobs while ironclad heavies march to the hive.

    I can live with that state of affairs: there's the chance that I can aid victory with those chores in the next game, and winning as a workhorse isn't so bad. I worry more about the newbies who are turned away from the Kharaa because they're stuck as skulks in games that the marines happen to win.
  • semipsychoticsemipsychotic Join Date: 2003-07-09 Member: 18061Members
    As soon as that skulk is spotted, he's toast, and some marines are definitely more watchful than others. Sometimes this will work, and often it won't at all. Worse, leaping or bunnyhopping skulks receive blame for blocking since fades might try to disappear down the same hallway.

    These niche jobs for a skulk can prove effective in an expert's hands (and with plenty of luck), but they're not immediately obvious to a new player. Most can be learned through example and careful encouragement, but this community is very demanding in that respect. It's also hard to learn these roles when they're made difficult to execute. A new player should figure out that running straight down a hallway won't work, but he might learn that playing a support role is boring and ineffective if he hasn't been doing it just right.
  • GreyFlcnGreyFlcn Join Date: 2006-12-19 Member: 59134Members, Constellation
    edited December 2006
    Another interesting thing with the RT munching.

    Marines don't need to rely on their commander to relay info to them that it's getting munched in 3.2
    Since it blinks red on their map.

    That certainly isn't going to help <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skulk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::skulk::" border="0" alt="skulk.gif" />
    And the no hive 2-3 armor
    And the fact that it's ambushing ability with MT is kinda nill.

    <!--quoteo(post=1593487:date=Dec 31 2006, 05:42 PM:name=semipsychotic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(semipsychotic @ Dec 31 2006, 05:42 PM) [snapback]1593487[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    A lot of the discussion here is about balance, but that's not the problem.
    The game is well-balanced <u>at this point</u>; <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Real problem isn't how things are *now* in 3.1
    But how they-will-be in 3.2
  • enigmaenigma Join Date: 2004-09-11 Member: 31623Members
    mt costs 35 res and over 2 minutes to research. stop treating it as a game-ending upgrade that nullifies skulks.
  • MrBananaManMrBananaMan Join Date: 2005-02-26 Member: 42562Members
    i think you guys are missing the point. its no fun being a skulk after 2 minutes into the game.
  • enigmaenigma Join Date: 2004-09-11 Member: 31623Members
    what the ƒuck do you want then? skulks with 100 hp 50 ap so you can straightline marines? 10 second spawn invul? marine movement nerf?
  • MrBananaManMrBananaMan Join Date: 2005-02-26 Member: 42562Members
    i think the main problem is that people think a marine and a skulk should be equal. thats usually not the case. does that mean the game is inbalanced? who knows, the affet of a marine being better than a skulk may be made up for somewhere else in the game. but if doing that keeps the game in a state that is not fun to play, maybe its not worth trying to make the core of each group not equal and balancing it somewhere else.
  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    2 minutes or so later, when you get the second hive though...
    2nd hive is where the fun begins, for me.
  • DoppyDoppy Join Date: 2006-11-15 Member: 58624Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    I'm getting some really nice Skulking tips from this thread, thanks! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
  • semipsychoticsemipsychotic Join Date: 2003-07-09 Member: 18061Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->God forbid you'd actually have to learn how to be a good skulk against good marines.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Learning to skulk well against good marines with motion tracking is incredibly difficult. The majority of NS players out there have not learned to do so, and the majority will not learn. It would be an improvement to NS if they (we?) could have fun as late-game skulks.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->edit btw yes it take over 2 minutes for motion to go up, that doesnt mean that it will go up at the 2 minute mark. first the armory has to be built, then the ip, then the obs. THEN u can research motion. So reallistically motion would go up around 3 minutes. PLENTY of time for skulks to execute ambushes and for at least 1 lerk to go up.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Yes, and skulking is a great experience for those three minutes. But it's much less fun afterward.

    I'm not suggesting a physical buff for the skulk. I would like to see motion tracking modified so skulks can keep on ambushing further into the game, even if it means nerfs in other places. That's my main fear: a moderate change in the game's tech trees could be very difficult to re-balance.
  • DuoGodOfDeathDuoGodOfDeath Join Date: 2002-08-01 Member: 1044Members
    Best strategy against MT is to kill the obs before its done upgrading. You have a 3 minute window and that should be no problem. Plus no one goes MT first and if they do the marines don't have the capacity to actually use MT because they don't use the minimap.
  • GreyFlcnGreyFlcn Join Date: 2006-12-19 Member: 59134Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1593706:date=Jan 1 2007, 07:31 AM:name=semipsychotic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(semipsychotic @ Jan 1 2007, 07:31 AM) [snapback]1593706[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I would like to see motion tracking modified so skulks can keep on ambushing further into the game, even if it means nerfs in other places. That's my main fear: a moderate change in the game's tech trees could be very difficult to re-balance.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Well considering 3.2 has marines overpowered in the late game.
    And gives marines a lot more warning about RT munching.
    I can't see giving Skulks MT immunity as a bad thing.
  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    edited January 2007
    Skulks immune to mt would render mt useless as early upgrade, thus it would become something like electrified rts, you only use it when you've already won or a lot of res in the late game (and plz, I'm aware that electrified rts are used on pubs to guard hive pgs).

    I rather see the current mt only working for the comm and in range of an observatory for the marines on the field. Maybe the upgrade-cost has to be adjusted then, but at least it wouldn't be an almost useless upgrade after that.
    But then again it would be different to the upgrade in co which could confuse new players.
  • enigmaenigma Join Date: 2004-09-11 Member: 31623Members
    mt is overpowered guys
  • Femme_FataleFemme_Fatale Join Date: 2005-06-21 Member: 54310Members, Constellation
    I wish to comment on the not fun being skulk in late game.
    I have great fun as late game skulk.(admitting if you indeed have 3 hives)

    Xenocide is so much fun, a server that allows lerklift + xeno skulk = lawl.(okay i admit its not something you do if you have to play super seriously,but in most cases i cba.still i have fun.)People just dont like using xeno because of it stacks up on your deathcount.
    fun > deathcount.
    skulking is what you make of it.
    its a real challange late game,if youre not up for it,well dont do it then.
    I love skulking.even with MT.makes it even harder.Because i like the challange.

    Be sneaky,be a *******,be lame if you must.use the map to your advantage,every dark corner,ceiling ,whatever.
    I still dont understand why people have such a big problem with skulking.
    If you suck at it,practice, watch some demo's,you'll see what skulks can accomplish.

    Ofcourse skulking is frustrating in the beginning,especially if you're a new player.
    So is any game.
    You endure, get better.(even VS HA marines,)I've seen skulks chew HA trains aswell, hard but not impossible.

    to quote a recently seen film :

    "you can only get smarter, by playing a smarter opponent".

    Dunno if this makes any sense (its early in the morning and my head still aches from last night ^^)
  • tjosantjosan Join Date: 2003-05-16 Member: 16374Members, Constellation
    edited January 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1593706:date=Jan 1 2007, 02:31 AM:name=semipsychotic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(semipsychotic @ Jan 1 2007, 02:31 AM) [snapback]1593706[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Learning to skulk well against good marines with motion tracking is incredibly difficult.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    You whine about skulks and marines not being equal, and then you want the skulk to be good enough that a new or worse player can beat a good player with it.

    What are you complaining about? That you can run into me ten times and die halfway there, or that you can't kill Mr Hello-Im-As-Bad-As-semipsychotic? It makes a difference see, since I think you could play very well vs the latter without any weird tricks or tactics you don't already know.

    Oh right right, the point. The point is that you are aruing that skulks are not fun or balanced on public servers with very mixed levels of skills. You feel frustrated when you rush and die to players who are better than you over and over and over. That is understandable, but I fail to see how that is the problem of a certain part of the game. Rather, if you still like playing the game after three and a half years without having gotten good enough to overcome this problem, find yourself a community that fits you. Somewhere where you can play on an even playingfield and feel you do some good as a skulk. That's what I did.
  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    Since I see the same remarks let me also repeat myself.
    CLOAK NULLIFIES MT. (or atleast cloak by SC) Theres your buildin counter for skulks right there.
    MT early on means 2 things.
    * kharaa might not have chosen a chamber and might spam SCs to counter cloak
    * early MT means NO armor, and since we already were planning SCs we might aswell use focus with it.

    as a sidenote, a thing I NEVER understood, especially since its so easy, I do it all the time.

    If a kharaa is munching a obs upgrading (or anything upgrading for that matter), and you as comm know you can't save it, and noone can. WHY on earth are you NOT canceling the upgrade and getting most of the invested res BACK before the structure is destroyed?
  • ExploderExploder Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58202Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1593023:date=Dec 29 2006, 04:45 PM:name=TOmekki)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TOmekki @ Dec 29 2006, 04:45 PM) [snapback]1593023[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    watch some <a href="http://ensl.zanith.nl/index.php?view=demos" target="_blank">demos</a> first, then start practicing.

    there are tutorials on bunnyhopping <a href="http://www.google.fi/search?hl=fi&q=bunnyhopping&btnG=Google-haku&meta=" target="_blank">everywhere</a>. if your keys are in uncomfortable or hard-to-reach positions, rebind them. adjust your sensitivity to something that works, not too high or low. you might need a different sensitivity for alien and marine play, that's fine.

    you should absolutely get rid of mouse acceleration. add the parameters <!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->-noforcemaccel -noforcemparms -noforcempspd<!--c2--></div><!--ec2--> to your ns launch options. it'll be tricky at first and you'll need to readjust your sensitivity but your aim will improve a lot.

    download fana's <a href="http://www.ninelegends.com/content/view/115/146/" target="_blank">Online Superstar Pack</a> and some annoying, distracting stuff will go away and you can concentrate better on hitting marines. it'll make your ns brighter, too. and if you still need more gamma then use this little program called <a href="http://ensl.zanith.nl/custom/GammaPanel.rar" target="_blank">GammaPanel</a>.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Why should I get rid of the mouse acceleration. I'm kinda paranoid so please tell.
  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    Ok.. you might think like that, but if the chance of failure is ALOT higher I will cancel the upgrade. (usually if the structure is almost gone)
  • enigmaenigma Join Date: 2004-09-11 Member: 31623Members
    mouse accel makes sensitivity increase with increasing mouse speed. a fast mouse movement will result in a greater cursor displacement than a slow movement over the same distance. removing it usually allows you to make quick accurate snaps with the shotgun or pistol more consistently, although you won't notice much of a difference in tracking.
  • ExploderExploder Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58202Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1593821:date=Jan 1 2007, 08:54 PM:name=enigma)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(enigma @ Jan 1 2007, 08:54 PM) [snapback]1593821[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    mouse accel makes sensitivity increase with increasing mouse speed. a fast mouse movement will result in a greater cursor displacement than a slow movement over the same distance. removing it usually allows you to make quick accurate snaps with the shotgun or pistol more consistently, although you won't notice much of a difference in tracking.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Thanks a lot mate.
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