State of Spores Post-234
Zek
Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 7962Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 7962Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
What do you guys think of the current Spores after the 234 change that all but removed their visibility blocking properties? I totally understand the change since obscuring vision is irritating for marines and the game has a lot of that already. However, I think the visibility obscuring is the main thing that made the crop-duster spores workable. Spore-trailing Lerks are more vulnerable than ever before now since the spore clouds do nothing to provide them with cover. If the decision is to keep them transparent then I personally think it might be time to switch back to projectile Spores. Doesn't need to be long distance like in NS1, it could use the same moving cloud mechanic as Umbra which I always thought was pretty cool and under-utilized at Hive 3. Anybody else feel this way?
Also, as a side-note I don't think we need the special spore effects that are seen by the alien team anymore, now that the ones marines see are equally transparent. Or we could just make marines see that version of spores if we think that's a cooler effect, I'm not picky.
Also, as a side-note I don't think we need the special spore effects that are seen by the alien team anymore, now that the ones marines see are equally transparent. Or we could just make marines see that version of spores if we think that's a cooler effect, I'm not picky.
Comments
I would also prefer ranged spores if they no longer affect vision. It just puts the lerk in too much danger.
+1 for using the same mechanic as umbra, the expanding gas could is cool!
If the goal is to nerf spores - which is the last thing I would change on lerks -, I'd rather they lowered damage or spread and kept visibility the same; that's what makes the ability unique. If the problem is the multitude of vision obscuring effects, I don't see why they would start with the one that's intentional.
I went 30-1 last night with a Spores equipped Lerk, but I attribute that to Marines that literally couldn't hit me in a hallway over any kind of changes to spores.
To be fair, a Lerk in flight is pretty tough to see <i>without</i> spores by a lot of players. At least that's how it seems when I'm playing one, not a lot of bullets connect.
I went 30-1 last night with a Spores equipped Lerk, but I attribute that to Marines that literally couldn't hit me in a hallway over any kind of changes to spores.
To be fair, a Lerk in flight is pretty tough to see <i>without</i> spores by a lot of players. At least that's how it seems when I'm playing one, not a lot of bullets connect.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well an experienced Lerk against a team of greens is never going to be a fair assessment. I'm not really speaking to the game balance so much as the fact that Spores just don't feel that valuable to me anymore with this change. From the alien perspective I thought they were perfect before. If we want to nerf the visibility blocking for the sake of the marines I get it, but there should be something else to compensate IMO.
Even more troublesome, this is a balance change that, once again, went completely undocumented in both 234 and 235 change logs.
The Lerk has been as balanced as it can be since the beta, what in the world was this change intended to do? Making spores more transparent may only serve to confuse new players as to why they're taking damage (albeit they'll figure it out quickly enough), but surely the intention here wasn't to help marines by removing a vision obscuring effect from the alien team, was it?
Of all the reasons why we might be seeing a higher percentage of alien wins in public games (if we are at that), was Spore's vision obscuring effect the real cause of that? Really?
The only other thing I can think of is that this change is somehow tied to the particle effect adjustment. And if it is, well then I guess allowing players to negate an intended effect of an ability by simply changing their settings to low is somehow balanced.
I don't know whether I'm more frustrated by such an unnecessary change, to the most balanced of the alien lifeforms, or that it was completely undocumented. Both of these things are simply ridiculous, and I honestly don't understand how UWE can justify either decision.
But as some posted above, I'd be interested to know if this is a "bug" side-effect from the new particle quality graphics setting.
But as some posted above, I'd be interested to know if this is a "bug" side-effect from the new particle quality graphics setting.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This.
Also, if you play the lerk as a support class and go in after the skulks, the marines attention will be occupied already. This usually gives you time for a run, or mabe even a circle while getting away without taking much damage. I lerked yesterday with spores and I think it was pretty balanced. Could be due to the inexperienced marines though...
As marine I find myself dying from spores now for this exact reason. Kinda hard to tell if you're going to take damage from them until it happens.
Of all the visually obstructing mechanics, UWE suddenly nerfs the one that had the highest reasonable case for its existence? Unlikely this was intended imo. On the same note, this is kinda what happens when changelogs don't have a reputation of being reliably complete - never know if something was intended or not.
This is an important point.
Flmaethrowers had the powerful ability to completely deny spores and yet spores were nerfed.
Is this a case of an unjustified nerf because marine refuse to adapt strategies?
Flmaethrowers had the powerful ability to completely deny spores and yet spores were nerfed.
Is this a case of an unjustified nerf because marine refuse to adapt strategies?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
But Flamethrower creates visual fog for Marines too. even when it's burning through Spores.
--Cory
--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well just put ranged spores back in and all will be forgiven ;)
Must admit I had not noticed...but have not played lerk in this patch yet (not played much of this patch at all).
Well... unless this gets fixed, I want my puffy spores back.
And the Gorge fleshy fingers with the old tender, loving care they used to show to all of my buildings.
<!--quoteo(post=2049550:date=Dec 21 2012, 05:57 PM:name=Squeal_Like_A_Pig)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Squeal_Like_A_Pig @ Dec 21 2012, 05:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2049550"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This was not an intended change. It likely is a result of the changes in particle effects optimizations, but we aren't exactly sure how and why that would have happened. Looking into it.
--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->