Development Blog Update - Friday update - Lerk reveal

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  • SykomykeSykomyke Join Date: 2003-08-28 Member: 20316Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    For Lerk Spore Secondary attack:

    -A <!--coloro:#FF0000--><span style="color:#FF0000"><!--/coloro-->slow releasing gas that constantly drains energy from the lerk and is dispersed behind the lerk as he flies<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->. The <!--coloro:#2E8B57--><span style="color:#2E8B57"><!--/coloro-->gas is a slightly thicker version of the normal spores. Concentrated spores, if you will<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->. As such they do not float in the area but rapidly fall to the ground. <!--coloro:#2E8B57--><span style="color:#2E8B57"><!--/coloro-->Once the reach a surface, they transform from a gas into a corrosive liquid that does damage over time to whatever it is touching <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->(in the case of buildings it allows a minor DoT component). Against marines that are in it, or step in the goo they find themselves taking significant armor damage, and minor health damage per second, an escalating amount as they continue to stand in it. <!--coloro:#2E8B57--><span style="color:#2E8B57"><!--/coloro-->The goo lasts approximately 5-8 seconds<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->.

    And yes this was an idea I took from the Spitter in L4D2.
  • NditionNdition Join Date: 2009-07-10 Member: 68104Members
    Nice video and as for the secondary some nice psychosis effect would be nice.
  • Fall0utFall0ut Join Date: 2003-09-18 Member: 20988Members, Constellation
  • KhyrisKhyris Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70728Members
    I'd actually like to see something to make up for the removal of primal scream... maybe an adrenaline spore cloud which lasts for ~4 seconds ... maybe is a bit hazy like umbra, and gives aliens in it a speed/damage boost that wears off ~4 seconds after exiting the cloud.... so like a maximum of ~8 seconds of adrenaline if they stay in the cloud for the entire duration.

    Another idea... Make the "sniper spike" the primary fire and the spores secondary (machine-gun spikes never seemed biologically plausible to me anyway)... then put melee as the second weapon... primary bite and secondary lerk lift, but let the lerk lift do low talon damage over time to marines you can pick up and fly off with (until they shoot your butt). Endless fun could be have grabbing unwary marines standing too close to a bottomless pitt... bubye! Latching onto JP'ers mid-air and dragging them down where skulks can reach them would be a useful ability also. You wouldn't be able to fly-off with a heavy, but you could at least latch onto him and bite-bite-bite... if a skilled player could latch onto a heavy from the back, this would force marines to cover eachother and not go "rambo" with the HA. Make some damage threshold to the lerk that would force him to drop so that marines have SOME chance of breaking free.

    I also like the high-cooldown small-sized cloud-which-disables-structures idea. Like, 3 second duration, 4 second cooldown. I don't think it would be overpowered since the lerk would have to be doing that INSTEAD of shooting spikes/spores, plus it's not a lock-out so IP's can still spawn, and armories can still dispense, sige cannons can still fire, just 1/4 as often assuming constant spamming (unless you get two lerks, in which case why are you dumb marines letting 2 lerks sit there??). But being able to disable resource income or an armory resupply from range... making an annoyance that marines HAVE to respond to, can be very useful tactically. If marines can have seige, this would be a good balance, because it allows aliens to at least temporarily disrupt marine activities in a room without having to have charge INTO the room. You get some lerks around the map keeping the RT's disabled until the skulks can chew them down would only make a small difference in resources to marines... but sometimes small short term resource differences turn into large differences in the long run. This would also discourage marines from the annoying habit of building every damn structure on top of eachother so nobody can walk through the base. Closer together they are, more likely multiple structures get disabled by one cloud.
  • remiremi remedy [blu.knight] Join Date: 2003-11-18 Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
    edited February 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1755503:date=Feb 26 2010, 12:50 PM:name=locallyunscene)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (locallyunscene @ Feb 26 2010, 12:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755503"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I like the idea of a bombardier lerk that increased dmg taken jarate style.

    Or to throw in some yomi layers:
    <ul><li>Spore does normal damage to marines</li><li>Flamethrowers/explosives burn gas away</li><li>Alt-Spore does no(reduced?) dmg to rines</li><li>Alt-Spore ignites when burned doing more dmg</li></ul><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That's good. I was trying to think how to add in some yomi myself :)


    I think this would work with the jarate effect too.
    Also re: your edit, I don't think spikes should interact with it.
  • remiremi remedy [blu.knight] Join Date: 2003-11-18 Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
    <!--quoteo(post=1755517:date=Feb 26 2010, 01:13 PM:name=Licho)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Licho @ Feb 26 2010, 01:13 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755517"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sticky time-bombs sound fun, especially the twist with bomb stuck on a marine :)

    Btw., are animations from this video real in-game animations or just for video? They look nice.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I like this too. It could have usability beyond flying in, but to really make good use of the sticky party, you'd have to.
  • GurrgGurrg Join Date: 2010-02-16 Member: 70594Members
    i love the spike gun
  • CXZmanCXZman Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70730Members
    edited February 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1755512:date=Feb 26 2010, 10:02 PM:name=Xiphias)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xiphias @ Feb 26 2010, 10:02 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755512"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It would release the toxin into the bloodstream instead, forcing the marine to continiously loose health until he dies or recieves a medpack, the rate would be subject to balancing.

    This would be useful against jetpacks, because they'd have to land or otherwise seek out a medpack, reducing their mobility.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    I was thinking something like that, but with more impact on gameplay :

    <b>LERK PLAGUE</b> : a single shot, with a pretty high cost (maybe only two shots a row), with a distinctive sound on impact. It only have effect if it hits on a marine's head (headshot, that is). The marine is now "<b>infected</b>" and starts losing health at a small rate that slowly increases until it's unbearable (and deadly). While infected, the marine emits a distinctive sound of coughing, all the time. That sound could go even worse and louder along with health going down faster and faster.

    The trick is, it's not only a poison, it's a <u>plague that spreads on other marines</u> if they stay near an infected one for too long.


    The aim is to spread panic over a marine team that suddenly have to work quite differently. Commander has to think a way around, choosing between several strategies :
    - reforming teams so the infested one stick with a limited number of guys that stick together, and send the other ones elsewhere. That is fighting the plague with suicidal missions, but without risking doing something that ends suxxing. But if they survive together, there are now all plagued. So there's still a problem.
    - banning the infected marine and sending him on a dangerous mission that can help a bit, but mostly ends on a respawn spot.
    - giving out medpack so marines camping at a crucial point of the map can sustain the disease a little more at the expense of resources.
    - spending time in a research of a vaccine (that would be a new technology) that can lower toxic spores effect and completely cures/prevents from the lerk plague.


    I'm not sure that would be a tough one to implement, but I'm convinced this could shake the game in a nice way.
  • SekerSeker Join Date: 2007-03-06 Member: 60259Members
    DPS infection like which jumps over onto other marines would be a bit too hard or ? :P
  • eoyeoy Join Date: 2004-11-18 Member: 32860Members
    edited February 2010
    I know this isn't really on topic, but I saw the lerk video and I just thought

    can we please have smoke in the engine? All those shots would look incredible with a little smoke coming from pipes on the walls or some creepy alieny fog. Just think about how smoke would look with lightning and everything omg!

    And yeah, the lerk looks and sounds amazing.
  • 0dy0dy Join Date: 2004-01-31 Member: 25788Members
    what about an alt fire that does the following:

    it does 0 damage to the marines as long as they dont shoot a gun. if they fire a gun the cloud becomes agitated and does damage to the marine. the damage does not depend on the amount of gun damage the marine is doing, rather the duration he is using the gun/how many bullets he is firing.

    they can use melee in this cloud and they receive no damage. the idea that the cloud damage does not increase as the marine weapon damage increases is so that in late game this is not very effective (but very effective early game). idk, just a thought.
  • noncomposmentisnoncomposmentis Join Date: 2004-11-13 Member: 32773Members
    edited February 2010
    <b>PLZ WALLPAPER THE FIRST CONCEPT ART</b> (16:10 widescreen)

    I like the Spore alt-fire suggestions people have about slowing down marines. I think it would be nice if the lerk had some utility against HA, so making alt-fire a "grease spot" or something floor-based would still enable JP to fly over it, giving some distinction to the lerk <i>and</i> the marine classes. It's no fun being lerk in NS against a team of HA. That may be different already though, with spikes.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->can we please have smoke in the engine?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    They haven't added particle effects yet, which they plan to do, so I would assume that yes, smoke and jets of steam will be in NS2.
  • SlycasterSlycaster Limited Edition Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 24Members, NS1 Playtester
    <!--quoteo(post=1755538:date=Feb 26 2010, 03:44 PM:name=eoy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (eoy @ Feb 26 2010, 03:44 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755538"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I know this isn't really on topic, but I saw the lerk video and I just thought

    can we please have smoke in the engine? All those shots would look incredible with a little smoke coming from pipes on the walls or some creepy alieny fog. Just think about how smoke would look with lightning and everything omg!

    And yeah, the lerk looks and sounds amazing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Don't worry man, I don't believe the editor has the full particle engine in yet so naturally those additions will be made later. The teaser trailer does demonstrate a bit of it though, and it looks gorgeous.
  • derWalterderWalter Join Date: 2008-10-29 Member: 65323Members
    i played a lot of sc2 beta now and i am absolutely not pleased.

    SO I'm waiting for the ns2 alpha! :P



    this creature seems to be perfect.




    spore alt. fire: since there is no melee attack, he could spit a high toxic bubble or something like that.
    it would take some time to switch to the other slot and press alt fire, so it would require a little bit of skill and training




    greetings from austria :)
  • Gnu3nGnu3n Join Date: 2007-09-03 Member: 62150Members
    For secondary attack, how about a healing cloud wich uses all the adrenaline and "dazes" the lerk for some seconds, renders it unable to regen adrenaline for that amount of time
  • -Diesel--Diesel- Join Date: 2009-09-13 Member: 68769Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1755558:date=Feb 26 2010, 05:13 PM:name=Gnu3n)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gnu3n @ Feb 26 2010, 05:13 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755558"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->For secondary attack, how about a healing cloud wich uses all the adrenaline and "dazes" the lerk for some seconds, renders it unable to regen adrenaline for that amount of time<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I really hated those clouds..


    How about healing juice that it spits out ontop of other aliens.

    Clouds were just... lame.
  • BadMouthBadMouth It ceases to be exclusive when you can have a custom member titl Join Date: 2004-05-21 Member: 28815Members
    I really liked the lerk video. The lerk looks much meaner now, very much like a vulture. The animation to that had the spikes come out from the wings when weapon change was pretty neat.

    And I couldn't help buy notice the marine idle animations. Very neat.

    Alt fire to spore could be spore trail. Leave a line of spore behind when flying.

    One thing I'm wondering about is the death animation for the lerk. And how much physics will impact it when it dies. Would it tumble on the floor when it is killed while flying at a fast speed?
  • smallfrysmallfry Join Date: 2009-04-10 Member: 67132Members
    I like the more support-orientated abilities rather than straight damage. My preference would be something like, shooting out concentrated goo that limits the visibility of one marine. Think of it like being boomer-biled in Left 4 Dead- it's not frustrating at all, it just makes things more tense and encourages teamwork. With it, the lerk will at least have 1 ability against heavies.

    Umbra of course would be great, too. I hope one of the aliens gets something like it!
  • TriggermanTriggerman Graphic Artist Join Date: 2004-11-10 Member: 32724Members, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited February 2010
    First off, really great design. Wouldn't mind seeing some eye-movement on it but it looks crazy enough as it is I guess!

    My suggestions for secondary fire:
    <b>
    UMBRA</b>
    Honestly, it's a good ability. If it feels lacklustre, you could make it block motion sensors so marine players can only see them in person, but Commander as well as other players won't be able to track or see them.
    Or it could have an adrenaline increase while teammates stand inside it.
    But it's still awesome since I think the Lerk works best as a support class.

    <b>SPORE GRENADE</b>
    It takes more adrenaline to use, but the Lerk shoots away a spore-sack that can bounce off walls before finally detonating. This way they can lob and bounce it against walls while staying protected. Otherwise the effect is exactly the same as the primary fire.
    Possible adjustment would be to right-click again to detonate it, making it possible to create an ambush or an escape route by planting one of these "mines", but that would require a heavy cost in adrenaline.
  • TheGivingTreeTheGivingTree Join Date: 2003-01-09 Member: 12070Members
    edited February 2010
    Looks great, although it's not very different from how the Lerk was in NS, there just isn't that much you can really do with the Lerk. And for alt. fire suggestion, well actually after reading the previous post,
    Machinaster already covered what I was going to say.
  • PipiPipi Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69550Members
    This concept better.

    <img src="http://www.unknownworlds.com/images/ns2/screenshots/MattTheLerk.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
  • JAmazonJAmazon Join Date: 2009-02-21 Member: 66503Members
    Someone suggested some kind of trailing powder type alt-fire. I really like the idea of a carpet bombing ability. Perhaps acid or something that DPS's whatever is unfortunate enough to be underneath his flight path.

    Also the large head crest has me excited that mabe there will be some kind of divebomb/headbutt type ability? ;)
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I expected a Lork on Clorf video, but this will do :P
  • NeoSniperNeoSniper Join Date: 2005-06-02 Member: 52976Members
    edited February 2010
    Spore Alt-fire

    Shoots out just like spore, but instead of bursting into a gas cloud, it covers a small area with damaging-goo (walls, floor,ceiling). Lower DPS than spore but takes longer to fizzle out and does global damage (including armor). If you hit marines directly then they will receive the same DPS as if stepping on it but for a shorter duration.

    Lot's of other good ideas.

    EDIT: Also really great work on the reveal video and lol'd at the "Matt the Lerk" concept art.
  • Squeal_Like_A_PigSqueal_Like_A_Pig Janitor Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 66Members, Super Administrators, NS1 Playtester, NS2 Developer, Reinforced - Supporter, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Developer
    <!--quoteo(post=1755517:date=Feb 26 2010, 09:13 PM:name=Licho)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Licho @ Feb 26 2010, 09:13 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755517"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Btw., are animations from this video real in-game animations or just for video? They look nice.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yes, the video only used actual in game animations.

    --Cory
  • perfectheatperfectheat Join Date: 2007-06-28 Member: 61405Members
    Really like the Lerk. I don't really have a killer alt-fire idea. But would really like to see some kind of hallucinating spray that makes the marines see things. Like incoming Kharaa that aren't there and so on. This cloud could be dropped more like a bomb/on the spot. Is it possible to do camera/view changes so that it would look like the walls are coming in, or the distance becomes much closer? Meaning a bit harder to navigate. A bit like when drunk and seeing double Skulks.

    Is the spore cloud flammable? Would be cool to be able to bomb marines that are flaming infestation with it.

    Is the 0:24 - 0:26 a placeholder sound? I don't know why it stuck out for me as I really like all the other sounds so far.

    Cheers.
  • SCIBOTICSCIBOTIC Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70737Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1755584:date=Feb 27 2010, 09:47 AM:name=JAmazon)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JAmazon @ Feb 27 2010, 09:47 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1755584"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Someone suggested some kind of trailing powder type alt-fire. I really like the idea of a carpet bombing ability. Perhaps acid or something that DPS's whatever is unfortunate enough to be underneath his flight path.

    Also the large head crest has me excited that mabe there will be some kind of divebomb/headbutt type ability? ;)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I like this idea, how about a fast swoop with a trail of spores? They could use it to escape or harass enemies.
  • juicejuice Join Date: 2003-01-28 Member: 12886Members, Constellation
    I like everything about the new lerk, except he seems a little slow and clunky. Even though he looks bigger than NS1 lerk, he should still be fast.
  • schkorpioschkorpio I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
    edited February 2010
    wow the lerk is awesome - the game has such a nice atmosphere :)
    really glad the spikes are back!


    I don't really like the trail idea, it seems a little redundant if you can just shoot a spore cloud anyway.



    What about gorge lift - or picking up marines and dropping them to their dooM!
  • JirikiJiriki retired ns1 player Join Date: 2003-01-04 Member: 11780Members, NS1 Playtester, Squad Five Silver
    edited February 2010
    Nice lerk model but.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The biggest change for the Lerk in NS2 is the switch back to spikes instead of bite (as in NS v1.0). We wanted to keep him as differentiated as possible and this seemed the easiest way to do it. It also doesn't seem very Lerk-like to have him fly up to a structure and then sit on the ground and bite it. He should be hiding in the rafters and in vents and attacking from range.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I completely <b>disagree</b>. I used to play back in 1.04 days and I still do competitively. Lerk v1.0 is <b>dead boring</b> compared to the 3.0 lerk which requires vertical aerial movement skills and ability to dodge bullets while trying to hit target. This is skillwise a lot more interesting than sitting in a vent and shooting from range. I could get you probably top 10 lerks to agree on this. Anyone can spore or spike from a vent but it takes talent to be effective in close combat with the bite.

    And also you are not keeping it "differentiated". Bite made lerk very different from all other lifeforms, it brought the "mini-airplane" into NS. There're already lots of ranged weapons but nothing that requires kind of flight skills.
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