The Scout

Liku

<div class="IPBDescription">One who, errr... Scouts!</div> Ok, this is what I do every round before the Aliens get to the base. I call this person the Scout, for this person Scouts out to see which Hive has been taken. I'm not talking about Rambo's, a Scout needs to "Memorize" the map and head for the Hive as quick as possible, no side tracking. Once at a un-marked Hive, the calls for a Phase Gate, then builds it. I bet EVERYONE know's this already but I would just like to share it for the people that don't know. It helps the team get the upper-hand in the begining. Sorry if this has been posted.

FlatlineUTD

<!--QuoteBegin--Liku+Jan 10 2003, 01:36 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Liku @ Jan 10 2003, 01:36 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Ok, this is what I do every round before the Aliens get to the base. I call this person the Scout, for this person Scouts out to see which Hive has been taken. I'm not talking about Rambo's, a Scout needs to "Memorize" the map and head for the Hive as quick as possible, no side tracking. Once at a un-marked Hive, the calls for a Phase Gate, then builds it. I bet EVERYONE know's this already but I would just like to share it for the people that don't know. It helps the team get the upper-hand in the begining. Sorry if this has been posted.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You can actually get them there *faster* by using scanner sweeps to find which Hive is occupied, and then send them to another one.

I like to get a phase gate up early in an unoccupied Hive as well, but I don't like sending one guy out alone. I get a team of 3-4, and move them all out at once.

Liku

^_^, but think of the Commander taking those few seconds to do a sweep, and those 3-4 guys could be building/defending the main base. I'm good at being a Scout, I always get the Phase Gate up alone, but at times I do get scared that the noise of me building it would alert people around me, and I lose the Hive for the Team.

FlatlineUTD

<!--QuoteBegin--Liku+Jan 10 2003, 01:50 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Liku @ Jan 10 2003, 01:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->^_^, but think of the Commander taking those few seconds to do a sweep, and those 3-4 guys could be building/defending the main base. I'm good at being a Scout, I always get the Phase Gate up alone, but at times I do get scared that the noise of me building it would alert people around me, and I lose the Hive for the Team.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sure, it takes a bit longer to sweep the Hive locations and get the team organized. But there's a point in the marine early game (after the phase gate goes down in the Hive) in which they're waiting for resources to build the TFac and 2-3 sentries to finish the Hive lockdown.

It always happens, even with the basic 2 IP/Obs/Armory build order.

Due to this fact, I build up/defend the main base from the Skulk rush first while scanning, <b>then</b> I send out the squad. I would rather have 3-4 waiting in the Hive during this downtime than just one. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

While I'm not arguing that time isn't important, a few seconds in NS aren't nearly as crucial as they are in other RTS games. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Plus, what happens if your scout meets the incoming Skulk rush head on? Lunch time!

Sirus

I usually do this, ive memorized every map, so it take smy about sub 1 minute to get anywhere, and typically hold my own against 2 skulks at a time.

Kid-A

Personally I prefer the scout to go for 1 empty hive and a team 3/4 to go to the other empty hive. If the team runs into skulks you might still get the hive they headed for and the scout will probably be free to secure the other hive (phase).
If the scout get eaten you can usually expect the team to secure the hive.

Alpha_1

Why waste resources on a scan when you can go to each hive location and place the cursor over the hive, if there is a hive there you will HEAR it. If the hive is free you won't hear anything. Save the RUs and do what everyone else does. The only place this doesn't work is the great viaduct hive, it is below a floor so it doesn't give you sound, however by listening at powersilo and cargo hold you can pinpoint viaduct as the hive.

Smithboy

<!--QuoteBegin--Alpha_1_SLS+Jan 10 2003, 05:28 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Alpha_1_SLS @ Jan 10 2003, 05:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why waste resources on a scan when you can go to each hive location and place the cursor over the hive, if there is a hive there you will HEAR it. If the hive is free you won't hear anything. Save the RUs and do what everyone else does. The only place this doesn't work is the great viaduct hive, it is below a floor so it doesn't give you sound, however by listening at powersilo and cargo hold you can pinpoint viaduct as the hive.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Can't you hear the res tower at via though?

Geronimo

I sit down in base, and spray at the skulkrush, this is alot more fun, especially in eclipse...

I usually end up killing 3-4 skulks

Scouts gets killed, sooner or late, alone you have little to no chance of survival, in my oppinion...I have been commander in several games and people that run of to secure hives might look safe but usually dies before they get a phase up.

As a skulk I sometimes check the hives to see if some yummy marine is there...

Kid-A

Hmm never underestimate the power of a scout.

In one game I recently played it was 5v3kharaa. They had maint and cc BUT no seige at cc so we managed to get up a hive. Que an hour of hard fighting to keep the cc hive. We were streched to our limit almost all the time. And their comm kept trying.

Anyhow while all this was going on eclipse (our 1st hive) was *completely* undefended, one scout could have found it and it would be game over. Eventually they did but it was too late by then.

FlatlineUTD

<!--QuoteBegin--Alpha_1_SLS+Jan 10 2003, 06:28 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Alpha_1_SLS @ Jan 10 2003, 06:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Why waste resources on a scan when you can go to each hive location and place the cursor over the hive, if there is a hive there you will HEAR it. If the hive is free you won't hear anything. Save the RUs and do what everyone else does. The only place this doesn't work is the great viaduct hive, it is below a floor so it doesn't give you sound, however by listening at powersilo and cargo hold you can pinpoint viaduct as the hive.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You can listen to Hives and save some RPs, but I really don't expect commanders to be able to this in future patches.

Liku

Yeah, listening for the Hive is lame, I hope it's taken out in 1.1.

Narfwak

A scout would be a bit unneeded given other abilities of the team. Scanner sweep alone can do it. Even without that, you can take note of the route they take to your base and use that to make an educated guess of where their hive is. A forward scout as part of a squad *might* work, but is generally not needed.

Liku

Yes, but doing a Scanner Sweep won't build a Phase Gate for you. ~_^

Nicator

Yes, but the comm would be a silly billy if he let a lone scout build a phase gate for him, except in a desperate situation <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

Kid-A

<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Yes, but the comm would be a silly billy if he let a lone scout build a phase gate for him, except in a desperate situation<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

As a comm I've got sooo many positions because one lone marine got to build a phase gate in a vital position. It's only 20 res and its generally a 50% (maybe higher) chance you'll get away with it. Provided your team prepared to get thru quickly you can often win the game on a 20 res gamble.

If 1 marine is in a hive you'd call me a foolish commander for building a phase?, he's already there but you'd want me to tell him to wait there until more people come which will take longer than just giving him a phase. I would virtually ALWAYS give the phase. Sure its not ideal but if I waited for ideal situations as a comm I'd rarely get anything done.

Freemantle

Listening for a hive is a skill. I've commanded more games than I've done anything else and it is not an exploit as some would believe. It takes about 20 seconds of time and saves 6 rps.

FlatlineUTD

<!--QuoteBegin--Freemantle+Jan 12 2003, 03:21 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Freemantle @ Jan 12 2003, 03:21 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Listening for a hive is a skill. I've commanded more games than I've done anything else and it is not an exploit as some would believe. It takes about 20 seconds of time and saves 6 rps.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How is listening for a Hive a <b>skill</b>?

If you know the map (which you should, since you're commanding), you know where the Hive locations are. After that, you click then until you hear one making weird noises.

I don't see where the skill comes into that. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->

Liku

I agree.