Onos changes
Deadzone
Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
<div class="IPBDescription">rare, but useful?</div><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->by Cybermantis
-Dynamic is the key here, bring back the user ability to block things or whatever. Walls of lame were a good thing. If you cant bring yourself to allow it because "that doesn't seem realistic" then come up with some other chamber or something that can stack and still function. Same with marines, I think real welders... welders that can weld varios crap from across the map like computer monitors or whatever to block doors would just be awesome. With the hl2 physics engine, you guys could set minimum force levels required so only like mines or an onos running could smash through. It would be awesome.
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Personally I'm lovin' the last idea of this bit. Instead of having some vent that can only be welded ONCE in the game and then becomes a permanent dead end, imagine a steel door welded shut (or "locked" via computer console) that has to be broken through by the one onos that the alien players have earned.
Maneuverability should be reduced. Onos are huge. They're not gonna do a 180-degree turn in the flick of a wrist or make hairpin turns while charging at top speed. Compensation is obviously needed, but here's my stab at it:
Charge becomes nearly unsteerable, but mows down light armor instantly. Huge cooldown time would be needed, and potential "dizziness" or similar disorientation if a wall is rammed. Disorientation would also be given to any heavy that managed to survive the attack and being thrown backwards. If a stamina system is used for alien attacks again, ramming a wall would instantly drain all energy and it would not begin to regen until the disorientation faded. Perhaps a onos can stop the charge if they near a wall, but they have to have a minimum braking distance. (onos ramming a wall even while slowing will suffer disorientation)
Onos should have a cap on how fast they can turn around. I wouldn't go so far as to force them to use turn keys instead of strafing, but an advantage should go to whoever snuck up behind it. However, to compensate for this, the onos should have a defensive boost to the front (and possibly sides to a lesser degree).
To prevent the onos from being helpless from a lucky rine, stomp should have a circular effect. Either that or Paralyze could come back and be able to auto-target the threat. Another possibility for paralyze is the view switches to a nearly "turret" view and players must aim the tendrils at the threat. This situation could also encourage the onos to travel with a small pack of other aliens who can guard his weak points.
As far as defensive alterations to fit this more tank-like onos, light arms fire should not affect the onos from the front. This will probably just mean LMG. Other possibilities include a chance for armored portions of the onos to randomly deflect bullets. Finally, the armor amount and absorbtion rate could just be raised.
Onos during their charge should be nearly invincible, with only explosives doing any damage (fire from behind should still do damage, though).
Onos selection would have to be tricky, but I do have one idea. If there's only going to be one onos at once maximum, and if he's going to be rare and powerful, how about the system used in Star Wars Battlefront 2? In this game, a player doing well (and scoring TEAM-related points) is occasionally offered the chance to temporarily play as a Jedi or different main Star Wars character. If the player does not want to play the role, they can pass the opportunity to a randomly selected teammate. (who can also choose to pass)
My proposal to use the system in NS2 would be this:
The game will keep track of frags, sure. But it will also have scores for team-based functions such as destroying marine structures, building alien structures, capping res, etc. (maybe even for killing a rine who's inside a certain radius of the hive). After the requirements to get an onos into play are filled, be it time limit, 3 hives, chambers, or whatever would be balanced, the game would select a player who has a pre-determined amount of teamwork score, be it a total, some combination of different scores, or again, whatever is balanced. The player is offered the option to gestate into an onos, where they can accept and play out one life as an onos, or they can pass the option onto a teammate.
If the player decides to gestate, they would warp back to a hive, or "die" without penalty, and gestate at a hive. This will prevent hiding in the back of rine spawn and gestating into something all-powerful. If the player does not accept or decline in a certain amount of time, it is automatically passed on to a random teammate.
I'm not sure whether there should be a time limit between an onos' death and the opportunity for the next one.
Anyway, are there any opinions on this? Suggestions or comments? I'm interested to hear them. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
-Dynamic is the key here, bring back the user ability to block things or whatever. Walls of lame were a good thing. If you cant bring yourself to allow it because "that doesn't seem realistic" then come up with some other chamber or something that can stack and still function. Same with marines, I think real welders... welders that can weld varios crap from across the map like computer monitors or whatever to block doors would just be awesome. With the hl2 physics engine, you guys could set minimum force levels required so only like mines or an onos running could smash through. It would be awesome.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Personally I'm lovin' the last idea of this bit. Instead of having some vent that can only be welded ONCE in the game and then becomes a permanent dead end, imagine a steel door welded shut (or "locked" via computer console) that has to be broken through by the one onos that the alien players have earned.
Maneuverability should be reduced. Onos are huge. They're not gonna do a 180-degree turn in the flick of a wrist or make hairpin turns while charging at top speed. Compensation is obviously needed, but here's my stab at it:
Charge becomes nearly unsteerable, but mows down light armor instantly. Huge cooldown time would be needed, and potential "dizziness" or similar disorientation if a wall is rammed. Disorientation would also be given to any heavy that managed to survive the attack and being thrown backwards. If a stamina system is used for alien attacks again, ramming a wall would instantly drain all energy and it would not begin to regen until the disorientation faded. Perhaps a onos can stop the charge if they near a wall, but they have to have a minimum braking distance. (onos ramming a wall even while slowing will suffer disorientation)
Onos should have a cap on how fast they can turn around. I wouldn't go so far as to force them to use turn keys instead of strafing, but an advantage should go to whoever snuck up behind it. However, to compensate for this, the onos should have a defensive boost to the front (and possibly sides to a lesser degree).
To prevent the onos from being helpless from a lucky rine, stomp should have a circular effect. Either that or Paralyze could come back and be able to auto-target the threat. Another possibility for paralyze is the view switches to a nearly "turret" view and players must aim the tendrils at the threat. This situation could also encourage the onos to travel with a small pack of other aliens who can guard his weak points.
As far as defensive alterations to fit this more tank-like onos, light arms fire should not affect the onos from the front. This will probably just mean LMG. Other possibilities include a chance for armored portions of the onos to randomly deflect bullets. Finally, the armor amount and absorbtion rate could just be raised.
Onos during their charge should be nearly invincible, with only explosives doing any damage (fire from behind should still do damage, though).
Onos selection would have to be tricky, but I do have one idea. If there's only going to be one onos at once maximum, and if he's going to be rare and powerful, how about the system used in Star Wars Battlefront 2? In this game, a player doing well (and scoring TEAM-related points) is occasionally offered the chance to temporarily play as a Jedi or different main Star Wars character. If the player does not want to play the role, they can pass the opportunity to a randomly selected teammate. (who can also choose to pass)
My proposal to use the system in NS2 would be this:
The game will keep track of frags, sure. But it will also have scores for team-based functions such as destroying marine structures, building alien structures, capping res, etc. (maybe even for killing a rine who's inside a certain radius of the hive). After the requirements to get an onos into play are filled, be it time limit, 3 hives, chambers, or whatever would be balanced, the game would select a player who has a pre-determined amount of teamwork score, be it a total, some combination of different scores, or again, whatever is balanced. The player is offered the option to gestate into an onos, where they can accept and play out one life as an onos, or they can pass the option onto a teammate.
If the player decides to gestate, they would warp back to a hive, or "die" without penalty, and gestate at a hive. This will prevent hiding in the back of rine spawn and gestating into something all-powerful. If the player does not accept or decline in a certain amount of time, it is automatically passed on to a random teammate.
I'm not sure whether there should be a time limit between an onos' death and the opportunity for the next one.
Anyway, are there any opinions on this? Suggestions or comments? I'm interested to hear them. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Comments
But that's also the reason the option to pass on the onos is included. Maybe the person who did the earning is on a really good fade run and doesn't wanna break their streak. Maybe a gorge actually earned it and knows he sucks as an onos, so he passes. That should offer enough chances to the rest of the team, I think.
Perhaps a player can only become onos once or twice during a map? This way others are given a chance - not just after the best player has had his turn, but maybe this player doesn't want to waste their one shot to be the big bad***.
It's true rhinos ram each other, but even when something as huge as a rhino is rammed by another rhino, it'll still move and have some give to it. It's still ultimately squishy flesh underneath that rough skin. A solid metal wall? No give at all. Either the onos can cause ridiculous physical damage to the structure of the map, or the cooridors are built solidly enough to stop an onos dead in its tracks. If you run headfirst into something solid, you ain't gonna get up right away. At least the thing will have to stop and shake its head, no? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Good thoughts on your part, though <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
The onos just needs to be a freaking hauss and own everything. I don't even care if the aliens win every game, I want to be afraid of the damn thing, not see it run in, nibble on someone then run away like some sort of freakish housecat.
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damn straight. nowadays 1 good jp'er with a hmg can own a onos easy. the onos is my favorite alien after the gorge, but its just too inefective. it needs to be beefed up a bit and should truly look evil as hell.
i like the idea of tougher armor on its front, i think the rear and its belly should be the most vulnerable spots. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tiny.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::onos::" border="0" alt="tiny.gif" />
with its charge, i think it would be more realistic if it was harder to control, like trying to steer rageing bull, you could only straife left or right, turning 90 degrees quickly should be impossible. maybe during the charge you could press the +movement key and it would pause charging and rear up high, giving off a huge roar. although it would expose the weak belly to bullets, you could get a bit more height to digest that pesky jp'er, or to pivot around and charge back off in the other direction....
the charge should also trample marines that are in the direct line, the onos's feet crushing them as it moves past. marines to the side of the trampled marine would get knocked back a bit. maybe make it so HA just get a bit of knockback, but always stay upright.
and of course, the charge knocks over buildings that arent secured to the floor <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/turret.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::sentry::" border="0" alt="turret.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/siege.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::siege::" border="0" alt="siege.gif" />
1. The player physically exits the ship out of the hole caused by the onos, in which case the player dies instantly.
2. The marine/alien can be beaconed/redeemed, in which case they continue living. Or,
3. The players left in the area will ultimately die as well, either from lack of oxygen, or from combat with opposing players also trapped in the area.
Only a charging onos would be able to alter the environment in this way, which could allow the alien team to alter the map to it's advantage. Or perhaps this would be a way of discouraging reckless behavior, because having a section of map cut off might be detrimental to both teams?
It also turns into a stalemate on NS maps.
Anyways, it's just a thought.
Also, I like the idea of light weapons not dealing damage from the front, the vulnerable rear, and the less armored sides. I can see this in NS2, and it would be a nice improvement to the now-rarely played onos.
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I like this too, but only if the onos can't strafe, or is very slow at strafing, to avoid people from blocking bullets going past too easy