Do you approve of the tactic of building comm chairs to block the path of a rampaging onos?

Or a more vile tactic, let the Onos run in your base and then as he's retreating block him off with a Comm chair. He can't leave the room and is forced to die or redemption.

I for one, don't approve on the current way to block onos. I think that if the building was just placed it should take just a few attacks to knock it down for the Onos to escape.

Near end game, Comm chairs alone will cut the effectiveness of an Onos very low. The marines hide behidn their wall and attack with HMG's while welding the chair back to full health. The onos couldn't do a thing to stop the train.

Some servers ban for this technique. What are your oppinions on comm chair blocking?

I don't approve of this tactic, but it's hilarious to see it happen to someone else.

Every time I remember blocking a blinking fade with a comm chair in the middle of a huge corridor (thus causing his untimely demise), it brings a tear to my eye.

I don't agree with banning a creative and practical use of marine structures.

I'm all for it in clan games but in pubs it just gets silly

More annoying on ocs.

Servers dont let me do it

We're having a related discussion in the forums at Tactical Gamer: cc blocking

See when it was OCs blocking IPs, it was an exploit and there was much complaining. Valid complaining, because while its an excellent strat its just NOT WHAT CHAMBERS ARE FOR.


Likewise, CCs really shouldn't be used for blocking. Unfortunately because CCs HAVE to be able to be placed anywhere without restriction, it makes it impossible to regulate their use.

From a gameplay viewpoint its just bad taste. From a background standpoint its pretty senseless as to why the TSA would throw away some pricey technology instead of something disposable like a tfac.

I think its ok, esp. in clangames. TFs > fades if done right D:

If this was supposed to be a viable strategy, the devs would stick a 15 res wall into the game where you could place in any hallway, effectively blocking lifeforms from getting in, or perhaps more importantly, getting out.

Suggestion would be to make any unbuilt structure something you can walk through.

Granted it means marine spawn could still be lamed up with marines speed building, but it'd also be easier to rush them before they finish.

Or we could lower the damage needed to destroy unbuilt cc's and other structures to very low levels (i include rts because of that strategy of dropping unbuilt ones in the alien area to block gorges).

So that way... sure you can spend the res to block with a cc, but one onos hit (or two fade hits) and its down anyway, so, you just bought half a second for 30 res... whee.

i think cc blocking is a good strat and requires timing to pull off. so leave it be!!

Dropping buildings and building them to actively act as a wall is a worthless waste of resources to me. Marines can't get over commchairs, while most aliens can (even an onos). Most aliens just panic and can't make it over in time. To me creating a wall is pretty ingenious, but in most cases a waste of resources.

HOWEVER, I believe dropping a structure in the path of a retreating/incoming alien is an excellent tactic that few perfect. That awesome cc block right in front of a fade blinking out of the room with 150 hp usually results in both aliens crying foul and marines calling you a kickass commander. To me, it requires excellent timing and excellent communication on part of the commander for this to work. It uses resources, and also prevents marines from following in most cases. I don't normally agree with actually building structures with the idea of blocking off entrances/exits however. Dynamic (Read: Temporary) blockage is acceptable to me.

Note that this is a seperate issue from the way in which OCs currently fire at marine structures instead of marines first. This is a bug if memory serves. This seems to concern only the blockage of aliens themselves with marine structures.

When the dev team designed the ability to drop certain unbuilt structures anywhere on the map, did they intend as a primary use of that freedom one player's power to instantly change the terrain of the battlefield in order to trap fleeing aliens? Was the unbuilt structure designed to be used as a tool in battle?

Jumping skulks have been around as long as COMM chairs have been, but bunnyhopping skulks, an oversight which was included, and in no way designed in the game's first release, were left in the game because the game's designer(s) later decided this freedom helped gameplay more than it hurt.

Is this too an oversight? Is it the case that buildings were designed with the intention that they be built? Is it the case that the unbuilt buildings' ability to trap fleeing aliens was not considered in the design of the buildings and their incorporation into the game's design? If that's the case, will this oversight also be left in the game because it helps gameplay more than it hurts? Or will the dev team decide, just as some argue(d) that bunnyhopping is an exploit of the skulk's physics, that dropping unbuilt structures with the sole intention of trapping fleeing aliens is an exploit of the structures' physics?

I simply implemented the cc blocker part of carlings mod:
http://www.modns.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=600

This let me limit the amt of unbuilt ccs. This lets the marines build all the CCs they need, provided they build each one before dropping another, letting them relocate all they need as long as they are building before dropping another.

This has stopped cc blocking on my server. Fixed, done.

Hey, it's Natural Selection. Jump over the CC, I know you can, onos. Just have to crouch. Not sure since which version, but the onos can jump over the CC if it does a running crouch jump. Be careful with ramps, though. For other lifeforms it's just pathetic. And it's not really worthy to trap the poor gorgy.

I only like it if its appropiate, Ie at a T junction the aliens have a WOL, but the rines dont have nade launchers and they are gonna need the health and armor, so the comm lays down a cc, the rines run by while the cc takes fire, cc dies, marines arent hurt, its all cool
but if it spamming a hallway that deserves a kick or a temp ban

CC blocking should equal a ban IMO.

CC-blocking is G@Y and it sux. its for teams who dunno how to shoot/aim only. perhaps it should be made very weak (like 2 hit to blow it up) when its not-yet-finished

For any class except onos- Oh no a comm chair better have a reaction time beyond that of a crippled baby and go around


For onos- kay I better jump

If we dump comm chairs on our server, its a bannable offense the second time you do it.

If you plop a CC down at tanith's MS exits, there isn't enough height clearance for an onos to jump over. There probably are several places in all the NS maps that have similar problems.

Lower starting HP for unbuilt structures would be better overall. It's currently 50% and goes up with building.

I say alls fair in love and war, if the rines have the res to use that tactic then let them use it.

course I don't think sporing threw closed vents is unfair either

the same people who approve of this so called, sorry excuse for a "tactic" are probably the same people who probably stack marines/only play marines, otherwise you wouldn't mind it being done to you, now would you?

yes.

lol I only play marines, now someone give me a shirtgun so I can kill the zergling

yes if they boost one another. but if an onos is running away IT CANT JUMP OVER THE CC. thats why its lame, thats why it should be removed, and until it is it should be a bannable offence.

The CC is angled in a way that such you can jump over the lower part, but the upper part is not clearable in one jump.

But with strategic placement in small hallways, it doesn't really matter.

you see when ppl who are fade or onos get killed by com chair blocking, they get all **** off and have to cry abuot the commander using exploits or what-not.

ITS PART OF THE GAME. IF THE DEVELEPORS DIDNT WANT IT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE THEN THEY WOULD HAVE REMOVED IT.

god this is almost like those pubbers who whine about bunny hopping as an exploit.

I dont approve of it. Like you care, honestly just because you or I denouce it, it won't stop anyone.

Here's a tip:
Take a nap
Wake up a few hours later
Realize there will always be lamers out to ruin your fun
Become a pesimist and take another nap.

ORRRRRR...

You could ban/kick any one who does this. Of course there is no way to stop the 'random' (note the quotes) placement of cc's. This is because they have to go anywhere so the rines can set up a base anywhere. Of course you knew that.

It may be called "cheap" but it works, and I see no reason to not use it against the other team. Being "cheap" just isin't a good enough reason.

And people would wonder why the quality of NS games is so poor on pubs.


"OGMFTW TEHY HAVE NOT REMOFED IT SO ITS TEH LEGEL, I WILL DROP CC WERE I LEIK"

If i get CC blocked i'm thinking kudos to the comm. He's obviously got a presence of mind and is a quick thinker to react quickly and effectively to deal with higher lifeforms rather than letting them run wild and kicking his team's ****.

O/T

I LOVED THAT ROTATING DOOR, MAN.

I think its ok.
it uses res
it uses time
it wastes space
it helps

Who cares if its not being used for what it was intented to do so. I sure hell don't. IT WORKS. Same for bunnyhoppers. same for the old OC on IP trick. Same for elecing hives. Same for blocking onos with massive unbuild turrets. (I did once)
Same for dumping entire wols out. IT WORKS.

If you are willing to take the time, effort and res. Let it be.

Thats I think. Its great getting around OC spammage (WoL) and just dumping comm chairs so you can get around it all. Fun stuff.

What's the use of limiting comm chairs if a comm can just as easily turret block? Ploping three in a hall would really mess up an onos.

It's in the game, so I'll accept it. But I'm thinking of work arounds... perhaps no dropping in a certain proximity of an alien life form? But that could be exploited to give away locations of aliens, as well as hinder med spamming. Yeah, if the structure could be walk-through until, say, half or fully built, that would be fine with me. There may be some collision detection problems, but it's a start. I'm against a weaker structure to start, as that 50% has to exist for all structures, and all structures can be used for blocking too. Perhaps a multiplier of onos damage on unbuilt structures?

Sadly, the other current 'solution' for this 'problem' is to kick and ban people who do it.

If/when Natural Selection gets a single player campaign, I'd love to see a level that mentions and encourages blocking for victory.