Natural Selection 2 News Update - NS2 Build 185 released

swalk

<!--quoteo(post=1873788:date=Sep 8 2011, 09:54 PM:name=Squeal_Like_A_Pig)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Squeal_Like_A_Pig @ Sep 8 2011, 09:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873788"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That's already been fixed, and should be in the next patch. Dead Alien player views are locked to the eggs they are spawning from.

--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Great fix! Are the marines spectating the Infantry Portal while spawning? :P

<!--quoteo(post=1873247:date=Sep 6 2011, 12:50 AM:name=Koruyo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Koruyo @ Sep 6 2011, 12:50 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873247"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Small fade adjustments are still needed if you ask me...

- Delay until you can attack after blink ~ +0.5-1s (atm the first hit after blink is so fast i think you arent even visible the time it already hits)

- Activation cost (i can still spam with 0 energy, at least if not on fire)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
+1

The missing Activation cost is actually a bug in B185 I think :P
They balanced the fade for this build, one of the tasks were "initial cost of blink".

<!--quoteo(post=1873323:date=Sep 6 2011, 03:15 PM:name=Wilson)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wilson @ Sep 6 2011, 03:15 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873323"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->IMO the nades need to be nerfed a bit. The range and damage on them against alien players is crazy.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
+1
Damage must be nerfed a bit, AoE should be nerfed a bit more. They would still be worth 25 personal res, as they are important early/mid game siege weapons.

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Crossroads is without power, again :P
It seemed fixed in 184. But bugged again in 185.

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Please also make Distress Beacon cost 15 team resources.
If you have more than one observatory, you can keep using beacon. No matter how bad the team is doing economical wise. <b>Stalemates</b>.
If it did cost 15 team res. The aliens could cut off the marines resources, and the marines would not last as long, because they wouldn't be able to afford it.
And hidden observatories around the map are very powerful compared to their cost. They are being used as cheap mass teleport, did anyone say Phase Gates?
Distress Beacon should be what it claims to be, a last resort to save some territory. Not a cheap mass teleport device that forces all players to go the same place on the map. It would still be a viable stategy if you get a good hiding spot, it will just be a bit more expensive and a kind of "all-in" stategy.
This is also how Distress Beacon worked in NS1.

Kurrine

Isn't Crossroads supposed to not have power..? that's kinda why it has the busted power socket in it I figured.

swalk

<!--quoteo(post=1873895:date=Sep 9 2011, 02:51 PM:name=Kurrine)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kurrine @ Sep 9 2011, 02:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873895"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Isn't Crossroads supposed to not have power..? that's kinda why it has the busted power socket in it I figured.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah I thought so too, but they wanted Crossroads to be a more viable resource node the marines. And fixed it for 184, there was power but no powernode. As far as I remember.

<!--quoteo(post=1871527:date=Aug 27 2011, 06:43 PM:name=Skipjack)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Skipjack @ Aug 27 2011, 06:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1871527"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->my opinion on the lerk:
movement:
got better but still not agile enough to be strong enough in close combat. (upward thrust feels very weird. you shouldnt need to release "w" to gain height)
spikes:
hit-scan is a very good idea since lag/fps problems made it very frustrating to kill a marine
spike-shotgun:
good idea but the cooldown is too low. u can burst a marine down too quickly.
spore:
plain useless... i like how they tried to make something new out of the spore, but spore has always been the alien "siege" and thats how it should remain.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Movement:</b>
The lerk is very agile, the most agile alien class without doubt.
If you want to gain altitude, just look up a bit while holding 'w' and pressing space? Or just release 'w' and press space?
I think the new flight system is really heading the right way. But I still prefer the movement in prototype mod.
It accelerates faster, and is about the same top speed? not entirely sure though.
<b>Spikes:</b>
Yeah, hit-scan is fine for now. But I would like to see the projectile come back in an improved form.
They had that same feeling the Q3 rocketlauncher has. i.e. Prediction for moving targets. But you also had to count in gravity for the spikes.
But this should wait until performance is way better.
<b>Spike-shotgun:</b>
Yeah, I agree, I played alot as lerk, and this cooldown/adrenaline drain needs a tweak.
You can glide(silently) behind a lone marine and take him out before he gets a chance to react.
If you get 3 good shots in, and a few primary spikes, he's done for. That happens in a matter of 1-2 seconds.
The lerk is not an assassinator, that's the fade :P
<b>Spore:</b>
Plain useless? Not likely. It restricts marines vision, use it tactically.
Think about your flight paths, try to avoid fire as much as possible. Surprice marines (don't spam space, they will hear you a mile away :P).
I just wish the spore clouds was just a tiny bit bigger, or drop below you.

Floodinator

It's fryday, it's patchday! Yay! ;-)

gerryisonfya

Hmm and what will you see when there is no egg?

Also did I got that right, when you are dead you cannot use teamchat?

twiliteblue

<!--quoteo(post=1873947:date=Sep 9 2011, 11:56 AM:name=swalk)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (swalk @ Sep 9 2011, 11:56 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873947"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Movement:</b>
The lerk is very agile, the most agile alien class without doubt.
If you want to gain altitude, just look up a bit while holding 'w' and pressing space? Or just release 'w' and press space?
I think the new flight system is really heading the right way. But I still prefer the movement in prototype mod.
It accelerates faster, and is about the same top speed? not entirely sure though.
<b>Spikes:</b>
Yeah, hit-scan is fine for now. But I would like to see the projectile come back in an improved form.
They had that same feeling the Q3 rocketlauncher has. i.e. Prediction for moving targets. But you also had to count in gravity for the spikes.
But this should wait until performance is way better.
<b>Spike-shotgun:</b>
Yeah, I agree, I played alot as lerk, and this cooldown/adrenaline drain needs a tweak.
You can glide(silently) behind a lone marine and take him out before he gets a chance to react.
If you get 3 good shots in, and a few primary spikes, he's done for. That happens in a matter of 1-2 seconds.
The lerk is not an assassinator, that's the fade :P
<b>Spore:</b>
Plain useless? Not likely. It restricts marines vision, use it tactically.
Think about your flight paths, try to avoid fire as much as possible. Surprice marines (don't spam space, they will hear you a mile away :P).
I just wish the spore clouds was just a tiny bit bigger, or drop below you.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The Prototyping mod has an updated version of my Lerk flight mod. I'm planning on suggesting it to Charlie after some more testing. :)

I, too, preferred sniper Spikes. The Lerk is a sniper in my eyes, who is good at weakening Marines from range. Fades and Skulks then have the job of mobbing up the injured.

pSyk0mAn

<!--quoteo(post=1873947:date=Sep 9 2011, 09:56 PM:name=swalk)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (swalk @ Sep 9 2011, 09:56 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873947"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah I thought so too, but they wanted Crossroads to be a more viable resource node the marines. And fixed it for 184, there was power but no powernode. As far as I remember.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That was a mistake on my part, because I changed positions of location entities without moving the invisible power node that powers noname locations like hallways, so it slipped into a Crossroads location entity.
There will be some changes to Crossroads eventually, if it doesn't work out though.

It's funny though, how few ppl notice minor changes, especially if not mentioned in the changelog.
Makes you think about how good and correct feedback really is about minor changes in balance, because it's barely taken advantage of. I guess that's one of the reasons, why it helps to overpower things slightly, when it comes to testing out changes, so it really gets used and it's challenging to be countered.

Kodzak

I can say is quite annoying when every film begins with the words NSHD - This beautiful accent to HDEEEEEEEE deeeeeee eeeeee... it does not annoy anyone? Maybe I'm sarcastic and I return attention to the details, but I can not watch further parts, with the flavor I wanted :D sory for that! :p

Kouji_San

<!--quoteo(post=1874175:date=Sep 11 2011, 02:50 PM:name=Kodzak)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kodzak @ Sep 11 2011, 02:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1874175"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I can say is quite annoying when every film begins with the words NSHD - This beautiful accent to HDEEEEEEEE deeeeeee eeeeee... it does not annoy anyone? Maybe I'm sarcastic and I return attention to the details, but I can not watch further parts, with the flavor I wanted :D sory for that! :p<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Heh, most casting peeps have some kind of recognizable intro speech thingy... I like his "G'day everyone, and welcome back to NS2HDEEEEE".

swalk

<!--quoteo(post=1873999:date=Sep 10 2011, 03:44 AM:name=twiliteblue)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (twiliteblue @ Sep 10 2011, 03:44 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1873999"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The Prototyping mod has an updated version of my Lerk flight mod. I'm planning on suggesting it to Charlie after some more testing. :)

I, too, preferred sniper Spikes. The Lerk is a sniper in my eyes, who is good at weakening Marines from range. Fades and Skulks then have the job of mobbing up the injured.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I would like to help you run some tests on it, if you need that. I primarily play lerk as aliens.
Last time I tried your version of the lerk I liked the flight alot ;)
The lerk is just not a sniper with the new spores. But the spores are effective at blinding marines.
And I'm afraid when we get to a point where performance is almost perfect, the current lerks will fall like flies if they try to spore marines.
That would be sad, and leave spikes as the only option for lerks.
But we will just have to see about that. :)

killer monkey

When do new patches come out i thought it was every 2 weeks?

Obraxis

<!--quoteo(post=1875072:date=Sep 16 2011, 07:03 PM:name=killer monkey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (killer monkey @ Sep 16 2011, 07:03 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1875072"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->When do new patches come out i thought it was every 2 weeks?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Ideally, but if you look at the progress page here: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/progress" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/progress</a> you can see this is turning out to be a HUGE patch, so it needs a lot of testing. Better to test it and make sure it works well than release something that is going to break.

Asraniel

And from what we've seen,UWE tries to fix the black screen bug, which is very random.
Really looking forward to the next patch :D

swalk

Yeah, there is no need for them to hurry with the patch, they should take the time they need for the blackscreen imo :P

wikisam

wtgd