Some Ns Thoughts
hawthorne
Join Date: 2003-10-05 Member: 21460Members
Join Date: 2003-10-05 Member: 21460Members
I've played more than a fair share of NS. Most of the time, my perception of NS is pragmatic, exploitive, searching for the best way to win. When I pub, I try to accomplish what I can to get that win. Sometimes, I'll take a break and have a little exploratory sensory fun, or make new challenges for myself, like commanding wins without the use of any arms lab upgrades. For me, NS is a skill to train, to perfect, and to succeed in.
But a few days ago, I saw something that made me think otherwise. In my usual pub-ramboing rampage, I, of course, died. The commander was obviously overwhelmed, but what caught my eye were three marines. They were headed down the maitenance corridor on ns_hera, possibly THE worst area for a marine to navigate through. I saw these three soldiers (gasp) sticking together, watching each other's backs, calling out sounds and noises and warning to check corners.
It wasn't because these soldiers were a group of clanners, or highly experienced players. They were just average public gamers. They didn't stick together because they knew it was the right thing to do. They banded together and made their way down that death-filled hallway because they were terrified. I could hear the paranoia in their voices, I could see the way they searched every corner (god bless first person spectator mode) and flinched at every ambient sound. These were the players that didn't know exactly what skulks sounded like, nor had the ability to track them through walls just by using their ears. To them, the skulks weren't other players - they were beasts that would rip them in two without provocation. They stuck together not to get res, or take down dcs - they just wanted to survive.
That's the magic of NS. And I think that's why newbies are encouraged to join the (highly interdependent) marine team first. It's the innate team dynamic that happens without hours of experience, the necessity of reliance that spawns from raw emotion. As I read some old natural selection interviews with Flayra, I came across this from <a href='http://www.gamehelper.com/common/default.asp?App_Module=ARTICLES&ID=125' target='_blank'>gamehelper (page 3)</a>.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->"GH: 6. What’s your ultimate goal for your MOD?
NS: The ultimate goal is create an atmospheric social experience. When you jump into your first game of Natural Selection, I want people to suck in their breath as they experience incredible wonder. Often, games seem to make players mad at each other. I hope Natural Selection will bring players together and make them feel closer."<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've played so much NS I've forgotten this. I've concentrated so much on vicious aggressive strategy, the concepts of res control, the subtleties of combat, that this has become foreign to me. Not to say that there's anything wrong with competitive gameplay. The absolute brilliance of NS is its ability to inject these core gameplay elements into an otherwise amazing piece of art. But I thank those three foolish newbies for reminding me of how much I should appreciate Natural Selection, even after all the hair-ripping vein-throbbing moments I've had in the comm chair.
To Flayra, my thanks. You have accomplished your goal, from every (OMG UNBALANCED) release to the next. This is THE best game I have ever come across. You have my sincere appreciation.
And to all the new players - get your pistol ready, calm your shaking hands, and make sure you have a spare set of underwear.
The skulks are coming.
But a few days ago, I saw something that made me think otherwise. In my usual pub-ramboing rampage, I, of course, died. The commander was obviously overwhelmed, but what caught my eye were three marines. They were headed down the maitenance corridor on ns_hera, possibly THE worst area for a marine to navigate through. I saw these three soldiers (gasp) sticking together, watching each other's backs, calling out sounds and noises and warning to check corners.
It wasn't because these soldiers were a group of clanners, or highly experienced players. They were just average public gamers. They didn't stick together because they knew it was the right thing to do. They banded together and made their way down that death-filled hallway because they were terrified. I could hear the paranoia in their voices, I could see the way they searched every corner (god bless first person spectator mode) and flinched at every ambient sound. These were the players that didn't know exactly what skulks sounded like, nor had the ability to track them through walls just by using their ears. To them, the skulks weren't other players - they were beasts that would rip them in two without provocation. They stuck together not to get res, or take down dcs - they just wanted to survive.
That's the magic of NS. And I think that's why newbies are encouraged to join the (highly interdependent) marine team first. It's the innate team dynamic that happens without hours of experience, the necessity of reliance that spawns from raw emotion. As I read some old natural selection interviews with Flayra, I came across this from <a href='http://www.gamehelper.com/common/default.asp?App_Module=ARTICLES&ID=125' target='_blank'>gamehelper (page 3)</a>.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->"GH: 6. What’s your ultimate goal for your MOD?
NS: The ultimate goal is create an atmospheric social experience. When you jump into your first game of Natural Selection, I want people to suck in their breath as they experience incredible wonder. Often, games seem to make players mad at each other. I hope Natural Selection will bring players together and make them feel closer."<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've played so much NS I've forgotten this. I've concentrated so much on vicious aggressive strategy, the concepts of res control, the subtleties of combat, that this has become foreign to me. Not to say that there's anything wrong with competitive gameplay. The absolute brilliance of NS is its ability to inject these core gameplay elements into an otherwise amazing piece of art. But I thank those three foolish newbies for reminding me of how much I should appreciate Natural Selection, even after all the hair-ripping vein-throbbing moments I've had in the comm chair.
To Flayra, my thanks. You have accomplished your goal, from every (OMG UNBALANCED) release to the next. This is THE best game I have ever come across. You have my sincere appreciation.
And to all the new players - get your pistol ready, calm your shaking hands, and make sure you have a spare set of underwear.
The skulks are coming.
Comments
I try to make an astmosphere like that for people I play with (against).
When cloaked, I like to walk around and use a voice command (for aliens, the marine commands become gurgles and hisses).
And other times, I try to come infront, or in the back of them, snarl at their face and bite. Just to scare them off first.
NS is much more fun when you try to live into your part, trying to stay alive for as long as possible. It's frightening to hear the onos run behind you, your friends firing at it, you running away. Reloading behind a corner, hearing your friends scream, then everything is silence.
Then you turn around, opening fire until your gun goes click. To your dreadful surprise, you hear a growl behind you, you turn around, and suddenly you're in someone's belly.
<!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Hmm I seem to like sensory over D first. And i think exploring would be movment.
But your other words describe it perfectly. its magical how pubs, work together just to win a game, or just have fun. wewt for ns
The best thing is, once you're a more seasoned soldier, you go comm, and everything is new again. You learn how to really multitask, you finally get a real grasp of the way the map is laid out. You understand why your **** comm never gave you that damn shotty you asked for half an hour ago. Then, once that gets old, you can go alien, and everything is new again. You're playing the map backwards for one thing, and you have to decide everything for yourself. The things you do affect your entire team, even though there's no direct coordination. It's wonderful when a plan comes together, even though nobody really said what it was.
I want to be scared by a chuckling skulk in the vents again.
Edit:
I want to tell a similar story. I enjoy introducing new players to this magnificent game. One of them was my brother in law. Said "Here, try this" and sat beside him watching the reactions and explaining some points of the game.
The first game was on bast. Game had just started, so I could talk him through the basics. A relocation to atmospheric, so he had to walk there. All alone, as the gunfire from atmos was heard in the distance.
Later in the was alone defending the rt in main aft. The aliens were quite furiously trying to take it, and he had 10 hp, five LMG rounds as the rotating door started to turn ...
"*swallow* What's coming through ...?"
... and three marines came. They started to build stuff, get a tf and some turrets up. A minute or so passed, with more skulks raining in on them, and things were getting desperate.
Then the sound of the rotating door started again.
The sound he made when he then saw his first onos was priceless <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I try to make an astmosphere like that for people I play with (against).
When cloaked, I like to walk around and use a voice command (for aliens, the marine commands become gurgles and hisses).
And other times, I try to come infront, or in the back of them, snarl at their face and bite. Just to scare them off first.
NS is much more fun when you try to live into your part, trying to stay alive for as long as possible. It's frightening to hear the onos run behind you, your friends firing at it, you running away. Reloading behind a corner, hearing your friends scream, then everything is silence.
Then you turn around, opening fire until your gun goes click. To your dreadful surprise, you hear a growl behind you, you turn around, and suddenly you're in someone's belly.
<!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
hehe, love that.
if i see a lonely Marine and i have cloak i sneak up behind him, and when he is near a wall i spray my tag, it is just so funny to see their reaction! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> After a couple of seconds i break the silence with taking a big bite of him
<!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd.gif'><!--endemo-->