Relocating, or directly building the main base at the beginning, into an (unoccupied) hive location, is a VERY good marine tactic. In some maps.
Yes I will agree that it is an unpopular tactic. Not unpopular in the bad sense, but unpopular because I guess it's strange? Eh, one could spend there whole life trying to figure out why some things aren't as popular as others. Anyways...
Maps that marines really can't/shouldn't rush and build a hive at the start are...
Bast and Hera. Bast is just a **obscenity**, period. Its connectivity is a bit lacking for the marines, and the only suitable hive location for a base that would service enough exit-and-attack options for the marines, and not have the aliens effectively trap them in, would be the Refinery hive. But it's so hard to get alllll the way down there! So, using your main base in Bast is ideal. Plus, you can't build effectively in Feedwater, and Engine Room has you holed all the way back there!
Hera has the very same problem. Data Core and Vents are very alien-friendly when it comes to skulk movement, and ALL THREE HIVES are hard to build on. So, your best bet is to hit Hera, take Holo, siege Datacore from directly outside of Holo, secure archiving/vents, depending on the alien spawn.
Maps that are VERY hive-base rush friendly are...
Tabith, Nancy, Eclipse. It's none too surprising that these 3 maps happen to be my favorite maps. And I liked them before I learned of the hive-base rush effectiveness.
Nothing and Caged are so-so. I also happen to hate both of those maps. Nothing for sucking, and Caged for being very laggy.
<!--QuoteBegin--netfool7+Dec 4 2002, 06:32 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (netfool7 @ Dec 4 2002, 06:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--[DSY]Stauf+Dec 2 2002, 08:35 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> ([DSY]Stauf @ Dec 2 2002, 08:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--netfool7+Dec 2 2002, 01:06 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (netfool7 @ Dec 2 2002, 01:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->This is actually a pretty popular tactic.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Actually, I haven't been in a ton of games where the commander built a new base at a hive and recycled everything at the original base, have you?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yes.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Interesting... in any case, I've found that the average commander will rarely do this. I'd place a pretty large bet on the commander in the next game I play <b>not</b> recycling the initial marine base in the very beginning of the game (I'm not dismissing the tactic, however).
Comments
Yes I will agree that it is an unpopular tactic. Not unpopular in the bad sense, but unpopular because I guess it's strange? Eh, one could spend there whole life trying to figure out why some things aren't as popular as others. Anyways...
Maps that marines really can't/shouldn't rush and build a hive at the start are...
Bast and Hera. Bast is just a **obscenity**, period. Its connectivity is a bit lacking for the marines, and the only suitable hive location for a base that would service enough exit-and-attack options for the marines, and not have the aliens effectively trap them in, would be the Refinery hive. But it's so hard to get alllll the way down there! So, using your main base in Bast is ideal. Plus, you can't build effectively in Feedwater, and Engine Room has you holed all the way back there!
Hera has the very same problem. Data Core and Vents are very alien-friendly when it comes to skulk movement, and ALL THREE HIVES are hard to build on. So, your best bet is to hit Hera, take Holo, siege Datacore from directly outside of Holo, secure archiving/vents, depending on the alien spawn.
Maps that are VERY hive-base rush friendly are...
Tabith, Nancy, Eclipse. It's none too surprising that these 3 maps happen to be my favorite maps. And I liked them before I learned of the hive-base rush effectiveness.
Nothing and Caged are so-so. I also happen to hate both of those maps. Nothing for sucking, and Caged for being very laggy.
Anyways, good day sirs!
Actually, I haven't been in a ton of games where the commander built a new base at a hive and recycled everything at the original base, have you?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Interesting... in any case, I've found that the average commander will rarely do this. I'd place a pretty large bet on the commander in the next game I play <b>not</b> recycling the initial marine base in the very beginning of the game (I'm not dismissing the tactic, however).