Leap with Biomass 3 in the tech tree to solve actual problems

OkxydOkxyd Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143981Members, Reinforced - Shadow
edited October 2013 in NS2 General Discussion
I will not come back on the marines strafejump mechanics, almost everything has been said, particularly the insane combinaison of a perfect timing and the use of shotguns. However a solution could be to invert shadowstep and leap on the actual tech tree:

It could resolve some problems:
- make the fadeplosion a little less effective during the first ten minutes as delay the shadowstep obtention
- add mobility to skulk when marines get shotty and increase the viability of playing skulk during 5-10 minutes of the game
- prevent the obligation to have a shift hive on big maps like Veil by enhancing the overall skulk speed

It will not solve every problems but it could be a good beginning.
So, what do you think about it ?

EDIT: I changed the thread title because I think everyone is against the idea of a leap with 2 biomass.
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Comments

  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Roobubba wrote: »
    Wait, the fadeplosion is a thing now? 1 hive leap skulks is not a good idea I'm afraid. Fade upgrades are already one of the last things that many commanders get (as onos, gorge and lerk upgrades are much better for the team overall) in any case.

    + shadowstep not that usefule overall, imo. (although i'm a pretty bad fade player, so ymmv ;) )
  • OkxydOkxyd Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143981Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited October 2013
    Roobubba wrote: »
    Wait, the fadeplosion is a thing now? 1 hive leap skulks is not a good idea I'm afraid. Fade upgrades are already one of the last things that many commanders get (as onos, gorge and lerk upgrades are much better for the team overall) in any case.

    And what about placing the leap in third position and bile bomb in second ? In this way you will have leap with the 2nd hive most of the time but if you are unable to drop a second hive you have a chance to come back with the leap. Actually I find the position of the shadowstep a bit illogi, get 2nd biomass give almost nothing, it´s like the marines were forced to make a mid game upgrade before shotguns or a1/w1. @F0rdPrefect I find it very useful if you not have adrenaline, which is very uncommon however.
  • Know painKnow pain Join Date: 2012-09-04 Member: 157674Members
    See that would make sense hence why it won't happen.
  • Ra1nRa1n Join Date: 2004-02-22 Member: 26798Members
    bilebomb is already crazy powerful at biomass 3, i would like to see umbra and leap at biomass 3 for various reasons though.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
  • DraconisDraconis Join Date: 2003-02-18 Member: 13722Members, Reinforced - Onos
    Leap is the most game changing alien upgrade. Free skulks can now engage anywhere, nullifying marines positioning and even tech with ease. It is NOT a good idea to have it as soon as the 2mn mark.
  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    Roobubba wrote: »
    Wait, the fadeplosion is a thing now? 1 hive leap skulks is not a good idea I'm afraid. Fade upgrades are already one of the last things that many commanders get (as onos, gorge and lerk upgrades are much better for the team overall) in any case.

    AFAIK fadesplosion is NS1-only
  • blackpiranhablackpiranha Germany Join Date: 2003-03-11 Member: 14375Members, Constellation
    Again, it's a player issue. Use clever positioning, bunnyhop, celerity.... or use gorges with skulks combined to distract and overwhelm hopping rines.

    Leap is powerful and doesn't fit into early game.
  • NeokenNeoken Bruges, Belgium Join Date: 2004-03-20 Member: 27447Members, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Playtester
    edited October 2013
    Okxyd wrote: »
    I will not come back on the marines strafejump mechanics, almost everything has been said, particularly the insane combinaison of a perfect timing and the use of shotguns. However a solution could be to invert shadowstep and leap on the actual tech tree:
    1dfada39-684d-435b-9bfd-398ce1f125c0.jpg
    It could resolve some problems:
    - make the fadeplosion a little less effective during the first ten minutes as delay the shadowstep obtention
    - add mobility to skulk when marines get shotty and increase the viability of playing skulk during 5-10 minutes of the game
    - prevent the obligation to have a shift hive on big maps like Veil by enhancing the overall skulk speed

    It will not solve every problems but it could be a good beginning.
    So, what do you think about it ?

    - Fadeplosion is no longer an issue (they actually need to be slightly buffed again :) ), and even if it were, placing SS on 4 biomass wouldn't change a thing. It's already one of the last lifeform upgrades to be researched most times, and people hardly use SS anyway.
    - The goal for leap is to increase the skulks viability mid-late game, not early game. Leap on biomass 2 would be a bit too early imo.
    - Sure, having celerity is a nice bonus, but I'd hardly say it's obligatory to go shift hive, even for the larger maps in the game. On the contrary, I still prefer crag honestly. But that's just me.

    However, I do feel the skulk upgrades are too costly. And because bilebomb/umbra/onos upgrades are more important for the mid-late game, you mostly only see leap very late into the game. Breaking up the upgrade-clusters and thus making single abililities researchable again might help in this regard.
  • tarquinbbtarquinbb Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166314Members
    i think it would be interesting if leap gave a bonus to bite damage or something to make it more skillful than "i want to get over there faster!" *right click*
  • DestherDesther Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165195Members
    I wouldn't say that Shadowstep has much effect at all on Fade explosion or effectiveness.

    Fade upgrades are almost always bought last, too.
  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    although I love leaping, I agree its a hive 2 ability. It just makes skulks explode in added 'power'.
  • maD_maX_maD_maX_ Join Date: 2013-04-07 Member: 184678Members
    Switch charge and leap... Make rushing bio 3 on one hive a viable strat...
  • xBlueXFoxxxBlueXFoxx Join Date: 2013-06-07 Member: 185497Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    I think the topic title is slightly overconfident, giving skulks leap at biomass 2 would surely make a difference all right...
  • Blarney_StoneBlarney_Stone Join Date: 2013-03-08 Member: 183808Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited October 2013
    I greatly fear the prospect of 1 hive leap skulks. They would tear through marines in the early game.
    maD_maX_ wrote: »
    Switch charge and leap... Make rushing bio 3 on one hive a viable strat...
    Bile bomb
  • FrozenFrozen New York, NY Join Date: 2010-07-02 Member: 72228Members, Constellation
    edited October 2013
    Shadowstep is in a nice place because its expensive that early.

    Leap has to need 2 hives.

    edit: First hive has to equal basic abilities. It's unfortunate that bile bomb is on 3 biomass right now
  • OkxydOkxyd Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143981Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited October 2013
    @Neoken What do you consider as "early" and "mid" game ? For me the mid game really begin when aliens get fades and set their second hive (6-8 minutes most of the time). However you are probably right with biomass 2 but I think have it at biomass 3 could be a great deal.

    @Draconis I disagree with this opinion, Leap is a very predictable movement, for me it does not nullify a good placement or tech. However 2 minutes with 2 biomass requiered is probably a bit extreme but in a balanced game with biomass 3 option you will have leap at 4 or 5 minutes, when marines get shotguns. It does not shock me at all because it means they will not have their tier 3 upgrades. You can consider the situation like this:
    Hive spec (10) + 3 upgrades (50) : 70 res
    Biomass 3 (50) + Whip (10) + leap (20): 80 res

    By the way if you rush leap, other lifeforms will have hardest time so it's pretty faire on a tech plan.
  • OkxydOkxyd Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143981Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    On another point I want to mention another thing that I have forgotten: In late game, when marines have jetpacks and Aliens only have last 1 hive they are farmed at their base until Marines decide to finish it, in this case when you have a maxed biomass hive and only skulk it's very very frustrating because you have no hope to kill a human with JP especially if he has a shotgun. You will say me it's the same thing with Marines and the JP/exos but with only one CC you still have powerful upgrades, not the case of shadowstep or bilebomb.
  • BentRingBentRing Join Date: 2003-03-04 Member: 14318Members
    One thing to think about is that if leap were to be one hive and rushed then chances are upgrades aren't...

    I'd consider leap more of a one hive ability for skulks than I would bile bomb to be a one hive ability for gorges. If that proved to be over powered, it wouldn't take much thought to balance the strength of the leap with biomass similar to hp. Entry level leap could just match, say, a strafe jump, and with increased biomass would make a linear progression to full leap, which ideally would be better than now to help fight jetpacks.
  • Ghosthree3Ghosthree3 Join Date: 2010-02-13 Member: 70557Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Like has been said, leap on one hive would be wayyy too powerful. Also, unlike what some people have said, I think SS is quite useful.
  • BentRingBentRing Join Date: 2003-03-04 Member: 14318Members
    Ghosthree3 wrote: »
    Like has been said, leap on one hive would be wayyy too powerful. Also, unlike what some people have said, I think SS is quite useful.
    Which is why I suggested biomass turning a hop into a leap. I also find SS very useful, but I'm one of the weird folks that still liked pre-Sewlek movement fade (and I've never liked adren fade!) so feel free to ignore me. :p

  • Ghosthree3Ghosthree3 Join Date: 2010-02-13 Member: 70557Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    We should make SS4Lyfe t-shirts.
  • 2cough2cough Rocky Mountain High Join Date: 2013-03-14 Member: 183952Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    imo, when I find a marine or two wondering around alone with no jps and I have leap, it's coffins for bill n bob. one hive leap would be marine massacres.
  • maD_maX_maD_maX_ Join Date: 2013-04-07 Member: 184678Members
    What if a second hive unlocked biomass 3 on the first... Then if you had leap on bio 3, you couldn't get it until 2 hives but you wouldn't have to lose it if you lost the second hive.
  • AurOn2AurOn2 COOKIES! FREEDOM, AND BISCUITS! Australia Join Date: 2012-01-13 Member: 140224Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Forum staff
    edited October 2013
    maD_maX_ wrote: »
    Leap and bile on bio 3 would be reasonable, 20+30 for bio 20+10 for leap and 30 for bile 110 res... If you rush bile/leap for early game you lose out on a reasonably timed second hive...
    Thus adding more early game strats and a reason to get skulk upgrades on 1 hive.
    Maybe making leap more energy consumtive would balance this out?
  • MrFangsMrFangs Join Date: 2013-03-27 Member: 184474Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I agree Leap should be on biomass 3 - aliens *really* need more comeback options. Right now, falling back to one hive while JPs are out makes most players concede, even if no upgrades were lost.

    Moving SS to biomass 4... I don't think this is necessary, nor will it change all that much. When you move up in the biomass order (early mid-game), you usually won't have Fade upgrades before bio 4 anyway. And when you fall back to bio 3 or less, any comeback will usually not depend on SS. The alien comeback lifeform has to be the Skulk, not the Fade.
  • MrFangsMrFangs Join Date: 2013-03-27 Member: 184474Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    AuroN2 wrote: »
    Maybe making leap more energy consumtive would balance this out?

    I think its current energy usage is pretty balanced, higher than pre-250, but not too much. If it needs to be balanced, the Skulk upgrade should become a bit more expensive instead.
  • mushookeesmushookees Join Date: 2008-03-26 Member: 63967Members
    you want leap at 1 hive and to balance it you want to nerf leap ? whats the point lol ? Its already a challenge to kill jp'ers with leap (at least in the time it takes for them to kill your hive), you want to make it harder ?

    Rather, make it so 1 hive leap has the same timings as we have now with 2 hive leap, nobody should complain then.

    Perhaps if hives didn't automatically provide 1 biomass ... and all biomass came from upgrades, so instead of hives giving 1 biomass and then 2 biomass upgrades, they instead gave 0 biomass and 3 biomass upgrades. The cost and timings would all need to be balanced again though.

    Unless someone has a better idea on how to make aliens not so helpless on 1 hive ... or is it pretty much the status quo now that aliens lose as soon as they lose their 2nd hive ? Everyone likes the way it is ?

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