Alien Commander
wulf
Join Date: 2008-08-03 Member: 64749Members
Join Date: 2008-08-03 Member: 64749Members
So I've noticed over the long run a few gameplay elements that were originally shunned by the new crowd ("New is always better") have been replaced by their more functional and appropriate NS1 counterparts.
Random hive location, welders and obs, mid air skulk leap. All contested and initially cast aside, but made their way back in. Let us take this a step further and remove (or revise) alien commander.
How about gorges build everything so they're not an utterly useless and boring class. Yet they remain the exclusive class that can crawl into the hive's... opening and utilize the chambers they dropped: activating effects, picking upgrades and scouting. A fine compromise.
Thanks
-Bunnyhop summer 2012
Random hive location, welders and obs, mid air skulk leap. All contested and initially cast aside, but made their way back in. Let us take this a step further and remove (or revise) alien commander.
How about gorges build everything so they're not an utterly useless and boring class. Yet they remain the exclusive class that can crawl into the hive's... opening and utilize the chambers they dropped: activating effects, picking upgrades and scouting. A fine compromise.
Thanks
-Bunnyhop summer 2012
Comments
even though the gorge in ns1 had much more abilities, he often had just been a tool to get chambers/hives up. now, with less features (no chambers but OC, only nearby cysts and no bunnyhop to escape) he has become a very expensive fatty. its only purpose is to heal (not really needed when cysts (evtl +regen) is nearby) and put hydras anywhere (which are not usefull comparing its use/res)
the commander on the other hand has not much to do (yet). and becomes boring after a few minutes. when the hives and chambers are done, youre basically just playing around (sometimes just with your balls) cause theres nothing usefull you can do.
i would give back the gorges more abilities and take it from the alien commander (e.g. the whip). maybe his structures should also not requier infestation nearby, so hes more mobile.
on the other hand the alien commander should be able to do more usefull things. such as upgrading cysts to speed up/heal/damage stuff nearby. also, a 'recycle'/explode option would be nice to get energy/res back or damage stuff nearby. he'll need more to do
whatever, i think there i quite a lot of things planned for the alien commander so what im more worried about is the gorge. hope he'll find his spot
<ul><li>First expand to nearest res points.</li><li>Second expand to nearest hive.</li><li>Get ALL THE UPGRADES!</li><li>Get third hive</li><li>After this you have three options.</li></ul> <ol type='1'><li>expand with cysts in the map. Build whips, shades and craigs to help your fellow aliens with cloak and a secure healing station</li><li>BUILD ALL THE WHIPS and make a bombard rush.</li><li>exit com station and help ending the game.</li></ol>
<ul><li>First expand to nearest res points.</li><li>Second expand to nearest hive.</li><li>Get ALL THE UPGRADES!</li><li>Get third hive<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
this takes ~10 minutes and basically is a routine that is not very challanging (for the commander)
<!--quoteo(post=1900552:date=Feb 7 2012, 03:57 AM:name=_Necro_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_Necro_ @ Feb 7 2012, 03:57 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1900552"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--></li><li>After this you have three options.</li></ul> <ol type='1'><li>expand with cysts in the map. Build whips, shades and craigs to help your fellow aliens with cloak and a secure healing station<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
expanding is nothing <b>entertaining</b>, like a routine is (see above).
building crags and whips is just a support-job, you're not realy comanding anything! you're just looking for where the fronts and bottlenecks occur and put some chambers.
<!--quoteo(post=1900552:date=Feb 7 2012, 03:57 AM:name=_Necro_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_Necro_ @ Feb 7 2012, 03:57 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1900552"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--></li><li>BUILD ALL THE WHIPS and make a bombard rush.</li><li>exit com station and help ending the game.</li></ol><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
a whip-rush isnt worth the res/energy it consumes at all. it RARLY succeeds and WASTES about 200 res and 250 energy. thats what ive called "playing around". you can also lame the entire map up with whips, crags, shades etc, but then you'd probably better leave the /hive/ instead and use your individual res. thats more usefull than being alien comm after 10-12 minutes gametime.
<b>summing it up, the alien commander is much less of a commander than the marines have</b>, he not really has much to say because he can not sponanous interact with his team, he cant really help during a battle nor he can make any surprising rushes. everything is <i><b>mainly</b></i> decided by what his team does and why should you really do what the alien comm tells you? the alien comm basically has to do depending on what his team has decided to attack (atleast on pubs)!
the alien commander needs to gain more control over his team and the game. at the moment the commander is playing some kind of sim city alien version; just building his town.
he needs to be more mobile, more <i>surprising</i>, more <b>important</b> and ACTUALLY entertaining!
more units, (much) more upgrades, more supportive abilities (heal/umbra/whatever (out of cyst-range!!)), maybe a beacon or gate-like channel to a hive (~MC), spore-bombs, etc etc..
and something that i really wanted to mention; the rate you gain res compared to the rate your hives gain energy might be a little messed up. i always end up having hundreds of res but no energy for cysts/drifters, which also lowers the ability to "cyst-rush" because you usually are kinda low on energy
thinking about all ive stated above, i have to say that i dislike that you can only build structures on infestation <b>very much</b>. it kills a lot of possabilities/situations/turnarounds that made ns1 epic. same goes for the power nodes, but thats just not <b><i>that</i></b> bad
and to be honest, i think one of the most important aspects of being commander, wether marine or kharaa, is to organise your team. warn them where enemies are approaching, where to gather, where to attack, how to support you (gorge). this is usually an open-end full-time-job.
as for gorge, you can spam cysts and hydras until you are low on res, then you can support your people on the frontline with healing or even crossfire and bilebomb. granted this can be a bit risky, but as long as you are on infestation you should be relatively save.
still, i'm also missing some form of support which is neither front-line nor pres-consuming.
and to be honest, i think one of the most important aspects of being commander, wether marine or kharaa, is to organise your team. warn them where enemies are approaching, where to gather, where to attack, how to support you (gorge). this is usually an open-end full-time-job.
as for gorge, you can spam cysts and hydras until you are low on res, then you can support your people on the frontline with healing or even crossfire and bilebomb. granted this can be a bit risky, but as long as you are on infestation you should be relatively save.
still, i'm also missing some form of support which is neither front-line nor pres-consuming.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, I actually did marine commanding first and found it more enjoyable. As the alien commander I didn't understand a thing that I was doing (Luckily I had someone telling me how upgrades and other things worked, he just didn't want to be a commander.) For some reason I found the marine commander much for 'noob-friendly' and easy to learn, where-as Kharaa I just spammed buildings to see what it can get for the team.
Alien comm needs to be able to use the alien flashlight or something else to gain detail in these very very dark rooms.