Why does no one play alien after their hugged / Ghost? Curiosity...

[Sadokist]

eh whatever

guess there's no point in arguing about it
like you said

well that's the point. If somebody says they don't like playing alien because it's not fun you can't give them a list of reasons why you find it fun. You listing why you like it isn't going to change their mind.

[TR-BlackDragon]

To all of you saying you dont play as alien cause you just want to win and dont want to lose..... WELL! if all of you joined the ALIENS SIDE then MAYBE just MAYBE YOU WOULD WIN! lol i mean come on. Aliens win when they get higher numbers. cause they rock with high numbers. all of ya make em lose cause they dont get the reinforcements they need cause yall dont want to be on the losing side... they only loseing cause they have no backup

[Toroic]

Several reasons; gameplay styles irk me and when xenos get acceptable tactics that grinds my gears, it makes it not really easy to hop on that side and help them. You eventually go 'Fuck that side, even if I die on mine, I'm not aiding the other ones.' And as was also pointed out, xeno side is a tad boring. There is no mechanics for them to work with really outside of shit resin forever.

Being salty doesn't help either, which ties into my main point of xenos having accepted tactics that just pisses me off. Pile of facehuggers solely under the crates near the LZ and nowhere else? 'Fuck them' reaction follows. You cannot force people to play xenos, and you get those giant piles of larvas. Sometimes I will play xeno, but it is the rarity, and usually only if I want the round to bloody end finally, with no hope of my own revival.

Can you be more specific about the accepted tactics? Because booby-trapping the LZ before marines come is against the rules.

At this point, there are only two tactics that are allowed that I think have a good argument to complain about. (Not that I agree, but that the argument can reasonably be made)

1) Hug and decap. Marines hate it because you're stunned, helpless and there's no counter other than not getting hugged in a vulnerable spot/near a ravager. However, now that xenos can't soak nearly as many bullets, they struggle to 1v1 a marine off weeds without using a facehugger for a stun. Marines kite well, and this is the only counter if they aren't going to be xeno bullet sponges.

2) Slashing hands/feet. I don't really consider this a good tactic, because it often leads to marines dying or giving in once in crit. I don't use it, and I've been able to contain 3-4 marines myself during their gestation as a hivelord, so I don't think it is necessary.


On the marine side, electic grills are devastating, and having the dropship completely surrounded each match is not very fun, because it puts xenos in a very vulnerable position at a point in the game where marines should be at a heavy disadvantage (failing to hold the FOB, getting boarded by xenos)

I don't like it, but I am 100x more salty about incompetent queens, and given how often muitanies happen marine side I feel it is even worse.

[Gamarr]

Can you be more specific about the accepted tactics? Because booby-trapping the LZ before marines come is against the rules.

I've gotten contrary, with the admin likewise being surprised at the time from what I recall and relaying it to me, as we both seemed to have thought using the huggers under the giant crate sprite was bad. It wasn't, but still follows the 'two hugger max' stack rule, which is itself shit imo. My annoyance with huggers mostly though stems from the fact they shouldn't be away from eggs in the first place or used in hands by xenos. But thats the mechanics now and would require entirely new facehugger mechanics, so doubt this will change anytime soon.

1) Hug and decap. Marines hate it because you're stunned, helpless and there's no counter other than not getting hugged in a vulnerable spot/near a ravager. However, now that xenos can't soak nearly as many bullets, they struggle to 1v1 a marine off weeds without using a facehugger for a stun.

Only if you are trying to facehug every single human, which really should not be the goal. This is also returning to the fact xenos use the huggers just for a stun, which is not what the should be for. Eggs are a resource, but they are wasted pointlessly since they grow way too fast/easily.

On the marine side, electic grills are devastating, and having the dropship completely surrounded each match is not very fun, because it puts xenos in a very vulnerable position at a point in the game where marines should be at a heavy disadvantage (failing to hold the FOB, getting boarded by xenos)

They often are at a disadvantage, lacking good crew and relying on static defenses to fill the gap. This also would be less an issue if xenos pushed their advantage after causing the retreat, or better yet, just stealing the shuttle after forcing the fob to turtle. Blame this on lack of player creativity/tactics more than the marines defenses being better in general (which they always have been).

[Disco Dalek]

The main reason I never play as an alien is because I enjoy the medical side of this server. Aliens don't have any medical aspect at all beyond standing on weeds until they heal. I just can't find anything as exciting as being a medic in the middle of a battle or a doctor in medbay when the infected pour in. After all that work as either a doctor or medic, I just can't bring myself to start capturing/murdering marines. Killing the team I worked all round to save just doesn't appeal to me right now.

[Toroic]

I've gotten contrary, with the admin likewise being surprised at the time from what I recall and relaying it to me, as we both seemed to have thought using the huggers under the giant crate sprite was bad. It wasn't, but still follows the 'two hugger max' stack rule, which is itself shit imo. My annoyance with huggers mostly though stems from the fact they shouldn't be away from eggs in the first place or used in hands by xenos. But thats the mechanics now and would require entirely new facehugger mechanics, so doubt this will change anytime soon.

This argument basically boils down to "I don't like it because it doesn't agree with lore." Which is fine, but the server is only loosely based on Aliens lore.

Only if you are trying to facehug every single human, which really should not be the goal. This is also returning to the fact xenos use the huggers just for a stun, which is not what the should be for. Eggs are a resource, but they are wasted pointlessly since they grow way too fast/easily.

Again, this has absolutely nothing to do with mechanics, it's just your preference related to lore.

They often are at a disadvantage, lacking good crew and relying on static defenses to fill the gap. This also would be less an issue if xenos pushed their advantage after causing the retreat, or better yet, just stealing the shuttle after forcing the fob to turtle. Blame this on lack of player creativity/tactics more than the marines defenses being better in general (which they always have been).

In what world are marines "often at a disadvantage?" They start much stronger than xenos, and are hugely at an advantage when they land. Granted, at late game if the xeno team is tier 3 heavy and escapes the hanger fortification, then they typically slaughter the disorganized marines, but that's what they are meant to do.

Xeno team can, and should push hard after causing the retreat, but that has absolutely no effect on the hanger fortifications that go up. Marines can't build until the xenos call the ship. It doesn't take long to block all the doors on the dropship and surround it in grates.

In your theoretical situation where xenos hijack the dropship, they are still going to be barricaded at all the doors on the Sulaco, while the marines on the ground prepare an ambush at the LZ. The marines on the Sulaco will block the doors and delay for just over 2 minutes, and then ping-pong the shuttle back to the surface for a second time getting blocked in and sieged on the dropship.

Frankly, your response was a disappointment. You provided no actual examples or arguments for why something xenos do "irks" you except that it doesn't fit your idea of lore friendly. You then suggest a plan of attack that is as difficult to pull off as it is a tactical misstep.

This may come off as harsh, but I was really hoping getting your perspective would provide some insight.

[Inaf]

You're a nameless, numbered drone who has nothing to do but go fight (or, if you're a literal drone, then build walls). No other options. No characterization. Nothing.

I double this. Lack of characterization makes me sad every time I play alien. Implement alien nicknames now :3

[Gamarr]

Frankly, your response was a disappointment. You provided no actual examples or arguments for why something xenos do "irks" you except that it doesn't fit your idea of lore friendly. You then suggest a plan of attack that is as difficult to pull off as it is a tactical misstep.

This may come off as harsh, but I was really hoping getting your perspective would provide some insight.

Touch-stun huggies are shit. Pouncing, being wounded, I can deal with. The Hug when it's just two-click to coma you, I do. The desire that the huggies actually have a lifespan or need to remain in the eggsac is a hopeful mechanical limitation. I also really hope eggs will be mobile in the future, so Fun could occur with them, with drones, prae, and hivelords easily shuffling them around.

If xenos pushed, continuously, there would not be any defenses up there surrounding the shuttle three layer deep. That takes time and coordination, and unless the xenos dick around at the LZ instead of immediately going up there after them to press the advantage, then a fortified defensive line is what they should, and do run into. I Want the xenos to have more options to get to the sulaco other than the 'assault shuttle' method.

As for thinking facehugging every human is bad tactics, it is because I believe it is. If you do, the xeno player feels compelled to capture them at all costs which leads to loss/waste. Hosts are a resource and too often I see them using them all up at once instead of actually managing the hives infected output. Also when you bring in a giant wave of armed, Human hosts, you are effectively trojan horsing in a bunch of marines if you make one fuck up.

I double this. Lack of characterization makes me sad every time I play alien. Implement alien nicknames now :3

I have a faint, glimmer of hope for eventual genetic abberation xenomorphs where a red drone goes off to start his own separate hive, speaking of 'different' xenos..

[Toroic]

Touch-stun huggies are shit. Pouncing, being wounded, I can deal with. The Hug when it's just two-click to coma you, I do. The desire that the huggies actually have a lifespan or need to remain in the eggsac is a hopeful mechanical limitation. I also really hope eggs will be mobile in the future, so Fun could occur with them, with drones, prae, and hivelords easily shuffling them around.

If xenos pushed, continuously, there would not be any defenses up there surrounding the shuttle three layer deep. That takes time and coordination, and unless the xenos dick around at the LZ instead of immediately going up there after them to press the advantage, then a fortified defensive line is what they should, and do run into. I Want the xenos to have more options to get to the sulaco other than the 'assault shuttle' method.

As for thinking facehugging every human is bad tactics, it is because I believe it is. If you do, the xeno player feels compelled to capture them at all costs which leads to loss/waste. Hosts are a resource and too often I see them using them all up at once instead of actually managing the hives infected output. Also when you bring in a giant wave of armed, Human hosts, you are effectively trojan horsing in a bunch of marines if you make one fuck up.

I'm not sure what is fun about additional egg management.

The shuttle only has a 3 layer deep defense if the first attack fails. They'll still get electrified grills all the way around in a normal "call the shuttle, ride the shuttle" scenario. I've pushed fast and still had plasteel and turrets by every opening.

The only options to the shuttle are dropship and droppod, and marines rarely use the droppod, and even more rarely leave it on the ground. Which means their attack is predictable.

The easiest way to kill a human is to hug decap. I believe you can even recover the hugger if you're fast enough. If anything, xenos aren't killing early enough. When you have 10 ssd larva, you don't need more hosts.

[Wickedtemp]

It takes VERY little time to set up grilles and tables around the hangar. If marines are quick, I'm fairly sure that they could have reasonable defenses set up during the window of time the shuttle is called down, travels to the planet, is loaded up with xenos, and sent back up even IF the Queen sent it as soon as they could. It takes no time at all to make table parts and grilles, all they need is metal, which is in no short supply. Wrenching the chairs in briefing, looting RO, etc.

[Davidchan]

This is just to see why marines out of curiosity either Ghost immediately after being captured then hugged and why barely any full time marine doesn't play as Xeno.

Big problem.JPG

The photo shows how many larva we have... The amount of these larva were marines and this just gives me the chills. I have never seen this many marines not play aliens. And i'm just curious why.

Those are afk larva. A marine/player has to be dead for 10 minutes in order to play as them. People who opt to play as Xenos anyway will get pushed into a larva automatically unless the aliens are out of hosts by that point. If the timer was removed or drastically reduced you'd probably see more people using this.

[apophis775]

So, the gist of what I've gotten from this thread, is that a majority of the Marine players who don't play Xeno are whiney bitches?

Fucking seriously. If you get caught and burst, that's your fault. It's the aliens goal TO catch you and make you burst.

I run a game once per semester in real life very similar to this. We call it our Zombie Lockin, but it's basically humans vs zombies. The humans use nerf guns, to hold off the zombies while they do objectives. One nerf-hit downs a zombie for about 10 seconds. One of the MOST IMPORTANT parts of this game, is that when people are killed by the zombies that they become the zombies and use everything in their power to push the zombie goal.


If you want improved Xeno Mechanics and better gameplay, then I need lots of people PLAYING AS XENOS so I can create those mechanics. The current issue, is that I can't properly balance or adjust mechanics for xenos because there are never enough xenos.

Stop being children about it. If you get caught as a Human, play the Xeno side. If anything, your SPEEDING UP the time until you can be a marine again. But honestly, when there are 60 players, 20 ghosts, 15 empty larva, and 8 xenos, your just hurting yourself and the gameplay itself.


I do have some "ideas" on how to "counter" this problem, but trust me, you don't want me to incorporate them, cause it's things like "transport ghosts to an empty z-level and remove their jump-to-mob and follow abilities".

[monkeysfist101]

Apop, how about giving the bursted marine the option to join as the larvae as soon as they burst? A good number of people get bored from the 10 minute wait.

[apophis775]

If they have Xeno Preferences on, they will immediately be placed into a larva, if not burst into that larva themselves.

[monkeysfist101]

I mean for people without xeno preference.

[ParadoxSpace]

You can toggle that preference on fam.

[Toroic]

I mean for people without xeno preference.

You can toggle that preference on at any time, in the "special role candidacy." So you can change your mind mid-round, or after being infected.

Really, no further options need to be made.


You also don't need to turn on the "Play as aliens" option, that just affects round start.

[monkeysfist101]

Huh. For some reason I though that you could only change it pre-round. I am the noob now.

[Toroic]

Huh. For some reason I though that you could only change it pre-round. I am the noob now.

To be fair, 90% of marines and 50% of alien players have very little understanding of xeno mechanics.

How many times do people try to use a flamethrower on the queen or a ravager? Or put down mines when a crusher is around?

Generally things make sense, but not always. For example, a queen can't gut an infected marine, but she can slash them to pieces.

[Aredal]

And Queens can't gib dead infected hosts, and beucase of that I can't have my super clean hive when there are the multiple weapons in armour and backpack, and let's not forget the grenades. Poor burned monkeys....

[Kreydis]

So, the gist of what I've gotten from this thread, is that a majority of the Marine players who don't play Xeno are whiney bitches?

...

Stop being children about it.

Isn't the general age range of Byond players like anything below 21? Not all for sure, but in genera?

[Gentlefood]

If I get caught and burst I'll turn on Xeno pref. I usually keep it off since I don't like starting every single round as Xeno.

But if Xenos just straight up slash me to death or otherwise kill me I'll leave it off unless there's something stupid like 10 SSD larva.

edit:

To be fair, 90% of marines and 50% of alien players have very little understanding of xeno mechanics.

How many times do people try to use a flamethrower on the queen or a ravager? Or put down mines when a crusher is around?

Generally things make sense, but not always. For example, a queen can't gut an infected marine, but she can slash them to pieces.

Some of the marine side can be explained with roleplay. Marines don't know what the fuck these things are and what's immune to what. SADARs lob HE at Crushers, Incin units get used on everything. If they notice it doesn't seem to work they'll change tactics. But usually not immediately. If marines ran around never misusing their weapons against Xenos I'd be disappointed.

[Bath Salts Addict]

Mostly? The 10 minute timer. Within that 10 minutes, I either get cloned or get bored enough to play something else.

You must have one hell of a short attention span, then.

[Toroic]

You must have one hell of a short attention span, then.

Monkey seems like a decent guy and is working on becoming a spriter, but pretty much everything he says I disagree with because it's either heavily biased towards marines or nonsense.

[monkeysfist101]

Monkey seems like a decent guy and is working on becoming a spriter, but pretty much everything he says I disagree with because it's either heavily biased towards marines or nonsense.

And in the same vein, Toroic is a pretty decent Xeno player and fun to play against, though doesn't understand that when you remove counter play, it doesn't show skill on one side, it just offers cheap kills. As far as this outdated quote goes, players get bored quickly sitting for (at the time of the post) about 20 minutes in a nest before another 10 minutes of doing jack shit.