Thoughts from old NS1 vet who is now a casual gamer
iluvNS
Join Date: 2013-03-26 Member: 184448Members
Join Date: 2013-03-26 Member: 184448Members
I used to be a hardcore NS1 player on a competitive team. I don't have as much time to play as in my NS1 days, but I couldn't resist giving NS2 a shot for 12 bucks during the 50% sale.
Here are some quick thoughts I'd like to pass along to devs as an old hardcore but now casual player.
Pros:
- Emphasis on teamwork
I used to rambo a lot in NS1, and could easily get 15:1 k/d ratio or better on public servers. Even in competitive games, an exceptionally talented player could swing the balance of a match by themselves. Seems this isn't possible anymore, which I think is ultimately a good thing for the game. I have to applaud the devs for the focus on teamwork in NS2.
- Graphics engine
The game looks beautiful and movement feels a lot more fluid than in NS1. Much less getting hung up on world objects, especially while skulking and moving through vents, which was a source of much frustration in NS1.
- Increased complexity
NS1 was a great game, but ultimately very repetitive and simplistic. Based on what I've seen so far, there is a lot more variation in how a game unfolds. Seems there is a lot more potential for back and forth games, which is great for casual and competitive play alike.
Cons:
- Netcode
At the risk of being unkind, it's -really- bad. I have a quality highspeed connection, low ping and a great computer. Compared to the dial-up modem and garbage computer I played NS1 on, the internet performance inexplicably feels worse. Lagging, warping, stuttering, etc. This shouldn't be the case and I doubt I'll play much more NS2 until this is resolved.
- Hitboxes / "solidness" of the models
NS1 had really unusual hitboxes and models, but at least they felt consistent. The models and hitboxes in NS2 feel very unpredictable. I often find myself getting shot through solid objects and not connecting with my shots or bites when I absolutely know I should be. Consistency is key in this department, especially if NS2 intends to position itself as a competitive e-sport type of game.
- Lack of tactics
Perhaps this is an inevitable casualty of the game's macro focus on strategy and teamwork, but I feel something has been lost on the micro level in terms of tactics. Even on public servers in NS1, skirmishes were very tactical and deliberate. Engagements in NS2, by comparison, seem very frenetic and chaotic without a build-up of tension or a clear sense of who is winning or losing once a battle commences. I suspect this is due to the increased durability of both humans and aliens at all tech levels. If hitpoints were lower (or damage were higher) players would feel a lot more vulnerable, engagements would be more tense and deliberate and tactics would become more important. The tactical nature of engagements in NS1 was one of its strongest and most unique features in my opinion and I had hoped to recapture that feeling in NS2, but so far I'm not getting it.
That's my 2 cents. I'm sure I'm not the first old school NS1 vet to voice my opinions on NS2, but I hope my perspective provides some value to the devs. Thanks for reading.
Here are some quick thoughts I'd like to pass along to devs as an old hardcore but now casual player.
Pros:
- Emphasis on teamwork
I used to rambo a lot in NS1, and could easily get 15:1 k/d ratio or better on public servers. Even in competitive games, an exceptionally talented player could swing the balance of a match by themselves. Seems this isn't possible anymore, which I think is ultimately a good thing for the game. I have to applaud the devs for the focus on teamwork in NS2.
- Graphics engine
The game looks beautiful and movement feels a lot more fluid than in NS1. Much less getting hung up on world objects, especially while skulking and moving through vents, which was a source of much frustration in NS1.
- Increased complexity
NS1 was a great game, but ultimately very repetitive and simplistic. Based on what I've seen so far, there is a lot more variation in how a game unfolds. Seems there is a lot more potential for back and forth games, which is great for casual and competitive play alike.
Cons:
- Netcode
At the risk of being unkind, it's -really- bad. I have a quality highspeed connection, low ping and a great computer. Compared to the dial-up modem and garbage computer I played NS1 on, the internet performance inexplicably feels worse. Lagging, warping, stuttering, etc. This shouldn't be the case and I doubt I'll play much more NS2 until this is resolved.
- Hitboxes / "solidness" of the models
NS1 had really unusual hitboxes and models, but at least they felt consistent. The models and hitboxes in NS2 feel very unpredictable. I often find myself getting shot through solid objects and not connecting with my shots or bites when I absolutely know I should be. Consistency is key in this department, especially if NS2 intends to position itself as a competitive e-sport type of game.
- Lack of tactics
Perhaps this is an inevitable casualty of the game's macro focus on strategy and teamwork, but I feel something has been lost on the micro level in terms of tactics. Even on public servers in NS1, skirmishes were very tactical and deliberate. Engagements in NS2, by comparison, seem very frenetic and chaotic without a build-up of tension or a clear sense of who is winning or losing once a battle commences. I suspect this is due to the increased durability of both humans and aliens at all tech levels. If hitpoints were lower (or damage were higher) players would feel a lot more vulnerable, engagements would be more tense and deliberate and tactics would become more important. The tactical nature of engagements in NS1 was one of its strongest and most unique features in my opinion and I had hoped to recapture that feeling in NS2, but so far I'm not getting it.
That's my 2 cents. I'm sure I'm not the first old school NS1 vet to voice my opinions on NS2, but I hope my perspective provides some value to the devs. Thanks for reading.
Comments
There's nothing to disagree with about this part, it's a plain fact. NS2 skulks and fades glance past obstacles and barriers where they would have been stopped dead in NS1. It's a really nice improvement.
Did wonder if it was my internet but I don't have the problem with any other game.
It depends of what you are talking about, but I get a lot less stopped by invisible walls (especially as fade) or polys in NS than in NS2. And I don't talk about some props blocking your way out while it's only cables (or edges).
About the "fluidness" of movement, it's way better in NS regarding the control of your character. In NS you can do nearly anything you want, if you want to go left, or jump there, it just does it and feels really responsive. In NS2 you feel like a big tank or brick you can't lift up, and there is a lot of inertia going on.
It is a trend that is going on in a lot of games/engines since a lot of years, and a lot of games do that now. If you are used to play those game, NS2 could feel responsive, but if you are more used to "old school" games, it still feels really heavy and slow.
Although the maps in ns2 are far more cluttered with various doodads and aethetic objects than the NS1 maps were, which I for one dont like.
that is just propaganda
it gets better compared to bad 24+ servers,
but compared to REAL competitive games,
spark SUCK