Limiting Alien Special Vision
Rainseeker
Join Date: 2008-01-29 Member: 63530Members
Join Date: 2008-01-29 Member: 63530Members
Comments
I had this same thought, which led to an idea I've posted parts of on GetSatisfaction. Basically make darkvision automatic, increasing or decreasing as the brightness level decreases or increases respectively (full dark vision in total dark, none in well lit areas). This would allow Aliens to gauge light levels, keep their advantage in darker areas (as they should), while also giving them a disadvantage in the light. Assuming this system accounted for dynamic light sources, aiming a flashlight or a flamethrower into an alien's eyes could reduce the alien's darkvision (providing additional functionality to equipment marines already have) at the cost of that marine drawing attention to himself.
Hivesight could even possibly be a feature exclusive to alien Dark Vision, such that being in a lit room cuts you off from the Hive (sounds wierd fictionally, but functionally it might be good).
I dislike this concept.
The foundations of NS is in it's dual superiority.. Senses vs Steel;
Hey, anyone remember the invinci-boots of 1.04?
Hivesight could even possibly be a feature exclusive to alien Dark Vision, such that being in a lit room cuts you off from the Hive (sounds wierd fictionally, but functionally it might be good).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the night vision should be something the commander should research and have to research for each type of alien. So he can spend stuff on skulks and more on the others if he wants to. But yes i think it should also function as u said. But i think the commander should have a bigger role in the game. On both teams. Maybe flashlight should be something the humans have to research too.
I was thinking it would be a good limitter to have the Marine flashlights powered by Armor in such a way that using flashlights drains Armor, but the amount drained is recoverable over a brief period of time. This way there is some disadvantage to spamming a flashlight, and offers the Aliens some opportunity to fight in the darkness.
Which suggests the powered down rooms need to be darker, longer. The territory system needs some re-work/balancing (introducing a neutral state), so that we can have lit rooms, pitch black rooms, and then something in the middle (red lighting we see in unpowered rooms currently). I can't imagine things in that department are anywhere near feature complete.
Well i feel as if the rts and fps elements need to be more connected. As a commander all u need to do is jump in build basic stuff and then jump out. You dont really need to stay a commander.
I thaught the alien vision is some kind of sonar. So it has to be more of a sonic weapon to "blind" aliens.
I am against the Idea anyway.
The alienvision has its downsides (like: you don't see if the room is bright or dark, you don't see if you are on fire).
Instead increase the range of the flashlight a little bit.
Edit:
<!--quoteo(post=1838760:date=Mar 25 2011, 01:50 AM:name=Rainseeker)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rainseeker @ Mar 25 2011, 01:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1838760"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->As a commander you should have the ability to rub your feet in the command center and build up a static charge, then emerge, and touch an alien to give him a nice "surprise"!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Then we need a carpet in the command chair.
Which could be fixed by tying the dark vision overlay's opacity to the level of brightness. Or just some HUD element that gets darker/brighter.
I sincerely hope this happens.
You could even have vision be automatic in such a case.
I don't actually think that alien special vision should be limited, because they're melee, so they have a tough enough time against ranged weapons...
I dislike this concept.
The foundations of NS is in it's dual superiority.. Senses vs Steel;<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Agree 100%, balance is not about having a counter to everything, but balancing game play styles. Marines are all weapons and tech based, aliens are meant to be mobility and senses.
alien visiopn is intended so that aliens can get a "Natural" advantage in a darkened room..in a similar way to the natural advantage the marines have with FREE ranged weapons.
The trick is to get both sides to play differently but never have one side able to dominate regardless of player skill (ie a team of good players (not just someone who is good at marines but good at aliens) losing solely because of poor balance).
tbh the alien vision needs more in favour of it (ie reduce ambient lighting and make power nodes harder to repair )preferably have to be repoaired by a marine not mac)).
Definitely agree with the lighting. But give Nodes a truly neutral state instead of just making them harder to repair, so that both sides are inclined to claim a territory (by building a node or destroying it) due to the increased defensibility it provides (power for marines, darkness for aliens).
But how to make them neutral? I mean aliens cant send a drifter to destroy a power node but marines can send a mac to repair it.
Make it so marines have to repair nodes, instead of letting macs.
As aliens I will destroy every power node I find which takes chunks of time out of my game and away from the team. The marines are not penalised to repair the node in fact they can send a mac and use that as bait...the marine can still be in the game whilst the node is being repaired but the aliens cant when destroying.
If you say an aliens is out of the game for say 30 sec whilst munching a node then surely it should take a marine to repair it...even if it only take them half as long to repair...they cant repair and shoot...but with a mac they can repair and shoot at the same time.
This makes it damn near impossible for aliens to keep nodes down even if its technically just a 1v1.5 situation with a marine (and mac).
It would be more neutral, in my opinion, if the marines had to repair power nodes to get their advantage back, seeing as it take an actual alien to get the darkness advantage.
Also, should nodes near the alien side be pre-broken?
All nodes except at player start should start off in a neutral state.
<!--quoteo(post=1838758:date=Mar 25 2011, 05:14 AM:name=)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE ( @ Mar 25 2011, 05:14 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1838758"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Well i feel as if the rts and fps elements need to be more connected. As a commander all u need to do is jump in build basic stuff and then jump out. You dont really need to stay a commander.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've got a few ideas that'd keep the Comm in his chair, but that's for another thread (watch for it!)
<!--quoteo(post=1838885:date=Mar 26 2011, 07:00 AM:name=hakenspit)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (hakenspit @ Mar 26 2011, 07:00 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1838885"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->But how to make them neutral? I mean aliens cant send a drifter to destroy a power node but marines can send a mac to repair it.[...]
If you say an aliens is out of the game for say 30 sec whilst munching a node then surely it should take a marine to repair it...even if it only take them half as long to repair...they cant repair and shoot...but with a mac they can repair and shoot at the same time.[...]
It would be more neutral, in my opinion, if the marines had to repair power nodes to get their advantage back, seeing as it take an actual alien to get the darkness advantage.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Player involvement should be required in any territorial change. Looks like they're working towards that by allowing Marines to repair Power Nodes. Hopefully they'll balance the times each side needs to "Take the Hill".