Marine weapon specialization
teh_fatts
Join Date: 2004-06-21 Member: 29442Members
Join Date: 2004-06-21 Member: 29442Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Greater variety, greater teamwork</div>One thing that always bugged me about playing the Marines in NS1 was how many of their weapons felt like straight upgrades. For the most part, Shotguns simply obsoleted LMGs and HMGs simply obsoleted both of those. The only thing that really felt like it served a specialized function rather than merely being an upgrade was the grenade launcher.
That feels boring to me. I'd rather see every available weapon be useful throughout the length of the game, by developing the weapons with an eye toward distinguishing their roles more heavily. "Side-grades" more than straight upgrades, though a little of both is understandable.
The flamethrower is a nice start but, for example, what if the HMG had a short charging or "spin up" time before firing, in exchange for excellent armor piercing qualities or simply massive damage; simultaneously, give the shotgun a much wider spread and lower armor-piercing qualities or weak damage that's more than counteracted by a damage bonus whenever used against something that's in mid-air.
Thusly, the HMG becomes a dedicated heavy life form and assault-repelling weapon at the cost of being less useful in ambushes, requiring teammate screening and support. Similarly, the shotgun becomes an excellent skirmishing and ambush-countering weapon against the more mobile life forms, at the cost of being less effective against the real heavy hitters.
Your vanilla LMG remains the balanced all-rounder. Perhaps increase its benefit from damage research, or give it an "advanced" research and/or model version, so that the weapons-which-require-research can continue the tradition of being more powerful than the basic game-start LMG.
I want to see marine assault columns with a flamethrower and a shotgun in front, an HMG flanked by two LMGs in the middle, and another shotgun or two in the back.
That feels boring to me. I'd rather see every available weapon be useful throughout the length of the game, by developing the weapons with an eye toward distinguishing their roles more heavily. "Side-grades" more than straight upgrades, though a little of both is understandable.
The flamethrower is a nice start but, for example, what if the HMG had a short charging or "spin up" time before firing, in exchange for excellent armor piercing qualities or simply massive damage; simultaneously, give the shotgun a much wider spread and lower armor-piercing qualities or weak damage that's more than counteracted by a damage bonus whenever used against something that's in mid-air.
Thusly, the HMG becomes a dedicated heavy life form and assault-repelling weapon at the cost of being less useful in ambushes, requiring teammate screening and support. Similarly, the shotgun becomes an excellent skirmishing and ambush-countering weapon against the more mobile life forms, at the cost of being less effective against the real heavy hitters.
Your vanilla LMG remains the balanced all-rounder. Perhaps increase its benefit from damage research, or give it an "advanced" research and/or model version, so that the weapons-which-require-research can continue the tradition of being more powerful than the basic game-start LMG.
I want to see marine assault columns with a flamethrower and a shotgun in front, an HMG flanked by two LMGs in the middle, and another shotgun or two in the back.
Comments
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2010/6/damage_types_in_ns2" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2010...ge_types_in_ns2</a>
This sounds very akin to what you are saying... the HMG is described as a minigun which just might involve some form of short "charge" time while different damage types give great potential for tweaking balance in terms of ensuring usefulness of all levels and hence promoting teamwork.
Similarly Skulks are supposed to remain the backbone fighters of the Aliens throughout the game and not become cannon fodder.