The best marine players know how to move around in close combat to avoid getting hit. They can strafe-bunnyhop, move right-left very rapidly, jump, crouch and so on. I remember it had gotten so bad that a single marine with a shotgun could kill my fade, because he had enough time to reload.

You shouldn't feel bad about running away as a fade. Here's a post I made a while ago that accrued some good infos
http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index....showtopic=67945

Marine gameplay is almost entirely about movement. Aim plays a comparatively tiny role.

Best way to improve these core skills is to watch clanners in action. Grab yourself some demos.

Bunnyhopping as a Marine is technically possible but it's generally much more efficient to wigglewalk or sidle unless you're bouncing up stairs or onto low boxes. Knowing when to (and probably more importantly, when not to) crouch is another good skill you should develop. You want to be down on the ground when Skulks are bounding across the floor at you, but once they get in bite range.. crouch = bad knockback = unmissable you = a trip to Marine Start on the IP Express. Wedging yourself into structures can give Fades and Onos a hard time A) Getting to you, B) damaging you, C) getting away from you. Fades can't Blink up and over sieges from a standing position next to them (they get stuck on air, oddly enough) and most will end up smacking a turret to their side instead of you, as most people don't realize exactly how great the horizontal attack range is.

Grab some demos or hop around spectating some of the better players and soon enough you'll find some little trick to help. Not every player jumps around like a fiend and relies more on never missing to stay alive, but whatever works for you is what's important.

I believe that the quick jumping back away/over an Alien player is called 'crackhopping'...

watch nsjumped

i use the strafe-jump to evade the fades and the onoses. It's very easy to counter tho, you just move away from the marine and go back in.

my favourite thing is getting cat packs on a co_ map and bhop'ing away from the skulks

yes evading hits is very important, but unless theres protection nearby your trying to get to your better of staying in close to the skulk with your jumps then trying to out run him

I'm not sure how forum discussion is going to improve your reflexes...

I consider myself to be a good marine, not because of my aim (good anyway) but because of my knowledge of the maps.
A good marine will use his surroundings to his advantage, by this I meen a good marine will usually bhop ~5 hops by using first the ground then maybe a rail and then a box or two.

Easy stuff, that is only useful against fades though, against skulks you just stand and shoot 9-10 bullets into the skulk, huge.

Sorry for the triple post, my IE screwed up

Sorry for the triple post, my IE screwed up

Reptiles new vinnar!

The simple mechanics of a dodging marine aren't very hard, it's the timing. You have to know WHEN to duck, WHEN to jump, WHEN to weave. Duck and weave, jump, strafe away......it's all a matter of when you use what.