Rocket Boosting (was: Making A Stand! - For 2.4)

[divVerent]

Shaggy recently made a thread about rocket boosting.

Now the actual plan was to first make an option to toggle/change it... and doing that change later.

But now that there is a thread for this already, why not do that change in 2.4 already?

Basically, we have three choices what to do:

"keep": g_balance_rocketlauncher_detonatedelay 0 (same as 2.3)
* fast rocket boosting, no aiming required for it
* can jump over whole base in two rockets, usually
* hinders teamplay, favors lone runs in CTF (by first taking away all the health from your team mates, and then doing a lone capture run in record time)
* fastest game speed
* some consider it a feature, some consider it a bug (I myself don't know why it doesn't simply enforce the standard RL refire time)

"reduce": g_balance_rocketlauncher_detonatedelay 0.2
* rockets can go off only 0.2 seconds after they were fired
* mostly inhibits rocket boosts
* you still can SOMEWHAT get boosted, but to a lesser degree, and you need to aim down to do it
* it MAY still hinder teamplay

"remove": g_balance_rocketlauncher_detonatedelay -1
* rockets can NEVER go off by remote detonation unless you are out of their damage radius
* completely inhibits rocket boosts
* completely inhibits accidental self-rocket-remote-detonation (you can still suicide by hitting the floor with it)
* probably best for teamplay
* reduces game speed compared to 2.3 a bit

Now what do you opt for? Personally I opt for the latter solution, but let's see what the others think.

I'll later add more arguments you post in the thread to this list, so people can vote based on them.

For more opinions on this, see:
http://www.nexuizninjaz.com/forum/showt ... 959#pid959
http://www.forums.alientrap.local/viewtopic.php?t=2729

[Mute Print]

Isn't the pros/cons list a bit biased against rocketboosting? Rocketboosting doesn't HAVE to encourage lone flag runs, it depends on the players in the game at the time, as well as the situation of the match. I don't see any sense in removing a perfectly valid and unique feature of the game to cater to something that can change at any second.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to make g_balance_rocketlauncher_detonatedelay votable, 0 by default, and to increase the rocket launcher's self-inflicted damage. This would cater to both parties, without pissing a whole bunch of people off.

Just out of curiosity, what's the huge gripe with rocketboosting? How is it like cheating? The health/speed compromise seems fair to me, as opposed to the grappling hook.

[Spaceman]

I want both options.

I want to be able to fly from base to base in a few seconds with significant health damage.

Also I want a short delay on the alternative rocket fire, so that I can't kill myself. I don't object to a small amount of splash damage and a being moved a little way.

Allow an alternative fire before 0.1 seconds and after 0.5 seconds (no alternative fire between 0.1 and 0.5 seconds) approximately. The exact times willneed some adjustment.

The health and shields will still be taken by your team mates, I think yhe only way to stop the unnecessary health/shield pick ups is to limit the upper value. Set it to 200 (currently 999), but that is another poll

[Blµb]

The problem is that rocket boost also ruin teamplay a bit.

Up to now rocketboosting and rocketWHORING (which means, nub takes RL, runs to the carrier, uses it as a close combat weapon, which sucks, and both die, flag lies around with noone to retrieve it, nub is unable to use waypoint sprites)
was idiot-proof

I, and many others I'm sure, want it to be more challenging
REDUCING:
This simply makes sure that you have to actually aim, get the right angle, think before using it.
It still works, and can be VERY VERY helpful.

REMOVING:
Totally encourages teamplay. Rocketwhoring the way I described it is not possible then, there will be no explosion/damage if you are in range of your own rocket.

In both of these cases, teamplay is encouraged

Since it's been reduced on {}, I've seen people using the nex to boost others.
I've used it, and even some newbies tried it, although they don't always get the angle quite right.
This is what is to be called teamplay, which was a myth up till now.



Btw.
if the sum of "reduce" and "remove" is > "leave it"
does that count as "reduce" then? ^^

[Mute Print]

The health and shields will still be taken by your team mates, I think yhe only way to stop the unnecessary health/shield pick ups is to limit the upper value.

This is off-topic, but removing rocketboosting won't do anything to prevent teammates from taking health pickups, and having played on public servers for 95% of my playing time, a lower health limit won't do much either.

[dIM]

This is off-topic, but removing rocketboosting won't do anything to prevent teammates from taking health pickups, and having played on public servers for 95% of my playing time, a lower health limit won't do much either.

Stupid team mate behaviour can not be fixed in the game itself.
This issue is been addressed here: http://alientrap.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2722

[nifrek]

I voted for reduce.

I really hope it wont be removed completely because it would ruin the RL. I am not talking about rocket boosts, it's fine that mid-air rocket boosts become impossible or harder. But I really feel it has to be possible to detonate close to you, it's a valid strategy in many situations, and yes even for teamplay. IE: If I'm in enemy base with a teammate and we're being attacked, I might blow myself up on purpose if I'm low on health to take an enemy with me (and no, aiming at ground doesn't do it, I aim at target and detonate when it's close enough to him) to help my teammate get away.

[divVerent]

I see your argument, but you should actually try it before - but just try doing the same. When you now TRY to detonate it before you can, it remembers that you did it, and will detonate as soon as it is out of your range - even if you let go of the button.

So it would still hit the enemy easily... but to make it hit a bit earlier, you can walk backwards so the rocket leaves your range earlier.

[TVR]

Alternatives:

Reducing the force of a rocket
Inflicting less force on the firer for projectile weapons
Increasing health/armour rot rate
Health/armour maximum cap
Increasing self-damage, possibly only when in the air

Personally, I particularly favour the first alternative listed, but the list is only a sample set of ideas.

However, I'll agree that rocket-flying is essentially a free capture on open maps, notably Capture City, and Mental Space.

[[-z-]]

0.2 is perfect. It's a compromise between the boosters and the people against it. If you remove it, you might as well change the name of 'Nexuiz' to 'Halo'.