New game mode

ShotgunEd · December 2006

<div class="IPBDescription">Idea proposal</div>NS2 Game Mode Proposal - Assault

Reason for proposal

Natural Selection ns_ maps are about team play and tactics. Natural Selection co_ maps are about fast paced combat. Players often love ns_ and hate co_ or vice versa. Proposed idea attempts to bridge the gap and provide a new game play experience.

Overview

Map Layout

The map will be separated into zones in a linear arrangement

Marine Command Centre -> Marine Inner Defences -> Marine Outer Defences -> Neutral -> Alien Outer Defences -> Alien Inner Defences -> Alien Hive

Objectives

- To kill the hive or command chair

Game Mechanics

Both teams start either side of the Neutral zone. Each must push the other out of the neutral zone to progress. If the aliens win the fight for the neutral zone then the battle progresses to Marine Outer Defence zone. If the marines win the fight for the neutral zone then the battle progresses to Alien Outer Defence zone.

The fight can move either way. For instance marines may win the fight for Marine Outer Defence zone and so will push the fight back to Neutral zone.

To win control of a zone, teams will have to complete a certain objective. Example objectives may be:

Destroy perimeter shields.
Destroy bunker computers.
Destroy spawning chambers.

Upgrades and Experience

Several possibilities present themselves here.

Idea 1 – Escalating Conflict

A player has a fixed number of points to spend, as in current combat maps, which will increase with time. All players have the same number of points.

Idea 2 – Experience/kill based

Players gain experience and points in exactly the same manner as current combat maps.

Idea 3 – Class based

Each team has a fixed number of available classes that a player may choose from. i.e. 2x JP SG’s, 2x HA + HMG’s, 5 x LMG. Or for aliens, 2 x Fades, 1 x Onos, 3 x Lerk.

This is a rough sketch of the idea. Do you think it has any merit?

ShotgunEd · December 2006

Could someone at least tell me I'm stupid and this is a terrible idea please? =0

Crotalus · December 2006

So it's basically a class based territory war game? I don't know man, it pretty much seems just like Combat except with classes and sectioned maps. I would find a different way to approach your idea, because at this point, it doesn't seem any more different than Combat. Maybe if you could figure out a way to implement the objective system more effectively then just one order commands that tell you to go "Destroy Computer" or something.

SIDE STORY:
Man, I proposed a survival type game mode and then the SEARCH FORUMS POLICE FORCE came over and they were like "u no u should seacrh the forums instad off posting a new one; n00b lolololololo!!11!1" and then they killed it cause they felt that once one idea has been brought up, it should never be brought up again for eternity...apparently you can only research other people's post instead of starting a new one.

Dreidal · December 2006

I thought of a gamemode where a fully equipped marine team starts at an entry point and has the mission to eather clear a vastly infested map(station/spaceship) from infestation or place a bomb at a certain area to destroy the map with a limited number of reinforcements. The Khara have unlimited recources but are for example restricted to only have one onos at a time. I think this could be very atmospheric and maps could look very different to CO/NS maps.

Opinions? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tiny.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::onos::" border="0" alt="tiny.gif" />

TheTitan · December 2006

Personally I like the idea/concept. I think it will make the game attractive to many new players and maybe bring back old ones.

For example, since the siege concept was introduced, that became my preferred game type. I look for a siege server before i consider logging onto a standard map.

I am interested where this would go.

[Deleted User] · December 2006

The user and all related content has been deleted.

ShotgunEd · December 2006

Thanks for the replies. I imagined this game type to be like combat but with more interesting pitched fights, stimulated by strategical goals similar to ns. What makes this game type vastly different from co is the concept of a rolling battle. One player can not circumvent the whole enemy team and just attack the final objective. The teams should clash and use teamwork and variety to dominate their enemy.

The upgrades issue is a very important one. In my mind any system needs to promote teamwork over individual glory. The current co system does not. The two other ideas I proposed, escalating war and class based, will ensure the game is not driven by the need to "level up".

Bacillus · December 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ShotgunEd @ Dec 3 2006, 04:15 PM) [snapback]1583603[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
NS2 Game Mode Proposal - Assault
Idea 1 – Escalating Conflict

A player has a fixed number of points to spend, as in current combat maps, which will increase with time. All players have the same number of points.

Idea 2 – Experience/kill based

Players gain experience and points in exactly the same manner as current combat maps.

Idea 3 – Class based

Each team has a fixed number of available classes that a player may choose from. i.e. 2x JP SG’s, 2x HA + HMG’s, 5 x LMG. Or for aliens, 2 x Fades, 1 x Onos, 3 x Lerk.
This is a rough sketch of the idea. Do you think it has any merit?
</div>

Idea 1 might work. Correctly balanced it would introduce players to some of the ns gameplay mechanics. For example onoses and jp would become avaible at almost the same time.

Idea 2 would encourage camping and have the same problems as co.

Idea 3. How would the classes be decided? Score based just encourages fragging instead of teamwork most of the time. It might work if for example gorging gives out tons of score.

ShotgunEd · December 2006

Class based:

Many mods and games have used this system. The classes are simply dished out on a first comes first served basis. There is a limit on how many can go each class. It's possible to think of variants. Possibly a "leader" decides who goes what class. You could combine this class based system with the escalating war system. I.e. the number of possible "heavy" classes increases as time increases.

With regards to gorging I would say their res flow for structures would be fixed and constant per gorge rather than shared per team.

GoUrAnG · December 2006

hmmm... seems not bad.
maybe the upgrades would be taken while you "use" the comm chair/ armory/ arms lab / obs / proto (catapacks,better weapons/upgrades/scans,mt/heavy equip) .Look, every team, have 2 rt's with normal res flow (normal for the ns2 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> ) and for every team, and the res for marines are like in ns now on ns_ maps, and for aliens same. one need to be a commander (gorge in aliens) and put the buildings in the time (like 5 mins) for each team to begin assault. aliens upgrades hive/chambers (lifeforms, upgrades (same as i said little up here, "use" the chamber or hive) then make certain objectives.... like marines... 2 of them need to hack computer at once to get into a better defend/offence position. and e.g. aliens need to bite some cables or smth like that .

i messed here so don't scream <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

Moto42 · December 2006

You could do this in current NS with some creative mapping in CO.
Any mappers at least want to give it a shot?

On the Side Story:
I'm really impressed that no-one has shown up yet to scream "OMG U No0-B, D!5 |-|/\5 a|r3d33 b33|\| 7/\LkT Ab0|_|7 <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20021217015920/www.natural-selection.org/forums/" target="_blank">HERE</a>!!11!
Lurn too you's search newb!"
If you are pointing to an out-dated thread as the end-all discussion of anything you were annoying in 2002 and your annoying now.

Back on topic though, now that I think about it I have a LOT of free time at work right now; I may as well give it a shot. What elements does a map like this absolutely need to be at least entertaining if not "great".

--------------------<span style="color:#CCCCCC"><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%">
Worst week I ever had was on a New Hope Inc ore refining station. One big 'U' shaped slice of hell. The infestation was built up in the Receiving Dock behind a series of blast shields, so some CO decided to drop the com-chair behind a similar set in the Outbound Dock. It was hell figuring out how to unseal those sheilds. Problem is, the bugs figured it out at about the same time we did; started comin' for The Chair.
-From the interview of Herman "Tow-it" Stands</span></span>

ShotgunEd · December 2006

The map would need to hinge around pitched battles for locations.

Spawn points would need to change as the map progressed.

Progression can be either way. Towards the alien hive or towards the command chair.

Although I don't feel the idea can be implemented with the current upgrade ns_ system, maybe co_.

Matto · December 2006

Perhaps this could be altered a little, The idea being for the Kharaa to spread Dynamic Infestation, The Marines Fight it back. It would give both sides a clear Idea of how hod far the are in the Invasion/Defending

New game mode

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