Been Playing On A 1.02 Beta Server...

Bravo · November 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">and things are looking up!</div> Just like to say that I have been playing on a beta server, and whatever they have done balance-wise seems to be paying off! All the battles I have played there so far have been tense mid-game affairs where both teams duke it out with close to full tech, each trying tosecure that vital forward position in order to put them in good stead for end game tactics.

I wont tell you what they have been tweeking (as in all truthfulness I dont really know, and would probably get it wrong), but things dont seem to spin out of control so much for the marines any more...

Unit · November 2002

I've only played 3 or 4 games on the 1.02 patch so I don't know if my opinion counts...but it certainly feels like the battles are more balanced out now, don't ask why it just FELT that way.

QuantumSlip · November 2002

I just played on the 1.02 lanvancouver server too, and when the alien buildings are bunched together, and u attack with an area-of-effect attack (siege cannons, grenade launchers), sometimes they only do like 9 or 4 damage. Is this intentional or something, or is the dmg indicator wrong?

Nogami · November 2002

I agree 100% - the balancing has paid-off, the marines have a fighting chance again now. Just finished FUN 2 hour game with a huge pitched battle in the middle - only sucked at the end when cmdr built a turret on top of me and stuck me to the ground and I couldn't escape or kill myself. Had to exit back to ready room, then couldn't rejoin game <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'>

Definately made a big difference.

Knuke · November 2002

I havent tried it yet but it sounds great and I cant wait to try it out <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

Pulse · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (QuantumSlip @ Nov 13 2002, 10:21 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I just played on the 1.02 lanvancouver server too, and when the alien buildings are bunched together, and u attack with an area-of-effect attack (siege cannons, grenade launchers), sometimes they only do like 9 or 4 damage. Is this intentional or something, or is the dmg indicator wrong?</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
that happens when the numbers get bunched up, ANY game with damage indicators does that.

matso · November 2002

Ah .. how much of this percived balance is due to actual game changes compared to the players playing the beta? With good players on both sides, you do get really good, tense, long games, even in 1.01.

absent · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SiLeNcEr-7 @ Nov 13 2002, 05:56 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (QuantumSlip @ Nov 13 2002, 10:21 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I just played on the 1.02 lanvancouver server too, and when the alien buildings are bunched together, and u attack with an area-of-effect attack (siege cannons, grenade launchers), sometimes they only do like 9 or 4 damage. Is this intentional or something, or is the dmg indicator wrong?</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
that happens when the numbers get bunched up, ANY game with damage indicators does that.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
No, its actually called a bug, you know?

Pulse · November 2002

well, its never happened to me, even when I made a "tower" of def chambers and surrounded it with o chambers and was sieged (don't need the dmg indicators to tell that and it was 1.02b ns.lanvancouver)
[edit] and Ive tested it multiple times offline with damage indicators (with the 1.01 patch) and got 300 something damage every time [/edit]

Tryon · November 2002

I do know of one bug that I encountered on a 1.02 server.

Right before I was admin killed for being "too good" as an alien, I dested a turrent farm where the commander (who was also the admin) had placed the turrents close to the walls. I mean, REALLY close to the walls. All of his turrents looked like a part of them were stuck inside the wall and because of this, they were totally immune to any kinda of physical damage. When I asked if this was a hack, the admin said it was a bug with the 1.02 code. After stating that, I watched him drop two more turrents half into a nearby wall.

Now, while the turrents are immune to physical damage, they do suffer area effect damage from acid rockets. Eventually, they can be destroyed using acid rockets, but that's all based on having the fades in the right positions to be able to do so. Anyway, someone might want to take a look at the placement code for the turrents and other marine structures.

Bravo · November 2002

A little update... I am not sure exactly what mechanism is at work, but when marines take an HMG to a Fade, they seem to actually kill the Fades quite a lot (as opposed to before patch). Fades don't seem to be juggernaughts of destruction when confronted by HA/HMG marine- its more like an even match, and at close range the HMG is a deathspitter versus Fade.

All in all, kitted marine versus Fades seem to be a big grudge match, and not the slaughter fest it tended to be before beta patch.

Ravlin · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Bravo @ Nov 13 2002, 10:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>A little update... I am not sure exactly what mechanism is at work, but when marines take an HMG to a Fade, they seem to actually kill the Fades quite a lot (as opposed to before patch). Fades don't seem to be juggernaughts of destruction when confronted by HA/HMG marine- its more like an even match, and at close range the HMG is a deathspitter versus Fade.

All in all, kitted marine versus Fades seem to be a big grudge match, and not the slaughter fest it tended to be before beta patch.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Marine in HA with HMG can quickly kill Fade also in 1.01 games. Just read the 11 Shots To Kill Marine In HA topic, scroll down to the part which is describing the damage HMG is doing to Fades and you will see it is not so hard (only a few seconds) to kill Fades. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tiny.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='pudgy.gif'>

Stue · November 2002

/me spanks Tryon for using the word <b>turrent</b>

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wow.gif'>

Ankan · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (matso42 @ Nov 13 2002, 11:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>With good players on both sides, you do get really good, tense, long games, even in 1.01.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
That only happen to me when I play with a bad team <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'> . It doesn't matter sometimes if the Marines suck - my team won't attack until the Marines have built up like 30 turrets in the base <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'> . I hate my teammates when they don't listen to your commands as an Alien... I like to be the leader as Alien and it rules!

Dezmodium · November 2002

fade + umbra = creeping death

Everyone can be seated now.

Smellslikefeces · November 2002

Related to the comment above yes great teams make for a great game. However on a pub where the teams members change every 10-15 minutes or so and the marines are left to sit in base researching the aliens get waxed. Then the marines setup their turret farms and siege cannons and the game's over its only a mattter of time. Still feels imbalanced.

Tryon · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Stue @ Nov 13 2002, 10:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>/me spanks Tryon for using the word <b>turrent</b>

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wow.gif'></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
/me doest really care and will continue to use the word:

<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'> <b>TURRENT</b></span>

for as long as he wishes. Especially if it irritates the Grammar Nazis.

I don't post about your grammar, please don't post about mine and keep your posts relevant to the topic at hand (I would have preferred to see someone commenting on an admin abusing a bug as opposed to a misspelling. And yes, I am aware of the irony in this last sentence since it is off topic).

ekent · November 2002

Ravlin, no, a good fade (in 1.01) can take out a HA HMGed marine 1 on 1 by using both the rocket and skulklike strategies. Can't take out two though. I'm very interested to try this new patch out, though not with crappy admins that cheat.

Typhon · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Can't take out two though</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

My record is 4 within about 15 seconds. Ambushed them while they were building an outpost.

Like everything else in this game, its not about damage per second, or shots to kill. Its about skill. If a HMG can keep his crosshairs on you, and hit you with every bullet for 5? seconds, kudos to him. If you count the fact that fades can blink right beside you, and everytime they hit you your aim gets thrown around, its damn hard to hit a good fade with that many bullets.

RazorClaw · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Typhon @ Nov 14 2002, 01:23 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Can't take out two though</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

My record is 4 within about 15 seconds. Ambushed them while they were building an outpost.

Like everything else in this game, its not about damage per second, or shots to kill. Its about skill. If a HMG can keep his crosshairs on you, and hit you with every bullet for 5? seconds, kudos to him. If you count the fact that fades can blink right beside you, and everytime they hit you your aim gets thrown around, its damn hard to hit a good fade with that many bullets.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
They must have been quite badly beaten up before you attacked then, cause there is no way you could do enough damage in 15 seconds to kill 4 HA no matter what you did.

matso · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Dezmodium @ Nov 14 2002, 12:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>fade + umbra = creeping death
</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
HA+GL, HA+HMG = creeping barrage

Gwahir · November 2002

where at least one of them has a welder... yes.

Turtle · November 2002

The key to fades is to surprise them right back. Right now, fades routinely jump out from behind an obstruction, fire off acid rockets or bile bombs, then run back behind cover. What I usually do is sneak up on the opposite side of the cover from the fade. Then once the fade fires off a volley of acid rockets (in doing so they deplete their energy) I jump out and unload. I still try to stay out of claw range by walking back while firing, and at that range (just out of claw range, just within HMG spread range) I can usually have a fade dead within a few seconds, maybe less. If they turn to run, follow and keep firing. If they get too far, let them run, it's no use walking into a trap. I've taken out two fades at once this way.

The key is to make sure you surprise them after they deplete their energy so that they can't acid rocket you after you jump out. Don't jump out too close the fade or else a good alien player will switch to claws and tear you apart, however, if you keep firing, it's a bit of a deterrant for the fade to close, since he'll be hit with more bullets as the HMG spread gets narrower.

And back to talking about the patch. Anyone know exactly what changes were made. The current version is more balanced than the original, but I have to admit that marines did get a bit of a shaft, especially considering the bugs with the command interface.

HAKIRWeaponX · November 2002

Um ok how was the game balanced out when they took out the ability to shut down the turrents by killing the factory. And now alien buildings hp have been reduced and they cost more. Plus alien hp was reduced. While marine turrents were reduced in price and their hp increased. This latest patch was nothing more than a pro marine Nerf. All you that think the game is balanced play as an alien with the marines putting turrents everywhere because they dont cost any money and you cant take them out because even if you do take the turent factory out they still keep working. And watch in awe as marines walk right through your defenses with ease. Sorry but the last patch at least made it to where the aliens had a fighting chance. Hell it was even more fun becuase it was aliens vs marines. Not aliens vs turrents. This patch took the aliens ability to fight and made the marines practicaly invincible.

ctx · November 2002

Yes...

They took out the ability to shut down turrets?!!!

OMG!

That ability is one of the few reasons Aliens had a chance in 1.01!

This is rediculous...are we just going to go back and forth nerfing each race every patch? I fear that if WeaponX is right about changes in 1.02...Aliens will once again be at high disadvantage like it was in 1.0.

Hellbilly · November 2002

Are they seriously removing the ability to shutdown the turrets by destroying the factory??

If so......aliens are screwed..... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'>

Squeal_Like_A_Pig · November 2002

Guys, there is no official patch out yet. Flayra has been testing some stuff for the next patch on a few servers, but until he actually releases it, please, don't worry or complain about the changes, since it's all still up in the air.

Red_Halibut · November 2002

Sounds like sensible advice Squeal.

OK, we'll hang fire! Still, just think - if it wasn't such a brilliant mod in the first place, then no-one would be here worrying about it, would they? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

[ Edited ] For unforgivable misspelling of "Squeal"

JA1num · November 2002

Siege turrets MUST BE REMOVED!!! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tiny.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tiny.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tiny.gif'>

Unit · November 2002

Um..hm...what are u talking about?? I just played a 1.02 game as Commander and when my factory went down all the turrets went down as well.

It was 3 marines vs. 4 aliens so I only had 2 marines to control, once we started we fortified the bridge then fortified the closest node. Then, as soon as possible we sneaked to one of the furthest hives on the map and secured it with a phase gate attached. Then, using the hive base as a pivot point we sieged and took over the node closest to that hive. From that point on all my team had to do was help turrets survive Fade's rocket fire, with their cooperation and my constant HP dropping that wasn't hard. About 10 minutes later after saving up 120 resources I ordered both to spawn and gave both HA, HMG and Welder and sent them out on a Hive hunt...they both listened to every command I made and welded each other without needing to ask. After killing 2 additional nodes we found a nice little corner to siege down the 2nd hive. After that 2nd hive went down.....it was skullk season <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

I think for Marines, the key factors are: Secure hive ASAP, not just work in teams but work with turrets, a skilled skulk can take out 3 marines but if the 3 marines are hiding behind armories, standing on top of turrets, crouched in a corner, then the skulk will have A LOT of trouble. And third, USE SIEGES PEOPLE, they are CHEAP, LONG RANGE and puts none of ur marines in danger. Camped marines are A LOT more effective and safe than rushing marines, and with sieges u can FORCE the aliens out to try to rush your base, so ur marines can camp all they want.

And a note to marine-players: Please, do not ASK for HP and ammo EVERYTIME u run out, it costs NOTHING for u to die, and NOTHING for u to respawn, don't value your life THAT much. The reason I say this is because, if u tally up all the HP pack and ammo packs dropped by the commander over an one-hour game, the numbers are SCARY, somewhere around 50~200 dollars are spent on unncessary Hp and ammo packs, AND it wastes a LOT of the Commander's precious time. Think about it, if u would just die, respawn and run back, the commander will be able to get you guys HAs and HMGs a LOT faster. Make sense?

Pie_oh_pah · November 2002

I played on a server that said it was 1.02 and had a couple glitches that had never happened to me before, and I didn't see again after going back to a 1.01.

I was skulk the entire time and the first thing I noticed was the sound I made when I did the bite attack sounded more like gorge's spit or maybe the fade's acid dealy. I'm not sure if that is what everyone else heard coming from me, and all the other skulks sounded fine when I heard them. This lasted the whole time, after dying and even after the game ended and we started a new one.

Also, anytime I tried to run up a ladder I would get stuck at the top. Not even at the top, really. It was like there was an invisible wall level with the horizontal plane of the floor the ladder was leading to. And when I'd almost reach the top, I would start bouncing on this invisible wall until I went over to the wall area that didn't have a ladder. I'm not sure if it would've done this on all the other aliens, but as a skulk I just started avoiding ladders altogether. This one also lasted from the first game to the second.

Anyone else see these?

Been Playing On A 1.02 Beta Server...

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