The Alien Countdown Is Such A Flaw

MMZStickman · December 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">and now i see why</div> Our game was long and hard. Surprisingly not even one of our teammates quit, eventhought the enemy had us down to one hive. we were trying desperately to get back satellite communitcations or Fusion reactor. But the enemy was smart and had phase gates and turrets to help secure those hives.

But, on the marines final push for our last remaining hive. they focus all the attention there. and with the help of 3 lerks we manage to take down the D in sat com. our entire alien force manages to escape our hive that is being sieged sieged and heads to sat com to start building a new hive but as we get there we lose our final hive.

Were all positioned to defend this new hives construction but we dont have enough resources yet. our gorge was at about 40 resources and we had ample resource structures it was only a matter of time until we were ready to build.

But along comes the aliens countdown (thats meant to kill one guy hiding in a vent) and kills an 8 man full health, fully functioning alien squad that is actualy in the middle of a game.

is there a way you can make this COUNTDOWN work for just one guy? i mean damn, it totally sucked being ready to mount a comeback but because for a split second we have no hives the marines dont need to do anything but wait for ALL of us to die. we had a gorge 3 lerks and 4 skulks all ready to defend. nobody hiding in vents to prolong the game no cloaked jerks in the rafters. just a bunch of good playing the game the way it was supposed to be played.

-Stick

SilverHorse · December 2002

I *totally* **obscenity** agree

Hellbilly · December 2002

I totally agree. This is really starting to get on my nerve......

Jojoshua · December 2002

Yes, the countdown thing in general is very unfair. I mean....when we take out a CC, the marines can still go on fighting. I dont think that having 1 person holding back the game waiting for res to rebuild the hive is that big of a deal. There is always motion sensors and grenade launchers, jetpacks, ect....This is way unfair to the people who rely on hardcore strategy when it comes down to no hives.

USCMLieutenant_Ripley · December 2002

Time out. I have to be a ninny here. When attempting to discuss game mechanics, it helps to use have a semblance of sophistication. The topic itself is engrish. The Alien Countdown is not a FLAW. It may be a flawed mechanic, but it's there on purpose and not some program error, which the topic implies.

The countdown is a bad compromise to improve round turnover. Now that adminmod works (read: vote kicking), it's wholly unnecessary.

Morose · December 2002

Although this topic has been talked TO DEATH several times previously, I agree that the mechanic should be looked at. I'd prefer a couple of minutes of leeway after the final hive goes down before the death pokes insue. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

GreyPaws · December 2002

dont lose all your hives.... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

(incert flame here)

Maus · December 2002

Since it wa implemented to stop lame aliens camping in vets at the end, an easy solution would have players losing health if they stay still for too long on zero hives.

This still gives them a chance to get a new hive up, and ensures that at the very least marines' MT will tell them where to flush aliens out from.

Epoch · December 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Souris @ Dec 11 2002, 02:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Since it wa implemented to stop lame aliens camping in vets at the end, an easy solution would have players losing health if they stay still for too long on zero hives.

This still gives them a chance to get a new hive up, and ensures that at the very least marines' MT will tell them where to flush aliens out from.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
I'm not going to take a side here, but lame Marine's can still hide in vents.

Insanity · December 2002

Yes. Clearly there needs to be 3-5 minutes of freetime before the health removal starts.

SuperMunchkin · December 2002

Yeah, as some one pointed out, marines can still hide in vents and drag out the useless game. I've sat through already. I personally believe this countdown ticker thing to be a big mistake. Most of the time their own teamates want to keep playing too and can just hop into ready room, (thus giving the other team > 5 players) and end the game. No need for this alien slaughterhouse stuff.

~The Munch

Brad_R · December 2002

this should be kept in pubs, it helps more than its hurts...if you lose all 3 hives, sure you can delay the inevitable, but your screwed...seriously.

in match play though this should be disabled...clans should not be expected to hide in vents and crap, and should be given every oppurtunity to win any way they can.

MMZ_Torak · December 2002

Flaw is a fine word. <a href='http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=flaw' target='_blank'>Check it</a>
Another suggestion I have is maybe the timer does not effect Aliens in the proximity of a vacant hive.

That game could have been a phenomenal come back for aliens, but alas the FLAW reared its ugly head. I call it a flaw because it does not effect lame vent hiding marines aswell.

KraYziE · December 2002

all 8 of you didnt think about building a def chamber i take it?

Kung_Fool · December 2002

Well when there are 8 aliens alive, the DC only heals 3 of them per tick, so there would be a need for at least 3 DCs, which cotsts the gorge on the team valuable resources. And if the marines manage to take out the RT(s) you are pretty much screwed.

To make my point clear: I am very much for the removal of this "feature", or at least give the aliens about 5 minutes before they die. That´s more than enough for your average gorge to build a hive.

greydmiyu · December 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (KraYziE @ Dec 11 2002, 04:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>all 8 of you didnt think about building a def chamber i take it?</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Uhm, did someone forget that a Def. Chamber is an upgrade and requires an open hive (or the hive it is assigned to) to be built in the first place? No hives = OCs, RCs and hives <b>only</b>.

Wardancer · December 2002

yea i agree totaly with removing or delaying the timer at least 3-5 minutes

just before the patch was released i hade a game where the aliens lost their only hive as a first thing to happen but we had 2 gorges that escaped teh massacre, they hid themself in each of the other hives an built them simultanious (we won teh game after that) yea the marines where quite dumb BUT combacks are very possible

MrBen · December 2002

When you have no hives you cannot build.

Before this came out me and another skulk escaped into vents and turned into gorges and went to the last hive spot. As there was no count down we had loads of time. The team did not mind waiting 5 minutes for us to get the nesscary resources to build up, they where happy we could come back and have at them for a bit longer.

Then another time i played i was just znapped to death by the damn countdown when i could have easily got to another hive and started saving.

Which is why i disagree with it. Marines as said can hide in vents, they have no count down, if they have no cc they have no countdown.

Iden · December 2002

An increased timer would be nice:

But on the other hand you realize by the time you have finished even starting to build your hive the marines would not only be pecking you down (and you have no healspray, def chambers, or hive to heal at or an area to respawn at. They had advanced technology which is apparent. Satcom is easy to siege from the hidden room. And that even if you held them off they'd have so much resoruces at this point that the heavie swould come in and toast you. It finished the game early, but the one in a billion chance you had at making a comeback is pathetic.

ShingyBoy · December 2002

How come this has only been implemented for aliens though? i remember i was marine (i was new 2 game my second game of ns) and this marine hid in this place for agez there were so many aliens all over the base and he hid in the back of this big metal thing at the base in ns_bast for ages i eventually left but i really hate lame people like that marines can do it as already mentioned why has it not been implemented for them??

could make more sense for aliens tho coz aliens are not other life forms and those life forms could depend on one hive etc etc... i mean if u av a general in like a big war lets say if he goes down everyone else should go down or surrender like right?

Deltron_Z · December 2002

We could all boycot NS til they take it out.

ShuflY · December 2002

I don't think that removing the timer or delaying the timer are proper solutions. If the game is in full swing, and the marines have pushed the aliens out of all three hives, there is just no way you are going to convince me that the aliens have a chance at coming back. At this point, the marines have such a huge resource and upgrades lead that any attempt to come back would be crushed very quickly.

I do, however, think that the countdown timer should be disabled for the opening minutes of the game. A marine rush that causes the aliens to lose their spawn hive 5 to 10 minutes into the game is really unfair when the countdown timer hinders any chance of a comeback, and that early in the game, where the marines have none of the other hives defended, there is a huge chance of a comeback.

MMZ_Torak · December 2002

Normally I agree the timer is a good thing; however, there was no way we should have taken back one of the hives they were holding. It was a winable situation for aliens. I was there. It is a rare occurance, but none the less, it was winable for Aliens.

Boneless · December 2002

Timer is fine for me, but there should be a timer for marines either. I cant count the lame marines i've seen this weeked hiding in vents... Sure... they get killed at last, but it is a waste of time.

Wait... The dead marines were lame too. Why ppl dont go to RR?

Glide · December 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (KraYziE @ Dec 11 2002, 04:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>all 8 of you didnt think about building a def chamber i take it?</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Uhm, they would siege anyway. Pointless.

ravan46 · December 2002

Maybe it could be altered. So that the countdown effects only one alien at a time, and picking a random alien each time, gorges being last, since they're the most important when all hives are down. So when one alien dies from countdown, another one will start. Untill they're all dead or a hive is build.
For an alien team with all there members alive when there hive goes down, this would be much better than the countdown now. And it would also take care of that last annoying skulk in the vents.

BiTMAP · December 2002

this would not work becuase it would kill off the defense for the gorge, I've personaly NEVER had a time where we NEEDED the countdown, it always kills us for no reason, and really it takes away from the feeling of the game!

hoju2 · December 2002

Hehe, in a recent game, our Marine team was led by a totally inept Commander, he really seemed to have no idea what he was doing. Without having a single Res point, we noticed the aliens had started building defenses for their second hive in the Vent area. Deciding to take command, a couple of good Marines and I stealthily made our way to the first hive. The three of us managed to take out the unguarded Hive effectively winning us the game despite our total lack of technology, resources, and leadership.

Edcrab · December 2002

Why have it? Seriosuly, why have it? The whole logic behind it is flawed...! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'>
If anything, a marine side that doesn't use scanner sweep at end game deserves to walk around for hours on end. Besides, I've experienced vent-camping marines more often than I'd've liked. It's relevant for both teams...
Anyone suggesting the alien's build def chambers to survive has totally missed the point- guess what? Chambers don't follow you around! They'd literaly need to camp to live, to benefit from the regen "blips" and combat the hive-loss degeneration. Wow, that means the problem has started all over again but is more annoying then ever! Gah. Talk about a tension killer.
Apart from removing it, I can't really think of any equivalent. A "stillness" timer could be combated by running back and forth in any single vent (llama's and general idiots don't care how daft they have to act), and everything else is flawed in some other way (ravan's "one alien at a time" idea, for example, would be far more bearable, but still annoying.) For the love of god, remove it! GAH!!

...there, I think I've drained my head of ranting stupidity now. It's safe to return to NS...

Just_Ayane · December 2002

Yes the countdown sucks arse, it should be adjusted however u can still do something about it, when u have regen and 1 or more DC towers near ( or in a vent ) go there and stay there, then gest everytime u almost get down 2 10hp or less, eventually go gorg get up 2 80 res and rebuild the hive however dont count on winning....

PetitMorte · December 2002

What I'd like to see is a cvar implimentation of this serverside. Default it to the way it is now, but allow server admins to alter it as fit. Something like sv_hivedeathdelay (default 0) that lets admins set a delay between the last hive dying and the countdown starting.

Admins who don't want it can set it for 999 and never have it kick in, admins who like the way it is now can leave it at 0. Personally, I'd set it at 3 minutes.

The Alien Countdown Is Such A Flaw

Comments