Commander Tactics
Defcon
Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9402Members
Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9402Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Mainly for the new-to-commanding folk</div> <b>Marine commander tactics</b>
I've seen so many commanders, do ok jobs but make huge mistakes. Therefore I'm writing up a brief tutorial on what most commanders do wrong in a game.
Now 1.04 is coming out, these commanders need a few pointers, read the following and you should be a step ahead.
Excuse the grammer/spelling it is 11:11am, and I aint slept <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>Turret Factory Placement</b>
When starting your base, place your tfac next to a wall, you can keep it covered with just 2 turrets.
<b>General Base Placement</b>
Don't leave anything too easily destroyed, the observatory is usually a favourite, stops you getting phases and the building is incredibly weak. Put this and the armory NEXT to a wall, covered by the turrets.
<b>Phases</b>
Plop a phase down before anything, allows instant reinforcements from base. Build a tfac after this, not before.
<b>Getting your first alien hive</b>
You can be pretty sure, they'll either want the mid hive (middle hive) first, and leave there primary hive undefended, this leaves two possible tactics:
a) rush primary hive - you have there 100% skulks to deal with, it's risky
b) rush building hive - you have 70% of the skulks to deal with (rough estimate, it's based on the time it takes for skulks to get there) <b>AND</b>
c) get the undefended, out of the way hive - easiest, most aliens wont put up too much resistance since they leave themselves open, your also letting them get a 2nd hives. Fades = problem <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The skill comes in, when your able to do both a and b to the degree only one works on purpose, letting the aliens rush to protect one hive, when in fact your building outside another, most alien sides struggle splitting into effective teams to combat both, marines have the advantage of a commander to do this job.
<b>Jetpacks</b>
Don't underestimate these, Duck and Fly, a marine needs the constant downforce to fly while tapping "jump" (fly), manuvering extremely quickly you can use the enemies vents against them and HMG a hive.
<b>Passive Upgrades</b>
These are pretty good, they're upgrades that last the whole game. Getting the first armor upgrades keeps your marines alive for an EXTRA bite from a skulk (dies on 3rd bite, not 2nd). They're too expensive to get at the immediate beginning.
<b>Resource expansion</b>
Don't forget, res, res, res. But don't build a tfac at every single node, it'll get VERY expensive. Resources are the key to the game.
<b>Sounds</b>
Listen for the hive, tell your marines what hive they have, this should tell the experienced ones the general direction aliens will be attacking from. Listen to the gorges too, as they put up res nodes, you can try rushing it.
<b>Acting as a marine</b>
In small games, it's crucial you help as a marine, not just a commander. When taking a hive, as soon as that phase is up, get ready to get thru it if your marines there drop in numbers too rapidly.
----
eR > Defcon
Commander/Tactician for eR - 2nd / International NS Clanbase.
I've seen so many commanders, do ok jobs but make huge mistakes. Therefore I'm writing up a brief tutorial on what most commanders do wrong in a game.
Now 1.04 is coming out, these commanders need a few pointers, read the following and you should be a step ahead.
Excuse the grammer/spelling it is 11:11am, and I aint slept <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>Turret Factory Placement</b>
When starting your base, place your tfac next to a wall, you can keep it covered with just 2 turrets.
<b>General Base Placement</b>
Don't leave anything too easily destroyed, the observatory is usually a favourite, stops you getting phases and the building is incredibly weak. Put this and the armory NEXT to a wall, covered by the turrets.
<b>Phases</b>
Plop a phase down before anything, allows instant reinforcements from base. Build a tfac after this, not before.
<b>Getting your first alien hive</b>
You can be pretty sure, they'll either want the mid hive (middle hive) first, and leave there primary hive undefended, this leaves two possible tactics:
a) rush primary hive - you have there 100% skulks to deal with, it's risky
b) rush building hive - you have 70% of the skulks to deal with (rough estimate, it's based on the time it takes for skulks to get there) <b>AND</b>
c) get the undefended, out of the way hive - easiest, most aliens wont put up too much resistance since they leave themselves open, your also letting them get a 2nd hives. Fades = problem <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
The skill comes in, when your able to do both a and b to the degree only one works on purpose, letting the aliens rush to protect one hive, when in fact your building outside another, most alien sides struggle splitting into effective teams to combat both, marines have the advantage of a commander to do this job.
<b>Jetpacks</b>
Don't underestimate these, Duck and Fly, a marine needs the constant downforce to fly while tapping "jump" (fly), manuvering extremely quickly you can use the enemies vents against them and HMG a hive.
<b>Passive Upgrades</b>
These are pretty good, they're upgrades that last the whole game. Getting the first armor upgrades keeps your marines alive for an EXTRA bite from a skulk (dies on 3rd bite, not 2nd). They're too expensive to get at the immediate beginning.
<b>Resource expansion</b>
Don't forget, res, res, res. But don't build a tfac at every single node, it'll get VERY expensive. Resources are the key to the game.
<b>Sounds</b>
Listen for the hive, tell your marines what hive they have, this should tell the experienced ones the general direction aliens will be attacking from. Listen to the gorges too, as they put up res nodes, you can try rushing it.
<b>Acting as a marine</b>
In small games, it's crucial you help as a marine, not just a commander. When taking a hive, as soon as that phase is up, get ready to get thru it if your marines there drop in numbers too rapidly.
----
eR > Defcon
Commander/Tactician for eR - 2nd / International NS Clanbase.
Comments
Dont call your marines useless every time they make a mistake <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Sorry private joke
<b>Phases</b>
Plop a phase down before anything, allows instant reinforcements from base. Build a tfac after this, not before.
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I use this tactic a lot when I am commander but I have had terrible problems with it.
E.g
I place a Phase gate in a site where there is activity and I have about 4 marines holding that area. I tell the marines, "only one of you build it plz - other three defend location". They mutter to themselves for a few mins and then I realise none of them are building it. They say they don't want the boring job of building a phase gate (meanwhile they are attacked and one of them die). I curse to myself and tell Mr.Joe Biggs here to build it while Harry and Sally defend the Phase gate.
This goes ok for the moment. However about 1/2 way through the construction (and more marines on the way) a single skulk will take out newbie Harry and Sally since they either wasted their clip firing at the skulks, they wasted their clips firing at each other or tried knifing the walls. (*cries with Despair*) - also to make it more despressing to watch while hearing gunfire Mr.Joe Biggs STILL builds that phase gate even though he as no hope of finishing it in the worst case situation where his defending friends would die. Mr. Joe Biggs, with no brains, then gets bitten in the butt a few times and dies.
A few seconds later the phase gate is destroyed in mid-construction. Of course only by about 1-2 skulks. Also the marines which were on their way (after shouting for a way-point which I gave before they asked for it) got lost on the bunny-hopping trip which they thought would make them go that little faster by jumping.
But of course lets do it the other way.
I put a TF down and basically same thing happens lmao.
I think it's down to the newbie marines and the manual (which they weren't told about... aww poor them. I'm not even sure if they know there is a NS website heheh)
Anyway there is my little bit of exp on this matter.
Conclusion - Get rid of the marines lmao hehe j/k
No but seriously I think we need to get these people trained up somehow.
Its in your NS directory.
The solution might be in training, but from your description, the problem starts with the "muttering." I think any marine who thinks building a phase gate is "boring" needs to seriously reconsider his priorities. And a marine like this probably would be "too 1337" to go through training anyway. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>USE DISTRESS BEACON</b>
It is amazing. If all your Marines die and you think the skulks might be heading to your base, no problem. Just fifteen RP's to respawn your whole team and mow those marauding skulks down. Just click your Observatory(please say you built one) and click the distress beacon button. It takes about 2 seconds, then everyone respawns!
I dunno how many times we coulda saved our IP's, but the Commander didn't know how to use Distress Beacon. So don't be like him, use it!
Learn the beacons. Use the beacons. <3 the beacons.