The problem I have with the NS2 gorge compared to the NS1 gorge is in NS2, you can drop your load in less than a minute and from then on be limited to heal spraying and doing nothing else. In NS1, you could always drop more chambers and expand defenses without worrying about anything other than your own resources. NS1 gorge did not have clogs, instead he dropped offense chambers mixed with other tech chambers to wall off location, more effectively I might add than in NS2.
I play alien commander a ton, more than I play as any other role in NS2 and I have to say, the ONLY thing I think that is good about it is my team can know I have eyes all over the map which leads me to my next point, lack of hive sight in NS2 is gone I'm guessing because of the alien commander role. The alien commander to me feels forced, a design decision that always had the best of intentions but has never panned out in a way that is interesting or all that useful. For the sake of asymmetric gameplay which Flayra himself has always argued for not having alien hive teleport in NS2, I wish he would stand up to that and remove the alien commander and let the gorge have his fun back.
That being said, the only reason I picked Gorge is because I don't like playing Khamm and the fact that NS1 gorge feels more feature-complete. I like how some of the old Gorge's roles are now offloaded to Khamm, but in the current iteration both feel more simplistic and monotonous compared to playing the other classes imo
<!--quoteo(post=2015736:date=Nov 8 2012, 02:28 PM:name=SpaceJew)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SpaceJew @ Nov 8 2012, 02:28 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2015736"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Drifters. Otherwise known as an alien forward unit that can cloak, provides wall hacks automatically in it's LOS, and can spend 3 T.Res to increase the damage/attack speed of all aliens in it's area of effect. Also, Healing Mist + Bone Wall + Whip Teleportation + egg spam forward locations. (Actually, I'm not 100% sure that drifters up the damage of attacks. It definitely speeds them up though, so kind of up's damage either way.)
Nope, nothing active on the aliens command side! Move along, all the above is just a distraction!
Seriously though, alien commanding is insanely fast paced if you're utilizing all your abilities. It's just that not everyone knows about all the abilities yet, so newb alien commanders just cyst spam and forget about upgrades. (I don't mean this in a mean way necessarily, we were all there at one point.)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Need alot more than 1 ability to make an alien commander feel useful off the infestation. I use drifters alot for scouting and enzyme, but ultimately its 1 ability while marines commander has 3. Main issue is that marine commander operates without borders, while every alien ability is tied to something. Either to a structure (healing wave, ink, etc) or to infestation (bone wall) or to a unit (enzyme). Marine commander has 0 prep work going on, just gets stuck in where ever he is needed.
That said, the alien commanders abilities are more amusing to use. Bone wall and hallucinations are funny to witness their effect.
ns1 gorge is far better than alien comm in its current implementation thanks to a total lack of responsibility for the commander and removal of asymmetry.
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
alien comm is awesome! i hated the idea of it when i first heard about it, but it just makes so much better sense, and there are some things you can do that gorges just can't.
<!--quoteo(post=2015814:date=Nov 8 2012, 02:41 PM:name=Ansom)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ansom @ Nov 8 2012, 02:41 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2015814"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I always assumed that if you switched from Gorge, your Hydras/Clogs disappeared...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You would be incorrect in that assumption, as you are in many other assumptions. No hard feelings, just my opinion.
<!--quoteo(post=2015874:date=Nov 8 2012, 03:37 PM:name=TimMc)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TimMc @ Nov 8 2012, 03:37 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2015874"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Need alot more than 1 ability to make an alien commander feel useful off the infestation. I use drifters alot for scouting and enzyme, but ultimately its 1 ability while marines commander has 3. Main issue is that marine commander operates without borders, while every alien ability is tied to something. Either to a structure (healing wave, ink, etc) or to infestation (bone wall) or to a unit (enzyme). Marine commander has 0 prep work going on, just gets stuck in where ever he is needed.
That said, the alien commanders abilities are more amusing to use. Bone wall and hallucinations are funny to witness their effect.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I listed several abilities, and you negated my statement by listing another high-profile buildable structure that should be the focus of your efforts for around 80% of the game. When your team is rushing and fighting in an area, you should have infestation somewhere close enough to push out a quick couple of cysts, then lay down a bone wall in the doorway the marines are coming from. Splits the marines team, which reduces incoming fire, which increases the odds of your skulks winning. If you really want to be pro, slap down a red mist from a nearby drifter.
Do you see how a micromanaging aliens commander is more powerful than a marines micromanaging commander? You actually have <i>far more</i> direct things you can do to affect the outcome of any given fight, provided you planned well from the outset. Ammo, health packs, and nano armor are darn powerful by all means, but...I don't know. It would be a little more even if the nutrient mist could heal players.
I'm not saying I'm perfect at execution, but I can at least see how things are supposed to work. My inability to perfectly execute maneuvers is only limited by the ability of my team to be in the right place at the right time, and my ability to tell them where the right place is and what time is right.
EDIT: Ok, not far more things you can do and not better things. Marines do have a big advantage in droppable power after thinking about it for a little longer. Aliens are still effective and useful in their drops, but not as powerful individually or as a whole. Someone pointed out to me that nutrient mist does not, in fact, have a minor heal effect to players attached. Duh dur on my part I guess.
Comments
I play alien commander a ton, more than I play as any other role in NS2 and I have to say, the ONLY thing I think that is good about it is my team can know I have eyes all over the map which leads me to my next point, lack of hive sight in NS2 is gone I'm guessing because of the alien commander role. The alien commander to me feels forced, a design decision that always had the best of intentions but has never panned out in a way that is interesting or all that useful. For the sake of asymmetric gameplay which Flayra himself has always argued for not having alien hive teleport in NS2, I wish he would stand up to that and remove the alien commander and let the gorge have his fun back.
That being said, the only reason I picked Gorge is because I don't like playing Khamm and the fact that NS1 gorge feels more feature-complete. I like how some of the old Gorge's roles are now offloaded to Khamm, but in the current iteration both feel more simplistic and monotonous compared to playing the other classes imo
Nope, nothing active on the aliens command side! Move along, all the above is just a distraction!
Seriously though, alien commanding is insanely fast paced if you're utilizing all your abilities. It's just that not everyone knows about all the abilities yet, so newb alien commanders just cyst spam and forget about upgrades. (I don't mean this in a mean way necessarily, we were all there at one point.)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Need alot more than 1 ability to make an alien commander feel useful off the infestation. I use drifters alot for scouting and enzyme, but ultimately its 1 ability while marines commander has 3.
Main issue is that marine commander operates without borders, while every alien ability is tied to something. Either to a structure (healing wave, ink, etc) or to infestation (bone wall) or to a unit (enzyme). Marine commander has 0 prep work going on, just gets stuck in where ever he is needed.
That said, the alien commanders abilities are more amusing to use. Bone wall and hallucinations are funny to witness their effect.
summary : ALIEN COMM FTW!
You would be incorrect in that assumption, as you are in many other assumptions. No hard feelings, just my opinion.
<!--quoteo(post=2015874:date=Nov 8 2012, 03:37 PM:name=TimMc)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TimMc @ Nov 8 2012, 03:37 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2015874"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Need alot more than 1 ability to make an alien commander feel useful off the infestation. I use drifters alot for scouting and enzyme, but ultimately its 1 ability while marines commander has 3.
Main issue is that marine commander operates without borders, while every alien ability is tied to something. Either to a structure (healing wave, ink, etc) or to infestation (bone wall) or to a unit (enzyme). Marine commander has 0 prep work going on, just gets stuck in where ever he is needed.
That said, the alien commanders abilities are more amusing to use. Bone wall and hallucinations are funny to witness their effect.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I listed several abilities, and you negated my statement by listing another high-profile buildable structure that should be the focus of your efforts for around 80% of the game. When your team is rushing and fighting in an area, you should have infestation somewhere close enough to push out a quick couple of cysts, then lay down a bone wall in the doorway the marines are coming from. Splits the marines team, which reduces incoming fire, which increases the odds of your skulks winning. If you really want to be pro, slap down a red mist from a nearby drifter.
Do you see how a micromanaging aliens commander is more powerful than a marines micromanaging commander? You actually have <i>far more</i> direct things you can do to affect the outcome of any given fight, provided you planned well from the outset. Ammo, health packs, and nano armor are darn powerful by all means, but...I don't know. It would be a little more even if the nutrient mist could heal players.
I'm not saying I'm perfect at execution, but I can at least see how things are supposed to work. My inability to perfectly execute maneuvers is only limited by the ability of my team to be in the right place at the right time, and my ability to tell them where the right place is and what time is right.
EDIT: Ok, not far more things you can do and not better things. Marines do have a big advantage in droppable power after thinking about it for a little longer. Aliens are still effective and useful in their drops, but not as powerful individually or as a whole. Someone pointed out to me that nutrient mist does not, in fact, have a minor heal effect to players attached. Duh dur on my part I guess.
If we can keep the Alien Comander and get Gorges to build more stuff... Resources Tower and Cysts for example, it would be the best of both worlds.