Official Upcoming Balance Mod
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
Surprised there's no thread on this. The balance mod is doing some interesting stuff again if anybody is interested: <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=108447514" target="_blank">http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/file...s/?id=108447514</a>
Post here if you have a server that's running it so people can try it out.
Post here if you have a server that's running it so people can try it out.
Comments
No resource loss while dead = awesome. Was resource for kill tested?
Upgrades need to be buffed, not nerfed. It's only a single bullet more in damage for rifle and armour 1 doesn't even do anything despite for whatever reason most commanders insist on still researching it, now it will be a magnet for bad commanders like sentries are. Better upgrades will also put a stop to groundskulks with early cara being annoying so it should happen.
GL damage reduction, as if GL's weren't bad enough with how they are killing the marines that use them and they are already inferior to arcs for siegeing. Damage output is so incredibly random because of the physics being broken, physics in NS2 need to be fixed first before anything else it to happen to the GL.
Marine respawn nerf, probably the worst update idea here. The reason aliens have such a high winrate is because only the alien team can wipe their opposition off one side of the map and the marine team will lose control of that side completely unless they can phase through fast enough, which is impossible earlygame. Marines are punished very heavily for their mistakes while aliens practically get a free ride. This nerf will only make the problem worse than it is, with an even worse winrate for marines.
Don't see a point in the mine nerf, mines were in the right place already. They die pretty easily to lerk spikes and not so much anything else. A lerk in play can already guarantee an area is clear of mines.
There is, well hidden in the veteran forum. <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=126732&st=0" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...126732&st=0</a>
It's not going to make the marine's job easier imho. We shall see.
I don't understand what this means. Should this say "players now receive res while dead"?
Prevents parasite + 2 bites, always 3 bites.
implying anybody actually makes sure all the marines are parasited, even in competitive games (most competitive games anyway, not top tier ones) it rarely happens and most marines are full hp when starting an engagement.
How top tier teams engage: peek around making marines waste shots and parasite, wait until marines are in perfect position to ambush
How 90% of teams, pub players, and pug games engage:
1) are there more or equal number of them then there are us?
a) yes - attack
b) no - sit around doing nothing
It also means all 3 have to be direct hits. Or I guess at least 2 have to be.
It's not going to make the marine's job easier imho. We shall see.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I wanted to filter the public opinion strictly for balance mod changes because the public will realistically never see these patches. a lot of the "but aliens are already winning! /" posts could be avoided while discussing the merit of each change individually as it relates to fundamental game mechanics.
This is why this kind of behavior should be encouraged; having modders test out balance changes will more effectively playtest everything more quickly without having the devs dig themselves a deeper pit. As well as forseeing bad decisions, and are more likely to find ideas that work if some of the mods experiment.
How does the cyst change help RT killing? The only change is that you can more easily add starvation damage to the Harvester while you kill it, which may or may not be worth your time(it certainly wasn't before). Structures do not die quickly off of infestation at all.
<!--quoteo(post=2055949:date=Jan 4 2013, 09:41 AM:name=Gliss)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gliss @ Jan 4 2013, 09:41 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2055949"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I wanted to filter the public opinion strictly for balance mod changes because the public will realistically never see these patches. a lot of the "but aliens are already winning! /" posts could be avoided while discussing the merit of each change individually as it relates to fundamental game mechanics.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's not just for competitive players, they even tweeted about this most recent set of changes. The changes will obviously affect the public scene if they go through so there should be discussion about them in all groups. Even if a particular marine nerf is ideal for the long term, it might not be wise to make it while the marines are currently the weaker team in public play.
Yeah that would be bad. So now taking out cysts around roots would be preferred since it disables whips and have less health than whips.
I wonder, does the instant festation removal work the opposite too? So putting down a new cysts the infestation grows instantly?
This is my biggest concern. You pretty much may as well not place whips anywhere apart from right next to a hive if this change comes into effect. As all you have to do is kill the cyst then the whip will instantly unroot. It was already effective without being too effective, but now it will be downright OP and make whips practically useless (except as I've stated, next to a hive as you don't need cysts there).
It will also make echo-shift+bombard-whip assaults practically useless (and were difficult enough to pull of as it is). All they gotta do is pop a few pistol shots on the cysts, the infestation will recede instantly and the whips will unroot, and it'll send 100+ res down the toilet. It was hardly a viable strat to begin with, and we don't need LESS viable strats, we need more. And whilst reducing the cost of shade/shift/whip upgrades is a step in the right direction, this certainly isn't.
I like the increase minimum distance between cysts change. But even that wasn't really necessary. Cyst spam isn't a problem IMO (although performance problems that result from cyst spam is - but that's a performance issue). Has anybody ever used it to great success against an experienced and coordinated team?
I like the increase minimum distance between cysts change. But even that wasn't really necessary. Cyst spam isn't a problem IMO (although performance problems that result from cyst spam is - but that's a performance issue). Has anybody ever used it to great success against an experienced and coordinated team?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You can use it quite effectively to stop or delay lone marines trying to build structures.
Marine upgrades in no possibly concieveable way need a buff - the cost revert was badly needed to prevent marines from holding almost next to no ground and being able to still get 3/3 tech reasonably easily.
Parasite 2 bite is still very valid, even with my rusty skulk play I can still do it resonably well. If they fix the oddness with parasite i imagine I could do if quite frequently. Parasite utility should be re-inforced by making drifters not provide such easy cheap scouting, and making the parasite effect last longer.
Marine respawn times were waay to fast, along with armory healing speeds. Alien respawn also needs adjustments, which I am hoping will also come along with the marine spawn changes.
Regarding mines, a lerk flying around spiking mines while there are 2-3 marines in that room by those mines is a very dead lerk. There just isnt the time to spike the mines down and survive so that your skulks can close and kill the marines. At best you could hope to get one or two mines, and hope they are 2 close to eachother and set the rest off.
Cyst spam is a huge problem for even the best comp teams, and while its not as common in pubs thats generally because of less coordination from aliens, and lower skilled commanders. It remains just as effective in a pub.
It was and is worth your time if you have a welder. It does additional damage while you shoot it and if you get the RT low enough, it will die even if you died before finishing it off. Keep in mind I'm talking about public play here, so comms might even not recyst instantly and no alien might be coming towards you before you shot 2+ clips into it. I'm already feared enough by alien comms, this change would make it even worse. :D
I +1 this, QFT.
Mines are fine. Once aliens have bile bomb they are not much use anyway.
GL changes sound ok.
Res while dead I am not sure about. As it is, most tech and higher life forms are out at around the ten minute mark as it is and this would just shorten the early game and games in general even more. Maybe lessen the amount of res per harvester/RT per second to compensate if this is put in. I love the early game but it is now only a few minutes long. I like the early map control/fight for resources. All around I wish the game would slow down a bit. Its just to hectic sometimes and the strategy part is being pushed aside more because of it.
Fade needed something. Extra health may do it. 50 res is a lot and most just wait a few minutes to go Onos instead.
For me the best change atm would be making the marine comm a little more user friendly. Its significantly harder to pick up, learn and play. Alien comm feels relaxing in comparison and even first time at it feels easy where marine doesn't. More micro management and more to do in general etc. Needs streamlined and should be more intuitive.
Marine comm changes along with some more optimisation would go a long way to address the balance issues atm and maybe a little extra armour/health on marine builds. Or even just the important ones such as power nodes, phase gates and power packs/turrets to help counter Gorge bile bomb rushes.
Sal
Yeah I think they meant to say "Removed no Res while dead" so now you "would" get res while dead.
Wait, so the current 235 build you do get res while dead!?!?
I could have swore that you didn't.