Gorge a struggle to counter the turtle

NEX9NEX9 Join Date: 2005-03-08 Member: 44299Members
Some were along the way the gorge lost his place. This fat little lovable creature is about as useful as a fart in a bottle. Or he is the early game grief exploit option. But the problem I am trying to address is the marine turtle. The jp arc I win button. Why not kill two birds with one stone but still have the gorge as viable support roll.
Right now he's fat he's slow even belly sliding marines still keep up with him. In fact I axed one the other day for fun. A torturous experience I know. His heal spray does little to nothing, and his hp and armor does little for him in a full blow base rush siege. He rarely gets to see battle and is roped into looking at a onos bum the whole time. Or stareing at structures as the health bar slowly ticks up. He does little to break a marine turtle. And he's jet pack bait. Like a ginua pig/gerbil/hamster being stalked by a falcon/bird of pray.

His standard weapon is spit. it does a bit more damage, than in ns1 a nice perk. A direct hit is said to hinder the marine vison for but a moment. But I have yet to see this happen. it doesn't break a turtle marines just shrug it off or put a volley of bullets in his direction to scare him off. What if a hit garrenteed disturbed his vision almost every time. The messy gooie substance splatters well, a defence for escape or for offense as a hindrance. It would last but a moment but a moment is all that's needed to reposition and get off another spit. Or flee some more. How is this a counter to turtles. It isn't really but it would be irritating, enough that just spraying a valley in his direction wouldn't be enough to scare him off. You would have to go hunt him. You couldn't see the armory to get heals, or find that med pack on the ground. Or that building to push E on and construct. What if his spit also activated doors. And or destroyed hologram marine structure blue prints. But how is this a counter to jp's. what if a jping marine hit with spit had engine failer. As the spit clogs the air intact to the jp for but a moment. A he falls back to the ground. I'd say that would be a start to countering a jp. And or annoying a turtle. To come out of their safety net of sentrys.

Heal spray needs a bit of a buff. I can understand why it is now. A Gorge hugging crags or shifts can heal a hive like a boss with the old values. Making a kharaa turtle viable. And we don't want that.

Let's face it Hydras are crap, they arnt as viable as Oc's, Nore should they be at their current cost and usefulness. Yet they should be as feared as sentrys, even if numbers and parameters need tweaking. But Oc's do little to counter turtles being able to place more than three is required to counter jet packs. But not with current damage values. So we will move away from that subject.

What I want to get to is bile bomb, and the teir three ability spider web.

Bile bomb has a great arc and range right now it's almost perfect this hideous blob of chunder destroys structures. It's sort of the right tool for the job. Yet it has no effect on marine players. The mass of toxic acidic goo from the bile bomb should most definitely nullify marine armor. Not their health but should be a viable opening volley to drop armor even it's splash damage should drop marine armor a bit. Now your starting to see something that would break a marine turtle. Marines can't just stand around and let a gorge bile bomb them. And their base. The would need to put a stop to it. If its just there base being effected. They can break out welders and repair in the down time while gorge is scared off. Getting energy back. No risk to them. But if it's their base and the marines armor then you got marines that are at risk of being fade bait. Admittedly gorge is ten Rez not a lot of risk vs reward devided by cost? But the main cost here isn't the res. it's ending up back at base having to egg again, rebuild hydras, check map. And make it to the front lines a rather slow pudgy waddle. Or. Risk zipping around as a weak skulk and egging in dangerous ground. The new shift makes this easier if it's a tech the kharaa have unlocked.

Which brings me to spider web. And although I don't know what it will be like in it's current NS2 rendition. I imagine it will be a high quality vfx that acts similar to NS classic web, we can hope it is also a grappling hook like the famous NS one mod ghook. But that's stretching it.

With my previous suggestion of gorge spit knocking out jp.
I'll follow up with my suggestion of gorge glue. A super sticky substance to marines. projective vomit that coats surfaces in a flammable napalm like substance that is a controlled slip and slide for kharaa. So let me clarify this and why. Web is cool I loved it in NS one. Players don't like having their guns taken away from them more so than their vision being impaired. Web is and isn't skill based you set it up. You wait you catch pray in it. It can be used offensively but to set up effectively in that manner requires risk v reward for the gorge, which they nurfed by setting up a web hardening time delay. As a particular stumpy slow fello. If the glue was slippery to the kharaa and if it increased belly slide the messy little gorge can super belly slide through his own vomit like a pig in ######. A viable escape. A marine chasing him would get stuck in the glue. Kind of like walking on clay. Once out of the initial sticking his feet would be heavy as if he wore clay boots. And if he passed over and or out of the glue he would still be hindered as the glue wore off. What this means for a jet packer.

Jet packers must come down eventually. But right now they are not fussed on we're they land. Landing any were other than into a skulks jaws or onto a onos nose or infornt of a fade swipe is preferred. And landing in a vortex is perfect. A it gives free time to refuel untouched. Nano shield plus shotgun also helps with the landing choices. Although web will hold a stead fast marine for a moment and remove his weapon. It's a one time deal it's not a truly brilliant puzzle. It can be cleared with GL, nades, mines, welder and knife. At least in NS 1 that's a lot of counters. For a Tier 3 ability, if it follows the trend of NS 1 even flame thrower will counter it.
So why not with the glue. What's different. have it highly flammable. Something that burns a good 10-20 seconds. Both races. Both race structures. Napalm does get hot. The effect would still be clear ble by most of them items. But it would still slow down a marines progression, watch it burn out or jump through the fire. Allowing the gorge time to escape. Or lay more down. Glue being a violet chunder and taking a lot out of the gorge he would prolly only get two out before his energy was gone. I would prolly last on a surface for a good three minutes before needing to be replaced And the glue hardens. Now jp marines love head butting the ceiling they love back peddling along a clear wall with jet pack going full pelt. Projectile vomit up here prolly wouldn't burn kharaa structures if set alight. But a marine with jp flying into it getting coated in it setting him self on fire. Is a whole nother ball game. A few skulks might get burnt in the process. A double edged sword. That makes for some interesting game play.

Now if a gorge vomits all over a marine turtle marines are in a sticky situation. Half their weapons are going to make as much of a problem for them as it would for the kharaa. They don't want to be standing in that. So they move out of it. They are now faced with a challenge. They can't be happy GL spammers for fear of setting there base alight. A light amount of damage to structure or their friends but damage still the same. They must risk stepping out of their comfort zone, to get the gorge, not be hindered, not be set alight. Or risk being boxed in with out half their weapons not being able to move and that fearful moment that some one some how might blow them all to bits. Kinda like the flare scene in aliens 3. Classic slow motion as some one drops a pin pulled grenade cos a skulk took his face off.

Heck a marine stuck in glue slowly trudging towards hydras might even die. If a gorge is spitting at him blocking his sight. Vomiting on a flying jet packer and watching him spiral out of control as he bursts into flames.. Perhaps xeno sets it on fire and not the other options. But it would sure make for some dynamic game play. Coupled with lerk changes.

Comments

  • AurOn2AurOn2 COOKIES! FREEDOM, AND BISCUITS! Australia Join Date: 2012-01-13 Member: 140224Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Forum staff
    edited June 2012
    The key way to solve this:
    Make hydras and turrets cost 20 res a peice
    Reduce res income
    And make them more effective,
    Result: Holding a room with statics is highly costly yet highly effective so if you lose it, well you lost quite the bit of res
    Tbh 10 res for either is/was far too cheap for something as effective as they are now
    Note; thats just the turrets hydras, im not reading something that big i just read a few lines and i saw "Gorge" and "sentries"
  • NEX9NEX9 Join Date: 2005-03-08 Member: 44299Members
    TLDR version. Gorge spit blinds rines. And clogs jet pack air in tack both for about a second or less.

    Gorge tier 3 napalm projectile glue vomit. Marines stick to it. can be set on fire. Burns every thing.
  • Banzai¥Banzai¥ Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143902Members, NS2 Map Tester
    I just wish the Gorges' Bile-bomb degraded Marines armour and sapped their jet-packs for a brief moment. that and the Gorge to be able to build more structures or be more beneficial towards the team. Right now the Gorge is what I'd call a, 'glass-cannon.' Sure the thing is fairly powerful early-game when coupled by another Gorge or 3 Hydras, but late-game where a Gorge is needed most to push a base it's extremely difficult because they're the third-biggest target and lvl 3 weapon rifles/shotguns/nades can kill them in 8-12/1-2 shots. The map-design for most of the tech-points on any of the 'official' maps really keep Gorges from being able to lob from afar as well.
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