My Idea Dump
nsp-0
Join Date: 2007-11-13 Member: 62905Members
Join Date: 2007-11-13 Member: 62905Members
Hello, I'm nsp-0 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" /> and I am a NS player/fan although I'm not as good as some. This is my first post and THIS is my take on existing and new suggestions...
Marine Cloaking
If aliens are able to cloak then why can't marines? I don't think that it'd make marines too overpowering and it doesn't have to be complete invisibility either. Maybe something that reflects the 'Predator''s cloaking mechanism perhaps? The marine would only be able to activate it when they are completely still, possibly something that would best be used in conjunction with the darkness of rooms (etc). This would allow for marines to access alien territory without being noticed and launch sneak attacks on hives. This would also increase the functionality of the sensory chambers. Maybe treading into puddles shorts the cloaking mechanism for a short period, or even the hive infestation causes a failure of some sort. Just something to consider...
Marine Vision
The visors that are on the new marine helmets made me wonder... the future would surely have night vision / thermal vision / infra-red / ultra-violet technologies right? So maybe an upgrade to get them would increase a little bit of team play between marines. I mean with a team of four, you could see whether a cloaked alien is nearby, recent alien activity, look where you were going (in the dark), etc. It could be that a room is pitch black and you have to navigate yourself across a series of pipes, which stretches over a bottomless pit (for example).
Alien Vision
Similarly aliens could easily have some way of seeing in the dark - I know the current alien flashlight is already very useful, but not so when you want to look around the room or some sort...
Jetpack
Hmmm... I guess jetpacks would be ideal out in space, but a jetpack indoors!? Don't get me wrong, the jetpack's really useful in game and all, however, realistically it wouldn't really be viable would it? My idea was to have a jumpjet or something - It could very well be still zeroG inside a space station, and marines could have magnetised boots... So a marine could instead float, use a jumpjet to get around in the zeroG atmosphere!! From a gameplay perspective the marine with the jet could point in the direction they want to go and activate the jet (like the fade blink) and travel at a steady speed to that location floating in zeroG. I have no idea how that would fair against the jetpack, but again this is just an idea...
Heavy Armour
I don't know about everyone else, but one of the things I didn't like about NS1 was the look of the heavy armour suit (no offense <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />). It was so 'clunky', if that's even a word! Plus, the other thing was that the weapons looked out of place on it - especially the LMG and SG! So maybe the armour could come WITH a weapon (perhaps exclusive to the armour)?
PS They shouldn't be able to fit into crouching vents nor an onos' stomach!
Welding
Well you can either weld open or you can weld shut from what I can see in NS1... The NS2 engine obviously has a whole new dimension of dynamics, so what I was thinking was weldable surfaces. For instance, 'a weldable door'; instead of having a switch to weld, you could weld any kind of shape into the door itself so that if you want, you can get through it or indeed look through it to see what's on the other side. Furthermore, it could be that you could weld a hole that only smaller species can get through, but not an onos. Maybe you could weld any wall of a particular material? Maybe you could weld yourself through a vent halfway through and drop into secret rooms?
Similarly, welding things shut could take on the same kind of method - you close a door and weld it shut at the edges. Maybe if you don't weld it properly, an onos could still break through?
Alien Building
This is more of a cosmetic than gameplay suggestion. When a gorge selects a building, it instantly gets deployed and you build it and then it becomes (ahem <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /> ) erect. The gorge instead could regurgitate some kind of bile egg, which in turn grows into the building as it's being built. Also, I quite like the idea that alien buildings could be built onto the walls and the ceiling - I mean the gorge could aim spit the bile egg onto the walls and let it build itself (like in NS1) if the gorge can't reach it.
PS As for hives, there could be 'hive zones', where a hive can be built anywhere within the zone. The gorge can spit a hive bile egg onto the wall, ceiling or floor and the hive grows; actively infesting the surrounding area as it does so!
Hive Protection
Aliens could be allowed to enter the inside of the hive somehow and seek refuge inside of it OR they could spawn inside of it. This could solve the spawn killing problem - allowing aliens to gestate in peace inside of it. There would be no incentive to stay inside forever as the hive can still get destroyed etc etc... But I'd like to see this idea though - maybe you can see the tiny little hive-mind within!
Sooooooo... that's my ideas put forward, any thoughts? (Sorry if any of these ideas have been thought of before.)
Marine Cloaking
If aliens are able to cloak then why can't marines? I don't think that it'd make marines too overpowering and it doesn't have to be complete invisibility either. Maybe something that reflects the 'Predator''s cloaking mechanism perhaps? The marine would only be able to activate it when they are completely still, possibly something that would best be used in conjunction with the darkness of rooms (etc). This would allow for marines to access alien territory without being noticed and launch sneak attacks on hives. This would also increase the functionality of the sensory chambers. Maybe treading into puddles shorts the cloaking mechanism for a short period, or even the hive infestation causes a failure of some sort. Just something to consider...
Marine Vision
The visors that are on the new marine helmets made me wonder... the future would surely have night vision / thermal vision / infra-red / ultra-violet technologies right? So maybe an upgrade to get them would increase a little bit of team play between marines. I mean with a team of four, you could see whether a cloaked alien is nearby, recent alien activity, look where you were going (in the dark), etc. It could be that a room is pitch black and you have to navigate yourself across a series of pipes, which stretches over a bottomless pit (for example).
Alien Vision
Similarly aliens could easily have some way of seeing in the dark - I know the current alien flashlight is already very useful, but not so when you want to look around the room or some sort...
Jetpack
Hmmm... I guess jetpacks would be ideal out in space, but a jetpack indoors!? Don't get me wrong, the jetpack's really useful in game and all, however, realistically it wouldn't really be viable would it? My idea was to have a jumpjet or something - It could very well be still zeroG inside a space station, and marines could have magnetised boots... So a marine could instead float, use a jumpjet to get around in the zeroG atmosphere!! From a gameplay perspective the marine with the jet could point in the direction they want to go and activate the jet (like the fade blink) and travel at a steady speed to that location floating in zeroG. I have no idea how that would fair against the jetpack, but again this is just an idea...
Heavy Armour
I don't know about everyone else, but one of the things I didn't like about NS1 was the look of the heavy armour suit (no offense <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />). It was so 'clunky', if that's even a word! Plus, the other thing was that the weapons looked out of place on it - especially the LMG and SG! So maybe the armour could come WITH a weapon (perhaps exclusive to the armour)?
PS They shouldn't be able to fit into crouching vents nor an onos' stomach!
Welding
Well you can either weld open or you can weld shut from what I can see in NS1... The NS2 engine obviously has a whole new dimension of dynamics, so what I was thinking was weldable surfaces. For instance, 'a weldable door'; instead of having a switch to weld, you could weld any kind of shape into the door itself so that if you want, you can get through it or indeed look through it to see what's on the other side. Furthermore, it could be that you could weld a hole that only smaller species can get through, but not an onos. Maybe you could weld any wall of a particular material? Maybe you could weld yourself through a vent halfway through and drop into secret rooms?
Similarly, welding things shut could take on the same kind of method - you close a door and weld it shut at the edges. Maybe if you don't weld it properly, an onos could still break through?
Alien Building
This is more of a cosmetic than gameplay suggestion. When a gorge selects a building, it instantly gets deployed and you build it and then it becomes (ahem <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /> ) erect. The gorge instead could regurgitate some kind of bile egg, which in turn grows into the building as it's being built. Also, I quite like the idea that alien buildings could be built onto the walls and the ceiling - I mean the gorge could aim spit the bile egg onto the walls and let it build itself (like in NS1) if the gorge can't reach it.
PS As for hives, there could be 'hive zones', where a hive can be built anywhere within the zone. The gorge can spit a hive bile egg onto the wall, ceiling or floor and the hive grows; actively infesting the surrounding area as it does so!
Hive Protection
Aliens could be allowed to enter the inside of the hive somehow and seek refuge inside of it OR they could spawn inside of it. This could solve the spawn killing problem - allowing aliens to gestate in peace inside of it. There would be no incentive to stay inside forever as the hive can still get destroyed etc etc... But I'd like to see this idea though - maybe you can see the tiny little hive-mind within!
Sooooooo... that's my ideas put forward, any thoughts? (Sorry if any of these ideas have been thought of before.)
Comments
Hi.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Marine Cloaking
If aliens are able to cloak then why can't marines? I don't think that it'd make marines too overpowering and it doesn't have to be complete invisibility either. Maybe something that reflects the 'Predator''s cloaking mechanism perhaps? The marine would only be able to activate it when they are completely still, possibly something that would best be used in conjunction with the darkness of rooms (etc). This would allow for marines to access alien territory without being noticed and launch sneak attacks on hives. This would also increase the functionality of the sensory chambers. Maybe treading into puddles shorts the cloaking mechanism for a short period, or even the hive infestation causes a failure of some sort. Just something to consider...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ask yourself this question: Would this bring new and exciting game play to NS? Alien cloaking is already extremely borderline with many, many people being against it. Also, if NS2 plays anything like NS1 - where aliens have to continuously scout for marine ninjas, this would make marine effectively overpowered. Unless there's an easy counter for it, but if there is an easy counter for it - what is the point of it?
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Marine Vision
The visors that are on the new marine helmets made me wonder... the future would surely have night vision / thermal vision / infra-red / ultra-violet technologies right? So maybe an upgrade to get them would increase a little bit of team play between marines. I mean with a team of four, you could see whether a cloaked alien is nearby, recent alien activity, look where you were going (in the dark), etc. It could be that a room is pitch black and you have to navigate yourself across a series of pipes, which stretches over a bottomless pit (for example).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd love 2 cheap prerequisites of motion tracking, the first being infra red sensors, the second - something that detects trails aliens leave behind them. That would make for good gameplay in my opinion.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Alien Vision
Similarly aliens could easily have some way of seeing in the dark - I know the current alien flashlight is already very useful, but not so when you want to look around the room or some sort...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, it has always bothered me how aliens can't really see terrain in the dark. Maybe make lightgamma and texgamma 0 for aliens by default?
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Jetpack
Hmmm... I guess jetpacks would be ideal out in space, but a jetpack indoors!? Don't get me wrong, the jetpack's really useful in game and all, however, realistically it wouldn't really be viable would it? My idea was to have a jumpjet or something - It could very well be still zeroG inside a space station, and marines could have magnetised boots... So a marine could instead float, use a jumpjet to get around in the zeroG atmosphere!! From a gameplay perspective the marine with the jet could point in the direction they want to go and activate the jet (like the fade blink) and travel at a steady speed to that location floating in zeroG. I have no idea how that would fair against the jetpack, but again this is just an idea...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well there are a lot of rooms with.. a lot of room for jetpackers to maneuver in NS. I don't see why jetpacks can't be a viable solution to indoor mobility problems in the future. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Heavy Armour
I don't know about everyone else, but one of the things I didn't like about NS1 was the look of the heavy armor suit (no offense <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />). It was so 'clunky', if that's even a word! Plus, the other thing was that the weapons looked out of place on it - especially the LMG and SG! So maybe the armor could come WITH a weapon (perhaps exclusive to the armor)?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Fortunately, NS2 will look much better than NS1. Also, it'd be cool if the LMG you were holding as a light got upgraded to some really cool weapon. LMG2?
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->PS They shouldn't be able to fit into crouching vents nor an onos' stomach!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes they should. Whats wrong with heavies in vent? Better yet, what are the heavies doing in those vents? Onoses were meant to counter heavy armors, so I don't see what you're trying to say here. Nerf the onos?
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Welding
Well you can either weld open or you can weld shut from what I can see in NS1... The NS2 engine obviously has a whole new dimension of dynamics, so what I was thinking was weldable surfaces. For instance, 'a weldable door'; instead of having a switch to weld, you could weld any kind of shape into the door itself so that if you want, you can get through it or indeed look through it to see what's on the other side. Furthermore, it could be that you could weld a hole that only smaller species can get through, but not an onos. Maybe you could weld any wall of a particular material? Maybe you could weld yourself through a vent halfway through and drop into secret rooms?
Similarly, welding things shut could take on the same kind of method - you close a door and weld it shut at the edges. Maybe if you don't weld it properly, an onos could still break through?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's not possible in source. But hey, Charlie did hack the modified quake engine to give us wallwalking, maybe he can pull this off. This WOULD be really cool.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hive Protection
Aliens could be allowed to enter the inside of the hive somehow and seek refuge inside of it OR they could spawn inside of it. This could solve the spawn killing problem - allowing aliens to gestate in peace inside of it. There would be no incentive to stay inside forever as the hive can still get destroyed etc etc... But I'd like to see this idea though - maybe you can see the tiny little hive-mind within!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Stay on top of the hive? That works for as long as it has to.
As for the HA devouring; maybe you're right, but I reckon the time it takes for devouring to take place shouldn't be instantaneous for a HA? I'd say that the fade's acid rocket should do more damage to armour and then as the armour falls through begin to affect health or every bite or whatever reduces the maximum amount of armour that can be welded?
And the hive - I was thinking that the hive could get a new model. Considering maps don't allow you to go on top of hive either, so I don't know <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> .
And what makes you say that?
<!--quoteo(post=1661664:date=Nov 24 2007, 12:43 PM:name=nsp-0)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nsp-0 @ Nov 24 2007, 12:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1661664"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->but I reckon the time it takes for devouring to take place shouldn't be instantaneous for a HA?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And this.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'd say that the fade's acid rocket should do more damage to armour and then as the armour falls through begin to affect health or every bite or whatever reduces the maximum amount of armour that can be welded?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And especially this.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->And the hive - I was thinking that the hive could get a new model. Considering maps don't allow you to go on top of hive either, so I don't know <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> .<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You know NS, the OTHER, less popular game mode. You should try it sometime, maybe you'll like it.
Just so you know, I wasn't referring to the 'digestion time' but the manner in which it takes place - any onos can easily run up to a HA, devour it in one click and run away to safety (taking a number a bullets on the way); taking all the time in the world to digest it and repeat.
Furthermore, in some maps, it IS hard to get on top of the hive, while marines are attacking the hive - take cc in eclipse for example; it is difficult for a skulk to get to the top of the hive here while being shot at (considering the walls are situated quite a distance from the hive).
Sorry if I was unclear in anyway.
Your argument doesn't hold up because heavies have to die too somehow, aliens don't have to lose every game because the marines teched up to heavy armors. To be honest, an onos is a lot of time and resources spent on nothing when you could simply go fade mid-game and do that much more damage.
2) Fade's acid rocket destroys marines like nothing else already, why would you want it to do more damage? Stop playing combat.
3) Its very simple, don't let the marines into your hive or you'll lose it. Getting into a hive is no easy matter, you have to kill tons upon tons of terrible pub walker skulks to do it. There is basically no reason for you to go hide in the hive from marines as a skulk (every situation is basically either a game ending last hive walk-in or a shotgun walk-in onto an unbuilt hive, both of which are what NS is all about), only as a lerk or a fade, or a gorge.
I agree with you that alien building needs an improvement over NS1. Since this mechanic will probably be created from ground up, it might even be possible for the developers to make wall and ceiling building. Like you, I would also like them to make structure-building a dynamic process with the structure enlarging as it becomes more complete - even if the growth is only a cosmetic change and the hit-box stays the same.
Alien and Marine vision could also be enhanced, as you point out. The alien flash-light mode is already pretty well done, it only needs a bit of tweaking to help navigate in the dark (as Dominion noted). For marines, they already have the flashlight to see in the dark, obs+scans to find cloakers, and motion tracking to see behind walls - all bases are covered. Something new might be cool, but not really necessary.
However, the spawn-killing is a problem that needs to be dealt with. Hive protection, as you describe it, is one possible solution, but i see several problems: where would skulks run out - couldn't marines shoot entrance to hive and prevent aliens from getting out? Also, i haven't had trouble getting killed as an egg in NS: you can always hide in a vent to become any life form safely except onos. And if you go onos, your team should have good control of the map and be able to protect you. One thing I've seen on COmbat maps to avoid spawn-camping is putting an umbra around spawned skulks.
I think the core of the alien spawn problem is in the very first moment when a skulk spawns: he just appears out of thin air, standing still, vulnerable, and facing in a random direction (It may that this was the intended effect to make new-born aliens extra weak and disoriented). Inspired by your idea, here's a suggestions to solve this: Before they spawn, players already see where they are going to spawn and can chose where they face. When they spawn their first step/jump will be at full speed or even quicker. Some spawn points could be on the hive to let skulks jump out of it. (of course there are balance issues: how tough should it be for marines to take a hive?)
Your other ideas are cool, but they would change parts of the game that, in my opinion, already work fine. nsp-0, please don't be discouraged by negative responses and keep adding your ideas - change is always a difficult process. One thing Domining didn't comment on, is your Alien Building idea - which, i think, is a much needed improvement (though probably suggested before). Post more ideas you come up with.