Marines, Don't Wander Off!
Turtle
Join Date: 2002-10-18 Member: 1540Members
Join Date: 2002-10-18 Member: 1540Members
As the title says, don't wander off when the match starts or after you complete and order, there are several reasons for this.
Most matches begin with a rush by the aliens. Wandering off not only leaves your team mates short handed at base, it also means that you are out there alone with almost the entire alien team bearing down on you. Even if you go in a group, you're still going to fight a lot of aliens and most likely you won't survive. Since it's early in the game, your team might not have the spawn gates up as they're dealing with a rush.
Sure, you may think you're being clever by rushing out to take an alien hive early, but you don't know which hive is taken, and you may end up walking into the middle of their spawn area as skulk food. Should you actually arrive at an empty hive area (assuming that the marine base isn't completely overrun since you left it defenseless) the commander has already dedicated precious resources elsewhere. No decent commander would ever place structures to build where there is only one marine to build, unless it was important or he had res to throw away, it's too easy for a skulk to sneak up and destroy everything.
The same goes for wandering off to get resource nozzles.
If you die while in the middle of something, take the time to do a quick request for new orders after you respawn, if the commander doesn't respond after a few seconds, go and try to resume your task. Often times a commander wants to dedicate manpower to places other than where you were at. This means that he'll let certain rooms fall to alien control, if only to place himself at the doorstep of another important room. This simple request for new orders means that you won't be caught fighting a one man war in a room that the commander has already abandoned. I guess in general, request new orders every time you spawn.
Never wander off after you've been given equipment. A commander is giving you those items for a purpose, and often times he will be outfitting other marines in base. I've seen too many assaults ruined because someone decided to run off along after getting his shiney new HA and HMG. This situation often occurs mid game right after the marines have tenouosly secured one of the hives, and the commander starts working on upgrades and giving out equipment for the assault on the second hive. This is also the reason why many marines simply lose after getting one hive.
Also along those lines, if you get an order in base while waiting for equipment, go follow those orders. Don't whine, don't ask, just follow those orders. It's most likely that the commander needs some inexpensive manpower in an area quickly, most likely he's trying to secure a resource nozzle to pay for those weapons you're whining about. If you're good, the commander will take notice and will reward you with equipment. I had one commander practically shower equipment, health, and ammo on me after I helped save a few rooms while the rest of the team was ignoring orders and whining for equipment in base.
They key point here is that the commander's strategy will always differ from what your strategy is. Even a mediocre commander with a sound strategy can still win a map if you follow his orders. However, you have to make yourself accessable to the commander, he can't give you orders to go to an important area unless he knows where you are, and since he has to focus his attention on strategic areas, he's less likely to notice you if you're off alone.
Most matches begin with a rush by the aliens. Wandering off not only leaves your team mates short handed at base, it also means that you are out there alone with almost the entire alien team bearing down on you. Even if you go in a group, you're still going to fight a lot of aliens and most likely you won't survive. Since it's early in the game, your team might not have the spawn gates up as they're dealing with a rush.
Sure, you may think you're being clever by rushing out to take an alien hive early, but you don't know which hive is taken, and you may end up walking into the middle of their spawn area as skulk food. Should you actually arrive at an empty hive area (assuming that the marine base isn't completely overrun since you left it defenseless) the commander has already dedicated precious resources elsewhere. No decent commander would ever place structures to build where there is only one marine to build, unless it was important or he had res to throw away, it's too easy for a skulk to sneak up and destroy everything.
The same goes for wandering off to get resource nozzles.
If you die while in the middle of something, take the time to do a quick request for new orders after you respawn, if the commander doesn't respond after a few seconds, go and try to resume your task. Often times a commander wants to dedicate manpower to places other than where you were at. This means that he'll let certain rooms fall to alien control, if only to place himself at the doorstep of another important room. This simple request for new orders means that you won't be caught fighting a one man war in a room that the commander has already abandoned. I guess in general, request new orders every time you spawn.
Never wander off after you've been given equipment. A commander is giving you those items for a purpose, and often times he will be outfitting other marines in base. I've seen too many assaults ruined because someone decided to run off along after getting his shiney new HA and HMG. This situation often occurs mid game right after the marines have tenouosly secured one of the hives, and the commander starts working on upgrades and giving out equipment for the assault on the second hive. This is also the reason why many marines simply lose after getting one hive.
Also along those lines, if you get an order in base while waiting for equipment, go follow those orders. Don't whine, don't ask, just follow those orders. It's most likely that the commander needs some inexpensive manpower in an area quickly, most likely he's trying to secure a resource nozzle to pay for those weapons you're whining about. If you're good, the commander will take notice and will reward you with equipment. I had one commander practically shower equipment, health, and ammo on me after I helped save a few rooms while the rest of the team was ignoring orders and whining for equipment in base.
They key point here is that the commander's strategy will always differ from what your strategy is. Even a mediocre commander with a sound strategy can still win a map if you follow his orders. However, you have to make yourself accessable to the commander, he can't give you orders to go to an important area unless he knows where you are, and since he has to focus his attention on strategic areas, he's less likely to notice you if you're off alone.
Comments
Excellent post, sir.
There, that's the reader's digest version.
Stay together...move as a group...let the commander know what your doing...or wait for orders. Please try and do the later though...
Whenever a marine team loses, they ALWAYS blame it on the commander, when most of the time its the idiot marines that absolutely refuse to take orders, only, of course, if you tell them to become rambo and walk into the enemy base(seems like the only order they can follow). A lot of them like doing that.... <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
Im in a game as comm. I started as there commander and i can safely say i did a good job....good placement we secured a hive and some res - didnt loose one building/skirmish.
One problem THE FECKING DUMB GRUNTS KEPT RAMBOING.....
All my work was done by 1-3 marines on a team of 8!! -- oh once a heady moment when 4 marines stayed put to build.
I start researching and tell them to group on the captured hive to get guns and then go get a 2nd hive...ONLY EVERYTIME I DROP SOMETHING that marine just runs off and leaves...of course dying.
Soon as the third party i equipped with HA and HMG went off and attacked solo i just gave up.
My voice hoarse from shouting "STAY TOEGTHER" i joined aliens.
My final score 37-1 <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->:D:D
Got the whole thing on demo if any1 is interested - im gonna watch it again and larf...
They were a bit more defensive in the next round after that <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Oh and I want to see that demo!
Guess what happens.
Yes, they head right into the first rush of skulks, get teared apart, and when i have to run down to build the portals myself, I get shredded myself.
Im no "delux" commander but its stupid that 9 marines shall rush out like that.
But I find that showing a little initiative is usually almost required. Excellent commanders may be able to set waypoints for every man and give instructions to every marine, but I've found that most commanders are a little too busy for this. So if everything looks tight (using eclipse as an example), I'll go over and hold station access alpha for a bit so that we can secure it. Hell, sometimes early in the map I'll notice that the aliens ain't coming from eclipse command and try to grab a couple of teammates' (or the commander's) attention so we can grab that.
But I think there's a big difference between that and rushing as far deep into the alien base as you can on your own. I've played a lot of FPS and can do some damage that way a good deal of the time, but regardless of how effective it is for a particular player, it's a bad idea, and generally feels kind of rude. Because even if you're really good and can kill a lot of aliens, your talents are probably better spent securing areas with your teammates building, or even on an organized hive grab.
Knowing where the enemy is as soon as possible tells you where it is wise to expand and which hives to push toward immediately.
Sometimes you can tell where they are by which direction that initial rush comes from, since most take the most direct route to the marine base.
Also, those initial expereinced marines out scouting can throw up resource nodes and turret factories in a hive VERY soon. On Eclipse for example, if 2 marines go to that hive right from the start, while the rest build at the baes, they can get a resource node up, turret factory, and lock down the hive + secure resources in one quick motion. Then immediately push toward the second hive.
I've seen this employed very well on Eclipse particularly, where the marines do not have many resource sites, but they do manage to secure 2 hives very quickly and have phase gates going to both of them. Most of the marine resources go into defense, and all of them run around with LMGs, but 90% of the aliens they are fighting are skulks, so it is actually ok.
As upgrades slowly SLOWLY trickle in, the marines get better and better at killing those skulks, particularly when motion tracking comes in and the 'rines get ESP about where they are coming from.
Aliens usually don't have much of a chance, since the marines only have like 3 bases, and all have a lot of turrets, phase gates, and marines all over them. You don't have many choices on where to attack, even if you control every other resource site on the map. It really is only a matter of time if the marines can secure 2 hives very quickly.
And a couple rushing marines in the very beginning can cut 5-10 minutes off the time to secure a hive.
But this doesn't apply to retards running about who are not working toward that goal, can't shoot for **obscenity**, and don't know what they are doing.
Those people should stay at base and kill that first rush.
I also have headphones and use sound a lot. Unless the aliens build a movement chamber before they build their first resource tower (read: ain't gonna happen), you can know if there's a skulk in the hallway long before one shows up. Be hidden and have your gun pointed at the appopriate entrance (ready to adjust for height), and you can take out even a pair of skulks without a wound.
I find that there is a little trick that's very helpful for a marine building alone, something that I always use. Whenever I'm building something, I first jump on top of it and crouch, moving my view so that I'm looking as forward as I can. Skulks who come around a corner attacking never hit me in their first bite, as I jump and pull my gun as soon as I see them, and so even if they jump they aren't in reach to hit me (if they are on the ground). If there are turrets around you can even jump from structure to structure and let the skulk take the turret fire instead of hitting you, as your health is a lot more valuable if you are alone building a site as opposed to a few bites on a turret.
I also talk to the comm a lot. If a commander gets to know that he can trust you and that you aren't prone to doing stupid crazy things, he usually tends to listen to you a bit more. That's one of the reason I prefer to be a marine as long as there is someone else who can command in the area; that way I know there's at least one of us listening to the comm and focusing on these sorts of things.
Whoever said the Light Machine Gun was useless anyways? Its a great weapon and seeming when I use it, the spray cone doesn't widen as much as the Heavy Machine Gun, so it remains fairly accurate for me over long distances. The Heavy Machine Gun can be used to deliver a lot of damage in a short amount of time and is definitely a superior weapon in terms of endurance and power than the Light Machine Gun. But if you <b>don't</b> have it you need to make do. Ammunition is the least of your problems, especially if you're moving with a squad, but its nice having at least one or two more extra clips for caution's sake. Always conserve your ammunition if you can, don't expect enemy Skulks to make a beeline towards you, some will but expect them to strafe, wisely use your bullets and sell the corpse to a taxidermist.
Yes, I've mentioned this in another thread. Your hearing abilities weigh heavily in this game, hearing the Skulks moving into ambush position or for a swarm attack is very useful in tipping off your teammates to brace for an attack. I've found that its not so much the dying that bothers Marine players, but the fact that they have been caught by surprise. Always keep an ear out for nearby aliens, warn your squad if you are with one (I highly recommend to be in small tactical groups) and move towards the sound to investigate. You may or may not die, but your squad is warned and ready for aliens, reducing the chance for them to launch a nasty surprise attack on your current position.
The commander isn't always a good commander, but that's what friendly advice is for, if you insult your commander, chances are, you're not going to get the weapons and armor you want. If you enjoy leading (see various NCO posts), the leaders usually get what they want if they can perform. Voicecom is very important for a commander to have, in most cases the commander won't have time to type out the whole situation, teamwork is the key to victory.
I've been random teamed into playing Kharaa <i>a lot</i> recently, and my Comm skills have been getting rusty. So I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about sitting in the big chair on Caged. I get my base set up (I'm not one for completely abandoning a perfectly good start location) and give my marines a waypoint to Sewer, planning on having them weld up vents and take the resource spot on the way to the hive.
Half of my team decides it's a much better idea to head to Generator, and do so.
Realizing I'm in for a <u>long</u> game, I figure if I can't get them to go where I want at least I can take advantage of the fact they're in a group. While trying to do the same at Sewer (where I only have 1 marine) I get them to set up the resource point near Generator, and then set up a TF inside the hive itself. Of the 3 marines that went in to Generator, only one stays behind to finish building the TF and a pair of turrets. The other two decide it's a great idea to immediately wander off to the center of the map, and I think they got eaten soon afterwards.
At that point, the Kharaa point out that due to people coming in and leaving, it's now 6 on 3. Glad to be rid of this squad of marines, I immediately F4 and join the aliens. Knowing that there is only a token turret presence in Generator, I head there hoping to retake the hive location. And you know what I see when I finally get there?
A marine, sitting on top of the TF. Right where I left him when I abandoned command.
My first run a the TF was a failure, but I managed to parasite the marine before dying. And when I come back, he's still there. This time I take him down but I think to myself how different it could have been if I had started with an entire squad of marines like this.
Me: Ok men, hold up here until we have a group, then follow me and we'll take that hive ...
(three marines spawn and all run off in three different directions ... sounds of shots, dying screams ...
Me: ... or not ...
*sigh* <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->