Action NS2 changelog

Action NS2 (7758ef4a) -- a faster paced NS2 mode with balance and quality-of-life changes.

Thanks to Glitch for the beautiful text formatting!

==== BOTH MARINES & ALIENS ====

———— RESOURCES ————

Initial resources at start:
• Each player: 10 pres.
• Each team: 50 tres (reduced from 60 tres).

Additional periodic income:
• Each team: +10 tres every 2 minutes.
• Each player (including commanders): +2.4 pres every 2 minutes.

Resource income from collectors:
• Each player: +1.2 pres/minute (reduced from +1.25 pres/minute).

Player personal resource refund upon death:
• Alien lifeforms refunded 33% of the base Pres cost of the lifeform. (E.g., 10 pres Gorge regains 3.3 Pres. Commander dropped lifeforms are not refunded.), Except Onos.
• Onos is refunded 14.49 Pres on death (21% of base cost).

———— RESPAWN ————

• Respawn delay increases with game time. Every 4 minutes, an extra 1 second is added to the respawn delay, up to 5 seconds.
• If an IP/egg is destroyed in the middle of respawning a player, that player will gain spawn priority.


———— DAMAGE and COMBAT ————

• Armor damage absorption rate: 80% (increased from 70%). (I.e. 20% damage dealt through armor.)

Damage dealt by marine to alien:
• Burning alien units receive 10% bonus damage from non-fire based attacks.
• Burn damage scales with maximum health of the target, from 12 to 36 DPS.
• Weapons upgrade now only applies to damage dealt to structures.
• Weapons upgrade damage bonus increased to (level 1/2/3) 16.7/33.4/50%.

Damage dealt by alien to marine:
• Corroding marine units receive 10% bonus damage from non-corrosion based attacks.
• Corrosion effect reduced from to 2 seconds, reduced from 4.
• Armor corrosion damage from infestation increased from 30 to 60 DPS. Power Node takes triple damage (180 DPS) from infestation.

• Exit combat time reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.

———— SUPPLY ————

• Each additional command structure increases Supply cap by 40.

==== MARINES ====
Health:
• Marine armour increased to 55.
• Armour per upgrade level reduced from 20 to 10 (max 85).
Movement:
• Marine backward walking speed penalty reduced to 50% (from 60%).
• Marine air control reduced from 11 to 10.
• Sprint:
├─ Marine sprint speed increased to 6 (Unburdened speed increased to 7.5, increased from 6.72).
├─ Sprint speed builds up over 0.5 second, reduced from 1.5 sec. Ground acceleration and friction reduced.
├─ Smoother sprinting transition after landing from Jetpack flight.
├─ Sprinting gains greater speed from cat pack: 1.5 (increased from 1.125).
└─ Sprinting marine won't auto pick up weapons.
• Marine construction speed on the same building is soft capped with more than one builder to 170% speed with 2 marines and 25% gain per additional marine. (Note: MAC construction is not affected by build speed cap.)

Drop Packs:
• Med pack, ammo pack and cat packs now persist for 2 seconds after being picked up.
• Med pack
├─ Heals until timed expiry, healing does not stop once marine reaches full health.
└─ Pickup delay increased from 0.45 to 0.99 second.
• Pickup range increased from 1 to 2.
• Cat pack reload and melee haste increased to 37% (from 25%).
• Ammo pack pickups improved. (by Nin)

———— MARINE STRUCTURES & ITEMS ————

Ghost Structures (Blueprints):
• Players can move through and shoot through blue prints.
• Ghost structures do not vanish when in contact with an alien, instead, the structure loses health over 5 seconds. Ghost structures destroyed this way are refunded 75% of its cost.

Infantry portal:
• Can respawn players while unpowered, but at half the speed.
• Supplies: 40 (increased from 0).
• Respawn timer per marine decreased from 9 to 5 seconds.

Observatory:
├─ Cost increased from 10 to 15.
├─ Supply reduced from 25 to 20.
├─ Detection range increased from 22 to 24, can now sight aliens within direct LoS.
├─ No longer detects stationary aliens without sight.
• Scan
├─ duration: 8 seconds (decreased from 10).
└─ cooldown: change from 0 to 4 seconds.
• Phase tech research cost: 20 tres (increased from 10).
• Phase gates:
├─ Build time: 20 seconds (increased from 12 seconds).
└─ Supplies: 30 (increased from 0). (Prevents more than 3 PGs in most cases.)

Weapons:
• Marine weapons can be damaged by all attacks. Corrode damage type deals full damage, while other damage types are reduced to 30%.
• Weapons not near an armory take damage and self destruct over 50 seconds. Marine players standing on a weapon reduce this decay damage by 50%. Rifle decays at twice the speed.
• Xenocide damages weapon by 50% of its max health when it kills the Marine carrying it.
• Picking up a weapon no longer renews its health.
• Weapon weights and their stowed weight adjusted so switching to pistol/axe grants significantly faster (6-15%) movement.

Armory:
• Marines without weapons can now pick up a Rifle and Pistol from the armory every 30 seconds.
• Rifle
├─ Bullet size increased from 0.018 to 0.025.
└─ Bash melee damage increased from 20 to 30.
• Pistol
├─ Now auto fires.
├─ Fire rate interval increased from 0.1 to 0.114.
├─ Bullet size increased from 0.016 to 0.03.
├─ Bullet spread increased from 0.4 to 1 degree.
└─ Reload speed increased by 11.5%.
• Welder:
├─ Damage increased from 30 to 40 DPS. Hitbox width and height reduced from 2 to 0.6.
├─ Can now self weld by welding any friendly unit. Self weld rate increased from 5 to 10.
├─ It's now possible to carry both Axe and Welder and switch between them (Thanks Nin).
└─ Cost increased from 2 to 3.
• Axe:
├─ Damage increased from 25 to 30.
├─ range increased from 1 to 1.2.
└─ Reduce the draw delay by 60% (animation speed increased to 250%).
• Shotgun
├─ Damage reduced to 160 per shot.
├─ Rate of fire increased by 6%, to 0.8 second
├─ Number of pellet changed to 16, with new spread pattern. Spread pattern is now fixed and no longer random.
├─ Distance based damage falloff removed.
├─ Cost reduced from 20 to 16.
└─ Research time: 60 seconds (increased).

• Mines:
├─ Research time: 10 seconds (reduced).
├─ Mines can be moved by their owner.
├─ Mine thickness increased by 20%.
├─ Mine damage reduced to 130.
├─ Explosion radius increased from 5 to 5.5.
├─ Health reduced to 30HP/9AR. Damage received per Spit is 30.
├─ Can be killed during the arming process.
├─ Can be triggered by Blinking Fades.
├─ Rewards 4 points when killed.
└─ Weight reduced from 0.1 to 0.06.

• Flamethrower:
├─ Burn damage increased from 8 to 8% of max health, limited between 12 (min) to 36 (max) damage.
├─ Player minimum burn duration reduced from 2 seconds, to 1-2 seconds based on stacks.
├─ Structure maximum burn duration decreased from 6 to 3 seconds.
├─ Burn duration increment rate reduced from 2 seconds per hit to 0.5 second per hit.
└─ Ammo per clip reduced from 50 to 30.

• Heavy machine guns:
├─ Player cost: 24 pres (increased from 20 pres).
├─ Bullet size increased from 0.018 to 0.025.
├─ Ammo magazine size reduced from 125 to 100.
└─ Reload time: 3.5 seconds (decreased from 5 seconds).

• Grenade Launcher:
├─ Damage increased from 90 to 100. Structural multiplier reduced from 4 to 3 (max damage reduced from 360 to 300 damage).
├─ Now receives weapons damage upgrade.
├─ Projectile speed increased from 25 to 35.
└─ Reload speed increased by 20%.

• Hand grenades:
├─ Research time: 60 seconds (increased).
├─ Research cost increased from 10 to 20.
├─ Marines now purchase and carry two hand grenades of the same type.
├─ Carry weight reduced from 0.1 to 0.03.
├─ purchase cost: 4 pres (increased from 2 pres).
├─ Pulse grenade damage increased from 50 to 75.
├─ Pulse grenade damage radius increased from 3 to 4.
├─ Hitting a marine player/structure with a pulse grenade creates an explosion from their center, at the same height as the impact point. Electrifying!
├─ Electrify effect reduces ALL energy gain by 34% (up from 30%).
├─ Hand grenade deploy animation is skipped for faster throwing.
└─ Hand grenade throwing animation speed increased by 10%.

• Cluster Grenade
├─ Damage radius reduced from 10 to 7.
└─ Cluster Grenade fragment timing and pattern improved for consistency.

• Gas Grenade
├─ Gas Grenade can now damage health. Damage reduced from 50 to 14. Nerve Gas damage deals 400% damage to armour.
├─ Damage bypasses Babbler Shield.
├─ Gas Grenade gas release delay reduced from 2 to 1 second, released duration reduced from 5 to 4 seconds, gas cloud duration reduced from 6 to 5 seconds. Gas release direction is less random.
└─ Gas Grenade bounce reduced and air friction increased.

Prototype lab:
• Cost decreased to 25 (from 35).
• Jetpack:
├─ Research cost increased to 30 (from 25).
├─ Jetpack cost decreased to 10 pres (from 15).
├─ Initial Speed decreased from 9 to 8.4.
├─ Fuel usage reduced by 14%, fuel replenishment rate increased by 14%.
├─ Vertical speed cap increased from 5 to 5.5.
└─ Jetpack fuel consumption reduced by approx 4-30%, with greater reduction for heavy weapons.

• Exosuit:
├─ Exo research cost increased to 30 (from 20).
├─ Exo armor increased to 400 (490 max).
├─ Price increased from 50 to 60.
├─ Exo thruster duration increased to 1.8 seconds, cooldown reduced to 1 second.
└─ 10 Pres is refunded when the Exosuit is destroyed (except when the owner dies before the Exosuit).
• Minigun exo:
├─ Damage reduced to 7.
├─ Bullet spread increased from 5 to 6 degrees.
├─ Continuous shooting duration: 4.2 seconds (increased from 3.3 seconds).
└─ Cooldown rate: 0.4 (increased from 0.3), over 2.5 seconds. Overheating incurs a 3 seconds cooldown.
• Railgun exo:
├─ Damage changed to 40 + 10 charging. Damage type changed to Structural Heavy.
├─ Charge time: 0.3 second (reduced).
├─ Bullet size reduced from 0.3 to 0.2.
└─ Both guns can be charged and fired simultaneously.

Robotics factory:
• ARC factory research time increased to 50 seconds (from 20 seconds).
• ARC factory upgrade cost increased to 10 (from 5).
• Sentry battery
├─ cost: 4 tres (reduced).
└─ supply reduced from 15 to 0.
• Sentry turrets:
├─ Cost: 4 tres (reduced). Point value increased from 2 to 4.
├─ Health increased from 500 to 525.
├─ Quantity limit: 2 turrets per battery (reduced from 3).
├─ Targeting cone increased from 160 to 240 degrees.
├─ Range increased from 20 to 24. Accuracy decreased from 3 to 5 degrees.
└─ Confused (by Spore) duration decreased from 4 to 2 seconds.

• ARC:
├─ Damage now sets targets hit on fire for 4 seconds.
├─ ARC speed increased to 2.5 (2.0 in combat).
└─ Supplies: 35 (increased from 25).

• MAC:
├─ MAC health increased to 380/80 from 300/50 (+35%).
├─ MAC build rate increased to be the same as a marine builder.
├─ MAC repair rate increased from 50 to 90 on units that have not taken damage in the last 3 seconds.
├─ MAC won't weld player armor for 1 second after the player has taken damage.
├─ MAC movement speed increased by 11%.
├─ MAC build time reduced from 5 to 4 seconds.
├─ Sight range increased to 4.
├─ Only one MAC can build or weld the same structure at the same time.
└─ MAC player welding speed doubled to be the same as Welder rate (20).

Arms Lab:
• Health/Armor reduced to 1650/500 to 1000/500 (24.5% reduction).
• Weapons and Armor upgrades :
├─ Weapons and Armor upgrade costs reduced from 20/30/40 to 20/20/20.
└─ Research time per level increased from 60/90/120 to 90/120/150 seconds.

Power Node:
• Health/Armor changed from 2000/1000 to 1800/1350 (+12.5% total health), to be more vulnerable to infestation.
• Duration of blackout period when power can't be repaired reduced from 15 to 10 seconds.
• Power is restored when the node is 40% repaired, respawning with max health and zero armour.
• Power node can be constructed by marine at any time (Beta balance mod changes)
• Repair rate reduced from 220 to 180 (from Welder and Builder tool).

Command Station:
• Opening and closing animations speed increased by 60%.

Advanced Support:
• Power Surge now releases an EMP, dealing damage 10 damage in a 8 radius and applying electrify effect to aliens hit.
• NanoShield now reduces damage by 34% (increased from 32%), and redirects 100% of the damage to armour first.

==== ALIENS ====
Biomass health scaling:
• Now grants a 20% max health bonus, only after reaching Biomass 7.

Cloaking:
• Redesigned to camouflage better, and has a new visual effect.
• Aliens re-cloaking delay from 2.5 to 2 seconds. This delay is significantly shorter (0.2-0.4 sec) if alien has stayed uncloaked for longer than 2 seconds.
• Prevents sentry and mines targeting aliens (touching a mine will still uncloak alien).
• Observatory no longer uncloaks but can detect aliens.
• Stationary cloaked aliens behind walls are no longer detected by Observatory passive (require direct LoS from Observatory for detection).

Vampirism:
• Removed. Replaced by Sacrifice.
Sacrifice:
• Aliens drop a health orb which heals for 15 health, after receiving 100/85/70 damage and on death, can be triggered once every 0.78 second.

Regeneration:
• Heal reduced from 8% to 5% of max health every 2 seconds.
• Now heals for 50% of the normal amount in combat.

Aura:
• Marine sensing range reworked, has shorter detection range of Marines not in combat.
• Sensing range changed from 10/20/30 to 7.5/11.25/15 (for Marines in combat: 15/22.5/30).

Focus:
• Damage bonus reduced to 15% at max. Attack speed penalty decreased to 10%.
• Lerk spikes gain max 10% attack damage from Focus.

Drifter:
• Mucous membrane duration reduced to 2 seconds.

Eggs:
• Egg health reduced from 350 to 200HP35AR.
• Egg spawn frequency increased from 13 to 5 seconds.
• Cost of commander upgraded eggs reduced to match their Pres costs, except Onos (100 Pres).
• Commander Egg "build" time reduced to 15 seconds.

Skulk:
• Skulk base health/armour increased to 80/15.  Carapace max armour reduced to 24.
• Babbler Shield increased from 21 to 30.
• Evolve time increased from 3 to 4 seconds.
• Movement:
├─ Wall jump forces tweaked to be more responsive, particularly vertical force and jumps from stand still.
├─ Bunny hop speed increased to 8.5, Celerity bonus increased from 0.6 to 1.0.
└─ Wall jump max speed reduced from 11 to 10.5. Celerity bonus increased from 0.6 to 1.15.
• Leap
├─ Leap force redirection reworked to be more precise. Base Leap force increased from 7.6 to 9.5. Leap force scales better with Celerity.
├─ Leap now adds a fraction of upward velocity as well.
├─ Leap energy cost reduced from 45 to 36.
└─ Maximum leap speed soft capped to 12.5. (13.9 with celerity).
• Parasite:
├─ Parasite duration reduced to 15 seconds.
└─ Parasite energy cost reduced from 30 to 25.
• Bite and Xenocide damage now parasite targets for 15 seconds.
• Xenocide:
├─ Now applies a status effect, increases bite damage by 20% (to 90 damage) for 2 seconds, and has a 2 second cooldown.
├─ Skulk can explode early if it is killed while the Xenocide status effect is active (does not work on suicide).
├─ Xenocide explosion damage now scales, dealing more damage the longer it is active, from 90 to 180 structural damage, radius reduced to 10 (from 14).
├─ Killing blow from Xenocide damages Marine's weapons by 50% of its max health.
└─ Dying during Xenocide now puts the player in third person to watch the carnage.

Gorge:
• Gorge per upgrade cost increased to 2 Pres.
• Gorge armor reduced to 50, Carapace armor reduced to 80, with health shifted to self Babbler shield (increased from 21 to 30 HP).
• Heal Spray
├─ Damage increased from 8 to 20 per spray, base healing on players increased from 8 to 10.
└─ Each heal spray reduces burn duration by 1 second.
• Belly slide energy cost reduced from 20 to 15.
• Babbler
├─ Gains 8 health (max 20) after reaching Biomass 8.
├─ has a 20 second limited lifespan when too far from the owner.
└─ spawn interval decreased from 2.5 second to 2.0.
• Spit:
├─ Damage type changed to Structural.
└─ Now works with Crush.
• Bile Bomb
├─ Damage reduced by 14.7%.
├─ Damage multiple to Marine increased from 12% to 20%, and to Exo increased from 40% to 45%.
└─ Projectile speed increased from 11 to 12.
• Web snare slow increased from 25% to 40%. Web Parasite duration reduced from 10 to 4 seconds.
• Bile Mine:
├─ Damage and DPS increased, from 30 over 3 seconds to 40 over 2 seconds.
├─ Limit per Gorge increased to 2.
├─ Enemy trigger range reduced to 5. Damage radius remains at 7.
├─ Build time reduced to 2 seconds.
└─ Bile Mine health reduced to 50HP+25AR.

Lerk:
• Cost reduced to 20.
• Cost per upgrade reduced from 3 to 2 Pres.
• Lerk model width reduced by 15%.
• Babbler Shield increased from 25.2 to 30.
• Health reduced from 180 to 160 (total 220).
• Carapace armour reduced from 50 to 45.
•Movement:
├─ Glide turning is no long instant, "air control" is now 170.
├─ Crouching is now usable to interrupt gliding, without having to release jump key.
├─ Diving gravity increased from 42 to 50.
├─ Diving now consumes energy, at the rate of 21 per second, increase air friction, and creates flapping sounds, to addresses the silent and free speed gain exploit.
├─ Walking and wall walking are now silent.
├─ Lerk can now wall walk. Fixed wall cling/walk animation stutter.
└─(See Lerk Rework Mod for more information)
• Spikes:
├─ Now shoots 2 spikes in quick succession (at 333% speed) every 0.455 second, spike fire delay increased by 14%, overall DPS increased by 3%. Energy cost increased from 1.4 to 1.6.
└─ Spikes damage is upgraded by Focus, for up to 10% increased damage. Spike fire rate is not affected by Focus.
• Umbra:
├─ Existing Umbra prevents burning. Umbra cloud can still be destroyed by Flamethrower and Cluster Grenade.
└─ Damage protection reduced from 20% to 12%.
• Spores damage increased to 20 per second, from 15.

Fade:
• Cost reduced to 30, from 37.
• Cost per upgrade reduced from 5 to 3 Pres.
• Evolve time reduced from 25 to 18 seconds.
• Armour decreased to 60, from 80.
• Carapace armour decreased to 85, from 120.
• Babbler Shield reduced from 40 to 30.
Movement
• Speed increased to 6.5.
• Blink energy upkeep cost reduced from 32 to 25 per second.
• Blink cooldown increased from 0.4 to 0.45 second.
• Fade air friction reduced from 0.17 to 0.08.
• Fade has higher air friction (0.35) briefly after leaving Blink.
• Blink maximum speed reduced to 20.
• Adrenaline energy regen reduced from 15 to 14 per second.
• Metabolize energy cost reduced to 12. Energy gain reduced from 5 to 4 per second (8 every 2 seconds).
Stab
├─ Stab damage changed to 150 Normal.
├─ Attack speed increased by 30% (from 1.3s to 1 second). Fade can jump while stabbing.
└─ Stab can hit all targets in its path.

Onos:
• Cost increased from 62 to 66 Pres.
• Cost per upgrade reduced from 8 to 6 Pres.
• Carapace armour reduced from 650 to 570.
• Babbler Shield reduced from 70 to 60.
• Charge
├─ Onos starts with a weaker version of charge (max speed 9.5), can be upgraded by research to improve speed, damage and energy efficiency.
├─ Onos can turn while charging. Onos drifting!
├─ Advanced Charge charge damage increased to 35 (with research).
└─ Charge can now damage empty Exosuits.
• Stomp
├─ Damage changed to 50 structural. Stun duration reduced to 1 second, stun timeout reduced to 2.5 seconds.
└─ Shockwave height increased from 0.8 to 1.2.

———— ALIEN STRUCTURES ————
Hydras:
• Damage: 5 (reduced from 15).
• Attack rate increased by 33%.
• Hydra spikes are more accurate.
• Hydra parasites targets hit.

Whip:
• Bombard fire rate doubled.
• Bombard damage changed from 250 to 200, so Bombard deals similar DPS to slap against primary target.
• Mature armour increased from 240 to 300 (total health increased by 10%).
• Whip takes 50% reduced damage from Grenade Launcher.
• Supply reduced to 25.

Upgrade Chambers:
• Cost of Shell, Spur and Veil increased from 15 to 20
• Health of Shell, Spur and Veil increased by 100 (9%).

Crag:
• Healing frequency (and healing rate) doubled to once per second.
• Healing wave increases heal amount by 100%, increased from 30%.
• Supply reduced to 20.

Shade:
• Health reduced by 50. Armour increased by 25, to allow gas grenade to uncloak Shade.
• Supply reduced to 20.
• Ink removes the detected status from aliens entities.

Shift:
• Supply reduced to 20.

Harvester:
• Harvester armor: increased from 200 to 440.
• Build time reduced by 26%.

Hive:
• Healing reduced by 25%.
• Decreased mature hive health by 16.67% (-1500 hp).
• Hive type upgrade research time increased from 20 to 40 seconds, cost increased from 10 to 15.

Cyst:
• Removed health penalty at far distance from the hive.
• Nutrient Mist doubles infestation spread rate.
• Infestation spread rate reduced by 33% and recede rate reduced by 66%.
• Damage received multiplier from Flame damage reduced from 7x to 3x.
• Start as ghost structures, invulnerable to damage, 75% of cost is refunded if the chain is cut off before it finishes growing.
• Armor from Crag hive increased from 25 to 100.
• Shade Hive trait uncloaking radius reduced from 7 to 2.

Maturity:
• Hive, Harvester and Cysts now spawn with full maturity at start of the game.

Contamination:
• Can be dropped on other structures and players.

Clog
• Size increased by 40%.
• Take 50% reduced damage from Grenade Launcher.
• Time to consume Clog reduced to 0.2 second.
• Onos can charge through Clogs and destroy them.