Some thoughts and suggestions for NS2
NS-SkorpioN
Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58101Members
Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58101Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Characters innovations</div>I want to leave some expressions of what I’d like to see in the new NS2:
<b><u>Marines:</u></b>
I’d only want you to redesign the LMG. I don’t like the current design; it looks like a WW2 machine gun. I remember that some time ago, you uploaded a series of sketches with a plenty variety of designs, and I particularly liked the most compact and short, like concepts #11 and #26.
The guns should include a flash light with undetermined life and the Marine should decide when to have it on and off.
The rest of equipments, uniforms, etc. is okay for me as they are now in NS1, but it’s obvious (and totally agree with it) that they will have improvements.
I would also like to see implemented a feature that makes the marine use both hands when climbing up or down a ladder, forcing him to leave the gun in his back; if during movement on the ladder, he needs to shoot, a function could be added that makes him grab the ladder with one hand and shoot with the other.
<b><u>Aliens:</u></b>
First of all, please design the different creatures with more “alien†and terrifying look, as I don’t like at all how they look like now; let me clarify that I’m talking about the external look, not their “functionsâ€, which I consider perfect for every class.
Following with the creatures, below I detail some things that I’d like to see implemented:
<u>Onos:</u> please, do NOT allow Onos to climb up ladders! It’s a beast of more than a ton of weight, besides it is… quadruped… that only can access other levels using ramps, stairs and elevators.
<u>Gorge:</u> as this is also a quadruped, the same rule as Onos could be applied, but being the Gorge much smaller and lighter, maybe and I repeat maybe, it could climb walls like the Skull using the nails or like Geckos do in real life, using microscopic suckers.
Back to the Onos, it just came up to me that the “Devour†look could be implemented like this:
<i>- Devour:</i> when the Onos catches a Marine, an animation is run that shows the Onos catching the soldier with the jaws, raising the head and swallowing in two or three steps (2 or 3 seconds), and later the soldier is digested. During all that process an animation from the Marine point of view could be done, being swallowed until “fade to black†when digested by the gastric juices.
<i>- Trapped in jaws:</i> in this case the animation of the Onos trapping the marine with the jaws is repeated, but the marine is not devoured. The Onos simply keep the marine in the mouth for the same time the Devour animation lasts, and later a predefined animation tears the marine apart.
In both cases, the Onos can keep moving and attacking. For visual references about what I mean, remember the scenes in these movies:
MIB II: the giant bug in the end of the movie that eats Tommy Lee Jones.
The Host: when a guy is eaten between the tracks in the parking lot.
Another thing about the Gorge, sometimes they are alone on an empty hive… they could have an extra defensive weapon:
<i>Using the Spit, they could leave in the walls and ceiling some small eggs that would contain a little creature similar to the HL1 “snarkâ€. Yes, that small and bothering creature that only had seconds of life but could be dangerous. The Gorge could have a predefined “stockâ€, let’s say 10 eggs, and could use them to leave them in key spots of the Hive. So when a Marine enters a predefined radius, the egg explodes and the creature goes out attacking immediately to the unfortunate and rushing lonely Marine.</i>
<u>Lerk:</u> an option could be applied that allows them to stay hanging from the ceiling like bats and also allows them to walk over the walls and ceiling like bats too.
That’s all I come up with for now. I just want to let it clear that this is what I would like to see implemented. Of course, it all depends on the developers decisions. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<b><u>Marines:</u></b>
I’d only want you to redesign the LMG. I don’t like the current design; it looks like a WW2 machine gun. I remember that some time ago, you uploaded a series of sketches with a plenty variety of designs, and I particularly liked the most compact and short, like concepts #11 and #26.
The guns should include a flash light with undetermined life and the Marine should decide when to have it on and off.
The rest of equipments, uniforms, etc. is okay for me as they are now in NS1, but it’s obvious (and totally agree with it) that they will have improvements.
I would also like to see implemented a feature that makes the marine use both hands when climbing up or down a ladder, forcing him to leave the gun in his back; if during movement on the ladder, he needs to shoot, a function could be added that makes him grab the ladder with one hand and shoot with the other.
<b><u>Aliens:</u></b>
First of all, please design the different creatures with more “alien†and terrifying look, as I don’t like at all how they look like now; let me clarify that I’m talking about the external look, not their “functionsâ€, which I consider perfect for every class.
Following with the creatures, below I detail some things that I’d like to see implemented:
<u>Onos:</u> please, do NOT allow Onos to climb up ladders! It’s a beast of more than a ton of weight, besides it is… quadruped… that only can access other levels using ramps, stairs and elevators.
<u>Gorge:</u> as this is also a quadruped, the same rule as Onos could be applied, but being the Gorge much smaller and lighter, maybe and I repeat maybe, it could climb walls like the Skull using the nails or like Geckos do in real life, using microscopic suckers.
Back to the Onos, it just came up to me that the “Devour†look could be implemented like this:
<i>- Devour:</i> when the Onos catches a Marine, an animation is run that shows the Onos catching the soldier with the jaws, raising the head and swallowing in two or three steps (2 or 3 seconds), and later the soldier is digested. During all that process an animation from the Marine point of view could be done, being swallowed until “fade to black†when digested by the gastric juices.
<i>- Trapped in jaws:</i> in this case the animation of the Onos trapping the marine with the jaws is repeated, but the marine is not devoured. The Onos simply keep the marine in the mouth for the same time the Devour animation lasts, and later a predefined animation tears the marine apart.
In both cases, the Onos can keep moving and attacking. For visual references about what I mean, remember the scenes in these movies:
MIB II: the giant bug in the end of the movie that eats Tommy Lee Jones.
The Host: when a guy is eaten between the tracks in the parking lot.
Another thing about the Gorge, sometimes they are alone on an empty hive… they could have an extra defensive weapon:
<i>Using the Spit, they could leave in the walls and ceiling some small eggs that would contain a little creature similar to the HL1 “snarkâ€. Yes, that small and bothering creature that only had seconds of life but could be dangerous. The Gorge could have a predefined “stockâ€, let’s say 10 eggs, and could use them to leave them in key spots of the Hive. So when a Marine enters a predefined radius, the egg explodes and the creature goes out attacking immediately to the unfortunate and rushing lonely Marine.</i>
<u>Lerk:</u> an option could be applied that allows them to stay hanging from the ceiling like bats and also allows them to walk over the walls and ceiling like bats too.
That’s all I come up with for now. I just want to let it clear that this is what I would like to see implemented. Of course, it all depends on the developers decisions. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Comments
The lerk ability of hanging in ceilings could be useful to rest in hidden places.
The snark idea... It has to be weak enough to only be able to kill/leave nasty damage against a lone marine.
IF onos keep with devouring attack, I think he should have more flexible mandible. How that HA pass through his mouth?
The "snarks" should be easy to kill. Only a meanance to alone marines. And, as defensive weapon, should only be able to be created on DI. But, if I'm not wrong, they're more focused on online gameplay, rather than progaming AI, so this maybe be inviable.
*not needed*, The Host!
I'm not sure I like the actual idea, but based on just the pure <b>gruesome</b>ness and shock factor of it, I'd like to see something like it.
I made a simple animation to allow a better understanding of my idea that Onos may knock down welded and/or closed doors when the three hives are enabled. Aliens could not open those doors with a button or any other way. The door could be a prop_dynamic element. The ability could be called “Knock down†and my idea is that it would be enabled after the third Hive, but it also could be before. That could be discussed.
<img src="http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4175/ns2onosdoor.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Lastly, I would like to add that I expect that developers do not allow Onos and Gorge to climp up vertical ladders, please!
I hate how aliens can't get through certain blocked off areas that can only be opened by Marines.
but I don't think gorges should be able to go on walls. They are too fat to be climbing on walls.
They are coming back. I'll try and dig up the quote.
Yes, some like this:
<img src="http://www.internalbleeding.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/the-host-5.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
In regards to not allowing Onos to climb ladders; thats a fair point and i agree. But in most cases the Aliens have taken over a marine environment where they use ladders; therefore theres not always going to be ramp's for the Onos.
In regards to not allowing Onos to climb ladders; thats a fair point and i agree. But in most cases the Aliens have taken over a marine environment where they use ladders; therefore theres not always going to be ramp's for the Onos.
Ok, what happens if an Onos dies with a marine in its entrails during the digestion process may cause any of these options:
A)- Technically the more easiest, when an Onos dies and falls to the floor the devoured undigested Marine simply appears expelled next to the Onos corpse but he can not stand up by itself, just needs help from another comrade ( like in L4D ).
B)- This option is more technically ambitious, as above, when an Onos dies and falls to the floor, a predetermined animation shows a Marine emerging from the entrails with a knife in his hands, a few seconds later the player can take control of the Marine again.
In both cases it will show the effect seen in L4D, when a Boomer vomits the player, and the player finds difficulty to see, for some seconds…and so simulating fluids pouring out of Onos entrails over the player.
I understand that playability is the priority, because at the end of the day this is a game, BUT, I think that it is possible to include a feature that makes Onos not capable of climbing ladders. It all depends on mappers, if they design the maps taking that into consideration. After all there are other alien forms of life that can get to areas of the map where Onos can’t.
This does sound pretty cool when you see it for the first time, but I have a feeling that after playing this game for a year, this animation will become more of an annoyance than a cool aesthetic.
Gameplay > Realism
(Realistically speaking, there wouldn't be much of a face left after being soaked in all those acids =P)
However, this would have to be done gracefully and not in the L4D style, where they are explicitly trying to make a movie. I believe NS2 is not focusing on making a movie in a game.
I recommend a crouch to standing motion, and a delay for bringing your weapon back up when freed.
LOL..
<!--quoteo(post=0:date=:name=spellman23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (spellman23)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->A short pause for the escaping would-be-devoured Marine would be useful. It's definitely odd that you can suddenly start firing the moment the onos goes down, which can really mess things up for the Aliens still in the area.
However, this would have to be done gracefully and not in the L4D style, where they are explicitly trying to make a movie. I believe NS2 is not focusing on making a movie in a game.
I recommend a crouch to standing motion, and a delay for bringing your weapon back up when freed.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Maybe the fallen marine in an L4D style would be the simpler and more effective option, that's why I think that laying in the ground he would need the help of another marine... or just get up by himself, as you say.
as for Onos and gorge with ladders, the aliens get to build tunnels >.> Problem solved.
First of all, please design the different creatures with more “alien†and terrifying look, as I don’t like at all how they look like now; let me clarify that I’m talking about the external look, not their “functionsâ€, which I consider perfect for every class.
Following with the creatures, below I detail some things that I’d like to see implemented:
<u>Onos:</u> please, do NOT allow Onos to climb up ladders! It’s a beast of more than a ton of weight, besides it is… quadruped… that only can access other levels using ramps, stairs and elevators.
<u>Gorge:</u> as this is also a quadruped, the same rule as Onos could be applied, but being the Gorge much smaller and lighter, maybe and I repeat maybe, it could climb walls like the Skull using the nails or like Geckos do in real life, using microscopic suckers.
That’s all I come up with for now. I just want to let it clear that this is what I would like to see implemented. Of course, it all depends on the developers decisions. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh please... Gameplay over realism anyday.
As I said before, I wouldn't like to see in NS2 a 1 ton ( or more ) cuadruped beast climbing a vertical ladder.
I know gameplay is above realism, especially in a game like NS, but I think I'm not asking something ridiculous; I repeat, I do not like to see an Onos climbing vertical ladders, situation that could be solved perfectly doing the map correctly, as I said before, and placing ramps, elevators and stairs where necessary; possibly it will even be implement a system for aliens, similar to Phase Gate used by the Marines. Therefore, I understand that there are options to implement the restriction to Onos of climbing ladders.
Just My Two Cents.
That said, I think ScorpioN had the same impact watching the refered scene as it had on me: "Ok, now THAT´s just lame! They´ve crossed the line there."
Ohhh and to adress this i´d like to see gorges spiting their tongues on walls or ceilings and pulling their bodys towards it, just like Link (Zelda) using his longshot.
NS-SkorpioN: I´m sure the developers have already adressed the onos issue, since that was just, reiterating, completely absurd and easily solvable.
Let's not forget that Onii didn't see much playtime in NS1, and that that issue will (hopefully) be alleviated in NS2.
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