Overly Chatty Penguins

The Ready Room => General => Topic started by: Lightning Blue on April 24, 2005, 03:43:09 AM

Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Lightning Blue on April 24, 2005, 03:43:09 AM
Basically the topic has come up in the staff about FF causing major imbalances on LM...

I've always held the view that FF made LM a special place to play unlike most.

However, I don't play NS anymore, so could give a damn about it...

What do you people think? Discuss.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Owen on April 24, 2005, 04:01:00 AM
FF is a part of The Lunixmonster. Wether or not you love or hate it is a different matter. You'd be talking about getting rid of something that's been there a long time. LM is all about the things that make a game a game. Not quitting, not laming, keeping your shots and bites to the enemy, it's all about skill, not spraying everything. I say it stays
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Goldy on April 24, 2005, 06:58:52 AM
It's good except that aliens can attack their own unbuilt hive and MC to it. That's kinda lame and doesn't seem to be how the design was intended. People can argue it's done in matches, but that doesn't apply to LM. It would be cool if it could be set up so that aliens can't hurt their own hive.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: lolfighter on April 24, 2005, 07:53:55 AM
I'll just quote what I said somewhere else about this about two weeks ago:

Quote
Someone takes the bait! Finally!

I've been dropping hints about this for a little while now, hoping that somebody else would agree with me. After all, if I am the only one who thinks that FF is causing unbalance, I am probably wrong. I know that FF would be dearly missed if we turned it off, so I didn't want to outright suggest that before I was sure of having some supporters, or the idea would be so solidly shot down that, even if it had merit, there would be little chance of ever getting it done.

Let's recap how friendly fire affects marines and aliens:


Disadvantages:
Marines: Grenade launchers, previously only a threat to the weilder, now become a threat to the entire team.
In almost any kind of firefight, friendly fire will occurr. Now friendly fire does only a little damage unless done consistently (which rarely happens other than on purpose), but that damage can mean the difference between dying in one and two bites to the next skulk, which is quite crucial, especially at armor 1.

Kharaa: When destroying structures, the aliens have to take care that they don't bite each other, particularly other Skulks which can take critical damage from just a few bites.
Occasional td/tk when several Skulks swarm a single marine.


Advantages:
Marines: Grenades detonate on impact with friendly structures. Particularly effective for getting skulks off an rt - chuck your hand grenade (if you have one, which is rare) at the rt and it will take a little damage, but the skulk will die.

Kharaa: Grenades do friendly fire damage, making them dangerous for the marines to use, leading to less use of grenades.
Hives can be MCed to while they're still building, even without marines having to attack them - as soon as marines approach a building hive, an alien there can attack the hive to allow teammates to MC over. In other words, hives can be MCed to from the moment they're placed, not the moment they go active.


To sum it up:
Biggest disadvantage: Marines
Biggest advantage: Kharaa

I think it goes without question that FF benefits the Kharaa. Considering the high win rates they currently enjoy, the marines need any help they can get. Maybe we SHOULD turn off FF. Comments, corrections, elaborations?


Oh, and we wouldn't have to deal with TKing asshats anymore, either.

Even IF we turn off FF, I suggest we only do it for a trial period, to see if it changes anything at all. But I think that goes without saying.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: holy_devil on April 24, 2005, 07:55:03 AM
as much as i love FF, i'm beginning to wonder if it is a cause of a problem in imbalance or not. we do indeed abuse the mc to hive trick here, which when combined with lifeforms just destroys whatever is in that room.

theres also the fact that leaping the hive or whatever won't set off an alert. any hits on the hive = really bad news.

then theres the fact that we won't be able to catch some llamas as easily, since tking seems to be their favorite thing to do. but then theres always the fact that you won't have to deal with the random paras or unlucky spits killing you, etc. biting an rt won't be a deadly situation anymore.

list goes on and on of +s and -s. comes down to mainly does it break balance? argueable, which is the point of this thread. i have no idea how it will play without it, but i'd like to try it at least for a limited time.

@LB - if we don't find it to change balance at all, can we have another vote to return to FF(provided we turn it off)?
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Mr.Bill on April 24, 2005, 08:01:49 AM
Ill vote to turn it off, but only as a trial period, if we see that it makes it impossible for aliens to win,  I spose we could turn it back on, but right now I cant stand ff at most times
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: lolfighter on April 24, 2005, 08:08:53 AM
Quote
[...]@LB - if we don't find it to change balance at all, can we have another vote to return to FF(provided we turn it off)?
[snapback]46850[/snapback]
I don't think you saw my post, since you posted just after I did, so I'll just repeat: I think that goes without saying.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Manta on April 24, 2005, 08:44:58 AM
I'm not big on removing FF, as I do see it as a part of LM gameplay, with all its advantages and disadvantages. Taking it off, even for a trial, will take getting used to, but if it helps balance things out, I'm for it.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: 2_of_8 on April 24, 2005, 09:05:20 AM
I say keep it - I'm all for the realism part of NS, or as much of realism as you can get from a future space shooter :)

Balance - I think there must be other ways of fixing it, and that's not to be done by server ops, but by the developers.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Plaguebearer on April 24, 2005, 09:08:02 AM
I'm not big on it either, but it would be nice to see if the aliens can keep up their 90% win rate without the crutch of "spit the hive!  spit the hive!".
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Plaguebearer on April 24, 2005, 09:08:50 AM
Quote
Balance - I think there must be other ways of fixing it, and that's not to be done by server ops, but by the developers.
[snapback]46860[/snapback]

Pssh.  As if.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: moofree on April 24, 2005, 09:10:19 AM
Maybe we need a mod that removes the MC-to-building-hive 'feature'
I nominate notme to code it


I can't imagine LM w/o FF... I agree w/ Mr Bill, let's do a trial period of ff off and release gamestats so we can see how it balances the game out
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Dead_Meat on April 24, 2005, 09:32:25 AM
I like ff being on
I really dont think it causes the imbalance and i doubt it will do much to fix it.

I think the biggest problem with the gl's is reload time now I know if i'm a skulk and someone has a gl even a ha i think he's an easy target expeccially if hes alone once i can get him to shoot those 4 shots off he usually has to pull his pitol because a skulk can bite down a ha faster than he can reload his gl.

Personally i think if ns went back to charging res for alien upgrades and adding back in siege damage(not as much as before but at least some) then the game would be more ballanced. There are probaly several other things that can be done to balance it out but i really dont think turning ff off will have a great effect.


I did vote no on the poll but would have no problem with trying it
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Decimator on April 24, 2005, 09:35:13 AM
A trial period of FF off sounds good to me too.  It affects too many things to really be able to tell without actually doing it.  Perhaps a 2 week trial period would be good?
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Krytos on April 24, 2005, 09:46:06 AM
I say keep it.  It's part of what makes LM what it is.  There are very few servers out there with FF on, and it seems to me that those servers tend to have better quality players.  The aliens being able to MC rush a hive should be an issue for the devs like someone else already stated.  Unless that is, they WANT the aliens to be able to do that.  Maybe that is why the feature is in.  Can anyone confirm or deny this?

As for the marines, GL spam is a very dangerous thing with FF on.  I hate GL spam, both as marine and alien.  I think it is fairly lame.  FF keeps the GLs in check.  

Again, I say keep it.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Diablus on April 24, 2005, 10:52:44 AM
Quote
It's good except that aliens can attack their own unbuilt hive and MC to it. That's kinda lame and doesn't seem to be how the design was intended. People can argue it's done in matches, but that doesn't apply to LM. It would be cool if it could be set up so that aliens can't hurt their own hive.
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Think about it, 1 Marine rushes into a hive, being watched over by a gorge, gets medspammed, builds a pg. comm beacons = hive dead.

Now if that ever so happened when skulks rushed MS all the commander has to do is becon. Aliens dont have that and on some maps the hive distance from eachother is RIDICULOUS. 2 Hive Lockdowns would be a very common, EXTREMELY boring and standstill resulting in long, ridiculous games which would cause many aliens to quit. (which we obviously don't want)

Plus Skulks cant be guarding 1 hive, they have to be taking down rts, guarding the built hives, and making sure Marines do not advance until hive 2 is up. I think it definetly WAS meant to be put in game otherwise it would have been removed imo. And if all skulks/ fades were to all die in this rush because of the PG shoot down hive strategy, the hive would drop almost instantly before any other aliens can get there to defend it. Since Marines just have to beacon and instantly get a team of 7 to that location within 3 seconds, Aliens would have to be strict hard on guarding that building hive which then causes Marines to expand, and even attempt to fire down the built hive.

Movement chambers are meant to unbreak the chain bound to the Aliens. If LM didnt have the Movment rushes I can guarantee you Marines would be winning most of the games if played accordingly. hence why shooting down hive 2 -> then laming up the map with turret farms / elect / research every damn upgrade for 15 minutes THEN rush the hive or siege causes MANY players to lose intrest in the game and quitting.

At least Last Stands for Marines are fun :blink:
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Malevolent on April 24, 2005, 11:09:03 AM
I started the debate after hearing LF talk about it. I definitely think we should try it.

It is not the developers' fault that we play with FF when a large majority does not. If FF is truly a big factor in unbalancing 3.0, it's the server that needs to change.

You think FF defines LM? It has not always been here, and it was still a well-known server. FF doesn't define LM. The people that play on the server define it. Just as people became accustomed to having FF, they can get used to not having it.

It comes down to making the game for fun and balanced. If FF is hindering this, there is no reason at all to keep it.

EDIT: Spelling.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Necrosis on April 24, 2005, 11:45:48 AM
FF certainly means MC first is always viable. MC rush decides most games on LM, in my experience.

Ninja in, drop the hive, spit it and wait for reinforcements. Same for when you're breaking a marine relocate to a hive. I've used it when we've been on two hives and you're mc rushing the third.

Downsides - 40 or 50 res a pop, depending how you look at it, and no guarantee your team will MC in to finish it. It ENABLES easier hive defence, but does not make it certain.


Upsides - Hive defence relatively easy to organise, as long as there are enough MC to allow fast retreats to the hive. MC rush negates PG rushes, negates siege rushes. One alien can hit the hive long before sieges are even halfway built. Hear something being dropped near the hive? Attack the hive and get instant reinforcements.


Is negating siege/pg rushes a good or bad thing? I'm happy with it, because siege rushes are pretty hopeless if there's a few gorges in the hive, and the threat of MC reinforcment forces most marine attacks to be swift and decisive, which imho makes for a more enjoyable game for both sides.



TBH the only way we're going to find out how much of a crutch MC is, is by changing FF for a "test period", perhaps 1 weekend. Thats two whole days, ideally including a reg night, and then analysing the stats from there.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Diablus on April 24, 2005, 12:43:52 PM
id have to agree with Nercosis. I say we put it on a test drive for a short period of time, view the results and decide.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Magmatron on April 24, 2005, 12:52:09 PM
I've always enjoyed FF and found that it keeps spamming down to a minimum,  and forces players to work together more to keep from damaging eachother with random spraying and blocking lines of fire.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: LowCrawler on April 24, 2005, 12:55:15 PM
why not just make it so that FFing the alien hive, even to MC to it, is against the rules?

Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: 2_of_8 on April 24, 2005, 12:58:24 PM
Quote
why not just make it so that FFing the alien hive, even to MC to it, is against the rules?
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Ahahahaha... that'll never work!
"I did it by accident!"
"Lame rule!"
etc...
I really doubt. Either completely remove FF, or completely leave it in.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: UKchaos on April 24, 2005, 01:49:44 PM
Remove it.

The TDing of hives to exploit mc teleport is too dominating imo.

Aliens can have zero map control, only 1 or 2 rts, but still easily come back by having one player put the hive and spit it constantly.

I cant belive how many people are voting NO. Do you like bad alien teams winning over and over because of this?

Also, using grenades to TD buildings for easy kills is also cheap.


The people arguing againt its removable have frankly, WEAK arguements. Most of the posts have been "ooh well, its been that way for ages and er I FEAR CHANGE!" :p
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: AzubahF on April 24, 2005, 01:54:23 PM
voted no, but would be interested in a trial period to see what it does to the balance.  

I like FF way better than non-FF servers, but if it makes the balance a lot more even... meh.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Mr.Bill on April 24, 2005, 01:58:34 PM
Right now,  a lot of people stack rines, least when I play, I have a confident team, but we still get owned.

Now if we remove ff.... whos to say rine stack dosnt stop? Now, you need a GREAT rine team, vs a nub, or slow aliens team, change to ff off, Itll STIlL be stax marines and aliens will lose CONSTENTLY.

I don't know, but removing ff will just cause the other teams death
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: 2_of_8 on April 24, 2005, 02:14:51 PM
Sigh... we're trying to balance the game on 1 server variable here? :|
I say wait for 3.x whatever next version comes out... in the meanwhile, stack Marines to no end!
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: SwiftSpear on April 24, 2005, 02:33:18 PM
As much as I hate the MC first crutch that we are becomeing so dependent on in LM, I REALLY can't support turning FF off.  Belive it or not, highly skilled compeditive players regularly play with FF on, and for some reason they don't see it is a major balance problem.  The fact of the matter is that there is TONNES of tricks to acctually take and hold the second hive without movement rushes, LM regulars just have to stop being so dependent on MC and start playing the game properly, where you parasite threatening marines and don't let them get near your second hive location.

I honestly don't think the majority of our problem is FF.  FF is definitely a factor, but there are lots of other servers that run it and still don't have the same face of problems that we do.  I can't honestly support the removal of freindly fire based on imbalance in the game, I personally just think that is a tragic oversimplification of the issue.

[edit] just caught 1/4's post right above me, and I have to agree.  3.0f is WIDELY considered an unbalanced version of NS.  I don't think we should be trying to balance the game with our control over that ONE server variable we so love, expecially before 3.1 is acctually released.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: LowCrawler on April 24, 2005, 02:55:30 PM
yes MCing to a hive is cheap and so is the nade throwing... but there's always a way around it. IF the rines dont want aliens MC rushing then put pressure on the first hive, so that the mc's wont take them over there... better yet kill the chambers. FF allows skulks to hold a candle to HA with HMGs by letting it run around at the feet in the middle of the huddle whilst the marines rip eachother to shreds. The nade thing can be countered by simply no longer hiding in the hitbox of the RT, which imo is borderline exploiting anyway.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: pardzh on April 24, 2005, 03:01:11 PM
Turn it off for a couple weeks and let's see how it is.

Or a mod to turn off hive FF damage would be cool.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Rath on April 24, 2005, 03:20:07 PM
I voted to keep FF, but I would like to see a trial period and some stats on alien/rine wins/loss for during the trial.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: A Boojum Snark on April 24, 2005, 05:14:22 PM
Poll needs to be remade, as people are thinking this is a one-time-only unchanging change. It would be a week or two trial period. >_>
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: UKchaos on April 24, 2005, 05:46:27 PM
Just got off a game where we killed all alien nodes within 3 minutes (sans hive node) then they just put up a hive, TDed constantly to defend then once it was up.

 Leap leap GG. No teamwork required. ZZZ
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Ulatoh on April 24, 2005, 06:08:39 PM
i've allways thought it was a little lame, personally.  Also, consider that rines nadespam anyway, the other marines just stay out from in front, and then go in.  Removing friendly fire would make skulkrushes feasable again.  instead of having to make sure you DONT bite your teammate, you can make sure you DO bite the rine.

i would say that as much as not being able to movrush sucks for aliens, the ability for 4 skulks to CHAARGE and say, bite down the pg all at once, negates it.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Plaguebearer on April 24, 2005, 06:09:48 PM
I'll be honest.  When we first started talking about removing FF temporarily, a couple weeks ago, I was against it... because I'm usually the guy that puts up and then babysits that second hive, when I play.  (At least, it feels that way.)

And hell, no, I didn't want to lose that advantage.

If we knew when the next 'balancing' patch was due from UWE, maybe the urge to tweak some settings to get some real balance in play would be less.  But not knowing when - hell, IF, given how long it takes sometimes - well, people will only put up with a 10% rine win rate for so long before saying... well, so long!

:/
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: rad4Christ on April 24, 2005, 07:33:33 PM
Try it for three weeks, keep stats, and publish. Then have this vote.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Settler on April 24, 2005, 07:39:09 PM
yeah, i think FF is what defines LM differently than most other servers, and it does seem to be a big advantage to aliens..

i think we could try FF off, see if after a week or two its more balanced (if that is what we are really trying to achieve), and we can keep it off or turn it back on.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Nooblet on April 24, 2005, 10:26:57 PM
Quote
Think about it, 1 Marine rushes into a hive, being watched over by a gorge, gets medspammed, builds a pg. comm beacons = hive dead.

Now if that ever so happened when skulks rushed MS all the commander has to do is becon. Aliens dont have that and on some maps the hive distance from eachother is RIDICULOUS. 2 Hive Lockdowns would be a very common, EXTREMELY boring and standstill resulting in long, ridiculous games which would cause many aliens to quit. (which we obviously don't want)

Plus Skulks cant be guarding 1 hive, they have to be taking down rts, guarding the built hives, and making sure Marines do not advance until hive 2 is up. I think it definetly WAS meant to be put in game otherwise it would have been removed imo. And if all skulks/ fades were to all die in this rush because of the PG shoot down hive strategy, the hive would drop almost instantly before any other aliens can get there to defend it. Since Marines just have to beacon and instantly get a team of 7 to that location within 3 seconds, Aliens would have to be strict hard on guarding that building hive which then causes Marines to expand, and even attempt to fire down the built hive.

Movement chambers are meant to unbreak the chain bound to the Aliens. If LM didnt have the Movment rushes I can guarantee you Marines would be winning most of the games if played accordingly. hence why shooting down hive 2 -> then laming up the map with turret farms / elect / research every damn upgrade for 15 minutes THEN rush the hive or siege causes MANY players to lose intrest in the game and quitting.

At least Last Stands for Marines are fun :blink:
[snapback]46869[/snapback]

Ok, yes a hive can be easyly taken down with a ninja pg and a few sgs without FF on. Now MCs wont be the most sought after chamber, sens can be used more now to find the ninjas and stop them.

Now about skulks not being able to attack rts and defend a hive at the same time thats bs. 2-3 skulks for staying in the hive area, 1-2 out attacking nodes systematically and a gorge staying in hive to alert anyone how hard is it to use teamwork. Also OCs will come more into play now for defending a unbuilt hive.

Now the lameing end game marine crap is like a "OMG WE WON" thing just imagine if the marines won more they wouldnt need to do that we could also set a rule about prolonging the end game.


Quote
TBH the only way we're going to find out how much of a crutch MC is, is by changing FF for a "test period", perhaps 1 weekend. Thats two whole days, ideally including a reg night, and then analysing the stats from there.
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I dont agree here we need a longer period to test this out. 2 days is not enough to adjust to different stats and it changes to much of the play style we are used to. I agree with a 1-2 week period.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Guenhwyvar on April 24, 2005, 10:33:09 PM
The poll really needs a third option.  It sounds like a lot of us are willing to have a trial period where we take it off.  Personally I would love to see FF stay, but I am more than willing to give it a trial to see if the FF is truly unbalancing the game.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: GreenGround on April 24, 2005, 10:48:28 PM
When I first started I really didnt like it but i got used to it and now when I play on other server I REALLY watch my fire and try not to hit others I believe it help me to be a better player.  Also I think it also acts as a nice little filter cause most people dont really like FF and the ones that do arent Nubs, and have a idea what they are doing.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Diablus on April 24, 2005, 11:15:24 PM
Quote
Now about skulks not being able to attack rts and defend a hive at the same time thats bs. 2-3 skulks for staying in the hive area, 1-2 out attacking nodes systematically and a gorge staying in hive to alert anyone how hard is it to use teamwork

ever see 2-3 skulks sitting in a built hive, 2-3 skulks attacking rts and 2-3 skulks sitting in a building hive with a gorge? I haven't. Now explain how you expect 2-3 Skulks to attack rts, and stop a team of 7 marines from
A) killing the Alien res nodes
B) expanding?


seems to me that system wouldnt go "over to well" seeing how most maps have widespread areas, where in fact 2-3 skulks cannot be at 24/7 defending.

And please explain how you would persuade most people to be the "main hive guards", and the "building hive guards"?

i hope you do know people tend to play video games for fun, action packed games. Unless your Idea of fun is sitting in and outside a hive room listening for marines for the whole game while 2-3 skulks attempt to hold off marine expansion. while defending the Alien expansion. :huh:  and as for OC's i just have to say medspam > Ocs

the 2-3 skulks guarding hive 1 and then the 2-3 skulks guarding hive 2 wont get much RFK from Ninjas. So dont expect many Higher lifeforms to battle against the marine Upgrading Tech. And who would rebuild the breached Alien expansion / re-expand? (as you know, 1-2 skulks cannot be everywhere at 1 time, while 7 marines can)

trust me, i see how your point in theory could work but during the game, unless your 2-3 skulks are above average and you have 4-6 skulks who are willing to sit in a hive for a big portion of the game plus, the loyalty that people will listen it will go down the tubes.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: SwiftSpear on April 25, 2005, 12:11:05 AM
Restructure the poll and I for one am still voting to not remove it.  This version may be somewhat unbalanced, expecially on certian maps.  But I have won my last 4 out of 6 games on hera, so evidently some degree of adaption is still possible.

The clanners can handle it and so can we.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: SlickWill on April 25, 2005, 01:17:18 AM
I originally played this server because FF rocks.  You have to aim, you have to pick targets, you cannot spam.  This to me mean sa lot more fun.  Go FF.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: CryForMe on April 25, 2005, 02:13:38 AM
For the love of god, leave FF on! I have found that 99% of the people that would be detrimental to gameplay and thus, fun, come on the server, see that FF is on, and leave immediately. Personally, I dont see people leaving cause of FF as a problem. It keeps those of us skilled enough to deal with it around, and all those unwilling to learn or cope out the door. Also, even though FF can be a hindrance to marines overall, IT WILL NOT effect alien win ratios. I have seen several server reports from non-FF servers and they all have the same readout as LM: high alien wins, ridiculously low rine wins. However, the difference is that it takes longer. Rines without FF can simply hole up in their base and unload on anything that comes within a 90° radius without fear of having to have decent aim. They can simply shoot the crap out of their teammates.
8 Rines with HMGs and FF cant take out a team of onoses.
8 Rines with HMGs and FF OFF CAN take out a team of onoses.
Problem is, aliens will have enough res to do it again instantly, so it just drags on and on and on at that point.
Leave FF alone!
Much <3 for FF
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: That Annoying Kid on April 25, 2005, 07:28:46 AM
Frankly LB I'm disapointed this is even being discussed. If I recall correctly FF is one of the staples of TLM since "back in the day"



but if the vast majority of the community wants to give it a trial run I'm not one to oppose
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: lolfighter on April 25, 2005, 07:38:48 AM
You're disappointed about it being DISCUSSED? Well, the church was disappointed as well when Galileo Galilei suggested that just maybe the sun did not rotate around the earth...

Ok, sorry, low blow, I know. But discussion is good, even if it leads to a no. FF does not DEFINE LM. LM was well defined back before my long break, and that was BEFORE 3.0 and FF.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Ulatoh on April 25, 2005, 08:17:42 AM
meh, i wish there was some middle ground, like, gl's would still blow up team members with ff off.

Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Malevolent on April 25, 2005, 10:18:55 AM
Quote
If I recall correctly FF is one of the staples of TLM since "back in the day"
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I'm sorry but that is far from the truth. FF has been on for a minority of the time the server has been around.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Niteowl on April 25, 2005, 01:06:12 PM
Admittedly, back int he day for me wasn't that far back, SunnyD, i think, and FF wasn't on.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Nooblet on April 25, 2005, 02:50:47 PM
ahhhh FreeSunnyD. Now WHEN have you seen 7 marines running around togeather, not that often, 2-3 skulks can keep marines from expanding if they use ambushing tactics, and 2-3 skulks IN THE GENERAL HIVE AREA! not right in the hive but patroling it doing 2 jobs at once keeping marines back and guarding hive. Also what I said befor now aliens will have to THINK HARDER befor dropping a hive and will also have to maby drop OCs around. This will help balance out some of the res issues I think NS has.

Edit: some speeling
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Necrosis on April 25, 2005, 06:39:56 PM
Free SunnyD...... oh the memories....
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Guspaz on April 26, 2005, 01:48:56 AM
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FF is a part of The Lunixmonster. Wether or not you love or hate it is a different matter. You'd be talking about getting rid of something that's been there a long time. LM is all about the things that make a game a game. Not quitting, not laming, keeping your shots and bites to the enemy, it's all about skill, not spraying everything. I say it stays
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Umm, no. In Lunixmonster's history, FF has not been on for very long, and it was OFF much longer than it was on. It is most certainly NOT a "part" of Lunixmonster, just a holdover from a previous beta with unbalanced grenades that people got used to.

No offence to newer players, but somehow I feel like the only people voting in this poll should be those who have played on Lunixmonster long enough to have both played with it on, AND remember what it was like when it was off. People who joined the server just a few months ago have only seen one side of the issue, so they're not exactly objective.

EDIT: BTW, my definition of "been around long enough" would mean people who have played on Lunixmonster, by one name or another, since before 2004 or 2005. Maybe include people from the first half of 2004, but I can't honestly remember when FF was turned on.

Let me put it this way, if you played on the server when it was Evolutionarily Challenged's Nano Gridlock, you've been around long enough :p
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: CorvusX on April 26, 2005, 07:08:11 AM
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I originally played this server because FF rocks.  You have to aim, you have to pick targets, you cannot spam.  This to me mean sa lot more fun.  Go FF.
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FF does rock, and makes you watch where you shoot.  It HAS made me a better player overall.  Prevents (or at least limits)  nade spams and such as well, which is a good thing.

Dunno why people whine about MC rushes.  'rines have beacon, which is MUCH more effective imo.  Who says people will actually MC-rush in, anyway?  Most of the time they're unorganized to the point where it fails.

I vote that FF stays on.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: 2_of_8 on April 26, 2005, 07:22:46 AM
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I originally played this server because FF rocks.  You have to aim, you have to pick targets, you cannot spam.  This to me mean sa lot more fun.  Go FF.
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Dunno why people whine about MC rushes.  'rines have beacon, which is MUCH more effective imo.  Who says people will actually MC-rush in, anyway?  Most of the time they're unorganized to the point where it fails.
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Well, a simple argument to this is that beacon will involve the whole team in returning to base + phasing, while MCing can be selective to a few players - still allowing a few to remain in key positions defending or whatever.
And there is a chance that the Aliens will take down the phase gate before the Marines can phase through, while Mcing in... taking down a hive takes a bit more time, and there's no "feeding machine" mechanism in place :D
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: TychoCelchuuu on April 26, 2005, 07:36:06 AM
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Let me put it this way, if you played on the server when it was Evolutionarily Challenged's Nano Gridlock, you've been around long enough :p

Then goody; I've been around long enough. I'm posting because I don't fit in on the poll. I don't really care about FF or not. I think its nice that you really have to aim and that a skulk can leap through a squad and cause lots of deaths, but it's annoying to worry about biting someone when you're taking down an RT. Everything has been discussed at length already, and each side has more than enough reasons to win. So I say just leave it on; it's less work.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Mr.Ben on April 26, 2005, 08:11:59 AM
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As much as I hate the MC first crutch that we are becomeing so dependent on in LM, I REALLY can't support turning FF off. Belive it or not, highly skilled compeditive players regularly play with FF on, and for some reason they don't see it is a major balance problem.

It's not a big issue for us because it's far easier for us to co-ordinate our attacks on a hive. In a clan match you have a lone shotgun marine head to the other hive, shotgun down their chambers, or just attack the hive to prevent aliens MCing to the building one. You place mines on the floor, you have a HMG cover, you shoot the hive, the aliens MC in, you kill the aliens, you kill the hive. None of this is going to happen unless by accident on a public server because you won't have the sort of co-ordination needed to pull it off.

Personally I'd turn it off, it's very evident marines are getting bummed on this server and need all the help they can get.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: CryForMe on April 26, 2005, 08:51:43 AM
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Personally I'd turn it off, it's very evident marines are getting bummed on this server and need all the help they can get.
The problem isnt FF guys and gals. The root of the problem is this: Everyone has seen rine wins, even if seldom, since 3.0/3.01/3.02 came out. Everyone has pitched reasons back and forth for why rines lose all the time. Everyone has come to the conclusion that rines actually win some when they work as a cohesive team and have a decent comm. Yet, in every game I see, half the rine team rambos off and does their own thing, generally before someone can even get in the CC.  If you're going to figure that teamwork is the solution to winning, then you have to exercise it. Dont whine about "no teamwork" then go be a rambo every time you can. It leads to things like this, where innocent little FF gets blamed for rines losing.
Just for spec, I'm going to count the number of FF deaths I personally see on LM over the next week, because I'd be willing to bet that it's under 100.  I've been on servers that play without FF and then decide to turn it on "for fun" once in a while. It's horrendous. Theyre so used to being able to shoot through teammates that half the team winds up dead the first time one skulk rushes a group of rines.
but enough from me.
/end rant.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: lolfighter on April 26, 2005, 10:05:10 AM
Well, CFM DOES have a point about the teamwork. We all know it's vital, we're all for it, but it quickly falls apart in the actual game. It's a trend that would be cool to see reverted. For starters, I suggest this one:

Unless you're under specific orders, "buddy up." This means that when you spawn, you check the spawnqueue to see if somebody's about to spawn in too. If so, wait for 'im to spawn and move out together. Stick with your buddy, even if he doesn't go the way you wanted to go. You can also try telling him where you'd like to go. You can then go for nodes or something like that - taking down a node is much easier when you have somebody to cover you.
If you're alone out in the field for some reason (for example your buddy died), use your minimap to find rines to join up with. You'll both live longer than if you'd just rambo around.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: Malevolent on April 26, 2005, 10:36:50 AM
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Personally I'd turn it off, it's very evident marines are getting bummed on this server and need all the help they can get.
The problem isnt FF guys and gals. The root of the problem is this: Everyone has seen rine wins, even if seldom, since 3.0/3.01/3.02 came out. Everyone has pitched reasons back and forth for why rines lose all the time. Everyone has come to the conclusion that rines actually win some when they work as a cohesive team and have a decent comm. Yet, in every game I see, half the rine team rambos off and does their own thing, generally before someone can even get in the CC.  If you're going to figure that teamwork is the solution to winning, then you have to exercise it. Dont whine about "no teamwork" then go be a rambo every time you can. It leads to things like this, where innocent little FF gets blamed for rines losing.
Just for spec, I'm going to count the number of FF deaths I personally see on LM over the next week, because I'd be willing to bet that it's under 100.  I've been on servers that play without FF and then decide to turn it on "for fun" once in a while. It's horrendous. Theyre so used to being able to shoot through teammates that half the team winds up dead the first time one skulk rushes a group of rines.
but enough from me.
/end rant.
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You are partially right. I have seen a good number of games in which no matter how good they play (even how stacked the teams are in the 'rines favor), they still lose. There is definitely something wrong with that.

When speaking of terms of FF affecting the game, it has nothing to do with how many people are killed by friendly fire. The number of people that are killed by friendly fire will be very small. What does matter is how many people get hurt from friendly fire and die because of the friendly fire damage. That is what makes a huge impact. A skulk's job will be much easier if a marine is damaged a bit, and a lot of times, your health will be down to 85 or so even if you haven't been attacked by a skulk yourself. Have a skulk or two rush three marines, and I'm almost positive everyone will have damage even if they weren't directly attacked by an alien.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: CryForMe on April 26, 2005, 11:40:48 AM
very true, BUT, the same goes for aliens, especially skulks. A problem i frequently see is that when I'm attacking RT's as a skulk and another skulk comes running along to help me, 99.99999% of the time, i get bit. Now, assuming i'm at full hp/armor, it drops me to 68/2. This means far less bullets are needed to kill me. So the FF damage factor goes both ways.  Attributing game losses to FF seems a bit off the wall to me simply based on the way the game is currently constructed.  Yes, we all KNOW aliens are overpowered...well, except the onos. We KNOW that the beacon/pg rush tactic isnt as great anymore because of the half second wait time to phase. We KNOW we need to develop the teamwork thing. But as for FF? Lets think about it.
Say you get hit with a couple FF lmg bullets in a firefight (you have armor 0). Drops your armor a bunch, and your health very little. Say you get bit by a skulk instead of FF. Your health drops considerably and your armor is gone. Even if you kill the skulk, chances are, you need a medpack. With FF, you *might* need a medpack, but you still have a better survial probablility based on the fact that your armor is still mostly there. I dont really think i've ever been in any kind of situation where FF was responsible for the outcome of a game. Sure, theres the MC argument to it,  but remember, if the rines work as a unit, a shotgun rush on a hive takes 10 seconds, then the aliens are out 40+ res and mad cause you just took out a hive, even with the aliens MCing in. Remember that people dont just hang around the MCs like theyre a bar serving free drinks. Aliens are just as spread out as marines are, and half the time its easier to run to the hive than to MC to it.
If we wanted to try FF off, i wouldnt be staunchly opposed, but I think the quality of gameplay and the overall respectability of the players on the server might decrease. Not knocking the admin staff of course, just that it takes a bit more skill to play with FF on than it does to play with FF off, and it tends to keep some of the rif-raff out.
Title: The problem, Part II
Post by: GrayDuck on April 26, 2005, 12:30:29 PM
*** Locked ***

Look here (http://www.lunixmonster.org/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=3045) for an updated poll.  This one is flawed.  The question is whether to turn FF of for a week or so to try it out - not whether to permanently leave it off.