NOTE: sv_cheats must be set to 1 in order for these cheats to work. (in the config file)
spawnhive - As an alien, creates a random new hive for your team
killhive - As an alien, destroys a random hive
addcat x - X where is 1-4. Adds a random upgrade
category, just like you had built an upgrade chamber (1 is defense, 2 used to be offense, 3 is movement, 4 is sensory)
removecat x - Take a guess.
givepoints (bound to F11 by default) - Gives you some points
killall - Kills all players in the game with your current weapon (won't kill teammates unless FF is on via tournament mode)
invul - Toggles invulnerability for yourself.
startgame - Starts game immediately (untested for awhile)
endgame - Ends the current game (as a victory for team one). You can also type ''endgame 1'' for the same effect. If you type ''endgame 2'', it will be a victory for team 2.
tooltip lala - Adds a tooltip named ''lala''. It will translate this tooltip if found in titles.txt, if possible.
testevent - Plays a ''you just got points for killing the enemy event'', for testing where the commander can see events (he can't sometimes, when hovering over the void, or inside geometry)
getnumplayers - Reports the current number of human players
startcommandermode - Teleports you near the first command station it finds and starts commander mode. This will sometimes teleport you inside geometry.
stopcommandermode - Drops you out of command mode, useful when your mouse or the logout button stops working
web - Gives you the effects of having just touched one web. Use multiple times to simulate touching multiple webs.
setculldistance x - Used by mappers to find the minimum culling distance needed for commander mode on their maps.
setgamma x - Sets the current env_gamma level, where x is a number from 1.0 to 2.0. This affects all players.
bigdig - All buildings are built instantly, doesn't require manual building
hightech - All research happens nearly instantly
orderself - When commanding and giving orders, this will give the orders to yourself, so you can logout and see how they look on the HUD. There's no way to stop doing this after you've used this cheat.
editps - Used to edit a particle system
listps - Lists all particle systems in NS and in the map
buildminimap - Generates a new minimap. Very CPU intensive. Saved in the ns/sprites/minimaps directory.
crash - Causes NS to crash.
assert - Causes NS to assert
run - Runs a server-side script. Ignore this until scripting is more in place.
clientrun - Runs a client-side script.
giveupgrade x - Gives an upgrade. 20-22 are the marine armor upgrades, 23-25 are the marine damage upgrades, 28 is jetpacks, 29 is power armor, 31 is faster reinforcements, 33 is motion-tracking, 26 is siege, 27 is stimpack, 30 is distress beacon
removeupgrade x - Like giveupgrade but removes one.
killcs - Kills all command stations.
attackcs - Does a little damage to one command station
alert - Generates a random alert.
parasite - Parasites self (no damage)
paralyze - Paralyzes self (like level 5 ability)
boxes - Draws boxes around all buildables (not sure if this still works). Effect goes away after a short time.
overflow - Tries to overflow player.
deathmessage - Sends test death message to all. Example: ''deathmessage machinegun'', ''deathmessage bitegun''
setskin x - Sets the players skin (0 for white marine, 1 for black marine)
redeem - Makes it easier to test redemption
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents
1. Intro
1.1 What is Natural Selection?
1.2 Where can I get it?
2. Getting Started
2.1 Finding a Server
2.2 How to Remove the Title of 'n00b'
3. The Teams
3.1 Frontiersman (AKA Marines)
3.1.1 Equipment
3.1.2 Buildings
3.1.3 The Commander
3.2 The Kharaa
3.2.1 Classes
3.2.2 Buildings
4. Detailed Strategies
4.1 Frontiersmen
4.1.1 Commanders
4.1.2 Marines
4.2 Kharaa
4.2.1 Gorges
4.2.2 Skulks
4.2.3 Lerks
4.2.4 Fades
4.2.5 Onos
5. Update History
6. Acknowledgments and Legal Junk
===============================================================================
1. Intro
1.1 What is Natural Selection?
Natural Selection is a Mod, short for MODification, for VALVe Software's
game Half-Life. It is Multiplayer Only, so you need a good connection to play.
Natural Selection takes a First-Person Shooter, crosses it with a Real-Time
Strategy game, and adds a Sci-Fi atmosphere. In this game, each team must
capture resources, build up and guard their home bases, establish new bases,
and ultimately destroy the opposition's base. It is what one would expect to
see if they could play StarCraft first person.
1.2 Where Can I Get Natural Selection
One can get Natural Selection from the NS homepage at
www.natural-selection.org and download ONLY version 1.0. The updates to the
game so far have been server-side, meaning you only need those updates if you
plan on running a server. The advantage to server-side patches is that unlike
a TFC or Counter-Strike update, a player doesn't have to endure the search for
a decent connection to a patch site. Yay for us!
===============================================================================
2. Getting Started
2.1 Finding a Server (AKA The Endless Quest....)
Finding a Natural Selection server is easy, yet can be difficult at times.
To set yourself up, first figure out what your connection speed is. Now that
you know this, enter the game, and click on the following choices:
Multiplayer,Play Online, and Filters. You should see several checkboxes and
pulldown menus to choose from. I suggest you check the following boxes and
make these choices:
Are Responding
Dedicated Servers
Are Running Game: NS
Currently have players
Now this is where you show your connection speed. If you have a Broadband
internet connection, choose this:
Responded More Quickly Than: 175 ms
If you are one of the poor unfortunates cursed with 56K, than choose:
Responded More Quickly Than: 300 ms
OK, now you are good to go! Exit this screen, and click on Preferences.
Pick a name and a spraypaint, then go back to Internet Game. Click on Update,
pick a server, double-click on it, and go kill something (in the game, please.)
Now, you may get an error message about installing NS. DO NOT PANIC!!!!
Simply load up Half-Life, pick your options, and connect that way.
2.2 How to remove the title of "n00b." (AKA How to be a good player)
Very simple. Don't do anything stupid. Listen to advice from others, and
play. Don't whine, and you will prove yourself to be a good player!
===============================================================================
3. The Teams
This is where Natural Selection sets itself apart from other mods. Each of the
teams have wildly different methods of play. You CANNOT use the same tactics
as a Frontiersman that you did as the Kharaa. Does. Not. Work. You must
adapt, and work as a team. Loners cannot win in this game. Now, onto the
teams.
3.1 The Frontiersmen (AKA Marines)
This team is made up of humans, and do not have classes per se. They do
not have a builder unit; instead, they must rely on a single player acting as
Commander, who has an overhead view of the entire battlefield, to supply
weapons, buildings, and upgrades.
3.1.1 Frontiersmen Equipment
The Knife - 30 damage per swipe, unlimited ammo.
Now, you may think that this weapon is useless, and you would be correct.
In most cases. However, this weapon is ideal for killing Kharaa all Kharaa
structures, except for Offense Chambers or Hives. Heck, if you are good
enough, you can kill Skulks with no problem. I bow to your skill if you can
perform this feat.
Pistol - 20 damage per shot, 10 rounds per clip, 30 extra rounds max.
Ahh, the Pistol. One may also assume that this weapon is useless, and you
are partly right. However, this weapon is DEAD accurate, and with 20 damage
per shot, one clip will kill a Skulk. However, don't even think about killing
a Fade or an Onos with this. They have way too much armor for that.
Light Machinegun - 10 damage per shot, 50 rounds per clip, 250 extra rounds max
Your default primary weapon is a good one. Like the manual says, best
used in groups. This weapon is good against all classes except Onos, if in
groups. It fires quickly, reloads quickly, is accurate, and looks cool. What
more is there to say? However, the Heavy Machinegun is superior.
Shotgun - 16 damage per pellet, 10 pellets per shot, 10 round magazine, 50
extra shells. Costs 20 resources.
This weapons is obtainable only after the Armory is constructed, and when
the commander spawns one for you. This weapon is death for any light class,
and can eliminate Fades if used correctly. As a shotgun, the closer you are,
the more damage you do. This weapon can do 160 damage per shot, and that will
put a Fade down with two or three hits. Beware, this is a pump action weapon.
Heavy Machinegun - 20 damage per shot, 150 rounds per clip, 225 extra rounds.
Costs 25 resources.
Time to break out the big stuff! This requires an Advanced Armory, but is
worth the wait. This gun dishes out tons of damage at a fast rate. This is
my weapon of choice against any Kharaa, except an Onos. And even the dreaded
Onos will die if you attack in groups. The downside of this weapon is the slow
reload, and the shortage of extra ammo. 225 rounds seems like a lot, but you
will burn through it quickly. Also, this weapon will slow you down some, so
beware.
Grenade Launcher - 200 splash damage. 4 rounds per clip, 30 extra rounds.
Will damage you if too close! Costs 32 resources.
Indirect Artillery is good. That is what the Grenade Launcher provides,
when an Advanced Armory is around. Each grenade is capable of killing a Skulk,
so it is safe to say that nothing is invulnerable to the power of this gun.
*UPDATE: Buildings can apparently take damage from grenades, contrary to what
the official manual says.* Also, you will take damage if one of your grenades
lands at your feet. Despite these flaws, this weapon is fully capable of
clearing out a room, or ridding yourself of that
one Lerk in the rafters.
Welder - Unknown damage to hostiles, heals friendly units and structures.
Costs 7 resources.
This becomes available when the Armory goes up, and should be issued
liberally. This is vital to your success, as buildings don't heal themselves,
and armor is not affected by medikits. The welder can kill enemies, though I
suggest you use it on structures, not on a Fade. This will replace your
pistol, so be careful not to pull this out by accident in a firefight.
Trip Mines - 100 splash damage, 5 mines max. In weapons slot 4.
These can be a blessing and a curse. They can be put on walls for a laser trip
mine, or on the floor for a contact mine. They can put an assault on hold, but
a pesky Fade can set these off with Acid Rockets or Bile Bombs. Use with
caution.
Heavy Armor - 200 Armor points standard, absorbs 95% of damage. Costs 25
resources.
This becomes available with the construction of a prototype lab, and must be
researched. A Frontiersman equipped with this can take massive amounts of
damage and emerge unscathed. Combined with HMGs, Grenade Launchers, and most
importantly, Welders, a squad of Marines can plow through most defenses. This
armor does restrict movement, so you move SLOW. Don't expect a hasty retreat
if you are overwhelmed. However, this will not be a problem too often.
Jet Pack - Gives a rocket pack to the wearer, cost 9 resources.
This will give you a kick in the pants, when used correctly. The Jet Pack does
what it advertizes. 'Nuff said. Oh, don't be too far off the ground when you
run out of gas. The gas does recharge, though.
3.1.2 Frontiersmen Buildings
Buildings must be built by your teammates after the commander plops one down,
so remember to hold the use key to assemble the building. It is USELESS
otherwise.
Command Console - Cost: 30 resources. Health: 10000.
This is the key to Frontiersman victory. Think of it as the construction
yard in Command & Conquer. If this goes down, and you do not have a spare, you
just lost. Protect this at all costs! This is where the Commander sits. To
become Commander, go up to this and hit the Use key. Only one person may be
Commander, so only one Command Console may be in use at any time. Construction
of a spare in a secure location is recommended. The Commander can immediately
spawn health and ammo packs, as well as all basic structures. This is also a
favorite target of an early skulk rush, so beware.
Allows: Infantry Portal, Resource Tower
Infantry Portal - Cost: 15 resources. Health: 2000. Must be placed near
Command Console.
This is the second essential building for the Frontiersmen. This small
pad is where Marines will respawn after death. If no Infantry Portals are
left, nobody can respawn. Defend these as well as the Command Console. Also,
you may want to build more than one, as bottlenecks can develop if there are
too few portals.
Requires: Command Console
Allows: Observatory, Turret Factory; Armory
Resource Tower - Cost: 22 resources. Health: 5000.
This is the third essential building for the Frontiersmen. This can only
be placed on a resource nozzle, so be on the lookout for these. These will
give some resource points every so often, so it is good to have a lot.
Resources are life in this game. Without them, the team will wither and die.
Requires: Command Console
Armory - Cost: 25 resources. Health: 2400. Upgrades to Advanced Armory.
This structure allows the Commander to spawn weaponry for his Marines.
It also allows any Marine to get free ammo for his chosen weapon by holding
Use. This structure can also be upgraded to an Advanced Armory for 35
resources. This allows the Commander to spawn heavier weapons for the Marines.
All weapons must be dropped near the Armory.
Requires: Infantry Portal
Allows: Adv. Armory, Shotguns, Trip Mines, Welders
(Adv. Armory): Heavy Machine Gun
(Adv. Armory and Arms Lab): Grenade Launcher
Observatory - Cost: 25 resources. Health: 1000.
The Observatory is a structure that should be built near any strongpoint.
It reveals all nearby enemies, even those who have cloaked. They appear as a
blue circle on every Marine's screen. More importantly, they allow you to
research Motion Tracking. Motion Tracking allows a Marine to see the location
of every Kharaa, as long as it is moving. This has unlimited range, so is
quite useful. The Observatory also allows the construction of Phase Gates, and
the use of Distress Beacon. For 15 resources, you can summon EVERY Marine back
from the dead. Very useful, and under-used.
Requires: Infantry Portal
Allows: Phase Gates
Research: Motion Tracking
Abilities: Distress Beacon
Turret Factory - Cost: 25 resources. Health: 3000. Upgrades to Advanced Turret
Factory
Turret Factories are the base structure for the Frontiersmen static defense
system. These allow the construction of sentry turrets, and with 30 resources,
upgrades to the Adv. Turret Factory. This allows you to build the best way to
take a Kharaa strong point: the siege cannon.
Requires: Infantry Portal
Allows: Sentry Turrets, Siege Turrets (with Adv. Turret Factory)
Phase Gate - Cost: 20 resources. Health: 3500.
Probably the only structure not likely to be destroyed by the Kharaa when
they take a forward base, the Phase Gate allows any player, Marine or Kharaa,
to travel instantaneously across the map to another Phase Gate. This should be
built as soon as possible, to allow instant reinforcement of a forward base, or
of the main base. Beware, if the Kharaa take one intact, recycle it before a
herd of Fades come to pay you a visit. Also, if three or more gates are built,
you will teleport between the gates in order. If you step on Gate 1, and you
want to go to Gate 3, you are teleported to Gate 2, then to Gate 3. Simple,
yet effective.
Requires: Observatory
Arms Lab - Cost: 40 resources. Health: 2200.
Think that Light Machinegun doesn't have enough kick? Want better armor?
Then build the Arms Lab! Not only does this allow the construction of Grenade
Launchers, this allows the Commander to upgrade Marine's armor and weapon
strength. This also allows you to build the Prototype Lab.
Requires: Armory
Allows: Prototype Lab, Weapon and Armor Upgrades.
Upgrades: Lv.1 Lv.2 Lv.3
Armor 70 90 110
Damage Absorbed 40% 50% 60%
Heavy Armor* 230 260 290
Weapons 10% 20% 30%
Cost 20 40 60
*Heavy Armor always absorbs 95% of damage, and upgrades with normal armor.
Prototype Lab - Cost: 45 resources Armor: 2000
The final base structure, the Prototype Lab allows the research and
building of Heavy Armor and Jetpacks. That's about it.
Requires: Arms Lab
Allows: Heavy Armor, Jetpacks (Must be Researched first)
Sentry Turret - Cost: 19 resources. Armor: 1000. Damage: 27 per hit.
This automated turret keeps those pesky Skulks out of the base. It fires
quickly, and does a good amount of damage per hit. It won't keep a Fade out,
but it will slow him down long enough for a squad of Marines to show up. The
turret has a 360 degree field of fire, but can only pitch up or down about 30
degrees. Don't expect to cover a ceiling vent with a turret placed under it.
Requires: Turret Factory
Siege Turret - Cost: 25 resources. Armor: 2000. Damage: 750 for structures,
350 for any Kharaa near the hit.
This is what you want to use when attacking a Kharaa strongpoint. It is
pretty useless for base defense, as it will not target units. However, it will
target structures, and will fire through walls. It has good range, and does a
lot of damage. If you get three set up in range of your target, all you have
to do is go in and mop things up.
Requires: Adv. Turret Factory
3.1.3 The Commander
The Commander is the key to the Frontiersmen gameplan. Without a good
Commander, the team will easily be overrun by the Kharaa. The Commander is the
only person who can place a structure, upgrade weaponry and armor, give orders,
or give out weaponry and equipment. He uses a set-up similar that should be
familiar to anybody who has played a Real-Time Strategy game. The main
difference is that your "units" are other Marines, controlled by real players,
who may not like your orders. Most players; however, will follow your lead,
and you should help them out when you can.
Placing a Building - This is your first job as a Commander, and it is
relatively easy. Just left-click on the Building List, and drop a building
when you have a green highlight around it. Remember, at least one Marine must
build it for you, so don't spam a herd of sentry turrets and expect an area to
be secured. Also, certain buildings must be put in certain places. Infantry
Portals must be placed in range of the Command Console. Likewise, turrets
must be placed near a Turret Factory. This range is shown by a green circle.
Also, be careful not to put something on an unreachable ledge, or a catwalk,
when you wanted it on the ground. If you do this, or you are running short on
resources, you can recycle the building to get some resources back, and to
remove the offending building.
Supplying Your Fellow Marines - An equally important job, YOU are the sole
supplier of equipment to your fellow teammates. To get superior equipment, you
must build the prerequisite buildings, then select the item you wished drop,
and drop it. Also, you can drop ammo clips and health packs to fellow Marines.
A health pack is the only way for a Marine to restore lost health, and a Welder
is the only way to restore ammo. Very simple, but equipment is a constant
drain on resources, as people will get killed, and will lose all those shiny
HMGs and Jetpacks they were begging for. However, an equipment upgrade is a
one-time expenditure. Just click on the building that has the upgrade, and
research it. Heavier armor, more powerful weapons, and Motion Tracking are
ALL very useful. And even if the Arms Lab or Observatory goes down, the
upgrades stay the whole game.
Issuing Orders - Now this is where the Commander gets to command. To select a
teammate, either click on someone, or click and drag a box around a group.
Then, right click on a place, a new structure, or an enemy. The former will
issue an order to proceed to the waypoint. The second will issue an order to
build the building at the waypoint. You can also select your teammates, then
drop the building. The order will be given automatically. The third will
issue an order to attack the target. When an order is given, a blue symbol
will appear to guide people to the waypoint.
3.2 The Kharaa
The Kharaa use a Class based structure, and have a builder unit to build
their bases. They have less buildings, yet are no less complex than the
Frontiersmen. Each player must pick his own class upgrade and Chamber upgrades
using his own resources. The Kharaa pool their resources, so a Resource
Collector gives the resources to everyone. The more players on your team, or
the fewer Collectors, the slower the resources come. Also, you can see every
player on your team via Hive Sight. Think of it as a built in wallhack. If an
enemy is parasited, or is seen by one of your fellows, you can see him as well.
3.2.1 Classes
Skulk - Cost: FREE! Health: 70 Armor: 10 (30% Damage Absorbed)
The basic class, you start out as one. Very quick and agile, and can walk
on walls.
Bite - 70 Damage
Parasite - Permanently tags an enemy to the Hive Sight.
Leap - Damage varies, jump forward a long distance
Xenocide - 400 splash damage, 2x vs Structures, kamikaze attack
Gorge - Cost: 13 resources Health: 100 Armor: 50 (30% Damage Absorbed)
This is the builder class, and recieves more resources than the other
classes. This is the only class that can build buildings.
Spit - 22 Damage
Healing Spray - Heal friendly players and structures
Web - Create a web that can trap enemies
Spawn Babblers - Make weaker versions of Skulks.
Lerk - Cost: 33 resources Health: 60 Armor: 50 (30% Damage Absorbed)
This is a support/sniper class, and should not be used to attack the enemy
outright. Use the Umbra and Spore Cloud to support an assault, and snipe at an
enemy with the Spikes
Bite - 50 Damage
Spikes - 16 Damage
Umbra - Protective cloud around nearby friendlies.
Spore Cloud - 36 damage, large radius.
Fade - Cost: 44 resources Health: 200 Armor: 90 (30% Damage Absorbed)
This is the main assault class of the Kharaa, and is good at melee combat,
ranged combat, and indirect bombardment. Using the Blink ability, you can go
around defenses and attack from behind.
Swipe - 80 damage
Acid Rocket - 40 damage, 2x vs players
Blink - Teleportation
Bilebomb - 80 damage, 2x vs structures, arcing fire.
Onos - Cost: 70 resources Health: 500 Armor: 150 (30% Damage Absorbed)
The best way to describe this class is to call it a tank. The Onos can
take withering amounts of firepower, shake it off, then kill all of its
attackers with ease.
Gore - 120 damage
Paralyze - Paralyzes foes for 6 seconds
Charge - Variable damage, faster movement.
Primal Scream - Energy boost for all nearby Kharaa
3.2.2. Buildings
The Gorge is the only class capable of building any structures. Several
of the various Chambers provide three upgrades as well as providing their
services. The upgrades are mutually exclusive, and will be documented by their
respective chamber.
Hive - Cost: 80 resources
The Hive is the most vital structure on the Kharaa side. Without any
active Hives, you will start to die slowly. Each Hive provides health, armor,
respawn points, Hive Sight, and one type of Chamber. You can have a maximum of
three hives, and each boosts your total resource amount by 1/3, all the way to
a max of 100 resources. The only exception to that is a Gorge, who always has
100 resources.
Abilities - Hive Sight - Acts as a wallhack, lets you see teammates and
parasited enemies.
Healing - Just stand by the Hive, and it will heal you.
Resource Chamber - Costs 22 resources
This gathers resources, and distributes them to all of your teammates.
Simple enough, just remember that Gorges get a bigger share. It's like a
Communist government: They're all equal, the Gorges are just more equal than
the others.
Offense Chamber - Costs 14 resources.
This is your form of a static base defense. Build lots of these, and back
them up with Defensive Chambers. This will form what is commonly called a
"wall of lame."
*UPDATE* You can also stack these towers by building another tower on top of
one. This trick is intimidating, and is very effective. Double the firepower
for half the space is always good. Just remember that grenades will do more
damage to this setup than a normal double row of chambers.
Defensive Chamber
This is the first upgrade chamber available, and it also does the job of
healing all friendly players and chambers near it. A must have at any decent
strongpoint. Remember, you need at least three to get the most out of any of
the upgrades. Also, the chambers will heal structures and players through a
wall. Do this, and you can have a setup that cannot be harmed by any Marines,
only Siege Turrets.
Abilities - Carapace - This increases the amount of armor you have.
Regeneration - Lets you regenerate health without a Gorge or
Defensive Chamber.
Redemption - This will save you if you are about to be killed.
Not 100% effective.
Movement Chamber
Often the second type of Chamber to be built, this allows you to move to
the furthest hive from it's location by Using it. Also provides some nice
upgrades.
Abilities - Adrenaline - Increases the speed your energy recharges
Celerity - Increases your top speed
Silence - Makes you move quietly. What a surprise.
Sensory Chamber
The last Chamber to get built, it acts as an early warning device. If it
can see an enemy, it puts the enemy on the Hive Sight. Usually, by the time
you can build this, the battle is almost over.
Abilities - Cloaking - The only worthwhile upgrade, you can cloak when not
moving or attacking. Great for ambushes.
Adv. Hive Sight - You can make enemy structures/units glow.
Yay.
Scent of Fear - When an enemy is wounded, you can track them
via the orange circle on your hive sight.
Yay again.
===============================================================================
4. Detailed Strategies
4.1 Frontiersmen
These strategies are based on what I have read in the Natural Selection
forums, and from what I have seen work in the game itself. If you have any
alternate strategies, email them to me, and I will gladly post them. Remember,
these are just a framework. You must decide where and when to do things based
on the different maps, what the enemy is doing, and what your own teammates are
doing. Remember, in this game, any of the above variables can radically shift
a strategy.
4.1.1 Commanders
Just because you are in charge does not make you God. The Marines can
vote you out if you are a bad Commander, so be sure to support your troops. It
is alright to ignore the one guy who begs for all the best equipment, then
proceeds to wander off alone and die. However, if a group of Marines are doing
your bidding, support them. And remember, you can use the Space Bar to zoom in
on radio messages. If you hear a request for ammo, zoom in on that person and
give them ammo. This function is invaluable.
Stage One - Getting Started
When you start a game, get in that Command Console and immediately place
an Infantry Portal. Once this is up, place an Armory. These actions must be
performed QUICKLY. The dreaded Skulk rush is coming, and if they kill the
Command Console, you are dead. Once you kill those Skulks, get an Observatory
up. This will provide early warning for your base defense. Now, go grab the
nearest resource nozzle to your position. Whether you defend it at this time
is up to you. Put a Turret Factory at your base, and get two or three Sentry
Turrets up. Now that you have a relatively secure foothold, it is time to
expand a bit.
Stage Two - Taking the First Hive
It may seem to be a little early for this, but trust me. You want to
secure one Hive early, in order to deny it to the enemy. Using that nice
Observatory that you built, use Scanner Sweep over a hive site. If you see no
Kharaa, send a squad of Marines to that location. Quickly, get a Turret
Factory and some turrets up, then get a Resource Tower down. There is always a
nozzle at a Hive site. Next, get a Phase Gate up at both the main base and at
the Hive. This will allow you to shift reinforcements between the two bases.
You may want to add an Armory to supply Marines at this base, but that is up to
you. Now that this is done, it is time for...
Stage Three - Consolidation
This stage involves securing more resources, and locking down your main
base. You need resources to do the latter, so that usually comes first. Have
your Marines search for resources, and get a Tower, Turret Factory, and some
Turrets up at these locations. Not only are you getting more resources, you
are denying them to the Kharaa and creating a small roadblock. To get the
resources, they must get past the turrets. After you have several of these set
up, it is time to patch up the main base. Get some more turrets up, and move
the defense line outwards. Usually, there are several rooms that a Fade can
stand in and bombard the base from. If you defend these rooms AND the main
base, you prevent this problem from surfacing. Now, it is time to get some
that heavy firepower that your teammates probably have been begging for. Build
another Armory at your main base, and then upgrade one of them. At the same
time, get an Arms Lab up and running, and begin some of those upgrades. Get
the Motion Tracking upgrade, and get a Prototype Lab up. Research Heavy Armor,
and you may want to get Jetpacks. Now it is time to begin assembling a strike
force to smack down Hive Two.
Stage Four - Storming Hive Two
This is the hardest part of the game. Fades will be in abundance, and are
a danger to even a Marine with all upgrades, Heavy Armor, and an HMG. You will
need to find the Hive that has the least defenses, and hit that. Get a strike
force of Marines with Heavy Armor, Welders, and various heavy guns to a room
next to the Hive site. DON'T RUSH INTO THE HIVE! This is where the assault
tends to go awry, as people rush in, get caught in webs, and pelted with goo.
This is a stupid way to die. Don't do it. Instead, get a Turret Factory up,
and get some turrets up. The enemy will be hitting you constantly, so be
liberal with the ammo and health packs. After the turrets are up, upgrade the
Factory, and get a Phase Gate up. You may want to put an Armory down, to give
reloads. After the Factory is upgraded, drop some SIEGE TURRETS! Drop several
of these dispensers of doom, and watch the Fades rush you to kill these things.
As the cannons are firing, advance into the room slowly, killing chambers as
you go. Once the Hive is dead, secure this hive site like you did the first.
Good work, you have just crippled the other team.
Stage Five - The Clean-up
You may think that, since the Kharaa are limited to Skulks, Gorges, and
Lerks, that the battle is over, you are wrong. They can still strech this out.
However, this is still easy. First thing you need to do is kill every resource
tower that is outside of the final hive. That hive will have a TON of Defense
and Offense Chambers in it. Now that their resource flow is now a trickle,
start killing off the final hive with the same strategy that you used on the
second hive. Now is not the time to get stupid. You may go slowly, but it
will be slower still if you constantly have to retake your position. Kill the
hive, hunt down any last Kharaa, and watch the victory message come up!
4.1.2 Marines
Now, you do not have to worry about the big picture. Let the Commander do
this, he can see it better. Literally. If you do your job right, and follow
the orders he gives, you should be fine. Remember, if your Commander is
completely incompetent, (e.g. he builds three Command Consoles in the middle of
nowhere, he doesn't put Infantry Portals up, he gives stupid orders, he gets in
and goes AFK, etc.) remember you can vote to eject him using your right-click
menu. However, just because you can do this, does not give you the right to
abuse the priviledge.
Cover Your Teammates! Work as a TEAM.
The most common mistake I see is that people do not work together, or do
not work well as a team. Walking around alone is just asking for someone to
kill you. Two Marines with LMGs can do a lot more than a solo Marine. When
building structures, make sure somebody is covering you. Don't have the whole
team go to build that Armory at the start, or else the Skulk rush will kill
the whole team. Three Marines covering the rest of the squad will stomp the
Skulk rush. I cannot emphasize the importance of working as a team. An
organized team will defeat an unorganized team every time. Like Benjamin
Franklin said, "Either we shall hang together, or we shall hang seperately."
The makers of this mod made sure to punish you if you didn't work as a team.
If you don't believe me, try to kill three Skulks by yourself. When you
respawn, you will have learned your lesson.
Listen to the Commander!
Another bad habit to get into is ignoring the Commander. The Commander
has the best view of the battle, and is your only source of resupply. Getting
on his bad side is not advised. However, he does tend to reward those who are
polite when asking for supplies. Be nice to him, being Commander is hard work.
If he tells you to go somewhere or do something, there usually is a reason
behind the order.
Don't Beg for Weapons.
Don't whine when you don't immediately get the best weapons and armor when
you respawn. It is annoying, and does not set a good image for you. Each item
costs resources, and maybe the Commander is saving up for an Armor Upgrade.
Bottom line, don't whine. Also, don't whine for ammo when an Armory is nearby.
Just walk over there and hold Use. Problem solved.
Use the Radio Commands!
If you beg for ammo over the team chat, the Commander has no way of
knowing where you are on the map. If you use your pull-down menu, and ask for
ammo or health that way. Also, inform him if you see an enemy, or need a
building. Just use a command in conjunction with your text message, and this
will make both of your jobs much easier.
Your Equipment
Light Machinegun - This weapon is what you spawn with, and is enough to
keep the Skulks away. It does relatively light damage per shot, but you can
empty a clip in a few seconds. At 50 rounds a clip, you can do 500 damage per
clip, if every shot hits. This weapon will reload quickly, and you can carry
a lot of ammo for it. This weapon is good enough for anybody against anything
up to a Fade. It is light, accurate, and best of all, FREE! Feel free to
spray at anything, as you have enough ammo to keep you happy. It is very rare
that I run out of ammo for this. Usually I die first. This weapon is useless
against a Fade or Onos, so you need something with a bit more punch. Don't
bother firing at a Resource Collector with this, you just waste ammo. Use your
knife. Speaking of which...
Knife - Useless? Yes! Except against a target that doesn't fire back,
like a Resource Collector or the various upgrade Chambers. Other than that,
don't try to knife an enemy. It's better to do like Monty Python and run away.
Pistol - Ahh, the Pistol. Not good as a primary weapon, but as a backup,
it is perfect. You empty your clip at that Skulk, and it is still running at
you? Whip this out and dispense some justice. At 20 damage per shot, and dead
accurate, this weapon won't fail you. However, you can only hold 30 extra
rounds, so don't go running around with this out, unless you have a Grenade
Launcher. Even then, you should be in a group, so don't use this as your main
weapon.
Shotgun - This weapon is neglected by the majority of NS players, and I
see this as a great injustice. Everyone goes straight for the HMGs, yet this
gun can do a LOT of damage in a hurry. Use it close up, to maximize the number
of pellets hitting the target, and you will be amazed at how fast you can kill
a Fade. Three or four shots usually puts a Fade down, so this is a great
support weapon. Early on, after the Armory has been built, if you need heavy
firepower, consider this weapon instead of going for the Adv. Armory upgrade.
The only downsides to this weapon are the pump action, which slows the rate of
fire down, and the small magazine. Still, a great support weapon.
Heavy Machinegun - The mainstay of any Marine hit squad, this gun chews
through the lighter classes very quickly, and should be distributed liberally.
Combined with Heavy Armor and a Welder, you are pretty much unstoppable, unless
you come across some lines of Offense Chambers. Remember, you are PRETTY MUCH
unstoppable, not INVINCIBLE. When I play Kharaa, I wait until that one Marine
goes to reload, then I tear him up. A concentrated bombardment by Fades,
Offense Chambers, all backed up by Webs and Defense Chambers, will knock you
back to respawn. Remember, work as a team, and if you see heavy defenses, call
in some Siege Turrets. With the firepower you have, you can hold off the enemy
until these get put up. Works best in groups, with supporting fire from
Shotguns and...
Grenade Launcher - Supporting fire at it's best, this weapon is not
designed to be an assault weapon. The purpose of this weapon is to clear an
area of Kharaa units. This weapon cannot damage structures, so don't think
that you don't need the Siege Turrets. However, if a Fade gets in a vent and
starts bombarding your position, four grenades tend to be an incentive to stop
that action. Also, an Onos is not invincible. Grenades, supporting the other
weapons, will put an Onos down in a hurry. The name of the game is support and
indirect firepower. If you can get behind a wall and bounce the grenades
around a corner, do so. Anything that you can do to avoid getting shot at is
always good, as if a Fade corners you, you will DIE before he does. Just
remember my golden rule: "There is no problem that cannot be solved with the
liberal application of high explosives."
Welder - Everyone should have one of these. It is that simple. This tool
is the only way to repair Armor and structures, so if a squad has these, their
chances of success increase greatly. Heavy Armor benefits the most from these,
yet anything that can be repaired likes having a Welder around. Also, note
those yellow symbols found on walls, grates, and doors. These tell you that
you can weld a barricade over this. You can force the Skulks out of the vents
and into your death trap if you do this. Less surprises are always good.
Remember, if someone screams for health, he probably needs to be welded. If
you see a Web, pull out your Welder and burn it away. Webs are bad things.
Trip Mines - I almost never see these used, as they are not very good.
Skulks and Lerks can evade them, and Fades can set them off with Acid Rockets
and Bile Bombs. They might be good if placed on the ground, but I need to try
this.
Heavy Armor - This piece of equipment is essential if you are to go on the
attack. With this, your can have up to 290 Armor, and the Armor takes 95% of
that damage. The only downside is that you are slow. Very slow. This should
not be too much of a problem, as you should be using Phase Gates to get to the
battle. Remember, that lone Skulk can still kill you if you are not careful,
so work in groups. I cannot re-emphasize this enough. Also, bring a Welder or
seven.
Jetpack - Another rarely seen piece of equipment, yet this one can be
useful if used correctly. Don't use it to go up, use it to go fast. Combined
with a shotgun, you can dance around Fades, pumping shells into them. Great
for a hit-and-run strike on a Gorge trying to set up defenses, you can be in
and out before reinforcements get there. You can drop down long shafts, fire
your jets before you hit the bottom, spray some grenades, and rocket back up
before whatever was down there knew you were there. Guerrilla warfare is the
name of the game with this device. Remember, your amount of energy, while it
does recharge, is finite.
Marine Tactics
Hit and Fade - This is an effective use of the Jetpack, and can be done
solo or in a group. Get a heavy weapon and jet around the base. If you see
an enemy, spray at him while retreating. You can tie up many enemies this way,
and for every enemy fighting you, there is one less bothering the rest of the
team. Try to lure them near your team's turrets if you can.
Strike Team - This consists of several Marines equipped with Heavy Armor
and various heavy weapons. Everyone should have a Welder, and one person
should be carrying a Grenade Launcher. This force is ideal for taking any
position that is not too heavily defended. If you can't take a room, fall back
and call in for Siege Turrets.
Handyman - For this role, all you need is a Welder. Your job is to build
the things that no one else wants to, and to go around repairing things. It
may seem like a boring job, but it is the most efficient way of doing this.
Blockade - Grab some Marines and blow up all of the Kharaa Resource
Chambers. This forces the Gorges to rebuild these, and will slow down any
new Fades or Lerks from popping up. Generally used during the fifth stage.
4.2. The Kharaa
Remember, these strategies above WILL NOT WORK as a Kharaa. You have a class
system, while they have to buy everything. Also remember, your resources
are pooled. Meaning that if you have 100 resources, your extra is not wasted,
it goes to other Kharaa.
4.2.1 The Gorge
Don't Have Too Many!
Remember, the Kharaa pool their resources, and Gorges get a larger share
than the others. So if you have three or more Gorges, everyone will accumulate
resources at a snails pace. Two Gorges are enough.
Get a Hive Quickly.
While the Skulks on your team are doing their job and splattering
themselves against the Frontiersmen defenses, it is your job to secure a Hive.
Get some Offense Towers up in there, and back them up with Defense Towers.
Now, have one Gorge save up for the hive, while the other either builds some
defenses or goes to get more resources. Once you get this hive up and running,
start thinking about Hive Three.
Offense Chamber + Defense Chambers + Webs = Death
Don't just put your Offense Chambers in random spots, put them like this:
__________________________________________________________________
| W OO D
| W OO D
| W__________________OO D___________________________________
| |
| |
| |
The end of the hallway is in range of the Offense Chambers, the Defense
Chambers heal the Offense Chambers, and are back far enough to be Siege Turret
proof. The Webs should be on the floor on the corner. This way, the Marines
won't see it, and will walk right into the trap. Remember, Offense Chambers
have a limited range, so be careful when placing them. Also remember to
replace the webs every once in a while.
Remember to Heal Things.
Gorges have Healing Spray for a reason. Go around and heal everything.
Very good trait to have, as you can keep those expensive Fades in combat that
much longer.
Sensory Chambers Are Early Warning Sites
A Sensory Chamber placed in a strategic location can alert everyone to
an approaching assault. Used right, you can have the whole enemy team end up
as if they were parasited.
Babblers Are the Creation of SATAN.
If you see a Marine caught in your Web, chuck a few Babblers at him.
Remember to aim upwards, and the Babblers will fall right on him. And if they
happen to Xenocide on him, sucks for him.
Offensive Webbing
If you get caught by surprise by a Marine, throw a Web on him, then run
away. He cannot fire while webbed, and even you can run from a webbed Marine.
Good Upgrades
Carapace - This will let you take that much more damage, in order to get
to your Defensive Chambers. Get in closer to the battle and heal your team,
or build a wall of Offense Chambers.
Adrenaline - Use Healing Spray, Web, and Spawn Babblers that much faster.
Cloaking - Because the other upgrades from Sensory Chambers suck.
4.2.2. The Skulk
The Skulk is what all Kharaa spawn as, and is effective until massed
groups of Marines come knocking. Use these guys in packs; a Skulk rush early
on can screw the Frontiersmen over big time. Remember, you are small, fast,
and weak. You can walk on walls, so use this to your advantage. Sneak attack
is the name of the game for you.
Wall Walking
You can run up walls just by moving your mouse up to look up the wall. A
good trick, you can climb a wall, get on a ledge, go Gorge, build a Sensory
Chamber, go back to Skulk, and you have an alarm system. This also allows for
ambushers to drop down from the ceiling to scare the crap out of your
opponents.
Parasite Your Foes
Using your Wall Walking ability, you can get in a good position near the
enemy base and parasite all of them as they walk out. This makes sneaking up
on them that much easier, and it distracts the Marines. If you see someone
coming up with your Hive sight, climb a wall and wait for that person to walk
by. Easy targets are always the best.
Leaping Around the Base
Leap is not good for an attack. It is useful, however, for getting from
one location to another quickly. You jump a HUGE distance when you Leap, so
keep this in mind
Xenocide in Packs
Xenocide does double damage against structures, so if you can't evolve
into heavier forms when you have three hives, get some friends and Xenocide in
the middle of the Marine base. If you see a Phase Gate sitting around
somewhere, jump in, hit Xenocide, and evade fire until you explode. Chaos in
the enemy base is good. And if your friends come along, the chaos just keeps
increasing. Xenocide is what keeps a Skulk useful in the end game.
Preferred Upgrades
Regeneration - Carapace only adds 20 armor to you, Redemption doesn't kick
in fast enough, so get this. Perfect for a hit and run attack, you rush in,
bite some people, run past them, heal, then repeat.
Celerity - You don't need more energy that often, and a Skulk with this
trait makes a four year old seem dull by comparison. Nobody can catch you now,
and with inventive use of the strafe keys, you can dodge bullets like something
out of The Matrix.
Cloaking - Same reason as for a Gorge, the other upgrades suck.
4.2.3. The Lerk
Lerks are rarely seen in games, mostly because they are weaker than a
Skulk. However, if you are adept at flying around with these things, they are
great support classes. Especially at the end game, when Spore Cloud and Umbra
are available, these are great supporters for a Fade bombardment team.
Pepper the Opposition With Spikes
You can act as a sniper with the spikes, as they do not have a loud noise.
Quite often, a Marine will just stand there shooting at a Skulk, and won't
notice this stream of spikes until he is almost dead.
Flight is Good
You are the only class that can do more than fall, so you can move pretty
quickly. Like a Marine with a Jetpack, flight costs energy, so watch it.
The Lerk moves slower than an Onos on the ground, so try to stay off the ground
when possible. Also, don't fly in the middle of a corridor, unless you are
going pretty fast. It's just asking to be shot.
So is Gliding
If you get a good bit of speed going in flight, hold down the jump key to
glide. You use no energy, and you don't lose too much altitude. Better still,
when you glide, there is no flapping sound. Very good for a stealth hit on an
unsuspecting target.
Umbra Your Teammates
When a bunch of Fades get together to bombard a base, go with them. Umbra
blocks bullets, so those Marines with the HMGs are now useless. Feel free to
mock them as you keep spraying Umbra. Just watch out for grenades, they punch
right through Umbra.
Spore Clouds Kill
Spore Cloud will throw a base into utter chaos when combined with a Bile
Bomb attack. No Marine will be able to survive for long, so if the Infantry
Portals go down, you have won.
Preferred Upgrades
Regeneration - You are weaker than a Skulk, and likely to be at the front
lines, so don't bother with Carapace or Redemption.
Adrenaline - Now you can fly around forever. All your attacks come from
your energy, so more energy is always good.
Cloaking - Same reason as all the other classes.
4.2.4 The Fade
Fades form the backbone of any decent Kharaa team, as they are brutal at
both melee and ranged combat. They are capable of indirect bombardment, so
the Fade is perfect for taking a Marine firebase.
Blink Past Those Defenses
Blink allows you to move past any small defenses set up in a hallway, so
this can let you get behind the Marines and surprise them. Also, if you are
being hammered, you can Blink out of there and regroup. Use Blink liberally.
Blink is your friend.
Acid Rockets at Range, Swipe Close up.
Acid Rockets do 40 damage, double against players, so it is ideal for
ranged combat. However, if you get close, you should use Swipe. Swipe does
80 damage, and fires faster. A single Fade, using these tactics, can decimate
any opponent foolish to come without Heavy Armor.
Bile Bomb Barrage
Bile Bombs do 80 damage to players, and 160 damage to structures. With
the splash damage done, a group of Fades can quickly knock a base out of
commission. Bile Bombs fire in an arc, so remember this when firing. Try to
get a Lerk to come with you for Umbra protection. The only thing to worry
about is an attack from behind, or a grenade bouncing your way.
Preferred Upgrades
Carapace - Here is where Carapace becomes useful, as you gain a LOT of
armor from it now. You can now take incredible amounts of damage, then blink
away. Actually, it is a tie between this and...
Redemption - You have a LOT of health, and it takes awhile to get all
those resources for the upgrade, so go ahead and get this. You can take damage
and get away most of the time, but for the rest of the time, redemption does
it's job well.
Adrenaline - Lets you bombard that much longer before having to recharge.
Also lets you Blink out of a bad situation that much faster.
Cloaking - I'm getting tired of putting "because the other upgrades suck"
4.2.5 The Onos
They are slow, take forever to upgrade, and are expensive. Are they worth
it? Of course! This huge creature cannot use any of the ventilation shafts,
or any of the crawlspaces, but when this thing walks in, you don't want to be
in its way. You are a tank, time to act like one.
Paralyze, then Charge
Your Paralyze ability paralyzes all enemies for five seconds. Pick the
most dangerous enemy, and Charge him. Now that he is a messy spot on the
floor, rinse and repeat.
Massed Fire? LOL!
You have massive amounts of health, so nothing fazes you. I have seen a
single Onos, under fire from eight LMGs, kill ALL the Marines, then proceed to
destroy the base. The Onos is the king of the battle, and people tend to leave
the game when they see one. I don't blame them too much.
Primal Scream, then RUSH!
Primal Scream refills everyones Energy bars, so use this to keep a barrage
going longer. This affects you too, so you can Paralyze and Charge with cover
from the Fades.
==============================================================================
5. Update History
12/01/2002 - Version 1.0 - First Release
12/05/2002 - Version 1.05 - Added some more Kharaa tricks, fixed some incorrect
information in the team descriptions, and changed
some of the Legal Junk
==============================================================================
6. Acknowledgements and Legal Junk
Thanks go out to the following people:
God: For obvious reasons.
My Parents: Again, obvious reasons.
The Natural Selection Team - For making a great Mod.
All Natural Selection Players - To who this guide is intended to help.
VALVe Software - For making a great game, and supporting all Mods for it.
CJayC - For running a site like GameFAQs.
And now for the legal junk
This guide, or any portion of it, may be posted on any site, as long as you
credit me with the original. You can convert it to HTML, so long as the
information inside is not altered. I would prefer to be notified if you post
my work, but that is not neccesary. As long as I get credit and the work is
not changed; otherwise that is a violation of copyright.
All trademark and copyrights contained within this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders
Copyright 2002 Steven Keisling
