Precious Hugger combat

[MrJJJ]

*facepalm* Does it look like I'm trying to say you can counter carriers? Or am I explaining the mechanics of huggers? Oh yeah, there's something called RESTING in which thrown huggers ignore the "stunned" mob.

Yes, go ahead and try resting in combat, see how well that goes for you, let alone timing it right.

[The Respected Man]

If there is a fix i hope it is soon. Hugger combat is garbage lore-wise and gameplay wise.

[Karmac]

I'd like to point out that during the hugger removal test win/loss rates barely changed. Xenos played a lot more savagely and a lot more marine deaths occurred, this did however mean an overall lack in xeno numbers meaning if marines worked together you could still wipe out said xenos. But the main thing is it proved xenos don't need huggers. Also take into consideration that the Crusher was nerfed into non-existance during that week as it lost the ability to stomp, one of the most useful T3's in the game was lost to xenos, they didn't get huggers and still were capable of matching marines in terms of survivability.

[Swagile]

I'd like to point out that during the hugger removal test win/loss rates barely changed. Xenos played a lot more savagely and a lot more marine deaths occurred, this did however mean an overall lack in xeno numbers meaning if marines worked together you could still wipe out said xenos. But the main thing is it proved xenos don't need huggers. Also take into consideration that the Crusher was nerfed into non-existance during that week as it lost the ability to stomp, one of the most useful T3's in the game was lost to xenos, they didn't get huggers and still were capable of matching marines in terms of survivability.

Survivor was fun to play, and being a standard marine felt like you were facing an actual alien opponent that is quite fearsome to behold.

Not just a hugger carrier that insta stuns you for one minute.

[Karmac]

It definitely brought immersion to the table that's for sure.

[Jembo]

I don't understand why it's okay for xenos to kill marines who are hugged and are stunned from said hugger. It seems like a massive break in IC behavior, that you see hunters running around hugging people and cutting heads off to recollect their huggers to repeat. Hugger combat could be fixed easily if you reduced the stun from the huggers, or added the code that's on resin nests. You can't rebuckle someone you just unbuckled. You can't hug someone you just attempted to hug. Put a small delay on it.

[Symbiosis]

I'd like to point out that during the hugger removal test win/loss rates barely changed. Xenos played a lot more savagely and a lot more marine deaths occurred, this did however mean an overall lack in xeno numbers meaning if marines worked together you could still wipe out said xenos. But the main thing is it proved xenos don't need huggers. Also take into consideration that the Crusher was nerfed into non-existance during that week as it lost the ability to stomp, one of the most useful T3's in the game was lost to xenos, they didn't get huggers and still were capable of matching marines in terms of survivability.

I hope this gets more traction. I don't care if Xenos were buffed to keep their win rate the same. I don't mind getting killed by xenos, that can be fun. Running wounded from a ravager that chases you down, or getting robusted by a Hunter 3v1 without him using Huggers doesn't feel as bad as Hugger Combat.

Every caste just running around with huggers because it's "easy win" at the moment. The losing doesn't make most people salty, it's having your RP end by being hugged by an Ancient Hunter then slashed to death. In the "balancing" section Apop stated that Aliens were supposed to win more, and from a RP perspective there can be a lot of fun from last stands. Unfortunately what we're seeing most of is Queen Scream/Charger stomp/hugger delivery. That's not a heroic last stand. Thats waiting for cool downs/plasma and delivering face huggers.

[forwardslashN]

Soon.

[GoliathTheDespoiler]

Unfortunately what we're seeing most of is Queen Scream/Charger stomp/hugger delivery. That's not a heroic last stand. Thats waiting for cool downs/plasma and delivering face huggers.

I think this may have something to do with the hesitation that alien players have to charge into Marine defences. Marines are usually tightly packed with mines and machine guns/turrets. Strategically, the best way to avoid losses fighting this as an ayy is to stun all thr marines, destroy the tables and then guarantee a kill by hugging the marines.

As for a fix? Make it so aliens only have one 'claw' they can use and have it for one hugger. Obvious exceptions (queen, drone, carrier) get two 'claws' whilst combat caste and sentinel caste get one. This means they can't just bust a guy's helmet and hugger combat them.

Other fixes may be possibly adjusting the mindset of aliens. With the system of aging and evolving, it makes the longer living aliens stronger (rewards self-preservation). This is good on paper, but becomes an issue when you remember that, rp-wise, aliens should feel little hesitation for fighting and dying. How to fix this in particular is the hard part...

Maybe have it so the queen can 'promote' particularly impressive children which allows for faster upgrades, access to teir 3, etc. That way, if the queen rps correctly and orders her kids to be hyperaggressive (they never do) they will become more akin to what they were in Aliens.

[Symbiosis]

I think this may have something to do with the hesitation that alien players have to charge into Marine defences. Marines are usually tightly packed with mines and machine guns/turrets. Strategically, the best way to avoid losses fighting this as an ayy is to stun all thr marines, destroy the tables and then guarantee a kill by hugging the marines.

As for a fix? Make it so aliens only have one 'claw' they can use and have it for one hugger. Obvious exceptions (queen, drone, carrier) get two 'claws' whilst combat caste and sentinel caste get one. This means they can't just bust a guy's helmet and hugger combat them.

Other fixes may be possibly adjusting the mindset of aliens. With the system of aging and evolving, it makes the longer living aliens stronger (rewards self-preservation). This is good on paper, but becomes an issue when you remember that, rp-wise, aliens should feel little hesitation for fighting and dying. How to fix this in particular is the hard part...

Maybe have it so the queen can 'promote' particularly impressive children which allows for faster upgrades, access to teir 3, etc. That way, if the queen rps correctly and orders her kids to be hyperaggressive (they never do) they will become more akin to what they were in Aliens.

The reason that Marines are often "Fobbits" (huddle in the FOB) is due to the current hugger combat. We're rarely seeing pushes due to the OOC knowledge that they end 90% of the time with entire squads wiped from hugger spam.

The key thing to know is that the FOB is a symptom of the Hugger combat. The only safe spot for Marines to "fight" at is in an area they can be dragged to safety at after a Hugger is attached to their face. Otherwise their round ends with a dud. No last stand, no fight to the death, just Huggered then slashed by a Hunter to death. Anticlimatic and boring. I doubt it's as satisfying for the Aliens as actually robusting Marines is. They're just using self preservation tactics to maximize their win potential (can't blame them, really) and minimize their chance of death.

If the Aliens aren't liking the fob siege (the Marines generally don't either) game, then a hugger update will do wonders for both sides. The Marines will be more likely to play more aggressive if they don't have to fear getting huggered by 6 Aliens dual wielding huggers the moment they travel into new places. That'll allow for more "fighting" rather than 3 hour rounds that eventually see Boilers/crushers push the Rines back onto the ship. All in all from a RP/Fun/Healthy gameplay aspect this will be good.

[Supermichael777]

catching huggers in your offhand if its open would make the submachingun or gyro-shottie more viable. or you could just be a badass and knife them as they leap at you.

[cheesebagel]

Player controlled huggers is the solution peeps. Playing as a quick little hugger would be fun as hell. They'd still die to one bullet though so marines would have a good chance of killing them. A bunch of new fun strategies would come out of it I think.

[GoliathTheDespoiler]

Player controlled huggers is the solution peeps. Playing as a quick little hugger would be fun as hell. They'd still die to one bullet though so marines would have a good chance of killing them. A bunch of new fun strategies would come out of it I think.

As much as I wish this could be a thing. It can't work sadly.

For one, aliens have a 5 minute respawn time. It seems pretty shit that they have to wait 5 minutes after everyone 1 bullet death to be yet another hugger only to die instantly again.

Furthermore, it would make aliens like the carrier stop working. Why would a super-fast hugger bother with staying with a carrier when it is already fast as fucc?

[caleeb101]

Isn't really a way round it for now. Just gotta sigh as the runner slaps two huggers onto you, pulls you through the boiler cloud into the land of paincrit so you're unable to get up but aren't actually nested then ghost because there is nothing you can do. That's really what it comes down to.. again. For now. When the hugger combat update is fully updated, the combat will be more bearable and fair.