Balance tweak: 'large mag' for lmg (like HMG from ns1)
slayer.faith
Join Date: 2007-12-10 Member: 63127Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
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(Trying to find some ideas for marine balance that are not too hard.)
Problem:
-----------
Old NS1 had:
* hmg+heavy (defence, firepower, no speed)
* jp+hmg (firepower, speed, no defence)
NS2 has:
* exo (defence, firepower, no speed)
There is no mobility version of jp+hmg, except maybe jp+shotgun (which does not seem to be cutting it in the late game where you need sustained firepower). Shotguns seem to run out of bullets just as you need to finish that onos.
Suggestion:
--------------
Add in something that can provide the firepower+mobility option.
I suggest either:
* allow comm to research extra bullets to the shotgun mag (eg, expand shotgun capacity to 10/12/14)
* add an option for a 'drum' magazine for the lmg
Both of these would provide firepower at the expense of reload time.
Personally i prefer the drum mag (with the loooooooooooong reload time until you can fire again, vrs the shotgun where you can flip a round in and shoot again).
You'd want to make this upgrade need more command chairs (to stop early 14 capacity shotgun rush) or early drum lmg spam.
Reasons:
-----------
I have seen an onos last 30 minutes as the marines destroyed all the alien hives, through hit and run attacks and quick escapes.
I have *never* seen an exo live that long. Eventually they are ambushed and because of their lack of mobility they just cant escape.
NS1 would often have ha+hmg (for main firepower) and a couple of jetpacks+hmg (for mobile support), that is 100% marine hmg firepower. An NS2 team of 100% onos beats 50% exo + 50% welder. I like the NS2 exo cant selfweld idea, but the lack of anything post shotgun really cuts the firepower that you get from exo + support.
There seems to be a 'gap' in marine firepower late game and hopefully this tweak might balance that.
(Id be curious what the average life expectancy of an exo vrs an onos is, if you collect that.)
Problem:
-----------
Old NS1 had:
* hmg+heavy (defence, firepower, no speed)
* jp+hmg (firepower, speed, no defence)
NS2 has:
* exo (defence, firepower, no speed)
There is no mobility version of jp+hmg, except maybe jp+shotgun (which does not seem to be cutting it in the late game where you need sustained firepower). Shotguns seem to run out of bullets just as you need to finish that onos.
Suggestion:
--------------
Add in something that can provide the firepower+mobility option.
I suggest either:
* allow comm to research extra bullets to the shotgun mag (eg, expand shotgun capacity to 10/12/14)
* add an option for a 'drum' magazine for the lmg
Both of these would provide firepower at the expense of reload time.
Personally i prefer the drum mag (with the loooooooooooong reload time until you can fire again, vrs the shotgun where you can flip a round in and shoot again).
You'd want to make this upgrade need more command chairs (to stop early 14 capacity shotgun rush) or early drum lmg spam.
Reasons:
-----------
I have seen an onos last 30 minutes as the marines destroyed all the alien hives, through hit and run attacks and quick escapes.
I have *never* seen an exo live that long. Eventually they are ambushed and because of their lack of mobility they just cant escape.
NS1 would often have ha+hmg (for main firepower) and a couple of jetpacks+hmg (for mobile support), that is 100% marine hmg firepower. An NS2 team of 100% onos beats 50% exo + 50% welder. I like the NS2 exo cant selfweld idea, but the lack of anything post shotgun really cuts the firepower that you get from exo + support.
There seems to be a 'gap' in marine firepower late game and hopefully this tweak might balance that.
(Id be curious what the average life expectancy of an exo vrs an onos is, if you collect that.)