The Big Problem
Defcon
Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9402Members
Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9402Members
I've played NS, for sometime now and i've finally figured, the actual problem to the balancing situation.
Aliens, require less skill to be good at, as it's limited by the up-close-knife-like-fights.
Marines on the other hand, need to work together, have a very alert commander that knows what where and when.
I just had a go on a 1.04 server, commanded two games.
1) <b>2 Hive Takeover</b>, thankfully the marines (most of them) were happy to run back and forth lots with spread defence... and using sieges, still very effective if your a clever commander.
2) <b>Phase Rush</b>, it might of been successful (until someone else got in the comm chair and sold everything), but it was much fairer for the aliens, phases got raped. The time it took us to advance close enough for a couple phases, the aliens had another hive on the go, a second would of gone up pretty quickly after anyway.
Now, servers, range with different skills, however 90% of them, consist of mainly newbies (I'm not flaming here), the devs have finally begun to look at the clan side/pro side of NS, unfortunately, it's almost impossible to balance both sides to the point both newbies and pros have a fair game.
<b>Unless of course, you make aliens require a little more skill than just rush rush rush. Then you can weaken them in general, so pros get the advantage of the skill side, and newbies don't, making BOTH pro and newbie games better balanced</b>
Aliens, require less skill to be good at, as it's limited by the up-close-knife-like-fights.
Marines on the other hand, need to work together, have a very alert commander that knows what where and when.
I just had a go on a 1.04 server, commanded two games.
1) <b>2 Hive Takeover</b>, thankfully the marines (most of them) were happy to run back and forth lots with spread defence... and using sieges, still very effective if your a clever commander.
2) <b>Phase Rush</b>, it might of been successful (until someone else got in the comm chair and sold everything), but it was much fairer for the aliens, phases got raped. The time it took us to advance close enough for a couple phases, the aliens had another hive on the go, a second would of gone up pretty quickly after anyway.
Now, servers, range with different skills, however 90% of them, consist of mainly newbies (I'm not flaming here), the devs have finally begun to look at the clan side/pro side of NS, unfortunately, it's almost impossible to balance both sides to the point both newbies and pros have a fair game.
<b>Unless of course, you make aliens require a little more skill than just rush rush rush. Then you can weaken them in general, so pros get the advantage of the skill side, and newbies don't, making BOTH pro and newbie games better balanced</b>
Comments
Being a good skulk is just running around jumping and clicking. As is a marine. Individually, I say the game is fine. The players decided that part. As for the game as a whole... usually whatever team functions better wins.
Being a good skulk is just running around jumping and clicking. As is a marine. Individually, I say the game is fine. The players decided that part. As for the game as a whole... usually whatever team functions better wins.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Marine = accuracy, even at point blank, in dark rooms with the muzzle flash is hard (newbies don't change there mods)
Aliens = get close, and bite widly
Really, never knew they started with full health.
In my opinion, marines take less skill, just more thinking, while aliens are the complete opposite. You just hafta kind of know how to aim as a Marine.
Wel okay, there are situations in which balance can be circumvented. A sign of a nicely flexible game. However, these are being dealt with.
I figured that crap out like my first 3 days of play, lol
I figured that crap out like my first 3 days of play, lol<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So true <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Too bad people say "Im gonna leave ns!" or something like that just because their team on a pub really sucked.....
Then the truth will still be obvious.... teamwork is what wins the game on pub servers. (rare as it may be)
It is harder on the aliens, especialy on these servers that hold 20+ players because teamwork is not as structered as it is with the marines. Almost every alien on your team has to know what's up and when/how to do it. There is much more you have to know and understand to be an effective alien, this is the reason most everybody rushes to join the marine team...... most of us are still noobies.
Not really. All it takes is the Gorges to know what they are doing, and a few good Skulks, and the smacktard aliens can just act as distracting fodder until the 2nd hive is up. The only problem will be a good com combined with a good core of marines who have secured one hive, while several other good marines go Gorge huntin' <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo-->
Lerks alone die.
Fades alone are only half as dangerous without umbra.
Gorges need someone who waches their back while using their devastating backup abilities. Webbed hmg guys are cannonfodder, healing is great to keep your troops on the front and OC and DC are the final touch usually resulting in a quick death for the marines (Offensive towering is a great tactic now that sieges are nerfed)
So aliens need a lot of teamwork too just in a different form.
That is exactally what I said, you have to have more aliens on your team who have a clue or it's game over.
A couple good Gorges and a few good Skulks adds up to five skilled players on your team, not always easy on a pub server. The aliens don't have a commander telling everybody what to do, they have to think for themselves (yet another rare thing on pub servers)
Why do you think most everybody rushes to be on the marine team? cause the marines win more often on large pub servers, I see it every night I play.... hundreds of games so far.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->So aliens need a lot of teamwork too just in a different form. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Again this is exactally what I said/meant, you have to work closer/harder as a team on the alien side.
I too have seen much more teamwork on the aliens side lately, I think this is because more and more people are finally understanding the game.
If you don't know the problem, it is about importance. Aliens dying is not that important, so in smaller games when an alien dies, it's not a big deal. However, it s smaller game when a marine dies, that can mean a lot. He might have been the only guy left after a trip to take a hive, and then he gets taken out and they are then too far behind to get up with the aliens.
Now in big servers, the marines are sorta like the aliens in the smaller games. You lose 2 on the way... no big deal you have 6 more marching to the hive. And when the other guys spawn they are not useless now. They can be used to protect the base and build the portal to get back to the hive.
My point is, the way the game is designed... it will be impossible to make it really even. The devs are obviously chosing to make it balanced for larger games... that is fine I suppose.