Marine tactics class

Forfeit · January 2003

Hi, this is my first reply, and I only play NS for about three weeks. Also, my first language is not english, but I will try to share some minor stuff that I learned and didnt found yet in this post.

<b>-= CHOOSE YOUR GROUND =-</b>

Well, everyone knows that when a skulk is close enougth to bite you, you have a big disavantage. The LMG when firing blocks your vision, and when the skulk is right in front of you, it can be really a pain in the ****.

So, my advice is to choose the place you will fight with your enemy. Most marines just rush forward, and usualy dies to a skulk just turning the corner, or dies to a camper that was hiding in a dark spot. Usualy aliens are really easy to listen, and when motion sensor is online you can actualy see them coming. So, when you know that you will find your enemy ahead, go to a safer location, like a long corridor where you will be able to see him coming from a distance. Sometimes it is wiser to fall back to a safer place and wait until the skulk try to reach you.

Usualy aliens think they have an advantage and almost always try to reach you running. So use it to your benefit and wait for them with your weapon aimed.

That is also usefull when defending a hive or other place needing protection. Stay close to walls and away from doors and others entrances. Stay in open ground as much as you can, and stay on higher ground as much as you can.

One thing that must be noted is that there are diferent kinds of strategies when fighting diferent kinds of enemies. In my opinion, skulks and onus should be kept as far away as possible, and fades and lerks as close as possible, especialy because their main atack is at long range. When choosing your ground you should think about all the details. For example, when fighting against skulks, you should stay close to a wall, to keep him as far away as possible and keep him away from your back, but fighting against a fade launching acid rockets, you should stay away from the wall, because the acid rocket splash wont hit you as much when it hits the wall.

I hope you are pacient enought to read it all and forgive me for the writing mistakes.

FlatlineUTD · January 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>So, my advice is to choose the place you will fight with your enemy. Most marines just rush forward, and usualy dies to a skulk just turning the corner, or dies to a camper that was hiding in a dark spot. Usualy aliens are really easy to listen, and when motion sensor is online you can actualy see them coming. So, when you know that you will find your enemy ahead, go to a safer location, like a long corridor where you will be able to see him coming from a distance. Sometimes it is wiser to fall back to a safer place and wait until the skulk try to reach you.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Good suggestion. I know that I'm a lousy Skulk player because I *try* to play like a marine. That means charging down hallways - it doesn't work: LMGs definitely have the range advantage, so use it!

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>That is also usefull when defending a hive or other place needing protection. Stay close to walls and away from doors and others entrances. Stay in open ground as much as you can, and stay on higher ground as much as you can.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Again, good point. Keep as close to a corner as you can, to eliminate the ways you can be attacked. Just watch out for vents above you. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'> And higher ground is *always* advantageous.

Also, if you're in a corner and Fades come in, GET OUT OF THE CORNER. The acid rocket splash damage will annihilate you.

Overall, your suggestions are extremely good, even though they're pretty basic. I'm surprised how few people know just how advantageous it is to pick your ground.

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I hope you are pacient enought to read it all and forgive me for the writing mistakes.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Your english is fine. Hell, it's better than some people I know that have been speaking it their whole life. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

And welcome to the boards! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

Narfwak · January 2003

I'd still try to keep a reasonable distance from a fade. A good fade player can switch to swipe and kill you instantly if you let them get too close.

Church · January 2003

best distance to fight a fade=just out of claw range. long-range=you hit them less but they hit you same. too close=claw death

TacT_RaDoX · January 2003

lo <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wow.gif'>

I have to say the best way to kill a fade is have 2/3 marines constantly rush them without stopping for ammo, fire what you can at him then if you managed to get a whole clip off at em, finish him with pistol, or the next man rushing will kill him. Leaving the rest of your team to build whatever is required while you've distracted them and slowed down the kharaa.

Parasites - they are not an evil curse and if used properly can help marines take control of a hive they are trying to secure.

Taking a quick game on ns_nancy as an example, I'm opposite a team mate guarding the door at port engine room. My teammate is parasited yet I am not, thus all the aliens rushing furiously to clear out their hive rushed straight for the yellow, leaving me to fill their butts with hot lead. more than half their team ran through the door and the guy with the parasite survived it all and in the time it took any decent number of them to re-spawn and re-group for an attack their hive became ours. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'>
Guess we got lucky they didn't feel like using the vents..

BlueGhost · January 2003

Bizzarly I've had great sucess on fades by switching my weapon order.

The pistol is so accurate at long range I can put the intire clip into it (mebbi 1 miss *shrug*). All the while I'm closing the distance, the standard 'good' fade reaction at this point is to wip out the claws and charge you, thing is unless they're celerity you can JUST about dance with them long enough to empty your intire LMG into them.

Fade
lmg shots to kill
29(77)
29(66)
25(62)
23(58)

pistol shots to kill
15(36)
13(33)
12(30)
11(28)

As kitsune's 1.03 statistics show if the muppet doesn't have carapice and you put your intire pistol clip in, any kind of upgrades will mean this is one 'nearly' dead fade so unless he's a blink master you've got him.

Assuming he's using carapice if you have level 1 pistol its not quite such an easy proposition, you empty your intire clip of pistol in and he's at approx 2/3 health, you empty your intire lmg in and if you by some fluke of genius hit him with almost <b>EVERY</b> bullet you'll get a kill, unlikley to happen though, but you've definatly bought your team some time, if the guy behind you is coming in with his pistol too running away is damn hard for a non blink fade.

With the alternative method of emptying the LMG first if you start off at any kind of range most of them bullets are wasted due to the cone of fire.

BlueGhost

Narfwak · January 2003

A jetpack is an invaluble tool for fade-killing, especcially if you have a shotgun. If you keep zooming around the fade, changing your range from long to short and back again, the fade will have a hard time deciding how to engage you. Also, if you hear a fade start to regenerate, keep pounding into it - chances are that it is about to die (so long as so have been shooting at it long enough), as a lack of carapace will often get most fade players killed in a jiffy.

Evil_Person · January 2003

I have to add that even if people always go on moaning about teamwork and ignoring lone marines, a single marine can be very useful, perhaps not in combat, but as a scout out enemy fortifications (note enemy structures appear on commander map only after being spotted or scanned) or someone stealthily taking a hive by going in and setting up a phase gate for the rest to pour through.

The Kharaas biggest advantage is that they tend to find and destroy unguarded res points, being all over the place, while the marines tend not to find alien res points, letting them grow and control the game by only sticking to a few select and highly fortified bases themselves.

I've often felt that the some commanders restricts movement a lot, being defensive and letting the aliens take all the resources without even bothering to fight for them. You may think that having one guy run around and die will just weaken the team effort, but the first 2 Kharaa res points built will usually have one or no offence chambers around them and I often get away with knifing those res points, which would pretty much screw over all kharaa defence and hive building for some time.

Narfwak · January 2003

I try to avoid making posts about lone-rambos and scouts, as:
1)Everyone else does, so it isn't like there is a void to fill
2)They avoid the premise of the marine team
3)They often don't work as well as a squad.

However, to almost every rule there seems to be an exception, so here goes:

I've found that the most effective way to "rambo" is to have at least some kind of goal in mind, be that scouting (not all that useful if you have an observatory), escaping a besiged base, or sneaking in to an enemy hive. Also, try to have some kind of commander mandate or support; marine wandering off against the bidding of their commander just **** people off.

A good example of rambo use it to escape a main marine start location when the aliens have three hives. I know it sounds far-fetched, but it has been done. Most of the players are required to defend the base, so a squad cannot be sent; besides, a squad would likely attract too much attention anyway.

Start by telling the commander of you intention. If the commander does not understand you at all an would rather "go down with the ship," they should be ejected. If that fails, find a better server. However, if the comm is sensible they should have already given you a jetpack and a place to go - likely an enemy hive.

Go there as stealthily as possible. Use vents, don't activate your JP if enemies are around, and keep a close eye on MT if you have it. When you have reached your destination, inform your comm and try to hide.

The comm now has too options - phase rush in and set up base before killing the hive, or kill the hive then phase rush in and set up base (in these cases, it is best to try to ditch your old base entirely; make sure to recycle the structures). Once you have phased in as many troops are currently alive, plop down a new CC, go through the phase, then recycle the phase gate at the old base to prevent enemies following you in.

This strategy can also be used to invade hives in a non-escape fashion with little modification.

Kaosdrone · January 2003

I really can't accept the idea of rambo-ing or scouting alone; it's just too dangerous because those who want to are usually noobs that haven't played this game much at all. They think they can just pick up an HMG and heavy armour and take on the world. There are those that know what they're doing and can successfully scout, but they are rare seasoned veterans.

I think that you should just go in groups of 3 or 4 and live about 10 times longer then if you were running around alone. Also make sure the commander wants you to do this;he may not and will not resupply you. The weapons choice is a lot better in a group as well. If you're alone you can only carry one large weapon, a pistol or a welder, and a knife. In a group of three, one guy has a gren launcher, and another 2 have HMG's, one's carrying a welder and the other 2 are carrying pistols. Thats almost 4 times the killing power. Moreover, they can all have jetpacks, making them an efficient and deadly group.

BTW, w00t! 100th marine tactics post!

SlAyeR_CeE · January 2003

not gonna be a very quick scout with h/a and hmg... i digress... the best things and worst things about rambos. is their unpredictability whilst me and half the team were going to secure a hive the commander wanted to secure.. we got jumped on and rapidly biten by a bunch of skulks hiding in a vent ( i don't know if one of our marines was parasited i was on a public server so n00bs are everywhere) however another 2 of our guys much to our comms evident dismay well he was calling them nasty names <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'> went to another hive and managed to secure it in double quick time.. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'> that actually won us the game if they hadn't of thought they could do their own thing we would have been fighting onos in no time

NeoGregorian · February 2003

When getting parasited theres two good choices for you to make,
if you are on a server with some good players, suggest that you act bait and let the others hide and flank al incoming aliens.
If you are on a server with lousy n00bs then you could do some ramboing and perhaps scout a bit, but remember that you do not have the element of surprise on your side. As always tell your comm what you are up to, preferably NOT when the rest of the team screams on the voice comm.

cmtn · February 2003

TALK. Half-Life has voice comm for a reason, use it.[QUOTE]
wear headphones so you can hear running aliens or nearby hives and chambers [QUOTE]

This is the number ONE thing that bugs me! ppl dont use voice comm when they should and over use it for CHATTING. You can not hear aliens if your team is babbling. Unless they use silence (98% don't) or are laying in wait you can always hear em coming. Also annoying are ppl who just joined, dont know the situation and start asking for HMG/HA.

actual happened
COM: Stay in hive kilroy and bugs, i'm gonna drop com chair, base under attack by FADES!
KILROY: bugs! where u going? help me build cc!
BUGS: I got to go hide! FADES are coming!!! (pitter patter of fading feet....)

NeoGregorian · February 2003

and set those headphones so you hear where they are comin from.
It IS possible so you might just use it since everyone else hopefully does.

And use the voice comm for communication when radio commands/typing is not an option.

Xzilen · February 2003

As commander, immeditely find your best players and use them accordingly. If you join a pub with some clan members that look even midly seasoned, use them to capture the points, and have the others defend targets. I find it best when the people I assaign to the the very hard parts are people that know how to work together.

NeoGregorian · February 2003

The key to victory is to use every player the right way, and to do that you have to ask them what they are good at...

Narfwak · February 2003

As I feel a serious need to redeem myself after than random nonsense thread fiasco, I'll be reworking a lot of the material that I originally posted in this thread. After all, much of the marine tactics and related command stratefy was written long enough ago as to be fairly obsolete. Example? I describe JPs as special application only, and instead reccomend HA for the common player. Obviously, no one does this anymore, so change is needed. All sorts of other tactics and ideas I've thought up need posting as well, so it'll be more than just a rehash of old ideas. Also, I'm going to do it all in my old posts by way of editing them instead of adding new replies to compensate for the nonsense spamfest in the Off-Topic board.

PvtLohne · February 2003

The one thing most people go for I disagree with here is the Burst Fire thing. Now if this were CS(Thank the Good Lord it isn't, Flarya you are a God), then yeah, I could see doing that to keep the pattern inside the size of a small bus, but these weapons are in fact NOT manufactured by blind starving Tiwanian rocks, and as such, WORK. I don't see why not to put off more than a few rounds toward something, then just a few more, THEN see what's going on. Skulks move to fast and are to close to often in my experince to really make "brat" look "brat" look "brat" look anything but an excersise in futility.

Before you ask, no, I'm not that one guy on every server that has wacky glue on his trigger guard. I DO use an apropriate amount of ammo for the threat, however.

QuixotesGhost · February 2003

For me, Burst-Firing isn't about accuracy it's about finding that damn skulk again after I've just lost him in my LMG muzzle flash.

Sharm · February 2003

Lurks poision spray can set mines off. Must have 3 hives tho...

Narfwak · March 2003

I've decided to delay re-writing this until 1.1 comes out. Given all that will supposedly change, I don't think there is much point in updating things now.

3ncrypted_zer0 · March 2003

Why don't you guys just rush the hive and start sieging? even if there is no hive there build a siege anyways just incase. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Mazkaline · March 2003

I myself had an lightening experience last night.
Commander sent me and other guy to harrass the alien hive and their res-points near it. Point was to keep gorge busy dodging our bullets and dont let have a moments peace to build.
When OC came, we two shot it down (and died) -> came back again to shoot OCs again -> died and came back -> made through and knifed res point and killed alot of spawning aliens and evolving lerks and gorge.
So our commander just kept two or three guys always harrassing the alien hive just like skulks do to us in normal games -> gorge had a hard time building and several skulks were always busy trying to track us down and eat. When other team was planning assault to hive, we two kept other walk way clear of OC's and there didnt come assaults from under the cover of OC and DC field.
We did surprise several skulks on their way to base and had time to warn the other team about rush (before dying), also scouting helped to get those few camping skulks in dark corners not to surprise 5-man teams.
Eventually team had jetpacks (I keep my hands clear of those, always fall or cant shoot even onos) and while aliens had only couple fades, it was absolutely bloody massacre.

I was amazed about our small scoutings success, they tried to rush several times but couldnt make surprise attack because of active team. Commander didnt bother giving us medpacks in the middle of enemy hive and while attracting attention.("Hive is under attack" and some red color in right screen corner attracts most skulks attention to get back to hive and leave those poor marines alone) cause three skulks were running through and no medpack helps.
We had 16 players, true, but still it would be good tactic to keep aliens busy instead of them keeping marines defending.

This tactic has been said before, but just to underline that because many commanders seem to keep their eyes only in base and sometimes even command marines to stay and wait for HA's without armor upgrades.

Asal_The_Unforgiving · April 2003

That does seem to work well, but most commanders who sit in that chair tend to dislike that approach, because it is amazingly close to ordering someone to become <dum dum dum> one of the dreaded 'Rambo Marines'. I don't have a problem with assaulting a hive knowing I'm gonna die in it, but some people (for one reason or another) seem to. I don't understand why, but that makes a fair number of marines too afraid of death to be capable in that capacity, and so the tactic described means that in most games you got one marine < <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'> > against too many enemies < <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'> > and therefor those who CAN pull this off invariably get smashed, and are unable to make a significant difference. Basically, the only problem comes out to be 'who can I trust to do this job?' syndrome. Anyway, my two cents. (So what if it's counterfeit!?)

WAFELESSAR · April 2003

dont understand why people underestimate and shocked when you kýll someone with knýfe its damage value is reallygreat and its really fast most players are just wating for reload that means come and kil me ým reloadin...

2Moronic · April 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Inexorable @ Nov 7 2002, 08:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Heh, I assumed Lerks could at first too. I was in a vent on ns_nancy, and some shmuck had literally put about 25 mines on the walls in Subspace Hive. See him jumping around in a litteral barrel of TNT, I figured "Hey, I'll evolve to a Lerk, and then shoot a mine. Instant Fried Marine, just like mom used to make."

So I fire at the mines to no effect. No sooner am I thinking "Why the **** aren't my spikes setting off the mines?" then the marine lobbed a grenade 40 feet into the air and hit me square in the head.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Gorgs can explode mines, but they can only do it one at a time since the damage is isolated to one area, unlike a fade.

Marine tactics class

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