Flu, Flamers and the Future

[ChromeAngel]

Due to being off-work with flu this week i've actually managed to make some progress on EX.  Fairly sure the 3rd person flamer effect is now working (unless source has something really weird up it's sleeves).  The plasma gun has been modified to be "powered up" by holding the attack key.  Finally we have a completely new feature, the "Ammo Shrine".

edited 24/02/2013 see bellow

Download 7.29 (35,715 KB)
40ksource.com
chromeangel.co.uk

Download 7.29 FGD (15 KB) - Mappers only
40ksource.com

Installation instructions

• Install Alpha 7.28 if haven't already.
• Extract the 7.29 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.

You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

If you have problems installing or running this patch visit the Steam Community Game Group, chat room on Steam.  I'll be there to offer advice during testing times (please be patient, I will be in-game, participating in the test at the same time).

Features

• Powerup the plasmagun by holding the attack key, maximum charge is reached after 3 seconds.  The longer you hold the more damage it does.
• Ammo Shrine map entity, marines USE to spend reward points on extra ammo.  Model by Stahlhagel, textures, animation and coding by ChromeAngel.

Balance

• Improved knife range and damage and added console variables for tuning them.
• Nerfed Fex armor to make it vulnerable to flames in the same way as melta weapons.

Tweaks

• Re-wrote the flamer effects code AGAIN, so hopefully it be visible to other players (tested OK on my LAN).
• Improved the accuracy of the plasmagun by firing projectiles the way HL2 does (rather then from the muzzle of the gun, which was causing the offfset from the crosshair).
• Updated Ichar IV (Loxn's original) to use new wall lamps and include 2 ammo shrines.
• Made thumbnail preview images for all 101 EX props (tedious but simple enough to do with a head full of snot), this should make it much easier for mappers to find the right prop for the job.
• Changed the blue hulk style door skin to have a gunmetal coloured frame rather than bronze and added a whole new skin with bronze colouring (to match the wall panel set).
• Fixed an intermittent crash caused by the sine proxy in the flamer's ammo gauge vmt.

Thanks to Strelok for sharing this action shot of Beta 7 gameplay:

Future
Alpha 7.30 sounds like a good place for a roll up patch don't you think?  If the shrine works out i'll have to update the maps to add them.  Nqss is busy working on a Jurassic Park mod, so this might take some time to update all the maps once i'm back at work.

Stahlhagel tells me he's leaving the EX team once his current batch of models are finished, so he can focus on his academic studies.  Best of luck with your exams Stahl!

Once we've determined that all the 7.2x series features are working as expected whoever is left can focus on balance tweaks for a new and possibly final release.

Edit 03/02/2013 Alpha 7.30

Download 7.30 (4,584 KB)
40ksource.com

Installation instructions

• Install Alpha 7.29 if haven't already.
• Extract the 7.30 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.

You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Balance

• Nerfed Plasmagun damage from 255 to 50
• Buffed Flamer damage form 20 to 25

Tweaks

• Plasma and Flamer Kill icons
• Ammo Shrine animation + new sound effect
• Added ammo shrines to tech adept lab map

Edit 10/02/2013 Alpha 7.31

Download 7.31 (5,280 KB)
40ksource.com

Installation instructions

• Install Alpha 7.30 if haven't already.
• Extract the 7.31 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.

You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Features

• Switched Powerfist view model to use TheVman's powerfield FX (needs tuning)
• Added VMan's powerfield FX to the Powersowrd view model.

Balance

• Nerfed Plasmagun maximum damage slightly
• Buffed Plasmagun now reaches full charge after 2 seconds
• Buffed flamer maximum range by 25%
• Nerfed venom cannon rate of fire and area of effect.

Tweaks

• Tweaked how fireballs react on impact, by shrinking them rather than removing them.
• Fireballs now set fires where they impact (new convars for how long they burn).
• Changed the stormbolter to work from player main ammo, to  work with Ammo Shrines
• Re-scales and re-animated the Ammo Shrine model.
• Added a hint when looking at an ammo shrine.

Edit 24/02/2013 Alpha 7.32
Small progress this week.  I've been working with developers from some un-released 40k mods for Mount & Blade : Warband, with the goal of trading their Cadian guardsmen for EX's marine models.

Download 7.32 (9,883 KB)
40ksource.com

Installation instructions

• Install Alpha 7.31 if haven't already.
• Extract the 7.32 patch to your sourcemods folder ( they should overwrite files in the ex_alpha folder ).
• Restart Steam.

You should now see both the Exterminatus Beta 7.0 and Exterminatus Alpha listed in your library.

Features

• Added a "lit" skin to Farseer's lamp post prop at Dark Marine's request.
• Added normal and specular maps to the Plasmagun model.

Balance

• Halved the time it takes to switch to the missile launcher

Tweaks

• Fixed a server crash in the SDK fire code.  We can now use flamers freely.
• Tweaked how Carnifex armor handles flame and melta weapons.

[Valvatorez Jr.Commissar]

It would be helpful if we had a HUD indicator like Space Marine when you power up your shots for the Plasma gun.

[ChromeAngel]

It would be helpful if we had a HUD indicator like Space Marine when you power up your shots for the Plasma gun.

Yeah, a development team the size of spacemarines would be helpful too.  Until that happens we'll have to muddle by with what we've got.  The plan we've got is to have an effect on the gun itself, like the one used in Firewarrior.  That should make it sufficiently obvious when the PG has reached full charge.

Wasn't the SM indicator for overheating?

[Valvatorez Jr.Commissar]

It would be helpful if we had a HUD indicator like Space Marine when you power up your shots for the Plasma gun.

Yeah, a development team the size of spacemarines would be helpful too.  Until that happens we'll have to muddle by with what we've got.  The plan we've got is to have an effect on the gun itself, like the one used in Firewarrior.  That should make it sufficiently obvious when the PG has reached full charge.

Wasn't the SM indicator for overheating?

It did for both, as the full charge was pretty much a long ranged grenade.

[ChromeAngel]

After Action Report Alpha 7.29
Nothing crashed and a troublesome bug was fixed.  Which is always a good start to a test report.  The flamer can now been seen from the 3rd person view, which is a huge relief.

The plasmagun seems to be rather uber, even when un-charged.  Wergild suggested making the charge shot secondary fire like the HL tau cannon, which unless i'm mistaken was how FW did it.  I'm not a fan of the plasmagun having a secondary fire mode.  Plasmagun aim seemed offset still.  I'll just try tweaking the damage calculation formula for now.  Plasma kill icons appeared cut off.

The ammo shrine works, but only sort of.  Does not work for the all important terminator class (who really needs reloads).  Wergild suggested making sure the SB takes it ammo form the main ammo reserve as a possible fix.  Also capping the number of grenades at 4, since the shrine will give you more.  Some debate as to where to place them and if they should cost reward points to use.  Out of the way and yes is my opinion but I may be being a jerk because I don't like  the idea of ammo dispensers.

Buffing the knife made it a lot closer to the chainssowrd, even if the CS still has better range and damage.  Someone suggested this makes the grenadier redundant, I think not.

Fexes still seem to be invulnerable to flamers.  Buffed flamer damage in-game to 25, that seem to balance it.  Flamer kill icon not appearing.

Everything else pretty much as expected.

I was asked what distinguishes the flamer from the meltagaun.  I said "area of effect", but I was blagging it.  I don't think there really is one.  It was just added to make the mod more complete.

[Stahlhagel]

i dont know how anybody can ask somethng that stupid. isnt it obvious that you can set a whole nid rush on fire ?

that you have a nice cone and can attack multiple targets with the flamer ?

shorter range ?

lol seriously.

[ChromeAngel]

After Action Report Alpha 7.30
Plasmagun is much better but still too powerful, i'm inclined to nerf it by 20%.

Flamer VS Warrior was disappointing in 1 to 1 combat.  Not sure what I can do to improve on that.

I appear to have broken something while trying to make the termies SB use ammo straight from the player's reserve (so he can benefit from the Ammo Shrine).  SB wasn't working at all.

Stahl seems to think the shrine should be about 2x the size while keeping the internal servo the same size.  I don't think the shrine has enough details or significance to be that big .  I'm worried SM players might confuse it with an objective.  Guess it needs something to tell new players that it's USEable too.

[Stahlhagel]

when you hoover over a player or enemy or cap, you can see its name. just add that to the shrine and name it ammo replenishing point, that should be clear enough.

as for the flamer, you didnt do damage because the fireballs were ease to evade. the damage is fine, you can easily test that on a stationary player.

you need just to increase the rof by a lot, make the projectiles faster but decrease damage per ball, you will get a weapon which can change direction easily when the target tries to evade.

but you decided to ignore the flamer config i gave you just for that purpuose.

[ChromeAngel]

You are probably right about adding a target ID to the ammo shrine.

Pretty sure ROF is not the flamers problem, it fires 4 shots a second travelling at 1200 ups, which double in size every 0.1 second.  No way a warrior with a maximum speed of 350 ups dodges that.   No, I think it's more likely I was either out of range or the fireballs were expanding to the point they were neutralising against solid ground before they even reached you.

Maybe fireballs above a certain size should break up into smaller, weaker ones when they impact..

More shots per second would just hammer the network bandwidth (each fireball is a networked entity to provide dynamic light and sound).

[Stahlhagel]

i didnt know firebals just vanish when they touch the ground. cant you make them only disappear when the center touches the ground ? i mean the way they work now makes them actually ineffective against units in cover, which is absolute nonsense...that splitting might very much help it.

[ChromeAngel]

i didnt know firebals just vanish when they touch the ground. cant you make them only disappear when the center touches the ground ? i mean the way they work now makes them actually ineffective against units in cover, which is absolute nonsense...that splitting might very much help it.

I gave this suggestions some serious thought and the only way I could think of doing it would allow burning targets inside a building from the outside because the fireburst would burn through solid walls.

[ChromeAngel]

After Action Report Alpha 7.31
Heavy use of the flamer seems to crash the server, looks like valve's code only expects 16 fires to be burning at once.  Carnifexes are still not taking damage from fire.  Flamer may be the weakest special weapon so far.  I'm tempted to make up for it by giving him loads of ammo.

Powersword particles are apparently staying when the pistol is used.

Powerfist particles need to be bigger or maybe more of them to enclose the fist.

Plasmagun is working nicely, we just need to get the muzzle flash and model sorted out.

Vore seems to be OP, I managed to kill a pair of T2 marines with it at closeish range.  I am agreeing with Stahl's earlier assessment that he needs his rate of fire reduced a bit.

Venom Cannon feels OP too, but not actually fun to use.  It doesn't feel powerful.  Suggestions?

Missile launcher, feels like the inferior choice of heavy weapon.  I think I'll decrease the deploy time for sure, so he might at least get one shot off before dying.  How do we feel about giving the ML a 3 shot clip like the 2nd ed version?

Forgot to test the stormbolter + ammo shrine combo.

[Valvatorez Jr.Commissar]

Venom Cannon feels OP too, but not actually fun to use.  It doesn't feel powerful.  Suggestions?

It could use a muzzle flash when its fired.

Missile launcher, feels like the inferior choice of heavy weapon.  I think I'll decrease the deploy time for sure, so he might at least get one shot off before dying.  How do we feel about giving the ML a 3 shot clip like the 2nd ed version?

I was like ten when that one was out  

 Shooty Nids in their optimal range will take most of your health before you can respond in kind.
Wouldn't be OP if it had the firing rate of a China Lake grenade launcher. Though it also would need a new animation sequence to have it make sense to the player.

[ChromeAngel]

Mad idea inspired by Metro2033 and the recent addition of the plasma gun...

"Pump up" the venom cannon with the reload key, only being able to fire when it's at full (as indicated by the right hand gauge).

This would give the player something other than running or hiding to do between shots.   Might be a bit tricky to explain to newbs though.  I'd probably have to make it re-charge slowly on it's own.

The plasmagun style charge up could also work for the biovore, only in that case increasing range rather than damage.

[ChromeAngel]

After Action Report Alpha 7.32
Flamer fix and fex armor tweaks worked well.  All the specialist weapons are feeling equally balanced, which is good.  Biovore and VC fex are still feeling OP and need nerfing in a fun way.  Missile launcher is still my least preferred tier 3 class, might have to go the 3 round clip route.

Plasmagun needs a separate kill icon from the plasma pistol

Stormbolter flashlight (reload) no longer working.

Suggested Thrope tweak, make the warp bolts fast so they are easier to aim, but make the ammo regen slower, so it's less spammy.

More maps need shrines.

Probably due for a roll up patch, so we can get more players to test the balance next week now all the features are in.