The only reason I like Caged is because its an exercise in controlled chaos. Coordinated Rambos win the day here. There are no easy points for Marines to camp multiple RTs to insta-tech win, they have to keep moving and most RTs are too far apart for easy defense.
The game in Caged becomes who can keep up the most RTs longer while destroying the enemy's RTs faster. Everyone is running around dropping RTs and killing enemy RTs while killing each other. Its very difficult for Marines to get a double hive lockdown on this map, usually they can get Sewer or Generator, but usually never both. The Aliens have far better access (all the vents, knowing the vents is a MUST on this map) and can move faster, so they have a natural advantage to the Marines, so the Marines also have to run around in packs to keep the ninja skulks off them.
As a skulk I know I'm winning when I see Alien RTs everywhere and maybe the Marines have Sewer or Generator but are getting dropped whenever they enter the crazy middle tunnel area. We'll get the second hive and Fades and then its just sad. I know I'm losing when I see Marine RTs everywhere, and Marine Rambos are running around killing Skulks as they are trying to kill Marine RTs, sometimes getting lucky killing a Gorge. It won't matter if we have two hives because we won't have resources to support a Fade force and we're gonna see JP/HMGs anytime.
As a Commander I know we are winning when the Skulks are so busy stopping the couple Rambos from ace'ing the Gorge that they haven't bothered the 3+ RTs that my drop crew have put down and left completely undefended. At that point I could care less if a Skulk eats up a RT because I have the res to send a Marine later to put it down again knowing that it stands a good chance of staying up.
As you can see, its all about chaos and pressure. You have to have a Force keeping pressure on the enemy so they don't have time to run around and cause trouble, but you also need your troublemakers to put down RTs and wipe out other lone gunmen that are running about. The better your "pressure" team is, the more nervous the enemy team is and the more of them that will be attempting to defend themselves rather than cause trouble.
Usually when I'm an Alien and I see that the Marines are really pushing hard and people are getting scared and everyone is concentrating on the thrust, I do the opposite. I hope they can handle the threat and I go RT hunting. Its usually that which saves us in the end, because I'll find 2-3 RTs dropped, kill the lone Marine that's putting them up, then systematically destroy all of them knowing the Marine's probable circuit. Handling the Pressure Team is important, but not if it concentrates your whole team to take them out rather than occupy them while they run around capping all the res on the map. This is exactly the same thing for the Marine side too. If your Marines are running out in 1s and 2s trying to go stop a lone skulk killing that one RT across the map, getting ambushed the whole way, you are losing.
They are all great in the visual department, though, some maps are funner to play as either team, imo. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I lav yew caged. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--GirDraxon+Apr 3 2003, 07:46 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GirDraxon @ Apr 3 2003, 07:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> controlled chaos. Coordinated Rambos win the day here. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> That's exactly how I play -most- maps. Especially eclipse. I'll build armories around resources and/or in hives and put down some mines around them, and have marines patrol to control resources while I upgrade. Periodically, I'll locate the gorge and send 80% of my forces to assassinate him. Basically preventing them from getting the resources for two hives. Then HMG/JP == easy pickins. Sometimes I let them get two hives just to take them down with 4+ heavies with welders travelling together.
Coordinated Rambos? Isn't that some sort of oxymoron? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Lol, caged is a good map...in terms of competition I believe ns_tanith is the best, both teams run all over the map countering each other, it can be pretty exciting most of the time. Anyway no one can complain about caged being really laggy. I've played a 22 player server with a 500 mhz processor, 128 mb of ram, and get this...a 4 mb onboard vid card...I play caged just fine, true, very rarely my fps does go to 4 (which is like the minimum...anything above 4 for me usually plays pretty well) although I am used to 10 fps max. Oh and I still manage to do very well as skulk (I'm still working on marine :D). Soooo...you guys need to fiddle with your configuration, I'm pretty good on Direct3d 640x480 with cl_autohelp and cl_highdetail OFF! AS IN ZERO! Have fun.
Comments
The game in Caged becomes who can keep up the most RTs longer while destroying the enemy's RTs faster. Everyone is running around dropping RTs and killing enemy RTs while killing each other. Its very difficult for Marines to get a double hive lockdown on this map, usually they can get Sewer or Generator, but usually never both. The Aliens have far better access (all the vents, knowing the vents is a MUST on this map) and can move faster, so they have a natural advantage to the Marines, so the Marines also have to run around in packs to keep the ninja skulks off them.
As a skulk I know I'm winning when I see Alien RTs everywhere and maybe the Marines have Sewer or Generator but are getting dropped whenever they enter the crazy middle tunnel area. We'll get the second hive and Fades and then its just sad. I know I'm losing when I see Marine RTs everywhere, and Marine Rambos are running around killing Skulks as they are trying to kill Marine RTs, sometimes getting lucky killing a Gorge. It won't matter if we have two hives because we won't have resources to support a Fade force and we're gonna see JP/HMGs anytime.
As a Commander I know we are winning when the Skulks are so busy stopping the couple Rambos from ace'ing the Gorge that they haven't bothered the 3+ RTs that my drop crew have put down and left completely undefended. At that point I could care less if a Skulk eats up a RT because I have the res to send a Marine later to put it down again knowing that it stands a good chance of staying up.
As you can see, its all about chaos and pressure. You have to have a Force keeping pressure on the enemy so they don't have time to run around and cause trouble, but you also need your troublemakers to put down RTs and wipe out other lone gunmen that are running about. The better your "pressure" team is, the more nervous the enemy team is and the more of them that will be attempting to defend themselves rather than cause trouble.
Usually when I'm an Alien and I see that the Marines are really pushing hard and people are getting scared and everyone is concentrating on the thrust, I do the opposite. I hope they can handle the threat and I go RT hunting. Its usually that which saves us in the end, because I'll find 2-3 RTs dropped, kill the lone Marine that's putting them up, then systematically destroy all of them knowing the Marine's probable circuit. Handling the Pressure Team is important, but not if it concentrates your whole team to take them out rather than occupy them while they run around capping all the res on the map. This is exactly the same thing for the Marine side too. If your Marines are running out in 1s and 2s trying to go stop a lone skulk killing that one RT across the map, getting ambushed the whole way, you are losing.
They are all great in the visual department, though, some maps are funner to play as either team, imo. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
That's exactly how I play -most- maps. Especially eclipse. I'll build armories around resources and/or in hives and put down some mines around them, and have marines patrol to control resources while I upgrade. Periodically, I'll locate the gorge and send 80% of my forces to assassinate him. Basically preventing them from getting the resources for two hives. Then HMG/JP == easy pickins. Sometimes I let them get two hives just to take them down with 4+ heavies with welders travelling together.