There's no "i" in team
frances_farmer
Join Date: 2002-10-12 Member: 1485Members
Join Date: 2002-10-12 Member: 1485Members
<div class="IPBDescription">The planetns article</div>I have just written my first article for Planet NS. Let me know what you think. The link is: <a href="http://139.81.52.69/noiinteam.htm" target="_blank">http://139.81.52.69/noiinteam.htm</a>
Here is the article:
The main thing in my opinion that is important to Natural Selection’s long-term playability is teamwork, at least from the marine’s point of view.
Teamwork doesn’t just mean communicating and helping out other marines though, it also includes the commander, that all seeing eye if you will. There has to be full cooperation from all parties. The commander has to listen to his infantry, the infantry has to follow the commander’s orders and they also have to listen to each other in order to be successful. If one side fails to achieve this then you might as well serve yourself up with large fries and a coke because you’re going to become easy lunch for the aliens. There’s no room for bunny-hopping rambos on the marine side in this game.
The commander mode is an innovative feature. In the right hands it is the key to success. It allows a full view of the entire map but you can only see the aliens currently in your marines’ line of sight. However you can hear noisy alien builders in rooms even if you cant see them. You can shut doors and distribute weapons to those who need them. You can build turrets in the places that they will be of most use. These advantages allow you to form multiple strategies – send your marines a different route to avoid a noisy room, seal a door in front of a charging Onos, allowing your marines to put up defensives. The list of uses goes on. However in the wrong hands commander mode is just another cool feature to play around with. A different way to watch your teammates get slaughtered.
Within the ground marines, Natural Selection has tried to kill the solo player and reincarnate team play with the use of a very natural (excuse the pun) and fluid system which eliminates having to stop and type “Fade, dead ahead! Move your butt out of there!” whilst everyone is already pasted across the walls. A quick click of the right mouse button and you access a wide range of options that simply flow off each other until you find the one you want. Of course there is the ever-familiar voice communication, but with a lot of gamers lacking microphones and the often-inaudible squeals that emerge from voice communication my guess is that Natural Selection’s new system will be favoured.
Wait a second I here you say. What about the aliens? Well I was leading to that part and here it is. The alien side is more suited to the deathmatch style rather than team play and they also lack the commander mode but that doesn’t mean the team aspect has been totally left out. With Natural Selection the hope is people will get used to knowing where their team is, using the alien’s hive sight. It is like a radar which pinpoints every team members location and any marines that team member can see. It’s a very useful system and it oozes team play. For example all aliens show up as a white blip so you can easily see if any of your teammates are taking damage and go and help them out, as their blip will turn red. Also if there are two of you in the same room and your friend happens to spot a sneaky marine and you don’t it won’t matter because you will pick him up on the hive sight. Right. So if the commander mode is used properly don’t the marines have a rather large advantage? The answer is no. Natural Selection strikes a very good balance between both sides. The marines might get the commander mode but the aliens get a lot more weapons. While they start off very small they can also evolve to twice the size of the marines. That’s not all either. Skulks can wall walk while Lerks can fly.
It’s all just a matter of time before we can see whether players adjust to this radically different style of play. With the community in it’s current state I would say we’re in for a thrilling, fun-packed load of action experienced by the whole team working together. Its survival of the fittest and Natural selection is one Arnie sized hunk. Played as it was intended Natural Selection will be the dominant species.
Please support planetns. <a href="http://139.81.52.69/" target="_blank">http://139.81.52.69/</a> and <a href="http://www.planetns.com" target="_blank">http://www.planetns.com</a>
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/asrifle.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::asrifle::'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/pudgy.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::gorge::'><!--endemo-->
<!--emo&::sentry::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/turret.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::sentry::'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::onos::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tiny.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::onos::'><!--endemo-->
Here is the article:
The main thing in my opinion that is important to Natural Selection’s long-term playability is teamwork, at least from the marine’s point of view.
Teamwork doesn’t just mean communicating and helping out other marines though, it also includes the commander, that all seeing eye if you will. There has to be full cooperation from all parties. The commander has to listen to his infantry, the infantry has to follow the commander’s orders and they also have to listen to each other in order to be successful. If one side fails to achieve this then you might as well serve yourself up with large fries and a coke because you’re going to become easy lunch for the aliens. There’s no room for bunny-hopping rambos on the marine side in this game.
The commander mode is an innovative feature. In the right hands it is the key to success. It allows a full view of the entire map but you can only see the aliens currently in your marines’ line of sight. However you can hear noisy alien builders in rooms even if you cant see them. You can shut doors and distribute weapons to those who need them. You can build turrets in the places that they will be of most use. These advantages allow you to form multiple strategies – send your marines a different route to avoid a noisy room, seal a door in front of a charging Onos, allowing your marines to put up defensives. The list of uses goes on. However in the wrong hands commander mode is just another cool feature to play around with. A different way to watch your teammates get slaughtered.
Within the ground marines, Natural Selection has tried to kill the solo player and reincarnate team play with the use of a very natural (excuse the pun) and fluid system which eliminates having to stop and type “Fade, dead ahead! Move your butt out of there!” whilst everyone is already pasted across the walls. A quick click of the right mouse button and you access a wide range of options that simply flow off each other until you find the one you want. Of course there is the ever-familiar voice communication, but with a lot of gamers lacking microphones and the often-inaudible squeals that emerge from voice communication my guess is that Natural Selection’s new system will be favoured.
Wait a second I here you say. What about the aliens? Well I was leading to that part and here it is. The alien side is more suited to the deathmatch style rather than team play and they also lack the commander mode but that doesn’t mean the team aspect has been totally left out. With Natural Selection the hope is people will get used to knowing where their team is, using the alien’s hive sight. It is like a radar which pinpoints every team members location and any marines that team member can see. It’s a very useful system and it oozes team play. For example all aliens show up as a white blip so you can easily see if any of your teammates are taking damage and go and help them out, as their blip will turn red. Also if there are two of you in the same room and your friend happens to spot a sneaky marine and you don’t it won’t matter because you will pick him up on the hive sight. Right. So if the commander mode is used properly don’t the marines have a rather large advantage? The answer is no. Natural Selection strikes a very good balance between both sides. The marines might get the commander mode but the aliens get a lot more weapons. While they start off very small they can also evolve to twice the size of the marines. That’s not all either. Skulks can wall walk while Lerks can fly.
It’s all just a matter of time before we can see whether players adjust to this radically different style of play. With the community in it’s current state I would say we’re in for a thrilling, fun-packed load of action experienced by the whole team working together. Its survival of the fittest and Natural selection is one Arnie sized hunk. Played as it was intended Natural Selection will be the dominant species.
Please support planetns. <a href="http://139.81.52.69/" target="_blank">http://139.81.52.69/</a> and <a href="http://www.planetns.com" target="_blank">http://www.planetns.com</a>
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/asrifle.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::asrifle::'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/pudgy.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::gorge::'><!--endemo-->
<!--emo&::sentry::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/turret.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::sentry::'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::onos::--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tiny.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='::onos::'><!--endemo-->
Comments
teim..
ieam..
teai..
ah i give up just can't add that i <!--emo&:(--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('><!--endemo-->
very nice article <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
Also, the aliens have a menu, just like the marines. And because it holds all the upgrades, evolutions and communications, the aliens end up using it more than the marines do.
<!--EDIT|Fam|Oct. 27 2002,00:27-->
Maybe it's just because I've been following the game for a while.
ROFL omg thats so great
<!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo--> ....I cant wait!!
the article is a good read. It may sound "no duh" to you or me but it clearly states how this game is meant to be played... thumbs up.
yes...but you don't win without a team <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
yes...but you don't win without a team <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you're me, you do <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
<!--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-->There’s no room for bunny-hopping rambos on the marine side in this game.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bah, stereotypes caused by CS. Bunny hopping is good in TFC (grrr etc, stay back Im armed)
<!--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-->Its slightly scary because outside of clans, there is little to no teamwork on public servers... If you want any semblence of teamwork over the internet you gotta be in a clan/group whatever.... <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There is alot of teamwork on certain servers, depends on where you go. Ive had games that are just like my clan matches with everyone doing exactly what was needed. NS will attract the teamplayer type even more so should have less to worry about (although it relies on teamwork more so :/ ... I guess we'll see. Im optimistic though).
I agree about the duh factor though, still its readable and serves a purpose so nice work.
Yeah, perfect example, the DoD Kustom Kettle servers. Every game there is like logging in with a clan. The first round or two, one team or the other has their act together, then both are absolutely lethal and perfectly coordinated.
I think NS will be fine. It's not going to attract the kind of CS players that cause grief, and if it does, they won't stay around long.
When each team member has a vested interest in keeping up their end and covering their teammates, as well as helping where they're needed, it's not a far leap of logic to following the cocmmander.
And MEAT, too
Beware, meat-pops.
-Ryan!
"...for the Mind."
-- Frrt-a
Thanks for your support and expect articles to be more interesting to the NS veteran after the PR Blitz.