Polishing Ns
Mr_Charisma
Join Date: 2003-01-26 Member: 12748Members, NS1 Playtester
Join Date: 2003-01-26 Member: 12748Members, NS1 Playtester
<div class="IPBDescription">Make it shine</div> Over the forums there have been many small suggestions made on how to make NS just feel that little more finshed. Allthough due to their small nature, many have been overlooked regardless.
I have compiled a few good ideas that I feel would bring ns that one step closer to feeling finished:
- Armour Ring for Marines: I have seen this idea thrown around a bit. Basically I think if Marines were to have a second "Armour" ring, it would help upkeep for Marines a lot easier.
- "Available Upgrade" reflective of strength: When you upgrade an ability for aliens, it shows you the strength of the upgrade by the amount of icons respective of the ability. Why not port this to the "available" icon as well?
- Sprite for Catalyst: Marines I believe should have some sort of visual feedback when they are using a Catalyst, be it some crazy psychedelic colours flying around the Marine, or what ever your heart desires.
- Icon for "Scanner Sweep/Catalyst" in combat: I think this would help a little.
- Show Aliens Resource Count in Showscores: This would greatly assist in clan wars, even in public play.
- Seperate Parasite sprite for Structure: Self explainitory.
All in all, these arnt all "needed" changes to NS, but I feel NS would be much the better if some of these were implemented.
I have compiled a few good ideas that I feel would bring ns that one step closer to feeling finished:
- Armour Ring for Marines: I have seen this idea thrown around a bit. Basically I think if Marines were to have a second "Armour" ring, it would help upkeep for Marines a lot easier.
- "Available Upgrade" reflective of strength: When you upgrade an ability for aliens, it shows you the strength of the upgrade by the amount of icons respective of the ability. Why not port this to the "available" icon as well?
- Sprite for Catalyst: Marines I believe should have some sort of visual feedback when they are using a Catalyst, be it some crazy psychedelic colours flying around the Marine, or what ever your heart desires.
- Icon for "Scanner Sweep/Catalyst" in combat: I think this would help a little.
- Show Aliens Resource Count in Showscores: This would greatly assist in clan wars, even in public play.
- Seperate Parasite sprite for Structure: Self explainitory.
All in all, these arnt all "needed" changes to NS, but I feel NS would be much the better if some of these were implemented.
Comments
Heck, why not go the whole hog and have a code?
HA-GL-W for heavy armor, grenade launcher, and welder.
Or something like that, I dunno.
- Have it so that when a marine looks at a building, he can see exactly what upgrade he's getting. So it would say (for example):
_______________________________________
|............................................................................|
|.Armoury:.100%.Researching:.Hand.Grenades....|
|______________________________________|
With the new upgrades, it's not always possible to tell what you're going to get if you missed the icon.
- Have the "Enemy Spotted" call mean something. If a marine reports an enemy spotted, his icon blinks (say) purple on the minimap. For the com, an icon similar to the med/ammo/order requests appears: this means a marine can call a com's attention before a fight.
- Attacked buildings blink orange on the minimap. Firing turrets blink orange when they're firing, as well. Sometimes more than one outpost can be under attack, so the jump command only jumps to the latest one. This would make it easier to keep track.
- Have it so that when a marine looks at a building, he can see exactly what upgrade he's getting. So it would say (for example):
_______________________________________
|............................................................................|
|.Armoury:.100%.Researching:.Hand.Grenades....|
|______________________________________|
With the new upgrades, it's not always possible to tell what you're going to get if you missed the icon.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Something I saw on the suggestion forum that seemed similar...
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Varsity Posted: Feb 7 2004, 02:31 AM
It would also be cool if every marine could have an indicator showing what was being researched, and if possible how far. That would stop people nagging for me to research jps when they are 75% done. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The main problem there, I guess, would be lack of space; but perhaps it could be as simple as having the icon darken like a clock, a la C&C. And when it comes full circle, that research is complete.
Or put a percentage indicator next to, or on, the icon.
yep that would be cool.
*thumbs up*
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
me like <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
CS-style MOTD.
the one with the "weld me" is already in the bug database, i think (at least: improvements to sayings -> were weld is in, too)
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
me like <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Doesn't make much sense really. The parasite wouldn't be able to tell if it was stuck to a lifeform or a structure of some kind. I'm guessing it's sensing that there is "nano-technology" on whatever it's stuck on and as such sends out a beacon through the hive; "here I am" or something.
This is all from a storyline perspective though. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Besides, don't parasites really need an organic lifeform so that they can actually stay alive and feed on them? I mean, they are <i>parasites</i> after all, so how do they survive on structures?
Oh well. I agree with most suggestions here anyway.
Make it so you can bite/parasite/knife switches to turn them on again.
Knifing/biting a switch is polished in the fact that it's a weird quirk and is fun.
Part of polishing a game is making it fun in odd ways that aren't noticible unless you screw around with it.
Though it's just a difference of opinion.
It's odd that it flails it arms when regenerating or shooting AR.
Also to help gorges, improve health rings - I know they've gotten better, but they're still not very good, for either side. If you're looking at a structure or player, you shouldn't ever need to dance around it until its health appears.
There's also a large number of animation problems when one combines reloading, building, or getting ammo, but I assume that they'll fix themselves without our input, just like the missing alien animations.
Personally, I find the auto-reload to be rather irritating. That sort of thing should be optional. Similarly, auto-pickup is a real pain, as it involves having to physically throw "my" shotgun at another player to get my hands back on a LMG. Don't want to elaborate too much on that here, but you could just pick up weapons and items with the use key (as an option).
3rd person animations anyone... Aliens kinda have them, although are kinda cheezy. Lerk has no real glide animation, skulk bit is funny looking. Then the rine animations. Build animations, how about the rine with a few wires in his hand or somethin.
I know I can think of more, but I just realized that maybe the ns devteam isn't doin the "polishing" on ns and are preparing for ns/hl2 instead. Which is what i would be doin.
"Build Structure at waypoint"
"Defend Target"
"Pick up equipment at waypoint"
Changing of mouse icon when you are hovering over something a commander can activate, like doors in 1.04 etc.
Better gestating progress bar, it doesn't even go all the way to the right when finished.
Egg model scaling that matches FOV and view height change when evolving. (i.e. Skulk to onos, egg grows very large)
<!--QuoteBegin-ssjyoda+Feb 28 2004, 07:26 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ssjyoda @ Feb 28 2004, 07:26 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I hate it when someone types too much and it goes accross my screen, blockin view.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Can't agree with this enough. Width of the text "block" should at least be halved, but allow more lines vertically. Don't allow players to type more than can be displayed.
Also be nice if you could move the thing, as mentioned, or at the least, if it wasn't stuck in the middle.
The problem with this is that some doors, elevators, etc. can be used to crush players. While it's true that it would take a pretty slow alien to not mention an elevator careening towards him, I've seen issues where a door's been closed on an alien, and it dies.
I would feel this to be a feature more then anything. Utilising your environment to your advantage is good. But if your saying aliens would use it to kill teammates, that's simply anti-social.
I would feel this to be a feature more then anything. Utilising your environment to your advantage is good. But if your saying aliens would use it to kill teammates, that's simply anti-social. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's culling of the herd, relax guys the game is called NS after all
If the aliens want to try killing each other by parasiting doors and elevators to close on them, it makes it all the more polished tbh
And... what's so bad about knifing a switch to activate it? It's harmless.
Para-activating switches was quite useful actually, like for opening a door while running away or for being able to open it while on the move, or just for keeping the rines pre-occupied for a bit.