Natural Selection 2 Closed Beta!

[CyberPitz]

Announced and ready to go. Also, Fade video!

http://www.naturalselection2.com/

Unknown Worlds, the San Francisco-based indie developer of classic Half-Life mod Natural Selection, today announced the launch of the Closed Beta for highly-anticipated online FPS Natural Selection 2. It’s been years since the scattered forces of the Marine Frontiersmen last clashed with the alien threat known collectively as the Kharaa, but recently-received distress calls indicate they have returned to the galaxy in force. Want to be one of the first marines to take them on? Pre-order NS2 today for exclusive early access to the Closed Beta at www.naturalselection2.com.

http://verticalwire.com/releases/2112--i-natural-selection-2-i-closed-beta-infests-the-web

 

[Lucid]

I was disappointed that they didn't release anything on Halloween since that's when the mod was released and all.
The new fade doesn't really look too great though.

 

[ríomhaire]

Is the version on Steam updated to the beta or do you have to get the beta from their website?

 

[B_MAN]

anyone playing this yet? impressions?

 

[Kakashi]

Yeah I just saw the Fade reveal video, it doesn't look as terrifying as it should be. Kind of disappointed with how they made him look. Can't wait to try the beta out.

 

[Naph]

Just a more fierce Chessire.

 

[hool10]

It is up but it's very buggy still. I had accidentally pressed F8 which alt+tabs the game. To get to the main menu you can make yourself a cup of coffee and come back and it will just come up. I guess alt+tabbing was too much for it though. When I force quit NS2, the 2GB of RAM I have was 95% being used. So there are a lot of memory leaks to be plugged and optimized. I can say though that ya, it does look like their trailers (it is taken in-game) and it does look movie like. This person I have seen his videos before he takes out all the waiting and hassle and shows gameplay in 1080p:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2FFviGycYE&hd=1

 

[CyberPitz]

2 gig of ram isn't so crazy these days....StarCraft 2 uses around that much..

 

[VirusType2]

I get mad when games don't use all the RAM.

I don't think I have a game that will use more than 512MB. And here I was, thinking about upgrading to 8GB.

I don't know, whatever. Just use whatever you need, is what I'm saying - this shit is cheap. I paid like $15 per GB.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

It has issues, but it's so much fun. Well worth the pre-order cost. Plus they have been doing a great job of listening to the community and fixing issues as they appear.

 

[pvtbones]

It has issues, but it's so much fun. Well worth the pre-order cost. Plus they have been doing a great job of listening to the community and fixing issues as they appear.

amen /char

 

[StardogChampion]

For me it's only worth paying for if you need access to the mapping tools.

If you're expecting to have any fun playing a match then stick to the free mod.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

For me it's only worth paying for if you need access to the mapping tools.

If you're expecting to have any fun playing a match then stick to the free mod.

If you get on a stable server, then it's hella fun. Missing lots of things, so it's unbalanced, but still a blast when you get into some epic battles.

 

[ríomhaire]

Has the dynamic infestation thing been dropped or it's just not ready for the beta yet?

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Has the dynamic infestation thing been dropped or it's just not ready for the beta yet?

Not ready for beta. They may save that for final release, because they have a lot of other core pieces on their plate first.

*Edit* However, they mentioned they were hoping to get that in during beta "in some form". Not sure exactly what though, and it sounded iffy so I'd say wait until final.

 

[Sliver]

I'm really not a fan of a lot of the mechanics so far. Like MACS, I think it would work better if the marines built the buildings themselves like NS1, instead of escorting MACS around and shooting aliens. I also don't like the idea of an alien commander, the contrast to the single leader and minions of the marines to the alien swarm was great, and really kept the gameplay varied.

That being said I know I'm going to love the game, and if I don't I'm sure there will be countless mods addressing my problems with it.

 

[ríomhaire]

I've watched an alien-side gameplay video. So you can jump into one of the spawn node thingies and play commander. Are you limited to one commander at a time, one commander per node or as many as you like? Similarly what is it like for the humans? Same system or different? I know in NS1 there was 1 human commander all the time and no alien commanders.

 

[Lobster]

I must be doing something wrong, the game is completely unplayable from my end, I am lucky if I can join a team.

I know it is still in development, so I am not judging anything, it just feels like everyone else is playing a different game.

 

[CyberPitz]

Don't worry Lobster, I can't play either. I've only been able to jump in a game once, and that was when the alpha first released. Since then, I've had massive lag or just being flat out unable to join the server.

 

[Eejit]

^ Might be more optimised for some rigs/drivers than others since it's in beta.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Don't worry Lobster, I can't play either. I've only been able to jump in a game once, and that was when the alpha first released. Since then, I've had massive lag or just being flat out unable to join the server.

If you try to play immediately after a patch, for the next day or so there's usually so many people bum rushing the servers that they are basically DDOS'ing them, causing huge lag. There's other issues with server performance too (when a player joins a server, he gets sent a crapload of data, which lags out everyone else in the game).

A new patch should be going out today / tomorrow that should fix a lot of the connection issues, and help with performance and hopefully they fixed the major server crash bugs.

As for the gameplay itself, it definitely is different from NS1. I like the MAC's as it allows a means of building while your soldiers are dead, but I really think marines should be able to build still.

As for the commander question, you can have one commander per node / command center (so with 3 hives you can have 3 commanders). Personally, I think this system is pretty dumb. It's so confusing to have multiple commanders and be like "wait, where is my MAC going?" or "dammit, who decided to research X when I was going to do Y first?!". I'm hoping this changes back to one commander per side, as I just don't see the benefit, especially since for each commander you have to support your troops, you have one less trooper to do battle.

 

[ríomhaire]

One commander for marines and none for aliens seems like a more interesting system, but seeing as I've played neither game yet I can't make any serious judgements.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

One commander for marines and none for aliens seems like a more interesting system, but seeing as I've played neither game yet I can't make any serious judgement.s.

It provides an interesting new mechanic for the alien side. Gorge's role is definitely lessened into a much more direct support role instead of being the teams backbone.

Also, patch 156 was released today! Fixes a lot of issues with the server crashing (hydra spam doesn't really crash it, yay!). However, it will still lag out eventually.

Changelog:

Fixed server crashes
Fixed server growing memory usage
Fixed "can't connect" issues - there may still be some issues here but it should be much better
Added very basic loading progress
You can now see if a server is full in the server browser
Fixed stuck problem when evolving into a bigger lifeform (won't let you do it if not enough room)
Fixed problem with Fades occasionally getting stuck when blinking
Improved network performance, especially around hydras and projectiles
Fixed problem with MAC and Drifter sounds being heard when they shouldn't be
Updated center tech point on rockdown to fix errors
Fixed script console errors
Fixed Fade animations while stabbing and moving
Optimized Hydra target acquisition
Removed collision geometry from some maps that shouldn't be seen
Fixed missing marine flamethrower animations
Rifle melee now hits reliably (not urgent but snuck in there)

 

[pvtbones]

Haven't had a chance to play since if hit beta but I got an hour or two in last night after 156 dropped.

I gotta say, definitely awesome. Got to play all the alien classes but the gorge and I had a blast. the teleport on the fade felt a bit wonky

 

[Lobster]

Last patch fixed the major issue I was having, I managed to have a proper game, its looking promising.

 

[hool10]

Finally got around to playing it since alpha. Alpha was like a very early alpha but then again this is a small indie game company unlike RTW with All Point Bulletin. :hmph: Anyways once the long load times end and you get on a server, at least in my experience, is GOTY material.

Have you ever wanted a game or movie sequel to not just be a sequel but feel like a sequel should? As in improve what was in the first and introduce new and creative features that are not gimmicky but feel right? In sequels this is rare and usually it's not as great as the first or better than the first. Well my first game felt better than the first NS! Everything that you knew and loved about the first is better this time around.

1. The graphics. Certainly feels like a movie and the animations of EVERYTHING is awesome. The animations on reloading a machine gun is really cool and futuristic feeling. You can reload a gun or, you can reload a gun!
2. The sound. Jump into the commander chair and you can hear an oxygen mask sound effect putting you into a state of mind as the commander. Burn the alien hive and it starts screeching in pain with realistic looking tentacles that flail about.
3. The RTS elements blended in with FPS. Natural Selection as far as I know, has successfully merged these elements into the gameplay. Don't like shooting stuff but like RTS games? Be the commander then! Like shooting games and want to support your team? Go shoot stuff!
4. The robots. Before the commander would drop stuff and you would build it by holding the "e" key. This by far was the scariest part of NS. As you hear the buzzing and watch the progress bar, you are a sitting duck and as such, listen for the distinct footsteps of an alien coming. You better stop building and hope to survive or have a good aiming friend! It was kinda (mainly) boring though as well and that is why robots were invented.
5. The NS2 Editor. I have no mod experience but I know a couple of technical terms. Judging by the model viewer though, I can do something. While it may look like a 12 year old making his first CS map, it's something. Models also display in real time as well. There is also a video editor as well.

I really think Unknown Worlds like their first mod, now retail game, are on the perfect track. If you were a fan of the first or are interested in playing NS2, then I urge you to pick the game up. You know you earn them something after all those hours playing the first. :thumbs:

 

[Lobster]

You really are shallow arent you Hool. Willing to place a GOTY tag on something that has pretty much no gameplay yet.

That said though.. I agree that the sound design is really good in places, some of the spacial audio effects are really impressive. I also agree that I had no issue paying for the pre-order, after having so much free fun with the original.

 

[Eejit]

You really are shallow arent you Hool. Willing to place a GOTY tag on something that has pretty much no gameplay yet.

It has gameplay based on and improving on a mod which would be GOTY if it were a game release.

 

[StardogChampion]

I'm really not a fan of a lot of the mechanics so far. Like MACS, I think it would work better if the marines built the buildings themselves like NS1, instead of escorting MACS around and shooting aliens. I also don't like the idea of an alien commander, the contrast to the single leader and minions of the marines to the alien swarm was great, and really kept the gameplay varied.

That being said I know I'm going to love the game, and if I don't I'm sure there will be countless mods addressing my problems with it.

I'm not a fan of many of the changes either. The MACS should be removed.

And, yeah, there will be an NS1 mod.

 

[Shakermaker]

Any word on when this will arrive on Steam?

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Any word on when this will arrive on Steam?

It already is on Steam... Sorta. You buy it through UWE's site, and they send you a steam key. It just doesn't have a store front or anything like that, probably since it's not ready for the general public yet.

About the MACs, I like them as it gives the players more time to kill aliens and such, and it also prevent commander raging from when he places a building only for the marine to ignore it and keep running. I still think players should be giving the option to help build though, as it was a great part of the game, and really made you feel like you were helping your team out, especially when you were able to help build an entire sub-base by yourself.

All of this is bound to get changed though, so I'm not too worried.

 

[hool10]

You really are shallow arent you Hool. Willing to place a GOTY tag on something that has pretty much no gameplay yet.

* 2002 : Best Newcomer - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database
* 2002 : Mod of the Year - 'Game of the Year' Awards, Gamespy
* 2003 : Most Improved Mods - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database
* 2003 : Mods You Should Never Leave Home Without - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database
* 2003 : Best Overall Mods - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database
* 2004 : Best Level Design - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database
* 2005 : Players' Choice #10 - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database
* 2006 : Honourable Mention - 'Mod of the Year' Awards, Mod Database

The gameplay is also there and it certainly is an early playable beta.

 

[Lobster]

I played the mod for years and enjoyed it immensely, that is not in question, the point I am making is the sequel has a way to go before it can prove itself in its own right. The game is a shadow of its predecessor in its current state, and it remains to be seen how the finished project will perform.

I really want NS2 to be as good as the original, but it is easy to get your hopes up that the dev's will be able to sort out all the problems of performance and balance come release, only to see developers with far more resources than this fall flat on their face.

They have picked up speed with their patching lately though, so I am more hopeful than I was.

 

[Eejit]

If anyone is having connection problems I've dug up two things which can help, and did for me.
Disable in-game overlay in Steam settings and run NS2.exe directly from the install folder rather than launching it from Steam. Next patch is meant to fix this stuff anyhow.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

When it is playable, it's incredible. I can't wait for the next release - which should actually demonstrate what the engine and an updated NS plays like. Oh gad it's updating hnnnggg

 

[Eejit]

Update brings back Marines helping with building

 

[StardogChampion]

I played the mod for years and enjoyed it immensely, that is not in question, the point I am making is the sequel has a way to go before it can prove itself in its own right. The game is a shadow of its predecessor in its current state, and it remains to be seen how the finished project will perform.

For me it needs another 6 months to a year before it's near a real beta.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

I'd say it needs at least another full year of development and QA to be a full fledged, quality product by launch. I hope they delay things at least a little while, the netcode and all around optimization is obviously still completely fubar. Plays more like a late alpha, yeah.

 

[Eejit]

Have you played the latest builds? Definitely not feeling like an alpha. I crash more in gmod...

 

[Iced_Eagle]

I'd say it needs at least another full year of development and QA to be a full fledged, quality product by launch. I hope they delay things at least a little while, the netcode and all around optimization is obviously still completely fubar. Plays more like a late alpha, yeah.

Based on past progress, I think they'll likely ship sometime in summer, MAYBE late spring if they can fix the last remaining tech issues that stand in the way from making every game you play fully playable (they're working hard on optimizing the server which seems to be the major issue).

Plus, they seem to be taking the game back to its roots a bit more, such as adding marine building again, and they're taking a lot of that balance data from before over as well (however, since there's so much new stuff, it will have to get tweaked, but they have a solid foundation to start on). This is why I think they'll be able to work faster once they get the last pieces in.

I'm hoping the beta gave them enough coverage that they were able to get enough revenue to keep going until they can release a solid 1.0 release. After release though, I'm expecting them to be aggressive in patching the game as well, which should be great.

On a final note, UWE is looking for testers to help them test the latest builds before they get sent out to everyone!

http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2010/12/ns2_build_158_released

We are in need of some dedicated, unpaid testers to help discover and reproduce bugs. If you can commit a good amount of time to playing our pre-release builds, are able to jump onto our server quickly for a test at a moment's notice and are willing to provide clear details (screenshots, reproduction steps) to reproduce bugs, we need you!
We are looking for about 20-30 playtesters in a variety of time-zones to start. If you're interested, please write us at [EMAIL="[email protected]."][email protected].[/EMAIL]