Natural Selection 2 News Update - NS2 Build 219 released

124

Comments

  • RTVRTV Join Date: 2008-06-09 Member: 64417Members
    Egg bug still in the game :(
    I want my sentrys back! I feel so comfortable if these things around me.
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1976118:date=Sep 12 2012, 08:01 AM:name=WorthyRival)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WorthyRival @ Sep 12 2012, 08:01 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976118"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The biggest issue with power packs is their <u>infinte</u> source of power. <u>It's this mechanic that underminds power nodes.</u>
    <u>
    Power packs need to be disposible</u>. They should have a <u>timed life span of 1-2 minutes</u> before burning out.
    Only enough time to power a phase gate to stage a ninja assault on a hive or to capture a power node.
    Only enough time to spawn in a few marines via an infantry portal in an emergency.

    The power pack as a battery idea has been flying around the ideas and suggestion fourms for a long time. I've no idea why they ignore it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    ^ This! Bring back power packs for ninja PGs! Maybe 30 seconds of power are enough. Than they need to charge again (= needs a powered room).
    I don't understand why they got removed. Nobody were complaining about them.

    New sentry purpose sounds weird. Just cap the number to the robot factories. Keep the health low, but make them actually hit aliens.

    Other changes sounds great. Can't wait to test the new spawn system.
  • shad3rshad3r Join Date: 2010-07-28 Member: 73273Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1976296:date=Sep 12 2012, 11:37 PM:name=_Necro_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_Necro_ @ Sep 12 2012, 11:37 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976296"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't understand why they got removed. Nobody were complaining about them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    According to the Q&A they were removed because the sentry battery needed a model.

    I'd prefer just adding a sentry limit per robofactory and retaining the powerpack as a limited time battery for sneaky PG.

    The sneaky phase in Cargo on an un-infested skerrick of floor in Sunday's cup final was awesome. So was the alien team response to it. It would totally suck to lose dramatic moments like those from competitive matches for both spectators and players.
  • OkazakiOkazaki Join Date: 2008-01-29 Member: 63532Members
    Great work although I have to say I dislike the anti-structure sentrys... I think that the ARCs already fulfill that role.

    I also think that marines really needed static defense to maintain Tech Points or atleast hold the line for a bit until a actual players get to the Tech Point, because most new players don't listen to their Commander when he says that a Tech point is under attack and it needs defending.

    Losing a tech point because marines didn't respond fast enough can be really frustrating for new Commanders.
  • XaragothXaragoth Join Date: 2012-08-03 Member: 154720Members
    Applying this shortly before a tournament wasn't the smartest move in the world.

    Overall, the new sentries seem pretty useless and the removal of the powerpack weakens Marines massively. Except Beacon there is now no defense for a Marine base at all. Not that Sentries were any good before that. But at least a powerpack kept the damn gates up to return. While Aliens can spam Whips everywhere if they want to. Try to weed a forest of them out.

    And why the hell does a turret that can punch holes into buildings not punch holes into Skulks? It's not like you use small caliber to punch holes into things.
  • DeadzoneDeadzone Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1976303:date=Sep 12 2012, 08:46 AM:name=Okazaki)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Okazaki @ Sep 12 2012, 08:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976303"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Great work although I have to say I dislike the anti-structure sentrys... I think that the ARCs already fulfill that role.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    The main difference between ARC and sentries now is the battery vs having to walk and guard them across the map. Why not just ditch ARCs and bring back siege turrets at this rate?
  • MartigenMartigen Australia Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2714Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Reinforced - Onos
    <!--coloro:#00FFFF--><span style="color:#00FFFF"><!--/coloro--><b>On Phase Gates</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

    <!--quoteo(post=1976099:date=Sep 12 2012, 05:40 AM:name=Kopikat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kopikat @ Sep 12 2012, 05:40 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976099"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Why not just have it so that if one side is powered, both sides are powered?</b> Kind of like how you can repair both sides of the gate from one end. At least, I think you can.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This. This * elventybillion with shiny magical bells of awesome on.

    And afterall, it transports matter it's perfectly conceivable it can send power too.


    <!--coloro:#00FFFF--><span style="color:#00FFFF"><!--/coloro--><b>On Sentries</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
    This has bothered me for a long time: they are <i>sentries</i>. Either they live up to their name, or what are they doing in the game?

    <b>They should:</b>
    <ul><li> Be effective vs skulks, a threat vs Lerks, and a harassment vs Fades.</li><li> Require a structure to build (Robo factory/battery pack/fluffy rabbit et al). Since the Robo factory is basically the Turret Factory from NS1, I'd say keep them there. I also miss building siege bases in NS1, and if sentries were more effective, more comms might do just that (so the ARC can roll out and move around a little, helps with positioning!)</li></ul><b>They should not:</b>
    <ul><li> Have a limit on their number (their cost alone is a deterrent -- if the marines are spamming turrets, you have bigger problems like 'Why did we let the marines have so much res?'). <!--coloro:#FFFF00--><span style="color:#FFFF00"><!--/coloro--><i>[Footnote 1]</i><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></li><li> Be build-able on infestation -- it's not consistent with every other marine building, and as discussed at length in this thread, they should not be siege weapons: the marines have plenty of other options for that.</li></ul>
    <!--coloro:#FFFF00--><span style="color:#FFFF00"><!--/coloro--><i>[Footnote 1]</i><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> I can't believe I'm suggesting this, but in case my view is not shared by the majority, a solution: a Robo factory provides for 4 turrets. The factory can also be upgraded at cost to support another 4 (call it 'Upgrade Turret Support' for 10 or 20 res), providing a maximum of 8 and at extra cost in addition to the turrets themselves.

    <!--coloro:#00FFFF--><span style="color:#00FFFF"><!--/coloro--><b>Might take this opportunity to sneak this in here too:</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
    Give Robo factories an upgrade to electrify powernodes (within range of the Robo)... to somewhat negate the 'Win Game Button' effect powernodes have for marine bases. Strong zaps, 1-2 second delay, targeting one alien at a time would prevent lone skulks taking out a node but allow for a) hordes of skulks to do so, or b) higher lifeforms with/without skulks to do so. Yes, this is reminiscent of TF electricity from NS1, which I also miss.
  • RowenRowen Join Date: 2012-05-04 Member: 151545Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think the only reason they have removed power packs is to prevent confusing new marine commanders with the power node system<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    A problem that could have been solved by renaming them <i>emergency batteries</i>.

    The sentry changes are puzzling, and the new build fails to address the problem of fades being the alpha and omega of alien play and turning every game on it's head as soon they start appearing and making them extremely predictable (Are the marines pressuring the second hive before aliens reach 50 pres? If not, they lose)
  • darkfictiondarkfiction Join Date: 2010-12-14 Member: 75677Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1976085:date=Sep 12 2012, 05:12 AM:name=GORGEous)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GORGEous @ Sep 12 2012, 05:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976085"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It takes 2 sentries (20 tres total with power pack) ~50 seconds to kill a newly dropped hive. It takes one person ~12s to build all of this by himself. That seems like alright dps, but I'm not really sure how good it truly is. All it takes is one alien to walk in front of the sentries and they just fail to output any dps because they try (and fail) to shoot the alien.

    I think the sentries are better than I initially though, but still unsure why I'd ever want to spend tres to build them when you probably don't gain much (if any) dps on the hive by building them. Also, you have to put them very close to the hive because they have a short range and you don't want them targeting players/eggs/hydras/etc.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Well it's simple actually... You build the power first before you are spotted in the hive, Comm drops 2 sentries and the marine builds them, the hive is now getting attacked while the marine is free to clear the hive of eggs and any Aliens that manage to spawn... The marine only has to keep the aliens down long enough for the 50secs you mentioned it takes to kill a hive with 2 sentries.

    <!--quoteo(post=1976272:date=Sep 12 2012, 01:13 PM:name=Mouse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mouse @ Sep 12 2012, 01:13 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976272"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It'd be cool if the comm could to do this on the full-screen map - paint battle plans that the marines can see on their own full-screen maps.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    This would be awesome but I don't know when a Comm would have time to do this... Also it would have to be a transparent shade so as not to block the map as many new players rely on it for navigation.
  • EmpVEmpV Join Date: 2005-01-10 Member: 34556Members, Constellation
    edited September 2012
    My 2 cents...

    All structures should have a battery backup just in case of a power glitch/outage. It's only sensible.

    When there is no power:
    1.Larger structures use up backup power faster and remain powered for a very short time. (10 -20 seconds) (This includes phase gates)
    2.Small structures like turrets require less power and remain powered for longer. (1-2 minutes)

    All structures slowly recharge backup batteries when power is restored. Newly built structures come with a fully charged backup battery.


    This allows for offensive turret placement, ninja phase gates, and encourages marines to build power nodes to secure an area.
  • paellapaella Join Date: 2007-03-23 Member: 60463Members, Constellation
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=120758" target="_blank">Please remove auto med/ammo requests</a> =)

    I... am not sure that the change makes sentries attractive? I wasn't building them before and probably won't be building them in the future... I guess I could maybe imagine building them if they preferred to target structures instead of players, although this would of course be fairly counter intuitive.

    Otherwise looking like improvements.
  • Dictator93Dictator93 Join Date: 2008-12-21 Member: 65833Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited September 2012
    Admitadely super confused about the sentry change. I hav eplayed this game at a pretty ok level of play and never had problems playing as marines with sentries or being an alien against sentries. They are quite easy to kill and have mediocre damage. Plus, if they have a bunch of 'em, thaat means either they "wasted res" on 'em or you the enemy team allowed them to get too much res in the first place.

    Very confused over the sentry change.
  • rad4Christrad4Christ Join Date: 2002-01-31 Member: 139Members
    What of a compromise. The Commander drops or upgrades a structure to support turrets. Heck, maybe even the powernode itself is upgraded. And turrets are placed by marines with pres?

    It is a blend of tres/pres and the commander creates the space for the turret, and the player sets the location and aim?
  • ZymoranZymoran Join Date: 2010-07-25 Member: 72781Members
    <b>About the sentry change...</b>


    According to my intuition, gameplay experiences and the whole concept behind sentry guns in basically any game,
    a sentry gun is supposed to be a tactical defensive structure specifically useful for key positions, bashing low-armored units which may have wanted to make a quick hit-n-run.

    As per 219, a sentry gun is an offensive structure specifically useful against buildings... I don't see the logic behind this. Marine commander already has ARCs - why add one more anti-structure thing... Not to mention that shotgun, grenade launcher and flamethrower are very useful against buildings too.

    While I have not tested it for offensive purposes yet, I have seen how it didn't work <b>at all</b> for defensive purposes. Most of the time it isn't shooting and if it does, the opposing aliens would have had plenty of time to deal with it already.
  • MelancorMelancor Join Date: 2003-12-15 Member: 24415Members
    edited September 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1976037:date=Sep 11 2012, 09:48 PM:name=Cyberboss)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cyberboss @ Sep 11 2012, 09:48 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976037"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Power pack observatories save games<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    "Not save games, but unnecessarily delay the UNIVETIBLE END" (Gorge Rush - Bashington, D.C.)


    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->a sentry gun is an offensive structure specifically useful against buildings... I don't see the logic behind this.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I don't either. At all.


    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->When there is no power:
    1.Larger structures use up backup power faster and remain powered for a very short time. (10 -20 seconds) (This includes phase gates)
    2.Small structures like turrets require less power and remain powered for longer. (1-2 minutes)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That's an awful long time! Might lead back to tweaking Power Node health and weld time...
    However, giving that PG a battery could be a solution to the NINJA quest. Let marine structures start functional by own power for 10 seconds or so.
  • dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
    Release is in 1 month and we still have the horrible fps-drops @ midgame and massive choke issues.
    I really hope UWE can fix this till release. In the current state the game if far from be a release candidate in my opinion.
  • YuukiYuuki Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75079Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1976521:date=Sep 12 2012, 10:22 PM:name=dePARA)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dePARA @ Sep 12 2012, 10:22 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1976521"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Release is in 1 month and we still have the horrible fps-drops @ midgame and massive choke issues.
    I really hope UWE can fix this till release. In the current state the game if far from be a release candidate in my opinion.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I also have dip in fps when many players are around, I think you and other server admins should limit player to 16 or something, 20 is too many for the engine.
  • lunsluns Join Date: 2010-12-05 Member: 75502Members
    not sure about 16 slot server, but the less people the better usually. As someone above me said mid-game and late game my fps drops, and spikes a lot. As for massive choke issues that usually happens randomly almost, especially in combat for me. one month away from release, it doesn't look good.
  • 1dominator11dominator1 Join Date: 2010-11-19 Member: 75011Members
    Sentry change seems silly, where are you supposed to build them in a room covered with infestation? As for clearing hallways, most kharaa comms tend to build around corners anyway.
  • MuckyMcFlyMuckyMcFly Join Date: 2012-03-19 Member: 148982Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
    Please fix evolving in the vents on veil, getting stuck is frustrating, its my only moan x
  • MuckyMcFlyMuckyMcFly Join Date: 2012-03-19 Member: 148982Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
    Sorry, played with turrents, please change back to being for defening they currently suck.
  • KeldornKeldorn Join Date: 2012-05-05 Member: 151587Members
    edited September 2012
    I think the game improved ALOT after the last 2 patches.

    Now with the spawn change for aliens, I can use shifts to plant more eggs in case of a team wipe. Lerk has improved by quite a bit, not sure if it needs any more buffing at this point. Fade might need to be tweaked to be slightly less powerful but not by much. Haven't had a chance to see those new marine turrets in play so can't comment on them. I love the blue outline on marine IPs.

    I'd say take a look at:

    - Fades, make them slightly less powerful.
    - At turrets (based on the opinions of other people here)
    - Buff flamethrower slightly. I'd like to see it at 25 pres, that alone could be a buff in my opinion.
    - Reduce player damage on the grenadelauncher
    - Remove automatic ammo/health requests.
    - Give aliens a choice when they get into a commander layed egg upgrade wise. Or just remove any previous upgrades so you're not stuck with the upgrades of your previous lifeform.
    - Reduce or remove the speed penalty of carapace, right now instead of crag hives, people go shift hives at the start of the game because of this. I'm fine with the armor reduction on skulks, but the slowing effect is a nono for a merely 20 more armor.
  • YuukiYuuki Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75079Members
    Why can't we parasite building anymore, is there any explanation about that ?
  • WilsonWilson Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 72867Members
    Buildings can't get parasites silly.
  • KurrineKurrine Join Date: 2010-07-03 Member: 72235Members
    <!--coloro:#aadd00--><span style="color:#aadd00"><!--/coloro-->Sure they can......<!--coloro:#00FFFF--><span style="color:#00FFFF"><!--/coloro--><b>NANITES!</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
  • NeoRussiaNeoRussia Join Date: 2012-08-04 Member: 154743Members
    Another example of perceived realism running perfectly good game play mechanics. I'm also upset that I can't get free points for parasiting everything.
  • YuukiYuuki Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75079Members
    They explained it was removed temporarily before the new hive sight was introduced, why is it not back? Should I report the bug?
  • OnosFactoryOnosFactory New Zealand Join Date: 2008-07-16 Member: 64637Members
    I like the new lerk spores, very powerful, very useful in a pack of other aliens too.

    Haven't seen sentries built once in like 8 games.
  • Know painKnow pain Join Date: 2012-09-04 Member: 157674Members
    ns_veil, added doors so that gorges can no longer bile bomb sub tech point. Are you nuts it was already a marine sided map and no you made if more marine sided? Vents are way too exposed, its sneaky and evil when a marine gets into a vent but they can get into almost every vent there is.
  • MOOtantMOOtant Join Date: 2010-06-25 Member: 72158Members
    Remove icons over LMGs, I don't care about weapons worse/same than one I'm using.
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