Alien minimap
Petzi
Join Date: 2010-04-04 Member: 71171Members
Join Date: 2010-04-04 Member: 71171Members
Hi, after pre-ordering the game way back, I occasionally try to actually play it and there's one huge obstacle to me as a new player, which is the lack of a minimap for aliens. The maps in NS2 are mazes of corridors and vents, and since the aliens move really fast, you need to be able to tell where you're supposed to go at a glance.
As an alien, I never know where I need to go. If I try getting somewhere, I mostly just get lost and to get to where the action is I have to keep a button pressed and blind myself. On top of that, sometimes I have to spend 2 seconds trying to locate myself on the map because the icon for my character is the same color as the friendly buildings.
In short, aliens should have a minimap. I understand that this doesn't make sense to veterans, but realize that the maps are really confusing before you've learned them. I personally don't mind a learning curve, but this is something that really frustrates me, so it's easy to imagine that someone with less patience would stop playing entirely.
Btw, don't go telling me aliens have a more "organic" view, because there's nothing organic about having a map covering my entire screen whenever I want to move around. And the problem has nothing to do about locating enemies. Also, very important: I'm not sure about whether the map I'm suggesting should be like the marines' or actually show the entire map. The latter is probably the better option.
Opinions?
As an alien, I never know where I need to go. If I try getting somewhere, I mostly just get lost and to get to where the action is I have to keep a button pressed and blind myself. On top of that, sometimes I have to spend 2 seconds trying to locate myself on the map because the icon for my character is the same color as the friendly buildings.
In short, aliens should have a minimap. I understand that this doesn't make sense to veterans, but realize that the maps are really confusing before you've learned them. I personally don't mind a learning curve, but this is something that really frustrates me, so it's easy to imagine that someone with less patience would stop playing entirely.
Btw, don't go telling me aliens have a more "organic" view, because there's nothing organic about having a map covering my entire screen whenever I want to move around. And the problem has nothing to do about locating enemies. Also, very important: I'm not sure about whether the map I'm suggesting should be like the marines' or actually show the entire map. The latter is probably the better option.
Opinions?
Comments
I for example have the map open 80% of the time anyway (it's basically only closed in engagements). I am using my mouse wheel to open the map so I can move freely using my keyboard and I only need my fingers clicking other mousebuttons in engaghements where I don't need the map anyway.
Just keep playing. It takes some time, but you are gonna know the maps and every single vent eventually. We've all been at this point and we all get lost on new maps but in the end of the day you will not need the map to know where to go at all and it's just the tool for you te get information about what is going on.
I used to go on empty servers and run around the maps for hours as a lerk or skulk to find the nice spots (was nice when gorge tunnels could be built in vents). :P
I used to play Savage 2 a lot, which is a game with a similar concept to NS2. In Savage, you always have a visible minimap, so you can instantly know where your team is attacking or being attacked and you never get lost. Even if you're a newbie, you always have some perception of what's going on. NS2 is lacking that a lot. Didn't the devs want to smoothen the learning curve?
That can be understood as well to not copy-paste both sides, with same HUD for Aliens & Marines. But anyway, thanks to NS2+ that is installed on so many servers, you can change things like this, not sure about the Aliens minimap though.
OP is speaking about greens, not about importance of having full map on all the time, with exception of combat.
I would go so far as to say the minimap that marines get should also be available to aliens as a toggle between full map, local map, and no map.
Isnt turning the minimap for marines off already an option in NS2+? I couldn't see it being too much work to give the aliens a similar minimap complete w/ options for a full map or no map.
During the first hours I used to just jump through a PG and look where it got me. It was usually a whole new world. I would stick to it and it's surrounding rooms for the rest of the match, because I knew my way around that little part of the map there
I often am running around with the giant map overlay trying to navigate the map.
600+ hrs, and I still do this, because each Kharaa life form plays so differnt and have a different perspective on the map (skulk on walls, gorge ground, lerks air, fade are bloody everywhere, onos ground). So the early-mid life forms see the map very differently. A mini map for Kharaa like the marine mini map is less useful as it just doesn't show enough of a room. With alien mobility, the larger mini map is more useful (default key "c").
If you're new and getting lost, I recommend downloading a transparent map via the workshop and finding a buddy to follow around
What if the smell of the marines just kinda lured the aliens around the map like in old cartoons? mmm... delicious, delicious marine.
a) L2P, you'll get it in time.
b) Immersion; aliens don't have a fancy visor with a minimap like the marines do.
c) Aliens can see their allies through walls, and therefore don't need a map (wut?)
Where as new players could use a minimap because:
a1) Maps are confusing and take time to learn (ease the learning curve)
a2) New players could easily see what areas are under attack (i.e. move toward the flashing red areas).
b) Ease of access and gameplay should be a priority over immersion
c) BOTH teams can see through walls using the "c" map, so not having a minimap is kind of a formality.
d) If it were a toggle between full map, local area, or no map, there is literally an option for everyone (vets don't like UI of any kind)
I honestly can't see a viable reason** not to have an option for all players on all teams for what type of minimap they want to use. (none, local area, full map)
**aside from the time it would take to implement
or even better. an option for all players at all skill levels.
I would want a mini version of the full "c" map in the corner so I can see where the action is at a glance.
Ya, I can't tell you how many times I've tried running through walls because it seemed there was a hallway and not a wall on the map.
I still get fooled on eclipse on one of the south tech points.
I don't need minimap to see friendlies, I need it to see where I'm going without large map covering all of my screen.
Or you could just add an option to have minimap as an alien. That way, newbies like me won't be frustrated with the lack of minimap, and people who have maps in their brain can disable it. I know, I'm genious...
I dislike having to run around with a big fat Maximap up just so I can figure out where the action is.
1. having a minimap on aliens becomes the optimal way to play for most aliens. Some people still dont like it, and keep it disabled.
2. The current setup reveals itself as the optimal way to play, so veterans will mostly continue using no minimap. However rookies still find it very useful, so there is still a reason to implement it.
Either way, who cares? Some people want it on, some people want it off. Just give us the option. I dont think it would take a lot of time to create, and a lot of people would enjoy it.
We'd have to first get approval from the CDT leads, then they'd have to get approval from UWE, then we'd have to find a programmer to make it happen. It would be a whole mess of work - we can't just use the same minimap the marines have, it wouldn't fit in with the UI. It wouldn't just be a snap of the fingers to have it in. I honestly don't know that it's something that would be considered