Just arrived on the server, and it's great! Quick feedback!

[Toroic]

Hello everyone!

I just started playing ss13 variants in the last month or so, and sadly I didn't stumble across your server until this week.

For starters though, I love it. Well, I love playing as alien, but after a few games where marines won, and one where aliens won (after losing our queen halfway through) I can't say enough good things about it.

Hivelord in particular, is a variant that I fits my gameplay style perfectly.


What I've noticed and wondered if anyone else noticed: Tunnels don't seem utilized well for how powerful they are.

Tunnels are an insanely powerful ability, and yet it's not being used well and no one complains. To me, putting in an escape tunnel seems like the absolute first priority for a hivelord. Tunnels can save an arbitrary number of xenos from marine attack, or be used to flank them. The first xeno base was overrun by marines due to our queen getting exploded, and the only tunnel we had opened out in front of our base.

It would be very easy for a hivelord to set up a death trap for marines, too: a narrow tunnel filled with sticky resin, and a tunnel that allowed runners/hunters to get behind them for a pincer attack.

Alternatively, you could set up tunnels in and out of your main base, and simply wall everything off. Marines don't seem to have much problem with doors, but having to fight through 4 layers of walls is going to be more of a problem.


Part of it might be that there aren't many players who were experienced xenos, I don't know. The impression I got from ooc chat is that tunnels were hard because coordination was hard, yet the queen scream was a universal "go kill all the marines" attack signal that worked pretty well.



Basically, I'm happy to have found your server, and wanted to discuss my favorite xeno.

[TopHatPenguin]

It's nice to see someone so enthusiastic about playing on Cm also welcome to the community.

[Gamerofthegame]

The problem is that hivelords are a one trick pony (building) and their trick isn't all that beneficial to team alien.

They could build a castle and it would just delay the marines briefly, not actually help combat them. If anything it hinders team Xeno, as it often builds corridors which are Bad for them. Weeding up the place is moooore then enough to help the marines, as well as building THICK pillars to block line of sight every so often. More like an open beehive, less like a fort.

But people often make forts and then xenos run around it lost trying to find the egg/jelly room or the exit or whatever and when the marines bust in in force they just shoot the walls so your efforts were largely irrelevant. They'd be nicer if they kept corrosive acid, but alas. They're slower then a drone, lose the acid but have a lot more health and a massive plasma pool... which doesn't matter much on weeds, which you have to build on!

Tunnels are also hit and miss. Often people don't see them under resin-stuff or flat out don't know where they go, being unlabled.

[Sargeantmuffinman]

Welcome to CM.

Here take a muffin.

[Toroic]

The problem is that hivelords are a one trick pony (building) and their trick isn't all that beneficial to team alien.

They could build a castle and it would just delay the marines briefly, not actually help combat them. If anything it hinders team Xeno, as it often builds corridors which are Bad for them. Weeding up the place is moooore then enough to help the marines, as well as building THICK pillars to block line of sight every so often. More like an open beehive, less like a fort.

Granted, I'm new, but I found it was amazingly effective making a series of small rooms so the queen could bust in and scream to disarm the marines and then everyone attacked.

All defenses are just for delaying offense, not stopping them. A delay though is all you need to coordinate a counter-attack or an escape.

But people often make forts and then xenos run around it lost trying to find the egg/jelly room or the exit or whatever and when the marines bust in in force they just shoot the walls so your efforts were largely irrelevant. They'd be nicer if they kept corrosive acid, but alas. They're slower then a drone, lose the acid but have a lot more health and a massive plasma pool... which doesn't matter much on weeds, which you have to build on!

Hivelords are designed to be providing combat support. Spreading weeds, fortifying, placing nests behind the front line all directly impacts the alien chance of victory. If there's a forward nest, then a hunter who managed to facehug a marine doesn't have to drag them all the way to the base (taking the hunter out of combat) and having weeds for falling back to heal can make all the difference, not to mention a weeds and door infested escape route can slow marines down enough to save lives.

Tunnels are also hit and miss. Often people don't see them under resin-stuff or flat out don't know where they go, being unlabled.

This is mostly a communication error. I just played a game where tunnels were frequently used and very helpful. We were able to recover after losing a queen and getting down to 2 xenos by escaping with tunnels, and eventually had a queen and jellied runners before 3 died in an excellent orbital bombardment by the marines.

[Arachnidnexus]

Hivelord tunnels are definitely underrated. There was a fun round I played as alien where we assaulted the FOB but got driven back to a tunnel. Held them off and made them think we retreated. But the tunnel actually led to the dropship and we used that to get onto the Sulaco. Was a very fun round and a very enjoyable misdirection.

[bustered1]

Hivelords in general are really under rated. If you can build up the barrens that will lead to a huge battle. Build walls everywhere, AND FOR THE LOVE OF XENOMORPH, build a checkerboard pattern for nests. Nothing is more irritating than marines unnesting themselves and running around letting loose all the other marines. Peeps need to learn checkerboard is where it's at. AND never use membrane. They are stupid unless it's a trap. Sticky resin, doors, and walls are the most useful for hivelords. #alienqueen 2016