I Think Motion Tracking Is A Little Overpowered
JimmyMoon
Join Date: 2002-11-18 Member: 9256Members
Join Date: 2002-11-18 Member: 9256Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Here's my solution.</div> Motion tracking is too easy to get in the early game, it only costs 45 resources, and it immediately tracks every alien in the level. Kinda cheap isn't it? It completely ruins alien's stealth, because even if you stand still it takes up to 3 seconds for the circle to go away. Marines will know where you are at all times. Personally I think it defeats the purpose of setting up the levels so that aliens can be stealthy.
Don't answer until you read the whole post!
Here's what I propose:
1. Observatories should be renamed to motion trackers/sensors. They would cost 20 res, and they'd be placeable if there was a turret factory nearby.
2. Motion tracking cost would be increased to 150 res, and it would be researchable from any motion tracker/sensor.
Motion trackers would have an "area of effect" that is, they'd track the movement of the aliens in the surrounding area. There could be overlapping areas of effect, which would make a blanket effect so you never have to research motion tracking, but it would be very hard to do. Motion tracking would be used to cover bases, to make them more easily defendable. Outside the bases, however, would be a "no man's land" where no aliens would be tracked. The motion tracking upgrade would enable motion tracking for the whole level.
Motion tracking cost being raised to 150 is justified because I think it should only be used as a late game tactic, when you are looking for the remaining aliens before and after killing the last hive. It should be an aid to the search and destroying that goes on in late game.
What do you guys think?
Don't answer until you read the whole post!
Here's what I propose:
1. Observatories should be renamed to motion trackers/sensors. They would cost 20 res, and they'd be placeable if there was a turret factory nearby.
2. Motion tracking cost would be increased to 150 res, and it would be researchable from any motion tracker/sensor.
Motion trackers would have an "area of effect" that is, they'd track the movement of the aliens in the surrounding area. There could be overlapping areas of effect, which would make a blanket effect so you never have to research motion tracking, but it would be very hard to do. Motion tracking would be used to cover bases, to make them more easily defendable. Outside the bases, however, would be a "no man's land" where no aliens would be tracked. The motion tracking upgrade would enable motion tracking for the whole level.
Motion tracking cost being raised to 150 is justified because I think it should only be used as a late game tactic, when you are looking for the remaining aliens before and after killing the last hive. It should be an aid to the search and destroying that goes on in late game.
What do you guys think?
Comments
Or, as has been suggested millions of times silence could protect from motion tracking, or perhaps one of the sensory upgrades that are useless could do it.
Yea..
That's a wee bit steep.
Why not just make Observatories have a little more HP, but scan only a littler radius around them...say, a little bigger than a Siege shot. Maybe 1.5x the distance, or less (since I'm not sure how big that is in reality, it's just a tossed-out number).
With that, Marines need to build their Observatories, the range is reduced, and they're not quite so fragile (because they're ludicrously easy to kill now).
A further change could be that for a phase gate to function, it needs to be inside the working radii of a phase gate, (Obviously Observatories will need a boost in health) Or maybe just make it so that an obs is needed to place a phase gate (after its working the unstable nanites create a gravity well and suppliment the observatory which can now be removed, but if its providing motion tracking in that forward area, it will probably be left up)
As it is now, Motion tracking is the lamest thing next to pre-1.04 siege turrets, for one small investment early game (okay, LARGE investment due to limited funds, but in the entire scope of things a minor drop in the ocean/deep space) you get a 100%+ boost to survivability of marines (if their smart enough to know what them little moving blue cirlces mean and how to avoid and counterambush) that never goes away even if your observatory is destroyed (another pet peeve of mine, now whenever I skulk rush early game I hit the observatory before anything, as if i manage to kill it, I set the comm back 20 (hopefully 65 if he was researching motion tracking) AND the ability to place anymore phase gates, as well as the ability to call in distress beacon, and if a gorge dropped 3 sensories, we can all cloak in base around the infantry portal (As soon as they start to complain we eat the portal to put em out of thier misery, but we only do this if theres still one around as well as the comm (hell the comm could jump out and gun us down if he really wanted to save his men the embarrasment)
So yeah, motion tracking should either go down when all observatories are destroyed (Smallest possible nerf) or have it dependant on observatory coverage (only works in a certain radii of operational observatories) or have it cost a snitload vs having free motion tracking in observatory covered areas (ala Original post)
I love the fast, sneaky style of the skulk, but it in games where motion tracking is researched, it totally blows. The skulks greatest advantage is totally nullified, and all you can do then is run straight at them <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Ready?
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>DON'T MOVE</span>
Skulks work best when they lie in wait for an unsuspecting marine.
Getting motion at the start is a large investment, and it has long upgrade time. But getting it after they no longer have skulks, and its not as usefull.
Keep it how it is.
I think this is a good excuse to make the observatory more interesting... Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't really seem like a one-of-a-kind structure... It just LOOKS like something you'd put in any reasonably-sized base, not just one in the corner of the MS... I'd say the only one-of-a-kind structures should be the two labs (The only buildings you only need one of)...
Is anyone seeing where I'm going here? Drop the obs while its upgrading and the marines lose 65 res, do it early game and that 65 res is going to set them back ALOT.
What I'd like is a nice loud noise that tells you the things upgrading <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
BlueGhost
It would make getting sensories early a bit more worth while!
I'd also like cloaking to completely negate motion tracking unless the alien is in line of sight of the observatory. Why? Well since the sensory chamber is useless as it is now, by making cloaking something that can be useful, the aliens may choose it over other chambers. If so, then THAT gives the marine an advantage since while you can't see the alien, they would be easier to kill. A fair trade off if you ask me. In the case with 3 hives it's over anyway, so it's not like it's going change things if the aliens go D, M, S.
Regards,
Savant
Also like taking out the obs while upgrading like somone already said will waste 65 res down the drain. The only problem is knowing when they are upgrading the obs.
For one, I dont use motion when I comm since I play mostly on linux servers and 1.03 motion doesnt work on linux servers. The price for motion is just fine.
I wish people would quit comparing hivesight and motion tracking in order to justify powerful tracking for marines. Apples, Oranges. Sure, they're both fruits, but...
I've been suggesting for quite a while that motion tracking be researched at it's current cost from any observatory, it is not lost if the observatory is destroyed, but only aliens within a certain not-whole-map range of an active observatory are shown when they move.
With the 'silence' upgrade, and alien can get closer to the observatory before motion tracking kicks in.
As for Mr. "Don't Move"... if they're smart and alert, marines can see aliens three rooms away who are getting into a position for an ambush--and usually figure out where they're hiding once they know the map.
Also What about having marines get MT goggles or some kind of thing that lets them see the circles? It has to be something in their visors that lets them see these circles, so maybe have it be an item that the comm has to spawn, at maybe 5 pts each. So they have to research motion tracking and then upgrade the marines.
As well, I like the idea of motion tracking having a certain radius from an observatory. Same thing as turret factories, though I don't know if they should have to upgrade each observatory if they want that MT (not just detecting cloaked aliens). Also it'd have a larger range.
Also...motion tracking is too much like a wall hack....and hive sight isn't? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Get rid/nerf of motion tracking, and lose/nerf hive sight also. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Don't misunderstand, motion tracking is a valid part of the game and linux servers haven't functioned properly. However, I do love the gameplay of linux servers and marines nulling the surprise factor of aliens doesn't sound too good. And this is only partially because it has such a big impact on my own tactics. I've liked the idea, that marines are those who need to feel insecure and group up to be able to monitor their surroundings better and be ready for possible surprise attacks. Motion tracking detracts from that making the Kharaa the side that has to feel insecure. But, like I said I've never seen motion tracking in action. Guess I just have to see it for myself and then decide whether it adds or detracts from the juicy gameplay of linux servers.
Not having MT show up as Big blue blips in your Hud, but having them shown like little dots up there in your little radarmap.
Pros (in terms of ballance):
You can only tell wich direction an alien is coming from, not height.
The range would lessen.
You will have to constantly keep an eye on the radarscreen to use it.
The Map would be usefull. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> ( I know they are probably updating it for 1.1 , though)
It would look a lot more different from Alien hivesight, setting the feel of the teams more apart.
Cons:
Might be to much like avp or avp2 <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
Might be difficult to code? (CS radar?)
With a change like this, MT should still cost the same and function all over the map.
Somehow i feel sure that this is something the devs have thought about, and scraped for some reason. But you never know...
If early motion tracking is as overpowered as you claim, it would be advantageous to build sensory chambers early on for the purpose of negating it. If you don't think its worth building sens for, then you might want to reconsider how powerful you think it is.
Yes! Like our current radar, we could have it scan around the map and show a ping if there is an alien there and the ping fades quick.
People say, "DONT MOVE!", but, uhh, have you noticed that it also blinks the blue circle around your locatio for a few seconds after moving? They still know where you are. There should be some kind of upgrade to aliens that allows them to negate MT.