Restricting hydras

TwiggehTwiggeh Join Date: 2010-09-24 Member: 74165Members
<div class="IPBDescription">making a temp bandaid fix?</div>So the servern arnt crashing anymore, but the gameplay still comes to, more or less, a complete halt if somebody decides to just go spam hydras all over the place.
Not only does the lag go up and framerate down like a rollercoaster, but the marines are completely helpless if it happens before they get GLs & flamers.

I was in a game yesterday in tram (4v4 i think) and a single gorge just swamped the entire marine spawn minutes after start, conquering the entire base with only hydras.
I quit after he did the same thing the next round, it was just lame.

So, im wondering if its possible to limit the hydraspam (or general building-spam perhaps..) with the help of LUA?
I have no experience with neither LUA nor programming (except for some basic HTML & CSS) so im not gonna dive into it, the game would be released before i'd be done.


Possible rules for hydras :

* Maximum # of hydras, either max amount per player or per server (spitting out a new one while at max capacity destroys your first one)
* Only usable in areas where the powernode is down? (to restrict it from being used as a rush-tool, and its basically the same technical function as only usable in areas with DI, since they're bound to be khaara-controlled)

So, this would only be until UWE fixes them, but that might take a while since they will focus on fixing broken code and introducing new stuff until the game is complete.
There's no use in tweaking half a game.

So, any input?

Comments

  • HughHugh Cameraman San Francisco, CA Join Date: 2010-04-18 Member: 71444NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts
    Perhaps increasing their cost as well. Make the buggers bloody expensive.

    Another thread also made the point that if Gorges had something else to spend Res on they my not spam so many hydras.
  • TwiggehTwiggeh Join Date: 2010-09-24 Member: 74165Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1809679:date=Nov 24 2010, 08:11 AM:name=NS2HD)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (NS2HD @ Nov 24 2010, 08:11 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1809679"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Perhaps increasing their cost as well. Make the buggers bloody expensive.

    Another thread also made the point that if Gorges had something else to spend Res on they my not spam so many hydras.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Indeed, i think alot of people spit hydra's because there's nothing else to do.
    Tho that isnt anything we can change, unfortunately..
  • FehaFeha Join Date: 2006-11-16 Member: 58633Members
    It is very possible, for simply restricting go to hydraability.lua, line 118. in this function the whole hydra spawning code is, and if you comment out all the code in there gorges wont be able to spawn hydras.

    If you want a limit, you have to make a counter variable though, could be a table with all clients as index, and their hydra count, or a simple variable limiting whole alien team with same count.
    then in the function just check if the var < maxvar, and if you spawn a hydra, var = var+1
  • McGlaspieMcGlaspie www.team156.com Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 73044Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Squad Five Gold, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Gold, Subnautica Playtester
    Imo, Hydras should be limited to X (like 3 or 5 start of game) number per player and require Res and Energy to place, which should be expensive as NS2HD said. Gorges should also be able to "devour" or eat their own hydras to get some Res/Energy back. Eating a hydra would free up one of a player's total number of place-able hydras. This would force players to be much more careful about their placements. Also, new research could be added to increase the number per player so they can be more effective late game.

    One problem I do see is this would require adding more network variables into already crowded packets/traffic.

    Anyways, just thinking out loud.
  • 1stToast1stToast Join Date: 2007-12-02 Member: 63067Members
    I agree, in NS some servers would limit the number of OTs adn DCs in any given area. I think there should be a moderating factor to the flamethrowers. Maybe less fuel between reloading or a time limit (IE NS jet packs flight time.) Two 'rines with flamers and the game is over. They burn everything in their path. Lerk spikes are match for bullets in a head to head shootout. The maps are not large enough for some long range sniping. It seems Skulk and Fade are the only aliens that can go one on one with marines. It seems if one side gets an advantage early on and presses it, it's all downhill for the other side. Be it with hydras or flamers or nades.
  • SN.WolfSN.Wolf Join Date: 2010-03-29 Member: 71115Members
    +1

    I loved on co maps in the KcK server where GL was restricted to one for the entire team, The GL carrier would have to die before anyone could purchase it and combat buildings where limited. This should be a must during testing to restrict lag.
  • FraxinusFraxinus Join Date: 2008-03-02 Member: 63783Members, Constellation
    edited December 2010
    +1 for flamethrower restrictions as well.

    @SN.Wolf

    I don't think gls should be restricted since they are just attachments to the LMG and have a long enough delay to them. Spamming GLs isn't as effective as spamming flamers.
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