Chris
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2019
- Messages
- 53
- Thread Author
- #1
Topic/subject: I propose Shell beach's layout be adjusted to open it up to the resistance and add more opportunities for conflict. Turning it into a quasi-neutral zone
Whom it may concern: All factions, though primarily resistance, Vortigaunts, CPs and CWU.
Summary: The Combine barricades paired with toxic stretch of the sewers of the Shell Beach ramp are making much of the map useless when it has large potential to be a more dynamic area.
In depth analysis of the issue:
After Looking around on the Dev server and exploring the far end of Shell beach past the Combine barricades, I've come to the conclusion that this whole area of the map is being essentially wasted since there's no real reason to visit nor is there a reason to visit it as a member of the resistance. Mainly due the fact that the entrance is impassable and the only faction that can actually reach Shell Beach from the sewers are Vortigaunts. DeNuke has also adjusted the rules slightly to allow biotics to roam on shell beach for situations such as workshifts.
However there is nothing there to be used by any faction and it's just empty space. I think this is a mistake from the admin team I should be changed to promote more healthy server dynamics.
Suggestion for improvement:
The Combine barricades that already exist will be moved to the Cyan line, protecting the warehouses on the docks. This will open up the ship and the larger beach area for the resistance. With this in mind, I suggest that the Combine in this area will not openly attack the resistance (unless they are clearly posing a threat) and instead focus on a defensive role of protecting the warehouses on the docks.
These warehouses will be repurposed to act as storage hubs for the CWU and other Combine factions. Containing useful loot for the resistance to potentially take a stab at and give them more of a presence towards factions which may otherwise ignore their existence. Giving a clear and juicy target for the resistance will also encourage the more militant players to stay away from the civilian targets from inside the city and instead try and improve themselves by hitting something that will have tangible consequences for the atmosphere in the city.
In order for the Combine to have access, there is the main bulkhead for APCs in case of large-scale anti-citizen activity but the red dot with the arrow is my proposal for a new linked door that will connect the upper-train area with a section within the city. Using this otherwise pointless alleyway as seen below:
IC pathway this door would take, which is realistic A corridor could even be constructed if necessary to simulate the walking distance:
This will make Shell Beach more of a interesting locale with the potential to maybe even allow high-tier citizens or employees of the Combine factions to experience and manage a new zone that their factions will need in order to be successful.
CPs can also guard the barricades and keep watch in the area on their city patrols to keep an eye on the resistance and with the potential for some unique roleplay between factions which are otherwise outright hostile to each other or smaller skirmishes that won't result in a sweep but provide some low-stakes actions.
Opening up this half of the beach will also allow free vortigaunt players to actually make use of their hideout and traverse the map instead of being cut off due to the canals being a strictly expedition zone. Obviously the impromptu barricades that already exist out of the garage exit of the sewers will help add some cover for Vortigaunts who do not provoke the Combine and are merely travelling from A to B. Being spotted travelling between the Lighthouse and the sewer exit also shouldn't warrant a OTA sweep from the Combine. Since the existence of Alien life outside of the city is well known. That being said: Vortigaunts loitering around for no discernible reason should start attracting rightful attention. The many containers and unique locations also have the potential to provide more riskier smuggler locations, such as the fishing boat at the bottom left corner of the picture above. A high-tier smuggler so close to the Combine would help add some spice through the mechanics that already exist.
The containers can also be used by the resistance as bases as well as the ship itself, the existence of the resistance on the ship should be already well known to the Combine (as they are already known in the sewers) though the Combine have no need to attack or wipe them out unless provoked. Since essentially the rebels have been shoved into a single corridor which is the entire reason why we left the old map in the first place.
Additional trash spawns can be placed along the beach itself to act as salvaged washed up on the beach and give a safer place for vorts and rebels to scavenge without entering the CZ.
This boat could potentially be a spawn point for a smuggler NPC, being so close to the Combine barricade it could potentially have some high-tier items which are exclusive but with the obvious risk of getting shot at from CPs guarding the barricades.
I feel as though there can be more things added to the beach to make it a mid-way point. Perhaps we could re-work the sewers to utilize the old spore system to prevent constant back and forth travel and instead have it act as a soft barrier. With smaller pockets of air in the sewers in roleplay hubs.
Throw in your own suggestions and thoughts on this idea but I think it would benefit pretty much every faction on the server with no downside.
Whom it may concern: All factions, though primarily resistance, Vortigaunts, CPs and CWU.
Summary: The Combine barricades paired with toxic stretch of the sewers of the Shell Beach ramp are making much of the map useless when it has large potential to be a more dynamic area.
In depth analysis of the issue:
After Looking around on the Dev server and exploring the far end of Shell beach past the Combine barricades, I've come to the conclusion that this whole area of the map is being essentially wasted since there's no real reason to visit nor is there a reason to visit it as a member of the resistance. Mainly due the fact that the entrance is impassable and the only faction that can actually reach Shell Beach from the sewers are Vortigaunts. DeNuke has also adjusted the rules slightly to allow biotics to roam on shell beach for situations such as workshifts.
However there is nothing there to be used by any faction and it's just empty space. I think this is a mistake from the admin team I should be changed to promote more healthy server dynamics.
Suggestion for improvement:
The Combine barricades that already exist will be moved to the Cyan line, protecting the warehouses on the docks. This will open up the ship and the larger beach area for the resistance. With this in mind, I suggest that the Combine in this area will not openly attack the resistance (unless they are clearly posing a threat) and instead focus on a defensive role of protecting the warehouses on the docks.
These warehouses will be repurposed to act as storage hubs for the CWU and other Combine factions. Containing useful loot for the resistance to potentially take a stab at and give them more of a presence towards factions which may otherwise ignore their existence. Giving a clear and juicy target for the resistance will also encourage the more militant players to stay away from the civilian targets from inside the city and instead try and improve themselves by hitting something that will have tangible consequences for the atmosphere in the city.
In order for the Combine to have access, there is the main bulkhead for APCs in case of large-scale anti-citizen activity but the red dot with the arrow is my proposal for a new linked door that will connect the upper-train area with a section within the city. Using this otherwise pointless alleyway as seen below:
IC pathway this door would take, which is realistic A corridor could even be constructed if necessary to simulate the walking distance:
This will make Shell Beach more of a interesting locale with the potential to maybe even allow high-tier citizens or employees of the Combine factions to experience and manage a new zone that their factions will need in order to be successful.
CPs can also guard the barricades and keep watch in the area on their city patrols to keep an eye on the resistance and with the potential for some unique roleplay between factions which are otherwise outright hostile to each other or smaller skirmishes that won't result in a sweep but provide some low-stakes actions.
Opening up this half of the beach will also allow free vortigaunt players to actually make use of their hideout and traverse the map instead of being cut off due to the canals being a strictly expedition zone. Obviously the impromptu barricades that already exist out of the garage exit of the sewers will help add some cover for Vortigaunts who do not provoke the Combine and are merely travelling from A to B. Being spotted travelling between the Lighthouse and the sewer exit also shouldn't warrant a OTA sweep from the Combine. Since the existence of Alien life outside of the city is well known. That being said: Vortigaunts loitering around for no discernible reason should start attracting rightful attention. The many containers and unique locations also have the potential to provide more riskier smuggler locations, such as the fishing boat at the bottom left corner of the picture above. A high-tier smuggler so close to the Combine would help add some spice through the mechanics that already exist.
The containers can also be used by the resistance as bases as well as the ship itself, the existence of the resistance on the ship should be already well known to the Combine (as they are already known in the sewers) though the Combine have no need to attack or wipe them out unless provoked. Since essentially the rebels have been shoved into a single corridor which is the entire reason why we left the old map in the first place.
Additional trash spawns can be placed along the beach itself to act as salvaged washed up on the beach and give a safer place for vorts and rebels to scavenge without entering the CZ.
This boat could potentially be a spawn point for a smuggler NPC, being so close to the Combine barricade it could potentially have some high-tier items which are exclusive but with the obvious risk of getting shot at from CPs guarding the barricades.
I feel as though there can be more things added to the beach to make it a mid-way point. Perhaps we could re-work the sewers to utilize the old spore system to prevent constant back and forth travel and instead have it act as a soft barrier. With smaller pockets of air in the sewers in roleplay hubs.
Throw in your own suggestions and thoughts on this idea but I think it would benefit pretty much every faction on the server with no downside.
