Remove alien armor

Anti94Anti94 Join Date: 2013-07-31 Member: 186489Members, Reinforced - Shadow
I was recently wondering about the purpose of alien armor. Let me explain.

Aliens have attacks that only target marine armor (bile bomb, whip bombard, gorge tunnels) and attacks that only target marine HP (lerk spores). In addition, the marine armor needs welders or macs to be repaired whilst HP requires an armory or medpacks to be restored. It is thus logical to have the HP/armor duo on the marine side.

On the alien side, correct me if I am wrong, any marine attack targets both HP and armor. Plus, anything that can heal HP can also heal armor in a very similar way. Why don't just remove the alien armor and increase the HP to compensate ? I believe that alien armor is just the same as alien HP.
For instance: change the skulk from 70/10 to 90/0. Do the same for the other lifeforms and buildings. The carapace trait would just give you more HP instead of more armor.

I know you are thinking about the damage types 'light damage', 'normal damage' and 'heavy damage'. I think that the light and heavy type should simply be removed and replaced with normal type. This light/normal/heavy system is counter-intuitive and just makes the game more complicated for no real reason. With more than 350 hours I am still not sure which weapons make normal, light or heavy damage. I think the minigun is heavy and the pistol is light but I am not sure. Plus, I don't understand why the pistol should be light dmg or the minigun be heavy dmg. It is still very confusing for me.

I read somewhere that:
1 armor = 3 HP against light damage.
1 armor = 2 HP against normal damage
1 armor = 1 HP against heavy.

Okay.... so, as every alien lifeform or building has both armor and HP, I suggest to change light damage to normal damage but reduce the damage. For instance change the pistol from 25 'light' dmg to 20-ish 'normal' dmg. I also suggest to change heavy dmg to normal dmg and increase dmg. For instance change the minigun from 20 heavy dmg to about 25 normal dmg.

It would basically change nothing to balance but It would be easier to understand.


The simpler the better. Less is more.

What do you think ?

Comments

  • Nexus5Nexus5 Join Date: 2013-07-27 Member: 186420Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Interesting idea, was against it at first when reading the title of this thread, but when reading through it kind of makes sense, the only thing I can think of which could counter this would be if the Devs were planning to implement something in the future which relies on the present system, or if armour becomes more effective against things such as Flame throwers flames or grenades splash damage etc.
  • shriikeshriike Join Date: 2013-03-27 Member: 184461Members
    If removing armor has no change to gameplay then why change it? Compensating for armor will not change the balance of the game and is not worth an entire build for.
  • SarummaySarummay Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184610Members
    drifter healing cloud heals only armor, so armor fulfils a purpose for aliens
  • Nexus5Nexus5 Join Date: 2013-07-27 Member: 186420Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Sarummay wrote: »
    drifter healing cloud heals only armor, so armor fulfils a purpose for aliens

    Ah so there is something in game which relies on the present system and in future who knows what else, so it probably isn't worth changing.
  • dragonmithdragonmith Join Date: 2013-02-04 Member: 182817Members, Reinforced - Diamond
    Plus, armor heals faster, so gorges don't havta sit healing an onos for an hour, only 20min...
  • MistenTHMistenTH Join Date: 2003-01-01 Member: 11706Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    As dragon says, a heavily danaged alien takes longer to heal if they go into HP damage.

    A mildly damaged alien will heal up armour faster and hence their effective hp faster. So hit n run aliens will benefit greatly from regen or a forward healing base.more.
  • Mattk50Mattk50 Join Date: 2013-02-04 Member: 182824Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    exos and etc treat armor like normal hp, but smaller arms treat it as far tougher, fyi.
  • GhoulofGSG9GhoulofGSG9 Join Date: 2013-03-31 Member: 184566Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Reinforced - Supporter, WC 2013 - Supporter, Pistachionauts
    edited August 2013
    Also if we remove armor what to do with the heal buff of the drifter? Generall having diffenent kinds of hp in a game helps to balance it.
  • Enhance89Enhance89 Join Date: 2009-11-04 Member: 69261Members
    I could be mistaken, but I thought alien armor was in fact strong than health. The only reason I say this is because I remember a couple of gamers saying build 251 hurt the Onos because armor was lowered, and they went on to describe how armor is the most important part of the alien health.

    Like I said, I could be mistaken, but I know I saw a couple of people talking like this was the case at one point.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Enhance89 wrote: »
    I could be mistaken, but I thought alien armor was in fact strong than health. The only reason I say this is because I remember a couple of gamers saying build 251 hurt the Onos because armor was lowered, and they went on to describe how armor is the most important part of the alien health.

    Like I said, I could be mistaken, but I know I saw a couple of people talking like this was the case at one point.

    It's because of light, normal and heavy damage values on marine weaponry. Making it possible to adjust values which only affect certain weapons and influencing certain techpaths. That's why armour is in the game, because it opens up much more ways to balance things. Things like armour only healing, armour being faster to repair then HP and certain weapons that ignore armour or can only damage health (spores), EXO vs Bile Bombs/Whip Balls :P And so on...
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