Simple logic puzzles to replace tedious 'E' holding sessions

peregrinusperegrinus Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72445Members
edited June 2011 in Ideas and Suggestions
I suppose a lot of you have played the free Alien Swarm game. One thing I enjoyed in it was the logic puzzles you had to complete to unlock gates and doors. The faster you can solve them, the faster you get the result. Basically the puzzles involve rearranging lines which represent cables or some such technology.

<img src="http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/467809-alien-swarm-windows-screenshot-the-common-hack-puzzles.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

We need to encourage team work and an important part of that is maintaining your team's structures. Making those tasks very boring is a disincentive to team orientated play. So how could that be applied to NS2 to mitigate the repetitive non skill based repair tasks and the gorge's construction boost ability?

Marines: Welding structures doesn't take long so I don't see a need to change that. Powernodes on the other hand take about a minute or more for one marine to repair. Change that into a puzzle that pops up and makes sense in the context. Make the marine put some cables together in the right way and then the power comes back on.

Aliens: The gorges could increase hive and harvester construction speed by completing a short game. Something that involves bacteria or cells....they could fire some things at cells to make the cells duplicate, and when there are enough cells then the building is completed. It could be something like a retro arcade game.
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Comments

  • Vladimir Van VodkaVladimir Van Vodka Sexy Beast Join Date: 2010-07-30 Member: 73364Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    +1

    awesome Idea,

    I would also suggest that there would be 3 different mini-games for each team, so that it would not get repetitive even in the long run, think of it as mass effect 2's approach; where there where file matchup and node connection styled minigames, even these two would not get repetitive, since they where quick and reflex based.

    <img src="http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/419053-mass-effect-2-windows-screenshot-the-second-hacking-mini-game.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    <img src="http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/419052-mass-effect-2-windows-screenshot-the-first-hacking-mini-game.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
  • Jason WhoreJason Whore Join Date: 2011-04-11 Member: 92514Members
    NO ! -1 and stuff..
    this is stupid and does not fits in NS2
  • pSyk0mAnpSyk0mAn Nerdish by Nature Germany Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
    SUDOKU IN NS2 OH YEAH :D

    Seriously though, I'm not sure if this fits into NS.
    Marines are supposed to check for aliens constantly while holding the button, instead of focusing on a mini-game.
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    edited June 2011
    Yeah I hate these sorts of minigames, it's annoying as hell, especially in a multiplayer game.

    It's not like it takes very long to build most things.

    <!--quoteo(post=1852072:date=Jun 12 2011, 12:45 PM:name=Vladimir Van Vodka)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vladimir Van Vodka @ Jun 12 2011, 12:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852072"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->+1

    awesome Idea,

    I would also suggest that there would be 3 different mini-games for each team, so that it would not get repetitive even in the long run, think of it as mass effect 2's approach; where there where file matchup and node connection styled minigames, even these two would not get repetitive, since they where quick and reflex based.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Those actually get hideously repetitive, to the point where I actually avoid looting because it means I don't have to do the minigames.
  • Vladimir Van VodkaVladimir Van Vodka Sexy Beast Join Date: 2010-07-30 Member: 73364Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Yeah I see what you mean, I just thought it would be fun to be able to do something and be distracted while you fix the power nodes:
    cinematically and immersion wise, I thought it was excellent:

    you know, focus on fixing something and actually thinking while your teammates try and cover you from waves of skulks, and then sweat goes down your brow as you hear their screams and gunfire, "they're coming through the walls! they're coming through the god-damn walls!!" and there's a skinny rookie marine behind you twitching and crying that's its game over man, then you punch him and say that you need to concentrate because fixing it isn't as easy as pressing a god damn button! and the commander is screaming at you to hurry the f*** up through the radio, and you reply in a raspy breath that your trying as fast as you can, as your eyes twitch as try to distinguish something through the darkness, your eyes haven't adjusted yet through the HDR: HURRY UP MAN! the wire?.... which wire do you need to solder??? whats that? YOU DROPPED THE WELDER WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DOOO omfgaawwwddjakduiafk18947fhd891050&*W$B@
  • subshadowsubshadow Join Date: 2003-04-21 Member: 15710Members
  • peregrinusperegrinus Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72445Members
    edited June 2011
    <!--quoteo(post=1852077:date=Jun 12 2011, 01:00 PM:name=Chris0132)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chris0132 @ Jun 12 2011, 01:00 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852077"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah I hate these sorts of minigames, it's annoying as hell, especially in a multiplayer game.

    It's not like it takes very long to build most things.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    If you read my post you will see that I agree with you. I said "welding structures doesn't take long so I don't see a need to change that". Repairing powernodes takes at least 1 minute (haven't timed it, it feels longer than 1 minute since you're staring at a powernode and you cant really look around properly to check for aliens incoming).

    This was only for marine powernodes and alien hives (take 3 minutes to build without gorge help) and harvesters (haven't timed them).

    So, like I said, this is only for THREE structures out of how many, 20? 30?

    Do people really prefer staring at a hive and holding E for 2 minutes more than playing a minigame for 20/30 seconds? What else can be done to make the minutes long E holding sessions interesting? I cannot think of another game where the player completes a task by holding a single key down for an extended length of time and doing nothing else.
  • Jason WhoreJason Whore Join Date: 2011-04-11 Member: 92514Members
    edited June 2011
    <!--quoteo(post=1852137:date=Jun 12 2011, 06:01 PM:name=peregrinus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peregrinus @ Jun 12 2011, 06:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852137"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->[...] I cannot think of another game where the player completes a task by holding a single key down for an extended length of time and doing nothing else.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Brink.
    And there you sometimes don't even have the freedom to interrupt it for a second to defend.

    COD games.

    Counter Strike.
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    edited June 2011
    I like the idea. The aliens could do them to, i.e. while their character appears to be chomping away, the user could be completing a puzzle that destroys the object. The alien avatar would still be doing a chomping animation for aesthetic and gameplay reasons, i.e. that sound is what tells marines where a nearby structure is being destroyed. Inversely a marine doing a repair/build puzzle would appear to be welding/soldering/plugging-######-in (in fact we could have puzzles like that) :p

    The more players involved, the less puzzles a single player needs to do. If their's more players then puzzles then everyone gets a crack at a puzzles and the first one to finish causes the build to be completed.

    For one thing it makes attacking marine start a little more hairy then the typical suicide-attacks-on-ips. Or it makes it very easy, because if no ones around then it shouldn't take you that long to complete the puzzle... and probably a lot less then the time to chew it. You MIGHT need teamwork to distract the marines :P

    The next point that comes up is how do we covert %-of-puzzle-completed to %-of-damage-to-structure. And my approach would be, if their's 3-sub-puzzles (like in that alien-swarm pic in original post), then each puzzle completed does approx 33.3333% worth of damage, or (#-of-puzzles-completed)/(#-of-puzzles-for-that-structure) * 100%. And for each puzzle completed/damage-percent-dealt, the marines would need complete that many puzzles to repair.

    And instead of adding a "Welder", it can be a toolbox/diagnostic-terminal.

    Or is this a game for people that don't want to think? Where people that prefer aliens also don't want to be bothered with reloading? xD
  • lunsluns Join Date: 2010-12-05 Member: 75502Members
    or add a welder.

    currently pushing E to weld is rather laughable and cheap.
    every marine by default has this ability, no research no upgrade no tool even used - just push E, pretty laughable wouldn't you say?

    allow the commander to research welders, than welders can be bought from the armory by the marines.
    the welder can replace the axe, or just add an extra weapon slot. Welder should NOT replace any guns.

    most reasonable solution, and by far better than pushing E.
  • Jason WhoreJason Whore Join Date: 2011-04-11 Member: 92514Members
    researchable? u stupid? how to build an infantry portal in the begining then? macs have to be researched too...
  • lunsluns Join Date: 2010-12-05 Member: 75502Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1852166:date=Jun 12 2011, 06:04 PM:name=Jason ######)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jason ###### @ Jun 12 2011, 06:04 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852166"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->researchable? u stupid? how to build an infantry portal in the begining then? macs have to be researched too...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    no but you must be, if you think pushing E is perfectly fine.
  • Jason WhoreJason Whore Join Date: 2011-04-11 Member: 92514Members
    aliens dont need to research dental care to chew down powernodes so why should marines research something? or buy something...
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    edited June 2011
    <!--quoteo(post=1852137:date=Jun 12 2011, 05:01 PM:name=peregrinus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peregrinus @ Jun 12 2011, 05:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852137"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you read my post you will see that I agree with you. I said "welding structures doesn't take long so I don't see a need to change that". Repairing powernodes takes at least 1 minute (haven't timed it, it feels longer than 1 minute since you're staring at a powernode and you cant really look around properly to check for aliens incoming).

    This was only for marine powernodes and alien hives (take 3 minutes to build without gorge help) and harvesters (haven't timed them).

    So, like I said, this is only for THREE structures out of how many, 20? 30?

    Do people really prefer staring at a hive and holding E for 2 minutes more than playing a minigame for 20/30 seconds? What else can be done to make the minutes long E holding sessions interesting? I cannot think of another game where the player completes a task by holding a single key down for an extended length of time and doing nothing else.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    The solution to hives and powernodes is marines should take rooms in groups/with mac support so repairing goes much faster, and hives are generally not worth E building.

    As gorges should build with heal spray anyway rather than E, make it so that dropping gorge infestation causes any building on it to grow faster as long as the infestation lasts. That way gorges can do something else while the hive grows.

    Although like I said, hives generally aren't worth building faster, because either way they take a long ass time to build, and a long ass time is a long ass time regardles of exactly how long ass it is.
  • mammajoe44mammajoe44 Join Date: 2011-06-04 Member: 102635Members
    This would be something cool for modders to do but for it to be in the core game idk. Could be annoying.
  • subshadowsubshadow Join Date: 2003-04-21 Member: 15710Members
    I can imagine that it could be cool in the most basic version i can think of: The welding of a door. Here you would have to follow the outline of the door at a certain speed (just not too fast) so you can weld it shut. When you go to fast the weld can't keep up and you have to redo a certain part of the door again.

    Not sure if welding doors is still an option: since we can lock them
  • Soylent_greenSoylent_green Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11220Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    We already have several minigames while building.

    1) Awareness of sound and watching entrances to not get ambushed.
    2) Awareness of minimap, chat and speech to know what your team is doing.
  • zexzex Join Date: 2009-10-07 Member: 68978Members
    holding E is incredibly lame, idk if puzzles are the answer but I agree with everyone who said E-holding is weak gameplay
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Ah but it's not just holding E now is it, it also holsters your weapon while holding E. Not to mention it actually forces you to look in one direction usually with a big wall or building obscuring your view, while the Kharaa could pop up any time. Perhaps a welder should pop up to make it better looking, but that is nothing more then aesthetics, which can be put on hold during beta development...
  • Soylent_greenSoylent_green Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11220Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1852739:date=Jun 14 2011, 07:09 PM:name=zex)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (zex @ Jun 14 2011, 07:09 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852739"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->holding E is incredibly lame, idk if puzzles are the answer but I agree with everyone who said E-holding is weak gameplay<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    If all you're doing is holding E, you're doing it wrong.
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1852739:date=Jun 15 2011, 12:09 AM:name=zex)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (zex @ Jun 15 2011, 12:09 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852739"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->holding E is incredibly lame, idk if puzzles are the answer but I agree with everyone who said E-holding is weak gameplay<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    You do it for about ten seconds tops.

    Your life is not so important you can't take ten seconds out of it to build an extractor.
  • zexzex Join Date: 2009-10-07 Member: 68978Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1852812:date=Jun 15 2011, 12:50 AM:name=Chris0132)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chris0132 @ Jun 15 2011, 12:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1852812"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Your game is not so important you can't take ten seconds out of it to hold E<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I disagree, you shouldn't be taken out of the game, ever, let alone for the purpose of holding a button down.
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    edited June 2011
    And the fact that you're holding down buttons to move around, shoot, run faster, and generally do everything in the game doesn't take you out of it?

    Pressing the generic use key to perform actions is what is generally described as unobtrusive, whereas pressing the generic use key to activate the out of context minigame is what is generally described as incredibly annoying.
  • zexzex Join Date: 2009-10-07 Member: 68978Members
    you just said "you can't take ten seconds <b>out of it</b> " and now you're reversing yourself 1 post later. Make up your mind.
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    edited June 2011
    Yes but 'it' isn't the game, I don't know why you edited that quote, you're still playing the game, that's sort of the point. I said life, as in your existence in general is not so important that you must pack every waking second with non stop vigorous action. You can afford a little downtime between fights, build an extractor, walk a bit more carefully to your destination to avoid getting murdered by an unexpected skulk, look at the pretty environment models, there's plenty of time down the road to shoot aliens.
  • zexzex Join Date: 2009-10-07 Member: 68978Members
    You're are still making an analogy between "your life" and "the game," I just took out the unnecessary analogy to make it more clear what you're actually saying. "Your life" = "fights, murdered by a skulk," etc = the game.
  • RobBRobB TUBES OF THE INTERWEB Join Date: 2003-08-11 Member: 19423Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    i so hated that ###### soldering memory minigame in mass effect 2. especially when two or more points where close together and their opposite where rather far away.

    but the idea itself isnt bad, I can imagine a couple of stacked rings and you have to allign an opening in them one after another to a certain direction to lock it in and go the next ring.
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    No I mean your life as in the thing you're living right now.

    Basically I'm saying take it slower, you don't need to rush constantly in NS, there is a lot of room for more considered actions and oftentimes, building an extractor or patrolling for skulks will be more beneificial than running to a hive and shooting it up. There isn't any rush to die, playing conservatively and intelligently is just as valuable. You won't die tomorrow so you don't need to cram as much in at once as you can.
  • PlasmaPlasma Join Date: 2003-04-26 Member: 15855Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    I don't like sitting there healing stuff (especially a power node); its the sort of thing I will do if others are helping though.
  • HarimauHarimau Join Date: 2007-12-24 Member: 63250Members
    I don't know how much this solves, but... E as a toggle, rather than held-down? Of course if you turn away you disengage anyway.
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