Onos Balancing

Floodinator

<div class="IPBDescription">By hidearmor</div>A simple solution to fix the Hive 1/2 onos could be by changing the hidearmorvalues per Hive.
Now a onos has a hidearmor of 6 at every time.
My Suggestion is to make the hidearmor dependent on number of hives:

1 Hive --> Hidearmor 2
2 Hives --> Hidearmor 4
>2 Hives --> Hidearmor 6 = maximum

The result is that a Hive 1 onos takes 40% more damage and a 2 hive onos 20% more, than the Hive 3 onos by a LVL 0 LMG.

measles

Isn't that what they did with NS1?
Pretty sure that such a dynamic will be implemented in the future.

Floodinator

IIRC in NS2 it was something similar but for all Aliens, correct me if I am wrong.

_Necro_

Yeah, more health / armor per hive was in NS1 and was a cheap mechanic to hide balance issues.
In some design log was a line, that they don't want it, because its very unintuitive.

GORGEous

<!--quoteo(post=1918569:date=Mar 27 2012, 11:32 AM:name=_Necro_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_Necro_ @ Mar 27 2012, 11:32 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1918569"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah, more health / armor per hive was in NS1 and was a cheap mechanic to hide balance issues.
In some design log was a line, that they don't want it, because its very unintuitive.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It's built into the LUA for each lifeform, but currently set at 100% for each hive.

Floodinator

<!--quoteo(post=1918569:date=Mar 27 2012, 04:32 PM:name=_Necro_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_Necro_ @ Mar 27 2012, 04:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1918569"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah, more health / armor per hive was in NS1 and was a cheap mechanic to hide balance issues.
In some design log was a line, that they don't want it, because its very unintuitive.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's bad. If it helps to balance the game it is ok.
You would just to inform the player (via tooltip) that a hive 1 onos isn't as strong as >1 hive.

The goal is to have a balanced game, doesn't mater if you use high complex what ever things, or just a cheap tweak.

Also hidearmor is already implemented so I don't think they absoluetly don't want it.

Chris0132

<!--quoteo(post=1918622:date=Mar 27 2012, 06:15 PM:name=Floodinator)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Floodinator @ Mar 27 2012, 06:15 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1918622"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's bad. If it helps to balance the game it is ok.
You would just to inform the player (via tooltip) that a hive 1 onos isn't as strong as >1 hive.

The goal is to have a balanced game, doesn't mater if you use high complex what ever things, or just a cheap tweak.

Also hidearmor is already implemented so I don't think they absoluetly don't want it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

No, the goal is to have a fun game, having different instances of the same lifeform be significantly stronger or weaker for no visisble reason is not fun.

Tinker

Visibly show the onos with less armor plates at lower hive levels? Visible reason, balance maintained (hypothetically), could be fun to see the scrawny onos.

_Necro_

If it's clearly visible for both, the alien and the marines, than ok. But this isn't that easy as tweaking a few health values.

Another way, could be to make the upgrades stronger. Or lifeforms without carapace weaker.
This way, the upgrades give the aliens the real advantage, not the pure lifeform.
So you will need hives more. Right now, the design decision is, to make the upgrades more of a sidegrade kind. But with strong upgrades, you have to make the normal lifeforms weaker and cheaper.