phasegate placement
sharnrock
Join Date: 2012-11-02 Member: 166084Members
Join Date: 2012-11-02 Member: 166084Members
Sometimes when we're pushing into a room held by aliens we put a phase outside of the room. After we take the room, we put the phasegate in the room and recycle the phasegate in the hall.
What happens later is when the aliens go to take back the room, they go straight for the phase gate, and everyone coming out of it is getting shoved into the meat grinder. The other problem is if you're trying to get an RT that is under attack in a nearby room, you have to phase into the room and run all the way into the other room. (example ore processing from either repair or warehouse in tram).
Why not put phasegates in the hall between 2 rooms? Suppose aliens want to hit repair in tram. They would attack the phasegate in repair first, but if the phase was in the hallway, they would probably hit repair's power or RT first (depending on what is in there; maybe obs if that's there.). This would allow the team to move in at a distance and wipe out the skulks, assuming they didn't know, or didn't decide to hit the pg first.
I would try this out myself, but I don't get to go comm often, and I'm a little insecure with my skills at comm atm. Figured I'd ask on the forums seeing as there are some pro comms here.
tl;dr would phase gates do better between rooms?
What happens later is when the aliens go to take back the room, they go straight for the phase gate, and everyone coming out of it is getting shoved into the meat grinder. The other problem is if you're trying to get an RT that is under attack in a nearby room, you have to phase into the room and run all the way into the other room. (example ore processing from either repair or warehouse in tram).
Why not put phasegates in the hall between 2 rooms? Suppose aliens want to hit repair in tram. They would attack the phasegate in repair first, but if the phase was in the hallway, they would probably hit repair's power or RT first (depending on what is in there; maybe obs if that's there.). This would allow the team to move in at a distance and wipe out the skulks, assuming they didn't know, or didn't decide to hit the pg first.
I would try this out myself, but I don't get to go comm often, and I'm a little insecure with my skills at comm atm. Figured I'd ask on the forums seeing as there are some pro comms here.
tl;dr would phase gates do better between rooms?
Comments
Aliens are used to certain PG placement especially since most good aliens are good marines. So if you mix up your strategies a little you can probably outperform commanders with conservative strategies.
Also when you put your PG down don't forget to put defences like machine gun turrets overlooking it and the nearby power node. Also the machine guns must cover each other. Either number 1 covers 2 and 3 or number 1 covers 2 which covers 3.
Aliens are used to certain PG placement especially since most good aliens are good marines. So if you mix up your strategies a little you can probably outperform commanders with conservative strategies.
Also when you put your PG down don't forget to put defences like machine gun turrets overlooking it and the nearby power node. Also the machine guns must cover each other. Either number 1 covers 2 and 3 or number 1 covers 2 which covers 3.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I find that new players tend to overlook pg tucked away in a far corner. In one game I saw marine comm place the phase gate in mineshaft double in that little pocket directly below gap entrance, and literally everyone went after the rt even after I called it out and started swiping the pg. Needless to say, I bailed when 4 rines phased through, and we didn't retake double until much later.
What I mean by this is.. if 3 skulks rush repair and see no PG, they will probably go for the Obs/CC first and because the PG is out in the hall, the time to respond from marines will be longer... so given that hypothetical, you risk losing the OBS and CC vs. losing the PG/marines.
My rule of thumb is that PG's are there to cut travel time to the fight, and placing them any further back only reduces their value. That can not be ignored by advancing aliens and so they are a priority target on any rush into an area. PG's can be bypassed in areas where there isn't a high value target to take down, but can be sniped at will by marauding skulks bent on mischief. So with all that in mind, having a lone PG in a hallway is potentially more durable as it's on its own power node (ideally) and is less likely to be a priority target, but its also making response times longer and eating into its effectiveness while bumping other much higher value structures to the top of the hit list for a raiding party.
I'd rather risk the PG loss and possible loss of the first marine through (who gets piled on by the aliens there) than lose the Obs which eliminates beacons and CC (which can cut your tech options unless you have a spare).
Also, nano-shield can help the marines regain use of the PG and a beacon is cheaper than a new obs/PG... so anything that keeps them off the obs extends your odds of stopping the raid cost effectively IMO.
And the next step would be running straight from infantry portal?
Because phasegates definitely need to perform better, right?
For me, the biggest phasegate placement problem is the commanders who don't place them directly adjacent to IPs. This can result in a seriously ridiculous amount of wasted time over the course of a game (think of every single marine who respawns and travels to the other end of the room to phase each respawn over the course of a game.)
Right, but why do aliens attack the phase gate and not the power node when they're in the same room? Because when a marine spawns out of a phase gate they can immediately attack them before they get oriented. That's the exact point I'm trying to make. Even if you lose an important structure, you can rebuild it as long as you still hold the room. If you lose the pg first, it makes it almost impossible to hold the room or take it back.
to put it another way, jumping into a phase gate and having a skulk standing at your feet is pretty worthless. Sometimes in game when the pg turns into a meat grinder and the room is close to spawn, I'll just skip the pg and sprint there. Usually by the time I get around the corner, I can blast 3 stationary skulks off a pg. Or at least get them to scatter.