Hey all, thought a thread like this could be useful for some people to learn the game better. I, for one, most definitely do not understand or know as much as I would like to about this game and maybe through an exchange of knowledge, lesser players can see why the players they view as superior are as such. There are many hidden or obscure mechanics in NS2 that aren't obvious but when kept in mind, can change your play in a positive way. PS: QTDDTOT = Questions that don't deserve their own threads. So ask away.
Marines:
1. Reload your rifle, not your pistol. (I am extremely guilty of this) 50 bullets for 500 dmg > 10 bullets for 250
2. Build with welder (Press E with rifle out to raise rifle when you quit building instead of pressing an extra key)
3. Align yourself with an entrance/vent and be prepared to react.
4. Always expect more enemies than what appears
4a. If you kill a skulk with 15 bullets, keep the 35 in the mag and don't reload until you're sure you're safe
5. Always weld fellow marines if you are carrying a rifle, if you have a shotgun or advanced weapon it is understandable you not welding in the heat of battle. It's free HP! (effectively)
5a. Especially against Onos and Fades, armor is key. An onos will one shot you without armor and fades have a much easier 2 swipes to kill as opposed to 4 with armor 2.
6. Clean players should enter a room before parasited players. And the parasited player should be ready to clear their buddy immediately. (Personal opinion, more experienced players may disagree)
7. If you are in an exo, you should have your own welder as it is easy to hop out now and weld yourself. (Similar to scenarios in #5, don't weld yourself if in their hive, etc)
7a. If your exo is surely going to die, press G and jump out, don't go with it. You may be caught in a deathmatch and your rifle can finish the job, especially if you invested into a JP.
8. Sound is your best friend, hive drops, aliens making mistakes with audible footsteps, eggs popping, RTs dropping. All things you can hear and react to accordingly.
9. If you're with a friend, give each other space but always feel confident that you can assist with any threats present, don't leave your battle buddy hanging.
10. If you play with health bars (good for learning and a little cheap IMO), learn to focus fire lifeforms that are being shot by your teammates. Without health bars, you just have to pay attention to the tracers as well as the behavior of the lifeform. If an Onos is jumping around with his back to you, he's likely pretty low and inviting you to his funeral.
11. Axes kill structures much faster than the welder. AFAIK cysts and shades(?) are the only structures susceptible to fire damage and therefore the welder.
12. The bulkier the weapon, the slower you run. Pistol and axe are the two fastest run speeds but are still hindered by your primary. (Flamethrower is the slowest).
12a. If you're running to a recycled weapon, drop your primary and enjoy roleplaying The Flash.
13. NS2+ Recommended Settings: Autopickup weapons ON (nice to catch welders/pick up mines), Show Welder Icon (visualizes armor count on friendlies)
14. Buying a jetpack refills your armor.
15. CHECK YOUR CORNERS! Get in the habit of checking every spot in a room, I've learned many sneaky spots just from paying attention on marines.
16. Get in the habit of jumping through phase gates. If it isn't a grinder (two sets of teeth on either side), you can usually jump over the skulks head and clear the gate. Get a running start, jump thru and look down while unloading your clip and you will typically get the frag. Even if it is being ground, a team of marines doing the same can eventually do enough damage to coax the lifeforms off the gate leaving only skulks.
17. When an alien leaves a room, keep your map open because for a short time after losing line of sight, they will still be visible on your map giving you an advantage if they decide to fake running away and try setting up an ambush somewhere near their exit.
Aliens:
1. Hold crouch as a skulk for the best walljumping experience. Your thumb may get tired from all the spacebar but you will move faster guaranteed.
1a. Holding crouch while spamming jump on a ceiling will cause the skulks feet to be towards the ground, making it hard to predict when you will actually fall and may cause the marine to begin aiming in the arc of your fall.
1b. Orientation isn't the easiest to convey in text but if you are attached to an RT, looking towards the top of it, the skulk will orient itself vertically on the RT. Similarly, if you are attached to a wall looking on towards a door, for example, your skulk will orient itself horizontally and this is sometimes why you may die when you feel you are hidden, a part of your leg is likely sticking out for a keen eyed marine to zero in on. I don't know the commands but there is a way with cheats on to go into 3rd person and it may be easier to understand that way.
2. Set up ambushes with other skulks, one skulk in a forward hidden position and another deeper towards a room. Deeper alien commits while the other watches map for the initiation, ready to react.
3. Parasiting is invaluable, even if you just run away from the fight after landing it. Intel is often more useful than dead marines when playing against more skilled players.
4. Ambush marines early, before they even get to the doorway. This gives them less time to react, is less predictable, gives them more things to think about after the first death giving you a psychological advantage.
5. The skulks movement speed on a wall or ceiling is faster than on the ground. If you watch some skilled skulks, you will see them use this to full effect and is the reason it feels like some players can kill you so fast.
Looking forward to seeing what people have to contribute, there are a lot of great players in this community and this could be a useful tool to bringing the average skill level to a more competitive level. Alien tips will likely be the most useful and there's a reason why I have only 3..
Marines:
1. Reload your rifle, not your pistol. (I am extremely guilty of this) 50 bullets for 500 dmg > 10 bullets for 250
2. Build with welder (Press E with rifle out to raise rifle when you quit building instead of pressing an extra key)
3. Align yourself with an entrance/vent and be prepared to react.
4. Always expect more enemies than what appears
4a. If you kill a skulk with 15 bullets, keep the 35 in the mag and don't reload until you're sure you're safe
5. Always weld fellow marines if you are carrying a rifle, if you have a shotgun or advanced weapon it is understandable you not welding in the heat of battle. It's free HP! (effectively)
5a. Especially against Onos and Fades, armor is key. An onos will one shot you without armor and fades have a much easier 2 swipes to kill as opposed to 4 with armor 2.
6. Clean players should enter a room before parasited players. And the parasited player should be ready to clear their buddy immediately. (Personal opinion, more experienced players may disagree)
7. If you are in an exo, you should have your own welder as it is easy to hop out now and weld yourself. (Similar to scenarios in #5, don't weld yourself if in their hive, etc)
7a. If your exo is surely going to die, press G and jump out, don't go with it. You may be caught in a deathmatch and your rifle can finish the job, especially if you invested into a JP.
8. Sound is your best friend, hive drops, aliens making mistakes with audible footsteps, eggs popping, RTs dropping. All things you can hear and react to accordingly.
9. If you're with a friend, give each other space but always feel confident that you can assist with any threats present, don't leave your battle buddy hanging.
10. If you play with health bars (good for learning and a little cheap IMO), learn to focus fire lifeforms that are being shot by your teammates. Without health bars, you just have to pay attention to the tracers as well as the behavior of the lifeform. If an Onos is jumping around with his back to you, he's likely pretty low and inviting you to his funeral.
11. Axes kill structures much faster than the welder. AFAIK cysts and shades(?) are the only structures susceptible to fire damage and therefore the welder.
12. The bulkier the weapon, the slower you run. Pistol and axe are the two fastest run speeds but are still hindered by your primary. (Flamethrower is the slowest).
12a. If you're running to a recycled weapon, drop your primary and enjoy roleplaying The Flash.
13. NS2+ Recommended Settings: Autopickup weapons ON (nice to catch welders/pick up mines), Show Welder Icon (visualizes armor count on friendlies)
14. Buying a jetpack refills your armor.
15. CHECK YOUR CORNERS! Get in the habit of checking every spot in a room, I've learned many sneaky spots just from paying attention on marines.
16. Get in the habit of jumping through phase gates. If it isn't a grinder (two sets of teeth on either side), you can usually jump over the skulks head and clear the gate. Get a running start, jump thru and look down while unloading your clip and you will typically get the frag. Even if it is being ground, a team of marines doing the same can eventually do enough damage to coax the lifeforms off the gate leaving only skulks.
17. When an alien leaves a room, keep your map open because for a short time after losing line of sight, they will still be visible on your map giving you an advantage if they decide to fake running away and try setting up an ambush somewhere near their exit.
Aliens:
1. Hold crouch as a skulk for the best walljumping experience. Your thumb may get tired from all the spacebar but you will move faster guaranteed.
1a. Holding crouch while spamming jump on a ceiling will cause the skulks feet to be towards the ground, making it hard to predict when you will actually fall and may cause the marine to begin aiming in the arc of your fall.
1b. Orientation isn't the easiest to convey in text but if you are attached to an RT, looking towards the top of it, the skulk will orient itself vertically on the RT. Similarly, if you are attached to a wall looking on towards a door, for example, your skulk will orient itself horizontally and this is sometimes why you may die when you feel you are hidden, a part of your leg is likely sticking out for a keen eyed marine to zero in on. I don't know the commands but there is a way with cheats on to go into 3rd person and it may be easier to understand that way.
2. Set up ambushes with other skulks, one skulk in a forward hidden position and another deeper towards a room. Deeper alien commits while the other watches map for the initiation, ready to react.
3. Parasiting is invaluable, even if you just run away from the fight after landing it. Intel is often more useful than dead marines when playing against more skilled players.
4. Ambush marines early, before they even get to the doorway. This gives them less time to react, is less predictable, gives them more things to think about after the first death giving you a psychological advantage.
5. The skulks movement speed on a wall or ceiling is faster than on the ground. If you watch some skilled skulks, you will see them use this to full effect and is the reason it feels like some players can kill you so fast.
Looking forward to seeing what people have to contribute, there are a lot of great players in this community and this could be a useful tool to bringing the average skill level to a more competitive level. Alien tips will likely be the most useful and there's a reason why I have only 3..
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