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[Mgamerz]

I've uncovered some of the underlying mechanics of gameplay that you may not have previously known about.
 
Sync Kill Mechanics
Our melee kits’ least favorite game mechanic involves getting smashed/stabbed/grabbed or pulverized so hard you’re out for the wave. Of course, exploiting the limit of this mechanic is well known, right? If you and the sync killer are on different levels (altitude), you are safe from certain doom.
However, modding the game to increase the enemy’s sync kill radius has revealed more about this limitation. Specifically: the sync killer must be on an inclined surface for you to be safe.
Below, you can see a video example of sync kills occurring while the player is on a different level than the enemy, but is still getting sucked into the animation. It’s only when the enemy is on the incline that the mechanic is defeated.

Sync Kill Mechanics (Edited short version)
https://www.youtube....h?v=ks0hmDvp3ug

Sync Kill Mechanics (Extended cut with a mega-trolling praetorian):


So remember, if you’ve ever been pulled into a sync kill you thought you were safe from, think about whether or not the enemy was on level ground. If they were, that’s why you got grabbed. Next time, lure them onto the ramp and then punch/slash/slap and hammer to your heart’s content.
 
Glacier Hazard Bees
Mostly just an annoyance for seasoned players, the roving bee cloud has what seems to be a somewhat random movement mechanic. When its speed is increased with mods, however, it turns out its movement is very likely tied to the hosting player’s location. There is code that tries to calculate the location with the most players and send the bees to occupy it; however, gameplay seems to suggest this code is broken or unused.

Specifically (in our experiences), the bees initially spawn in one of three areas: the LZ, the upper lab, or the basement. See the picture below.

The bees then follow a predetermined looping path through that area, and do not seem to respond to players (other than the host), enemy location, or health.

Once the hosting player leaves the zone with the bees in it (more on the zones later), the bee cloud enters a second state where it speeds up to complete a loop in the area it’s currently occupying.
Once the bees reach a start/stop point in the current loop, they then travel to the host player’s new zone, moving from a start/stop point on the old loop to a start/stop point on the new loop via a unique (not always straight) path. Once the bees reach the start/stop point for the new area, they begin the predetermined loop through that zone.

If the host leaves that zone, the bees will follow the same pattern: complete the loop of the old zone, travel to the new zone, then start the loop of the new zone.
The bees will travel 100% faster than normal to complete their old loop when the host player leaves the zone. Once the end of the current loop is reached, the bees will transit between loops 33% faster than normal.

Once the bees begin traveling to another zone, they won’t deviate from their course until they reach the start of the new loop - even if the host changes back to the original zone.
 
But why do I care?
We have mapped the thresholds for the host player so the bees can be moved where you want them!. This is especially helpful if you have to perform a hack and don’t (or do) want the bees around.

If you are the host, simply tell your squadmates you are going to have the bees follow you, then spend the hack out of the circle and just on the other side of the boundary for that zone. Getting the bees to move to a new zone requires the host to stay in the new zone until the bees reach the start/stop point for the current zone. Once they begin the transition to a new zone, they cannot be stopped until reaching the new zone. This is a good strategy to get the bees out of the way, as they may take minutes to return to your hack area after leaving.
For all the hack locations, there is only one that is guaranteed to have a big safe space where the bees won’t go, and that is in the upper labs in the corner overlooking the LZ. Turns out that the upper labs area isn't quite fully covered by the bee trigger area. So you could stand just outside the upper labs trigger area as the host, and keep the bees in the LZ.

TL;DR here's a video fo the bees.


Transam617 and Hallashyn assisted with this research/pics/videos. I used some unreleased modmaker options to change the speed of the bees which I will be releasing in the next couple of days. The original post is on reddit.

[Dalakaar]

If you are the host, simply tell your squadmates you are going to have the bees follow you, then spend the hack out of the circle

Yes.

 

This will go over well.

 

You're damn good at science. Marketing... eh...

[Oni Changas]

Good to know theres still thinkers on this forum. Thanks for the find!

[LoonySpectre]

Bees were a delicacy in my hack circle.

[Black_Mage]

just when I thought I knew all there is to know about ME3  

[Excella Gionne]

I thought the bees became unshackled and decided to increase its speed by 300% just to kill you. Good thing Inquisition, I can keep them in my bottles and they don't die.

[Arktinen]

Sincere thanks, Mgamerz, + helpers, for those swarm route pics and the video.

 

I knew they were doing certain routes but had never realized it's not 1 swarm rolling around in a continuous circle, but three separate loops. I don't play that hazard often but just the same day after reading your post, I Pugged again into a GiP, and remembering those safespots and routes now, saved my sorry ass more than once.  Awesome info!

I'm sure many of us here appreciate the continuous work you still keep doing on this, and then you even share it with the rest of us. We noobs, especially, and the oldies, too surely, owe a big thanks to your efforts.

 

If I ever play this game on pc, I'd love to try out those modded games for funsies.

[Deerber]

Nice info as always, thanks.

But I'm reasonably sure that the bees always spawn in the basement and always come towards the lz at the start of the match. It has happened 100% of the games I was in, so... Yeah.

[The_Nightman_Cometh]

Like you didn't see this one coming........................

 

 

 

 

                               

[Mgamerz]

Nice info as always, thanks.

But I'm reasonably sure that the bees always spawn in the basement and always come towards the lz at the start of the match. It has happened 100% of the games I was in, so... Yeah.

I'm pretty sure they do too but I didnt write the post, just the research. If on console it may take so long to load it will already be in LZ.

[frank_is_crank]

But I'm reasonably sure that the bees always spawn in the basement and always come towards the lz at the start of the match. It has happened 100% of the games I was in, so... Yeah.

 

Agreed - I never saw the swarm in the LZ or the Lab before start of W1. And if it follows the pattern described in OP it will always have to travel to LZ zone, because the host was there when it spawned. Right?

 

And this:

 

Nice info as always, thanks.

 

[Alfonsedode]

Nice info as always, thanks.

But I'm reasonably sure that the bees always spawn in the basement and always come towards the lz at the start of the match. It has happened 100% of the games I was in, so... Yeah.

well the host tend to be in LZ at the end of the match, doesnt he ?

[Arkhne]

I'm going to have to agree, tentatively, with the basement spawn at the start of the match. I play on PS3, so loading in can take a while, however, the location of the swarm does tend to suggest it came from the basement, and is trying to reach the LZ circuit.

 

I fully intend to try some of this out in-game later. Confirm working the same on PS3 then, though I doubt it would be different.

[JRandall0308]

As always, superlative work, Mgamerz.

[Mgamerz]

Could just be my controller mod. I'm not sure what is is but my computer seems to be unhappy with it these days as when it loads players the game just CRAWLS. It didn't use to do this, nothing has changed. I'm talking like 10fps when a player joins. Since a game loads 3 its like 2 minutes of loading. It's like PS3 simulator. Once they load it goes up about 3fps a second until I get back to 60. Really weird. I've seen the bees in LZ probably cause of how long it took for me to load. Probably not like that in normal games.

[filippopotame]

Thanks Mgamerz, lots of helpfull info !

 

a question : does the fact o shooting at the bees have an impact on their movements ?

[NOO3TASTIC]

Thanks Mgamerz, lots of helpfull info !

 

a question : does the fact o shooting at the bees have an impact on their movements ?

 

Yeah shooting the bees seem to agitate them and make them move at a higher rate and maybe follow the player that did the shooting. I think shooting them makes them follow the shooting player them regardless of whether that player was the host or not. Not completely sure about this but it does seem like a good idea to shoot the bees and then lead them in a group of enemies or teammates.

[Mgamerz]

The bees do not change speed when shot. The only change is the collision cylinder is widened. They always do 250 damage per second.

[MeetYourNanny]

I recalled this thread yesterday when playing Glacier Hazard, and it actually helped me not to die so often due to the bee attacks!

 

So cheers

 

it wos useful

[NOO3TASTIC]

The bees do not change speed when shot. The only change is the collision cylinder is widened. They always do 250 damage per second.

 

Hmm. Maybe that collision cylinder widening makes it seem like bees are moving inside that swarm at a faster rate. But do they follow the player that shot the bees? I have kinda noticed it sometimes but I am not exactly sure.

[Mgamerz]

Nope. Always the host.

[Deerber]

They seem to do a lot less damage when you shoot them though... No?

[Mgamerz]

Nope it's the standard 250.

[Fuenf789]

Thanks for the original post Mgamerz.

1) The part where it follows the host ( or the last person alive) seems right, and the handling of mechanics during objective waves is very helpful.

2) seeing it as three independent loops, though, might need some adjustment : I'm pretty sure that the Killer hazard bees also have a path in the corridor between the basement and the LZ, and I have seen them many time going up the basement towars the lz. So the picture needs to be adapted. One large path, with three smaller loops(zones). Was the original author/research from reddit, then? (They have less open discussions than here in BSN, posting reddit moderators are always right and blocks objections - which explains long lasting mistakes)

3) I would suggest drawing it like this: One large continuous outer path, always starting in the basement, and "branching points" to get closer to the host. I can also update that in our map repository if everyone agrees to this "continuous path" loop...

[Mgamerz]

The bees will go outside the path as they transition to another loop. Depending on how the host is moving it may seem like another loop because the basement can simply turn around (at the zone's loop start) if the host changes zone while it is in transition.. We sped it way up and studied it (as well as the crazy kismet code that drives it) and it only has loops A B and C.

I would argue that Reddit has much more useful posts than here. I have never had issues with the mass effect subreddits or their moderators. The mecoop one is great. I typically post my content there more than here.