Author Topic: Basic Kharaa Strategy  (Read 3581 times)

May 03, 2004, 02:30:59 PM
Read 3581 times

SaltzBad

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Oh noes, its another long-winded SaltzBad blurb

Yes it is. For those that still haven't noticed when and why I do these, its not because I have a huge burning desire to do so - although they are fun, and hopefully a few previously unenlightened people will suddenly become more of a contribuition to their team, the main reason is I have time and no ability to play NS right now ;)

Okay, so what is the standard way of achieving Alien victory?

Aliens, unlike Marines, actually have to worry less about their opponents ressources - as long as Alien expansion itself remains healthy, and mostly tends towards the 2nd Hive, no amount of Marine tech will ever overpower it. Limiting marine expansion is more of an add-on - depending on chamber and team abilitys, it allows you to keep them at 1/2 nodes, to just chew down some nodes and draw manpower/ressources away from offense or to simply slow down their rate of tech. It is however not a priority.

Prioritys for aliens are the following Hives, Ressource Nodes and threatening locations. While the first 2 are obvious, the third simply means any location that allows easy access to the first 2 - it means you're best off quelling any offensive marine movement at its roots, before they get favorable positions. For example, while you might not have a ressourcenode in cargo on ns_tanith, you'd be an idiot to let them walk in there and threaten the possible hive location. In turn, the easiest way to defend the Hive location is to kill them before they enter cargo. Marines have a very easy time defending an open area - but taking it against opposition is challenging.

What does this mean for the Skulk earlygame?

The most common mistake in alien earlygames is to rush marine spawn, or rush their first 2 nodes. If you overpower marines by a ton, sure it will work - but similiar skill provided, you can expect mass Skulk deaths - filling up the spawn queue, and letting marines walk into vital places unopposed.

Instead, do the following :
- Realize which points need to be defended, and see if your team agrees (or simply point it out to them)
- If you see any of them undefended, walk over there to make sure no marines are approaching. Call for help if they are.
- If you are not busy on the defense, meaning an area is clear, inch forward and parasite building/gaurding marines in other areas of the map. Every few parasites or slight injuries, go back to heal. This will give you a sizeable advantage in defense, and really get on marines nerves :p
- Keep an eye on the map, what your team is doing and anticipate what marines are most likely doing. Remember, if an area is completely open/ungaurded odds are good the Commander will take advantage of this. Even if it means alot of running back and forth, its worthwhile checking spots out your team is missing.
- When possible, don't fight alone. While its not good for 2 Skulks to attempt biting the same target, it is always good to provide marines with 2 or more targets. Even if you're able to make it towards the marines alone, remember that unless you kill every damn one of them they can still walk in on the area you needed to defend. Especially against marines with reasonable tactics, you'll almost always need 2 Skulks or more. In an ideal teamplay situation, you'll have a gang of rampaging Skulks to come rundown any marine groups attempting to make a move. Much better than the common scenario of 8 Skulks slaughtered 1by1.

What does this mean for the earlygame Gorge?
Here, most of all, we'll have to expand on the ressource system a bit. Theres a whole host of common misconceptions about it - from the reluctance of de- and re-gorging to putting up RTs late, silly "instagorges" at the start of the game or the myth of the useful permagorge. Don't be fooled : too many Gorges do as much if not more damage to your team than too many lifeforms. Marines will not politely wait till the 12th minute to commence kicking your ass - they'll move out immediately, and theres little you can do to stop them from taking the ~3 closest nodes to marine spawn.

This means, more than ~4 nodes in the earlygame is worthless - (plus/minus one depending on the map and gamesize). Nodes outside Hives or their proximity are very, very likely to go down - and don't even try to blame it on your team. They have no reason to let you put the additional strain of defending something halfway across the map and even in a marine friendly position on them - it is after all, a secondary priority to a Hive. So the hives you get determine the nodes you put down - 1 node outside the primary hive, 1 inside the secondary and 1 outside the secondary.

Now that we've got the location settled, lets go about the timing. Its vital that you drop nodes immediately - a delayed node in the earlygame will mean delayed Fades and Hives. So going Skulking before placing your node is like giving the marines free RTs - you're lessening the time pressure on marines, letting them tech up more before they're forced to attack you (if they want to live, that is). So, go Gorge, drop the Node, and reskulk.

Why reskulk? We've already covered that - because defending that 2nd Hive and everything necessary to safely hold it is the main goal of the earlygame. Its the most common cause of Alien losses - half the team 'waiting' for RT/OC/Chamber res because they're such an economical Gorge, and in the meantime losing the 2nd Hive location. If you're one of the 3-4 Gorges that planted an RT, then your res don't matter now. Move on - your main job after that is to defend, not build. The peoples whose ressources matter are the other 50% of the team, who are getting res from your RTs added to their starting 25 to get Chambers, Hives and Fades as early as possible.

While permagorging is possible, theres little to no loss in not staying Gorge - you'll get some of those res back via RFK anyway, and when in doubt its always better to be a Skulk and help the team than be a Gorge staring at a wall. When things are highly organized, and noone is staying Gorge (luckily enough), ask your team if you really, really want to perma - one perma Gorge during the game is okay. But thats the problem, it has to stay a maximum of one - or you'll end up not having enough Skulks anywhere, and going down that quick road to 'ze lewz' again. And lots of gleeful marines spawncamping the hell out of you. Weeee.

*snip* Gotta cut short here and go home.

May 03, 2004, 03:14:20 PM
Reply #1

Lito

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<3 Saltzguidez (GET IT?! WITH THE EXTRA Z AT THE END OF GUIDE?! god i'm hilarious)  There is one thing i'd like to add:

Although there is no real commander to pass out waypoints and give commands, someone needs to be responsible for organizing the beginning.  Let that person be you, because relying on yourself to do it is much more reliable than waiting for someone else.

Right in the beginning of the game ask "Who's got the hive, who's got the DC's, who's got the Fade?"

After 3 volunteers have been picked, tell everyone else to put down the res nodes and reskulk.

After this point the "Khaara Commander" is no longer needed. ever.  Your whole team from thereon needs to work together to give indications, warnings, and 'heads up's to the rest of the team.
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May 03, 2004, 04:41:20 PM
Reply #2

a civilian

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Right in the beginning of the game ask "Who's got the hive, who's got the DC's, who's got the Fade?"

After 3 volunteers have been picked, tell everyone else to put down the res nodes and reskulk.
That is not an ideal plan.  In an 8 versus 8 game, that means 5 nodes are dropped, but it is unrealistic to expect to hold 6 nodes in the early game.  Also, a single Fade is rarely sufficient against a competent marine team.  3, or at most 4 players should drop nodes in the beginning.

May 03, 2004, 04:52:20 PM
Reply #3

Diablus

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OC's at basic expansion choke points i.e: In eclipse Horseshoe and Sub Junction 3 if aliens hold those ocs and points they totally mess marines up early and mid game

May 03, 2004, 07:17:34 PM
Reply #4

Dark

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very nice guide from you as usual salty
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er.. which doohickey is the capacitor? and not a FLUX capacitor right?!? cuz then i'd have to put it in my Dolorian..
[/b]

May 04, 2004, 12:02:42 PM
Reply #5

BobTheJanitor

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OC's are excellent if used right, and a waste of 10 res otherwise. Get the idea out of your head that OCs provide defenses on their own. OCs ARE NOT FOR KILLING MARINES! Everyone got that? I could say it ten more times. OCs are only there to slow them down and to provide you with an early warning system. Since the alien 'under attack' messages are not bugged like marines's are, it's useful to place OCs where marines will shoot them. Yes, this means trying to sneakily hide your OC around a corner is just a waste. You don't get an 'OC firing' warning message. Put it right out in the middle of a hall where marines will either have to remain under fire from it for a long time (if you're lucky, netting you a kill or at least softening them up for the next skulk they see) or shoot at it. In which case you get an under attack message. DO NOT IGNORE THEM.

So many people seem to think these messages don't mean anything. They are your most important intelligence resource. OC under attack in power sub? Good, get into that vent and come around behind the marines who are busy trying to dodge OC fire while they shoot it down.

An OC is simply something that you hope marines can't ignore when they walk past it. Unless you're sitting on tons of res and planning to build a wall of lame, don't think that OCs are going to protect anything without help. If you hear that it's under attack, get there. You may find a weak marine ready for biting. Don't count on the OC to save itself. It's weak, and it's stupid. It doesn't dodge and it doesn't do a lot of damage. You are (hopefully) the opposite of this.  ;)

Lunixmonster: Banning the NS community one smacktard at a time. -lolfighter
there are a lot of aaaa...mmmmm.... "HAPPY" pirates on this ship. -GrayDuck

May 05, 2004, 10:30:20 AM
Reply #6

ThoraX

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OC's are excellent if used right, and... SHORTEN'D! ... It doesn't dodge and it doesn't do a lot of damage. You are (hopefully) the opposite of this.  ;)
I always find it a good idea to drop an OC or two at a hive going up. too many times have I seen a gorge run in to drop the hive, then run off leaving it undefended. I personally would never leave a hive being built unless it was being frequented by aliens or had 1-2 OC's up at least. All it takes is one marine to sneak into the hive undetected and put up a phase gate, or if they're lucky, a TF and a few turrets (i've seen it done). I generally put an OC or two by each entrance depending on the layout of the hive and the res I have. Make sure it can attack at various angles, meaning it can shoot at incoming marines and into the hive room if they try to sneak in.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2004, 10:32:03 AM by ThoraX »
This is going to be some kind of reunion, isn't it?

May 07, 2004, 05:14:19 PM
Reply #7

Diablus

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I usually place my OC's in perfect areas to provide a easy ambush point for a early warning, a "no go marine this way" passage and mabye even kill the marine before he finds out where it is.

i.e. : Down a Long hallway, you place an oc there then congradulations. you just wasted 10 valuable resources. Place them right on the side of the end of the hallway so as soon as marines run past the hallway before they have time to react theyre bombarded by spike(s).

May 08, 2004, 07:08:25 AM
Reply #8

lolfighter

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Remember that OCs have a maximum range (at which they shoot, I think the shots can go much further), make sure that the OCs you place can't be shot from outside their firing range.

May 08, 2004, 04:29:12 PM
Reply #9

Dubbilex

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But one cannot deny the sheer awesome of a properly made WoA (wall of awesome)  :lol:

May 08, 2004, 04:41:18 PM
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Clashen

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But one cannot deny the sheer awesome of a properly made WoA (wall of awesome)  :lol:
Exactly.
A perfect placed WoL/A can be a beutiful sight when done right  <3
<snip>, your sig image is, or rather was i suppose, 48kb, max size is 22kb. - DHP
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May 10, 2004, 10:01:36 AM
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Golgothaa

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(offtopic) played some NS this morning and saltz was in the server i randomly joined since lunix was dead at 7 in da morning. Well to be honest, i was dissapointed, he just sorta ignored me, he can be really rude sometimes and if he wants to act like he did this morning, i wont miss him. He was a good player and a good comm, just, its no fun when u get ignored and or u got a jackass on your team.
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May 10, 2004, 12:23:24 PM
Reply #12

Clashen

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(offtopic) played some NS this morning and saltz was in the server i randomly joined since lunix was dead at 7 in da morning. Well to be honest, i was dissapointed, he just sorta ignored me, he can be really rude sometimes and if he wants to act like he did this morning, i wont miss him. He was a good player and a good comm, just, its no fun when u get ignored and or u got a jackass on your team.
Maybe he just didn't recognize you, and when you comm you are usually to busy to type/talk about non-comm-stuff.






</ot>
« Last Edit: May 10, 2004, 12:25:08 PM by Clashen »
<snip>, your sig image is, or rather was i suppose, 48kb, max size is 22kb. - DHP
<zing>, your mom is, or rather was i suppose, 200kg, max size is 100kg LOL - clashen