Predator traps - how to improve them? How to use them better?

[ThePiachu]

Since I suck at SS13 melee combat, I find myself reliant on the traps to stand a chance against a lot of the xenos (since they don't slow down when hurt - https://gitlab.com/cmdevs/ColonialMarines/issues/4778 ). However, the more I learn about them the more I understand why people dislike them for being borderline dishonourable and unfun. So, how would you improve the traps to make them less OP while still being a useful tool for those that need extra crutches?

Other than preventing xenos from running away, I'd love to be able to set traps for some dumb Marines - "want this BC boy? It's right there for the taking. Oh, you fell into my trap!". I found two big problems with that however - one, Marines can pick them up, so they don't work everywhere, and two - you have to be careful how you use them. There are only so many of them, so you can't just waste them, and if someone gets caught in them that is an "innocent prey", you can't hunt them, and you potentially lost your trap if they buddies drag them away. So you're basically limited to setting them up pretty impromptu as you see a worthy prey walking by or tricking people into falling into them. How would you advise a youngblood to go about this without having to resort to bodyblocking a medic going for that BC so they wouldn't trigger your trap or take your bait away?

How do you use the traps to make the game more fun? How would you like to see them improved?

[z a n e b o t]

are you using the traps in a 1v1?

[Symbiosis]

Per the last discussion they’re likely being changed to being Dishonorable in the honor code per our last discussion. The inability for xenos to use their pounces/abilities, tackle, and being crippled is at the moment too strong to be used unless you’re fighting off a horde. Using them on lone xenos you’re hunting is definitely OP.

[ThesoldierLLJK]

Per the last discussion they’re likely being changed to being Dishonorable in the honor code per our last discussion. The inability for xenos to use their pounces/abilities, tackle, and being crippled is at the moment too strong to be used unless you’re fighting off a horde. Using them on lone xenos you’re hunting is definitely OP.

What if you have 2 xenos trying to charge you after you engage them. Looking back at my last fight with 2 ravagers, if I was able to drop a activated trap I might not have lost an arm.

Maybe the guideline should be no dice for a 1v1 but anything more than 2 is fair game?

[z a n e b o t]

What if you have 2 xenos trying to charge you after you engage them. Looking back at my last fight with 2 ravagers, if I was able to drop a activated trap I might not have lost an arm.

Maybe the guideline should be no dice for a 1v1 but anything more than 2 is fair game?

well if you're fighting more than one person it wouldnt make it dishonorable to use, since it wouldnt be in a duel so I don't see a problem with that

[ThesoldierLLJK]

well if you're fighting more than one person it wouldnt make it dishonorable to use, since it wouldnt be in a duel so I don't see a problem with that

Well to be fair I was being spicey by going after a young one and then suddenly here comes his friend and it was one of those oh shit moments. I'm not a fan of using the plasma caster unless other players do really low RP shit or do something really stupid which they deserve to get shot with it.

[z a n e b o t]

Well to be fair I was being spicey by going after a young one and then suddenly here comes his friend and it was one of those oh shit moments. I'm not a fan of using the plasma caster unless other players do really low RP shit or do something really stupid which they deserve to get shot with it.

y o u n g

[Symbiosis]

What if you have 2 xenos trying to charge you after you engage them. Looking back at my last fight with 2 ravagers, if I was able to drop a activated trap I might not have lost an arm.

Maybe the guideline should be no dice for a 1v1 but anything more than 2 is fair game?

Anything more than 2v1 is fair - but if you trap your prey it’s no longer a valid hunting target, at least in the way I personally view it. You’re basically fighting a defenseless farwa at that point.

I’ll let the others chime in, though.

[ThePiachu]

well if you're fighting more than one person it wouldnt make it dishonorable to use, since it wouldnt be in a duel so I don't see a problem with that

Honour duel is not the same as a honourable prey. When you're hunting a singular human or xeno, they are prey, it's not a duel, because they have no honour. Just because it's 1v1 doesn't make it a duel.

[z a n e b o t]

Honour duel is not the same as a honourable prey. When you're hunting a singular human or xeno, they are prey, it's not a duel, because they have no honour. Just because it's 1v1 doesn't make it a duel.

if you're using a trap in a 1v1 you're a scumbag period

[Renomaki]

I used to use the pre-buff trap to force aliens to fight me, or at least to keep them from running away (but they often would just resort to pouncing away instead). Xenos tend to have a habit of REFUSING to fight you in a 1V1 situation. The only time they are eager is if they see you are badly wounded, or they outnumber you.

Keep in mind, pre-buff traps weren't too extreme compared to what we got now. They slowed them down, sure, but they allowed them to use all their abilities and the slowdown wasn't as bad either. At the very least, a good xeno could still put up a good fight if they were robust.

nowadays they overbuffed it and now traps are useless for the most part. Meaning now you have to chase xenos around, and there is no way to force them to fight you unless you somehow are able to corner them in a way that ensures they CAN'T escape... Or they really are willing to fight you to the death.

You can't use traps to defend the lodge, since marines would just steal them for themselves, and xenos would just waltz into the lodge and melt everything anyways, trap or not.

[NethIafins]

You don't 1v1 benos, you hunt them.

Tho I see points above.

What if trap is more of chain-chomp? It grabs onto the limb and while giving you full movement and speed, stops you abruptly of you try to leave certain radius

[Symbiosis]

You don't 1v1 benos, you hunt them.

Tho I see points above.

What if trap is more of chain-chomp? It grabs onto the limb and while giving you full movement and speed, stops you abruptly of you try to leave certain radius

That’s been asked for - I think it would be a great addition. Fair for both sides. If you make it happen you’d be thanked by both the Beanos and the Preds!

[ThePiachu]

You don't 1v1 benos, you hunt them.

Tho I see points above.

What if trap is more of chain-chomp? It grabs onto the limb and while giving you full movement and speed, stops you abruptly of you try to leave certain radius

All I want from a trap is to force the engagement to happen and still make it an honourable fight. A chain-chomp trap would be really good!

[ThesoldierLLJK]

All I want from a trap is to force the engagement to happen and still make it an honourable fight. A chain-chomp trap would be really good!

Chain whip, if you're hunting them and they run, hit the legs. At that point they are cowards and deserve to die.

[z a n e b o t]

i hope you realize by 1v1 i meant you're hunting them. AKA hunting a single xeno which means you're going into the fight as a 1v1 and if you're using a trap for that theres literally no way to lose and makes it unfair to the xeno

[oprayx73]

i said it before n ill say it again

traps should be used solely as a tool to disable and slow down creatures, weither as to run away from them, or to catch up to them.
it has no place in hunting normal honorable prey, because it makes the hunt near worthless since it's so easy, and arguably, your prey "cannot fight at its full capacity"

[z a n e b o t]

i said it before n ill say it again

traps should be used solely as a tool to disable and slow down creatures, weither as to run away from them, or to catch up to them.
it has no place in hunting normal honorable prey, because it makes the hunt near worthless since it's so easy, and arguably, your prey "cannot fight at its full capacity"

exactly.

[ThePiachu]

i said it before n ill say it again

traps should be used solely as a tool to disable and slow down creatures, weither as to run away from them, or to catch up to them.
it has no place in hunting normal honorable prey, because it makes the hunt near worthless since it's so easy, and arguably, your prey "cannot fight at its full capacity"

Well, keep in mind that sometimes the players need something they can use to compensate for their skill at the game. If you tend to take a lot of damage, you go for the heavy armour, while if you can't deal with fast xenos, you might want something to compensate in that area as well. "Git gud" might not always be the option for everyone.

[z a n e b o t]

Well, keep in mind that sometimes the players need something they can use to compensate for their skill at the game. If you tend to take a lot of damage, you go for the heavy armour, while if you can't deal with fast xenos, you might want something to compensate in that area as well. "Git gud" might not always be the option for everyone.

Yeah but this role isnt for our enjoyment its for the enjoyment of the players we're against, trapping them isnt fun

[oprayx73]

Well, keep in mind that sometimes the players need something they can use to compensate for their skill at the game. If you tend to take a lot of damage, you go for the heavy armour, while if you can't deal with fast xenos, you might want something to compensate in that area as well. "Git gud" might not always be the option for everyone.

im sorry but GIT GUD, Fight reservedly/against weaker prey, and use the hunting sword.
those are your options, or do all 3 or a mix i don't care, but you can't sacrifice other's experience for your own lack of it.

[Renomaki]

Hunting honorable prey isn't easy when said prey refuses to fight you in an honorable situation, though...

You could attempt to fight a ravager (the predator killer) and chances are they'd run away constantly until they had backup, because a lot of xenos know that fighting predators is risky business and requires a lot of skill and understanding of your caste to pull off.

Of course, even if they were really robust, they'd still run away anyways, because they aren't bound to a code of honor: It is much better for them to fight dirty than fair.

Hence why we need something that'll FORCE them to fight on our terms, without completely taking the fun out of it. After all, if there is one thing I like, it is a good scuffle. But I can't have said scuffle if the trap completely cripples them to the point of making it anti-climactic. I wanna have a FIGHT damn it...