The issues with "maining"

[Butlerblock]

Oh no what have you done

[Rohesie]

I had times where I tired to roll for a certain job, only to get stuck with a job I didn't want (like CMP or CE), so what did I do? I rolled with the punches and took up the task at hand, because if RNG decided I was needed there, then I would do my best in the position. Others, however, would just go "Screw this, I'm goin to cyro!" and they abandon their RNG chosen responsibilities.

Not all jobs are fun, but someone HAS to do it. Otherwise NO ONE will have fun in the future because there is no one to do the boring stuff.

No. Just NO. If you are playing a role because the RNG decided and not because you want to, if you are not having fun in a spessmen game, then you are doing something very wrong. And to promote that kind of mindset is simply terrible. This is a game. We are here to have fun. This is not a job, nor a duty. That kills the sprit of the thing. If a role is boring and nobody wants to play it then the role shouldn't exist, period.

This comes from someone who "mains" support roles, and often chooses to latejoin to fill in what is needed, to make sure ungas get dungas, building, healing, leadership, whatnot. But I only do it because I enjoy it, and when I'm feeling like it. To attempt to force, be it through rules or through accusations, someone to play a job they don't feel like because someone has to do it? That's just bad.

Lastly, if you set a role such as CMP or CE to LOW you may get it even if you set another to HIGH. All you have to do is set the jobs you want to play and you won't have issues.

Hmmmmmmmmmm

/me shudders

[edda]

spooky I swear if you do this I'll bully u

[Renomaki]

You know what i forgot to mention?

how maining can also lead to elitism.

I seen this happen a lot with squads lately, who are all supposed to be brothers in arms who look out for each other, regardless of who they belong to. Nowadays, though, with the ability to select the squad you wish you join, I notice it has resulted in a bit of squad decide, where rather than working together, they are more competing for glory and to be the MVP squad of the lot.

As early as round start, you'd see members of various squads shitting on the other squads and acting like their squad is the only one that can be trusted. This happens the most with Delta, but can also happen with Charlie as well. This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of regulars will set their spawns to be Delta/Charlie only, and simply because their squad is mostly made up of "cool kids", they assume that makes them vastly superior to everyone else by default. It gets so bad that you have people who, upon NOT spawning in with their preferred squad, whining and demanding to be transferred, simply because they REFUSE to deal with the "alphatards" or "bravobums". Or in the case of a delta main going into charlie, the "charliechumps". Trust me, I witnessed this happen WAY more than I wished to.

That elitism is kinda why I wish the whole ability to "choose your squad" wasn't a thing, even if many others tell me that it improves RP between people. In my experience, all it really does is create a mild form of toxicity and looking down upon others. It is why I still to this day keep my squad setting to RNG, and accept the fact that I'm mostly going to get the less popular squads... Sure, I won't get to be around those that enjoy my company as often, but at least it ensures there is SOMEONE with experience that the newbies can look to for inspiration, right?

That is how I think of it at least...

[Sulaboy]

Renomaki does make some good points, but instead of convincing you that maining is bad for you I'll tell you the benefits of exploring bother jobs.

I think the most important reason to play another job is to see what they have to deal with. Playing as a MP gives you insight into marine law, bringing procedures, along with letting you learn some mechanics (like the mp weapons, and searching people).

Playing as a doctor is something I recommend to get decent at for almost all players. While playing a medic could probably do the same, this is meant to give you an understanding of how he damages in the game work. It'll help you keep your friends alive, along with yourself. Playing a doctor will also let you know how medbay is on the inside, and how it functions.

Playing as command staff will let you know how that "shit command" was actually dealing with another crisis, or the marines below weren't listening.
Playing as the Liason will probably depress you (or not it can be a fun role)

Playing as a PO on CAS or transport will let you know what they are limited by, or help you understand why they are doing something or how best to use them.

Also the most important one, play as Xeno every once in a while, you will learn how the other side plays.

This is all kinda besides the point though. Every role can be fun in its own way, this game isn't all about killin bugs, it's about the story that is created. While it's all fine and well to play as a PFC or Xeno just to get those MLG kills, I think the best way not to get tired of this game is to try new things and talk to people.
(About the spec thing, I've put spec on max at least 10 times, and have never rolled it, it's the only role I haven't played)

[Sleepy Retard]

Reading this thread is an adventure....

All I have to say is

Play beno so you know how to kill them best

PFC best thing to main UNGA

[Karmac]

if everyone readies up as a marine there can be no benos so you win by default

[xXen0zS1ay3rXx]

Renomaki does make some good points, but instead of convincing you that maining is bad for you I'll tell you the benefits of exploring bother jobs.

I think the most important reason to play another job is to see what they have to deal with. Playing as a MP gives you insight into marine law, bringing procedures, along with letting you learn some mechanics (like the mp weapons, and searching people).

Playing as a doctor is something I recommend to get decent at for almost all players. While playing a medic could probably do the same, this is meant to give you an understanding of how he damages in the game work. It'll help you keep your friends alive, along with yourself. Playing a doctor will also let you know how medbay is on the inside, and how it functions.

Playing as command staff will let you know how that "shit command" was actually dealing with another crisis, or the marines below weren't listening.
Playing as the Liason will probably depress you (or not it can be a fun role)

Playing as a PO on CAS or transport will let you know what they are limited by, or help you understand why they are doing something or how best to use them.

Also the most important one, play as Xeno every once in a while, you will learn how the other side plays.

This is all kinda besides the point though. Every role can be fun in its own way, this game isn't all about killin bugs, it's about the story that is created. While it's all fine and well to play as a PFC or Xeno just to get those MLG kills, I think the best way not to get tired of this game is to try new things and talk to people.
(About the spec thing, I've put spec on max at least 10 times, and have never rolled it, it's the only role I haven't played)

I could never play civilian roles, its like playing fob duty. You sit somewhere super safe and don't get any kills and the round ends with the hive easily getting wiped out and you didn't get to take part in it. Yawn!

[Sulaboy]

-snip

While it's all fine and well to play as a PFC or Xeno just to get those MLG kills

[DrPng]

I understand maining can lead to elitism, I absolutely detest elitism but it is found in every gaming community. Still, I don't claim to be a master of any roles I plays but I just don't want to play medic roles, their are other people who play them and know them a lot more, and I'm sure I'll get to the at one point, but they are at the bottom of my list to try out because I haven't had good experiences with them whenever I did try them out.

[Artemis111]

I don't see maining as a problem, if the person wants to play something they find fun why not let them, they can excel at it and help their squad tremendously with their advanced knowledge with the role. Ever had that medic main that got you from 100 damage to 10 in 15 seconds flat? That one squad leader that initiates a charge that wipes out 10 xenos? That one engineer that builds a monster FOB that has no weaknesses? That one doctor that can diagnose problems without a scanner? Its things like this that make maining a role fun for everyone. If no one mained a role than marines would be bald beyond belief.


The point about power gaming can be made about people who play all roles too, if they are experienced in every field whats stopping them from using knowledge from those fields to help themselves while they play a completely different role?

[Imperator_Titan]

I don't see maining as a problem, if the person wants to play something they find fun why not let them, they can excel at it and help their squad tremendously with their advanced knowledge with the role. Ever had that medic main that got you from 100 damage to 10 in 15 seconds flat? That one squad leader that initiates a charge that wipes out 10 xenos? That one engineer that builds a monster FOB that has no weaknesses? That one doctor that can diagnose problems without a scanner? Its things like this that make maining a role fun for everyone. If no one mained a role than marines would be bald beyond belief.


The point about power gaming can be made about people who play all roles too, if they are experienced in every field whats stopping them from using knowledge from those fields to help themselves while they play a completely different role?

[caleeb101]

Marines are boring. It's hard to focus on improving myself when I have an entire squad to deal with. I'd rather just be on my own, and focusing on getting myself the best I can be, not having to deal with braindead baldies that will shoot me in the face if I look at them the wrong way, so I main xeno.

I also main hunter because I feel as if the only way to not instantly die as any other caste (except runner, and in some cases ravager), is to play extremely safe, and stick to other groups of xenos, else you would get ran down by the first marine that looks at you. And that's boring. I want to challenge an entire squad of marines without being instakilled, because that's fun and challenging, not sitting in the middle of weeds pressing middle click every few seconds, requiring, and giving, minimal work.

This is also the same reason I'm so keen on getting round start larva. Not because I want my precious precious T2 slot, it's because I want to hit higher maturity levels as a hunter, so that I can make larger and larger risks. As a young hunter you're basically useless, and can easily die by a few bullets, and get oneshot but a shottie, close to the same with mature. And the only way I start having fun with these challenges is to wait a grueling, near hour-long wait and become elite, where I won't get instantly blown up by the first marine that decides to put his cursor over my sprite and click twice, which allows me to take risks that I think are fun and challenging. When I get ancient I basically suicide rush the nearest medium sized group of marines I can until I get really low, and then hop away. As anything other than ancient, I'd get instakilled.

This is exactly what the post is saying NOT to do. You sound exactly like a typical xeno main with no legitimate reason not to play the opposing side other than "i tried it once, it sucked now i play 1 role and 1 role only". This game is just as much RNG as it is skill. I think a lot of people forget that sometimes. Whether you one hit decap someone or instantly kill a hunter in one buckshot is due to RNG. Therefore, high risk CAN lead to high reward.

If you don't take risks, you don't deserve the rewards imo. You're even more "boring" than the marine you criticise so much for being boring if you do the same thing everytime you play as a xeno. You sit there on weeds waiting for a decent maturity level for about 10 minutes and then you go on to in your words: "Middle click a marine and click them until the game stops you from clicking them" otherwise known as pouncing and then mauling a marine to death.

It seems to me that you've sapped the fun out of the game for yourself a little here just from the way you describe a marine shooting you. Yes, you will have shit experiences in the game. But it's random. One day you could have the best round you EVER had as a role you never thought you'd even touch.

[kroack]

I wouldn't say I main xeno, but I play mostly xeno because I got tired of being friendly fired. Really all there is to it.

[Sargeantmuffinman]

[Troika]

All the reeeing about maining aside, you can't force people to play a role they won't enjoy. Like, literally, you can't. They'll just log out.

[Karmac]

All the reeeing about maining aside, you can't force people to play a role they won't enjoy. Like, literally, you can't. They'll just log out.

I've landed an ERT ban on myself before because I ghosted out of an XRT, when asked why I said "because xenos are yucky", I just don't enjoy playing xenomorph very much and that round in particular marines were being curbstomped anyways so I just ghosted, I was hoping for PMC's or something anyways

[kroack]

I've landed an ERT ban on myself before because I ghosted out of an XRT, when asked why I said "because xenos are yucky", I just don't enjoy playing xenomorph very much and that round in particular marines were being curbstomped anyways so I just ghosted, I was hoping for PMC's or something anyways

Can't a free ghost instantly claim a ghosted xeno?

[CSolaris]

Can't a free ghost instantly claim a ghosted xeno?

IIRC, the xeno has to have been legitimately inactive / ghosted for 5 minutes or something like that before they can be claimed by a free ghost. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

[Butlerblock]

IIRC, the xeno has to have been legitimately inactive / ghosted for 5 minutes or something like that before they can be claimed by a free ghost. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

Ghosting as a xeno will bypass the 5 minute DC'd requirement

[Renomaki]

Ghosting as a xeno will bypass the 5 minute DC'd requirement

No, not that I recall...

There is still a timer on a xeno that ghosts, along with a ghost timer that takes place when you yourself ghost (to keep from stealing every xeno body there is and give others a chance).

[Imperator_Titan]

Yeah, ghosting as a xeno now bypasses the 5 minute requirement. No additional timers or anything of that sort.

[NethIafins]

Well mods can't even get xeno without some timing clicks or ckey fuckery. So I guess most mods are now marine mains

[Westhybrid]

You're gonna disagree, Reno, but hey, your argument rubs me the wrong way.

The bias you're referencing is player's preference. There's nothing wrong with that. I strictly avoid playing xeno because I focus on roleplay-oriented roles. Xenos don't roleplay, hence, I play marine. You're using bias as though it's a negative connotation, but it's literally just that: preference.

Second point you have is null. Personally couldn't mind one way or another how many roles someone plays. Sure, diversifying your experience is valuable, but all the same, consistency is just as important. Characters that play CMP or XO or CE often, I at least know I can count on them for something. As for whether playing one role is boring, that's more subjective than anything else in your argument.

Third, I couldn't give two shits if my consistent playing of a role denies someone the ability to play it for a couple rounds a day. Yeah, I know the exploit that bypasses the RNG (It also sure as shit isn't picking one role and hitting Never on everything else. You're lucky if you get anything other than PFC), and you know what? There are a hundred and fifty plus idiots vying for the same roles all at once. I use it every single time. I'm not obligated, nor will I ever be, to hold the hand of a learning player by giving up my slot.

Fourth, I'm not sure what world you live in, but no one has to do anything. If someone wants to cryo immediately after spawning in with a role they didn't want, sure, that's arguably a shit thing to do, especially if the role is critical. Most run the risk of being jobbanned for it. But honestly, I'm not going to stick it out for 2hrs+ playing a role I fucking hate just because it's our sworn and sacred duty. I'll stick around for a bit to turn some SMES on and get the req line moving, but I'm not going to sit around and pretend I'm having fun because the call must be answered. This isn't Overwatch.

And finally, it seems more elitist for you to try and sit here and argue that people here who play the small bundle of roles they enjoy aren't as knowledgeable about the game as a whole, especially the end of your post where you say you play so differently than everyone else. The only one sticking their nose up at the rest of the playerbase is you, pal.

[Butlerblock]

Nice admitting to exploiting bugs.