The feature that really needs to be nerfed but no one is talking about.

PandademicPandademic Join Date: 2013-02-26 Member: 183359Members
edited March 2013 in NS2 General Discussion
No game should have insta kills. It takes still out of the game, and forces players to return to the respawn timer needlessly. It also ruins any realism the game might be going for, and has ruined so many games for me with costly pres losses that I'm all but done playing this imbalanced game. Yet NS2 has had instant kills as a prominent feature since it's inception (or at least since, Christmas, that's when I got it) and yet the devs have done nothing about it. I've heard plenty of players in game say it serves no purpose, and I agree with them to some extent that it penalizes new players disproportionately to veterans.

Both teams are susceptible to it, but I feel marines are especially vulnerable due to their limited movement capabilities. Skulks can avoid it easily with their wall climb ability, lerks can avoid it altogether if they don't fly too low, but onos, gorges, and fades have absolutely no recourse. One misstep, and they die, instantly. No warning, no second chance. Just death by Natural Causes.

Can we really call it natural? Just because I fall into a pit of darkness doesn't mean guaranteed death. There could be shadowed ledges, a pool of cave water, maybe even marshmallows. You don't know. But the devs lazily threw in invisible death barriers that insta-gib players instead of dealing with these technical issues, and forgoing any semblance of realism.

But I have some solutions.

First, take away the instant death, and make Natural Causes do damage over time instead. That way players can at least be made aware of what is killing them before they die. This will reduce rage, and keep servers full.

Second, why does the invisible Death Barrier of Natural Causes have to be invisible? Just because it's in the name? I humbly suggest we add a texture to give players some warning that that abysmal hole of eternity they are venturing near might pose some danger. My first thought was a big red X, or a red circle with a line across it. But that doesn't quite signal imminent death, so how about a skull and cross bones? Maybe a red skull and cross bones just to be sure they see it.

Third, we need to give marines, gorges, fades, and onos the ability to wall climb. This gives skilled players a higher chance to survive encounters with Natural Causes, but not too much, as any skulk can tell you. I think this is a perfect soft counter that won't affect balance elsewhere in the game. The red skull will be enough for lerks, I think. If they still die to Natural Causes after these changes then they can go back to the rookie servers.

That's all for now. Let me know what you think, new suggestions are welcome!

Comments

  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    So now we really got a thread about "Natural Causes" is overpowered?
  • kingkrabbe.#bofkingkrabbe.#bof Join Date: 2012-10-21 Member: 162892Members
  • NeokenNeoken Bruges, Belgium Join Date: 2004-03-20 Member: 27447Members, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Playtester
    edited March 2013
    It's either blatant trolling, or just some satire. It's hard to tell these days.
  • TheriusTherius Join Date: 2009-03-06 Member: 66642Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    This thread made my morning so much more hilarious.
  • |strofix||strofix| Join Date: 2012-11-01 Member: 165453Members
    Troll replies are acceptable, troll threads are spam.
  • NammNamm Join Date: 2011-12-08 Member: 137116Members
    edited March 2013
    Buff Natural Causes! Add it as the third race. Eagerly awaiting next DLC: NS2: Populous
  • BentRingBentRing Join Date: 2003-03-04 Member: 14318Members
    Amusingly enough, you can wallwalk as a marine on areas like crevice to avoid death by natural causes.
  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    The best part is when you read on, looking for an example to help prove his point. And then death by Natural Causes.

    Off topic: Natural Causes should be changed to Natural Selection. As in "Natural Selection <SKULL> Playername"
  • MaLuSMaLuS Join Date: 2013-02-02 Member: 182769Members
    i could not help but laugh at this, if you fall from great height what do you think will happen? bounce back? no, you will die. Lerks and jetpacks can avoid being killed by this because.... they can fly. The same on refinery map if you fall into lava you will die and yes it would be pretty instant. these places you just learn to avoid or try and trick your enemy into falling in, just like in the natural world there are dangers of environment.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    If serious... a large black pit is not enough of a warning.

    Wall climbing onos DO WANT.
  • pearlykpearlyk Join Date: 2013-01-19 Member: 180732Members
    Damn, thought it was a thread about shotgun.

    well played OP.
  • xen32xen32 Join Date: 2012-10-18 Member: 162676Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    MaLuS wrote: »
    Lerks and jetpacks can avoid being killed by this because.... they can fly.
    Funny thing is, you can easily die as a lerk due to natural causes, I once tried to hide on bottom side of landing pad and guess what...
    And there were countless times when I dived into pit as a skulk to avoid marines shooting at me and natural causes had me before I could reach the wall (and I could reach it within a second).
    Simply, the floor should be a little lower than it is now.
  • AngeluszAngelusz Harmonic entropist Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18072Members, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    I don't think this is a serious thread. If it is - things remain the way they are. This is up to the mappers discretion.

    * Closed *
This discussion has been closed.