Commanding Basics?
DiscoZombie
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
<div class="IPBDescription">mechanics and strategy and stuff</div> I really wanna know everything involved in commanding before I mess up any games with my inexperience. I know this isn't an uncommon question, but I haven't seen any really thorough answers either... could someone fill me in on all the keys and clicks I need to know? like, what does a regular click do, what does a right click do, how do I select marines, how do I go to a request for orders, how do I give orders... you know, the works. Throw in a little strategy if you want -- like, good order of building structures and upgrades... and when is it worth it to drop weapons rather than spending the res on structures, etc. when you recycle something, does it recycle itself or do marines un-build it, and for what % of the resources spent on it? feh, I guess that's enough random questions for now. if these get answered and I think of more, I'll post more... thanks in advance for any info :>
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Comments
right click to give those rines a waypoint (wp)
recycle a structure by selecting it and clicking on the recycle button in the far right corner. rines don't have to do a thing. i _think_ it's 1/2 the resources of a structure that you get back. (note: if you are recycling a RT because it's being attacked, recycle it as SOON as it gets hit once. you can recycle an RT in time if ONE skulk is attacking yer RT _if_ you recycle right away)
go to a request for orders is indicated by yer cue icons on the left hand side of your screen, just left click it.
strategy: heheh, if i KNEW anything that would win in 2.0, i'd let you know. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
ok, replying to my own topic to say thanks and also a hint for other commander newbies to learn how things work without peeving the 'rines on a pub server. normally if you host your own listen server with no other players and jump in the com chair, you can't do anything. solution: download a bot. <a href='http://rcbot.houstondod.com/' target='_blank'>RCBot</a> seems mostly broken in 2.0, at least on the 2 maps I tried it. the bots just attack their own resource towers. but at least they're warm bodies so you can use the com chair.
also, is there a way to select certain key buildings via hotkey? like, it would be useful to select the observatory with 1 keystroke so you can do a scanner sweep without having to scroll all the way back to base, click on the obs, then scroll all the way back to where you wanna scan...
strategy... well read the Frontiersman Strategy forum <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>Make sure you know the map you are commanding like the back of your hand!</b>
When your commander knows the map... thats allready half the battle won.
1: upgraded weapons and armour aren't a strategic option; they're a necessity.
2: from my own commanding experiences, I've found that the best way to secure resource points and other strategic areas is to network them with phases, and react quickly if any of them are attacked. Divert your troops there and crush the aliens, reinforce the base, then move on. You'll find that marines have a much easier time of defending if they have turrets to help them.
3: NS's commander interface is the right-click standard interface. That's the kind used by the Warcraft series, not the kind used by the Command and Conquer series (unfortunately <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->)
Yes. Go to Multiplayer > Customize > Advanced Options > Page 2 and you'll find the option there.
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assign buildings to a squad ??!!? why ? how ?
obs = ?
squad5 ?!? what is squad5 ?
I really want to be a good commander cuz I don't want a jerk to be a commander. Anyone knows a manual "How to play a commander" ?
Are they commands/keys not listed in the Controls settings ?
Left click => ???
Right click => ???
People say to right click to create a waypoint, but it almost never works.
Sorry to looks like a real newb, but I thin I'm very good to be a simple marine. =P
And I'm a very good CS player too.
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assign buildings to a squad ??!!? why ? how ?
obs = ?
squad5 ?!? what is squad5 ?
I really want to be a good commander cuz I don't want a jerk to be a commander. Anyone knows a manual "How to play a commander" ?
Are they commands/keys not listed in the Controls settings ?
Left click => <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
Right click => <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
People say to right click to create a waypoint, but it almost never works.
Sorry to looks like a real newb, but I thin I'm very good to be a simple marine. =P
And I'm a very good CS player too. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
You'd group buildings so that you can select them to do stuff from a distance. Most often, you group your observatory so that you can easily select scanner sweep.
About the interface: how about reading the rest of this thread? I've already said that it's a standard right-click interface. Have you ever played one of the Warcraft series, or Starcraft? It's exactly the same as that. You select troops and, and right click to give them waypoints.
CS experience won't help you a whole lot as marine, and it will do absolutely nothing to help you command. If you want to be a good commander, you need experience with real time strategy games.
Saying this automatically lowers some people's opinions of you, BTW. Many people seem to feel the root cause of all that is bad in NS is the "CS attitude," for lack of a better term. Sure, it's a stereotype, and it might not apply to you, but I'm giving you a friendly warning anyway.
Really, the best way to learn is to play. If you want to be a better commander, you've got to jump in and do it.
Heck, you've got it easy compared to v1.04. Comming in 1.04 was terribly hard for so many reasons. IMO, you'd have had to be insanely good or lucky to win many games at all your first 10 times in the hotseat in 1.04.
So just jump in and have a good time. Find a pub game where no-one will volunteer to be Comm, and go at it.
What's wrong about CS players ?!!?
I'm not a stupid rambo style player. When I scrim I always listen to my leader. (or almost always)
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->You'd group buildings <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1- How do you group them ?
2- Is it the CTRL + (0-9) combo ?
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Have you ever played one of the Warcraft series, or Starcraft? It's exactly the same as that. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah of course, I played all Blizzard games.
3- I have to select one or several marines to put a waypoint with the right click ?
4- How do I create a "Construction" waypoint ? (the one with the "Tools" icon)
5- I know that ESC is the key to cancel a building, but are they any other keys that aren't listed in the "Constrols" settings ?
6- Is there an existing manual how to use the commander interface ?
Because the "Cancel" command isn't listed in the "Constrols" settings.
Another Question:
7- Is there a way to zoom/unzoom the "top view" and minimap ?
8- Bleh, I'm a n00b.
Yes. However, the command interface only supports five squads (also known as hotgroups), so it's CTRL + (1-5).
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->5- I know that ESC is the key to cancel a building, but are they any other keys that aren't listed in the "Controls" settings ?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Go to Customize > Advanced Options > page 2. You'll see a box labeled "commander hotkeys". This sets the hotkeys for the buttons in the menu in the lower right.
<!--QuoteBegin--SHARPSHARK+Aug 6 2003, 11:24 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SHARPSHARK @ Aug 6 2003, 11:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->7- Is there a way to zoom/unzoom the "top view" and minimap ?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, there isn't.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->6- Is there an existing manual how to use the commander interface ?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The NS Manual has unfortunately not been updated for 2.0, but <a href='http://www.nonoobs.com/compendium/CommGuide/' target='_blank'>Draco's 2.0 commanding guide</a> contains information about the new features.
How do you choose all marines -even those that aren't in any squad?
Thing about commanding is you can study tech tree, strats, build orders, maps, etc.. as much as you like. But the only thing that will really prepare you for the micro-management headache caused by real players with very real opinions constantly nagging you for things is.. experience. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Don't be afraid all the time. Get on a server with a hopeless game.. i.e, marines have one res and the aliens have all hives... usually the experienced comm leaves and it's up to whoever to do whatever they want. Hop in and get used to the interface, try building some stuff and getting players to do things for you. This is no way to learn to play "right", but you can learn some things..
But be sure to follow the offline-comming guides to experiment offline, first. (don't have to have bots to figure stuff out)
Anyway, all commanders inevitably lose. And every commander is yelled at, at some point. So don't feel discouraged. Remember, most of the whiners sitting there saying you suck at being commander either don't know how to comm or are too scared to take the helm. ;P
There is a guide for comming at <a href='http://www.nonoobs.com/compendium/CommGuide/' target='_blank'>http://www.nonoobs.com/compendium/CommGuide/</a>. It's not the best, and it doesn't explain some of the more interesting comm tactics.. but it's a start.
Read, read, read.. then play, play play.. try doing just one map over and over as marine. When you learn it, go comm.. and then go from there.
Experiment. Have fun. Buy Excedrin.
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Thx again,
SHARPY SHARKY