The *one* Thing I'd Like To See Changed

BrewBrew Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2572Members
<div class="IPBDescription">for the love of god please think aboutit</div> WHY do the aliens with bite melee attacks have their eyes inside the mouth?
The models aren't drawn that way.

You look at a lerk, its eyes are on top.
Same with a Skulk.

Hiding from a marine, stuck to the roof, cloaked... you see the marine walk directly under you and stop... you leap, teeth gnashing... you land a hit and the marine jumps out of the way and begins firing and circling. the rest of the battle is "Where the F is that marine?".

He can see you and continues firing. You have to stop chomping and look around. You see the marine. You leap towards him, teeth gnashing once again... but he's not there anymore.

Maybe if you're lucky enough, or fast enough, or can figure out which direction he's going to dodge... you can sometimes kill him. If you're rushing the marine base, you can pretty much just chew everywhere and land hits on random targets. Kill something? Sure, maybe. The damage is pretty high on skulk bites, but unless you can get them on the first bite, your chances of killing at all drop drastically.

The teeth in the mouth is a cool effect and nicely done. But it really REALLY makes attacking difficult. And isn't melee vs ranged enough of a penalty already, without adding obscured vision to it as well?

Love the mod, love the aliens, I've only played marines once, and I've been playing every day since it was released. Awesome game, but this one issue is like the proverbial fingernails on the blackboard for me.

Thanks for reading this, I don't mean to sound too negative, I hope this is considered constructive criticism.

-Brew

Comments

  • SuperMunchkinSuperMunchkin Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1364Members
    I rather agree with that. Combined with a poor framerate in combat makes for skulk-kabob.
  • KhaimKhaim Join Date: 2002-06-28 Member: 841Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    edited November 2002
    if you get in melee range wiht a marine you realy shouldn't be missing one way or another your 3x faster than them or more depending on the gun they have, keep them turning in circles. And the eyes in mouth bit has been discussed to death many times, It's not guna be changed, its there for a reason.

    PS *as a skulk I rushed alone and won a 6v6 game... just get them when they start building the armory, they're all suckers for ammo.
  • HellbillyHellbilly A whole title out of pity... Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 3931Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    I don´t agree, at least not anymore. I thought so at first, but it´s just a matter of some training and you´ll get used to it. Now i can chew groups of 2-3 marines (lmg´s with basic armor).
  • TruewrestlerTruewrestler Join Date: 2002-05-02 Member: 570Members
    the only complaint i have is that you run around and in first person view the mouth is open but in 3rd its closed
  • FLank_SinatraFLank_Sinatra Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6391Members
    hmm, you could change the first person model for the mouth unless you aren't able to do that in this mod? I haven't tried. But I do have a toggle where I press the + and - button to turn models off while attacking. I can't remember what it's called, but I have it written on a sheet of paper on my desk at home, I will tell you when I get home <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • GibbyGibby Join Date: 2002-04-26 Member: 518Members
    They were talking about making them translucent.

    I personally LOVE the way it looks and animates, it looks soooo evil and badass. And all it takes is a bit of adjustment. Bite, strafe/jump/twitch, aim again, bite, strafe/jump/twitch, aim again..

    Also keep in mind that you don't have to be TOUCHING the model to score a bite. Start a LAN game or something and have your buddy stand perfectly still (set Draw Damage to 1) and then as a skulk start far and bite getting closer every bite until you have a good idea of the bite's range. It CAN save you and has made killing marines a lot easier for me. Remember they gotta be in the center of your screen when you bite through.
  • CMEastCMEast Join Date: 2002-05-19 Member: 632Members
    I love the bite effect and it doesnt make it too difficult to see. If youve ever just run around a map normally while biting you know its possible, you just have to stay calm when you get into a melee and you can see everything you need to. Have you tried biting only when the enemy is visible?
  • MercenaryForHireMercenaryForHire Join Date: 2002-10-03 Member: 1410Members
    I've found that playing with decent ping helps a LOT. I played on a 100 ping server last night - Bite worked wonderfully, even with the "blindness" because it actually went where it was pointed.

    Again - hit confirmation? A juicy crunching noise, or a marine screaming? IMO, Marines should scream on death if it's a "slow" death - getting your head bitten off by a Lerk or pounded into dust by an Onos should be silent. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

    Wouldn't that be scary to be running down a hall to save your buddy when you hear *rip* *chomp* "EAAAAAGHHH!" :O and then the still-hungry Skulk darts around the corner for a piece of you ...

    - M4H
  • XCanXCan Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5904Members, Constellation
    Or maybe skulks can eat the marines and actually gain health after killing one! But anyhow I myself find it funny too that the skulk's eye is inside its mouth. <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • BridgerBridger Join Date: 2002-10-30 Member: 1761Members
    you can remove the weapon models from your 1st person view, i don't remember the command but it's somewhere.

    Also the eyes were origionally not i the mouth but they said it was much cooler this way, and it was done for balance (a meelee attack that can kill in >1 sec has got to have SOME disadvantage right?).

    I guess those 2 phraises kind of cancel each other out don't they? lol.
  • smokedbaconsmokedbacon Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6006Members
    Ive never had any problem with the skulks mouth, and you always see me pounding on the marines in the initial game for about 2 deaths (then I go gorge and build). I rack up plenty of kills.

    About framerate.....upgrade your computer. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> Halflife and its mods should never stutter no matter what on todays computers. Its old, its crappy, and it runs tremendously fast on any decent computer today.
  • TruewrestlerTruewrestler Join Date: 2002-05-02 Member: 570Members
    not with a 600ms ping
  • BrewBrew Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2572Members
    I suppose a marine grunt, "ouch", or outright scream would be pretty helpful.

    I mean, [<i>disclaimer:</i> yes I KNOW this is a fantasy game and has no base in actual reality] if you were really there, as this little beasty, you'd <i>know</i> when you sank your teeth into your target. As it is right now, the only indication you hit your target at all is when he drops dead. An indication as to whether or not you actually found your mark would definitely help improve your bite skill.
  • AhnteisAhnteis teh Bob Join Date: 2002-10-02 Member: 1405Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    There is a variable you can turn on to show damage. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • FlayraFlayra Game Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment San Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
    You either love this feature or hate it. Either way, we're not changing it, we love it.
This discussion has been closed.