Tactical Versatility
FlatlineUTD
Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7695Members
Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7695Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Change is good!</div> <i>“In the midst of difficulties we should ever be ready to grasp every opportunity so that our object may be obtained. In a favorable situation, we should be alert in detecting our weaknesses so that we may avoid misfortune.”</i>
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
I’m writing this because I have been seeing more and more relatively good commanders that could be so much better were it not for this one simple quote.
There are a countless number of topics on this board that deal with playing as the Commander, and, more specifically, the tactics and strategies that are required to win as the marines. While the majority of these are extremely detailed and would most definitely lead a team to victory, there is a major factor that many players, myself included, often forget:
<b>No plan survives first contact with the enemy.</b>
There will always be something that you hadn’t accounted for in the specific strategy you had in mind. As honed as your tactics are, the enemy will do something unexpected, every time.
This leads me to my main point of this post (about time, huh? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->): Commanders need to learn to adapt throughout the course of a game. Even though your strategy has won you the last 10 games that you’ve played as a Commander, if the aliens start gaining some ground on you, if you still want to win, you need to stop what you’re doing and alter your overall plan for the game in order to reclaim what you’ve lost.
Your build orders shouldn’t last you more than 5 minutes into the game. Relying on a specific build template 10 minutes into the game will not utilize your resources and your troops to their full potential. If you’re not adapting your game plan by then, you’re already at a massive disadvantage.
In a few games I’ve played, I’ve literally taken my hands off of the keyboard and mouse, taken the headset mic off of my head, and said out-loud, “This isn’t working. I need to change this. Now.”
I end up getting some weird looks from my roommates, but I also usually wind up with another win under my belt. I’ve found that the marines you’re controlling are more than willing to cooperate with you – most likely, they’re as tired of dying as you are of losing fortifications at a key location.
Failure to adapt strategies throughout the course of the entire game has many negative results:
1. <b>Loss of morale</b>. Your troops, the good soldiers that they (probably) are, are following your waypoints into an area that is critical to the success of your strategy. You controlled it at one point, but lost it after a massive assault. Now you need to re-capture it in order to get back on your feet. Your marines will get tired of running in to their death, respawning, and doing it over again. This is when you get a few “Rambos” on your team – the army of one that will go toe-to-toe with a group of Skulks. Not only does this cost you the cooperation of your marines, it costs you control of your forces.
2. <b>Loss of resources</b>. Trying to secure that Hive when you’re getting flanked from all sides, constantly losing turrets, factories, armories, and personnel will get you stuck with next to nothing in your wallet. Remember that troops cost 1 resource point to respawn, and when you’ve just blown 152 resources on a forward base (factory, armory, 3x turrets, 3x siege turrets), those single resource points are going to start adding up.
3. <b>Loss of time</b>. Every minute that you’re spending trying to salvage your strategy is one minute that you could be spending getting everything together in an attempt to try another tactic, and one minute for the aliens to bolster their forces. Also, as the game drags on, irregardless of how we’d like people to act, people playing on a team and just getting their butts handed to them are going to quit. This just puts you at an even greater disadvantage.
Losing morale, resources, and most importantly, time, is not typical of a successful plan. From the other side’s perspective, when you fail to change your strategies throughout the game, they are gaining all of the things mentioned above.
Keep in mind that your opponents most likely have a general strategy that they’re sticking to as well. When you change yours up, they will either have to adapt to counter it or fight a losing battle. You want to keep them on their toes the entire game. Don’t fall victim to doing what they’re expecting you to do!
The simplest solution to changing your strategy is to change your tactics. Yes, tactics and strategy are not the same – a strategy is an overall goal that you want to accomplish (securing a Hive location before the aliens can, for example). Tactics are the maneuvers that you use to fulfill your strategy (moving 2 squads in different routes in order to outflank an opponent, and then setting up a forward base).
The best way to change your tactics is to change them before you have a chance to even start them. I know it sounds weird, but hear it out. If you are gathering constant intelligence on your opponent – where they are, what units they have – you can determine ahead of time if the strategy you would like to utilize would succeed or fail. This can easily be done by getting an Observatory up as soon as resources permit, and researching motion tracking. You should be constantly using scanner sweeps throughout the entire game – for only 1 resource point, you can save the cost of respawning your troops and the equipment that they may lose if they die.
Now, you marines reading this probably don’t think this post really concerns you – you’re outright wrong. You are the ones that know exactly what’s going on during battle. If you know your Commander’s set-in-stone plan that won’t stand up to what you know is lurking around the corner, let them know. If you just so have happened to come across an unprotected area on your way to your waypoints (because you are following waypoints, of course), let the Commander know! It may be a huge boon to your team and a huge setback to your opponent if you move up through that area rather than the place at which they are expecting you. Regardless of what Commanders in other games have said, we really do rely on you guys to let us know what’s going on.
This concludes my opinions on tactical versatility, I hope some of you Commanders find it useful, and some of you marines realize that you play an extremely important role in this as well.
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
I’m writing this because I have been seeing more and more relatively good commanders that could be so much better were it not for this one simple quote.
There are a countless number of topics on this board that deal with playing as the Commander, and, more specifically, the tactics and strategies that are required to win as the marines. While the majority of these are extremely detailed and would most definitely lead a team to victory, there is a major factor that many players, myself included, often forget:
<b>No plan survives first contact with the enemy.</b>
There will always be something that you hadn’t accounted for in the specific strategy you had in mind. As honed as your tactics are, the enemy will do something unexpected, every time.
This leads me to my main point of this post (about time, huh? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->): Commanders need to learn to adapt throughout the course of a game. Even though your strategy has won you the last 10 games that you’ve played as a Commander, if the aliens start gaining some ground on you, if you still want to win, you need to stop what you’re doing and alter your overall plan for the game in order to reclaim what you’ve lost.
Your build orders shouldn’t last you more than 5 minutes into the game. Relying on a specific build template 10 minutes into the game will not utilize your resources and your troops to their full potential. If you’re not adapting your game plan by then, you’re already at a massive disadvantage.
In a few games I’ve played, I’ve literally taken my hands off of the keyboard and mouse, taken the headset mic off of my head, and said out-loud, “This isn’t working. I need to change this. Now.”
I end up getting some weird looks from my roommates, but I also usually wind up with another win under my belt. I’ve found that the marines you’re controlling are more than willing to cooperate with you – most likely, they’re as tired of dying as you are of losing fortifications at a key location.
Failure to adapt strategies throughout the course of the entire game has many negative results:
1. <b>Loss of morale</b>. Your troops, the good soldiers that they (probably) are, are following your waypoints into an area that is critical to the success of your strategy. You controlled it at one point, but lost it after a massive assault. Now you need to re-capture it in order to get back on your feet. Your marines will get tired of running in to their death, respawning, and doing it over again. This is when you get a few “Rambos” on your team – the army of one that will go toe-to-toe with a group of Skulks. Not only does this cost you the cooperation of your marines, it costs you control of your forces.
2. <b>Loss of resources</b>. Trying to secure that Hive when you’re getting flanked from all sides, constantly losing turrets, factories, armories, and personnel will get you stuck with next to nothing in your wallet. Remember that troops cost 1 resource point to respawn, and when you’ve just blown 152 resources on a forward base (factory, armory, 3x turrets, 3x siege turrets), those single resource points are going to start adding up.
3. <b>Loss of time</b>. Every minute that you’re spending trying to salvage your strategy is one minute that you could be spending getting everything together in an attempt to try another tactic, and one minute for the aliens to bolster their forces. Also, as the game drags on, irregardless of how we’d like people to act, people playing on a team and just getting their butts handed to them are going to quit. This just puts you at an even greater disadvantage.
Losing morale, resources, and most importantly, time, is not typical of a successful plan. From the other side’s perspective, when you fail to change your strategies throughout the game, they are gaining all of the things mentioned above.
Keep in mind that your opponents most likely have a general strategy that they’re sticking to as well. When you change yours up, they will either have to adapt to counter it or fight a losing battle. You want to keep them on their toes the entire game. Don’t fall victim to doing what they’re expecting you to do!
The simplest solution to changing your strategy is to change your tactics. Yes, tactics and strategy are not the same – a strategy is an overall goal that you want to accomplish (securing a Hive location before the aliens can, for example). Tactics are the maneuvers that you use to fulfill your strategy (moving 2 squads in different routes in order to outflank an opponent, and then setting up a forward base).
The best way to change your tactics is to change them before you have a chance to even start them. I know it sounds weird, but hear it out. If you are gathering constant intelligence on your opponent – where they are, what units they have – you can determine ahead of time if the strategy you would like to utilize would succeed or fail. This can easily be done by getting an Observatory up as soon as resources permit, and researching motion tracking. You should be constantly using scanner sweeps throughout the entire game – for only 1 resource point, you can save the cost of respawning your troops and the equipment that they may lose if they die.
Now, you marines reading this probably don’t think this post really concerns you – you’re outright wrong. You are the ones that know exactly what’s going on during battle. If you know your Commander’s set-in-stone plan that won’t stand up to what you know is lurking around the corner, let them know. If you just so have happened to come across an unprotected area on your way to your waypoints (because you are following waypoints, of course), let the Commander know! It may be a huge boon to your team and a huge setback to your opponent if you move up through that area rather than the place at which they are expecting you. Regardless of what Commanders in other games have said, we really do rely on you guys to let us know what’s going on.
This concludes my opinions on tactical versatility, I hope some of you Commanders find it useful, and some of you marines realize that you play an extremely important role in this as well.
Comments
Always remember Commanders, Improvisation...if something isn't working, improvise and try something else. There is nothing worse that you can do then to always do the same thing over and over again...then you get into a routine...and your enemy will eventually figure it out...and then you lose. Always be watchful and adapt to the game as it comes.
Very well written. I use these priniples every time I play. It's much better to have tactical plans set up in your head, or layouts for areas, then place them together when you need them. Multiple variations help too. And <i>never</i> be afraid to screw it all and change if it isn't working.
In short, excellent post; a must-read for all commanders. I hope someone pins this one.
If I get a response to this article, I'll consider writing up some more similar to this, or any topic that someone is interested in.
Heh, I've lost count of the times where a commander was too stuborn to change something he was doing. Today, can't remember the map name, but we rushed to their sewer hive, and were holding, yelling out at our commander for a turret factory so we could claim the hive. He had plenty of resource, always over 60, but he was busy securing other areas, telling us to "wait, I know what I'm doing, need to secure these resource points so we don't lose them." Well, we lost. By the time he got ejected we have fades so far up our behinds all we could was respawn and be slaughtered. Another guy would spend all his resources on upgrading everything, and didn't have us expand at all. What happened? Slaughtered.
You HAVE to be flexible. The map on where the holo room is kinda the "middle" and is considered crutial to hold if you want to win, the Aliens were just throwing everything they had at it, and took it. Instead of throwing all of our guys, we had one or two harrasse it, while we went around it, and took two resouce points behind it, and while the alliens were protecting their wonderful holo room, we took their thrid hive. <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
Moral? Be open minded. If you have an advantage, take it!
Also, I'd live to hear more of your stratagies, so post away! ;D
*SHAMLESS BUMP*
***
<b>Make Groups</b>
In a 16 player game you can have two teams of 3 players each, plus one "Grease Monkey" to maintain the base. In a 14 player game, the marine can typically have two 3 man groups plus a commander. I suggest always a few marines remain in base to help defending against raiding skulks. Only later in game can you afford enough turrets to keep all but heavy groups of fades out.
'The commander picks the three topmost players from the list of marines and tag them "Group 1"
The commander then picks the next three players from the list of marines and tag them "Group 2"
The remaining marine is tagged "Janitor" or "Group 3", if not just going with the rest of the groups.
Now, it's important that each marine understand who his buddies are. So commander calls out
Group 1 is [NARF]Blimey NSPlayer Johnny_Rotten
Group 2 is etc.
When ever Commander chats or yells "1 go to Computer Core" that means Group 1 should make their way to Computer Core - NOT Group 2 or anyone else.
Stick with the groups marines! It makes it easier all the way through.
<b>when in the group</b>
Make sure that the commander gives one of you a welder as soon as he can afford it. Welders can repair basic armor too. If welder boy dies, make sure to pick it up. Welder boy should weld his pals as soon as they have time for it. When he needs a weld himself, he can drop the welder with G key and another can weld him up and now take turn as a weld boy.
If any of the marines in the group have upgraded with a heavy weapon (Shotty, HMG, nade) he will not be the welder if A marine with LMG is present. LMGs should always be welder boy. They are the cheapest players res points wise.
Never build with more than 1 marine. The two others stay on overwatch. I have too often seen busy building marines being ambushed by skulks.
<b>Death do you part</b>
When one of the marines in your group dies, the remaining two continue to carry out their orders as good as they can.
Dead marine respawns waits in base for one of his pals to die and come back here. Unless his group is really close (like a 15-20 second run max). When 2nd marine is dead and arrives at base, you two head out together (if not expecting 3rd one to kick the bucket soonish - then wait for him).
<b>Moving about</b>
Dont run single file. Rather make a row or a wedge with no more than 3 meters between each marine.
When you run out of orders and not in a fight, do NOT start growing brain tumors and run off on your own strange errands. Commander is busy. Don't mill about as moths around a lamp when awaiting instructions. It makes it harder for the commander to lasso you. And give you that order. Stay close to each other, but not too close so that there is room to fire at incoming aliens.
MAKE SURE TO SCAN BEHIND YOU once and in a while. Especially when tracking upgrade is active, you can get information on approaching enemies in time to warn your friends.
<b> Enemy near </b>
When spotted enemy you can always just shoot to make sure your pals are aware. For this to work, it is imperative that you don't go around shooting for the heck of it when bored.
When fighting skulks, use short controlled bursts. Going full clip isn't efficient versus a swift dodging skulk player.
When fighting acid rocket throwing fades, you must quickly decide to rush them or retreat. A prolonged ranged duel with fades usually ends up with marines being dead. A fade can usually shoot 5 rockets before his stamina has spent, and he must recover. Use this pause to advance on him. Remember to go ALL of you or none of you.
<b> Idling</b>
When waiting, make sure you have an eye pointing in each direction that enemies can come from. If you are building stuff, and two marines must cover more area, do scans. Look in one direction for a sec, look a bit in the other for a sec, scan back. Dont run around when not in combat! Stand still but be alert.
Always ask for ammo/health with Comm option. Don't spam for it. Once every 20 second or so is enough if mr. comm has forgotten you.
Never say " Res here...". Say "Res at Computer Core" or whereever you are. Your current location is shown at the bottom left of the hud.
Chances for an early game skulk rush grow from day to day, as kharaa players learn about it. All marines stay in base at beginning of match, ready to defend vs the eventual skulk party. You are ready to move when the armory is built earliest. A prowling marine is no good that early, unless he got mad skillz that enables him to take out several skulks and harass their hive - but can he with merely 50 bullets and a commander b usy building the base?
* All player names in this essay are fictional. Any resemblence with living or future players or clans are purely coincidential. No skulks were harmed during this writing. They were, however, really in pain after I finished it and went online.
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Er, and about that [NARF]Blimey name - please tell me that's just something you made up. I've been using the name Narfwak for more than six years now, and I don't want some clan using my name.
It's a cartoon about lab mice bent on world domination. Narf is one of the mice' catch phraise.
I'm currently reluctant to play on that map, as I don't know it well enough to command (or even follow orders efficiently), and I get lost as the aliens. Give me some time, and I'll see what I can come up with.
-PD
Well thank you for the compliment - I play on a few different servers, but if anyone has some good ones, get in touch with me (website, email, AIM, PM, whatever), and I'll try and hit them up when I've got some time (and my connection doesn't suck).
<!--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-->However I think it should be kept in mind that (especially due to lack of marine mobility compared to aliens without phase gates) you shouldn't completely throw a plan out the window as soon as it doens't work exactly according to plan.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Good point. I'm not saying you should abandon a plan entirely - versatility can mean making a slight change, not just completely trying something new.
I think it was you or another poster who gave me the idea that a commande needs a man back at the base to help out. Grease monkey just sounds funnier even though it hasn't got a lot to do with fixing aircrafts or cars. And the names where something I made up btw. I might as well had called them [POIT]Brain and [POIT]Pinkey <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Btw a little lesson learned about <b>morale</b> yesterday
Our mediocre commander managed to get his mediocre team up near a hive on Caged, setting up a siege gun fortification. He could that because we went there together. But the aliens faded and eventually threw us out of the spot. This is where the morale dropped.
And it was at this time that soldiers started following their almost bred-in tendency to just load up ammo and rush out of the base ready to get that fade who just got them for the 3rd time.
Naturally it was a downhiller from there.
So after a tactical DEFEAT, do not lose your head marine! Stay in those groups and don't go fade hunting with LMGs. Just don't ok?
It's all about teamwork boys and girls...put the team before yourself and you will go a lot farther...know your place in the line, but don't be afraid to speak up. Remember, commanders have a limited view where as you can see everything before you. A good commander is more then willing to listen to his Marines.
Ahaha, 7 players is usually the entire team on the servers I play on. Maybe this is why I prefer 2-3 people as 1 attack group <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> (which is why I posted the don't always stick together thread)
Edit: Wait a minute? Sinse when have marines been able to read??? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->