The Flex Strategy
USCMLieutenant_Ripley
Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9818Members
Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9818Members
<div class="IPBDescription">For pubs or clan matches</div> The Flex Strategy
This strategy assumes some things. The marine team has 6+ members. The marines know the map. Often I will speak as if you are comm. It is assumed the comm follows a standard IP->Armory->Obs->motion tracking. When I say "a standard" I dont mean to say EVERYONE or EVERYONE GOOD - because it's obviously a very rarely seen build. I mean standard in that it will be assumed for the rest of the article. I am not going to explain every non-neutral term I use nor am I going to throw stats at you. This is the result of all of my experience as a marine AND alien. This is my ultimate plan for a marine team. You might note an additional responsibility for the scout in appendix B because Shambler.net introduced a GREAT idea...so it was absorbed. The scout already existed and the mining of RTs even 'feels' perfect for the flex scout. This article is not about ego or theorycraft, it's about discussion and actual testing. I have been testing this build for approximately 150 hours of playtime (the only 'me'-centric stat you will hear). Do not post about this strategy. GO TEST, then post away. I am an NS player and I am always looking to improve (as long as it's fun). That being said, onto it...
Flex Roles for marines are-
1 Comm
1 Flex (2 flex for 8+ grunts)
1 Scout (temporary)
3 Grunts
Ammo and the Marine -
A marine is a finite and expendable resource. Get 100/20 rounds and go. If you expect to hit towers, 150/20. If you are defending or grouping up, feel free to fill up. If you are out of ammo and at 23 life, weigh it. In the time it takes to go back and get ammo and then get back, you may be able to respawn and get back.
Grunt Marine Tenets (NOT priorities):
1.)Know your role.
2.)Know who is flex (in pubs, I specify via text)
3.)Use Phase Gates to accomplish your orders or to continue the exact same orders as you had prior to your death.
4.)If you are beacon'ed, your mission is time critical, so dont bother
with ammo, comm will drop as battle ensues.
5.)Listen to Mic/Text msg's to Flex and whether or not he dies.
-If Flex dies and you spawn with him due to emergency beacon, you aid
Flex, regardless of role in his last endeavor.
-If Flex dies but you are given new orders immediately, follow those
orders.
-If Flex is accompanying you, Operation DONT DIE/DO DAMAGE is in
effect. You should be down to knifing by the time you die. That's your goal.
6.)Grunts stay together (some dont seem to want to do this...hence Rambo moniker).
7.)Grunts defend their positions and cover each other based on known attack vectors. In Nancy, you can COMPLETELY cover the natural RT (see bottom of appendix B) with 2 marines at 1 point on the map and 2 at another. If you dont know maps well enough to recognize the 2 points, you need to play more.
8.)Grunts use their feet for most traveling because flex do not.
9.)Grunts all recieve same equipment and only get it at respawn so dont bother coming back for stuff other than ammo once or twice.
10.)1 Grunt is designated base defense until phase gates.
Scout Tenets:
1.)Scout is a temporary position, when motion tracking is up, a scout
becomes a grunt.
2.)Scout starts out of base immediately to a specific
hive or waits for mines depending on map (appendix B)
3.)Scout is backup flex if primary flex is killed and there is a
standing order for flex to accomplish.
Flex Tenets:
1.)Flex is for IMMEDIATE response and special ops.
2.)Primary base defense for the game.
3.)Flex use phase gates for all movement unless special op.
4.)Flex are for protecting buildings from harassment.
5.)Flex are for special ops, sometimes as a mid-lategame scout.
6.)Flex are for additional support of grunts.
7.)Flex are the only troops who need to use a mic.
The initial build order is very important for marines.
Given the state of the game today, there is only 2 opening build
orders of note.
1. Turreting
IP (15)
IP (15)
TF (27)
turret (19)
turret (19)
Armory (25)
-----------------
120
2. Early Motion Tracking
IP (15)
Armory (25)
Observatory (25)
(Begin battle plan - appendix A)
- If 2 aliens die and all marines are alive...
Motion Tracking (45) - Comm leaves chair for additional defense until 19 RPs
- else if 3 marines or more die to 3 aliens
Emergency Beacon (15) - Comm leaves chair for additional defense until 42 RPs
Motion Tracking (45) - Comm leaves chair for additional defense until 19 RPs
------------------
110-125
Early Motion Tracking is about the same cost (90% of the time
cheaper if you dont HAVE to beacon) as turreting and offers a HUGE increase in flexibility when coupled with Flex Roles. I never choose #1. Ever. I'm not going to throw stats at you other than to say, it's sick how well this works and the first 2 min are the MOST vulnerable the marines ever get.
Appendix A
Battle Plan
------------------
Grunts (-1 for base defense) move to most Primary Target (appendix B) and secure it.
Scout goes to Secondary Target (appendix B).
Flex defends base with grunt and comm.
Build resource tower at 23 (i am aware it costs 22, but you end up 21+ 1 tic = 23).
Grunts reach Primary.
Phase Gate at base.
Scout harasses until dead, then runs to and defends initial RT upon respawn or waits as defense while flex defends RT (comm order).
-Motion Tracking researched.
Phase Gate at Primary.
RT at Primary.
TF at Primary.
Turret at Primary.
Turret at Primary.
Grunts move to Secondary or (Tertiary, which becomes new Secondary) depending on Scout information.
Phase Gate at Secondary.
RT at Secondary.
TF at Secondary.
Turret at Secondary.
Turret at Secondary.
This plan will result in lots of money left over (about 50 will be spent on ammo and healthpacks, comm will have about 70 left for arms lab->armor or quick siege). The aliens literally have to decide what to focus on because the flex will always make it appear that the 'base' under attack is being carefully watched. Which it is, because the comm only worries about 2 things. The health of the grunts, the health of the flex. If the flex dies it's not a huge deal. Even if the aliens get 1 fade, it takes longer than 1 marine respawn (with a single IP) to kill a Turret without being killed by a flex+turret combo. Fade kills a turret, flex finishes the fade. WORST case scenario, fade kills a turret and teleports away at 1/2 health. That fade is not combatting the grunts and the flex will build 2 turrets if you think it's necessary. I'd pay 38 RPs to keep a fade off the grunts any day. At the same time, the aliens must deal with well supported grunts always pushing. Experienced marines can identify gorges just by their movement speed even from great distances - and the comm has an even easier time. Gorges would never build ANYTHING if the point of the game was gorge killin, using flex.
The flex plan sometimes involves the scout building at primary shortly after the first skulk rush. If the skulks are annihilated in their initial charge from the 'left', the grunts attack the most likely hive spot (based on the time it took before the skulks attacked...mebbe maintenance, mebbe core) and the scout is statistically safe to build at say...eclipse. The whole idea is flexibility.
Appendix B
------------------
Scout Duties:
1)scout goes gorge hunting, through center, then according to reports of likely alien hive...the gorge tends to go laterally through the map.
2)the scout is ALWAYS supposed to kill gorges and hide from skulks but in some cases another responsibility is to place mines on RT points that are unfeasable to secure or unlikely to secure due to map/resource constraints.
Eclipse: 1 (putting a mine on horshoe is rather silly)
Bast: 2 (double nozzle)
Nothing: 1
Tanith: 1 or 2 - not enough experience on the map using a decent scout ;-p
Hera: 2 (non-double nozzles)
Nancy: 2 (messhall, then ANYTHING else like Mother or RT next to nameless, whatever, including stair landings)
Notice: All maps where the scout places mines have "natural" (an RTS term) RT spots to PAY for those mines. The 'natural' RT is built instead of the initial phase gate. Battle plan continues as normal when you build back to 20 RPs. For Nancy in particular, this is surprisingly effective (RT pays for itself in about 1 min and then you have motion tracking so the flex can 'see' when it's under attack). Nancy and Eclipse are both very marine-centric maps IMHO.
This strategy assumes some things. The marine team has 6+ members. The marines know the map. Often I will speak as if you are comm. It is assumed the comm follows a standard IP->Armory->Obs->motion tracking. When I say "a standard" I dont mean to say EVERYONE or EVERYONE GOOD - because it's obviously a very rarely seen build. I mean standard in that it will be assumed for the rest of the article. I am not going to explain every non-neutral term I use nor am I going to throw stats at you. This is the result of all of my experience as a marine AND alien. This is my ultimate plan for a marine team. You might note an additional responsibility for the scout in appendix B because Shambler.net introduced a GREAT idea...so it was absorbed. The scout already existed and the mining of RTs even 'feels' perfect for the flex scout. This article is not about ego or theorycraft, it's about discussion and actual testing. I have been testing this build for approximately 150 hours of playtime (the only 'me'-centric stat you will hear). Do not post about this strategy. GO TEST, then post away. I am an NS player and I am always looking to improve (as long as it's fun). That being said, onto it...
Flex Roles for marines are-
1 Comm
1 Flex (2 flex for 8+ grunts)
1 Scout (temporary)
3 Grunts
Ammo and the Marine -
A marine is a finite and expendable resource. Get 100/20 rounds and go. If you expect to hit towers, 150/20. If you are defending or grouping up, feel free to fill up. If you are out of ammo and at 23 life, weigh it. In the time it takes to go back and get ammo and then get back, you may be able to respawn and get back.
Grunt Marine Tenets (NOT priorities):
1.)Know your role.
2.)Know who is flex (in pubs, I specify via text)
3.)Use Phase Gates to accomplish your orders or to continue the exact same orders as you had prior to your death.
4.)If you are beacon'ed, your mission is time critical, so dont bother
with ammo, comm will drop as battle ensues.
5.)Listen to Mic/Text msg's to Flex and whether or not he dies.
-If Flex dies and you spawn with him due to emergency beacon, you aid
Flex, regardless of role in his last endeavor.
-If Flex dies but you are given new orders immediately, follow those
orders.
-If Flex is accompanying you, Operation DONT DIE/DO DAMAGE is in
effect. You should be down to knifing by the time you die. That's your goal.
6.)Grunts stay together (some dont seem to want to do this...hence Rambo moniker).
7.)Grunts defend their positions and cover each other based on known attack vectors. In Nancy, you can COMPLETELY cover the natural RT (see bottom of appendix B) with 2 marines at 1 point on the map and 2 at another. If you dont know maps well enough to recognize the 2 points, you need to play more.
8.)Grunts use their feet for most traveling because flex do not.
9.)Grunts all recieve same equipment and only get it at respawn so dont bother coming back for stuff other than ammo once or twice.
10.)1 Grunt is designated base defense until phase gates.
Scout Tenets:
1.)Scout is a temporary position, when motion tracking is up, a scout
becomes a grunt.
2.)Scout starts out of base immediately to a specific
hive or waits for mines depending on map (appendix B)
3.)Scout is backup flex if primary flex is killed and there is a
standing order for flex to accomplish.
Flex Tenets:
1.)Flex is for IMMEDIATE response and special ops.
2.)Primary base defense for the game.
3.)Flex use phase gates for all movement unless special op.
4.)Flex are for protecting buildings from harassment.
5.)Flex are for special ops, sometimes as a mid-lategame scout.
6.)Flex are for additional support of grunts.
7.)Flex are the only troops who need to use a mic.
The initial build order is very important for marines.
Given the state of the game today, there is only 2 opening build
orders of note.
1. Turreting
IP (15)
IP (15)
TF (27)
turret (19)
turret (19)
Armory (25)
-----------------
120
2. Early Motion Tracking
IP (15)
Armory (25)
Observatory (25)
(Begin battle plan - appendix A)
- If 2 aliens die and all marines are alive...
Motion Tracking (45) - Comm leaves chair for additional defense until 19 RPs
- else if 3 marines or more die to 3 aliens
Emergency Beacon (15) - Comm leaves chair for additional defense until 42 RPs
Motion Tracking (45) - Comm leaves chair for additional defense until 19 RPs
------------------
110-125
Early Motion Tracking is about the same cost (90% of the time
cheaper if you dont HAVE to beacon) as turreting and offers a HUGE increase in flexibility when coupled with Flex Roles. I never choose #1. Ever. I'm not going to throw stats at you other than to say, it's sick how well this works and the first 2 min are the MOST vulnerable the marines ever get.
Appendix A
Battle Plan
------------------
Grunts (-1 for base defense) move to most Primary Target (appendix B) and secure it.
Scout goes to Secondary Target (appendix B).
Flex defends base with grunt and comm.
Build resource tower at 23 (i am aware it costs 22, but you end up 21+ 1 tic = 23).
Grunts reach Primary.
Phase Gate at base.
Scout harasses until dead, then runs to and defends initial RT upon respawn or waits as defense while flex defends RT (comm order).
-Motion Tracking researched.
Phase Gate at Primary.
RT at Primary.
TF at Primary.
Turret at Primary.
Turret at Primary.
Grunts move to Secondary or (Tertiary, which becomes new Secondary) depending on Scout information.
Phase Gate at Secondary.
RT at Secondary.
TF at Secondary.
Turret at Secondary.
Turret at Secondary.
This plan will result in lots of money left over (about 50 will be spent on ammo and healthpacks, comm will have about 70 left for arms lab->armor or quick siege). The aliens literally have to decide what to focus on because the flex will always make it appear that the 'base' under attack is being carefully watched. Which it is, because the comm only worries about 2 things. The health of the grunts, the health of the flex. If the flex dies it's not a huge deal. Even if the aliens get 1 fade, it takes longer than 1 marine respawn (with a single IP) to kill a Turret without being killed by a flex+turret combo. Fade kills a turret, flex finishes the fade. WORST case scenario, fade kills a turret and teleports away at 1/2 health. That fade is not combatting the grunts and the flex will build 2 turrets if you think it's necessary. I'd pay 38 RPs to keep a fade off the grunts any day. At the same time, the aliens must deal with well supported grunts always pushing. Experienced marines can identify gorges just by their movement speed even from great distances - and the comm has an even easier time. Gorges would never build ANYTHING if the point of the game was gorge killin, using flex.
The flex plan sometimes involves the scout building at primary shortly after the first skulk rush. If the skulks are annihilated in their initial charge from the 'left', the grunts attack the most likely hive spot (based on the time it took before the skulks attacked...mebbe maintenance, mebbe core) and the scout is statistically safe to build at say...eclipse. The whole idea is flexibility.
Appendix B
------------------
Scout Duties:
1)scout goes gorge hunting, through center, then according to reports of likely alien hive...the gorge tends to go laterally through the map.
2)the scout is ALWAYS supposed to kill gorges and hide from skulks but in some cases another responsibility is to place mines on RT points that are unfeasable to secure or unlikely to secure due to map/resource constraints.
Eclipse: 1 (putting a mine on horshoe is rather silly)
Bast: 2 (double nozzle)
Nothing: 1
Tanith: 1 or 2 - not enough experience on the map using a decent scout ;-p
Hera: 2 (non-double nozzles)
Nancy: 2 (messhall, then ANYTHING else like Mother or RT next to nameless, whatever, including stair landings)
Notice: All maps where the scout places mines have "natural" (an RTS term) RT spots to PAY for those mines. The 'natural' RT is built instead of the initial phase gate. Battle plan continues as normal when you build back to 20 RPs. For Nancy in particular, this is surprisingly effective (RT pays for itself in about 1 min and then you have motion tracking so the flex can 'see' when it's under attack). Nancy and Eclipse are both very marine-centric maps IMHO.
Comments
One of the things I love about this game (and most RTS games before it) is just sitting around, thinking up new and interesting strats, then testing them out. I hope we see more posts and discussions like this. I'd love to be a marine on your team while using this strat, sounds fun!
But overall I thought after eventually reading it, this strategy is great I'm sick of all the tactics for marines which explain the basic things in the game, yours is really good. I might give it go after re-reading the finer details.
P.S. I bet it can still be beaten by a good ORGANIZED alien team, people said that a phase gate rush could never be beaten with good marines... and well, i proved them wrong <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->, haven't tested it yet though.
Practicing with bots? How would one go about doing that? I could use some practice?
First, the flex strategy actually works in pace with your RT intake. IPs DO COST MONEY. As shambler.net elegantly stated, resources in the beginning are exponentially important in comparison to those later on. If you dont spend early frivolously, the Kharaa find they literally lose because of their own spawn rate.
Building your initial buildings FASTER does NOT help. What is the point of 3 ppl on each building? To not lose to a skulk rush. What is the point of a skulk rush? To win "instantly". If 4 marines (1 building who will stop andbecome #4,1 off scouting and 1 comm) cant kill incoming skulks from KNOWN attack vectors, you could never have won. Period. Once the Obs is up (which takes a fraction longer to build than an IP), the skulk rush is essentially rendered useless. Once all the skulks are killed, the Kharaa are letting the scout hunt a defenseless gorge and/or mine RTs and/or gather intel.
(RP is amount LEFT at that moment, usually after dropping a building)
Time | RP | Events
==============
0:20 |40 | IP built, Obs being built - skulks may open door/be spotted.
0:40 |0 | Motion started
0:50 | | All buildings built
1:40 | | The scout has died. Motion sensors are 50% done. Your resources are at about 13. You call for the 3 grunts to move out. The flex and
| | the scout (who will spawn before the grunts are too far off are defense)
2:30 |19 | Grunts reach primary target - RT
2:50 |1 | RT hive if it looks feasible (you have at least 2 grunts alive) and using the motion tracking that exists, decide if it's safe
At this point you decide how good the aliens are or how bad your marines are and who. Switch the flex marines if necessary.
After motion tracking the grunt (was scout) also goes to defend RT at hive. Now 2 marines expecting skulks can be overrun. 3 marines can also be overrun with difficulty. Good luck against 4 your gonna need more than luck with comm supporting them and MOTION SENSORS giving away EVERY ALIEN POSITION ON THE MAP.
3:30 | 39 | Phase at spawn
3:30 | 19 |
3:36 | 1 | Phase at hive. Since the flex will take longerto build than the Grunts, they finish about the same time.
3:42 | 5 | Grunts move out if aliens at another location or re-ammo, depends on situation
4:00 | 41 | You should Turret hive, 27+19 asap, then have grunts move out and let flex build last turret in a few seconds. He is hive defense. If there is both hive and spawn danger, call a grunt back or leave flex at spawn and 1 grunt at hive.
The timetable up to now is pretty iffy. Time FLIES in this game. Barring huge problems this works economically. Try it.
From what I could make out, it did seem to be a bit "grand master plan-ish." As a rule, I never create strategies that do anything specific, especially in the long run. A good commander knows how to make decisions and use techniques and command tools in unique and dynamic ways to meet specific situations. Writing up a "catch-all" dogmatic script to your gameplay is often a very foolish way to confuse a lot of people, sometimes even yourself. Such strategies can also become a crutch for the commanders that use them, and they depend on them to such an extent that they fail to see each situation as both a predicable occurance as well as a new idea or adaptation of an old idea.
Still, no one but a luddite says innovation is foolish. Keep up the work. I hope to see you playing online sometime; they tell me I make a great flex. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Respawns do not cost RP.
Seriously.
I love reading strats like this, especially when there are new tidbits (commander supporting defense while waiting for RPs, using distress beacon in new ways, etc.)
Maybe I'll give the CC another shot and try this out ... after practicing with bots a bit. =\
I would agree that when commanding, you've absolutely got to have one or more marines you can rely on (you call them flexs, I call them livesavers <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->) to do what you want, when you want them to and have a decent amount of skill as well. I'm not proclaiming to be a great commander but out of the times when i've lost, roughly about 80% (the other 20% is because I sucked <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> ) is because I didn't have at least one marine like this.
Regarding your strat', you say :
<!--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-->This plan will result in lots of money left over (about 50 will be spent on ammo and healthpacks, comm will have about 70 left for arms lab->armor or quick siege). <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How so ? It looks as if your spending a LOT of resources there.
But otherwise, I'm glad to say this kind of thing is happening more and more. Specific tasks assigned to specific marines to carry out. 'Gorgehunters' and 'Base defenders' early in the game are common for instance.
my clan sYn does the following.
1 Com (obviously)
1 Defense/Minelayer
4 attackers.
The build order is as follows:
2 IPs
Armory
Observatory
After all that is built, Commander then scans for hive while attackers gear up, and then the commander drops mines for our defender. The attackers then move out towards the hive
Now the next part is absolutely key, the commander must
A)scan an area before the attackers move in.
B)scan for the gorge, if it is close enough, one attacker can deviate from the path and attack.
While troops are en route to the hive, our defender caps 2 resource nodes, in case the rush fails (which it never has BTW). Its a fail safe for the unexpected.
While attacking the hive usually about 3-4 skulks get taken down with maybe 1-2 marines dying (depending on team).
Once the aliens lose their skulks its game over, it simply takes too long for skulks to rein.
The marines that die go back to reinforce as the commander drops ammo while they are moving.
once the 4 attackers group up they focus fire on the hives with their LMG and fire at skulks with pistol.
The commander spams numerous healthpacks and ammo, usually they are not needed but its always good habbit to do.
The hive is taken out, the countdown begins, game over.
peace,
sYn | John <FireWater>
#syn on irc.gamesnet.net
If Flay can't get it, I don't think many can. It's rather puzzling at best.
Go to the marine strategy board. Look up. Rethink that last statement.
Honestly, it's a bit hard to follow. Maybe you should consider the wonderful writing tools of formatting and flow before you decide that everyone that doesn't understand you must be somehow inferior to you.
This is quite an in-depth strat. I'm really impressed that the Flex Strat actually plays upon the tendencies of typical 'pub' marines and doesn't force them into roles that they don't want. I have a good idea of how the game works, but since I'm only running my 450MHz (that's 0.45 GHz - yikes), I can't really command...the console moves too slowly <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->.
Now - tell us what server(s) you play on so that we can see this in action.
As far as his post being a bit over the top, I'd have to agree that most people might not get what he's saying. But for someone like me, who drops every waking moment into NS <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> , it's great stuff =)
I especially like that it doesn't depend on the rush. I've never been a big fan of the rush, in any game - it completely circumvents the entire tech tree.
I didn't find it that hard to follow - maybe you edited for clarity since everyone started complaining.
<!--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-->Screw all that complicated **obscenity**. In a pub I've never lost using the marine rush tactic, where you just rush to a hive at the start of the game, build your base there, and then move on to the next hive. Resources don't matter if you can hold 2 hives. A clan match would need adjustments, but the basic strat would still work. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Some of us aspire to strategies a bit more comprehensive. In a few weeks/months, that won't work anymore - just as more and more people forsake the turret factory at the beginning of the game.
That said, when do you think aliens will begin the "delayed rush" - waiting a few minutes after the initial rush for most of the marines to leave, and then sweeping in?
I took the time to go through your entire strategy, then compare it to strategies I've seen strategies I've used, strategies I've written about, as well as other strategy writings such as those by Flatline. And, well, I guess I found something interesting.
All of the successful strategies have things in common with this; in fact, they seem almost stylistically identical. The main sticking point for a functional strategy is movement and dynamics, as well as a good helping of squad tactics and role definition. All the good strategies have these aspects, albeit expressed differently. For example, if you combine what I've written about the "Commander's Handyman" with the squad tactics article I wrote, you'll come up with something very similar to this. If you look at Flatline's Tactical Versatility and insistence on the use of the observatory, you'll see that here as well, and in other successful strategies. Any good aspect that you try to pry out from one good strategy and use as leverage against another only ends up showing how similar the strategies being compared are.
What I'm trying to point out is that there are not a whole lot of smaller condition-response strategies, but rather one big strategy that takes all the possibilities of a game and moulds them together into a dynamic paradigm. This idea is expressed through different people in different ways - here it is expressed as the Flex Strategy. In short, there is no "catch-all strategy." There are catch-all strategists, and Ripley appears to be one of them.
Bravo.