twilitebluebug stalkerJoin Date: 2003-02-04Member: 13116Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
edited September 2011
Marines definitely need a better early game base defense advantage. The most common reason for early Marine losses is the ubiquitous Skulk rush.
If anyone remembers Starcraft in its early days, 6-pool Zergling rush was so powerful, it was the cheese strategy that Zergs used almost every game. While it did not work 100% of the time, it forced the other player to play defensively (because there would be no time to scout), sacrificing their own economy in the process. That put the Zerg player firmly in the advantage without even having to rush. The game heavily favored the Zerg until the cost of Spawning Pool was increased to delay the Zergling rush.
Kharaa has an early game advantage, for similar reasons. Marines always have to prepare for a rush, because the cost for failing to do so is a fast loss. Although this may be balanced in organised clan matches, pub games suffer for it, because the strategic choices become very limited. That is why all the modern strategy games have made anti-rushing mechanisms accessible early, to help combat rushing. Eg. Town Center garrison in AOE2/3, militia/burrow in Warcraft 3, wall-in in Starcraft 2.
Personally, I'd like to see the Marine Commander play a more active role in base defense. Currently, the opening delay of the Command Station makes it very risky for the Commander to defend his own base.
Comments
If anyone remembers Starcraft in its early days, 6-pool Zergling rush was so powerful, it was the cheese strategy that Zergs used almost every game. While it did not work 100% of the time, it forced the other player to play defensively (because there would be no time to scout), sacrificing their own economy in the process. That put the Zerg player firmly in the advantage without even having to rush. The game heavily favored the Zerg until the cost of Spawning Pool was increased to delay the Zergling rush.
Kharaa has an early game advantage, for similar reasons. Marines always have to prepare for a rush, because the cost for failing to do so is a fast loss. Although this may be balanced in organised clan matches, pub games suffer for it, because the strategic choices become very limited. That is why all the modern strategy games have made anti-rushing mechanisms accessible early, to help combat rushing. Eg. Town Center garrison in AOE2/3, militia/burrow in Warcraft 3, wall-in in Starcraft 2.
Personally, I'd like to see the Marine Commander play a more active role in base defense. Currently, the opening delay of the Command Station makes it very risky for the Commander to defend his own base.