Shadows?

RMJ

<div class="IPBDescription">Cant allow people to turn shadows off come on.</div>There is a bit of a problem.

But again i suspect its something UWE have not have to deal with before, seeing as Natural selection 1 was on an engine without shadows.

You cannot in compete game allow people to gain advantages by turning everything off. Especially not shadows. We are constantly being told that a big part of playing aliens are to hide correct?.

Try and hide from a marine when the shadow is off, you can spot aliens miles away no matter where they hide.

You gotta force no matter what, the game to run with basic black shadows, if you balance you aliens play around being able to hide.

It would be like in Starcraft 2, if i had an option to turn the shader off that gave cloaking to unit.

So something has to change, it borders on an exploit gaining such a huge advantage.

Wheeee

people in ns1 played with the gamma turned up. shadows don't really matter.

Fappuchino

<!--quoteo(post=2001927:date=Oct 30 2012, 06:51 PM:name=Wheeee)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wheeee @ Oct 30 2012, 06:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2001927"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->people in ns1 played with the gamma turned up. shadows don't really matter.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yep this would be the logical follow up to shadows. If it's competitive, people are gonna be willing to sacrifice a couple of things.

Regnareb

Nothing has to change. What about low computers? My computer couldn't even manage to display that, it's already hard to play without shadows.

By the way, in all competitive games at the contrary, there is plenty of way to disable things that obstruct the view. Take a look at Quake for example ;)

Swiftspear

I feel this is a map design issue on some level... Shadows being off really shouldn't be a problem if maps are lit correctly. Game play vital places that are dark shouldn't just be dark because they happen to be inside a shadow.

antacid

Use your flashlight

Koruyo

Shadows are not a big deal...

You know that little thing in the top left corner or when you press your C key?
Thats a radar. It will show enemys in los... so hiding in shadows is not how you do it.

Also there is a thing on the F key...

Not using shadows can have downsides too btw, there are places where you would see an alien hiding because it casts a shadow... - which you cant see then.

edit: the darker you make your game the more ppl will just increase gamma to negate shadows or darkness.

Codeine

its kinda a deal when skulks are nerfed so much from ns1 and NEED to hide in the shadows.

RMJ

It is a real concern indeed, but i do believe they just didn think it through. Like it or not, shadows or no shadows, effect balance heavily, as there is no place to hide, when the aliens are bright as day no matter where they find.

schkorpio

skulks / aliens aren't meant to hide in the shadows, they are meant to parasite, then hide behind walls, or make your way around to the back of your target :)

Techercizer

Marines have flashlights and radars, and skulks have glowing eyes. They're not supposed to hide in the shadows; they're supposed to hide on the ceiling, around corners, or at the edge of your vision.

elodea

fyi - shadows on is more useful than shadows off when min/maxing. Being able to see skulks under light sources behind that next door or corridor is useful.