What A Difference A Good Commander Makes
Bolter
Join Date: 2002-11-12 Member: 8331Members
Join Date: 2002-11-12 Member: 8331Members
<div class="IPBDescription">A salute to all proficient commanders</div> I'm a n00b to NS, I admit it. I just got the MOD a couple days ago, and I've been trying to find a niche in the community. I read some guides and posts of advise, and as many of them suggest, I started out with the Marines.
First off, I observed a match throughout, so I could get an idea of how things worked. Fortified with this knowledge, I deemed myself ready to join the fight. I found a large game, so any n00b errors I made would be offset by a large team. I logged in to the screams of a hysteric commander. I headed directly to the armory, so I could top the crappy mag that you start with. During all this time the Commander was yelling and arguing with his troops. Soon it was my turn..."GO TO THE ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSOR BOLTER!!!" Well, being my 1st time ever, I had no clue where this location was, and started typing for a waypoint because I didn't want to cluter Vox even more. "BOLTER, YOU IDI0T, I SAID GO!!!!" Well, having done two tours with the USMC, I've received abuse from profesionals, and wasn't bothered. Eventually I followed a couple of troopers that respawned, since I never got that waypoint. We waltzed into an orgy of destruction...the destuction of our infrastructure by a skulk rush. We all did what we could, and amid unanswered cries of "need medpack" and "need ammo" we started falling. Eventually, it was just me with 15 health and a knife looking for the last skulk. Apparently the beasty was wedged behind a turret factory that had been conveniently bult in a tight corner, behind some boxes. I found him, and died trying to knife him, wiht the commander yelling obsenities at me. Needless to say, I didn't rejoin that game.
After that great experience I was reticent to play Marines again, but I did, and I'm glad. I log to a very diferent game. The commander is cool, collected, and giving timely and sensible orders. Being a n00b, I reported "standing by" and helped build base defences. Soon after, I got my 1st waypoint (so that's what they look like! ahhhhh!) We moved as a group, and built extractors and more defences. Every now and then, someone would be called back to base, and come back with a better weapon. We got attacked, and fought them back every time. We kept on moving, and soon we were firmly entrenched at a hive site. I was never idle during this time, I always had a waypoit to go to, and a task to do. I died sometimes, but I was never chastized for it. I always spawned back to a fresh waypoint, and a mission. All of this was acomplished with very little talking, save for the commander calling out aliens.
Eventually I was given a waypoint to the advanced arms lab. I found there my very 1st heavy armor, and HMG. Some time later I accidently dropped the HMG and didn't relize it till it had despawned...talk about being a n00b!! I briefly toyed with the idea of not saying anything about it, but decided that a Marine in heavy armor with just a knife, was an empty suit. I braced myself for a well-deserved reaming, and confessed my stupidity. I was given another HMG, and a mild admonition no to drop it again. Some time later, I miss-read the range on my waypoint indicator, and rushed into an alien chamber. I was quickly mauled. I spawned back expecting guard duty, but another set of heavy armor and HMG was waiting for me. All I heared about it was a half-amused, half-resigned chuckle from the commander.
I learned a lot about playing a Marine. I'm no l33t d00d now, how could I? But I realy felt ussefull and part of a team.
This is a big Salute to all of those commanders out there that help the new guy, and make him into a deadly killer. This one is for you Duende, thanx for the patience. Thanx for the help <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
First off, I observed a match throughout, so I could get an idea of how things worked. Fortified with this knowledge, I deemed myself ready to join the fight. I found a large game, so any n00b errors I made would be offset by a large team. I logged in to the screams of a hysteric commander. I headed directly to the armory, so I could top the crappy mag that you start with. During all this time the Commander was yelling and arguing with his troops. Soon it was my turn..."GO TO THE ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSOR BOLTER!!!" Well, being my 1st time ever, I had no clue where this location was, and started typing for a waypoint because I didn't want to cluter Vox even more. "BOLTER, YOU IDI0T, I SAID GO!!!!" Well, having done two tours with the USMC, I've received abuse from profesionals, and wasn't bothered. Eventually I followed a couple of troopers that respawned, since I never got that waypoint. We waltzed into an orgy of destruction...the destuction of our infrastructure by a skulk rush. We all did what we could, and amid unanswered cries of "need medpack" and "need ammo" we started falling. Eventually, it was just me with 15 health and a knife looking for the last skulk. Apparently the beasty was wedged behind a turret factory that had been conveniently bult in a tight corner, behind some boxes. I found him, and died trying to knife him, wiht the commander yelling obsenities at me. Needless to say, I didn't rejoin that game.
After that great experience I was reticent to play Marines again, but I did, and I'm glad. I log to a very diferent game. The commander is cool, collected, and giving timely and sensible orders. Being a n00b, I reported "standing by" and helped build base defences. Soon after, I got my 1st waypoint (so that's what they look like! ahhhhh!) We moved as a group, and built extractors and more defences. Every now and then, someone would be called back to base, and come back with a better weapon. We got attacked, and fought them back every time. We kept on moving, and soon we were firmly entrenched at a hive site. I was never idle during this time, I always had a waypoit to go to, and a task to do. I died sometimes, but I was never chastized for it. I always spawned back to a fresh waypoint, and a mission. All of this was acomplished with very little talking, save for the commander calling out aliens.
Eventually I was given a waypoint to the advanced arms lab. I found there my very 1st heavy armor, and HMG. Some time later I accidently dropped the HMG and didn't relize it till it had despawned...talk about being a n00b!! I briefly toyed with the idea of not saying anything about it, but decided that a Marine in heavy armor with just a knife, was an empty suit. I braced myself for a well-deserved reaming, and confessed my stupidity. I was given another HMG, and a mild admonition no to drop it again. Some time later, I miss-read the range on my waypoint indicator, and rushed into an alien chamber. I was quickly mauled. I spawned back expecting guard duty, but another set of heavy armor and HMG was waiting for me. All I heared about it was a half-amused, half-resigned chuckle from the commander.
I learned a lot about playing a Marine. I'm no l33t d00d now, how could I? But I realy felt ussefull and part of a team.
This is a big Salute to all of those commanders out there that help the new guy, and make him into a deadly killer. This one is for you Duende, thanx for the patience. Thanx for the help <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
i have also tried to help other commanders mid-way but its harder that way for me. <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo-->
Also i get ejected for refusing to give the 1337 n00bs the "HA AND HMG IN SPANW COM!1111111" until they go out their and follow orders first.
try to not waste you resources if you want to win.
you will need to get more nozzels untill you can upgrade. and if newbs kick you for not instantly upgrading and passing out the supplies.. then they are just NOOOOBS
Winning a game as a commander is one of the most satisfying things possible in a computer game. Plenty of hearty player stacking and rejoicing back in the RR. Once I took a team of marines that voted out their previous commander just because he/she wouldn't place a resource collector down in Triad, and I won the game with them.
Commanding is not all much strategy, much of it is motivating and encouraging your troops to obey your orders. Sometimes this means dropping them whatever they requested, sometimes it means following some of <b>their</b> orders. Once you've gained the confidence of your team, you're practically unbeatable.
My main priority when commandering is to get a hive locked down fairly early in the game. I build <b>one</b> infantry portal (Some commanders place two at the very start of a game, I can't for the life of me think why), a turret factory and, depending on the map, three or four turrets around the place and one behind your CC to prevent it being attacked from all sides. Making sure all the while that you keep a wary eye out for a skulk rush. After my base is secure, I move onto nab another node or two. Three nodes is plenty for a thrust to secure a hive room. At each node I place a turret factory and two or three turrets. Once they're secured, and any vents leading to that room thoroughly mined, you should think about building an observatory and researching motion tracking. It comes in bloody useful when you don't know what's around the next corner. Now you should do a couple scanner sweeps (Starcraft I know but I can't remember the proper name) to find an empty hive room. Once you've located one you should get your marines there ASAP, maybe dropping them a few shotguns to boost morale. Once you get to the hive, drop down a turret factory and about four or five turrets. Once you've got them up, upgrade your armoury back at base, drop an armoury and a phase gate at the newly secured hive. You could also place an arms lab and start upgrading weapons and armour.
Once you've got one hive secure, it's usually smooth sailing from there on. You might want to think about securing a few more nodes. By now the aliens have probably got at least two hives online. If they have fades, that means they've got at least three resource suckers going, you might want to place a prototype lab back at base and research jetpacks or heavy armour, depending on the map. If the map has lots of high places, like Eclipse, research jetpacks as a priority. Get all your marines BTB and make sure everyone has either a jetpack or HA, and a non-standard gun. A good ratio for marine equipment is 1 Shotgun : 2 HMG : 1 Grenade Launcher. With a jetpack for the shotgunner so he/she can hang on the roof and shoot down at those pesky skulks. Dropping a few welders is always a good idea too.
Once you're set to go, you should scan both the remaining hive rooms and find the one with the least amount of offensive chambers around it. Head off for that hive. When attacking an entrenched alien position, it’s always wise to attack the defence chambers as a priority, once these are down the other chambers should fall in short order. The grenadier should be at the front line shooting at the chambers (Bouncing the grenades around corners if possible), and the other marines in the squad should be hanging back, not shooting at the chambers but protecting the grenadier. If you come across a particularly stubborn infestation, you should drop a turret factory, upgrade it and place a siege turret or two to help you out. You should get these as close as possible to the hive location without exposing them to alien fire. Depending on how well your marines are going, you may want to plonk down a turret or two to help them out.
Once you’ve got the second hive secured the same as the first, four to five turrets, an armoury and a phase gate, it should be easy to lay waste to the last hive the same way you did to the second one. If one of your previously secured hives comes under attack, order your marines to jump into a phase gate to defend the hive.
The two biggest mistakes a commander can make are not placing turrets correctly, and allowing the aliens to get three hives up. I’ve seen marines come back from three hives but it’s pretty rare. Always remember to keep your marines busy with orders and tasks. An idle marine is likely to wander off and try to attack something by him/herself, which is not likely to succeed. Always respond to marine’s requests for ammo and health ASAP, this is your top priority in the thick of a battle, especially health. A commander streaming health onto a marine’s head helps a lot in a close quarter battle.
If you’re seriously into commanding, you should consider using the controls menu to bind some keys to drop ammo and health. They come in really handy when you’re dropping health like mad to postpone the demise of a squad.
I’ve never lost a game that I’ve commanded from the start using these strategies, I hope you lot can make use of them too.
--Scythe--
Oh my gawd, the difference it makes...
It makes SUCH a difference when people follow your orders and don ask for stuff, use the voice menu, and are willing to deviate from the usual turret farming strategies to go for the rush (Yes, marines can rush too.) This is how the game was meant to be played.
not to play devil's advocate just for the hell of it or anything, but sometimes commanders decide, when you have enough resources, to fortify the empty hive asap rather than waste the time and build a resource node, sometimes if the rest of your team is under attack it would be better to head there asap than build a resource node in between base and choke-point base. not saying this is what happened to your game scythe, but saying it more to give advice on noobies who think the commander is a "bad" one just because he didn't build a resource node. hell sometimes i hear some noob screaming OMG BUILD HERE ALREADY, oblivious to the fact that marines dont have enough resources to build it.
lots of times, on random servers with a lot of noobs, i'd see one guy going OMG BUILD RESOURCE HERE NOW while he's by himself about halfway across the map from where the team is fighting for their lives against skulks with only LMGs and health/ammo packs... imo a lot of times, especially on 8v8 maps, it's wiser to rush the first hive, build resource nodes on the way, leave it undefended and secure the hive. imo, the 30 resources plopped down there will earn its share with at least 8 people on the team by the time a lone skulk or 3 finds it undefended and proceeds to destroy it... not to mention it also serves as something that slows down the aliens on reaming helpless LMG marines fortifying that hive.
i think the single most important reason why 'average' marine teams are losing against aliens is because their commander decides to fortify resource nodes. unless it's a double resource node, with one near it (like holo room for example) nothing is worth fortifying when you have low resources (below 150) other than hives or double resource nodes.
I didn't really have to bo build the original base fortifications, 'cause the aliens didn't really attack that much, and another commander had built stuff already, so basically it was up to me to expand and guide my marines.
I mentioned it was my first time, and they were EXTREMELY patient with me. I think the only thing that I did as a commander was listen to my marines. That's it. Listen to them, and give them what they needed within my resource limit. I took the CC 'cause no one wanted the job, either (we were on the losing side), but as a commander, all I did was listen, get what those marines needed as fast as I could, and sent them on their way. I think I was with a group of good marines, though...'cause I gave very few waypoints. They all knew their way around, and STUCK TOGETHER. Wow. Marines that stick together are SO much easier to find/give ammo/medpacks to (I was droppin' em like mad). <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
So much fun!
Yet, in a way, I do end up commanding because I plan strategy for myself, then run it by my commander.
Listen to your marines when they have a RC or two and want to secure a hive. Especialy if said marine is at that hive and its clear.
I tend to try to get my commander to secure a hive as soon as main base is secure. Lately I have been trying to get them to relocate to said hive location all together. A decoy base at main start, then a true hq at the hive location.
Just had an experience where a few of us grunts secured a RC or two then went and got a hive perimiter secured. Got the RC up their first, which I asked for a turret factory but oh well. Got 4 or 5 turrets up. Then he insited we take more RC nodes.
Myself I am not comfortable with only 4 or 5 turrets in a hive location.
I try to put it this way to my comms when they are. "Pretend your mother is in here. Protect it like it was your home."
Well he didnt. We went to secure the R node and met up with the mass of the alien force.
After we were able to respawn and regroup we were making our way back to the Hive to finish "SECURING" it and of course our way was blocked buy many off and def chambers. Needless to say. The time it takes to get through that is enough to loose a hive.
This game requires tons of teamwork. Comm and Marines should listen to eachother.
Guess my point was that even though you are commander you are not necisarily the smartest soldier in there. God knows Im not.
--Scythe--
I dunno how i do it, i just use strategic placesments of turrets and make sure all my guys have guns and armor. (alot of comms only give like half the team armor and guns) I guess tower rushing in WC3 has helped my skill alot.
here are a few tips that i think help ALOT.
-Make sure everyone on your team has a WP and is doing something! (most newbie commanders dont set people with WP's and therefor most of the players get separated and is easy bait)
-Take over a hive ASAP! (you NEED to at least get a hive at the begining, as soon as the Aliens get Ono's its over. make sure you get a PG in there too.)
-Get at LEAST 5 Resource Nozzles ASAP (you NEED at least 5, you have to keep enought resources comming in to suit your men up with armor and weps)
-Setup "outpost's" all around the map (ussually around nozzles, but sometimes in hallways too. Make sure u have an armory for quick ammo)
-Siege Turrets!!! (they work wonders, taking over an occupied hive is suicide without them. Siege turrets can shoot thru walls, so put like 2 or 3 up before u get ready to raid a hive. Also, put Siege turrets up at your outposts so that enemies cannot build close to them)
This is all for now, i soon plan to have a full thread about this same issue.
played commander first time today too, and that third hive needs to be taken fast needs more defense than your base <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo-->
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lol if your the Misfire i played one 'Misfire's NS Server 1.1" we as the bugs kicked your butt and then you put on sv_cheat and had your team put god mode on and you set alltalk so you could hear us. we said stop cheating then he told us he was not cheating then we had to tell him we can see all the commands he is running just by looking at the console lol it was funny
but then maybe it was some other guy with your name with recon on Misfire's NS Server 1.1
look my first flame i feel so drity now
Of course, any commander can be bogged down by idiots with constant requests for equipment. Always remember that, when there are firefights in progress, medpacks and ammo packs are more important than giving out HA and HMGs, even moreso when resources are low.
A good sign that you have an excellent commander is that he won't yell for the entire Marine force to come back to base when something starts attacking, and instead jumps from the CC to fight. It may seem more important for the commander to be... err... commanding... but in a situation where everyone is halfway across the map, the commander defending himself can save a huge amount of time. You don't want to trek all the way home to find out there's a single skulk terrorizing the base.
I dunno how i do it, i just use strategic placesments of turrets and make sure all my guys have guns and armor. (alot of comms only give like half the team armor and guns) I guess tower rushing in WC3 has helped my skill alot.
here are a few tips that i think help ALOT.
-Make sure everyone on your team has a WP and is doing something! (most newbie commanders dont set people with WP's and therefor most of the players get separated and is easy bait)
-Take over a hive ASAP! (you NEED to at least get a hive at the begining, as soon as the Aliens get Ono's its over. make sure you get a PG in there too.)
-Get at LEAST 5 Resource Nozzles ASAP (you NEED at least 5, you have to keep enought resources comming in to suit your men up with armor and weps)
-Setup "outpost's" all around the map (ussually around nozzles, but sometimes in hallways too. Make sure u have an armory for quick ammo)
-Siege Turrets!!! (they work wonders, taking over an occupied hive is suicide without them. Siege turrets can shoot thru walls, so put like 2 or 3 up before u get ready to raid a hive. Also, put Siege turrets up at your outposts so that enemies cannot build close to them)
This is all for now, i soon plan to have a full thread about this same issue.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
thats what i do, i usually tell my team to secure the nearest res nozzle then secure hive asap.
i always use siege turrets to take over other hives, it works great! <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo-->
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lol if your the Misfire i played one 'Misfire's NS Server 1.1" we as the bugs kicked your butt and then you put on sv_cheat and had your team put god mode on and you set alltalk so you could hear us. we said stop cheating then he told us he was not cheating then we had to tell him we can see all the commands he is running just by looking at the console lol it was funny
but then maybe it was some other guy with your name with recon on Misfire's NS Server 1.1
look my first flame i feel so drity now<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
i wasn't a commander thou , we were just messing around and having fun lol , u guys still won we didn't take over the hives or mess up the game. Also sv_cheats is used to change names instantly
also i wasn't cheating <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
cheats aren't usually on cept when im tired and its 2:00 am sometimes i might turn it on