Since the observatory dectects aliens...

McBernsMcBerns Join Date: 2013-08-04 Member: 186563Members
edited August 2013 in NS2 General Discussion
How come it does not show up on the map? I mean that's whole point of the observatory right? To detect aliens where it does not show up on the map and not in top down view? But it reveals it to players, not to comm? I'm kinda annoyed by this.
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Comments

  • NailoNailo Join Date: 2013-05-06 Member: 185138Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    Not sure what you mean Mcberns, do you mean on the mini-map or do you mean when your looking at where the alien is from a top down point of view? The obs will reveal aliens as a red dot on the mini-map. If you wish to see who or what type of alien it is, you can pay 3 res to obtain such info with a Scan.

    Think of it in the asymmetrical gameplay point of view. Drifters allow the Khamm to see what and who players are (exo, really good marine, poor marine etc.) The trick is drifters come with the drawback basically costing a scan and only being able to spot anything in line of sight. Not to mention it acts as a Scout that can be killed.

    The Obs will only let you know something is there but not what or who it is. In exchange it has a larger range of sight than the drifter and if your willing to pay the extra 3 res, it will reveal any location and every thing a drifter does but better for a brief period of time
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  • tarquinbbtarquinbb Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166314Members
    it would be too easy for commanders, especially on pub, if you could see aliens in your base. it would more or less eliminate any threat of an alien ninja rush if your team is semi-decent.

    so i disagree.
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  • StormApanStormApan Join Date: 2007-06-17 Member: 61280Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    edited August 2013
    I agree it feels weird not being able to see lifeforms in your base, especially with an observatory. Also as Khammander I originally thought we could see marines walking on creep.
    It's almost like the commander has the worst info on strategic maneuvres of all the players since he is directing attention towards building stuff aswell as taking care of the other teammates.

    I guess this is why its essential to stare at the other map more than the regular top down view..
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  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Can't you see the white circles from the motion blips in top down view?
    But concentrating on the big map is better anyway. You can see what is going on at the whole map not just one room.
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  • MrFangsMrFangs Join Date: 2013-03-27 Member: 184474Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    StormApan wrote: »
    Also as Khammander I originally thought we could see marines walking on creep.
    I think it used to be like that (in beta?), but was taken out... IIRC, it was too powerful.

    Though I still like the idea where marines running or exos walking on infestation would alert the khammander, while marines just walking or ARCs moving wouldn't. This would be quite plausible (sensing shocks, but not slow pressure), and would also give marines an incentive for not sprinting all the time.
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  • d0ped0gd0ped0g Join Date: 2003-05-25 Member: 16679Members
    How I long for the day that I don't have to scan my own base to see lifeforms within the obs range..
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  • NeokenNeoken Bruges, Belgium Join Date: 2004-03-20 Member: 27447Members, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Playtester
    Well, figuring out what lifeforms are within obs range has become some form of art by now. By judging the amount of blimps and their movement patterns, as well as checking your buildings HP drop rate, and just relying on general game intuition, you can figure out stuff rather quickly actually. :D
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  • MisterYoonMisterYoon Join Date: 2012-08-18 Member: 155747Members
    edited August 2013
    Oh therefore.. i haven't played game since last October till this month. And i figured out that i recently am somehow missing base push frequently, which was never happened to me actually before(commanded since ns3.1). I could not figure out why, but now yeah.. did not notice that obs does not show aliens directly anymore. i should then remember that. I got pissed for the first time today by my teams cos i missed those ninja pushes so much.
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  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    I don't know about aliens not being able to ninja rush without a crappy obs, but scanning on top of an observatory feels pretty damn dumb.
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  • ResRes Join Date: 2003-08-27 Member: 20245Members
    It really makes no sense whatsoever why the obs shows alien types to players but not the comm. I've brought this up a long time ago and it was largely ignored.
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  • Know painKnow pain Join Date: 2012-09-04 Member: 157674Members
    You could see marines walking on creep but that was in beta like over a year ago. Since then they wanted alien commanders to use drifters in detection until the nerfed the fudge out of them.
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  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    I always found this insanely stupid.

    Most good comms will scan anyway, but there isnt any true reason not to do this. I mean, any alien in your base is a problem so why not show which ones?
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  • amoralamoral Join Date: 2013-01-03 Member: 177250Members
    it tells you how many, and the red patches on your buildings tell you what type. 5 red blood in your base that are moving means beacon, unless you've got people that can phase right now. 1 gorge means beacon unless you think you can handle it yourself. obs coverage is pretty damn critical as it is, and is pretty powerful as it is. they need to fix powerhouse alerts though.
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  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    MrFangs wrote: »
    StormApan wrote: »
    Also as Khammander I originally thought we could see marines walking on creep.
    I think it used to be like that (in beta?), but was taken out... IIRC, it was too powerful.

    Though I still like the idea where marines running or exos walking on infestation would alert the khammander, while marines just walking or ARCs moving wouldn't. This would be quite plausible (sensing shocks, but not slow pressure), and would also give marines an incentive for not sprinting all the time.
    This problem wasnt in NS1 because there was no khamm and gorges built stuff. They should make comm and khamm more switchable with the other players or just make the non comm/khamm units able to contribute like them more.
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  • xen32xen32 Join Date: 2012-10-18 Member: 162676Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Neoken wrote: »
    Well, figuring out what lifeforms are within obs range has become some form of art by now. By judging the amount of blimps and their movement patterns, as well as checking your buildings HP drop rate, and just relying on general game intuition, you can figure out stuff rather quickly actually. :D

    This. It's what I do and how I know what is coming.
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  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    problem with Neokens way is... they are hitting it. :P
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  • xen32xen32 Join Date: 2012-10-18 Member: 162676Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    DC_Darkling wrote: »
    problem with Neokens way is... they are hitting it. :P

    Movement patterns and speed.
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  • aeroripperaeroripper Join Date: 2005-02-25 Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    edited August 2013
    Neoken wrote: »
    Well, figuring out what lifeforms are within obs range has become some form of art by now. By judging the amount of blimps and their movement patterns, as well as checking your buildings HP drop rate, and just relying on general game intuition, you can figure out stuff rather quickly actually. :D

    ^ This, and fades are usually the easiest to spot on movement alone.
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  • IronmanIronman Join Date: 2012-03-22 Member: 149184Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited August 2013
    d0ped0g wrote: »
    How I long for the day that I don't have to scan my own base to see lifeforms within the obs range..

    yeah this is bad. i have to scan my own base to see whats going on. then lose base to bile. this is currently flawed.

    also aliens should see you on creep. this makes jetpack and vents and boxes
    more pro
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  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    @xen32
    true true... help s abit
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  • KamamuraKamamura Join Date: 2013-03-06 Member: 183736Members, Reinforced - Gold
    Ad the original reason - well, it was like this. It's in line with the "the bosses do not need to know" concept that is spread through the lower ranks of all armies in the world. It has been found out experimentally, that the less information about the actual battlefield situation the brass have, the less likely they are to adversely hinder the battlefield operations. The prime example can be found in the famous book "How I won the war", where a veteran officer claims that the successful battles of the Allies in Africa were those, where the high command have been sent erroneously maps of different regions than where the actual battles took place.

    Similarly, the officers of the TSF were tired by the commanders screaming "why do I have skulks stomping forward base, soldier?" all the time, so they grabbed a handful of nanites and covertly reprogrammed the observatory blueprint so that it sends signals to their helmet huds only, but not to the commander interface. When the guard posted at the data storage heard what they were trying to do, he gladly looked the other way.

    And that is the story of the TSF observatories that look only for those who need to see.
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