Ultra technical structural energy idea
IeptBarakat
The most difficult name to speak ingame. Join Date: 2009-07-10 Member: 68107Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
The most difficult name to speak ingame. Join Date: 2009-07-10 Member: 68107Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
Before the mildly broken energy system was removed from structures. I thought up some ideas that could have fleshed out the system better, however I can't code so I was of no use to anyone.
The idea:
Marine Structures would ultimately require power to operate, as it does now. The catch is that the structures themselves have a separate energy pool that allows them to operate for a limited time without requiring an active power node in the room. To balance this, usage of the structure would quickly diminish it's energy, ie (an infantry portal spawning a marine would cost 10 energy.) Therefore, if the structures weren't in a tired state from overuse, a powernode base rush wouldn't end the game as it normally does.
Basic Function:
Each structure has an individual energy pool with different caps and the structure's passive abilities require energy.
Structures have 50 energy when built, giving the marines a small timeframe before requiring an active powernode.
The cooldown system comes from the energy itself, causing overuse of a structural ability to leave the structure in a tired state. Similar to the current Armory system.
If the structure doesn't have a powernode in the room, it loses 2 energy per second.
If the structure does have a powernode in the room, it gains 2 energy per second.
If the structure's energy pool reaches 0 the structure is unpowered and inoperable, including Command Stations.
Benefits:
The marines would no longer need to be paranoid about a powernode rush that can shut down their base before the observatory could beacon, the marines would also be able to place powered structures in unpowered areas for a limited time allowing ninja type tactics and behavior.
The aliens would benefit as marine turtles would reduce in effectiveness quickly and allow the aliens to end the game easier. Infantry portals would slow down, and armories would stop being as effective. Destroying the powernode at that point would render the entire base inoperable and cause the round to end almost immediately.
Conclusion:
Hopefully that made sense, I can't code nor play modded content atm so I'm not able to just show you a prototype of the idea. Also the energy numbers are easily changeable for balance if the core concept is left unchanged. This idea is also applicable to alien structures, so the alien structures could hibernate instead of die.
The idea:
Marine Structures would ultimately require power to operate, as it does now. The catch is that the structures themselves have a separate energy pool that allows them to operate for a limited time without requiring an active power node in the room. To balance this, usage of the structure would quickly diminish it's energy, ie (an infantry portal spawning a marine would cost 10 energy.) Therefore, if the structures weren't in a tired state from overuse, a powernode base rush wouldn't end the game as it normally does.
Basic Function:
Each structure has an individual energy pool with different caps and the structure's passive abilities require energy.
Structures have 50 energy when built, giving the marines a small timeframe before requiring an active powernode.
The cooldown system comes from the energy itself, causing overuse of a structural ability to leave the structure in a tired state. Similar to the current Armory system.
If the structure doesn't have a powernode in the room, it loses 2 energy per second.
If the structure does have a powernode in the room, it gains 2 energy per second.
If the structure's energy pool reaches 0 the structure is unpowered and inoperable, including Command Stations.
Benefits:
The marines would no longer need to be paranoid about a powernode rush that can shut down their base before the observatory could beacon, the marines would also be able to place powered structures in unpowered areas for a limited time allowing ninja type tactics and behavior.
The aliens would benefit as marine turtles would reduce in effectiveness quickly and allow the aliens to end the game easier. Infantry portals would slow down, and armories would stop being as effective. Destroying the powernode at that point would render the entire base inoperable and cause the round to end almost immediately.
Conclusion:
Hopefully that made sense, I can't code nor play modded content atm so I'm not able to just show you a prototype of the idea. Also the energy numbers are easily changeable for balance if the core concept is left unchanged. This idea is also applicable to alien structures, so the alien structures could hibernate instead of die.
Comments
The strong benefits i see are the following
+ Powernodes actually do something useful and can provide more than just a net disadvantage (point 2 for why).
+ Linear power scaling of each successive powernode. Outer un-destroyed powernodes feed power into the grid so that base powernode is not an i-win button (they only disable local infinitely supplied power). This means we can now also reduce powernode hp and build times across the board for a win-win from the perspectives of balance/intuitiveness, and frustration/tediousness.
The only problem i can think of with your original idea is
- it's not intuitive to the ground player, a major problem we already see with armoury energy.
You could remedy that problem however with a small modification by simply closing out energy from affecting automatic ground player functions, instead keeping a CC/global energy used for commander abilities (keeping tres cost ofcourse, so say a beacon might cost 50 energy/10tres simultaneously or a med 1energy/1tres). This would be replenished from powernodes, and when the powernode goes down, any remaining energy is used to power local buildings specifically selected by the commander (RT's are the only building default off).
e.g. <b>Energy cost per second</b> for offline power would be tiered something like this (actual numbers depend on powernode income rate balance). Ideally you would want the powernode income rate to be feel tight and not abundant.
<b>1 energy</b>
Robo
Armslab
<b>2 energy</b>
Armoury
Sentry
Obs
<b>3 energy</b>
IP
Proto
ARC
<b>4 energy</b>
RT
Maybe someone should make a mod at the very least, to see how it fares? i mean, uwe isn't going to put it in now matter how good it is.
Now, we just have each structure drain from it anytime it does anything. Marine spawns and it draws a small amount that is quickly replinished, armor is used same thing, want to build a mac or arc it is going to cost a little energy plus the tres. So on and so forth. Anything a marine on the ground buys doesn't cost any energy, but when the item is bought it pulls a set amount from the energy pool. Overall, you shouldn't have a large problem keeping your energy pool up once you get a few nodes, but if you build a bunch of high tier buildings and get locked into a single room, you're going to start to starve on power. Couple this with the ability to shut down machines, and you have a really nice and unique mechanic commanders must take into account.
This makes powernodes not only a cool thing that adjust lights, but it also becomes a critical resource you need to operate successfully.
This can be another forum post, but on the other end, cysts and hives generate energy for the aliens, and are the only buildings that cost no energy to build.
like infestation automatically captures nearby power node, and gets some energy from it.
then it uses that energy to boost regeneration of buildings and players,// that can be connected through cyst chain with powernodes.
or something like that. at least there will be some purpose for flamethrowers.
I'll try to make some basic tests with modding later.