NS 2 Combat Boot Camp
Xarius
Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
<div class="IPBDescription">Basic tips that will keep you alive and get you klls</div>Hey guys, looking over the forums and playing the game I realised a lot of new players have the same questions or problems related to surviving NS2's fast paced and at times chaotic combat. To make the most of the experience, and because this knowledge isn't available in just one video or text write-up anywhere else, I figured I would write up some quick tips and tricks that should come in handy, allow you to fully enjoy the game and will eventually make you a better player. I will not go over the commander/khammander, as that is adequately covered in other tutorials.
Let's get to it!
<!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><u><b>Marines</b></u><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<b>Basic Marine</b>
- KEEP RANGE, most alien lifeforms are melee only, so the further the distance between you and your target the higher your chances to survive
- DO NOT SOLO, marines are incredibly more effective when grouped up and grouping up will allow you to survive against the biggest of alien lifeforms.
- LISTEN to your commander, he usually knows best, i.e. if he wants you to hold an area, hold that area. In return he will do everything he can to keep you alive.
- If aliens manage to close in on you, strafe and jump to try and dodge the bites, you can even do this while firing. This will buy your buddies some time to take out the skulk
- Switch to your pistol if you are out of ammo and an alien is closing in, pistols can be incredibly effective.
<b>EXOs (single or dual minigun)</b>
- GET support and insist on them bringing welders. Without welders and macs you won't last for a minute.
- KEEP RANGE, Bilebomb and onos are your biggest threats, it's vital you keep your range and try and kite these threats rather than just walking into them
- SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. Yes you may be a badass mechanised suit, but no that doesn't mean you can just run down into a hive, even with support.
<!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><u>Aliens</u></b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<b>Skulk</b>
- SPEED, jumping on and off walls while keeping forward momentum will give you a much needed speed bonus
- AMBUSH when you can (You can hold down your sprint key to move silently)
- ENVIRONMENT you don't want to just walk into marines on the ground, it's much harder for them to target you on walls and ceilings.
- DODGING, don't just jump strafe left and right to jump, be creative, jump on and off walls, go up, go down, USE ALL POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS.
(Marines have a much harder time tracking upward motion up close than strafing.)
- PARASITE, the difference between 2 and 3 bites at the start of the game, keep your range, get a parasite it, then find a way to get close with a minimum of damage (dodge!) taken
- BITE, learn to land your bites for the maximum of 75 damage when you finally do get in close to a marine, CONTINUE DODGING while biting.
- HIT AND RUN, sometimes it's better to harass and do some damage, then get out than to fully commit and die
- ZERG, like with marines, teamwork (multiple skulks or skulks + gorge) can make a big difference.
- GRUNT WORK, bite extractors to hurt their economy, try to hit structures in their when no one is watching (observatory!), power nodes are not that important generally. (except in big bases)
<b>Gorge</b>
- KEEP RANGE, kite with spit, heal, rinse repeat. The only exception is when you are pushing an area supporting several other lifeforms.
- HYDRAS, don't build them in easily targettable positions, build them around corners, on higher ceilings just after door entrances. They're only effective if the marine has to walk into them before he can even start shooting them
- CLOGS are free, slow down marines, protect other structures, put them down when you can.
- BILEBOMB, is your best ability (once it is researched), it WRECKS structures and EXOS, try to keep distance as it has huge range.
- BELLYSLIDE to GTFO
- HEALSPRAY structures under construction to speed them up, other players so they don't have to run back to the hive
<b>Lerk</b>
- DO NOT SIT, you will be an easy target and lose your 30 p.res lifeform in moments.
- DODGE, don't fly in straight lines, maintaining speed is everything
- HIT AND RUN, you should never just fly into a marine and sit biting or spiking, fly in and out to bite, circle strafe in and out to spike
- FLY HIGH, like with skulks, marines have more trouble properly tracking targets above them. Your spores will also automatically descend towards the ground.
- STAY AWAY FROM SHOTGUNS, seriously, you'll be dead before you know it.
<b>Fade</b>
- HIT AND RUN, blink in, get a few hits in and get out, you never want to stay in the fight for too long. (eyes on your healthbar!)
- DODGE, use double jump and blink UP, not just straight forward when getting in and out fights.
- DO NOT GET GREEDY, it will get you killed. A part of your importance is not just in the kills you make, it is also in the chaos you create.
- ENERGY, management of your energy pool takes practice but is SUPER important, a fade without energy is essentially a dead fade.
- SOLO MARINES, are usually free kills, but none the less don't get cocky, a single marine with a shotgun CAN wreck you
<b>Onos</b>
- Yes you are a MONSTER designed to siege marine positions, capable of absolutely wrecking entire groups of marines, but no that should not mean you should just solo down marine positions unsupported
- TIMING, know when to get out and get in, use sprint (charge) to move down or out of straight corridors and hallways faster.
- GORGES, are your best friends. They'll heal you and use you as a big meat shield so they can safely bile bomb
Hope this helps!
Let's get to it!
<!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><u><b>Marines</b></u><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<b>Basic Marine</b>
- KEEP RANGE, most alien lifeforms are melee only, so the further the distance between you and your target the higher your chances to survive
- DO NOT SOLO, marines are incredibly more effective when grouped up and grouping up will allow you to survive against the biggest of alien lifeforms.
- LISTEN to your commander, he usually knows best, i.e. if he wants you to hold an area, hold that area. In return he will do everything he can to keep you alive.
- If aliens manage to close in on you, strafe and jump to try and dodge the bites, you can even do this while firing. This will buy your buddies some time to take out the skulk
- Switch to your pistol if you are out of ammo and an alien is closing in, pistols can be incredibly effective.
<b>EXOs (single or dual minigun)</b>
- GET support and insist on them bringing welders. Without welders and macs you won't last for a minute.
- KEEP RANGE, Bilebomb and onos are your biggest threats, it's vital you keep your range and try and kite these threats rather than just walking into them
- SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. Yes you may be a badass mechanised suit, but no that doesn't mean you can just run down into a hive, even with support.
<!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><u>Aliens</u></b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<b>Skulk</b>
- SPEED, jumping on and off walls while keeping forward momentum will give you a much needed speed bonus
- AMBUSH when you can (You can hold down your sprint key to move silently)
- ENVIRONMENT you don't want to just walk into marines on the ground, it's much harder for them to target you on walls and ceilings.
- DODGING, don't just jump strafe left and right to jump, be creative, jump on and off walls, go up, go down, USE ALL POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS.
(Marines have a much harder time tracking upward motion up close than strafing.)
- PARASITE, the difference between 2 and 3 bites at the start of the game, keep your range, get a parasite it, then find a way to get close with a minimum of damage (dodge!) taken
- BITE, learn to land your bites for the maximum of 75 damage when you finally do get in close to a marine, CONTINUE DODGING while biting.
- HIT AND RUN, sometimes it's better to harass and do some damage, then get out than to fully commit and die
- ZERG, like with marines, teamwork (multiple skulks or skulks + gorge) can make a big difference.
- GRUNT WORK, bite extractors to hurt their economy, try to hit structures in their when no one is watching (observatory!), power nodes are not that important generally. (except in big bases)
<b>Gorge</b>
- KEEP RANGE, kite with spit, heal, rinse repeat. The only exception is when you are pushing an area supporting several other lifeforms.
- HYDRAS, don't build them in easily targettable positions, build them around corners, on higher ceilings just after door entrances. They're only effective if the marine has to walk into them before he can even start shooting them
- CLOGS are free, slow down marines, protect other structures, put them down when you can.
- BILEBOMB, is your best ability (once it is researched), it WRECKS structures and EXOS, try to keep distance as it has huge range.
- BELLYSLIDE to GTFO
- HEALSPRAY structures under construction to speed them up, other players so they don't have to run back to the hive
<b>Lerk</b>
- DO NOT SIT, you will be an easy target and lose your 30 p.res lifeform in moments.
- DODGE, don't fly in straight lines, maintaining speed is everything
- HIT AND RUN, you should never just fly into a marine and sit biting or spiking, fly in and out to bite, circle strafe in and out to spike
- FLY HIGH, like with skulks, marines have more trouble properly tracking targets above them. Your spores will also automatically descend towards the ground.
- STAY AWAY FROM SHOTGUNS, seriously, you'll be dead before you know it.
<b>Fade</b>
- HIT AND RUN, blink in, get a few hits in and get out, you never want to stay in the fight for too long. (eyes on your healthbar!)
- DODGE, use double jump and blink UP, not just straight forward when getting in and out fights.
- DO NOT GET GREEDY, it will get you killed. A part of your importance is not just in the kills you make, it is also in the chaos you create.
- ENERGY, management of your energy pool takes practice but is SUPER important, a fade without energy is essentially a dead fade.
- SOLO MARINES, are usually free kills, but none the less don't get cocky, a single marine with a shotgun CAN wreck you
<b>Onos</b>
- Yes you are a MONSTER designed to siege marine positions, capable of absolutely wrecking entire groups of marines, but no that should not mean you should just solo down marine positions unsupported
- TIMING, know when to get out and get in, use sprint (charge) to move down or out of straight corridors and hallways faster.
- GORGES, are your best friends. They'll heal you and use you as a big meat shield so they can safely bile bomb
Hope this helps!
Comments
I wish this forum had a "Thanks" button! ;-)
Use clogs to cover upgrade chambers to make it harder for marines to 'ninja' them.
Marines:
Marines can crouch to hide their footsteps as well, this almost always catches a skulk lying in wait off guard if you know where they are, allowing you to kill them before they react.
ALL:
Listen very closely for footsteps at all times, this helps you be ready for ambushes or lets you set them up yourself.
Use clogs to cover upgrade chambers to make it harder for marines to 'ninja' them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I would recommend this only to the alien commander. The alien commander usually has 20 p.res he doesn't need, so you mas as well go gorge, put down some hydras near your extractor and clog up your upgrade chambers. That way other gorges can use their clogs on the frontline. This is one of those things that distinguishes a good alien commander from an outright great one.
Are lerks worth it? I've never seen them used very well, and with Gorge being cheaper I have started ignoring lerks completely. The only time I've even see a lerk get a kill was by doing a bombing run, and even then a gorge could have done the same sorta thing. Are they worth the res?
On a similar note, do certain weapons/creatures work best in combos? For example, two skulk bites will leave an enemy very near death, so having a gorge or lerk mop after them seems like a good idea, and the same principle applies to shotgun marines being cleaned up by assault rifle marines. However, I haven't heard anyone mention this, boards or in game, so I am not sure if I should just pick the weapon/alien I feel most comfortable with, or if I should try to tailor my choices to my team.
Lastly, I noticed a human has very little penalty for dieing until exosuit, as you can grab your gun unless you were deep in enemy territory. So as a human can I play a bit more aggressively than as an alien? Should I be more concerned with keeping structures alive than myself? As an example, me and a couple other guys body blocked an onos from killing out power node, killed it and got ourselves killed (GL). We came back, got our guns, and suffered no penalty besides the respawn and refilling some ammo. I heard the commander caution us many times not to die, and while I understand it gives us a disadvantage strategically, fewer players on the field at that moment, it didn't seem to be a big deal compared to losing a phase gate or power node.
Just some bits I'm confused by, and would like advice on. Just started playing yesterday, so I figured some of these might have obvious answers.
After the latest few patches, theyve also upped the spike dmg which is perfect for some long range support. Treat your spikes like a light machine gun with almost unlimited ammo :)
Humans do have slightly less penalties in later game, cause other poor marines can pick up the rich now dead marine's guns and go back and reload it. It can also be used as an advantage. In beginning of a game, if I have a group with me, I would have them wait before going into a room and go in solo myself, so any ambush would only see me and try to attack, not knowing there was others waiting to back me up just inside the other room. And if it's a big ambush, only I die and lose nothing but time. It can also be bad when trying to hold a base, and then die and have to walk all the way back there. But also money wasted on weapons. Aliens, you lose nothing from death except in higher lifeforms. But all your upgrades, you can always reget every death.
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<!--quoteo(post=2004724:date=Nov 1 2012, 01:04 PM:name=Whosat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Whosat @ Nov 1 2012, 01:04 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2004724"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Lerks play a very powerful support role. Mature lerks can produce thick, cloudy spores which obscure the vision of marines. Its also great against marines on the floor as a supportive role to the aliens, helping deal the final kill or generally lowering their hp.
After the latest few patches, theyve also upped the spike dmg which is perfect for some long range support. Treat your spikes like a light machine gun with almost unlimited ammo :)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
As for the Lerks, indeed they can be very deadly. Get a silent, more energy, regen Lerk, and you have a deadly assassin. With silent especially cause they won't hear the sound of the spikes hitting. They will just start taking damage and not know why or from where, or what.