NS isn't really that complicated. I say again, to anyone who wants us to play Tribes with them: Tribes 2 is an order of magnitude more complicated than NS. If people can't intuitively figure out NS, then Tribes 2 is absolutely out of the question. ^_~
The maps are extremely annoying though. Every single one's a damned maze!
This is true, and it's one of the things that gives the game it's staying power. Look at a map like de_dust. There are only three ways to approach the map. After you play it enough, you've seen every possible variation. With NS the maps are so complex, that even if you are playing ns_eclipse for the 100th time, you might see a new approach.
Also, in NS you can always push the M key to see the map. It's very useful if the server switches to some siege map you've never been on before, and you need to find the resource nodes and the door. However, I highly recommend against using the map in normal games. You will end up like Rym who has no idea where he's going and has to constantly check the map every minute. Just walk around the map a lot, offline if you have to. Keep looking in the bottom left to remember the names of the different areas, and associate them in your mind with landmarks in the surroundings. Knowing the maps, and being able to intuitively navigate will give you a huge advantage. Luckily the game sort of helps you out. When you get near a hive, there's all sorts of nasty alien stuff everywhere, and when you get near marine start, there's all sorts of technology everywhere.
You will end up like Rym who has no idea where he's going and has to constantly check the map every minute
I'm not checking the map because I don't know where I'm going: I'm checking the map because it shows me the position and disposition of every single member of my team, in addition to all of our structures and all enemy players/structures which can be seen by any other member of my team. If I'm a marine, it even shows me the Obs information.
I don't use the map to navigate: I use it to tactically assess.
I don't use the map to navigate: I use it to tactically assess.
If you are an alien, you shouldn't need to use the map to tactically assess because you can use the hive mind. The cluster of red dots is where the action is. Everyone else is a yellow dot. You can see which hives are up in the top right. You can see which structures are presently under attack trivially. When new structures are built, you can see them in the top left of the screen. If you never see a structure that was built under attack, you know that it's still up. There's very little reason to look at the map as an alien.
As a marine you shouldn't have to use the map, unless you're the commander. A marine moves very slowly, and is very weak individually. Most of your decisions on where to go are limited by what phase gates are up. You have a radar in the top right of the screen that shows you everything in your immediate vicinity. Because you are individually so weak, anything outside of your immediate vicinity should be ignored, as you have relatively little tactical impact on anything going on out there. The only thing an individual marine can offer by looking at the map is to notify the team of something they notice before the commander notices. If the commander isn't finding out about important things before all the other marines, you've got a shitty commander, and you're not helping. The only things you need to inform the team about are things which you see with your own eyes in the field that nobody has seen yet, such as the onos you saw pop out of an egg when you ninja'd into the hive.
The only thing an individual marine can offer by looking at the map is to notify the team of something they notice before the commander notices. If the commander isn't finding out about important things before all the other marines, you've got a shitty commander, and you're not helping.
Half the games I play as a Marine, I back-seat-command anyway. The commander does his thing, but the marines listen to me. Telling my marines to save a phase gate that the commander hasn't noticed is under attack has won more than a few games.
I just had a good NS session. I'm really enjoying it. I really enjoy the more tactical play. My main problem is working out upgrades. I guess because I'm a noob no commander was giving me anything.
And to be honest I didn't find the maps too difficult at all. I just explored a little bit further each time and I never got lost, even though there was a new map every game. I think I'll play more in December when I have time.
Half the games I play as a Marine, I back-seat-command anyway. The commander does his thing, but the marines listen to me. Telling my marines to save a phase gate that the commander hasn't noticed is under attack has won more than a few games.
Back seat commanding, must like back-seat driving, has its limits. It's one thing to call out when you finish building a phase gate, or if you see the first fade or onos. You are providing valuable information to your team as quickly as possible. If you're actually trying to take command of the team, that defies the game etiquette. Every few games or so, some marine will claim that the commander is doing a bad job, and will try to take command of the team, and possibly even the commander, by barking out orders. The response is usually that they should put up or shut up. Vote to eject and sit in the chair if you think you can do better. If not, maybe the problem is that you're paying too much attention to the commander's job and not enough attention to your fpsing.
Comments
Also, in NS you can always push the M key to see the map. It's very useful if the server switches to some siege map you've never been on before, and you need to find the resource nodes and the door. However, I highly recommend against using the map in normal games. You will end up like Rym who has no idea where he's going and has to constantly check the map every minute. Just walk around the map a lot, offline if you have to. Keep looking in the bottom left to remember the names of the different areas, and associate them in your mind with landmarks in the surroundings. Knowing the maps, and being able to intuitively navigate will give you a huge advantage. Luckily the game sort of helps you out. When you get near a hive, there's all sorts of nasty alien stuff everywhere, and when you get near marine start, there's all sorts of technology everywhere.
I don't use the map to navigate: I use it to tactically assess.
As a marine you shouldn't have to use the map, unless you're the commander. A marine moves very slowly, and is very weak individually. Most of your decisions on where to go are limited by what phase gates are up. You have a radar in the top right of the screen that shows you everything in your immediate vicinity. Because you are individually so weak, anything outside of your immediate vicinity should be ignored, as you have relatively little tactical impact on anything going on out there. The only thing an individual marine can offer by looking at the map is to notify the team of something they notice before the commander notices. If the commander isn't finding out about important things before all the other marines, you've got a shitty commander, and you're not helping. The only things you need to inform the team about are things which you see with your own eyes in the field that nobody has seen yet, such as the onos you saw pop out of an egg when you ninja'd into the hive.
And to be honest I didn't find the maps too difficult at all. I just explored a little bit further each time and I never got lost, even though there was a new map every game. I think I'll play more in December when I have time.