Have You Tried Competitive Ns Lately?

niaccurshi · May 2005

No I haven't, because I don't have the time. At least not the time in the right hours of the day <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' />

Stukov · May 2005

Just figured I'd throw my 2 cents in :/

For those who are claiming that competitive play is just "Drama and idiocy", you're exactly the kind of person who starts drama <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

But anyways, I'd say just look around and join a clan that you seem to enjoy playing with. In my case I joined my first clan simply because I was on their server. We were never competitive, but we did scrim every now and then for fun. Then I moved to FFT, which played in CAL(Omega and Delta), yet remained more of a fun clan. Granted, this "fun" clan attitude ended up ruining our CAL play since no one really was serious, we still play together on pubs and such. And right now I'm on DLs CAL team, which is again serious while remaining fun. 1-2 hours a night for scrims, nothing to demanding.

You'll get your share of "drama" from certain people, but its best to realize that they're idiots and you need to ignore them and not make the drama worse <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' />

Chem · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Lt Patch @ May 4 2005, 08:42 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Precious @ May 4 2005, 07:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> You may be disapointed in hearing that GL's are not common in compeitive play. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Hmm, maybe I might give the competitive scene a miss then, if I have to reskill myself...  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
I'm sorry I can't be the only who found this friggin hillarious

obuh · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Nemesis Zero @ May 4 2005, 11:34 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Router Box @ May 4 2005, 03:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> These people don't know what they are missing. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
I think it's by now known that I really have no qualms with competitive NS, but that argument is kinda weakened by all the junkies who use it in favor of their passtime of choice <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' />  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Possibly, but I think there quite a few people that decide that competitive play is not for them before giving it a try ("I'm not skilled enough", for example). Well, I don't think you have to be really very skilled to start playing in clans. If you are motivated, want to improve, playing in a tight team with a couple of friends, then competitive play might be just what you're looking for. Sure, you'll get beat quite a few times at the start, but if you don't desperate and keep trying to improve and learn from your mistakes, taking advice from more experimented teams, then you'll get better and enjoy it. You don't have to become the ultimate uber leet pro of the year either, just play the game in a more organised environement to get a decent level. Playing matches in a clan with mates is very enjoyable.

Snakestyles · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (obuh @ May 5 2005, 08:06 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Playing matches in a clan with mates is very enjoyable.

 </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
quoted for truth

homicide · May 2005

<span style='color:green'><span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>
The most important aspect of emerging into the competitive scene is desire, not skill.

If you have a desire to play Natural Selection in a more organize, competitive, and serious environment I high recommend you get involved. Everyone that plays NS competitively plays because they enjoy the game. Some teams really enjoy pushing themselves to the top while others simply play competitive as a kind of organized pastime.

If you do try competitive Natural Selection, avoid getting frustrated off the start. After all, if everyone started out at the top their would be no competition. Regardless of success, competitive play explorer many aspects of Natural Selection that can only be reached on a willing organized team.
</span></span>

digz · May 2005

For all those interested in starting/joining a clan, NS.com gives you the opportunity <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showforum=23' target='_blank'>in the recruitment forum.</a> Pop in, take a look around for a clan in your region, or post that you are available and interested (serious members only, or I will smite you with my great mod powahs).

TheAdj · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Richienz @ May 4 2005, 09:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Find a clan that plays for fun then.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Yet another common misconception about competitive play. Every NS clan in CAL plays for fun, they simply achieve it by doing their best in a highly competitive environment. I played Terror 3 separate times under the Exigent banner and won once, lost twice, I had an absolute blast every time. The thrill is not in winning, it is in playing at the best of my game so that my team can show off it's skills. People that watched my marines jump to the top of Cargo on ns_tanith and build a siege base on the roof won't forget that for a while, it was a memorable experience. Just like people will never forget tribaldaniel getting knifed as fade in the omega finals (lolol sup dan, thought I forgot didn't you). The memories and friendships you make with people, forged by hard playing and practice, are what make competitive clanning unforgettable in ANY game. I have friends online that I have literally grown up with and have met in real life, right now I email a friend from TFC clanning who is in Iraq while I'm in Afghanistan, we started playing TFC together when we were 14. I have never made a friend like that just pubbing a game.

For those who think they suck too much to play competitively, you are wrong. I was a terrible player beyond my semi-newbie comm skills, and by following under another experienced player, I built myself up and found other things I was good at. You will never be great at EVERYTHING (I suck at skulking, my marine is lol, and I can't use a shotgun for the life of me), but you can improve to an acceptable level at certain things. I know people who are not super marines, but they have unbelievable patience and can play marine in a certain way, for example node defense or capping marine. I've seen people skulk, totally ignore marines and attack nodes all game (I do that, I suck at skulking vs anything that shoots back at me). Simply pug, let some people notice your skills, then hop on a new team and scrim for a while. Pugging will get you accustomed to the level of play and the attitudes of players in the scene. Some people are incredibly helpful and share knowledge, others are twats that don't care about you or anyone else not wearing a delta clantag or sporting an icon. That's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes. The idea is to find people who will help (and there are a lot of these) and learn from them, then build yourself up to a good level and join the competitive community. This is how I joined the competitive community.

The fun is what you and your team make it to be. I personally enjoy being as good as I can possibly be and playing with others who like the same. I do not like half-hearted attempts, and I do not like when someone doesn't try to play their best. I like long, hard-fought slugfests that are all skill between players and teams, they are the most intensive and demanding games. I've commed 24 person games for Battle for the Galaxy and absolutely stretched my abilities to the limit, I would be clicking around the minimap constantly to med marines all over a map. It was physically demanding, I would literally be sweating after a good 1 hour round. I've done the same for competitive matches, when Exigent and Terror went for 4 rounds last summer during the NSI, I actually had to take a break and get some water, I was sweating so badly from all the yelling and movement. That was the most fun I have ever had in a computer game, and I'm sure some of the other people from that set of rounds will agree. It is up to every player to find what they consider fun, and until you try every option, you may be short-changing yourself out of an enjoyable, possibly life altering experience.

Dreya · May 2005

Now, I'm a member of a new clan, PAI, and I must say that I'm having a blast with my first competitive experience. We're from the same server community as TMM, and we followed them into playing competitively this season, so we have some people to rag on and fool around with who'll never say no to a scrim with us, but so far we haven't had one of those terrible "over-competitive drama" cases that people seem to fear so much. We lost our first two matches, sure, but we just realized that we had to start scrimming more and treat it as a learning experience. Everyone we've played (Save BAH, who, needless to say, beat us in our scrim with them soundly) has had an upbeat attitude and was willing to give us tips and help us out. Our first scrim that we tied on, we were overjoyed during, and the clan that we played has come back and asked to scrim again so that we can both work together to help each other out. Everyone's been behaving in a pretty cool way towards each other, and we're enjoying the competitive experience. Sure, we like to win, but what it all comes down to, is that we're a bunch of pubbers who decided that we enjoyed each other's company and wanted to try to compete against the best. And frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

MrBen · May 2005

For me, fun is playing with my clan and watching us play as a cohesive team, as a leader i feel proud to see a team that i created peform well and win againist clans who have been around for longer and many would consider more skilled. When i first started clanning i was shocking, but practise and patience will get you anywhere you want. I knew what i wanted to achieve through competitive NS when i started and i drove myself and my team to achieve it. If you've got the right attitude you can get anywhere, you just gotta stick with it. Bring on the playoffs please.

There will be good times and there will be bad times, but it's always good fun, if it wasn't we'd of all quit a long time ago.

Router_Box · May 2005

What I really love about it, is the ability to see your own hard earned sucess over time. If another team beats you, then you know you can still get better. Obviously the team that beat you performed better. To then play that same team another night, and perform better yourself, and feel like you closed the gap a little bit, even if you didn't win, is the best.

TheDestroyer · May 2005

Shoot, I've been clanning on and off since 1.04.

IMO, clanning brings out the best in NS. You have a group of people you know you can work with, and can perform your best with.

After being outta a clan for a while, I decided to make up one. Plus, the server needed regulars, and I find clans are the best way to do that. Even though we arn't ready for CAL (skill wise and player amount), we still are a clan, and act accordingly. Since we have done this, [ES] (EvilSquid) and its server have had some new people playing. Granted, its not the amount I want, but its still people.

And, yea, for fun clans are great. Before we opened [ES] for the public to join, [ES] was a group of 5 people who are great friends IRL. So, even if you don't play in a competitive clan, you should join at least a fun clan just for the better playing experience. Plus, you get a tag, and we all know, chics dig tags more than anything. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' />

Depot · May 2005

I did the same thing as Destroyer did with Dominant Species ... we're not quite competitive but we damn sure have fun. Besides, I got to do whatever it takes to keep this clan going, <i>being it's the oldest remaining ns clan in existence</i> and all ... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' />

Necrosis · May 2005

Well, personally I love the wild and free style of pubbing. No guarantee how good your team is, or how good the enemy are, and there's lots more wacky odd strats used that simply wouldn't work at higher levels of play.

Maybe if NS was my first online game, and first experience with clanners, then I'd be more inclined to experiment (well, bar the fact I've been on these forums long enough to see the sort of people inherent to the system... but I digress..) but the fact is I went through my clan phase years ago.

TBH its more fun to have wholly random play where you're always on your toes, as opposed to the more static style of high level play. But meh, everyone should try clanning once, personally I would do it with a game you DONT like, so that you can always come back to NS.... as opposed to clanning in NS, getting sick of it all, and quitting NS altogether. Narf.

Manos · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Necrosis @ May 5 2005, 08:42 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Well, personally I love the wild and free style of pubbing. No guarantee how good your team is, or how good the enemy are, and there's lots more wacky odd strats used that simply wouldn't work at higher levels of play.

Maybe if NS was my first online game, and first experience with clanners, then I'd be more inclined to experiment (well, bar the fact I've been on these forums long enough to see the sort of people inherent to the system... but I digress..) but the fact is I went through my clan phase years ago.

TBH its more fun to have wholly random play where you're always on your toes, as opposed to the more static style of high level play. But meh, everyone should try clanning once, personally I would do it with a game you DONT like, so that you can always come back to NS.... as opposed to clanning in NS, getting sick of it all, and quitting NS altogether. Narf.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Completely Agree

I was into competitive clan play during 1.0x days. And before a long competitive history from CS aswell. back around the release of 1.04 the clan died and with it my interest for NS.

I picked NS back up in 2.0 (<3 fade blink) and stayd playing in publics servers. and i love it.
altough i enjoy demo's/HLTV from top matches very much. I just prefer public play, its much more relaxing.

Splinter_Steve · May 2005

I had an overall bad experience with competitive play (in NS). I joined a clan spawned out of members of a server community a while ago, and it basically ended with a lot of drama and dumb crap. I blame most of it on immaturity, but the one thing that stands out that really ruined the whole experience was a scrim we set up with a team that was a lot better (giving credit where credit is due). The thing is, these people only really had the intention of embarrassing us, which they did through the entire thing (always attempting knife kills with plenty of ammo left, with lots of "lol's" abound as just one example). There was just no opportunity to get better given, and it was like when one of those smurf crowds enters a pub and is all "LOL WE'RE GONNA OWN THESE NUBS". I can't stand that, and I seriously get the impression that it just isn't fun. Unfortunately the decent pub play is pretty much gone, so I can't find a game where decent players are playing for fun. Not this blatent overunning with onos in a small game (or even in a big game, i had a 7v7 today where the aliens just went with like 4 onos and a fade and basically trampled over everything until the comm who recognized me hooked me up with a jetpack) or like hiding behind webs with focus, or outright spawn camping.

I was considering trying out for one of the competitive clans (I've seen worse players acquire roster spots on what I'd consider good clans frequently), then I get informed that a new one with some friends is being organized. So I'm probably trying this again.

DaJMasta · May 2005

I'd give it a shot, recently Ive become a decent player, far from good, but at least I can defend myself....most of the time.

I haven't really joined a clan in any game, though I probably would have qualified in CS or UT, just never got around to it. I'd definitely give NS a shot though, having a team which really works together would probably help my score, since many of my deaths could have been easily prevented with a tiny bit of team support....

I may end up starting my own though, since I'm going to have a server and i've convinced a bunch of friends to play NS.

(Fun clan of course, more of just a team who works together on a decent server, i dont even mean a clan with a locked server, and definitely none that competes in CAL lol)

Precious · May 2005

There is a big difference in joining a clan that doesn't play matches and scrims to one that does. Its the style of play that makes that difference. I have a server were I play ns with my friends than I am also on a cal team so I get the best of both worlds.

Just a note for all those thinking of starting a clan. 90% (No facts, just what I seen from my experience.) of all new clans die within their first cal season. Its alot of work. Just don't get discourged. Sometimes its best to join a clan to get some experience first. Ofcourse if you don't want to be in a league then forming clan is much easier.

Router_Box · May 2005

Anyone who has a couple hundred posts in these forums has little excuse to have never been on a team.

Nemesis_Zero · May 2005

Ah-<i>hem</i>... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Supernorn · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Router Box @ May 6 2005, 05:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Anyone who has a couple hundred posts in these forums has little excuse to have never been on a team.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Maybe they dont want to? I'll make my own decisions thanks.

Firewater · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Router Box @ May 6 2005, 11:25 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Anyone who has a couple hundred posts in these forums has little excuse to have never been on a team. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Nah I disagree, some people just have no desire to play competitive. How can you argue that?

If you want your opinion to be respected, it is wise to join a clan. Frequently in debates they have the knowledge and experience to back up what they say. It is difficult to respect a pub player's view on balance and where the mod should go because they all come from different servers that have different standards. The competitive standard is consistent, and has the most skilled players in the NS community, who are constantly trying to refine their abilities to be the best. This would mean they would be more likely explore and refine more strategies than the regular pub player, as they aren't competitive and the outcome of the game is irrelevant. that is not to say that pub players will not think of new tactics, but the teamwork and execution would not be the same as a competitive team.

If you don't care where NS is going, don't waste your time competing, if you want people to listen to you, go competitive.

BitchSL4P · May 2005

Indeed, many people just don't have the time to dedicate to playing NS competetively.

Personally, I often prefer the pugs because they're so laid back and are often a ton of fun, even with people not knowing what they're doing.

On the time issue, it's also the reason I mostly play combat. It's fast paced and fun and doesn't require scrims and dozens of hours a week.

-Slappy

Snidely · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Router Box @ May 6 2005, 11:25 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Anyone who has a couple hundred posts in these forums has little excuse to have never been on a team.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
You missed my first post then. ;P I'm sure I'm not the only NSLoser around here.

Nemesis_Zero · May 2005

With all respect, due or not, FW, that was a load of tosh.

It's a good estimate to say that around one percent of our playerbase is at a competitive level. I'm glad about that percent and will be happy to do whatever is in my power to support it, but I'd be insane to ignore the ninety nine others over it. Sure, their playing environment is a lot more uneven than yours. Sure, it is more difficult a task to reconcile it, at least on average. But that doesn't mean we'll shy away from it.
I think the 3.0f iterations have shown that there is no need for the mutually exclusive attitude some seasoned clanners and pubbers adopt in regard of each other: First, we made a number of changes to the early game aliens to make them more accessible to less dedicated players, then, we released balance patches to alleviate asymmetries occuring in the top tiers.

Both side's feedback was considered and acted upon, with what I think is a very solid version as a result.

Spooge · May 2005

Good to hear that all opinons are welcome if not considered rather than letting the <span style='color:white'>Let's keep this civil, shall we?</span> define "fun".

Router_Box · May 2005

I was saying that if you have a couple hundred posts, then you have obviously put hours and hours into the forums. If you have put that much time into the forums then you must have played the game for countless hours. If you are willing to put that much time into ns, then it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me why you wouldn't want to join a team.

Nemesis_Zero · May 2005

Two fallacies there:
<ul><li>Investing time into this forum does not equal time spent on the game. I'm proud to note that some people use these boards for the social experience.</li><li>If I have invested a lot of time into the game, that can have happened on siege maps or in pugs. Playtime does not make statements about playstyle. And, as I keep repeating, there is no reason to hold one style over another.</li></ul>

Router_Box · May 2005

Well, if you actually play the game we're all talking about here, IMO playing in an organized mp_tournament 1 style rocks so much that you are doing a disservice to yourself by not participating.

Nemesis_Zero · May 2005

Yes. In your opinion. In some other people's opinion, and I'm talking about individuals with extensive knowledge of both sides of the fence, it isn't the non-plus-ultra you see in it. And that's just fine.

Have You Tried Competitive Ns Lately?

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