I think there are sensefull fixes possible for every race. I hope its recognisable by my thoughts, that I want a fair game and the most fun for every player, no matter which species he actually play. I just don't play alien that much, cause Im not that pleased with the gameplay, but like them as enemy and respect wishes of alienfans.
Some of my ideas, maybe increase advantages or/and disadvantages, but overall there are many aspect to balance it out in other ways.
Fixes for preds
-You have to hold the firebutton to throw the disc so long, that an alien can reach you by
focusattack or a sprint about 10-20 meters including the time to hit with a light attack.
Overall it shouldn't be abusable as meleeinstantkill (but the same for the stealthkill!)
-The spear and the caster are fine, imo. But overall the ranged weapons of preds should be just as effective, as the special abilitys of the alien, so if they are equal in melee, they are equal overall (so maybe reduce the damage of caster and disc on aliens for example).
-Reduce the effects of sprint and focusjump on the cloak. If predators do that they are often
easyer to see, then without cloak (christmastree). And they have to be mobile if aliens attack them (and they don't saw the rines, who get a freedoublekill).
I would appreciate that, even if they become more visible by standing still.
-Reduce or remove the dustclouds if predators land on a surfaces (same for aliens if they actually make that too).
The last two points often mean that the predator dies if I recognize it as rine, specially with the sniper weapon and its ridicilous highlighting and rapidly fire. And you cant just move slowly and hope that the rine doesn't see you and no other player is on you.
Fixes for alien
-Make the alientail less betraying or make a function so the alien can stop moving it (crouchbutton).
-Increase the pheromone sight, so aliens got a bigger advantage of overwatch a big area of the map.
-Reduce the strength of the alientail, if the chances are really so small to defend against it, as some people argued.
-Take away the growls, that accure if you make some movements as alien, so you can be stealthy.
-Expand the speedadvantage and wallhack of aliens to balance weaknesses out.
[BTW: -More alienlike maps.]
Fixes for marines
-Reduce the strength in meleecombat. They should have less chances if an predator and alien attack them in melee. The fights should be end faster, so aliens and preds are no easy targets for such a long time. If you trained with the shotgun you got all you need to stop them even if they allready reached you, with the pulse you only need a few meters between them and you and good aiming, to handle the situation.
-Reduce the angle of the motion tracker (to 180°, it is 360° now, isnt it?), so aliens got a better chance to get behind them.
-Make the highlighting of the sniper rifle less extreme or/and expand the time between a shot.
-Smartgun should only track if the target is moving and should got a limited range, if its still to high.
Overall
-Crouch for all. There are many situations in MP, where crouching can save your life or can make you hide. Overall if you crouch you are smaller target, so a bit less visibile and hittable (crouch for alien to hold the tail quite). It expands the gameplay and is a essential movement for humanoid creatures.
-Make preds and aliens equal in meleecombat. Equal focusattacks for preds and aliens, that can knock down all species, but with a chance to block it, specially (maybe only?) for aliens and preds.
Same time for heavy and light attacks. Same effectiveness for blocks for aliens and preds.
Maybe they become too equal in that way, but its safe and noone can say one species gets an advantage by a attack.
I think predplayers and alienplayers have the same right to enjoy meleeconfrontations. And I believe many waited for more then just rapidly pushing a mousebutton.
-Stealthkills shouldn't be so easy and not abusable as instantkills in meleeconfrontations.
I think aliens would suffer primary from that, but maybe just cause I don't use them, specially if an alien allready fights a other pred in melee (and I think that is just fair and I don't want to frustrate the alienplayer). If they suffer primary, other aspects should be increased for aliens to balance it out.
Possible solution:
-Reduce the range for it, so maximum 2 meters.
-you have to aim your enemys back and push the button for 1-2 seconds
-the victim have to stand still for that time
2.
-Just handle them like trophy kills. So you can still escape if you got enough health.
I wouldn't mind if preds cant stealthkill aliens. They maybe have better senses.
The stealthkill don't harm the experience for many players. But for many other it actually does.I think you can make everyone happy, if its changed or with the option to turn it off.
[BTW: If you think "learn how to play" as you read this, please never talk to me. Its to much stress for me to argue with aggressive male teenagers and adult angry fanboys. Thank you.]
Again arguments, why the stealthkill "could" use a fix:
They are totally easy to perform about a great range and there is no comparsion between it and other ways to kill an enemy (like a meleefight).
In the way it works its not sensefull, cause meleefights are big part of the game, there is a lock that make you unflexible and they often take much time till one actually dies.
If the amount of players isnt set pretty low in comparsion to the size of the map, there are so many around that can break great meleefights by pressing a button and kill you in a pretty cheap way. Aliens and preds don't deserve that in my opinion.
There take really some time, but many don't care for that and in many situations there isnt a mate around that can punish the stealthkiller. So the long time is often just pointsless as argument for balance.
In the ideal situation there is always one pred and one alien fighting in melee, but you cant expect that from the players.
Just like with the disc you can annul the meleesystem with stealthkills. The meleelock and the action of an meleeattack can make you helpless against enemys getting behind you and you always f**ked up if a second pred/alien join his mate.
Previous games you can handle 2 aliens/preds as pred/alien, if you are skilled (someone with the nickname "jegu", did that all the time in AVP2 AJL, even aliens were pretty damn strong there).
The advantage of two preds or aliens against one alien or pred is still pretty huge without a stealthkill, cause a tailwhip in the back from the the other alien, if you fighting the first in melee, can make you loose definitly.
But in many situations good players can manage it by tactic and skill. And I think you should be able to get at least the small chance, you would have without a stealthkill.
With the stealthkill its usually that way: You fight one in melee, are unflexible cause the meleelock and the otherone, just have to get behind you and kill you instantly, without any afford.
Players should be capable of handling situations where they are outnumbered and specially preds shouldn't be forced to babysitt each other.
Overall the rine is pretty much more effetive in melee, even one enemy is allready by them and the other one just a few meters away, if you got the shotgun and somestimes the pulse is enough, too. UFF...
