Combat Has Ruined Ns
pizzamonster
Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7664Members
Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7664Members
Not so much ruined, but it has certainly become more popular than the real deal. It seems the only way to populate a server is to have a co_ map on. I run nsmapvote on my server, which enables everyone to vote for a map (1 of 5 maps randomly chosen) every time a game ends...I would say 99% of the time everyone votes for a co_ map, no matter how many co_ maps have been played before hand. Every once in a while all 5 of the available map options will be an ns_ map. Once this happens the server is quickly deserted and you're left playing an ns_ map with the one other person than didn't drop. Every time I offer to switch a map to an ns_ map I get several complaints ranging from how ns_ maps take too long, they're too big, they're not as fun, and they just plain suck, etc etc etc. What has happened? I don't mind the occasional co_ map...they're engaging and fun to play. But after 2 or 3 rounds it becomes obvious it's nothing more than deathmatch. What has happened to our beloved ns? No one seems to ever want it anymore...all they want to do is deathmatch and have their personal glory. Is teamwork too hard of a concept for most to grasp anymore? On the other hand, in the rare cases that an ns_ map is played with sufficient people, I find people I've never seen before join the game...as if they were looking for a server running an ns_ map and not a co_ map. But before too long the server either empties out or it ends with a vote for a co_ map. To me, co_ maps have become what fy_ maps have become to counter-strike. They're much more popular and they completely sever the true game play of the original game and go straight for fragging. Fun, yes...but only for so long. Sigh. /end rant
Comments
try find an ns_ only server <a href='http://www.lunixmonster.org' target='_blank'>like this one here</a> and play there
CWAG, I'm impressed by your ability of reading Flayras mind. Who says he doesn't listen to us? The fact that we don't get a new build every weekend? That has honestly more to do with him trying to put food on the table. I know for a fact that he still reads the boards, that bug reports are still being processed, and that progress on NS is still being made.
I also demand Flayra answers every post in the I and S forums and never takes another holiday.
As for bugs - have you never seen <a href='http://www.natural-selection.org/bt/login_page.php?return=%2Fbt%2Fmain_page.php' target='_blank'>this?</a>
Username guest, password guest. Its a running list of bugs being looked at and fix. Its pretty big.
Honestly - games like CS and DoD get updated every 6-11 months. The frequency that NS gets updated never ceases to amaze me. This is a beta - its not supposed to be 100% balanced. I dont agree with everything the dev's do, but to say its going down the toilet when the game is growing and constantly changing seems a little naive to me.
I also demand Flayra answers every post in the I and S forums and never takes another holiday.
As for bugs - have you never seen <a href='http://www.natural-selection.org/bt/login_page.php?return=%2Fbt%2Fmain_page.php' target='_blank'>this?</a>
Username guest, password guest. Its a running list of bugs being looked at and fix. Its pretty big.
Honestly - games like CS and DoD get updated every 6-11 months. The frequency that NS gets updated never ceases to amaze me. This is a beta - its not supposed to be 100% balanced. I dont agree with everything the dev's do, but to say its going down the toilet when the game is growing and constantly changing seems a little naive to me. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
ive been playing since 1.0, im sure communist with a gun has too. NS is bad at the moment. you can argue about bug fixes and little features like hand grenade. But the decline in overall playability cannot be argued against.
CWAG, I'm impressed by your ability of reading Flayras mind. Who says he doesn't listen to us? The fact that we don't get a new build every weekend? That has honestly more to do with him trying to put food on the table. I know for a fact that he still reads the boards, that bug reports are still being processed, and that progress on NS is still being made. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
When I was in the veteran program and did alot of boring crap to "help" I figured I had earned a right to make a suggestion, but it was ignored like a few suggestions that were made closed beta, if I am wrong may flayra correct me here and now, because he is never around anymore sadly. I understand he is making a gaming company but still...
Having a new beta every weekend has nothing to do with listening and taking 30 seconds to say "Yes" or "No"
CWAG, I'm impressed by your ability of reading Flayras mind. Who says he doesn't listen to us? The fact that we don't get a new build every weekend? That has honestly more to do with him trying to put food on the table. I know for a fact that he still reads the boards, that bug reports are still being processed, and that progress on NS is still being made. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
i have to agree with him, the server i play on (texas HK) barely EVER gets co picked (they have the random thing to)
always pick ns maps 10:1
its great really <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
only having to see a co map once a day, then you don't have to play <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
so your just on a bad server <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo-->
You know, take a look at the bug list. It has some feature suggestions in there too. For example, they have a "feature" logged in there about adding jetpack status to the scoreboard, like heavies (ID 0000521).
They have bugs logged in there from yesterday, don't say that they don't read the forums.
1) made ns more popular to outsdie audiences
2) made the old vets (like me) who have been here since the first betas annoyed, cos a large majority of ppl who play combat cant grasp the idea behind classic, when really ppl who play classic cant grasp the concept of combat...
combat is a gud warm up before u join a veterans server, but it seems that the whole community is getting use to the idea, but when it was first anounced, ppl complained, heck i couldnt even read a topic about......um..... god without hearing about how combat will ruin ns... cs has its own game modes, along with call of duty, tfc, painkiller, unreal tournny series etc so y dont we have it?
then again if u dont like combat, y play it <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
You know, take a look at the bug list. It has some feature suggestions in there too. For example, they have a "feature" logged in there about adding jetpack status to the scoreboard, like heavies (ID 0000521).
They have bugs logged in there from yesterday, don't say that they don't read the forums. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ns use to be fun even if you were losing. But now since 2.0 new features get added to **** you off more and more, such as lerk spores on 1st hive rather than 3rd, devour, aliens getting all classes no matter how many hives allowing early onos for res ****, fades blinking around like mad taking a swipe and flying off rather than fighting like they use to, and less and less teamwork being required which just attracts noobs, then they get bored a few weeks after and leave.
Combat has ruined ns by having noobs play it nonstop then play ns, and then they know NOTHING of teamwork, so you have 10 idiots ramboing ignoring the commander, getting killed feeding the aliens cause since 1.04 they can now go solo and own everything.
The dev team has done an AWESOME job at this. Considering it's all out of their free time. I can't believe people aren't more appreciative about the work/time they have put into this. CS and DOD are both funded by valve.
If Flay decided to call it quits today, and leave NS as is, I'd say 'Thank you for all the work you put in!!!!'
Be more gracious ppl, it's not you guys that are sacrificing to put this game together. Enjoy the rewards though. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
NS:Classic is fun in its place.
I play Combat when I want a quick bit of stress relief, Classic when I have a bit more time to waste. I prefer to play Classic however. A good game of Classic is far more rewarding than a good game of Combat.
The dev team has done an AWESOME job at this. Considering it's all out of their free time. I can't believe people aren't more appreciative about the work/time they have put into this. CS and DOD are both funded by valve.
If Flay decided to call it quits today, and leave NS as is, I'd say 'Thank you for all the work you put in!!!!'
Be more gracious ppl, it's not you guys that are sacrificing to put this game together. Enjoy the rewards though. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Read my sig...
BUUUUURN !
Most of the 'popular' servers (from a noob perspective) are 24+ player servers and classic NS is completely one-sided - hence the dominance of combat mode which is fairly (although not completely) balanced over a wider range of players.
And I must offer some praise to the developers to counter all the crap they get - from my experience 8v8 combat and classic (with good teams) are well balanced and offer good exciting challenging gameplay - not bad for a freebie.
I'm not trying to flame here, I just think that the dev communication is really too low during these stretches between patches and as long as that's the case players are going to feel ignored. I really don't think I'm asking for too much.
I never recieved any form of answer, not even a 'sod off thats a dumb idea'
This did upset me a little. I've been around quite a long time. I dont post without thinking and I put a lot of time and effort into running one of the largest ns based communities around. Now I hear most of my community members giving up because co is not ns and ns classic is heading down the pan.
Yeah well, that's what you get when one game mode requires tactical skill and the ability to follow orders, and the other is just a deathmatch. A lot of people are just playing Co because apparently they can't grasp the concept behind NS.
Now, I think that these same people would never ever have started playing NS if they weren't attracted by Combat, reason being most of them just don't want to play anything more complicated than "SHOOT THE DAMN ALIEN!!!" So, it's not that combat has ruined classic, it's just that lots of people have downloaded NS just to play combat. That's just the way it's gonna be.
And you wouldn't want the people who play combat only to be on your team in classic now would you?
I never really liked 1.04 and stopped playing near the end, almost quit NS until 2.0 came out were the same pattern emerged and now with 3.0 its got better.
But seriously if you don't like NS anymore stop playing it and go onto something else.
Now, I think that these same people would never ever have started playing NS if they weren't attracted by Combat, reason being most of them just don't want to play anything more complicated than "SHOOT THE DAMN ALIEN!!!" So, it's not that combat has ruined classic, it's just that lots of people have downloaded NS just to play combat. That's just the way it's gonna be.
And you wouldn't want the people who play combat only to be on your team in classic now would you? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Absolutely not. And that's exactly my point. I wasn't implying that combat itself has ruined NS...the people who play combat have ruined NS. What set me off to write this post was the fact that an extraordinary amount of people on my server I have played NS with since the day it was released only want to play combat now. I don't think there's any real "fix" for this. Both modes are extremely fun to play, but combat definitely attracts a different crowd and makes any ns_ game on a server that runs co_ maps as well difficult to play because no one knows WTH they are doing. I agree with you that combat has opened the door to NS to a lot more people that wouldn't have originally played. I just wish they would spread their wings a little and try the real thing.
What I do have a problem with is that classic-only servers are difficult to populate for exactly the same reason they always have been; size-based imbalances. Small games are neither balanced nor fun, and with the introduction of combat the devs have given up on fixing this. It doesn't help that the clan base only cares if the game is balanced for 6v6. As long as most servers are forced to use combat to fill the server, they'll also have the community problems associated with combat players. The devs need to acknowledge that game sizes are still a problem if people's complaints with Combat are going to be addressed.