Tips for players who keep losing...

[imawesome]

Updated to include other suggestions (07.05.2007)

There are several things I've noticed that really tick me off while I'm playing and it sucks because there's nothing *I* can do about it.

I don't lose often but when I do, here's why (this almost always deals with lack of teamwork).

GDF:

1.) Anti-artillery. Get an anti-artillery deployable up fast. Yes, you won't have an anti-personal turret killing people, you can't change classes but you're doing your team an invaluable favor.

2.) Blow the freaking barricade up when you're on the EMP. Not having that thing open hurts your team. The more directions the GDF can attack from the higher their chances of getting the EMP.

3.) Destroy enemy turrets, destroy enemy anti-artillery and destroy enemy vehicles. Several games I've seen a Mech sit there and destroy everything and 1 person will charge at with an assault rifle and die a horrible death.

4.) Plant mines! Those things can one-shot someone and you can place three of them!

5.) Soldiers: Plant your C4 charge on turrets and vehicles. Yeah, it takes a while for the charge to go off, but it'll take out one of those mech's with no problem.

6.) Hold the spawn points! Those extra 10 to 15 seconds it takes you to get from the GDF base to the EMP or from the EMP to the Strogg base can be the difference between getting the EMP built or stopping a constructor from disarming the C4.

7.) Don't XP whore. XP doesn't win games, completing objectives does.

8.) Suicide run the EMP and starting building on it. EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! It takes some time for it to reset and every time you start building the EMP, it resets the timer that resets the build timer. Eventually, it will get built.

9.) HELP YOUR TEAM! I cannot stress this enough. If no one's a medic, become a medic. If no one is a Covert Ops, become one! If things are getting done and you don't have to sacrifice much to do it, then do it.

Strogg

1.) Set up anti-artillery! It's invaluable.

2.) Make full use of the TWO GROUPS of vehicles. Two mechs can reek havoc.

3.) Keep things REPAIRED! Keeping APT's and AVT's up and running can make a huge difference!

4.) Plant MINES! Put them at doorways leading to the EMP, or to the Grates, or to the control panel. I've seen one of those things take out 3 GDF who ran through the door.

5.) If a turret goes down, build a new one!

6.) Keep those spawn points away from the GDF! Making them have to walk / run / drive an extra 10-15 seconds can be enough to reset the EMP or disarm the C4 charge.

7.) If the GDF are disguising themselves as strogg, just shoot your weapon near teammates to show that you can shoot it! The GDF spies cannot. If they refuse to, kill them! Those guys can clear a room by themselves if no one catches on.

8.) Destroy enemy vehicles! GDF players love to grab the tank and sit across the map spamming the EMP! Grab a jetpack or a rocket launcher and solve that problem.

9.) Create spawn hosts! Those things can turn the tide of a losing battle.

10.) Keep plenty of stroyent out and about for your teammates to grab.

Originally Posted by Ifurita

- After the gen is blown, too many people mill around outside of the gate, you should fall back
- A couple of mines planted on the grates before the Generator is built can mean the difference between a quick plant and holding out for a couple of minutes
- Don't forget the back route to the controls. You can also defend against plants from the inside

Originally Posted by mothra

DON'T FORGET TO CLAIM THE SPAWNHOSTS.

General Tips:

Originally Posted by b0rsuk

1. Follow teammates. Make sure every firefight is as uneven as possible - in your favor. If there's a teammate some distance behind you, wait for him unless speed is critical. You want to enter a new area at the same time, just watch for splash damage.
2. Line is a bad formation for some reasons. What you'd hate to see is a teammate between you and an enemy. A skilled player may be able to kill you one by one. A formation closer to phalanx will let you to focus fire.
3. Practice 'kill stealing' and don't be offended by 'kill stealing'.
4. Synchronize your attacks a bit. If you're approaching enemy fortification and you're behind cover, wait for a firefight to start THEN jump out and attack. There's a high chance enemy will be busy and you'll catch him from flank.
5. Too close to your teammates and you invite explosives. Too far and you'll miss the action.

Pay attention to sound
Players who do are very hard to surprise, to the point where they are occasionally accused of wallhacking. Sounds give you a lot of information about what's happening.

Originally Posted by Zeldor

- when you get into vehicle wait some time, others people might want to get into too
- have a gunner in your tank to take down any approaching infantry
- explode mines with grenades, they are not so hard to spot
- if there is someone else named as you he is a covert op
- make use of the radar, it is the most important deployable

Originally Posted by RedPixels

Deployables

#1: Leave enough room
Look at how many build-able squares you're leaving available. Are you leaving the next guy enough room to build something? If not, DON'T build there! To do so would be the ETQW equivalent of taking up two parking spaces! Secondly, if you're dropping something that's going to SHOOT at the enemy, make sure to put it somewhere where it's not likely to accidentally fire AT or THROUGH someone else's deployable.

#2: Build what the team needs
Before building, look around at what other people are building. If you already see a Artillery Intercept Turret in the area, odds are your team doesn't need another. Build something else! Is the forward spawn being harassed by vehicles? Time to build a Anti-vehicle turret.

#3: Choose the right location
Consider whether you're selecting the best spot for your particular deployable. Turrets should go closest to the enemy, right near the front line. Artillery Intercept Turrets should be next closest, followed by radar. Artillery pieces should be way, way far away from the action, preferably somewhere inside your initial deployment area. Remember, if you put your deployable in a sub-optimal location, you're just denying that space to someone who could make better use of it.

Mines

#1: Use the mines to protect vital interests
As a builder, you have the ability (and responsibility) to effectively cover multiple areas of the battlefield. While you are off assaulting or repairing, your deployables and mines provide security for the team's vital interests. This frees you and your fellows from tedious guard duty, allowing everyone to get back to the best part of the game: firing weapons. Use your mines to defend forward spawns and objectives.

#2: Place the mines appropriately
Don't feel the need to pile mines on the objective itself. That's the FIRST place the enemy is going to 'nade. You're just wasting the mines and giving the enemy grenades a bigger boom. Remember: Friendlies are going to be in the vicinity of the objective! Even in war - safety first! Consider placing mines around blind corners and at the top of staircases, somewhere along the enemy's approach. The goal is for the mines to remain unseen until they are triggered.

#3: Consider the blast pattern
When a mine detonates it will also explode any and all other mines within its blast radius. Be aware of how exploding mines are likely to interact based on their placement. Note that a mine needn't be active to explode. In fact, you can increase your explosive coverage by hiding non-active mines widely-spaced near an active mine. Enemy players might harmlessly and unknowing pass by the inactive mines to (hopefully) detonate the active mine. The result: One player could trigger the simultaneous detonation of multiple mines, which, thanks to the larger coverage area, might kill off multiple enemies.

#4: Be mindful of chokepoints
Remember, friendlies will take defensive positions at chokepoints. In tight quarters one triggered mine can spell a tragic end for several allies. If you notice friendlies piling in to defend a chokepoint, disarm any mines you have in the area. They're a liability.

#5: Mind other people's mines
Pay attention to the placement of friendly mines. If someone else has covered the area appropriately, placing your mines there as well would be a waste. If you still think you should add some mines, again, take note of the likely blast patterns. What will happen when your mine explodes? What will happen to YOUR mine when his mine(s) explode(s)? You might find that your mine, planted just outside the door, will accidentally detonate all the mines inside the room, thus freeing the enemy from having to clear the room himself.

-RP

Follow this advice and you should start winning more. Remember, this game heavily emphasizes TEAMWORK and if you can't work as a team, you're not going to enjoy this game for very long.

Teamwork requires EVERYONE to work together. If no one is playing a needed role, YOU FILL IT unless doing so would hinder your team (you'd lose a deployable, etc.)

Enjoy, imawesome.

[Ifurita]

One of the most important things I've found as the defender is knowing how to fall back intelligently:

- After the gen is blown, too many people mill around outside of the gate, you should fall back
- A couple of mines planted on the grates before the Generator is built can mean the difference between a quick plant and holding out for a couple of minutes
- Don't forget the back route to the controls. You can also defend against plants from the inside

[[SD]BongoBoy]

Excellent stuff, iamawesome,
I really can't say how cool it is for us devs to see someone Get It, and it's even cooler to see the knowledge being shared around in a helpful manner. Kudos, Sir : )

[b0rsuk]

Some more tips.

1. Follow teammates. Make sure every firefight is as uneven as possible - in your favor. If there's a teammate some distance behind you, wait for him unless speed is critical. You want to enter a new area at the same time, just watch for splash damage.
2. Line is a bad formation for some reasons. What you'd hate to see is a teammate between you and an enemy. A skilled player may be able to kill you one by one. A formation closer to phalanx will let you to focus fire.
3. Practice 'kill stealing' and don't be offended by 'kill stealing'.
4. Synchronize your attacks a bit. If you're approaching enemy fortification and you're behind cover, wait for a firefight to start THEN jump out and attack. There's a high chance enemy will be busy and you'll catch him from flank.
5. Too close to your teammates and you invite explosives. Too far and you'll miss the action.

[Gr3y]

Originally Posted by [SD]BongoBoy

Excellent stuff, iamawesome,
I really can't say how cool it is for us devs to see someone Get It, and it's even cooler to see the knowledge being shared around in a helpful manner. Kudos, Sir : )

I think "most" of the ET playerbase gets it.
Everyone else just need to learn the works.

But useful guide indeed.

[exoteror]

Grat list, I fully agree on you points made, it's all the little things that make the difference thats what makes it the teamwork game.

[gamma]

Originally Posted by b0rsuk

3. Practice 'kill stealing' and don't be offended by 'kill stealing'.

if someone steals your kill it doesnt matter, if you done most damage(why people might say thats my kill) you get the xp in light weapon.

[Zeldor]

iamawesone:

You forgot about some basic things:
- when you get into vehicle wait some time, others people might want to get into too
- have a gunner in your tank to take down any approaching infantry
- explode mines with grenades, they are not so hard to spot
- if there is someone else named as you he is a covert op
- make use of the radar, it is the most important deployable

P.S. On what server do you play? It is so hard to get into one with at least average team play. Most of the time it feels like only 2-5 people out of 12 are really trying to win.

[imawesome]

Originally Posted by Zeldor

iamawesone:

You forgot about some basic things:
- when you get into vehicle wait some time, others people might want to get into too
- have a gunner in your tank to take down any approaching infantry
- explode mines with grenades, they are not so hard to spot
- if there is someone else named as you he is a covert op
- make use of the radar, it is the most important deployable

P.S. On what server do you play? It is so hard to get into one with at least average team play. Most of the time it feels like only 2-5 people out of 12 are really trying to win.

my friend and i just play on whatever server isn't lagging, isn't full and has at least 10 people in it.

[Zeldor]

I wish there was at least one with only better people there... better at teamplay that is.

[mothra]

an update for the "create spawnhosts" tip:

DON'T FORGET TO CLAIM THE SPAWNHOSTS.

as an technician on stroggs I had around 7 spawnhosts up and running the whole match but only about 1-3 were claimed all the time. so don't forget, if you have a few secs left without fighting, go seek that spawnhost, it saves you valuable time and nothing defeats spawning infront of some GDF engineer and shooting him full of plasma.

[R4dioactive]

just work as a team and u will win

[crowbar]

Sorry, but I'm still learning how to use everything. This is probably why so many people are running around most of the time. Since I cannot create a server on my box, all I can do is explore the workings on a pub server. Give it some more time, teamwork will come.

Coming for rtcw/et I understand what teamwork is, but this game has SO much more stuff and options to help your team. Can't wait for this to get into competition leagues. The strat options are going to be phenomenally huge.

[cpt.whistlepants]

Booya!! Good post. People need to break their habits from some previous games. Hint... Hint

2.) Blow the freaking barricade up when you're on the EMP. Not having that thing open hurts your team. The more directions the GDF can attack from the higher their chances of getting the EMP.

i cant find the post that discussed this tactic, but there were people arguing that this was a bad idea to blow the barricade. I'm with you on this, create more angles of attack is the way to go. I have been in several games and the barricade never gets a charge planted on it.

i would quote you more, but I think it would just reiterate the points in your post. You played a SD game before haven't you?

[Szakalot]

i suggest making it a sticky and placing all those usefull tips in the OP post.

[SlippytheWeasel]

I've noticed a lot of players who stick to GDF get pissed when a Strogg with an Icarus goes up the mountains on Sewer.

Everybody can get up there, there is no place on the map that can't be reached on foot, no Icarus needed. I even tried jumping off the mountain with a husky, dismounted in mid-air, and parachuted into the Strogg base on top of their defense turret emplacement. Stayed there for 10 minutes before they figured it out, calling down arty and shooting/nading out psy radars and dark matter cannons the whole time.

Puts a real surprise on the Strogg when the GDF build the EMP disruptor, get the forward spawn, and now they are spawning at their main base, only to come running out of it on their first respawn after losing the spillway to be whacked by a Vampire Air strike from a GDF field ops who went the long was around the mountains, laying arty strikes as covering fire, and waiting for that first wave of Strogg to spawn and die. Also helps to have a soldier and a cov ops there, so they can assist each other, and the soldier can get a head start inside to blow the grates and the cov ops can try hacking the objective.

[Zeldor]

SlippytheWeasel:

You can get every vehicle, including tank, into tormentor landing pad. Can really wreak some havoc in strogg defences And crushing snipers with your tank is really nice.

[b0rsuk]

Pay attention to sound
Players who do are very hard to surprise, to the point where they are occasionally accused of wallhacking. Sounds give you a lot of information about what's happening.

[imawesome]

Originally Posted by cpt.whistlepants

Booya!! Good post. People need to break their habits from some previous games. Hint... Hint

Thanks.

Originally Posted by cpt.whistlepants

i cant find the post that discussed this tactic, but there were people arguing that this was a bad idea to blow the barricade.

Not blowing it gives the Strogg side an easier time dealing with vantage points. Not to mention, driving the tank through there not only causes a great distraction, I've seen tank drivers claim the entire area with some nice shooting.

Originally Posted by cpt.whistlepants

You played a SD game before haven't you?

This is my first.

[mordredP]

if i can add something, as soon as the match starts, one engineer should go to the emp, the other and a mate should go to the top hill spawn, capture it and plant mines.. I really hate when i go to the emp, built as much as i can, die, and NO ONE has captured the spawn. Starting fast wins matches.

[murka10]

usually strogg disrespect the mighty opressor, they can be used for clearing out the hilltop spawn before you can capture it or take away everyone near the emp if your team has failed but just spawned.
i have noticed that very few are soldiers/agressors with RL/obliterator... they actually mean a lot. they can take down vehicles with ease if you distract them on shooting you, i took down a cyclops from the hill, he tried to shoot but he couldn't hit me beacuse i was behind a bump.

to take it all together
*-your team needs all five classes, too little of one class will result in a bad game
*-vehicles can be destroyed with ease with the RL/obliterator, or just get their attention so others can do their job.
*-engineers should be on the lookout of broken stuff not just repari their deployable, if they have the flying repair drone they should use it.
*-on the GDF side there are too few medic, usually one and sometimes none, if they can revive/resupply the squad near the obj then it will result in a faster attack.
*-field opts should use their vampire to take out deployables near the EMP(usually ~3 deployables and one cyclops camping there).
*-coverts should hack the deployables to let the team do the rest, if there are already 3 snipers then your team doesn't need more, they can kill but they are much useful on the battlefield with their toys.
*-when strogg have lost the EMP they should build a radar to see where the enemy is coming.
*-people must alert the team that a covert has taken their clothes, this will put the team into alert for a person with their name but with strange behaviour.
*-after the hilltop spawn has been taken, someone should spawn at the back base and use their vehicles, the strogg have 2 groups of vehicles and usually nobody spawns behind when spawn is taken, this means a lot for taking out cyclopses or other vehicles.
*-use the infiltrators teleporter beacon more, it can be used to get out of sticky firefights tho it can be used as a good tool for taking back spawns and lurking behind the enemies front line.

[RaVE]

Field Ops and Oppressors !!

Don't neglect the Rocket / Plasma Mortar launchers, especially if the enemy is hounding you with vehicles. You can lock on to vehicles with these and fire a volley of 6 rounds that will completely take out vehicles of all sizes. They can be launched untargeted too for those times you want to pick off infantry in small clusters.

I've gotten rid of many a camping titan this way. They can't get away from the shots, try as they might.

[Zeldor]

RaVE:

I wish people knew more about it. It is really sad to see that vehicle demolition [well, unless you are sitting inside and wreaking havoc ].

[imawesome]

really glad this thread has done well. hope it's helping plenty of people.

[Arsonide]

A small addition to the sound suggestion - pay close attention to the sounds your teammates make. Once I was Strogg heading through the sewers to the front line and a teammate jumped off the grates above me and made a GDF *grunt* sound when he hit the ground, and sprinted off towards the controls. I didn't even see a name, but I watched his green tag on the HUD and tracked him through walls, and relayed him to my friend who was in the control room. He was a GDF Covert Ops and we killed him before he even did anything, needless to say he thought we were cheating.

Pay attention to the sounds your teammates make, particularly when they are falling long distances or sprinting for long periods (the species make different heavy breathing sounds). Then track them with radar and HUD. If you aren't sure, which direction are they sprinting? Is it towards the objective? Open fire. In fact, if anybody is near the objective milling about - put a bullet in them. Sure they may not like it, but this test ensures that they aren't a covert ops - as friendlies don't set off the hit detection (Beep and crosshair flash). Use your sidearm so if they ARE friendly, it doesn't hurt them as much, if hit detection goes off, regardless of what they are doing - plaster them and listen to the enemy covert ops whine about it.