Look at these NS2 game stats would you?
scorpydude
Join Date: 2005-03-05 Member: 43603Members
Join Date: 2005-03-05 Member: 43603Members
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You goto love all these balance changes like weapon cost/dmg etc... when the game still doesnt have HA/Jetpack/Onos/Land or Trip Mines etc...
Completely useless to try and balance a game with half of the game content missing IMO.
Get the ONOS and HA in already, even if they look like cubes of untextured model. The fact is the game needs all the assets in as soon as possible.
The implimentation you did on dynamic infestation was the best decision you made in a LONG time. Get the feature in, worry about how it looks and how it's balanced etc later.
We need the game features in guys.... stop with the balance... work on getting the assets in. Balancing without the major assets in is useless.
(Coming from someone that averages about 18-24hours of NS2 a week)
You goto love all these balance changes like weapon cost/dmg etc... when the game still doesnt have HA/Jetpack/Onos/Land or Trip Mines etc...
Completely useless to try and balance a game with half of the game content missing IMO.
Get the ONOS and HA in already, even if they look like cubes of untextured model. The fact is the game needs all the assets in as soon as possible.
The implimentation you did on dynamic infestation was the best decision you made in a LONG time. Get the feature in, worry about how it looks and how it's balanced etc later.
We need the game features in guys.... stop with the balance... work on getting the assets in. Balancing without the major assets in is useless.
(Coming from someone that averages about 18-24hours of NS2 a week)
Comments
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That said, I still think the game performances should be right now even more important than adding the tier 3 technologies and the rest of aliens upgrades. I personally am waiting for the next build to try even playing again. (I'm even not mentioning here that poor fps cause rapids units way more harder to hit, causing in part the imbalance in the win/loss ratio)
Another note : I still like how that beta stage (with not everything yet implemented) make the game slowly evolve (the new lerk change is the most awesome, and I don't know if it would have happened if the devs were rushing to implement the rest right now ; so everything isn't bad here).
Last, I really think that it's not a big deal if aliens win yet 70% of the time... The game is in beta and still enjoyable. Every few weeks there is a big change in the game (last ones were cysts, then shade...) and it's great like that. The balance between wins and losses will stabilize later, no harm. I personally take my time to practice my aiming and movements as a marine, even if the actual game is lost :)
I have a $3000 gaming system that gives pefect full FPS in every game I play. Still, with NS2, I run on 1024x768 or a couple of resolutions higher then that. A very long way away from max/native res. I also run with r_shadows 0 and r_bloom 0. This gives me constant, smooth, never stuttering graphics. I recommend you do the same. I rather have constant FPS that never drops then great graphics in a FPS.
Graphics (and network) engine tweaking has made massive leaps in performance and will continue to do so, especially when they get another engine programmer to help out Max. In the meantime, we need all the assets in the game. As I said, I don't care if the Onos and HA are a large untextured cubes that say HA or O on them without sound... the sheer fact is the game is amazing until you hit complete map occupation then it goes to turret farming and head against desk status.
It makes no sence for all this UI polishing and game balancing to be taking up time when we still only have 50% of gameplay assets even IN the game. I rather a buggy, unfinished art game with al assets in then a shiny, bug free NS with no teir 3. NS without teir 3 is absolutly pointless and frustrating as all hell to play once you hit teir2. How many parses has the fayde and lerk had so far? 2-3? Get the last teir in already, please stop making parses on gameplay balance for god sake.
We need our other assets, NS does not work without it. The amount of effort spent keeping this NS2HD guy happy to run this wannabe esport clanmatches instead of getting necessary endgame assets in is taking up too much time. All this e-sport clan match crap does is push UWE in the direction of having something 'polished' before they put it in game. This is (most likely) why we don't have onos or ha or jetpack or mines yet... because mr NS2HD will go stick it on a video, potential customers will see it and be turned off the game. We need less of that pointless flamboyance and more 'get the asset in asap and polish later' mentality... once again, remember the decision UWE made with Dynamic Infestation? To use a basic texture to indicate where it in order to get the gameplay feature into the game as soon as possible... that was a BRILLIANT decision!
I think having every available class to play would make it the core. As the man said, having all available marine/alien classes would be extremely beneficial for balance.
The redesigned the lerk because they wanted it to play differently, now is the perfect time to test this, if its broken now it will be broken in early/mid game later as well.
As for small balancing, they just change a few numbers to make the game now more playable for everyone, which gives them a benefit as well (and doesnt consume much time).
The more people play, the more and the fast bugs will be found.
If they would totally disregard balance no one would play because you know 1 team doesnt stand a chance (well, most of the time marines dont stand a chance but they dont lose right of the bat)
Its also easier to balance things out later if you already know how some changes impact the game now. also, the more units get added the more things need to be balanced, but if they can get the early vs early and mid vs midgame ratio somewhat right they can keep these ratios, so when lategame tech gets added and it feels to strong against midgame tech, they can just up the ratio instead of separated numbers, that way you increase mid vs late without screwing up mid vs midgame to much.