The Art Of Dropping

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Comments

  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1639351:date=Jul 17 2007, 03:00 PM:name=N_3)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(N_3 @ Jul 17 2007, 03:00 PM) [snapback]1639351[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    would've been interesting to look at it more at a competitive level
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Thats tough for me, I don't know very much of the competitive scene and it's a very small percentage of the community anyway.

    If someone wants to do a section for competitive play, I'd be more than willing to let them use my guide as much as needed provided they PM me and cite my info. I personally will not write a guide like this for competitive play in the foreseeable future of NS1, just maybe in NS2 tho.
  • CrispyCrispy Jaded GD Join Date: 2004-08-22 Member: 30793Members, Constellation
    edited July 2007
    Not sure if I agree with placing all your chambers in one place, ever. If you put them all together you need to have someone pretty much babysitting them the whole round or it's just a case of a boost/mine boost/JP and they could all be history, and a Fade going from Cara/Focus 3 to Cara/Focus 0 is pretty hard to swallow. You're much more likely to find a player with 20 res than 40 to put the missing chambers up. For the first 3 DCs I'd always try to place them in vents/inaccessible areas that are in the middle ground. This basically pushes up the defensive line and allows you to reinforce the res nodes in the middle ground, which should help put the squeeze on the Marine tech tree.

    I look DCs the same was as I look at SCs. For me the best result is getting a network so you're never any more than 5 seconds from healing. Having them all clumped in one area isn't making the most of their area of effect. A typical theory in NS is "what benefits the most players is the best option". This means in <i>almost all</i> cases Hive+Fade > 2xFade, 1st/2nd/3rd upgrade chamber > OC, 1st+2nd/2nd+3rd upgrade chamber > Lerk. The same applies (imo) to DC placement. Healing lots of players a small amount all over the map is better than healing fewer players a larger amount in one section of the map. The main difference vs. the SC is it's much harder to come up with safe spots for DCs and if you do it requires teamwork to get existing Gorges into vents or to get more players to Gorge inside the vents and drop.

    The other reason is if you have all your DCs together there is only ONE place the Marines have to look for healing lifeforms. That's one spot to point themselves at and one spot to grenade. Marines are much more vulnerable if they're not all facing towards you.
  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    edited July 2007
    Hmm, I guess I wrote that paragraph wrong, because I didn't suggest to put DC's together. What I meant to say is that it would be a good idea to complement other chambers like OC's with DC's. I know it's a bad idea to place DC's near each other, because of the reasons you mentioned.

    I'll make note of it and probably put it in a what not to do section <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> . I'll also reread the DC section to remove any hints of placing all DC's nearby.
  • SekerSeker Join Date: 2007-03-06 Member: 60259Members
    please get it done <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />


    its a nice guide




    oh and if you're at it include a guide for sticky chambers xD
  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    edited May 2008
    Whoa, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've litterally droped this when school started.... been busy keeping my average high. I see I still need to address the MC and SC.... well, those aren't actually hard at all. Imma take a look into this when exams are done.

    <!--quoteo(post=1670076:date=Feb 10 2008, 11:08 AM:name=Seker)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Seker @ Feb 10 2008, 11:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1670076"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->please get it done <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
    its a nice guide
    oh and if you're at it include a guide for sticky chambers xD<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Heh, thanks for the compliment =).
    As for sticky chambers... I'm not totally aware of these and how these work. The most I know is that they stick on ceilings and walls. Personally I am more interested in the basic game mechanics anyway. I'd rather not keep track of all the new add-ins.
  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    Yay, updated. Completely rewritten OC part!
  • CrispyCrispy Jaded GD Join Date: 2004-08-22 Member: 30793Members, Constellation
    edited January 2009
    Just re-read it and I think there's more to say on the DC.

    DCs are most useful if placed next to a Hive for two reasons:
    1. They do compound healing to your team and structures on top of the Hive heal. DC + Hive = very rapid healing = less inactivity for Aliens = faster reinforcement = more Aliens on patrol = less surprises and more dead Marines.
    2. They make it much harder and more expensive to siege or shoot down a Hive.

    Only 1 DC should be placed next to a Hive until all Hives have at least one DC. This is because a DC can only target one lifeform or structure to heal at a time, so 2 DCs in a Hive will not heal the Hive or a single player any faster than 1 DC doing the same job.

    I would always drop DCs in the following order:<ul><li><b>DC is 1st chamber</b> (rare)<ol type='1'><li>In the starting Hive (out of the way of future sieges)</li><li>In an important chokepoint, close to the starting Hive (e.g. Cargo on Tanith if you start in Fusion)</li><li>In the second Hive if it is clear (you must <u>personally</u> make sure it does not go down). Failing that, in a hidden and preferably inaccessible area (e.g. vent) close to Marine Start so Fades can harass the MS with greater frequency (there are a few good examples on Eclipse and Tanith where this can work).</li></ul></li><li><b>DC is 2nd chamber</b><ol type='1'><li>1 DC per Hive by order of which is most under threat (e.g. has Marines pushing it most, especially if it has a PG close to it)</li><li>If you are on the back foot, in an important chokepoint close to the Hive most under threat; if you are on the offensive, in a hidden and preferably inaccessible area (e.g. vent) close to Marine Start so Fades can harass the MS</li></ol></li><li><b>DC is 3rd chamber</b><ul><li>1 DC per Hive by order of which is most under threat</li></ul></li></ol>(I hold off dropping a DC in the future 2nd Hive because by the time you're dropping the 3rd DC, you will know if you are going to hold that Hive or not. If you drop it too early good Marines will probably be rushing the future 2nd Hive to lock it down, so by Gorging you are sacrificing a more effective method of protecting the future 2nd Hive. With MCs it's different because you can use the MC to teleport, heal up and return; and because Lerks can use its aura effectively to keep Marines out of the future 2nd Hive; and because as a Gorge you can healspam yourself and spit and move faster with the aid of an MC, so you can protect it better.)

    One of the most essential rules to follow when placing upgrade chambers is to put them <i>on the other side</i> of the Hive to where siege spots are located. If you build them in front of the Hive they will go down first and quickly, leaving you with one (or more, if you placed them badly) less chambers buffing your team in terms of perma-upgrades and area-of-effect buffs. This <u>will</u> make the difference between successfully fighting off a Marine siege/rush and failure.

    <b>E.g.</b> You drop a movement chamber in front of the Hive. Later on in the game the Marines set up a siege outside the Hive, and the MC goes down because the siege chooses the closest target in range to fire on first, which was the MC. Now your Lerk (who probably has Celerity) cannot benefit from the MC boosting
    his adrenaline, so spores/umbras less, making it harder for the Fades and Skulks to take down the Marines.

    $0.02

    P.S. "area's" means 'of the area', not 'more than one area'. Same with accepted acronyms such as OC (i.e. you don't need to write "OC's" to pluralise it.
  • That_Annoying_KidThat_Annoying_Kid Sire of Titles Join Date: 2003-03-01 Member: 14175Members, Constellation
    me myself I tend to drop down from the ceiling, around doorways and other good ambush spots!

    ^_~
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