Hive Locations
RyoOhki
Join Date: 2003-01-26 Member: 12789Members
Join Date: 2003-01-26 Member: 12789Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Big spaces arn't good for alien teams</div> This isn't a rant or an attack at anyone personally.
Anyways, I do notice that so many hive locations are, strangly, perfect for marines but bad for aliens. In that they are wide open spaces, with plenty of room for long range marine weaponry and even turrets, not to mention jetpacking.
I'd always thought that hive locations should be points of strength for the alien side: closed in, tight locations with little room for the marines to move about and plenty of ambush locations. The kind of areas that marines should be dead set afraid to go into; a place which almost would have to be seiged.
I guess I just feel sorry for aliens trying to defend their hive in big open spaces (and I play both sides so I know it's damn hard to hold in such conditions). My plea to the mappers out there is to please make your hive locations more alien friendly. Marine starts are supposed to be nice and open, I accept that. But please give us poor aliens some kind of home turf advantage as well <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Anyways, I do notice that so many hive locations are, strangly, perfect for marines but bad for aliens. In that they are wide open spaces, with plenty of room for long range marine weaponry and even turrets, not to mention jetpacking.
I'd always thought that hive locations should be points of strength for the alien side: closed in, tight locations with little room for the marines to move about and plenty of ambush locations. The kind of areas that marines should be dead set afraid to go into; a place which almost would have to be seiged.
I guess I just feel sorry for aliens trying to defend their hive in big open spaces (and I play both sides so I know it's damn hard to hold in such conditions). My plea to the mappers out there is to please make your hive locations more alien friendly. Marine starts are supposed to be nice and open, I accept that. But please give us poor aliens some kind of home turf advantage as well <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
i like that one too but your right.
it is so smal i have trouble getting my spawns in:)
It's still pretty rough, but it looks just boo-tee-ful in my mind.
And no, I have no screenies yet. I've only got basic lighting, and next to no solid texturing done.
[<i>edit1</i>] I've really got to learn to use less smiley's in my posts.
I think I will build hive locations that are small, but with some kind of stairs rocks reaching out from the sides of the room, so spawns can be stacked. Skulks can fall as deep as the want, so that should work fine. Of course there have to remain some even walls for the skulks to climb back up fast in case a jetpacker wants to take a rest on one of the spawn-rocks.
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At the end of each of the web-branches should have a medium-sized area suitable for alien spawning and for a giant alien hive structure. [..] These hive rooms should also be conducive for fighting for the aliens, so there should be short passageways and cover suitable for flanking, turning and enveloping. There could also be a significant vertical component to suggest the majesty of the aliens, and to give an advantage to the aliens, who can generally take more advantage of this. There could also be some unbuildable ground (water, slime, rough surface) that would make it hard for marines to fortify. However, keep in mind that the aliens also build structures, and that their building requirements are the same as marines, so don't make entire hive rooms unbuildable.
There should be multiple passageways in and out of these rooms, ones that link up to other adjacent hive rooms but are only accessible to aliens. There should be occasional passageways that are accessible for aliens or marines with jetpacks, but travel between most hive rooms should require going halfway back to the marine start first.
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I don't know about the rest of you, but that sounds pretty good to me.
Sounds like the NS developers had the wrong idea about how combat would work. In my experience, marines have the advantage in large open areas, especially with jetpacks.. aliens like small cramped areas with lots of hiding spots.
Maybe this document could be updated for 1.1 since there are already many inaccuracies and omissions.
I'd love for one of my hive locations to end up even <i>half</i> as impressive as that room is. I still remember the feeling of awe I felt the first time I ran in there towards the waypoint. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
someone mentioned refinery - similar situation. make spawn camping harder!
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WTH?!
Look, I know refinery LOOKS impressive. But that has to be the most marine biased hive that exists! Marines usually don't care if the aliens take it because it's so easy to take out; lerks and skulks certainly don't have free reign vs even 1 jp/hmg marine who can quite happily nail a hive by himself. Once it's fortified as well it's hard to take out; lerks can snipe but so can marines, are far more effectivly. Refinery was one of the reasons I posted this thread in the 1st place.
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WTH?!
Look, I know refinery LOOKS impressive. But that has to be the most marine biased hive that exists! Marines usually don't care if the aliens take it because it's so easy to take out; lerks and skulks certainly don't have free reign vs even 1 jp/hmg marine who can quite happily nail a hive by himself. Once it's fortified as well it's hard to take out; lerks can snipe but so can marines, are far more effectivly. Refinery was one of the reasons I posted this thread in the 1st place. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Um... 2 good (and I do mean <b>good</b>) lerks can make refinery a deathtrap for any marine. But generally, yes, marines with JPs can take refinery hives out easy.
Incidently... anyone played Deus Ex? There's a lab in it (the stage when you go to steal the plans for the uber sword) where most of it is sunken into the floor (the place with the aliens, and where you can overhear the big bad dude's talk about their plan to kill you). This place would make an excellent kharaa biased hive location, and the place where all those nanite cannisters are kept would make a most perfect spot for the actual hive. There's no way in hell any marine could hope to last against any good skulk in that place.
Redeeming onos?
Meh, I don't have a current save anywhere near before that... actually I might. I tend to play it through for a bit and then forget to finish. Then again I do seem to remember that my last guy was going for melee, so I doubt I would have stopped before I got that sword... I'll check though. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Anyway, do you remember the stage that I'm talking about? The one where you go into the Versalife facility in Hong Kong and steal the plans for teh uber sword?
Well... to be honest... I forgot the room where the plans were. But I can remember that sqare room with the sword itself <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->