My Interpretation Of V3.0
N_Recoup
Join Date: 2005-01-17 Member: 36126Members
Join Date: 2005-01-17 Member: 36126Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Among other things...</div> Natural Selection 3.0 and other versions (3.0.3, 3.0.4, etc) have been out for some time and I think I should put up my thoughts on what I think it is and how far it's gotten.
I remember at the initial start of 3.0 everyone thought Fades were overpowered, and that aliens were winning too much. Fades are a force to reckon with, that is for sure, but I think the marine players who generally complained about this factor have learned to adapt. Slowly, on my server, the marines began adapting useful tactics and we eventually put ourselves on even ground with the aliens. So, after a while, I've adopted these new strategies, and thanks to them I haven't lost a game of NS Classic in weeks, maybe even a month.
Combat is still an issue to be worked out. Im not sure why people love it so much that they abandon NS games when they start. On our server, combat is there to bring in the players, and then change over to NS once we get about 10 players or so (I forget the number of change).
The problem is that once we change from CO to NS, the players leave. NS doesn't seem to internest them. I'm not sure if it might be that NS has become boring for other players, or that they are just little CS **** who need to learn to get used to change. It could be either one. Personally I still find NS very internesting and once all the CO players leave, and NS has started up, all descent players begin to join in and play.
I've also adopted something that works when I command in any game: resource node electrification. I've realized that in small games, or in moderately sized games, this keeps the aliens from taking down any of your res whatsoever, flushing the good players out into the field to fight and leaving the lesser-skilled ones to fight as well. We get RFK, therefor getting new tech early. I've yet to try out something new I have in mind for a neat little game of NS.
NS promoted flexibility: the ability to play with new ideas and tactics, and to set up chokepoints, strongholds of Turrets or OC's, little outposts by res nodes to keep in close contact with hive locations, or that sort of jibber jabber. All the jerks and CS players don't take to this mode very well, but me and my clan do and we love it. We absorb a lot of new people into the community and NS helps to sort out the good from the bad.
I think playing and winning a game of NS as the marine commander is the best feeling you can have in 3.0, since you had just led people you either know or don't know into combat, and brought them out on top to succeed. I've commanded entire games with strangers, and the use of the microphone really makes a difference.
All in all, NS 3.0 when it first came out got kind of a backlash from a lot of players, but over time we've begun to accept the changes and really like to play the game for what is it. Is it perfect now? No of course not. It might never be perfect, but we can come close. 3.0 is one step closer to balance, but hasn't quite reached it yet. What the next version <i><b>really</b></i> needs is a majority vote for change, like saying "Yes, that idea works."
I love Natural Selection 3.0, and I love the devs too. Group hug! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I remember at the initial start of 3.0 everyone thought Fades were overpowered, and that aliens were winning too much. Fades are a force to reckon with, that is for sure, but I think the marine players who generally complained about this factor have learned to adapt. Slowly, on my server, the marines began adapting useful tactics and we eventually put ourselves on even ground with the aliens. So, after a while, I've adopted these new strategies, and thanks to them I haven't lost a game of NS Classic in weeks, maybe even a month.
Combat is still an issue to be worked out. Im not sure why people love it so much that they abandon NS games when they start. On our server, combat is there to bring in the players, and then change over to NS once we get about 10 players or so (I forget the number of change).
The problem is that once we change from CO to NS, the players leave. NS doesn't seem to internest them. I'm not sure if it might be that NS has become boring for other players, or that they are just little CS **** who need to learn to get used to change. It could be either one. Personally I still find NS very internesting and once all the CO players leave, and NS has started up, all descent players begin to join in and play.
I've also adopted something that works when I command in any game: resource node electrification. I've realized that in small games, or in moderately sized games, this keeps the aliens from taking down any of your res whatsoever, flushing the good players out into the field to fight and leaving the lesser-skilled ones to fight as well. We get RFK, therefor getting new tech early. I've yet to try out something new I have in mind for a neat little game of NS.
NS promoted flexibility: the ability to play with new ideas and tactics, and to set up chokepoints, strongholds of Turrets or OC's, little outposts by res nodes to keep in close contact with hive locations, or that sort of jibber jabber. All the jerks and CS players don't take to this mode very well, but me and my clan do and we love it. We absorb a lot of new people into the community and NS helps to sort out the good from the bad.
I think playing and winning a game of NS as the marine commander is the best feeling you can have in 3.0, since you had just led people you either know or don't know into combat, and brought them out on top to succeed. I've commanded entire games with strangers, and the use of the microphone really makes a difference.
All in all, NS 3.0 when it first came out got kind of a backlash from a lot of players, but over time we've begun to accept the changes and really like to play the game for what is it. Is it perfect now? No of course not. It might never be perfect, but we can come close. 3.0 is one step closer to balance, but hasn't quite reached it yet. What the next version <i><b>really</b></i> needs is a majority vote for change, like saying "Yes, that idea works."
I love Natural Selection 3.0, and I love the devs too. Group hug! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Comments
NS is <b>not</b> boring.
Same findings as myself - NS is <i>way</i> more fun than CO, by far. IMHO, CO makes stuff like jetpacks and heavy armor normal, not a game-winner. That's what NS is all about - tech breakthroughs (Onos, HA, etc), and having the other team work together to either counter it, or take it down.
According to you.
With all the crabbing Ive seen about ultra low NS server numbers and "5 to 8" times greater numbers on CO servers, most people <i>do</i> think NS is boring <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
It's always a surprise when you making a harrowing escape only to turn the cornor and see two marines opening fire on you :-P
This is pretty much what happened on our server at TacticalGamer.com. We no longer cower in fear when Infro (the damn nub who is probably the best Fade and commander on TG) gets 50 res and starts egging. We simply adjust our tactics accordingly: avoid ramboing, listen for that distinct fade breathing sound, set up ambush/blocking positions, and always have at least one shotgunner in a marine squad. Around mid-game we use HMGs liberally. When put into the hands of good players, HMGs generally makes 2 hive skulks useless and greatly deminishes the effectiveness of fades without lerk support (the fade/lerk combo can be countered, however, by having a vanilla marine whose sole purpose in life is to weld his hmging comrades).
Everytime our team looses as marines it is always due to mistakes on our part (we didn't push on a hive, our anti-fade tactics fell apart, we didn't cordinate enough, ect...), it sure as hell ain't the game's fault.
It's always a surprise when you making a harrowing escape only to turn the cornor and see two marines opening fire on you :-P <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ive noticed that too, and it forces fades to retreat allot earlier to avoid getting killed (which is perfectly fine in my opinion)
I think its funny though to go to escape only to find a human sheild blocking the exit you want to go through. (expecially in 15vs15 pubs)
It's always a surprise when you making a harrowing escape only to turn the cornor and see two marines opening fire on you :-P <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Its not only on monster, im actually noticing that on other servers such as arms lab too <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
We scrimmed a TG team last night and they were throwing blocks up like pro's.
It's always a surprise when you making a harrowing escape only to turn the cornor and see two marines opening fire on you :-P <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Its not only on monster, im actually noticing that on other servers such as arms lab too <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bleh, I have been "blocking" since day one. But if the rest of your team doesn't catch on, it doesn't help much to just have one person blocking if there are multiple exits.
But yes, I think the marines have been able to adapt fairly well to the new changes and are starting to come out on top a lot more than they did in the initial levels of NS. This makes being alien a bit more challenging and also making THEM ajust their tactics.
thats why you learn to blink past them
thats why you learn to blink past them <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yea usally i do,cept the biggest problem i have is that the server i play on is full of rines with good aim.
thats why you learn to blink past them <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yea usally i do,cept the biggest problem i have is that the server i play on is full of rines with good aim. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I have also adopted this tactic as the skill levels seem to be rising rapidly as of late, which is most deffinately a good thing imo. Also the fade blocking technique has been used for a very long time but is deffinately more prolific nowadays, and good on em too. Nice to die at the hands of well thought out tactics and good players.
I wasn't playing that round!