Runners: Why all the Hate?

[Alanoth]

So I've been here on Colonial Marines off and on for about two years now, ever since I first discovered Beyond and subsequently Space Station 13. I usually play on Paradise Station for random hilarity or Aurora Station for some fun semi-hardcore-semi-taken-seriously-some-of-the-time roleplaying, which is why I play Space Station 13 in the first place.

Anyway, so I've noticed in perusing the forums and paying a little bit of attention to the OOC channel (paradise station makes you ignore it or turn it off because of how many kids are on there) that Runners seem to get a lot of anger and frustration from other xenos players. Anyone know why that is? I've never even tried to play as a Runner because I was afraid of messing up so I stick to Drone and Hivelord. What's the dealio?

[Steven Sneider]

low hp, low dmg, will waste larvas for the hive when they die.

[taketheshot56]

Runners serve a role, that role is host collection and scouting, a good runner will rarely get into combat unless he is sure he will win, sadly most players who spawn as runners seem to think its a frontline combat role, and die quickly.

[Daniel Rockwood]

Since hugger combat (throwing huggers at people across your screen and insta facehugging them in the middle of combat) was removed, unless you are a super robusto gusto alien that gets ancient runner and does a super job, you will get hate because you're basically the equivalent of a rambo marine who brought nothing but a boot knife. It's pretty much a waste of a alien slot more often than not. Also it's the cheesiest alien as you rely entirely on pounce, and the word pounce is an insta salt reaction here.

[TehSpoderman]

Because runners are not very good at combat. People like combat.

[Shuffl3]

Its true, most people are bad a runner combat.

[TehSpoderman]

Its true, most people are bad a runner combat.

I dont think thats true. The caste itself is bad at combat. Its not meant to be a frontline role.

[Shuffl3]

I dont think thats true. The caste itself is bad at combat. Its not meant to be a frontline role.

I dont think many castes are designed to be frontline roles. Runners have their niches though, and they can very effective when players play to their strengths instead of treating them like cheap hunters.

Maybe we should kick up a runner tactics thread.

[Incomptinence]

I see the potential but they are very twitchy and probably need really low ping etc to use most of it.
If there are small animals go infect go get em but once you run out of those your combat role is plainly more passive unless there are rambos.

I enjoy skirting around the margins rarely doing anything but ready to come impale with tail if the opportunity arises. If you want more stick around the queen and/or boilers screeching and gas give the much needed protection for more fragile castes to get hits in but that kind of wastes the high innate speed. Pounce leaves you lethally vulnerable to back up fire when you hit your target so it's more for hunting loners.

Biggest thing seems to be not to go for fobs unsupported, nexus is a big armoured trap and turrets/mines are not impressed by how fast you are. Hunters could do to learn the same.

[Bronimin]

Scout out the marine fortifications and movements and report them to the queen so give them a better idea of what is going on and where to strike. Make sure that the ayyliens are not getting flanked. Threaten medics, injured and the FOB to force marines to sit there and do nothing while their friends die. Swallow hosts and pounce/ run them back to the nest for infection.

If you really want to be a hunter but there were no T2 slots, don't fight while you are mature and when you are ready, team up with Hunters. Use pounce+ tailstab to fuck one marine up in particular and rely on sugardaddy sentinels guarding hosts to keep you topped off while you are charging the tail.

Avoid autocannons like the plague (three hits will crit you even if you are ancient) and don't go full throttle all the time or risk running into claymores.

[Alanoth]

All good information guys, my question has been answered and then some

[darkwahn]

I dont think thats true. The caste itself is bad at combat. Its not meant to be a frontline role.

It's really not, while hunters are markedly better at combat, runners can still hold their own if you play right.

Ofc, I view the idea of "frontline combat" as a xeno to be mostly a t3 thing anyways..

[TehSpoderman]

It's really not, while hunters are markedly better at combat, runners can still hold their own if you play right.

Ofc, I view the idea of "frontline combat" as a xeno to be mostly a t3 thing anyways..

Runners can hold their own, but their caste is very bad at combat. One buckshot to the face and you are dead. Their pounce doesnt have much stun either.

Runners can hold their own if the player knows what they are doing, but other than that, they are mainly for scouting or getting smallhosts.

[Shuffl3]

Runners can hold their own, but their caste is very bad at combat. One buckshot to the face and you are dead. Their pounce doesnt have much stun either.

Runners can hold their own if the player knows what they are doing, but other than that, they are mainly for scouting or getting smallhosts.

Good to know we're on the same page.

[Steven Sneider]

remember a time where ancient runners could deal more dmg than a mature ravager?
good times.

[caleeb101]

runner tactics? all you have to do to be a good runner is think of anything scummy and do it. see a many trying to medevac another man? harass them, slash them and run, keep distracting them/annoying them. a few lucky hits and hell, you might take them both down yourself. keep running in, destroying what you can, and just do what you can to hurt marines chances of doing anything successfully. that's where the runners really come into play.

and that's why i hate a good runner

[Crab_Spider]

remember a time where ancient runners could deal more dmg than a mature ravager?
good times.

Eh. You're just less likely to see an Ancient Runner, and my lord are they broken

[TheMaskedMan2]

Meh, Ancient Runners still die from an unlucky shot.

[Crab_Spider]

Meh, Ancient Runners still die from an unlucky shot.

Ravagers are the same concept. Doesn't mean they won't fuck you up.

[Blade2000Br]

I once shot an elite hunter with slugs...he went into crit and a marine finished him off.

Remember, it was 4-5 tiles away.

Let it sink in.

[Emeraldblood]

Don't know how much I can add that's really not said, but here's what I got. Most people view runners as idiots because people who are idiots are the ones getting killed, straight truth. This is just due to the fact some of the Xeno players don't want to engage in the RP side of the game and purely want to kill stuff so it's death or glory for them. Runners caste love to run off and try to Rambo marines down as well as disobeying the Queen's orders. This combined with the fact Runners can be a lot more punishing to mess up with than many of the other castes. If you miss a pounce and jump into some marines, you're pretty much dead.

[Reuben Owen]

back in the day they used to get lots of cheap 'kills' by infecting marines with huggers and doing damage with the sheer amount of FF they cause, that anger and hate transfers over to when they play xeno (marines still get extra upset dying from runners + hunters today)
at the same time they died in droves, especially as young runners, especially trying to go after survivors asap, especially due to how mines used to do more damage
so whenever a runner died, all the xenos were like "oh boy another dumbass" etc, regardless of the runner being young, mature, etc

they are not bad at ancient (or elite, kinda iffy at mature) by any means even nowadays, but you shouldn't be engaging marines at young ever unless you absolutely have to

runners can do things no other caste can (like go help intent and run into a pile of marines and cause FF 4 dayz) and they can possibly get as many kills as an ancient hunter, but are riskier to play BY FAR... on the bright side they upgrade hella quick and don't have to mess with waiting for tier slots

@caleeb101 it's 'scummy' to attack the enemy where they're weak?? I thought that was warfare 101

[darkwahn]

I once shot an elite hunter with slugs...he went into crit and a marine finished him off.

Remember, it was 4-5 tiles away.

Let it sink in.

He had to have been previously injured, slugs don't even down you if you're young.

[Blade2000Br]

He had to have been previously injured, slugs don't even down you if you're young.

then why he tried to pounce an MUHRINE if he was injuried? the stupidity here is something to not take lightly...

[Redikalzip]

Ancient Runner is a broke-arms machine.