I remember the bite animation being faster, reducing the amount of time your view was blocked by chomping teeth. I suggest making the bite animation very quick.
Here is a more bizarre suggestion: Make marines hit with a parasite outlined with a bright halo, similar to the way infected view survivors in Left4Dead. The outline effect would be visible even through the Skulk mouth model. This way the Skulk's mouth model obscures only the view of the world, but you can still keep track of the marine bodies you are aiming to bite. Thoughts?
<!--quoteo(post=1782865:date=Jul 26 2010, 12:52 AM:name=yourbonesakin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yourbonesakin @ Jul 26 2010, 12:52 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1782865"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Why was it added to the engine test <i>at all</i>? And why was third person view shown in the pre-alpha video <i>at all</i>?
Nothing is for sure, but it seems that NS2 will have third person view in the "full game".<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So that people could look at the animations and models from different perspectives. Thats why, its an Alpha, people enjoy looking at that stuff. A thirdperson mode is NOT going to be in NS2 and I can say that with almost absolute certainty. NS2 is a <i>First Person </i>Shooter(/slasher).
<!--quoteo(post=1787787:date=Jul 29 2010, 12:49 AM:name=Dash-El)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dash-El @ Jul 29 2010, 12:49 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1787787"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->No issue for me as is. I am curious though as to the possibility of having the teeth (not the view) rotate to align with walls etc.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> +1 for this.
Maybe silhouette players (a la L4D) while behind the bite-veil?
just watching youtube videos of the dog bitecam gave me eyestrain, and i could tell the person playing the game was getting disoriented by having his view blocked every other second, if something isn't done to resolve this problem i can't see myself using the dog much.
I've always found the bitecam quite hard to handle - I'm never actually very good at this game anyway but find that it so very easy to lose any idea of where marines are when they start bouncing around, I get one bite on target and then just get lost behind the mass of flashing teeth. Not biting as often helps a lot - focus forces that on me and so helps quite considerably.
If the animation spent less time with the mouth closed I'd not object.
Just as another thought - the flashlight could switch from the mouth-cam to the actual eyes and give a different field of vision - possibly making it easier to navigate with the 'eyes' but somehow better to hunt with the 'mouth'. That might not be worth trying to balance / get right.
<!--quoteo(post=1791772:date=Aug 4 2010, 04:12 PM:name=SwampRat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SwampRat @ Aug 4 2010, 04:12 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1791772"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just as another thought - the flashlight could switch from the mouth-cam to the actual eyes and give a different field of vision - possibly making it easier to navigate with the 'eyes' but somehow better to hunt with the 'mouth'. That might not be worth trying to balance / get right.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> In the original Natural Selection the aliens had a flashlight that just made the marines "glow" like a thermal view. It made it difficult for marines to hide in dark corners or ducts.
I like the idea of parasite giving the marines a glowing outline the shows through the mouth model, if not through floors and walls like in the original Natural Selection. It gave Skulks an valuable scout role.
ScardyBobScardyBobJoin Date: 2009-11-25Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
Its a pretty disorienting effect that I'd prefer not to have. First person melee combat is difficult enough without having your view cut-off every couple of seconds. If their is a way to disable it in the full release, I'd do it.
twilitebluebug stalkerJoin Date: 2003-02-04Member: 13116Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
edited February 2011
<!--quoteo(post=1831200:date=Feb 11 2011, 12:17 PM:name=ScardyBob)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ScardyBob @ Feb 11 2011, 12:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1831200"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Its a pretty disorienting effect that I'd prefer not to have. First person melee combat is difficult enough without having your view cut-off every couple of seconds. If their is a way to disable it in the full release, I'd do it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Ditto. I imagine it would put off new players once the novelty wears off.
It makes no sense to handicap Skulks in this way. Skulks can only kill Marines in melee, and Marines can already jump around like mad, and over Skulks (which I find frustrating). Why make it worse for the Skulks?
[Edit] Alien nightvision would certainly help. It would be even better if Marines show up as silhouettes, even through the teeth. :D
I think it works quite well in the <i>Aliens vs. Predator</i> series. The notable difference is, that a successful Xenomoprh bite results in an instant kill by decapitation. However, I think the fundamental way bite attacks are handled in <i>AvP</i> should work just as perfekt with <i>NS2</i>. When roaming freely, the player's jaws are only vaguely visible at the edges of the screen. When an enemy is in range for attack, the jaws close in, indicating the possibility for a bite attack. The bite animation itself has only to be quick enough, so it doesn't obscure the view for too long.
twilitebluebug stalkerJoin Date: 2003-02-04Member: 13116Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
edited February 2011
Ah AvP2, fun memories... Head bites were sooo satisfying. I wouldn't mind a range indication as you suggested for skulks. I find it difficult to keep marines in biting range, as well as judging the range. An indicator for when a marine is virtually touching my teeth would be very valuable.
Actually, I would go even further. I'd love to have an optional "shaky bite cam" that lashes and tilts when the player bites. Sure, that might be disorienting for some players, but that's why I said "optional". Well, if it was up to me, I'd evem have the player actually take a small dash forward and back with each bite attack. That would make biting much more intuitive imho.
Comments
Here is a more bizarre suggestion: Make marines hit with a parasite outlined with a bright halo, similar to the way infected view survivors in Left4Dead. The outline effect would be visible even through the Skulk mouth model. This way the Skulk's mouth model obscures only the view of the world, but you can still keep track of the marine bodies you are aiming to bite. Thoughts?
Nothing is for sure, but it seems that NS2 will have third person view in the "full game".<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So that people could look at the animations and models from different perspectives. Thats why, its an Alpha, people enjoy looking at that stuff.
A thirdperson mode is NOT going to be in NS2 and I can say that with almost absolute certainty. NS2 is a <i>First Person </i>Shooter(/slasher).
Seriously dude think for a second.
+1 for this.
Maybe silhouette players (a la L4D) while behind the bite-veil?
If the animation spent less time with the mouth closed I'd not object.
Just as another thought - the flashlight could switch from the mouth-cam to the actual eyes and give a different field of vision - possibly making it easier to navigate with the 'eyes' but somehow better to hunt with the 'mouth'. That might not be worth trying to balance / get right.
In the original Natural Selection the aliens had a flashlight that just made the marines "glow" like a thermal view. It made it difficult for marines to hide in dark corners or ducts.
I like the idea of parasite giving the marines a glowing outline the shows through the mouth model, if not through floors and walls like in the original Natural Selection. It gave Skulks an valuable scout role.
It truly gives off that savage stealthy beast persona which is hard to find in most games.
Ditto. I imagine it would put off new players once the novelty wears off.
It makes no sense to handicap Skulks in this way. Skulks can only kill Marines in melee, and Marines can already jump around like mad, and over Skulks (which I find frustrating). Why make it worse for the Skulks?
[Edit] Alien nightvision would certainly help. It would be even better if Marines show up as silhouettes, even through the teeth. :D
I wouldn't mind a range indication as you suggested for skulks. I find it difficult to keep marines in biting range, as well as judging the range. An indicator for when a marine is virtually touching my teeth would be very valuable.