Competitive Alien Balance

MrMakaveliMrMakaveli Join Date: 2004-05-06 Member: 28509Members
Ok well I've been in a few scrims and stuff, and it seems aliens get screwed most of the time. Every time my team is on aliens in a 6v6 scrim, we get 2 rts up (total of 3) and try to protect them. We almost always end up losing both rts, then get trapped in our base (aside from me who usually sneaks out to try to bite down marine rts or hit their base.)
It just seems like the only time aliens have a good moment in a game is when they have a fluke lucky kill-streak-ambush thing happen.
Of course you can say that the marines were better, or we sucked, or something. But it just seems like skulks can't do CRAP against early marines in a scrim. I lay in ambush, but you can't just sit there waiting to ambush FOREVER. If you rush the marines, you die (MOST of the time), if you ambush, you waste tons of time and the other rines on the map are capping stuff and ARGH NEVERMIND (add sucks)

Comments

  • BadMouthBadMouth It ceases to be exclusive when you can have a custom member titl Join Date: 2004-05-21 Member: 28815Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-MrMakaveli+Jul 31 2005, 08:52 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MrMakaveli @ Jul 31 2005, 08:52 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Of course you can say that the marines were better, or we sucked, or something. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I didn't say it. You did.
  • MisfireMisfire Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5764Members
    aliens win most of the time
  • CommunistWithAGunCommunistWithAGun Local Propaganda Guy Join Date: 2003-04-30 Member: 15953Members
    I'm going to be brutally honest here, aliens are farrrrr from underpowered. Hive 2 aliens are exceedingly overpowered, only matched by sieges. Your team is at fault, the key to winning alien side is holding those RTs, and if you successfully ward off the marines and your second hive goes up thats pretty much game. Instead of just running around trying to get kills as alien organizes ambushes, call specific people to gaurd particular sectors and have 1 alien harassing marine start at all times and parasiting.
  • CloistCloist Join Date: 2004-02-04 Member: 26041Members
    edited July 2005
    Maybe try using team work and each player having a set role, scrim more with your team and ... yeah what CWAG said ^^

    <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • OtsOts Join Date: 2003-07-30 Member: 18577Members, Constellation
  • FirewaterFirewater Balance Expert Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10690Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-MrMakaveli+Jul 31 2005, 08:52 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MrMakaveli @ Jul 31 2005, 08:52 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Ok well I've been in a few scrims and stuff, and it seems aliens get screwed most of the time. Every time my team is on aliens in a 6v6 scrim, we get 2 rts up (total of 3) and try to protect them. We almost always end up losing both rts, then get trapped in our base (aside from me who usually sneaks out to try to bite down marine rts or hit their base.)
    It just seems like the only time aliens have a good moment in a game is when they have a fluke lucky kill-streak-ambush thing happen.
    Of course you can say that the marines were better, or we sucked, or something. But it just seems like skulks can't do CRAP against early marines in a scrim. I lay in ambush, but you can't just sit there waiting to ambush FOREVER. If you rush the marines, you die (MOST of the time), if you ambush, you waste tons of time and the other rines on the map are capping stuff and ARGH NEVERMIND (add sucks) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Your team's inability to use the alien advantages does not make the game at fault. It makes YOUR team at fault.

    Learn how to use the strengths of the aliens and exploit the marine's flaws.

    I have seen skulks slaughter marines in the early game, you just have to learn how.
  • MisfireMisfire Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5764Members
    if you're ambushing, you might want to be in places where the marines will go to and rts that they will take.

    learn the other team's strats
  • LazerManeLazerMane Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2135Members, Constellation
    NS as it is now a days is all about getting, keeping, holding, and defending res nodes.
  • hawthornehawthorne Join Date: 2003-10-05 Member: 21460Members
    Don't camp by the nodes and wait for marines. Push one or two skulks forward toward the marine base to parasite the marines. Having the marines parasited makes ambushing a lot easier. Also, having the parasites allows you to keep track of the marines as they're coming so you can move your skulks over to the correct area of the map. Always try to outnumber the marines as they cover the map more slowly so returning to the area is harder for them than the aliens.

    Otherwise, practice ambushing. There's many different ways to ambush - some teams go all at once, others trickle in, various other delay patterns, etc. Make sure you don't bite each other when you're in combat. Also, you can use sound to draw a marine's attention away from a certain direction (like biting purposefully to distract a marine) to open up the opportunity for an ambush.
  • MrMakaveliMrMakaveli Join Date: 2004-05-06 Member: 28509Members
    To the guy who asked who I am: I've been playing ns for like 2 years and finally joined a clan (tweed) like a month ago.

    Thanks for your comments CWAG and Hawthorne, much appreciated.

    I need some help with the very beginning of the game. Let's say we have 2 rts (+ the one in our hive). Should we always have 1 skulk near the marine start trying to parasite the marines? Can someone with lots of competitive experience just tell me what a good alien strat at the beginning is? Not a weird strat (gorge rush, cc rush, etc), just your basic 2 rt and MC strat. I just wanna know how many skulks should be killing rts (if any), how many skulks should defend rts, stuff like that.

    From what you guys have said, it sounds like the main objective is to keep our 3 rts alive. Should we just keep our rts alive, and not try to kill marine rts until we have a 2nd hive?

    I would just like some helpful strats and stuff cuz I have just recently started competitive NS and so far it seems like our clan's alien game is suffering.
  • MrMakaveliMrMakaveli Join Date: 2004-05-06 Member: 28509Members
    Sorry for double posting but I don't know how to edit posts... I just wanted to say to ignore the topic title, this isn't really about balance, it's about strats and help.
  • spinviperspinviper Join Date: 2003-05-08 Member: 16151Members
    edited August 2005
    PM a moderator to change the title. Oh, and to edit your posts, hit the nifty edit button on the extreme right of your post.
  • OtsOts Join Date: 2003-07-30 Member: 18577Members, Constellation
    Playing it safe and defending your nodes instead of attacking marine ones depends highly on your capability of playing the game. I dont think anyone can for certain say what is the best option, but the most used strats currently are to defend your own nodes as long as possible(for faster fades/hive), and to have 1 (or more) skulks eating marine nodes. Also a fast lerk is _the_ thing at the moment.
  • The_CheatThe_Cheat It&#39;s a The Cheat&#33; Join Date: 2003-11-19 Member: 23191Members, Constellation
    edited August 2005
    I noticed in your scrims with FAT (on eclipse) that the skulks always tried rushing our marines (especially at Power Sub) and never really bothered to go around. One skulk did in one of the scrims, but he got mowed down pretty easily. <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    What was worse is that even though we had 3 marines camping Power Sub, IIRC, your Gorge still dropped the node (and obviously it never got up to bring in resources.) <b>That</b> is bad decision making. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • tjosantjosan Join Date: 2003-05-16 Member: 16374Members, Constellation
    Yeh.. the most basic pattern you'll want to follow is having skulks pushing out towards the marine base to parasite asap, and then set up your defence accordingly. During the game there are VERY few times you'll want to be without at least one skulk going after rts. The easiest way to set this up for newer teams is having one dedicated skulk ignoring marines alltogether, and concentrating on sneaking past the marines to get to rts.
  • joeejoee Join Date: 2005-06-18 Member: 54113Members
    its still map specific, some maps are still marine biased , etc
  • Jmmsbnd007Jmmsbnd007 Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9793Banned, Constellation
    edited August 2005
    <!--QuoteBegin-MrMakaveli+Aug 1 2005, 05:23 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MrMakaveli @ Aug 1 2005, 05:23 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> To the guy who asked who I am: I've been playing ns for like 2 years and finally joined a clan (tweed) like a month ago.

    Thanks for your comments CWAG and Hawthorne, much appreciated.

    I need some help with the very beginning of the game. Let's say we have 2 rts (+ the one in our hive).  Should we always have 1 skulk near the marine start trying to parasite the marines? Can someone with lots of competitive experience just tell me what a good alien strat at the beginning is? Not a weird strat (gorge rush, cc rush, etc), just your basic 2 rt and MC strat. I just wanna know how many skulks should be killing rts (if any), how many skulks should defend rts, stuff like that.

    From what you guys have said, it sounds like the main objective is to keep our 3 rts alive. Should we just keep our rts alive, and not try to kill marine rts until we have a 2nd hive?

    I would just like some helpful strats and stuff cuz I have just recently started competitive NS and so far it seems like our clan's alien game is suffering. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <img src='http://s87996456.onlinehome.us/veil_large.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
    If you'd like additional help, come find me on irc sometime and I'd be more than happy to spectate a scrim and help you guys out a bit.
  • OtsOts Join Date: 2003-07-30 Member: 18577Members, Constellation
    Jmms, your an artist.
  • coriscoris Join Date: 2003-07-08 Member: 18034Members, Constellation
    Wow that's one helluva mess.

    Pro exi strat!
  • MrBenMrBen ns_eclipse, ns_veil caretaker Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8575Members
  • MrMakaveliMrMakaveli Join Date: 2004-05-06 Member: 28509Members
    To jmmsbond: Well that's pretty much common sense what you showed there. I was meaning for a more specific strategy. Oh well though, I have joined a new clan (for reasons I don't really wanna talk about) and it seems like these guys have a lot more strategy then my old one. Hopefully my new clan will be able to keep the team more organized and we'll do better.

    I'm a complete newb to IRC. I can figure out how to use it on my own, but can you tell me your channel, or how I can find you on it, just incase I feel like asking you for help or whatever?
  • Jmmsbnd007Jmmsbnd007 Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9793Banned, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-MrMakaveli+Aug 2 2005, 10:11 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MrMakaveli @ Aug 2 2005, 10:11 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> To jmmsbond: Well that's pretty much common sense what you showed there. I was meaning for a more specific strategy. Oh well though, I have joined a new clan (for reasons I don't really wanna talk about) and it seems like these guys have a lot more strategy then my old one. Hopefully my new clan will be able to keep the team more organized and we'll do better.

    I'm a complete newb to IRC. I can figure out how to use it on my own, but can you tell me your channel, or how I can find you on it, just incase I feel like asking you for help or whatever? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That <b>is</b> the strategy. That is the foundation for all strats on veil, including everything Exigent has tried. Usually, we send 3 guys either nearside/farside (west/topo depending on the hive), a fourth nearside/farside, and the other 2 are dropping nodes. This allows for full scouting yet maximum utilization of resources.
  • FreddehFreddeh Join Date: 2003-07-29 Member: 18520Members, Constellation
    holy crap you need COMMON SENSE in ns...maybe my team will look here and realize this.
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