Powersilo, How Do I Hate Thee?
Inexorable
Join Date: 2002-09-28 Member: 1360Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Let me count the ways.</div> Not a full on guide to ns_nothing (look to Flatline for that), but a piece of advice to marines.
<b><span style='color:yellow'>STAY AWAY FROM POWERSILO</span></b>
You've really got no reason to be anywhere near that hive until you have JP research done. Until that point, the Kharaa can get into the rafters, and you can't. What does that mean? They can defend the hive from you, but you can't defend it from them. Save yourself a lot of time, effort and RP and just stay the hell away from that deathtrap until your marines can fly.
<b><span style='color:yellow'>STAY AWAY FROM POWERSILO</span></b>
You've really got no reason to be anywhere near that hive until you have JP research done. Until that point, the Kharaa can get into the rafters, and you can't. What does that mean? They can defend the hive from you, but you can't defend it from them. Save yourself a lot of time, effort and RP and just stay the hell away from that deathtrap until your marines can fly.
Comments
When I command on nothing I usually take powersilo first. The reasons:
1) Aliens expect the marine team to go to cargo and will constantly attack there (if it is not theirs), so securing cargo is very risky at the beginning. While silo is exactly on the other part of the map and skuls will not attack it qucikly
2) On the way to silo there is a res node which is quite secure because aliens usually attack from the other side (from viaduct). So there are 2 secured resource towers at the very beginning.
3) not many turrets are needed to secure silo. Lerks will not appear early in the game and if they do, one marine with a welder can easily defend the location (another marine might be needed to pistol down that pesky lerk)
4) Considering the fact that aliens own the cargo hive, moving out from silo to viaduct is quite easy at the beginning. After securing silo it is often possible to get to viaduct and build a pg there, before the aliens even realize what the marines are up to.
So I think taking silo is not that bad. I have done this several times and have won each time I did. The two RTs at the beginning are really very helpful.
However, if the aliens have Cargo... let's just say you're in for a horrible game. If you're not rushing, you're going to have to grab power... and "pistoling a lerk" isn't as easy if the lerk's any good. I usually run up there as a skulk, gorge, drop 2-3 DC's and then lerk. You're pretty much invincible.
Same thing goes for mother interface and aux comm on ns_nancy.
btw, ns_nothing, the easiest marine map. ever.
Ayatollah
FoodStamps
Aux Comm. No way. The loops and turns confuse the simple noob, and there's a crapload of stuff for the skulk to climb on. But then again, port is insanely hard to guard as well. But I'd really say it's a tie, because while Aux is <i>slightly</i> easier to guard, Port has a res node, and is probably the same in terms of difficulty of defense.
Note: You can also turret up the res node right outside Aux with a TF in Aux, so it works out that way too. Aux is still very confusing for the average noob marine to **** though. Lots of blinking lights and colors.
What about a Siege? Eh?
ns_eclipse's main problem is difficult resource control. triad, being like 50 feet vertical, is a skulk's heaven. the low end of station access alpha is money for parasiting skulks and lerks, and horseshoe has proven difficult, but doable.
My best solution so far has been the maint reloc, either in-hive or at the keyhole. the distance between the hives is good for controlling maint and comp core IF you relocate, and the fact that eclipse hive is un-upgradeable for marines complicates things a lot more.
thus, eclipse = good if aliens don't start out in maint, and you're able to get there.
anyways, offtopic: i'm sorry to see you banned off KIR. I started up a new clan and we have our own server now, pings very well if you're on the west coast. head to <a href='http://ns.astimulus.com/' target='_blank'>http://ns.astimulus.com/</a> for more info. later
-Aya
I usually pick Aux Comm over Port Engine b/c
1. Only one way in if you keep the door closed.
2. Only two of the windows are breakable.
3. Since you usually have to build a TF anyways, you can build it against the north wall and it will cover the res node just outside of Aux Comm.
4. The "hill" in port engine (like the "hill" in maintenance on hera) is one of the most useful structures for a skulk to exploit when taking out a team of marines.
5. In-hive is very dark, with a vent. Aux Comm is well lit and friendly.
-Aya
...
I forgot, hard to take down as a skulk that is.
2. Only two of the windows are breakable.
3. Since you usually have to build a TF anyways, you can build it against the north wall and it will cover the res node just outside of Aux Comm.
4. The "hill" in port engine (like the "hill" in maintenance on hera) is one of the most useful structures for a skulk to exploit when taking out a team of marines.
5. In-hive is very dark, with a vent. Aux Comm is well lit and friendly.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
First off, in my argument as for which portion to use, I gave pro and cons for both, feeling they both had their merits.
Referring to your list:
1. True, but I don't see the point, a skulk can incredibly annoy your team, and keep sad noobs incredibly occupied by parasiting it open and running away and repeating as needed. While people attempt to run out and shoot him everytime he opens it (80% of pub marines will do this) skulks can rush in from the window by way of the vent. Or they can parasite it open, and pull back for a sec so noone's there when the door opens at first, and then flood in.
2. You're wrong, hehe, obvoiusly the pic shows that, and I knew it beforehand anyhow. I fail to see how this matters, as it's not that great of a choke point. Skulks are small, the window is big, 3-4 skulks could rush through simultaneously.
3. I said that. First. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
4. There are towers in Aux Comm that serve that exact purpose. Both "the hill" and "the towers" can only be negated by jetpacks, or boosting up to build a turret or two (too complex for pub marines).
5. I'm not looking to offend you or anything, but that's the only argument you've listed with any merit. I scrim in CS constantly, and do league play, so my brightness and gamma are so high this isn't a factor for me as a marine.
I'd go for Cargo any day for the massive res. you can get, but, if the aliens have Cargo, Silo is the next best choice.
Sifo
JP rushes lead to nothing if you got people on your team working together. But on pubs most aliens are rambos <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
I dont think that will ever change though.
If you find a good enough team for marines you can beat most any group of aliens.
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::sentry::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='turret.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> .................<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo-->
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<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo--> ...............<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> ....<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo-->