Observers Are Underpowered!

SniperSkunk · November 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">Well, they are.</div> First I was going to make a post about how marines are underpowered.

But then I remembered the game where me and the marines just utterly pwned the enemy. We were in squads of two. Everyone had HMG's, heavy armor, and welders... we'd heal each other and advance slowly, and we just decimated the enemy. They were good but we were better.

So then, I figured I'd make a post about how aliens are underpowered.

But then I remembered the game where I was on the aliens team and we just obliterated the enemy. We got two hives up in no time, built movements, fades were always defending and pushing the marines back and back, we got a third hive, lerks spent time with fades using umbra and spore clouds, and in the end the marines couldn't hold the map and were overrun by onos and fades, with lerks making sure anything spawned within clouds of poisonous spores.

So I asked, if marines aren't underpowered, and aliens aren't underpowered, who is?

THE OBSERVERS! They get NO weapons, they get NO armor, NO HP, NO units... fix this!

<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'> (this is intended as a subtle jab at everyone making OMG Aliens = underpowered/marinez=underpowered fix it prz! posts <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>)</span>

Reverend_Duck · November 2002

Observers are not underpowered! What silly talk is that!? Movement chambers, on the other hand, are. I mean, despite their names, they don't even have legs! Digest that before complaining again!

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

GravitonSurge · November 2002

I guess it's clever but I'm not keeling over with laughter

SniperSkunk · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GravitonSurge @ Nov 16 2002, 05:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I guess it's clever but I'm not keeling over with laughter</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Eh, it's subtle humour <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'> Not funny to everyone... just something I wrote up to help me alleviate the boredom at work.

Rabid_Llama · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GravitonSurge @ Nov 16 2002, 10:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I guess it's clever but I'm not keeling over with laughter</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
hmm.. on that note, if you did keel over and die from laughing, would they have to classify "telling a joke" as "assault with a deadly weapon"?
<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'>
<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

StoneToad · November 2002

ROTFLMAO!

I think observers are perfectly balanced! You just nead to improve your skill <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'>

ekent · November 2002

You just need to understand the nuances of the observer side. They don't do much damage, it's true, but they can clip through walls and they're faster than skulks! The base rush is essential.

JA1num · November 2002

eggs in the ready room is more underpowered than ever! a skulk in the ready room on top of the egg and the egg cant move til the skulk moves <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'>

lazygamer · November 2002

Hey I had this awesome idea when you made this joke. Woulden't it be cool if there could be a few special maps in the future where the observers actually take part? Im imaging extra-terrestial animals(NOT KHARAA!) and human made robots that have gone bezerk.
(depends on mission)

Observers play as them and randomly attack either team, kinda like an enviromental danger. The catch is that they become weaker(and eventually get very weak) if they favor one team over the other.

So as an observer you can either watch the game unfold, or play as an "enviromental danger". These "Dangers" don't have to be present normally, so they are not AI controlled. Seeing as your an observer and not a player, you can switch between controlling a "danger" or just watching the game.

Perhaps dangers respawn every 2 minutes if killed, and there has to be a 4 regular players per danger ratio. Any observers beyond this can only watch the game.

Tazol · November 2002

That'd be kind of neat. Almost like the "Creeps" in WarCraft III.

MeowMix · November 2002

creeps! that sounds like super fun!

Inexorable · November 2002

Of course, most people are scared of the Observer's radical gameplay design so I rarely see anyone playing them.

XHydralisk · November 2002

Yea, it would be neat if the observers could walk around the map as CREEPS, but then again, they could effect/get in the way of gameplay like blocking doors or something. But if you made them Killable... hmmm...

scitzo85z · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Rabid Llama @ Nov 16 2002, 06:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>if you did keel over and die from laughing, would they have to classify "telling a joke" as "assault with a deadly weapon"?
<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'>
<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
lol

Doombringer · November 2002

We could also use some carnival games in the ready rooms.

Dunk the Skulk, or Pin the Tentacles on the Onos. A Lurky-go-round?

Legionnaired · November 2002

That, or a small camra ship or something...

Ultimately, it's not worth it, but still fun to think about.

digz · November 2002

so what came first....
the gorg or the hive?

Black_Wolf · November 2002

just on the spectator note, has anyone noted that in spectator mode you can get pushed around by func_dorrs and the like? its especially trippy if theres a solid fan type object in a map (such as in ns_next pre release in the tech release) as you can go spinning around like crazy =D

TheScapegoat · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>so what came first....
the gorg or the hive?</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Does it matter? The <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'> just killed them both.

andyaml · November 2002

Being an observer is alright, but actually PLAYING as one? w00t-worthy. Thanks to a very odd bug, I was able to be an invincible Fade that couldn't attack or build, but was INVINCIBLE, could operate switches, and other people could see you. It's funny seeing 3 marines going <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'> while you're just calmly walking toward them. Then they scatter, fearing that you will unleash some sort of hidden psycho-power technique that will crush them all. You pin one guy in the corner, and in desperation, he tries to stab you, but without results. Then, you just walk away to terrorize some more. Fun fun fun!

crode · November 2002

anyone remember quake1 where they allowed everyone to melee in a very small room between matches? that was the best

t_toe · November 2002

Nothing is more fun to me than chillin' in the ready room, waiting for someone to show up, and when they do, setting my mouse sensitivity to like 100 and jumping and spinning around like crazy. It's hours and hours of fun!

--t.toe

RotA_Plague · November 2002

Ready room also is convertable as a small deathmatch map. But for gods sake don't step into any of the team portals.

Acrobad · November 2002

Yeah they should probably make the Readyroom more interactive and fun... and stuff... so that people wont get bored waiting for others to come.

A minigame perhaps? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'>

eye · November 2002

I like this idea, you could have little armories set around that provide such items as, a skateboard, refreshments, verious toys, it's endless!
i can see it now though...

"OMG! The black G.I.Joe is so underpowerd! i can't even stand up to a Hulk doll with out getting my rubber band broken or something!!! FIX THIS!"

"OMG! the Mnt. Dew refreshment has a bug! when you drink it you turn into a hot dog and just kinda of flop around on the floor in thrid person!"

Terr · November 2002

Hah... I would like to see the observers able to toggle between the chasecam, free cam....

And commander view. With zoom out/in with back/forward. No hud, just the view and ways of moving around the map, seeing all players and objects. A trifle exploitative if you get on the phone with your friend, but I think it would be worth it. You could make demos that way of the action... study good strategies... etc.

The environmental danger sounds cool though, but difficult to implement. You could have observer DJs. Changing the flickering lights, playing localized spooky music for 'watch out' at the right moments... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'> Purely a fun-mode option.

It could be a new team: "Effects", in which you spend the map making it feel immersive. (Again, purely fun mode, which would be like casual mode but with funny additions, far removed from tournament play)

Teufel_Eldritch · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (andyaml @ Nov 16 2002, 09:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Being an observer is alright, but actually PLAYING as one? w00t-worthy. Thanks to a very odd bug, I was able to be an invincible Fade that couldn't attack or build, but was INVINCIBLE, could operate switches, and other people could see you. It's funny seeing 3 marines going <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'> while you're just calmly walking toward them. Then they scatter, fearing that you will unleash some sort of hidden psycho-power technique that will crush them all. You pin one guy in the corner, and in desperation, he tries to stab you, but without results. Then, you just walk away to terrorize some more. Fun fun fun!</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
That does sound like fun! I bet the Marine crapped his pants!

Zarbuck · November 2002

The other night ever one in the game knew that the map was going to switch so no one joined a team... we were all just jumping a round like mad. It was like a ready room mosh pit.

Observers Are Underpowered!

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