Is it just me or am I one of the only comms who wont build a tf at base, but instead desginate someone to defend? Also discuss the ros and cons of each.
On easy to defend maps like Eclipse or Nancy, yes, 1-2 marines maybe with a group of mines is much more valuable and effective than a turret group. However on maps like Tanith, I haven't been successful having a couple marines guard without turrets. It is a risk until phase gates are up but a risk well worth it.
I designate 1 or 2 guys (depending on the size of my team) to defend. I try and give them a shotgun. Once I've got a hive secured, I'll consider building 2-3 turrets in my main base.
It really depends on the quality of the players. I mean, we have all been in games where an entire team of 8 marines is reduced to 2 in the opening alien rush, if you can't depend on 8 marines to defend the base, how can you depend on 2?
In pub games, I almost never risk leaving the base without a TF. I like to get a TF, 2 or 3 turrets depending on the map, and 1 guard. I might not have a TF in my opening build order if I had a few friends or reliable players on my team that I can trust...
Oh, and I am a really big fan of what Flatline said, having a marine defend the base with a shotgun can be an awesome thing, but again, it all depends on who you have on your team. I hate when I give someone a shotgun, only to see them firing all their loaded rounds when an alien is sitting at the far end of a hall, then rushes up and takes them while their reloading. For those of you not in the know, wait till a skulk is right in front of you, almost in knifing distance, then BLAST them in the face. It's great. (warning, don't try this once skulks have carapace <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> )
I did the only marines defending main base on eclipse today and it worked like a dream.
I even managed to use sensor sweep effectivly to stop my guys getting ambushed AND to my utter amazment motion tracking showed the enemy units up as red blobs on my map that was SWEET <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
We got two hives then held for upgrades, had abit of a moral problem tho as everyone was getting board so I had to cycle the marines onto 'special jobs' and have them do stuff like capture res points or kill gorges... lol This resulted in us wasting a ton of res capturing res points at more cost than they could possibly pay back befor the game ended thus streching the game out longer <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Eventually got upgrades and res coming in quickly as the position we were in was near impregnable gave everyone their choice of toys and then said I'd give a cookie to the person who got the enemy hive and then left them to their own devices.. Was on the whole a rather class game although the aliens probably all dispised me as I locked two hives early then kept my marines holding the hives right till the second we set off to toast the last hive. *shrug*
A)They are generally free except for the few health packs the you would have to drop
B)Marines Generally are more accurate then turrets
C)Marines react faster than turrets
Also with the resources that could be used to build turrets, one could either build an Observatory, or Arms lab for early teching.
On a side note, Level 1 armor increases the armor enough to require 3 bites instead of 2 from skulks, which IMO is the most valuable early game upgrade.
Yeah.....all depends on the situation...the map......pubbie server or not.....if you have friends on or not...On a pub server tho.....i seriously would not trust the game to just any player. Unless maybe, you've played on the same server for a few hours and you know this guy/girl is up to it.
Also, on a pubbie..it would be hard to somehow convince someone to sit in base for a large chunk of the game. (Unless they want to win) I mean most of the time, after the kharaa have been repelled a few times...they kinda just stop coming anyways......plus...you should have phase tech. if they try anything after that.
When I play w/ my friends, and they have comm, we usually do what you have suggested. He just spawns me trips, maybe a shottie.....and when i do get into trouble, some medpacks.....works out pretty good. Better than spending all that $ on tF and turrets.....ouch.
Never go just marines on public server unless your absolutely sure you have someone on your team you can trust to stay at base and actually is good enough to defend on his on. Otherwise it gives you a good many resources to expand very quickly.
Comments
In pub games, I almost never risk leaving the base without a TF. I like to get a TF, 2 or 3 turrets depending on the map, and 1 guard. I might not have a TF in my opening build order if I had a few friends or reliable players on my team that I can trust...
Oh, and I am a really big fan of what Flatline said, having a marine defend the base with a shotgun can be an awesome thing, but again, it all depends on who you have on your team. I hate when I give someone a shotgun, only to see them firing all their loaded rounds when an alien is sitting at the far end of a hall, then rushes up and takes them while their reloading. For those of you not in the know, wait till a skulk is right in front of you, almost in knifing distance, then BLAST them in the face. It's great. (warning, don't try this once skulks have carapace <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> )
I even managed to use sensor sweep effectivly to stop my guys getting ambushed AND to my utter amazment motion tracking showed the enemy units up as red blobs on my map that was SWEET <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
We got two hives then held for upgrades, had abit of a moral problem tho as everyone was getting board so I had to cycle the marines onto 'special jobs' and have them do stuff like capture res points or kill gorges... lol
This resulted in us wasting a ton of res capturing res points at more cost than they could possibly pay back befor the game ended thus streching the game out longer <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Eventually got upgrades and res coming in quickly as the position we were in was near impregnable gave everyone their choice of toys and then said I'd give a cookie to the person who got the enemy hive and then left them to their own devices.. Was on the whole a rather class game although the aliens probably all dispised me as I locked two hives early then kept my marines holding the hives right till the second we set off to toast the last hive. *shrug*
BlueGhost
A)They are generally free except for the few health packs the you would have to drop
B)Marines Generally are more accurate then turrets
C)Marines react faster than turrets
Also with the resources that could be used to build turrets, one could either build an Observatory, or Arms lab for early teching.
On a side note, Level 1 armor increases the armor enough to require 3 bites instead of 2 from skulks, which IMO is the most valuable early game upgrade.
Also, on a pubbie..it would be hard to somehow convince someone to sit in base for a large chunk of the game. (Unless they want to win) I mean most of the time, after the kharaa have been repelled a few times...they kinda just stop coming anyways......plus...you should have phase tech. if they try anything after that.
When I play w/ my friends, and they have comm, we usually do what you have suggested. He just spawns me trips, maybe a shottie.....and when i do get into trouble, some medpacks.....works out pretty good. Better than spending all that $ on tF and turrets.....ouch.
-PD