My 2p's Worth Of Marine Strategy.
Bog
Join Date: 2002-11-05 Member: 7004Members
Join Date: 2002-11-05 Member: 7004Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Or "How not to make Com lose"</div> I meant to post this here initially, but I messed up and it went to General Discussion... never mind, it's here now.
Okiedoke... I keep seeing people doing the same thing over and over again... let me know if I'm seeing things right.
<b>1) Spawning</b>
Take a look around you. Are you all on your tod? If so, hit TAB and see if many more of your guys are dead/REIN. (Or if any more die while you're looking at the display ).
This is a good time to stand still, do nothing, roll a fag, whatever. Wait until there's a bunch of your mates in the base, either coming back for bits & pieces, popping through the phasegate, or sheepishly stepping down from the spawn portal like you just did.
There are a couple of very very good reasons for this.
Firstly, if both you and Com were doing there jobs, you were part of a group. If you weren't - then what the hell were you doing, nitwit? Anyways. This means Com is probably busy running the engagement you just died in, and you immediately wheedling for orders, guns, armour, beer, women, and a holiday in the sun will only distract him from trying to keep your mates alive, building turrets, and whatever else was being done out there in the field.
Secondly, and a point that I've yet to see a Marine consider - Com <b>likes</b> Marines who stand in tidy groups waiting for orders, because then he can actually use the drag-box select to tell a whole bunch of you simultaneously what he would like you to do. This has suddenly vastly improved your chances of both success and survival, because now a whole passel of you have the same waypoint.
So when you spawn, go load your LMG and Pistol from the armoury. If you think the pistol's useless, then learn, kid. Lean on the Research machines to help them along. Find a nice open spot, that's big enough for one or two of your pals. Wait for them. If you see someone running off, tell 'em to get back into the base.
With the new patch, the sudden, stampeding victories of the initial release are GONE. You can't storm out with HA and an HMG and massacre a hive on your own. Don't try to do it, kid, that armour was expensive, and the TSA owns that gun - not you
This segues nicely into
<b>2) Resources</b>
If you think that you don't have to look at the "Resource" indicator in the top left of the screen, you're a nitwit. No offence, son, it's just you've shown yourself not to be that bright.
Consider this: You've got your HMG and HA, you and four of your mates are thundering down a corridor, full of spleen and fire. You hear Bug Noises around the next corridor, and think "Glory Be! It's time to put some lead downrange".
So you pound in there, blaze your ammo off against Defence Chambers, hose a couple of Skulks into the foul miasma from which they dragged themselves, and fall back yelling for ammo, medpack, and a turret factory for some wholesale bug-stomping fun.
Com's not playing... whyever not? Must be a n00b! Maybe he's asleep. Let's all yell at him.
Look up at the meter... it says "Resources: 4". That's enough for a bag of crisps and maybe a can of Tizer. It's not enough for a turret, let alone the factory to support 'em. Oh, and that was the only magazine you're getting as well.
ALWAYS keep at look at what support Com can afford to give you before you start a major engagement. The chances are that if he's splurged on guns and armour for the whole squad, then things will be a bit tight for a while. Even if you have no intention of Commanding, ever, and just like to shoot stuff, you need to know how much things cost. Otherwise you'll be wondering why Com wasn't helping you when all you were doing was wasting expensive equipment.
Any Commanders reading this will know what I mean, and wince. Guys, while we're about it, this is probably a good time to get your boys to plod to existing Resource Towers, 'cos by the time they get there, so will the bugs.
<b>3) Teamwork</b>
Yeah, yeah. Teamwork, Smeemwork. Heard it all before...
And yet there are still Marines out there who don't know that more than one player at once can build on a single device. With three Marines, and three Turrets ready to go up, instead of one guy building and two covering, all three should be Using the bejaysus out of ONE of the turrets at a time. It'll arm in under 2 seconds that way, and do your covering for you - that means three marines on ONE turret, not one on each turret. With skill, you can get three turrets up in ten seconds this way. Mmmm.... smell the cordite!
You can even help out with research. That bit at the beginning where I said lean on the research machines, I wasn't being funny. Go to it, and hold down Use. Chances are, welding noises will come out of it. This isn't a bug, you're actually accelerating the research process. What a jolly good idea! That means you get your beloved HMG all the faster.
They're doing their part. Are you?
Okiedoke... I keep seeing people doing the same thing over and over again... let me know if I'm seeing things right.
<b>1) Spawning</b>
Take a look around you. Are you all on your tod? If so, hit TAB and see if many more of your guys are dead/REIN. (Or if any more die while you're looking at the display ).
This is a good time to stand still, do nothing, roll a fag, whatever. Wait until there's a bunch of your mates in the base, either coming back for bits & pieces, popping through the phasegate, or sheepishly stepping down from the spawn portal like you just did.
There are a couple of very very good reasons for this.
Firstly, if both you and Com were doing there jobs, you were part of a group. If you weren't - then what the hell were you doing, nitwit? Anyways. This means Com is probably busy running the engagement you just died in, and you immediately wheedling for orders, guns, armour, beer, women, and a holiday in the sun will only distract him from trying to keep your mates alive, building turrets, and whatever else was being done out there in the field.
Secondly, and a point that I've yet to see a Marine consider - Com <b>likes</b> Marines who stand in tidy groups waiting for orders, because then he can actually use the drag-box select to tell a whole bunch of you simultaneously what he would like you to do. This has suddenly vastly improved your chances of both success and survival, because now a whole passel of you have the same waypoint.
So when you spawn, go load your LMG and Pistol from the armoury. If you think the pistol's useless, then learn, kid. Lean on the Research machines to help them along. Find a nice open spot, that's big enough for one or two of your pals. Wait for them. If you see someone running off, tell 'em to get back into the base.
With the new patch, the sudden, stampeding victories of the initial release are GONE. You can't storm out with HA and an HMG and massacre a hive on your own. Don't try to do it, kid, that armour was expensive, and the TSA owns that gun - not you
This segues nicely into
<b>2) Resources</b>
If you think that you don't have to look at the "Resource" indicator in the top left of the screen, you're a nitwit. No offence, son, it's just you've shown yourself not to be that bright.
Consider this: You've got your HMG and HA, you and four of your mates are thundering down a corridor, full of spleen and fire. You hear Bug Noises around the next corridor, and think "Glory Be! It's time to put some lead downrange".
So you pound in there, blaze your ammo off against Defence Chambers, hose a couple of Skulks into the foul miasma from which they dragged themselves, and fall back yelling for ammo, medpack, and a turret factory for some wholesale bug-stomping fun.
Com's not playing... whyever not? Must be a n00b! Maybe he's asleep. Let's all yell at him.
Look up at the meter... it says "Resources: 4". That's enough for a bag of crisps and maybe a can of Tizer. It's not enough for a turret, let alone the factory to support 'em. Oh, and that was the only magazine you're getting as well.
ALWAYS keep at look at what support Com can afford to give you before you start a major engagement. The chances are that if he's splurged on guns and armour for the whole squad, then things will be a bit tight for a while. Even if you have no intention of Commanding, ever, and just like to shoot stuff, you need to know how much things cost. Otherwise you'll be wondering why Com wasn't helping you when all you were doing was wasting expensive equipment.
Any Commanders reading this will know what I mean, and wince. Guys, while we're about it, this is probably a good time to get your boys to plod to existing Resource Towers, 'cos by the time they get there, so will the bugs.
<b>3) Teamwork</b>
Yeah, yeah. Teamwork, Smeemwork. Heard it all before...
And yet there are still Marines out there who don't know that more than one player at once can build on a single device. With three Marines, and three Turrets ready to go up, instead of one guy building and two covering, all three should be Using the bejaysus out of ONE of the turrets at a time. It'll arm in under 2 seconds that way, and do your covering for you - that means three marines on ONE turret, not one on each turret. With skill, you can get three turrets up in ten seconds this way. Mmmm.... smell the cordite!
You can even help out with research. That bit at the beginning where I said lean on the research machines, I wasn't being funny. Go to it, and hold down Use. Chances are, welding noises will come out of it. This isn't a bug, you're actually accelerating the research process. What a jolly good idea! That means you get your beloved HMG all the faster.
They're doing their part. Are you?
Comments
When I tell them, "The LMG is a gun. Use it." -- They usually go "**** you" and sit at base screaming for Heavy Armor when we just started the game.... -.-
Why must I be the only person who (usually) knows what all the buildings do, what they cost, and what you need for weapons? -.-
COMM : Build that armory
MARINE : Hey Dude I NEED A SHOTGUN!@#L!@#JK!L@#!
COMM : Put that armory up solidier
MARINE : WTFUNOOBWENEED SHOTGUNSTOWNI!!
COMM : Go up to and hold down your use key
MARINE : OMGUFAGPLZDIEKTHNZBYE
COMM was ejected from his chair...
sound familiar?
MARINE : OMGGIVEMEHTEHAMMO!!!!!
I agree with everything except for this. You should always have at least one person covering. The second it takes for you to back up and get your weapon back usually equals your death. One skulk can take out 3 marines with their back turned. It doesnt take that long.
-PD
COMM : Build that armory
MARINE : Hey Dude I NEED A SHOTGUN!@#L!@#JK!L@#!
COMM : Put that armory up solidier
MARINE : WTFUNOOBWENEED SHOTGUNSTOWNI!!
COMM : Go up to and hold down your use key
MARINE : OMGUFAGPLZDIEKTHNZBYE
COMM was ejected from his chair...
sound familiar?
MARINE : OMGGIVEMEHTEHAMMO!!!!!<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
EXACTLY! I had a similar experience a couple days ago...
MARINE: i need nade launcher
OTHER MARINE: gimmie shotgun
COMMANDER: where r u?
MARINE: GIMMIE NADE LAUNCHER!
ME: Hey, could I have a welder? If we seal off the vents, we can cut the aliens off.
OTHER MARINE: GIMMIE SHOTGUN!!@!
COMMANDER: WHERE R U!?!?!
ME: ...welder?
MARINE: NADE LAUNCHER U **obscenity**!!!!!!!!!11
OTHER MARINE: SHOTGUNSHOTHAOGHOSTGUN
COMMANDER: WHEERE R U WHERE RU?
ME: ...bwah!
Yeah, so I was part of the problem, but yow, that's a lot of idiocy.
Great strategies, especially the parts about not pressuring the commander. I tried commander once in a game, when the commander before had left the command thingie because he couldn't handle it and nobody else wanted it. So not only was I trying to get out resource centers and turret factories but people were whining at me. And due to my complete idiocy I didn't put a turret factory in the main room with the entrances, thus we were rushed by those rhino things, and even when a new commander took over we couldn't be saved. We lost, of course.
I finally but one of my favorite new sayings in my sig. If you do what I tell you, and we lose, I am the only one responsable. I believe all commanders should adhere to something like this.
Also, if you are a more experienced player, and are not in the hot-seat, nothing helps to keep your commander sane more than one or two experinced guys on the groud, telling the team to watch their corners and check teh ceilings, giving directions for pulling out and taking hives... It lets the commander get back to checking up on his scouting teams who are checking for nodes.
Not to mention, these are the sort of people that I usually hand out the HA and GL's to most readily.
Tomarrow will mark the one week aniversary of NS. I will be posting a comprehesive post of everything I have learned about how to play a marine. Hopefully it will help out some of you commanders who can't quite grasp the difference between the arms lab and the armory yet.