The Skool Of Skulk..

Error404 · June 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">... the marine base</div> I've played on many servers, and I've seen plenty of great skulks, and I've come to the conclusion that the best place to learn the ultimate <i>'when the time comes, you won't have to'</i> skillz is the marine base!!

Yes, the marine base is the ultimate assault course for skulk training, and you'll notice that the best skulks can jump into a marine base full of turrets and marine guards and last long enough to create alot of panic and confusion.

Infiltrating the marine base, particularly a well defended one, is a bit like hacking. The marine has set it up in such a way that they believe is inpenetrable. The mine traps, the turrets, crouching marines around every corner. It is only a place for those skulks with daring and quick reactions, also it is a training ground for newbie skulks.

Most expert skulks find these places quite amusing, like a fairground. There's the rush of diving between the beams of vicinity mines, jumping over claymores, rushing past turrets and ducking behind structures, dodging marines, running around and coming up behind marines and taking out their butt. If you have the guts, then you will learn much young skywalker.

Also, the more you attack the main base, the slower they will build the upgrade structures, and the less willing will the marines be to expand as they will stay and defend the base. Taking out useful structures like a observatory or prototype lab will gain you bonus points. Attacking their IPs will slow down their spawning forcing them to wait in a spawn queue thus slowing down reinforcements as the rest of your team attack their outposts.

But you know that already. I hope that more skulks will go to get their degree from the skool of skulk.

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'>

Church · June 2003

Most skulks, however, are smart enough to not assault a fully-defended marine base with mines, turrets, and IPs unless they absolutely HAVE to, and they also have a bunch of reinforcements. It's utter SUICIDE against any competent marine defender(s). People can mow down skulks before the skulks can get from the entrance of the base to anywhere NEAR a building, especially if the skulks have to dodge mines. Now you see, since most commanders never build turrets in marine start anymore, this pointis kinda moot. Besides, this practice only prepares a skulk for assaulting bases, and not for hide and wait tactics. People will have to do more than just rushing the marine base to learn all the tricks to skulking. Oh, and if you see only one lone marines defender with no turrets and you have at least one buddy with you, rush in and try to kill that marines, then at least one building. Watch for the mines.

SoulSkorpion · June 2003

Behold! He speaks the truth!

You can always simulate this by starting a LAN game, putting on cheats, setting up a marine base and then switching to skulk.

ThinG · June 2003

Hmm, full head on rush CAN work, although I am not really a big supporter of it.
On my regular server I'll get gunned down 9 out of 10 times before I set foot in their base.

But the server was down yesterday so we went to one of the "bygames" servers...
played for 7 mins, 29 kills, longest time I managed to stay in base with 6 turrets and 3 rines firing at me was about 1 minute...

So it all depends on your opponent really <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>
Next to that I think that most ppl have the "skills", just try to stay calm, don't do dumb stuff, and don't jump around like you're mowing the lawn. Pick your target and focus on him/it. Clear and simple <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Cheers

Roger_Dodger · June 2003

Hmm i agree, trying to make a decent assault on a marine base does take quite a skill as a skulk. But it is really best for twitch skills, jumping and evading while destroying, it does not teach you any of the fine arts that are essential outside the rine spawn eg: successfully waiting for ambushes etc.

- RD

Pod · June 2003

You spelt school wrongly.

Stakhanov · June 2003

It is especially true with the mine placement. There is <i>always</i> a way to create a passage in a marine base entrance blowing 1 mine or none at all. Else they've spend way too much on mines and will be turtling.

I love how marines can't resist placing mines around their buildings... sometimes they just mine spam the IPs so you can safely munch the more costly buildings... also no one ever mines the obs , even though it's the weakest building. Anyway , they tend to underestimate the skulk biting range greatly.

The command center is also extremely exposed in certain maps. While you have little hopes of destroying it quickly , attacking it will force the marines to buy more welders or risk losing their only CC.

When you have to charge that locked hive filled with turrets and mines , leaping can be used very effectively. Turrets don't let you remain here... but they let you go through the outpost , they won't let you destroy the phase gate but for sure you will be able to use it without taking significant damage.
If the marines are on a mining frenzy... leap up to ceiling (who could mine it ?!) then leap down to phase , then leap up again and you find yourself inside the marine base with good fighting odds.

Error404 · June 2003

At the moment, I don't think any game comes close to being ZEN as being a skulk in NS, just because it involves complete body, mind, spirit involvement. Dodging and killing stuff, is really a 'there is no spoon' artform.

p4l · June 2003

Please don't put Zen and matrix references right next to eachother... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif'>

Impy_The_Lerk · June 2003

imo great skulking is a combination of Stealth, exelent reaction skills to doge bullets (neo: whoaaaw) , instinct on when exactly to attack and when to run, and rellentlessness (you never know when that good 5 kill run is just around the corner =D)

-Impy

Error404 · June 2003

I would like to propose a back-flip button for the skulk. So you could back-flip behind a marine that is chasing you and bite him in the butt.

Roger_Dodger · June 2003

"Hmmm upgrades..."

Now try getting in their spawn.
sry couldnt resist matrix quote

- RD

SoulSkorpion · June 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Error404: @ Jun 24 2003, 06:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> At the moment, I don't think any game comes close to being ZEN as being a skulk in NS, just because it involves complete body, mind, spirit involvement.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Perfect Dark, where I learned my skulking skillz. To a lesser extent, TFC spying. NS still pwns, of course <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>.

Xzilen · June 2003

Bah, I used to be able to do that kind of stuff, I don't know what happened :-\

I think my break four months ago to play CS again screwed me :-\

GamezLord · June 2003

i love M base! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

but... i uselly wait a little till the marines will spread out over the map... going for other outpost.
then i go close to the m base... waiting for the right time (reload clicks, armory humping...), and then i storm in dodging the mines.
uselly i kill at least 1, but most of the time 2-3, and there are those lucky situations that u kill like 6-8 and finish the game <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>
if i see a other skulk on the other side, it can be a really nice party! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

1 tip for dodging mines: run in circles on top of the m buildings. allways work.
and when u have too jump down, allways check if there mines. with practice u will be able to spot them so fast that u will hardly die by them in m base

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'>

im_lost · June 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ThinG @ Jun 23 2003, 04:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Hmm, full head on rush CAN work, although I am not really a big supporter of it.
On my regular server I'll get gunned down 9 out of 10 times before I set foot in their base.

But the server was down yesterday so we went to one of the "bygames" servers...
played for 7 mins, 29 kills, longest time I managed to stay in base with 6 turrets and 3 rines firing at me was about 1 minute...

So it all depends on your opponent really <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>
Next to that I think that most ppl have the "skills", just try to stay calm, don't do dumb stuff, and don't jump around like you're mowing the lawn. Pick your target and focus on him/it. Clear and simple <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Cheers</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Focus on a target? My usual strategy is to run in random circles so the marine spraying ammo at me can't hit me, so he uses his lmg ammo, switches to pistol, and empties that. On the occasions that it occurs to me that this has happened, I then slow down and actually try to find the marine that I saw ten seconds earlier. It can be pretty effective. (btw, this is 1 on 1, with no turrets or mines).

eaglec · June 2003

Actually my specialty when the aliens are getting hammered is to sneak into the marine base and chomp out the ip alone. The commander is hearing so many things he quite often doesn't even look at base until over half his marines are not respawning. By then the observatory is gone too. I need a lack of TF or blind spot otherwise I have to pick a different target, but you destroy the IP or an expensive building and you damage moral, slow growth. If you manage to take the IP down you just shout it out to your comrades and with a bit of luck you storm the marine base in seconds.

Where did I learn this 'treat the commander like a n00b' tactic ?? From the comm chair <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'>

eaglec · June 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (i'm lost @ Jun 29 2003, 09:54 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ThinG @ Jun 23 2003, 04:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Pick your target and focus on him/it.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Focus on a target? My usual strategy is to run in random circles so the marine spraying ammo at me can't hit me, so he uses his lmg ammo, switches to pistol, and empties that. On the occasions that it occurs to me that this has happened, I then slow down and actually try to find the marine that I saw ten seconds earlier. It can be pretty effective. (btw, this is 1 on 1, with no turrets or mines).  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
1 on 1 ThinG would pwn the marine - unless it was me <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'>

Lumberjack_Wannabe · June 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Xzilen @ Jun 26 2003, 10:30 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Bah, I used to be able to do that kind of stuff, I don't know what happened :-\

I think my break four months ago to play CS again screwed me :-\  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Same thing with me, except a different game.

Silarn · June 2003

Dont forget that over time marines have become better shooters too..

I remember back in the 1.0-1.02 days I could easily go around killing small squads of marines (4-5) by myself. (I think this was partly the lv 1-2 carapace giving 30 armor) but I havn't done that kind of thing for at least 1.5 months now..

Error404 · June 2003

Oh those were the days! It was hell for marines tho, at least marines stand a decent chance of keeping res nodes without the need to turret all of them.

BenderTheOffender · June 2003

Off-Topic: YAY first post w00t!

On-Topic: well, i usually find myself spying on the marines base from vent systems or something. i dare not to go down and die. i just sit there and pas info to others, and if the marines are looking around the side where i am, i immediately run away and attack their base from a different direction to confuse them.

Trevelyan · July 2003

your ability to rush fortified marine bases (described above) will increase 10 fold when you have the magic leap on your side. you close distances that used to take precious seconds nearly instantly and you can also "fly" over many obsticals;

FaT_CaM · July 2003

My strat? I go in first as a cara3 (lvl3 cara) gorge and shoot out mines and step over ground ones, actually regen is better for that <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'> works well especially when a skulk or two go in first, gives you some time.

Lt_Hendrickson · July 2003

do you know those mine walls were you see red laser above another one kind of like a horizantal grid. Well a nice trick is if there far enough apart but you still cant jump through them normally, you may be able to jump through them if you turn sideways in midair.

The Skool Of Skulk..

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