There's a good idea. Let me propose an implementation:
Theres a bindable key that sends a "start countdown" message to the server. When it reaches the server, it will find all aliens within a certain radius of the original alien and issue each of them a command that adds a 2-second long visual countdown graphic to their HUD.
Since the graphic is created by the server reponse rather than by your initial command, each player's graphic should hit zero at the same time regardless of lag (unless one player is lagging noticeably worse than the others). You couldn't use this to take advantage of a split-second opportunity, but for those you really have to be able to recognize them yourself anyway. But if you have a little bigger window and/or can anticipate about when the ideal Go-time is, this will let you coordinate that Go-time with all the other nearby ambushers. Two seconds is just enough time to get everyone synched up to the same time (including the guy who clicked it first, who will have to wait slightly longer than two seconds due to lag), without being so long as to leave you vulnerable while you wait for it to tick down.
pSyk0mAnNerdish by NatureGermanyJoin Date: 2003-08-07Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
edited February 2009
Try out your idea on current public servers. Bind "Ambush, GO" to a key and use it in described situations. The talented players, who will actually go with it, do already recognize the ambush situation and you being part of it, and know the advantage of an organized rush/ambush.
Unfortunately the average pubber will screw/ignore the ambush by either straight walking by your position and into the presented marines or by making noise, when getting into position. It's funny though, because in some cases this stupid action is exactly the point, where all the talented players use the distraction and rush successfully. I think, the new player in this situation, dieing as first, would learn more about the game, if the spectator camera switched in the right place (while waiting in the spawn queue) and shows the ambush situation and how the other players play it out.
pSyk0mAnNerdish by NatureGermanyJoin Date: 2003-08-07Member: 19166Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Community Developer
Then we are probably playing different publics, because I usually find players that seem to ignore hud elements judging from their performance.
All I'm saying is that bad players don't even have the conditions to use the ambush-call properly, wether it's a hud element or chat, unless you order them way before the ambush to make no noise and to wait for the call to attack together, and hope that they follow orders. This order though, or in general the grouping of nearby skulks into an ambush unit (showing of ambush points maybe inclusive) is probably hard to accomplish as "normal" alien and should be part of the alien commander, which leads again to the discussion, what is the alien commander's role in the game and would it be too similar to the marine commander.
Comments
Theres a bindable key that sends a "start countdown" message to the server. When it reaches the server, it will find all aliens within a certain radius of the original alien and issue each of them a command that adds a 2-second long visual countdown graphic to their HUD.
Since the graphic is created by the server reponse rather than by your initial command, each player's graphic should hit zero at the same time regardless of lag (unless one player is lagging noticeably worse than the others). You couldn't use this to take advantage of a split-second opportunity, but for those you really have to be able to recognize them yourself anyway. But if you have a little bigger window and/or can anticipate about when the ideal Go-time is, this will let you coordinate that Go-time with all the other nearby ambushers. Two seconds is just enough time to get everyone synched up to the same time (including the guy who clicked it first, who will have to wait slightly longer than two seconds due to lag), without being so long as to leave you vulnerable while you wait for it to tick down.
Sound good?
Bind "Ambush, GO" to a key and use it in described situations.
The talented players, who will actually go with it, do already recognize the ambush situation and you being part of it, and know the advantage of an organized rush/ambush.
Unfortunately the average pubber will screw/ignore the ambush by either straight walking by your position and into the presented marines or by making noise, when getting into position.
It's funny though, because in some cases this stupid action is exactly the point, where all the talented players use the distraction and rush successfully.
I think, the new player in this situation, dieing as first, would learn more about the game, if the spectator camera switched in the right place (while waiting in the spawn queue) and shows the ambush situation and how the other players play it out.
All I'm saying is that bad players don't even have the conditions to use the ambush-call properly, wether it's a hud element or chat, unless you order them way before the ambush to make no noise and to wait for the call to attack together, and hope that they follow orders.
This order though, or in general the grouping of nearby skulks into an ambush unit (showing of ambush points maybe inclusive) is probably hard to accomplish as "normal" alien and should be part of the alien commander,
which leads again to the discussion, what is the alien commander's role in the game and would it be too similar to the marine commander.