NS2:FA Entity Overview

The following are the currently planned features in NS2: Frontier Assault:
(Many are quite similar to NS2, some possibly to NS1)

Marines

Classes:

• Soldier - Can use advanced weaponry (Default: Rifle). Also always has a Pistol and a Switchaxe. Can use combat suits.
• Engineer - Can use gadgets (Default: None). Also always has a Pistol and a Welder. Can use combat suits.

Weapons:

• Rifle - Best in medium range. (Default)
  
• Shotgun - Best in medium range.
• Flamethrower - Paralyzes in short range. (Requires 2 CCs)
  
• Grenade Launcher - Good vs stationary targets. (Requires 2 CCs)
• Plasma Repeater - Need to rev up. Easy to aim. Impairs movement. (Requires 3 CCs)

Gadgets:

• Supply gun - Dispenses Medpacks/Ammo at target.
  
• Scanner - Temporary enables motion tracking of nearby aliens and strucutres. (Requires 2 CCs)
• Mines - Places mines which explode on contact with alien units. (Requires 2 CCs)
• MASC Designator - A Mobile siege gun follows you. laser point on targets (Requires 2 CCs)

Combat Suits:

• Jetpack - Few details, but allows greater freedom of movement.
• Heavy Armor - Dramatically improves armor, but slows movement.

Structures:

• Command Chair - Only built at certain positions. Unlocks advanced equipment. Used for changing class. Alien objective.
• Infantry Portal - Marine respawning. Can only be built near CCs.
• Extractor - Increases resource flow. Can only be built on nozzles.
• Sentry - Shoots at enemies. Is facing a fixed direction, can but be slowly rotated.
• Armory - Enables advanced weapons. Restocks ammo and health.
  
• Observatory - Enables gadgets. Use to call emergency respawn at nearest CC (costs plasma).
  
• Prototype Lab - Enables advanced combat suits and weapon damage upgrades. Electrifies structures in close proximity.
  

Aliens:

Classes:

• Skulk - Quick and small melee attacker. Bites, Leaps and Scouts.
  
• Gorge - Small and slow builder/support. Builds, Heals and Sieges.
  
• Lerk - Small flying ranged support attacker. Harasses, Weakens and Distracts.
  
• Fade - Teleporting medium sized melee attacker. Picks off enemies. (Requires 2 Hives)
• Onos - Giant melee battle cow. Sweeps and Tramples. (Requires 3 Hives)

Structures:

• Hive - Only built at certain positions. Alien respawning. Unlocks mutations and higher Alien classes. Allows class change nearby. Marine objective.
• Harvester - Increases resource flow. Can only be built on nozzles.
• Hydra - Shoots at enemies. Can shoot at any direction.
• Crag - Heals and protects nearby aliens and strucutres. Unlocks mutations.
  
• Whip - Attacks marines and structures. Unlocks mutations.
  
• Shade - Cloaks structures and blinds enemies. Unlocks mutations.
• Shift - Speeds up building of structures, increases movement speed. Unlocks mutations.
  

Mutations:

• Adrenaline (movement) - Increases energy (used for attacks/abilities) regeneration.
• Celerity (movement) - Increases movement speed.
• Acid (offensive) - Increases damage to buildings.
• Venom (offensive) - Melee attacks get a small damage-over-time effect to players.
  
• Silence (sensory) - Completely silences all noises made within a small radius. Disables alien hearing.
  
• Fear Sense (sensory) - Reveals nearby enemies to all aliens.
• Carapace (defensive) - Increases armor.
• Regeneration (defensive) - Increases regeneration rate.
  

Natural Selection 2 mod idea

I've had this idea for a NS2 mod for ages that I will present in this and the following posts. In this post i will try to summarize the difference between my mod idea and the current state of NS2 (as we know it from the beta). I will refer to the unmoddified (or "vanilla") version of NS2 as NS2:Classic

NS2: Frontier Assault (name pending)
In this mod, commanding mode is essentially removed. This restores the Gorge to the only builder for Khaara (which I will from now on call Aliens). I will also add a second class to the frontiermen (which I will call Marines): the Engineer, that will be responsible for most construction and support tasks previously done by the Commander. The tech tree will be simplified to use fewer buildings and upgrades in order to try to improve the learning curve of the game. Some elements will probably be familiar to NS1 players, although I will try to use NS2:classic stuff as much as I can where it still is appropriate.


I want to do this becase:
A) I've always considered the Commander role to be the weakest link in NS1, and the one that was the primary reason for most "bad game" experiences.
B) While I do recognize the effort Unknown Worlds has done to NS2:Classic to improve the commanding role (and I do recognize the improvements to the game experience they have managed to do so far, and hope it will extend to the future), I still feel the need for a different, more streamlined, game experience.
C) I want to capture the elements that I really liked from NS1: Assymetrical Gameplay, Variety, mix of Strategy/Tactics. But I also want to add Simplicity.

NOTE: I am not trying to encourage anyone else to do this for me. I am a decent (though Junior) programmer and will if neccesary (to the extend of my abilities/timeschedule) try to do this by myself. I post my ideas here in order to:
A) Put my ideas in writing.
B) Present it for whomever is interrested.
C) Get constructive criticism (possibly).