The cost of mines in the current economical climate

Frozen

They just cost too much money in my opinion. They should only be 10 res for a pack. I think 15 was great in 249, but res flow has just slowed up so much for marines that 15 isn't worth it for most of a game.

We were discussing that it would be a similarly great idea to allow marines to buy mines 1 at a time. After all this is more commonly Pres not Tres. If we don't want to decrease the cost per mine, atleast marines could buy a single mine for that single vent spot they want to block.

This would encourage spending on mines more than we use now because they can be strategically used better. I wind up just dropping my third mine somewhere because I don't want to die with it more often then I would think should be normal.

joshhh

I disagree. Mines are extremely powerful early game. They are expensive so this is a choice that a team has to make. I know a few teams that skip mines all together.

Buying mines individual is something I really do not have an opinion about.

Nexus5

I think mines are very expensive and have little effect later on .... I never purchase mines and many other Players do not as we are saving for more useful things that aren't a one time use, but can still achieve a death with one hit, such as a shot gun early game which is also useful late game ..... mines definitely need a re-look at, as the majority of Players simply don't wish to spend that amount on something for reasons above.

Racer1

What I find stupid is expensive mines do not kill a fast moving skulk. At this price, the mine should almost certainly kill a skulk that detonates it, and do serious damage to anything else.

With the current situation they are not worth even thinking about.

P.S. I also wish mines could be used to "climb" like in NS1 -- but that is just personal preference.

GhoulofGSG9

Imho what makes mines some kind of really useless after early game is over: while using the alien vision you can easily see and avoid or destroy mines. Mines are good to protect important position in the early game but they are in my eyes just too expensive maybe lower the price to 6 (2pres for 1 mine). But lets see what the next pacth brings

Frozen

Well, mine-ladders are an entirely different depressing point.

I just feel like the mine price didn't scale to 250 like it should have, whereas the shotgun price, while staying the same, scaled just fine.

I know they are powerful early-game, and I in no way meant that mines are useless. But as the topic says, I feel that because res flow slowed down significantly for marines, a pack of mines should be a similar commitment to 249, I feel that their price/effect ratio is changed because of the economy.

current1y

I play in mostly 24 player servers so no I never buy mines when you don't get most people on the team to buy them they are a absolute waste in most situations. About the only time I buy mines is if we are holding a key potential phase gate position (cargo or nano for example) early game and want to hold it. That take a comm actually smart enough to drop an armory and research mines at said position though which is rare. Occasionally I'll also buy mines to set up fade traps if I see a fade being predictable.

kalakuja

Mines are useless, doesnt even kill upgradeless skulk in vent if the skulk just hold w as the explosion is too slow. a single fade can clear mines without taking any damage at all and do this by accident even.
Also when they removed the ability to do mine ladders they lost their other good reason and thus simplified the game even more.

sinkingmist

Well one way to handle scaling is to have weapon upgrades lower mine cost.
So mine cost goes 15 -> 13 -> 11 -> 9
Or something.

meatmachine

I dont think mines are too expensive at all. In fact, one of my favourite things is filling deposit with 30 res worth of mines and racking up 3-4 kills from mines alone. Not cost effective you say? Also reduces having to babysit those tech points so I can go secure other objectives. The map control those mines give me also lets me save up enough res to buy jets and shotty so I can continue to be awesome.

Okay so 30 res is A LOT and I'll usually just spend 15, but mines still awesome.

I dont however see mines getting researched half as much as I used to- most pub comms prefer to rush shotties or advanced armoury which is a shame

Draptor

Because those mines won't to anything to a fade. And you sank 30 Pres into those mines that could have gone to a shotgun, one of the only anti fade weapons.

Totaldang

Earlier we liked going early mines with WongaNS in comp. play. But lately we stopped doing it because it is indeed just too big of an investment. 10 tres for the tech, and especially 15 pres. While lerks are already out in about 2-3 min, and most skulks are just too fast to get really hurt by it anyways. So indeed I would like to see mines being bought individually (for 3 pres each), or buy again a stack of mines but then for 9 res instead of 15. 5 res per mine is just way too much, given there usefulness. Since most mines I drop don't even explode before the fades come out, I could as well buy a shotgun with the same amount of pres. Also the opening with early mines costs you an opening where you get a quick second IP or quick A1.

Frozen

Well, I wouldn't be against raising the Tres research cost to accommodate the lower Pres cost.

Roobubba

Totaldang wrote: »

Earlier we liked going early mines with WongaNS in comp. play. But lately we stopped doing it because it is indeed just too big of an investment. 10 tres for the tech, and especially 15 pres. While lerks are already out in about 2-3 min, and most skulks are just too fast to get really hurt by it anyways. So indeed I would like to see mines being bought individually (for 3 pres each), or buy again a stack of mines but then for 9 res instead of 15. 5 res per mine is just way too much, given there usefulness. Since most mines I drop don't even explode before the fades come out, I could as well buy a shotgun with the same amount of pres. Also the opening with early mines costs you an opening where you get a quick second IP or quick A1.

Indeed, even with the reduced hp on skulks in the summer cup, mines STILL don't make enough sense at their current cost (which I find surprising, tbh!). 9 Sounds about right to me for 3 mines. Maybe charge 4 per single mine instead of 3? not sure about that tho.

Frozen

I like 4 per mine, 10 for a 3-pack.

But the consumer tricks are kind of weird to include in NS. I think 10 res 3-pack is good. Maybe 20 res research or something

Nexus5

I think they should cost 2 res per mine, simply for the fact its a one time use device and it would cost less than or the same (can't remember) as a Gorge Hydra, especially as most of the time Aliens take them out so easily anyway, bile bomb, lerks secondary attack, fades dancing and skulks can avoid them or trigger them at certain places without taking damage.

xen32

Yes, I do think that mines are too expensive for what they do. Hydras are just 3 pres, making 14 pres total including gorge cost plus you get free clog blockade. And hydras can do much more than mines. And you can chose to build only one hydra. Yes, it's rather pointless, but there is a choice like that.
Researching mines early game might help your team a little, but there is no use for them later. In addition, buying single mine pack means you delaying your exo or one less jetpack later.

Also, you get 5 score for killing 3 pres hydra, but no score for safely detonating 5 pres mine.

Vigilantia

You have to remember that skulks cost 0 res, so the purpose to use mines HAS to create opportunity in exchange for res. Placing mines in the hopes of just killing skulks for the sake of killing skulks is a waste. If you kill 2 skulks with 3 mines, you've essentially lost 5 welders, or 3/4 of a shotgun for something you could have done with a free LMG.

Ignoring the fact that they're so easily countered, I find mines "at their current price" have a VERY narrow niche that requires heavy teamwork.

When you're assaulting a location early game and trying to set up/just setup a phase gate, mines can be a godsend as skulks run in and the skulk/marine dance begins except now the skulk has to watch his step or else he'll die to a mine. However, outside of that very narrow timeframe, they're a waste of res. Lerks can spike them, gorges can detonate ALL mines in a base with a bilebomb, fades fly by too fast, etc.

All this and the commander has to research it, and tell his team in advance he wants the team to use them BUT not for everyone to use it or else the team will be bankrupt when Fades arrive.