Some Tips For Alien Players.
SniperSkunk
Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7644Members
Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7644Members
First off... something easy. There's two parts to NS. Offense, and defense.
Defense is the easiest part of the alien game. When on defense, you should always, always have offense towers helping you attack, and defense towers helping you regenerate. When you're on D, the odds are for you. The enemy needs to attack with a pretty strong force if they're gonna breach a good Defense.
Offense is the hardest part of the alien game. You don't have the advantage of towers helping you hit and regenerate. You shouldn't go on O unless you see an opening you're SURE you can take (IE : a spot where you can bite the alien turret factory without getting shot at), or you have a powerful enough alien to be able to attack without fear. IE : Lerks or better.
#1 - Build order. Everyone here should agree.
Build Defense towers first. Your defenders can use carapace to get extra HP and rely on the def towers to heal. Your offense can use regen to heal since they probably won't have def towers nearby.
Build Movement towers second. Adrenaline is simply the best skill in the game. And since you have a 2nd hive now, your fades need it for acid rocket to push forwards. Without Adrenaline, they can shoot three or four rockets before they're drained and need to rest, and then it takes something like 7 or so seconds to regain their energy (Possibly longer). With Adrenaline, you can shoot 5 easy, and it only takes 3 or so seconds to regain energy. This almost doubles their damage output, as well as making it easier for them to blink themselves away if they get in trouble.
Build sensory last. It's useful, but not as useful as adrenaline or regen/carapace.
I've seen a lot of debate as to whether or not someone should build sensory before they build def or move. The answer is, quite definitely no. Cloaking, Enhanced Sight, and Scent of Fear are all good abilities, but none of them can provide you with the level of benefits you gain from regeneration/carapace or adrenaline. They don't heal you when you're nearby, they can't teleport you to other hives for fast movement. They do show you marines near them, but early in the game the marines usually don't try to push a hive rush until they have heavies/HMG's, and by that time you'll need regen and adrenaline far more. Yes, stealth skulks can kill marines. But that only helps early on, stealth fades don't get any increase to their damage output by it. Regenerating fades last longer, adrenaline fades do more damage. stealth fades can hide there all they want, but either A) They'll hide and not gain back health, or B) They'll hide because they can only shoot a few rockets before they need to wait, and wait, and wait for more energy.
#2 - Hives.
These are god to aliens. They're heaven and they're paradise. These are your mecca. You want these, you crave these, you need these. Build three and the game is all but yours. Obviously, aliens have their first and most important goal of securing the hive points.
If marines take a hive point, fortify the other two and prepare for a push.
Now, here's something some of you may not agree with me on.
If you are attacking the 3rd hive spot, and an enemy attacks an existing hive... if the defenders need help, drop what you're doing and get there. Yes, you're giving up on attacking that 3rd hive for now. That's not important. What's important is keeping what you already have, keeping the defensive advantage.
If you push on, you'll either A) Take the third hive, lose the 2nd, and then have to push back AGAIN to get the 2nd back... this time without the advantage of having defenses there to help you... which is sorta dumb, since you're throwing away the advantage you started with...
or B) you'll lose the 2nd hive, the enemy will fortify the third, and you're SOL and the game is over, marines win.
Whereas, if you return to the 2nd hive, defend it, you'll either succeed (And keep two hives, then you can resume your attack on the 3rd) or fail (And if you can't defend the hive, chances are you probably wouldn't have made it attacking the 3rd as it is).
If the 2nd hive is too far away, don't bother running there. Run to the nearest hive and grab a movement tower. It's faster.
I hate losing... I always put every effort into the game that I can. I never hold back and I get frustrated when we lose... I hate it because it represents lost work... but so long as we learn from the mistakes we made, and don't make 'em again, then it's not a total loss. Right?
Defense is the easiest part of the alien game. When on defense, you should always, always have offense towers helping you attack, and defense towers helping you regenerate. When you're on D, the odds are for you. The enemy needs to attack with a pretty strong force if they're gonna breach a good Defense.
Offense is the hardest part of the alien game. You don't have the advantage of towers helping you hit and regenerate. You shouldn't go on O unless you see an opening you're SURE you can take (IE : a spot where you can bite the alien turret factory without getting shot at), or you have a powerful enough alien to be able to attack without fear. IE : Lerks or better.
#1 - Build order. Everyone here should agree.
Build Defense towers first. Your defenders can use carapace to get extra HP and rely on the def towers to heal. Your offense can use regen to heal since they probably won't have def towers nearby.
Build Movement towers second. Adrenaline is simply the best skill in the game. And since you have a 2nd hive now, your fades need it for acid rocket to push forwards. Without Adrenaline, they can shoot three or four rockets before they're drained and need to rest, and then it takes something like 7 or so seconds to regain their energy (Possibly longer). With Adrenaline, you can shoot 5 easy, and it only takes 3 or so seconds to regain energy. This almost doubles their damage output, as well as making it easier for them to blink themselves away if they get in trouble.
Build sensory last. It's useful, but not as useful as adrenaline or regen/carapace.
I've seen a lot of debate as to whether or not someone should build sensory before they build def or move. The answer is, quite definitely no. Cloaking, Enhanced Sight, and Scent of Fear are all good abilities, but none of them can provide you with the level of benefits you gain from regeneration/carapace or adrenaline. They don't heal you when you're nearby, they can't teleport you to other hives for fast movement. They do show you marines near them, but early in the game the marines usually don't try to push a hive rush until they have heavies/HMG's, and by that time you'll need regen and adrenaline far more. Yes, stealth skulks can kill marines. But that only helps early on, stealth fades don't get any increase to their damage output by it. Regenerating fades last longer, adrenaline fades do more damage. stealth fades can hide there all they want, but either A) They'll hide and not gain back health, or B) They'll hide because they can only shoot a few rockets before they need to wait, and wait, and wait for more energy.
#2 - Hives.
These are god to aliens. They're heaven and they're paradise. These are your mecca. You want these, you crave these, you need these. Build three and the game is all but yours. Obviously, aliens have their first and most important goal of securing the hive points.
If marines take a hive point, fortify the other two and prepare for a push.
Now, here's something some of you may not agree with me on.
If you are attacking the 3rd hive spot, and an enemy attacks an existing hive... if the defenders need help, drop what you're doing and get there. Yes, you're giving up on attacking that 3rd hive for now. That's not important. What's important is keeping what you already have, keeping the defensive advantage.
If you push on, you'll either A) Take the third hive, lose the 2nd, and then have to push back AGAIN to get the 2nd back... this time without the advantage of having defenses there to help you... which is sorta dumb, since you're throwing away the advantage you started with...
or B) you'll lose the 2nd hive, the enemy will fortify the third, and you're SOL and the game is over, marines win.
Whereas, if you return to the 2nd hive, defend it, you'll either succeed (And keep two hives, then you can resume your attack on the 3rd) or fail (And if you can't defend the hive, chances are you probably wouldn't have made it attacking the 3rd as it is).
If the 2nd hive is too far away, don't bother running there. Run to the nearest hive and grab a movement tower. It's faster.
I hate losing... I always put every effort into the game that I can. I never hold back and I get frustrated when we lose... I hate it because it represents lost work... but so long as we learn from the mistakes we made, and don't make 'em again, then it's not a total loss. Right?