ns2_veil - Discussion
idera13
sweden Join Date: 2014-03-19 Member: 194848Members
sweden Join Date: 2014-03-19 Member: 194848Members
I’m a game design student at a university in Sweden and got an assignment to analyze a popular level from a multiplayer of my choice. I’ve decide to analyze ns2_veil from natural selection 2.
So now to my question to you all: What do you think about ns2_veil? Do you like or dislike the level and is there any specific reason why you think so?
So now to my question to you all: What do you think about ns2_veil? Do you like or dislike the level and is there any specific reason why you think so?
Comments
Thing I dislike is overlook-skylights vent, where one gorge can control two marine resources safely until jetpakcs and fact that marines can only hold cargo until bilebomb is researched, then they are doomed. On the other hand, cargo goes down mighty fast when jetpacks are in play, so this makes cargo base pretty vulnerable for both sides.
Another think I dislike is how nano is considered overly important. Too many games were lost because either team invested too much in nano (offense or defense) completely ignoring rest of the map.
Overall, it's my favorite map, I think.
Moreover this map is well-balanced in competitive play and its shape is nice (it feels like a mix between the Y shape of Tram and the round shape of Summit), but marines tend to loseon this map in pub games because of their general unawareness (lack of zoning, people pushing the bad spots in vain, hard access to the bottom of the map ...). The marine start in nice though, easy to defend and hard to access
I also like how Nano is a room that, despite not being a tech point, feels about as important as one. Its central location and extra resources make it an extremely interesting room strategically, and the fact that it's so small makes for a gameplay situation that cannot be found elsewhere in the game - while other maps feature double RT rooms in the center, those rooms are always quite large. Pushing nano as marines is a high risk high reward endeavor. Capturing nano while also holding a southern TP likely results in an eventual rine victory, but many teams have been completely ruined by committing too many resources to it.
The biggest flaw with the map has to be the vent from Overlook to Skylights. It makes Skylights too easy to harrass for the aliens, particularly if they begin in Sub-Sector, and as a result Skylights is one of the worst naturals in all of NS2. The marines are so far from the three tech points that holding their naturals becomes a must, and balance could be improved by making Skylights more difficult to harrass.
Hehehe somebody doesn't know how to get into the vent...
(Get on top of crate in overlook by using the wall, jump onto weird gizmo on wall towards vent, then jump to vent w/o stopping. Very tricky to do, but amazing payoff when you manage to surprise a skulk/gorge in the vent)
Back on topic: It's one of my favorite maps, though it can get a bit stale as there is only ONE marine starting location, and therefore only 3 start position configurations. Marines will usually A) Rush to nano or west/east junction,
Also I agree the vent in sky/overlook is annoying. It used to be much easier to get into, but they changed it and it's very rare knowledge of how to get in there unassisted, on foot. If anything, THIS is the spot where they need a weldable vent. There are few places in any other maps where this would be a good idea.
Seconding that Cargo is awful for aliens once JPs go up. Even if you have lerks/fades, it's almost impossible to prevent them from doing a ton of damage as they've got so much open air, and so many nice perches to land on, if only for a second to recharge. As a fade, you'll have to strike them down really fast, because if you wait too long you'll be out of energy, and unable to pursue for a few precious seconds. I complain, but I honestly don't know what they could do differently to make the room more alien-friendly... maybe a lower ceiling? Stuff hanging down, blocking shots from marines that are perched on top of crates, forcing them to mobilize... maybe?
These are all just minor nitpicks of course. I still find that this is one of the most balanced maps in all of ns2, after summit and tram, of course!
The double Resource point and 4 Techpoint setup gives a unique playstyle to the map.
That being said, I feel that the vent between Skylights and Overlook absolutely infuriating. Many times, marines will simply not even attempt to hold either resourse tower.
The tactical power of holding certain rooms is also an issue. System Waypointing, for example, is incredibly powerful.
Also, there is too much empty and unusable space around Pipeline (though this has improved somewhat recently).
Nah, powernode doesn't get you up there. There's a weird little gizmo poking out of the wall up higher, and closer to the crate.
Here ya go:
-Aliens get nano with or without a tunnel at the start
-Provided nano is held well by the aliens in the opening minutes, marines take nano just as aliens are securing a second TP and expanding to the peripheral RTs. Very predictable trade of double for a TP almost every game on this map.
-Alot of games hinge on this point, where marines can deny a 2nd alien hive as it's going up, or the aliens can either go for 3 hives or try to get nano back with 2nd hive tech.
And all the wonderfully useful spots, like the sky/overlook vent for aliens, and the Neck phase for marines when sieging pipe.
This was a part of the assignment. I compare the answers you all given here, to see if the data is correct.
Every importand vent in this map (except the nano vents and sub vent) is accessable as a single non-jetpacking marine...
Sky from West Junction
And when you add in the possibility of utilising actual teamwork (boosting), it becomes not only possible but trivial to get inside these vents. It's ridiculous how many times I've seen 3+ pubbers trying to coax out a lonely gorge inside the skylights vent by camping different entrances, when one guy crouching could solve the problem in seconds.
What I *do* like about it are the actual room layouts (except Cargo), and how different/unique they are. But that's about it.