NS2 Build 189 is now live on Steam!
Performance and a variety of bug fixes are the main changes in this patch. The other big thing that may stand out to you is that the Gorge can now "shoot" cysts and hydras up onto walls and ceilings, lending a much more...foreign...appearance to built up hive rooms.
To help us continue to improve performance we've added anonymous statistics collection. This system will periodically report information about your frame rate and your CPU/graphics hardware as you play the game. While there is no personal information included, if you would like to disable the reporting, open the file %appdata%Natural Selection 2options.xml and change true to false in this line(you will need to run the game once before this option shows up):
<report>true</report>
Some users reported additional "mouse lag" with the release of Build 188. We believe this is partially due to the fact that we improved the ability for the CPU and GPU to work in parallel, which can cause the GPU to fall behind. Some graphics drivers will allow the CPU to get several frames ahead of the GPU which makes the mouse feel non-responsive. If your graphics driver allows you to disable triple buffering and you are experiencing this type of lag you may want to experiment with that option.
Build 189 changes
Features
- Added healspray to bilebomb as alt attack
- Improved server performance
Balance
- Reduced MAC repair rate from 200/sec to 150/sec
- Reduced power point build time from 10 to 5 seconds (it's more of a learning tool than a cost)
Fixes
- Fixed bug where grenade launcher won't stop shooting grenades after switching weapon during reload
- Power node repair rate is much faster.
- Fixed bug where flame thrower can show third person effect in first person
- Fixed GUI script errors related to maps which have unnamed locations
- Fixed bug with umbra effect not triggering
- Fixed problem with healspray getting stuck in endless loop
- Fixed bug where pistol fire rate had no limitation
- Fixed frenzy
- Fixed a bug where every marine gets a weapon twice upon purchase
- Fixed bug where healspray could be used independent of energy, making it basically a free ability
- Fixed bug where power states are not propagated properly
- Fixed bug with initial cyst chain being unconnected or placed on a resource node (thanks Matso!)
- Egg spawn timer will get reduced correctly when an egg is killed
- Fixed rifle rate-of-fire depending on frame rate
- Fixed damage types not working (for grenades, flames and spores, maybe others)
- Address mega-beaconing problems. Now distress beacon will respawn players back at the Command Station nearest the Observatory. It also will only respawn alive marines, and dead marines that are currently respawning at infantry portals.
- Fixed script error caused by the Marine Commander leaving the Command Station after a Sentry was destroyed
- Fixed invert mouse option being stored in the wrong section of the options.xml file
- Commander weapon dropping now requires a nearby fully built and powered Armory
- command stations no longer allow multiple commanders when 2 (or more) players log in at the same time
- Fixed bug causing script error when an entity enters a "death trigger"
- Fixed rifle not playing fire sound when firing immediately after reloading
- Fixed bug where were animation graph exit tags were not properly handled during client-side prediction
- Fixed bug where Lerk spore sound effect could get stuck on when rapidly firing or switching weapons
- Added Flamethrower reload sound effect
- Added back the Shotgun reload sound effects
- Removed Pistol delay between shots
- Fixed bug where the Fade stab ability to would make input stop responding if the attack button was held
Changes
- MAC mines consume now MAC energy rather than being limited per MAC (75 each)
- Gorges can only belly slide on infestation (later railways will be possible as well)
- Drifter slowed down by 33%
- Whips will no longer take damage off infestation
- Doors can get destroyed by all attacks when locked (Correction: this didn't make it in)
- Increased gorge build range (so he can build on ceilings, walls, etc!)
- Reduced shotgun bullets spread and damage calculations to get similar results as in NS1
Improvements
- Flames on surface will now deal damage for only 5 seconds to match the visual effect
- Changed weapon pickup hotkey to +use (so you don't drop your weapon by accident when you didn't want to, especially when moving around fast)
- Added "upgrade complete" sound effect for marines when research finished.
- Fade blink should not get you stuck at tiny edges anymore
- Whips will throw grenades back to the marine in case the redirected grenade would hurt a friendly unit
- Removed alien melee upgrades. I was mistaken. Bad Charlie. Other alien upgrades will be coming.
- Added +use key graphical indicator at unbuilt structures, Command Station, Armory, destroyed power node, etc.
- Added nano shield and parasite indication to marine HUD
Now it's time for us to put our heads down, get the coffee brewing and crack our knuckles. Our plan is to present you with the Onos, Jetpack and some other goodies for Build 190.
NS2 Build 188 is now live on Steam!
Welcome to the biggest update to NS2 we've put out yet. Build 188 has many visual, UI and sound improvements, along with some critical game features and balance changes that it truly feels like a new game.
We've been working like mad to get everything done and it looks like we just barely breezed under the holiday deadline. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We know you'll enjoy this.
Build 188 changes
Features
- Optimizations - server operators - ns2_tram is ready to run!
- Atmospheric lighting. Added independent controls for atmospheric density for lights. Disable with "r_atmospherics false" in the console.
- New optimized occlusion culling system.
- Anti-aliasing support ("r_aa true" in the console, or change in the options.xml file to make permanent)
- New animation system. Affects all weapons, structures, player models.
- All new marine HUD - minimap, build notifications, location, power indicator, research notifications, more
- Added MAC mines
- Marine and alien starting positions can now be chosen randomly (map-specific).
- Flamethrowers can now set every surface on fire
- Power point impulse effect and interaction with structures
- Marines can now jump while sprinting
- Added anti-stacking for AI so MACs and Drifters don't clump up
- Added Nano-Shield ability for marine commander. For a cost of 50 energy, the Commander can protect a marine or structure for 8 seconds. During this time, they take only 50% damage (blue glowy sphere around them).
- Added non-flash GUI animation system
- Added user defined tags that fire off when the animation graph exits a node
- Added speed control to the animation graph (can be a constant or an input parameter)
- New "socketed" power node system. Power nodes start out "unsocketed" and so can't be destroyed until marines build there.
Balance
- Increased recycle time from 8 to 12 seconds
- Increased hive cost from 50 to 100 to simulate cost from NS1. This isn't exact because the resource model is totally different but represents roughly the same amount of harvesting time: 8 minutes in NS1, 6.666 minutes in NS2).
- Unrooted Whips now walk 3x faster on infestation.
- Increased Whip health and armor by around 30%.
- Slow marines by % when on infestation (not Exosuits)
- Increased Whip movement speed
- Re-balanced Command Station health, power point health and hive health. This should allow games to end early, as well as allowing the Command Station to be a target, allowing comebacks and promote multiple Command Stations in the game. These adjustments are also needed due to nano-shield.
- Lowered Cyst energy cost from 20 to 15 and Drifter cost from 30 to 25.
- Marine rifle fire sped up to be similar to NS1. Skulks, watch out.
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where if a structure was recycling you could still use its functionality such as beacon... only thing you can do now is cancel the recycle
- Fixed bug where Skulks did not properly rotate around their center point when walking on walls
- Hard to hit erratic Skulks because of wall-running animations (smoothed out zAxis and changed some values for smoothing the orientation when changing view direction or transitioning from wall to floor etc.)
- Players can no longer log into a Hive or Command Station before the game has started
- fixed grenade launcher endless firing
- Mines not doing damage, prevent damage falloff in RadiusDamage() for mines
- fixed flamethrower reload bug, impact effect bug and prevent self.secondaryAttack from changing (would have also broken the flamethrower)
- Fixed a bug where the own player icon can appear wrong at the minimap
- Aliens can activate the lights in an unpowered room
Changes
- Removed portable power packs from the game
- Team spectators are now forced to follow a player (prevents free scouting)
- Marine spectators view are moved to the respawning IP when selected from queue
- Flamethrower damage will heat up their target
- Improved Marine sprinting (does not block any other activity)
- Gorge can now heal spray at all times using the secondary attack
- Added support for a "CommanderNoBuild" group in a map which prevents the commander from building without causing the surface to be invisible
- Some animated props will now respond to power going down or up
- Recycling gives % of cost back dependent on the health of a structure
- Removed multiple commanders (<sniff>, but it wasn't working).
- Resource towers will now rotate to match the resource point they are attached to
- Increased marine jump height to allow them to move over railings more easily
- Attacking with the rifle will not cancel reloading anymore
- Once something is seen, it will show up on the minimap for another 3 seconds, even if it goes out of sight. That makes LOS important, but also stops the flickering completely.
Improvements
- Skulk can now jump from walls to ceilings
- Removed OnThink for Eggs (is now handled correctly by AlienTeam) and added optional minimum death timer to alien players (currently set to 4 seconds)
- Changed flamethrower to use a trail system instead of creating a cinematic every 0.02 seconds (looks nicer)
Sounds
- More sci-fi sounding weapon empty sounds
- Nicer Lerk spore sounds
- Nicer jetpack sounds
- Sound for turning on the marine HUD
- Sounds for new nano shield
- Nicer Marine chat interface sound
- Updated Marine footstep sounds
- Custom wound sounds for alien structures
ns2_tram
- Added atmospherics support
- New ambient sound from Simon
- Added power points to Tram Tunnel sections.
- Moved res node in Repair Room to new corner.
- Some optimisations/bug fixes.
- New Elevator Room and Operations area completed.
- Added a resource node to Server and Repair techpoint rooms.
- Fixed dead end open vent from Alien Tram to Elevator.
- Removed duplicate fans, set all fans to dynamic = false.
- Added power nodes to Alien RT Expansion and Alien Start
- Renamed Alien/Marine start for random start locations.
- Added power points to Tram Tunnel sections.
- Moved res node in Repair Room to new corner.
ns2_summit
- Added atmospherics support
- New ambient sound from Simon
- Renamed location Flight Control to Computer Lab.
- Replaced Heliport with a new location Flight Control.
- Renamed noname locations to Glass Hallway and Maintenance Access.
- Added new area to Pipe Junction with a new route into Data Core.
- Added power sockets to all locations.
- Added random spawn locations (except Crossroads).
- Addressed several bugs and annotations.
- Added vent near marine start
- Added vent at comp lab corridors
This is far from a comprehensive list of improvements, changes and fixes, but I hope it covers the main ones.
Enjoy!
Here's a quick video I took in tram showing off our new atmospheric effects:
We'll be toning down the effects somewhat, as they are a little out of control at the moment. You can also see the new marine HUD in progress, which we will be releasing along with a massive list of other improvements in the imminent Build 188. It's hard to believe how much the game has changed in this version! We can't wait to finish it up and get it out to you.
A number of people often wonder what it's like being a NS2 Internal Playtester. It's a lot of hard work and long hours and they work tirelessly to find and reproduce bugs to help speed our development. They play versions of the game which you never get to see and these often contain humorous bugs and/or 'features' which they sometimes record during their playtest sessions.
Obraxis made a movie with some of the more ridiculous bugs and footage and the fun that they have:
We've been adding more regular videos to our channel showing behind the scenes development work on NS2. Please subscribe to to make sure you see them!