Why not make NS2 Combat free to play?

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Comments

  • MoFo1MoFo1 United States Join Date: 2014-07-25 Member: 197612Members
    I for one am glad the combat devs weren't brought back into the ns2 dev team...

    The balance changes they were making after combat's launch were so hilariously bad that it boggles the mind. Turned a fun game into a mindless grindfest where the best players ALWAYS dominated with supreme ease...

    Granted I haven't played it in quite awhile, but those changes they were making in the first few months... Seriously so bad that I doubt anything they've done since helped.

    I'm actually afraid that the new PDT is going to fubar NS2 in the same way FLG fubar'd combat...
  • TinkiTinki Join Date: 2013-12-03 Member: 189715Members
    It's more about new models, new weapons, UI... than balance changes. If you want to be productive you hire people for their skills to do something, not because they are your friend. FTG did a great job in that regard since they produced tangible new content and everyone in their team have/had an actual job to do.
  • OnosFactoryOnosFactory New Zealand Join Date: 2008-07-16 Member: 64637Members
    FYI: " brain-hand coordinataion of an ape " - Humans are Apes, evolution is Taxonomic.
  • _Grendel__Grendel_ Join Date: 2015-05-07 Member: 204238Members
    @MoFo1 I'm guessing you haven't played in quite a while. The current build is much better balanced and a ton of fun. There is a group of us who usually play at least every other night, if not most nights a week. The balance isn't perfect, but it is still a ton of fun. Ask any of the guys who frequent the combat servers. Still skeptical? Then join up next time there's a game announcement.
  • MoFo1MoFo1 United States Join Date: 2014-07-25 Member: 197612Members
    Oh I'll probably hop back into it at some point to see what they've done after all this time..

    I just don't expect much since it was such an unbalanced disaster of grinding and stomping last time I played it.
  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    I want that Pistol to come to NS2. That thing was satisfying. I may not have done significant damage with it, but it felt good.

    That cannon is sweet too. But definitely shouldn't come to NS2. It's alright in combat because the lines of sight are rarely very long, otherwise it'd be OP as hell.

    All in all I didn't feel like it was unbalanced for the few rounds I played. Mind you, I was towards the top of the scoreboard each game, NS2 skill transfers seamlessly. They brought back SS Fade, and jeepers can you move fast.

    All in all, it was a lot of fun. Ideal world it could be incorporated into NS2 proper as an alternate game-mode. But we have established that this is simply impractical if not impossible.
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    I see so much assumption in this thread it is unbelievable.

    As a side note, the developers who currently work on Combat only include 1 of the original Combat devs, and even then, none of the coders from the original combat dev team are still active, having moved onto real-life jobs.
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    edited February 2016
    They cant just sell a pvp game with bots only.
    I liked liked this mod to train at specific weapons/lifeforms as they were conserved upon dying.
    Removing the commander + team ressource isnt a very good idea outside of this context.
  • PelargirPelargir Join Date: 2013-07-02 Member: 185857Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, WC 2013 - Silver, Forum staff
    Soul_Rider wrote: »
    I see so much assumption in this thread it is unbelievable.

    As a side note, the developers who currently work on Combat only include 1 of the original Combat devs, and even then, none of the coders from the original combat dev team are still active, having moved onto real-life jobs.

    What's the point of saying this? I could take the exact same argument regarding the current NS2 team. Only one member of the development team is working full time on NS2, others are either student or have another job so I can't see how relevant your message is.

    @Ironhorse has valid points though.

    @Calego: I see a couple of weapons such as the knife or that pistol that could totally be used on NS2 without unbalancing the game since it's basically the same weapons with slightly different stats but that do the same purpose than the original weapons. Agreeing with you on the cannon though.
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    Pelargir wrote: »
    Soul_Rider wrote: »
    I see so much assumption in this thread it is unbelievable.

    As a side note, the developers who currently work on Combat only include 1 of the original Combat devs, and even then, none of the coders from the original combat dev team are still active, having moved onto real-life jobs.

    What's the point of saying this? I could take the exact same argument regarding the current NS2 team. Only one member of the development team is working full time on NS2, others are either student or have another job so I can't see how relevant your message is.

    This was in response to this post:
    Pelargir wrote: »
    The remaining devs on Combat could totally be hired .

    Unfortunately they are currently without an active coder, so it's only a modellers and mappers at the moment, which isn't much help to UWE.

    And this post:
    Pelargir wrote: »

    Then it leads to another question, why was this new team formed with CDT members since UWE had the ability to hire the previous Combat team to work on NS2 (neutral question).

    The previous combat team disbanded shortly after the release of combat. A large majority have been gone for over a year, so they weren't even around to be considered at the time this happened.

    I hope that clarifies it for you. I consider most of the original combat team friends of mine, and I hate seeing so much mis-information being spread around the subject of combat and what did or didn't happen, and what opportunities were or weren't available.
  • PelargirPelargir Join Date: 2013-07-02 Member: 185857Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, WC 2013 - Silver, Forum staff
    @Soul_Rider: It is helpful depending on the content you aim for. The current Combat team might not be the exact same team when Combat was released but the game is still being updated, there was a coder until recently. The idea of hiring an NS2 development team didn't pop up last month for the record, quite the contrary. I am not saying UWE could have hired Combat devs only since as you said, and I agree on that, it isn't the full team it used to be.

    However, the ones who are still updating Combat on their free time have skill that could be useful as for adding more content to NS2. It is obviously not enough if you're making a full team but a nice addition.

    Also, you're not answering the question. The current team isn't working full time on NS2. Any other developers including former Combat devs who got another job since Combat was a failure could do the same.

    It indeed made sense to recruit some CDT members since they were developing the game for more than a year and had the skill and the opportunity to do it. But the argument you're providing on the contrary doesn't justify the reasons Combat devs or even the leftovers didn't get a call to possibly work on NS2 as well, or at least provide some of the stuff they've been designing and creating those last years.

    What I mean is that there's stuff from Combat that could be implemented on NS2 with FLG approval and some financial compensation. But this was never considered from UWE side. Well, it's a tad more complicated than that but that's another story.
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    My point was the team is only small and can only help with content, and they have been doing that already. There is no reason for UWE to hire them, when they can contract with them, which is better all round.

    If the remaining active devs are taken from combat to NS2, well, that's poaching FLG's staff, and would of course lead to Combat being no longer developed.

    You also have to ask if the Combat devs even want to work on NS2. They work on Combat because they love it, why do you assume they would love NS2 more?

    Failure is an interesting word. I'd take combat's 'Failure' every day of the week, jeez, do you even begin to understand what they achieved?
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    edited February 2016
    UWE cant hire Combat dev team as long as they work at FLG
    But the combat sale being probably terribad FLG probably will disband soon if they dont grow a playerbase somehow,
    If both parties want to reunite combat and NS2, UWE should hire them, they definitely have the skills but that isnt garanteed to be in their plans.
    Or FLG could stay the way they are now but go F2P which could gather a playerbase and profit through dlcs.
  • RejZoRRejZoR Slovenia Join Date: 2013-09-24 Member: 188450Members, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow
    They ruined NS2 Combat balance anyway. Before a team had to really coordinate attack to breach the main armor and make actual damage to the chair/hive.. But now you can just slowly nibble off a chair and win that way. No need to coordinate with the team AT ALL. So, it's kinda boring. It doesn't require any team work at all. It just lost the appeal for me.
  • 3X4L73X4L7 Join Date: 2014-06-13 Member: 196510Members
    profit through dlcs.

    LOLs How's that working out for NS2?
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    3X4L7 wrote: »
    profit through dlcs.

    LOLs How's that working out for NS2?

    better than just living by the game..
    since that would kill off the playerbase
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    edited February 2016
    Yea the most effective would be if they could sync Combat and NS2 skins so that they are purchasable and available in both games.
    Maybe that could be doable with the new steam items update?
    Currently there is no reason to buy skins in a dead game.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I kinda like how Dirty Bomb does this...

    This post was too elaborate, so instead I'm slapping it in it's own thread for ideas and stuff...
  • 3X4L73X4L7 Join Date: 2014-06-13 Member: 196510Members
    So allowing people to buy skins keeps a game going? Oh jeez...

    Why do games need constant development?
    I still occationally play SC 1 with some people.
    I also play SC2, but it's not any updates that keep me playing it.


    Constant offical updates are important for a small segment of every popular game...The competitive arena.
    Which NS2 thought it had, but it did NOT.
    Remember the globe badges? [Cue the laugh track]

    Remember the goals of reinforcement? {laugh}

    I'm not sure why it's so hard for developers to update their own game... If the reason is money, then you developers need to develop p2p games, and quit this other bull that runs players away.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited February 2016
    3X4L7 wrote: »
    So allowing people to buy skins keeps a game going? Oh jeez...

    Why do games need constant development?
    I still occationally play SC 1 with some people.
    I also play SC2, but it's not any updates that keep me playing it.


    Constant offical updates are important for a small segment of every popular game...The competitive arena.
    Which NS2 thought it had, but it did NOT.
    Remember the globe badges? [Cue the laugh track]

    Remember the goals of reinforcement? {laugh}

    I'm not sure why it's so hard for developers to update their own game... If the reason is money, then you developers need to develop p2p games, and quit this other bull that runs players away.

    Welcome to the new world of casual gamers, which I hate to say it laddy... They outnumber us 99 to 1

    NS2 is too niche for that big market Hugh was boasting about a while back in his post. Things need to change and with that change it doesn't necessarily need to change the hardcore crew competitive player's game (sv_pure)
  • ObraxisObraxis Subnautica Animator & Generalist, NS2 Person Join Date: 2004-07-24 Member: 30071Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, WC 2013 - Supporter, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited February 2016
    3X4L7 wrote: »
    profit through dlcs.

    LOLs How's that working out for NS2?

    After we delved into the actual NS2 sales data, it was clear DLC sales from NS2 are much higher than anyone on the team realized. The trick is to make Cosmetics that are awesome, very affordable and dont give any advantage in the game other than to look great. Lots of people want to be an individual in the games they play, going by the sales numbers, it's clear the NS2 community want to do just that.
  • G_of_the_JG_of_the_J Join Date: 2013-08-12 Member: 186764Members
    edited February 2016
    You could release support badges DLC or similiar. Even thou i dont usually buy cosmetics, that i could buy just to support.

    Just add little scoreboard badges for 5euros each. Like blood, claw, strong arm, etc etc. Shouldnt take too much devtime to make. Or tie it with another championchip tournament with NSL and let all teams design their own badges to sell.

    So. Much. Profit.
  • 3X4L73X4L7 Join Date: 2014-06-13 Member: 196510Members
    Obraxis wrote: »
    3X4L7 wrote: »
    profit through dlcs.

    LOLs How's that working out for NS2?

    After we delved into the actual NS2 sales data, it was clear DLC sales from NS2 are much higher than anyone on the team realized. The trick is to make Cosmetics that are awesome, very affordable and dont give any advantage in the game other than to look great. Lots of people want to be an individual in the games they play, going by the sales numbers, it's clear the NS2 community want to do just that.

    By the price of $75? or the lower prices?

    It seemed to me that NS2 sold LARGE numbers. Enough to have kept going for a worthy stretch, but it only got two years. Or was it just one year before reinforcement?...
    I'll just stop there.

    I disagree with the advantages. There are and the rudeness I recieve for my opinion on such doesn't change reality.

    The skin that matches infestation is best for that. the skin that matches the shadows are better for that. It doesn't take any thought. In fact it's advertised in such a way to make you believe it!
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