Brainstorming 'ease of playability'

ChickenOfWar

I think one of the main gripes with NS2 is that it's difficult for newer players to pick up and be good at the game. This leads to really good players in pubs completely destroying noobs, getting insane KDR ratios and those noobs crying OP on the forums.

What I'd like is for this thread to be dedicated to brainstorming ways to make the game easier to play while at the same time not casualizing it. The goal of these ideas should be to have the average level of player effectiveness go up in NS2 so that one really good player being in a game doesn't affect the game as much as it does now.

I'll start with an idea for <b>simulated peripheral vision</b>.

If anyone has played pirates vikings and knights 2 they've noticed that if an enemy player is just off the edge of your screen in that game a little symbol appears that simulates your peripheral vision, showing you which direction they are in. Watch this video for examples of what im talking about : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5vc0NX8sOY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5vc0NX8sOY</a>

What this might do is make it easier for newer marines to track all the aliens that seem 'invincible' because they're flying around and will even help the skulks track marines that are jumping around.

If anyone has any other ideas please throw them in here.

antacid

Life is hard enough for aliens, why make it harder? If you buff one side, the other side is just going to be nerfed.

Imbalanxd

<!--quoteo(post=1972298:date=Sep 6 2012, 01:10 AM:name=ChickenOfWar)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ChickenOfWar @ Sep 6 2012, 01:10 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1972298"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->make the game easier to play while at the same time not casualizing it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Can't be done.

Simply by making a game which isn't guy with gun vs guy with gun, you create an environment for ragers who are unwilling to learn. Its just the way it is.

spellman23

Interesting concept, but part of the Aliens toolbox is sneaking up and getting a few bites in without the Marines noticing.

As for the general theory of easing the learning curve, the only good way is to help provide information to the new players that the better players already know. The pop-ups help to an extent, but the toughest part is grasping the strategies and tactics involved in this complex game. And that's super hard to teach except via other players and voicechat. Plus playing lots of games.

But, I think it's doable. MOBA games are HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE. You have to learn all the heroes and abilities and phases of the game and map objectives and items and skill builds and *whew*. And yet they're wildly popular. Why? Because the more you invest the more the game rewards you. And sure there are ways to ease a player in. League of Legends caps new players to a confined pool of heroes so you don't have to learn all of them at once. They provide bots to practice against. They have a tutorial for basic mechanics and tactics. But the rest is up to grinding through games and learning. Same with the card game Dominion. The strategies are wildly complex. But every time I play and lose I learn something new, and that reward makes me better and coming back for more.

Bitcrusher

With a commander and waypoints the game is pretty easy to pick up. As a marine you just need to point and shoot and press on transparent blue buildings to build them. I don't see how the game is harder then tf2. Playing the commander is a huge step up though :D.