Re-thought idea of alien's vision

[Jeser]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): Nerfs of visions. For both sides. Main: Aliens — see ALWAYS ONLY silhouettes of marines; marines — Cone and flaslight's Light cones.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):

• Aliens:
  1. No META-knowing marine's weapon, armor, profession, name. Marine's are all the same, just hosts and aliens don't understand marines' equipment and professions.
  2. Finally, aliens really can come from behind and impale marine! Yay! Like in films!
  3. So, more tactical benefits, however in the same time more accurate and carefull gameplay, since alien never knows, what will happen, if marine will see alien before xenomorph could immobilize marine. It can be a bullet. Or fire. Or rocket. Or throwing knife.
• Marines:
  1. Watch your sector, soldier! It's more vital, as it never was before! Makes sticking with squad even fucking more vital! If rembos will leave squad even with such nerfs, then they are really unstoppable and we should just accept this.
  2. Use flares! They are good light source and light big area all around, instead of flashlights.
  3. But, because of alien nerf, balance will be still kept, marines will have a little fear and sudden factor.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):

Look in implementation.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it):

Fuking HUGE code work.

Ok, let's start

I see two ways of alien nerf.
First, complicated.

• Remove X-Ray. Now, alien see only what in line of sight.
• Now, add share vision. What sees your fellow xenomorph, you see too, of course, if it's in screen borders. Kinda seems logical, cause hivemind and so on. Not too nerfed, and not OP as X-Ray now.
• Now, main thing. Xenos still can see any marine, who in screen borders and not hiding in closet, bodybag and so on. But, they see only silhouette. Though, black silhouuettes are bad, cause aliens won't be able to see in which direction marine turned. And my main idea, that they should clearly see it, so they can come from back. So, I suggest, that aliens will see naked (or in underwear, dunno what with censorship, heh). This way aliens can't see equipment on marine, but can see which side marine faced to. Also, they should see all marines as Unknown or Host. We see similar aliens, just with numbers, because they don't have personality. Aliens should see marines same way.

Second, simplified. (If first one impossible/too complicated to do, or coders are too lazy 4 dat shit.)

• Remove X-Ray.
• Give aliens Meson instead. They will be able to orientate in hive still, however OP X-Ray will be removed. Idea by Evilkyle24
• Make silhoettes (naked marines) as I said.

In both ways aliens still have 360 degrees line of sight.

Now marines

1. Marines should get Cone of sight.

   Humans have an almost 180-degree forward-facing horizontal diameter of their visual field.

   (c) Wikipedia
   Let's cut it to nearly 160, I guess. I want marines to see one tile to right, left. But only one. Because you can see it.
2. Flashlights, when equipped in pocket, belt, or in hands, should have Cone of Light. It should be less wide, than Cone of Sight.

Also, there is a way without making Cone of Sight. Making only Cone if Light will already affect gameplay in good way, bringing more tactic and teamwork.

My example of how I see it:


Goddamn, there should be "Unknown"!

1. Blue - Cone of Sight.
2. Yellow - Cone of Light from flashlight, well lit tiles.
3. Orange - Cone of light, half lit tiles.
4. Grey - unlighted tiles.

Additional things

• If marine put two flashlights in his pockets and take two in hands, orange area will become yellow too. That's all. I think, SL's armor flashlight should lit orange tiles in yellow and grey tiles near orange in orange. It's a bit bigger and more powerfull than standard flashlight, I guess.
• Flashlight on the ground will create very small amount of light. Like, one yellow and two orange tiles in all directions.
• Flares become much more important to light up areas without power/with broken/absent lights.
• Therefore, ADD FUCKING FLARES CRATE IN RO, I'M KEEP ASKING FOR IT FOR ABOUT MONTH ALREADY!

There is only one thing, that I'm worried about. Hugging. Aliens won't be able to see how many huggers will be needed to hug this exact marine. Though, its' pretty logical and realistic this a big nerf of aliens, though I can't think up of anything that will balance this. If anyone has some idea on this, I'd like to see it.

Well, I re-thought my idea, since people didn't like it/said it's impossible.
It became much smaller.
So, what I want:
Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): Make aliens unable see marine's gear through walls. Make them see just flesh (naked or in underwear marines).
Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): No meta-knowing marine's weapon, armor and role without straight contact. (I can't understand why the fuck aliens can read ID at all and, therefore, choose engineers and medics as priority targets to make squad more weaker. They shouldn't understand that. That's, kinda, meta.)
Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): Via code.

[LordeKilly]

As much as I love you, Jes, having 100 people with limited view is like having a migrant wave only game of lifeweb with 100 people. It won't end well for anyone...

-1, sorry mate.

[Jeser]

As much as I love you, Jes, having 100 people with limited view is like having a migrant wave only game of lifeweb with 100 people. It won't end well for anyone...

-1, sorry mate.

Why?? Also, It can be done without limiting view, just making Cone of Light for flashlights. It's will bring tactics to game. People will have to use flares more often and look in ALL directions, not in few.

[Mycroft Macarthur]

i could imagine this being a huge improvement in terms of immersion and make it feel way more like your in that scenario, it will make it far easier to sneak up on someone from behind and attack them as well.

i dont see this being very good from a gameplay mechanic standpoint in some respects though unless aliens completely lose xray vision, they'd have a HUGE advantage over the marine forces in exchange for losing very very little of real value, perhaps if instead you could choose between the classic view and your version except in yours, the screen behind you would be completely cut off and you would see more of whats AHEAD of you, that would make it a more tactical choice beteen better situational awareness (having a better sense of whats around you in general, being better aware of the surrounding terrain, etc) and better long range ability (you could see farther out so you would be more effective at longer range combat and seeing enemies from farther out), which could be potentially handy if you have enough flares to go around to light the area ahead.

for me personally i hate using flares though, the fact that they burn out and the fact that you have to toss so damn many to light your way means if you were moving to the alien hive you'd go through three boxes before even getting to the hive itself and then you'd have to toss more on the way back because they would have burnt out, its far more convenient of me to use flashlights, i'd go double pocket at all times if i didn't need my second for shotgun shells.

though from a defensive standpoint perhaps we should get an ability to call in stationary floodlights that permanently light up a VERY wide area as long as provided either power or a fuel source of some kind, these would be good for areas we have secured since we can build them up, dont run out and would light a wider area but which we couldn't use on the go easiy.

[Lostmixup]

As far as I know the cone of light thing is actually near impossible to pull off code wise, which is why it hasn't been done yet.

[MrGabol100]

+1, This should actually be a priority.

[Artyom]

Just make it so there's a cone of light for the flashlights.

otherwise good idea +1

[Jeser]

Welp, BUMP. Let's see what you think about this.

[TopHatPenguin]

Your new idea sounds actually really good and makes sense so +1 more naked marines.

[Jack McIntyre]

+1

I like it as well and makes sense.

[Complete Garbage]

+1, being targeted by aliens for being an engi/doctor(especially while your squad is setting up power) can be annoying.

[apophis775]

We've made some changes to the alien vision system, maybe we'll revisit this in the future, but not now.