Feel free to delete this post once its sorted out (or right away if im simply missing it), but i can't find this blog update anywhere. Someone mentioned adding a link in your posts to the blog, that would really help as well.
Nice to see my (and other peoples) suggestions being incoporated such as egg laying and traps <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Awesome, as always! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> I guess that covers a good chunk of what was discussed in <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=102677" target="_blank">this thread</a>. I hope these features will stick until the game's release, although no one knows for sure how it'll turn out during the testing phase ^^
Oh and just to make sure.. Just like StixNStonz, I couldn't find any new blog post, so I guess we're talking about the <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/about/" target="_blank">new ABOUT section</a>, right?
P.S. And yeah, a link in the original post would be a great and balanced feature <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> Do these "Please post comments on the topic XY" threads get created automatically? I remember you guys used to use punctuation(sp?) mark and some smilies when you were really happy about making a new blog entry ^^
It would definitely be great to have a permalink back to main post in here but I talked to Max about it and it's actually much tougher than it appears.
Glad you guys like the features and direction! Please give more feedback here about them here so we can be sure we're on the right track.
The Ideas seem great, i cant wait how it plays out in the game. Im getting more and more excited as time rolls on. Cant wait to hear and see more about NS2!
awesome, i especially like the bit about deforming the map - take out power, lifts dont work... take out the bridges supports, it creates a new route etc.
the only bit i didnt like was the alien's descriptions - skulk, gorge, lerk, fade, onos...... WHAT? NO SCORPIAN?!?!?!
hehe i was just hoping for a new little nugget of information, another flash of the kimono so to speak... but its all good.
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
edited September 2007
wow! All of those features are going to make NS perfect. Can't wait to hear more about the egg laying and marine welding. I hope they won't just be gimmicks - welding ns1 was fun, but it wasnt reversable, and also slowly the weld points disappeared through the new versions, which was sad.
Its going to be so creepy to walk through an infested area that 5 minutes ago was perfectly sterile, the lift doesnt work so you have to take the stairs, the long way around, or a ladder.
Just a few quick questions which you guys will probably answer in upcoming blogs anyway :-
1. Will the map actually be fully dynamic ? when the walkway falls apart from the DI, can marines weld it or rebuild it somehow so the process can repeat itself? And can welding be undone, and then redone - in ns1 once something was welded, you couldnt unweld etc
2. Will marine buttons/switches and doors/lifts be unusable by kharaa? And when the DI takes over an area with that button or door it will automatically activate to let the kharaa through? and if not the DI, then could there be another way for the kharaa to open a door - crawl through a vent into the control room, destroy the doors hydraulics controls to open it and let the bigger lifeforms through. Marines would then have to weld it up to get the door functioning again.
3. I noticed there wasn't a mention of welding objects together to form barricades is that feature you guys ever considered?
4. Is that final list of features for the first version or will more features be introduced just like in ns1 through updates?
glad to hear the gorges are still pudgy <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Looking good, also nice to see that many of the community suggestions are being taken into consideration - however I hope it doesn't lead to major imbalance issues that will take ages to tune out. In my opinion so far the addition to the game from the about section seems to be heavily revolutionary to alien game-play with dynamic infestation disabling things that the marines will have issues with etc, and alien traps and whatnot. Furthermore it is my opinion that everything must have a counter or an equivalently powerful counterpart on the other-team (abilities/structures etc) so that the game is based on skill more than what team and what imbalanced strategy one chooses.
Sounds like NS+1, unless there are any other major changes I think once we get a bit more info about how the web-welding will work and other tidbits the mapping layouts can begin in earnest.
[Edit] Question/Suggestion about the NS2TR: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102541&view=findpost&p=1651172" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....t&p=1651172</a>
Personally I am happy to see more information up for new players coming in. Looks good to me for detail given the small size of boxes now a days assuming it is not in DVD form. I do hope to see some more of this come up soon for E-team members to point to. I like seeing all the new ideas coming into it and the descriptions of DI are great. Should really get new gamers excited about playing with posts like this.
MouseThe Lighter Side of PessimismJoin Date: 2002-03-02Member: 263Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting the feeling that NS2 is rapidly gaining 'fluff'.
I mean sure, 'Free automatic updates' looks great on the back of the box; but if you're talking "Hrm our game is broken, we need to get something out there to fix it" patches - why bother mentioning it? Patches are a necessary evil; although Steam does streamline the patching process, it doesn't glorify it. If you're talking about "Hrm, it's Tuesday. Lets add some more features to keep our game exciting and fresh!" ..why? While regular content updates would attract a steady stream of new players to NS2, it would also alienate the existing players, who'd be forced to adapt to the ever changing gameplay. Not to mention that there'd most certainly be a tipping point where there'd either be no space for new features/abilities or the sheer amount of additions to the shipped gameplay would make it utterly unplayable.
And that brings me to 'unique scenarios'. On a map by map basis? Sure, why not. But user-generated gameplay mods? I can't see them adding anything beyond clutter and confusion to a player's impression of NS2. I'd elaborate, but I've <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=100362&view=findpost&p=1606458" target="_blank">done so already</a>.
I can't really say much about the matchmaking and map/server rating features without knowing the specifics; but I must admit, I don't see the point in them. The skill level of a server fluctuates too readily for any difficulty rating to be useful, let alone accurate.
As for a short story, I've got like 10-11 map ideas. I'll try to choose the most original one and create a short story around it that could be made into a five minute to ten minute video with relative ease. IE, short-short screenplay/short story. I'll take discretional liberties as needed with NS lore to create...additional lore and interesting...thingies! Fear the thingies! Should be done in..... eh...whenever I get not lazy (2 to 22 days +- 4 days).
<!--quoteo(post=1651879:date=Sep 25 2007, 01:20 AM:name=Flayra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Flayra @ Sep 25 2007, 01:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1651879"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It would definitely be great to have a permalink back to main post in here but I talked to Max about it and it's actually much tougher than it appears.
Glad you guys like the features and direction! Please give more feedback here about them here so we can be sure we're on the right track.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I can relate to a permalink back to the main post being difficult to code it. How about this: yourself or any moderator manually inserting it into the first post ie
I especially liked hearing about the Scripting Language being able to create unique scenarios without having to download an admin-mod or whatever... sounds like it could be really interesting... like custom-play-style servers emerging, would be great for the community... Also just like the trends recently (user-created-content) it'll be appealing and evolve(pun alert) gameplay in the genre. This was the most exciting thing for me being a veteran gamer (and NS fanboy) but the thing as a whole sounds just about perfect for the newbies <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
---
for those talking about traps, remember: Webbing is a form of trap, so don't get your hopes too high, could be misinterpreted <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->can't really say much about the matchmaking and map/server rating features without knowing the specifics; but I must admit, I don't see the point in them. The skill level of a server fluctuates too readily for any difficulty rating to be useful, let alone accurate.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I thought when i read this: an Admin could assign HIS OWN difficulty level to the server... thus attracting newbies (wireplay servers etc) or clan-players (a clan hosted server) or maybe a happy medium (all-welcome community fun-play servers)... but that was my interpretation, and as Flayra already mentioned, the page is subject to change, perhaps it is something he wants to do but hasn't got the details down yet, in that case... perhaps write your thoughts in the ideas section <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1651879:date=Sep 25 2007, 06:20 AM:name=Flayra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Flayra @ Sep 25 2007, 06:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1651879"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please give more feedback here about them here so we can be sure we're on the right track.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All I ask is that you best the flamethrower from <i>Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory</i>.
The more infos we get the more I can't wait to get my hands on NS2. On a side not to <!--coloro:#A0522D--><span style="color:#A0522D"><!--/coloro--><b>Charlie and Max</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->, you guys obviously read the forums steadily, and the changes made to NS2 proves it... I understand that you might be busy, we all are, but do you have any opinions that you can share with the suggestions made in the I&S forum? It'd be great to hear both of your inputs on the ideas submitted. A lot of these suggestions are great and it would be great to know what you guys think on it, might even booster up new ideas... Just a thought!
I imagine that each player would have their own stats/ranking that would be uploaded to a rather large database. Then, each server would 'ping' this database for information when a player connects and dynamically adjust its own 'ranking' according to the player's average ranking.
Course.....most servers would be 'average'... lol.
Dynamic Environments has to be the most exciting element. Having environments change on the fly really adds for more strategic playing and ensures that the same "style" of game will not be played countlessly over and over.
Love the Instant Gratification section. It would be cool to see NS2 have a single player (with bots) game, even if it’s just a small selection of levels, like 2 or 3. Just so people can learn how to play/command before they play online. You may also get a few extra sales, if the game goes to retail, from people who don't have a (good) internet connection.
I also <strike>like</strike> no love! the Dynamic Environments section, but I agree with schkorpio's questions about welding. I think most things should be reversible, how this will be done I don't know. But then again maybe not all areas need to be reversible, as long as mappers take this into account and leave other routes to get to places. For example, if a walkway is destroyed (the marines aren’t really going to be able to lift it back up and fix it if there is lava under it or a deep pit) then their should be longer routes around, maybe a long corridor or another walkway further along.
But it would be cool to see some things be reversible (at least once), like a door that gets welded shut, and then the aliens can break through it. But then the marines can’t weld it shut again because its broken open or maybe the join just gets broken??
<!--coloro:#FFFF00--><span style="color:#FFFF00"><!--/coloro-->Also cool to read the original story for NS. “The deployment area has weapons lockers, a chapel and a prominent exit door.†Does that mean the marines have a religion? If so, what is it?? Really want to know for a map idea I am having. I mean do they have one religion, or many, or none? If they have any, are they ones we know of, or a new religion?? Or maybe they just have a “saint like†figure or “worship†the sword/gun/wings that appears in their symbol? Basically it would be nice to get a bit more background on the Frontiersmen to add more depth to the game and the background story. <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Mouse: I think they are just making the point that unlike BF2, and other games, you don't have to pay $10 a time to get an add on pack that contains a few extra levels and a bunch of extra weapons; and that it will all be free once you have bought the game. I think this is a good thing, but it might need rewording... maybe?
It shows they aren't a money grabbing company like EA.
I hated the fact that I had to purchase more add on packs just to get some weapons, when other players could use these weapons (such as flash bangs) against me. But it was fun to kill people who had spent money on add-on packs and then use the weapons against their team <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
When I read about the "free updates" section the first thing I thought of was "NS was first contact, NS2 is a war".
So maybe updates like showing battle damage on an often played map, closing off some area's or opening up emergency routes. Each side slowly "evolving" and getting new features. People complain about the imbalances during play but still remember 1.04 and 2.0 nostalgically because it is almost like a war, sometimes aliens are ahead and sometimes marines.
<!--quoteo(post=1651924:date=Sep 25 2007, 05:37 AM:name=Mouse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mouse @ Sep 25 2007, 05:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1651924"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting the feeling that NS2 is rapidly gaining 'fluff'. ...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'll snip most of it and just leave the link back to Mouse's post but I share some of his concerns. I would like to see the core parts of NS2 come together before so much is added. Dynamic Infestation and the lua additions already seem like they will shake up much of the core of what makes NS what it is. Deformed hallways, alternate routes due to map changes, matchmaking, bots, etc all sound good for the future however I would first like to be assured the core of NS that we love is still in there somewhere and that it is solid. Some of the rest could come later (eg bots) once the game has been more firmly established.
<!--quoteo(post=1652077:date=Sep 25 2007, 09:43 PM:name=locallyunscene)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(locallyunscene @ Sep 25 2007, 09:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1652077"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So maybe updates like showing battle damage on an often played map<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It could even have potential where you had ns_fight_1, _2, and _3. As in, _1 is the map all pristine and untouched; _2 has more battle damage, with partially deformed structure; _3 has just gone to hell from so much battle.
You could potentially even code in a toggle option for the servers, so that it would run ns_tanith_1, ns_veil_1, ns_eclipse_1, and ns_bast_1... and then do the same rotation over again for the _2's. Or perhaps where at some point the map actually saves all of its properties (chambers and locations, structures, upgrades etc) and then loads the next version, keeping all the gamedata consistent.
This could be an awesome feature of NS2 if it were done properly.
And frankly, mappers could do this fairly easily. Its difficult to make a full map when you're doing it all; but if you knew your base was to be pristine, it would be that much easier. From there, you could deform it a bit, add craters, blood splats, etc. And then do it even moreso for the third variant.
It would take work, but it would be a completely new approach to mapping.
<!--quoteo(post=1652148:date=Sep 25 2007, 08:23 PM:name=StixNStonz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(StixNStonz @ Sep 25 2007, 08:23 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1652148"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It could even have potential where you had ns_fight_1, _2, and _3. As in, _1 is the map all pristine and untouched; _2 has more battle damage, with partially deformed structure; _3 has just gone to hell from so much battle. ...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Except it would still be a lot of work. Assuming that you finished _1 completely you would then need to go through the majority of the level again and change things for _2 and _3. In reality, you never finish a map completely. Mapping is a very iterative process that doesn't ever really finish. The map is just shipped. Even worse is that you can't treat a map like a piece of source code where you can have multiple branches and share changes between them. Anytime you made a change on one of the versions, you would potentially have to manually make the changes on all the other versions. I think this whole thing would be a waste of time and effort.
I'm concerned that there are too many people saying "That would be cool" or "They should add this" without sitting down to seriously think about what benefit would this add to the game (would this seriously make the game more fun or more rewarding to play) and would the effort even be worth it (would this be something that could be done in a reasonable time frame that would make it worth while at all).
<!--quoteo(post=1651924:date=Sep 25 2007, 02:37 AM:name=Mouse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mouse @ Sep 25 2007, 02:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1651924"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I mean sure, 'Free automatic updates' looks great on the back of the box; but if you're talking "Hrm our game is broken, we need to get something out there to fix it" patches - why bother mentioning it? Patches are a necessary evil; although Steam does streamline the patching process, it doesn't glorify it. If you're talking about "Hrm, it's Tuesday. Lets add some more features to keep our game exciting and fresh!" ..why? While regular content updates would attract a steady stream of new players to NS2, it would also alienate the existing players, who'd be forced to adapt to the ever changing gameplay. Not to mention that there'd most certainly be a tipping point where there'd either be no space for new features/abilities or the sheer amount of additions to the shipped gameplay would make it utterly unplayable.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Updates would essentially be free expansion packs, sort of like what the Red Orchestra team is doing.
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
edited September 2007
<!--quoteo(post=1652152:date=Sep 25 2007, 08:48 PM:name=KungFuDiscoMonkey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KungFuDiscoMonkey @ Sep 25 2007, 08:48 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1652152"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Except it would still be a lot of work. Assuming that you finished _1 completely you would then need to go through the majority of the level again and change things for _2 and _3. In reality, you never finish a map completely. Mapping is a very iterative process that doesn't ever really finish. The map is just shipped. Even worse is that you can't treat a map like a piece of source code where you can have multiple branches and share changes between them. Anytime you made a change on one of the versions, you would potentially have to manually make the changes on all the other versions. I think this whole thing would be a waste of time and effort.
I'm concerned that there are too many people saying "That would be cool" or "They should add this" without sitting down to seriously think about what benefit would this add to the game (would this seriously make the game more fun or more rewarding to play) and would the effort even be worth it (would this be something that could be done in a reasonable time frame that would make it worth while at all).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I wasn't saying they should be released all at the same time. I would want it to be like how the maps have evolved in NS all ready, except be more formal in making changes, maybe try to preserve the integrity of the original structure while making changes. Obviously not everyone would have to do it, just a few tourny maps that were updated. You wouldn't update a map the was released, you'd provide a new version. Again not everyone has to do this as some people would prefer not to have these constraints but it could add a unique continuity to NS2.
MouseThe Lighter Side of PessimismJoin Date: 2002-03-02Member: 263Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
edited September 2007
<!--quoteo(post=1652154:date=Sep 26 2007, 11:00 AM:name=Max)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Max @ Sep 26 2007, 11:00 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1652154"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Updates would essentially be free expansion packs, sort of like what the Red Orchestra team is doing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Would scope of these be comparable to the x.0 (2.0, 3.0 etc.) or the .x (3.1, 3.2 etc.) releases of NS?
Comments
Great stuff guys.
Oh and just to make sure.. Just like StixNStonz, I couldn't find any new blog post, so I guess we're talking about the <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/about/" target="_blank">new ABOUT section</a>, right?
P.S. And yeah, a link in the original post would be a great and balanced feature <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> Do these "Please post comments on the topic XY" threads get created automatically? I remember you guys used to use punctuation(sp?) mark and some smilies when you were really happy about making a new blog entry ^^
Glad you guys like the features and direction! Please give more feedback here about them here so we can be sure we're on the right track.
the only bit i didnt like was the alien's descriptions - skulk, gorge, lerk, fade, onos...... WHAT? NO SCORPIAN?!?!?!
hehe i was just hoping for a new little nugget of information, another flash of the kimono so to speak... but its all good.
keep up the good work guys.
Can't wait to hear more about the egg laying and marine welding. I hope they won't just be gimmicks - welding ns1 was fun, but it wasnt reversable, and also slowly the weld points disappeared through the new versions, which was sad.
Its going to be so creepy to walk through an infested area that 5 minutes ago was perfectly sterile, the lift doesnt work so you have to take the stairs, the long way around, or a ladder.
Just a few quick questions which you guys will probably answer in upcoming blogs anyway :-
1.
Will the map actually be fully dynamic ? when the walkway falls apart from the DI, can marines weld it or rebuild it somehow so the process can repeat itself?
And can welding be undone, and then redone - in ns1 once something was welded, you couldnt unweld etc
2.
Will marine buttons/switches and doors/lifts be unusable by kharaa? And when the DI takes over an area with that button or door it will automatically activate to let the kharaa through? and if not the DI, then could there be another way for the kharaa to open a door - crawl through a vent into the control room, destroy the doors hydraulics controls to open it and let the bigger lifeforms through.
Marines would then have to weld it up to get the door functioning again.
3. I noticed there wasn't a mention of welding objects together to form barricades is that feature you guys ever considered?
4. Is that final list of features for the first version or will more features be introduced just like in ns1 through updates?
glad to hear the gorges are still pudgy <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Might be interessting for the German e-team/promoters.
[Edit] Question/Suggestion about the NS2TR: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102541&view=findpost&p=1651172" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....t&p=1651172</a>
I mean sure, 'Free automatic updates' looks great on the back of the box; but if you're talking "Hrm our game is broken, we need to get something out there to fix it" patches - why bother mentioning it? Patches are a necessary evil; although Steam does streamline the patching process, it doesn't glorify it.
If you're talking about "Hrm, it's Tuesday. Lets add some more features to keep our game exciting and fresh!" ..why? While regular content updates would attract a steady stream of new players to NS2, it would also alienate the existing players, who'd be forced to adapt to the ever changing gameplay. Not to mention that there'd most certainly be a tipping point where there'd either be no space for new features/abilities or the sheer amount of additions to the shipped gameplay would make it utterly unplayable.
And that brings me to 'unique scenarios'.
On a map by map basis? Sure, why not.
But user-generated gameplay mods? I can't see them adding anything beyond clutter and confusion to a player's impression of NS2.
I'd elaborate, but I've <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=100362&view=findpost&p=1606458" target="_blank">done so already</a>.
I can't really say much about the matchmaking and map/server rating features without knowing the specifics; but I must admit, I don't see the point in them. The skill level of a server fluctuates too readily for any difficulty rating to be useful, let alone accurate.
The rest looks good though.
As for a short story, I've got like 10-11 map ideas. I'll try to choose the most original one and create a short story around it that could be made into a five minute to ten minute video with relative ease. IE, short-short screenplay/short story. I'll take discretional liberties as needed with NS lore to create...additional lore and interesting...thingies! Fear the thingies! Should be done in..... eh...whenever I get not lazy (2 to 22 days +- 4 days).
Glad you guys like the features and direction! Please give more feedback here about them here so we can be sure we're on the right track.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I can relate to a permalink back to the main post being difficult to code it. How about this: yourself or any moderator manually inserting it into the first post ie
<b>Source:</b> <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2007/09/ns2_features" target="_blank"><u>NS2 Features</u></a>.
The Instant Gratification I like. <img src="http://www.nsmod.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I especially liked hearing about the Scripting Language being able to create unique scenarios without having to download an admin-mod or whatever... sounds like it could be really interesting... like custom-play-style servers emerging, would be great for the community... Also just like the trends recently (user-created-content) it'll be appealing and evolve(pun alert) gameplay in the genre. This was the most exciting thing for me being a veteran gamer (and NS fanboy) but the thing as a whole sounds just about perfect for the newbies <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
---
for those talking about traps, remember: Webbing is a form of trap, so don't get your hopes too high, could be misinterpreted <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->can't really say much about the matchmaking and map/server rating features without knowing the specifics; but I must admit, I don't see the point in them. The skill level of a server fluctuates too readily for any difficulty rating to be useful, let alone accurate.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought when i read this: an Admin could assign HIS OWN difficulty level to the server... thus attracting newbies (wireplay servers etc) or clan-players (a clan hosted server) or maybe a happy medium (all-welcome community fun-play servers)...
but that was my interpretation, and as Flayra already mentioned, the page is subject to change, perhaps it is something he wants to do but hasn't got the details down yet, in that case... perhaps write your thoughts in the ideas section <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
All I ask is that you best the flamethrower from <i>Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory</i>.
The more infos we get the more I can't wait to get my hands on NS2.
On a side not to <!--coloro:#A0522D--><span style="color:#A0522D"><!--/coloro--><b>Charlie and Max</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->, you guys obviously read the forums steadily, and the changes made to NS2 proves it... I understand that you might be busy, we all are, but do you have any opinions that you can share with the suggestions made in the I&S forum? It'd be great to hear both of your inputs on the ideas submitted. A lot of these suggestions are great and it would be great to know what you guys think on it, might even booster up new ideas... Just a thought!
Course.....most servers would be 'average'... lol.
Love the Instant Gratification section. It would be cool to see NS2 have a single player (with bots) game, even if it’s just a small selection of levels, like 2 or 3. Just so people can learn how to play/command before they play online. You may also get a few extra sales, if the game goes to retail, from people who don't have a (good) internet connection.
I also <strike>like</strike> no love! the Dynamic Environments section, but I agree with schkorpio's questions about welding. I think most things should be reversible, how this will be done I don't know. But then again maybe not all areas need to be reversible, as long as mappers take this into account and leave other routes to get to places. For example, if a walkway is destroyed (the marines aren’t really going to be able to lift it back up and fix it if there is lava under it or a deep pit) then their should be longer routes around, maybe a long corridor or another walkway further along.
But it would be cool to see some things be reversible (at least once), like a door that gets welded shut, and then the aliens can break through it. But then the marines can’t weld it shut again because its broken open or maybe the join just gets broken??
<!--coloro:#FFFF00--><span style="color:#FFFF00"><!--/coloro-->Also cool to read the original story for NS. “The deployment area has weapons lockers, a chapel and a prominent exit door.†Does that mean the marines have a religion? If so, what is it?? Really want to know for a map idea I am having. I mean do they have one religion, or many, or none? If they have any, are they ones we know of, or a new religion?? Or maybe they just have a “saint like†figure or “worship†the sword/gun/wings that appears in their symbol?
Basically it would be nice to get a bit more background on the Frontiersmen to add more depth to the game and the background story. <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Mouse: I think they are just making the point that unlike BF2, and other games, you don't have to pay $10 a time to get an add on pack that contains a few extra levels and a bunch of extra weapons; and that it will all be free once you have bought the game. I think this is a good thing, but it might need rewording... maybe?
It shows they aren't a money grabbing company like EA.
I hated the fact that I had to purchase more add on packs just to get some weapons, when other players could use these weapons (such as flash bangs) against me. But it was fun to kill people who had spent money on add-on packs and then use the weapons against their team <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
So maybe updates like showing battle damage on an often played map, closing off some area's or opening up emergency routes. Each side slowly "evolving" and getting new features. People complain about the imbalances during play but still remember 1.04 and 2.0 nostalgically because it is almost like a war, sometimes aliens are ahead and sometimes marines.
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I'll snip most of it and just leave the link back to Mouse's post but I share some of his concerns. I would like to see the core parts of NS2 come together before so much is added. Dynamic Infestation and the lua additions already seem like they will shake up much of the core of what makes NS what it is. Deformed hallways, alternate routes due to map changes, matchmaking, bots, etc all sound good for the future however I would first like to be assured the core of NS that we love is still in there somewhere and that it is solid. Some of the rest could come later (eg bots) once the game has been more firmly established.
It could even have potential where you had ns_fight_1, _2, and _3. As in, _1 is the map all pristine and untouched; _2 has more battle damage, with partially deformed structure; _3 has just gone to hell from so much battle.
You could potentially even code in a toggle option for the servers, so that it would run ns_tanith_1, ns_veil_1, ns_eclipse_1, and ns_bast_1... and then do the same rotation over again for the _2's. Or perhaps where at some point the map actually saves all of its properties (chambers and locations, structures, upgrades etc) and then loads the next version, keeping all the gamedata consistent.
This could be an awesome feature of NS2 if it were done properly.
And frankly, mappers could do this fairly easily. Its difficult to make a full map when you're doing it all; but if you knew your base was to be pristine, it would be that much easier. From there, you could deform it a bit, add craters, blood splats, etc. And then do it even moreso for the third variant.
It would take work, but it would be a completely new approach to mapping.
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Except it would still be a lot of work. Assuming that you finished _1 completely you would then need to go through the majority of the level again and change things for _2 and _3. In reality, you never finish a map completely. Mapping is a very iterative process that doesn't ever really finish. The map is just shipped. Even worse is that you can't treat a map like a piece of source code where you can have multiple branches and share changes between them. Anytime you made a change on one of the versions, you would potentially have to manually make the changes on all the other versions. I think this whole thing would be a waste of time and effort.
I'm concerned that there are too many people saying "That would be cool" or "They should add this" without sitting down to seriously think about what benefit would this add to the game (would this seriously make the game more fun or more rewarding to play) and would the effort even be worth it (would this be something that could be done in a reasonable time frame that would make it worth while at all).
If you're talking about "Hrm, it's Tuesday. Lets add some more features to keep our game exciting and fresh!" ..why? While regular content updates would attract a steady stream of new players to NS2, it would also alienate the existing players, who'd be forced to adapt to the ever changing gameplay. Not to mention that there'd most certainly be a tipping point where there'd either be no space for new features/abilities or the sheer amount of additions to the shipped gameplay would make it utterly unplayable.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Updates would essentially be free expansion packs, sort of like what the Red Orchestra team is doing.
I'm concerned that there are too many people saying "That would be cool" or "They should add this" without sitting down to seriously think about what benefit would this add to the game (would this seriously make the game more fun or more rewarding to play) and would the effort even be worth it (would this be something that could be done in a reasonable time frame that would make it worth while at all).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I wasn't saying they should be released all at the same time. I would want it to be like how the maps have evolved in NS all ready, except be more formal in making changes, maybe try to preserve the integrity of the original structure while making changes. Obviously not everyone would have to do it, just a few tourny maps that were updated. You wouldn't update a map the was released, you'd provide a new version. Again not everyone has to do this as some people would prefer not to have these constraints but it could add a unique continuity to NS2.
Would scope of these be comparable to the x.0 (2.0, 3.0 etc.) or the .x (3.1, 3.2 etc.) releases of NS?