Parasite pointless
maD maX
Join Date: 2010-01-28 Member: 70347Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Sitting duck</div>I don't know if I'm alone but I never use paracite for several reasons
1. Hard to aim when walclimbing/approaching rinse
2. Hive site seems limited at least compared to ns1
3. Damage isn't critical like ns1 2 bites and a para is not death
The only thing I like about para is skulks holding still in pistol range just asking to die
If this is going to remain a feature it needs help I'd like to see it as a local para cloud with little to no damage such that if jumping in a group of runes you could mark the group quickly before attacking but have very limited range.
Or
Have the paracite give off some relevant data on the host... Have the hive site shift color ex blue 100% health red10% health and the color shifts as you scale across
1. Hard to aim when walclimbing/approaching rinse
2. Hive site seems limited at least compared to ns1
3. Damage isn't critical like ns1 2 bites and a para is not death
The only thing I like about para is skulks holding still in pistol range just asking to die
If this is going to remain a feature it needs help I'd like to see it as a local para cloud with little to no damage such that if jumping in a group of runes you could mark the group quickly before attacking but have very limited range.
Or
Have the paracite give off some relevant data on the host... Have the hive site shift color ex blue 100% health red10% health and the color shifts as you scale across
Comments
What makes parasite very useless at this moment is the fact that it can be cured with single medpack.
Also the fact that marines deal very high dps especially with pistol and can kill you immediately when you're making hit and run with parasite.
However marines still die with 2 bites and a parasite if they don't have armor upgrades.
In another thread someone already suggested that parasite could show the silhuette of the marine through walls so you could see what equipment he has and where he is facing. This would make parasite much more useful. Also health information would be pretty cool.
I'd also like to see the parasite get more powerful -- either over time (every 15 sec) and/or if parasited multiple times. As it gets more powerful, marines become more susceptible to other alien attacks (such as spore or maybe even bite). This gives marine commanders a real reason to drop medpacks and provides aliens the chance to entice the marine comm waste too much money on medpacks.
Please, no!
The NS1 parasite was fine, why they had to make it removable by armory/medpack I do not know. This is the only change needed.
1. Hard to aim when walclimbing/approaching rinse
2. Hive site seems limited at least compared to ns1
3. Damage isn't critical like ns1 2 bites and a para is not death<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1. A big part of the reason why it's hard to hit at the moment, is because of the poor server performance and low client fps. It wasn't a problem in NS1 and it shouldn't be in NS2 once that is fixed (and if performance isn't fixed, the game won't be worth playing anyway).
2. I think this is intentional -- they want the comm to be the "scouting class" for aliens, just like the marine comm. IMO it isn't a very good idea and it would be better if the alien comm was just axed.
3. It is exactly the same as it was in NS1. 2 bites + para (para + 2 bites is the right order actually) = dead marine as long as they haven't upgraded armor 1.
<!--quoteo(post=1893601:date=Jan 11 2012, 08:55 PM:name=Zeikko)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Zeikko @ Jan 11 2012, 08:55 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893601"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->In another thread someone already suggested that parasite could show the silhuette of the marine through walls so you could see what equipment he has and where he is facing. This would make parasite much more useful. Also health information would be pretty cool.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Parasite was very powerful in NS1, so I don't think making it even better than that is a good idea.
<!--quoteo(post=1893603:date=Jan 11 2012, 09:10 PM:name=player)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (player @ Jan 11 2012, 09:10 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893603"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Make the parasite unremovable, make the skulks significantly faster and up the client-framerate by A LOT for a higher rate of success (of parasiting). Problem solved (mebbe).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, except for the making skulks faster bit perhaps. Skulks don't need an arbitrary speed boost (celerity should serve that purpose), skulks need some sort of skill based movement (don't say walljumping, people, it isn't going to serve that purpose as you'll soon discover).
1st Hive parasite is as currently (Red blob)
2nd Hive parasite triangulated a marines position giving that left for dead style silhouette outline. (marine outline Orange)
3rd Hive parasite would give details like the marines health. (Marines outline colour coded to the health of the marine, no armor stats.
1st Hive parasite is as currently (Red blob)
2nd Hive parasite triangulated a marines position giving that left for dead style silhouette outline. (marine outline Orange)
3rd Hive parasite would give details like the marines health. (Marines outline colour coded to the health of the marine, no armor stats.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A nice idea, but since the original topic is about the effectiveness of the parasite, your suggestion doesn't address the issue as it remains the same in the early game (the most important part of the game).
What? Did they change the damage? Or are these external factors like upgrades (Armour) and support (nanoshield, medpacks)? If they haven't changed the damage, then against a vanilla marine you should be able to do 2 bites and a para to kill them.
<!--quoteo(post=1893619:date=Jan 12 2012, 05:23 AM:name=swalk)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (swalk @ Jan 12 2012, 05:23 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1893619"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Alien melee upgrades got removed.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, this would explain it for the later game. Why were these upgrades removed? Seems like rushing Armour1 would increase your marines' survivability immensely (requires 3 bites, instead of a para and 2 bites).
I do think it makes parasite far too weak if it can be so easily removed by medpacks or the armoury. The armoury I don't mind too much, since it does involve running back TO an armoury, but the medpack just makes the parasite useless for any extended period.
It may be worth testing a maybe 0.25~0.5 degree angle "cone scan" (a la flamethrower). It won't improve the parasite in proximity, but will make it somewhat easier to hit targets at range.
(With a 0.25 degree angle, at 30 metres away, it projects a circle of 0.26m in diameter; with a 0.5 degree angle, at 30 metres away, it projects a circle of 0.52m in diameter.)
It may be worth testing a maybe 0.25~0.5 degree angle "cone scan" (a la flamethrower). It won't improve the parasite in proximity, but will make it somewhat easier to hit targets at range.
(With a 0.25 degree angle, at 30 metres away, it projects a circle of 0.26m in diameter; with a 0.5 degree angle, at 30 metres away, it projects a circle of 0.52m in diameter.)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you disregard medpacks removing parasites, they are identical (also with regards to marine armor upgrades) to how they were in NS1. It worked fine then.
Alien upgrades compared to marine are ridiculous, not even considering the fact they don't have to pay 2 personal resources per upgrade per life as do aliens. The fact that a fade needs to be cautious around even 1 skilled and fully upgraded shotgun is ridiculous.
Marines can pick up dead teammates new weapons, saving personal resources. On top of this marines typically get more kills than aliens earning even more resources. A shotgun, which can be lethal throughout the whole game, costs 20 personal resources compared to lurk for 30 and fade for 50.
The problem is that they are only going halfway with making the system and flow of both teams more similar. I don't understand why if aliens have to pay for their basic armor, marines shouldn't have to as well.
EDIT:
I was referring specifically to this sentence:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The fact that a fade needs to be cautious around even 1 skilled and fully upgraded shotgun is ridiculous.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The rest I think I'll agree with. Maybe there should just be a short time-limit from death until the weapon disappears.
EDIT2:
Now that I re-read it, I'm not sure if I'm actually disagreeing with you anywhere. Following from the above paragraph, it does make sense to either increase the shotgun's cost (decrease its accessibility / how easily or how often the marines field it) or decrease the cost for lerks and fades (increase their accessibility / how easily or how often the aliens field them).
CHURCH
And there is infestation, which gives aliens minimap vision of every marine that enters it - even in which direction they are looking. (it doesnt replace parasite, but its a very powerfull addition to the aliens if you ask me... so i feel like its kinda ok that you can remove parasites on players)
Parasiting before you walk into a room alone is stupid/dangerous sometimes (in case the marine saw where it came from), marking the targets before a group of aliens get into a room(you are planning a group attack) or wait that marines make their move (make an ambush) not.
Ofc it can reveal your position for a second if the marine happens to look in your way - but it also can reveal the position of the marine or structure on the map for every alien until he dies or gets a medpack.(for structures permanently)
Its still good enough if you ask me...
PS: also you can still parasite from midrange, so you parasite and switch to bite to finish him off in melee range...
And there is infestation, which gives aliens minimap vision of every marine that enters it - even in which direction they are looking. (it doesnt replace parasite, but its a very powerfull addition to the aliens if you ask me... so i feel like its kinda ok that you can remove parasites on players)
Parasiting before you walk into a room alone is stupid/dangerous sometimes (in case the marine saw where it came from), marking the targets before a group of aliens get into a room(you are planning a group attack) or wait that marines make their move (make an ambush) not.
Ofc it can reveal your position for a second if the marine happens to look in your way - but it also can reveal the position of the marine or structure on the map for every alien until he dies or gets a medpack.(for structures permanently)
Its still good enough if you ask me...
PS: also you can still parasite from midrange, so you parasite and switch to bite to finish him off in melee range...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Good points. Especially the fact that parasite is better in group vs group situations.
Medpack costs only 1 pres though and I always choose to use medpack to cure a parasite if a player asks for it unless i have less than 5 pres which doesn't happen very often. Sometimes i even drop medpacks even if the player seems to have 95% health because i think he might be parasited.
(so was it ammo that costs 2pres, or why did i think of 2? :B)
And ok, so its only brain afk comms that dont give me medpacks if i have full health and ask for it to remove parasite :P (the same comms that take so long to give you a medpack, that you see him spawning like 20 the moment you died - like a minute too late, even tho you spammed the key and in voice the whole time... :P)
I always parasite Sentries and structures to warn my teammates anyway.