In a perfect world
Badass_Ben
Join Date: 2012-11-23 Member: 173017Members
Join Date: 2012-11-23 Member: 173017Members
I just have a simple question in regards to how this game should ideally be. I'm not sure which, and if we can identify, it might make balance a little easier to achieve/understand
Is the idea behind balance
1. Marines are trying to contain aliens (marines have strong early game and aliens must break out)
2. Marines are trying to break through infestation (aliens expand quickly and are stronger early game, marines must holdout and buildup strength to break through to enemy hives)
3. Equal (which is my least favorite just because it is less asymmetrical and imo less interesting)
Just for a comparison to better understand what i am asking. In the RTT (tactical- involving lots of micromanagement of units) game Company of Heroes, the two main factions play asymmetrically. The Americans are stronger early game (when handled well) and must use that to obtain more of the map in order to compete with the Germans. The germans can survive with far less of the map, and if allowed to get their late game heavy units out (along with all their unit upgrades) the Americans lose as they cannot beat the raw strength of the german upgraded units.
How is it in NS2? I remember hearing, before release, that the idea was marines were stronger late game, but that doesnt seem to be how it is, but at the same time, marines are not stronger early game. What are your two cents on this?
Is the idea behind balance
1. Marines are trying to contain aliens (marines have strong early game and aliens must break out)
2. Marines are trying to break through infestation (aliens expand quickly and are stronger early game, marines must holdout and buildup strength to break through to enemy hives)
3. Equal (which is my least favorite just because it is less asymmetrical and imo less interesting)
Just for a comparison to better understand what i am asking. In the RTT (tactical- involving lots of micromanagement of units) game Company of Heroes, the two main factions play asymmetrically. The Americans are stronger early game (when handled well) and must use that to obtain more of the map in order to compete with the Germans. The germans can survive with far less of the map, and if allowed to get their late game heavy units out (along with all their unit upgrades) the Americans lose as they cannot beat the raw strength of the german upgraded units.
How is it in NS2? I remember hearing, before release, that the idea was marines were stronger late game, but that doesnt seem to be how it is, but at the same time, marines are not stronger early game. What are your two cents on this?
Comments
Aliens are stronger early game through their speed and initial lethality. However, when the marines start upgrading, they start being really dangerous. Then the aliens will have started to accumulate plasma enough for fades, being able to push back again, and fortify better using more structures. The marines will however upgrade enough to start pushing towards hive again, and be pushed backwards every now and then when an onos appear (this part might actually be marines being weaker, depends entirely on the aliens players).
As marines achieve exos, and properly work as a team however, they are supposed to dominate unless aliens plays some risky tactics, and if they do not because of strong fortifications, ARC is supposed to push through without issues (you only have to care about enemy players).
That is how I gather that the game seems to play, and be supposed to play. There is tides going back and forth, but in the end the marines has their siege weapons and mobility. But I might obviously be wrong.
<a href="http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=cos+x+%2B+x" target="_blank">http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=cos+x+%2B+x</a>
It doesn't necessarily have to be that consistent, but the idea stands.