Delegating Authority
Insidious
Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9553Members
Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9553Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Not everything needs to be hard coded</div> I've noticed some of the most successful games I've played have gone this way:
A resonably good commander in the chair, and at least one experianced marine.
The commander controls most of the team himself, taking a hive, etc, but he gives the more experianced marine free reign, and a man or two to do with as he pleases. This experianced marine serves as a sort of non-com officer, leading men while in the field himself. I've also noticed many people listen to the "follow me" command much better than they do waypoints. This little group keeps the aliens divided, trying to deal with two threats at once - and realize that in the average situation in NS (a fairly narrow, cluttered area), five marines arn't much better than three, since you'll be shooting each other in the back more often than shooting aliens. There is a limit to how much firepower you can field at once, the fourth and fifth marines are just there to be the next in line to die, once the front lines are down.
The little group on it's own tends to be devistating in less obvious ways - the split aliens are weaker, the divided marines are stronger (to some degree), and you have a way of getting newer players in the fold - most of them will either find following another marine (your non-com officer) more to their liking, or they'll join the herd the commander has rounded up.
So the point in this thread is simply that marines don't need offical second-in-commands. It can be done without being coded, and it is a good idea. This also serves the purpose of keeping the rambos rounded up - they'll usually follow the (usually unofficial) second-in-command out into the field, and do some actual GOOD!. Your worst players will be put to their best use either as part of the expand-and-hold-herd, or as a commando team.
If you know a good player on your team, commanders, maybe make it official with a quick statement like "Ok, so-and-so is my offical second in command, if you don't have an order from me, obey any orders from him. Anyone disobeying either of us can assume the answer is 'go to hell' when they ask for health, ammo, or equipment. You're just lucky I can't stop you from using the upgrades, armory, and infantry portals."
On second though, maybe those last two sentances should be standard for starting as marine - get those troops in the right mindset for this game <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
A resonably good commander in the chair, and at least one experianced marine.
The commander controls most of the team himself, taking a hive, etc, but he gives the more experianced marine free reign, and a man or two to do with as he pleases. This experianced marine serves as a sort of non-com officer, leading men while in the field himself. I've also noticed many people listen to the "follow me" command much better than they do waypoints. This little group keeps the aliens divided, trying to deal with two threats at once - and realize that in the average situation in NS (a fairly narrow, cluttered area), five marines arn't much better than three, since you'll be shooting each other in the back more often than shooting aliens. There is a limit to how much firepower you can field at once, the fourth and fifth marines are just there to be the next in line to die, once the front lines are down.
The little group on it's own tends to be devistating in less obvious ways - the split aliens are weaker, the divided marines are stronger (to some degree), and you have a way of getting newer players in the fold - most of them will either find following another marine (your non-com officer) more to their liking, or they'll join the herd the commander has rounded up.
So the point in this thread is simply that marines don't need offical second-in-commands. It can be done without being coded, and it is a good idea. This also serves the purpose of keeping the rambos rounded up - they'll usually follow the (usually unofficial) second-in-command out into the field, and do some actual GOOD!. Your worst players will be put to their best use either as part of the expand-and-hold-herd, or as a commando team.
If you know a good player on your team, commanders, maybe make it official with a quick statement like "Ok, so-and-so is my offical second in command, if you don't have an order from me, obey any orders from him. Anyone disobeying either of us can assume the answer is 'go to hell' when they ask for health, ammo, or equipment. You're just lucky I can't stop you from using the upgrades, armory, and infantry portals."
On second though, maybe those last two sentances should be standard for starting as marine - get those troops in the right mindset for this game <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
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