Knock Back Effects & Skulks Usefulness

24

Comments

  • HauntedHaunted Join Date: 2003-03-01 Member: 14178Members
    edited May 2004
    I'm all over no knock back. If marines have trouble, learn to aim, it's far easier to play as a good marine than a good skulk. But mostly, I want aliens to be more powerful than marines, in all stages of the game, early, middle, end.

    Back when I first played ns, it was scary to see these flesh eating "space dogs" come leaping at you, that was fun. It's boring to play marine now and with decent aim, feel invincible. The game is less scary, less immersive, less fun. Ideally, marines, being weaker against aliens, would have to use real teamwork, and concentrated fire to defeat the Kharaa. Also, as a alien, when I'm an onos, the only thing I'm owning is the dark corners where I constantly retreat and heal as it's become a bullet sponge. Sure it's more skillful, to do hit and devours, but it's not fun. Being nearly invincible is fun. I think Onos should be tied to three hives, and be made 100 res, because when it comes, it's game over.

    I wouldn't mind if pub game's, 80% of the wins go to aliens. It's more fun to conquer tough odds. People who like to frag, will go Kharaa, for team play, marine. For once, we'll see Kharaa stacking. Anyways, even if I'm marine, and I'll know chances are, I'll lose, I'll still have fun, and if we win, jubilation. Right now, comms aren't thanked as success is not dependent on them anymore. Just have the marines break into squads, move out capping res and skulks, make sure you upgrade timely, and the game is pretty much yours. By making the aliens tougher overall, the comm becomes very important, and will need to try stratagy to succeed.

    So make aliens stronger, starting with no knockback, and then the nerfing of marine abilities (gun damage) and give a big F U to balance. Clan games would be a two round affair with who ever beating the other side faster wins. I'm not sure which side will be the clan favored side because the marines will be more team oriented, and even though aliens are stronger, it's harder to land good melee damage and live then to fire your shotty at all that move towards you.

    I just want the Kharaa stronger, like the movies.
  • RueRue Join Date: 2002-10-21 Member: 1564Members
    Haunted m8 use paragraphs <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    I was just wondering a couple of things mainly
    1. When was knockback introduced to NS
    2. What was the reasoning behind it? (any forum threads on it around?)
    3. Is it physicaly possable for something that bites to knock you back?

    I mean I'v spent the last 5 minutes biting my arm and as of yet it has not shot half way across the room (thank god).

    Onos should have knockback cause, well they use thier big mofo horn.
  • TrevelyanTrevelyan Join Date: 2003-03-23 Member: 14834Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-kltower4+May 11 2004, 12:42 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (kltower4 @ May 11 2004, 12:42 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> - Widen the bite area for skulks. You can see on your HUD (Heads Up Display) that is filled with teeth so why can't I bite at the side of the screen? Doh~~~ <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    thats all skulks need... then jumping marines will not be as big of a problem.
  • RetalesRetales Panigg cultist Join Date: 2003-08-07 Member: 19180Members
    I agree with the knockback thing. Remove it!

    The original post had many good points. If a skulk gets close to a marine, the rine should be toast. He shouldn't be able to jump, fly across the room faster than a skulk can run and blast the poor little critter to kingdom come.

    Usually when I point out that skulks are too weak, people reply: "OLOLO OMG LEARN TO AMBUSH NUUB!!1!1one". This works in the early game, but most comms get Motion Tracking, which equals "Good bye, ambushes".
  • ssjyodassjyoda Join Date: 2002-03-05 Member: 274Members, Squad Five Blue
    when u ambush, u dont move. meaning motion tracking wont work... it only finds movement..
  • d0omied0omie Join Date: 2003-02-23 Member: 13877Members
    Thats rubbish and you know it, marines see the red dots on their maps, the blue circles in front of them. They remmeber where they stopped.

    Unless you stay still for about 5 mins, but then you have been a complete waste of space.
  • HauntedHaunted Join Date: 2003-03-01 Member: 14178Members
    I was just playing NS, after a week hitus, and the game isn't fun anymore. For 3 games in a row, I go random team, each time, I'm a skulk. For each game, marines, rambo us, with no coordination from their part, or teamwork, dominate all the res, electrify their res,, knife our own, kill half our team so our forces are stuck in limbo, so then they build a phase outside hive, then seige it, or just plain spawn camp in.

    And this is on OldF PJ, one of the best NS servers around. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • ktimekillerktimekiller Join Date: 2003-02-25 Member: 13958Members
    i wish that onos to be a more of an invincible but not good for attacking dude, onos is suppose to be the GREATEST alien not the most fastest dying, its big, its a huge target, u cant miss him, so y not make onos do little dmg and lost of life and defnece? like gore does 10 and like 2k life and 3k defence, because 700 and 600 is nothing compared to hmg and sg, one full clip of hmg, onos dead, and cara needs EXTREAM boost, cara is usless except for gorge and fade, onos should recieve like 400 extra def and like 300 more hp, onos is a tank not a big weakling thats easy to kill, the only way to kill with onos is to have many smart allies or marines only have lmg or u charge eat and run, or charge kill one and run, that is not a tank, that is bull shiz, a tank is suppose to be able to take lots of hits, onos can barely take hits, on the discription, it says onos is the strongest alien and can take a squad of marines by self! but ingame that is total false, if marines have sg or and hmg, all u can do is be a big huge distraction for ur allies or go and kill one and run.
  • Seph_KimaraSeph_Kimara Join Date: 2003-08-10 Member: 19359Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-ktimekiller+May 13 2004, 10:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ktimekiller @ May 13 2004, 10:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> i wish that onos to be a more of an invincible but not good for attacking dude, onos is suppose to be the GREATEST alien not the most fastest dying, its big, its a huge target, u cant miss him, so y not make onos do little dmg and lost of life and defnece? like gore does 10 and like 2k life and 3k defence, because 700 and 600 is nothing compared to hmg and sg, one full clip of hmg, onos dead, and cara needs EXTREAM boost, cara is usless except for gorge and fade, onos should recieve like 400 extra def and like 300 more hp, onos is a tank not a big weakling thats easy to kill, the only way to kill with onos is to have many smart allies or marines only have lmg or u charge eat and run, or charge kill one and run, that is not a tank, that is bull shiz, a tank is suppose to be able to take lots of hits, onos can barely take hits, on the discription, it says onos is the strongest alien and can take a squad of marines by self! but ingame that is total false, if marines have sg or and hmg, all u can do is be a big huge distraction for ur allies or go and kill one and run. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    The manual is from 1.04...Times have changed, my friend (in a good or bad way however, I'm not at liberty to say.) You may as well disregard most of what you read in that now (shame really <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->)

    Maybe we -should- revisit 1.04...
  • k1ndredk1ndred Join Date: 2003-11-30 Member: 23790Members
    The bite-release is pretty interesting, would make NS very fun

    eg:

    You leap and bite a marine, if you hold the mouse, the skulk would kept it's mouth close, realy biting the marine and making damage over time then (man i would really laught at this)
  • ChurchChurch Meatshield grunt-fodder // Has pre-ordered NS2 Join Date: 2002-12-31 Member: 11646Members, Constellation
    1.04 was fun...but it was still unbalanced. It was either 2-hive lockdowns, or Fades owning everything with acid rocket (the good ones owned th swipe too) or JP/HMGs killing the hive in about 6 minutes.
  • The_NoidThe_Noid Join Date: 2004-03-31 Member: 27616Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-k1ndred+May 14 2004, 03:56 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (k1ndred @ May 14 2004, 03:56 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The bite-release is pretty interesting, would make NS very fun
    eg:
    You leap and bite a marine, if you hold the mouse, the skulk would kept it's mouth close, realy biting the marine and making damage over time then (man i would really laught at this) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This would be the perfect anti-rambo addition. The held marine would not be able to shoot the alien that holds it, so you would absolutely NEED to have 2 marines so they can free each other. Even the biggest nub would be able to kill a rambo once he got hold of him, by just not letting go.

    Damn that's funny... yer all alone with a big gun, a pistol, a knife and lots of ammo, yet yer slowly bleeding to death cause there's a skulk hanging on to yer **** <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    it would also 'fix' the knockback problem.
  • MelatoninMelatonin Babbler Join Date: 2003-03-15 Member: 14551Members, Constellation
    I compleatly agree.

    somthing <b> needs </b> to be done to make skulks more fun again.

    Let me make one thing clear, im not the greatest player.
    I cant bunny hop effectivly, I cant aim particularly well when im marine (and I dont think I stand much chance of 'learning' aim as im limited by hardware and skill).
    frankly im tired of being penalised because I cant get bhopping down.
    perhaps its dumbing down im asking for, or maybe its getting rid of some players 'unfair advantage', but I think you cant balance a game effectivly where skill plays such a large role, I miss the more tactical earlier versions.
    [perhaps a speed increase with no bhopping??? perhaps]

    the way it is, skulks cannot chose to engage, this means a camping marine will win against anything up to 3 skulks.
    marines also have an incredably fair chance when ambushed from point blank by equal numbers of skulks because skulks die so fast..

    one or more things could help out aliens here, and make the curve a little smoother from early game skulk masacres to fade 'ownage'?

    no/less knockback? less jumping? skulk armour beef?
    please anything to make skulks tolerrable to play again.
  • ThardinThardin Join Date: 2004-01-05 Member: 25081Members
    Let us compare the gaming methods of each team-

    Marine-
    -Upgrades; always
    -RTs. . . make about 23 res after 3 minutes of killing skulks
    -Cap RTs
    -Siege hive, train, or JPs

    Being a commander is so bloody easy, they need to increase RT cost but make it give 2 res like in 1.4, so making a 25 RT is not always a prudent thing, or something completely else. The commander is there mainly to give RTs, the occasional upgrade building, and med packs/ammo.

    -Khaara
    -Wait on a wall for 2 minutes
    -Hope you get a kill if the marine(s) don't look up
    -Cap a RT that will die .9999999 seconds later
    -Finally fade
    -Own as a fade or die instantly
    -Get regen or cara (funny thats the only viable chamber still)
    -Get 2nd hive or die.

    Decrease OC cost to 5, it sucks, admit it. 3 unupgraded LMG clips kills one, you can jump over a wall of them with A1-2 and a med pack.

    They may save your hive, but. . . what if they just ignore it and get that PG up with some meds?


    Marine: Oh no, a skulk is rushing towards me!
    RFK: 0mg!!!!1111111111elven (dies)

    Commander has been given 3 res!

    That is indefinitely stupid that the commander has the benefit of RFK, fix it like this:

    Skulk: 1 res
    Gorge: 2
    Lerk: 3
    Fade: 4
    Onos: 5

    1-3 res from a skulk is unbalancing big time, they need to fix it or just remove it. (Personally I think they should remove it)

    Rant ending, flame shields online.
  • DementedDemented Join Date: 2003-07-30 Member: 18573Members
    Knockback is annoying. Marines should stand some chance against skulks in close range, but knockback overdoes it. I can get pretty good ratios in enclosed maps, such as co_angst, but when it comes to skulk vs marine in an open space, I usually stand a 50-50 chance of killing the marine. And when playing as a marine, more often than not I actually beat a skulk in open spaces even though he manages to close up with me with leap.

    I wouldn't suggest removing knockback though. Its so pivotal to game balance that just taking it away like that would cause some imbalance issues that would take quite a while to fix. Perhaps a 33% reduction would make life easier for us skulks.

    Also, skulk health isn't really the main issue here actually. Health doesn't keep a skulk alive - speed does. Your opinions may differ, but I prefer celerity to carapace. After all, dodging bullets better would increase a skulk's lifespan more than just allowing them to sustain more hits. Therefore, increasing the skulk's speed too would help a lot more than just giving them 10 additional AP.
  • ssjyodassjyoda Join Date: 2002-03-05 Member: 274Members, Squad Five Blue
    alien speed is the most important thing. CO, always go for celerity, dont touch any d ups till i can fade.. NS, mc is like sc in that u need a 2nd hive quickly to give fades cara. But, either way, the key to skulk is its speed. But when you have ppl that BH, its hard to increase the speed cause then everyone gets faster. And when BH, hitboxes are a lil off, ever try and hit a celerity BH skulk, damn... The only thing I can think that would even it out would be to remove BH, not straff jumping, not as big an increase as BH, and then give the boost to even out the playing field... Bah, dumb idea
  • kltower4kltower4 Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19855Members
    Hmmm... I see my thread has grown. Anyway, cheers to both supporting and oppositing who posted in here. Your input is really essential.

    Overall, I hope Flarya will read this and consider a couple changes from the input of everybody. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • ssjyodassjyoda Join Date: 2002-03-05 Member: 274Members, Squad Five Blue
    flayra wont, for one reason, he is a designer, we are not.

    He gets feedback from many ppl, and most of it contradicts eachother, read this whole topic, lots of contradiction.
  • VampMasterVampMaster Join Date: 2003-03-16 Member: 14585Members
    Knockback ain't as bad as it seems, just a matter of getting used to it... (only read 1st page of thread, so bear with me)... I think it's fun to bite a jumping marine and knockback him deep down in some abyss on some maps <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->...

    <!--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--> It's a free speaking world afterall.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I just had to comment that... It's one of the speech I hate the most... No it's not a free speaking world, It's a private server where you have no rights whatsoever, and even in real world your rights are so minimal that they are not even worth mentionning.
  • Dred_furstDred_furst Join Date: 2004-03-19 Member: 27429Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-STeeL BLaDe+May 11 2004, 03:40 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (STeeL BLaDe @ May 11 2004, 03:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Whiner. Learn to ambush and stick to the 'rine. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    im sat here watching my friend and we have managed to master the damn jumping thing, you jump just as they bite you and you fly across the room, its a nice thoguht but try moving the force of it upwards so rines dont get any advantage at all.
  • DiablusDiablus Join Date: 2003-03-31 Member: 15080Members
    Listen up. If skulks didnt have nockback youd die before you even have a chance to react to the skulks because the bites are so fast and knockback causes them to lock off target which gives MARINES at least a chance. Without Knockback on Bite Skulks would dominate LA throughout all the game.
  • NightCrawlerzNightCrawlerz Join Date: 2003-04-18 Member: 15609Members
    everyone likes to say:

    "omg you cant kill a marine with knock back. yoru a nub."

    well hows about this (insert insult)

    Lets remove knockback and then well tell the marines.

    "Omg you need knockback to survive! what a stupid nub"


    Everyone here boasts about how removeing knockback would ruin marines, well is that such a bad thing?

    WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME MARINES HAD TO ADAPT TO ANYTHING!!!!!?!?!?!?

    ns is still the stupid rambo fest it ever was. what do you need to know as a marine? run around and shoot stuff. thats all.

    So what if you die in 1 second? learn to listen. So what if you die in 1 second? learn to aim SO FRIKIN WHAT IF YOU DIE IN 1 SECOND LEARN LEARN LEARN LEARN LEARN LEARN TO USE TEAM WORK FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE.

    i want marines to feel the other side of the fence. Aleins are always the ones who have to be carefull and always have to listen and always have to have perfect aim. I want the marines to feel the sting of their simple mistake of turning the wrong wasy my 5 degrees costing them their life. I want the marines to fear a cose range skulk. I want marines to FEEL FEAR EVERY TIME THEY HEAR THE CLICK CLICK CLICK.

    I WANT NS TO BE TURNED ON ITS HEAD SO FINALLY. FINNALY WE CAN **** AT THE MARINES FOR HAVING NO SKILL.
  • DragonMechDragonMech Join Date: 2003-09-19 Member: 21023Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--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-->Everyone here boasts about how removeing knockback would ruin marines, well is that such a bad thing?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->Yes. Balance is important for the game, and knockback is an important part of said balance.
  • ThorStrykerThorStryker Join Date: 2003-01-08 Member: 12025Members
    Knock-Back is demoralizing though, how do you keep your players when skilled marines have the ability to survive any encounter with skulks? Sure it may be for balance issues, but then you could always beef another part of the marines to counter the Bite-Jump's dissapearance. What Bite-Jump is, is a hard-counter. To save the marines, you give them a skill that is over-powered. Its like the fade right now, The fade is a hard-counter in CO due to its sheer speed/regen factor. The big difference is, Bite-Jump always happens as long as you do it, fade doesent happen untill you have the resources to do it. Nerf both, and there you go.
  • illuminexilluminex Join Date: 2004-03-13 Member: 27317Members, Constellation
    The last time an alien was feared was in 1.04. How sad is that. People just don't understand, the skulk > marine was what made the game truly challenging and fun. I remember fearing the "click click click" of the skulk running, long ago. I don't care about balance. I care about putting humans into an extremely difficult situation and enjoying them winning, even IF I'm an alien. That was part of the appeal of NS.

    Aliens SHOULD be superior to marines. Let's face the music here. The marines work together through teamwork and using tools; the aliens are supposed to be able to accomplish more individually by using their specific class abilities. That's qouted from Nemesis Zero. However, NS keeps swinging more and more towards the marine side of the board.

    By making the game "more balanced," Flayra has taken away from the individual alien and given more to the individual marine. Knockback makes sense when dealing with a larger animal, like a fade or onos, but a skulk? Skulks should have an advantage. If the marine team starts ramboing, they should lose.

    As a start in bringing aliens back to where they should be, take knockback out from skulks and give it to onos. If a marine is dumb enough to let a skulk get that close, why should he be given the ability to defend himself so easily, when, given the skulks current hp/a, the skulk mostly has that one chance to get that hit in.
  • matsomatso Master of Patches Join Date: 2002-11-05 Member: 7000Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Squad Five Gold, Reinforced - Shadow, NS2 Community Developer
    Personally, what I would like to see removed is flying knockbacks. Ie, the amount of knockback should not be affected by the marine jumping. Not only will that take away the ridicolous 20'+ knockbacks, but it will also remove one of the reasons for the incessant marine jumping.
  • kltower4kltower4 Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19855Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-ssjyoda+May 14 2004, 11:50 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ssjyoda @ May 14 2004, 11:50 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> flayra wont, for one reason, he is a designer, we are not.

    He gets feedback from many ppl, and most of it contradicts eachother, read this whole topic, lots of contradiction. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Eh? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • AkalamanaiaAkalamanaia Join Date: 2003-01-04 Member: 11833Members
    Alright it seems people who enjoy to go marine always say "OMG YOU REMOVE KNOCKBACK WE L000se OMOG OMGOMGOMG", well read rest of the thread and notice the idea of reducing knockback slightly(15-25% enyone???). Aliens were at start of NS meant to be individual rambos, well then marines whined how fades owned the game without HA. IN every version of NS, the aliens have had to comfort to changes on their side, while marines are boosted and only little nerfed. Gorge spit has same dmg as fades acid rocket!and focus on top of that it owns acid rocket <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo--> . Lets face it, Marine whining always has got thru and when aliens whine about certain things, most likely they will not be changed and more players leave. Heck i seen many NSers converted back to CS or TFC just because of fact that aliens are nerfed to much it to be fun enymore.
  • MelatoninMelatonin Babbler Join Date: 2003-03-15 Member: 14551Members, Constellation
    I seem to remember single marines were sposed to struggle to make it (that was the guff at 2.0 correct?)

    yesterday I say one marine (he marined every game) who had a good aim, tearing out of marine start every round and looking for gorges. Its the sensible thing to do, but its too easy for someone like him with an amazing aim, he was a one man army.

    When marines compleatly own the map at the start of the game, trying to get others to drop RTs is very frustrating.

    People would rather **** for that fade who could win the game (im talking about knowledgable skilled players here) rather then drop a node that will last perhaps 30 seconds at best.

    as a result, the only alien win ive seen recently was when everyone was so **** off with the lack of RTs every round, we managed to get everyone to drop an RT at the start, though tbh think bad comming had a hand in that win aswell.

    please do somthing to stop/ ease this situation.
    single killing machine marines owning the whole map at long and close range for the first 4 (if you manage to keep your nodes) to 8 (if everyone **** which is the usual) minutes is, to be blunt, not fun, as a lifeform which will die to less the a second of fire.
  • DementedDemented Join Date: 2003-07-30 Member: 18573Members
    If I remembered correctly, the SKULKS were supposed to be the one man army. The Marines were supposed to be strong in groups but weak individually. If you halve knockback, this would force marines to cover each other so that at least one marine is shooting from range. You see, marines going solo aren't supposed to stand a chance at all if they get bitten from the back.

    If it boils down to nothing, remove skulk armour but increase skulk speed and eliminate knockback. This means that skulks would be fatal if they managed to close up but are easy to beat if you have your buddy to shoot the skulk while you're trying to dodge it.
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