Update 293 Released! - Natural Selection 2

SystemSystem Join Date: 2013-01-29 Member: 182599Members, Super Administrators, Reinforced - Diamond
edited April 2016 in NS2 General Discussion

imageUpdate 293 Released! - Natural Selection 2

In our newest release we take a look back or should I say forward at marine Exo Suit. Our approach with this update was to improve the quality of life...

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  • GhoulofGSG9GhoulofGSG9 Join Date: 2013-03-31 Member: 184566Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Reinforced - Supporter, WC 2013 - Supporter, Pistachionauts
  • WyzcrakWyzcrak Pot Pie Aficionado Join Date: 2002-12-04 Member: 10447Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Looks fun. Thank you! :)
  • ZycaRZycaR Join Date: 2002-11-12 Member: 8263Members
    edited April 2016
    how long it takes to exo to unlock ? (just reconsidering spawn protection time :))
    ... and I hope the same -5 kill counts for harvesters.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    @ZycaR, that very same 30sec most likely, I assume?
  • RoyalRampageRoyalRampage Sydney Join Date: 2014-02-22 Member: 194250Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited April 2016
    > Lowered the required amount of the “Destroy X Resource Towers” achievements by 5 as it’s too unlikely to destroy 15 of them in a single round.

    That's upsetting.. I got the "Destroy 10" and "Destroy 15" in one round though.

    images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/509278725911795225/D21168BDC98D1394EEC6B05FEE8C60F32DFA231C/
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    edited April 2016
    I think 15 extractors are reasonably hard. Its just 15 harvesters that seems kind of impossible.
  • remiremi remedy [blu.knight] Join Date: 2003-11-18 Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
    ZycaR wrote: »
    how long it takes to exo to unlock ? (just reconsidering spawn protection time :))
    ... and I hope the same -5 kill counts for harvesters.

    They unlock if you die after ejecting, this is unchanged.
  • TheRing_1TheRing_1 Join Date: 2004-09-01 Member: 31156Members
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    remi wrote: »
    ZycaR wrote: »
    how long it takes to exo to unlock ? (just reconsidering spawn protection time :))
    ... and I hope the same -5 kill counts for harvesters.

    They unlock if you die after ejecting, this is unchanged.

    Hmm, I have a totally unrelated feature request @remi...

    Friendly Fire
  • sotanahtsotanaht Join Date: 2013-01-12 Member: 179215Members
    edited April 2016
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I look forward to seeing a JP-shotgun pop out of a railgun exo to murder an onos.
  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    "Multi directional thrusters"
    !!
    d2jQOgBnMKGrHgoOKkYEjlLmbkuBKPdiVcW_1.JPG.jpeg
  • YojimboYojimbo England Join Date: 2009-03-19 Member: 66806Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    These are the changes we need to see, more slow and steady gameplay/balance changes please, don't know how much I can hold onto NS2 longer without feeling burnt out! :(
  • ForlornHopeForlornHope Join Date: 2003-08-01 Member: 18675Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    edited April 2016
    The frequency of these updates is great. Thanks, devs!

    Someone needs to make a mod where the cool down is removed off the thrust so we can bunny hop EXOs. :)
  • joshhhjoshhh Milwaukee, WI Join Date: 2011-06-21 Member: 105717Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester
    edited April 2016
    Yojimbo wrote: »
    These are the changes we need to see, more slow and steady gameplay/balance changes please, don't know how much I can hold onto NS2 longer without feeling burnt out! :(

    This isn't really a balance change... more of a QOL change. QOL changes are always welcome. :)
  • SherlockSherlock Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168595Members
    edited April 2016
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Sherlock wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

    It would also encourage people to play correctly long term.
  • WakeWake Join Date: 2003-03-05 Member: 14351Members, Constellation
    The frequency of these updates is great. Thanks, devs!

    Someone needs to make a mod where the cool down is removed off the thrust so we can bunny hop EXOs. :)

    4uk46v3jqn1r.jpg
  • YojimboYojimbo England Join Date: 2009-03-19 Member: 66806Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    joshhh wrote: »
    Yojimbo wrote: »
    These are the changes we need to see, more slow and steady gameplay/balance changes please, don't know how much I can hold onto NS2 longer without feeling burnt out! :(

    This isn't really a balance change... more of a QOL change. QOL changes are always welcome. :)

    Ah you know what I mean man :(
  • sotanahtsotanaht Join Date: 2013-01-12 Member: 179215Members
    Sherlock wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

    You aren't entirely wrong, but getting people to parasite more and bite more extractors in a single round is more likely to get them to play in a more useful way, ESPECIALLY when it comes to newer players which the whole system is more or less aimed at. Someone achievement hunting extractor kills in a pub server who has a snowballs chance of actually getting the achievement is probably the most useful player on the team.
  • YojimboYojimbo England Join Date: 2009-03-19 Member: 66806Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Sherlock wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

    You aren't entirely wrong, but getting people to parasite more and bite more extractors in a single round is more likely to get them to play in a more useful way, ESPECIALLY when it comes to newer players which the whole system is more or less aimed at. Someone achievement hunting extractor kills in a pub server who has a snowballs chance of actually getting the achievement is probably the most useful player on the team.

    FINALLY! someone who gets it!
  • SherlockSherlock Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168595Members
    Yojimbo wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Sherlock wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

    You aren't entirely wrong, but getting people to parasite more and bite more extractors in a single round is more likely to get them to play in a more useful way, ESPECIALLY when it comes to newer players which the whole system is more or less aimed at. Someone achievement hunting extractor kills in a pub server who has a snowballs chance of actually getting the achievement is probably the most useful player on the team.

    FINALLY! someone who gets it!

    Maybe, but someone going for twenty extractor chomps in a round? They're going to be ignoring a significant amount of crucial engagements, they're not going to be defending key positions... and chances are they might not even get the twenty, so they'll try again next round.

    I've spent rounds as a sole res-biting skulk, and there is (a) no way you can get twenty without the detriment to your team, and (b) sometimes there are just far more important things to be doing at that particular time, before you switch back to biting res. An achievement hunter isn't going to do anything else - far better to make it a stat that increases across rounds.
  • YojimboYojimbo England Join Date: 2009-03-19 Member: 66806Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    Sherlock wrote: »
    Yojimbo wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Sherlock wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

    You aren't entirely wrong, but getting people to parasite more and bite more extractors in a single round is more likely to get them to play in a more useful way, ESPECIALLY when it comes to newer players which the whole system is more or less aimed at. Someone achievement hunting extractor kills in a pub server who has a snowballs chance of actually getting the achievement is probably the most useful player on the team.

    FINALLY! someone who gets it!

    Maybe, but someone going for twenty extractor chomps in a round? They're going to be ignoring a significant amount of crucial engagements, they're not going to be defending key positions... and chances are they might not even get the twenty, so they'll try again next round.

    I've spent rounds as a sole res-biting skulk, and there is (a) no way you can get twenty without the detriment to your team, and (b) sometimes there are just far more important things to be doing at that particular time, before you switch back to biting res. An achievement hunter isn't going to do anything else - far better to make it a stat that increases across rounds.

    So, what are your other teammates doing all this time then? It is far more devastating to destroy an opponent's economy than to engage the enemy team with 50/50 chance of dying over and over again.

    This problem is clear when you join public games, how many times do you hear a commander or field commander suggesting to target the enemy's resources? Not enough people go resource hunting often enough which results in faster tech progression and higher game changing lifeforms to join the field.

    What's the most devastating way to ruin someones day? Hit em right where it hurts...Their money.
  • sotanahtsotanaht Join Date: 2013-01-12 Member: 179215Members
    Sherlock wrote: »
    Yojimbo wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Sherlock wrote: »
    sotanaht wrote: »
    Instead of lowering the goal, the RT achievement should have followed the same rule as the construction achievement. Namely do at least 33% of the damage done to the RT before it dies, because the hardest part of that achievement is getting the last hits, which is again a team-racing condition.

    I think a better solution would have been to RAISE the amount of Harvesters/Extractors destroyed, but allow it over multiple rounds. With a progress bar for each like other games have.
    Say 1, 10, 50, 250, 1000 as separate achievements. This would force people to (a) play a considerable number of hours if they want to the achievement, and (b) stop someone "achievement hunting" on a server, dying over and over again to the detriment of their team, whilst they try and complete a tricky achievement in a particular round.

    I know I've played a round specifically parasiting everyone and not getting close enough to bite, just to get 20 in one round. I'm sure my team loved that. I'm sure people do the same with RT destroying.
    Player spending a round achievement hunting does not play well in a... fragile... game of balance and skill like Natural Selection 2. But we're gonna do it anyway.

    You aren't entirely wrong, but getting people to parasite more and bite more extractors in a single round is more likely to get them to play in a more useful way, ESPECIALLY when it comes to newer players which the whole system is more or less aimed at. Someone achievement hunting extractor kills in a pub server who has a snowballs chance of actually getting the achievement is probably the most useful player on the team.

    FINALLY! someone who gets it!

    Maybe, but someone going for twenty extractor chomps in a round? They're going to be ignoring a significant amount of crucial engagements, they're not going to be defending key positions... and chances are they might not even get the twenty, so they'll try again next round.

    I've spent rounds as a sole res-biting skulk, and there is (a) no way you can get twenty without the detriment to your team, and (b) sometimes there are just far more important things to be doing at that particular time, before you switch back to biting res. An achievement hunter isn't going to do anything else - far better to make it a stat that increases across rounds.

    It was 15, not 20. I've already gotten the achievement for the alien side, and I'm fairly confident that my 17 personal and ~5 assisted extractor kills that round are pretty much the only reason we won. Marines had already gotten their tech out, but I killed so many RTs that they gave up even putting them back down and we were eventually able to turn it around on lifeforms.

    Anyway, emphasis was on newer players. We are talking about players who probably can't kill marines in a group engagement anyway, and who would die too fast in said engagement to even provide a meaningful distraction. Get players who can't kill worth a damn to spend their time avoiding fights and either parasiting or res biting, and suddenly those greens are pulling their weight.
  • SherlockSherlock Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168595Members
    Yojimbo wrote: »
    What's the most devastating way to ruin someones day? Hit em right where it hurts...Their money.

    And this is only further reinforced by setting an achievement that must be worked towards over multiple rounds, as opposed to a "one and done" achievement - drill it in to them that "THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING".
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Or, in other words, it's "Hey look at this cool challenge! Bet ya can't do that!" (And if you completed the challenge you go back to ignoring it and play however you like) vs. " Do this. A lot. Every match.."
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    Or, in other words, it's "Hey look at this cool challenge! Bet ya can't do that!" (And if you completed the challenge you go back to ignoring it and play however you like) vs. " Do this. A lot. Every match.."

    Let's look at it from another perspective. An accumulative achievement can also be "Play however you like, you'd get it eventually."
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Aeglos wrote: »
    Or, in other words, it's "Hey look at this cool challenge! Bet ya can't do that!" (And if you completed the challenge you go back to ignoring it and play however you like) vs. " Do this. A lot. Every match.."

    Let's look at it from another perspective. An accumulative achievement can also be "Play however you like, you'd get it eventually."

    Touché.
  • SherlockSherlock Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168595Members
    edited April 2016
    Aeglos wrote: »
    Or, in other words, it's "Hey look at this cool challenge! Bet ya can't do that!" (And if you completed the challenge you go back to ignoring it and play however you like) vs. " Do this. A lot. Every match.."

    Let's look at it from another perspective. An accumulative achievement can also be "Play however you like, you'd get it eventually."

    You think? What tiny percentage of new-to-the-game players would "eventually" hit 1,000 Harvester kills? 2,500? Sweet FA, that's how many.

    Why not combine the current and proposed ideas, though? Make the achievements something like:

    Get 5 extractor kills in each of 5 different Matches
    Get 10 extractor kills in each of 10 different matches
    Get 5 extractor kills in each of 50 different matches
    Get 10 extractor kills in each of 50 different matches
    etc.

    This not only reinforces that you need to get a lot of RT kills to be effective, but also that it's something you need to be doing, game after game after game.
  • meatmachinemeatmachine South England Join Date: 2013-01-06 Member: 177858Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited April 2016
    Silly forum, why you posting my posts in threads that are not the thread I want to post my post in :|
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