LV-624 fog timer

[Szunti]

I think fog should recede a bit sooner. It is annoying me both as marine and especially as xeno. What do others think?

[Nicboone]

I disagree. its there for a reason to help give more IC reasons to make it clear NOT to metarush. Metarushing from both sides is still a huge issue.

[Gentlefood]

I disagree. its there for a reason to help give more IC reasons to make it clear NOT to metarush. Metarushing from both sides is still a huge issue.

The current Fog timer permits Xenos to get T3s halfway to Elite, T2s to Elite, T1s halfway to Ancient. It was implemented at first to prevent metarushing now all it does is strengthen xenos abnormally as well as delay the round.

He's not asking for the fog to be removed, he's asking for its timer to be lowered.

[tuzz]

Perhaps the fog could be changed so that the entire foggy area acts like sticky resin that also slows marines as well as xenos. So you can still push through the fog if you really want to, but it is dangerous to do so.
The current way just sort of unleashes a torrent of restless marines and xenos all at once.

[Nicboone]

The current Fog timer permits Xenos to get T3s halfway to Elite, T2s to Elite, T1s halfway to Ancient. It was implemented at first to prevent metarushing now all it does is strengthen xenos abnormally as well as delay the round.

He's not asking for the fog to be removed, he's asking for its timer to be lowered.

I am well aware. and i disagree that it should be. I do however think that xenos beyond t1 shouldnt be able to leave the fog area. Much as I love marines, lowering it would give them such an insane buff, and only result in an immediate rush with little to no RP

[darkwahn]

The current Fog timer permits Xenos to get T3s halfway to Elite, T2s to Elite, T1s halfway to Ancient. It was implemented at first to prevent metarushing now all it does is strengthen xenos abnormally as well as delay the round.

He's not asking for the fog to be removed, he's asking for its timer to be lowered.

And xenos still get completely fucked on the beach usually.

[Simo94]

I am well aware. and i disagree that it should be. I do however think that xenos beyond t1 shouldnt be able to leave the fog area. Much as I love marines, lowering it would give them such an insane buff, and only result in an immediate rush with little to no RP

idk but 50 mins of fog seems absurd to me, maybe 40min or 45 would do? on big red sometimes marines are attacking lambda hive by 12:35 already and they still get squad wiped lol

[Nicboone]

idk but 50 mins of fog seems absurd to me, maybe 40min or 45 would do? on big red sometimes marines are attacking lambda hive by 12:35 already and they still get squad wiped lol

that seems more like marine incompetence to me that an actual gameplay issue. how many times do they just unga dunga rush in without setting up any kind of forward defense ?

[Simo94]

that seems more like marine incompetence to me that an actual gameplay issue. how many times do they just unga dunga rush in without setting up any kind of forward defense ?

there you go, you just found another reason why 50mins isnt needed, also I made a topic about that issue on Big Red, its called Scouting lol, commanders like to send a squad in briefing straight to lambda lab to scout it, and the scouting squad apparently C4s both blast doors and gets in

[TheMaskedMan2]

>Sending squad alone to likely xeno location.
>Surprised when they get wiped.

Big Red CO's should stop trying to scout lamda five minutes after landing.

Anyways as for LV. Fog could always use adjustments but overall I think it's fine. Perhaps it can lower in "phases"? Like first a few tiny open paths, then some bigger paths, and eventually completely cleared.

[Ikmalmn]

Big Red CO's should stop trying to scout lamda five minutes after landing.

Yes, please, squads have been wiped out so often with me and not me in the squads, it's crazy. Scouting in general is the most suicidal thing especially when the SL never sounding the retreat.

It's the only mission I've dread when it comes out of command orders "Scout the colony". More like "Take a walk and kill yourself".

[Sailor Dave]

The fog is, in my opinion, an immersion-breaking band-aid for an issue that exists entirely with the map itself. It doesn't make sense that fog can somehow physically block off an entire half of the map, and is a bane to both xenos and marines. Sitting in the hive for 50+ minutes as a T3 is VERY boring, and unlike marines, they're not going to be roleplaying with each other much. Even if they did, there's not much to do, and it's too dangerous for them to use the tunnels.

During this entire time, however, they're given all the time they need to get all the way to ancient T1s, elite T2s, mature T3s.. Right off the bat, they're a huge threat to the marines, but it doesn't feel earned. Big Red doesn't have fog and it still works out well enough most of the time, and it doesn't leave the big boys sitting on their ass with nothing to do. It even interferes with predators, who have access only to a small number of the resources they normally would to do their things, and limits their interactions to one side or the other until it lifts.

[Swagile]

Big Red is an example of good level design that punishes meta rushing.

Every entrance into ever major Hive location are extremely close quarters or are completely blocked off (podlocks on Research, Virology, and Lambda). The ways around these are also close quarter caves that favor xenos completely with tons of cover as well. This means even Young T3's can play a part in defense of the hive until they go Mature as long as they don't over extend.

Sure, marines CAN win if they coordinate good flanks and such, but its hard to do so, and even then xenos can pull back even more. Inside Lambda is tons of CQC corridors that stop any advances due to boiler gas and crusher charges. Inside Research is tons of CQC hallways that are 2x2 and 3x3 that can easily be gassed or charged. Virology is a highly packed in and most of its entrances are 1x1 or 2x2 hallways.

All of these conditions means that, while Marines have a chance to win with a rush early, it requires good planning, good OB placement, and situational awareness from the marines.

There is no mystical fog blocking the way for 50 minutes that makes any kind of planning useless as you can't get past the fog AT ALL.