[GAMEPLAY FIX] Skulk Eyes in Mouth

cmc5788cmc5788 Join Date: 2009-10-06 Member: 68959Members
<div class="IPBDescription">An Idea for Better Visibility</div>There's always been controversy about the Skulk bitecam. Competitive players tended to favor making it disappear entirely in NS1, and others argue that allowing this gives an unfair advantage to those who know/care enough to do so. Also, running around and looking through those big pointy teeth is very definitive of Natural Selection, so allowing the option to do away with it feels ... dirty.

My suggestion for a compromise is this:

As the skulk jaws begin to close for a bite, <u><b>scale down the opacity of the mouth to allow visibility through a transparent "ghost" overlay of the model</b></u>. I guess this lacks some immersion (how would that be explained biologically?), but I really think it's the best way to handle this. Obscuring player visibility in combat is a bad, frustrating mechanic that should be used for neither balance nor style; however, the Skulk mouth is kind of symbolic.

If anyone has any other ideas or tweaks, feel free to chime in, but I honestly think this is the best-case scenario here. Thanks!
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Comments

  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    I really don't find it any more obscuring than a muzzleflash.

    If you hit with it you would only see very blurry marine ass, if you miss, then the marine is out of your view anyway so there's nothing to see.
  • Cheezy104Cheezy104 Join Date: 2009-06-11 Member: 67792Members
    I don't mind the skulk cam and I never have. I think most people are fine with it, really
  • cmc5788cmc5788 Join Date: 2009-10-06 Member: 68959Members
    edited July 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1781635:date=Jul 22 2010, 12:02 AM:name=Cheezy104)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cheezy104 @ Jul 22 2010, 12:02 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1781635"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't mind the skulk cam and I never have. I think most people are fine with it, really<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I dunno that's not the impression I've been getting from these forums, but maybe the discussions just blew things out of proportion. Personally I don't think it's gamebreaking, but it's not a good or useful mechanic from a gameplay standpoint, either.
  • PricePrice Join Date: 2003-09-27 Member: 21247Members
    I hate the cam in the mouth, realy, i like the gorge cam.
  • Renegade.Renegade. Join Date: 2003-01-15 Member: 12313Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1781632:date=Jul 21 2010, 11:53 PM:name=cmc5788)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cmc5788 @ Jul 21 2010, 11:53 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1781632"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Competitive players tended to favor making it disappear entirely in NS1,<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    What do you mean by this? If you mean they did when they could but were prevented early on with r_drawviewmodel blocked, then yes. If you mean they thought it should be removed from the game entirely on game-play principles then I suggest you are wrong. Any comp will tell it plays a crucial role in balancing and while I'm not out-right opposed to your suggestion, doesn't offer anyways as to how to maintain the balance (i.e. will muzzleflash become smaller, or transparent?)
  • DemiguiseDemiguise Marks Servers Reg Join Date: 2004-01-19 Member: 25462Members
    I like the skulkcam as it is, never had a problem with knowing how to/where to bite marines to hit them in the ass. So you have to move your mouse slightly more in order to fully see the 10% of the screen that is obscured, doesn't really make that much of a difference.
  • abYsssabYsss Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72433Members
    The way the cam is right now is perfect, I don't see an issue.
  • GeneralBowserGeneralBowser Join Date: 2010-05-19 Member: 71801Members
    Well if you want to make the game more accessible and user friendly imo this is def something that should be discussed. I returned to NS1 couple weeks ago and the skullks mouth is def not that easy to get used to. Not being able to see after you bite makes it hard to aim for new players. A button to make the mouth a little bit invisible wouldn't hurt..
  • TrCTrC Join Date: 2008-11-30 Member: 65612Members
    I would prefer it removed, idea of OP is not bad either but removable option would be best.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I never really got the problem people have with the bitecam... You have ears don't ya, why not use them to hear where the marine is going...

    Playing in FPS mode is more then just what is on your screen, sound is just as important...
  • BRICEBRICE Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72453Members
    I liked it, just did. As for eyes being not there in model...
    Its like a spare set of eyes when its feeding time.
    Sharks close theirs completely when biting.
    I always like the shark vision for the skulk.
  • morbidarmorbidar Join Date: 2010-07-22 Member: 72660Members
    The Skulk cam is part of the reason I loved the game.. Making it fade when biting and seeing through it would ruin the game I think
    I would never disable the mouth from being on screen and as some one said when you are playing first person games you need to be
    using more than visual stimulus you need to be listening aswell.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited July 2010
    Just ran a bit trough mah level in NS1 (haven't played NS in a looooooooong time :P) and the Skulk mouth when closed doesn't even cover the entire screen, there is still a lot of the screen that is visible in between the teeth and on the corners of the screen... Not to mention it is very fast with closing/opening its mouth, making this "problem" even more ludicrous...

    NS2 skulkbite is similarly fast judging from the vids...
  • yourbonesakinyourbonesakin Join Date: 2005-08-06 Member: 57682Members
    First person melee combat is dreadful.

    We have a third person option for NS2 and I will be using that exclusively when playing skulk.
  • noncomposmentisnoncomposmentis Join Date: 2004-11-13 Member: 32773Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1782334:date=Jul 23 2010, 07:54 PM:name=yourbonesakin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yourbonesakin @ Jul 23 2010, 07:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1782334"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->We have a third person option for NS2 and I will be using that exclusively when playing skulk.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I'm not sure that'll make it to the full game. I'm pretty sure they mean it to be played first person.
  • SlycasterSlycaster Limited Edition Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 24Members, NS1 Playtester
    <!--quoteo(post=1782350:date=Jul 23 2010, 11:52 PM:name=noncomposmentis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (noncomposmentis @ Jul 23 2010, 11:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1782350"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm not sure that'll make it to the full game. I'm pretty sure they mean it to be played first person.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Right, very slim chance this would go in to the main game. I think thirdperson will be considered a "cheat" and require cheats on.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    To add to this cheat status, with third person you can look around corners without actually exposing yourself to incoming fire.
  • yourbonesakinyourbonesakin Join Date: 2005-08-06 Member: 57682Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1782350:date=Jul 23 2010, 11:52 PM:name=noncomposmentis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (noncomposmentis @ Jul 23 2010, 11:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1782350"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm not sure that'll make it to the full game. I'm pretty sure they mean it to be played first person.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Why was it added to the engine test <i>at all</i>? And why was third person view shown in the pre-alpha video <i>at all</i>?

    Nothing is for sure, but it seems that NS2 will have third person view in the "full game".

    <!--quoteo(post=1782352:date=Jul 23 2010, 11:59 PM:name=Slycaster)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Slycaster @ Jul 23 2010, 11:59 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1782352"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Right, very slim chance this would go in to the main game. I think thirdperson will be considered a "cheat" and require cheats on.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    A player's choice can only be defined as a cheat if its not A) Available to everyone and B) Not accessable via the interface.

    Typing in "thirdperson" to the console is both A) Available to everyone and B) Accessable via the interface.

    Basically, it's only a cheat if Unknown Worlds Entertainment decides its a cheat.

    <!--quoteo(post=1782436:date=Jul 24 2010, 09:29 AM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Jul 24 2010, 09:29 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1782436"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->To add to this cheat status, with third person you can look around corners without actually exposing yourself to incoming fire.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    You're not very creative. If TS can successfully make thirdperson not look around corners (a mod for HL1), NS2 can rather easily.
  • TesseractTesseract Join Date: 2007-06-21 Member: 61328Members, Constellation
    The game simply determines if there's something between your first person camera and person around the corner. It's not a particularly difficult little algorithm but then NS2 is a more CPU-intensive game; I wouldn't be sure it's worth including.
  • SaeppelSaeppel Join Date: 2005-02-16 Member: 41353Members, Constellation
    If you plan on recording Demos, third person camera might be very aesthetic.
    As the eyes are pretty close to the mouth, it is reasonable to close your eyes if you bite a marine. The blood can get in your eyes and blind you (for a short period of time). A closing eye-lid-animation might be an alternative. And you see the nose on the bottom of your screen instead of the dental flora.
    But anyway, I don't have a problem with the NS1-perspective.
  • tjosantjosan Join Date: 2003-05-16 Member: 16374Members, Constellation
    Actually I used to debate whether to play at the optimal fps setting, or slightly below it because that bugged the skulk jaw animation so only like every second bite obscured your view... having it gone would be best I think.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I still stand by my first 2 posts, it is not a big deal. Third person would even make it more annoying due to camera bobbing when you back up into a wall. An entire Skulk in your field of view seems worse then the fraction of a second closing of a mouth, which doens't even obscure the entire screen...


    Bitecam is what makes NS2 unique and all these "problem" with it seem to be silly IMHO. Heck the flare of the marine rifle is more obscuring...
  • HakujinHakujin Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16157Members, Constellation
    Actually I have struggled with this since NS1 - both the muzzle flash and the alien bite. For whatever reason, I have a sensitivity to flashing lights: strobes, dying on some old NS games, etc. I'm not epileptic but it is VERY difficult for me to look at quickly flashing lights/images. Both the muzzle flash and bite animations trigger this response. I end up squinting very hard just to keep playing. I have never had a reaction like this to any other game - NS is particularly bad about having this type of thing going on in the center view.

    I ended up having to break the alien_attack1.MDL file in Notepad (or whatever bite was) to be able to play for long periods of time. I am not a super competitive player but it bothered me that much and caused eye strain and headaches. It seems like Charlie and co. have had their mind pretty made of up on this issue for some time, but for me, it seriously degrades my enjoyment of the game.
  • qwiggaloqwiggalo Join Date: 2005-02-26 Member: 42564Members, Constellation
    The firstperson bite is one of the fairly unique aspects of NS, they'd better not change it or 'give an option' seriously, give that phrase a rest ffs.
  • CyborgmattCyborgmatt Join Date: 2004-07-25 Member: 30129Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1781733:date=Jul 22 2010, 06:55 AM:name=abYsss)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (abYsss @ Jul 22 2010, 06:55 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1781733"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The way the cam is right now is perfect, I don't see an issue.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Agreed.
  • teh_fattsteh_fatts Join Date: 2004-06-21 Member: 29442Members
    I for one have always enjoyed the skulk-cam. The teeth only close for maybe a frame or two anyway.
  • SharkManSharkMan Join Date: 2005-04-30 Member: 50511Members
    i like the cam; it was unique and i could actually see where my bite was hitting.
  • Soylent_greenSoylent_green Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11220Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Make the bite animation sufficiently short and snappy and it's not a problem.
  • Dash-ElDash-El Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 72925Members
    No issue for me as is. I am curious though as to the possibility of having the teeth (not the view) rotate to align with walls etc.
  • Dickbeard the PirateDickbeard the Pirate Join Date: 2010-07-27 Member: 73082Awaiting Authorization
    I have a severe problem with the biting animation

    Especially if you're biting a marine structure

    The horrible choppiness of the animation combined with bright flashes really hurts the crap outta my eyes

    Am I the only one who gets this?
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