Question About 1.1: Will Blink Be Changed?

ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
edited January 2003 in NS General Discussion
<div class="IPBDescription">Great ability that suffers</div> I wonder if blink ajdustment is on the slate for 1.1? Currently the blink is a fickle friend, depositing me inside objects when I am unlucky, or just not working when I desperately need it, since the mechanics behind the skills seems to dislike low ceiling areas a lot.
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Comments

  • MMZ_TorakMMZ_Torak Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 3770Members
    Blink ahs to be one of the hardest skills to master in NS. I have accidently blinked through doors but have never been able to do it intentionally. Blinking into objects sucks so bad I just don't try and blink past Chambers anymore. Has anyone gotten stuck in marine buildings while blinking? I can't seem to figure out why I wind up in some walls or ceilings either.
  • DOOManiacDOOManiac Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
    here's a tip that may cost you some health but will get you to blink 95% of the time:

    look up at the ceiling of your destination. for some reason blink almost always works when looking upward. Just only try on a flat ceiling, nothing w/ edges or you may get stuck. The viaduct is a great place to practice this.
  • KhaimKhaim Join Date: 2002-06-28 Member: 841Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
    NOTE: im on a school comp and the 'h' key doesnt work very well, you will have to fill in your head if i dont hit the letter hard enuff.

    a little science on blink, It ONLY works if the fade can 'move' there, (as in fly if there was no gravity, or in other words, move in a straight line to the point) without hitting anything, to prevent you from blinking into little holes in the wall etc.

    crouching helps, by 'shrinking' the fade in essence. also aiming up helps because you are muc less likely to have your 'feet drag on the ground'.
  • Ph0enixPh0enix Join Date: 2002-10-08 Member: 1462Members, Constellation
    Crouch, point at an upwards angle, doesn't have to be 45" or anything. Avoid pipes, gratings, anything which isn't actually a 'wall'.

    /On-topic

    From the front news page

    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- Bug fixes and exploit fixes (bunny-hopping, ex_ variables, r_draw variables, more) <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    If blink being unreliable is counted as a bug then I guess thats a yes.
  • MMZ_TorakMMZ_Torak Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 3770Members
    Yea looking up, helps so does ducking. But, it is a bit much to try and escape melee combat while switchnig to blink , ducking, looking up and blinking
  • CorradoCorrado Join Date: 2002-12-23 Member: 11423Members
    I blinked into a marine first...he could shoot me but i couldnt shoot him...i'm guessing you could tell what happened <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • coilcoil Amateur pirate. Professional monkey. All pance. Join Date: 2002-04-12 Member: 424Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Blink will be reworked in the future; don't know if it's on the plate for 1.1.

    The way blink works - you have to be able to move there, as has been said. As far as the engine is concerned, that means your *hull box* has to be able to move there - the Fade hull is 32x32x72, the "standing marine" hull.

    Blink calculates from the center of your hull, as well - when you're aiming, aim for where you want your *chest* to end up. That's why aiming downward frequently doesn't work - your feet instantly hit the floor, and you go no where.

    Jumping moves your feet away from the floor, which helps. Crouching means the blink calculation uses the "crouched marine" hull, which is much smaller than the standing marine hull, and so you're less likely to run into something.

    Getting stuck in geometry - Blink doesn't work well with entities. Entities include doors, gratings & other transparencies, and usually any sort of complex detail (especially pipes and such), which are often made into func_walls. Aim for actual walls and ceilings, and stay away from complex architecture both at your destination and en route.
  • EnemyWithinEnemyWithin Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5572Members
    Blink can easily be scripted and bound to one key. The below script binds it to the ALT key. You just need to make sure you are aiming at a good blink spot <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

    //Blink (hold button to aim and then release to blink, automatically switches back to main attack)

    alias shortwait "wait;wait;wait;wait"
    alias +qblink "slot3"
    alias -qblink "+jump; +duck; shortwait; +attack; wait; -jump; -duck; -attack; slot1"
    bind ALT +qblink

    The only problems I have with blink are blinking from a low ceiling area (never works for me) and blinking into structures/walls (happens at least once a game). I really hope they will fix the 2nd problem. After saving up (soon to be 54 rp's!) for your first fade evolve, it really sucks to have to suicide if you get suck in a structure <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Thanks for the tips.
  • BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7542Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The viaduct is a great place to practice this. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Actually viaduct is a great place to get blink to work, it's the worst place to practice it since problems with blinking are low ceilings, small unevennesses in the ground or at the walls etc.
  • GreyPawsGreyPaws Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8659Members
    I wont even mention what I think about scripting... ****************


    As far as blink is concerned there is a much bigger problem with it. The blink animation. It is identical to the slash animation and for some reason sometimes when using acid rocket and having slash as the last used weapon, hitiing the quick inventory key brings up blink instead of slash, I only notice the diff when the marine doesnt die from 10 slashes or I notice that its not making that fleshy crunching sound as it hits, the only way to get last inv to give us slash again is to reselct it and then re select acid rocket. I'll try and record a demo of it sometime and post it.
  • Ph0enixPh0enix Join Date: 2002-10-08 Member: 1462Members, Constellation
    If you test it and it is happening, stick it in the bug forum.
  • IncitatusIncitatus Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4316Members
    To be honest I hardly ever have trouble blinking.
    Just be careful where you aim. Don't aim at chambers, marine structures, lifts and some doors and you'll be fine.
    There's nothing better than blinking up somewhere when the other fades use the lift <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • EnemyWithinEnemyWithin Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5572Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--GreyPaws+Jan 16 2003, 06:38 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GreyPaws @ Jan 16 2003, 06:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I wont even mention what I think about scripting...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Personally, I would prefer it if the developers would just allow you to bind a key to "blink" to save me the trouble of writing a script to do it. But until that happens, I'll continue to enjoy my script <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • InexorableInexorable Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
    They did... press 3, click attack to blink. How much easier can it really get?

    As for blinking itself; as coil said, you should avoid complex architecture and low ceilings such as those found in the folowing maps: Bast, Nothing, Nancy, Caged, and Eclipse. To a lesser extent, Hera and Tanith should be avoided as well.

    Now, these maps aren't made entirely of low ceilings and pipes jutting out into nowhere just to mess up blink attempts, but for best results it is better to use blinking on more open maps... like de_dust, or 2fort4. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • MobJusticeMobJustice Join Date: 2002-12-23 Member: 11401Members
    I like blinking the way it is (in terms of how you use it), I just hope they fix the getting stuck in entitys crap, cause blinking into ladders is getting annoying.

    Also, on maps where there's enough room to warrant it, a fade can blink to a high-up structure, and then jump down on marines, and blink to where he wants to land mid-fall to take no damage from the fall.
  • EnemyWithinEnemyWithin Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5572Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Inexorable+Jan 16 2003, 07:16 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Inexorable @ Jan 16 2003, 07:16 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->They did... press 3, click attack to blink. How much easier can it really get?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    lol...that depends, do you actually want it to WORK? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • uranium_235uranium_235 Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9478Banned
    Here's my suggestion to blink that will actually fix 95% of the problems.

    Have the game perform a Transform function on the player that moves them in the direction they are facing by one, maybe two meters. There will be no collision checks for this.

    <b>Pros</b>
    - Blink through doors, elevators and sealed vents.
    - If you get 'stuck' somewhere, blinking again in the air will teleport you out of the object.
    - You can more easilly escape being in close quarters with a marine by blinking behind him, even if he's in front of you.

    <b>Cons</b>
    - Aliens can now blink outside through walls.
    - MAY allow Fades to blink through the map and fall out.
    - Could cause collision problems with blinking and there being an object a meter in front of you.

    While a new function could solve the map problems (If the fade is present in the function, it'll send him right back where he came from), the collision errors will be hard to fix...
  • bitninebitnine Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9283Members
    I also don't like the fact that the way it works now, certain maps are more blink-friendly than others. I've made it a point to remember which maps and which spots on which maps are good blink zones and try to engage marines there. I suppose it would be nice if blink not only checked where your cursor would have hit a brush, but again about a fade's length back from that brush, which would help, say, on certain corridors on ns_nancy, where the walls are very blink-unfriendly.
  • TraneTrane Join Date: 2002-02-01 Member: 148Members
    You forgot one other con of just moving forward how ever many spaces.. You could never easily blink long distances which is the most useful aspect. No one is going to want to press the blink button 5 million times just trying to get down a hallway. Maybe once you are stuck within an entity or blinking into an entity some kind of coding could be put in to use this alternate form of blink. But, personally I'd rather have the risk of getting stuck then not being able to easily blink across an entire room, or to a high ceiling. or whatever.
  • UnitUnit Join Date: 2002-08-26 Member: 1230Members
    I have a strange solution to the blinking problem...I don't know why nobody else has suggested this yet (maybe it WAS suggested and already knocked down):

    As the admin_slap command goes for AdminMod, it would be quite useful to rework blink to act as if the Fade is being "slapped" across the room, he still reaches his destination ALMOST instantaneously, and he will never be stuck inside a building. Well...yeah, why not do that?
  • HBNayrHBNayr Join Date: 2002-07-13 Member: 930Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--uranium - 235+Jan 16 2003, 03:32 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (uranium - 235 @ Jan 16 2003, 03:32 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Have the game perform a Transform function on the player that moves them in the direction they are facing by one, maybe two meters. There will be no collision checks for this...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    As a matter of fact, Fades COULD originally Blink through walls like this. During beta testing, it was determined to be too unbalancing. What I would LIKE to see is the Fade's hull box get reshaped much smaller just before blinking, although I'm not absolutely sure if there would be possible with the engine limitations.

    -Ryan!


    In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
    -- Martin Luther King Jr.
  • ShockehShockeh If a packet drops on the web and nobody&#39;s near to see it... Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9336NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->To a lesser extent, Hera and Tanith should be avoided as well<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Tanith... TANITH?

    If there's one place that h8's me, it's outside marine spawn on Tanith. It ALWAYS snags me on that stupid gangway in the outside area. Tanith is an EVIL map to blink too much on, because the main place I want to blink is there.

    And I blink, a LOT. I've only stopped lately because I always seem to get stuck immediately after evolving to Fade for first time, thus meaning best part of 15 minutes whilst I build up another 44/54 rez to build (at 1 rez per tick, due to everyone else having done it too)

    /me runs off to sulk some more about Tanith, and how it hates me.
  • AphonAphon Join Date: 2002-12-04 Member: 10442Members
    i dont use blink that much because im too afraid of getting stuck in something =/
  • AphonAphon Join Date: 2002-12-04 Member: 10442Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--uranium - 235+Jan 15 2003, 11:32 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (uranium - 235 @ Jan 15 2003, 11:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Here's my suggestion to blink that will actually fix 95% of the problems.

    Have the game perform a Transform function on the player that moves them in the direction they are facing by one, maybe two meters. There will be no collision checks for this.

    <b>Pros</b>
    - Blink through doors, elevators and sealed vents.
    - If you get 'stuck' somewhere, blinking again in the air will teleport you out of the object.
    - You can more easilly escape being in close quarters with a marine by blinking behind him, even if he's in front of you.

    <b>Cons</b>
    - Aliens can now blink outside through walls.
    - MAY allow Fades to blink through the map and fall out.
    - Could cause collision problems with blinking and there being an object a meter in front of you.

    While a new function could solve the map problems (If the fade is present in the function, it'll send him right back where he came from), the collision errors will be hard to fix...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    good ideas, that sounds like it would be cool
  • InexorableInexorable Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
    A question for you Shockwave, when coming in as a Fade which movement upgrade will you have (assuming of course you're playing on a pub and therefore are subject to D/M/S)? Adren gives more combat stamina, but Celerity makes it easier to go toe-toe with marines. I'ld include Silence in there, but after playing a few games on servers where motion tracking a) worked and b) was actually researched I've realized that there is little way to suprise a marine unless you have cloak as well and about 60 seconds to set up an ambush.
  • ShockehShockeh If a packet drops on the web and nobody&#39;s near to see it... Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9336NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    I don't acid. Ever. The only reason I will, is if because marines are forcing me to, and then I'll only throw 1, enough to make them move while I close in.

    So, Celerity it is then, as energy isn't an issue. I suppose I could worry about the energy for Blink, but I tend to pull off large blinks, irregularily, rather than several short ones, so it tends to have recharged by the next time I need it.
  • InexorableInexorable Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
    Fair enough. I wasn't really refering to Acid (though I am more than willing to simply artillery a poorly placed TF from outside sentry range), but to the fact that after blinking into a group of marines and getting a few good swipes in I'm finding myself low enough on energy that blinking becomes a problem. Oftentimes in a hurry I'll miss aim though and only blink halfway. With Adren on however your normal attack uses effectively 0 energy, so the only time you'll lose is when blinking.

    Maybe I just need more practice. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • AkalamanaiaAkalamanaia Join Date: 2003-01-04 Member: 11833Members
    edited January 2003
    I hate this,when IM needing the bink,the god darn ability refuses to work and i get fragged by marine <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo--> ,then when i absolutely dont need it,it works! <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> ,its like marine against 3 skulks *CLIK* *CLICK* "AWWWWWWWW ****,OUT OF AMMOOOOO,GOD DARN IT!",but when i try blink on danger i start swearing and smashing my computer because that darned ability doesnt work when your in danger,i hate it,i've saw this bug alot that when marine is in proximinity of fade,blink refuses to work.
  • ImmacolataImmacolata Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2140Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Well we can argue from now and to kingdom come whether it is skill required or not to use blink. It must definitely be the single most mysterious and difficult control to master of the entire game, and as such it isn't working very well yet. very unintuitive. But as one of the playtesters mentioned, it isn't necessarily meant to be this tricky to use. HL engine problems with entities makes it hard to use, for instance. I've seen good suggestions on how to fix it easily. The best idea I could think of was for blink to have an alternative function to the current " Blink to hive". That could unstick the fade from a lot of sticky situations as well as remove it from combat danger. sort of a redemptionalternative. when you are in hive your sorry little butt has been saved but you might have a long walk back to the front line.
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