Fade Challenge Mode

BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
Greetings everybody! I'm finally ready to tear my hands away from the keyboard and release this thing. I call it the Fade Challenge mod!

You play as a lone fade, defending a single hive against endless waves of increasingly difficult marines on a slightly modified version of Platform from Biodome. If you or the hive dies, you lose, and the whole thing resets. This is a great way for new players to practice their fade skills, as well as a fun opportunity for veteran players to really test their mettle. (Wave 15 is ridiculous!)

This is only version 1.0 of the mod. Some areas could use some more polish, and I would love to tweak the bot ai a bit more. But I'd much rather get this thing in your hands so I can start getting some feedback.

Since this is a singleplayer mod and not a server mod, there's a couple extra steps you have to follow to use it.
First, follow this link and subscribe to the mod. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=635745329
Next, open NS2, and activate the "Fade Challenge" mod in the mod menu.
Then, open your console, and type "map ns2_ch_fade". This will load the map and start up the challenge!

I'd love to hear how far people are getting. I have a difficult time getting past wave 15. :)
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Comments

  • SamG2020SamG2020 Bristol UK | Vancouver Canada Join Date: 2015-11-24 Member: 209449Members
    I played two rounds. First time I made it to round 9 and then to round 10. I'm not experienced with the fade, but this seems like a great way to practice landing hits! I found the AI became pretty tough once they bunched up and focused the hive. I think it would be a little bit easier if the map area were larger so that there was a greater opportunity to take a few out before they group up.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited March 2016
    First try I got to level 10, before I died doing something stupid. 2nd try I got to level 14. I am not even a good fade. I can not get past level 14.

    Levels 1-7 are incredibly easy. Marines can not damage the hive until level 8 with me. The mode is not even fun until level 12.

    At level 13 there was an exo, and I literally said "Oh god an exo." I was a bit scared.

    Requests:
    1. Make it so we can choose a starting level. For example, I start at level 10 so I don't have to deal with easy levels 9 and below.
    2. Instantly heal the fade to full health when the wave is cleared.
    3. Unlock upgrades at different levels. Maybe unlock crag hive upgrades at level 13 or something?
    4. More maps. Crossroads from summit might be good.
    5. A new menu button, like ns2+ did that starts the mod.

    Obligatory sceenshot.
    a5qoqbK.png


    I also turned on cheats, to have some more fun. Gamemode would work great with a lerk, with a few adjustments. I tried it out with lerk and it was fun.

    Then I tried making an UBER fade. I gave myself 3 spurs, 3 shells, 3 veils, a crag by each end of the hive, and a second shift. I got through level 40 before I decided to quit. This was actually really fun past level 20. I was kept very busy killing all the marines. One thing to note though, is that I saw no dicernable difference in waves after I think level 30.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    As a very non-fade person this might be interesting to look at. I never liked the whole metabolize thing, but now that there's this to practice...
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Ah, well. No metabolize training because no metabolize.
    Maybe abilities should be unlocked as the waves get harder?

    Also as nordic mentioned, Wave 9 is a steep difficulty spike: Wave 8 is the first to give you more than one marine at once, and Wave 9 suddenly has multiple marines from multiple directions.
    I also expected shotguns sooner.

    But I like where this is going. Are you going to develop this further?
  • meatmachinemeatmachine South England Join Date: 2013-01-06 Member: 177858Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    At work at the moment and just saw this.
    Do the marines ADADAD like real marines?
  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    Could this be extended to other lifeforms, as well as marines? I always wanted a mode like that to train basic marine vs skulk. The skulk bots are reasonably good, so that should work out?
  • BlrgBlrg Join Date: 2013-09-01 Member: 187580Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited March 2016
    This is awesome!
    Thank you man!

    Please, make a way for us to choose the starting level
    A console command would be enough
  • KasharicKasharic Hull, England Join Date: 2013-03-27 Member: 184473Members, Forum Admins, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, NS2 Community Developer
    @BeigeAlert why isn't this official! :D

    having a version of this that you can pick your map, earn points to get upgrades, have leaderboards etc could be amazing... you could even add achievements, maybe group up with friends to do a higher difficulty in co-op... this should be a gamemode that UWE officially takes hold of.
  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    I haven't tried it yet (pushing these things out at 1 am, shame on you...), but I like the ideas of progressive enhancement for the Fade as the levels increase. I also agree that energy management is the entirety of the skill behind good fades, after movement and accuracy (which both build into energy management). So having it as just a hive, with maybe a crag next to it is probably a good idea. Perhaps at later levels a shift spawns somewhere in the room, maybe in a corner so you have to manage your energy, then retreat to the shift, then go have at it again.

    I definitely want to see @turtsmcgurt run this as a gorge.
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    What trickery is this ?
    This one is made of metal !

    lol nice
  • IxianIxian Denmark Join Date: 2014-03-16 Member: 194783Members, Squad Five Blue
    Two comments; The build up is VERY slow, and I would love to have metabolise as a part of it. Some kind of menu would be awesome to choose some details about what kind of run you want. Want metabolise, check, want a shift?, check, want to start at lvl ___, want carapace, check. I like, but i want to love it, just cant yet ^^
  • unrenderedunrendered Finland Join Date: 2013-11-07 Member: 189137Members, Reinforced - Supporter, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited March 2016
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    At work at the moment and just saw this.
    Do the marines ADADAD like real marines?

    The marines are pretty dumb, but it is still a decent fade exercise.
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    Ill finaly become better!
  • 2cough2cough Rocky Mountain High Join Date: 2013-03-14 Member: 183952Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    As a bad fade, I can say that this has already helped me. First go, level 9. Third go, level 13. As others have mentioned, swapping the shift for meta would be nice as my biggest problem is energy management and this removes that from the equation.

    Awesome though, wish we could have seen something like this years ago and for more lifeforms.

    Thanks, beige, and keep up the gud work!
  • CRaZyCAT_RusCRaZyCAT_Rus Russia Join Date: 2013-10-31 Member: 188899Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    Very good for warm up. Great job!
    I reached level 19 but sure can reach more.


    Some suggestions:
    1. Would be nice if there will be 2 difficulty levels: 1) With shift and metabolize, 2) with metabolize only
    2. Set biomass level on 3, it's strange situation when alien reach fades with no biomass..
    3. Level from 1 to 6 should be replaced by 3 simple levels (1 separate marine, 2 separate marines and 3..)
    4. If fade reach level 12 once, he should auto-skip levels from 1 to 6 (after reset)
    5. If fade reach level 14 once, he should auto-skip levels from 1 to 8 (after reset)
    6. If fade reach level 19 once, he should auto-skip levels from 1 to 12 (after reset)

    Also I really don't like this shotgun aiming mechanic, looks like chance to hit (on closer distance) determined by random. But I hope you will fix that :)

    Exquisite work, anyway! Mod already looks like pretty all-sufficient. Ns2 needs more single player mods like this.
  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    Very good for warm up. Great job!
    I reached level 19 but sure can reach more.


    Some suggestions:
    1. Would be nice if there will be 2 difficulty levels: 1) With shift and metabolize, 2) with metabolize only
    2. Set biomass level on 3, it's strange situation when alien reach fades with no biomass..
    3. Level from 1 to 6 should be replaced by 3 simple levels (1 separate marine, 2 separate marines and 3..)
    4. If fade reach level 12 once, he should auto-skip levels from 1 to 6 (after reset)
    5. If fade reach level 14 once, he should auto-skip levels from 1 to 8 (after reset)
    6. If fade reach level 19 once, he should auto-skip levels from 1 to 12 (after reset)

    Also I really don't like this shotgun aiming mechanic, looks like chance to hit (on closer distance) determined by random. But I hope you will fix that :)

    Exquisite work, anyway! Mod already looks like pretty all-sufficient. Ns2 needs more single player mods like this.

    Watching this video made me think "Man I really want this as a Multiplayer mode..." Then I realized it was basically just combat.
  • WellWell Join Date: 2006-10-04 Member: 58054Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    1. Remove Shift.
    2. At 5 wave add metabolize. Set biomass level to 3.
    3. At 10 wave add improvement metabolize. Set biomass level to 6.
    4. At 15 wave set biomass level to 9 and drop Crag under Hive.

    Additionally add console command for set a starting wave number.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    BeigeAlert wrote: »
    aps, but I would much rather focus on gameplay stuff for the moment. If anybody wants to make their own maps for Fade Challenge, I'd be happy to add them to the mod. It could even be just an adaptation of an existing map. Crossroads would be pretty cool! Just make sure you run the editor from launchpad with the mod loaded. Otherwise, it'll delete a bunch of custom entities that are placed in the map. Also, try to cut out the parts of the map that won't be seen, to improve loading times. :)

    I'll see if I can mock something up.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Alright, here we go.

    http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=636208746

    This is just so you can go have a look at it - it's still using the same waves beige's, because I tried making my own, but for some reason it didn't work. Expect a proper first release tomorrow noon (European time).

    (In fact, half my time was spent trying to get these waves to work, but to no avail. Unfortunately I can't reach beige right now. Hopefully he will have an answer by tomorrow.)

    But you'll be glad to hear that my version is hard as balls straight from the beginning :D
  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    BeigeAlert wrote: »
    As far as lerk mode goes... yea I suppose I could add it in. My original plan for this, was that the "fade challenge" mode was just one of many challenge modes that would accompany the revamped set of tutorials. Obviously that hasn't happened yet, but the plan was for the "lerk challenge" to be different than the fade challenge. My idea was you'd be a lerk following a skulk around a map, killing resource towers, and defending your skulk buddy against the marines that come to defend it. I do like the idea of being able to choose between the lerk and the fade for defending the hive though... hmm... would probably need to custom tailor the waves for each lifeform... AND for each map... whew this is turning into a lot of work all of a sudden...

    That example would also be very relevant to fade play. It would be interesting to restructure this to have a few tasks that you can run as either Lerk or Fade. Onos and Gorge would need their own tasks though. Frankly I'm a lot more a fan of giving love to the combat lifeforms before touching those two though.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited March 2016
    I BROKE THROUGH LEVEL 15! I did it without cheats too. Here is the video.

    Here is the video. Watch at 1.25x speed because I am not that exciting.

    @BeigeAlert, can you make it so that the waves spawn from random sides. As it is right now, the waves spawn in a predictable pattern. Make it random.


    I really am a bad fade. I am specifically bad at energy management, even with metabolize. In the video I linked, I also had an 86% fade accuracy because the marines are dumb. My point is, that a bad fade like me should not be able to do well like this in this mod. It shows how unrealistic it is.
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    Nordic wrote: »
    I BROKE THROUGH LEVEL 15! I did it without cheats too. Here is the video.

    Here is the video. Watch at 1.25x speed because I am not that exciting.

    @BeigeAlert, can you make it so that the waves spawn from random sides. As it is right now, the waves spawn in a predictable pattern. Make it random.


    I really am a bad fade. I am specifically bad at energy management, even with metabolize. In the video I linked, I also had an 86% fade accuracy because the marines are dumb. My point is, that a bad fade like me should not be able to do well like this in this mod. It shows how unrealistic it is.

    I could add a function that randomizes the wave entrance. There's some situations where that would come in handy, but there's also others where you want a guaranteed spawn position, as not all spawn positions are created equal.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    I agree. The spawn behind platform rt is really strong.
  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    BeigeAlert wrote: »
    Nordic wrote: »
    I BROKE THROUGH LEVEL 15! I did it without cheats too. Here is the video.

    Here is the video. Watch at 1.25x speed because I am not that exciting.

    @BeigeAlert, can you make it so that the waves spawn from random sides. As it is right now, the waves spawn in a predictable pattern. Make it random.


    I really am a bad fade. I am specifically bad at energy management, even with metabolize. In the video I linked, I also had an 86% fade accuracy because the marines are dumb. My point is, that a bad fade like me should not be able to do well like this in this mod. It shows how unrealistic it is.

    I could add a function that randomizes the wave entrance. There's some situations where that would come in handy, but there's also others where you want a guaranteed spawn position, as not all spawn positions are created equal.

    I kinda want this to be a Mid-point hive defend. Rather than the artificial third door, you could have marines come in from any one of 4 entrances. Somewhere like Falls or Hydroanalysis would be good.
  • NotPaLaGiNotPaLaGi Join Date: 2014-05-29 Member: 196291Members
    Are the bots hardcoded to stop in place when shooting? As soon as you land that first swipe, you know they are just going to stand in place and try and shoot you. If they keep moving or had a small dodge type mechanic where I actually had to try and predict where they will be with my next swipe (like a normal player), it would made this much more fun.
  • IxianIxian Denmark Join Date: 2014-03-16 Member: 194783Members, Squad Five Blue
    When you guys play it, are you dodging the way you would in a normal match/against humans?
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