Please, before posting, make sure to read around natural-selection.org and these forums. Many a thing has already been brought up or is already planned.

Note: This FAQ denotes what things the developers don't want to see ideas about, due to the fact that they are either impossible, don't fit in with the NS universe, are generally unbalanced, or unpopular.

A short summary: To suggest an idea, see what's already been suggested by reading the below lists and performing a search.

The following is of vital importance to maintaining the mental health of the forumites and the moderators. Read on for more
detailed explanations of ideas, which may save your hide from hideous flames.

Things that will not be going into NS due to engine/game design constraints:
  • Another team/race
  • Alternate Spawning points for aliens, regardless if this is by dropping a special building, or an onos dropping an egg. Just can't be done..
  • /stuck commands (this causes a mapping nightmare for our QA and mappers)
  • More alien evolutions (Which doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be new abilities, we just can't afford, say, six abilities per class.)

  • Vehicles/mechs
  • Secondary fire options
  • Alternate Marine ammunition types
  • Multiple Marine starts
  • Alien Siege Turrets
  • Changes in marine mobility (bunny-hopping, increased backward walking speed)
Things that can be controlled but not by code:
  • Doors/Elevators etc causing enough damage to kill you.
Things that have been discussed and will not be going into NS for gameplay or story reasons:
  • Excess blood (gibs, gore)
  • Mini-games (Pac-man, asteroids, Pong, Space invaders etc) in an Onos stomach while being devoured.
  • Being able to knife/shoot while in the onos's stomach. you are being contricted as well as digested, you can't swing your arm.. or even saw a little, your weapons are rendered useless by the bacterium.
  • Removal of parasite by any means other than /kill (It really ruins parasites usefullness)
  • Alien commanders/queens, there are supposed to be differences in gameplay between the marine and alien side.. One of the differences is the marines are structured where aliens are more instinctual and don't need someone to tell them what to do.
  • Manned guns/gun emplacements
  • Sniper rifle, Rail Gun, or any other low ammo count, slow ROF, massive damage weapons
  • Anything not fitting NS' gritty feel (this means laser guns, plasma rifles, energy weapons, akimbo weapons, etc.)
  • Constructable walls
  • Lerk-Lift, this cannot go in due to the hit box issues it causes and in order for it to be balanced, it would require a tremendous amount of balance, and a second flight system.
  • Onos Mass transits or any onos devouring other players to move them around the map.
  • "Realistic" weapon physics
  • Better melee weapons for marines
  • Gas Masks for combatting Spore Cloud (as of NS2.0, an exception has been made for those already integrated in Heavy Armor)
Things that have been discussed and are unlikely to make it in for the same reasons:
  • Non-lethal marine weapons (nets, stun guns)
  • Corpse-usage/Marine Equipment Usage (getting health, getting res, eating marine weapons etc.)
  • Rocket Launchers
  • Controllable turrets (Siege or otherwise)
  • Being able to finish dropping a grenade when devoured.


    Ideas we already know about (use search):
  • NS on the Source engine. So many people want it, we've had way too many threads about it, forcing us to take this stance towards them.
  • Flamethrower - we know you want one. Flayra is working on it.
  • Changes in positioning of Frame of Reference or Point of View for any alien class..
  • Ways for marines to get health without commander (one way implemented others may come)
  • Beacon sending marines to places other than MS.

  • Skulks climbing on webs
  • Aliens structures doing damage on contact/proximity (OCs and hives respectfully)
  • A big bomb (nuke, etc)
  • Night-Vision Goggles (or other alternate Marine view-modes)
  • Female player models
  • Turret limits, either by area or per tfac
  • Additional Commanders / Sergeants
  • Stealth Suits
  • Welding stuff to turn the lights / machinery / what have you on: This is already possible and depends on the mappers.
  • Lerk perching (sticking to ceilings).
Ideas that have already been suggested, and have been popularly denied:
  • Promotions for marines
  • Buildable lights
  • Any sort of ability to be able to weld oneself.. Using a welder on yourself, using an upgrade/marine building to replenish armour (This goes specifically against the teamwork aspects of NS)
  • "Surrender" option for teams
How do I suggest an idea?
First, run a search to find out if it's been suggested already. While the ideas in the above lists account for a good percentage of the 5000+ topics on this forum, there are countless other less-often-suggested ideas, such as new gameplay modes and game mechanics.

If your search returns results, read through the promising finds first. Many topics have been discussed and "killed."
If the topic hasn't been killed, post in that thread -- bumping an old topic is nowhere near as bad as making a new topic. As for killed topics, unless you have valuable input, don't bump it. Read, learn, reform your idea, and if it stands on its own after that, you might be able to post it.

If you have more that you feel should be listed up here, please send the Moderators a PM.

Thank you!

-- The Moderator Team

Thanks to Windelkron for the updated version of the FAQ.
Edited by Marik_Steele as of 7.8.2003 to reflect NS2.0's spore-countering gas masks in Heavy Armor.

Edited by Zunni as of 09-10.2004 to reflect additions to "not going to happen lists"

Edited by Marik_Steele as of 3.9.2005, putting "NS on source engine" in the section of "Ideas we already know about," and linking this entry to the formerly pinned thread announcing our current stance towards such threads.