Group Defence

Janos

<div class="IPBDescription">Teamwork Bonus'</div>I'm not entirely sure if this topic has been touched on before and if it has then just ignore this.

I was just looking through the Design Log for NS2 and noticed the Defense upgrade ideas for the Kharaa, more specifically the 'Pack Bonus'.
I'm not sure about the aliens where it doesn't matter so much if you're alone, but for the marines i'm sure that would be a fantastic idea of how to promote teamwork over the lone wolf issue.

Encouraging people to work together as a team, gaining perhaps a small armor bonus or damage bonus would go a long way to getting people to stick together. Now i'm aware that those upgrades are already available via research, but it would be a nice incentive for people work together as a unit and move together. A squad of 3+ marines gaining a small +5% damage increase when within say 5 - 10 yards of one another, or perhaps some thing else entirely like a small hp regen boost, less recoil, i don't know anything really to just encourage old and new players alike to just stick together.

KuBaN

These arbitrary types of bonuses that don't arise organically or have any grounding in reality or the fiction really bother me. They're unintuitive until explicitly explained to you, and seem like effortless cop-outs.

If you want Marines to work together make them need to work together through the mechanics of the game, not an arbitrary numbers buff.

Janos

<!--quoteo(post=1848579:date=May 26 2011, 05:52 PM:name=KuBaN)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KuBaN @ May 26 2011, 05:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1848579"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->These arbitrary types of bonuses that don't arise organically or have any grounding in reality or the fiction really bother me. They're unintuitive until explicitly explained to you, and seem like effortless cop-outs.

If you want Marines to work together make them need to work together through the mechanics of the game, not an arbitrary numbers buff.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Tell that to the Devs, they're currently looking into it.

Okay well instead of just shooting the idea down completely out of hand, why not offer up a different solution? Perhaps one that doesn't require an 'arbitrary numbers buff' as you put it.
Seeing as how most games still suffer from people wanting to do their own thing, why not reward those that stick together?

Dank McShwagger

<!--quoteo(post=1848579:date=May 26 2011, 12:52 PM:name=KuBaN)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KuBaN @ May 26 2011, 12:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1848579"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->These arbitrary types of bonuses that don't arise organically or have any grounding in reality or the fiction really bother me. They're unintuitive until explicitly explained to you, and seem like effortless cop-outs.

If you want Marines to work together make them need to work together through the mechanics of the game, not an arbitrary numbers buff.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

in a perfect world people would work as a team... in this world most people have the attention span of goldfish and unless given a tangeable reason to, will not work together.

buffs do not have to be in numbers. they can also be in the form of awareness. if 3 marines are together it could add a "perception" bonus that would allow for maybe better audio in an area, or some form of heightened senses. anything that tells a player "good job at sticking with your team mates, here is your reward".

Pfhreak

I think the correct way to do this is through upgrades/equipment that track with a player. For example, a marine who spends some personal res for a motion tracker that provides nearby allies with some HUD knowledge. Or an alien upgrade that prevents nearby aliens from showing on the mini map. Then it exposes the benefits to the players by allowing them to make the strategic decisions on when it is important to work as a team.

This works particularly well when several different abilities share the same upgrade 'slot', so that a pack of aliens will have a diverse and strong set of upgrades, while a single alien can only support one.

swalk

People that go on lone wolf missions, don't usually accomplish much, and the commander usually don't support them. They go rambo, they die, they go rambo, they die, they go rambo, they die. Some people learn that this is not the way to play the game, because they die alot more often when they walk alone. As people play the game more, they get better at using teamwork to their advantage. Because being alone in NS is a great disadvantage, especially as marines.

But on topic, yes UWE know that squads needs some work, and they might already have thought of some ideas. Who knows ;)
Although I don't think that a "arbitrary numbers buff", as KuBaN already named them, would work.
Instead maybe notify marines that they are not in a squad when they are moving away from their teammates. Maybe even a audio notification that says; "You are not in a squad, locate your teammates"
And then the squad-rings (as seen from commander view) should maybe be a little bigger so we won't have this audio being played all the time when you are fighting in larger areas.
This way you would also know when your teammates stop following you. Which is quite important, and marines don't (yet?) have a minimap in the corner of the screen.

ScardyBob

I've just assumed that this will be a part of squads. For example, if you within a certain range of your squad, you'll get certain bonuses (such as dealing more damage or increased health).