Beta4 Fixed... Pretty Much Nothing.
Luminair
Join Date: 2002-11-04 Member: 6785Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2002-11-04 Member: 6785Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">Beta3 problems still need addressing.</div>This is certainly not what we were expecting from the large delay after beta3. All those pages on the beta discussion forum are still valid, because most of the topics (of game balance) were not addressed in beta4.
The entire patch feels like a joke, it's entirely backwards. One wonders if it IS serious or not? Either way, Flayra is obviously busy on something other than NS balance :)
I won't comment on Classic balance because it seems the same as it was in beta3.
Combat is still enduring the same growing pains as before. The only difference now is that with the new (old) spawn system, things are turned upside down because the game is pretty much over as soon as everyone on one team dies. (ie, if there is a significant skill or numbers balance difference, or if one team makes some mistakes)
Marine camping is prevented by a constant flow of XP to the aliens, however this is likely a poor fix. For the most part, marines in beta3 would camp because if they left, they'd die. They camped because aliens were constantly knocking on their door, and death+loss was imminent. They camped because aliens were (and are) so much better in the mid to late game.
The strangest change: the unlimited-flight lerks. What a stupid thing to do, I wonder who came up with that. Now we have <b><i>bouncing rocket lerks</i></b> flying up and down (and all around) to evade because it's so hard to hit them in that state. People had consta-flap scripts going the hour after release.
Bouncing lerks were fun before but not exactly viable in a fight. No longer, though! It's one thing I'd bet my left foot on going back to normal in the next patch.
As far as general balance goes though, nothing has changed. Fades are still as freakishly good as ever, lerks are even better (they were almost too good in CO before, now it's just silly), etc. A few times there it felt like some aliens were taking more damage than normal, and the possibility of undocumented changes crossed my mind... but maybe that was just a fluke.
As far as suggestions go, the 30-page beta3 and 30-page beta2 suggestion threads still apply. Beta3 needed fixing, and beta4 sure didn't do it.
So, for beta4 suggestions, point here: <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62330' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...showtopic=62330</a>
Here are some things which I know some of us expected to be changed in Combat:
- Fade was too powerful in beta3.
- Onos Charge is useless but for transport; suggested possible fix: slow onos reverse speed to almost nothing, and make Charge do a burst of damage on forward impact only. (no damage over time)
- Skulk Leap is useless but for transport; suggested possible fix: make it do a burst of damage on impact, and increase Leap cooldown and/or adren usage to taste.
- Gorge should probably not be in Combat. I strongly believe that it's a totally backwards class for this game type. Needing gorges to heal the hive essentially makes one person transform into a giant welder Webs do little to enhance gameplay, they just slow things down.
- Hand grenades are useless; they should do more damage and be combined with mines and/or welder in one utility pack.
- Catalyst packs are a narrowly used item the way they are, and are basically only used by HMG marines to mow down fields of skulks and lerks.
- Resupply and Scan Area REALLY should be manually triggered. Resupply works on Jetpackers in flight, and one person with Scan Area will automatically nullify the cloak ability of an entire team of aliens. I imagine the easiest way to address both issues is to make people manually call for them; it might make JPers stop for a moment, and might let skulks use their cloak when the marine forgets to scan the area.
These sorts of things still need to be addressed, right? I'm not just losing my mind here? :)
Combat is still having an identity crisis. To have gorge or not? To allow repairing of primary objectives or not? To spawn in waves, or not? I don't know what will make Combat perfect, but sure I hope Flayra has to foresight to find out.
PS: I was in a server with some guys who said they were internal testers. One said he even suggested the rocket lerk idea and was quite proud of it. They even said that the patch was tested for something like a single day. (??) I don't know if that's true, but it sure could be after seeing this patch.
The entire patch feels like a joke, it's entirely backwards. One wonders if it IS serious or not? Either way, Flayra is obviously busy on something other than NS balance :)
I won't comment on Classic balance because it seems the same as it was in beta3.
Combat is still enduring the same growing pains as before. The only difference now is that with the new (old) spawn system, things are turned upside down because the game is pretty much over as soon as everyone on one team dies. (ie, if there is a significant skill or numbers balance difference, or if one team makes some mistakes)
Marine camping is prevented by a constant flow of XP to the aliens, however this is likely a poor fix. For the most part, marines in beta3 would camp because if they left, they'd die. They camped because aliens were constantly knocking on their door, and death+loss was imminent. They camped because aliens were (and are) so much better in the mid to late game.
The strangest change: the unlimited-flight lerks. What a stupid thing to do, I wonder who came up with that. Now we have <b><i>bouncing rocket lerks</i></b> flying up and down (and all around) to evade because it's so hard to hit them in that state. People had consta-flap scripts going the hour after release.
Bouncing lerks were fun before but not exactly viable in a fight. No longer, though! It's one thing I'd bet my left foot on going back to normal in the next patch.
As far as general balance goes though, nothing has changed. Fades are still as freakishly good as ever, lerks are even better (they were almost too good in CO before, now it's just silly), etc. A few times there it felt like some aliens were taking more damage than normal, and the possibility of undocumented changes crossed my mind... but maybe that was just a fluke.
As far as suggestions go, the 30-page beta3 and 30-page beta2 suggestion threads still apply. Beta3 needed fixing, and beta4 sure didn't do it.
So, for beta4 suggestions, point here: <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62330' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...showtopic=62330</a>
Here are some things which I know some of us expected to be changed in Combat:
- Fade was too powerful in beta3.
- Onos Charge is useless but for transport; suggested possible fix: slow onos reverse speed to almost nothing, and make Charge do a burst of damage on forward impact only. (no damage over time)
- Skulk Leap is useless but for transport; suggested possible fix: make it do a burst of damage on impact, and increase Leap cooldown and/or adren usage to taste.
- Gorge should probably not be in Combat. I strongly believe that it's a totally backwards class for this game type. Needing gorges to heal the hive essentially makes one person transform into a giant welder Webs do little to enhance gameplay, they just slow things down.
- Hand grenades are useless; they should do more damage and be combined with mines and/or welder in one utility pack.
- Catalyst packs are a narrowly used item the way they are, and are basically only used by HMG marines to mow down fields of skulks and lerks.
- Resupply and Scan Area REALLY should be manually triggered. Resupply works on Jetpackers in flight, and one person with Scan Area will automatically nullify the cloak ability of an entire team of aliens. I imagine the easiest way to address both issues is to make people manually call for them; it might make JPers stop for a moment, and might let skulks use their cloak when the marine forgets to scan the area.
These sorts of things still need to be addressed, right? I'm not just losing my mind here? :)
Combat is still having an identity crisis. To have gorge or not? To allow repairing of primary objectives or not? To spawn in waves, or not? I don't know what will make Combat perfect, but sure I hope Flayra has to foresight to find out.
PS: I was in a server with some guys who said they were internal testers. One said he even suggested the rocket lerk idea and was quite proud of it. They even said that the patch was tested for something like a single day. (??) I don't know if that's true, but it sure could be after seeing this patch.
Comments
I STRONGLY agree with the utility pack idea, but I also feel that catalyst and resupply should be a "commander" pack and finally motion tracking and scanner be in a "intel" pack. This would greatly improve rine lifespan because one person could get all three packs, jp, and shotty to be an effective commander themselves. Thus, only one rine would base camp while the others would leave base, feeling safe from cc snatching.
my pack ideas are just personnal prefrence, but i think they would really come in handy
Yeah I agree, thats why I said "but for transport" :) Leaping, killing, and leaping away is great, we all do it.
I just mean to say that the actual damage on the thing (ie what happens when the clawed animal hits you going 30kph) is basically useless.