Commander
cr3am
Join Date: 2002-11-05 Member: 7221Members
Join Date: 2002-11-05 Member: 7221Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Tips on being a commander</div> ok... i've never been a commander, so i don't know ANYTHING about it... i don't know if when the commander dies he loses commander power.... i don't know what he can drop or do.... so please help... <!--emo&::sentry::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
This, while good advice, is not very helpful in this situation.
Original poster: See if you can get some time in "behind the wheel" on a quiet server. Think of it like starcraft, but with people with minds of their own instead of AI units. Start a LAN game (Multiplayer, LAN Game, New, OK) and hop in the big chair. You won't be able to place anything, but you can get a feel for the viewpoint and mechanism pretty quick. Play some Starcraft, then start another NS LAN game and see if you can find the similarities. You'll find it's more stressful, since you'll usually have people demanding HMGs and jetpacks, or grenguns and heavy armor, or any of the really powerful weapons. Be prepared to be kicked out of the command system a couple times.
Vital structures:
Command console - You start with one. Infantry portals can only be built within range of these. If your current base is being overrun, and you have a near-complete subbase somewhere, drop a command console and get as many marines as you can to work on it. Drop in some infantry portals afterward, and you're good to go.
Infantry portal - Allows marines to spawn back in. Two, minimum, and not right next to each other.
Resource Tower - Collects resources. Get marines to secure a resource node, drop a tower, and let them build. Slap down a turret factory, then about three turrets, and it'll be fine for a while.
Armory - Allows marines to get ammo, and lets you drop weapons near it. I believe it also lets you drop shotguns for your troops. Also upgrades to the advanced armory, which lets you drop heavy machine guns and (when you have an Arms Lab) grenade launchers. Note: while upgrading to an advanced armory, the armory will not be able to dispense ammo to marines. <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
Turret factory - Lets you make turrets inside it's control radius. Has a research option that allows you to build siege turrets, but that's best saved for later in the game.
Turrets - They shoot aliens automatically. Place on either side of doorways, or anywhere they can get good coverage and overlapping fields of fire. <!--emo&::sentry::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='turret.gif'><!--endemo-->
Basic weapons and equipment:
Light machine gun - You spawn with this. Do not underestimate it; It'll take down a skulk with about a second's worth of fire. I'm not sure if you can drop these.
Shotgun - Somewhere between the HMG and LMG. Do Not underestimate the power of the shotgun; They can take down a skulk with two well-aimed blasts, and the spread is excellent.
Welder - Drop these, not enough commanders do. They repair friendly armor and structures, can weld shut vents, cut webbing, are great at taking down undefended resource collectors, and can even make Julienne fries!
Mines - I hardly ever see these used on public servers. When placed on a wall, they're laser tripmines. When placed on a floor, they're land mines. When placed improperly, they explode. Good for deterring skulks from using a vent.
Basic droppables (these can be dropped near any marines)
Medpacks (health) - Marines need this when they get hurt. Good ones will use the built-in "I need health" bind; When they do, press the spacebar to flick your view over to them. Drop three medpacks, and the marine will be fine. Drop more if he's got buddies, or if he's under attack.
Ammo - Provides one clip of ammo for the marine's current weapon. Again, good soldiers will use the built-in bind for "I need ammo", and you can use the spacebar to jump right to them. Again, three clips for a lone marine, more if he's under attack or has friends with him.
Advanced structures:
Observatory - Reveals nearby enemies (even when cloaked), allows scanner sweeps, distress beacons, and research of motion tracking. Lets you drop Phase Gates (commonly referred to as portals by the jarheads) and use distress beacons (respawns all dead marines at the location, regardless of lack of infantry portals; excellent if a skulk just got in and wrecked the base.) This is hardly used, from my observations.
Arms Lab - Allows you to research three levels of weapon power and armor effectiveness. Start research ASAP, commander. Level 3 weapons do 30% more damage, and Level 3 Armor increases armor count and (except for heavy armor) absorbs more damage. When you have an advanced armory, allows you to drop grenade launchers. Also lets you drop the Prototype Lab.
Prototype Lab - Lets you research, then drop, heavy armor and jetpacks.
Phase Gate (portal, teleporter, gate) - Drop one, it does nothing. Drop a second, and they activate. These allow instant "Beam me up, Scotty" transportation between each gate. Be warned, however: The aliens can use these too, and having more than two gates gives unpredictable transport results.
Seige Turret (wallhack cannon) - This turret only fires on alien structures, and is an excellent weapon for assaulting a heavily-fortified hive. It fires through walls, targetting the nearest enemy structure. The rules for regular turrets apply to it's placement as well, within range of a turret factory, and you have to research it from an advanced turret factory. Expect massive retaliation from the alien forces when you get one of these bad boys within range of a hive. <!--emo&::siege::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/siege.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='siege.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::onos::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tiny.gif'><!--endemo-->
Advanced weapons and equipment:
Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) - You know that LMG you picked on when it was in highschool? Well, it's been taking steroids and has a massive chip on it's shoulder. Say hello to the double-barreled pain machine known as the heavy machine gun. It has a clip of 150 rounds, does 20 damage per shot, and has an exceedingly high rate of fire. Good against Onos and Fade, and absolutely shreds Lerk, Gorge, and Skulk. Soldiers equipped with this weapon walk slower than normal, due to it's weight.
Grenade Launcher (grengun) - Kills Hives Dead?. Fires grenades that bounce off of walls and teammates, and explode on impact with aliens or their structures. Don't hand this out to every Tom, Mike, and Harry that asks, but don't be stingy either. Good for a last stand against an Onos.
Heavy Armor (HA) - Adds 200 armor points to any marine wearing it, and absorbs 95% of all damage. Soldiers wearing this armor are slower than normal. Cannot be used with the jetpack.
Jetpack - Lets marines fly for limited periods, and increases their movement speed. Don't give into the demands of the llamas who demand a jetpack all the time; Give them one, and only one. If they die too easily, don't waste the resources.
Misc:
Scanner Sweep - Uncloaks aliens within it's area of effect, reveals aliens on your view. Think of it as similar to the spy plane from Red Alert.
Motion Tracking - Research upgrade for the Observatory. Tracks moving aliens within the Observatory's range, and draws a circle on both your HUD and each marine's HUD. This circle gets smaller and larger according to distance. Aliens are not tracked when they stop moving.
Woo, there's quite a post. Hope you understand it.
Edit: <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=20&t=8501&s=' target='_blank'>Here's a rather good guide you might want to read, too.</a>
First you wanna get in the console, power it up, and look over your stuff. I suggest you do have some keys hotkeyed, it helps a bunch.
Anywho, on a game start, get an infantry portal up, turret factory, some sentries. You have your basic base now. Then make an armory. So now your marines are waiting for something to do if they haven;t gone out already.
From now on you can do, anything! I suggest either securing another resource base, or securing their 3rd hive. The best way to learn is by experience! Make respond to their requests when possible and resupply marines when they go to battle.
Good luck, commander.
Edit:
one more question... how do i research stuff?
Edit:
one more question... how do i research stuff?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Jetpacks and HA require the prototype lab to upgrade. (click on the prototype lab and select the weapon you want to research.)
You also need a weapons factory (or whatever its called in the advanced building) and you just click it as well, it will reasearch weapons 1,2,3 and armor 1,2,3.
Hint: Place Siege Turrets At Most Of Your Bases. This keeps the enemy from building for a good area around. It can kill Gorges(or anything else nearby the structure being owned.) and keep them from Raping your Bases with Offensive Towers. Not to mention they have a HUGE range...Enough bases and you can effectively keep them from building outside a hive. (If they can't build inside their hive it's already over.)