The design could also use a ammo compartment or clip somewhere. I don't see where you would load in new rounds of transponders. I don't see why do the taser has to deploy before use either.
I simply -love- this concept. It's very out-of-the-box and puts an end to the whole concept of high-tech space marines running around with knifes. I mean, come on. If you can use nano-tech to "beam" buildings in from nowhere, use mobile siege cannons that can shoot through walls (;p) and what not. Why would you be running around with something as primitive as a knife? High-tech melee weapons makes a lot of sense for the military to have.
One thing I do feel the need to critizise though is the concept-art. It's just too.. Star-trekish, as many others have said previously. It does not have the same industrial and "mean" feel to it like everything else about the TSA does. Make it less of a taser. Maybe a more pistol-inspired model, or a hybrid in between them. Keep the general idea of a pistol while changing the end of the barrel to a more taser-looking model maybe?
I'm not put off the idea that it's "just" a taser. I count on a taser that the TSA uses to be FAR more lethal than any taser we have today. I don't really get why people think it would be weaker or less lethal than a pistol. I would argue that electricity is actually more harmful to organic beings, such as the aliens, than regular bullets. If you pump in enough ampere and volts into a taser you'll fry be frying onoses in a matter of seconds. But I guess it shouldn't be -that- OP in the game ;) What I'm saying is that a taser/electic gun hybrid can be just as, or even more lethal than a knife or a pistol. So that argument is void.
<!--quoteo(post=1719477:date=Jul 27 2009, 12:34 PM:name=Metro)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Metro @ Jul 27 2009, 12:34 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719477"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->use mobile siege cannons that can shoot through walls<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think a sort of stabbing protrusion for the melee attack would be much more fitting. A sort of short knife which is used to stab and more or less 'inject' ionised electrons (or what have you) into the target. After NS1, you would think that the Kharaa would evolve to defend themselves against electrical attacks, not become more vulnerable to them.
Overall the 'taser' does need to be more 'beefy' and menacing for people (including myself) to accept it as a viable alternative to something so bread and butter as the pistol and knife.
<!--quoteo(post=1719367:date=Jul 26 2009, 03:29 PM:name=Dead-Inside)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dead-Inside @ Jul 26 2009, 03:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719367"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The taser just feels (and partly looks) ######. I'm sorry.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> You can feel concept art. The fear mongering bandwagon that emerges when new ideas are announced is in full force
I think the whole idea is fundamentally flawed. In my eyes the melee or 'weapon of desperation' typically found in FPS games, like the knife, is SUPPOSED to be melee. Why? Because if you're hiding behind a gun, particularly a pansy dual use leg shaver, you don't really get a sense of that desperation to preserve your life, that last struggle to survive when all your ammo has been depleted and you're deluged by enemies. The knife, and other 'get your hands dirty' melee weapons captures that primal, tooth and nail type of self preservation. Brutal, basic, the last option. I hope this isn't the first in a chain of corner cutting... i.e. all other weaps to be modular additions to that wicked leg shaver.
Flawed, flawed, flawed. It's good you guys are thinking but its a really terrible idea. Sorry.
Just to let you know, knives are not particular good combat weapons. There tend to more often serve as tools. They are your last resort. Emphasis on "last". If you have a gun that electrifies things from a distance, you are much better off.
1) Although it's pretty creative, it just seems pretty strange and un-Marine to me. Why would a bunch of marines be carrying around tasers? It's not like they're taking prisoners.
2) I think knifing buildings to death was silly. That said, I think tasering buildings to death is, if possible, sillier. There's got to be a better solution.
3) I really think you should keep the Pistol, either as a) a backup weapon that's worse than the LMG but useful when you need to reload, or b) a weapon that fills a niche that the LMG does not, e.g. better range/accuracy at the cost of damage potential.
4) The knife can serve to be dropped. In its place, how about giving the LMG a melee alt-fire, like a rifle butt-strike? It needs to have a pretty low RoF so it's not used for the same purpose, instead being used as a finishing blow or last resort.
I really don't get why people are so upset about this anyway.. there was hardly a reaction to the micro-sized map layout presented compared to the way people react to a more or less cosmetic change. Really.
<!--quoteo(post=1719409:date=Jul 26 2009, 07:54 PM:name=Dead-Inside)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dead-Inside @ Jul 26 2009, 07:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719409"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The grip is awesome. It's a lot better than the original concept overall.
Still don't like the general concept though.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
On this design you got a mechanical problem ram it into an onos and it will break on 2 places guess where ??? ^^
no if someone asks me if i want to bring a taser or a knife and a pistol i will alway choos the deadly rounds of my pistol !!!
ask yourself 1 good question if you talk about future weapons!! why do the marines in iraq still have knifes and pistols a taser like this could easily build even tody but the armies around the world still use firearms and knifes !! for a god damn reason!!
You put yourself in the same perspective as the marines -
"Ok im about to be mutilated by a creature, i've fired all my rounds in my primary weapon... So i reach into my holster for my secondary weapon (the taser) to wreak havok on the beast."
I love the idea, of being quite different and always unique as the devs always are. Although in someway i feel like something could be improved.
Maybe playtesting with the pistol vs the taser, so see which one creates better advantages/gameplay.
Seems to me asif your the scientist trying to create something to counteract an assault from a skulk ect as one would do in real life, which is awsome, and im intrigued to see how this new weapon goes.
Once again, well done, your doing great! i've seen NS2 on a few sites! good to see the word is getting out there! :)
<!--quoteo(post=1719502:date=Jul 27 2009, 07:46 PM:name=Nasdero)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nasdero @ Jul 27 2009, 07:46 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719502"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->ask yourself 1 good question if you talk about future weapons!! why do the marines in iraq still have knifes and pistols a taser like this could easily build even tody but the armies around the world still use firearms and knifes !! for a god damn reason!!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Because this is a fictional world and the "Taser" in this instance may be far deadlier than what you are associating it with. You have to forget what you already know about tasers and address this concept without bias. They just called it a taser because it fires electricity and behaves a bit like one.
Also, I'm sure that a clip-amount of deadly shock rounds can't possibly fit in a clip-size battery with current technology. For some reason, I'm thinking that electrical shock can be more reliable than bullets if both technologies are mastered (shocks have an effect, wherever you hit the body, whereas bullets don't necessarily incapacitate the target immediately)
How many shots can you get off with a standard taser?
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
edited July 2009
<!--quoteo(post=1719343:date=Jul 25 2009, 06:51 PM:name=RobB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RobB @ Jul 25 2009, 06:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719343"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I can imagine a squad of marines camping a room, everyone with their zaps.
While one is shooting out the transponders the rest is sparking their arcs, which basicly means that once a skulk gets into range it's toast.
This thing should ignite gas attacks (umbra / spores), so a lerk can counter this weapon (unless it has a rather limited ammo count on transponders / batterycharge on secondary so people won't idle with that)
edit <i>Note: Electricity is extremely deadly with the right power, so don't underestimate it</i>
...I hope that the transponders won't stick to boneshield and similar.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Well, a group of marines prepared for a skulk should be able to take him out quickly. It's actually a pretty risky maneuver because the transponders fall off fast moving objects. Just shooting would be faster.
<!--quoteo(post=1719498:date=Jul 27 2009, 08:20 AM:name=Samir)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Samir @ Jul 27 2009, 08:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719498"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Here are my thoughts:
1) Although it's pretty creative, it just seems pretty strange and un-Marine to me. Why would a bunch of marines be carrying around tasers? It's not like they're taking prisoners.
2) I think knifing buildings to death was silly. That said, I think tasering buildings to death is, if possible, sillier. There's got to be a better solution.
3) I really think you should keep the Pistol, either as a) a backup weapon that's worse than the LMG but useful when you need to reload, or b) a weapon that fills a niche that the LMG does not, e.g. better range/accuracy at the cost of damage potential.
4) <b>The knife can serve to be dropped. In its place, how about giving the LMG a melee alt-fire, like a rifle butt-strike? It needs to have a pretty low RoF so it's not used for the same purpose, instead being used as a finishing blow or last resort.</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1719477:date=Jul 27 2009, 03:34 AM:name=Metro)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Metro @ Jul 27 2009, 03:34 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719477"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I simply -love- this concept. It's very out-of-the-box and puts an end to the whole concept of high-tech space marines running around with knifes. I mean, come on. If you can use nano-tech to "beam" buildings in from nowhere, use mobile siege cannons that can shoot through walls (;p) and what not. Why would you be running around with something as primitive as a knife? High-tech melee weapons makes a lot of sense for the military to have.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why ? Because it's effective. I predict one of last weapons to become obsolete is going to be the pistol. You may argue that rifles are more technologically advanced etc, but in the end even pilots and tank drivers get pistols, but they may not get rifles - not enough room, or too tiresome to carry. On many occasions simpler tools/weapons are just better. A knife always works. It works if it's dropped in mud, shot at, falls on a rock. It works underwater (try using electric weapon there !), in a brawl where there's not enough room for a punch, not to mention aiming with a weapon. It doesn't run out of ammo. And lastly, a combat knife doubles as a tool for cutting ropes, opening stuff, drawing a map in dirt, carving marks or other tools, it can be a makeshift medical tool etc. It's so useful because it's simple and foolproof.
If something is more advanced it doesn't have to mean it's better. And your definition of 'advanced' may be debatable too. I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books, and one of striking things is that some pretty silly ideas were incredibly popular. Dozens of books, movies, cartoons (Jetsons) have moving sidewalks, for example. But it sounds like an awfully impractical and wasteful idea if you stop and think for a second. Similarly, early science fiction writers anticipated plastic to become the main material to build stuff with, and that included spaceships, highways, cars and generally everything that was meant to last. Plastic was the material of the future. What a joke ! At the same time, no one predicted the internet and information technology as we know it. Everyone was too busy with virtual reality, goggles, gloves and other toys. Everyone was too concerned about sensory input, no one predicted digital technologies as generalisation of data and communication. No one predicted devices communicated with each other in a digital way (but there are robots talking and listening to each other) And no one I know of predicted trash littered streets or painted an accurate vision of pollution.
Bottom point: many predictions about future technology end up being laughably inaccurate. Lasers, gauss guns, artificial intelligence, space elevators may never become practical. Conventional firearms, like computer mice, prove they are amazingly effective invention and nothing on the horizon looks like it's going to replace them. Technological advances may as well build on the solid foundation that is conventional firearms. Pistol rounds can contain <i>nanites</i>.
I'm not strictly against taser, but it better be well made and satisfying to use.
<!--quoteo(post=1719509:date=Mar 19 3009, 07:23 AM:name=Cereal_KillR)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cereal_KillR @ Mar 19 3009, 07:23 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719509"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, I'm sure that a clip-amount of deadly shock rounds can't possibly fit in a clip-size battery with current technology. For some reason, I'm thinking that electrical shock can be more reliable than bullets if both technologies are mastered (shocks have an effect, wherever you hit the body, whereas bullets don't necessarily incapacitate the target immediately)
How many shots can you get off with a standard taser?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:grey--><span style="color:grey"><!--/coloro-->Perhaps it is more effective--if you are shooting directly at a living target. There might be issues with armor/cover/shooting at objects to weaken or break them, as well as more "complications" such as firing around water, conductive surfaces, etc where your shots may easily cause significant collateral damage/friendly fire/user death.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Tried to read every post before posting but it was just to much...
I like the idea of the Taser from a gameplay point of view although aesthetically I got my concerns. There's not doubt in my mind that UWE can get NS2 right eventually but being a commercial venture it's important that the first version is as close to right as posible.
One other thing I'm concerned about is the described button configuration. I hope this gets tweaked somehow. If I may make a suggestion:
**Primary fire (mouse1): Shoots Transponders. These are hitscan like most videogame bullets and feel like shooting a pistol (but not the NS1 pistol). Clip should be more than 2 (I'd say 4 sound about right. I think transponders should have the same range as the other guns in NS2, even if the arcing attack has low range. **Secondary fire (mouse2): Meele attack. Thrust with taser shock which drains battery (like HL flashlight but faster) **Secondary fire (mouse2) + Primary fire (mouse1): Arc electricity to all transponders in range. You won't fire any new transponder as long as you have mouse2 pressed down.
Anyway if this is not right enough I think the best idea is to combine mouse1 and mouse2 somehow to get all the functionality of the taser in use. I think a good example of this is the Unreal Tournament Rocket Launcher. Pressing mouse1 or mouse2 would start charging rockets or nades (respestivetly) and they would get fired as soon as you left go of the button or the chamber was full. The clever bit was that if while loading the rockets (press mouse1) you clicked the secondary fire (mouse2) then the rockets would be shot in a tight spiral rather than the flat fan out mode that was default.
Gameplay wise I think this weapons will make a good deterrent for lower lifeforms or higher lifeforms low on health. i.e. one you get hit by transporder you'll now that basically you have a set amount of time before you will die if you stay in the vicinity so either you try your luck at getting the marine in one or two more hits without missing or get out of there and heal up.
Would be interesting if hitting something with two transporders will allow you to zap it harder with the arching attack. For example when you arc to one transponder you'll give 20 dps but if your arc too two transponder then you deal 14 dps to each meaning that of you got then into the same alien form/structure then you'll deal 28 dps to it. Adding a skill bonus. And ffs don't criticize the actual numbers I gave in the example but the concept.
<!--quoteo(post=1719502:date=Jul 27 2009, 03:46 AM:name=Nasdero)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nasdero @ Jul 27 2009, 03:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719502"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->On this design you got a mechanical problem ram it into an onos and it will break on 2 places guess where ??? ^^
no if someone asks me if i want to bring a taser or a knife and a pistol i will alway choos the deadly rounds of my pistol !!!
ask yourself 1 good question if you talk about future weapons!! why do the marines in iraq still have knifes and pistols a taser like this could easily build even tody but the armies around the world still use firearms and knifes !! for a god damn reason!!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> 1. Future Weapons != weapons of armies today. The whole difference between the words "today" and "future" should be a clue as to why. 2. Taser specifically designs these weapons, and markets them, as non-lethal, yet they still kill people occasionally. Picture what would happen if they were designes specifically with the intention of being lethal, and were backed up by the amount of energy that the marines seem to have access to. 3. Even if neither of those were the case, gameplay > realism anyway.
Pistol - Semi-automatic, good accuracy, low damage
SMG (LMG) - Automatic gun, okay damage
HMG - Shoots larger bullets, and faster than LMG
Shotgun - Short range blast, good accuracy, high damage
Grenade Launcher - Shoots explosive grenades
Flamethrower - Blasts out flame, burning aliens and infestation
Taser - Well... it shoots out these transponder thingies that deal some damage when they hit, and if you manage to stay close to the target for longer periods of time, they deal electric shock damage, which starts slow, ramps up quickly, eventually getting to large levels . You can have transponders going in multiple targets, assuming they are all relatively close together. Oh, and you can stab with it too somehow. It also can be used to form an electric shield that can block and hurt aliens that run into it.
<!--quoteo(post=1719517:date=Jul 27 2009, 08:06 AM:name=Dead-Inside)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dead-Inside @ Jul 27 2009, 08:06 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719517"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This is already in the game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Awesome, good to hear.
I still think Marines should have a pistol sidearm, though. It can fill the niche of "high accuracy, low damage weapon" to complement the LMG's high rate of fire and medium/low accuracy.
Aside from my opinion regarding the taser weapon mentioned earlier. I'd also like to voice my concern at the apparent level of progress and the closeness of the announced date.
However, I'd rather wait that have the game get a bad launch. Alpha's are a whole different deal and hopefully that will come out as soon as posible. Can't wait you give some REAL feedback!
<!--quoteo(post=1719553:date=Jul 27 2009, 01:25 PM:name=Samir)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Samir @ Jul 27 2009, 01:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1719553"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Awesome, good to hear.
I still think Marines should have a pistol sidearm, though. It can fill the niche of "high accuracy, low damage weapon" to complement the LMG's high rate of fire and medium/low accuracy.
This whole taser thing seems too gimmicky.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Except, as pointed out on the blog, the pistol really wasn't low damage.
La ChupacabraJoin Date: 2008-02-25Member: 63729Members
edited July 2009
"Wow you guys have very strong opinions about the taser weapon. We are strongly considering replacing it with the vanilla knife/pistol."
Calm down guys, a secondary/melee combination is a good one, just this particular example is not enough badass and industrial (like NS1 weapons, no lasers etc.).
why replace it i think it's a great idea yes it needs to be worked on but that's the whole idea, just cause people aren't ready for change doesn't mean it should be scraped like someone had posted on another forum i frequent, they way they word it sums it up pretty well.
<!--quoteo(post=186361:date=Jul 27 2009, 07:15 AM:name=Kookee2k2)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kookee2k2 @ Jul 27 2009, 07:15 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=186361"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->to end the argument:
let's pretend that NS2 is called something different and is from another company then we can all rage about how it's ripping off NS1
I mean, those guys over at UnknownWorlds are big boys, and they can do what ever the hell they want with their game. And if anyone doesnt like it, shut up and play something else.
Comments
or some kind of (AOE?) shockwave
melee taser is so ######. it also is so unhandy and easy to lose. you better use it to punsh in somethings face
One thing I do feel the need to critizise though is the concept-art. It's just too.. Star-trekish, as many others have said previously. It does not have the same industrial and "mean" feel to it like everything else about the TSA does. Make it less of a taser. Maybe a more pistol-inspired model, or a hybrid in between them. Keep the general idea of a pistol while changing the end of the barrel to a more taser-looking model maybe?
I'm not put off the idea that it's "just" a taser. I count on a taser that the TSA uses to be FAR more lethal than any taser we have today.
I don't really get why people think it would be weaker or less lethal than a pistol. I would argue that electricity is actually more harmful to organic beings, such as the aliens, than regular bullets. If you pump in enough ampere and volts into a taser you'll fry be frying onoses in a matter of seconds. But I guess it shouldn't be -that- OP in the game ;)
What I'm saying is that a taser/electic gun hybrid can be just as, or even more lethal than a knife or a pistol. So that argument is void.
Won't happen in NS2 from what I understand.
Overall the 'taser' does need to be more 'beefy' and menacing for people (including myself) to accept it as a viable alternative to something so bread and butter as the pistol and knife.
You can feel concept art. The fear mongering bandwagon that emerges when new ideas are announced is in full force
Flawed, flawed, flawed. It's good you guys are thinking but its a really terrible idea. Sorry.
Cool sounding, but I'm gonna remain skeptical. I say keep the knife and pistol.
1) Although it's pretty creative, it just seems pretty strange and un-Marine to me. Why would a bunch of marines be carrying around tasers? It's not like they're taking prisoners.
2) I think knifing buildings to death was silly. That said, I think tasering buildings to death is, if possible, sillier. There's got to be a better solution.
3) I really think you should keep the Pistol, either as a) a backup weapon that's worse than the LMG but useful when you need to reload, or b) a weapon that fills a niche that the LMG does not, e.g. better range/accuracy at the cost of damage potential.
4) The knife can serve to be dropped. In its place, how about giving the LMG a melee alt-fire, like a rifle butt-strike? It needs to have a pretty low RoF so it's not used for the same purpose, instead being used as a finishing blow or last resort.
Still don't like the general concept though.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
On this design you got a mechanical problem ram it into an onos and it will break on 2 places guess where ??? ^^
no if someone asks me if i want to bring a taser or a knife and a pistol i will alway choos the deadly rounds of my pistol !!!
ask yourself 1 good question if you talk about future weapons!! why do the marines in iraq still have knifes and pistols a taser like this could easily build
even tody but the armies around the world still use firearms and knifes !! for a god damn reason!!
"Ok im about to be mutilated by a creature, i've fired all my rounds in my primary weapon... So i reach into my holster for my secondary weapon (the taser) to wreak havok on the beast."
I love the idea, of being quite different and always unique as the devs always are. Although in someway i feel like something could be improved.
Maybe playtesting with the pistol vs the taser, so see which one creates better advantages/gameplay.
Seems to me asif your the scientist trying to create something to counteract an assault from a skulk ect as one would do in real life, which is awsome, and im intrigued to see how this new weapon goes.
Once again, well done, your doing great! i've seen NS2 on a few sites! good to see the word is getting out there! :)
even tody but the armies around the world still use firearms and knifes !! for a god damn reason!!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Because this is a fictional world and the "Taser" in this instance may be far deadlier than what you are associating it with. You have to forget what you already know about tasers and address this concept without bias. They just called it a taser because it fires electricity and behaves a bit like one.
How many shots can you get off with a standard taser?
While one is shooting out the transponders the rest is sparking their arcs, which basicly means that once a skulk gets into range it's toast.
This thing should ignite gas attacks (umbra / spores), so a lerk can counter this weapon (unless it has a rather limited ammo count on transponders / batterycharge on secondary so people won't idle with that)
edit
<i>Note: Electricity is extremely deadly with the right power, so don't underestimate it</i>
...I hope that the transponders won't stick to boneshield and similar.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, a group of marines prepared for a skulk should be able to take him out quickly. It's actually a pretty risky maneuver because the transponders fall off fast moving objects. Just shooting would be faster.
1) Although it's pretty creative, it just seems pretty strange and un-Marine to me. Why would a bunch of marines be carrying around tasers? It's not like they're taking prisoners.
2) I think knifing buildings to death was silly. That said, I think tasering buildings to death is, if possible, sillier. There's got to be a better solution.
3) I really think you should keep the Pistol, either as a) a backup weapon that's worse than the LMG but useful when you need to reload, or b) a weapon that fills a niche that the LMG does not, e.g. better range/accuracy at the cost of damage potential.
4) <b>The knife can serve to be dropped. In its place, how about giving the LMG a melee alt-fire, like a rifle butt-strike? It needs to have a pretty low RoF so it's not used for the same purpose, instead being used as a finishing blow or last resort.</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is already in the game.
Why ? Because it's effective. I predict one of last weapons to become obsolete is going to be the pistol. You may argue that rifles are more technologically advanced etc, but in the end even pilots and tank drivers get pistols, but they may not get rifles - not enough room, or too tiresome to carry. On many occasions simpler tools/weapons are just better. A knife always works. It works if it's dropped in mud, shot at, falls on a rock. It works underwater (try using electric weapon there !), in a brawl where there's not enough room for a punch, not to mention aiming with a weapon. It doesn't run out of ammo. And lastly, a combat knife doubles as a tool for cutting ropes, opening stuff, drawing a map in dirt, carving marks or other tools, it can be a makeshift medical tool etc. It's so useful because it's simple and foolproof.
If something is more advanced it doesn't have to mean it's better. And your definition of 'advanced' may be debatable too. I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books, and one of striking things is that some pretty silly ideas were incredibly popular. Dozens of books, movies, cartoons (Jetsons) have moving sidewalks, for example. But it sounds like an awfully impractical and wasteful idea if you stop and think for a second. Similarly, early science fiction writers anticipated plastic to become the main material to build stuff with, and that included spaceships, highways, cars and generally everything that was meant to last. Plastic was the material of the future. What a joke ! At the same time, no one predicted the internet and information technology as we know it. Everyone was too busy with virtual reality, goggles, gloves and other toys. Everyone was too concerned about sensory input, no one predicted digital technologies as generalisation of data and communication. No one predicted devices communicated with each other in a digital way (but there are robots talking and listening to each other) And no one I know of predicted trash littered streets or painted an accurate vision of pollution.
Bottom point: many predictions about future technology end up being laughably inaccurate. Lasers, gauss guns, artificial intelligence, space elevators may never become practical. Conventional firearms, like computer mice, prove they are amazingly effective invention and nothing on the horizon looks like it's going to replace them. Technological advances may as well build on the solid foundation that is conventional firearms. Pistol rounds can contain <i>nanites</i>.
I'm not strictly against taser, but it better be well made and satisfying to use.
How many shots can you get off with a standard taser?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:grey--><span style="color:grey"><!--/coloro-->Perhaps it is more effective--if you are shooting directly at a living target. There might be issues with armor/cover/shooting at objects to weaken or break them, as well as more "complications" such as firing around water, conductive surfaces, etc where your shots may easily cause significant collateral damage/friendly fire/user death.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
~~Sickle~~
I like the idea of the Taser from a gameplay point of view although aesthetically I got my concerns. There's not doubt in my mind that UWE can get NS2 right eventually but being a commercial venture it's important that the first version is as close to right as posible.
One other thing I'm concerned about is the described button configuration. I hope this gets tweaked somehow. If I may make a suggestion:
**Primary fire (mouse1): Shoots Transponders. These are hitscan like most videogame bullets and feel like shooting a pistol (but not the NS1 pistol). Clip should be more than 2 (I'd say 4 sound about right. I think transponders should have the same range as the other guns in NS2, even if the arcing attack has low range.
**Secondary fire (mouse2): Meele attack. Thrust with taser shock which drains battery (like HL flashlight but faster)
**Secondary fire (mouse2) + Primary fire (mouse1): Arc electricity to all transponders in range. You won't fire any new transponder as long as you have mouse2 pressed down.
Anyway if this is not right enough I think the best idea is to combine mouse1 and mouse2 somehow to get all the functionality of the taser in use. I think a good example of this is the Unreal Tournament Rocket Launcher. Pressing mouse1 or mouse2 would start charging rockets or nades (respestivetly) and they would get fired as soon as you left go of the button or the chamber was full. The clever bit was that if while loading the rockets (press mouse1) you clicked the secondary fire (mouse2) then the rockets would be shot in a tight spiral rather than the flat fan out mode that was default.
Gameplay wise I think this weapons will make a good deterrent for lower lifeforms or higher lifeforms low on health. i.e. one you get hit by transporder you'll now that basically you have a set amount of time before you will die if you stay in the vicinity so either you try your luck at getting the marine in one or two more hits without missing or get out of there and heal up.
Would be interesting if hitting something with two transporders will allow you to zap it harder with the arching attack. For example when you arc to one transponder you'll give 20 dps but if your arc too two transponder then you deal 14 dps to each meaning that of you got then into the same alien form/structure then you'll deal 28 dps to it. Adding a skill bonus. And ffs don't criticize the actual numbers I gave in the example but the concept.
NS
no if someone asks me if i want to bring a taser or a knife and a pistol i will alway choos the deadly rounds of my pistol !!!
ask yourself 1 good question if you talk about future weapons!! why do the marines in iraq still have knifes and pistols a taser like this could easily build
even tody but the armies around the world still use firearms and knifes !! for a god damn reason!!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1. Future Weapons != weapons of armies today. The whole difference between the words "today" and "future" should be a clue as to why.
2. Taser specifically designs these weapons, and markets them, as non-lethal, yet they still kill people occasionally. Picture what would happen if they were designes specifically with the intention of being lethal, and were backed up by the amount of energy that the marines seem to have access to.
3. Even if neither of those were the case, gameplay > realism anyway.
Knife - Can stab aliens
Pistol - Semi-automatic, good accuracy, low damage
SMG (LMG) - Automatic gun, okay damage
HMG - Shoots larger bullets, and faster than LMG
Shotgun - Short range blast, good accuracy, high damage
Grenade Launcher - Shoots explosive grenades
Flamethrower - Blasts out flame, burning aliens and infestation
Taser - Well... it shoots out these transponder thingies that deal some damage when they hit, and if you manage
to stay close to the target for longer periods of time, they deal electric shock damage, which starts slow, ramps
up quickly, eventually getting to large levels . You can have transponders going in multiple targets, assuming they
are all relatively close together. Oh, and you can stab with it too somehow. It also can be used to form an electric
shield that can block and hurt aliens that run into it.
Which one of these doesn't fit with the rest?
Love the harsh industrial look. I definately hope UWE adopt this look a little, particularly the handle.
Awesome, good to hear.
I still think Marines should have a pistol sidearm, though. It can fill the niche of "high accuracy, low damage weapon" to complement the LMG's high rate of fire and medium/low accuracy.
This whole taser thing seems too gimmicky.
However, I'd rather wait that have the game get a bad launch. Alpha's are a whole different deal and hopefully that will come out as soon as posible. Can't wait you give some REAL feedback!
~~Sickle~~
I still think Marines should have a pistol sidearm, though. It can fill the niche of "high accuracy, low damage weapon" to complement the LMG's high rate of fire and medium/low accuracy.
This whole taser thing seems too gimmicky.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Except, as pointed out on the blog, the pistol really wasn't low damage.
Calm down guys, a secondary/melee combination is a good one, just this particular example is not enough badass and industrial (like NS1 weapons, no lasers etc.).
<!--quoteo(post=186361:date=Jul 27 2009, 07:15 AM:name=Kookee2k2)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kookee2k2 @ Jul 27 2009, 07:15 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=186361"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->to end the argument:
let's pretend that NS2 is called something different and is from another company
then we can all rage about how it's ripping off NS1
I mean, those guys over at UnknownWorlds are big boys, and they can do what ever the hell they want with their game.
And if anyone doesnt like it, shut up and play something else.
geez...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->