Natural Selection 2

[Malakili]

A buddy of mine and I went in blind on 2 for 1 holiday sale for this.  Basically gets you immediate beta access, and the full game on release.  We liked NS1 a lot, so I guess it wasn't totally blind, but we knew next to nothing about the sequel.

In any event I did a search and didn't see anything about this game besides the mention of the sale in the Steam sale thread.

http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/
http://www.naturalselection2.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalSelection2HD - this guy has a ton of beta playtest videos up.

The game is very much still in development, but things are working pretty well so far.  When I've gotten into a game with a good commander who understands what to do, its been a real blast.  For those who don't know NS is a FPS/RTS hybrid, with one player being a commander, who can give build orders, research upgrades, put down buildings, and so forth.  When it works, it works really well.  

NS2 is very much along the lines of NS1 for anyone who played it, at least it seems that way so far.  The maps are a little small by my measure, but there are only 3 right now anyway.  The game "feels" good already, which is a good sign, though there are some optimization issues that can make for a laggy experience from time to time.

Anyway, I'll probably live stream some now and again, and I'll be happy to answer any questions people have (there is no NDA).  

[NiX]

Did Dynamic infestation make its way into the beta?

[Malakili]

Dynamic infestation is currently not in the beta.  The look of an area is currently tied to whether or not the power node is active or destroyed (lighting).  It is still a planned feature as far as i know though.

[Nightblade]

I bought this myself actually, but its barely playable for me for some reason(Because its a beta, derp). The two instances I tried to play; I suffered from unplayable lag. I still have an extra key from the holiday 2 for 1 thing, not sure what Im going to do with it though.

[Malakili]

I bought this myself actually, but its barely playable for me for some reason. The two instances I tried to play; I suffered from unplayable lag. I still have an extra key from the holiday 2 for 1 thing, not sure what Im going to do with it though.

In general it feels fairly unstable right now, hopefully it'll get more so.  I've been able to get into a very stable game with sort of everything "working" (including the non tech stuff, like team work, a good commander) and it was a very positive experience that gives me a lot of hope that they are moving in the right direction as long as they continue the bug quashing and optimization.

[Malakili]

Have played a bit more of this.  When the game "works" it is awesome, but I think partly due to the lack of players in the beta, its hard to get that rolling.

In any event, new patch today:
http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2011/2/ns2_build_163_released

Major changes

New ns2_tram ready room
Added dynamic infestation prototype
Added Alien dark vision mode
Improved Grenade Launcher animations and ammo display
New commander selection panel GUI
Added a "give damage" indicator to the crosshair GUI so you can see when you damage something
Fixed difficulty in moving up stairs
Add whip walking
New on fire particle effects
All new Gorge particle effects
Added sentry guides when placing them
Fixed game alerts and countdown/victory/etc. sounds

Super excited about dynamic infestation, I think its going to add a lot.   I'll report back tonight after I can play some.

[NiX]

Yeah, the one game I got in that worked was a blast, but I just couldn't bring myself to wait 20 minutes to actually find another one, so I just uninstalled it.

[Malakili]

Lots of good updates and the most recent one seems to have smoothed out some of the networking issues.  Played some with my friend tonight and its definitely still a bit buggy but its come a LONG way since we got it.  Dynamic infestation is really good, and when you get your team working together with a commander its really fun.  Coincidentally, I'm not sure if this game will have much public appeal for the same reasons that Brink doesn't - this game is going to be terrible if you like to run around on your own, there is just too much you need to be doing for your team  (building things, repairing things, protecting structures, capturing or destroying power nodes (dependent on team), etc.  

Anyway, here's a screenshot I took - I think it looks pretty neat.  There was a 10 minute or so back and forth on this one side of the map fighting over that room, and the marines had just killed the hive, and there it is lying dead on the floor.

[Strazos]

Screenshot that doesn't shot much needs to be resized in MSpaint. 

[Malakili]

Screenshot that doesn't shot much needs to be resized in MSpaint. 

There ya go,resized.  Its a just killed alien hive, I Just happen to die and that was the screen I had before I respawned and I thought it looked neat, doesn't really show much but its not really intended to.  If people want to see the game for real there are lots of videos up on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalSelection2HD)

[Strazos]

Yeah, it was more an issue of not knowing what I was looking at.

[Malakili]

New video showing of their biggest beta patch yet - looking better all the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r70iikApVnE&feature=player_embedded

[Malakili]

More good updates coming - the game is really starting to take shape.  The last patch DRASTICALLY increased performance, and also seemingly some of the net code.

New patch 180 video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWkwUzdCQVg

They are REALLY taking a page from Blizzard/the Zerg when it comes to infestation.  It seems like they are having trouble coming up with a model they really like for it.   Some nice Fade and Lurk gameplay in this video too.

[Mrbloodworth]

Looks sweet, reminds me of savage 2.

[Malakili]

Another new patch out last night.  They've got a few more performance tweaks in there and in continues to improve with each patch.
Played with a friend for about two straight hours earlier and it was great.  They are also starting to hone in on balance a lot more, which makes the matches a lot more fun from beginning to end. (For example, it used to be that when Marines researched flamethrowers, it was pretty much game over, but its been nerfed slightly).  Those kinds of things have  a big affect on how fun the game is, regardless of performance related issues, so I'm glad they are starting to bring it all together.

Edit: They also added in infrared vision for the aliens, so when the power goes out they gain a really nice advantage until the emergency lights kick in.  Adds some really neat tactical gameplay associated with taking out the power and having your team swarm in.

Here is a video of a 6v6 match with some commentary.  Helps give a sense of what the game is like a bit better than the normal patch update videos he's done.  http://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalSelection2HD#p/u/9/trUN6ywtHPo

[Malakili]

They have this need ongoing design document they made public.  Its in part for communicating within the team or something, but its pretty neat that they made it public as well in my opinion.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/139ySUrBsO0m0Z4ilq0YsDEHJLQhBa6RrIjJIsckL2kE/edit?hl=en&authkey=CLCo8Z0J&pli=1

[Malakili]

New Map: Mineshaft!

http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2011/10/mineshaft_reveal

Pretty pretty screenshots and a nice video inside.   Things are really coming along.

[NiX]

How has the game improved over the past few months? Last time I played it was still dropping like crazy and terribly laggy.

[Malakili]

How has the game improved over the past few months? Last time I played it was still dropping like crazy and terribly laggy.

Its definitely gotten incrementally more stable over the past 3 or 4 patches.  There are still some optimization issues outstanding, but I'd say for the last couple of months it has been pretty stable even on full servers.  Full being usually 16-18 players.  It still starts to chug a little bit, but its not nearly at the level where it used to be when you literally couldn't play when it got that full.  Still work left to do for sure, but its definitely gotten steadily better in pretty much every area since the summer.

The biggest problem I have with the game right now is actually that it seems like if the game doesn't end in the first few minutes you are in for a hugely long stalemate.  It seems relatively easy to get to a point where the marines can't push out of their 2 bases, but the aliens can't crack the marine defense either.  Given that up until now there has really only been extensive testing on one map, its hard to know if it is a map design issue or a game design issue though.  Also, the tech isn't all in the game yet, so when the Aliens get the Onos it might solve the problem.

[Malakili]

Patch 190, that just came out yesterday has DRASTICALLY improved performance across the board.  The game feels snappy and fun to play from a shooter mechanics standpoint like it has not before.  Huge frame rate, input lag and responsiveness and server performance upgrades across the board.  Its almost like playing an entirely new game in some respects.  Hiring that second engine programmer seems to have made all the difference.   I played on a server with 28 people yesterday and it was totally smooth (if you played the game before 16 was pushing the limits of playable prior to this patch).   The gunplay is just so much better.

They also introduced some new tech for marines and a new tech tree for aliens, over the past couple of patches.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ43Hj5J6go&feature=youtu.be

[Mrbloodworth]

That does look sweet. Thanks for the update. Hopefully they can cross the finish line.

[Megrim]

Patch 190, that just came out yesterday has DRASTICALLY improved performance across the board.  The game feels snappy and fun to play from a shooter mechanics standpoint like it has not before.  Huge frame rate, input lag and responsiveness and server performance upgrades across the board.  Its almost like playing an entirely new game in some respects.  Hiring that second engine programmer seems to have made all the difference.   I played on a server with 28 people yesterday and it was totally smooth (if you played the game before 16 was pushing the limits of playable prior to this patch).   The gunplay is just so much better.

They also introduced some new tech for marines and a new tech tree for aliens, over the past couple of patches.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ43Hj5J6go&feature=youtu.be

So is there many people playing at the moment? I'm kinda on the fence about this one; on one hand I loved NS and played it a ton, but one the other, NS2 seems to constantly give off vapourware vibes.

[rk47]

Nah. I'm not paying to beta test their games.
And buying non-mainstream online shooter has the problem of not having enough servers up.
Since I live in Asia, I don't think I'll see many servers up.

[Malakili]

Patch 190, that just came out yesterday has DRASTICALLY improved performance across the board.  The game feels snappy and fun to play from a shooter mechanics standpoint like it has not before.  Huge frame rate, input lag and responsiveness and server performance upgrades across the board.  Its almost like playing an entirely new game in some respects.  Hiring that second engine programmer seems to have made all the difference.   I played on a server with 28 people yesterday and it was totally smooth (if you played the game before 16 was pushing the limits of playable prior to this patch).   The gunplay is just so much better.

They also introduced some new tech for marines and a new tech tree for aliens, over the past couple of patches.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ43Hj5J6go&feature=youtu.be

So is there many people playing at the moment? I'm kinda on the fence about this one; on one hand I loved NS and played it a ton, but one the other, NS2 seems to constantly give off vapourware vibes.

There are a small amount of people in beta, there is usually a server or two full of people at any given time of day, but its really very small.  Its not vaporware, but it is not finished either, you will be playing an unfinished game.  It is a lot better than it used to be, but there are still some major balance and tech things just plain missing which can make for some odd games that seem never ending.  It is fun, and I've been enjoying it, but its definitely not something I would buy if my main goal was to have it to play as a full game, its definitely a beta.

My friend and I went in together on the 2 for 1 deal 2 christmases  ago, so we've seen the game grow a lot and only payed something like 15 bucks a piece, for beta + the full game, and I feel that was worth it.  But unless you REALLY are a huge NS fan and want to to play in the beta quite badly, I'm not sure its worth it.

[Malakili]

New trailer out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjPywj1TODo

It is a pretty fair representation of the game I think, although the emphasis is on the mid to late game in these videos with lots of tech unlocked and on the field.  The early game resembles a bit more survival horror with marines have pretty mediocre weaponry and trying to secure enough resources to pull out the big guns and the aliens being able to make best use of their speed and wall climbing.



Rumors of summer 2012 release abound, I think that sounds like a reasonable estimate. 

[Mrbloodworth]

That looks fantastic. Better than AvP even.

This needs to go on steam.

[Malakili]

That looks fantastic. Better than AvP even.

This needs to go on steam.

Its already on steam, in fact as far as I know it is only on steam, its just not available for prepurchase there (yet).  If you buy the beta from them you get a code that unlocks it.   I think it is because steam won't do this kind of pre-order beta funding thing technically.   I think they also sort of dodged a bunch of the problems because this was originally a source mod before they decided to write their own engine, but I really don't know the details.

Anyway, Steam is a go.

[Mrbloodworth]

Great.

I just keep seeing that game play appealing to the LFD types.

[Samwise]

I have this installed and keep meaning to fire it up again.  The last time I tried the performance was horrible and it scarred me, but that was many months and one PC ago.  I loved NS back in the old days (1.04 or whatever the last good version was before they started randomly fucking with the mechanics).

[Malakili]

I have this installed and keep meaning to fire it up again.  The last time I tried the performance was horrible and it scarred me, but that was many months and one PC ago.  I loved NS back in the old days (1.04 or whatever the last good version was before they started randomly fucking with the mechanics).

Two patches ago they did some serious engine and netcode optimization that totally changed this. 

[Samwise]

Yeah, I know -- been meaning to try again ever since I saw that.  My gaming plate is just too full.  :P

[Thrawn]

Did the pre-order/beta thing a long while ago since I was a huge fan of NS1.  I was worried this was going to turn into vaporware for quite a while, but that trailer looks really good.  Looking forward to playing it this Summer I hope.

[Malakili]

Live right now, clan matches: http://www.twitch.tv/naturalselection2

Looks pretty nice.

[Samwise]

I finally got a chance to try this.  The alien commander thing is dumb.  Dumb dumb dumb.  But I'm guessing they're committed to it.

They're good guys and I don't regret giving them my money, but I probably won't be playing again.  As far as I can tell the things I loved about NS were not the things that its developers love about it; as far as I'm concerned it peaked back in the alpha days and has steadily slid downhill in most respects (graphics being an obvious exception, it does look gorgeous now).

[koro]

As far as I can tell the things I loved about NS were not the things that its developers love about it...

As someone who played a fairly significant amount of NS back when it was new, but hasn't been following NS2 all that much, I'm honestly curious what those things are.