Natural Selection 2 News Update - NS2 Build 220 released

145791012

Comments

  • OrzOrz Join Date: 2010-03-24 Member: 71069Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1979945:date=Sep 19 2012, 11:19 AM:name=Flipper)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Flipper @ Sep 19 2012, 11:19 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1979945"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->VSync reverts to off when toggled on?

    Anyone else get this?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Yeah, I just noticed this too (sorry if it has been addressed after the first page, I didn't have time to read)
  • KeldornKeldorn Join Date: 2012-05-05 Member: 151587Members
    edited September 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1980605:date=Sep 20 2012, 08:43 AM:name=Morshu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Morshu @ Sep 20 2012, 08:43 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980605"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Overall a good patch as always.

    I don't know why SO many people are complaining about the new adrenaline in-game being "useless" and "dumb" all it takes is some ENERGY MANAGEMENT, sorry alien players but you can't have infinite energy pools anymore! (thumbs up for making alien support structures more viable now aka the shift)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Agreed, I had to do energy management as a lerk eitherway in the last few patches and I think its better than having everything spammed. It also increases the usefulness of shifts to quickly replenish energy. Nice synergy.

    Sentries still needs to be looked at and the lvl 3 assault rifle sounds are a tad annoying. :)
  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Skulks need a bite cone buff with this bite range at least, else it's really unmanageable.
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Heh! Everybody is crying about the skulk-range-nerf. Thats what you get for calling Charlie a marine-hater in the Live-Dev-Q&A. :P

    Nah, srsly. I couldn't play this patch yet and won't say a thing about this skulk nerf. Besides maybe, that many people tend to cry about changes instead of adapting to it. It's happening every patch in every game. "Buhuhuhu! Why did you change X. I have no skill now! Dare you to change a game in beta!" :D

    Maybe this nerf was overkill, maybe not. I will decide for my own today when I can play again. But seeing the QQ about the adrenaline change reinforced my opinion about such people. This change is absolutely logical. Not having to watch the energy is like playing marines with unlimited ammo. You only cry, because you got so used to it and now refuse to adapt to a more logical system, that also doesn't devalue the shifts passive ability.

    Every patch this QQ... It gets really annoying.
  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited September 2012
    Surely defending a change without testing it yourself is as stupid as whining about a change without testing it???

    Seriously, there was absolutely no reason why the skulk had to be changed. This 'it's a beta and you should expect unwarranted or random changes' argument is getting old, and one would think that so close to release they should really stop messing with the very core mechanics of NS 2 gameplay.

    I and many others feel that this game is constantly taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back, when it could have taken 3 steps foward every patch if they had actually listened to the community or stuck with what worked in NS 1. It's frustrating, both for us and for the developers no doubt to have to go through this process, but it's the only way we can possibly express our concern about the direction this game, or some aspects of it, is/are heading in. (Which at the moment seems like a sort of hybrid between combat and classic mode)

    This whole sentry fiasco, the endless messing with skulk mechanics (addressing some 'imaginary' skulk dominance?), the lerk bilebomb chapter, the unsatisfactory gorge play, etc etc are all gameplay elements the community feels strongly about, simply because we know that what NS 1 had worked really well, and can't always be improved upon. NS 2 deserves a lot of credit for experimenting with a lot of things in beta, but now that the release is nearing, they really need to stop balancing or redesigning this game with a sledgehammer the way they have been doing throughout beta. They need to start falling back onto what worked, and fine-tune from there. The sentry guns are a good example of this, they should revert them to the NS 1 type and implement some mechanism to restrict (preferably with a soft cap) them from getting spammed rather than implementing countless unwarranted redesigns of the sentry gun every patch, all equally terrible. Stop messing with things that work. The individual sentry gun worked well, spammability is a problem entirely unrelated to the base unit that is the sentry gun.
  • havok?havok? Join Date: 2012-05-22 Member: 152462Members, NS2 Map Tester
    <!--quoteo(post=1980566:date=Sep 19 2012, 11:50 PM:name=Industry)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Industry @ Sep 19 2012, 11:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980566"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There is actually a bug that has been around for a long time when you get stomped by an Onos the weapon jams. Switching to another weapon and back usually fixes it. Possible this could have been what you were experiencing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    It isn't just after getting stomped, it can randomly happen after reloading. Jumping might have something to do with it. The pistol and even the riffle-butt can get jammed as well.
  • Salraine_ChiSalraine_Chi Join Date: 2011-07-03 Member: 107669Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1980690:date=Sep 20 2012, 11:14 AM:name=_Necro_)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (_Necro_ @ Sep 20 2012, 11:14 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980690"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Heh! Everybody is crying about the skulk-range-nerf. Thats what you get for calling Charlie a marine-hater in the Live-Dev-Q&A. :P

    Nah, srsly. I couldn't play this patch yet and won't say a thing about this skulk nerf. Besides maybe, that many people tend to cry about changes instead of adapting to it. It's happening every patch in every game. "Buhuhuhu! Why did you change X. I have no skill now! Dare you to change a game in beta!" :D

    Maybe this nerf was overkill, maybe not. I will decide for my own today when I can play again. But seeing the QQ about the adrenaline change reinforced my opinion about such people. This change is absolutely logical. Not having to watch the energy is like playing marines with unlimited ammo. You only cry, because you got so used to it and now refuse to adapt to a more logical system, that also doesn't devalue the shifts passive ability.

    Every patch this QQ... It gets really annoying.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    We are not crying. We have played several hours of 220 and are giving our opinions. Is this not why we joined the beta and come to the forums?

    Its true that it does take time to adapt to each change but please jump on a server, play as Skulk especially for at least 5 games and then post your opinions then rather than insult your fellow community members. I think I can say you may not like what you find.

    One very good clan member who shall remain nameless, who I was playing on the HBZ server with last night got a k/d ratio of 0-21 as alien in one game before giving up. I left shortly after. The Marine k/d ratios in nearly all the games I played yesterday were very good and scores in the twenties to a handful of deaths were common. the exact opposite was true for the Alien players.

    Sal
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited September 2012
    Sorry, I didn't want to insult someone. I just wrote out of experience. Updates are cried about since CounterStrikeBeta and sure even before that. And as I wrote, I won't say much about the skulk-change. But the adrenaline change seems absolutely logical to me. And the arguments against this show a pure lack of will to adapt and understanding of the change.

    €dit: What I forgot... It is also very natural that you have problems with a change like this skulk nerv at first. In a fast paced FPS the sequences of movements are stored in your brain via reflexes. Even some slight changes are enough to completely screw your skill up. Just try a little bit longer and you may come back to your old skill-level.
    Anyway. I will try this build today. And again: I'm not saying that you can't be right, that this change was over the top.
  • IndustryIndustry Esteemed Gentleman Join Date: 2010-07-13 Member: 72344Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    <!--quoteo(post=1980695:date=Sep 20 2012, 05:28 AM:name=havok?)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (havok? @ Sep 20 2012, 05:28 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980695"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It isn't just after getting stomped, it can randomly happen after reloading. Jumping might have something to do with it. The pistol and even the riffle-butt can get jammed as well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Guess I haven't noticed that. I haven't gotten to play marines much this build as every time I random teams I end up on alien (marine stacking!). The few games I've ended up on marines have mostly been me commanding. Perhaps I will go load up a listen server and play with it.

    I also really don't understand the adrenaline nerf raging. Being able to use some attacks infinitely (or near so) was over the top. Adrenaline with bile bomb and blink are honestly the first to come to mind. Before adrenaline was a no brainer. You take the upgrade and don't think about it. The energy bar became a non-issue. Granted they could have have just lowered the regeneration rate and called it but what the new adrenaline does is allows it to actually synergize with the shift passive and not make it completely obsolete. This all while the upgrade still does exactly what it sets out to do, it allows you to use your abilities more. Is the current iteration perfect? Probably not, but I personally still think its a very powerful upgrade; you just need actually pay attention to your energy. It is no longer a free pass but allows you more leeway in your energy use. A buffer for more mistakes or to be more aggressive.

    Concerning the skulk bite nerf: it either needs to be changed back to a 10% nerf rather than 20% or the bite cone needs to be increased. Perhaps even both. As it is now the basic lifeform becomes increasingly harder to play as the game progresses (skill based movement aside). This is worrisome especially as they are trying to bring the game to a wider audience. Such a narrow pathway for mistakes is difficult and doesn't create an encouraging environment for the new players. This isn't to say there absolutely wasn't any "skulk dominance" but I feel like it was a bit much. While changing it from 1.5 to 1.2 doesn't seem like much, and even when looking at the screenshots it seems so insignificant, to many this range has become almost mechanical and ingrained into how they play. This makes the change seem pretty drastic and to me honestly seems like a bit too much.
  • TaneTane Join Date: 2004-10-25 Member: 32441Members, Constellation
    edited September 2012
    I just like to point out that not all hate "skulk-range-nerf". Anything that rewards skill is good in my books and indeed this change rewards players with better movement and positioning. Bad performance makes it feel like that bites don't reg when they should, but most of these cases a skulk just missed his bites or was outplayed by a marine. Lower range also rewards marines, who know how to fool skulks with body movement (You might want to check Avex's legendary <a href="http://youtu.be/DjBCTIRPOBQ?t=9m43s" target="_blank">frag</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4WS2hzJLFqg#t=239s" target="_blank">mine</a>). It was great skill in NS1, would be shame if skulk bite worked like autoaim.
  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited September 2012
    To be honest, in an environment where both you and the marine you are trying to bite are moving at fast speeds, it's nigh impossible to land these skulk bites. You can't make speed the single most important asset of the skulk on the one hand but punish the user when utilising that speed at the same time with a low bite cone and bite range, requiring almost pinpoint biting precision. (which is not only extremely new player unfriendly, it also simply makes the skulk a ridiculously hard class to play even for the more seasoned players) Marines simply have to jump to completely offset the encounter in their advantage.

    Doesn't help that NS2's poor performance and hit reg work against the skulk in this as well.

    Portraying a larger bite cone and/or bite range as 'auto-aim' is a gross exaggeration. From watching both competitive and public games alike, in the past few builds, I for one could only conclude that the marine vs skulk balance was pretty solid. (And moving in the marine's favour as their hit reg and general performance increases)
  • elodeaelodea Editlodea Join Date: 2009-06-20 Member: 67877Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1980743:date=Sep 20 2012, 11:42 PM:name=Xarius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xarius @ Sep 20 2012, 11:42 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980743"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->To be honest, in an environment where both you and the marine you are trying to bite are moving at fast speeds, it's nigh impossible to land these skulk bites. You can't make speed the single most important asset of the skulk on the one hand but punish the user when utilising that speed at the same time with a low bite cone and bite range, requiring almost pinpoint biting precision.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Agree. I wouldn't mind the skulk bite range so much if movement was alot more crisp instead of this rollerskating accelerate/decelerate business.
  • fanaticfanatic This post has been edited. Join Date: 2003-07-23 Member: 18377Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    edited September 2012
    Bite range nerf is fine. Maybe people will realize how weak the skulk is in other respects now; particularly with regards to movement.
  • Samus1111111Samus1111111 Join Date: 2012-08-07 Member: 154930Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    The range nerf is fine, but when coupled with the previous cone nerf, it becomes very hard to hit a moving target when both you and him are moving.

    I'd say that the cone is the bigger problem atm.
  • ImbalanxdImbalanxd Join Date: 2011-06-15 Member: 104581Members
    Step aside

    I just killed 6 marines in one go and all I had was the carapace from 219 and the new walljumping. This proves that anyone can follow their dreams.
  • WilsonWilson Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 72867Members
    IMO the problem with the bite is that it is inconsistent. If you aim at the marines big toe it might register but if you look slightly to the right it wont. Just look at the screenshots on the previous page. Regardless of what the range is, it needs to be consistent. It seems like it would be better to just have a box around the marine that if a bite lands in it counts, rather than having individual parts of the model register bites or not. No one is aiming at particular parts of the body during combat. You just aim in the direction of the marine. At the moment it is too inconsistent and often bites will miss and you won't understand why.
  • cartmaancartmaan Join Date: 2012-09-12 Member: 159127Members
    Since new build mic has been on even whilst I have not been pressing the button.

    Also why is their no option to mute your mic?
  • YuukiYuuki Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75079Members
    edited September 2012
    There is clearly some problems with skulk bite, for example this bite will not hit, although the skulk teeth is actually in the marine foot:

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/R7pny.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

    I think the problem is that the hit box is way too detailed, you actually need to aim at individuals foot to land bites from bellow, when a marine is jumping and have its legs moving around it might be hard.
    It make sense to have detailed hit box for the rifle, but I think for melee a cylinder could be enough, maybe the collision cylinder, so you can bite what you touch.
  • KasperleKasperle Join Date: 2004-09-29 Member: 31990Members
    Marine movement to dodge skulkbites: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV_Eojd8NyM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV_Eojd8NyM</a>
  • havok?havok? Join Date: 2012-05-22 Member: 152462Members, NS2 Map Tester
    <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8iREA5rXHU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8iREA5rXHU</a>
  • DustehDusteh Join Date: 2011-07-25 Member: 112142Members, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow
    Definitely not as many people playing this patch as opposed to 219, also many are avoiding playing alien, which is a shame.

    <!--coloro:#00FF00--><span style="color:#00FF00"><!--/coloro--><b>Like:</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
    - New Adrenaline, definitely needed, previous was far too good.
    - Removal of Carapace slowdown.
    - Regen buff.

    <b><!--coloro:#8B0000--><span style="color:#8B0000"><!--/coloro-->Dislike:<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b>
    - Lerk is still far too weak and it's a huge shame, because Lerk was without a doubt my favourite alien class to play (back when rmb was shotty spikes). Flapping costing energy is just annoying, would prefer spikes on left-click and spores right click. Bite should be researched and toggled with spikes.
    - Weapons 3 LMG dentist drill noise
    - Skulk bite needs tweaking, feels a little underpowered at the moment.
  • TyphonTyphon Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 1899Members
    To anyone testing skulk bite cone: you <u>must</u> create your marine target dummy as a marine player and then switch to aliens. If you create the marine as an alien, then it's on your team and the friendly fire bite cone is <u> nine times smaller </u> than the actual bite cone!
  • MOOtantMOOtant Join Date: 2010-06-25 Member: 72158Members
    edited September 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1980605:date=Sep 20 2012, 08:43 AM:name=Morshu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Morshu @ Sep 20 2012, 08:43 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980605"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->As of the skulk bite nerf I don't really mind it but HOWEVER when marines jumps around like old ladies with big cockroaches crawling on the floor it's nearly damn impossible to even get a hit and THAT needs a fix, it can't be right that 5 skulks can't kill 1 single marine on his own within 4 seconds just because he's jumping around as always, only it works 'too good' with the skulk bite nerf.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Yes. I like that skulks have to actually look at the enemy while trying to bite and that aspect of NS1 is good. However, I don't like that marines can jump like crazy and/or outrun skulks. In simpler words, nerf marines aliens got nerfed enough.

    When it comes to hitbox it is possible that low ray length highlighted the issue of marine hitbox being tiny. Source SDK melee code works around that issue by tracing a cube on a ray towards the enemy. CheckMeleeCapsule is that code I have in mind.
  • MOOtantMOOtant Join Date: 2010-06-25 Member: 72158Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1980505:date=Sep 20 2012, 02:29 AM:name=Virsoul)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Virsoul @ Sep 20 2012, 02:29 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980505"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Can we start a petition to change this back or change the width for which a skulk can bite?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    It's a lot simpler for the admin to just revert what NS2 devs did and mark server as modified. Prediction issues wouldn't really matter.
  • YuukiYuuki Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75079Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1980819:date=Sep 20 2012, 05:24 PM:name=Typhon)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Typhon @ Sep 20 2012, 05:24 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980819"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->To anyone testing skulk bite cone: you <u>must</u> create your marine target dummy as a marine player and then switch to aliens. If you create the marine as an alien, then it's on your team and the friendly fire bite cone is <u> nine times smaller </u> than the actual bite cone!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Seems fine then !
  • NeoRussiaNeoRussia Join Date: 2012-08-04 Member: 154743Members
    edited September 2012
    They need to make it more consistant, the range is always different because you find yourself biting different parts of the body. Either make the bite cone larger, or the marine's hitbox a big fat cylinder shape.
  • peregrinusperegrinus Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72445Members
    What I see in this patch are single marines, bouncing around in circles, with two or three skulks yapping at their feet unable to land hits.

    Often the marine can take down two skulks before he's killed. And that's not a veteran player.

    I think the whole thing with the hit boxes going nutso when marines jump around is still there.
  • VirsoulVirsoul Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151977Members, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Onos
    The screenshot I took was on a live server and the marine was another player.
  • darkfictiondarkfiction Join Date: 2010-12-14 Member: 75677Members
    Thanks for the update UWE I've been waiting for a patch that brings better frame rates since 216, my FPS went from 60 in 216 to 35 (217-219) and now it's at 75! Don't change anything else!
  • CLARK_KENTCLARK_KENT Vancouver, Canada Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9508Members, Reinforced - Silver
    edited September 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1980722:date=Sep 20 2012, 05:51 AM:name=Tane)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tane @ Sep 20 2012, 05:51 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1980722"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I just like to point out that not all hate "skulk-range-nerf". Anything that rewards skill is good in my books and indeed this change rewards players with better movement and positioning. Bad performance makes it feel like that bites don't reg when they should, but most of these cases a skulk just missed his bites or was outplayed by a marine. Lower range also rewards marines, who know how to fool skulks with body movement (You might want to check Avex's legendary <a href="http://youtu.be/DjBCTIRPOBQ?t=9m43s" target="_blank">frag</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4WS2hzJLFqg#t=239s" target="_blank">mine</a>). It was great skill in NS1, would be shame if skulk bite worked like autoaim.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Re: Skulk range: I don't mind the skulk range. I think skulks just need to adjust their style of play. No longer can you be this offensive unit that can close great distances in plain sight to kill (that would be the fades' job). Skulks have to be a bit more thoughtful, more strategic, and more guile -- either via ambush tactics or group/wolf-pack tactics. For the latter, my thoughts are that one of the main underlying tenets of play for this game is teamwork... you really do have to stick together. Maybe I don't mind as much because this was the style of play that was more successful for skulks in NS1. I found I was still okay with skulk, but again, I was using more ambush tactics like stalking in wait above doorways for poor unsuspecting marines.

    Re: Upgraded weapons sounds: I also do not like the "whirring/whining" sounds. Like others, I feel a more powerful sound is one that "booms" and explodes more... like a higher calibre round.
Sign In or Register to comment.