Zen And The Art Of Pistol

OttoDestructOttoDestruct Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Or: OWN THAT SKULK</div> This is just sorta a mini-guide on how I personally use the pistol, and what its specific uses are.



The pistol. Weak, right? Dead wrong. The pistol is one of the most powerful weapons in the game, and what is its resource cost? Absolutely nothing. In the right hands it can take down pretty much the entire Kharaa team (if they happen to all come your way) without one skulk getting a single bite off. Early game, this is THE weapon to use, and even during the mid-game and late game it still has its own great uses.

Early game:
Once you get an armory out, load up on pistol ammo. Total you only got 40 rounds, but thats alright, skulks can only take 5 (correct me if I'm wrong) bullets from the pistol if they don't have carapace. Now you're saying, "Oh so what LMG works just as well." Well yes, but the LMG does less damage per bullet, and if you click fast enough, the pistol can shoot faster than the LMG. One of my absolute favorite strategies on Eclipse is to stay back defending base. If the comm puts the armory in front of the chair, you can stand on top of it and have a perfect view of each door. Commonly skulks open the doors and parasite marines in the base, but seeing as you have a perfect view of them, POP POP POP POP POP, theres one dead skulk, *RELOAD*.

Mid game and late game:
Once you get weapon upgrades from the commander, and motion tracking, the pistol becomes a sniper rifle. See a blue dot behind the door at the end of the hall? Whip the pistol out and wait for the door to open, then let loose. On Ns_nancy I've killed groups of three and four skulks at a time by unloading my pistol, then switching over to LMG to finish off the ones that didn't die. The point is, even at this point, it is still extremely useful, even if it doesnt bring down skulks immediately with their level 3 carapace. Also you may be encountering Lerks which tend to run and hide before dying. As said earlier, the LMG can't fire as fast as the pistol. Whip it out, and hopefully another person will be there to help, it is possible to fire off enough rounds to down the lerk before he has time to flee. Chasing down a fleeing lerk or tubby? Instead of wasting time reloading the LMG, switch to the pistol and blow them away.

Specific usage:
Usually when I'm out in the open with the pistol, waiting for that blue dot on my motion tracking to come around the corner, I'll pick a sort of "pistol threshold" line around halfway between me and the alien. If they cross that line, I either start to backpedal as I reload, or switch to LMG and finish the job I started. If a skulk has leap, be VERY careful. Leaping skulks are known for jumping straight at your head from all the way across a room, then biting it off. Against fade and onos... Well there isn't honestly a very good chance for you to live very long, but you can do a decent amount of damage by hopping around like an idiot while unloading the pistol into them, then switching over to the LMG. Lerks are probably the pistol's worst enemy, seeing as umbra will block most of your bullets. Grab a knife and get yourself some dinner!



Thats all feel free to add on.
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Comments

  • civman2civman2 Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6116Members, Constellation
    It should be noted that the pistol bullets go where your crosshair is, and LMG bullets go in a huge circle around that crosshair.
  • Kid-AKid-A Join Date: 2002-12-17 Member: 10908Members
    I think un cara'd skulks might be even weaker than that, I think I've done it with 3 shots, but he might have been previously wounded.
  • r3aLiTyr3aLiTy Join Date: 2003-01-25 Member: 12743Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin--OttoDestruct+Feb 16 2003, 01:07 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (OttoDestruct @ Feb 16 2003, 01:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Grab a knife and get yourself some dinner! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Then they would bite your head off. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • Error404Error404 Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9353Members
    Once Motion Tracking has been researched, the pistol suddenly becomes more deadly.
  • KadreallostKadreallost Join Date: 2003-01-23 Member: 12633Members
    Wait a second.. you can make you pistol fire faster then LMG? you telling me you can click 50+ times in under 3 seconds? The only way i could see that happening is with a script....
  • DarkWulfDarkWulf Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4662Members
    Or maybe he is just darn good.

    You also have to remember that the LMG doesn't land every bullet. So it just SEEMS like the pistol is firing faster.
  • FrothybeverageFrothybeverage Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13593Members
    You can also bind +attack to mwheelup if you really want to... One quick flick of the wheel and your clip is expended(I don't do this, but a friend of mine says I should).
  • DanDaManDanDaMan Join Date: 2002-03-19 Member: 335Members
    but how does it relate to the relevant philosophical questions about life?
  • CrazedMonkOnaMissionCrazedMonkOnaMission Join Date: 2002-11-06 Member: 7429Members
    pistols are good against fades, particulary in pubs. Use the lmg first, then they will start running. Because pistols do dmg extremely fast, you can usually drop em with those 10 rounds while they escape. Or pop 10 into a fade and that'll scare em off sometimes.
  • masterswordmanmasterswordman Join Date: 2002-12-21 Member: 11303Members
    then whip out either your lmg, or your knife!!!
  • OWAOWA Join Date: 2002-12-22 Member: 11322Members
    Hah, the bind shoot to mwheel up thing brings up some interesting ideas, I mean, in a quick flick of my wheel I get a min 5 clicks, so technically you could blast a skulk instantaniously.... or empty a clip into a wall instantly if your aim is off...
  • leekleek Join Date: 2003-02-03 Member: 13042Members
    i tend to use my pistol first especially for long range, i try to keep my lmg for closer encounters.

    allways take the long range position against skulks.
  • TipTopTipTop Join Date: 2003-01-09 Member: 12092Members
    Slightly (but not completely) off topic - How can you stop autoreloading the LMG. Often I'll run through the LMG ammo and want to switch to the pistol, only to have to wait for the reload animation to play before I can use my pistol (even then the LMG is not reloaded if I switch to the pistol immediately after). Ideas?
  • Dead_DragonDead_Dragon Join Date: 2002-12-17 Member: 10972Members
    Your problem is that you're holding down fire after the gun is clip, thus making your marine reload it.

    If you are going to switch to your pistol in a fight, then dont totally empty your LMG before you switch over. That way, when you've emptied your pistol, you can switch back to your LMG and still have a round or two left over, just in case.
  • ChurchChurch Meatshield grunt-fodder // Has pre-ordered NS2 Join Date: 2002-12-31 Member: 11646Members, Constellation
    for me I can just cancel the animation anytime and switch to pistol. Or I can press 'q' which I have bound ot lastinv and switch to pistol. Simple.
  • OttoDestructOttoDestruct Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
    Ok of course the LMG can put out 50 rounds faster than the pistol, but the pistol can (as I said, in the right hands) put out 10 rounds faster than the LMG.
  • OnagerOnager Join Date: 2003-02-03 Member: 13061Members
    the pistol is REALLY helpfull with people with a shotgun. If you got a shotgun and theres a lerk hitting you from some far corner, just empty the pistol clip into him when he sits down/hides but sticks out. I REALLY like to empty the pistol on to skulks that i find hiding above doorways(which is always greated with WTF). On nothing, the vent between cargo bay hive and great viaduct hive, you can OWN that thing with a pistol. I like to wait until the skulk is about halfway through it, so he cant run away <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> Ive been able to take 6 skulks in that vent with a pistol and shotgun.
  • DarkWulfDarkWulf Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4662Members
    Binding mwheelup to +attack does wonders.

    Only thing is you have to be careful. Once I flicked a little too hard and emptied ALL my rounds, only to have a skulk run into me. Sure you still have an LMG out, but its still a VERY scary thing to have happen.

    So the moral of this story is to be careful with the flicking. (BTW: I also considered using it with my LMG... it kinda forces you to burst, and suddenly you have a free mouse button...)
  • RenmauzoRenmauzo Join Date: 2002-12-27 Member: 11571Members
    Using Pistol usually means that you gotta have good pings. Else if the skulk start strafing and jumping around as he approches, without a killer ping your pistol is gonna have a harder time to hit the target..
  • sekdarsekdar Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9564Members
    i cant seem to fire the pistol very fast at all.... i've tried binding two different buttons and mashing, tried the mousewheel....

    OH WELL guess i'll have to own skulks with it normally like i always have <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • OkaboreOkabore Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9505Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Renmauzo+Feb 18 2003, 10:37 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Renmauzo @ Feb 18 2003, 10:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Using Pistol usually means that you gotta have good pings. Else if the skulk start strafing and jumping around as he approches, without a killer ping your pistol is gonna have a harder time to hit the target..<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Actually I think that you dont need to do that. There is protection against lag with guns. So simply speaking if you on your screen shot some one then he will sooner or later get shot. Though I must say I have no real idéa of how effective it is.
  • leekleek Join Date: 2003-02-03 Member: 13042Members
    i do - was a fade on a server the other night all of a sudden it went laggy.

    on my screen all i saw was 2 lmg hit my Full Health/Armour lvl 3 carad Fade who was standing in front of 3 DC's. and bam all of a sudden i was dead.
  • BlackPantherBlackPanther Join Date: 2002-02-11 Member: 197Members
    I made a script that when i press a key, it fire my whole clip in a second. Instant skulk death. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
    Uber easy script to make.

    It's not a hack, just a script.
  • OkaboreOkabore Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9505Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--BlackPanther+Feb 19 2003, 03:08 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (BlackPanther @ Feb 19 2003, 03:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I made a script that when i press a key, it fire my whole clip in a second. Instant skulk death. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
    Uber easy script to make.

    It's not a hack, just a script.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Great ?bergod Flayra isn't to happy about that script.
    With all right.
    I'm feeling generous tonight so I wont call it hack but it's at least an exploit wich in my opinion is just as bad. The only diffrence is the amount of troble you had making it.
    If you where meant to make that kind of damage in that timeframe then you would have spawned with a gl instead of a pistol.
    I just had a game ruined by exploiters so please just do me a favor and sit down in a cornor and think about what you have done. Before you return with a come back think about how you would feel if you where on the receving, non exploiting end.
    Are you by now feeling a strange nagging fesling in your stomach?
    It's called empathy and is what seperates us from the animals.
    And by that I mean that the animals often has more empathy for their own kind than we do.
  • AmorphousAmorphous Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11249Members
    Pistols are a vent crawlers worst enemy. Most lerks will try to be stealthy in vents. they wont umbra till they are shot at. by that time, you have all ten shells into the little bugger amd it is either dead or hurting. either way, its running away.
  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Cregore+Feb 16 2003, 09:38 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cregore @ Feb 16 2003, 09:38 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> You can also bind +attack to mwheelup if you really want to... One quick flick of the wheel and your clip is expended(I don't do this, but a friend of mine says I should). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    i think im going to be sick
  • FrothybeverageFrothybeverage Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13593Members
    *shrug*
    It only fires so fast, and it throws your accuracy way off due to flicking the wheel.
  • sekdarsekdar Join Date: 2002-11-21 Member: 9564Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Cregore+Feb 19 2003, 07:39 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cregore @ Feb 19 2003, 07:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> *shrug*
    It only fires so fast, and it throws your accuracy way off due to flicking the wheel. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    i've played in the same game as people who use this and i dont see any problem in their ability to annihilate a skulk in under half a second <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • FrothybeverageFrothybeverage Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13593Members
    It empties the gun about as fast as I can mash the fire button, maybe a little slower and it also leaves you vulnerable if you spin it too much(It'll keep shooting ie: *bang**bang**bang**bang**bang**bang**bang**bang**bang**bang**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click**click*)
  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    cant you get some kind of counter measure from that rapid empty click? it has to be stopped cause twitch fingers are a skill for only the insomniacs and hence hc ns players :/
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