kind of guide
herakl3s
Join Date: 2010-12-22 Member: 75852Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2010-12-22 Member: 75852Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Hey guys, I'm gonna write here some thoughts about how to improve at NS2. It reflects my own beliefs, from NS2 merc to NS2WC
winner.
I will first thank my amazing team mates and some other players that made me improve by playing with or against them: Marine-
Tane,Fana Skulk-Alcalde Fade-Valk Lerk-Eissfeldt,laama.
I'll add stuff when i feel like it, and try to categorize them.
Is what i am doing usefull to the victory?
This question sums up the competitive mentality for me. Whatever you are doing at any time, is it improving the odds for your team
to take the match? Whenever I am left without orders or a goal this is what goes through my mind. Questioning myself forces me to
be creative and to find opportunities.
Marine gameplay:
A.Personal skill
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather
have those because we acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. Aristote
I will mostly be using quake terms to define the different skills a marine needs in NS2. These are the basics. In any highly
competitive sports, players spend half their time training those wich permits them to be proficient in their role.
A boxer doesn't prepare by fighting every days, a soccer player doesn't play a full match everyday to prepare a championship.
High level competitors hone their basics by the means of drills, wich then become reflexes.
That's why you will see some teams overperforming in PCWs, thinking they are improving in all aspects(in fact mostly on their
strats) and when comes the real thing they choke. Even though their strats are good, their basics are not. To be more precise,
their players become accustomed to doing the same things, taking the same rooms and routes every rounds so once they get out
strated they have to change their gameplan BUT their players do not have strong enough basics to adapt on the spot.
In quake, it's somewhat accepted that 3 main skills define a player, aim, movement, brain.
As a player you will never reach the same level in all of those. This is the first important step to improvement, what are your
weaknesses? Train accordingly.
1 Aim
Being able to put your crosshair on your opponent by various ways (tracking, twitching, waiting, strafing) is aiming.
Your most important tool is your mouse and 1st characteristic it's shape. Close 2nd it's sensor.
This first drill that I learned from an interview of SK Toxjq in Quake 4 (arguably one of the best aimer in the quake serie) is
pretty simple but very effective to bring up your aim fast.
Drill: "special combat"
Get access to a server console
Console commands
sv_cheats 1
Bind U marine
Bind I skulk
Bind O lerk
Bind P fade
Damage 0,3 to 1
Speed 1 to 1,5
Pick a team mate and just fight eachovers. Respawn as soon as one is killed. Change locations on the map after 20ish kills. Do it
for 60 kills then switch sides. It should take 30/40 minutes to complete. Be creative: lmg/skulk-lerk-fade sg/skulk-lerk-fade
Once you are confident with your aim add speed by 0.1
Dont over train, this is very hard on the wrist, it's constant aiming and dodging.
1.1 Strafe aim and twitch aim
In NS2 as in Quake you can track by strafing in the same direction your opponent is going, a side stepping marine nearly goes as
fast as a running skulk. This skill is situational.
As a player you should be able to mix mousing and strafing, high sensers benefit from strafing aim.
Drills:
My favorite way to train my strafing aim is Quakelive. Join a CA server (mod with all weapons and full stack in 10 rounds) and
abuse the lightning gun, try to track with your keyboard and gently correct with your mouse.
Twitch aiming is about memory, less about rythm than tracking (if you are not doing a "waiting" shot). CS:GO aim training map is
pretty good to memorize your sens perfectly. You can use spots on a wall too, just aim one after the other faster and faster.
1.2 Positioning
The most talked about skill. NS2 is all about positioning (c) Fana. Well he is right and positioning is one of the most important
skill in any FPS game. I put it in aiming because good aiming permits you to hit from any angle, but good positioning makes these
angles easier.
Knowing the maps perfectly is the first step. As a marine you should know all the hotspots, where skulks are more likely to engage
and the counter positions to these.
Another thing I feel not enough people talk about is the speed routes, where aliens gain most momentum, I'll explain more later.
Basically when you start mastering positions, fighting becomes fun, less hard aiming and less nearly lost battles.
Peaking (underrated in NS2) is a subskill of positioning.
A common mistake beginners do is to think too much on maximizing their damage output and not the intake. This works against
unorganised aliens that rush you frontly even from the end of a corridor, but in a match if you position too simply you will get
crushed by a well synchronized rush.
As I said you must take in account your enemy momentum. Competitive skulks reach high speeds, if you position only to maximize you
damage output aiming is easier but reaching you too. You need to make compromises between output and intake.
Use the map to your advantage, do not overcomplicate angles but keep in mind your enemy's abilities.
A marine fighting a pack should always be able to kill at least 1 skulk, more if he totally outpositions them.
If you fail in a fight and don't deal much damage don't blame your aim like a rooky. Ask yourself if you add a good position, good
angle and if you managed to break their momentum.
Drill: "special combat 2"
You can train this with 2 or more team mates. Ask them to rush you in different positions around the maps. Be creative, use
corners, peaks, railings, barriers, stairs, open spaces... to break their momentum. Surprise them. Remember it's all about giving
yourself a easier time fighting and them a harder time.
2 Movement
2.1 Checking corners
The main problem as a solo marine is skulks ambushing you. Again map knowledge of hotspots is important. Do not check every
corners it's a loss of time, just be extra cautious in those areas. This skill is more about experience.
2.2 Baiting the ambush
Everyone knows this trick, get to the doorway, turn 90 degrees and strafe jump back. You don't need to be parasited to do it, you
can bait with the sound.
2.3 Baiting the rush
The French Fleeing Sprint, a pretty good move to do in the early game. once you scouted a rush incoming (sound, view) bait it to
another marine, while doing so ask for someone to rotate on the map to a good position. Exemple you are solo north tunnel, hear 3
skulks getting in position, poke them, dont reload, ask a rotate on hub, rush hub with the axe.
2.4 RT clearing
Don't overdo it, I see too many players trying to outdodge the skulk. Just fake strafe one side then long strafe opposite side.
You can pre-fire him if the rt isn't low.
2.5 Dodging
Incredible dodging can make you survive badly started engagements. As a general rule, if you are not reloading don't jump. Mid
strafes left right against skulks. A good opening is fast strafes to strafe jump then mid strafes. These kind of dodges are easier
for your comm to med than a spastic jumping all around.
Another very fun opening against a wallhoping skulk if to close the distance at the last second and crouch under him.
Against lerks use the geometry at your advantage. they can go in a hemi sphere around you, deny some of it with walls and objects.
I like to fast strafe then long strafe on the right so their mouse hits their keyboard or screen.
2.6 Sneaking/Sound tricking
My favorite movement skill to abuse again and again. This one is of course all about sound.You can bypass enemy lifeforms to
ambush them, sound trick your enemy by runnig away then sneaking back etc... To be efficient at it you need to know momentum
routes, have map awareness, and know spawn timings. DON'T be ashamed to sneak, with experience you will learn when it's more
usefull.
Drill: Most of these will improve with PCWs. For dodging do some "special combat" with low damage and learn to avoid getting
bursted by skulks.
3 Brain
3.1 Scouting
Scouting in the early game is the most important task. In NS2 it's more about sound than view. Listening instead of watching makes
you unparasitable too. You can pre shoot skulks getting in position for the para with sound scouting.
We crushed countless early rushes just by sound.
By scouting well, your pressure and cappers will be more confident.
Don't be effraid to call positions by sound, even if you are not sure.
3.2 Reading
People may confuse this with scouting. The basic difference is you do it with nearly no direct info. It's experience and game
sense, if you don't use your PCW hours to train this it will never improve.
I often say PCWs are not good training because players dont train the good things in them. They focus too much on their mechanical
skills and their execution. I can name a hundred players with great execution, few with great game sense.
That's why to me, doing 1V1 combat frees your mind of the brain game, then in PCWs you can get in this state where your execution
(aim, movements) feels unconscious. This permits your mind to focus on your own and your enemy's next step.
3.3 Deceipt
One of the important unhonorable skills. It is more at your advantage to be under estimated than over estimated. Do not train at
the same level you want to perform in a match. Remember those over performing teams? Before many important matches we lose a bunch
of PCWs, with people thinking they figured us out. Winning is not a training goal, you don't play to win trainings, you train to
improve and to win tournaments.
Winning PCWs is nothing, you only proved yourself once you reach the final.
As a general rule focus 80% in PCWs + group stages and 100% in semi-finals + finals.
Dont always try hard, you will burn out.
3.4 Psychology
Another important skill to have in the highest stages of competition. You can win a match before playing it. You can lie about
your strats, act rusty in PCWs (deceipt), occasionally troll your opponents (not like a COD kid,use well timed smileys and
comments against carry players).
Some people will be put off by this kind of mentality, well guess what? People will use this shit against you your whole life.
Sometimes the end justifies the means. To be honest i would not be gaming if my opponent wouldn't EZ me when they SG flash my
fade. It's hilarious. Drama will build up your mental strength, use it to starve for improvement. Don't be that pussy staying
silent in the corner.
I can tell you at the lan a lot of players raped my lifeforms and trolled me about it in previous online games (I ofc did the
same). That doesn't remove any respect I have for them as persons (fucking Valk).
This is gaming, not knitting.
As a last word about this never make it personal. Only troll your opponent's skill and don't abuse it.
3.5 Rythm control/Faking/Poking Done
To continue
B. Group skills
1. Aim
1.1 Target focus
Focusing lifeforms can change an engagement's outcome. But contrary to popular belief you should focus the skulks (then lerks) in group fights.
Doing so will greatly diminish alien's PVE ability. Indeed, fades are broken and won't deal any structure damage. That's why PGs are OP in the mid and early late game.
The onos is a special case because of his low evasive capabilities.
The feeling before an alien rush is one of the best in the game. Tension builds up as adrenaline rushes your brain. At this point it's easy to forget basics.
Stay focused. In the split second your enemies take to rush the room, analyse their movement patterns.
Kill the ones rushing YOU. Defend yourself first (in some positions this won't be true).
Bad marines will over cover each others and get bursted of it it.
Don't get lured in focusing the air (lerk, fade) while the ground (skulks) will be the main DPS dealers.
1.2 Weapon choice
Once shotguns come out prefer lmg+sg squads. This is especially good the first 9 minutes against lerks.
The SG kills the skulks and baits the lerk to over spike/engage, while the lmg focuses him.
1.3 PVE to finish
1.4 Positioning
Group positioning should follow basic patterns. Distance, angles, concealment.
The distance between each marines should be high enough so the pack can't engage you all at once.
The angles should permit everyone to deal damage, avoiding TK.
The concealment is an underused and underated group skill. It aims at breaking and using alien momentum against them.
If one marine isn't parasited he should try to position himself more concealed than the others, silently if possible.
Hiding near the speed route, he will let half the aliens get in and shoot the last ones.
This gives 2 advantages: Surprise/free damage* on the last aliens and momentum break on them.
*Remember positions are about damage output and intake. In any FPS you aim at dealing more damage than your opponent in a fight.
If you are the shotgunner don't pussy out hiding behind the lmgs. Take the entrance angle, do not position too simply. Break that angle so you can't be para'd nor spiked.
Overlapping (thx Tane's guide) is another way to cover a room, this time without being inside it. It's basically setting an ambush before that room.
It's hard to pull off but highly rewarding. If done well you will catch the rush by surprise. Again free damage best damage.
Exemple on pipe hive is sub, you clean nano with 3, send 2 directly to system, they sneak to get in position. rush down.
Americans like to flank with a skulk wich often delays their rush. Europeans are more often rushing all in with a gorge. Both are valid, but you should exploit this.
Your reading skill will tells you they are taking longer than needed, forcing too many parasites? Probably waiting for a flank. 2 solutions: 1 of you guys ambushes the flanker early while the others back off a bit, or rush the rush. The last one sounds dumb, but you will most likely surprise the skulks waiting for the flank. Don't forget to prefire the corners if you do so.
For the zerg rush, the concealed guy outside of the momentum route works wonder.
I won't give out our positions (mainly used in matches) but I can say that in most rooms you can hide 1 marine from the drifter scout with him keeping a descent angle.
2. Movement
2.1 Progressing
Basic patterns are needed again. Distance, angles, reactivity.
Keep a safe distance and don't move in a line.
The first marine leads by his movements and doesn't stand in the middle. Don't over communicate.
The second marine must be reactive, if the leader goes to the left of the corridor, himself goes to the right. Both can deal damage at any time.
You will see bad marines breaking these basics alot, touching each other's ass, leader standing in the middle and spamming each others with useless infos.
Do not double check every corner, it's hilarious when I call 2 marines pressuring me from the map center as a gorge, and they reach my RT 10 seconds later. It gives alien time to assess and respond accordingly to the threat.
Never by pass the leader if not asked to. This is the thing i hate the most when I play gathers or mixes. People fucking running in front of you breaking all the basics in a second.
Follow the leader's calls, if he asks you to make noise he is probably sneaking to pick an ambush. If he asks you the contrary, he probably is trying to bait a rush/lerk to out position it self.
2.2 Trapping
The best way to kill higher lifeforms. Again mostly about out positioning your opponent. The concealed marine in a static fight has this role too: blocking the escape route. Countless exemples can be found in our NS2WC matches. Flash those fades.
Most humans will react to surprise by using direct solutions, fastest way to their hive.
Always try to pre-position a player on this way before a big fight. This guy has to know his basics and sneak to get in position.
2.3 Zoning/Mines/rotating
Usefull but overrated in NS2. There are other ways to defend your territory, like mines and rotations.
Most teams will send solo skulks behind your lines, some will lerk assist them to crush one side. The last one is countered by agrresive marine play.
The comm shouldn't have to micro his marine's placements, if your team is able to zone/rotate by itself, he can focus on his basics (meds, out-strating, res management...).
Well placed mines give you the ability to cover multiple RTs with only one rotating player.
For this map awareness is very important.
Exemple on tram: 1 guy pokes ore from repair, 1 guy cuts North tunnel, 3 guys pressure mezza. North gets killed.
A marine in mezza, should start rotating as soon as north is in difficulty and take hub until the spawner comes back.
A good website (thx Grissi) for working on your zoning/rotations is http://www.jollycooperation.com/.
Define the hotspots where you should always have a rotation/zoner, and then name yourself fnatic.MSi cArn
The rotating player with a mine can stop a 5 skulk rush by himself if he stops their momentum. I love doing it and pulled it off multiple times in different matches. Remember to never shoot the first skulk when you have a momentum breaking position.
Put your mines so lerks have to out-position themselves to kill them, a very good exemple of this is Daamz baiting a lerk in season three finals just outside his hive and surprise stomped him.
3. Brain
3.1 Calling to do
3.2
winner.
I will first thank my amazing team mates and some other players that made me improve by playing with or against them: Marine-
Tane,Fana Skulk-Alcalde Fade-Valk Lerk-Eissfeldt,laama.
I'll add stuff when i feel like it, and try to categorize them.
Is what i am doing usefull to the victory?
This question sums up the competitive mentality for me. Whatever you are doing at any time, is it improving the odds for your team
to take the match? Whenever I am left without orders or a goal this is what goes through my mind. Questioning myself forces me to
be creative and to find opportunities.
Marine gameplay:
A.Personal skill
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather
have those because we acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. Aristote
I will mostly be using quake terms to define the different skills a marine needs in NS2. These are the basics. In any highly
competitive sports, players spend half their time training those wich permits them to be proficient in their role.
A boxer doesn't prepare by fighting every days, a soccer player doesn't play a full match everyday to prepare a championship.
High level competitors hone their basics by the means of drills, wich then become reflexes.
That's why you will see some teams overperforming in PCWs, thinking they are improving in all aspects(in fact mostly on their
strats) and when comes the real thing they choke. Even though their strats are good, their basics are not. To be more precise,
their players become accustomed to doing the same things, taking the same rooms and routes every rounds so once they get out
strated they have to change their gameplan BUT their players do not have strong enough basics to adapt on the spot.
In quake, it's somewhat accepted that 3 main skills define a player, aim, movement, brain.
As a player you will never reach the same level in all of those. This is the first important step to improvement, what are your
weaknesses? Train accordingly.
1 Aim
Being able to put your crosshair on your opponent by various ways (tracking, twitching, waiting, strafing) is aiming.
Your most important tool is your mouse and 1st characteristic it's shape. Close 2nd it's sensor.
This first drill that I learned from an interview of SK Toxjq in Quake 4 (arguably one of the best aimer in the quake serie) is
pretty simple but very effective to bring up your aim fast.
Drill: "special combat"
Get access to a server console
Console commands
sv_cheats 1
Bind U marine
Bind I skulk
Bind O lerk
Bind P fade
Damage 0,3 to 1
Speed 1 to 1,5
Pick a team mate and just fight eachovers. Respawn as soon as one is killed. Change locations on the map after 20ish kills. Do it
for 60 kills then switch sides. It should take 30/40 minutes to complete. Be creative: lmg/skulk-lerk-fade sg/skulk-lerk-fade
Once you are confident with your aim add speed by 0.1
Dont over train, this is very hard on the wrist, it's constant aiming and dodging.
1.1 Strafe aim and twitch aim
In NS2 as in Quake you can track by strafing in the same direction your opponent is going, a side stepping marine nearly goes as
fast as a running skulk. This skill is situational.
As a player you should be able to mix mousing and strafing, high sensers benefit from strafing aim.
Drills:
My favorite way to train my strafing aim is Quakelive. Join a CA server (mod with all weapons and full stack in 10 rounds) and
abuse the lightning gun, try to track with your keyboard and gently correct with your mouse.
Twitch aiming is about memory, less about rythm than tracking (if you are not doing a "waiting" shot). CS:GO aim training map is
pretty good to memorize your sens perfectly. You can use spots on a wall too, just aim one after the other faster and faster.
1.2 Positioning
The most talked about skill. NS2 is all about positioning (c) Fana. Well he is right and positioning is one of the most important
skill in any FPS game. I put it in aiming because good aiming permits you to hit from any angle, but good positioning makes these
angles easier.
Knowing the maps perfectly is the first step. As a marine you should know all the hotspots, where skulks are more likely to engage
and the counter positions to these.
Another thing I feel not enough people talk about is the speed routes, where aliens gain most momentum, I'll explain more later.
Basically when you start mastering positions, fighting becomes fun, less hard aiming and less nearly lost battles.
Peaking (underrated in NS2) is a subskill of positioning.
A common mistake beginners do is to think too much on maximizing their damage output and not the intake. This works against
unorganised aliens that rush you frontly even from the end of a corridor, but in a match if you position too simply you will get
crushed by a well synchronized rush.
As I said you must take in account your enemy momentum. Competitive skulks reach high speeds, if you position only to maximize you
damage output aiming is easier but reaching you too. You need to make compromises between output and intake.
Use the map to your advantage, do not overcomplicate angles but keep in mind your enemy's abilities.
A marine fighting a pack should always be able to kill at least 1 skulk, more if he totally outpositions them.
If you fail in a fight and don't deal much damage don't blame your aim like a rooky. Ask yourself if you add a good position, good
angle and if you managed to break their momentum.
Drill: "special combat 2"
You can train this with 2 or more team mates. Ask them to rush you in different positions around the maps. Be creative, use
corners, peaks, railings, barriers, stairs, open spaces... to break their momentum. Surprise them. Remember it's all about giving
yourself a easier time fighting and them a harder time.
2 Movement
2.1 Checking corners
The main problem as a solo marine is skulks ambushing you. Again map knowledge of hotspots is important. Do not check every
corners it's a loss of time, just be extra cautious in those areas. This skill is more about experience.
2.2 Baiting the ambush
Everyone knows this trick, get to the doorway, turn 90 degrees and strafe jump back. You don't need to be parasited to do it, you
can bait with the sound.
2.3 Baiting the rush
The French Fleeing Sprint, a pretty good move to do in the early game. once you scouted a rush incoming (sound, view) bait it to
another marine, while doing so ask for someone to rotate on the map to a good position. Exemple you are solo north tunnel, hear 3
skulks getting in position, poke them, dont reload, ask a rotate on hub, rush hub with the axe.
2.4 RT clearing
Don't overdo it, I see too many players trying to outdodge the skulk. Just fake strafe one side then long strafe opposite side.
You can pre-fire him if the rt isn't low.
2.5 Dodging
Incredible dodging can make you survive badly started engagements. As a general rule, if you are not reloading don't jump. Mid
strafes left right against skulks. A good opening is fast strafes to strafe jump then mid strafes. These kind of dodges are easier
for your comm to med than a spastic jumping all around.
Another very fun opening against a wallhoping skulk if to close the distance at the last second and crouch under him.
Against lerks use the geometry at your advantage. they can go in a hemi sphere around you, deny some of it with walls and objects.
I like to fast strafe then long strafe on the right so their mouse hits their keyboard or screen.
2.6 Sneaking/Sound tricking
My favorite movement skill to abuse again and again. This one is of course all about sound.You can bypass enemy lifeforms to
ambush them, sound trick your enemy by runnig away then sneaking back etc... To be efficient at it you need to know momentum
routes, have map awareness, and know spawn timings. DON'T be ashamed to sneak, with experience you will learn when it's more
usefull.
Drill: Most of these will improve with PCWs. For dodging do some "special combat" with low damage and learn to avoid getting
bursted by skulks.
3 Brain
3.1 Scouting
Scouting in the early game is the most important task. In NS2 it's more about sound than view. Listening instead of watching makes
you unparasitable too. You can pre shoot skulks getting in position for the para with sound scouting.
We crushed countless early rushes just by sound.
By scouting well, your pressure and cappers will be more confident.
Don't be effraid to call positions by sound, even if you are not sure.
3.2 Reading
People may confuse this with scouting. The basic difference is you do it with nearly no direct info. It's experience and game
sense, if you don't use your PCW hours to train this it will never improve.
I often say PCWs are not good training because players dont train the good things in them. They focus too much on their mechanical
skills and their execution. I can name a hundred players with great execution, few with great game sense.
That's why to me, doing 1V1 combat frees your mind of the brain game, then in PCWs you can get in this state where your execution
(aim, movements) feels unconscious. This permits your mind to focus on your own and your enemy's next step.
3.3 Deceipt
One of the important unhonorable skills. It is more at your advantage to be under estimated than over estimated. Do not train at
the same level you want to perform in a match. Remember those over performing teams? Before many important matches we lose a bunch
of PCWs, with people thinking they figured us out. Winning is not a training goal, you don't play to win trainings, you train to
improve and to win tournaments.
Winning PCWs is nothing, you only proved yourself once you reach the final.
As a general rule focus 80% in PCWs + group stages and 100% in semi-finals + finals.
Dont always try hard, you will burn out.
3.4 Psychology
Another important skill to have in the highest stages of competition. You can win a match before playing it. You can lie about
your strats, act rusty in PCWs (deceipt), occasionally troll your opponents (not like a COD kid,use well timed smileys and
comments against carry players).
Some people will be put off by this kind of mentality, well guess what? People will use this shit against you your whole life.
Sometimes the end justifies the means. To be honest i would not be gaming if my opponent wouldn't EZ me when they SG flash my
fade. It's hilarious. Drama will build up your mental strength, use it to starve for improvement. Don't be that pussy staying
silent in the corner.
I can tell you at the lan a lot of players raped my lifeforms and trolled me about it in previous online games (I ofc did the
same). That doesn't remove any respect I have for them as persons (fucking Valk).
This is gaming, not knitting.
As a last word about this never make it personal. Only troll your opponent's skill and don't abuse it.
3.5 Rythm control/Faking/Poking Done
To continue
B. Group skills
1. Aim
1.1 Target focus
Focusing lifeforms can change an engagement's outcome. But contrary to popular belief you should focus the skulks (then lerks) in group fights.
Doing so will greatly diminish alien's PVE ability. Indeed, fades are broken and won't deal any structure damage. That's why PGs are OP in the mid and early late game.
The onos is a special case because of his low evasive capabilities.
The feeling before an alien rush is one of the best in the game. Tension builds up as adrenaline rushes your brain. At this point it's easy to forget basics.
Stay focused. In the split second your enemies take to rush the room, analyse their movement patterns.
Kill the ones rushing YOU. Defend yourself first (in some positions this won't be true).
Bad marines will over cover each others and get bursted of it it.
Don't get lured in focusing the air (lerk, fade) while the ground (skulks) will be the main DPS dealers.
1.2 Weapon choice
Once shotguns come out prefer lmg+sg squads. This is especially good the first 9 minutes against lerks.
The SG kills the skulks and baits the lerk to over spike/engage, while the lmg focuses him.
1.3 PVE to finish
1.4 Positioning
Group positioning should follow basic patterns. Distance, angles, concealment.
The distance between each marines should be high enough so the pack can't engage you all at once.
The angles should permit everyone to deal damage, avoiding TK.
The concealment is an underused and underated group skill. It aims at breaking and using alien momentum against them.
If one marine isn't parasited he should try to position himself more concealed than the others, silently if possible.
Hiding near the speed route, he will let half the aliens get in and shoot the last ones.
This gives 2 advantages: Surprise/free damage* on the last aliens and momentum break on them.
*Remember positions are about damage output and intake. In any FPS you aim at dealing more damage than your opponent in a fight.
If you are the shotgunner don't pussy out hiding behind the lmgs. Take the entrance angle, do not position too simply. Break that angle so you can't be para'd nor spiked.
Overlapping (thx Tane's guide) is another way to cover a room, this time without being inside it. It's basically setting an ambush before that room.
It's hard to pull off but highly rewarding. If done well you will catch the rush by surprise. Again free damage best damage.
Exemple on pipe hive is sub, you clean nano with 3, send 2 directly to system, they sneak to get in position. rush down.
Americans like to flank with a skulk wich often delays their rush. Europeans are more often rushing all in with a gorge. Both are valid, but you should exploit this.
Your reading skill will tells you they are taking longer than needed, forcing too many parasites? Probably waiting for a flank. 2 solutions: 1 of you guys ambushes the flanker early while the others back off a bit, or rush the rush. The last one sounds dumb, but you will most likely surprise the skulks waiting for the flank. Don't forget to prefire the corners if you do so.
For the zerg rush, the concealed guy outside of the momentum route works wonder.
I won't give out our positions (mainly used in matches) but I can say that in most rooms you can hide 1 marine from the drifter scout with him keeping a descent angle.
2. Movement
2.1 Progressing
Basic patterns are needed again. Distance, angles, reactivity.
Keep a safe distance and don't move in a line.
The first marine leads by his movements and doesn't stand in the middle. Don't over communicate.
The second marine must be reactive, if the leader goes to the left of the corridor, himself goes to the right. Both can deal damage at any time.
You will see bad marines breaking these basics alot, touching each other's ass, leader standing in the middle and spamming each others with useless infos.
Do not double check every corner, it's hilarious when I call 2 marines pressuring me from the map center as a gorge, and they reach my RT 10 seconds later. It gives alien time to assess and respond accordingly to the threat.
Never by pass the leader if not asked to. This is the thing i hate the most when I play gathers or mixes. People fucking running in front of you breaking all the basics in a second.
Follow the leader's calls, if he asks you to make noise he is probably sneaking to pick an ambush. If he asks you the contrary, he probably is trying to bait a rush/lerk to out position it self.
2.2 Trapping
The best way to kill higher lifeforms. Again mostly about out positioning your opponent. The concealed marine in a static fight has this role too: blocking the escape route. Countless exemples can be found in our NS2WC matches. Flash those fades.
Most humans will react to surprise by using direct solutions, fastest way to their hive.
Always try to pre-position a player on this way before a big fight. This guy has to know his basics and sneak to get in position.
2.3 Zoning/Mines/rotating
Usefull but overrated in NS2. There are other ways to defend your territory, like mines and rotations.
Most teams will send solo skulks behind your lines, some will lerk assist them to crush one side. The last one is countered by agrresive marine play.
The comm shouldn't have to micro his marine's placements, if your team is able to zone/rotate by itself, he can focus on his basics (meds, out-strating, res management...).
Well placed mines give you the ability to cover multiple RTs with only one rotating player.
For this map awareness is very important.
Exemple on tram: 1 guy pokes ore from repair, 1 guy cuts North tunnel, 3 guys pressure mezza. North gets killed.
A marine in mezza, should start rotating as soon as north is in difficulty and take hub until the spawner comes back.
A good website (thx Grissi) for working on your zoning/rotations is http://www.jollycooperation.com/.
Define the hotspots where you should always have a rotation/zoner, and then name yourself fnatic.MSi cArn
The rotating player with a mine can stop a 5 skulk rush by himself if he stops their momentum. I love doing it and pulled it off multiple times in different matches. Remember to never shoot the first skulk when you have a momentum breaking position.
Put your mines so lerks have to out-position themselves to kill them, a very good exemple of this is Daamz baiting a lerk in season three finals just outside his hive and surprise stomped him.
3. Brain
3.1 Calling to do
3.2
Comments
One very interesting point, which is often overlooked, is what you say about the importance of practice matches, and the un-importance of practice match results. Teams being overly confident because of promising practice match results and getting punished for it when it mattered was a recurring theme throughout the ten years I played NS1 and 2. The first season of ENSL is a very good example of how little practice match results mean. In 2005, Knife (the team I was playing for at the time) faced Lessthanthree in the final of ENSL's inaugural season. Knife had never lost to Lessthanthree before that match, not in officials and not in practice. Yet when match day came, Lessthanthree won 3-1. Was Knife a better team? I think so. Does it matter? Not at all. Lessthanthree were the champions. That's all that matters.
The only thing I don't agree with is the part about trolling. I have a lot of understanding for the "do whatever it takes to win as long as it's legal" mentality in serious competition, but my opinion is that you lose more than you gain by trash talking. You lose respect from your opponents, you lose respect from the audience and ultimately you lose respect for yourself. Believe in what you do, not what you say.
I cant agree with this more. It also applies to the other way around. I have seen teams get bent out of shape after losing scrims far too many times to count. The goal of a PCW is to practice... not win. If winning is the main goal, your probably not going to try new strats or work on anything outside of your normal 'strong' strat.
Mostly, just jelly of your classical Greek name spelling ... so much cooler than those Roman scum
3.4 Diplomacy
to
3.4 Psychology
Diplomacy is the ability to ignore other peoples personality defects in order to deal with them, whereas psychology is the art of using their personality defects against them (to deal with them in a different way).
Art of War translations are a good read for anyone wanting to understand the fundamentals
I'll try to do aliens later, I still have to do Group skills for marines (and there is alot in ns2) and add more on personnal skill.
1,000% agree here. I almost ALWAYS mention this in my casts. When it's a semi, or final, or just two good teams playing each other in the division, there is always someone in chat saying "Well, team A has been losing against team B in PCWs for the last two weeks, so team B is definitely better." (or something along those lines). If I catch that I usually say something. How teams play in practices or PCWs don't show what they can really do. We don't know what type of strats or play they were trying out; or member rotations they were using, etc.
I'd just hope for an appropinate degree of sportsmanship and appropinate handling of incidents from the entities that hold a competition. There is a reason that ENSL state that only the team leader may talk during a match, we don't really need to go down a public CS, COD-esque route to semi-macro "LOL NUB" in pub chat after every single kill; in fairness you mentioned that, but by attacking people in either way, you're going to start drama and it's not good for the community as a whole. I'd not endorse that kind behaviour.
let's make every competitive scene carebear! right? i think a great example of what he's talking about is quake. i'm sure all the top players have a mutual respect towards eachother, but that doesn't stop them from using their binds when something funny/embarrassing happens in attempt to psych out the opponent.
if you can't handle (as herakles says) somebody typing raped/ez/pz/lol after they destroy your lifeform early on in a competitive game, you need to grow a bit of a thicker skin. i think the fighting game scene is the best when it comes to this, as you can't compete in it without having a thick skin and being able to take a joke.
now, there is a limit to it until it becomes unsportsmanlike or just obnoxious, see the tribes community.
I find it super fun and it pumps us up, we always expect to meet the fins in any tournaments.
We troll each others in PCWs with some lols and shit, but still, i like every single one of them, they are all awesome persons.
The most watched events all come with some hype.
My best exemple, and turts exactly saw where i come from, is the Russian player Cooller in Quake.
He has been probably the most hyped player in late Quake 3 and some quakelive, not because he won everything (ok his brain game is just incredible) but because of his broken english taunts, smileys and psychological games.
The games give you the means to use these. I'm not saying (again) to insult people personnally like kids, I'm saying i expect people to lol me, or ez me when they dominate me. And because of this i fuc**** lol at it when it happens.
Now I'm gonna say you something (you probably won't care but still), if at any time in your gaming days there is a match you absolutely want to win, and you lose control or under perform because someone trolled you a little bit, remember this post.
Everything in life is a game, play with the cards available.
This is an awesome guide for someone like me who is aspiring to be good, has most of the knowledge, but not yet enough of the experience putting that knowledge into practice.
Thanks, Herakl3s!
Took me 1500h to L2p.
now i need 1500h more to l2complay.
also i think you misspelled topic, should say king
Anyway i'm getting my new flat near my work soon and i'll be on my main setup the whole week not only on weekends.
Shit gonna get srs@mylife
I can make a doc with the very good snails shipping marine tram strat.
I'll post it today.
Most teams/players think strating is as simple as setting your early split and making an overall meta game.
But for a strat to be really efficient you need to be thourough in your researchs, for exemple early positions must take into account the units speeds, strong and weak positions (so your players have a back off position), the enemy strat (anti-strating) etc...
Basicly, on every strat we wanted 2 things: a direct pressure on the enemy to dictate the pace of the early game and get map control.
And versatility, you should be able to evolve you mid game from heavy upgrades/cata to arc/pve or aa/jp.
As a testimony to snails marine play i’ll give you some stats.
In the NS2WC finals, all our won marine rounds took us 33 minutes to complete, an overall 11 minutes for a round.
In 2 of those rounds Titus didn’t reach fades, and in the one they did their fade stayed alive 20 seconds and did no kills.
As stats are good for comparaisons all Titus won marine rounds took them 74 minutes to complete.
The strong positions are not « OP » positions. A strong position means a marine is 70 % sure to win a 1V1 vs a skulk there.
As a final note this kind of strat should only fully be used in important matches, never in pcw or group stages.
NS2_TRAM
Marine strategy, South spawn
Phase 1, early game (00:00 to 03:00):
Goals :
Early, constant and hard to clean pressure without lerks taking the strongest positions fast (out-positioning).
getting aggro on top of the map so cappers are free.
Baiting a hub/obs/base rush (real capper is logi).
Split is dependant on marines spawns* for pre-fires*2.
Counter Titus skulk split focused on getting max paras before engagements and especially fast shift upgrades at that time.
*Snails splitted as marines by their spawning points :
2 guys near logi would be pressure ore.
2 near obs would be fake hub and cap obs.
Last guy cap logi (aka : shit spawn).
*2 This permits a very important thing (especially on tram and veil) pre-fires. You arrive at the same time the skulk goes for the para. You start shooting before peaking from a position that always allows you to reload your lmg.
We tried most of the rush routes, with the good spawn a pistol rine rushing repair from shipping takes 12s and a skulk with the good spawn rushing repair from warehouse takes 11s : The repair rush is the strongest one you can do as a marine south spawn. Skulks can not be in position before you.
Recap by positions ( % are chances) :
logi :
The most important part is logistics, this RT has to go up. This player can start building the AL.
Ifs :
-If hub rushed, he blocks the path between south tunnel and logi and is ready to help the comm on base defense. 50 %
-If obs rushed, he is ready to help the comm on base defense. 40 %
-If cleaned after hub, he takes hub position. 10 %
Fake hub :
While going to his position he calls how many skulks he hears in obs vent.
He pre-fires and pulls back to south trying to bait the rush.
South tunnel is a very easy part of the map to clean up and with the logi guy rotating to a strong position between south and logi it means 90 % chances of 5 skulks cleaned before 20 seconds.
Ifs :
-If cleaned he retakes hub. 50 %
-If logi cleaned (unlikely) after himself he re-takes logi room. 10 %
-If obs cleaned he goes south and deals damage if follow up is a base rush. 40 %
Obs :
The capper obs pre-fires the vent and fake caps slowly.
He waits for a rush ever on him, hub or the pressure.
Ifs :
-If hub rushed, he takes south without staying on the base momentum route and deals damage (you want the skulks to suicide on base).
-If rushed he must deal the most damage he can without meds to all the skulks (kills are not so important, lowering their total hp pool is important).
-If cleaned he retakes obs.
Comm :
Checks hive, builds AL, drops logi RT, power node in obs, 1 med in south tunnel, 1 med in repair, builds AL. Launches A1.
Ready to log out and take the good position in base.
The pressure :
if hive is warehouse controls repair, takes ore. Depending on early kills -3 skulks, they can pressure platform.
If hive is server they fake-open door on north tunnel, and push warehouse.
(When we started doing this no premier team was pressuring from this side as rines, almost all teams would secure hub and push mezza/north. So we would most of the time catch a gorge in warehouse.)
They take the good position in ore corridor (top left) or waste and try to get aggro. Aliens will need at least 3 skulks to clean this position from 2 rines.
Conclusion for the early game :
The basic mistake a lower tier alien team will do is to think base is open through obs, but this south triangle split of your 3 marines scouts the rush soon enough so the aliens will have to fight all 4 rines, obs + 3 on the base retake (hub + logi and the comm).
Exemple 1 :
3 seconds comm calls server hive.
10 seconds hub calls 3-4 skulks obs, 1 skulk hub, gets parasited, deals -30.
12 seconds pressure is on repair, logi is building p-node.
14 seconds obs cleaned, deals -60 to 1 skulk, calls 4 skulks base rush. Logi ready to help comm.
18 seconds hub is in south shooting the last skulks from the pack. Kills 1.
comm is near the rt (skulk momentum broken) ready for contact
20 seconds 3 skulks make it in base, contact with 2 marines (logi+comm), full clean up of the kharaa.
25 seconds Pressure is in warehouse, kills the gorge.
Hub zones mid map, obs caps, logi caps.
40 seconds 5 skulks clean up on pressure, 1 skulk killed, hub zones, obs caps ele, logi zones, waiting respawners.
Phase 2, mid game (03:00 to 07:00):
The early to mid game timing in NS2 is the trickiest part, you fight upgraded skulks and (in my opinion) the most important players in this game: the lerks.
Basicly you will have to adapt if the lerks stay alive.
Goals: Constant pressure on 1, 2 or more locations while retaining a strong zoning of the map through precise rotations.
Bait Titus lerks to over engage (they liked to open lanes for their skulks) vs W2 lmgs in big rooms against 1 solo defending marine (who will focus the skulks) while other marines are closing him around (trapping).
Control north tunnel and mezz.
W3 SG before fades, flash the lerks, maximum 3 or 4 rts lost before the fades.
Rotaters:
On tram you basicly have 3 lanes to cover, left, mid and right.
2 marines can cover most of the map holding mezza/hub position and south tunnel logi.
My basic rule is: 1 marine should block the path to 2 RTS. (base counts as a RT) otherwise his zoning is useless and he should pressure.
On this map the rotaters have to be VERY reactive.
If north gets crushed, mezza/ele guy rotates to back him up.
If repair crushed, hub backs him up etc...
The goal against the lerks is to burn them out, force them to help the skulks while you still apply pressure. They can't defend and aggro at the same time.
The trick is to not over commit at this point on your pressure: 1 guy poking an RT is still pressure for the aliens.
The sound is everything at this point, the forward guys (north+mezz) constantly call alien positions.
Pressure:
Once lerks are up multiple pressure is the way to go. Theere is nothing stronger.
But unlike some teams snails faked alot and used mind games.
1 strong pressure on a side + 1 solo fake pressure somewhere else or 2 solo fake pressures were commonly used.
The magic in this is again versatility, the fake can become real pressure very fast through a team mate rotating and assisting.
Conclusion for the mid game:
You transition should happen smoothly, you don't want the aliens to see a change in pattern, they must feel always under pressure.
At any point in the early or mid, if the aliens need 4 or more to clean a pressure you won ALOT.
You want to end the games fast, but if lerks survive you are still able to go in the late game with arcs, pgs and catas.
I'll add more, it is very Titus focused as our main anti strating was for them.
Early split 10 seconds:
Early positions if things go well
j/k, nice roundup of skills and strat. thank you