The Ulitimate Newbies Guide To Commanding
Texas_Ranger
Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9755Members
Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9755Members
<div class="IPBDescription">How to, What to, and General Knowledge</div> <b>THE ULTIMATE NEWBIES GUIDE TO COMMANDING</b>
Hello,
This is a short yet complete guide to how to quickly become a good or at least decent commander, or How not to get ejected, guide.
Ok guys, some may know me, many don't, my current record as of right now is 17-10-20.. That is 17 wins, 10 losses, and 20 games that I either took over after the commander had been ejected/quit,server crashed, I lost connection, or I got ejected (twice).
This guide is intended to take someone who knows nothing to very little about commanding, and give them the knowledge neccessary to win or at least give those stinking aliens a run for their money. Most important and above all things a good commander only guides, builds, alerts, and equips his troops. The real hero will always be those that fight, the guys in the trenches, as a commander you must never forget that you can suck and if your team is good you will win. Or on occassion the aliens will suck and you can mess up numerous times and still win. But it all boils down to you and your team. It is a team oriented game, especially so for the marines and it is this point that will bring your either defeat(from disorganization, troops that don't listen or stick togeather ) or victory. Now that you have gotten that through your thick skulls it is time to move on to the basics.
REMEMBER AT ALL TIMES THAT THE GAME IS DECIDED BY YOUR TEAM AND YOUR ABILITY TO LEAD THEM
It isn't something you can't do alone and it isn't something they can't do well without a commander to lead, build and equip them.
First and foremost you must listen to your team's request and respond to all of them if possible. If some newb gets on and says gimme ammo, shottie and a milkshake 30 secs into the game you don't respond hey **obscenity** F@#k off, you simply (and repeat after me)"I do not have the resources to do that at this time if you can capture and hold a resource with 1 other for 3 mins I will consider it" or something to that effect. If you try to cater to every one of your players you will soon have 20 shotguns laying around where they died all alone and no resources or support. Be reasonable and respond to request when you can, I mean realistically if someone really wants a jetpack and a shotgun, I will make sure they get it if they do a few things for me, like build and/or defend a resource node for a few mins.
OK now, NEVER EVER build something in front of one person in enemy terrority unless you are absolutely sure it is safe OR they have reinforcements enroute. IF you build stuff when there is one guy in the hive saying " commander drop me a turret factory(TF for short) etc.." you will soon find yourself with a dead factory and a dead marine. Send waypoints, wait for reinforcements, SECURE THE AREA and then build. Ok, so there is one marine all the way across the map at the 2nd hive and noone is going to be able to reinforce him for 5 minutes at least. You can, and I have, taken the chance that the one marine there can build a phase gate, receive reinforcements and be on the way to securing a 2nd hive/resource node without dying. Just remember there is always the chance that a sneaky skulk is up in the rafters just waiting for some newbie commander to drop a ton of structures with only one marine to build/defend. I would suggest using your scanner to make sure the area is some what clear, then dropping a phase gate first, since it is relatively cheap, builds pretty fast, and will provide you with reinforcements to carry out the other more expensive buildings.
Now one other thing before I begin to explain how to command. YOUR TEAM IS THE KEY, if they seperate, if one has Heavy Armor(HA for short), and the rest don't, etc.. you will soon find your self divided and eventually conquered. ALWAYS STRIVE TO KEEP YOUR TEAM TOGEATHER and equiped. Best way to do this is give them waypoints and phase gates(IMHO phase gates are the easiest way to coordinate defense and attacks)
And one last thing as commander, a MICROPHONE IS CRUCIAL IF NOT A NECCESSITY, giving orders, alerting your troops, coordinating attacks and defenses are time consuming and a microphone is one way to save a few seconds here and there. Which can make or break you eventually.
Ok, so you want to be a commander huh? Never commanded a day in your life, just got the game and think you can take over and kick alien **obscenity**? Well first you must go through what I will call BASIC TRAINING.
BASIC TRAINING
1) Play NS(natural selection) at least 5 times as a marine and at least 5 times as an alien. When you are a marine watch what the commander does, look to see how he places equip, what he places, where, and when, and for christ sake learn the ground level. As an alien, you should learn how they build and attack, watch where they get beat and where they win. It is too complicated for me to explain all the intricate details here in this guide that is why you are in basic training soldier, to learn for yourself.
2) Find a server where there is one/two people playing and go command for an hour or two. Familarize yourself with the commands, how to build, how to select troops and the equip, how to drop stuff, how to upgrade and in what order the upgrades go. THIS IS CRUCIAL. If you don't learn this stuff on an empty server then you WILL GET EJECTED or in the least people will curse your name etc,.
3) Read the Manual, read the website. Play a few times and understand how it works. This game is unlike any other in the fact that your troops in a RTS are Real people and dont always listen or do what you want them to do. This can help and hamper your commanding, learn to adapt and accomadate while fulfilling the needs of the whole, and most importantly learn how to kill the onos. Thats right your saying well I played a few times and those things are invincible.. BS, You can and you will be forced at one time or another as commander to take control of the situation and push them back, stop the assualt , buy some time and eventually win or lose learn from your mistakes. Onos are big targets, I would suggest heavy turrets 8-10 and HMGs to really make them feel the pain.
OK NOW THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON TO YOUR FIRST OBSTACLE COURSE.. YOUR FIRST COMMAND
After you have sufficiently learned how to use your command control center and playing a few rounds as a soldier and alien and learned the maps, it is time to try your hand as a commander. I always announce/ask to command so that if there is someone more qualified then me I will let them command, watch and learn or sometimes be ready to step in when they get ejected for being stupid. No matter what server you play on when you play or what eventually it will be time to step forward and take charge, just be polite about it.
NEVER COMMAND A MAP YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED ON AT LEAST 3 TIMES. If you do and then try to command it, you will soon find that you have many weak links in your armor. You will learn where and how to place turrets and other items by playing the map on the ground floor and no other way.
Alright you have played this map, noone wants to command and you say well I know how to command but I have never done it. And everyone says do it! then you jump in the chair and start,
THE FIRST 2 TO 20 MINS OF THE GAME ARE THE MOST CRUCIAL MINUTES IN THE WHOLE GAME, THEY CAN DICTATE WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE 90% of the time. Only a really good commander with a really good team can come back against all odds (i.e. 3 hives lost) so these first few minutes of the game are CRUCIAL. If you do not know what your doing DO NOT try to command the first few mins and then give up, you will **obscenity** everything up for the next commander and lose the game guarenteed.
First thing is first,
1)Build at least one infantry spawn( I suggest two, this will give you the edge ) This is key, without an infrantry portal for your troops to respawn in you will be overrun in the first 60 seconds and lose the game. You must have at least one, and you must build it a.s.a.p.
2) Build either an armory or a TF
3)Build the other TF or armory(some commanders build armory later, some do not even bother with TF and turrets at base etc, I suggest you stick to the basics til you feel secure enough to experiment with other things)
4) Build 2 to 3 turrets
HOW TO BUILD A TF AND THE SURROUNDING TURRETS
This is very important, because a number one tactic of the aliens is to run into a room full of turrets get behind the TF where no Turrets can reach them and chew it up, and then guess what..... NO TF = NO ACTIVE TURRETS and this is bad, bad, bad.. so I suggest you build @ least 3 turrets in a triangle around your TF. But you say I am building the TF to protect the resource node why build around the TF. Well you idiot if you lose the TF then the turrets are worthless aren't they?
So the first turrets you build should be built to protect the TF. after that you can throw 2 or 3 more into the mix to protect the Resource or whatever you are protecting. Always try to build a turret near your CC(command chair) a few mins into the game(after you have grabbed a resource or two)
At first you just want to protect the TF's but eventually when you have some extra resources you want to SECURE THE AREA which means a phase gate, and 6 to 10 turrets or more.
Now remember that TURRETS JUST POSTPONE THE ENVITABLE, they rarely kill skilled aliens, they just slow them down. That is why you will need Phase Gates which I will discuss shortly.
If you are going to either build in a Hive or build more then 8 turrents I would Highly reccomend a Second turret factory.
In addition when you build anything of value for example a TF, Armory,anything really except turrents, place them where they cannot be shot at from a distance, I.E. in a corner, around the corner , behind a wall etc.. Place them where FADES cannot shoot them. Place them where an alien has to take the turret down or turrets down first before they can even consider killing the TF/observatory etc..
Also when you are building turrets take into consideration the ground levels. Your factory has a green circle around it where it can support turrets so use that perimeter to your advantage and build turrets on top of boxes, on lower and higher levels and on elevator/lifts ( I call it alien elevator suprise!). And in areas of heavy alien concentration or right next to hives UPGRADE TO SIEGE and build 1 to 3 siege cannons in the farthest corners closest to the aliens hive/structures you can get them with out comprising their positions. A couple of comprehensive guides on how turrets actually work have been written and linked here for your perusal.
<a href='http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart2.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart2.htm</a>
WHAT SHOULD I DO FIRST AFTER I HAVE BASE BUILT UP INTIALLY?
First you will have aliens rushing you and your troops will be generally confused, disoriented, lost, runaway and other... so select them all by draggin a box around them and set a waypoint to the nearest/safest/easiest to defend resource node waypoint... BTW your troops love waypoints. Use them all the time when you can.. It gets really impossible later in the game, but thats ok.
Build a Resource node, TF 2 to 3 turrets(optional, you may want to save the original resources and come back later and defend that node, especially since the node is close to your base and your troops will have to run past it a few times before you get the phase gates up) and then send your troops to the nearest HIVE. Yes that is right HIVE. This is where it helps to play a lot on the ground floor because if you look at where the aliens rush you(if they do rush) then you will have a clue as to where their MAIN HIVE is and this is key,. You must surmise or learn where it is and fast. And either attack it outright(not suggested but it works about 1 in 5 times) or do what I do and that is to take the choke points.
Now send your troops to the first empty HIVE that you know of, and choose the nearest one. Drop a Resource Node, TF 3 to 6 turrets (it is a hive afterall) and send your troops to the nearest chokepoint (the hallway between YOUR HIVE AND THE ENEMIES HIVE) and build, build, build.. take your 4th resource point ..
Or take your first hive and then immediately move in on the next hive, it really depends on the map, how well your troops/resources are doing etc.
After this you are almost on your own but I have SUGGESTIONS for you, though there are never any guarantees in war.
I would suggest reinforcing your original resource if you haven't already and building an OBSERVATORY and Phase gates to your HIVE and any choke points. Phase gates are a Crucial part of the game and must be addressed early. People say gimme a shotgun and you say " I need all the available resources to secure and defend this hive and resource/choke point first "
Don't give out jack for at least 5 mins, not health (unless you are trying to keep the group alive to take a point) not shotties not nothing .
Now the surefire way to win at this point if everything has gone smoothly and fast is to send your troops to the next hive (preferrably not the original though I would use the scan from the observatory at this point to see which is the least defended) and take a second hive. If you can take, secure and hold 2 hives then you are almost guaranteed a win. Next when the resources are flowing get the arms lab/prototype lab up and research the first (20 resource each) upgrades on armor/guns at the arms lab as well as eventually researching the motion sensing (a very important part ) and most importantly upgrading your armory for HMG (heavy machine guns) and GL (Grenade Launchers). And get your Heavy Armor (HA) researching in under 10-15 mins can also give you a major advantage. Especially if they get Fades going, you will need HMG/HA to push/kill the aliens. A good point is that your first upgrade to your armor (the 20 RP one) will give your troops a 50% better survival rate. It basically gives your troops the ability to take 3 bites from a skulk rather then the starting 2 bites, thus reducing your marines loss by 50% or so.
Now you must hold at least 3 resources to stay alive and should hold 5 or more to upgrade and equip....
If things go wrong and you have resources research your HA and HMG/GL fast and equip your troops with these 3 things at once HA/HMG/wielder .. not one by one or else you are doomed,.. It does very little good for a marine to have 50 armor and a HMG, they die too fast to justify giving them a gun. Ok maybe one here and there, if your marines are moving as a group then one HMG/Shotgun can be beneficial as the others will grab it when the marine carrying it dies. Otherwise I suggest dropping HA/HMG/welder in one combo lump on the floor.
Ok maybe drop a HMG or GL or shottie here and there but mostly you want to save and drop at one time(in one place) HA/HMG/welder or GL or shottie etc..
Don't disregard the jetpack, it is really cheap to make and relatively cheap to research and on maps where there are multiple levels or a lot of vents you will most likely need Jetpacks.
Make sure your HA stay togeather and stay welded and make sure you stress that they weld each other etc..
Learn how to use siege Cannons and build/use them any time your team runs into resistance/structures. Siege Cannons are the best weapons you have next to your actual team. *Note at this time there is a bug on some maps, most noticeably Eclipse where the entire area around South Loop is Un-Siegable, you just can't upgrade the Factories there, I have tried everywhere around there and nothing works, hopefully this will be fixed soon but until it does, avoid attacking computer core from that side, attacking from the other side of the map and sieging them will be 110% more effective* Use them wisely and use them to push or hold the enemy back as well as using GL to push back any aliens. (the GL works wonders sometimes to keep them at bay long enough for you to reorganize etc..) Don't underestimate the power of two GL's to push back aliens from your base etc. I have won with 3 hives lost and no resources by pushing back with GL's, building a resource with a TF and then equipping a few HA etc, and continuing on and taking one hive/resource/choke point at time.
Choke points are incredibly important to holding the enemy at bay and buying time to equip and organize your troops for a good strike, learn them and use them. i.e. South Loop is a superb example of a good choke point for hive maintance.
Learn from your mistakes and listen to suggestions from your team, cover your **obscenity**,and your teams **obscenity**, drop medpacks but be hesitant to drop ammo packs since basically 12 /13 packs = one armory and the armory = free ammo.
ITEMS AND ABILITIES AVAILABLE TO COMMANDERS
USE YOUR JUMP KEY (SPACEBAR USUALLY) TO MOVE TO HOTSPOTS
This is mentioned in Monsieurevil's Advanced Commander Mode Linked here > <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=20&t=8761' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...=ST&f=20&t=8761</a> so I will just quote his guide as it fully explains "jumping" to the action.
"Jump to the action -
Not very well know(n), but anytime your command console software is telling you that 'your troops are under attack, your building is under attack, research completed, etc', or a you hear, 'Yo, need some ammo over here!', you have the ability to jump directly to it. Simply tap your jump key (usually space), and your HUD view will immediately move to the area of concern. This saves a lot of time scrolling around trying to find some wounded troops desperately trying to survive a skulk rush. Tell your troops to use that pop-up menu!"
OPENING DOORS AS A COMMANDER
Yes it is possible to open/close doors and even operate elevators from inside your luxurious command chair. Simply put the cursor over the door/elevator and either wait for an icon to appear and then click or just click. These doesn't always work right and sometimes it won't work at all (certain maps). For some reason Elevators seem to work more then doors do. As this isn't really a strategy so to speak it can be used for tactical purposes. For example your team is suddenly surprised and getting beat on bad, you order a hasty retreat and close the doors for them as they fall back. Or you put a bunch of turrents on an elevator and then your team is under attack in the room next, you lower/raise the elevator for an "alien surprise" and also to give your injured marines a way to escape. Closing the doors behind the marines as they move through the map can also be beneficial as it prevents them from being attacked from behind and may slow down the enemy. On the flipside you can open doors for your boys before they get there.. etc etc.. Although this isn't a major advantage as commander it is good to know every possiblity you have at your disposal. After all its the little things that count, right?
MAPS
Maps can be a very useful tool for a commander, especially one that has just begun his riegn of terror and needs to make sure he knows where that hive is to assault etc. There is a link in the Natural Selection Forums to many different maps that are all better then the overhead ones you get in the game. This can come in real handy and I have to refer to them occassionally even though I have played a map 20 times or more.
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=9871&st=0' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...f=1&t=9871&st=0</a>
Ok so there are lots of maps there, pick the ones you like and then go print them and play.
MEDPACKS AND AMMOPACKS
As commander you are the only one on your team with the ability to drop little medpacks containing quick healing nanites. If a soldier is low on health you should drop these on him or right near him. Especially if that soldier is wearing heavy armor, carrying a big gun or something, you need to try your best to keep them alive. The other marines will have to weld his armor up but you can at least keep his Health full. Dropping this in the middle of combat can make a huge difference but is hard to drop on top of the injured as they tend to only stand still when getting ammo or building, so try to drop a few in the middle of combat but make sure that afterwards while everyone is repairing you are healing.
Ammopacks drop ammo clips, and I rarely use this unless I have a few marines defending a spot far from base, or a lone marine that has taken it upon themselves to scout/spy and or clear out the vents etc.. I usually tell soldiers to return to base for ammo or I will drop an armory.
In either case I would refrain from dropping either of these the first few mins of the game since resources are extremely tight.
WELDERS
At the beginning of the game, especially on certain maps, you should make it a point to give one smart marine that knows how to weld shut vents a welder. The faster you can narrow the points from which the enemy can attack you the better. Welding vents shut is a necessity and not only that but it helps you use less marines/turrets to provide cover/defense for the same area. Most maps have a vent that leads into your base and this should be sealed first. In addition to healing/sealing Welders can also be used to break into certain areas. The more experienced marines will know where these points are and if they have a welder it can be very helpful in the game. Later when you have people in HA/HMG it is a neccessity that almost everyone have a welder on your team. To keep the turrets/structures welded and more importantly keep those Heavies welded. Welders also work against webs, make sure to tell your troops this if you see them getting stuck and yelling "ARGGH WEBBED!!" etc. A lot of marines don't know this.
MINES
Mines are probably the most overlooked and underappreciated weapon/defense/detterant that the marines have. The main reason for this is that noone really knows how to use them, or only a few marines do. As commander if someone ask for mines I would drop them but only once or twice, otherwise you get some Newbie mining everything and then here comes one Fade and blows them all up. If the marine knows how to use a mine effectively then you will be able to see that on your overhead usually. The best Place to put mines IMO is in the vents, a small area where only small creatures(skulks go) and since it takes a Fade to blow up a mine without taking damage, It will deter quite a few skulks from moving through the vents until you inevitably get the Kamikaze skulk that blows himself up just to clear the vents of mines. Mines also have a proximity (place them on the ground) effect though I have had a lot of problems as a marine getting them to work right (they usually explode right after I drop them on the ground).
GUNS
Guns, there are only a few. The LMG(light machine gun)/ Pistol combo your troops spawn with are free. You can win the war with these if you take and hold 2 hives thus preventing the aliens from gestating to Fades. If you do get fades the Lmg/pistol combo will do little more then aggravate a skilled fade. You literally have to pump about 200 rounds into a fade to kill them, so fighting fades with Lmgs is really only good if your marines are fighting as a group, otherwise you rarely see a fade die to this weapon. Once you have built an Armory you will have the option to upgrade to HMG's (Heavy Machine Guns) and with an Arms lab build you will get GL (grenade launchers). A skilled marine with an HMG can take down just about any alien, as long they in turn can take the damage or constantly be welded/medpack dropped on. The HMG is the standard weapon you should be dropping for the marines, as most marines can use it even if they aren't that good. The grenade launcher is the most expensive weapon and perhaps one of the hardest to handle. Most marines will blow themselves up the first few times they try to use it, but after practice it is an invaluable weapon in your arsenal. GL's can push back aliens from hallways, rooms, and most importantly vents. I would suggest keeping these to a minimum, maybe one or two for the entire group, since they are costly and virtually useless in close combat. GL will always have to accompany marines with HMG's, or in the very least carry a pistol. Shotguns are the cheapest guns and somewhat contraversial. Many a debate has raged on if the shotgun is a better gun, is it worth the cost (20rp) etc. I like to mix up my arsenal and will eventually drop a few of these with HA/JP mix. There are some marines that swear by shotguns so when the good times start, don't hesitate to try and give a marine the weapon he prefers, its usually because he is best with it. All in all you should hold off dropping weapons as long as possible or try and drop very few in a group of marines at the start. Different commanders use different tactics and you will have to find the one the works best for you, given the situation and the team you are handed. I have won many times without ever upgrading or dropping weapons, by basically taking two hives a.s.a.p., but this doesn't always work.
INFANTRY PORTAL SPAWNS
The first thing you need to build, I always build two, but you only need one. The cost isn't much (15RP) and you absolutely have to have one. The more troops you are commanding the more you should have as it increases the respawn time. I would suggest making 2 at the beginning and eventually getting 4 going if you have a lot (10-12) marines. There is no build these later, this is absolutely the first structure you must build.
ARMORY
After you have built the infantry portals you should almost always build an armory. The armory gives your troops free ammo. Thats right its FREE. This beats the hell outta dropping ammopacks, if a marine can get back to an armory it will save you resources. In addition marines use a lot of ammo. Even skulks will take a whole clip to take down. Marines without ammo are crippled and will eventually die, you can't live 4ever with just a knife. In addition the armory provides you with the ability to drop guns in the perimeter (green circle) around the armory and also allows you to upgrade to HMG's and GL's. While upgrading the armory will not be usuable so I would suggest building a 2nd one in the hive you just took and telling your marines to go there, or just tell them there will be no ammo for a few minutes while it upgrades. I would only bother with upgrading your base armory and outfitting your troops as the respawn or have them jump back to base via phase gate to get equipped. It's just cheaper. Building a 2nd or even a 3rd armory is usually beneficial in a Hive or in a Hotspot/choke point where your troops have to expend a ton of ammo just to hold their ground or advance. Just remember that building an armory in a good spot is cheaper then dropping 13 ammopacks.
OBSERVATORY
Perhaps one of the most important structures in the game. This should be built usually right after you have secured, or are securing your first hive. The observatory is perhaps the most important piece of machinery the marines have, it not only gives you the ability to build Phase gates, but also gives you the ability to scan (an invaluable tool) and research Motion Sensing Tracking (most marines love this one). It also gives you the ability to use the distress beacon. So very vital this piece of machinery is I would suggest building it near your CC for ultimate protection. This is structure that will "win the war". I also provides a no cloaking area around it. Without it your marines are blind and slow. So guard it with your life. There are some commanders that advocate building this instead of the TF at your base, it is that important.
MOTION SENSING TRACKING
Research this at the Observatory and your marines will able to see anything that moves through walls. Shows up as little to big circles depending on distance (I think) and can really give a marine that extra edge they need. However it is somewhat expensive (45 RP) and not completely necessary. If your troops are constantly ambushed by sneaky skulks this might be the thing to turn the tide.
DISTRESS BEACON
I rarely see this one used and when it is, it is rarely used right. The distress beacon will in about 3 -5 seconds respawn all your dead marines with or without infantry portals. This is key to when you have to defend the "alamo" and you are gonna lose, make them damn aliens fight for it. Or if your team was just suddenly wiped out say 5 or more, use it to get them back up and running fast. Just remember that it costs 15 resource points (RP). So using it all the time is a waste. I once played a game where the commander had no idea what he was doing and used it every few mins. (whether there were dead marines or not). That will eat up your resources fast.
PHASE GATE
Ahh a modern miracle in advanced travel. The phase gate will whisk your marines anywhere on the map where another phase gate is in the blink of an eye. You will need to have a phase gate at your main base, I usually put this close to the armory/infantry portals, and at each hive you hold. As well I would suggest placing them anywhere you have a large number of structures built, and in the middle of the map. These gates will not only prevent your troops from wandering lost through the hallways stalked by crafty skulks, but they provide almost immediate defense for an area. Say your node is getting beat on in Sector A and you just happen to have 5 Heavy marines locked stocked and ready to rock. They are on the opposite side of the map but in all your wisdom there are phase gates in each place. Simply tell them to jump in the phase gates and get out in sector a and secure it. It works miracles. Now because phase gates provide almost instant reinforcements they become prime targets for the aliens, in addition some aliens will like to joy ride your phase gate network hoping to get off somewhere you forgot to protect and chomp on some valuable structures. Therefore I like to place a few turrets near the phase gates so that all joyride aliens get off on the first stop and die. If you have a phase gate in a hive, it will be a prime target and if that hive is under constant attack, I.E. all the little aliens and their brothers decided your hive is prime real estate and they are moving in no matter what, you might think about building a 2nd phase gate, just in case. Many marines will think this is foolish, but when the first phase gate goes down, and your troops arrive via the 2nd and only phase gate, its literally saves the day. In addition Phase gates are somewhat cheap to construct (20RP) and you really just can't live without them.
ARMS LAB
Your arms lab, while not being an essential structure, can make a huge difference in your teams ability to survive out there. It provides you with upgrades on armor and guns. Upgrading your guns gives you 10%- 30% more damage from all your weapons, that includes mines and turrets. Upgrading your armor gives your 20 extra armor points each upgrade (60 for all 3) and can be the difference between one skulk bite to death. Alone these upgrades are barely noticeable at first. It should be mentioned though that its 50 RP to build the arms lab, 20 for the first rank of upgrades, 40 for the 2nd, and a whooping 60 for the 3rd. This is really the only difference between the upgrades other then the fact that they stack up. That is why about 10 minutes into the game, after you have secured at least 3 resource nodes or more, you should build one of these and get the first two upgrades going. Building an Arms lab allows you to build a prototype lab as well. Make sure you place this structure in a hard to reach spot, otherwise you will be faced with rebuilding it when a fade shoots it to death because it was an easy target. If you ever lose a valuable structure, such as the arms lab, do not rebuild it in the exact same spot, try to find another place less vulnerable to ranged attacks or sneaky skulks.
PROTOTYPE LAB
In order to have a prototype lab you must first build an observatory and arms lab. The prototype lab gives you HA and JP (jetpacks). I would reccomend getting one and researching HA first within about 10 to 15 mins into the game. The cost of researching HA is a big one Observatory=35 + Arms Lab = 50 + Prototype lab =45 + Researching HA=50 ... Thats 180 resources just to research HA.. But it will be well worth it.
RECYCLING
Recycling is a good way to get rid of unwanted or unneeded units. (i.e. 2 armories in the same spot) To recycle something just select the structure and press the recycle button in the lower right hand corner and then wait about 10 secs. Recycling will get you a small amount of resources back. You can basically break down recycling into 3 parts.
1) Recycling duplicate or unneeded items. This is basic clean up recycling, you recycle that extra armory you dropped by mistake. Or you recycle that turret you just placed on top of the guy with HA. Please don't let them kill themselves if they have heavy, especially when you can fix it by recycling. Also you might consider recycling that extra base you just built outside the hive you just sieged. If I am sieging a hive I usually have phase gate, armory, turret factory, turrets etc. just outside the hive. When we successfully take the hive then I build the same things inside if not more. So many of the siege base items can go to the recycling bin, especially if Resource Points are tight. I leave the turrets/siege cannons and usually recycle everything else. On occassion I will leave the phase gate as a backup, it really depends on how tight the RP flow is.
2) Recycling items before the enemy can kill them. I use this tactic to recycle undefended resource nodes or turrets without a turret factory that are getting chomped on. If my marines won't make it in time then I just begin the recycling process, usually if I am fast enough I can recycle the stuff before the aliens can eat it.
3) Recycling because its the end. This is where you have gone into the "alamo-mode" and start recycling everything you don' t need to just have a few more rp for that one last suit of HA/HMG. Phase gates that don't go anywhere are the big ones here, other then that just stuff you don't need or have duplicated. It all is going to go anyways might as well make the aliens work for it.
Be careful not to recycle stuff you need like arms labs etc.. or armories that you have upgraded for guns. That is just a waste.
HOW TO HANDLE (MICROMANAGE) YOUR TROOPS
This topic has been beaten to death in the forums and it seems almost everyone has a different idea/perspective on how to get your guys to do what needs to be done. Most of the time you will find that 75% of the marines on your team will at least try to do what needs to be done, and move to waypoints etc.,
I have found that there are better ways to get your troops to move to waypoints and build and protect stuff.
First off If you don't know how to select your troops its simple, you merely click on the guy you want to select and then click on the map as to where you want them to go, or click on the structure you want built/defended. It will then give that soldier an order in which most will at least attempt to follow it. To select a group of marines simply left click and drag a box around them, usually do this at the armory where they seem to hang out.
SETTING UP WAYPOINTS
I personally have found that if you select some troops and then select a waypoint say 1/4 of the way across the map, you will soon have all your troops take different routes trying to get to the same waypoint. Some become lost and many will die if a few aliens set ambush. I consistently lose troops due to the fact that most of them don't know the map very well and tend to seperate as they search for the way to the waypoint. That is way I invented the "baby steps" method. I know what your saying right now, You invented it?? Yes I did and I have the trademark and patent to prove it!
Baby steps are simple waypoints. It requires a lot more of your attention and time to use but tends to work about 100% better. Simply select your troops and point to the next intersection, maybe even halfway across the room. Make the waypoints where the troops can see them or turn a corner/ open a door and be there. Make sure you tell the guys what you are doing and that they must stay togeather, which means sometimes they have to wait at a waypoint while the rest of the team catches up. Using the babystep method tends to keep your troops togeather, which tends to prolong their lives. When you finally get them to where you want them to go I usually throw down a Phase gate immediately, so that those that died on the way can get there and to provide reinforcements without having to baby step them there.
HOW TO HANDLE UNRULY NONWORKING MARINES
The best method for dealing with whiners/morons/dead beat marines is to ignore them. I always respond politely to the first one or two " Hey Do0d gimme a shottie and jetpack!". Simply explain that the resources are needed elsewhere etc. It is the simple reward/punishment theory. The marines that move to waypoints and build/defend structures etc., are the first ones that get HA/HMG. Eventually if I have the resources I outfit everyone, but you will notice as a commander the marines that help and the ones that hinder. Usually the guy that is constantly yelling for a gun and bitching about fighting fades with lmgs is the guy constantly dying and running off on his own. Giving these guys are gun is a complete waste of resources and most likely these marines are a complete waste of carbon. Someone posted that the best way is to "Treat them like children" and this is so true. If you nicely tell them why you can't give them a shotgun and then try to give them some task to finish etc., and talk to them like they are children you might actually get some teamwork outta of them. No matter what you do you will eventually have some a$$ that nothing will work on and you will just eventually have to ignore him, or hope he goes alien.
WHO GETS THE GUNS?
As posted above I usually try to work on the reward/punishment scale with guns and equipment drops. It works pretty good and if you are rewarding the right marines with equip/guns these are the guys that don't tend to run off and die right away, which is even better. Another method is giving guns/equip to the guys who can fight. I would use the TAB- scoreboard and see who is the best on our team (when and if this is implemented). At this point I am assuming that you will get a higher ranking by killing aliens and structures and dying less then your comrades. So equipping these marines also make sense, as you will now have a Super-marine. At this point the only way to see who is good on your team (until the scoreboard is fixed/implemented) is by pulling down your console with the tilde key ~ and typing Status. This tells you how many frags they have and some other information.
All in all you will have to find what works best for you to micro manage your troops. As commander you have the ability to see the big picture and translating this to your troops is key to winning. Phase gates work wonders in moving troops around and getting them to their waypoints faster. Have your troops defend unturreted resource nodes for a few mins, have them work and use them to buy you time.. After all you can win almost any game if you just have enough time to get the resources you need to upgrade/equip your troops. I mean once everyone is in HA with a good gun, then its just a matter of time before your marines push into the next node/hive area and capture it. That is if they work togeather , weld each other etc..
EJECTION
No matter how good you are at commanding, no matter how many victories you have under your belt, no matter if you just took the third hive from the aliens, sooner or later some newbie/moronic marines are going to eject you. I have now been ejected twice out of over 50 games commanding thats about 4% . When you are first ejected you are gonna to be upset, especially when they eject you for no reason other then their own stupidity, which will be the case most of the time. Unless you just suck. Only one problem arises when they eject you, the last two times I was ejected the same thing happened each time, some other idiot gets in the CC and ten minutes later he is ejected too because he doesn't have a clue what to do. My last ejection saw no less then 5 commanders after me, and we lost the only hive we had due to incompetence. I was ejected right before I dropped the TF in the hive and if I had been able to finish that we wouldn't have lost the hive so easily, basically because the TF had no turrets protecting it.
I asked why I was ejected and never recieved a reason other then automatic idiots response to everything "u sux". I can only assume that I was ejected because I gave out waypoints to the team and they all got lost, and it took mins to finally get them to the hive. I actually had to babysit them there.
I do not know how ejection works, i.e. how many have to actually vote against you. But once you are ejected you cannot return to the commanders chair without first leaving the game( not sure if this works).
The best thing to do when you do get ejected however is to bite your tongue and find out why. It is highly unlikely that anyone will be able to give you a valid reason, and if they do then maybe it was your fault that you got ejected. Its just down right pathetic afterwards watching the team that was so stupid as to eject me, try to operate with a commander that had no clue what to do (5 of them). Oh well maybe the newbies will learn not to eject a commander without a damn good reason. Commanders just can't spend all their time babysitting the newbies, the marines have to step up and actually learn to play on their own end. So if you do get ejected, don't worry , it happens to the best of us. The simple fact is that the average newbie marines do not have a clue how hard it is to command and command well.
Link to Commanders Tips and Hints
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=20&t=13347' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...ST&f=20&t=13347</a>
In closing, no matter what you do, you can not win every single game you play or command. It just isn't possible. What you can do is narrow down the mistakes you make, and learn from the mistakes you do make. Commanding this game goes from slow to intense in a few minutes. The more marines you are trying to command the more hectic it gets. Commanding will make you want to drink, it will give you ulcers, and I would advise anyone with heart problems to avoid it. Otherwise a good commander, win or lose, is still a rarity these days. By reading this guide no matter if you command or just play, you should have a basic more complete understanding of the game, and hopefully more alien a$$ kicking games then before.
Ok this is the BASICS. The rest I think you can learn on your on, develop your own strategies, and PLAN AHEAD.
May God be with you Commander,
The fate of all Mankind rest in your hands,
Good Luck
Texas Ranger
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
Hello,
This is a short yet complete guide to how to quickly become a good or at least decent commander, or How not to get ejected, guide.
Ok guys, some may know me, many don't, my current record as of right now is 17-10-20.. That is 17 wins, 10 losses, and 20 games that I either took over after the commander had been ejected/quit,server crashed, I lost connection, or I got ejected (twice).
This guide is intended to take someone who knows nothing to very little about commanding, and give them the knowledge neccessary to win or at least give those stinking aliens a run for their money. Most important and above all things a good commander only guides, builds, alerts, and equips his troops. The real hero will always be those that fight, the guys in the trenches, as a commander you must never forget that you can suck and if your team is good you will win. Or on occassion the aliens will suck and you can mess up numerous times and still win. But it all boils down to you and your team. It is a team oriented game, especially so for the marines and it is this point that will bring your either defeat(from disorganization, troops that don't listen or stick togeather ) or victory. Now that you have gotten that through your thick skulls it is time to move on to the basics.
REMEMBER AT ALL TIMES THAT THE GAME IS DECIDED BY YOUR TEAM AND YOUR ABILITY TO LEAD THEM
It isn't something you can't do alone and it isn't something they can't do well without a commander to lead, build and equip them.
First and foremost you must listen to your team's request and respond to all of them if possible. If some newb gets on and says gimme ammo, shottie and a milkshake 30 secs into the game you don't respond hey **obscenity** F@#k off, you simply (and repeat after me)"I do not have the resources to do that at this time if you can capture and hold a resource with 1 other for 3 mins I will consider it" or something to that effect. If you try to cater to every one of your players you will soon have 20 shotguns laying around where they died all alone and no resources or support. Be reasonable and respond to request when you can, I mean realistically if someone really wants a jetpack and a shotgun, I will make sure they get it if they do a few things for me, like build and/or defend a resource node for a few mins.
OK now, NEVER EVER build something in front of one person in enemy terrority unless you are absolutely sure it is safe OR they have reinforcements enroute. IF you build stuff when there is one guy in the hive saying " commander drop me a turret factory(TF for short) etc.." you will soon find yourself with a dead factory and a dead marine. Send waypoints, wait for reinforcements, SECURE THE AREA and then build. Ok, so there is one marine all the way across the map at the 2nd hive and noone is going to be able to reinforce him for 5 minutes at least. You can, and I have, taken the chance that the one marine there can build a phase gate, receive reinforcements and be on the way to securing a 2nd hive/resource node without dying. Just remember there is always the chance that a sneaky skulk is up in the rafters just waiting for some newbie commander to drop a ton of structures with only one marine to build/defend. I would suggest using your scanner to make sure the area is some what clear, then dropping a phase gate first, since it is relatively cheap, builds pretty fast, and will provide you with reinforcements to carry out the other more expensive buildings.
Now one other thing before I begin to explain how to command. YOUR TEAM IS THE KEY, if they seperate, if one has Heavy Armor(HA for short), and the rest don't, etc.. you will soon find your self divided and eventually conquered. ALWAYS STRIVE TO KEEP YOUR TEAM TOGEATHER and equiped. Best way to do this is give them waypoints and phase gates(IMHO phase gates are the easiest way to coordinate defense and attacks)
And one last thing as commander, a MICROPHONE IS CRUCIAL IF NOT A NECCESSITY, giving orders, alerting your troops, coordinating attacks and defenses are time consuming and a microphone is one way to save a few seconds here and there. Which can make or break you eventually.
Ok, so you want to be a commander huh? Never commanded a day in your life, just got the game and think you can take over and kick alien **obscenity**? Well first you must go through what I will call BASIC TRAINING.
BASIC TRAINING
1) Play NS(natural selection) at least 5 times as a marine and at least 5 times as an alien. When you are a marine watch what the commander does, look to see how he places equip, what he places, where, and when, and for christ sake learn the ground level. As an alien, you should learn how they build and attack, watch where they get beat and where they win. It is too complicated for me to explain all the intricate details here in this guide that is why you are in basic training soldier, to learn for yourself.
2) Find a server where there is one/two people playing and go command for an hour or two. Familarize yourself with the commands, how to build, how to select troops and the equip, how to drop stuff, how to upgrade and in what order the upgrades go. THIS IS CRUCIAL. If you don't learn this stuff on an empty server then you WILL GET EJECTED or in the least people will curse your name etc,.
3) Read the Manual, read the website. Play a few times and understand how it works. This game is unlike any other in the fact that your troops in a RTS are Real people and dont always listen or do what you want them to do. This can help and hamper your commanding, learn to adapt and accomadate while fulfilling the needs of the whole, and most importantly learn how to kill the onos. Thats right your saying well I played a few times and those things are invincible.. BS, You can and you will be forced at one time or another as commander to take control of the situation and push them back, stop the assualt , buy some time and eventually win or lose learn from your mistakes. Onos are big targets, I would suggest heavy turrets 8-10 and HMGs to really make them feel the pain.
OK NOW THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON TO YOUR FIRST OBSTACLE COURSE.. YOUR FIRST COMMAND
After you have sufficiently learned how to use your command control center and playing a few rounds as a soldier and alien and learned the maps, it is time to try your hand as a commander. I always announce/ask to command so that if there is someone more qualified then me I will let them command, watch and learn or sometimes be ready to step in when they get ejected for being stupid. No matter what server you play on when you play or what eventually it will be time to step forward and take charge, just be polite about it.
NEVER COMMAND A MAP YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED ON AT LEAST 3 TIMES. If you do and then try to command it, you will soon find that you have many weak links in your armor. You will learn where and how to place turrets and other items by playing the map on the ground floor and no other way.
Alright you have played this map, noone wants to command and you say well I know how to command but I have never done it. And everyone says do it! then you jump in the chair and start,
THE FIRST 2 TO 20 MINS OF THE GAME ARE THE MOST CRUCIAL MINUTES IN THE WHOLE GAME, THEY CAN DICTATE WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE 90% of the time. Only a really good commander with a really good team can come back against all odds (i.e. 3 hives lost) so these first few minutes of the game are CRUCIAL. If you do not know what your doing DO NOT try to command the first few mins and then give up, you will **obscenity** everything up for the next commander and lose the game guarenteed.
First thing is first,
1)Build at least one infantry spawn( I suggest two, this will give you the edge ) This is key, without an infrantry portal for your troops to respawn in you will be overrun in the first 60 seconds and lose the game. You must have at least one, and you must build it a.s.a.p.
2) Build either an armory or a TF
3)Build the other TF or armory(some commanders build armory later, some do not even bother with TF and turrets at base etc, I suggest you stick to the basics til you feel secure enough to experiment with other things)
4) Build 2 to 3 turrets
HOW TO BUILD A TF AND THE SURROUNDING TURRETS
This is very important, because a number one tactic of the aliens is to run into a room full of turrets get behind the TF where no Turrets can reach them and chew it up, and then guess what..... NO TF = NO ACTIVE TURRETS and this is bad, bad, bad.. so I suggest you build @ least 3 turrets in a triangle around your TF. But you say I am building the TF to protect the resource node why build around the TF. Well you idiot if you lose the TF then the turrets are worthless aren't they?
So the first turrets you build should be built to protect the TF. after that you can throw 2 or 3 more into the mix to protect the Resource or whatever you are protecting. Always try to build a turret near your CC(command chair) a few mins into the game(after you have grabbed a resource or two)
At first you just want to protect the TF's but eventually when you have some extra resources you want to SECURE THE AREA which means a phase gate, and 6 to 10 turrets or more.
Now remember that TURRETS JUST POSTPONE THE ENVITABLE, they rarely kill skilled aliens, they just slow them down. That is why you will need Phase Gates which I will discuss shortly.
If you are going to either build in a Hive or build more then 8 turrents I would Highly reccomend a Second turret factory.
In addition when you build anything of value for example a TF, Armory,anything really except turrents, place them where they cannot be shot at from a distance, I.E. in a corner, around the corner , behind a wall etc.. Place them where FADES cannot shoot them. Place them where an alien has to take the turret down or turrets down first before they can even consider killing the TF/observatory etc..
Also when you are building turrets take into consideration the ground levels. Your factory has a green circle around it where it can support turrets so use that perimeter to your advantage and build turrets on top of boxes, on lower and higher levels and on elevator/lifts ( I call it alien elevator suprise!). And in areas of heavy alien concentration or right next to hives UPGRADE TO SIEGE and build 1 to 3 siege cannons in the farthest corners closest to the aliens hive/structures you can get them with out comprising their positions. A couple of comprehensive guides on how turrets actually work have been written and linked here for your perusal.
<a href='http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart2.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.planetns.com/strats/turretart2.htm</a>
WHAT SHOULD I DO FIRST AFTER I HAVE BASE BUILT UP INTIALLY?
First you will have aliens rushing you and your troops will be generally confused, disoriented, lost, runaway and other... so select them all by draggin a box around them and set a waypoint to the nearest/safest/easiest to defend resource node waypoint... BTW your troops love waypoints. Use them all the time when you can.. It gets really impossible later in the game, but thats ok.
Build a Resource node, TF 2 to 3 turrets(optional, you may want to save the original resources and come back later and defend that node, especially since the node is close to your base and your troops will have to run past it a few times before you get the phase gates up) and then send your troops to the nearest HIVE. Yes that is right HIVE. This is where it helps to play a lot on the ground floor because if you look at where the aliens rush you(if they do rush) then you will have a clue as to where their MAIN HIVE is and this is key,. You must surmise or learn where it is and fast. And either attack it outright(not suggested but it works about 1 in 5 times) or do what I do and that is to take the choke points.
Now send your troops to the first empty HIVE that you know of, and choose the nearest one. Drop a Resource Node, TF 3 to 6 turrets (it is a hive afterall) and send your troops to the nearest chokepoint (the hallway between YOUR HIVE AND THE ENEMIES HIVE) and build, build, build.. take your 4th resource point ..
Or take your first hive and then immediately move in on the next hive, it really depends on the map, how well your troops/resources are doing etc.
After this you are almost on your own but I have SUGGESTIONS for you, though there are never any guarantees in war.
I would suggest reinforcing your original resource if you haven't already and building an OBSERVATORY and Phase gates to your HIVE and any choke points. Phase gates are a Crucial part of the game and must be addressed early. People say gimme a shotgun and you say " I need all the available resources to secure and defend this hive and resource/choke point first "
Don't give out jack for at least 5 mins, not health (unless you are trying to keep the group alive to take a point) not shotties not nothing .
Now the surefire way to win at this point if everything has gone smoothly and fast is to send your troops to the next hive (preferrably not the original though I would use the scan from the observatory at this point to see which is the least defended) and take a second hive. If you can take, secure and hold 2 hives then you are almost guaranteed a win. Next when the resources are flowing get the arms lab/prototype lab up and research the first (20 resource each) upgrades on armor/guns at the arms lab as well as eventually researching the motion sensing (a very important part ) and most importantly upgrading your armory for HMG (heavy machine guns) and GL (Grenade Launchers). And get your Heavy Armor (HA) researching in under 10-15 mins can also give you a major advantage. Especially if they get Fades going, you will need HMG/HA to push/kill the aliens. A good point is that your first upgrade to your armor (the 20 RP one) will give your troops a 50% better survival rate. It basically gives your troops the ability to take 3 bites from a skulk rather then the starting 2 bites, thus reducing your marines loss by 50% or so.
Now you must hold at least 3 resources to stay alive and should hold 5 or more to upgrade and equip....
If things go wrong and you have resources research your HA and HMG/GL fast and equip your troops with these 3 things at once HA/HMG/wielder .. not one by one or else you are doomed,.. It does very little good for a marine to have 50 armor and a HMG, they die too fast to justify giving them a gun. Ok maybe one here and there, if your marines are moving as a group then one HMG/Shotgun can be beneficial as the others will grab it when the marine carrying it dies. Otherwise I suggest dropping HA/HMG/welder in one combo lump on the floor.
Ok maybe drop a HMG or GL or shottie here and there but mostly you want to save and drop at one time(in one place) HA/HMG/welder or GL or shottie etc..
Don't disregard the jetpack, it is really cheap to make and relatively cheap to research and on maps where there are multiple levels or a lot of vents you will most likely need Jetpacks.
Make sure your HA stay togeather and stay welded and make sure you stress that they weld each other etc..
Learn how to use siege Cannons and build/use them any time your team runs into resistance/structures. Siege Cannons are the best weapons you have next to your actual team. *Note at this time there is a bug on some maps, most noticeably Eclipse where the entire area around South Loop is Un-Siegable, you just can't upgrade the Factories there, I have tried everywhere around there and nothing works, hopefully this will be fixed soon but until it does, avoid attacking computer core from that side, attacking from the other side of the map and sieging them will be 110% more effective* Use them wisely and use them to push or hold the enemy back as well as using GL to push back any aliens. (the GL works wonders sometimes to keep them at bay long enough for you to reorganize etc..) Don't underestimate the power of two GL's to push back aliens from your base etc. I have won with 3 hives lost and no resources by pushing back with GL's, building a resource with a TF and then equipping a few HA etc, and continuing on and taking one hive/resource/choke point at time.
Choke points are incredibly important to holding the enemy at bay and buying time to equip and organize your troops for a good strike, learn them and use them. i.e. South Loop is a superb example of a good choke point for hive maintance.
Learn from your mistakes and listen to suggestions from your team, cover your **obscenity**,and your teams **obscenity**, drop medpacks but be hesitant to drop ammo packs since basically 12 /13 packs = one armory and the armory = free ammo.
ITEMS AND ABILITIES AVAILABLE TO COMMANDERS
USE YOUR JUMP KEY (SPACEBAR USUALLY) TO MOVE TO HOTSPOTS
This is mentioned in Monsieurevil's Advanced Commander Mode Linked here > <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=20&t=8761' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...=ST&f=20&t=8761</a> so I will just quote his guide as it fully explains "jumping" to the action.
"Jump to the action -
Not very well know(n), but anytime your command console software is telling you that 'your troops are under attack, your building is under attack, research completed, etc', or a you hear, 'Yo, need some ammo over here!', you have the ability to jump directly to it. Simply tap your jump key (usually space), and your HUD view will immediately move to the area of concern. This saves a lot of time scrolling around trying to find some wounded troops desperately trying to survive a skulk rush. Tell your troops to use that pop-up menu!"
OPENING DOORS AS A COMMANDER
Yes it is possible to open/close doors and even operate elevators from inside your luxurious command chair. Simply put the cursor over the door/elevator and either wait for an icon to appear and then click or just click. These doesn't always work right and sometimes it won't work at all (certain maps). For some reason Elevators seem to work more then doors do. As this isn't really a strategy so to speak it can be used for tactical purposes. For example your team is suddenly surprised and getting beat on bad, you order a hasty retreat and close the doors for them as they fall back. Or you put a bunch of turrents on an elevator and then your team is under attack in the room next, you lower/raise the elevator for an "alien surprise" and also to give your injured marines a way to escape. Closing the doors behind the marines as they move through the map can also be beneficial as it prevents them from being attacked from behind and may slow down the enemy. On the flipside you can open doors for your boys before they get there.. etc etc.. Although this isn't a major advantage as commander it is good to know every possiblity you have at your disposal. After all its the little things that count, right?
MAPS
Maps can be a very useful tool for a commander, especially one that has just begun his riegn of terror and needs to make sure he knows where that hive is to assault etc. There is a link in the Natural Selection Forums to many different maps that are all better then the overhead ones you get in the game. This can come in real handy and I have to refer to them occassionally even though I have played a map 20 times or more.
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=9871&st=0' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...f=1&t=9871&st=0</a>
Ok so there are lots of maps there, pick the ones you like and then go print them and play.
MEDPACKS AND AMMOPACKS
As commander you are the only one on your team with the ability to drop little medpacks containing quick healing nanites. If a soldier is low on health you should drop these on him or right near him. Especially if that soldier is wearing heavy armor, carrying a big gun or something, you need to try your best to keep them alive. The other marines will have to weld his armor up but you can at least keep his Health full. Dropping this in the middle of combat can make a huge difference but is hard to drop on top of the injured as they tend to only stand still when getting ammo or building, so try to drop a few in the middle of combat but make sure that afterwards while everyone is repairing you are healing.
Ammopacks drop ammo clips, and I rarely use this unless I have a few marines defending a spot far from base, or a lone marine that has taken it upon themselves to scout/spy and or clear out the vents etc.. I usually tell soldiers to return to base for ammo or I will drop an armory.
In either case I would refrain from dropping either of these the first few mins of the game since resources are extremely tight.
WELDERS
At the beginning of the game, especially on certain maps, you should make it a point to give one smart marine that knows how to weld shut vents a welder. The faster you can narrow the points from which the enemy can attack you the better. Welding vents shut is a necessity and not only that but it helps you use less marines/turrets to provide cover/defense for the same area. Most maps have a vent that leads into your base and this should be sealed first. In addition to healing/sealing Welders can also be used to break into certain areas. The more experienced marines will know where these points are and if they have a welder it can be very helpful in the game. Later when you have people in HA/HMG it is a neccessity that almost everyone have a welder on your team. To keep the turrets/structures welded and more importantly keep those Heavies welded. Welders also work against webs, make sure to tell your troops this if you see them getting stuck and yelling "ARGGH WEBBED!!" etc. A lot of marines don't know this.
MINES
Mines are probably the most overlooked and underappreciated weapon/defense/detterant that the marines have. The main reason for this is that noone really knows how to use them, or only a few marines do. As commander if someone ask for mines I would drop them but only once or twice, otherwise you get some Newbie mining everything and then here comes one Fade and blows them all up. If the marine knows how to use a mine effectively then you will be able to see that on your overhead usually. The best Place to put mines IMO is in the vents, a small area where only small creatures(skulks go) and since it takes a Fade to blow up a mine without taking damage, It will deter quite a few skulks from moving through the vents until you inevitably get the Kamikaze skulk that blows himself up just to clear the vents of mines. Mines also have a proximity (place them on the ground) effect though I have had a lot of problems as a marine getting them to work right (they usually explode right after I drop them on the ground).
GUNS
Guns, there are only a few. The LMG(light machine gun)/ Pistol combo your troops spawn with are free. You can win the war with these if you take and hold 2 hives thus preventing the aliens from gestating to Fades. If you do get fades the Lmg/pistol combo will do little more then aggravate a skilled fade. You literally have to pump about 200 rounds into a fade to kill them, so fighting fades with Lmgs is really only good if your marines are fighting as a group, otherwise you rarely see a fade die to this weapon. Once you have built an Armory you will have the option to upgrade to HMG's (Heavy Machine Guns) and with an Arms lab build you will get GL (grenade launchers). A skilled marine with an HMG can take down just about any alien, as long they in turn can take the damage or constantly be welded/medpack dropped on. The HMG is the standard weapon you should be dropping for the marines, as most marines can use it even if they aren't that good. The grenade launcher is the most expensive weapon and perhaps one of the hardest to handle. Most marines will blow themselves up the first few times they try to use it, but after practice it is an invaluable weapon in your arsenal. GL's can push back aliens from hallways, rooms, and most importantly vents. I would suggest keeping these to a minimum, maybe one or two for the entire group, since they are costly and virtually useless in close combat. GL will always have to accompany marines with HMG's, or in the very least carry a pistol. Shotguns are the cheapest guns and somewhat contraversial. Many a debate has raged on if the shotgun is a better gun, is it worth the cost (20rp) etc. I like to mix up my arsenal and will eventually drop a few of these with HA/JP mix. There are some marines that swear by shotguns so when the good times start, don't hesitate to try and give a marine the weapon he prefers, its usually because he is best with it. All in all you should hold off dropping weapons as long as possible or try and drop very few in a group of marines at the start. Different commanders use different tactics and you will have to find the one the works best for you, given the situation and the team you are handed. I have won many times without ever upgrading or dropping weapons, by basically taking two hives a.s.a.p., but this doesn't always work.
INFANTRY PORTAL SPAWNS
The first thing you need to build, I always build two, but you only need one. The cost isn't much (15RP) and you absolutely have to have one. The more troops you are commanding the more you should have as it increases the respawn time. I would suggest making 2 at the beginning and eventually getting 4 going if you have a lot (10-12) marines. There is no build these later, this is absolutely the first structure you must build.
ARMORY
After you have built the infantry portals you should almost always build an armory. The armory gives your troops free ammo. Thats right its FREE. This beats the hell outta dropping ammopacks, if a marine can get back to an armory it will save you resources. In addition marines use a lot of ammo. Even skulks will take a whole clip to take down. Marines without ammo are crippled and will eventually die, you can't live 4ever with just a knife. In addition the armory provides you with the ability to drop guns in the perimeter (green circle) around the armory and also allows you to upgrade to HMG's and GL's. While upgrading the armory will not be usuable so I would suggest building a 2nd one in the hive you just took and telling your marines to go there, or just tell them there will be no ammo for a few minutes while it upgrades. I would only bother with upgrading your base armory and outfitting your troops as the respawn or have them jump back to base via phase gate to get equipped. It's just cheaper. Building a 2nd or even a 3rd armory is usually beneficial in a Hive or in a Hotspot/choke point where your troops have to expend a ton of ammo just to hold their ground or advance. Just remember that building an armory in a good spot is cheaper then dropping 13 ammopacks.
OBSERVATORY
Perhaps one of the most important structures in the game. This should be built usually right after you have secured, or are securing your first hive. The observatory is perhaps the most important piece of machinery the marines have, it not only gives you the ability to build Phase gates, but also gives you the ability to scan (an invaluable tool) and research Motion Sensing Tracking (most marines love this one). It also gives you the ability to use the distress beacon. So very vital this piece of machinery is I would suggest building it near your CC for ultimate protection. This is structure that will "win the war". I also provides a no cloaking area around it. Without it your marines are blind and slow. So guard it with your life. There are some commanders that advocate building this instead of the TF at your base, it is that important.
MOTION SENSING TRACKING
Research this at the Observatory and your marines will able to see anything that moves through walls. Shows up as little to big circles depending on distance (I think) and can really give a marine that extra edge they need. However it is somewhat expensive (45 RP) and not completely necessary. If your troops are constantly ambushed by sneaky skulks this might be the thing to turn the tide.
DISTRESS BEACON
I rarely see this one used and when it is, it is rarely used right. The distress beacon will in about 3 -5 seconds respawn all your dead marines with or without infantry portals. This is key to when you have to defend the "alamo" and you are gonna lose, make them damn aliens fight for it. Or if your team was just suddenly wiped out say 5 or more, use it to get them back up and running fast. Just remember that it costs 15 resource points (RP). So using it all the time is a waste. I once played a game where the commander had no idea what he was doing and used it every few mins. (whether there were dead marines or not). That will eat up your resources fast.
PHASE GATE
Ahh a modern miracle in advanced travel. The phase gate will whisk your marines anywhere on the map where another phase gate is in the blink of an eye. You will need to have a phase gate at your main base, I usually put this close to the armory/infantry portals, and at each hive you hold. As well I would suggest placing them anywhere you have a large number of structures built, and in the middle of the map. These gates will not only prevent your troops from wandering lost through the hallways stalked by crafty skulks, but they provide almost immediate defense for an area. Say your node is getting beat on in Sector A and you just happen to have 5 Heavy marines locked stocked and ready to rock. They are on the opposite side of the map but in all your wisdom there are phase gates in each place. Simply tell them to jump in the phase gates and get out in sector a and secure it. It works miracles. Now because phase gates provide almost instant reinforcements they become prime targets for the aliens, in addition some aliens will like to joy ride your phase gate network hoping to get off somewhere you forgot to protect and chomp on some valuable structures. Therefore I like to place a few turrets near the phase gates so that all joyride aliens get off on the first stop and die. If you have a phase gate in a hive, it will be a prime target and if that hive is under constant attack, I.E. all the little aliens and their brothers decided your hive is prime real estate and they are moving in no matter what, you might think about building a 2nd phase gate, just in case. Many marines will think this is foolish, but when the first phase gate goes down, and your troops arrive via the 2nd and only phase gate, its literally saves the day. In addition Phase gates are somewhat cheap to construct (20RP) and you really just can't live without them.
ARMS LAB
Your arms lab, while not being an essential structure, can make a huge difference in your teams ability to survive out there. It provides you with upgrades on armor and guns. Upgrading your guns gives you 10%- 30% more damage from all your weapons, that includes mines and turrets. Upgrading your armor gives your 20 extra armor points each upgrade (60 for all 3) and can be the difference between one skulk bite to death. Alone these upgrades are barely noticeable at first. It should be mentioned though that its 50 RP to build the arms lab, 20 for the first rank of upgrades, 40 for the 2nd, and a whooping 60 for the 3rd. This is really the only difference between the upgrades other then the fact that they stack up. That is why about 10 minutes into the game, after you have secured at least 3 resource nodes or more, you should build one of these and get the first two upgrades going. Building an Arms lab allows you to build a prototype lab as well. Make sure you place this structure in a hard to reach spot, otherwise you will be faced with rebuilding it when a fade shoots it to death because it was an easy target. If you ever lose a valuable structure, such as the arms lab, do not rebuild it in the exact same spot, try to find another place less vulnerable to ranged attacks or sneaky skulks.
PROTOTYPE LAB
In order to have a prototype lab you must first build an observatory and arms lab. The prototype lab gives you HA and JP (jetpacks). I would reccomend getting one and researching HA first within about 10 to 15 mins into the game. The cost of researching HA is a big one Observatory=35 + Arms Lab = 50 + Prototype lab =45 + Researching HA=50 ... Thats 180 resources just to research HA.. But it will be well worth it.
RECYCLING
Recycling is a good way to get rid of unwanted or unneeded units. (i.e. 2 armories in the same spot) To recycle something just select the structure and press the recycle button in the lower right hand corner and then wait about 10 secs. Recycling will get you a small amount of resources back. You can basically break down recycling into 3 parts.
1) Recycling duplicate or unneeded items. This is basic clean up recycling, you recycle that extra armory you dropped by mistake. Or you recycle that turret you just placed on top of the guy with HA. Please don't let them kill themselves if they have heavy, especially when you can fix it by recycling. Also you might consider recycling that extra base you just built outside the hive you just sieged. If I am sieging a hive I usually have phase gate, armory, turret factory, turrets etc. just outside the hive. When we successfully take the hive then I build the same things inside if not more. So many of the siege base items can go to the recycling bin, especially if Resource Points are tight. I leave the turrets/siege cannons and usually recycle everything else. On occassion I will leave the phase gate as a backup, it really depends on how tight the RP flow is.
2) Recycling items before the enemy can kill them. I use this tactic to recycle undefended resource nodes or turrets without a turret factory that are getting chomped on. If my marines won't make it in time then I just begin the recycling process, usually if I am fast enough I can recycle the stuff before the aliens can eat it.
3) Recycling because its the end. This is where you have gone into the "alamo-mode" and start recycling everything you don' t need to just have a few more rp for that one last suit of HA/HMG. Phase gates that don't go anywhere are the big ones here, other then that just stuff you don't need or have duplicated. It all is going to go anyways might as well make the aliens work for it.
Be careful not to recycle stuff you need like arms labs etc.. or armories that you have upgraded for guns. That is just a waste.
HOW TO HANDLE (MICROMANAGE) YOUR TROOPS
This topic has been beaten to death in the forums and it seems almost everyone has a different idea/perspective on how to get your guys to do what needs to be done. Most of the time you will find that 75% of the marines on your team will at least try to do what needs to be done, and move to waypoints etc.,
I have found that there are better ways to get your troops to move to waypoints and build and protect stuff.
First off If you don't know how to select your troops its simple, you merely click on the guy you want to select and then click on the map as to where you want them to go, or click on the structure you want built/defended. It will then give that soldier an order in which most will at least attempt to follow it. To select a group of marines simply left click and drag a box around them, usually do this at the armory where they seem to hang out.
SETTING UP WAYPOINTS
I personally have found that if you select some troops and then select a waypoint say 1/4 of the way across the map, you will soon have all your troops take different routes trying to get to the same waypoint. Some become lost and many will die if a few aliens set ambush. I consistently lose troops due to the fact that most of them don't know the map very well and tend to seperate as they search for the way to the waypoint. That is way I invented the "baby steps" method. I know what your saying right now, You invented it?? Yes I did and I have the trademark and patent to prove it!
Baby steps are simple waypoints. It requires a lot more of your attention and time to use but tends to work about 100% better. Simply select your troops and point to the next intersection, maybe even halfway across the room. Make the waypoints where the troops can see them or turn a corner/ open a door and be there. Make sure you tell the guys what you are doing and that they must stay togeather, which means sometimes they have to wait at a waypoint while the rest of the team catches up. Using the babystep method tends to keep your troops togeather, which tends to prolong their lives. When you finally get them to where you want them to go I usually throw down a Phase gate immediately, so that those that died on the way can get there and to provide reinforcements without having to baby step them there.
HOW TO HANDLE UNRULY NONWORKING MARINES
The best method for dealing with whiners/morons/dead beat marines is to ignore them. I always respond politely to the first one or two " Hey Do0d gimme a shottie and jetpack!". Simply explain that the resources are needed elsewhere etc. It is the simple reward/punishment theory. The marines that move to waypoints and build/defend structures etc., are the first ones that get HA/HMG. Eventually if I have the resources I outfit everyone, but you will notice as a commander the marines that help and the ones that hinder. Usually the guy that is constantly yelling for a gun and bitching about fighting fades with lmgs is the guy constantly dying and running off on his own. Giving these guys are gun is a complete waste of resources and most likely these marines are a complete waste of carbon. Someone posted that the best way is to "Treat them like children" and this is so true. If you nicely tell them why you can't give them a shotgun and then try to give them some task to finish etc., and talk to them like they are children you might actually get some teamwork outta of them. No matter what you do you will eventually have some a$$ that nothing will work on and you will just eventually have to ignore him, or hope he goes alien.
WHO GETS THE GUNS?
As posted above I usually try to work on the reward/punishment scale with guns and equipment drops. It works pretty good and if you are rewarding the right marines with equip/guns these are the guys that don't tend to run off and die right away, which is even better. Another method is giving guns/equip to the guys who can fight. I would use the TAB- scoreboard and see who is the best on our team (when and if this is implemented). At this point I am assuming that you will get a higher ranking by killing aliens and structures and dying less then your comrades. So equipping these marines also make sense, as you will now have a Super-marine. At this point the only way to see who is good on your team (until the scoreboard is fixed/implemented) is by pulling down your console with the tilde key ~ and typing Status. This tells you how many frags they have and some other information.
All in all you will have to find what works best for you to micro manage your troops. As commander you have the ability to see the big picture and translating this to your troops is key to winning. Phase gates work wonders in moving troops around and getting them to their waypoints faster. Have your troops defend unturreted resource nodes for a few mins, have them work and use them to buy you time.. After all you can win almost any game if you just have enough time to get the resources you need to upgrade/equip your troops. I mean once everyone is in HA with a good gun, then its just a matter of time before your marines push into the next node/hive area and capture it. That is if they work togeather , weld each other etc..
EJECTION
No matter how good you are at commanding, no matter how many victories you have under your belt, no matter if you just took the third hive from the aliens, sooner or later some newbie/moronic marines are going to eject you. I have now been ejected twice out of over 50 games commanding thats about 4% . When you are first ejected you are gonna to be upset, especially when they eject you for no reason other then their own stupidity, which will be the case most of the time. Unless you just suck. Only one problem arises when they eject you, the last two times I was ejected the same thing happened each time, some other idiot gets in the CC and ten minutes later he is ejected too because he doesn't have a clue what to do. My last ejection saw no less then 5 commanders after me, and we lost the only hive we had due to incompetence. I was ejected right before I dropped the TF in the hive and if I had been able to finish that we wouldn't have lost the hive so easily, basically because the TF had no turrets protecting it.
I asked why I was ejected and never recieved a reason other then automatic idiots response to everything "u sux". I can only assume that I was ejected because I gave out waypoints to the team and they all got lost, and it took mins to finally get them to the hive. I actually had to babysit them there.
I do not know how ejection works, i.e. how many have to actually vote against you. But once you are ejected you cannot return to the commanders chair without first leaving the game( not sure if this works).
The best thing to do when you do get ejected however is to bite your tongue and find out why. It is highly unlikely that anyone will be able to give you a valid reason, and if they do then maybe it was your fault that you got ejected. Its just down right pathetic afterwards watching the team that was so stupid as to eject me, try to operate with a commander that had no clue what to do (5 of them). Oh well maybe the newbies will learn not to eject a commander without a damn good reason. Commanders just can't spend all their time babysitting the newbies, the marines have to step up and actually learn to play on their own end. So if you do get ejected, don't worry , it happens to the best of us. The simple fact is that the average newbie marines do not have a clue how hard it is to command and command well.
Link to Commanders Tips and Hints
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=20&t=13347' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...ST&f=20&t=13347</a>
In closing, no matter what you do, you can not win every single game you play or command. It just isn't possible. What you can do is narrow down the mistakes you make, and learn from the mistakes you do make. Commanding this game goes from slow to intense in a few minutes. The more marines you are trying to command the more hectic it gets. Commanding will make you want to drink, it will give you ulcers, and I would advise anyone with heart problems to avoid it. Otherwise a good commander, win or lose, is still a rarity these days. By reading this guide no matter if you command or just play, you should have a basic more complete understanding of the game, and hopefully more alien a$$ kicking games then before.
Ok this is the BASICS. The rest I think you can learn on your on, develop your own strategies, and PLAN AHEAD.
May God be with you Commander,
The fate of all Mankind rest in your hands,
Good Luck
Texas Ranger
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Comments
And will probably be buried eventually here unless some mod pins it....
It is quite a handful and I have to say that I didn't realize how big it had grown til I printed it, 12 pages long. I have some new tactics I use now that seem to work well... Basically the first two positions/nodes I grab are hives, and I have been building an observatory over the Turret factory at the beginning to get those phase gates and Scans... Its risky but 2/3 times it seems to be working like a charm.
Texas Ranger
Thanks
Texas Ranger <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'ts definitely worth being *pushed* up again <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'm not quite ready for commanding now, but I'll give it a try sometime soon, when I know the Maps better...
Thx for writing this Texas Ranger!
"Yes, I am here, but I'm working on defending/sieging/attacking elsewhere - wait/hold" [would probably stop/pause a lot of votes]
"armory is being upgraded - will drop ammo on request" [or build another armory - whatever]
"I will tell you when we have enough resources for shotguns/hmgs/ha/jetpacks - do not ask again"
"Get to the hive ASAP - do not pass go, do not collect 250 bullets, do not whine for a shotgun"
"Check base for unbuilt structures when you respawn please"
Sounds simple, but that first one really would stop a lot of people voting off commanders [providing that you were actually doing that of course].
My biggest problem at the moment is learning all the maps, tho, have played a good few times now so a lot of your ideas make sense. Especially the phase gates!
im good at commanding
but i hate commanding
Funny thing is after you comm so many times, it is actually more fun to be on the ground floor with the grunts... and yell at the comm for placing tfac with no turrets on its backside <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> .
I give em hell!
Anyways 33wins/16losses/and 27 other... I have done this a few times..
Sometimes I enjoy playing aliens and teaching those newb commanders a thing or two about turret placement.. has to be my biggest pet peeve.
BTW good point on the binding Dumbo, I use those exact (well near exact) sayings... My new favorite reply is
"What you think this is wizards and warlocks, I just can't make a HMG magically appear you know... gimme a min its working"
Texas Ranger
Actually, I build the armory later...than most do...because after I have some D in place I do NOT want these soldiers to be sitting around only at base....in fact there should only be one soldier to provide extra backup to d at main base. SO how do you get them to leave the main base as soon as possible?
Marines have to accept that they are cannon fodder and tools and that the game does not center around them being alive but them 1) getting the objective 2) slowing the opponents from accomplishing theirs. Harsh but true. Honestly only in critical spots around enemy hives will I even bother with health drops...if someone is at base and calling for health. ignore them..they have cost you more than jus tth resources but your critical attention needed elsewhere and reduced the effectiveness of the push they just deserted.
Yup ur incentive suggestion taken to another extreme works...DO NOT build an armory until the team has taken at least one hive otherwise they will not fight and die slowing down the opponents....they will retreat and come back to main base to rearm and whine for meds while you lose all momentumn you have gained with your initial push. even then I would place that armory at the hive (with appropriate d of course and a phase gate as soon as possible) so that they go there and their turtling would at least be of some use. I would then push for the second hive as soon as possible..and herd those marines towards a position around the second hive as soon as possible using whatever means (it usually involves for me nice polite requests escalating to yelling to sarcasm and more importantly dropping little treats like one health or one ammo way ahead of them to guide them /prod them there).
At times it is like herding cattle...they moo alot but with the approriate cattle prod, verbal push, and treat you can get your strike cattle to the appropriate grazing ground from which they can fatten up destruction (ie a turret/seige farm) outside a second hive. DO NOT have them attack directly since it is alot harder to sustain an offensive than a defensive with soldiers...if you give them the focus of DEFENDING that turret/seige base it gets alot easier and harder for the opponent to build any D.
Once you get two hives and have built them up (with an approriate secondary emergency commstation and extra infantry spawns at those hives in the most easily and well defended) then you can afford to be generous and reply to health and ammo requests. Still again like Texas here has said reward the most obedient with the gifts and you can choose to, like me, be a little more extreme with the carrot/stick thing and completely ignore those who have been basically ignoring your orders. So that they end up with no armor or upgraded weapons. Yes even if you have loads and loads of resources still reinforce the concept that ifyou follow orders you benefit if you don't you lose. THat makes it easier for future commanders who will thank you for this bit of behaviorial reinforcement. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
No matter what keep your goals simple and objectives step by step....that way you have better focus and don't feel overwhelmed...discard what is not necessary to reach that objective and do whatever you have to do facilitate that objective.
Do not try to overextend your self. Do not try to take two hives at once. make it simpler liek secure one hive and just slow down any progress for the aliens at the other...distribute your soldiers (or prod them that way) so that you have higher number at the secured hive and maybe 2 or 3 at the hive you want to slow them down in....IF you choose to do that..me I would rather have the entire team secure one hive quickly and then move on...but no matter what tactic you use keep it step by step.
AM I being harsh? no. IS this unfun? No too. Team sports require the same discipline and same methods of behavior reinforcement and they still remain fun. I would argue that when things are such a mess and one is continually losing in a game...that THAt is more unfun. Instilling a bit of order is not detrimental to the enjoyment of a game and can in fact enhance it.