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Topics - NeoSuperior

#1
I noticed a lot of people posting in the social media (facebook, steam greenlight, etc.) that they want a 3v3, 4v4 or even 5v5 gamemode. For the purpose of discussing if that idea is feasible at all, I created this thread.

On the first glance anyone would say "sure, why not? The more gamemodes exist and more players in the same match there are, the better, right? So gives us 3v3 now... please!" But is it really that simple? I am not sure and that is the purpose I created this thread, so that people can contribute their ideas and arguments for or against this concept.

To start this, we should take a look at 2v2, which most of us expierenced already, first. What can happen? How can the game go? Well there are lots of possibilities, but for the sake of simplicity I will break it down to 3 tactics for both teams each:

On the spy side it could happen that the spies are inexperienced and make blunders like trying to reach an objective in a "limboline", i.e. the second spy doesn't enter before the first one got killed by a merc for some reason.
Another possibility would be the spies going for different objectives, i.e. starting a "solo combo", possibily using a tactic like 1 spy creating a commotion on one end on the map first, which may or may not influence the merc on the other side of the map to go for the aid of his mate, which may or may not create an opening for the 2nd spy.
The third possibility is both spies going for one objective together so that, for example, one spy can hack a computer while the other distracts the merc(s).

On the merc side we have following tactics:
The first one is each merc defending a set area by himself, which can, depending on the map and circumstances, make sure that there are no, or at least very few openings for the spies to sneak through, as the mercs can efficiently patrol their areas.
Another possible tactic is the "camp tactic", which consists of the mercs letting the spies have unfavorable or hard to defend objectives for free, so that the mercs can focus on the remaining ones instead and by doing that create an unpenetratable fortress together. This tactic has the obvious risk of the spies just needing 1 more objective to win in most cases, as they already got the other ones for free. This tactic can also be adapted in later stages of the game sometimes, if the order of completed objectives by the spies allows it.
The merc's last tactic is "mobility". The mercs patrol the whole map or at least critical areas. They do it either solo, together or alternate between teaming up and being lone wolf, making their moves hard to predict for the spies. This style of play also makes it easier to call the merc mate for help, since in most cases the mercs stay at places where they can reach most areast as fast as possible (e.g. crossroads, etc).


Now what are the match ups if we try all 9 scenarios of tactics being applied? Left side is for Spy and Right side is for Merc:

LIMBO & STATIONARY: 1 v 1 twice with the same merc, while other merc gets left out
LIMBO & CAMP TACTIC: two times 1 v 2
LIMBO & MOBILITY: two times 1 v ??
SOLO COMBO & STATIONARY: 1 v 1 in paralell
SOLO COMBO & CAMP TACTIC: pointless
SOLO COMBO & MOBILITY: ??
TEAM UP & STATIONARY: 2 v 1, while other merc gets left out
TEAM UP & CAMP TACTIC: 2 v 2
TEAM UP & MOBILITY: 2 v ??

As you can see it is hard to get any real conclusive material like this, even with this simplified model. Now let's try to make the range a bit smaller, by leaving some points out. We can remove LIMBO, as that is a "tactic" which is merely caused by being inexperienced (or to be fair sometimes by having a "bad day" as well). From the remaining possibilities, CAMP TACTIC is dependent on the map and to apply it you need a map design that allows it (in scct that was club and river, for example), so we can leave it out as well, as it depends on the circumstances and as it can be avoided by the map design itself, it is not any more relevant for this discussion. This leaves us with the following:

SOLO COMBO & STATIONARY: 1 v 1 in paralell
SOLO COMBO & MOBILITY:  ??
TEAM UP & STATIONARY: 2 v 1, while other merc gets left out
TEAM UP & MOBILITY: 2 v ??

From these matchups the "MOBILITY" ones heavily depend on the details of the individual situations, so for simplicity let's say that they maintain a status quo, i.e. both teams have more or less equal chances. The same applies to "SOLO COMBO & STATIONARY", where the matchups become 1v1 + 1v1. The only unusual one here is "TEAM UP & STATIONARY", which seems to favor the spies, as one merc's existence is "wasted", because he is not able to do anything and is in most cases too far away as well, so even if the attacked merc tells his mate that he is attacked by 2 spies, the mate won't be able to arrive in time a lot of times. But of course this style of play does not always work, as the attacked mate's merc can instead use the time to place mines and spytraps in his area, which he could only do because he wasn't attacked, so in the end the advantage for the spies is tolerable.


But... now let's suppose it is actually 4v4 and the map is also proportionally bigger than the 2v2 counterpart... and now suppose that a "TEAM UP & STATIONARY" situation occurs... that is 4v1! The merc, unless he is much more skilled than the spies, will most likely not be able to defend his objective!


Well this was one veeery round about counter argument from me about the "3v3 or more" idea.


tl;dr: Spies can gang up on a single merc in games with more players, which can "break the game" in some cases.



Now people... I hope I'll get to see lots of arguments, pro and contra, about this topic. Have fun!
#2
Public Discussion / Gadget Idea: Tracker Bullets
December 07, 2013, 08:47:10 PM
I already suggested this in FB, but since it seems to be well received, I repost it here to discuss it more:

A new (selectable) gadget (taking up 1 slot) for mercs to force spies into stealthy play (essentially spy bullets for mercs):

Tracker Bullets: When a merc got this in his equipment, then the merc get the spy on the radar for 15-30 seconds after being hit by that particular merc's gun. The time on radar gets refreshed to the beginning of the 15-30 seconds, if a merc successfully hits a spy with his gun again.

With such a gadget spies would think twice before going aggro or trying aggro baits.

Possible Description (subject to change):
These newly developed bullets replace the normal bullets the merc uses by these a bit longer bullets. They are compatible with the merc's gun and are able to produce the exact same firepower, as the normal bullets do. They work by releasing little nanomachines that send a strong signal, which depletes their energy in 20 seconds. However for the time they are active, the mercs can pinpoint the exact location of the victim, similar to the trackers of the spytraps, but for a shorter time. Since the nanomachines are released at first impact, they only work, if the target was hit by the bullet directly. If the target is behind a penetrable object when shot, the nanomachines are released on the object instead and are not able to reach the target. However the nanomachines are able to check the pulse of the target, so the signals only start if the nanomachines are attached to at least the clothes of a living being. The nanomachines are immune to electro-magnetic-pulse and any kind of jamming e.g. chaff granades, however they are susceptible to electic currents a tazer for example would instantly terminate any active nanomachines. Inactive nanamachines are not affected. However because of the lenght of the bullets, the magazines are harder to carry and essentially take up the spot, another gadget could have taken instead. Because of the bullets' length they can only be fired in half-automatic mode. That is why not all mercs have been convinced of these new bullets yet. A recent technology developement however made it possible to discard the bullets' nanomachines part in realtime to fire the bullets as normal bullets in full-automatic mode.

Some complained that no explosive rounds are used instead of nanomachines, however explosives would be impossible to produce light enough to be shot as bullets, without making the round susceptible to electic currents that result in instant explosions, which make such bullets more dangerous for the user than for the target, escpacially if the target is an infiltration specialist. They would be far too expansive anyway. Others complained why deadly poison wasn't used instead. The answer is that the considerable lower mass of the bullet for the poison chamber inside it would affect the penetration strenght too much. Any enemy that wears some kind of Bullet repelling armor that is similar to a Kevlar vest would not fall even after ten shots on the same spot, because the armor would not be penetrated and the poinson would not be able to reach the victims body. Because the manufacturer was able to shake off these complaints successfully, their Tracker Bullets have been sold successfully around the world for anti-infiltrator-units.

Recent feedback revealed that the bullets are escpacially popular with snipers, as even if they aren't able to finish off a spy, a teammate is able to follow the spy and finish the job.
#3
General / Off-Topic / Defense of the Ancients 2
May 07, 2013, 02:10:32 PM
Hi there, I wondered if any of you were playing DotA 2. Also if anyone is interested in playing it, I still have 14 (yes you read it right) beta-keys to distribute, so tell me if you want to play it.
#4
After watching the new video and seeing the empty space in both spy and merc team, I have come up with an idea to make gameplay more interesting (this idea is supposed to represent an alternative gameplay mode and is not supposed to replace the classic one)

How about both teams get a 3rd member that is not really participating in the game, but instead watches from the sideline, coordinating their team, giving information, etc. I mean in Splinter Cell Singeplayer for example, Fisher had Lambert and Grim to help him. And also the mercs aren't just some little guards that wander around, screaming at teenagers who are spraying graffiti. They are also a well-coordinated rich company that is not keen on doing blunders at their job.



Spy Operator (name subject to change):

-has (a windowed) first person vision of both spies. Vision of a spy is lost temporally if he is tazed or charged at by a merc(s).

-has a map of the area where he can see the positions of both spies and "spy-bulleted" mercs

-Spy Cam vision & control (can only be activated for one spy at a time): The operator can take control of a sticky cam after the spy shoots it, leaving the spy mobile to do objectives etc. while the Operator can take care of the merc. This ability can be used an unlimited amount of times.

-SPECIAL ABILITY System Hack (max 2 uses per match, 10 seconds duration, 45 seconds cooldown): Takes over the control of all passive defenses temporaly. Mercs passing passive defenses will be shown on the spies' and the operator's radars/map. Spies passing passive defenses at that time are not shown on mercs' & coordinator's radars/map. During the duration of this ability, no objective locks can be activated.
         This ability does NOT affect:
        -currently active objective locks
        -lights, lamps and any other kinds of light sources

-SPECIAL ABILITY 2 System Bypass (only 1 use per match): The operator is able to bypass all locked systems at once, making the spy able to hack them even if the alert is still ongoing, however this ability can only be used once, as it only worked as a "surpise" and the mercs will have counter-measures ready for the next time.




Merc Coordinator (name subject to change):

-has (a windowed) first person vision of both mercs. Vision of a merc is temporally lost, if he is tazed (longer if HSed) or runs through a chaffed area.

-has a map of the area where he can see the positions of both mercs, "spy-trapped" spies and running spies who carry a disc.

-Merc Camnet vision & control: The coordinator can use the camnet the same way as the mercs, giving mercs, who usually use camnet, an extra slot, since they don't need the camnet anymore. This ability can be used an unlimited amount of times.

-SPECIAL ABILITY High Voltage (max 2 uses per match, 10 seconds duration, 45 seconds cooldown): Boosts all electrical light sources to an extreme brightness, that makes spies that are near lightsources very easily spottable. At the same time, due to the high brightness everywhere, the mercs become less sensititve against flashbangs for a short time.

-SPECIAL ABILITY 2 Smoke Extractor (only 1 use per match, 3 seconds duration): It is known that mercs have to be adaptable. Instead of using the Smoke Extractor against a fire, the coordinator modifies it to use it against the smoke granades and sticky cams of the spies. It creates a very strong air current that instantly draws in all smoke in the buildings. The air current is so strong that it even disperses the smoke outdoors. During the duration of this ability, any kind of smoke is instantly drawn into ventilators and is rendered useless (this also applies to smoke from sticky cams). However to reach such a strong air current and sustain it long enough to have a visible effect, the ventilators have to work over their capacities and are severly damaged after using this ability, which makes it impossible to use it again.




Well guys this is my idea. In my opinion somehow only bringing "combat & stealth" into SvM is not enough. After all it is supposed to be science-fiction! There is supposed to be some kind of Cyber-war going on in the background. Things like W-Lan will be even more used in the future and things like additional (up-to-date) information by their superiors or collegues for both spies and merc should be a given, so I wanted to push the game a little bit in that direction with this idea.

Of course i know that even if you guys would take this idea, I wouldn't see anything of it in the next 2-3 years, but I still think this would be an interesting concept to talk about (espacially since it's so quiet on these forums lately).


So go ahead and discuss!
#5
General / Off-Topic / Opera is going crazy
August 27, 2011, 05:27:31 AM
Hi guys, i got a problem. My Opera got paranoid and thinks, that 95% of all i-net sites in the world got invalid certificates.

Well on almost all Sites I get the Pop-Up:


"The server's certificate chain is incomplete, and the signer(s) are not registered. Accept?"


And it doesnt matter what i do, because next time i visit a site the same happens again, however there is 1 thing common to all:
It's always a certificate from "www.thawte.com" and the issuer is "thawte Extended Validation SSL CA".

And Opera has NO DAMN OPTION TO IGNORE UNCERTIFICATIONS. Damn till now i liked Opera more than Firefox, but if this goes on, i will change back to Firefox for sure...

well someone got an idea, how to make Opera understand, that those certificates are NOT a potential danger?
#6
as in title... but AGENT seems to use his sig fine... so... someone can explain wtf wth is going on?
#7
General / Off-Topic / I-Net is going crazy
July 25, 2011, 04:13:45 PM
Hi guys... i got a huge problem...

Around every 5-10 minutes my internet has a ping of 9999999 for around 5 seconds... after  that all is back to normal... and even in games it seems the other players don't even realize, that i laaged...

Here are some facts that i concluded by using google to check similar cases:

-Everything i found about it with google were forums... no things like guides/FAQs/troubleshootings were found
-None of the finds in google ended with "solved"... all threads just "died" at some point
-Although i found 1 possible solution. There was 1 similar problem, that was solved by deactivating "NetBios" (accesed by TCP/IP advanced settings). It didn't work for me though...

-It seems only people with a "FRITZ!Box" (router) seem to have that problem
-When multiple computers are connected to the same router, it can happen, that 1 person has that problem, and another not (confirmed... my bro never had this problem)
-Firmwareupdates/drivers have nothing to do with it (so the "standard" answers are WRONG, since they never helped and i already tried all that)
-It started yesterday night (24. July 2011 around 23:00 GMT +1), when i turned my computer on normally. I didn't change any settings/BIOS/whatever at that time.

other facts:
-When i pinged my router with console ("ping -t 192.168.178.1) it said at the end:    Minimum: 1ms    Maximum: >2000ms    0% data lost          it usually shows 2-3ms     sometimes 20-25ms     and a few times it goes >100ms.
-i had the same problem with my old computer 2 years ago. Back then it was "temporaly" solved by using new WLan, but for some reason after some time my computer stopped to "see" that WLan stick (WTF?!) It was finally solved, when i got a new computer and a new WLan together. But now it started to hound me again :(


if i find new clues, i will post them. Since i am real noob, when it comes to things like internet/WLan connection, i really would like some help. The first step would be, if someone could at least determine, if its a problem between     computer-WLan; computer-Router; WLan-Router or Router-Outside-world. My guess is, it's WLan-Router or Computer-WLan. But it would be nice if someone could solve that problem for real... because you cannot imagine what a horror these 5 sec laag every 5 min are (escpacially in Shooters)!

EDIT: just realized, that i had more than 20 viruses on my computer -.- even though i use avira free...
#8
Public Discussion / Activating gasmask, after being tazed
February 07, 2011, 05:11:37 PM
Well... what i realized was, that in SC:CT after being tazed, the merc has a 1-2 second gap, between "taze invincibility" and "being able to activate gasmask again".

And at that time the merc cannot switch on his GM and is vulnerable to smoke nades or cams and the only way out is charging to a safe place... this is a huge weakness for the merc if 2 spies gang up on him, so i wanted to ask:

How will PS handle this? Will it be the same as in CT or will this be "fixed"?


And what do YOU think about this?