Too much Information
B1ackSmoke
Join Date: 2011-01-25 Member: 78855Members
Join Date: 2011-01-25 Member: 78855Members
My brother and I have noticed that it's great to see who has killed who on the top right and all, but showing that an extractor has gone down and what exactly killed it makes things a little too easy, for both teams.
If your harvester, extractor, ip or whip, etc... is going down it's very simple to check the map and see that it is being attacked, also you have a commander who should be telling you what's going on.
I think that if NS2 were to take of those structure kills from showing it would balance out the game a bit.
This is just an idea.
What are your thoughts?
-B1ackSmoke
If your harvester, extractor, ip or whip, etc... is going down it's very simple to check the map and see that it is being attacked, also you have a commander who should be telling you what's going on.
I think that if NS2 were to take of those structure kills from showing it would balance out the game a bit.
This is just an idea.
What are your thoughts?
-B1ackSmoke
Comments
It's good that you want attentive and communicative commanders, but this wouldn't really encourage it, just make the game that much harder when you don't have one. So it gets harder for noobs, but vets are unaffected.
I actually can't decide whether I like this feature or not.
It gives you meaningful information, some times.
Other times I feel that it clutters the actual kills.
I kill a hidden skulk because I saw him on the mini-hack.
I kill a hidden skulk because I saw him on the mini-hack.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That raises a valid point somewhat because the ARC's "aren't able to identify aliens because they do not have the lifeforms in their database" and yet.. the marines tiny visor can.. Although perhaps the skulk should really be a lerk - I find that early game there's not enough lerks.. aliens can't really complain about balance when they lose and they all have 60+ individual resources. The resources are there to spend, and if they're not spending that it's their own fault. :\
I wonder though.. has early lerking really been tested enough then though? I think there should be a test done one day of 6 games in a row, 3 of which have most of the team go early lerk (and maybe a gorge) and then have another 3 where there is only 1 lerk at early game and see how it plays out.. Lerks should have the advantage because even if one dies there's not much time before they can re-obtain the lifeform, and with a team being so offensive they are ale to get to higher tier.
That is, think of if that skulk that was trying to be sneaky was instead a lerk, and aiming spikes at you :\ the outcome would be different, so is it really the map that was beneficial or was it simply that it was a skulk.... skulks are quite weak imo.. you should not feel bad killing them :P
How is a skulk or marine supposed to be somewhat sneaky when the aliens are clearly told that "marineX" has killed one of their cyst or harvesters.
Same goes for marines. "AlienX" has killed a powernode.
I think the commander should have the roll of making sure things are safe and alerting the team when something is under attack.
I feel having the enemy show up on the mini map and big map are help enough.
-B1ackSmoke
You'd be surprised how effective a username like "Don't shoot me I'm innocent" has an effect, as opposed to if your username was "KillerDeathDreadnaughtDoomEvil" or something.. the more you make yourself out to be a monster, the more people are willing to shoot you dead.
Anyways, in the end the game must sway towards one team or the other.. I'd rather have more information available to clueless people because I'm all for more competition, even if that means losing - it's just a game. Don't take it so seriously (but still be vigilant because if you are playing, then you should play your best no matter how much something like that bothers you.. use it to your advantage, even).
In pcws we have been testing with different amounts of lerks. 1, 2 and 3.
The more lerks you get the more strength your team get, lerks are really good in packs.
But one spore lerk with lots of skulks is also powerful.
As you say they are easily replaceable due to the resource flow, and they increase your chances of getting your hive up.
The more lerks you get the more strength your team get, lerks are really good in packs.
But one spore lerk with lots of skulks is also powerful.
As you say they are easily replaceable due to the resource flow, and they increase your chances of getting your hive up.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think you posted on the wrong topic
I think though there's a flaw in how you're trying to communicate this idea:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If your harvester, extractor, ip or whip, etc... is going down it's very simple to check the map and see that it is being attacked, also you have a commander who should be telling you what's going on.
I think that if NS2 were to take of those structure kills from showing it would balance out the game a bit.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
At first you are saying that the hivemind is too powerful by notifying the team, but then you say that the kill feed is too powerful for showing that a building has been killed.. well if the hivemind/marine defense computer voice are too powerful, wouldn't the building have been defended? And that would also suggest that the player in question that was trying to be stealthy has already completed his task, should he have assassinated the right building.. therefore giving flaw to your first statement?
Also, if the one who is trying to be stealthy dies, is it not his fault for not asking for backup?
Anyways those are some things to think about.. I don't think that broadcasting it on the kill feed matters so much because it is practically known by everyone (paying attention) in the server anyways, and if not it brings it to peoples attention allowing the game to progress.
Cue elitist rage.
It really is a case of "too much information". The top right corner kill feed moves much too fast for it to be useful for paying attention to what's going on in the game. I'm very experienced and I still can't get much use out of it in its current state.
<!--quoteo(post=1893745:date=Jan 12 2012, 04:48 AM:name=Harimau)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Harimau @ Jan 12 2012, 04:48 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893745"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What we really need are minimap notifications of these events. When such an event occurs, the (corner) minimap may zoom out slightly, and it will highlight the location of the event (like a flashing minimap ping for instance), or if it remains outside of the view (i.e. we don't zoom all the way out - which could be problematic), it displays it on the minimap at the edge with an arrow pointing to it. You should be able to tell at a glance. Games like HoN also pair "tower under attack" with a horn sound - though this could be problematic. It also displays the alive/dead status of players on both teams, with tiny icons for each player in the corner/edge of the screen, which may also be useful.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sounds like a good idea to me. I agree with the OP that structure kills should be removed from the top right "kill feed" though. I also agree with Yuuki that the minimap sometimes gives a little too much information. It might be better if it didn't show as much information about what the alien team is currently doing, as it does right now. This was a problem in NS1 as well and it removes quite a bit of the "what's waiting around the next corner?" tension from the game.