Jetpack Counter

1dominator11dominator1 Join Date: 2010-11-19 Member: 75011Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Adrenaline and Focus</div>Everyone (most people) agrees that jetpacks are too hard to counter as aliens, and even if you do manage it chasing the ######s as they fly around like so many flies is not particularly fun with anything but flawless performance (and maybe even not then). It seems to be that a big reason for this is how easily aliens run out of energy (as a skulk you only have enough energy for 2-3 leaps, as a fade your swipe takes considerable amounts as does the initiation of your blink. God forbid they should have flamers too!) and all the abilities which allow aliens to take down JPs require energy.
Hitting JP marines is tricky, but possible as a skulk or fade (keeping in mind that you can steer mid leap) but it is very difficult to do significant damage (4 hits as a skulk once they have some armour upgrades) when you only have 3 leaps to do it before you are grounded for 7 odd seconds and are at the mercy of the marines guns. Thus it seems to me that two of the significant bottlenecks in dealing with JPs is a lack of energy and the number of successful hits you have to land on the marines, thus I suggest a solution that was present in NS1.
Put adrenaline and/or focus back into the game. Adrenaline would allow aliens to make more (and more frequent) attempts at hitting the JP (via more leap/blink) while focus would allow you to get more benefit from the few leaps you get by default (provided you can hit the enemy). IMO the addition of these two upgrades would go a long way to helping aliens kill jetpackers. What does everyone else think?

Comments

  • LPCLPC Join Date: 2002-04-07 Member: 384Members, Reinforced - Diamond
    not sure about the mechanics but yeah, mid-game jetpacks are usually instant-win.

    however I also think that jetpacks should refuel slower, or don't refuel in mid-air.
  • YuukiYuuki Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75079Members
    edited July 2012
    I tried to play fade against some jetpacks the other day, I ran out of energy and died right away. I'm very bad at fade though.

    I think what we need is to get a good fade and a jetpacker to go on a server and to record 10 minutes of fight, that would help to show to everybody what is the problem, if any.
  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    I think Fade with removed delay is great against jp's, just one problem - late game when jp's usually appear, performance is so horrid you might as well have the delay. =_='
  • LPCLPC Join Date: 2002-04-07 Member: 384Members, Reinforced - Diamond
    <!--quoteo(post=1949245:date=Jul 5 2012, 10:33 PM:name=Yuuki)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Yuuki @ Jul 5 2012, 10:33 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1949245"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I tried to play fade against some jetpacks the other day, I ran out of energy and died right away. I'm very bad at fade though.

    I think what we need is to get a good fade and a jetpacker to go on a server and to record 10 minutes of fight, that would help to show to everybody what is the problem, if any.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    this. easily tested withs cheats on I think

    a jet-pack marine with a shot-gun should be equal to a fade (or some-what equal)
  • DeadzoneDeadzone Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1949244:date=Jul 5 2012, 03:25 PM:name=LPC)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LPC @ Jul 5 2012, 03:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1949244"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->not sure about the mechanics but yeah, mid-game jetpacks are usually instant-win.

    however I also think that jetpacks should refuel slower, or don't refuel in mid-air.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Jetpacks currently do not refuel mid-air at all. You have to be on the ground to get anything back.
  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    edited July 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1949252:date=Jul 5 2012, 02:08 PM:name=Deadzone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Deadzone @ Jul 5 2012, 02:08 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1949252"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Jetpacks currently do not refuel mid-air at all. You have to be on the ground to get anything back.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That is incorrect.
    They begin refueling in 0.7 seconds regardless of being in air or on the ground.

    Edit: for clarification, this is how its always been, just fyi
  • DeadzoneDeadzone Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1949253:date=Jul 5 2012, 04:14 PM:name=ironhorse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ironhorse @ Jul 5 2012, 04:14 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1949253"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That is incorrect.
    They begin refueling in 0.7 seconds regardless of being in air or on the ground.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Oh? I guess I didn't notice since most jetpack play takes place bursting around from point to point. Thanks for clarifying, though.
  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    No problem. Yea the best way to test it is in an area like landing pad on docking.. JP all the way up and while falling notice the recharge

    requiring the ground to recharge wouldnt work as ledges, crates etc would count towards this, so you wouldn't have to necessarily be "on the ground".. so its best to just have a set time before recharging.

    But this is all semantics :-P
    The issue is what the OP brought up: performance and adrenaline (good point btw)
    but thats my opinion/observation
  • MisterNubsMisterNubs Join Date: 2012-03-01 Member: 147912Members
    edited July 2012
    Already looks like Adrenaline is making its way back into the game. But Focus is sorely needed. It is getting painful having to take 4 bites/4 swipes to take down a single marine when they can just pop a cap or two in your ass and kill you quickly. Marines with a jet pack.... I've just been ignoring them lately and doing something more meaningful that can contribute more to the game than wasting my time trying to take down jp marines for 2-3 minutes. Nanoshield jp marines and I find the nearest table and flip it in rage.
  • 1dominator11dominator1 Join Date: 2010-11-19 Member: 75011Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1949252:date=Jul 5 2012, 05:08 PM:name=Deadzone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Deadzone @ Jul 5 2012, 05:08 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1949252"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Jetpacks currently do not refuel mid-air at all. You have to be on the ground to get anything back.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    They do but only when not active and there is a brief delay before they start.
  • bilybily Join Date: 2012-04-25 Member: 151064Members, NS2 Map Tester
    edited July 2012
    Just to clarify the logic behind changing the jetpack. It seems to me most skulks and fades had/have trouble hitting marines moving vertically such as going to the ceiling and floor over and over in a hive area or as Ironhorse was describing in crevice. Not killing these marines can be frustrating as the move doesn't require much skill and its effectiveness is seemly a result of aliens' (or the game engine's) ineffectiveness. The effectiveness of purely vertical jp movement might be a result of performance or aliens trying to time a vertical target with horizontal movement such as leap and shadowstep, some combination of the two, or something else entirely. All I know is its frustrating as hell, jping purely vertical requires next to no skill in my opinion, and most of all should not be rewarded. However, I've never seen anyone complaining about jetpack marines plain out-maneuvering an alien with short, horizontal or diagonal bursts which I associate with marine skill (both in regards to earlier builds and ns1).

    Here's where things get really murky for me with the new build. Why would you add a fixed delay which rewards long, vertical, movements by allowing them to refuel after .7 seconds. Therefore, so long as you make sure you get .7 seconds of hangtime, you're guaranteed to have at least some fuel for a second maneuver once you land. In my mind, this mechanic also actively penalizes short bursts as they will not regenerate fuel, so long as there's not the .7 seconds after their final burst.

    To reconcile the changes with observations I've made above, the new jetpack actively rewards unskillful, straight as an arrow, vertical movement, while penalizes skillful, "hop scotching", horizontal movement. Please tell me how I'm wrong because I have a huge headache from this.
  • 1dominator11dominator1 Join Date: 2010-11-19 Member: 75011Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1949306:date=Jul 5 2012, 11:58 PM:name=bily)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bily @ Jul 5 2012, 11:58 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1949306"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just to clarify the logic behind changing the jetpack. It seems to me most skulks and fades had/have trouble hitting marines moving vertically such as going to the ceiling and floor over and over in a hive area or as Ironhorse was describing in crevice. Not killing these marines can be frustrating as the move doesn't require much skill and its effectiveness is seemly a result of aliens' (or the game engine's) ineffectiveness. The effectiveness of purely vertical jp movement might be a result of performance or aliens trying to time a vertical target with horizontal movement such as leap and shadowstep, some combination of the two, or something else entirely. All I know is its frustrating as hell, jping purely vertical requires next to no skill in my opinion, and most of all should not be rewarded. However, I've never seen anyone complaining about jetpack marines plain out-maneuvering an alien with short, horizontal or diagonal bursts which I associate with marine skill (both in regards to earlier builds and ns1).

    Here's where things get really murky for me with the new build. Why would you add a fixed delay which rewards long, vertical, movements by allowing them to refuel after .7 seconds. Therefore, so long as you make sure you get .7 seconds of hangtime, you're guaranteed to have at least some fuel for a second maneuver once you land. In my mind, this mechanic also actively penalizes short bursts as they will not regenerate fuel, so long as there's not the .7 seconds after their final burst.

    To reconcile the changes with observations I've made above, the new jetpack actively rewards unskillful, straight as an arrow, vertical movement, while penalizes skillful, "hop scotching", horizontal movement. Please tell me how I'm wrong because I have a huge headache from this.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    I do not think you are wrong but find the marines that can juke horizontally in mid air far more difficult to kill than those who just go up and down (they tend to be more predictable imo). Also it is impossible to never land, so you will be grounded eventually and if you have stayed in one place odds are something will be waiting for you, still I think lag plays a much bigger role in JP combat (both because they tend to appear towards the later game and because they move in 3 dimensions).
  • bilybily Join Date: 2012-04-25 Member: 151064Members, NS2 Map Tester
    Yea dominator, 100% agree. Horizontal jetpacking is how jetpacks have always and should always, in my mind, play in ns. That's one of my points even its not that clear. However, in current builds vertical jetpacking is still more successful than it should be. A marine can get a full clip of grenades off and be reloading by the time he lands. Couple that with med/nano spam and he's incredibly frustrating to kill. What I'm getting at, is with the .7 second delay Ironhorse was mentioning, it sounds like the change increases vertical jetpacking's effectiveness while reducing the effectiveness of horizontal jetpacking. I'm just hoping that I'm missing something what I describes not what happened, because that seems completely backwards.
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