Umbra is used rarely.
Papayas
Join Date: 2010-07-01 Member: 72219Members
Join Date: 2010-07-01 Member: 72219Members
<div class="IPBDescription">because I think it is hard to use.</div>In about every single game of NS2 I have played I have not seen any umbra. I think this could be because Umbra and the Fury(?) are hard to use because they aren't easily accessable in the time that you have when you are being attacked.
-I would like to see a quick bar on the right/left side of the screen that allows me to activate all of the Crags and Whips at the same time.
-Double clicking on a crag or whip will select all of the crags that are in your current screen.
Tell me what you think of my ideas and what you think of the Crag and Whip.
-I would like to see a quick bar on the right/left side of the screen that allows me to activate all of the Crags and Whips at the same time.
-Double clicking on a crag or whip will select all of the crags that are in your current screen.
Tell me what you think of my ideas and what you think of the Crag and Whip.
Comments
Picture: For each Crag you build, the Acom can "cast" umbra in an area x times/minute. Building the first Crag adds Umbra (And Heal (within range!)) to the Commanders hotbar (think WOW, etc). For each additional Crag, the cooldown gets shorter. Dunno, just brainstorming here.
Tha same could be done for Fury and Cloak or whatever.
Maybe a combination of this and the existing mode is best.
1. Allow assigning structures/groups of structures to 1-9 hotkeys
2. Make double-clicking on one structure cause you to select all structures of the same type in your view
3. Standardize all structure abilities so they are at the same location in the grid hotkey system
4. Allow comm to enable auto-casting of abilities by right-clicking on the ability icon (first right click = activate, second right click = deactivate)
1) Auto-Umbra from Crags.
2) Give umbra back to Lerks, making Crags just like the old DCs.
Either I wouldn't mind.
1. Allow assigning structures/groups of structures to 1-9 hotkeys
2. Make double-clicking on one structure cause you to select all structures of the same type in your view
3. Standardize all structure abilities so they are at the same location in the grid hotkey system
4. Allow comm to enable auto-casting of abilities by right-clicking on the ability icon (first right click = activate, second right click = deactivate)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
^This^
you see where a fight is, select a nearby crag, press the hotkey.
it's not like you're doing much else as alien comm.
it's a matter of APM in an rts...(minus the controlling army units)
if you don't got it, you have no place commanding. get it or gtfo of hive
what's next?
double clicking an icon to drop a med next to every marine?
if you enable auto umbra on a crag ... auto heal should be turned off. com could always manually select the crag & trigger the ability that is not in auto mode.
Picture: For each Crag you build, the Acom can "cast" umbra in an area x times/minute. Building the first Crag adds Umbra (And Heal (within range!)) to the Commanders hotbar (think WOW, etc). For each additional Crag, the cooldown gets shorter. Dunno, just brainstorming here.
Tha same could be done for Fury and Cloak or whatever.
Maybe a combination of this and the existing mode is best.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This was my first thought, but I kinda like the OP's suggestion: mass umbra.
I also really like CoolCookieCooks' suggestion: autocast. You could keep the current system, but right click the icon, and it would enter autocast mode (right click again to disable autocast). So it would cast umbra when attacked, or when a structure within its effective radius is attacked.
I've seen autocast in games like Warcraft 3, DotA and HoN.
jbaker: Not necessary. It could just autocast both - they'd both still be on cooldown.
Doesn't affect healing at all as far as I know.
Honestly it seemed perfectly intuitive to me.
This is actually a cool idea because there is a trade off. If umbra autocast is disabled, it works just like it does currently and you can umbra manually as alien comm. If you enable umbra autocast, it fires umbra in reaction to fire (maybe) but disables autohealing. I'm probably not thinking it through completely but I like the concept.
Ooh...
Crag abilities
Healing (Directed) - A bit more powerful than Auto, uses energy
Healing (Auto) [Toggle] - As it is now, uses ½ of total energy, then plateaus
Umbra (Directed) - As it is now, uses energy
Umbra (Auto) [Toggle] - Uses energy, leaving Crag without healing or energy
This way you can:
1) Leave the Crag alone and it acts as it does now.
2) Babysit the Crag and both Heal and Umbra
3) Leave the crag alone as an un-healing Umbra-station (Umbras when something recieves damage within radius)
This could easily be extended to Whips.
2. Make double-clicking on one structure cause you to select all structures of the same type in your view
3. Standardize all structure abilities so they are at the same location in the grid hotkey system
4. Allow comm to enable auto-casting of abilities by right-clicking on the ability icon (first right click = activate, second right click = deactivate)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1. You can already (maybe not up to 9, but at least up to 4 IIRC). The only problem is hitting the key to select these hotgroups jars the camera and moves it to some undisclosed position.
2. Ctrl-click. Keep it consistent with RTSs.
3. +1. Also, I imagine things will be easier once there are icons for the abilities instead of words.
4. Doesn't this give the Alien Commander less to do? And don't Commanders already have very little to do other than shout orders and worry?
<!--quoteo(post=1845736:date=May 12 2011, 12:38 PM:name=Supernorn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Supernorn @ May 12 2011, 12:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1845736"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->At the moment I'd rather the lerk have the umbra ability over the considerably overpowered snipe ability it has now. I'm not sure NS2 needs a sniper rifle, organic or not!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Seems like Spore would benefit the Crag more, while Umbra would benefit the Lerk more. Snipe may just need some tweaking, although it does still feel silly. Someone suggested that (a Crag's) Umbra should extinguish Flames, which got me thinking: The Lerks spore could be buffed by making it combustible!
If someone walks into a room waving a flame-sword around with abandon, shoot a Spore in his face, and the whole cloud becomes a ball of fire while the Spore would be active. Whether it kills him or not, he's still going to think twice before spamming that Flamer!
<!--quoteo(post=1845746:date=May 12 2011, 01:38 PM:name=Quovatis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Quovatis @ May 12 2011, 01:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1845746"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->the use of fury is pretty limited. I mean the only time I've really used it is when a skulk/fade is fighting a marine right next to the whip. It's more of a defensive ability than offensive. But the problem is that few marines are dumb enough to fight a skulk/fade next to a whip, so it gets little use. It would be nice if the crag/whip could have a ranged umbra/fury ability too, so it would be a little more useful.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, the Crag and the Whip seem to have their defenses mixed up. Crags get hacked at at melee range because they're defenseless. They're almost never shot at, and yet their only defense is a cloud that stops bullets. I think Whips would benefit more from having Umbra, but maybe they did this intentionally to encourage you to pair the structures.
Imho the whip and hydras are enough when it comes to attacking units, considering marines only have the turret.
Flame turrets.
Nothing is safe. :V
Actually to just add fire to everything and it'll be perfect.
Nothing is safe. :V
Actually to just add fire to everything and it'll be perfect.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
FLAME GORGES IS OVER 9000!!1
or if (and I hope this either way, be it lerk or crag using it) umbra was a flame counter too, obviously include flame damage or ignited things within range too to the auto. In the case of auto I'd say a cool down might be better than energy cost for the auto.
A single umbra cast is pretty useless because marines will just reload for the duration of the spell. It really only makes a difference when there are multiple casts back to back. Making the spell duration a few seconds longer would be nice.
Or they could go a different route by making the spell a ground-target cast rather than point-blank. That way, it would become more prevalent in combat, not just structure defense.
But how about when a crag is created, an icon is placed on the coms screen somewhere ideal for quick clicking (e.g when you have the inactive peon in wc3)
So there will be a little number displaying how many crags you have in total.
So anyway when there's structures/aliens taking damage around (or in a crags range), this crag icon flashs red, For about 5 - 10 seconds unless something gets attacked again.
So then that gives the commander a chance to click the flashing icon and it will take his view straight to the activity, and multiple clicks can cycle through attacked crags if more than one is being attacked.
So after that the crags selected, he goes to the view of it and can cast umbra. done!
To me that sounds simple enough, this is pure standard rts ######.
The alien comm can be played to its full potential with an APM of around 5-10, and you want spells to be automated...
Are we really that slow?
Micromanagement can separate the good players from the better players. It's like aiming or skill-based movement. But maybe you're right, and we'd all be better off if we didn't have to deal with these menial tasks. But then why have an alien commander to begin with, if it doesn't offer what RTS players enjoy? Just give the builder position to the gorge and it would save someone from having to play a glorified spectator each round.