Gameplay Discussion: Predators

[Ms.Degrasse]

Surely. Calculated numbers shouldn't be monolithic actually, for it to be balanced..
- Quota must be calculated taking into consideration a small portion aliens exceeding the actual server balance (not all of them, since other predators may join), and having some as tolerable kills.

Also, there must be a visible clue on display, about the extinction threshold.

And the honor and preservation goals tuned up, so predators wouldn't targetted by others if they fail in only one of those goals. (They must fail both for being targetted as Bad Bloods.) - There must be a way for predators to know about their goals status. (Probably something similar to the way aliens can know how many are still around. A tab thing would do the trick.)

[SpanishBirdman]

In my opinion, predators shouldn't be assigned at round start, they should be treated like an ERT. The big problem with predators is when they side with the group that is already winning. If the pred and marines work together, the aliens are totally fucked unless they had a MASSIVE advantage over the marines before the pred got involved. This ruins the round for pretty much everyone. I believe that preds should be assigned when a whitelisted player is dead and the battle is clearly unbalanced. The admin that spawns in the predator also assigns the predator a target, generally either the Commander or Queen based on who is winning. If the predator kills their target, the admin can give them a new target like a ravager or SL (or even the other side's leader if the battle has turned) or just tell them to get a trophy from their hunt and leave. By doing this preds can balance a game and give the losing side a fighting chance, instead of giving the winning side an undefeatable advantage.

[LocalizedDownpour]

In my opinion, predators shouldn't be assigned at round start, they should be treated like an ERT. The big problem with predators is when they side with the group that is already winning. If the pred and marines work together, the aliens are totally fucked unless they had a MASSIVE advantage over the marines before the pred got involved. This ruins the round for pretty much everyone. I believe that preds should be assigned when a whitelisted player is dead and the battle is clearly unbalanced. The admin that spawns in the predator also assigns the predator a target, generally either the Commander or Queen based on who is winning. If the predator kills their target, the admin can give them a new target like a ravager or SL (or even the other side's leader if the battle has turned) or just tell them to get a trophy from their hunt and leave. By doing this preds can balance a game and give the losing side a fighting chance, instead of giving the winning side an undefeatable advantage.

Problem with that is killing the CO isn't so much a big deal, not in many rounds I've played as any of the bridge staff can fill that role. However killing the queen shoots the aliens in the knee...but I'm getting what you're saying for sure.

[LordeKilly]

In my opinion, predators shouldn't be assigned at round start, they should be treated like an ERT. The big problem with predators is when they side with the group that is already winning. If the pred and marines work together, the aliens are totally fucked unless they had a MASSIVE advantage over the marines before the pred got involved. This ruins the round for pretty much everyone. I believe that preds should be assigned when a whitelisted player is dead and the battle is clearly unbalanced. The admin that spawns in the predator also assigns the predator a target, generally either the Commander or Queen based on who is winning. If the predator kills their target, the admin can give them a new target like a ravager or SL (or even the other side's leader if the battle has turned) or just tell them to get a trophy from their hunt and leave. By doing this preds can balance a game and give the losing side a fighting chance, instead of giving the winning side an undefeatable advantage.

You can join in as a pred either mid-round or round start. I've only been a bread round start once, and the rest of my experience was being a mid-round pred.

[SpanishBirdman]

You can join in as a pred either mid-round or round start. I've only been a bread round start once, and the rest of my experience was being a mid-round pred.

That's not really relevant though. Whether you joined mid round or on start, you had free reign to attack whoever you want. Without knowing which side is winning, you could screw over an already losing team by arbitrary choice no matter when you joined. Also lolbread.

[Daman453]

First time in a pred round, just wanted to put in my cents to this topic. I thought the round went bland with the pred going on. I was on the alien team the whole game, and i was playing normal and saw the pred, knowing as a runner, i would be wiped under her/his boots, i kissed the preds ass to not get blasted, to my surprise, nothing but a point and a invs out. Now, the marines were not bogged down into FF lanes and AP ammo. I died as alien many times it was FUN. I re spawn as a larva and think i could do better as spitter, nope, as i'm slashing a light out of nowhere the pred starts firing. It didn't feel fun at all. Just someone shooting at me and i couldn't do anything at all. Anyway, we are losing and pushing, i urged my teammates not to attack the pred. But the pred picked the marines side. Even though we were dropping by the dozen and not infecting alot of people.... RIGHT... so anyway we had 3 infected and the pred takes one, and we try to stop him, stunned but he was able to invs out and then take a marine out. Overall, i don't like that pred or preds in that game, they didn't RP at all and some of it was without reason. I think that the pred should make it clear who's side they are on, or if that's dumb at the least RP at that. It really felt like the pred was having fun at my expense, and i can see why if you get killed by a pred you get salty. I guess you can say the pred is like the death squad in a normal server, fun, but only fun to the player playing that role.

[Abbysynth]

It's exactly players like the above, who have no idea of what actually is going on in the round, that baffles me. That was me in that round, and all I was doing against the xenos was scaring them away from my target, a Bravo sniper who I had been meticulously stalking and sniping at the whole round. Then the xenos just randomly kill him, so I went into the hive to at least find the body to make sure. The pred did not kill a single xeno or human the entire round. And yet people complain! At some point it just becomes white noise, so you stop caring.

[apophis775]

When was the round? I can check the logs on the remote and see if any xenos were killed by the Pred so we can confirm.

But sometimes, if your an alien or a single marine and a pred comes up and kills you, there can be SO MANY THINGS going on your not aware of. For example, other marines may have fired rockets at him or done something to assault him. Or a specific alien may have angered the Pred into chasing him down, and when cornered the pred has no problem blasting other aliens to bits, since they are between him and his prey.

This is why, we are taking so much care with the new whitelist.

[outordinary]

And yet people complain! At some point it just becomes white noise, so you stop caring.

Yes, people will complain, its probably a good idea to talk with them about it seeing as they are part of the servers player base. Don't log it out as "white noise". You should want to find out what comments good or bad your player base has about something you develop. You shouldn't just count the ones who badmouth it as "white noise" and listen to all the praise.

[LordeKilly]

Side note, predator applications haven't been accepted or denied in a while, bump?

[ShortTemperedLeprechaun]

Side note, predator applications haven't been accepted or denied in a while, bump?

They have gone silent it seems, but It makes sense honestly, as theres only three head staff, and they are busy as all hell.

[Nero3217]

Long time since another reply but, why not this..?

Cloaking: Cloaking has been a constant problem/complaint that seems to be an on-going issue. Taken from the first movie, why not have it so that either a certain amount of damage or a certain type of attack nullifies it until the predator either heals or uses some type of equipment to fix it?

Who to kill: What if it was coded in that it was announced to the predators only that whoever is killing or face-hugging who from either side the most (or maybe the first, runner-up, and third) becomes the target. Quite possibly the moment they join the game designates a certain target in the first place and they branch off of that.

[Feweh]

Holy fuck predators cant catch aliens with the new update so you cant even kill them.

[Ocnjak20]

Preds are meant to be OP, they are game changers and with Code of Honor they are limited to what they are supposed to do.

However, with enough power and limitation they can have some awesome RP with Marines and Xeno, well he would probably hunt Xeno so chasing and playing them on verbs is what he does as he cant talk to them. But with Marines, well I usually love good RP round instead of just shooting, usually getting shot by bad aimers.

Preds are awesome, seen elder and new bloodied Pred RP-ing with marines and combating, it was awesome too bad that I was dead and could not take part in it.

[LordLoko]

Most salt probably comes from the fact they can freely choose their side. I just recommend to force them ally the marines and go to war against the aliens. Would remove most of the salt and clarify things a lot. Plus it would be more canon. They would MORE LIKELY ally humans than the aliens.

Pred+humans alliance IS canon. Alien vs Predator: three world war has that premise.



(yes, I know, just found this image in russian)

[Feweh]

Side note, predator applications haven't been accepted or denied in a while, bump?

We add 1-3 players bi-weekly.
We just added 3 last week and we're running out of good applications so denials are up next.

[Egorkor]

We add 1-3 players bi-weekly.
We just added 3 last week and we're running out of good applications so denials are up next.

are they going to stay open constantly or be akin to suggestions, like.closed after a certain amount of time then opened sometime later?

[Boltersam]

Holy fuck predators cant catch aliens with the new update so you cant even kill them.

It's hard, I can attest to that. One round I spent like fifteen minutes fighting with Whistles (he was a Hunter) and he could keep running away onto the weeds to heal, due to being faster than me. I got off a few hits, but I couldn't down him.

I'd attribute most of that to skillful play, but hot damn. He was practically dancing around me! He managed to knock my mask off three times, and I don't think I even got him to half health.

[Daisuke08]

Played in a pred yesterday as a Ravager with a hunter as backup. Gotta say I actually really enjoyed it though I did die after not dodging the gun thing and tripping the pred mine that slows you. The style of dueling a pred and not swarming him with numbers gives it a thunderdome kind of feel and very refreshing compared to the usual marine vs alien gameplay.

If I had to come up with a suggestion, I'd say having it so preds count as their own side or having objectives to complete when spawning in, similar to a syndicate antag, would be nice. Then either the round would end until preds die along with another side like 1 vs 1 vs 1, or preds get objectives where they hunt each side equally. An example being "get x human heads" and "get x xeno hide" so there's no "side" for a pred and everyone fears him rather than trying to use him to kill the other side (It's what the queen that round tried to do)

[Varnock]

You know I feel I should toss my two cents in.

It feels Preds have just slightly too high a chance of getting knocked down by a disarm. I've seen (and participated in) xeno swarms that just sit on the poor bastards and dice them up like wet paper. Doesn't even take more than three xenos, but four plus is safer.

[Boltersam]

You know I feel I should toss my two cents in.

It feels Preds have just slightly too high a chance of getting knocked down by a disarm. I've seen (and participated in) xeno swarms that just sit on the poor bastards and dice them up like wet paper. Doesn't even take more than three xenos, but four plus is safer.

The knockdown is a death sentence, honestly. You can't get up quick enough to retaliate, so they can just hold you down while ripping your mask off and slashing your face to shreds.

It actually reminds me of a guy's buddies holding down someone while the guy beats the crap out of him.

[Varnock]

The knockdown is a death sentence, honestly. You can't get up quick enough to retaliate, so they can just hold you down while ripping your mask off and slashing your face to shreds.

It actually reminds me of a guy's buddies holding down someone while the guy beats the crap out of him.

Exactly. I couldn't have used a better analogy if I tried.

[Surrealistik]

Sulaco Preds are cancer with the self-destruct breaching, especially with how fast vacuum incapacitates and kills in the current version of CM; that is all.

[forwardslashN]

Played in a pred yesterday as a Ravager with a hunter as backup. Gotta say I actually really enjoyed it though I did die after not dodging the gun thing and tripping the pred mine that slows you. The style of dueling a pred and not swarming him with numbers gives it a thunderdome kind of feel and very refreshing compared to the usual marine vs alien gameplay.

Good fight. I went blind shortly after that and retired from the Hunt. I don't know why preds don't count as their own faction, to be honest.

[Boltersam]

Played today. Challenged a marine to combat. Threw one punch. Got swarmed by his mates, forced to run away. Used a healing crystal, slipping in and out of consciousness. Upon healing to a state capable of fighting, I figured out I had a ruptured or collapsed lung.

A note, dishonorable and shoot-first marines were very common that round.

Predators really need an advanced healing method to deal with internal injuries, because you either die in a corner from it, or honorably charge at either Marines or Aliens before exploding from your accumulated wounds. Perhaps an advanced crystal requiring 2000 bracer power.