Get over here!

SantaClaws

I realize this suggestion would have insane consequence on battles and the meta as a whole. But somehow I think it would actually be a welcome shift.

A hooking ability for aliens. You all know it from Dota, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch and of course everybody's favorite; Mortal Kombat.

On twitch.tv/gold_n we had a little discussion about hitscan vs. projectile weapons. How games like quake and tribes are heavily favoring the projectiles (rocket launcher, plasma guns etc.) while nerfing the hitscan weapons to the ground. There's a pretty widespread hatred of hitscan weapons in those genres. Many I've talked to in the afps genre consider hitscan to be "no skill".

I submit this as one of the primary reasons why we don't see a lot of these particular players picking up NS2. NS2 is all about the hitscan weapons, and as such it's being compared with titles like call of duty and counter-strike.

Don't get me wrong, I love hitscan, which is why I love NS2, but I think some projectile type attacks would help enriching the experience.
Right now the only projectiles we have, are gorge spit and grenades.

Why the hook of all things you might ask?

We all know the dreaded marine turtle scenario. I think a hook in these cases, would allow aliens to get more 'safe' picks, and create openings in otherwise impossible odds. At the same time, aliens have an issue right now, with abilities never being used or researched.

So I'd suggest one of the following:

1) Replace gorge webs with a hook ability. 2) Replace fade stab with a hook ability.

I think the ability should be a projectile type, so that it can be dodged and it should be lategame tech.

Kouji_San

Well hitscan in Tribes does quite a different thing compared to what it does in NS2, but I do get the bias against it from those players. Hitscan in wide open areas tend to be the point and click weapons so they have to be nerfed. In NS2, perhaps the only weapon that warrants that opinion is the shotgun. The tracking aim and twitch aim is accompanied by close quarter combat and very fast moving aliens. That cannot be compared to CS or hehehe CoD... Those games are very slow compared to NS2. But to the untrained eye (outsiders), I definitely get this unwarranted bias

Also, Rocketlauncher... Now I know that Quake is all about timing the respawns and getting the good weapons and armor/health. But if an outsider looks at that weapon, they will deem it a skilless weapon, when in fact it is tied to that resource timing and in a match you will get outclassed if your timing is off. I've also seen some amazing godlike trickshots with that thing.While I definitely hate outside opinions, not based on game related facts/knowledge, I understand them as well. But alas that is the world we live in, everyone has an opinion even the peeps who do not know the ins and outs. Judge a book by it's cover (what more sayings can we slap down here hehehe)


I am going to put the "one does not mess with player control or movement" card on the table. It's just there for a potential reference. However I do like this idea, it's a lot better than Stomp or or pray tell Devour (although I kinda liked Devour )


The Fade one could be the reintroduction of Vortex, a projectile that once it hits a marine it will suck in the marine and teleport him next to the Fade. Maybe it could be blocked by nanoshield or an EXO stepping in front of it?

Nordic

Out of all the kinds of players, I would think the quake players would be the kind we want.

Kouji_San

Nordic wrote: »

Out of all the kinds of players, I would think the quake players would be the kind we want.

Yeah you'd think that (learning curve/hardcore/oldschool), but do keep in mind they are playing a game that is symmetrical TDM or DM. Here we are with that Ranged VS Melee stuff

Nordic

Kouji_San wrote: »

.

It is better I say

SantaClaws

Kouji_San wrote: »

I am going to put the "one does not mess with player control or movement" card on the table. It's just there for a potential reference. However I do like this idea, it's a lot better than Stomp or or pray tell Devour (although I kinda liked Devour )

I feel like that card doesn't really apply in lategame tech. Webs already mess with player movement for starters. And if we're talking about 3rd hive tech (although, I do see it working as 2nd hive tech), it very much should be endgaming anyway, not unlike stomp, xenocide, compmod spores and contaminate.

dePARA

Vortex did ecact that in its early testing in the beta.
It had a hooking abilty.

But it was annoying like hell for marines.
And it had HUGE troll potential.
Just imagine 2 fades playing ball with one rookie.
After a short time of testing it made it never in the game.
Thank god.

deathshroud

i like the idea of a fade hook that quickly pulls a marine towrds the fade

Calego

dePARA wrote: »

Vortex did ecact that in its early testing in the beta.
It had a hooking abilty.

But it was annoying like hell for marines.
And it had HUGE troll potential.
Just imagine 2 fades playing ball with one rookie.
After a short time of testing it made it never in the game.
Thank god.

I liked this idea, but then I pictured two fades playing ball with a rookie.

Like stomp and Devour, abilities that modify the control of another player directly are probably best avoided.

However, if the ability did the opposite, where it pulled the fade toward the marine, it could be interesting.

coolitic

Instead of hook, replace fade stab with ranged harass projectile or something like that. (referring to acid rocket)

Woehler

Doubt people will play NS2 because you put in a new ability.

If you wanna boost aliens vs marine turtle, then add spores from compMod and acid rocket instead of stab.

SantaClaws

Woehler wrote: »

Doubt people will play NS2 because you put in a new ability.

"a" ability, certainly not. But you need to start somewhere no? And yea I was imagining a compmod addition, I wouldn't impose something like this on the vanilla build. That's too risky.

dePARA wrote: »

And it had HUGE troll potential.
Just imagine 2 fades playing ball with one rookie.

There's so many ways to deal with that.. Make the ability consume large amounts of energy - make it deal damage so the rookie will eventually die..