Responses to alpha player questions.

[Aeson]

Mantis is up here:  http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=12427

[chemical_art]

Not sure if possible or already discussed, but having the camera pan in response to click and dragging using the mouse would help me a lot. I naturally "want" it to happen I find.

[chemical_art]

In addition, I feel the ninja should have another specific stealth advantage to help distinguish itself from the assault bot.

I was thinking 33% damage for the first turn out of cloak if the cloak is temporarily exhausted, to help it hit and run. Giving the unit a bonus to damage while in stealth would be OK as well.

[Tridus]

Maybe the ninja should be the only one that can fire from stealth, given how powerful that is.

[chemical_art]

Maybe the ninja should be the only one that can fire from stealth, given how powerful that is.

This also seems good. It is very powerful. I had already assumed this was the case already due to the power of such an effect.

[orzelek]

Maybe the ninja should be the only one that can fire from stealth, given how powerful that is.

This also seems good. It is very powerful. I had already assumed this was the case already due to the power of such an effect.

It would nerf sniper bot badly. A little less the assault and science one.
But stealth fire is quite necessary for sniper to pick out targets (they are snipers - it's a part of job description ).

[chemical_art]

It would nerf sniper bot badly. A little less the assault and science one.
But stealth fire is quite necessary for sniper to pick out targets (they are snipers - it's a part of job description ).

[caution: I've yet to use snipers]

Snipers, from my understanding, don't inherently use stealth while firing, they just fire from such a range that they cannot be both quickly and accurately be detected. The enemy will react, and eventually will find a sniper, but not quickly because there is little idea where to start.

To more accurately define it then, enemies would never not react to a sniper, they would move in random directions. A truely stealth sniper, for me, makes the thought of a stealth melee fighter (ninja) almost meaningless aside from the trick of virus.

[chemical_art]

To further elaborate on my sniper idea:

Snipers work in pairs. One spots, the other attacks.

As such in BD, I would imagine the sniper is a support unit who benefits from a unit with strong sensors.

After being spotted, the sniper would pick off units at extreme distance. With no spotter, the sniper would not be able to take full advantage of its range.

enemy units would be alerted to sniper shots regardless of cloak, but would not know "exactly" where the shot came from, allowing the sniper to relocate between shots.

[Tridus]

Considering how effective range is in this game, the sniper having good damage long range weapons will be just fine even if it can't pick stuff off from across the map in stealth. Hell, my assault bot with a sufficiently range boosted laser can do it.

Stealth does need to be toned down, the enemies don't do *anything* during it right now. It's basically invincibility.

(I also find it weird how the enemies that are alerted on a rescue mission stop attacking the pods when you go into stealth.)

[Winge]

(I also find it weird how the enemies that are alerted on a rescue mission stop attacking the pods when you go into stealth.)

I would argue that that is one of the most important benefits of stealth.  It is already brutally hard to save those kind of targets, as the enemy gets a massive head start on attacking them, and those things have wet toilet paper grade armor.

[nas1m]

Maybe the ninja should be the only one that can fire from stealth, given how powerful that is.

Good idea! I supported the idea of keeping all actions from breaking stealth for all Exos, but let some actions cost extra stealth points in another thread. This seems like another valid alternative to me, though.
I don't think that this would nerf the Sniper too badly, removing its to fire from stealth might even be an incentive for the player to specialize in range and sight upgrades - what would not be too bad imho...

[Winge]

Except, unless I am mistaken, there are no SIGHT upgrades.  And you cannot fire into sensor range (exception:  Shadow Torpedo, which is on the Epic Siege Bot).

[nas1m]

Except, unless I am mistaken, there are no SIGHT upgrades.  And you cannot fire into sensor range (exception:  Shadow Torpedo, which is on the Epic Siege Bot).

I meant Sensor Range. Sorry about that . Where i was going is that you will (in theory) need both types of upgrades to further increase sniper range at some point - range and Sensor range. Not that Sensor range should be much trouble here considering the snipers significant default one...