The Value of Spectating (...For My Noobs)

[Venkman]

I thought I was decent with Mara. Then I speced Draik...

Good god. His Mara makes mine look like a blind pole-vaulter trying to smack people in the face with his dick.

Spectating him was also probably one of the smartest things I could have done as a noob yearning to Mara-pown. I could try to list every single thing that he taught me in that 17 minute game, but the list would be obnoxiously long and that's not the point of this thread.

The point IS...
I suggest that all noobs reading this (especially those trying to master a particular alien) do what I did:

1. Read the forums. Find out which player is considered the best in a certain class. Wait and hope for said player to show up on the same server as you (or just message them and ask what servers they play on).

2. When a new game starts, build until you've earned that two-minute evo and/or camp until you've killed a feeder or two.

3. Once you have 3-4 evos, give them to the leet player that you want to spectate and tell them your plan. Hopefully, they will be appreciative enough to show you the ropes.

Sure, you could just spec them for free like a bum, but doing what I suggest means it’s more likely that the “spectatie” will play as the alien you want to learn and also show you the stuff you need to see.

Bottom line, don’t be shy. There’s so few actually noobs (not shitty players but people who are actually NEW to the game) playing Tremulous that when you call out leet players like Draik on a public server, they’re usually more than happy to show you just how much ass they can kick.

 

P.S.
Thank you, Mr. Draikonz, for schooling me well. You are truly a gentleman and scholar. And way WAY too good with Mara.
 


...Seriously, it’s kind of ridiculous.

[Dracone]

Draik's mara has been the most solid mara for a long time now, except when St. Anger was around. But if you want the specifics to his skill with it, it's because of his outrageous movement. Don't just spectate him only though, because you can't learn that kind of movement from just spectating him. Ask him how to do it sometime, although he probably won't respond with his mind being half-roasted and all.

[Venkman]

Good advice.

I didn't actually see Draik sign in and didn't realize he was playing until I saw this Mara hop over mine in the A.T.C.S hallway and then do a lateral wall-bounce DIRECTLY into the head of some charging human who had just rounded a corner. The human reels and turns to try and aim and somehow Draik is already BACK BEHIND HIM and grounding a second head-bite for the kill. And that was all in like 3 seconds.

So you're right. You really have to be outside of his p.o.v. to truly appreciate the madness.

[Ryanw4390]

Btw to anyone reading this that wants a better goon might want to check out that Dracone guy who posted in this thread.

[Venkman]

Agreed.

He was just on AA. Sick goon.

 
Like leprosy-sick.

[_Equilibrium_]

3. Once you have 3-4 evos, give them to the leet player that you want to spectate and tell them your plan. Hopefully, they will be appreciative enough to show you the ropes.

If a player is good, he/she won't need your evos/creds.

[Wyvrn]

3. Once you have 3-4 evos, give them to the leet player that you want to spectate and tell them your plan. Hopefully, they will be appreciative enough to show you the ropes.

If a player is good, he/she won't need your evos/creds.

Thats just wat I was thinking...

[Silver]

3. Once you have 3-4 evos, give them to the leet player that you want to spectate and tell them your plan. Hopefully, they will be appreciative enough to show you the ropes.

If a player is good, he/she won't need your evos/creds.

Not necessarily and the offer is always appreciative. 

I don't consider myself a great player but I don't consider myself a terrible player either and sometimes I have a rough patch getting started and 2-3 evos from a teammate can turn the game around.
That might just be because dretch is my poor point.  I struggle to get a mara or a goon but when I do I can manage to maintain my evos from there.  Either way, the offering of the evos is a polite thing to do if you're going to expect someone to take the time during their gameplay to explain to you certain movements and the likes.  Even if they are un-needed.  When I play with draik he runs out of evo's often so I send him quite a few because I know he'll utilize them.  He uses mara to hurt lots of humans and to target people who he wants to strip of their revenue.  So often he'll put himself into dire situations and come out of it with 0-1 evo only.  He does, however, put the other team in a lot worse situation than that usually.

[janev]

It's also worth noting that sharing to good players who for whatever reason broke the bank is a smart investment. There is an even chance godlike players will be overflowing evo/credits, and if your name springs to mind as one of the good guys/gals, that overflow will likely be coming your way.

It helps break the ice and get the team working together. Still like equilibrium said, a good player(above the server average) won't "need" the points.

[Venkman]

You're right. If a player is worth spectating, they shouldn't "need" the evos. Really, the sharing is more a gesture of appreciation than anything.

If a leet player knows you're trying to learn through spectating them, said player will be more likely to go balls-out for your benefit with a couple of evos at their disposal.

I should also add that Janev was one of the first true Trem-fags to actually go out of their way to help me get started.
  ?
 
So thanks, Janev, for taking the time to point my clueless noob ass in the right direction.

[FisherP]

I know a person who was totally awesome at mara, Dextertrax. He was even feared by bsuits. He hasn't played for again though, which is a shame.

[Venkman]

A shame, indeed. There are so few good maras on the pub servers these days.

...There's a lot of people who want to learn, but very few who can teach them it seems.