Infestation / Power Grid
countbasie
Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Better as visual components only?</div>I hope there's no thread yet.
I would like infestation to spread automatically and have no or just little advantage for buildings. Meaning that you can build anywhere.
Same with the Power Nodes: would be cool if they would only be there for the lighting, as a little strategic choice for Aliens to destroy them, because Marines do see less.
These components are more than any game has yet, even without restrictions for the 'technical' gameplay. It's less complicated, less shooting/biting or building structures and more atmosphere - because no light would mean 'aliens here probably' and not 'oh man, can't build...again'.
Last but not least: 'Great game, great development - loving every moment'
Do I get an 'Awww' now, too?
[Edit]
Please do only discuss wether it should have a function or not; please no endless debates about 'what' functions ;)
I would like infestation to spread automatically and have no or just little advantage for buildings. Meaning that you can build anywhere.
Same with the Power Nodes: would be cool if they would only be there for the lighting, as a little strategic choice for Aliens to destroy them, because Marines do see less.
These components are more than any game has yet, even without restrictions for the 'technical' gameplay. It's less complicated, less shooting/biting or building structures and more atmosphere - because no light would mean 'aliens here probably' and not 'oh man, can't build...again'.
Last but not least: 'Great game, great development - loving every moment'
Do I get an 'Awww' now, too?
[Edit]
Please do only discuss wether it should have a function or not; please no endless debates about 'what' functions ;)
Comments
As easy as power nodes can be to take out, they exist as an outlier preventing Marines from turtling into invincibility. They're also responsible for a lot of games ending in the early/mid-game phases, to which a good distribution of game lengths is important for a healthy RTS.
Infestation doesn't look very promising from a gameplay perspective either. Because maps are mostly comprised of narrow hallways, I sincerely doubt that the whole "network" theme is going to work in a way that adds depth. I don't even like the idea of infestation giving aliens an advantage. If aliens gain an advantage on infestation, it means they'll have to be <i>that much</i> weaker when they're <i>not</i> on infestation. Given that aliens already excel at defense by nature (and have trouble finishing games because of this), it doesn't seem like a good idea. However, I'm optimistic about the visuals and I'd like to see then remain in the game.
Zerg manage to receive bonuses from creep spread and still be very effective at offence, I don't agree with any of your points Jaweese. Summit, Tram and Turtle are mainly comprised up of large openish rooms with minimal hallways in between, only now with the introduction of some NS1 style(and remade) fan maps are we seeing extended amounts of interconnecting hallways.
As a marine, I am confronted by a boring repair-the-power-kill-the-power cycle with aliens. To beat this cycle, I have to secure locations and to secure locations I need to power on the lights. I think there's some promise in your passive spreading but because the developers have made the game so light-dependent, it's impossible to not call the power a 'function'. If you were to remove the grid system and provide more variety as a result, it would be best to remove the constant light/dark/red/poo colour transitions entirely. The grid system is here to stay, however, so... oh well.
As an alien, I am <b>totally</b> constrained by where I can lay infestation. No longer can I implement different strategies that are high-risk, high-reward. There's at most, in every map, two options of which nodes i'm going to spread to. I can't do anything very interesting or dynamic with infestation. It's just a permanent creep outwards with the odd clever placement of a cyst (whoopdedoo). For these reasons, I am more inclined to align myself with the automated infestation creep you suggest, but I would make it entirely non-functional - a mere aesthetic that retains the developers' godforsaken <i>atmospheric</i> goals.
The movement handicap for marines is silly too because at no point am I ever on it as a marine and thinking: "Gee, well done Kham! That was a good strategic decision that has gleaned you some advantage over me". It's just a bunch of crap on the floor that gets spammed and makes it that little bit more annoying to be around which is a real shame. I want to be outwitted and outplayed and it does neither, but I digress!
The only crappy thing about the infestation mechanic is how buggy pustules can be when laying them, especially mini cysts on ceilings and walls.
Especially because the chain can easily be broken and is in early game expensive to replace. A single marine can, if no aliens are really close, easily destroy 2+ cysts. A power node has much more health, can be repaired/rebuild without cost and the buildings which depend on it dont take damage when the power is out. The marine buildings can even be sold when needed.
I think the Infestation is cool and should be a gameplay element, the power node feature feels unfinished. I think both systems it should be improved so they work better. Having them as a mere visual effect would sad.
As a marine, I am confronted by a boring repair-the-power-kill-the-power cycle with aliens. To beat this cycle, I have to secure locations and to secure locations I need to power on the lights. I think there's some promise in your passive spreading but because the developers have made the game so light-dependent, it's impossible to not call the power a 'function'. If you were to remove the grid system and provide more variety as a result, it would be best to remove the constant light/dark/red/poo colour transitions entirely. The grid system is here to stay, however, so... oh well.
As an alien, I am <b>totally</b> constrained by where I can lay infestation. No longer can I implement different strategies that are high-risk, high-reward. There's at most, in every map, two options of which nodes i'm going to spread to. I can't do anything very interesting or dynamic with infestation. It's just a permanent creep outwards with the odd clever placement of a cyst (whoopdedoo). For these reasons, I am more inclined to align myself with the automated infestation creep you suggest, but I would make it entirely non-functional - a mere aesthetic that retains the developers' godforsaken <i>atmospheric</i> goals.
The movement handicap for marines is silly too because at no point am I ever on it as a marine and thinking: "Gee, well done Kham! That was a good strategic decision that has gleaned you some advantage over me". It's just a bunch of crap on the floor that gets spammed and makes it that little bit more annoying to be around which is a real shame. I want to be outwitted and outplayed and it does neither, but I digress!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The rare insightful post on these forums.
Sooner or later they're going to have to realize that making the game fun to play is more important than forcing <concept that sounded good on the drawing board but didn't really work out in practice> into the game.
Sooner or later they're going to have to realize that making the game fun to play is more important than forcing <concept that sounded good on the drawing board but didn't really work out in practice> into the game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Testing != forcing. Welcome to a beta.
But I agree the gameplay effects so far have been disappointing. They limit your choices rather than increase the possibilities.
The binary mindset: "IF you are not on DI/PWR, THEN you CANT x, y, z..." will certainly not lead to a good solution. Effects which frustrate FPS gameplay won't work either.
You shouldn't need to have infestation to build, buildings should spread infestation..
Powernodes i think should be visual they limit marine gameplay and strategy...