And that's where NS is lacking. Where most games try to at least go for 2 polarized stratagies (If you've ever played warcraft 3, you probably know what I'm talking about), there is only 1 real way to win as aliens.
The winning team is basically decided wholly on who excecutes better.
The alien team needs the 3 minute fade to deny portions of the map to the marine team, and to slow (and usually stop) their offensive advances. If the Fade is good (Slink, Lochness, and a few others come to mind) then the marines will eventually be starved of resources and die.
The marine team needs to get in a good early game resource structure. Then they have minimalistic options based on the skill of their players with shotguns. Using phasegates to move the marine team to points of interest much faster than a fade or two can handle it generally spells doom for the alien team. Siege cannons and HMG seal the deal.
If the alien team actually had a split in winning stratagies, just one, that needed a specific response to be countered, then I believe NS would be a better experience overall. So far, our options are limited between 3rd minute Fade, or waiting it out to go Onos at about minute 4.
The marine team gets to choose between rushing the hive with weapons in hand, or stopping just outside to set up a phase and siege base.
It would take a little reworking to make more varied stratagies viable, more than I think anyone remaining on the NS team is willing to do. I've got things in mind, as usual, but ranting here won't get much done.
