Aliens Early Game?
bigboom
UK Join Date: 2014-01-24 Member: 193479Members, Reinforced - Gold
UK Join Date: 2014-01-24 Member: 193479Members, Reinforced - Gold
Ok I understand the early game of the marines. That being you want most of the guys moving out in groups on west and east side of the map claiming as many resources as possible. You probably want 1 or more guys at home base building the armory.
I don't quite get it for the aliens as to me it currently feels like I just run out as a skulk almost at random till you find a place that the marines may grab then ambush them?
Thanks
I don't quite get it for the aliens as to me it currently feels like I just run out as a skulk almost at random till you find a place that the marines may grab then ambush them?
Thanks
Comments
Attack and hold important map spots, like twin RT locations etc. Go Gorge if needed!
Attack in packs (works best in my experience), stick to someone who appears to know where he's going.
Learn the maps, scout marine spawn position if required (some maps they are fixed) and encountering the marines early game isn't as random as it seems. There are many things you can do but in general you can either take a big group of aliens and hit hard while they are capping their first RT, hit the marines as they move from the first to 2nd RT using an ambnush. Or let them go by and bite their first capped RT. Naturally this may draw a few back from the would be 2nd rt to protect the 1st RT you are chewing on so that is another perfect time to have another skulk ambush them when they are running back not paying attention. You can do it either at the Door of the RT room and hopefully the skulk jumps off the rt to help just in case or you can do it in the middle ground between the 1st and 2nd rt when often the marine is sprinting w/o his weapon out not paying a lick of attention.
In general the early game alien goal is to destroy as many RTs as you can while protecting the ones your comm builds. It also helps to kill the fresh spawns who die in the first min or 2 and who's job it is to go back over their previously covered marine ground and recap RT's they lost. Killing those sometimes alone recappers is also important. Also avoid yoloing it into a group of 3 or more marines if you are alone.
Perosnally speaking I mainly gorge in pubs. I stay gorge all game and do what gorges do. It's by far the most rewarding class to play in ns2 imo.
Here is an old video I made of more advanced gorge play. Not that that actual actions are difficult its more about knowing what you can/cant do. The object is to stay alive
@current1y You made me understand UWE's standpoint about changing Alien Vision to the unbearable crap it is now.
Aliens Early Game from a commanders perspective:
Disclaimer: While what is written below is not PERFECT, it is from my own experience: It may be controversial. It may not be an organized read as it was not an organized write. If one disagrees with any of it.. Then just agree on prioritizing COMMUNICATION!
Defensive:(Shift/Crag)
-Watch for cyst destruction via minimap & tell the team where the chain is cut.
-Communicate if a resource tower is getting hit
-Delay drifter support if there's a gorge dedicated to healing up towers
-Drop a shade by the hive
Offensive:(Shift)
-Echo resource towers OR enzyme skulks that travel in groups that are planning territory takeover.
-Build 1 spur immediately
-Find out immediately where the marine start is located
-Drop a shade by a gorge tunnel exit.
-Build as many resource towers as you can
-Strategize just how early a second hive can be dropped. (and when that hive can be dropped, tell the team:"How yall feeling about a second hive" or "Can I get a gorge to XX?" Meanwhile making sure the areas surrounding it are safe or just well defended by lots of teammates. You can drop a shade by it if you want to make sure it's not seen. But definitely have a shift and a drifter enzyiming the gorge to make the hive go up fast. Avoid having teammates not being aware of hive drop, or hive being all alone without a gorge tunnel, teammates, or structures to defend it)
Offensive:Crag hive
-Prioritize second hive drop
-Delay drifter support, focus on resource towers.
-This is more of a strategy that depends on second hive drop and/or defensive as it helps to have extra armor until celerity is available to be offensive.
Defensive:(Veil)
-Be prepared to stake this one out and prepare for fault in marine strategy. Hopefully the marines will be too greedy and attempt to take over the whole map. And to scan as many rooms as often as they can, or build as many obs in as many seperate rooms... which in turn distracts the marine commander from defending territory... even the main base power node. Do not panic if the main hive is constantly harassed by LMGS or failed attempts at rushing. IF anything, research bile bomb and prepare for arcs if the team is not ready to be offensive and take over a control point to throw up a second hive and get alternate upgrades.
Offensive(Veil)
-Prioritize second hive drop and resource towers before any other upgrades that mid to late game resources towers may earn you down the line. If you can hold the territory and maintain income you will be just fine trapping the marines when they go too far past the comfort zone if the marine commander is unable to communicate their strategy. As It is quite common for a marine to extend well past beyond comfort all alone and/or get lost from fellow teammates and/or sticking in groups.
Neutral:
-Communicate on what you are doing... such as prioritizing resource towers, saving for upgrades, or planning for hive drop.
-Communicate where marines are heading/located
-Ask team for upgrade chamber preference
Well okay I've spent too much time on this post... It started small and just grew because I absolutely love commanding. I must've edited this post atleast ten times so now I must walk away from it... as I usually tend to avoid tl;dr posts from other members
Skulk - Ambush, parasite, provide intel for team over voicecomm (ie... "2 in hub"). Pressure nodes early if possible to delay marine map control.
Gorge - Get a tunnel up to strategic spot (usually 2nd hive). Alternative is clog/3 hydra a strategic spot then support skulks on front lines with healing. Heal up res nodes if comm isn't using echo. Be prepared to heal up 2nd hive if needed.
Lerk - Harass marines. Pick off stragglers and recappers. Generally weaken them and skulks can clean up if needed.
Well, first sentence you make it sound like organizing marines is easy. Just hit that MIC up on the Alien team and watch the wondrous results.
5 'rines in a room is a lot of fun when you have 5 aware skulks ready to pounce on the slightest dispersion of said Marines.
Something said only once in a blue moon by comp players, but very pertinent advice ... "as a Marine, these days, on pub, I hardly *ever* enter a room"
Hallways/shooting into rooms are/is fun for Marines ... play a few games with a pre loss mentality, but a learning-to-ambush-a-marine-engaging-a-target-other-than-you-intially frame of mind.
Hit them whilst they are hitting something/someone else.
Many games are recoverable for both teams, a lot of work by UWE and BETA players has gone into ensuring this, however - in public play, many games *are* determined by which team loses half+ of their players per encounter, do this 3 or more times and that's pretty much good bye, given that the team then cannot turn around and win 6 encounters outright.
If someone calls Gorge at the start of the map, try to ensure you as a skulk stay alive enough to assist that/those Gorges to their desired area of the map.