EXO question

Spiker101Spiker101 Join Date: 2012-03-16 Member: 148869Members
What was the reason for removing Heavy and adding exo?

Exo among all the other technical factors that were discussed in other threads tend to make the game just less fun over all. (For casual pub games).

Alot of people seems to just wait the entire game not buying anything to get exo. I also dont like the fact that so much firepower and armor is concentrated on one player and requires many other players to baby sit. In NS1 you can buy heavy or jetpack, the price difference is not big and there is not much difference in firepower. Everyone feel much more "equal" instead of everyone must watchout for exo. It is too much money, too good/bad, and too critical (once you go exo route the entire game pretty much balance on marine wielders..).

Also with the removal of heavy machine guns I feel there is too much of a damage gap between LMG/SG and Dual Exo.

(not to mention the lack of HMG will make MvM very boring)


Sorry there is nothing specific but I just feel the exo mechanic is not working right.

Comments

  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Avoiding "equalness" among marines is the whole point, it forces the marines to balance themselves properly and thus fosters teamwork. Everything should have strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out how to get these things to work together is the fun part of NS2.
  • zeqzeq Join Date: 2012-02-14 Member: 145493Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    The exo fits in a lot better with the marine focus over a heavy/hmg marine from the first game. It requires teamwork to be effective, and rewards teamwork with very high dps. It would be interesting to make exos cheaper, but then make them purchase weapons. You could make an exo cost 25, but then do something like each minigun costing 25, and a railgun 25-30 or something when it comes out. The dual exo upgrade would allow for mounting a second weapon. This would encourage single exo use much more, as it could be just a intermediate step while saving res for a second gun. I think the reason so many people save res for exo is because shotguns require a decent amount of skill to be effective, and then gls and flamethrowers are often not seen until about the same time as exos, and flamethrowers in particular are good only in certain situations. Furthermore mines seem to be rarely researched in pubs and welders are underused until exos show up.
  • HalfcentaurHalfcentaur Join Date: 2013-01-30 Member: 182612Members
    edited January 2013
    The exos really aren't that amazing honestly. A lot of people sit on pres and save up to go exo, meaning the whole team ends up spending their time trying to go exo. You only really need about 2 or MAX 3 exos imo, this is at least true for pub games.

    The jetpack/shotty combo has still been my favorite. It's cheap, and you can spend a lot of time buying mines and whatnot to help defend bases easier. Welding etc. I only ever really find myself grabbing an exo if I have been sitting on a lot of pres for some reason.
    Usually you get to the end of a game before you're even able to spend that pres, and then the exos just really aren't worth it usually since almost nobody in pub games supports you (unless the commander is directing you).

    Exos are just more team oriented. You don't need the whole team with them, as you could do with heavies. So it isn't as spammy. There was really no downside to just having everyone in heavy armor in NS. In NS2, you don't necessarily want everyone running around in exos, it's not a good idea.
    So the question as to why exos over heavies? More interesting. It's different. This isn't NS1:Updated GRAFIX
  • Spiker101Spiker101 Join Date: 2012-03-16 Member: 148869Members
    edited January 2013
    zeq wrote: »
    The exo fits in a lot better with the marine focus over a heavy/hmg marine from the first game. It requires teamwork to be effective, and rewards teamwork with very high dps. It would be interesting to make exos cheaper, but then make them purchase weapons. You could make an exo cost 25, but then do something like each minigun costing 25, and a railgun 25-30 or something when it comes out. The dual exo upgrade would allow for mounting a second weapon. This would encourage single exo use much more, as it could be just a intermediate step while saving res for a second gun. I think the reason so many people save res for exo is because shotguns require a decent amount of skill to be effective, and then gls and flamethrowers are often not seen until about the same time as exos, and flamethrowers in particular are good only in certain situations. Furthermore mines seem to be rarely researched in pubs and welders are underused until exos show up.

    I do agree on the upgrading exo part. I guess i am just more in favor of having the team more on equal level, less make or break it mechanic (For maine at least), (which doesnt mean there wont be teamwork). What is fun should be somewhat similar to what helps you win the game. In NS2 there is sooo much more energy is spent on babying the EXO it is not nearly as fun. Also I still think we need HMG as alternative to SG, because I feel HMG can be alot more versatile and viable (especially when you dont have JP).

    Also if you play CS games it is even more apparent how exo-centric the game has become. The marine pretty much cannot win until like the last 5 minutes with a exo push. The top scorer is always exo. (where as before it is usually JPer but not by 3-5 times) Again I know it is about win or lose as a team but for CS maps alot more people enjoy just getting kills.
  • zeqzeq Join Date: 2012-02-14 Member: 145493Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I am terrible when it comes to shotguns, and I end up pres hoarding because I am far better with a lmg than anything else I can get early game. Occasionally I will grab a dual exo as soon as it is available, and whether or not I steamroll through an alien base or two depends entirely on the support I get. Although more and more I find myself dumping it all on a gl/jp/welder for supporting because it seems rare to find someone capable of doing a decent supporting job in pub games, or at least too uncommon to gamble 75 pres on and I can instead make sure some other guy's exo survives long enough to get put to good use.
  • SavantSavant Join Date: 2002-11-30 Member: 10289Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Spiker101 wrote: »
    What was the reason for removing Heavy and adding exo?
    The primary decision revolves around the HMG. Back in NS1 you could have an HMG (like the EXO's minigun) with a jetpack or a suit of heavy armor, they were not linked like they are with the EXO.

    As such, the HMG was a 'replacement' for the LMG and made it obsolete. Unlike with like a shottie for example, the HMG has the exact same characteristics as the LMG, it just does more damage. So if you had the choice, you would never pick the LMG over the HMG. It was that obsolescence that Charlie didn't like, and so that removed the HMG from the game. With the HMG gone, having heavy armor alone didn't really cut it. That's where the EXO came in. It provided the HMG weapon and damage, but because it's tied to the heavy armor it's not a replacement for the LMG.
    Exo among all the other technical factors that were discussed in other threads tend to make the game just less fun over all. (For casual pub games).
    No argument here. However, we have an 8 page thread going over here if you want to bemoan the EXO with the rest of us.
  • BensonBenson Join Date: 2012-03-07 Member: 148303Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    I firmly believe that the reason that the Exo is hard to balance/make useful is due to the damage that its capable of.

    Since miniguns deal 25 heavy damage (1:1 damage ratio vs. armor) per shot, and fire very quickly, they eat away armor and HP like its going out of style, especially dual exos.

    If their damage was toned down to normal (1:2 damage ratio vs. armor), The onos' HP and armor could be toned down as well and there would be a much less perceivable gap in damage between lmg and Exo, making everything feel more useful, as well as other lifeforms besides onos being able to last for than half a second*

    *Exo damage allows them to treat everything but an onos the way an lmg treats a skulk and kill fades in 14 bullets, or effectivley 7 with dual miniguns

    The modular approach of being able to buy a dual fist exo, then buy guns at 25 per is the best way I've heard of to handle exos. I think that if they were allowed to get a welder as an attachment in addition to minigun and railgun, Exos would become much more usefull and require much less support (kinda like onos works)
  • Spiker101Spiker101 Join Date: 2012-03-16 Member: 148869Members
    Savant wrote: »
    Spiker101 wrote: »
    What was the reason for removing Heavy and adding exo?
    The primary decision revolves around the HMG. Back in NS1 you could have an HMG (like the EXO's minigun) with a jetpack or a suit of heavy armor, they were not linked like they are with the EXO.

    As such, the HMG was a 'replacement' for the LMG and made it obsolete. Unlike with like a shottie for example, the HMG has the exact same characteristics as the LMG, it just does more damage. So if you had the choice, you would never pick the LMG over the HMG. It was that obsolescence that Charlie didn't like, and so that removed the HMG from the game. With the HMG gone, having heavy armor alone didn't really cut it. That's where the EXO came in. It provided the HMG weapon and damage, but because it's tied to the heavy armor it's not a replacement for the LMG.
    Exo among all the other technical factors that were discussed in other threads tend to make the game just less fun over all. (For casual pub games).
    No argument here. However, we have an 8 page thread going over here if you want to bemoan the EXO with the rest of us.

    However HMG was good in that it makes even the regular marine with no jetpack pretty useful. Now if you dont have JG you are complete useless no matter what weapon you have in the late game. For the money. HMG with no JG or LMG with with JG/Heavy is kind of a hard choice so I wont say it make LMG useless.

    Anyways moving from HMG and Heavy to Exo is pretty restrictive to the game play I think. Before you can have HMG with any amor. OR Heavy with any weapon. Now all that choice become 1 exo....that you either have to stay in forever or your team loose. The effect multiples so many folds on combat or marine vs marine.....
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