Best Of
Re: [Project] Gorge Plush Dolls
My friend made me a plushie gorge, shes the best!
Re: ARCs need siege range indicators badly
Ghosthree3 wrote: »I think things like this allow a little (not much) room for game experience to come into play, you just have to know what locations can be arc'd from what locations (or what areas can be healed by what crags). Let's not make everything easy mode.
Needlessly obfuscating the usefulness of tools is not hard mode. It's unpolished mode and reflects poorly on the overall quality of the game while adding nothing of value at the strategic difficulty level.
"Oh you should just know how far they shoot..." Then why would you EVER put a range finder at all? Why make it easy mode once they are deployed? The answer is because you shouldn't "Just know," and you should (ideally) never have player confused saying "Why are they shooting, I thought they were in range?!" Basically, that's not easy or hard mode, it's good or bad design.
Render Player's Own Shadow
When playing NS2, I would love to be able to see my own shadow cast onto the environment for two reasons:
I get the feeling that the only reason why the player's own shadow is not rendered is because your own third-person model is not rendered in the scene.
Now, I'm not suggesting that you add that in. I don't feel the need to see my own legs in this game and I realize that there would be a lot of work involved in getting that working nicely.
However, there must be a way to render the player's shadow without also rendering their own third-person model in the scene. Surely it can be set up that the third-person model of the player is only rendered while the shadow maps are being calculated but not when the actual player's perspective is rendered.
- It would look awesome.
- It would allow you to see if your shadow is giving away your position. (Particularly useful for sneaky skulks.)
I get the feeling that the only reason why the player's own shadow is not rendered is because your own third-person model is not rendered in the scene.
Now, I'm not suggesting that you add that in. I don't feel the need to see my own legs in this game and I realize that there would be a lot of work involved in getting that working nicely.
However, there must be a way to render the player's shadow without also rendering their own third-person model in the scene. Surely it can be set up that the third-person model of the player is only rendered while the shadow maps are being calculated but not when the actual player's perspective is rendered.
How to start playing competitive games
From some recent forum posts and discussions I've seen on other forums I've noticed that there is an interest from people who mostly play public matches to get into the competitive scene. Yet not many dare to try it out. In my experience this is usually because they overestimate the effort and skill required to play competitive games. I've also failed to find some kind of comprehensive guide for players who wish to try it out. So, as someone who's played ns on and off since at least ns1 patch 1.04 I thought I'd write a simple guide to going competitive in ns2. Hopefully this will convince more public gamers to try competitive games.
The Basics
NS is played with two teams of 6 players. You play one round as each team on every map and usually you play 2 maps, so 4 rounds in total.
The most commonly played maps on competitive games at the moment are (in no specific order):
These are the maps in the ENSL (we'll get back to ENSL) map rotation and most players stick to them. It should probably be noted that it's usually the NSL verision of the maps that are played. Not the original. The NSL maps have more even lightning across the maps, less holograms etc.
How to learn
As in most games, sports and life in general the best way to get good at something is to imitate people with the skills you want. So streams are always good to watch. Try to see how the marines move. Do they cover each other? When do they enter rooms? What do they shoot? When does the skulk attack? How does the fade move? Those kinds of things.
The same goes for tactics. Watch the buildings being placed, the techs being researched, where the players move in the beginning, when the 2nd hive comes up and so on.
Don't be afraid to try new things, no two teams are identical, what works for them might not work for you. As you get better you will learn to adapt to such things and evolve your own play style. Remember while imitation is good, it probably wont make you better than the guys you are imitating.
There's a great thread on the official forums where you can find a long list of streams, you can find it at: http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/125340/the-big-list-of-places-to-watch-competitive-ns2
Gathers
The best way to play is in an organized team, but if you don't have one (yet) or just want to learn form experienced players gathers are wonderful. They are a mix of public and competitive games. All you need to get started is ns2 and a TeamSpeak client. It's also an excellent way to get a feeling for how competitive ns2 games work. If you are interested but not quite ready to join a team, you should at least try a gather. The most common place to organize gathers is at http://www.ensl.org/gathers/latest/45
I've summarized the gather process in a few simple steps:
Finding a team
If you don't have 5 friends playing ns2 you can join an other team. The best way to go about this is probably to ask around with different teams and to make posts on the official forums in this thread: http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/122700/looking-for-team
There is also a forum on the ENSL webpage that you can try: http://www.ensl.org/forums/11
Both these forums can also be used to find new players to your own team if you have one or are starting one.
ENSL
Speaking of ENSL.. ENSL is a great place to find opponents for practice games. Go through the different teams in the league, begin with the lower div3 teams and work your way up. In each team there's at least one player marked as "leader" or some such, add him to steam and ask if he wants to play.
While your at it you should probably sign up your own team on the ENSL webpage. If you sign up for the league you play 1 game each week against a different team on the ENSL servers. You also get to use the ENSL servers for practice games whenever you want, so you won't need a server of your own.
Another great place to find practice games are on IRC. If you don't know what it is google "mirc how to". Connect to the #ns2.search channel on QuakeNet and write that you're looking for a pcw. Or if you're lazy you can always use http://ns2hub.com/scrim/
Some basic pointers
Don't mindlessly run around the map and try to kill as many enemies as you can. While this will get you mad props and great score on public games it wont win you a competitive game. Killing an enemy is probably not a bad thing to do, but maybe you were needed somewhere else. Make sure you gain something by killing the enemy. Did you deny them a part of the map? Great. Did you save the resource tower (rt)? Great. Try to keep it in mind.
It's also worth noting that 3 marines will easily kill 3 skulks attacking one by one, but will have a very hard time against 3 skulks at once. So make sure to time your attacks as alien and to stick together in groups as marines when you attack.
In the current metagame I'd say there are two general rules in the beginning of the game for each team:
Of course both these rules won't hold true in every game and situation. But it's a good rule of thumb for how to play in the beginning of the round.
So, what are you waiting for?
The Basics
NS is played with two teams of 6 players. You play one round as each team on every map and usually you play 2 maps, so 4 rounds in total.
The most commonly played maps on competitive games at the moment are (in no specific order):
- ns2_summit
- ns2_veil
- ns2_tram
- ns2_descent
- ns2_jambi
These are the maps in the ENSL (we'll get back to ENSL) map rotation and most players stick to them. It should probably be noted that it's usually the NSL verision of the maps that are played. Not the original. The NSL maps have more even lightning across the maps, less holograms etc.
How to learn
As in most games, sports and life in general the best way to get good at something is to imitate people with the skills you want. So streams are always good to watch. Try to see how the marines move. Do they cover each other? When do they enter rooms? What do they shoot? When does the skulk attack? How does the fade move? Those kinds of things.
The same goes for tactics. Watch the buildings being placed, the techs being researched, where the players move in the beginning, when the 2nd hive comes up and so on.
Don't be afraid to try new things, no two teams are identical, what works for them might not work for you. As you get better you will learn to adapt to such things and evolve your own play style. Remember while imitation is good, it probably wont make you better than the guys you are imitating.
There's a great thread on the official forums where you can find a long list of streams, you can find it at: http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/125340/the-big-list-of-places-to-watch-competitive-ns2
Gathers
The best way to play is in an organized team, but if you don't have one (yet) or just want to learn form experienced players gathers are wonderful. They are a mix of public and competitive games. All you need to get started is ns2 and a TeamSpeak client. It's also an excellent way to get a feeling for how competitive ns2 games work. If you are interested but not quite ready to join a team, you should at least try a gather. The most common place to organize gathers is at http://www.ensl.org/gathers/latest/45
I've summarized the gather process in a few simple steps:
- Get an ENSL account
- Join the gather
- Wait for it to fill up (loud music will play once it's full)
- Vote for a team captain (they will pick players into the teams)
- Join the TeamSpeak
- Play!
Finding a team
If you don't have 5 friends playing ns2 you can join an other team. The best way to go about this is probably to ask around with different teams and to make posts on the official forums in this thread: http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/122700/looking-for-team
There is also a forum on the ENSL webpage that you can try: http://www.ensl.org/forums/11
Both these forums can also be used to find new players to your own team if you have one or are starting one.
ENSL
Speaking of ENSL.. ENSL is a great place to find opponents for practice games. Go through the different teams in the league, begin with the lower div3 teams and work your way up. In each team there's at least one player marked as "leader" or some such, add him to steam and ask if he wants to play.
While your at it you should probably sign up your own team on the ENSL webpage. If you sign up for the league you play 1 game each week against a different team on the ENSL servers. You also get to use the ENSL servers for practice games whenever you want, so you won't need a server of your own.
Another great place to find practice games are on IRC. If you don't know what it is google "mirc how to". Connect to the #ns2.search channel on QuakeNet and write that you're looking for a pcw. Or if you're lazy you can always use http://ns2hub.com/scrim/
Some basic pointers
Don't mindlessly run around the map and try to kill as many enemies as you can. While this will get you mad props and great score on public games it wont win you a competitive game. Killing an enemy is probably not a bad thing to do, but maybe you were needed somewhere else. Make sure you gain something by killing the enemy. Did you deny them a part of the map? Great. Did you save the resource tower (rt)? Great. Try to keep it in mind.
It's also worth noting that 3 marines will easily kill 3 skulks attacking one by one, but will have a very hard time against 3 skulks at once. So make sure to time your attacks as alien and to stick together in groups as marines when you attack.
In the current metagame I'd say there are two general rules in the beginning of the game for each team:
- As marines push and kill alien rts. Save your own rts but try harder to kill theirs.
- As alien, do the opposite. Try to protect your rts, don't grab rts you cant protect, having 3 rts until you drop the 2nd hive is plenty. Harass marine rts when you can, but try to save your own instead.
Of course both these rules won't hold true in every game and situation. But it's a good rule of thumb for how to play in the beginning of the round.
So, what are you waiting for?
ARCs need siege range indicators badly
Unless I'm missing something, shouldn't ARCs have range indicators to see their damage radius? Essentially a circle should be drawn around the ARCs like the OBS has. This would eliminate the guessing with where to park ARCs for hive sieges.
I can't remember if this was in the beta at some point, but it is really needed.
I can't remember if this was in the beta at some point, but it is really needed.
Re: Melee/Bite Cones
Or you can just remove them and save yourself the trouble.
Glancing bites dont add anything but frustration to aliens, leaving you guessing how much damage you have done and how much HP the target has left. Counting bites and effectively knowing armor levels and also judging threat levels from marines in a room was something that took skill and practice, and its all been muddied by a kneejerk addition in the form of glancing bites. Even if the feedback was fixed it would still never 'feel' good simply due to interp and other issues, there's limitations that cannot reasonably be overcome currently. All that leads to frustration at a high level when playing aliens.
I still have not seen a valid benefit to the mechanic, some people say it makes skulking easier but all things considered it doesnt, just gives you the illusion of it by allowing you to hit bites that have no business counting as valid hits. It probably creates more problems long term as I have seen quite a few newer players complain how killing a marine takes 10 bites, which makes it quite clear they were hitting almost all glancing hits.
Ideally you want mechanics which are easy to learn, which would give the same kind of performance increase that glancing bites offers. Having that mechanic as a skill floor does nothing to reinforce the player through their time learning the game. Such a mechanic that rewards a small amount of time spent with a noteable performance increase is what reinforces players, and helps encourage them to learn and master the game.
Glancing bites dont add anything but frustration to aliens, leaving you guessing how much damage you have done and how much HP the target has left. Counting bites and effectively knowing armor levels and also judging threat levels from marines in a room was something that took skill and practice, and its all been muddied by a kneejerk addition in the form of glancing bites. Even if the feedback was fixed it would still never 'feel' good simply due to interp and other issues, there's limitations that cannot reasonably be overcome currently. All that leads to frustration at a high level when playing aliens.
I still have not seen a valid benefit to the mechanic, some people say it makes skulking easier but all things considered it doesnt, just gives you the illusion of it by allowing you to hit bites that have no business counting as valid hits. It probably creates more problems long term as I have seen quite a few newer players complain how killing a marine takes 10 bites, which makes it quite clear they were hitting almost all glancing hits.
Ideally you want mechanics which are easy to learn, which would give the same kind of performance increase that glancing bites offers. Having that mechanic as a skill floor does nothing to reinforce the player through their time learning the game. Such a mechanic that rewards a small amount of time spent with a noteable performance increase is what reinforces players, and helps encourage them to learn and master the game.
Re: ModJam After Action Report
On this day in history, Shakespeare was born
Tech Path evolving the Hive
<div class="IPBDescription">[a little bonus that adds to choice making]</div>Simple suggestion: let whatever you choose as Tech Path for a Hive have an impact on that particular Hive as well.
Crag Hive: gets some nice shell-ish overlay as texture on the Hive and has more durability due to higher maximum armor.
Shift Hive: gets more strutting to the ground or ceiling and has a slightly increased egg spawn rate.
Shade Hive: originally I thought about having the Hive cloaked without the requirement for a nearby Shade, but this is kinda pointless since Marines will find or counter it easily by using scans. Making it act like a Shade itself and cloak nearby stuff might be a bit OP since it can't be destroyed as quickly as a Shade. So maybe just give it a semi-transparent look and either have it create ink clouds around it upon taking damage or just deny enemies the ability to see it's health at any time. They have to guess when it's going down and may not take advantage of a nearly killed Hive.
If the Tech has an impact on the Hive, you actually still have a choice to make when building your fourth Hive.
Suggestion on Google Moderator: <a href="http://goo.gl/mod/JC78" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/mod/JC78</a>
Crag Hive: gets some nice shell-ish overlay as texture on the Hive and has more durability due to higher maximum armor.
Shift Hive: gets more strutting to the ground or ceiling and has a slightly increased egg spawn rate.
Shade Hive: originally I thought about having the Hive cloaked without the requirement for a nearby Shade, but this is kinda pointless since Marines will find or counter it easily by using scans. Making it act like a Shade itself and cloak nearby stuff might be a bit OP since it can't be destroyed as quickly as a Shade. So maybe just give it a semi-transparent look and either have it create ink clouds around it upon taking damage or just deny enemies the ability to see it's health at any time. They have to guess when it's going down and may not take advantage of a nearly killed Hive.
If the Tech has an impact on the Hive, you actually still have a choice to make when building your fourth Hive.
Suggestion on Google Moderator: <a href="http://goo.gl/mod/JC78" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/mod/JC78</a>
Re: Railgun useless
I have no comments on the actual gameplay at this point, but I'm pretty sure most HP-aware alien players find it pretty spooky that you can lose up to 200 HP on one tick even when you're far outside the actual engagement range.
I think this is the first time in NS history (apart from some pistol craziness maybe) when the marines have a gun that doesn't have dramatic damage reduction past the close or mid ranges. I don't know whether the railgun finds it's spot in the gameplay, but I definitely see it having loads of potential on making the already hard-to-engage marine groups even harder to engage by taking away that 'low damage zone' that aliens have outiside the close promixity of marines.
I think this is the first time in NS history (apart from some pistol craziness maybe) when the marines have a gun that doesn't have dramatic damage reduction past the close or mid ranges. I don't know whether the railgun finds it's spot in the gameplay, but I definitely see it having loads of potential on making the already hard-to-engage marine groups even harder to engage by taking away that 'low damage zone' that aliens have outiside the close promixity of marines.
