Mythbusters for New Players

[BabyAlien]

My first attempt at contributing something to help new players.  The idea being that when you first start playing you get certain incorrect impressions of the game, that you will hopefully see past in time.  The goal of mythbusters is so experienced players can 'innoculate' you to prevent your n00b disease from causing too much grief.  

Myth 1: Dretches are useless / weaker than humans
When I first started playing, I was convinced dretches were useless.  I couldn't kill anything with one and figured humans have it so much better.

Reality: Dretches pwn the early game
The main problem with this 'myth' is that it is partly true.  Until you learn to play a dretch, it is useless.
However, you'll be in it deep if you think that and run out of your base early in the game as a human.  A good dretch will eat you for breakfast.  
Here's what they have going for them.  They are small, fast and very hard to hit.  They also can bite your ankle to hurt you a bit then jump on your face and you're dead.
If you want to be half decent as an alien, teach yourself to be a proper kind of dretch.  Start your own server and run around all the maps as a dretch on the walls and ceilings, never moving forward in a straight line.  Run up the wall, jump to the floor, run up the other wall, leap across the corridor to the first wall, up to the ceiling, all over the place. Get used to insanity and spinning rooms and keeping your bearings with the camera spinning all over.

Myth 2: I can't fight too great so I will build
This is especially prevalent when you start playing as an alien.  Initially it is hard to fight and you end up hurting your team by dying over and over and boosting the oposing team, making it stronger.  The solution?  Be a builder!

Reality: A new builder can ruin the team faster
The early game has two major priorities:
1. press the initial offense
2. secure/move your base

As a new builder, you may cause mysery to your team in many ways and hinder the experienced builders excessively.  Poor building can guarantee defeat, regardless of your offensive power.

If you are going to go this route, at the very least you need to indicate that you are new and ask for direction if any is available.  Better yet, read the forums on how to build good bases and find an experienced builder to watch and learn from.  

A better option may be to be an attacking class, and back up the builder.   If you're a dretch, dodge like a crazy beast and jump at his head if you get the chance  You may cut your teath here as a dretch and soon be eating humans for brekkie.

Also, later if the enemies are destroying the base, you can help by rebuilding things back in their original place or (as human) repairing stuff (via mouse2).  So pay attention to the base layout one way or the other.

---

There's a couple of myths 'busted' hopefully others will add some more or clarify these.

Bonus Tip:
As an good alien team member, you can try to get into the habit of always spawning as a granger.  Ideally you will have paid some attention to the layout of the base.  If you have then this tip will get you two benefits:
1. when you respawn, you can help by putting up destroyed buildings before going back to attack
2. your team is less likely to get caught with no spawns and no builders.

You can always evolve from granger to dretch.  

Remember to use this tip wisely, in some cases you are better to start as dretch but i'd say default:granger.  (this tip may also sometimes apply for humans)

[Gemini]

Nice tip

[Neo]

You forgot the Reality that grangers are all out killing machines that can cut down bsuits with lucis in seconds, often trampling tyrants to get at the waiting frags

[KorJax]

Here is one:


Myth:  Granger Spit is usless

EDIT: Due to misinterpretation, this myth is confirmed TRUE, Granger Spit as of the current version is very much worthless!

Ok, so youve been playing for a while.  You have played enough matches to learn that adv. granger's spit doesnt do much help at all in attacking humans or bases (Because direct hits only deal a few small points of damage).

Reality:

For the most part, this is true, if you use the spit incorrectly.  And against Bsuits, the spit doesnt do much anyways.

However, if you can aim to spit to splat directly infront of a moving human that has no Bsuit armor on, you can instantly trap the human from moving for a few seconds, giving your defenses in your base a chance to kill him.  The spit is most effective as a defensive weapon to slow down attackers, not as an offensive weapon.  I admit myself, its hard for me to do this, mostly becaquse ive never taken if for granate untill i got trapped by spit myself (argg!).

Also, if there are turrets that are really in the way and are not being activly repaired, the spit might also help SLOWLY destroy turrets.  It might take a while, as the spit only does 1-2 damage I belive, but i guess you could still weaken a turret with it.

Myth:  Once your S2+S3 as a human (or alien), the only good weapons to use are the upgraded ones.


Ok, so you've reached S2 or S3 as a human (or alien), and you belive that the best weapons to use are purly the ones that are new to the stage (such as Lucy or Flame Thrower).

Reality:

Actually, i cant tell you how effective the pain saw is as a surprise attack and a base destroyer is at S3 when you have a battle suit on.  Even at S3, its a very formidable weapon, especially against larger aliens too (such as Goons+Tyrants).  Nothing can piss an alien team off more than half of thier base sawn to death by a pain saw and a grenade (S2), or if your a tryant sawn to death too.

The shotgun is also an excelent weapon, even at medium range against large aliens, at S2+S3.  As a goon myself, one of my most hated enemies is a Bsuit human with a shotgun.  Because I'm so large, I get hit by most of the shotgun bullets, and the shotgun does TONS of damage when all the shots hit you (i think around 75-150 damage per shot).

And nothing beats the chaingun.  A Bsuit with a chaingun is one of the most powerfull foes as an alein.  They dont make great base attackers, but ive killed tons of evolved aliens with a chaingun+bsuit, as its pretty much a super-shotgun of sorts.

As for aliens, the Goon is still a great attacker, and maradurs will always be one of the best aliens to dodge turret fire.  The biggest problem with S3 aliens is that they are HUGE targets.  If your a mara (or adv. Maradur) at S3, people tend to ignore you more when there is also a tyrant attacking with you.

Also, never underestimate the Adv.  Basalisk's poison attack.  If the other team's armory is destoryed making it so they cant become Bsuits or wear helmits, the poison attack is hell for the human team.  If they are S1, the Adv.  Basalisk is always one of the best aliens to kill the human team, because they are so good at killing "unarmored" humans (aka no helmit+Bsuit).

[DarkRogue]

Here is one:


Myth:  Granger Spit is usless

Ok, so youve been playing for a while.  You have played enough matches to learn that adv. granger's spit doesnt do much help at all in attacking humans or bases (Because direct hits only deal a few small points of damage).

Reality:

For the most part, this is true, if you use the spit incorrectly.  And against Bsuits, the spit doesnt do much anyways.

However, if you can aim to spit to splat directly infront of a moving human that has no Bsuit armor on, you can instantly trap the human from moving for a few seconds, giving your defenses in your base a chance to kill him.  The spit is most effective as a defensive weapon to slow down attackers, not as an offensive weapon.  I admit myself, its hard for me to do this, mostly becaquse ive never taken if for granate untill i got trapped by spit myself (argg!).

Also, if there are turrets that are really in the way and are not being activly repaired, the spit might also help SLOWLY destroy turrets.  It might take a while, as the spit only does 1-2 damage I belive, but i guess you could still weaken a turret with it.



Myth:  Once your S2+S3 as a human (or alien), the only good weapons to use are the upgraded ones.


Ok, so you've reached S2 or S3 as a human (or alien), and you belive that the best weapons to use are purly the ones that are new to the stage (such as Lucy or Flame Thrower).

Reality:

Actually, i cant tell you how effective the pain saw is as a surprise attack and a base destroyer is at S3 when you have a battle suit on.  Even at S3, its a very formidable weapon, especially against larger aliens too (such as Goons+Tyrants).  Nothing can piss an alien team off more than half of thier base sawn to death by a pain saw and a grenade (S2), or if your a tryant sawn to death too.

The shotgun is also an excelent weapon, even at medium range against large aliens, at S2+S3.  As a goon myself, one of my most hated enemies is a Bsuit human with a shotgun.  Because I'm so large, I get hit by most of the shotgun bullets, and the shotgun does TONS of damage when all the shots hit you (i think around 75-150 damage per shot).

And nothing beats the chaingun.  A Bsuit with a chaingun is one of the most powerfull foes as an alein.  They dont make great base attackers, but ive killed tons of evolved aliens with a chaingun+bsuit, as its pretty much a super-shotgun of sorts.

As for aliens, the Goon is still a great attacker, and maradurs will always be one of the best aliens to dodge turret fire.  The biggest problem with S3 aliens is that they are HUGE targets.  If your a mara (or adv. Maradur) at S3, people tend to ignore you more when there is also a tyrant attacking with you.

Also, never underestimate the Adv.  Basalisk's poison attack.  If the other team's armory is destoryed making it so they cant become Bsuits or wear helmits, the poison attack is hell for the human team.  If they are S1, the Adv.  Basalisk is always one of the best aliens to kill the human team, because they are so good at killing "unarmored" humans (aka no helmit+Bsuit).

1) Myth 1 is actually reality. For defense it's ok especially if you the granger knows how to wallwalk and aim. But for the majority I've seen on akka alot of grangers think this spit will assist players on offense.

It does not. As a fat ass granger who is both slow moving and typically on the ground you do nothing but block your teammates and give free frags while at best annoying the humans.

Simply put: granger spit IS useless and no player should put their faith in it for ANY reason.

Myth 2 is equally reality.

When you are facing goons and adv mars who know what they're doing, painsaws are USELESS. I'm not an exceptional player and 2/3 times I can stay just ahead of the painsaw dmg area while ripping the users head off and shitting down his idiotic neck.

Mind you it does have it's uses, when aliens clusterfuck a narrow area a painsaw attack can be useful again BUT 1v1 you better hope the alien is pathetic otherwise you're just giving them an evolution point by even bothering to try sawing them. Do NOT rely on painsaw as a S2-S3 primary weapon, alien reach > painsaws.

[[db@]Megabite]

When you are facing goons and adv mars who know what they're doing, painsaws are USELESS. I'm not an exceptional player and 2/3 times I can stay just ahead of the painsaw dmg area while ripping the users head off and shitting down his idiotic neck.

Although I might have used other words, I can completely backup that comment. Painsaw is nice for sneaking in and ripping a base but rather useless against experienced opponents... I have seen more than one Painsaw-BS going down to even dretches that know how to move...

Danny

[SLAVE|Mietz]

Megabite"]

When you are facing goons and adv mars who know what they're doing, painsaws are USELESS. I'm not an exceptional player and 2/3 times I can stay just ahead of the painsaw dmg area while ripping the users head off and shitting down his idiotic neck.

Although I might have used other words, I can completely backup that comment. Painsaw is nice for sneaking in and ripping a base but rather useless against experienced opponents... I have seen more than one Painsaw-BS going down to even dretches that know how to move...

Danny

the BS cant crawl, so as long as you dont jump and move around quickly, the BS is dead meat (but most of the players know they have to run to the base in that case)

[Neo]

yeah, chaingun is lethal against higher evolve aliens.

[[db@]Megabite]

In that case you can jump the back of his head...

Danny

[BabyAlien]

I admit myself, its hard for me to do this, mostly becaquse ive never taken if for granate untill i got trapped by spit myself (argg!).

I wonder if you have the granger spit confused with the trapper 'spit'.  A trapper spits a little wad of goo that looks just like granger spit and it makes you stick unable to move for a bit.  It works on bsuit too except  bsuit can twist and aim.

Myth:  Once your S2+S3 as a human (or alien), the only good weapons to use are the upgraded ones.

Ok, so you've reached S2 or S3 as a human (or alien), and you belive that the best weapons to use are purly the ones that are new to the stage (such as Lucy or Flame Thrower).

I stand behind the fact that this myth is busted.  The reality is that each weapon has its place.  Just because lucifer cannon becomes available at S3 doesn't mean you should use it.  You should pick the right weapon for the situation.  Sometimes the very best thing is the painsaw to rip apart a base.

You should also watch your credits.  If you're getting low, don't blow it all on a lucifer cannon or chaingun.  You should try to spare at least enough for a helmet and armor if you die without a kill, so get a shotgun or lasgun instead.  Or just think, shotgun + grenade = 350.  That's cheaper than a chaingun, pulse rifle, flamer etc.  With that combo you have the potential to severely weaken the alien base and maybe kill a bunch of aliens trying to defend the base.

Finally, if you are running out with teammates, you should try to compliment their weapons.  A shotgun and lasgun are a good pair because the shotgun will do lots of dammage close range and the lasgun is good at nabbing an alien trying to run away (long range and dead straight).

Oh yeah, and ask yourself: "do I know how to use this weapon?".  The best weapon is the one you're good with.
---

Now, is there a moderator who can clean up the profanity from the earlier post?

[Norfenstein]

Granger spit does not affect human movement.
Granger spit does not affect human movement.
Granger spit does not affect human movement.
Granger spit does not affect human movement.
Granger spit does not affect human movement.

You're far more likely to knock a pouncing goon out of the air than accomplish anything useful with it. The spit does 4 damage to unarmored humans, which is 0.8 damage to battlesuits. Please stay off the front line grangers.

[kozak6]

Yeah, it's really pretty funny to see Grangers on offense.

The other day, there were actually two of them trying to attack.  It was hilarious.

[Catalyc]

On the painsaw topic, theres several things that need to be taken into account, half of the human players don't know how to properly use a painsaw, and about half of the alien players don't know how to properly fight them. You never go 1 on 1 with a big alien unless you know what you are doing. IMHO the easiest aliens to saw are Dragoons and Adv. Dragoons. Its hilarious whenever some dude with a painsaw kills 5 dretches in a row, really. Dretch range > Psaw range, you can kill a painsaw without ever having to get hit, just strafe jumping around him and getting headshots. Only reason why bigger aliens are easier to saw is obviously because of the big hitbox, and because they can't backpedal and get away as easly as dretches. Its not really a good weapon for the frontline unless you go for the structures (which is basically what its for).

Its also worth mentioning the Psaw is an excellent defensive weapon since you can get behind bigger aliens with it and trap them against whatever structure they are attacking, turrets preferably. Its also quite hard to do any FF on your own buildings with it.

[KorJax]

My bad, the granger spit was just a misinterpretation of what someone told me when i got trapped, as as soon as i stopped moving, i heard a granger spit sound and when i died they mentioned the words "Granger Spit!".  Previously, I also thought granger spit was uselss.  I guess it really is

Ill edit my post accoredingly   :wink:

[next_ghost]

My bad, the granger spit was just a misinterpretation of what someone told me when i got trapped, as as soon as i stopped moving, i heard a granger spit sound and when i died they mentioned the words "Granger Spit!".  Previously, I also thought granger spit was uselss.  I guess it really is

Well, you can still use it to ground a jetpacker for your teammates. Especially for tyrants.

[kozak6]

A reiteration of a helpful hint for the humans:

Constructions usually take damage when you shoot them or blow them up.

Hence, when a Dragoon is chewing on the reactor, don't drop a grenade on top of it, and then do not procede to fire upon the Dragoon with a flamethrower, do not sweep the armory and the rest of the constructions with the flames, and do not continue to attempt to burn the corpse of the Dragoon, or if you must, do it in a way so that it doesn't continue to burn the reactor.

Although you may not realise it yet, it's important not to destroy your own base.

Remember (as a human)-
Blowing up and burning down the alien base = good
Blowing up and burning down your own goddamn base = bad

[Neo]

lol, you forgot to mention the part about using the armoury as a firing range when you buy new guns.

Also the grenade in the middle of your base is so cool, as that little blue light looks oh so pretty

[AzaToth]

Some facts about granger spit:

• Non-BS humans walking over a spit is slowed down (I have tried this my self)
• The spit will transfer posion (so take your booster to the fron dude)
• One spit makes about 2-4 HP damage
• Jet-packs desence when hit by spit

[Paradox]

Poison, the jetpack's worst foe. If you manage to poision a jetpacker, you have mostly disabled the jetpacker.

[Neo]

I could never understand how you poison machinery.

[[HUN]N.M.I.]

I could never understand how you poison machinery.

Neo is absolutely right  

Interesting that BS are immune, but Jetpack isn't

[Neo]

imho Bsuit should be able to be poisoned, but to a lesser degree. As to damage a human in a bsuit you'd still have to pierce the armour(so if you had poison it would still work).

Jetpack should be direct damage only, not poison or gas.

[SLAVE|Mietz]

imho Bsuit should be able to be poisoned, but to a lesser degree. As to damage a human in a bsuit you'd still have to pierce the armour(so if you had poison it would still work).

Jetpack should be direct damage only, not poison or gas.

why? you dont poison the human on the jetpack you are attacking?
And a barb or spit can not be poisoned?

[Hydra]

i would just like to point something out..... Dretch + Human Turret = Death :wink:
so if that equation is so simple, why do i see Dretch after Dretch ( normanly the same 1 ) try to take down 3 at a time??

[kozak6]

Amazing.  Last night, I saw someone grenade their base again.  

I don't get it.

[[HUN]N.M.I.]

It's because Trem is

1) free, so lame b!tches can download it and f*ck up our game if they feel to
2) not rated, so it hasn't ingame ratings (like Battlefield for example). So some ppl don't go for nice stats, instead they just f*ck around

[hodge]

Here is one:

EDIT: Due to misinterpretation, this myth is confirmed TRUE, Granger Spit as of the current version is very much worthless!

Ok, so youve been playing for a while.  You have played enough matches to learn that adv. granger's spit doesnt do much help at all in attacking humans or bases (Because direct hits only deal a few small points of damage).

For the most part, this is true, if you use the spit incorrectly.  And against Bsuits, the spit doesnt do much anyways.

However, if you can aim to spit to splat directly infront of a moving human that has no Bsuit armor on, you can instantly trap the human from moving for a few seconds, giving your defenses in your base a chance to kill him.  The spit is most effective as a defensive weapon to slow down attackers, not as an offensive weapon.  I admit myself, its hard for me to do this, mostly becaquse ive never taken if for granate untill i got trapped by spit myself (argg!).

Also, if there are turrets that are really in the way and are not being activly repaired, the spit might also help SLOWLY destroy turrets.  It might take a while, as the spit only does 1-2 damage I belive, but i guess you could still weaken a turret with it.

Myth:  Once your S2+S3 as a human (or alien), the only good weapons to use are the upgraded ones.


Ok, so you've reached S2 or S3 as a human (or alien), and you belive that the best weapons to use are purly the ones that are new to the stage (such as Lucy or Flame Thrower).

Reality:

Actually, i cant tell you how effective the pain saw is as a surprise attack and a base destroyer is at S3 when you have a battle suit on.  Even at S3, its a very formidable weapon, especially against larger aliens too (such as Goons+Tyrants).  Nothing can piss an alien team off more than half of thier base sawn to death by a pain saw and a grenade (S2), or if your a tryant sawn to death too.

The shotgun is also an excelent weapon, even at medium range against large aliens, at S2+S3.  As a goon myself, one of my most hated enemies is a Bsuit human with a shotgun.  Because I'm so large, I get hit by most of the shotgun bullets, and the shotgun does TONS of damage when all the shots hit you (i think around 75-150 damage per shot).

And nothing beats the chaingun.  A Bsuit with a chaingun is one of the most powerfull foes as an alein.  They dont make great base attackers, but ive killed tons of evolved aliens with a chaingun+bsuit, as its pretty much a super-shotgun of sorts.

As for aliens, the Goon is still a great attacker, and maradurs will always be one of the best aliens to dodge turret fire.  The biggest problem with S3 aliens is that they are HUGE targets.  If your a mara (or adv. Maradur) at S3, people tend to ignore you more when there is also a tyrant attacking with you.

Also, never underestimate the Adv.  Basalisk's poison attack.  If the other team's armory is destoryed making it so they cant become Bsuits or wear helmits, the poison attack is hell for the human team.  If they are S1, the Adv.  Basalisk is always one of the best aliens to kill the human team, because they are so good at killing "unarmored" humans (aka no helmit+Bsuit).

As fun as it seems to throw spit that looks like poop at humans, I hate grangers that builds vulnerable eggs (that could be spawn camped) next to base and then plays mental warfare against a poor human team. the grangers spit really is completely useless against any good player, on the other hand it's quite useful against the not so good human players that camp. The spit is their mostly to taunt and distract the not so good humans.

[DarkRogue]

Well granger spit can be useful or picking off the odd turret taht nobody notices slowly dying

It just annoys attacking players that they have to jump over (thus alerting everyone in a five mile area) the fat ass to attack or escape.

[kozak6]

Myth-
"If I get killed by a turret, maybe it won't be there again in 15 seconds.  If it is, it won't get me this time!  Ha ha!"

Status:
FALSE- if a turrets killed you as a Dretch, it will probably kill you again if you get too close.  Try to avoid it.  For the love of god, avoid it.  If we keep telling you over and over IN CAPITAL LETTERS NOT TO FEED, avoid the frickin' turrets.  Seriously, what the hell?  Is that so hard to understand?

Myth-
"Maybe if I keep throwing my dead little Dretch body at the turret, it will get dented.  Or something.  Wheee!!!  *giggle*"

Status:
FALSE-  Repeatedly throwing your dead body at a turret, in fact, does no damage to the turret.  Repeat- your flying, dead, shot to pieces little Dretchy corpse cannot and will not ever damage a turret.  Don't do it.   If we repeatedly tell you not to feed IN YET MORE CAPITAL LETTERS, please don't.  It's pretty easy to understand.  I really don't see what is so difficult about it.

Myth-
"Oh sweet, Basilisk.  The very best thing I can do is to evolve to it at every single chance I can get.  Hell yeah!  That'll show those damn humans!  Rawr!"

Status:
FALSE- the Basilisk is extraordinarily difficult to use effectively, let alone against the crowds of Stage 2 humans infesting your base because you fed and and fed and fed when we told you not to.  It is bigger, doesn't bite as hard, and is much much noisier than the Dretch.  Unless you are fortunate enough to have grabbed a solitary and non B-Suited and non jettarded enemy from directly behind who doesn't have a supersensitive mouse, you will probably die, and die often.  Save your point and put it towards a Marauder or a Dragoon.

[Stof]

Myth : Dretches dieing at the hands of turrets are feeding !
Mostly false. Turret kills do not seem to count for stage unlocking so if you are in the front line and sure to die, try to suicide on a turret. On the other hand, if at least one human damaged you before you are killed, then they'll still gain the full money so you can still feed them a little like that.