Natural Selection was probably the funnest mod (with CS being my favourite). I've been trying to find reviews on NS2 from those that actually played the original - any chance you've given NS2 a go?
I made ns_shiva for the original, so that should speak to how much I liked it. :) I am completely in love with the sequel. It is fantastic.
Here are the main differences:
* Commanding is much less stressful. Giving the marines their own resources and the ability to buy their own weapons means you can focus more of your attention on just coordinating attacks and getting upgrades.
* Stalemates are much less common. In NS1 taking down the turret factory would mean that there's an opportunity for everyone to rush it to take the rest of the base, now every room has a power node in a fixed location that powers down all the structures when it is destroyed. This makes it much easier to force a beacon, and to end the game once the marines are down to their last base.
* Each class is much better balanced. Excellent Fades are no longer the sole backbone of a good team. Lerks now are useful at all skill levels. Exosuits are extremely powerful but very vulnerable when alone.
* Gorges are now a nice-to-have when building instead of absolutely necessary. This means they can be on the front-lines more often.
* Graphics (obviously) and very dynamic environments. The infestation spreading is beautiful, and taking the power down makes for some very tense moments.
Because you can only build comm chairs at tech points, you can't have insane creativity in relocations. I hate this SO MUCH. God, it was so awesome when you'd find some new insane place to tuck a commchair.
Letting marines spend their own resources dilutes the game. Weaksauce.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I find the maps incomprehensible. This last is the real reason I'm not logging any time on NS2.
>Because you can only build comm chairs at tech points, you can't have insane creativity in relocations.
True, but this also means that the maps are possible to balance. You don't have to worry about things like red room or cold turn that break otherwise promising maps.
>Letting marines spend their own resources dilutes the game.
Way too many pub games of ns1 ended early because no one wanted to take on the stress of being commander. I've never seen that happen in ns2.
>Maybe I'm getting old, but I find the maps incomprehensible. This last is the real reason I'm not logging any time on NS2.
I think you are getting old. :) No seriously, I think it's just a busier art style that comes with more polygons and higher res textures. I had the same initial reaction being so used to older games with simpler graphics, but once you are accustomed to it most of the maps end up being pretty easy to learn. Tram and mineshaft are particularly hard, but veil is ported perfectly from the original, and summit and docking are both pretty straightforward.
> You don't have to worry about things like red room or cold turn
Right, but also don't get comm chairs and spawns balanced up on the manifolds (above the reach of onosen) in Processing, outside DCD, on ns_hera.
> I think it's just a busier art style that comes with more polygons and higher res textures
I agree. And it's too much for me. I've been thinking someone should make a mod that's just racing from techpoint to techpoint, with no one shooting at anyone, and with highscores for best times, to help learn maps.
I don't think its just about the stress of being commander. People still have team work, commanders sometimes still buy things for marine. It just makes it a lot easier in publics, when you've got someone who is dieing all the time, from consuming the team resources unfairly.
Also when playing a PCW last night I was ordered by my comm to buy more mines and welders because "I am just a waste of a shotgun", he was a little bit upset with me.
It's more democratic, as it allows players to opt-in to such things, I've bought guns for my team mates before as a planned saving for dual exo was never going to happen.
I have given NS2 a go actually. Last I played NS1 personally was just over a year ago.
Regarding NS2, graphics are sweet, but I do not like the gameplay changes coming from NS1. I literally thought NS1 was perfect, and NS:Source would have sold like hotcakes.
That being said, I did happen to stumble across NS2 Classic (http://ns2cmodpreview.com/), and was very intrigued. Search for "Classic" in the NS2 server browser and just connect to play it. I found one with just 3 people on it, so not much gameplay was to be had.
Long story short, it was everything it was advertised to be - it felt JUST like NS1, with additions where needed. There was even a ported NS1 map we were playing on (I think it was ns_eclipse), although the textures weren't done. It still needs lots of polish to be done, but man, is it promising.
Very promising though if NS2 classic takes off, and I think (hope) it will see more adoption as the NS1 crew starts to move out of HL1... And as more people in NS2 discover the wonders of NS2 Classic.
I've played around in both and enjoy them. Tellingly, I've noticed a lot of the original community (at least, in my area) has come back and is sticking with NS2 strongly; the couple of hardcore-ish NS friends I have really like NS2 too. It's worth the money :).
NS2 is a great game but it seems to require a supercomputer to run. My Q6600 and GTX560Ti can run most new games smoothly at decent settings, but not this one. I can barely reach 30 fps at some points.
