Tremulous 1.2: Turret Delay

[computerquip]

I agree with the turret delay but like many (I'm guessing), it's annoying that it resets every time the alien barely moves out of it targeting area (I'm not sure how the turret targets, I haven't looked at the code). As a fix, why not setup a variable, and have it increase variably (depending on a timer) and then when it moves out, instead of moving to 0, have it move down via the timer again. Bad explanation, sorry I can't explain this with words...


E.G.:

1. Alien moves into range of turret.
2. Turret charges up based on timer and variable, the timer increasing the variable by a certain amount every few milliseconds.
3. If the alien moves out of range, the variable decreases via the timer and little by little.
4. If the alien moves back into range, the charge is still there, allowing a smaller amount of time to shoot.
5. If the variable reaches a certain amount, shoot.

NOTE: I thought this would have been suggested probably but I didn't find any references. Maybe I didn't look hard enough?

[Repatition]

If they didnt reset aliens would pilage the base! because it moves so slow any how

[kevlarman]

risujin did this at one point, it wasn't balanced.

[Norfenstein]

Well, what we tried was making turrets smart enough to start firing whenever they could hit a target, and not just when their aim reached the center of a target. The problem was that it made turret disproportionately better against larger classes (e.g. it was completely impossible for tyrants to dodge turret fire). Now, you could make an argument for why that might be a good thing, but my argument against it was that in the first person perspective you really can't have a good sense of how big you are; there was no feedback for why you would take more turret fire with a tyrant than with a marauder. I was and am of the opinion that it's a good thing that aliens (all of them) can dance back and forth in front of a turret to take less damage, and that there's no reason why you should have to relearn that skill for every class.

Summary: we could have balanced it, but I think it would have been less fun.

EDIT: Okay, that's not quite what you suggested, but at what point should an alien be able to fight a turret without taking damage? I submit that it should be when that turret has no cover fire from another turret (or human) and the alien manages to close the distance to it. If you have two turrets covering each other (helps to put them against walls so aliens can't circle them) then no amount of dancing is going to help.

[computerquip]

Normally I'd agree but I've seen it in game and it bothers me heavily, even when I'm playing as alien. You may have 6 or 7 turrets strategically placed and according to you (which is true), the turrets will hit the alien because it cannot move fast enough. Never the less, the amount of time (about one second) is enough for an alien to move in and out of range to hurt a turret possibly too close to a corner or elevated area. This is one thing I could easily say 1.1 had was that an alien couldn't do this. A turret could guard a corner and what not and do more damage than it does right now (or at least do damage in exchange for being hurt a little). Although I do believe that a delay is nice, I simply think to at least make time between when the alien could next make it's quick swipe to the turret or other portions of the base, a charge is necessary (though not that big of deal).

This ends my opinion and discussion. Only some feedback that I couldn't find any references to.   

[FisherP]

This is one thing I could easily say 1.1 had was that an alien couldn't do this. A turret could guard a corner and what not and do more damage than it does right now (or at least do damage in exchange for being hurt a little).

When you think of the boosted damage and the faster turning speed the new rets have all you need to do is to adjust the way you build. Instead of putting then just behind the corner, think about putting them a bit further back. Think of it as a new challenge.