Your Goal Is Only To Secure Two Hives!
geldonyetich
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2537Members
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2537Members
<div class="IPBDescription">And so a very effective strategy is..</div> A bit of a crosspost here...
First off, why is getting two hives your only goal? <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=17387&st=47' target='_blank'>This is why.</a>
Here's what's probably the best tactic for NS right now. You need organized marines to pull it off, but then you need organized marines to pull off any victory. It goes like this:
<ul>
<li>After building basic base defences and ammo, commander has marines rush an unoccupied hive.
<li>Provided marines managed to muster enough organization to do this, the commander then builds a phase gate. turret factory, resources, turrets. His entire team should be guarding that location taking down any skulks who try to jump them. Phase gate allows for quick reinforcement. (Note you'll need an observatory for this.)
<li>Then the commander orders a marine or two to guard both base and hive (via phase gate). This is important, because turrets really are not very effective as of 1.03 you need live bodies patrolling, and welding if possible. If any skulk happens along, the marine will compensate for the general pathetic weakness of the turrets. Keeping the phase gate up is his lead concern.
<li>If you did a good job of this, you're still early in the game at this point. The aliens have maybe 2 or 3 resource nozzles max and are still relatively far from being able to afford the second hive - they may still be at a stage where they can't even afford to build a good Wall Of Arse defence barrier yet.
<li>Most commanders stop here, and that's the big mistake: you need two hive to prevent the aliens from winning, not one. So the commander immediately orders the marines to proceed to the next unoccupied hive.
<li>Commander then fortifies this hive in an identical manner. Phase gate first, then turret factories, resources, turrets, ect.
<li>Once two hives are held, it's game over. Finish off the aliens at your leisure. Keep Marines patrolling your existing fortifications to prevent any skulks rushes from taking over.
</ul>
That's the plan, and it works rather well. The already taken hive really doesn't matter. So long as the aliens are prevented from getting a second hive up (which is the lead goal of the strategy), they really can't deal with turret defences [edit: important note - you still need a live body or two patrolling those turret defences]. It should be noted that another potentially unintendended balance aspect of Natural Selection is that the marines can do just dandy if they hold a total of 3 resource nozzles. By securing two hives, you will have achieved this.
This tactic differs from traditional command strategies in that marines do not attempt to build any nearby resources. Their goal is to fortify two hives (and take THOSE resources) as quickly as possible, and with phase gates this can be done surprisingly quickly.
I've added my own little twist to the mix, and it works fairly well: <b>For the second hive, do not build any fortifications inside of the hive itself</b> - that is, at least not at the start. Instead, locate a position (preferably with a resource nozzle) that's just outside of the hive but still in siege cannon range. Build your phase gate, defences, resource nozzle there, and make sure there's a siege cannon deployed within range of the untaken hive position. Why do this only for the second hive is because you can't spare the time waiting for turret factory to upgrade.
The advantage of building outside of the hive is that the Aliens likely would not expect it, and often it's actually easier to defend than the hive room itself. Also, you have alot more flexibility about where your going to build this at. In some cases you'll even find a position between two differennt hives that is within siege cannon range and be able to tie down both hives from one fortified position!
LOS code in 1.04 prevents this from working as effectively, but you can still ping with observatory or even send a marine in (since the hive would not have been established yet.)
First off, why is getting two hives your only goal? <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=17387&st=47' target='_blank'>This is why.</a>
Here's what's probably the best tactic for NS right now. You need organized marines to pull it off, but then you need organized marines to pull off any victory. It goes like this:
<ul>
<li>After building basic base defences and ammo, commander has marines rush an unoccupied hive.
<li>Provided marines managed to muster enough organization to do this, the commander then builds a phase gate. turret factory, resources, turrets. His entire team should be guarding that location taking down any skulks who try to jump them. Phase gate allows for quick reinforcement. (Note you'll need an observatory for this.)
<li>Then the commander orders a marine or two to guard both base and hive (via phase gate). This is important, because turrets really are not very effective as of 1.03 you need live bodies patrolling, and welding if possible. If any skulk happens along, the marine will compensate for the general pathetic weakness of the turrets. Keeping the phase gate up is his lead concern.
<li>If you did a good job of this, you're still early in the game at this point. The aliens have maybe 2 or 3 resource nozzles max and are still relatively far from being able to afford the second hive - they may still be at a stage where they can't even afford to build a good Wall Of Arse defence barrier yet.
<li>Most commanders stop here, and that's the big mistake: you need two hive to prevent the aliens from winning, not one. So the commander immediately orders the marines to proceed to the next unoccupied hive.
<li>Commander then fortifies this hive in an identical manner. Phase gate first, then turret factories, resources, turrets, ect.
<li>Once two hives are held, it's game over. Finish off the aliens at your leisure. Keep Marines patrolling your existing fortifications to prevent any skulks rushes from taking over.
</ul>
That's the plan, and it works rather well. The already taken hive really doesn't matter. So long as the aliens are prevented from getting a second hive up (which is the lead goal of the strategy), they really can't deal with turret defences [edit: important note - you still need a live body or two patrolling those turret defences]. It should be noted that another potentially unintendended balance aspect of Natural Selection is that the marines can do just dandy if they hold a total of 3 resource nozzles. By securing two hives, you will have achieved this.
This tactic differs from traditional command strategies in that marines do not attempt to build any nearby resources. Their goal is to fortify two hives (and take THOSE resources) as quickly as possible, and with phase gates this can be done surprisingly quickly.
I've added my own little twist to the mix, and it works fairly well: <b>For the second hive, do not build any fortifications inside of the hive itself</b> - that is, at least not at the start. Instead, locate a position (preferably with a resource nozzle) that's just outside of the hive but still in siege cannon range. Build your phase gate, defences, resource nozzle there, and make sure there's a siege cannon deployed within range of the untaken hive position. Why do this only for the second hive is because you can't spare the time waiting for turret factory to upgrade.
The advantage of building outside of the hive is that the Aliens likely would not expect it, and often it's actually easier to defend than the hive room itself. Also, you have alot more flexibility about where your going to build this at. In some cases you'll even find a position between two differennt hives that is within siege cannon range and be able to tie down both hives from one fortified position!
LOS code in 1.04 prevents this from working as effectively, but you can still ping with observatory or even send a marine in (since the hive would not have been established yet.)
Comments
Actually, that's easier to do on 20+ player servers. This is more of a tactic that you need to use on 16 player servers, where aliens will usually clean your clock.
It is a well proven fact that putting turrets in the base is a step closer to a marine loss. If one marine will not be able to defend the base, 3 turrets will be less than a speed bump, and a complete waste of resources.
If you leave your marine base totally devoid of defences, you run the risk that an organized skulk rush will come in and overwhelm your defender, eat your phase gate, eat your infantry spawns, eat any research you've gone, then finish off the CC.
Make no mistake, every time you go for leaving your base undefended, your banking on your marines causing enough racket to distract the entire alien team. I've been on a few alien teams that were not so easily fooled, and easily able to spare the mere four skulks it took to overwhelm the marine commander that tried this.
I seem to recollect once this even was done on a larger population server.
The marines normally get used to it because I have them go back and forth even when I do have turrets. It's good to keep them in good shape you understand <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->. That and I have a profound lack of faith in turrets preventing an attack no matter which side I'm on.
Eater.
This strat will work on public servers. It will not work in a pub server against a team who is organized.
Sounds like you are 100% sure of that.
I find if i do this thats 1 hive secured and ready for the next hive. because when u spread your res over two places at start is very hard.
+ if u keep them busy away from base and 1 or 2 guard base as well, u will end up with probably aswell. But u need to get 2 hives quick, so thats how i do it.
I suk at english. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->