When I started playing PS my computer was pretty much running the minimum requirements and I was forced to find smaller scale fights most of the time. A defensive CE became sort of my occupation and even now I find myself enjoying those smaller skirmishes even though I can and do join the big fights on occasion.
When I speak of defense, I'm talking about defending bases usually not in the crosshairs of the zerg. I defend the bases that Gen killers go after. Like Interlinks and Tech bases. There's always someone needed to hold bases after the zerg has moved on and that's were I come in. I've gotten really good at predicting were small squads or soloist will strike and I'm usually sitting there waiting. So here's my suggestions for more defensive minded players.
1. CE is an absolute must. Get every deployable out and always replace those that get destroyed. Cover every entrance and be sneaky with the placement. Engineering allows you to repair what ever may get destroyed.
2. AA MAX is another good cert. A lot of special ops guys use aircraft to strike quick, so sitting in ambush with an AA MAX can be a nasty surprise.
3. Lightnings, Reavers and Mosquitos are excellent vehicle certs to get. They allow you to patrol around the base and react quickly when someone pops up on your radar or you suddenly hear a spitefire go off. I personally prefer the Mosquito. You won't show up on their radar and you can easily hover out of sight under some trees or under a catwalk in the base.
4. Weapons are a matter of personal preference. I seem to do just fine with MA and SA.
5. Hacking isn't a must have, but can be useful for quicker rehacks and accessing terminals if needed.
6. Cloaking is another cert that I sometimes use to good effect. It is really good for sneaking up on soloists. A bunch of plasma grenades being tossed off a balcony from an invisible assailant is very annoying and very effective.
7. Surprise! That's your number one weapon. Sometimes it's better to hold off attacking until they are comfortable that nobody is around. They get careless then and it makes them vulnerable. Never attack frontally. Always hit them from a position they don't expect you and if they come back, do something different. I sometimes even let them start destroying things before I attack. All the noise they make will mask your own movements and you will often catch them with some weapon in their hands that isn't very effective against infantry. A Thumper with plasma usually puts them down quick. HA is even quicker. Afterwards, a little engineering loving puts everything back together.
8. Check the map often. Keep track of how the battle is progressing and don't be afraid to pack up and move if you see a base that becomes more vulnerable. You veteran players should be adapt at this by now.
Defense is for people with patience and who enjoy a good ambush. You also need to be a good thinker tactically. You need to be able to accurately guess where your enemy will come from and how. You should always be just one step ahead and be able to improvise. Protecting key facilities helps your team immensely and you'd be surprised by just how much action you'll see. Sometimes it seems that there's a constant stream of soloists or small 2-3 man teams lurking behind the lines. I stay busy and it's rare that I have to wait long for some fly to trip my web.
I play all three empires and multiple characters, so if you got sent packing by some guy lurking around a base you thought was deserted, good chance it was me.
2004-02-23, 08:30 PM
Linear Mode
