10 Tips for Green Commanders
WriterX
Join Date: 2013-07-24 Member: 186356Members
Join Date: 2013-07-24 Member: 186356Members
Hello all,
I have noted a number of quality different Guides to Natural Selection 2 so I thought I would contribute with a "Tips List". The idea of this list is to provide some inspiration and ideas, as well as observations, when playing as either a Marine or Alien Commander. Just to underline, this is not a Guide that will explain all the brutal basics of building, unit selection, using waypoints, etc. When I wrote this I hoped to put players on the correct track, when it comes to command.
I would welcome comments, especially from Veterans, to say whether the information here is accurate and useful.
Linky
Cheers!
WriterX
I have noted a number of quality different Guides to Natural Selection 2 so I thought I would contribute with a "Tips List". The idea of this list is to provide some inspiration and ideas, as well as observations, when playing as either a Marine or Alien Commander. Just to underline, this is not a Guide that will explain all the brutal basics of building, unit selection, using waypoints, etc. When I wrote this I hoped to put players on the correct track, when it comes to command.
I would welcome comments, especially from Veterans, to say whether the information here is accurate and useful.
Linky
Cheers!
WriterX
Comments
On a serious note, this is a well intended article and you've obviously put quite some effort into it. Nice!
While the headlines/bullet points are excellent and correctly tell what is really important (expand, kill their resource towers, etc), I can't quite agree with some of the explanations (and there are some errors).
#1: buildings MACs can help you build bases in the late game stages, but it is more a nice-to-have, but not really needed. Mentioning them under "rapid expansion" gives newbies the wrong impression they need MACs early. God forbid anything that makes newbies build a robo factory.
#2: Bile does not need 2 Hives
#3: you do not need 2 CCs for Jetpack and single Exo research, only for Duals
#4: "all alien structures can move (except for extractors and hives)"... no. Just write Crags, Shifts and Shades can move, because nothing else can
Also, Drifters should be mentioned under "supporting the front".
#5: turrets do NOT need power to work, they are powered by their battery alone. You can build a battery + turrets in unpowered rooms.
Also, you could mention the "energize" ability of the command station (when you have a robo) which allows you to temporarily power one building in an emergency.
#10: this is a very good point, maybe it should be earlier in the article because it's so important.
You could also mention beaconing here.
Summary: "1) You must maintain the areas you secure, through your marines, but also Turrets and MACs" NO NO NO NO NO! ~X(
Replace this with something like "offense is the best defense".
You should add a bonus bullet point:
#11/Bonus: For the love of god, do not build Turrets or Whips until you've researched most of everything else.
One thing newbies must understand is that they can NOT defend their structures and bases themselves. They need players for that. A lone Whip or Turret nest can easily be killed by a single Marine or Skulk, and they are expensive which means you will delay the important tech (for the players) which is the opposite of what is needed: playing aggressive.
Turrets are good for late game base defense support (in places where there is a Phase Gate), when you have so much money you can spam them everywhere, and the occasional turret rush (nothing newbies will do).
Whips are nice to have, but in 99% of games they are not needed.
There is nothing worse than a Comm who starts with a Robo Factory or puts Whips somewhere at the start of the game.
Hope this feedback helps you. You should also post this in the General Discussion forum for better exposure.
Thanks for this lengthy response Hozz. I will take a look at all of this and fix the above mentioned errors.
On that note, it seems that the Natural Selection 2 Wiki also has errors, based on what you said here. That is where I found info on the Bile Bomb being a 2-Hive research, as was the case with the Jetpack and Exos. I thought that that was an error but when I read the Wiki I ended up thinking that I was wrong.
I will have to clarify on point 4 (I forgot to underline that the Evolution "structures" do not move also, just the Crag, Shift and Shade... although I think the Whip could also move around?).
As to Macs... Yeah, I might had been overly "strong" on MACs. I will have to rephrase/change that.
Very valid last point as well... It did not cross my mind to mention it.
I think, in terms of all the points, I will add a bonus point "Offense is the Best Defense", which will underline the necessity to attack, rather than bunker down with Macs and Turrets, which as you explain is not a good strategy, but a waste of resources.
Cheers!
And you're right, Whips move too