How To Be A Good Little Marine

MercenaryForHire · November 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">aka "Doing Exactly What You're Told"</div> Yeah, fine. Call me the "Commander's B1tch" if you will.

I played as Marines last night for the first significant length of time, under an excellent commander. And I learned something useful - how to make your commander Happy Happy Happy.

<b>Do what he asks.</b> Be a hardworking little grunt. If he wants you to build that factory - you do it. If he waypoints you out to the middle of nowhere to build an RT and turret it up - you do it. If he asks you to drop your pants and bend over the armoury - you do it. :O

At the very start of the match, I got waypointed out to the corner of West Butt-Crack, Egypt. I figured I might as well go, it being my first Marine match. On the spot, there's a turret factory going up. Build build build. I pull up the menu and ask for more orders. Down goes a turret. Build build build. Ask for orders. Another one. Another. Then a Resource Tower. Then an Armoury. Then more turrets.

By this time, there's a fully established minibase where I was camped out all by myself - and I had yet to see any other players - TSA or Kharaa. Down comes a shotgun and a buttload of ammo, and a "Guard" order. I grab the goodies, and around the corner comes a pack of fun-seeking, hungry looking Skulks.

I never had to fire that shotgun once. The turrets utterly ripped them apart before they even got close to me. Up goes a phase gate, and the armoury starts upgrading as the TSA troops pour out of the newly-completed portal. Commander throws me an HMG and waypoints me at a hive.

I cheerfully moseyed over, bunkered down just around a corner, and opened up. Commander kept me supplied with a constant stream of med & ammo. Tore up half the base solo before I got taken down.

Respawning at base, I get a GL and jetpack dropped on my head. Final order of the match? "Give 'em hell."

I flew clear over the base defences - OCs can't hit squat when you're standing still, never mind jetpacking overhead. Parked on top of a structure in the area and ripped off clip after clip into everything that didn't move. Ammo rained down in my head whenever it was needed.

Two minutes later, we stormed the second hive to clean the game up.

The moral of this story is - Be the b1tch for the first part of the game. If you've got a nice commander, he'll repay you for it.

- M4H

Mindmeldme · November 2002

An excellent point. Please...If a commander gives you a task...just do it. We are not sending you around the map for fun, we need you to do something. If we send you somewhere and forget about you for a second because 5 of your brothers are being ripped up and the base needs more turrents, just remind us and we'll pop right back over. My biggest problem is I'll be waiting for a marines at the spawn to build up my arms lab so I can drop the prototype lab and get them what they need. I'll have 5 marines asking abot armor and weapons as they walk right past these buildings in the spawn. Be attentive and build whatever, where ever your commander asks you to.

Stormeh · November 2002

I couldnt agree more with you. Although i have only been commander a few times its much more fun when the players does what you tell them to do. Everything runs more smooth, and you will get more expansions and strucktures up faster. All this will hopefully lead to victory.

But if instead all the players do is whine and telling you that you are a bad commander, refuses to build things and just waits in the base to get Heavy Armour and a HMG, you are gonna lose the game.

Hell i think that the marines should never venture out from the base alone or without orders from the commander. He has a overwiev map of the place and he knows where the smartest place to build is. At least i always find operations much more succesfull when a commander rallys a bunch of guys, equips them and gives them orders where to go and what to so, than if you and a couple of mates venture out on your own without specific goals and without equipment.

Listen to your commander and do what he tells you to do and it will nmot only lead your team to victory, but it will also be more fun bith for you and for the commander.

Llama_Killer · November 2002

You both are quite right as a comander I usued a couple of simple order s to some new players the first thing they said was sc*** this im not building no stupid infantry portal for you im going to kill all those alines with myfellow marines! i sigh get out of the cc and while seting up the poratl get eaten we lost the game cause of some silly Cs guys who have been trained not to play as a team...

UGLJon · November 2002

I thought this idea was kind of established already. Commander gives marines orders, marines follow. I think we all knew some wouldn't

P.S. Don't go around the swearing filter, just do **obscenity** or Commander's Pet <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

Skrift · November 2002

I´d also like to add:

- Have VoiceComm (handy dandy)
- Don´t be an idiot

<img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

I just hate the kind that stands around doing nothing when you have to build that node all by yourself. <img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='mad.gif'>

HBNayr · November 2002

I actually commanded for the first, and possibly last, time yesterday. It was short, near the end game, when we had most of the technology, and the aliens had only one Hive left. I wanted to get a turret factory set up outside the Hive to keep the little buggers from running away, and then upgrade to a siege. Well, I get two turrets set up and built when my industrious marines decide to rush into the base. And get killed within seconds from the mass of offensive turrets i already knew was there. In true sportsman attitude, then didn't let this faze them one bit. Instead, they continued to rush the base, one at a time, despite my request that they way in the base for orders. After a few respawn, the four who kept rushing away from me wanted to know why they weren't getting grenade launchers and Heavy Armor. As if they'd stick around the base long enough to pick it up. One, I repeat, ONE marine followed orders. I gave him some Heavy Armor, a HMG, and scolled across the map, liberally sprinkling medical packs and ammo over his head until he made it to the Hive entrance, and my build waypoint (which, if you will recall, has been up for some time). He builds the siege turret, and guards it as the Kharaa are shocked into oblivion. By some great fortune, not a single Gorge managed to sneak out during my tryst as a commander, and the marines win the round.

In short, if your commander says, "Wait in the base for reinforcements and orders," don't type "Why?" run off, and then complain about not getting Heavy Armor.

-Ryan!

"More has been screwed up on the battlefield and misunderstood in the Pentagon because of a lack of understanding of the English language than any other single factor."
-- John W. Vessey, Jr.

MonsieurEvil · November 2002

And commanders, you can also win more games with honey than vinegar... err, or something. Meaning, think of tricky ways to reward your troops for good behavior. I like to sweet the waypoints with ammo and health, just to keep my troops moving where I want them too for BOTH our sakes. Telling them over voice is also a good trick - they are more likely to follow your directions when they know how it fits into the big plans. People like to be on the inside track, so to speak.

Supernorn · November 2002

*EDITED*

Please ignore.

The following post contains many smilies and various retarded comments made by me. This post has been edited to protect the innocent and to stop insane haunting me with posts from the past!

I'm not entirely sure what I was rambling on about in this post but it doesnt seem to add anything to this "thrilling" thread.

This is the earliest post the Forums can find so I would like to apologise for every comment in the "Stupid Stupid Stupid Server Addon" thread. I love you Voogru.

zoda · November 2002

Of course, but most commanders I've ran into aren't very good.

for instance giving me a waypoint where there is 3 skulks guarding a place and plent of offense/defense chamebhrs... He could at least give me a better gun. . you said he gave you a shotgun and HMG, many commanders wont do this, even if you ask. You shouldn't have to ask though.

How many n"nice commanders" are there.

FlatlineUTD · November 2002

Good points all around - I've used the 'put goodies at the waypoint' before, and it seems to work. If they still don't go, put ammo down like a trail of breadcrumbs. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'> That can work too, but it gets expensive.

CrazedMonkOnaMission · November 2002

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Well, I get two turrets set up and built when my industrious marines decide to rush into the base. And get killed within seconds from the mass of offensive turrets i already knew was there. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Alright, I totally understand what you feel, I've lost way too many games because of this. Even when we had sieges set up outside a hive room or something, people just decide to run in and attack. Of course the offense chambers wear down their armor, and skulks kill em... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'>

This is of course despite repeated messaging of "stay back, let the siege kill them, just guard." over and over and over again

Mr_Chewy_Bitums · November 2002

Disregard, sorry.

Mr_Chewy_Bitums · November 2002

I have to agree with you all, and is it just, or does anyone else get a feeling of joy when you manage to secure a base all by yourself thanks to a good commander. The best games of NS are played under a commander who knows what hes doing with some good players, but the worst are definetely the ones with the guy asking for a HMG for 20 minutes as the commander sets waypoint after waypoint. Not listening to the commander just ruins the game for everyone else. One Awall soldier can mess up the whole mission.

Khasandro · November 2002

It's tough to be commander. I did it once, and the interface could use some serious polishing. Still, it's rewarding when your team listens and you win a small skirmish because everyone was listening to you.

Then there's the idiots, that seem to be disappearing. Bitums, you and I were playing earlier, do you remember that whiny little kid who kept screaming for a HMG over voicechat, and proceeded to destroy the commander's chamber because he didn't get what he wanted? Fortunately, immature jerks like those are slowly disppearing.. I see less and less each day. Unfortunately, they're being replaced by people who don't even try to communicate with their commander, just go off and do whatever.

For god's sake, your commander has all this power for a reason. Help him get the most out of his abilities, and you'll win. Simple enough.

JRPereira · November 2002

I agree with the people here, I hate having to command a bunch of idiot troops. Why can't they just listen to orders, and stop complaining when they die? I expect casualties if the game's balanced, or if I'm on the bad side of an unbalanced one. When they don't have any special weaponry, I don't see why they even sweat it (ie they didn't cost anything, and neither does the respawn). Just get back to where you were so the other guy where you were (ie always stay in a group) isn't stuck alone. I'm not dropping 10 medpacks just to see you guys die with 5 on the ground. I also get peeved when they run off, or cower near the spawn asking for equipment. It's killer - I had a problem in hera where we lost the entrance and reception and therefore the game cause everyone was hanging out at the main base, except the one guy who I had defending the command chair. When I broke down and told him to go to the entrance and reception, he died doing it cause the other guys wouldn't come with him.

borbil · November 2002

Happens all the time...

But having played commander myself a lot of times, its very rare that you have a bad commander unless hes a newcomer, i think almost everyone that wants in the command chair has a bit of the job in his blood already.

As far as bad marines go...hell....there are handfulls of that, but i really think this game is made for clans, so you get used to the people youre playing with, and that helps a lot.

Jack Fenris, out.

"Sorry, i had the munchies"

How To Be A Good Little Marine

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