What are the pub alien comms doing?

AmbAmb Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168647Members, Reinforced - Supporter
edited January 2014 in NS2 General Discussion
constant enzyme, mucous membrane, echo structures back and forth, rupture, bone wall

As an alien commander, these micromanagements take up 80% of my work/time. Yet, 9 out of 10 pub alien commanders don't use any of these abilities. So what are these pub comm doing exactly? Do they spend the entire game just cysting, dropping res, researching new upgrade? That's it?
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Comments

  • SpoogeSpooge Thunderbolt missile in your cheerios Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 67Members
    Honestly, I typically forget to use mucous membrane and rupture seems to be highly situational. I probably use enzyme the most since most pub games are Shift first rather than Crag. Bone wall gets used some but by that point most of the attention is on rebuilding the resource towers that are constantly dying.
  • joohoo_n3djoohoo_n3d Join Date: 2012-10-30 Member: 164703Members, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Supporter
    eh youre just getting bad luck.
    that's it.
    ...i use all features of commander when i'm in the hive and i LUV it!
  • maD_maX_maD_maX_ Join Date: 2013-04-07 Member: 184678Members
    If I'm alien-com I'm probably drinking and need something a little less intense...


    Personally enzyme is of little use in combat if anything it throws off my skulk bite timing. So enzyme only seems valuable when trying for the power to beat the beacon, or when gorging near a shift (gotta love shift/enzyme spit)

    Mucous nice to have but I never play with the expectation of getting it so some times I'm surprised to have more health...

    Generally I'd rather see a spur/shell then 10 enzymes... Or a whip then 5... I know it's not the comp meta but I'm more a fan of having consistent expected abilities then hoping the comm will save my ass...

    Had a com yesterday that was all over enzym/mucous, but it was at the expense of leap/cara/celerity.... So if your not I. The middle of the big push your just screwed..
  • CCTEECCTEE Join Date: 2013-06-20 Member: 185634Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    i must admit i almost never use bonewall and have never used rupture. i will try to better myself.
  • SUPER_SARSSUPER_SARS Join Date: 2013-02-13 Member: 183039Members
    I dont know what other commanders are doing but I usually tech up to bio3 pretty quick, even before I drop a 2nd hive. It gives me rupture and bonewall that I abuse the crap out of. Marines attacking your harvester? Rupture them right before your skulk arrives. Whip up a doorway and marine are trying to get through? Bonewall half of them out of the room splitting them up, or bonewall a marine trying to leave a room with whips on the doorway. Easy kill. I would probably use my drifters more if they responded half the time when I tried to send them somewhere. But I do try to send them in on big pushes at least. And if a crag hive is up, park them next to a crag so I can mucous aliens retreating back to heal.
  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited January 2014
    Basically, Alien coms sit there and press a few buttons and talk to their team and sometimes tell them where to go. Aliens would be a LOT more powerful if Alien com as actually good at micro and used more than half the abilities given to them. It is infuriating to lose because of a bad Alien com. Like late game, you have pressed all the buttons you need to and ,mostjust kinda don't co anything when they could be supporting ttheir team with Drifters, echoing eggs near their base, Contaminating with Whips, Ink, Mist, Bonewall, hallucinating, and many other things. I don't think a lot of them know how is the problem. I usually will just echo harvesters around instead if sending drifters out to build them taking the chance they both get killed early game, which leaves more time for micromanaging.
  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    The try to figure out how to cyst while 5 vets from both teams, in turn, each try to explain how to cyst outside the hive.
    This all 5 minutes ingame as the first 5 were spend figuring out the talk button. Teamchat is 10 minutes away still. Microphone upgrade will not be done until 30 minutes. :D
  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    edited January 2014
    It's just not fun to control drifter or use bonewall.

    "No, don't turn like that...!"
    "I clicked it there but it didn't pop! Oh one pixel too far..."
    "It went on cooldown but nothing happened!" (Only rarely I admit...)
    "Oh goddamnit I pressed a bad key combination again because everything is still not fully bindable."

    ^why bother with all that, when you can sit back AND save res, being possibly just as useful in the end.

    All that being said, I use drifters a lot as kham, mucous healing armor is amazing and so is shift enzyme if you get a few players together. Scouting with drifters is also very useful at times.

    Edit: Rupture? Lol, I've seen it happen about twice EVER, so I can't use it because I don't know how good it is.

    Edit2: SUPER USEFUL TIP: Select nearest drifter with E->F. SUCH a useful thing to do. (Because clicking to select is rather hellish.)
  • SUPER_SARSSUPER_SARS Join Date: 2013-02-13 Member: 183039Members
    It's just not fun to control drifter or use bonewall.



    Edit: Rupture? Lol, I've seen it happen about twice EVER, so I can't use it because I don't know how good it is.


    looks like this. granted it only lasts a few seconds but that sometimes is enough to allow skulks to close the gap on players.
    073C9A712762842B53907541D732364D84B54B37
  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    edited January 2014
    I'll have to try and judge usefulness from the amount of marine rage derived per tres used.

    Edit: a lot of marines kill cysts from around harvesters first tho.
  • JektJekt Join Date: 2012-02-05 Member: 143714Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited January 2014
    Being sad that no one else was willing to alien command before the round started, wanting to bite people or gorge instead of being stuck in the hive, trolling marines with whips and rupture.

    What? I'm not bias.
  • B3rTB3rT Join Date: 2013-02-14 Member: 183058Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Jekt wrote: »
    Being sad that no one else was willing to alien command before the round started, wanting to bite people.

    A good com does both. Not that you should be outside the hive for a long time. But I hate it if there is a marine chopping away upgrades while the com sits in his warm and comfy hive...
  • SUPER_SARSSUPER_SARS Join Date: 2013-02-13 Member: 183039Members
    edited January 2014
    I'll have to try and judge usefulness from the amount of marine rage derived per tres used.

    Edit: a lot of marines kill cysts from around harvesters first tho.

    So you might not be able to use it everytime, though with rupture you can use it on infestation that is receding. So as long as theres a little there, you're ok. And if you know the players on the attack you might get them to even stop firing. I know some good players, who when they get ruptured, feel like they're about to get hit with skulks. Even if none are coming.
  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    B3rT wrote: »
    Jekt wrote: »
    Being sad that no one else was willing to alien command before the round started, wanting to bite people.

    A good com does both. Not that you should be outside the hive for a long time. But I hate it if there is a marine chopping away upgrades while the com sits in his warm and comfy hive...

    "Where's our comm?"

    "I'm biting the res node in Skylights"

    "wth man..."

    When I save for upgrades I rarely camp in hive so that I can get 1 shell/spur the exact moment I hit 20 res. I rather save up to 40 to get 2 at a time, and skulk the meanwhile, if I think I can do something useful in that timeframe. I suppose you could argue that it's more important for the team to have +1/3 upgrade than me being on the field for the duration of gaining 20 tres? Dunno. I don't feel like it is.
  • RaZDaZRaZDaZ Join Date: 2012-11-05 Member: 167331Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Controlling drifters feels like playing a MOBA. The abilities don't last long at all and they are very easy to kill which means giving a lot of attention to microing that drifter. You also have to consider map awareness, establishing economy, getting upgrades, managing your team, managing other drifters and using voice comm. It's a lot to expect from less experienced and more casual khammanders to be actively using drifters.
  • B3rTB3rT Join Date: 2013-02-14 Member: 183058Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    B3rT wrote: »
    Jekt wrote: »
    Being sad that no one else was willing to alien command before the round started, wanting to bite people.

    A good com does both. Not that you should be outside the hive for a long time. But I hate it if there is a marine chopping away upgrades while the com sits in his warm and comfy hive...

    "Where's our comm?"

    "I'm biting the res node in Skylights"

    "wth man..."

    When I save for upgrades I rarely camp in hive so that I can get 1 shell/spur the exact moment I hit 20 res. I rather save up to 40 to get 2 at a time, and skulk the meanwhile, if I think I can do something useful in that timeframe. I suppose you could argue that it's more important for the team to have +1/3 upgrade than me being on the field for the duration of gaining 20 tres? Dunno. I don't feel like it is.

    As long as you are in the hive, when you needed in the hive. Saw commanders that where more time out of the hive than in it. Needles to say, that there where no drifter support or mists or bonewalls and harvesters died because their cyst died... But yes, if you have the time, and especially in the early game you have it often you can help attacking and defending, thats what I said ;)
  • AmbAmb Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168647Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Rupture? Lol, I've seen it happen about twice EVER, so I can't use it because I don't know how good it is.

    I use rupture non stop every game, it's like giving alien commander the ability to throw flash bangs on marines, and it's spammable too with only half second cool down.
  • AmbAmb Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168647Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Scatter wrote: »
    Using drifter abilities and the commander interface in general is frustrating and off putting. Rather just sit back and drop shit cosmic gardener style.

    Thank you, scatter. You fished up exactly what I wanted to see with your post. This thread has served its purpose.
  • amoralamoral Join Date: 2013-01-03 Member: 177250Members
    B3rT wrote: »
    Jekt wrote: »
    Being sad that no one else was willing to alien command before the round started, wanting to bite people.

    A good com does both. Not that you should be outside the hive for a long time. But I hate it if there is a marine chopping away upgrades while the com sits in his warm and comfy hive...

    how do you know the hive isn't cold and miserable? I mean, going into it does.stop all res collection after all, and you're so traumatized that you can't collect for a full minute after leaving it.
  • DaxxDaxx Join Date: 2002-04-16 Member: 460Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    Amb wrote: »
    Rupture? Lol, I've seen it happen about twice EVER, so I can't use it because I don't know how good it is.

    I use rupture non stop every game, it's like giving alien commander the ability to throw flash bangs on marines, and it's spammable too with only half second cool down.


    You know, I don't think I've ever been ruptured, does it really obscure your screen? I use the ability when I comm, but it never seems to affect marines much.
  • AmbAmb Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168647Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited January 2014
    Daxx wrote: »
    Amb wrote: »
    Rupture? Lol, I've seen it happen about twice EVER, so I can't use it because I don't know how good it is.

    I use rupture non stop every game, it's like giving alien commander the ability to throw flash bangs on marines, and it's spammable too with only half second cool down.


    You know, I don't think I've ever been ruptured, does it really obscure your screen? I use the ability when I comm, but it never seems to affect marines much.

    it covers your face with alien goo and you can't see anything for a good 3 seconds. It's also an AOE ability so it affects all marines in range. If used effectively it can turn the tide instantly, mainly due to the fact that it's spammable with only a .5 second cool down. What I normally do is to put a rupture in front the marines and then instantly drop a bone wall behind them, next thing you know, that area is filled with lots of dead marines.
  • d0ped0gd0ped0g Join Date: 2003-05-25 Member: 16679Members
    Amb wrote: »
    Rupture? Lol, I've seen it happen about twice EVER, so I can't use it because I don't know how good it is.

    I use rupture non stop every game, it's like giving alien commander the ability to throw flash bangs on marines, and it's spammable too with only half second cool down.

    I can't remember the last time I got ruptured. Whilst we're usually on the same team, are you really using it as much as you say you are? If so, surely I would have gotten splattered at some point.
  • Ghosthree3Ghosthree3 Join Date: 2010-02-13 Member: 70557Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Visual obstruction affects are lame anyway. I'm glad that shit isn't in my face 24/7 in pub play.
  • AmbAmb Join Date: 2012-11-09 Member: 168647Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Ghosthree3 wrote: »
    Visual obstruction affects are lame anyway. I'm glad that shit isn't in my face 24/7 in pub play.

    thnx to the shitty alien comm who doesn't know how to use it.
  • amoralamoral Join Date: 2013-01-03 Member: 177250Members
    I'll use rupture and bone wall if it warrants it...and to harass marines if they solo rts. constant homework and rupture spam, teach you to hack at defenseless harvesters. my comm support runs the full gamut. except hallucinations, shade being my typical 3rd. enzyme isn't just good for bite speed, also boosts movement. especially good for preserving your gorges and onos.
  • Ren26Ren26 Join Date: 2013-06-30 Member: 185811Members
    I rate Bone Wall very highly. Line of sight block, movement block, lots of potential there!

    Rupture is something I find impossible to evaluate because I simply havent experienced it enough first hand.
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