Dear Flay, My Theory On Ns Balancing

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Comments

  • DecimatorDecimator Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 8057Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Kwil+Aug 25 2003, 08:38 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Kwil @ Aug 25 2003, 08:38 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If you feel underpriveledged because your elite LMG skills aren't getting recognized, go play CS. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Actually I like to comm and think it would be nice to know who lives the longest on my team.
  • MavericMaveric Join Date: 2002-08-07 Member: 1101Members
    edited August 2003
    ... And we all know what happened to the [communist] USSR, dont we? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> [(it collapsed, fyi.)]

    I think that either: Marines need to be less communist, or aliens need to be more communist. (im not saying that communism is bad, it is a fairly good idea actually; its just that people arn't able to understand it properly, or they get too corrupt and bend it into something absolutly horrible for everyone under their rule.)

    What i think needs to be done is to try sharing the resources gained from getting kills on the alien team. With 16 alien players and 16 marine players a kill worth 1 res would be split 16 ways, thus if everyone kills 1 marine everyone will gain 1 resource. Factor in that kills can range from the 1 resource to 3 per kill, the capped resource nodes, AND the massive kill rate of the bigger alien classes and you have a much better resource generation model for the aliens which, is imo, better than the current one.
  • antifreezeantifreeze The guy with the goods&#33; Join Date: 2003-05-12 Member: 16232Members, Constellation
    I seems he put some thought into this post...
    Interesting concept.
  • TaiDaisharTaiDaishar Join Date: 2003-08-11 Member: 19417Members
    I think a part of the problem is that the Commander simply don't have enough control over his marines, the only control he has over his subjects are whether or not aid them with ammo/med or guns (which are lost by the first time the marine gets killed, which is fairly fast), you could give your marines waypoints but there's no garuntee and no individual gain that the marines get from going to the waypoints and/or building/defending/attacking the requested item at the waypoint.

    Some sort of system to give marines a real incensitive(sp?) to follow the commander's orders or a way for the commander to punish the disobediant marines (could be abused by some comms but a comm can acuse almost anything).
  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    Samwise - I like the idea. However, I think that there should be a cap of ~25 res (much like the old 33/66/100 alien caps in 1.04); overflow goes straight to the com. That way, if you can't or won't use the res, he doesn't suffer because of it. I know it would make it a lot easier for my comm game if people would buy themselves a welder and fix base on their own initiative when I'm tied up with something else.
  • im_lostim_lost TWG Rule Guru Join Date: 2003-04-26 Member: 15861Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Snidely+Aug 26 2003, 05:02 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Snidely @ Aug 26 2003, 05:02 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Samwise - I like the idea. However, I think that there should be a cap of ~25 res (much like the old 33/66/100 alien caps in 1.04); overflow goes straight to the com. That way, if you can't or won't use the res, he doesn't suffer because of it. I know it would make it a lot easier for my comm game if people would buy themselves a welder and fix base on their own initiative when I'm tied up with something else. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I think that if this were implemented, the cap should be equal to the cost of the most expensive equipment plus the cost of the most expensive gun, allowing a player to get ha/hmg (I believe this would be 40 res, not sure though). Maybe this would be a maximum allowable cap on personal res, and a player could enter a command in the console to change their cap on personal res (but it couldn't be set higher than 40 res).

    I really don't think this would help marines, however. This means people are getting more guns, and less resources are spent on rt's, turrets, and upgrades. In a 6v6, every marine could buy 1 hmg, or that res could go to getting level 1 and 2 weapons and armor that will last for the entire game. Even if a marine doesn't want to buy a better gun, the res they have will sit around and not be usable by the team.
  • KoenigKoenig Join Date: 2003-01-23 Member: 12659Members
    Nice post...

    And the analysis of the problem is pretty good too. One comment though:
    The marine organization is NOT communistic in any way, its a command heiracy, or despotic system, both of which are VASTLY superior to democratic leadership during a war (provided that the guy at the top is good), living beings are not good at choosing between life and death when the life involved is their own (marines at half health standing in base requesting medpacks anybody?).
  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    Perhaps there could be an impulse to transfer res from marine to the pool. In the pop up, it would be at the top (so "Ready Room", "Eject Commander" and "Transfer Resources"). You could get people saving up for HA/HMG, yeah, but you also get people saving up for onos. It's an acceptable risk. (:
  • JamlJaml Join Date: 2002-11-17 Member: 9054Members
    edited August 2003
    The marine system isn´t a communist system. Comparing politic forms with ns is like comparing apples with a television. The system that the marines use is the standard army system used by all armies around the globe. The army has the cash. The army decides what gun you get. The army gives you everything. There is no I in the army. The army decides if you survive the day or if they send you on a suicide mission. I think you get the idea. In the army no one cares about what you think is the best thing to do. There is your superior officer (comm in NS) that gives you orders and you just have to follow em. The system is the best for combat situations where decisions must be made fast. Imagine if every soldier in war would run off in a different direction doing his thing. The enemy would just run over you cause in war the team with the better equippment and troop control(organization) wins. The reason marines loose is the speed of alien teching. Once this issue is sorted out a organized marine team will have no trouble killing the aliens. As for marines having cash to spend i think its bad. Just immagine the follow situation:

    Comm: All through the phase gate. Holoroom under attack by onos
    *marines run away from the phase*
    Comm: $%&%&#$ why dont you get through the phase
    Marines: No way. I just spend 20 res on my shiny new hmg. I want to keep it and not loosing it fighting an onos.


    Can you see even more alien ownage like i can?
  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    If they're going to be like that, they'll be the same if a commander gives it to them as well. I don't find that to be a problem; usually, the reverse is true ("No, wait at base! WAIT AT BASE! Oh, ffs...").
  • sejsej Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12488Members
    clever

    but...

    you also get problems with the free market economy, hence why most economies are now mixed, pure free market economies also have their failures.

    as such, an alien, left to his own devices, will do what he wants to do, what he thinks is <b>fun</b>, and ultimately what he thinks would<i> benefits himself most</i>, and this spawns all kind of problems for the alien team.

    For instance, an alien has 85 res, he could a) put up a hive, some rts, and a few chambers, which will benefit the whole of his team, or he could b) save for onos.

    A surprisngly high number of aliens would chose b), on a public, and even im guilty of similar actions on pubbies. Obviously doing option a would be much more benefitial to the team than going onos himself (which, incidently would benefit the team as well).

    However, on the marine team, the commander will ALWAYS spend the resources on what he thinks is best for the <b>whole </b> team, rather than just himself.

    The alien team suffers a surprisingly high amount due to the resource system, just as the marines do.

    I suspect part of the imbalance in NS stems from the fact that for the aliens, the think-load is shared. But for the rines, the comm does <b>everything</b>. The commander heals, equips, thinks of strategies, tends to every threat, acts as an informaiton center, is responsible for organising the whole team, places structures, and makes nearly <b>every decision which will be critical to the chances of the marines winning</b>.

    For aliens, its different. Any alien can go gorge and heal and build. No one is in charge, so organisation isnt anyones responsibility. The aliens have hive sight, the marines rely on the commander to relay information about any bases under attack. Aliens do not rely so heavily on one player. This means, the strategic element, one of the main determinants of a win or loss, rests on the shoulders of many, rather than just one.

    People say marines is the team which needs the most teamwork. I disagree. When the marines recieve their "buff", the alien team will be the one which needs more teamwork. The rines can rely on the comm, on one player, but the aliens will have to work as a team, and to spend res for each other so that they can benefit later on, rather than all save for onos at the start. Alien assaults also need teamwork to be successfull. Bile bombin gorges , bullet absorbing onos, and umbraing lerks have to work together to break through a well defend marine outpost.

    And pls, leave the communist issue alone, the original poster was talking about the resource systems in general, rather than trying to link the teams to political stances.
  • Sgt_DoompySgt_Doompy Join Date: 2003-08-09 Member: 19264Members
    edited August 2003
    Nothing wrong with giving marines the ability to get some often necessary equipment by themselves... Like some people mentioned it before, it takes the pressure away from the comm if a marine can go weld the base by himself if necessary. You notice a wall of lame somewhere? You get a GL and go with your group of marines and kill it...
    Often the grunts can spot a problem ALOT faster than a comm can and doesnt have to waste 5 min in requesting stuff, wasting your time at your base. Would be nice if a comm can focus more on the actual team strategy and less on supporting marines with the necessary weapons, health etc....

    A marine who just bought himself a new shotty would rather think "I should stay with my teammates since I have less chance of dying then and more chance to get even more res for future equipment", rather than going kamikaze with a weapon your comm just dropped. "If the comm can drop me 1 weapon, he can drop me a second as well no?" He gets res fast enough some even think. If they go in group, and the guy with the shotty gets killed, a second marine will just pick it up and the res isnt lost.

    Its true that good comms react fast enough to do all this by themselves but 75% of the people that play NS arent good comm. I dont know about you but public games are alot more fun when you play with aliens since they can take matters more in their own hands.
  • Adon_IdomAdon_Idom Join Date: 2002-12-24 Member: 11456Members
    This topic should be webbed
  • Jabba_The_HuntJabba_The_Hunt Join Date: 2003-01-05 Member: 11850Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Cry Havoc+Aug 25 2003, 08:07 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cry Havoc @ Aug 25 2003, 08:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--SilentSam+Aug 25 2003, 01:34 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SilentSam @ Aug 25 2003, 01:34 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> the free market prevails <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Because people an inherently self-serving and stupid.

    <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    yeah i agree, but I think the aliens expand a little too fast anyway, I mean in a 6vs6 game the aliens start with 50 more res, and most of their initial res automatically goes into resource towers, the marines need to learn to go out and capture res, there again, marine rt's are far less secure than alien rt's.
  • PegePege Join Date: 2002-11-27 Member: 10088Members
    edited August 2003
    Well, if you want to see NS from a political viewpoint, I think it shows more that for every "good" dictator (commander) there is 1000 bad ones who can make the nation to go down the toilet. The more "individiualistic" approach of the Kharaa seems to work more efficiently than the somewhat communistic dictatorship of the Frontiersmen. Afterall, if you have a bad commander, you don't have any chance of doing anything efficiently since resources are used for gods knows what, but if you have some bad players on the Kharaa side, you can still manage. Dividing responsibility on the marine side would be an excellent way to eliminate some of the "public chaos", but I can't think of any good solutions on how to do it without breaking the commanders role...

    On the other hand, I think economic balance has much more to do with the costs now and they are being addressed in 2.1. Cheaper upgrades and cheaper electrification etc. It won't stop bad "dictators" from going into the chair, but hopefully will help out the avarage and good ones...
  • TaiDaisharTaiDaishar Join Date: 2003-08-11 Member: 19417Members
    Actually, the marines aren't Despositic, neither communist or a dictatorship, all of them have a way of dealing with disboediant subjects and reward the good players that follow orders, in the marines only the lattar exists while the first is non-existant.

    So basically you have a system in which there are only rewards with no punishments, THIS is inherently wrong.
  • PoofatPoofat Join Date: 2003-06-17 Member: 17434Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--TaiDaishar+Aug 26 2003, 11:17 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TaiDaishar @ Aug 26 2003, 11:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Actually, the marines aren't Despositic, neither communist or a dictatorship, all of them have a way of dealing with disboediant subjects and reward the good players that follow orders, in the marines only the lattar exists while the first is non-existant.

    So basically you have a system in which there are only rewards with no punishments, THIS is inherently wrong. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I don't think punishments would help. If you think about it, lack of 'reward' is also a punishment (one marine not getting HA/HMG because he refuses to follow orders) and this simply does not work. Any form of punishment would still have the punished marines screaming "OMG COMM IS TEH FAGOT EJECT" and continue to be disruptive. We need a way to remove the chance for them to be disruptive (locking them out of the CC and from picking up weapons, for example).
  • TaiDaisharTaiDaishar Join Date: 2003-08-11 Member: 19417Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Poofat+Aug 26 2003, 01:15 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Poofat @ Aug 26 2003, 01:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If you think about it, lack of 'reward' is also a punishment (one marine not getting HA/HMG because he refuses to follow orders) and this simply does not work. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    In order to make lack of rewards a punishment then we need to make the rewards better, as of now it's not much of a reward.
  • MajinMajin Join Date: 2003-05-29 Member: 16829Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin--TaiDaishar+Aug 26 2003, 01:31 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TaiDaishar @ Aug 26 2003, 01:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--Poofat+Aug 26 2003, 01:15 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Poofat @ Aug 26 2003, 01:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If you think about it, lack of 'reward' is also a punishment (one marine not getting HA/HMG because he refuses to follow orders) and this simply does not work. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    In order to make lack of rewards a punishment then we need to make the rewards better, as of now it's not much of a reward. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    having a HA with a SG means your taking something like 9 Skulk bites to die and enough ammo and firepower to take down a hive!

    thats 1 helluva reward
  • sejsej Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12488Members
    This is actually a good thread, wonder if flayra has read this
  • FlashFrogFlashFrog Join Date: 2003-08-06 Member: 19078Members
    edited August 2003
    I think Samwise's idea on marines keeping RFK and losing it when dying is a good idea, I can see a possible problem with Marine's that are afraid to die and lose res, but if the player is good enough to get more kills than his own deaths, it probably won't matter to him. I definitely think the commander's responsibilities should be distributed a little, that job is just too damn hard for anything short of a fantastic player.

    Have you posted the idea in suggestions Samwise?
  • Frogg2Frogg2 Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4867Members, Constellation
    1.0x was marine biased and it had the same basic res system for each side.
  • TaiDaisharTaiDaishar Join Date: 2003-08-11 Member: 19417Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Majin+Aug 26 2003, 02:23 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Majin @ Aug 26 2003, 02:23 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> having a HA with a SG means your taking something like 9 Skulk bites to die and enough ammo and firepower to take down a hive!

    thats 1 helluva reward <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    So, you've given that player a HA and a SG, what will prevent him from going rambo and then die to some onos? Nothing, the commander can't do a thing except not give him a HA+SG the next time, but by that point you already lost 30 res on one idiotic marine player.

    Not to mention HA comes very late into the game, at which point most games are already decided and the chances of a comeback is very small.
  • rabbitzrabbitz Join Date: 2003-08-10 Member: 19328Members
    k, iunno if anyone said it before, but u can change it so that wehn a marine kills an alien, he gets his own little "bonuses" such as higer rof, faster reload, slightly more health, hold more ammo, run faster, see better, and something else but i forgot cause i was typing.... if anyone else said this already im sorry cause im too lazy to read all these things and i gotta "get some skillz"

    <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
    <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> <- me
    <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • Infected_MarineInfected_Marine Join Date: 2002-12-21 Member: 11287Members
    edited August 2003
    <!--QuoteBegin--rabbitz+Aug 27 2003, 01:26 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (rabbitz @ Aug 27 2003, 01:26 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> k, iunno if anyone said it before, but u can change it so that wehn a marine kills an alien, he gets his own little "bonuses" such as higer rof, faster reload, slightly more health, hold more ammo, run faster, see better, and something else <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <a href='http://www.myboot.com/images/sixmil02.wav' target='_blank'>..."NSPlayer, Space Marine. A man barely alive. We can rebuild him. We have the technology. To make him better, stronger, faster." </a>

    The 6 Million Resource Marine can run as fast as a skulk, is as strong as an onos, and sees as well as a lerk. Plus he can uproot trees and swing them around like an imbecile.
  • Sgt_DoompySgt_Doompy Join Date: 2003-08-09 Member: 19264Members
    edited August 2003
    Sounds like Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory to me... free upgrades wouldnt really work out right now. Teamwork doesnt get promoted that much, more like rambo marines <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->.
  • TaiDaisharTaiDaishar Join Date: 2003-08-11 Member: 19417Members
    How about a passive upgrade, researchable or already known is balance issue.

    When you're near your teammates you get a few small bonuses depended on the amount of marines in the game.

    For example: an entire marine team (minus the commander) will get a 10-15% rate of fire and a faster reload/walk/run speed, meaning so the same bonus will be given to a game of 4v4 where all the three marines are together, same goes if it's a 10v10 and all 9 marines are getting the same amount of bonus.

    That way the amount of players on the teams won't matter as much since even though aliens get a lot faster res in smaller games the marines would be able to easily get the max amount of bonus while it may be faster in big games it would encourage teamwork even more to be able to stop skulk rushes etc' easier.
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