Watching For Cloakers

illuminexilluminex Join Date: 2004-03-13 Member: 27317Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">hack free is the way to be!</div> This thread is for any marines looking for how to deal with cloaked enemies.

Here's the main point, up front:
<b>YOU CAN SEE A CLOAKED ALIEN WHEN HE MOVES. </b>

The only way for an alien to cloak and not be seen is for him to be 100 % still. The second an alien moves, a slight distortion is created. An alien that is walking along to the floor to you is a complete idiot, and you should take full advantage of that fact. The distortion isn't totally obvious, so you should be looking for it in classic if you know they have sensory, or 100 % of the time in combat mode.

A smart alien that is cloaked will be moving in the darkness, or above you. However, cloaking is something that every alien wants as soon as he can get it, so most players never use it correctly.

Also, if you heard a skulk moving, shoot a few rounds into more obvious places. The skulk may get scared and make a mistake, like moving towards you. If he stays still, you obviously won't be able to see him, so move on. Be intelligent though. Once you have moved into the next area, the skulk will most likely parasite you or cloak walk. If you didn't kill the skulk, occassionally stop around a corner and crouch. Pay attention to any distortions. If you know he's behind you, set HIM up for a trap.

Most Kharaa will put too much trust in cloak. Use that to your advantage. Then smile when you get the "OMG H4X" from the stupid skulk.
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Comments

  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    I will even add to that that a walking cloaker is visible in a way but a standing cloaker ASWELL. yet I agree this is so hard and rare its hardly happening in reality
  • UnderDOGUnderDOG Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15221Members
    agisnt cloakers, anything that puts out a cloudlike effect will reveal them by contrast. Steam pipes, res nodes, even umbra/spores will reveal cloakers.
  • ANdreW1ANdreW1 Join Date: 2003-11-18 Member: 23125Members
    The easiest alien to see when it is cloaked not moving BESIDES the onos and fade, believe it or not, is the skulk. Well, thats my opinion. I find it harder to see a not moving cloaked lerk or gorge than a skulk...It's always fun to stand there watching to see if the decals move or not before shooting. They wonder if you see them or not. It's great. You just gotta hope they don't leap at your face when you do see them. You usually crap your pants because you would think they would try to run, or stay still.
  • illuminexilluminex Join Date: 2004-03-13 Member: 27317Members, Constellation
    Noticing the brilliance in which cloaking was implemented was what got me to really love the NS dev team. It makes sense 100 % that a biological cloak would defract and distort light just enough make it visible. You just have to know where to look.

    The key here is to not be a stupid marine. Anyone who has ever cloaked before KNOWS that because a cloaked alien cannot run, they will use the cloak to ambush. The key is to keep your eyes/ears open at all times, and to be prepared for teeth coming from no where. That's why teamwork in NS is important. Working with at least 1 other guy means that you both have twice the odds of staying alive.
  • camO_ocamO_o Join Date: 2004-04-19 Member: 28028Members
    it depends on your video card. with my intel i810, i could see cloaks easily, but since I upgraded to my fx5200, it's just not the same.
  • LuckyLucky Join Date: 2003-11-16 Member: 23001Members
    Note that pointing the flashlight at the cloakers also lets you see them. Well, what you see is actually the contour of the cloaked creature against the lit wall behind him, but it still works.
  • NecrosisNecrosis The Loquacious Sage Join Date: 2003-08-03 Member: 18828Members, Constellation
    Practice cloakhunting by looking for sensory chambers. Ideally load up your own server, drop a pile of them, then join the rine side and nosey around looking for those chambers.

    You'll see the discrepancy.





    Top tips that others have said include looking for movement, and using steam/gas/light sources to better highlight the effect. Your flashlight can be handy, if not for you then for your teammates who will be able to see better.


    Cloaked skulks can easily be dealt with this way, but just remember when you get MT to ALWAYS CHECK YOUR SIX.
  • AjurianAjurian Join Date: 2003-10-18 Member: 21753Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Necrosis+May 30 2004, 07:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Necrosis @ May 30 2004, 07:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Cloaked skulks can easily be dealt with this way, but just remember when you get MT to ALWAYS CHECK YOUR SIX. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Or you could just look at the blips on the minimap <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • NecrosisNecrosis The Loquacious Sage Join Date: 2003-08-03 Member: 18828Members, Constellation
    I dunno, I've seen celerity skulks that have moved faaaaar too fast for that to really help, other than to allow you a strangled scream over voicecomm before you get whacked.
  • That_Annoying_KidThat_Annoying_Kid Sire of Titles Join Date: 2003-03-01 Member: 14175Members, Constellation
    I look for a shimmering, it's the win way to spot cloakers

    and the minimap sprites are a big help
  • raytardraytard Join Date: 2004-05-25 Member: 28922Members
    ive found that celerty 2x makes you fast enough as a skulk that its damn near as good as cloaking, being that you move about 4 times as fast as rines, just the fact that you can cross the room and get in a bite or two within a second makes it, i think, very valuable., they dont expect that kind of an attack, especially if you use the lunge attack, its such a surprise its almost as bad as a cloaker taking a jump at you. but withcloaking the best bet is to strafe a bit when approaching a rine, this way if they think they see something, your already a few feet over ifthey take a test shot, being a few feet to the side and a few feet fowards is a big help
  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    if you think thats good you never saw 1.04 celerity. that was like insane. you had to learn to control a celerity skulk cause it was to fast to be real.

    it ruled deep. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • LuckyLucky Join Date: 2003-11-16 Member: 23001Members
    It was the old good M/D/S times <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->. Skulks that were faster then grenades, literally, crossing rooms in a matter of fractions of seconds. Although the scariest one was still the charge celerity onos back then, it was almost uncontrollable for those few seconds you charged. Ugh.
  • RushakraRushakra Join Date: 2004-03-25 Member: 27523Members
    I saw a Charging Celerity Onos with Primal Scream on the other day. Too funny. He flew through Marine Start and Charge-Killed a few guys. Hot damn that was fast. But uh, back to cloaking.

    Just keep moving if you know there's a cloaked skulk behind you. He can't catch up if he walks towards you, so once you're across the room or the moment you hear the skittering of feet, turn around. He'll be decloaked, unless he's near a Sensory Chamber (unlikely, because Gorges really, really love putting them near giant OC walls instead of in strategic points around the map to cloak his teammates. Damn stupid Gorges)

    And remember, when looking for Sensory Chambers, run around the edges of a room. If you bump into one, they decloak and you can see them on your minimap for a second if you're looking in the right direction.
  • NecrosisNecrosis The Loquacious Sage Join Date: 2003-08-03 Member: 18828Members, Constellation
    Also, if you have found a DC or MC beside the SC, then KILL THE SC FIRST.

    If the DC/MC stays cloaked, then you KNOW you've another SC nearby.

    Killing the DC/MC means you've no guarantee you've killed all the SCs... and that can get you cocky, and killed.
  • SamahSamah Australia Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16286Members, Constellation
    Marginally offtopic, but I remember one time as a reen I was hugging the walls at SatComm (ns_tanith), knifing for the SC i knew was there, not really paying attention, and suddenly I have a knife kill. I look down to see this dead gorge. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    He was cloaked with less than a knife's swipe of health, thinking he was safe. I had NOOO idea he was there <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • Paranoia2MBParanoia2MB Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7832Members
    You can still see cloakers when they stay still. At least I do =X

    Spotting cloakers is so much fun too. Even awesome when a lerk randomly does spores or umbra and you see the outline of the cloaked alien in it. Good times insues when the alien dies. lol >=)
  • wallerwaller Join Date: 2004-04-28 Member: 28281Members
    meh, i find spotting cloakers easy, infact i enjoy it when a team cloaks as it's free frags <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • morphzmorphz Join Date: 2003-04-19 Member: 15640Members, Constellation
    Sometimes you can see still cloaked things when you move, because it gives the same effect of them moving, simple really <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    And try and get some mates to go cloaked onos or fade on a empty server, to see if you can make out where they are (bigger aliens are easier to see)
  • wallerwaller Join Date: 2004-04-28 Member: 28281Members
    Yeah, me and my clan leader do that quite alot, i hide as a cloaked skulk in a dark place somewhere, and he's gotta try find meh without MT ^_^
  • CrusaderCatCrusaderCat Join Date: 2004-06-01 Member: 29037Members
    people dont notice cloakers, the only way they get found is by sound, cmon be realistic are people gonna search every part of a room to find them, usually a cloaked alien will hide on the roof above a door and drop down on you when you go through, that or sit in a corner of the roof the floor or hell, even in the middle of the room, chances are your not going to see anything until its too late, anyone with experiance will tell you that cloakers usually make you see them not the other way round
  • DomukazDomukaz Join Date: 2003-12-19 Member: 24563Members
    I don't think so. Just yesterday I was playing a game of classic NS and a fade was standing right in the middle of a hallway that my team was going into in ayumi. He was so glaringly obvious about hiding that my entire team opened up on him after I started. That's how I remember it happening. So, yeah, skulks--smart ones--will hide, but not all aliens will bother to (this was a really well-lit hallway).
  • kiwikiwi Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20803Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-illuminex+May 30 2004, 12:17 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (illuminex @ May 30 2004, 12:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Here's the main point, up front:
    <b>YOU CAN SEE A CLOAKED ALIEN WHEN HE MOVES. </b>
    <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    aleins are NEVER 100% cloaked. can always see them. even with sc around him. its just easier when he is moving or when there is a rt behind him.
  • dReadydReady Join Date: 2003-10-16 Member: 21710Members
    so perhaps it's the lag on a server why i can't see aliens running towards me... *g* sometimes it's like teleporting - one second he is here, next he's on me...
  • LitoLito Join Date: 2003-09-04 Member: 20560Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-kiwi+Jun 11 2004, 05:46 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (kiwi @ Jun 11 2004, 05:46 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-illuminex+May 30 2004, 12:17 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (illuminex @ May 30 2004, 12:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Here's the main point, up front:
    <b>YOU CAN SEE A CLOAKED ALIEN WHEN HE MOVES. </b>
    <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    aleins are NEVER 100% cloaked. can always see them. even with sc around him. its just easier when he is moving or when there is a rt behind him. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    You are correct, sir.

    Moving or still, by upgrade or by chamber, level 3 cloaking is not a full cloak.

    Cloaking just makes the lifeform transparent to the point where it is almost, but not fully invisible. When YOU are moving, its next to impossible to spot a cloaked lifeform smaller than a fade. Cloaked fades and onii are the easiest to catch because they are so large. When you are NOT moving, it is easiest to catch a cloaker, moving or not.

    When looking at a cloaker, you'll see a slight distortion in the texture that looks like little brown dots, only its moving very slowly.

    Brightly lit floors lets you see the outline of a cloaked life for extremely easily, so, when possible, stay near them. Flashlights arn't a great idea, because it just screams 'kill me', however does work when trying to find cloaking.

    Many who have played quite a long time can spot cloaking easily. Others just occationally shoot the floor around them, or popular hiding spots.

    also, cloaking is not perfect. It takes a couple seconds to fully cloak, and when you do, you slowly fade out, and disappear off the screen. A life form in mid cloak is VERY easy to see, even if its just a few seconds off full cloak.

    Anything other than level 3 cloaking is useless, the other two levels are just too easy to spot.

    Really, theres no trick. Its experience with a bit of luck.
  • RecoupRecoup Join Date: 2004-04-25 Member: 28195Members
    I can almost always run out in front of a guy on combat as a cloaked skulk. They have no skill...
  • MouseMouse The Lighter Side of Pessimism Join Date: 2002-03-02 Member: 263Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    Actually Lito the different levels of cloaking don't affect how visible you are at all, they just affects how long it takes for cloak to set in.
  • LitoLito Join Date: 2003-09-04 Member: 20560Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Mouse+Jun 11 2004, 11:32 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Mouse @ Jun 11 2004, 11:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Actually Lito the different levels of cloaking don't affect how visible you are at all, they just affects how long it takes for cloak to set in. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Ah yes, quite right.

    My mistake.
  • RecoupRecoup Join Date: 2004-04-25 Member: 28195Members
    Good observation...
  • aonomusaonomus Dedicated NS Mastermind (no need for school) Join Date: 2003-11-26 Member: 23605Members, Constellation
    Flashlights do scream 'kill me please, I don't know where you are so I am looking'.

    Looking carefully and too focused tends to make you unaware of other things around you, I tend to look for contrasts in usual hiding places.

    As a alien I go for 'in the open' because people don't like to check across the entire floor of a room instead of the ordinary places.
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