It's crossed the threshold for me. <3
moultano
Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
<div class="IPBDescription">I can now recommend it to all my friends</div>Since 195 I've been playing every evening, and loved almost every game. Still lots of things to fix/tune, but it's crossed the threshold for me. I'm now playing it because I love it, not because I want to check it out or because I want to help the team.
Here are some of the things I love:
<ul><li>I played a game last night where we used arcs, and it felt awesome. It didn't have the stealth excitement of seige cannons in ns1, but the battles were much more dynamic because we could move from room to room. The aliens had saturated several tech points with whips and hydras. The arc was an integral part of how we were able to push out. Stopped outside the room, deployed the arc, mined it up, and let them come to us. Push forward to the next point, repeat.
</li><li>Server fps seems much better. Some servers still bog down but there are plenty of servers out there now that run smooth as butter. Agility is possible now.
</li><li>Commanding is so much less intimidating than in NS1. I feel comfortable hopping in the chair, and didn't even feel overwhelmed my first time.
</li><li>I love the infestation mechanic, both as a gorge placing it, and as a marine trying to cut it off. The immediate feedback of the glowing cysts is great.
</li><li>The fade blink is such an incredible effect. I feel more like nightcrawler using it than I've felt <i>actually playing as nightcrawler</i> in other games.
</li><li>Axing onoses. Nuff said. If your team doesn't have any advanced weaponry, everyone surrounding a lone onos with axes may actually be the best strategy.
</li><li>Foggy lights, oh man. I've never seen an effect like that in a game before, and it looks so beautiful.
</li><li>Lerk cropdusting. Finally, playing lerk is really about flying well at high speed.
</li><li>Wall-walking is smooth as butter. I take it for granted that any thing I want to climb I can do so trivially.</li></ul>
<b>Most of all</b>, I had forgotten what it felt like to <i>really play like a team</i> in a "team" game. For whatever reason, NS is more successful at that than any other game I've played, and it feels so good to come back to.
Just wanted to spread some <3, because for all of the things that still need to be fixed, this game is getting pretty damn incredible.
Here are some of the things I love:
<ul><li>I played a game last night where we used arcs, and it felt awesome. It didn't have the stealth excitement of seige cannons in ns1, but the battles were much more dynamic because we could move from room to room. The aliens had saturated several tech points with whips and hydras. The arc was an integral part of how we were able to push out. Stopped outside the room, deployed the arc, mined it up, and let them come to us. Push forward to the next point, repeat.
</li><li>Server fps seems much better. Some servers still bog down but there are plenty of servers out there now that run smooth as butter. Agility is possible now.
</li><li>Commanding is so much less intimidating than in NS1. I feel comfortable hopping in the chair, and didn't even feel overwhelmed my first time.
</li><li>I love the infestation mechanic, both as a gorge placing it, and as a marine trying to cut it off. The immediate feedback of the glowing cysts is great.
</li><li>The fade blink is such an incredible effect. I feel more like nightcrawler using it than I've felt <i>actually playing as nightcrawler</i> in other games.
</li><li>Axing onoses. Nuff said. If your team doesn't have any advanced weaponry, everyone surrounding a lone onos with axes may actually be the best strategy.
</li><li>Foggy lights, oh man. I've never seen an effect like that in a game before, and it looks so beautiful.
</li><li>Lerk cropdusting. Finally, playing lerk is really about flying well at high speed.
</li><li>Wall-walking is smooth as butter. I take it for granted that any thing I want to climb I can do so trivially.</li></ul>
<b>Most of all</b>, I had forgotten what it felt like to <i>really play like a team</i> in a "team" game. For whatever reason, NS is more successful at that than any other game I've played, and it feels so good to come back to.
Just wanted to spread some <3, because for all of the things that still need to be fixed, this game is getting pretty damn incredible.
Comments
And since your back around moultano, any news on a NS2 map from you?
Would love to see one :)
--Cory
I love hearing that some of those decisions made a looong time ago are finally paying off (ARCs moving, reworking blink repeatedly, decoupling the marine comm, adding mines, etc.)
P.S. Oh, and give your office mate P a big ole hug for me. :)
Also, shiva was a great ns map. Are you thinking of mapping for ns2?
In ns1 lerks spent a lot of time in battle not flying, unless you were really really talented and could effectively swoop in for bite kills. Usually as a lerk I was just spamming from outside the battle.
With cropdusting spores I have to be <i>in</i> the battle to be effective, and this is exactly at a level of difficulty that is challenging but fun for me. I'm probably not going to be good enough to take out a marine with a bite without getting shotgunned, but swooping through tight places avoiding hitting the walls difficult enough to be exciting.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, shiva was a great ns map. Are you thinking of mapping for ns2?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks! I'm thinking about it but I don't know if I have the time. That was a point in my life where I really needed a creative outlet that I could pour a lot of odd hours into, and my life isn't quite set up for that these days.
Hey Ryan, thanks again for the kind words. We're striving to do our best with the resources at our disposal, and hopefully the look of the game will be fresh enough to help us stand out among all the graphically stunning and polished games that are out there, these days.
<!--quoteo(post=1903606:date=Feb 16 2012, 01:04 AM:name=moultano)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (moultano @ Feb 16 2012, 01:04 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1903606"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->In ns1 lerks spent a lot of time in battle not flying, unless you were really really talented and could effectively swoop in for bite kills. Usually as a lerk I was just spamming from outside the battle.
With cropdusting spores I have to be <i>in</i> the battle to be effective, and this is exactly at a level of difficulty that is challenging but fun for me. I'm probably not going to be good enough to take out a marine with a bite without getting shotgunned, but swooping through tight places avoiding hitting the walls difficult enough to be exciting.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes! This is exactly the reason we changed the spores to the crop dusting effect. We really wanted to get the Lerks up into the air, and into the thick of the battle, rather then sitting back at at distance, and it has definitely worked as well as we'd hoped. Its not easy to be a good Lerk, especially when faced with a group of marines with shotguns, but I've seen some really smart and impressive Lerking from some players (as for myself, I'm pretty much just a target with wings and a very short lifespan when I choose to go Lerk).
--Cory
Sorry to be so blunt man, but this is some serious tunnel vision style denial/ignorance. Crop duster spores are a disaster in their current implementation.
Aren't there already plenty of other threads that you can voice your negative opinions in, instead of trying to derail one that was started by someone who is actually enjoying playing the game?
--Cory
i don't know why you refuse to listen about this, but crop duster spores just doesn't work at all. its really bad idea, I have strong feeling everyone who defends most bad ideas just don't want to be honest about the reality of it OR just doesn't understand why it isn't good.
bring back our beloved lerk to his former glory.
If you want them changed to be like NS1, ur welcome to make a mod.
If you want them changed to be like NS1, ur welcome to make a mod.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
spores work differently than in ns1, thanks for pointing this out.
they're used to disrupt vision and turrets, same can be made about the old spores.
it works quit well in that regard? maybe you can join cory on denial train.
what WE want is to improve the game so it actually be worth playing. Telling me to go make mod, its like me telling you to go fade yourself.
If you want them changed to be like NS1, ur welcome to make a mod.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="http://www.billrini.com/wp-content/uploads/comical_ali.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Theres a thread for it, with good discussion and cory is aware or it. Being a ###### isn't going to get you any more attention.
Its obvious they have a vision for how they want spores to work and at the same time it is clear they need tweaking to fully achieve that. Changing back to NS 1 is not a solution. Calling it a disaster is insulting and rude and then whinging like a spoilt child because he hasn't given you the attention is hardly constructive, which is what this thread was trying to be.
If you disagree thats cool, but hijacking a thread is a little narcissistic don't you think?
As for OP, I'm with you man, the game is shaping up nicely I love the visuals and am so excited Onos is in. I haven't played in a long time so can't give feedback on performance but the general sentiment is that it has improved (again) so things can only get better really. I already have SE so just need to build a computer and I'll be all ready for final release :D
--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think crop duster spores are great. The only reason I don't use them as often as I would like is because I often bump into marines. I know this has been suggested before so I sound a bit like a broken record.but having spores clouds slowly move downward would be nice. I think it would look great aesthetically too. A deadly spore trail that rains down slowly, creating a curtain of dark green death.
Anyway, I've been NS2 for the past couple weeks and have played NS1 probably more than any other game in my life combined and I love all the work you guys are doing.
And when you guys come out with merchandise... I will gobble it up faster than a swarm of skulks on a power node.
Keep up the great work, I'm about to log onto NS2 now. =)
I believe they've mentioned that they'd like player collisions to be less solid, sort of like how it is in TF2 - that would probably help the Lerk a lot.
That would only be for friendlies - I think the Lerk collision model just needs to be smaller. I'm not sure if it includes the wingspan or what, but I bump into marines and stop dead all the time when I know I flew to the side. Maybe player models in general should be "smoother" so you slide off when colliding instead of stopping completely.
Tram is an awesome awesome map. For whatever reason, maybe the distance between the hives? I consistently have <b>intense</b> games there. The aliens are struggling to hang on putting up hive after hive. The marines keep making coordinated push after push. Scouting their next push becomes the most important thing you can do. The outcome of the game hinges on whether you hold off the next one for long enough.
Wow. 3 edge of my seat games in a row tonight.
There are a few annoying bugs playing as Alien commander still on Tram though that can be very frustrating:
- Drifters randomly spawning in the corridor above Repair Room, regardless of where your hive is located.
- Cysting south out of Server Room towards elevator is a nightmare for some reason
- Eggs not spawning at Shipping Hive
Talking of maps other than the usual summit/mineshaft,is Rockdown a playable map at the moment? Don't see any servers with it running, only played it 2 or 3 times myself.
Sorry to be so objective man, but this is some serious tunnel vision style denial/ignorance. Crop duster spores are cool and with a more forgiving collision model, they will work perfectly for teamplay in this implementation. Just don't think you are the master of game play. There are other opinions as well.
<!--quoteo(post=1903884:date=Feb 16 2012, 10:23 PM:name=luns)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (luns @ Feb 16 2012, 10:23 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1903884"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->... I have strong feeling everyone who defends most bad ideas just don't want to be honest about the reality of it OR just doesn't understand why it isn't good.
bring back our beloved lerk to his former glory.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So, to the glory of our one and only game-mechanic god? *facepalm* Everyone who has not my opinion is an heretic who wants the game to fail? Man, stop doing drugs. And some news for you: There are people out there! People with other opinion! Really.
I want to join in the OP. I have bought NS2 at Feb 2010 and played only a few hours because of heavy lag. Now I came back with gorilla and nearly didn't play anything else. I love this game. Even if there a some annoying bugs.