Learning Maps

Lentium

I'm really starting to like Natural Selection, but there's one thing holding me back... my sense of direction. I'm having trouble learning the maps in the heat of battle, and I can't just abandon my team to go exploring.

Has anyone made overhead images of the maps with key areas pointed out that I could study (I've seen them for DoD maps), or any general tips for learning the maps?

Zerglin

Look at the bottom-left of your screen for the area name. Areas are often and always referred to by that name so when your commander says to go to Research Labs he is talking about the area outside the Waste Handling Hive.

Basically, learn all your area names that surround the Hives and you should be able to follow most commands. Also to explore on your own I suggest playing skulk since alien isnt as dependant on teamwork. You can also just run to every alert so you can learn maps that way.

Also, there is a web site that has overhead view of all the maps but I forgot which site. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->

Asraniel

<a href='http://www.planetns.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.planetns.com/</a>

Kenichi

my advice would be to make a lan game. Turn cheats on (sv_cheats 1) then join aliens
run around as a skulk and just learn the map. Take note of ambush points and hiding places. Learn how to go from hive to hive. any hive to marine base. And marine base to any hive.

Redford

I find the best way for me to learn any map is to just run around in it for a while. the first 5 or so games, I'm just running around randomly, but as I play a map more, I get a blueprint of it in my mind. As I continue to play the map, my sense of direction gets better until I know where I'm going 100% of the time. If anything, learning the maps in NS was easier then other mods - you get hivesight and waypoints.

Aminal

<a href='http://www.tribes2maps.com/ns' target='_blank'>http://www.tribes2maps.com/ns</a>

also - download a bot and play the game on your own vs 1 marine as a skullk - just run around - know all the tunnells and hidden passages then play with a few good commanders and learn where sieges go.

learn fastest routes from hive to hive, and from spawn to each hive, and learn the most economical route for a gorge to put up as many res towers quickly.

look at the maps and work out which points are important places to hold - you'll also learn this playing - places like horseshoe on eclipse and mess hall on nancy are real important for moving around the map. holiding them causes your opponents muchos hassle.

good luck.

Lucid

these overviews are also helpful, they are more detailed graphically but aren't labeled

<a href='http://damagenetworks.gotdns.com/overviews.zip' target='_blank'>http://damagenetworks.gotdns.com/overviews.zip</a>

FutureShock

Or just make your own...

Start NS

Goto your console (before starting a game)

type: developer 1
type: sv_cheats 1
Type: map <map you want to do>

after the game has loaded and you are in the RR

type: dev_overhead 1
type: developer 0

take your screenshot (default F5)

The screenshot will be saved in your HL dir under the name of your map with a .bmp extension

Lucid

I was just about to post a question about how to do that. I've seen it in the forums before but I forgot where. Thanks. Now isn't there a problem where the ready room is above the actual map so it gets in the way sometimes? Theres a way to get around that right?

Kayos2k3

sup all i been playing this game a while now took me 2 days to get to know the game gg me <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
anyways every map has a point that is critical like Processing for example first time i played i was likt wtf is that is it a hive? best way to get to learn the game is to ask players and meybe fallow them and see where they going and meybe ask whats this place called not like some i see going gorge first time they play building def on res point i gladly help anyone out if he or she needs a little help whit something unlike counter strike or anything i played this is a 100% team game in counter strike u can kill the ct team yourself if u are good but in NS u need timeing,teamwork and the will to win.....

NinjaBurger

<!--QuoteBegin--Kayos2k3+Jan 5 2003, 08:37 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Kayos2k3 @ Jan 5 2003, 08:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->anyways every map has a point that is critical like Processing...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bast - Atmospheric Processing and Feedwater Hive (4 resource and a hive)

Caged - Either Sewer Vestibule Sublevel (1 res, 2 vent welds, access to Sewer hive) or Stability Monitoring (1 res, access to Generator hive), depending on Marine action

Eclipse - NOT the Horseshoe; either Maintenance Hive or Eclipse Hive (1 hive, 1 res each)

Hera - Central Monitoring "Holoroom" (2 res, 4 vent welds, can siege 2 other res)

Nancy - Mess Hall (1 res, central location), but not enough; usually it comes down to either Unnamed Hive or Subspace Hive as well

Nothing - Cargo Bay Foyer (control of 3 res, easiest hive to defend)

Tanith - Reactor Room (2 res, 2 vent welds)

andyaml

Another really good way is to command. You get a general idea of where everything is, where you should build stuff, where you shouldn't build stuff, etc...

And you get a spiffy overhead view to boot. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Kayos2k3

re gj ninjaburger i was going to post that but u beat me to it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> 1 more thing is like mostly when im cmdr i try and get 2 hives fast i know its boring not to have HMG,HA until almost at the end of the game but thats how i play fast same if u are gorge is easyer then to be marine cmdr base gorgeing is to get 2-3 res then save for a hive and meybe 1 def tower so your skulks can defend better wile u wait for the hive to go up and remeber if u build offencive towers as alien allways build def tower behind it will heal them and keep mariens harder to get where they are going.

T_RAT

Yer even if u play in the command mode for a while u will see how the basic layout of the maps.
Also simply the more u play it the more u know where u r going. I used to think the same thing, how am i ever going to learn this maps. Now i do.