Meta-Guide to Competetive NS

<div class="IPBDescription">Never a better time!</div><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Last updated: 11/20/07<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Why am I writing this?<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
I jealously horde and collect all information and store it in my vast and mighty brain cavity. While I do not have mad skills, I am very adept at over-complicating things and I'm told I'm severely pedantic. This is a good combination for someone to have if they're writing a tutorial. By the way, to be pedantic means to have a teaching nature.

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Who is this guide for?<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Anyone who is interested in being as good as they can be at Natural Selection. This includes most people that want to get into competitive NS. The scene is dwindling but it's still one of the most fun games out there, so try it if you haven't and get back in if you're out. Even if you are already very experienced you might find a few things you didn't know. A lot of this information can be applied to other games as well, especially the software/tweak parts.

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Why is it called a Meta-Guide<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Because it ties together other available guides and fills in the gaps between them while adding everything I haven't seen elsewhere. It also sounds cool.

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->What is Competitive NS?<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
People organize into teams, or "clans". The games are 6v6 classic or 3v3 combat and are two rounds each--one round as alien, the other as marine. Practice games are called "scrims" and real games are called "matches". Games with random teams are "pickup games" or "pugs". Someone who plays for your team but isn't on your team is a "ringer" or "merc". The pace is <i>much</i> faster and more organized than public games or "pubs". If you want to take your NS to the next skill level, this is the thing for you.

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->How to use this guide?<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Do not just read this guide and assume your game will get better. Take each lesson and make a conscious effort to apply it to your game. Also remember that I am a post away from your questions and comments. If something is confusing or helpful, please let me know.


<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->. Preparation
.:: Hardware
.:: Software
.:: Configuration
.:: Customization

. Skills
.:: Listening
.:: Moving
.:: Aiming
.:: Baiting
.:: Ambushing
.:: Terrain

. Clans
.:: Tactics & Strategy
.:: Drills

. Leagues
.:: Joining
.:: Atmosphere

. Tips
.:: General
.:: Marine
.:: Alien<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->



<b><!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Preparation<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Hardware<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
<u>Headset</u>
Communication and listening are essential. Get a good pair of headphones and a microphone. A friend, using a cheap headset, could never understand what I meant when I told him to listen for skulks and was always getting rushed from behind. He bought a 70 dollar headset (Wahh!!) and played for about 1 minute before turning to me and saying "It's like a totally different game." He was also a lot harder to sneak up on. I use a 25$ headset and it works great. It helps if it covers the ear and is comfortable for 12+ hours.

<u>Mouse</u>
A good, optical, scroll-wheel mouse with 1600+ DPI is only around 20$. DPI stands for Dots Per Inch and it's a measurement of how many dots per inch of surface the mouse can detect. The higher the DPI the higher the accuracy, smoothness and sensitivity is. Some say that you only want high DPI if you use a high in-game sensitivity, and a low DPI if you use low in-game sensitivity. All I can vouch for is what I've experienced myself. When I went from an 800 DPI to a 1600 DPI mouse, the movement felt a lot more fluid, but it was also more sensitive. It also didn't lock up when I moved it very quickly, but this may be because I patched my USB refresh rate (more on this later). I would advise against buying a "gamer" mouse because they're usually just over-priced and tout features that sound good but translate poorly into actual in-game ownage experience. One good feature though is a mouse that actually uses a laser and not an LED light. They can usually be used on all types of surfaces, like a flat desk, which comes in handy when you don't want to buy a big mouse pad.

<u>Mouse pad</u>
Some suggest playing with a very low sensitivity, but it's entirely personal preference. Having a big mouse pad is more important if you have low sensitivity and use your arm to move the mouse and not your wrist. The majority of the time a medium-sized cloth mouse pad is fine and I would suggest against buying a gigantic "gamer" mouse pad unless you're rich.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Software<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
<u><a href="http://www.ventrilo.com/" target="_blank">Ventrilo (Vent)</a> or <a href="http://www.goteamspeak.com/" target="_blank">Teamspeak (TS)</a></u>
In-game voice sounds like crap on match servers and most pubs. Ventrilo and Teamspeak use more bandwidth and better quality encoding so you can actually understand what people are saying most of the time--unless they're raging. You can record conversations with Ventrilo (and maybe Teamspeak) which is especially useful if someone says something embarrassing, because you can make a clever YTMND with the sound clip.
<a href="http://www.ventrilo.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ventrilo.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.goteamspeak.com/" target="_blank">http://www.goteamspeak.com/</a>

Sometimes it's hard to tell who is talking, and it's not possible to alt+tab and see who's in the channel with you, so there's this nifty plug-in that will overlay that information on the screen for you. Check it out:
<a href="http://www.voice-overlay.info.ms/" target="_blank">http://www.voice-overlay.info.ms/</a>

<u><a href="http://www.majorgeeks.com/Gamma_Panel_d2796.html" target="_blank">Gamma Panel</a></u>
NS maps are dark. Aiming is easier when it's not dark. Gamma Panel is a small utility that allows you to setup brightness profiles so you can easily switch from bright to normal with some keys. Load it up before NS and configure your profiles and turn it on when you game. I use ctrl+alt+shift+b for bright, and ctrl+alt+shift+n for normal. Give the profiles cool names like "Shazam!" or "Flame on!". This program is also helpful if your monitor is just dark. My girlfriend's monitor is super dark so I just keep this running with the gamma slightly bumped up and it works great. You'll also want to tweak your gamma in-game, which is in most scripts, including mine and the ones in <a href="http://www.ninelegends.com/files/index.php?dir=Custom/Natural%20Selection/Packs/&file=nL.ns_pack_v14.rar" target="_blank">nL Hack Pack v1.4</a> (see Preparation: Client Customization).
<a href="http://www.majorgeeks.com/Gamma_Panel_d2796.html" target="_blank">http://www.majorgeeks.com/Gamma_Panel_d2796.html</a>

<u>Video Card Gamma</u>
Instead of using Gamma Panel, if you use a decent video card you can usually turn up the gamma in the software that comes with it.

<u>USB Refresh Rates</u>
For some strange reason, the PS2 drivers in Windows allow you to change the refresh or polling rates for your hardware, but with USB it's locked at 125Hz. ONLY 125Hz!! That's such a small number compared to 1000Hz! Download the link and read the documentation. It's not necessarily "bigger is better", start with 250Hz and play around with it. The higher the Hz, the smoother the movement is. You'll also have to adjust your in-game sensitivity. If your mouse locks up when you move it very fast, try using 250Hz+ and see if that fixes the problem.
<a href="http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/USB_Mouserate_Switcher/1105183690/1" target="_blank">http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/USB_M...er/1105183690/1</a>

x64 Users use this:
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/64+bit+USB+Mouserate+Switcher/;6488313;;/fileinfo.html" target="_blank">http://files.filefront.com/64+bit+USB+Mous...;/fileinfo.html</a>

<u>Mouse Acceleration</u>
Windows has this thing called Mouse Acceleration, which makes your cursor movement horribly inconsistent. The longer you move it quickly the faster it goes. It works OK for navigating around an OS but for games you want consistent cursor movement. If you disable it your cursor will always move at the same speed. If you're already used to it being on (or you've never heard of it), try disabling it and playing for a few days and see if you like it. In my opinion, it's simpler to track if your movement is consistent. To turn it off for all of Windows, use this:
<a href="http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t405363.html" target="_blank">http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/in...hp/t405363.html</a>

Alternatively you can turn mouse acceleration off for just NS by adding this to your NS launch properties in Steam:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->-noforcemparms -noforcemaccel -noforcemspd<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

For more information on mouse configuration:
<a href="http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/29319/" target="_blank">http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/29319/</a>

<u>V-Sync</u>
V-Sync enabled will limit your fps to the refresh rate of your monitor. Most monitors are at 60Hz by default so that means 60 fps. You want to run at 100 fps because it makes game play smoother and makes bunny hopping easier. Under 70 fps and bunny hopping is difficult. If have a good monitor, you can sometimes configure the monitor to go at 100Hz by going to:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Control Panel -> Display -> Monitor<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

If your monitor can't handle a higher refresh rate, don't force it. It may damage your monitor or your eyes but if your monitor can handle 100Hz (should say on the monitor somewhere) but Windows wont let you change it for whatever reason, check out this program which allows you to force the refresh rate:
<a href="http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rl/" target="_blank">http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rl/</a>

If possible, you want to boost the refresh rate to boost the max fps, but if that's not possible, disable the v-sync in your video card. This will allow you to hit your ideal fps of 100 but may have some tearing. ATI and NVIDIA cards come with control panels and you can change it in there. Usually there's a slider or something saying "Let the application decide". Uncheck that box and force it to off. If you want to reduce the tearing at a slight increase in latency, enable triple buffering. For a detailed explanation of how this works, check out:
<a href="http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?p=1332846133" target="_blank">http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?p=1332846133</a>

You can read some interesting and little known information about how FPS affects weapon speed:
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=97790" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....showtopic=97790</a>

<u><b>I</b>nternet <b>R</b>elay <b>C</b>hat (IRC)</u>
The majority of scrims are organized on IRC, all leagues and most clans have IRC channels. This means you need to have an IRC client if you don't already have one. IRC is just a protocol and there are many different servers to chose from, but there are only two servers that the leagues use as of now. ANSL/NS Dojo channels are on <b>irc.gamesurge.net</b> and ENSL is on <b>irc.quakenet.org</b>. The interesting channels on irc.gamesurge.net are:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->#findnsscrim - For finding scrims
#ansl - Official ANSL channel
#nsdojo - Official NS Dojo channel<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

For a guide to ENSL IRC there's one at the ENSL web-page:
<a href="http://ensl.zanith.nl/index.php?view=newplayer" target="_blank">http://ensl.zanith.nl/index.php?view=newplayer</a>

Another good guide is at NSLearn:
<a href="http://nslearn.readyroom.org/?doc=irc.php" target="_blank">http://nslearn.readyroom.org/?doc=irc.php</a>

There lots of IRC clients, but the main one is <a href="http://www.mirc.com/" target="_blank">mIRC</a> and the one I use is <a href="http://www.silverex.org/download/" target="_blank">X-Chat</a>.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Configuration<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
<u>Resolution</u>
Smaller resolutions like 800x600 are easy on the video card, and easy on the eyes because things are bigger and easier to hit. Some find tracking easier at higher resolutions, but this can be more difficult for older computers. Also, the lower the resolution, the more likely your monitor can support a high refresh rate. My monitor can only do 100Hz at 800x600. Try 800x600 and higher resolutions for a few days or a week to see what you are most comfortable with. It also helps to only have 16 bit color because it makes cloaked aliens easier to see.

<u>Render Mode</u>
One way to boost performance is to change your rendering mode, which is stored as the variable gl_texturemode. The different values for gl_texturemode from fastest/lowest quality to slowest/best quality:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->gl_nearest
gl_linear
gl_nearest_mipmap_nearest
gl_linear_mipmap_nearest
gl_nearest_mipmap_linear
gl_linear_mipmap_linear<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

So for the fastest rendering mode, use this:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->gl_texturemode gl_nearest<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Customization<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
<u><a href="http://www.ninelegends.com/files/index.php?dir=Custom/Natural%20Selection/Packs/&file=nL.ns_pack_v14.rar" target="_blank">nL Hackpack v1.4</a></u>
This thing has just about everything you'll need, except the newer versions don't have the cool installer with the awesome MIDI music, so you'll just have to deal with boring old files. It has custom crosshairs, HUD replacements, small fonts, removal of ambient noises and good example scripts. Download it and check it out--everyone else has, and you want everyone else to think you're cool too, right?
<a href="http://www.ninelegends.com/files/index.php?dir=Custom/Natural%20Selection/Packs/&file=nL.ns_pack_v14.rar" target="_blank">http://www.ninelegends.com/files/index.php...ns_pack_v14.rar</a>

For more information on the pack, check out their site:
<a href="http://www.ninelegends.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ninelegends.com/</a>

I added two custom crosshairs to the nL Hack Pack that are purple, and you can get the modified file here:
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/tek+crosshairsrar/;8195887;/fileinfo.html" target="_blank">http://files.filefront.com/tek+crosshairsr...;/fileinfo.html</a>

You can find other good customization websites here:
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=97626" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....showtopic=97626</a>

<u>Scripts</u>
For some reason calling it "scritping" makes it one step away from being "hacking" but it's all just custom configurations. Instead of calling it "scripting" call it "custom binds" and feel the difference it makes. The majority of the FUD surrounding scripting is because so many people don't understand it. <b>I used to be one of these people.</b> Every time I was killed because someone was unimaginably skilled, I would assume it was some mysterious "script" that lent them their powers. When I finally saw a few scripts I laughed to myself because they were a lot simpler and less powerful than I imagined.

Whenever you get someone else's configs or "scripts" do not just copy them to your NS directory and go. Look over each line and make sure you understand it. Change it a little here and there--make it yours. Take time to look through other people's scripts and look for good ideas. Some things are personal preference, like which button is your in-game voice, or Ventrilo talk button, etc. but some are quite helpful like using mouse2 for +movement and mwheelup and mwheeldown for +jump. Here are my configs. They are more complex than most (not necessarily better), so strip out what you don't like and keep what you do.
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/tek+scriptsrar/;8176638;/fileinfo.html" target="_blank">http://files.filefront.com/tek+scriptsrar/...;/fileinfo.html</a>

When you toggle out of console, the client releases all +aliases (by calling the -alias), so that means if you have the generic pistol script, your weapon will fire whenever you go out of the console. I do some tricky stuff to unbind everything and rebind it all whenever I toggle out of console so I don't have that problem.

The medpack and ammo request keys attempt to drop ammo and meds, and cl_showspeed 1 is on but sv_cheats 1 is required for either to actually work. Having cl_showspeed 1 on is an easy way to be able to quickly identify if the server has cheats on.

Depending on your ping, there are different rate configurations you can use. There's a low, medium, high and LAN. For ~30 ping, use low, for ~60 ping use medium and ~90 ping use high. LAN games, of course, should use LAN. This is how:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->exec rates-medium.cfg<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

A healthy understanding of rates and net code is good for your brain meats, and sometimes you have to tweak your rates manually. For more information read these:
<a href="http://www.readyroom.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=184&pid=1768&st=0?entry1768" target="_blank">http://www.readyroom.org/forums/index.php?...?entry1768</a>
<a href="http://ensl.zanith.nl/index.php?view=articles/rates" target="_blank">http://ensl.zanith.nl/index.php?view=articles/rates</a>
<a href="http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/30057/" target="_blank">http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/30057/</a>

One annoying thing you should be aware of is that the console key wont work on mp_blockscripts 1 servers. Press F11, which is my backup toggleconsole key, and run this code, then press <i>escape</i> (not tilde):
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->exec noscripts.cfg<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

You should also keep in mind that my scripts change weekly, and I might not update this guide every time I change them.




<b><!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Skills<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Listening<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Never ignore your ears. Love them. Tell them how much you missed them when you wake up in the morning or if you were wearing ear-muffs. Use them almost as much as your eyes. They will tell you where the marine/skulk is coming from. You should never get jumped from behind without firing off a shot, yet this is a common occurrence on many public servers. Many new players are overwhelmed by the complexity of NS and they get tunnel vision--they're only aware of a small part of what they're seeing. Be aware of this if you do it sometimes. Every time you round a corner, go through a door, spawn, etc. ask yourself "Am I listening?" until it is second nature.

It may also help to max out your in-game volume, which can be done in the Options menu or in console, like so:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->volume 1<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Moving<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
It takes ~5 seconds to tell if someone is pro just by their movement. Bunny hopping is essential and everything else is important. If you are not experienced with the HL1 engine, don't be frustrated if these skills do not come overnight. Many people will tell you that they spent months to really perfect bunny hopping, and you're doing well if you can do it in one day. With NS movement in particular, because of all the life forms, perfecting movement skills can take years.

<u>Download Maps</u>
A good map to practice movement techniques is ns_bhop. It has long hallways, big stairs to practice marine bunny hop, and other fun ways to test your skill. There are other fun jump maps as well like ze_marinebhop or any other map with "jump" or "climb" in the name. Grab them here:
<a href="http://twilight-eclipse.com/~te/Seti/NS%20stuff/maps/" target="_blank">http://twilight-eclipse.com/~te/Seti/NS%20stuff/maps/</a>
<a href="http://downloads.guns4back2school.com/my_nsp/maps/" target="_blank">http://downloads.guns4back2school.com/my_nsp/maps/</a>

Start up a server and type <i>sv_cheats 1</i> and <i>cl_showspeed 1</i> in console. This will display your speed, and the one we're interested is your ground speed.

<u>Wall Walk</u>
Just walk up next to a wall, hold down your forward and strafe key and look slightly towards the direction of the wall. Practice while looking at your ground speed to find the best angle. Whenever you're marine and you see a long, flat wall in the direction you're going, wall walk it. If you're an alien, you will always want to bunny hop, unless you're in a vent and you can't.

<u>Wiggle Walk</u>
Strafing left or right while walking forward will momentarily give a boost to ground speed. You can wiggle manually by mashing strafe left/right keys while walking forward or you can script it. Some people consider this an exploit/cheap/lame. If you are going to do it, I would suggest against doing it manually because you don't want to do anything that takes your fingers off of your movement keys. Even with a scripted version, which works a lot better than doing it manually, it's 80% of the time better to wall walk or strafe jump. Here's an example of scripted vs. manual wiggling:
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/WiggleHaxavi/;8146444;;/fileinfo.html" target="_blank">http://files.filefront.com/WiggleHaxavi/;8...;/fileinfo.html</a>

<u>Strafe Jump</u>
When you turn while on the ground you will pick up ground speed. That's all you need to understand. To strafe jump, run in the direction you want to go and then quickly turn to the left or right. Watch your ground speed and snap back to looking forward. You'll see that for a split second your ground speed jumps quite a bit. If you jump when your ground speed is maxed, you will retain the momentum and able to jump a lot farther. It will take a lot of practice and watching your speed indicator to get the timing down, but it's worth it. It gets you used to jumping all the time as marine, which is what you'll want to do when attacked. Whenever you're hit in the air, you get pushed back really far, which puts distance between you and your enemy, giving you time to pump more rounds into them. Strafe jumping is also how you should start off your bunny hop.

You will eventually be able to go from 0 to 500 ground speed in a few jumps. It may take a few months or a year, but you'll never go back to being a "walker" skulk again once you're addicted to the speed. Practice bunny hopping as all life forms with and without celerity. Don't worry about spending 4 hours a day on ns_bhop practicing. Just scrim and you will usually have to wait 10-30 minutes for the teams and you will have plenty of time to practice then. In fact, if you are not bunny hopping around before the scrim, the other team will probably assume you can't and you are new.

<u>Double Jump/Crouch Jump</u>
When you are running forward and you crouch for ~1 second and then jump, you will be just slow enough that your jump doesn't make any noise. Release the crouch and you can take another jump when you hit the ground without losing momentum--essentially a "double" bunny hop. You can double jump backwards too, which is useful for when you are trying to bait aliens out of ambush spots. It is easier if you already know how to bunny hop. When jumping up inclines as a marine, you should crouch on the last jump before the end, jump again at the top of the incline while still crouched and then release crouch and jump again.

<u>Bunny Hop</u>
If you strafe and turn in the same direction while in the air you will accelerate. Being on the ground for more than 1 frame will cause significant loss in momentum so you jump constantly to minimize ground contact. That's all bunny hopping is. It may help to keep the physics in mind if you're having trouble. Make sure that you have fps_max set higher than 70. If you can bhop under 70 fps you are weird.

If you are totally new to bunny hopping, then spend a few minutes learning to strafe and turn without worrying about jumping. Set the map to co_faceoff, set sv_gravity 0 and stay in the ready room. Jump up and you'll float to the ceiling. First thing is really easy: just strafe left and slowly turn left. Try making a circle doing that. After you make a circle going left, go in the other direction. Then do a figure 8. Once you're comfortable with that, combine a left half-circle with a right half-circle to go forward.

Once you have the hang of that switch to ns_bhop and get in the long hallway and bunny hop around until you can consistently go at 400 ground speed units. After you have the movement down, start off with a strafe jump until you can get to 400+ units in a 2-3 jumps. This can take quite a while so don't get discouraged.

As a marine, you can not bunny hop unless you double jump or your previous jump height was lower than your current height. If you're on the ground you can bunny hop on to some railing, and then bunny hop off the railing on to some boxes, and if the boxes are higher than the railing you can bunny hop again, etc. You will want to <i>walk</i> up stairs unless you are a master pro-leet bunny hopper. As a fade, if you want to be sneaky you can crouch and bunny hop which is fairly fast and doesn't make noise--very useful for sneaking up on marines.

For more information on bunny hopping:
<a href="http://fidosrevenge.com/bhop/" target="_blank">http://fidosrevenge.com/bhop/</a>

<u>Stepping</u>
Stepping is when you tap your move forward button so that you do not make noise when you move. If you stay between 150-200 ground units you will be silent, and if you are alien it will hide you from motion tracking.

<u>Ladders</u>
The proper way to go up a ladder is to strafe and move forward into it while crouching. Strafing and moving forward while on a ladder makes you faster and crouching makes you silent. If you do not do this, you will make loud noises and the aliens will know exactly where you are, what you are doing and your worst fears. The proper way to go down a ladder is to jump off the ledge without getting on the ladder, and then get on the ladder right before you hit the ground.

<u>Weight and Speed</u>
Your weight affects your speed. If you are carrying a shotgun and pistol with max ammo, a welder, a pack of mines and 2 grenades, you will be very, very slow. If you are too slow, you will not be able to double jump and you'll be easier to kill overall. If you have a shotgun you can only double jump if you have very little ammo.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Aiming<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Drills are about the only way to improve your aim as a marine. Scrims are not for practicing fundamental skills, they are for practicing team tactics and strategy. A good drill for improving your aim is to fight a lot of aliens at once. Your friends wont always be available so download <a href="http://whichbot.com/" target="_blank">WhichBots</a> and configure the bots to stay skulk and to get no upgrades or just get celerity. You can download my configuration file:
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/whichbottxt/;8176117;/fileinfo.html" target="_blank">http://files.filefront.com/whichbottxt/;81...;/fileinfo.html</a>

Start the server and add a few bots. Next, set the alien damage to 0 with this console command:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->mp_team2damagepercent<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

It takes something like 9 LMG bullets to take down a skulk, and realistically about 12-13. So you should be able to kill at 2-3 skulks with your LMG, maybe even wound a 4th, and then kill the 4th with your pistol, maybe even kill/wound a 5th and take him out with your knife. Doing this against bots is one thing, but doing it against players is another, so once you get bored with 4-5 skulks, add a few more until you can't handle it.

If possible, if you have friends, get 3 or 4 of them to rush you in co_faceoff as a skulk. You can do it a lot of different ways. Once is to just rush in and be as aggressive as possible, no ambushing, just killing you and biting your chair. See how long you can last. Once the round is over switch to someone else and see how long they can last. It's a good way to compete and it's an excellent way to improve. I've had friends that could not shoot skulks turn into decent NS pubbers in a few days playing against bots and getting rushed on co_faceoff. You can also just have the skulks run in, kill you and get out, and keep the round going for the full time limit. Whatever you decide, make sure everyone knows what to do. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is for some people to understand such a simple concept.

As a skulk, there is really not a whole lot you can do other than play a lot of combat with friends. Put it on a small co map, and only get celerity and resupply. If you must play pubs, don't get a lot of upgrades and stay skulk instead of going onos. Many people I've watched tend to get tunnel vision once they're a skulk and they tense up as they approach marines. If you're one of those people, relax�slow down. Take your time to line up your shot and make it count. The attack cone for bite is unusually far and wide so take some time to figure out your bounds too.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Baiting<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
<u>Marine</u>
If you just walk through doorways and known ambush spots you will be crushed. Properly baiting is the difference between your pressure team making it to their objective and getting slaughtered over and over again. The bait goes in front, and make sure they're good. There are many variations of ways to bait, and there are many factors to consider when determining how you're going to bait. The enemy's skill, upgrades, area presence, your skill and the skill of your team, your tech and the terrain. If you are bait, before you walk into an ambush spot, decide which side you are going to check first, and say it over vent. If you are going to check left, or if the aliens can only ambush from the right, stand on the left side of the entrance so your team can cover you. Pop your head out and very quickly check your area. You can now either double jump forwards or backwards. Which one you do is up to you and the situation. Let's say for example you spot an alien on the left and he drops down in front of you, you should either jump over him and pincer him in between you and your mates or jump backwards if you have a lot of room behind you. If you are parasited, sometimes you can flush out ambushes just by getting close to ambush spots. The parasite sprite lags by half a second, so while the aliens see you as being just about to walk in, you could be down the hallway by the time they drop down.

<u>Alien</u>
Baiting as alien is mostly trying to lure marines into ambush spots by making them think they can kill you. This works especially well if you're a gorge. For some reason, marines tend to lose all sanity when there is a slow fatty spitting at them and they'll just rush in with knives thinking easy kill only to be crushed by skulks waiting overhead. A few skulks hiding while a gorge or skulk peeks around a corner in a seemingly unsafe spot and spits/parasites is usually enough to flush out lesser marines.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Ambushing<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
New clans tend to have very weak alien rounds because almost all marines can aim in competitive play and you can not solo rush marines as a skulk. Organized tactics like ambushing are never developed in pub play so it must be something that is developed as a team. A good way to practice ambushes is to do drills with your own team. Have a pressure team try to take an area and the aliens stop them. You will learn to recognize when to bait for your team or when a gorge is trying to bait for you. If you are alone, try and parasite and fall back to setup ambushes with someone else. It is much easier to setup ambushes when marines are parasited.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Terrain<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
If you are marine, try and put obstacles between you and the melee aliens. New and average aliens will lose momentum tripping over them and give you extra time to shoot in safety. While attacking an RT, sometimes it's a good idea to stand on top of it to make it harder to get rushed by skulk, or you can stand "inside" of the RT enough so that you can see through it, so you can see incoming aliens.

This all goes back to being mindful when you play. Always be thinking how you can use the map to your advantage. Think of where you could stand that would give you the best information. So keep in mind the alien's hive and where the aliens will likely be moving through. Keep track of where your team is, because you probably wont need to watch a vent or doorway that can only be accessed from an area where they are. Have a plan for where you would position yourself if ambushed so that you can cover yourself, your team and your team can cover you. Also, keep in mind how concentrated enemy forces are in your area. If you are next to a vent or hallway that is right outside the alien hive, be aware that you will see more aliens there.

<u>Boosting</u>
The best way to ruin a lerk's day is to boost into his vent with a shotgun. Few clans really take advantage of the fact that, when marines work together and form human ladders, they can get just about anywhere aliens can. A less common situation is when you are alone and have a pack of mines. When a mine is put on a wall, it creates a ledge a marine can stand on. Marines can gain a substantial tactical advantage by boosting marines into some vents, especially vents that are commonly used for ambush spots. Aliens can also gain an advantage by boosting gorges on top of hives or in vents. Walk around the map with clan mates and find good spots to boost as marine and alien. Avoid any sort of elaborate setups that require either lots of marines or lots of time.



<b><!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Clans<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Tactics & Strategy<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Read all guides. Read every guide for every life form, being the commander, etc. Even if you're not going to ever play the lerk, you should at least know what the lerk <i>should</i> and <i>should not</i> be doing, and the same applies for all the other roles. Here are some good guides/websites:
<a href="http://nslearn.readyroom.org/" target="_blank">http://nslearn.readyroom.org/</a>
<a href="http://ensl.zanith.nl/" target="_blank">http://ensl.zanith.nl/</a>
<a href="http://www.nsplayer.net/" target="_blank">http://www.nsplayer.net/</a>

For basic NS information, check out the NS Help forums:
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showforum=17" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showforum=17</a>


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Drills<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Really do help, is the end of that sentence. Drills aren't hard to think up, just think of a situation that's the most like what you want to practice and do it. The main ingredient for a successful drill is difficulty--you must make it difficult or you are wasting time. Most of the time you'll want to practice early-game drills like skulks setting up ambushes for important choke points for maps, a fade and a lerk versus the pressure team, 1 fade vs. 1 shotgun. Usually the aliens only get celerity or nothing at all, and marines may get armor 1 or nothing at all. Since you probably wont have a comm to watch over you and med you as a marine, you'll want to set sv_cheats 1, and bind two keys to these commands:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->give item_health
give item_genericammo<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->




<b><!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Leagues<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Joining<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
There are three main leagues as of this writing--<a href="http://www.ansl.us" target="_blank">American Natural Selection League (ANSL)</a>, <a href="http://ensl.zanith.nl" target="_blank">European Natural Selection League (ENSL)</a> and <a href="http://www.nsdojo.net/" target="_blank">NS Dojo</a>. ANSL and NS Dojo are both in America or "The States" as Euros call it, which means most of the servers they play on are in America. If you are new, either join the NS Dojo or an Open division. It's best to join an existing clan so you can learn the ropes from them. Go to the forums and find the Clan Recruitment thread/section and post your info there. A team will probably want to play with you for a week or two to get to know you. If you're impatient, start PMing team captains on the forums asking to join.


<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Atmosphere<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
Be prepared for the internet at it's finest. Sarcasm and inside jokes abound and people are often rude. You can do yourself a big favor and not take it personally. If there is any truth to a criticism, thank them for bringing it to your attention. If your team is getting dominated, do not rage. You wouldn't be playing if the game wasn't a challenge. It's just the game reminding you there is still room to improve. Honestly, I wouldn't be playing NS or writing this guide if I wasn't still getting owned. Don't be afraid to tell someone that they need to work on something either. You can do them a favor by being honest without being mean, but I wouldn't want someone to take it easy on me. I'm an adult. Tell me what I'm doing wrong so I can fix it. Keep this attitude and you'll be in good shape.




<b><!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Tips<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>

<u>Communication and Organization</u>
Have only one established form of communication that everyone uses to organize scrims--either Ventrilo/Teamspeak or IRC. Don't have one guy on IRC, two guys on Steam and three or four guys on Vent.

<u>Being Active</u>
Skill will come if you are just active enough. Do not wait to join a clan because you do not think you're good enough. You'll <i>never</i> get very good playing pubs, but if you play against people far better than you, you will improve much faster.

<u>Being Cold</u>
Never play a scrim/match cold--always warm up before hand. Get as many people as you can together and drill until you have enough. If the room you are in is too cold, consider wearing a hat and socks. Most heat escapes your human flesh-bodies from your feet and your head.

<u>Watching the Game</u>
Watch lots of demos of people and teams that are good. Try to hook up and scrim with them whenever your team is not on, or even spectate their scrims/matches. If possible, get on their Vent/Teamspeak server so you can learn how they communicate and call strats.

<u>Ringers</u>
If you can't get six, don't be afraid to get a ringer. If you're a new clan, they'll probably be better than you but they will be happy to just be playing so they won't rage at you as hard. You might learn something from them, too. It is uncouth to give them any important roles like straight fade/lerk or comm and you want to be as couth as possible.

<u>Get Your Own Server</u>
Eventually once you get serious you'll want to get a good server. Most hosting companies charge by the slot. Private slots cost less than public slots because they're used less. You will only need about 16 slots for a private. That's 12 for your guys, and 4 for admins/specs. One good place to get servers is GameServers.com. Good pricing and you get half off a Ventrilo server if you get a game server:
<a href="http://www.gameservers.com/?ref=1614354" target="_blank">http://www.gameservers.com/?ref=1614354</a>

<u>Be Ready To Play Anywhere</u>
Keep a backup of your scripts and sprite folder online so you can have it wherever you are, just in case you need to play somewhere new.

<u>Net Graph Detective</u>
It's important to know the network frames per second rate of data flow (or tickrate) of a server you're going to play on. Type net_graph 3 in console and your average "in" kbps is the tickrate. Most servers are around 30, 60 or 100. You'll want at least 60, because less than that usually equates to bad reg. For HL1 engine, the tickrate is determined by the fps_max. If you're going to host a server you should know at least that, and you should read other guides as well.

For more info on being a net_graph master:
<a href="http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/30057/" target="_blank">http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/30057/</a>

<u>Map Rotation</u>
If people are moving around choppily, you're getting bad reg or the phase gate looks glitchy, you need to "rotate the map" by quitting and restarting the server. If you let a server stay on the same map for many hours it will get stale and most of the time, clans have private servers that sit on the same map all day. It's a good practice to just rotate the map or ask for it to be rotated if you're not sure when the last change was.

<u>Ghosting</u>
Ghosting is when someone from the other team joins spectators and tells them where your team is and what you're doing. There is a good chance someone will join spec during a scrim with some weird random name, but it's almost unheard of them to ghost, so don't sweat it. In fact, if I were to ghost for my team they would yell at me. Ghosting doesn't help you get good, so the majority of people don't do it.

<u>Do Not Waste Time</u>
This means do not play often on servers where everyone is worse than you. Every now and then is OK, but if you do it enough it will make you worse. Do not make a habit of scrimming people worse than you. It's fun, and you are helping them improve, but you wont improve. This means do not be afraid to scrim people better than you. By scrimming better team you may get stomped so hard you brain goes numb, but you'll learn how good you <i>should</i> be. If the enemy team is much better than you, prepare to not be taken seriously and don't take it seriously. You're going to see silly strats like 5 lerk or 5 onos. If you are taken seriously then pay attention to their tactics and strategies. After the scrim, talk with your mates and what was wrong and what was right. How to talk after a scrim can be an entire guide unto itself. Use common sense and don't assume you're right.

Ask yourself questions like:
Are the aliens ambushing/baiting/parasiting properly?
Are you communicating things like where the shotgun is and where the pressure and cap team are moving?
Is your marine round weak because the comm is slow on meds?
Is your pressure team able to take out nodes quickly?
Where is the other team going next?
What is the other team's strategy?
Are the aliens using a 2-node or 3-node, etc... strat?
Can you just not shoot skulks?

<u>Building</u>
If possible, do not build if you have a shotgun. If you're attacked while building, it takes a long time for the shotgun to be able to fire. If you have to build with a shotty, pull out your pistol before building. If you have an HMG you should build because the reload time is so long.

<u>Dropping Ammo</u>
Normally you only get a click of ammo from the armory and then go, unless you have something other than LMG and the phase is up and needs protection, or the comm says to not get ammo. Every now and then you have a reason to wait in spawn for a few seconds, like if you're waiting for someone to spawn or you're protecting base. It's rare but if it does happen, grab more ammo than you normally would and drop it for your team. A good place to drop it is on the IP or on the way out of base. To drop ammo, look straight down and strafe and drop your weapon. If you do it correctly, you'll drop ammo but pick your weapon back up.

<u>Use Your Obs</u>
Many people forget to use their obs for anything except phase tech and sieges. If you are comm, you can help a lot by scanning ahead of your pressure/cap teams to avoid ambushes. Other good times for scanning are when you're dropping a phase gate and after hitting an RT for 20-30 seconds because that's when aliens usually try and rush. While you're researching phase tech you wont be able to scan, so scan around before researching.

<u>Predicting Base Rushes</u>
If aliens can't stop your pressure team from killing nodes, you haven't seen a kill in 20 or 30 seconds or it's too quiet then you're probably about to get base rushed by 4 or 5 aliens. Good alien teams will rush with only 2 or 3 aliens because good marine teams will be weary of things getting too quiet.

<u>This is Not CS</u>
When people complain about cheaters, that is what I tell them. The potential skill gap between ANSL Pro and NSPlayer is <b>huge</b>. I have seen entire 16 player servers dominated by 1 CAL vet on either team. Almost everyone I know in ANSL has done this at some point (or daily), so I know it is not cheating. Most teams do not want to cheat and they do not want ex-cheaters on their team. It is like drug use in any other sport besides baseball--frowned upon.

<u>Useful Commands:</u>
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->switch - will switch your team
cvarlist - lists all cvars, useful for finding out your settings
retry - attempts to reconnect to the last server you were on<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

<u>Do Not Play Mechanically</u>
You should always be aware of what you're doing. Not just in the game but in ordinary life--while driving, eating, etc... Do not just run forward from point A to point B. Think tactically at all times. Can your team cover you where you're standing now? Can you cover your team?

<u>Bots</u>
When you are running a server of bots versus yourself, you need to do this:
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->mp_autoteambalance 0 // turns off auto team balance
mp_limitteams 32 // difference between teams can be 32
mp_autoconcede 32 // makes it impossible to autoconcede<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->






This guide is a work in progress, so any input is helpful. A massive thanks to everyone who has given me advice for this guide.

You can copy this guide and use it wherever, just put my name on it somewhere and have a link to this forum post.

If any of these links go dead please e-mail me so I can fix the guide and help you find what you're looking for. If you find any errors, <i>you are probably wrong</i>, but go ahead and tell me anyway. If you are right, I'll fix the guide and deny it ever happened, but secretly thank you.

<div align="center">NS Is Serious Business
<img src="http://mantis.sytes.net/~tekproxy/tek-shirt.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>