Dear Mappers
thecowsaysmoo
Join Date: 2008-02-02 Member: 63557Members
Join Date: 2008-02-02 Member: 63557Members
As an Alien player, One of my favorite things about Natural Selection, is climbing around walls and vents as a skulk. One thing I've noticed that was also a problem in NS1, is that a lot of the vents, and large open spaces, have "support structures" or lights or bars/wall objects that are all over the walls and ceilings. This makes it impossible to move around as a skulk. Currently in ns2, skulks are limited to the ground, climbing on a wall or ceiling is almost suicide as you will immediately fall straight down.
examples of trouble areas on rockdown:
<img src="http://thegiftedape.com/images/ns21.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://thegiftedape.com/images/ns22.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
In the first Screenshot, there is almost no way to get into this vent, you have to stand directly below it and leap into it, this is not good for the aliens, it mine as well not be there, as trying to use it is suicide. There is no way to get into the vent if you are already on the ceiling....
In the marine spawn and most open areas, there is so much stuff on and around the ceiling its impossible to use the skulks wall climbing ability as an advantage. Constantly skulks are falling off everywhere, cause there is no good places to walk on the walls or ceiling.(most rooms you cant even use the walls or veiling cause there are no flat surfaces. For me this breaks the game, and the balance, and skulks really have no chance running at marines on the ground.)
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
Build your maps with this in mind, I will gladly play a map that has a little less beauty on the ceiling for, much improved game-play-ability. Who looks at the ceiling anyways, unless you are a skulk trying to run on it. Especially in big rooms, and around vents, no one likes not being able to get into a vent because there is a ceiling support in the way, it just makes no sense.
tl;dr Ceiling/walls need more flat surfaces for skulks to run on.
examples of trouble areas on rockdown:
<img src="http://thegiftedape.com/images/ns21.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://thegiftedape.com/images/ns22.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
In the first Screenshot, there is almost no way to get into this vent, you have to stand directly below it and leap into it, this is not good for the aliens, it mine as well not be there, as trying to use it is suicide. There is no way to get into the vent if you are already on the ceiling....
In the marine spawn and most open areas, there is so much stuff on and around the ceiling its impossible to use the skulks wall climbing ability as an advantage. Constantly skulks are falling off everywhere, cause there is no good places to walk on the walls or ceiling.(most rooms you cant even use the walls or veiling cause there are no flat surfaces. For me this breaks the game, and the balance, and skulks really have no chance running at marines on the ground.)
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
Build your maps with this in mind, I will gladly play a map that has a little less beauty on the ceiling for, much improved game-play-ability. Who looks at the ceiling anyways, unless you are a skulk trying to run on it. Especially in big rooms, and around vents, no one likes not being able to get into a vent because there is a ceiling support in the way, it just makes no sense.
tl;dr Ceiling/walls need more flat surfaces for skulks to run on.
Comments
I'm sure they are working on it for Rockdown, by adding more invisible collision geometry (and probably Max, using his programming magic for wallwalking). I for one am constantly walking around as skulk and marine to find stuck points for my map. I always play Skulk 90% of the game. So I know your pain and want the movement to be as smooth as possible for some Skulking (alongside flying and blinking of course, but those guys are way more versatile then the Skulk, which is dependent on good collision detection on surfaces.
With each hiding place come more stuck or obstacles. They need to be fixed, I also saw a few annoying gaps in the MS of Rockdown, gaps where you could fit trough as a Skulk, if you look at it. But they still block your way. Such things have to be fixed. These blockades are those rock prop in the ceiling
I can't say if my levels are 100% skulk friendly but i will damn sure make my best efforts to make them that way. (also trying to make vents accessible by gorge/jumping)
I'm not saying that mappers can't screw up their maps for skulks; rather that typical wall-walking cases should be handled by the game.
Not sure if your up to date but a flag was added for invisible collision geometry and is part of the mapping process,it is included and will be refined in the release maps. This single flag will make or break a map for skulk fans and possibly jet packers as well.
Invisible collision geometry should be used on large props, walls/ceilings with slightly protruding props, hand rails and places where a player may become stuck to keep them out like cracks between props and walls.
100% agree ^^.