Thanks for changing the alien upgrade system. It really was a big mess and i hope it will be more like NS1 - simple and yet enough room for different playstyles as the game proceeds.
Speaking of NS1, any plans at UWE to revive the popular maps tanith and eclipse? I think veil is already in progress and looks awesome but is a community project. Will you support these mappers or even add these maps to the ns2 map pool?
<!--quoteo(post=1880985:date=Oct 21 2011, 04:04 AM:name=LV426-Colonist)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LV426-Colonist @ Oct 21 2011, 04:04 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880985"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Untrue. If your with a pack of skulks --- gas the room, team turns on "alien vision", nom nom nom.
Err, or just gas up a room until its hard enough for the marines to see, then use your spikes.
If a marine is at a low point health-wise; the gas will finish him off...it's not so easy trying to escape a "gas chamber".
-----------------------------------
On another note: I think it'd be nice if the gas slowly-sunk towards the ground - that way marines cannot crouch under it; avoiding death.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Tbh I think the spore trail should be a little bigger/wider, that or, as you suggested, enable it to sink.. Right now you can't really gas onto a standing marine without flying straight into him (meeting a SG in the face). Either make it a little wider, or make it sink over time and it will be much easier to gas a room effectively. If it is made wider, the adrenaline cost/drain could be increased aswell to balance it better.
Isn't it a little bit early to actually balance the game for current state of the game?
Performance and tech will increase meaning all the niggles and fixes you spend time on now will be looked over and changed eventually again.
Anyway, I think its wrong and just a waste of time trying to balance and fix the game while so much game breaking content has yet to be implemented.
People need to accept this is still beta (or even actually alpha?) and treat it like that. Yea its hard because in most cases, access to beta means the game just needs to be polished but it simply isn't the case here. Also UWE is a small developer. So let them build strong foundations before you all jump in and start asking for a paintjob for your rooms. Yea that means you will not be able to enjoy the game so much but just look at the bigger picture here for a second.
<!--quoteo(post=1881017:date=Oct 21 2011, 10:08 AM:name=Smasher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Smasher @ Oct 21 2011, 10:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1881017"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Tbh I think the spore trail should be a little bigger/wider, that or, as you suggested, enable it to sink.. Right now you can't really gas onto a standing marine without flying straight into him (meeting a SG in the face). Either make it a little wider, or make it sink over time and it will be much easier to gas a room effectively. If it is made wider, the adrenaline cost/drain could be increased aswell to balance it better.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think having the gas clouds sink to the ground is an amazing idea. It doesn't do much good for them to be up in the air anyways. It also gives the marines a chance to walk away as it floats down towards them.
Alien upgrades are definitely one of the biggest problems with NS2 currently, and it bears repeating.
<!--quoteo(post=1880662:date=Oct 19 2011, 09:30 AM:name=Koruyo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Koruyo @ Oct 19 2011, 09:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880662"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Its a complete mess compared to ns1. There is no specialization on playstyle lifeform or situation anymore.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1880690:date=Oct 19 2011, 01:38 PM:name=fanatic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (fanatic @ Oct 19 2011, 01:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880690"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I would say NS2 should try to build on this, instead of rejecting it and using the "buffet style" upgrade system aliens currently have. If anything, the disctinction between the different upgrade trees should be bigger, not smaller.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1880803:date=Oct 20 2011, 02:48 AM:name=aeroripper)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (aeroripper @ Oct 20 2011, 02:48 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880803"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It was a lot easier to understand in NS1. Certain abilities like Frenzy and Swarm are useful, but you don't really notice them like you did the upgrades in NS1. In NS1 alien upgrades were focused on <b><u>individual</u></b> enhancements that worked immediately and all the time (except redempt which was delayed). The only thing that had to be done was for a gorge to drop a certain chamber and the rest of the team would get individual upgrades that complimented their class and playstyle.
In current NS2, you have chambers that have their own static/triggered abilities that affect the <b>group</b> along with evolve-able individual upgrades for players. As more hives go up, players can get all the associated upgrades from those chambers all at once. It's like combat mode from NS1 and kills the uniqueness of a crag\shade\shift hive.
I would much rather see a "Crag Hive" be a tradeoff from a "Shade Hive". Crag, Shift, and Shade Hives should provide <b>immediately noticeable evolved individual upgrades to players</b>, but only allow one of those upgrades to be used like in NS1. Its a trade off, not a buffet. Players would have to choose what upgrade they want from that chamber depending on the situation.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Having the tradeoffs isn't just about game balance. It's also about fun. Having only a handful of options to choose from means that each game you can do something completely different. It makes the replay value exponentially higher, something very important in a multiplayer game. When all of the options are available to you, then the act of choosing upgrades is degraded into little more than checking off a laundry list of chores. But when you only have a limited number of options, it makes each choice meaningful, exciting, and unique.
You can't do everything at once. A friend to all is a friend to none, as they say.
<!--quoteo(post=1882992:date=Nov 1 2011, 09:30 AM:name=Runteh)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Runteh @ Nov 1 2011, 09:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1882992"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I disagree about DPS, half of Spores effectiveness comes through blinding marines.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Most people don't understand the use of spores right now, they think its solely something you use to damage, and as the damage is so low they don't even use it, losing a good tactic in the process.
Comments
Speaking of NS1, any plans at UWE to revive the popular maps tanith and eclipse? I think veil is already in progress and looks awesome but is a community project. Will you support these mappers or even add these maps to the ns2 map pool?
Err, or just gas up a room until its hard enough for the marines to see, then use your spikes.
If a marine is at a low point health-wise; the gas will finish him off...it's not so easy trying to escape a "gas chamber".
-----------------------------------
On another note: I think it'd be nice if the gas slowly-sunk towards the ground - that way marines cannot crouch under it; avoiding death.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Tbh I think the spore trail should be a little bigger/wider, that or, as you suggested, enable it to sink.. Right now you can't really gas onto a standing marine without flying straight into him (meeting a SG in the face). Either make it a little wider, or make it sink over time and it will be much easier to gas a room effectively.
If it is made wider, the adrenaline cost/drain could be increased aswell to balance it better.
Performance and tech will increase meaning all the niggles and fixes you spend time on now will be looked over and changed eventually again.
Anyway, I think its wrong and just a waste of time trying to balance and fix the game while so much game breaking content has yet to be implemented.
People need to accept this is still beta (or even actually alpha?) and treat it like that. Yea its hard because in most cases, access to beta means the game just needs to be polished but it simply isn't the case here. Also UWE is a small developer. So let them build strong foundations before you all jump in and start asking for a paintjob for your rooms. Yea that means you will not be able to enjoy the game so much but just look at the bigger picture here for a second.
If it is made wider, the adrenaline cost/drain could be increased aswell to balance it better.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think having the gas clouds sink to the ground is an amazing idea. It doesn't do much good for them to be up in the air anyways. It also gives the marines a chance to walk away as it floats down towards them.
<!--quoteo(post=1880662:date=Oct 19 2011, 09:30 AM:name=Koruyo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Koruyo @ Oct 19 2011, 09:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880662"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Its a complete mess compared to ns1.
There is no specialization on playstyle lifeform or situation anymore.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1880690:date=Oct 19 2011, 01:38 PM:name=fanatic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (fanatic @ Oct 19 2011, 01:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880690"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I would say NS2 should try to build on this, instead of rejecting it and using the "buffet style" upgrade system aliens currently have. If anything, the disctinction between the different upgrade trees should be bigger, not smaller.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1880803:date=Oct 20 2011, 02:48 AM:name=aeroripper)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (aeroripper @ Oct 20 2011, 02:48 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880803"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It was a lot easier to understand in NS1. Certain abilities like Frenzy and Swarm are useful, but you don't really notice them like you did the upgrades in NS1. In NS1 alien upgrades were focused on <b><u>individual</u></b> enhancements that worked immediately and all the time (except redempt which was delayed). The only thing that had to be done was for a gorge to drop a certain chamber and the rest of the team would get individual upgrades that complimented their class and playstyle.
In current NS2, you have chambers that have their own static/triggered abilities that affect the <b>group</b> along with evolve-able individual upgrades for players. As more hives go up, players can get all the associated upgrades from those chambers all at once. It's like combat mode from NS1 and kills the uniqueness of a crag\shade\shift hive.
I would much rather see a "Crag Hive" be a tradeoff from a "Shade Hive". Crag, Shift, and Shade Hives should provide <b>immediately noticeable evolved individual upgrades to players</b>, but only allow one of those upgrades to be used like in NS1. Its a trade off, not a buffet. Players would have to choose what upgrade they want from that chamber depending on the situation.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Having the tradeoffs isn't just about game balance. It's also about fun. Having only a handful of options to choose from means that each game you can do something completely different. It makes the replay value exponentially higher, something very important in a multiplayer game. When all of the options are available to you, then the act of choosing upgrades is degraded into little more than checking off a laundry list of chores. But when you only have a limited number of options, it makes each choice meaningful, exciting, and unique.
You can't do everything at once. A friend to all is a friend to none, as they say.
Most people don't understand the use of spores right now, they think its solely something you use to damage, and as the damage is so low they don't even use it, losing a good tactic in the process.