Revamping Scent of Fear

RuberduckRuberduck Join Date: 2007-09-10 Member: 62235Members
in Ideas and Suggestions
So here's something that I've been thinking about. It wouldn't change gameplay completely which is crucial in this stage of development.

As we all know, Scent of Fear is an upgrade you can't get on the alien side. What it does currently in Natural Selection is place a red ring around where someone is so you can see their position, and flashes at a set interval. What would probably make this more realistic is a type of 'Heartbeat Sensor'. So when you are using it, the rings flash at the rate of a normal heartbeat. However, if a Marine were to get attacked, that would increase their heart rate and as a result an alien using Scent of Fear would see their position refresh quicker.

Just a little tidbit. :3
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Comments

  • darktimesdarktimes Join Date: 2007-12-24 Member: 63247Members
    i made a suggestion a long time ago for a new/upgrade Scent of fear.
    i lost the post, and the search is not very usefull.
    to keep it short, a simple picture.

    <img src="http://www.hidden-source.com/media/ingame/617aura.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    there are 2 players on that picture. whitout the camera man.

    <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxvNNA7ivEA&NR=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxvNNA7ivEA&NR=1</a>
    and here in action, see how damaged men are red, and healthy green.

    my idea. like it? as a SOF upgrade or replacement.
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  • Killer RicochetKiller Ricochet Join Date: 2008-12-03 Member: 65639Members
    edited December 2008
    I do like the idea of the green fog that fades to red (more aesthetic than usefull, commanders will heal they anyway), but watching where they are at real time would really give some extreme advantage. So I do like the faster the beat, the faster the upgrade. Maybe if low health they pulse faster too (I am weak! With aliens skulking around! Argh!).

    edit: and when alone, the beat goes faster too. So, even hurt, if you have 6 marines around you, it's not that big of problem. But one thing is face a Gorge. Other thing is face an Onos...
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  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
    i do wish to see the SOF more like a real SOF....
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  • ozbirdboyozbirdboy Join Date: 2007-08-07 Member: 61827Confirm Email
    I think the SOF that goes red for damaged players would fit in pretty good with NS2, it's not a major difference to the game but it adds a sense of communication. Eg: When an alien damages a marine, it automatically communicates it to the rest of their team so they can finish off the kill.
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  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    I think the fog should linger (time of lingering should depend on how many chambers are down), allowing skulks to see that there have been marines nearby, thus track one. Good idea. *thumbs up*
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  • Killer RicochetKiller Ricochet Join Date: 2008-12-03 Member: 65639Members
    edited December 2008
    <!--quoteo(post=1696605:date=Dec 23 2008, 09:12 AM:name=Hawkeye)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hawkeye @ Dec 23 2008, 09:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1696605"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think the fog should linger (time of lingering should depend on how many chambers are down), allowing skulks to see that there have been marines nearby, thus track one. Good idea. *thumbs up*<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    So, you and Ryknow does want <b><u>Scent</u></b> of Fear, instead of Heartbeat Tracker... Makes far more sense. I do too.
    I like the idea smelling where a marine have been.

    <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skulk.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::skulk::" border="0" alt="skulk.gif" /><img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/asrifle.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::asrifle::" border="0" alt="asrifle.gif" />

    As kalopsia said, then the scent fog gets red where the marines where hurt. The problem it's how to make a precise fog, that doesn't disrupt player's screen and is easily discernible.
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  • 70457137045713 Join Date: 2008-05-06 Member: 64218Members
    I think some sort of system should be added so that its not just essentially the same motion tracker that the marines have.
    One possibility for this would be to have some sort of fear system, that is, as the marines' fear increases, the more visible the hud icon becomes, and the more often it updates. Things that would increase this fear would be stuff like traveling alone, being in the dark, being on DI, having low health ect. This would not only provide more information through scent of fear, showing not only where the marines are, but which are the best targets, but it also would give another reason for marines to travel in squads. I would even go as far as to suggest that marines traveling in larger groups would have a reduction of their fear level, meaning that even in the dark or on DI they would be less visible through SoF.
    This still leaves room for SoF to be upgraded, as each upgrade would simply add to the range at which it could be detected (as I believe it was in NS)

    As far as making it look more scent-like... possibly have have marines show up on the HUD as a yellow blob that leaves a trail behind, which fades away after a second or two. The problem with something like this is that it could lead to the HUD getting very cluttered very fast.
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  • SirotSirot Join Date: 2006-12-03 Member: 58851Members
    edited December 2008
    I'd like it if all Skulks had Scent of Fear automatically activated that had a reasonably short radius of effect. It'll help out new players to set up ambushes and skulks can become trackers for bigger aliens alongside their parasite ability.
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  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->As kalopsia said, then the scent fog gets red where the marines where hurt. The problem it's how to make a precise fog, that doesn't disrupt player's screen and is easily discernible.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    binded key?
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  • KhazeKhaze Join Date: 2006-12-12 Member: 59031Members
    edited December 2008
    IIRC there were talks in some devblog about giving Skulks a SoF-like ability. The skulk would stop for a few moments and sniff the air loudly or somesuch.

    EDIT: Found the podcast. It's the <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2007/10/fifth_podcast" target="_blank">5th podcast</a>, after about 15:50 Charlie talks about an alt-fire for Skulks for Parasite that would allow the Skulk to go immobile and smell the enviroment.
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  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
    sounds nice, I think.
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  • FooKerFooKer Join Date: 2003-07-31 Member: 18622Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1696605:date=Dec 23 2008, 06:12 AM:name=Hawkeye)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hawkeye @ Dec 23 2008, 06:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1696605"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think the fog should linger (time of lingering should depend on how many chambers are down), allowing skulks to see that there have been marines nearby, thus track one. Good idea. *thumbs up*<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    NS did have something similar to this at one point with pheromones.

    To make it more interesting (not really feasible though) would be for scent of fear to only show when a marine has "fear".... like when he's attacked, sees an alien, gets startled by something in the environment falling..etc...just like what 7045713 was talking about.
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  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    Of course I think they should only do it if the graphics look nice. It should be transparent, and I think that would fix any problems caused by two much 'scent of fear' clutter.
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  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
    Yea.
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  • darktimesdarktimes Join Date: 2007-12-24 Member: 63247Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1696834:date=Dec 28 2008, 05:01 PM:name=FooKer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FooKer @ Dec 28 2008, 05:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1696834"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->NS did have something similar to this at one point with pheromones.

    To make it more interesting (not really feasible though) would be for scent of fear to only show when a marine has "fear".... like when he's attacked, sees an alien, gets startled by something in the environment falling..etc...just like what 7045713 was talking about.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    why only show when you have fear? a dog smells you anytime, not only when your afraid. and dont forgett that humans smell rater unique.
    maybe make it thicker and longer lasting when hurt or in "fear"
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  • 1mannARMEE1mannARMEE Join Date: 2008-09-23 Member: 65064Members
    edited January 2009
    How about if you press your Flashlight as a skulk or using the parasite alt-fire you can smell the marines and it is shown by footprints on the ground which are coloured from dark red (for "long ago") to light yellow (for "enemy nearby") it would be easier to not get confused by any random coloured smoke around, it will give you an disadvantage, because you have to walk the same way the marine walked. The only thing bad about it might be, that it isn't "realistic" but it's a game so who cares ... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

    It also makes sense for a 2nd fire mode for parasite, because in that way you can track down the marines and parasite them so your teammates can also see them
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