They ditched the Source Engine to more easily solve all these problems specific to their game, such as dynamic infestation. Now they have to re-solve all these other problems, like performance, that the Source engine had already solved for them.
I'm not a fan of the wall jump. It's like micro in RTS games. Everyone has to get the hang of it just to get up to the standard level. I like the idea of something SMBish, very minimal but each core component can combine in lots of ways.
I think the Onos movement works better where the initial speed is low but momentum builds up. Not sure that would translate well to the skulk.
I prefer SMB to be more prevalent in a game like this, largely because it fits both the narrative and the play strategies. Of course, I'm biased and enjoy rocket-juggling in Quake 1, 2, 3. ;^) I do feel that the current skulk is plenty intuitive, and the wall-jumps are not only very easy to pull off, but provide excellent ambient feedback (on success or failure), ample room to grow beyond proficiency without requiring said growth, and a very natural representation of skulk swarm tactics.
The Fade require far, far, far more finesse than current skulks. I don't want skulks to have more SMB than they already have, but I enjoy the idea that the Fade is dangerous for BOTH SIDES to play. Fuck up and you die, losing all that res. Excel and you're taking out entire squads of marines.
I want there to be a very high individual skill cap, as I greatly enjoy lone wolfing in games like these. A single highly skilled player can perform seemingly impossible feats, but are limited only by available resources (e.g., ammo, clips, maximum speeds, etc...). A single marine with an LMG cannot take down a hive in any reasonable fashion, but could with a steady stream of ammo kill an unlimited number of skulks in even adverse conditions.
I don't want the shitty old days of wallrunning from Quake 1 or Doom, or the insane micro of Weapons Factory, but I want waaaaay more than what games like TF2 have to offer.
Alien bias now seems to stem from the Onos building damage more than anything. Give me an Onos, even with one hive, and even one skulk to follow me, and I'll wreck everything the marines have.
The onos used to counter those build ups of marine buildings you'd get outside hives but I haven't seen that happen. Marine attacks seem to be much faster hit-and-run affairs. It's role now seems to be in taking down the marine base in twos and threes. Which stems from the skulk wall-jump giving aliens the edge in early map control and more resources in the long run.
Here's the thing with skills in NS, such as wall jumping.
If your team has people who are better at biting/shooting, it doesn't matter what your strategy is. Unless you lose on purpose, you will control the map, and you will win. This is simultaneously good because may the best players win, but also bad because strategy and tactics cease to matter when there is an FPS skill disparity. They need to fix it so a team with lots of FPS skill and no strategy will stalemate a team with strategy and no aim.
The skulk wall jumping in particular I think is good. It gives you something to do besides just crawl and wait. It's similar to skiing in Tribes. At all times in all roles, you are playing a game of some sort. Gorges are building, fades are killing, lerks are flying, marines are building. Skulks need something to do, hence the wall jump.
Wall jumping is really really easy to do. It's not even a fraction as tricky as rocket jumping or even skiing. The major problem with it right now is that it is not obvious. A lot of players don't even know it exists.
Remember, skulks go down easier than just about anything else in the game. They aren't good for anything except attacking. They need some way to get to the front lines quickly. But if you just made them fast all the time, it would be impossible for marines to hit them in battle. Wall jumping gives a way for skill to matter. Better skulks can get to where the action is more quickly. They can also run away, since they have no other options when health is low.
That's the way to make a good asymmetric game. Each different class/character has strengths and weaknesses. But the weakness is mitigated by a test of skill. Zangief is mad slow and big, and vulnerable to projectiles. But if you can pull off these moves with good timing, you can defend against them.
I'm not a fan of what I suppose you could call skill being something you manifest through repetitive action. The spinfusor is such a great weapon because you goof once and you're for it.
Something to experiment with would be giving skulks a speed boost from staying still. The wall-run makes the skulk a good fast-responder which doesn't really fit with the name.
Wait, there's no movement hive yet, is there. Whip, shade and crag are there but nothing to give leap.
I don't think that's an apt comparison, down to the fact that any kind of wall jumping or climbing slowed you down or kept you at the same speed. Speeding up was done mostly on flats.
It could be a good thing to imitate, as having skulks speed up running on the floor introduces a trade off between speed and running into waiting marines.
I suspect there's a little OP between having BOTH walljump and leap, at least against moderately-skilled marines. I can single-handedly take out a whole squad of LMG-armed nubs just by leaping over their heads and wall jumping around until they run out of ammo.
I'll just say this. One marine with a shotgun is usually worthless because they can't aim. A group of marines all with shotguns, even a Fade isn't going to make it.
Oh. I meant the marines feel slower. I haven't played any alien-side matches yet. I think the balance isn't too bad between aliens and marines, though.
Use the sprint. Marines can deploy very rapidly now, but are vulnerable in transit.
If you have a squad, have one guy sprint ahead, with two more springing together behind him in a line. Front guy stops sprinting and walks, gun out, covering as guy two passes in a sprint. When he hits the back of the line, he checks the rear for aliens and then resumes his own sprint. Repeat until you reach your destination.
If you have a squad, have one guy sprint ahead, with two more springing together behind him in a line. Front guy stops sprinting and walks, gun out, covering as guy two passes in a sprint. When he hits the back of the line, he checks the rear for aliens and then resumes his own sprint. Repeat until you reach your destination.
While bounding is the correct tactic for marines covering a distance in a group, I find it rarely necessary. I always seem to know where the front is. 99% of the time I can sprint full on, alone, and make it there, Then I stop sprinting altogether and fight. I can't even remember a time when an alien was closer than I thought they were.
Comments
http://www.ns2hd.com/2012/04/performance-where-is-it-now-and-where.html
Also, is it just me, or does NS2 feel a lot slower than NS?
I think the Onos movement works better where the initial speed is low but momentum builds up. Not sure that would translate well to the skulk.
Current build is crazy alien biased.
The Fade require far, far, far more finesse than current skulks. I don't want skulks to have more SMB than they already have, but I enjoy the idea that the Fade is dangerous for BOTH SIDES to play. Fuck up and you die, losing all that res. Excel and you're taking out entire squads of marines.
I want there to be a very high individual skill cap, as I greatly enjoy lone wolfing in games like these. A single highly skilled player can perform seemingly impossible feats, but are limited only by available resources (e.g., ammo, clips, maximum speeds, etc...). A single marine with an LMG cannot take down a hive in any reasonable fashion, but could with a steady stream of ammo kill an unlimited number of skulks in even adverse conditions.
I don't want the shitty old days of wallrunning from Quake 1 or Doom, or the insane micro of Weapons Factory, but I want waaaaay more than what games like TF2 have to offer.
If your team has people who are better at biting/shooting, it doesn't matter what your strategy is. Unless you lose on purpose, you will control the map, and you will win. This is simultaneously good because may the best players win, but also bad because strategy and tactics cease to matter when there is an FPS skill disparity. They need to fix it so a team with lots of FPS skill and no strategy will stalemate a team with strategy and no aim.
The skulk wall jumping in particular I think is good. It gives you something to do besides just crawl and wait. It's similar to skiing in Tribes. At all times in all roles, you are playing a game of some sort. Gorges are building, fades are killing, lerks are flying, marines are building. Skulks need something to do, hence the wall jump.
Wall jumping is really really easy to do. It's not even a fraction as tricky as rocket jumping or even skiing. The major problem with it right now is that it is not obvious. A lot of players don't even know it exists.
Remember, skulks go down easier than just about anything else in the game. They aren't good for anything except attacking. They need some way to get to the front lines quickly. But if you just made them fast all the time, it would be impossible for marines to hit them in battle. Wall jumping gives a way for skill to matter. Better skulks can get to where the action is more quickly. They can also run away, since they have no other options when health is low.
That's the way to make a good asymmetric game. Each different class/character has strengths and weaknesses. But the weakness is mitigated by a test of skill. Zangief is mad slow and big, and vulnerable to projectiles. But if you can pull off these moves with good timing, you can defend against them.
Something to experiment with would be giving skulks a speed boost from staying still. The wall-run makes the skulk a good fast-responder which doesn't really fit with the name.
Wait, there's no movement hive yet, is there. Whip, shade and crag are there but nothing to give leap.
It could be a good thing to imitate, as having skulks speed up running on the floor introduces a trade off between speed and running into waiting marines.
If you have a squad, have one guy sprint ahead, with two more springing together behind him in a line. Front guy stops sprinting and walks, gun out, covering as guy two passes in a sprint. When he hits the back of the line, he checks the rear for aliens and then resumes his own sprint. Repeat until you reach your destination.