Please Address the Lighting Already
l3lessed
Join Date: 2010-06-07 Member: 71977Members
Join Date: 2010-06-07 Member: 71977Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Start the Maps in emergency mode</div>Very simple suggestion I think most players would appreciate. Start the whole map, except marine start, in emergency red lighting. Right now, aliens have no control over the lighting in rooms since they start fully lit and can't be changed until marines build the power node. Also, it makes no sense either. Why does a room without a power node have regularly lighting, but all of a sudden, once a nodes built they can't do regular lighting anymore. This needs addressed, and I think it would be easy enough.
My other suggestion isn't really an immediate need, but some thing I think the community and devs should consider. Allow infestation to affect power nodes. When a power node, either built or not, is fully covered in infestation the lighting starts to fade into emergency lighting than into complete darkness, if the rines don't clear it in time. The rines have to remove the cyst, and thus the infestation, before emergency or normal lighting, according to the nodes status, will return. I know the devs didn't like keeping everything dark because it doesn't show off the fully beauty of the maps, but for me there is a sort of hidden beauty in completely dark rooms that have been infested by the aliens. All the orange bulbs, glowing buildings, and cool abilities give it a real unique atmosphere like no other FPS, let alone an online one. Finally, it also makes flash lights, flamethrowers, and team work very important when entering alien controlled areas.
My other suggestion isn't really an immediate need, but some thing I think the community and devs should consider. Allow infestation to affect power nodes. When a power node, either built or not, is fully covered in infestation the lighting starts to fade into emergency lighting than into complete darkness, if the rines don't clear it in time. The rines have to remove the cyst, and thus the infestation, before emergency or normal lighting, according to the nodes status, will return. I know the devs didn't like keeping everything dark because it doesn't show off the fully beauty of the maps, but for me there is a sort of hidden beauty in completely dark rooms that have been infested by the aliens. All the orange bulbs, glowing buildings, and cool abilities give it a real unique atmosphere like no other FPS, let alone an online one. Finally, it also makes flash lights, flamethrowers, and team work very important when entering alien controlled areas.
Comments
With emergency lighting it's harder to see skulks etc.
Fearing the rest of the room until the power is on should get some priorities straight.
Fearing the rest of the room until the power is on should get some priorities straight.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've seen some custom maps that the light is less flamboyant than it is in the core NS2 maps and it made me think as a marine "I do NOT want to go there"...
Fearing the rest of the room until the power is on should get some priorities straight.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There would be no effective counter on the marine side to make an alien be like - To much light I do not want to go there.
The only balance would be lighted rooms make aliens have blurry vision to compensate.
So aliens fear the light.
At the same time, what the OP said is better than what is currently implemented, so I'd be happy to see that as well.
<!--quoteo(post=2028367:date=Nov 19 2012, 01:47 PM:name=ChaosXBeing)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ChaosXBeing @ Nov 19 2012, 01:47 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2028367"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Personally, I'd rather the map start with all of the power nodes built. (Except maybe alien spawn.) The lighting would be unaffected, but it allows the aliens to then munch on any power nodes they want, so they can take out the power all around the hive.
At the same time, what the OP said is better than what is currently implemented, so I'd be happy to see that as well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
or at least some maps could start this way - its just an on/off toggle on each powernode in the editor, so no reason why it can't be done - infact anyone could just open up the editor and change the powernodes to do this and make it a custom map. You woudn't even need to know anything about the editor its that simple.
Building them the first time allows power to be sent to the harvesters.
Destroying them doesn't shut off the lights because you destroyed the -node-
It shuts the lights off because you broke the -wall socket- and ruined the electrical circuit for the whole room.
Working as intended. These are fully automated, functioning marine bases on the outskirts of the solar system. There's no need for the kharaa to start off with the wall sockets destroyed. The chances of the marines coming to any one installation is like 1 in 1,000... destroying all the wall sockets in all the marine maps would be a collossal waste of time.
edit; aliens regenerate health, armour and energy too so they're designed and intended to die repeatedly early game. It takes a very skilled skulk to change that. Base marine > base skulk and for a marine to be effective for any length of time, he needs at least ammo drops which cost resources.
An alien can evolve regen and be godly if they're good, for 0 cost.
Building them the first time allows power to be sent to the harvesters.
Destroying them doesn't shut off the lights because you destroyed the -node-
It shuts the lights off because you broke the -wall socket- and ruined the electrical circuit for the whole room.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This makes sense.
Power node used to be all built. It did force the skulks to spend the early game eating PN instead of marines. At least it gave the aliens something to do instead of always rushing the marine base. It is quite annoying in public games as it sometimes takes some time before there is a player in the com chair. When you think you can start playing and begin to leave base, the skulk pack is already eating your face. Maybe public games need a longer time before starting to let players connect and join teams.
Built-in PN have other tactical advantages, depending on how you decide to play it:
- Killing the lights in a place right away to claim the territory
- Finishing the PNs the second the marines enter a room, to benefit fully form the total darkness was a great tactic ! We Frelge used it a lot.
- Make the other team believe that you are going to extend there when you are really expending the other way
- Avoiding PNs and rush base (a fail skulk-rush will then give the marines an advantage as they know the PNs will still be there, so they can expand faster)
On the other hand spending the first two minutes eating PNs isn't super fun
I might be wrong but I seem to recall the team posting that they also didn't want the maps to be dark all the time, given the time they spend designing and texturing them.
EDIT: As to the devs wanting people to see their work, well, I think the changing light conditions would show them off all the better! A room can be just as impressive even if you can only see a few dim lights and silhouettes, and the effect of bringing the light sup would be even more. :P
Rooms would be lit without power, but only if connected to a room that had power.
That way in rooms close to marine territory, e.g if they push while building power, they have constant light.
Solo-playing marines would be more difficult, because they'd alert nearby aliens to their presence when the room next door powers up, it wouldn't rely on footsteps so much anymore.
Then also to work the stealth element as a marine; When you go to build outside a hive, you have to go thru alot of dark rooms first. It'll give aliens a decent advantage for hive defense and stop marines from rushing to egg-camp
<!--quoteo(post=2028367:date=Nov 19 2012, 03:47 AM:name=ChaosXBeing)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ChaosXBeing @ Nov 19 2012, 03:47 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2028367"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Personally, I'd rather the map start with all of the power nodes built. (Except maybe alien spawn.) The lighting would be unaffected, but it allows the aliens to then munch on any power nodes they want, so they can take out the power all around the hive.
At the same time, what the OP said is better than what is currently implemented, so I'd be happy to see that as well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also tried in beta - people got annoyed at having to bite down a bunch of structures right from the start. In practice you could skip them and be better off, but it was unintuitive and didn't add to gameplay, and distracted players from fighting the other players.
I am in love and totally for both the OP and the quote. We really need a secondary system of resources that are used for the more RTS-like abilities.
I honestly think the lighting thing will add great immersion (offtopic => and a secondary resource is sorely missed and would only improve the game greatly).
Infestation works exactly that way, but it can spread without anyone to actually build it, can be placed anywhere, and remain for some time even if destroyed. Unless you add some more advantage to having the power linked between rooms, or shorten the building time for power nodes, it would just be unbalanced.
Emergency red lights are worst then darkness to spot aliens, having it anywhere in the map at the beginning would really be good for aliens only.
The energy as a second resource have great potential but really need a lot of testing and re-balancing, it should be enabled as an option/development mod in the first times
The power node is exactly that. A <u><b>node.</b></u>
It's the TSF marine equivelant to a wall socket. It has nothing to do with lights.
In fact, the only reason why the lights go off when a built node is destroyed, is because the action of biting the node makes it short circuit. Which would flip the RCD/Fuse and turn the lights off to protect them from surge damage.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Emergency red lights are worst then darkness to spot aliens, having it anywhere in the map at the beginning would really be good for aliens only.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're kidding with this one right? Can you please give me one in game example where complete darkness would make it easier to spot an alien than red lighting? Even for alien model affects like heal, it still makes it harder to track them continually when it is completely dark vs emergency lighting.
Lastly, this is also a ridiculous justification for the current system, and it is one they gave in beta.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I might be wrong but I seem to recall the team posting that they also didn't want the maps to be dark all the time, given the time they spend designing and texturing them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is not a tech demo. It is a game, and sure things being pretty are nice, but I prefer solid mechanics and enjoyable playing experiences over showing off an engine.
The power node is exactly that. A <u><b>node.</b></u>
It's the TSF marine equivelant to a wall socket. It has nothing to do with lights.
In fact, the only reason why the lights go off when a built node is destroyed, is because the action of biting the node makes it short circuit. Which would flip the RCD/Fuse and turn the lights off to protect them from surge damage.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Then at least give marines a reason to build a power node.
1- Empty nodes that have infestation on them shut off lights entirely. Nothing but darkness.
2- Nodes that have had a power node successfully built on them will restore the lights, if the node is destroyed it reverts to the red lighting since its just a short circuit as you put it (If rines try to rush a power node in an area that hasn't had one yet, and it gets destroyed while still in the blue hologram stage, it disappears, continual darkness continues if infestation is still there).
Now Marines can have their pre-lit rooms, and Alien territory is far less pleasant to enter before you get the power node built for the first time, or get infestation off the empty node.
powernode = normal lights.
No node = emergency lighs (default all rooms except rine spawn start at).
Infestation on destroyed node = no lights.
I would be happy with just the no node option though, if it meant sacrificing the infestation option. But right now, it is ridiculous aliens have no control over lighting, until their enemies say they do.
I play both marines and aliens regularly. Not only is it fun hiding in the few poorly lit crevices of the map and stalking hapless marines, but the first time I saw a power node go down as a marine and the lights died, it was a really cool atmospheric moment and I was honestly worried about what might be lurking in the shadows. Then the emergency lights came on and I was rather disappointed.
I want alien controlled territory to feel menacing and lend advantage to the crafty and the sneaky. As it is now, I barely use my flashlight. It's more of an annoyance than anything, especially since I know it's getting in the way for any fellow marines who still have atmospherics enabled. I find it ridiculous that the alien hive is often just as well lit as the marines base of operations. Why do Kharaa get thermal night vision when the only advantage it gives is lighting up marines you can already see like christmas trees?
It also makes me sad that sneaking about in the shadows is completely devalued by the ridiculous 100% invisibility that camouflage gives now. Why bother hiding in darkness when you can sit right out in the open and no one will ever know you're there? It feels cheap and totally takes the thrill out of the hunt. Nevermind the stealth Onos... I feel like facepalming every time I see one of those hulks creeping up on an unsuspecting marine and goring him out of nowhere.
This Infestation/Power Node synergy would also need a counter Marine strategic decision. Perhaps Built Power Nodes could be upgraded to electrocute any cysts in the room it is powering. This could be used to strategically power and electrify rooms where Aliens have failed to defend, cutting of critical links in the cyst network. I think the maps are greatly detailed, and more dynamic and varied lighting environments does more to enhance immersion.