Usually getting frustrated at not being able to expand as alien commander = whips for days. Every time. So many games this weekend have been 2-3 whips dropped instantly before I can try to stop them. I really don't know what it is about static defense that makes people cream their panties so hard... it's not even a good idea in most RTS games unless you know there's an attack coming and absolutely need the defense to not die.
In principle static defence is a very good idea if you're playing a new game, with new players, and want to avoid having to rely on them to do things which need doing. The problem is static defence in NS2 is extremely weak compared to other RTS games. So from a commanders point of view, it makes total sense until they get on the field and see how awful it is!
still baffled how some comms get 'tunnel vision'... someone explain that. are they legally blind ?
Focusing on one front because they do not know any other tactics that allow them to break the line. It's a very common problem to people with weak tactical thinking.
In RTS games cannot win fight? --> Throw more resources/men into the fight
In NS2 cannot win fight? --> Flank to lesson the enemy numbers on the front and beat with Rock Paper Scissors play style/tactics.
The problem is, new commanders/players will not know this. So you'll end up with a front line which is a constant back and forth of bad players, and one or two players who are bored with the fighting elsewhere in the map trying to be useful
This is also a common effect of a commander deciding at the start "I will expand to use this at my second base" and demanding his foot soldiers make the location secure, even if it's actually far easier for the enemy to hold the location against the assault. They cannot see any way 'around' to other tactics or locations phase gates in system waypointing on viel is far more tactically important than a phase in Sub-sector. But are much more rarely used.
We had a new comm at the beginning who, despite putting not quite enough emphasis on RTs, otherwise did a great job getting upgrades going. No communication though, and after a while of desperately asking for a forward base in deposit from which to attack sorting, I think it got a bit much for him. Phase tech had been researched only just by this point, but we had upgrades in from very early on which was helping a huge amount.
I hopped in the chair. We lost deposit (now fewer people on the ground when a big push came in), I got jetpacks up, and a phase in cavern. This kept the aliens focussed almost completely on cavern for long enough for me to amass a good number of arcs (I didn't have central drilling until right near the end, we held onto gap, operations, pilot drill and repair res nodes for most of the time though). I took down deposit from the gap, then marched the arcs into central (with a view to attack sorting from the cave side on the sly) only to run into an onos - got the team to defend the arcs, killing the onos at the same time, as I took them back into deposit. We built up deposit, but I kept a few guys pushing cave hive to keep aliens buys on both fronts. Then came the roll - straight into sorting with almost the entire team (meanwhile we lost the cavern phase about the same time sorting hive went down), macs on follow-and-weld (god I love that feature), and light marines doing a great job with welders and shotguns/jetpacks together with a couple of exos. I had a few guys back to cavern to keep the aliens busy while I trundled the arcs down from sorting...
The alien comm wasn't happy with my tactics, as you can see from the screenshot.
By the time I took over the comm chair, the K:D for marines was about the same as for aliens (ie not the whitewash it appears from the final figures!) - but with the upgrades in early, these guys got the handle on the mid-game and were really able to capitalise.
I think only 2 of my team apart form me had been playing for more than the free weekend (2 of the whites were recently green). They all worked brilliantly together and listened to orders.
New players, old players - who cares, if they have a mic and work together it's all good
Comments
In principle static defence is a very good idea if you're playing a new game, with new players, and want to avoid having to rely on them to do things which need doing. The problem is static defence in NS2 is extremely weak compared to other RTS games. So from a commanders point of view, it makes total sense until they get on the field and see how awful it is!
Focusing on one front because they do not know any other tactics that allow them to break the line. It's a very common problem to people with weak tactical thinking.
In RTS games cannot win fight? --> Throw more resources/men into the fight
In NS2 cannot win fight? --> Flank to lesson the enemy numbers on the front and beat with Rock Paper Scissors play style/tactics.
The problem is, new commanders/players will not know this. So you'll end up with a front line which is a constant back and forth of bad players, and one or two players who are bored with the fighting elsewhere in the map trying to be useful
This is also a common effect of a commander deciding at the start "I will expand to use this at my second base" and demanding his foot soldiers make the location secure, even if it's actually far easier for the enemy to hold the location against the assault. They cannot see any way 'around' to other tactics or locations phase gates in system waypointing on viel is far more tactically important than a phase in Sub-sector. But are much more rarely used.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=133784331
We had a new comm at the beginning who, despite putting not quite enough emphasis on RTs, otherwise did a great job getting upgrades going. No communication though, and after a while of desperately asking for a forward base in deposit from which to attack sorting, I think it got a bit much for him. Phase tech had been researched only just by this point, but we had upgrades in from very early on which was helping a huge amount.
I hopped in the chair. We lost deposit (now fewer people on the ground when a big push came in), I got jetpacks up, and a phase in cavern. This kept the aliens focussed almost completely on cavern for long enough for me to amass a good number of arcs (I didn't have central drilling until right near the end, we held onto gap, operations, pilot drill and repair res nodes for most of the time though). I took down deposit from the gap, then marched the arcs into central (with a view to attack sorting from the cave side on the sly) only to run into an onos - got the team to defend the arcs, killing the onos at the same time, as I took them back into deposit. We built up deposit, but I kept a few guys pushing cave hive to keep aliens buys on both fronts. Then came the roll - straight into sorting with almost the entire team (meanwhile we lost the cavern phase about the same time sorting hive went down), macs on follow-and-weld (god I love that feature), and light marines doing a great job with welders and shotguns/jetpacks together with a couple of exos. I had a few guys back to cavern to keep the aliens busy while I trundled the arcs down from sorting...
The alien comm wasn't happy with my tactics, as you can see from the screenshot.
By the time I took over the comm chair, the K:D for marines was about the same as for aliens (ie not the whitewash it appears from the final figures!) - but with the upgrades in early, these guys got the handle on the mid-game and were really able to capitalise.
I think only 2 of my team apart form me had been playing for more than the free weekend (2 of the whites were recently green). They all worked brilliantly together and listened to orders.
New players, old players - who cares, if they have a mic and work together it's all good