Recommendations to increase the combat experience.
BlackOpsGhost
Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166565Members
Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166565Members
As I've played this game, I couldn't help but think that there something missing at the pre-game level as well as when I'm in game mixing it up with the enemy. I won't say that I'm an expert at this game, but I feel like I've broken down how this game works rather well from what I've played and I'd like to offer up some suggestions for some future updates, or at least offer a conversation piece.
I will fully admit that I have played FAR more Marines than Aliens, but I have considered balance on the surface level.
General:
Pre-Game:
Character Customization: Before each game begins, the ability to customize what your character looks like (mainly in terms of color). While I realize that this doesn't make sense for the player, being able to differentiate yourself between the others would help others identify you, especially when playing with friends in a public server (as I do).
Marines:
New Weapons:
Infantry:
Semi-Automatic Battle Rifle: While the standard assault rifle is a fine weapon and has its uses, I think having the choice between that and a semi-automatic, more powerful rifle, would make for a good choice in beginning equipment. The logic isn't to provide more damage (since the damage per second can be the same between the two) but is to provide a way to distribute that damage differently, providing a higher risk-reward system.
Heavy Automatic Rifle: Again, stemming from the assault rifle and the advantages and disadvantages it carries, I like how it can provide prolonged fire to suppress players from moving down corridors or using vents. A major disadvantage, however, is how limited the ammunition on it is. 300 rounds goes through that thing pretty fast and once you're out, that's it. I'd like to offer a new piece of equipment inspired by the weapons on the exo-suits as well as other shooter. A heavier automatic rifle that has unlimited ammo but is only as good as its ability to cool down (as with the exo-suit's minigun) and does more damage (providing a cheaper alternative to dealing with mass Onoes than constantly having to produce exo-suits). This increased firepower would come at the price of mobility. Before firing, the weapon has to be deployed. This can be done by using the right mouse button to release a stand that drops to the ground. While the Marine has complete weapon rotation, the player can not move again until the right mouse button is clicked again and the stand has retracted under the gun. The Marine would also move more slowly, demanding that the use of the weapon be as deliberate as possible. It would also help establish group play because of how valuable an asset like that would be while defending or pushing an enemy Hive. The gun could be researched sometime around the time a grenade launcher would be researched.
Assault/Battle Rifle Under Barrel Upgrades: These would be attached to a gun pre-game but not active until researched.
Bayonet: In my experience when things get close, it gets frustrating trying to fight off an enemy when you're in the middle of reloading and has more often than not, resulted in my death. The addition of a bayonet would give Marines the ability to defend themselves better by giving them a more meaningful melee attack. And who doesn't want to see a bunch of human players running into a Hive with the intent of stabbing everything to death? No one. That's who. [Researched at Shotgun]
Shotgun: While there is a shotgun in the game, I can't help but think that a smaller version of this piece of equipment would only add to the game by filling a role. Namely the, "Oh ###### my rifle is empty and it's right there," role. The under slung shotgun would replace the rifle's melee attack by having a limited use, less powerful version of the buyable variant. [Researched at Shotgun]
Grenade Launcher: Like the shotgun, the grenade launcher's role is somewhat already accomplished, but without sacrificing the full use of the rifle. Being able to lob a grenade or two to break through a thick defense or clear a vent would be a great addition to the Marine team. [Researched at Grenade Launcher]
Exo-Suit:
Heavy Flamethrower: The role of the Exo-suit has felt somewhat limited in the game, even when I've played as the aliens. I think that adding the option to equip the unit with a bigger version of the flamer thrower would be a great addition to either a support or assault role. Rather than adding another weapon that only causes immediate damage, having the damage over time of the fire would allow the player to corral enemy units and force retreats.
New Marine Armor:
Heavy Assault Armor: At times it feels like my character is just too fragile. While there are upgrades, towards the very beginning and very end of the game, I also feel like I'm just getting torn up by anything and everything being thrown at me. I'd like to see the Marines get a new set of heavier armor to increase survivability, yet not make it the defacto armor to use in game. With the added protection would come the draw backs of not being able to move as quickly, jump as high, get the full benefits of using a jetpack or being able to pilot Exo-suits.
New Upgrades:
Increased Ammunition Capacity: Self explanatory. Marines always seem to run out of ammunition in their rifles far too quickly.
Bullet Types: Researched after level 1 upgrades, but may not be taken.
Full Metal Jacket: Increases damage against heavily armored units like Gorges and Onoes but reduced damage against Skulks, and the flying things. No change vs Lurkers.
Soft Core: Increases damage against Skulks and the flying things, but reduced damage against Gorges and Onoes. no change vs Lurkers.
Pre-Game/Mid Game Load Out: At the beginning of the game, and if these additions are placed in the game, why not give the players the option of setting up how they want their upgrades to role out to them? Let them select a rifle, give them an under the barrel weapon to select (that doesn't activate until it's been researched) and let them loose. As a player, I hate menus. So if I can spend a few minutes in one and modify everything to my liking, I'd enjoy the game that much more.
Aliens:
New Upgrade:
Skulk Spines: Through my limited time that I played as the aliens, I liked using the Skulk in a different way. Rather than charging the marines, I preferred to hang back and lob spines at the Marines and whittle them down for my allies to finish off. While playing this way, I killed off an Exo-suit. Taking this into consideration, I would like to see a greater emphasis on ranged combat with the Skulk. Being able to upgrade the Skulk's spine attack would open a whole new door in how to play as the quick harassing unit. The upgrade would allow the Skulk to dictate how to fire a set of spines at the enemy. Left mouse button would fire a burst of three spines (think assault rifle). The right mouse button would fire a group of nine spines (think shotgun). Like the Marine's Assault and Battle Rifles not out doing each other in damage, the spine attacks would operate under the same ideology. Example: The burst of spines would be fired nine times before emptying the energy of the unit; whereas the volley of nine spines can be fired three times before depleting the energy pool.
Thanks for reading, I'll try to update this as I play more as the alien race.
I will fully admit that I have played FAR more Marines than Aliens, but I have considered balance on the surface level.
General:
Pre-Game:
Character Customization: Before each game begins, the ability to customize what your character looks like (mainly in terms of color). While I realize that this doesn't make sense for the player, being able to differentiate yourself between the others would help others identify you, especially when playing with friends in a public server (as I do).
Marines:
New Weapons:
Infantry:
Semi-Automatic Battle Rifle: While the standard assault rifle is a fine weapon and has its uses, I think having the choice between that and a semi-automatic, more powerful rifle, would make for a good choice in beginning equipment. The logic isn't to provide more damage (since the damage per second can be the same between the two) but is to provide a way to distribute that damage differently, providing a higher risk-reward system.
Heavy Automatic Rifle: Again, stemming from the assault rifle and the advantages and disadvantages it carries, I like how it can provide prolonged fire to suppress players from moving down corridors or using vents. A major disadvantage, however, is how limited the ammunition on it is. 300 rounds goes through that thing pretty fast and once you're out, that's it. I'd like to offer a new piece of equipment inspired by the weapons on the exo-suits as well as other shooter. A heavier automatic rifle that has unlimited ammo but is only as good as its ability to cool down (as with the exo-suit's minigun) and does more damage (providing a cheaper alternative to dealing with mass Onoes than constantly having to produce exo-suits). This increased firepower would come at the price of mobility. Before firing, the weapon has to be deployed. This can be done by using the right mouse button to release a stand that drops to the ground. While the Marine has complete weapon rotation, the player can not move again until the right mouse button is clicked again and the stand has retracted under the gun. The Marine would also move more slowly, demanding that the use of the weapon be as deliberate as possible. It would also help establish group play because of how valuable an asset like that would be while defending or pushing an enemy Hive. The gun could be researched sometime around the time a grenade launcher would be researched.
Assault/Battle Rifle Under Barrel Upgrades: These would be attached to a gun pre-game but not active until researched.
Bayonet: In my experience when things get close, it gets frustrating trying to fight off an enemy when you're in the middle of reloading and has more often than not, resulted in my death. The addition of a bayonet would give Marines the ability to defend themselves better by giving them a more meaningful melee attack. And who doesn't want to see a bunch of human players running into a Hive with the intent of stabbing everything to death? No one. That's who. [Researched at Shotgun]
Shotgun: While there is a shotgun in the game, I can't help but think that a smaller version of this piece of equipment would only add to the game by filling a role. Namely the, "Oh ###### my rifle is empty and it's right there," role. The under slung shotgun would replace the rifle's melee attack by having a limited use, less powerful version of the buyable variant. [Researched at Shotgun]
Grenade Launcher: Like the shotgun, the grenade launcher's role is somewhat already accomplished, but without sacrificing the full use of the rifle. Being able to lob a grenade or two to break through a thick defense or clear a vent would be a great addition to the Marine team. [Researched at Grenade Launcher]
Exo-Suit:
Heavy Flamethrower: The role of the Exo-suit has felt somewhat limited in the game, even when I've played as the aliens. I think that adding the option to equip the unit with a bigger version of the flamer thrower would be a great addition to either a support or assault role. Rather than adding another weapon that only causes immediate damage, having the damage over time of the fire would allow the player to corral enemy units and force retreats.
New Marine Armor:
Heavy Assault Armor: At times it feels like my character is just too fragile. While there are upgrades, towards the very beginning and very end of the game, I also feel like I'm just getting torn up by anything and everything being thrown at me. I'd like to see the Marines get a new set of heavier armor to increase survivability, yet not make it the defacto armor to use in game. With the added protection would come the draw backs of not being able to move as quickly, jump as high, get the full benefits of using a jetpack or being able to pilot Exo-suits.
New Upgrades:
Increased Ammunition Capacity: Self explanatory. Marines always seem to run out of ammunition in their rifles far too quickly.
Bullet Types: Researched after level 1 upgrades, but may not be taken.
Full Metal Jacket: Increases damage against heavily armored units like Gorges and Onoes but reduced damage against Skulks, and the flying things. No change vs Lurkers.
Soft Core: Increases damage against Skulks and the flying things, but reduced damage against Gorges and Onoes. no change vs Lurkers.
Pre-Game/Mid Game Load Out: At the beginning of the game, and if these additions are placed in the game, why not give the players the option of setting up how they want their upgrades to role out to them? Let them select a rifle, give them an under the barrel weapon to select (that doesn't activate until it's been researched) and let them loose. As a player, I hate menus. So if I can spend a few minutes in one and modify everything to my liking, I'd enjoy the game that much more.
Aliens:
New Upgrade:
Skulk Spines: Through my limited time that I played as the aliens, I liked using the Skulk in a different way. Rather than charging the marines, I preferred to hang back and lob spines at the Marines and whittle them down for my allies to finish off. While playing this way, I killed off an Exo-suit. Taking this into consideration, I would like to see a greater emphasis on ranged combat with the Skulk. Being able to upgrade the Skulk's spine attack would open a whole new door in how to play as the quick harassing unit. The upgrade would allow the Skulk to dictate how to fire a set of spines at the enemy. Left mouse button would fire a burst of three spines (think assault rifle). The right mouse button would fire a group of nine spines (think shotgun). Like the Marine's Assault and Battle Rifles not out doing each other in damage, the spine attacks would operate under the same ideology. Example: The burst of spines would be fired nine times before emptying the energy of the unit; whereas the volley of nine spines can be fired three times before depleting the energy pool.
Thanks for reading, I'll try to update this as I play more as the alien race.
Comments
The under barrel grenade launcher grants an immediate immense burst of damage, but is useless after that and takes away the ability to melee.
The under barrel shotgun grants a short lived close to medium range boost in damage, but again, once it's empty there's no melee.
The bayonet is there to strictly increase the melee function of a given unit. Out of ammo? No problem. Use the bayonet instead of the axe. While seemingly redundant, there's a trade off. There's no shotgun or grenade launcher under there, but it's unlimited in how long it can be uesd.
The heavy machine gun, while on the exoskeleton, wouldn't be designed to function at the same tier. It would have to come at an earlier time, and while there's that boost of damage and capabilities, it leaves the user vulnerable to leaps, bombs, or other attacks against the highly maneuverable enemy.
The smaller versions of these weapons wouldn't replace their larger counterparts by any means. The grenade launcher would still have a greater rate of fire and higher ammunition capacity, same with the shotgun. As for the HMG, well, that Exo-suit provides a lot of protection.
As for the rifles, the Battle Rifle would be rifle chosen at the beginning of the spawn/pre-game/whatever. It'd be a 1 for 1, not an upgrade. It'd be the same damage dealt in different chunks.
The assault rifle has a downside in that it's less effective in close quarters where it's harder to keep on an enemy to deal sustained damage. The shotgun fixes that with a wide spread and quick fatal damage but becomes less effective at range. You have to pick and choose depending on the situation. That's a respectable part of how the game is played. You want to deal with aliens directly? Use the assault rifle or shotgun. You want to deal with them indirectly or take out buildings more reliably? Get a grenade launcher. It's this pick and choose, situational appeal to each weapon that makes them <i>all viable</i> and <i>all alternatives</i> to one another. You want to void that balance. No thanks. It's not that these attachments would replace the larger counterparts or make them<i> less</i> viable. It's that they combined with the assault rifle would make it<i> too</i> viable.
The assault rifle already has a melee ability attached to it. It's not that great, sure. It was never intended to be powerful. It's just something so you don't feel completely useless. It's a comfort feature. What would a bayonet do? It would be merely an visual difference, and if you wanted something more like increased speed or damage, then again you're messing with balance. The downside to the Marines having excellent ranged damage is being less effective up close, where most aliens do their best. See how that works? Inverse balancing? Marines good from afar. Bad up close. Aliens bad from afar. Good up close. Make marines good at all ranges, and you screw up the game.
It's not about comparisons, it's about what can be learned and why something works.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The assault rifle has a downside in that it's less effective in close quarters where it's harder to keep on an enemy to deal sustained damage. The shotgun fixes that with a wide spread and quick fatal damage but becomes less effective at range. You have to pick and choose depending on the situation. That's a respectable part of how the game is played. You want to deal with aliens directly? Use the assault rifle or shotgun. You want to deal with them indirectly or take out buildings more reliably? Get a grenade launcher. It's this pick and choose, situational appeal to each weapon that makes them <i>all viable</i> and <i>all alternatives</i> to one another. You want to void that balance. No thanks. It's not that these attachments would replace the larger counterparts or make them<i> less</i> viable. It's that they combined with the assault rifle would make it<i> too</i> viable.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In an RTS setting you'd be correct; however, only two people in the game are playing an RTS at a time. Everyone else is playing an action game. In an action game, some redundancy is a good thing. In terms of sub weapons, the idea isn't to override the main weapon, but to offer a limited use weapon that acts as a back up or serves the purpose of causing a lot of damage one time. Let's take a look at the grenade launcher. The grenade launcher as it is is a pretty good weapon. It can lay down a massive area of fire and can really mess things up. It has a good ammo capacity and best of all, it isn't a contact explosive. One of my favorite things to do with this weapon isn't to kill the units, but to deny them access to an area. I use it as a sort of suppression weapon. I also like to use it as a preemptive strike weapon, where I bounce rounds off of walls and columns to get new angles and attempt to break an ambush. Being able to clear a base out is just the second best thing it does. Being able to research a sub weapon that fires a single grenade would open up a lot of new venues for launching attacks or defending points. Its limited use also doesn't over ride the raw amount of power behind the full sized grenade launcher itself.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The assault rifle already has a melee ability attached to it. It's not that great, sure. It was never intended to be powerful. It's just something so you don't feel completely useless. It's a comfort feature. What would a bayonet do? It would be merely an visual difference, and if you wanted something more like increased speed or damage, then again you're messing with balance.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A bayonet would increase melee damage. Again, the idea isn't to give Marines all of the power, it's meant to give them the ability to defend themselves. The attack also would have to have some limits. Namely in recovery time. Miss the attack, you're done.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The downside to the Marines having excellent ranged damage is being less effective up close, where most aliens do their best. See how that works? Inverse balancing? Marines good from afar. Bad up close. Aliens bad from afar. Good up close. Make marines good at all ranges, and you screw up the game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't agree with inverse balancing because it's rarely balanced. As Marines need a better way to deal with things like Onoes, the aliens could use some ranged attacks for some of their units, perhaps even an entire new class dedicated to offensive ranged support. I don't know though, I have had limited experience with the aliens thus far.
All I know is that I keep getting ROLLED by Onoes and Fades. And it's not that they're over powered, it's that I don't have a way to deal with them when I can't get Exo-suits out.
I'd rather the devs not waste time on making a character customization system. You already have players names over their heads, and that is sufficient.
Colors are already there to delineate the two teams: orang-y for kharaa and blue/green for marines. People running around in bright pink armor isn't exactly what I want, and if that actually happens to this game I will never forgive you.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Semi-Automatic Battle Rifle: While the standard assault rifle is a fine weapon and has its uses, I think having the choice between that and a semi-automatic, more powerful rifle, would make for a good choice in beginning equipment. The logic isn't to provide more damage (since the damage per second can be the same between the two) but is to provide a way to distribute that damage differently, providing a higher risk-reward system.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
While a decent idea, the pistol already serves as a decent semi-auto weapon that deals decent FPS. Adding a rifle like you would describe would be redundant.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Heavy Automatic Rifle: Again, stemming from the assault rifle and the advantages and disadvantages it carries, I like how it can provide prolonged fire to suppress players from moving down corridors or using vents. A major disadvantage, however, is how limited the ammunition on it is. 300 rounds goes through that thing pretty fast and once you're out, that's it. I'd like to offer a new piece of equipment inspired by the weapons on the exo-suits as well as other shooter. A heavier automatic rifle that has unlimited ammo but is only as good as its ability to cool down (as with the exo-suit's minigun) and does more damage (providing a cheaper alternative to dealing with mass Onoes than constantly having to produce exo-suits). This increased firepower would come at the price of mobility. Before firing, the weapon has to be deployed. This can be done by using the right mouse button to release a stand that drops to the ground. While the Marine has complete weapon rotation, the player can not move again until the right mouse button is clicked again and the stand has retracted under the gun. The Marine would also move more slowly, demanding that the use of the weapon be as deliberate as possible. It would also help establish group play because of how valuable an asset like that would be while defending or pushing an enemy Hive. The gun could be researched sometime around the time a grenade launcher would be researched.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Exos are the go-to thing for "heavy automatic rifles" already. Making a portable version for cheap will be hard to balance. Low ammo pool can be easily negated, and lower DPS will just make it redundant compared to Exos. The low mobility is a fine idea, I suppose, but most people would rather just put a sentry down if they want defense, or an Exo if they want mobile assault.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Assault/Battle Rifle Under Barrel Upgrades: These would be attached to a gun pre-game but not active until researched.
Shotgun: While there is a shotgun in the game, I can't help but think that a smaller version of this piece of equipment would only add to the game by filling a role. Namely the, "Oh ###### my rifle is empty and it's right there," role. The under slung shotgun would replace the rifle's melee attack by having a limited use, less powerful version of the buyable variant. [Researched at Shotgun]<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I feel more comfortable with keeping weapon disciplines separate to encourage teamwork. Plus, you'd have the effect of making certain guns have too too much versatility. Take the underbarrel shotgun, for example. It'd be like pew, pew, boom. I'd personally never use the shotgun over the machine gun if such an attachment existed.
Probably best to leave this out and keep weapon focus on different disciplines rather than mixing them together.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Bayonet: In my experience when things get close, it gets frustrating trying to fight off an enemy when you're in the middle of reloading and has more often than not, resulted in my death. The addition of a bayonet would give Marines the ability to defend themselves better by giving them a more meaningful melee attack. And who doesn't want to see a bunch of human players running into a Hive with the intent of stabbing everything to death? No one. That's who. [Researched at Shotgun]<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Increasing melee attack in research is a pretty cool idea. However it wouldn't be fair to the aliens, now that I think of it.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Exo-Suit:
Heavy Flamethrower: The role of the Exo-suit has felt somewhat limited in the game, even when I've played as the aliens. I think that adding the option to equip the unit with a bigger version of the flamer thrower would be a great addition to either a support or assault role. Rather than adding another weapon that only causes immediate damage, having the damage over time of the fire would allow the player to corral enemy units and force retreats.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like this idea.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->New Marine Armor:
Heavy Assault Armor: At times it feels like my character is just too fragile. While there are upgrades, towards the very beginning and very end of the game, I also feel like I'm just getting torn up by anything and everything being thrown at me. I'd like to see the Marines get a new set of heavier armor to increase survivability, yet not make it the defacto armor to use in game. With the added protection would come the draw backs of not being able to move as quickly, jump as high, get the full benefits of using a jetpack or being able to pilot Exo-suits.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's already armor upgrades and then there is always exo suits. Having tough but slow armor on regular infantry will probably just make you even more of a sitting duck, I think.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->New Upgrades:
Increased Ammunition Capacity: Self explanatory. Marines always seem to run out of ammunition in their rifles far too quickly.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like the ammo pool the way it is. It is rare in games to actually have to think about ammo usage, and I like to keep it this way. Plus, if you run outta ammo you can always ask your commander for more.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Full Metal Jacket: Increases damage against heavily armored units like Gorges and Onoes but reduced damage against Skulks, and the flying things. No change vs Lurkers.
Soft Core: Increases damage against Skulks and the flying things, but reduced damage against Gorges and Onoes. no change vs Lurkers.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Full Metal Jacket: Good idea.
Soft-Core: Skulks already have a tough time against the regular rifle in my opinion. I would not like this addition.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Pre-Game/Mid Game Load Out: At the beginning of the game, and if these additions are placed in the game, why not give the players the option of setting up how they want their upgrades to role out to them? Let them select a rifle, give them an under the barrel weapon to select (that doesn't activate until it's been researched) and let them loose. As a player, I hate menus. So if I can spend a few minutes in one and modify everything to my liking, I'd enjoy the game that much more.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This ain't call-a-duty, man. It's all about you and your relationship to the commander. Keep your mind in the game, adapt to tactics coming up, ya know? Why use pre-builds that may not even show up in-game half of the time?