Being A Commander

<div class="IPBDescription">Some of my opinions</div> Well, I know there's more threads about how to be a good comm out there but I'm gonna write this one. I wont be saying strict rules or build orders, just the general idea and tips.

First off, I know a lot of ppl complain the spacebar thing doesnt work. Well it's because almost everybody has jump on mouse2, and mouse2 is already used for waypoints, so it wont work to jump to events. Simply bind another key to +jump. Do this by opening the console (press ` or ~) and then typing bind key +jump (for example bind j +jump). Another way of doing it is just going to controls, and then selecting a second key for jump. You might have to restart NS before it will work for CC. Now when in CC and you get an event (base under attack, soldier needs ammo, soldier needs health, ect) you just hit your key and it will jump to the event.

I've played commander fairly often, out of all the times where I was commander from the beginning, we only lost once.

Here it goes. First off, build your infantry portals at a safe place. Usually the CC is on a higher place (which can be reached with a ladder or elevator usually), build the infantry portals there if it's a safe place, they are very important. Same goes for tfac, know the range on the tfac, and build it at a place so they wont be able to see it, or so that it is hard to reach. For example, on ns_caged you can place the tfac next to the CC and still cover most of the marine base with it, and it'll be a lot harder to reach that way. In other case you could place it somewhere else where it's hard to reach. For example in ns_eclipse you could place the tfac next to the resource node. (at the opposite side of the resource tower then the CC is, but still in the lowered part) It will make it a little harder to hit, and onos will have a hard time charging it (of course when aliens have onos it's prolly over anyway).

After that, build up however you want to, I prefer to build an armory and one or two turrets. Try to get your marines to go out and claim nodes for you, most good players will know the map and go out to get resources for you. You can sometimes claim a more hidden node without having to defend it, if you can keep it for a while without the aliens finding it then it paid off on it's own. But very very importantly, claim a hive. Almost every map has a resource node in a hive, so it's very much worth defending (you protect a node and a hive at the same time). Never, ever, skip claiming a hive for something else. It's a simple fact, if the aliens get 3 hives, you will most likely lose. What you want to do is hold a hive for long enough to do all the research. If you can last untill HA and HMG's you're doing great. Now you have HA and HMG vs fades (odds are in favor of marines now, certainly if they do teamwork). I think the best way to go as humans is to get one hive and keep it untill you are stronger then the aliens (which happens when you have HA and HMG). If you let them get 3 hives but still get HA and HMG it's prolly gonna be hard because onos hurts bad. A charging onos with carapace who gets the jump on marines (I know it's hard to believe an onos catching marines by surprise, but cloak does wonders =p) could kill several at once.

Now I'm gonna discuss a few things about your bases.

Place your turrets right. I cant believe how many times I see a tfac being placed in the corner... IMO building a tfac in a corner is stupid, because a skulk can dodge turrets and just get behind the tfac and destroy it safely. Rather build the tfac in the back if possible, but make sure you can build turrets around it so you cant stand anywhere and at least be seen by one turret. When playing alien and I find an enemy base, and I'm skulk or lerk, I will try to get behind the tfac and see if there are any weak spots to it. If I'm not one of those 2 classes, I might try to take the tfac out from range (as fade), or come back to it as skulk after I die. I lost count of how many bases (not main bases, more like a bad second base or resource defense) I have taken out solo simply because the tfac and sentries were so poorly placed I could get behind the tfac and kill it. A lerk can still take out the turrets guarding it and destroy the tfac, or use umbra and take out the tfac, but that requires more skill then most aliens have right now.

Use siege cannons!! They rock, except for the bug where they do almost no dmg.... I play alien a lot and I can tell you, siege cannons are incredibly annoying. Aliens have a harder time harassing your base when there's siege in it. They cant build forward offense chambers and defense chambers to fall back to when low on health. So they'd either have to run back more to be able to heal, or they'd have to get regeneration instead of carapace. (And regeneration is sloooooow, and no carapace is definitely an advantage)

Use phase gates. I cant believe how many comms just dont use them. Again, as alien, there is no base I hate more then one with well placed turrets (no vunerable spot from where I can take out tfac), that has siege cannons (no nearby regen), and have a phase gate (even one annoying marine can stop a solo assault on a base). One alien can take out a second base or resource defense solo if given time. So build phase gates, CERTAINLY in the hive you're defending. Marines can not only use them to transport to the action very easily, but it's great for defense, and the newbies on your team who dont know the map will prolly take it to get closer to action faster. (Which means they will be around your hive base, which is a good thing, if they go deathmatch there, at least they kill potential threats to your hive base). Anyone who played aliens a lot knows that the phase gate is the biggest priority when taking out an enemy base. (Turrets have weaknesses, are static, have a max range, ect, marines on the other hand will not stand around while you shoot from out of range =p).

Ok that's about all I have to say about bases right now. Use common sense with bases.

A last thing I'm going to discuss is managing your troops. I hear a lot of commanders complain it's too hard to keep up with giving marines weapons, healing them, giving ammo, ect all at the same time. First of all, a microphone REALLY helps there, it's so much easier to talk then to type. If you have good troops they will follow orders and things work out great. Another thing that really helps at being a good commander is RTS game experience. Most RTS games require you to do a great deal of micromanagement and fast reactions. In a RTS game you need to be able to manage your base, your units, ect all at once. Where in a RTS game you build buildings, here you set blueprints for them. In RTS games you order troops to attack enemies nearby and use their special skills (here your troops will shoot at the enemy by themselves, I would hope =p), in NS you keep them in ammo and in health. When your base is under attack in a RTS you order troops to go home to defend, here you use your microphone (or chat) to get marines to come back. Also, use hotkeys. You can set them in the controls section. Hotkeys only work when you have the right pannel open, so you cant use the health hotkey without the equipment pannel open for example. IMO the most important binds are health, ammo, HMG, HA, welder, GL, ping (whatever it is actually called, it's great for scouting for your marines or for uncovering cloaked enemies).

What I usually do when I'm comm is keep track of my troops. Usually I'll see some whiners who want weapons all the time and wont leave the base untill they do, well, at some point give them a weapon (and armor if appliancable) and keep track of them. If you see them go on a solo hunt and die 1 min later, and start whining for a weapon again after they respawn, tell them too bad. If you go off solo to need new gear every minute, too bad, you aint getting it. (Unless you have a ton of resources and can spare to fund his suicide missions, then just give it so maybe he'll do something usefull some time) They'll prolly get bitchy and start insulting you, just tell them too bad, learn to use it better. Hopefully a new patch will be in soon that makes voting a commander out harder, so that n00b whiner cant do anything about it.

Now there is also the opposite of those noob whiners. They are the better players, who stick in a small team (for example 2 HA/HMG and one HA/GL, all with welders). Those are usually a blessing to your team. They will follow orders, they will live long, and they will accomplish things. Usually during a game I have one small squad that stick together. I am following that group all the time. If someone needs something in base I use the minimap quick to supply them (if they are worthy of getting it and if resources permit), if someone needs health I will give it (as long as I can find them, or if they use the special menu for it so I can jump to them), ect, just keep track of it all, and use the minimap often. So 95% of the time I'm watching my squad, and I will monitor their health closely, whenever it's dropping I will give them health without them having to request it, I will give them ammo every now and then (or upon request) to keep them going. And they will weld each other in between fights (and with HA, which absorbs 95% of the damage they take, they wont lose much health, all it takes is welding and occasional heals). Here hotkeys come in very handy to quickly drop health when needed, or to spam ammo on the ground for a GL guy (coz it takes a ton of ammo to get them back to full). Soon those newbies will notice that there's one group of guys who gets everything on request, who will constantly be healed, and generally almost never die and get a lot of praise. Hopefully, at some point those newbies will realize that those players get armor and weapons before anyone else in the team, and that I will take better care of them. So maybe those newbies will start hanging out with the group, or make their own group, and if they do, they will get the same treatment as those good players. Even if they are really bad at the game, as long as they do good teamplay, they are worth my effort to keep them alive and going (And if the hang out with the rest of the group, they shouldnt die much and at least provide some support for them).

Last thing I wish to discuss. Upgrades. Remeber to upgrade. Upgrade weapons and armor and the arms lab, but dont forget motion trackers at observatory. Motions trackers are awsome...

Well, good luck being a commander. Sorry if my post has spelling/gramatical errors, the TV was on while I was typing this and my mind drifted off more then once during it. =p I hope this guide helps. Feel free to criticize (I dont mind negative critics, as long as it's no flaming or in an insulting way) or correct me if I am wrong about something.

-Tempest