Laser Blocking
GaussWaffle
Join Date: 2008-02-22 Member: 63708Members
Join Date: 2008-02-22 Member: 63708Members
This idea just came to me, so I'm kinda working out the details as I'm writing
Anyways, since it is desired in NS2 for a way to create "road blocks" around maps so you can concentrate on other aspects of the map, my thought is that marines get a new droppable/purchasable item... Laser Bridges
Similar in look and application as mines, a comm would drop a pack of 4, and a marine could place them on walls. The laser connects very similarly to a Gorge's Web ability, with the first laser mine being the starting point, and the second laser mine placed automatically connecting to the other mine. With about 4 mines you can crate a small laser grating to help ward against alien passage, especially against larger life forms.
Now these lasers would most certainly not be a certain death mechanism (trigger_hurt 9999), but they would have no timer and could not be immediately destroyed but gorge spit or the like.
What would would happen is at first the lasers starts out at a lightsaber-like damage of 250/sec , and would glow brightly.
Then after usage (getting hit), the battery of the laser mines would decrease, say at 25 damage every time it gets tripped (or 250 the first second, 225 the next..and so forth), with the laser decreasing in brightness until it eventually fades away. Then the mines would fall off the walls and disappear after the standard timer.
The lasers hurt both aliens and humans, so it's a trade off of absolutely shutting down an area from both teams, but the area can still be regained by aliens by wearing down the lasers and by marines welding the lasers inactive.
Sounds like a cool idea to me, anyways, though I'd imagine Bilebomb shouldn't be able to work on them, that would defeat the purpose really quick, maybe some kind of 3rd hive ability or an extended barrage of bilebombs would be more reasonable...
Anyways, since it is desired in NS2 for a way to create "road blocks" around maps so you can concentrate on other aspects of the map, my thought is that marines get a new droppable/purchasable item... Laser Bridges
Similar in look and application as mines, a comm would drop a pack of 4, and a marine could place them on walls. The laser connects very similarly to a Gorge's Web ability, with the first laser mine being the starting point, and the second laser mine placed automatically connecting to the other mine. With about 4 mines you can crate a small laser grating to help ward against alien passage, especially against larger life forms.
Now these lasers would most certainly not be a certain death mechanism (trigger_hurt 9999), but they would have no timer and could not be immediately destroyed but gorge spit or the like.
What would would happen is at first the lasers starts out at a lightsaber-like damage of 250/sec , and would glow brightly.
Then after usage (getting hit), the battery of the laser mines would decrease, say at 25 damage every time it gets tripped (or 250 the first second, 225 the next..and so forth), with the laser decreasing in brightness until it eventually fades away. Then the mines would fall off the walls and disappear after the standard timer.
The lasers hurt both aliens and humans, so it's a trade off of absolutely shutting down an area from both teams, but the area can still be regained by aliens by wearing down the lasers and by marines welding the lasers inactive.
Sounds like a cool idea to me, anyways, though I'd imagine Bilebomb shouldn't be able to work on them, that would defeat the purpose really quick, maybe some kind of 3rd hive ability or an extended barrage of bilebombs would be more reasonable...
Comments
Also, closing up the map like that, would disrupt the gameplay.
I wouldnt mind seeing lasers put back on mines, i always enjoyed placing them to create a tactical laser around nodes and choke points.
A big question for me still is to decide who gets to deploy it. Marines (mine style) or commander dropped building.
I realized I changed everything about your idea except for the part where a hallway could be blocked by the marines. You just got me thinking is all. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
I just thought of another idea. Instead of "Hit Points" that the aliens would have to bite/slash/bile away, have the wall be impassable but shock aliens as they come in contact with it. Then instead of HP the wall would have an energy level that would drain as it damages and the device would fail and break down once the energy reached zero. The energy would start to recharge slowly if left alone for a while before total failure. Imagine the funny scene of a group of aliens just tapping the field at intervals to break it down while a gorge or DC heals them nearby. Somehow that reminded me of that scene from Aliens 2 where the aliens just throw themselves against the Sentries to run out their ammo.... hmm.... sentries with ammo? ...must ...not ...go off topic.
<!--quoteo(post=1684041:date=Jul 19 2008, 09:54 PM:name=chiss)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chiss @ Jul 19 2008, 09:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1684041"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, closing up the map like that, would disrupt the gameplay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I have to disagree with that one. I think what you call "disrupt the gameplay" is simply added strategy or changing the map dynamics. It allows you to block a flank in order to concentrate you force on attacking elsewhere. However it should be balanced in such a way that when a blocked hallway is critical for the aliens then a combined effort their could take it down without much delay.
A big question for me still is to decide who gets to deploy it. Marines (mine style) or commander dropped building.
I realized I changed everything about your idea except for the part where a hallway could be blocked by the marines. You just got me thinking is all. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
I just thought of another idea. Instead of "Hit Points" that the aliens would have to bite/slash/bile away, have the wall be impassable but shock aliens as they come in contact with it. Then instead of HP the wall would have an energy level that would drain as it damages and the device would fail and break down once the energy reached zero. The energy would start to recharge slowly if left alone for a while before total failure. Imagine the funny scene of a group of aliens just tapping the field at intervals to break it down while a gorge or DC heals them nearby. Somehow that reminded me of that scene from Aliens 2 where the aliens just throw themselves against the Sentries to run out their ammo.... hmm.... sentries with ammo? ...must ...not ...go off topic.
I have to disagree with that one. I think what you call "disrupt the gameplay" is simply added strategy or changing the map dynamics. It allows you to block a flank in order to concentrate you force on attacking elsewhere. However it should be balanced in such a way that when a blocked hallway is critical for the aliens then a combined effort their could take it down without much delay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That could work to, the idea was more geared towards creating temporary blockages in maps, another option for marines to use in the battle of res and map control
Imagine marines blocking off the entries into double in ns_veil early game, welding the vents shut, and PGing out? Shutting out the Aliens from from vent entrances? Surely these walls can be broken given some concerted effort, but for the most part its purpose it served, to deter aliens from immediate entry and to go another way.
--Lasermines can be planted like normal mines, and arm by connecting to nearby lasermines similar to current Web, as described by GaussWaffle.
--The Laserbeam does not deal damage, but is impassable for lifeforms on both teams
--Aliens can attack the laserbeam with any attack that harms structures, and if you deal as much damage to the beam as a marine RTs health, the mines on both sides are destroyed. There is no way to regenerate lost health.
--If an alien can get past the beam and attack the mine directly, it has much less health -- about as much as a marine. If you can deal 2 or 3 hundred damage to the mine itself, then it breaks and no longer connects to nearby mines. Bilebomb will damage the mines.
--If a marine finds himself trapped in an area by virtue of badly placed lasermines, he can E-use a lasermine to turn it off. The mine is not destroyed, it sits there doing nothing until another marine turns it back on again. The mine can still be attacked while in the "off" state.
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Features:
Mines can be used to quickly block off an area. Marines standing behind active mines can shoot between the beams to prevent aliens from easily moving through.
Mines left alone without marine support provide only limited alien deterrence. Skulks can usually find a way around the blocked area, or even climb over them if the doorway was not completely blocked, and once on the other side can easily destroy the mines from behind. Larger lifeforms find the mines are more effective at denying them access to an area, but the blockage is not indestructible as the mines can always be destroyed.
Gorges Bilebomb remains an effective counter just as it is against ordinary explosive mines.
I'm not sure about using Mines for this dual purpose. Perhaps another item that attaches to walls/surfaces like a mine, but isn't actually a mine. Come in packs of 4, or 2 pairs. In sequence, if there is line of sight between the nodes, a laser is formed. i.e. the first two nodes placed for one laser barrier, the next two form another.
Mind if I tweak the idea a bit?
The idea is kind of like the improvised barrier stuff we have gone over in the I&S before, the sense that you try to slow the other team down to buy your team time in gaining control of an area. Also in that respect, this is like the weld doors ideas discussed, even in pod casts from the Devs.
Here is what I suggest, the "laser mines" (until a better name comes along) come in packs of 4. Picture it as a model of the current mine, but it has a mono filament/wire that spools out of the center. Now, have the marine place the first one, then the second, now a red line appears between the two - in this respect it would be like the NS1 gorges web - that has a maximum radius it can be placed from the first. Then the same with a 3rd but as the third goes up, the line forms between this one and the first and the second, and the inside space of the triangle becomes your "shield" and placing the 4th and last one gives you a four sided shape. The point of this tweak on the idea being is that it will have a limit that doesn't completely block off a hallway, by virtue of that a marine can only reach so high up a wall, even by jumping, which would allow for some places that lerks and skulks could get past easily and gorges bile bombing past through the spaces it can't block. Heck, if fade got its teleport back, I wouldn't see these barriers being any more than a bit of energy to skip past and get into a place marines assume is "safe", to take the barrier down.
Its pretty much true of any barrier idea (weld door, improvised, laser mine) in the game, I would hope there would be ways for the Kharaa to get around any structure, whether by acidic projectile (gorge), walk walking (skulk), flight (lerk), teleport (fade), or brute force of momentum (onos). Barriers should only be a slow down for the Kharaa, not put a full stop to their map movements.
that one made me laugh..
OK, this idea is shot down enough, too many holes for it to work unfortunately
Marines get pairs of mine-like deployables. When two are placed on the floor within a min/max distance from each other, they anchor, shield themselves, and slowly create glowing columns straight up, 6-8 feet or so. When those reach max, a field snaps into place at full health. When the field takes damage and goes to 0 HP, it shuts off, and the deployables are attackable. If they are not destroyed, after 10-15 seconds, they redeploy and recharge. It recharges slowly when not under attack.
They allow marines and marine fire to pass through, but they decrease damage done by bullets passing through the field by a TBD percentage, and perhaps slow the marines a little. Alien fire does not penetrate, but goes directly to the HP of the field. Some attacks damage the field more than others (ranged plinking does very little, bile bombs and melee attacks do near-full).
Pluses: They can be used to slow down alien advances through a hallway.
Minuses: They are not invincible (tho tough). They cannot be deployed near each other to make a massive wall. If the field doesn't touch the ceiling, some aliens can go over it.
<b>Alien Walls.</b> (Could use a better name...)
Gorges deploy something comparable, either a single deployable in the middle of a hallway, or two similar deployables on walls. The deployable grows, either as a puddle of goo on the floor or walls, and can be fairly easily destroyed during this stage. After it finishes deploying, it throws filaments around.
This blocks it from marine movement, and some marine fire are absorbed by the thicker strands of goo. Alien fire is not impeded at all. Alien movement through the wall is also not impeded. The deployable "heals" the filaments almost instantly, but it uses biomass to do that, and that regrows... well, about as fast as the marine wall recharges, oddly enough. The marine knives are coated with anti-bacterial material that is effective, grenades (and if applicable, probably flamethrowers) are also effective, while bullet fire is not. It's not INSTANTLY killed by flamethrowers, as it is damp and all the water in the biomass would have to boil off first. Obviously it heals.