Embrace the Suck

[TheDonkified]

100 xenos vs 20 players. I mean, there wouldn't be that much salt if the round last for less than an hour, but I feel a round longer than an hour where xenos could easily wipe out the marines would be more forced than fun.

[Skimmy2]

100 xenos vs 20 players. I mean, there wouldn't be that much salt if the round last for less than an hour, but I feel a round longer than an hour where xenos could easily wipe out the marines would be more forced than fun.

Make it so xenos cant tackle or stun and im in

[Gnorse]

Make it so xenos cant tackle or stun and im in

BUT MUH TACKLESPAM AND NEUROSPAM.
But seriously, take out the xeno's ability to tackle-spam or neuro-spam and they're done for.
1+ would play

[JMJ_99]

Please make this something every player needs to see

[Bath Salts Addict]

True robustness is not just a measure of how high your bodycount is.

True robustness is a measure of how spectacularly you die, and how memorable you become to others.

[Heckenshutze]

True robustness is not just a measure of how high your bodycount is.

True robustness is a measure of how spectacularly you die, and how memorable you become to others.

If I die in an amazing way every round doesn't make me "robust"


Just fun to watch.

Either way, remember this: ROBUST PEOPLE DOESN'T PLAY CM13

[Vispain]

True robustness is not just a measure of how high your bodycount is.

True robustness is a measure of how spectacularly you die, and how memorable you become to others.

This is what it a "Good Death" is. It's also why marines either lose or win fast. The "robust" ones are the first ones in the breach and keep fighting to their last standing moment.

[Plaguewalker]

Tackle spam is just the succ reaching max levels and then some.

[Monoo]

Regarding the "the aim of the game is a marine loss w/ good storytelling along the way" stance by the staff:

I used to be okay with this. But after three years on this server, the more I've come to realize how boring and unfulfilling it is. Why waste thirty to forty minutes of my time gearing up and getting to know my squad, just so I can end up bleeding out in some dark, alien-infested corner, every. single. game? Sure, it makes for good storytelling or whatever. But it creates a sense of sameness that's overwhelmingly stale and boring.

One of the major elements of fun in vanilla SS13 is the air of the unknown that surrounds the beginning of the round: what kind of horror are we fighting today? Can we win? Will I survive, and get kickass new stuff along the way, or go out with a bang? A whimper?

On CM, it's more like: Okay, great, I'm an engineer. Better go sort my exhaustingly complex loadout for ten minutes, see if anyone I know and can meme with is in my squad. Oh, cool, there's Bob. Alright, it's been thirty minutes of sitting around, finally we're getting somewhere.

Then it goes either one of two ways:
1. "Well, I got FFed in the back/slashed once by a runner. I'll try to follow my squad as they run in panic from the - shocker - already overwhelmingly powerful xenos, and bleed out on the ground."
2. "Huh, I actually managed to survive until evac. Time to run back to the Almayer, wait thirty more excruciating minutes, and then die when the xenos get here."

No storytelling, just blandness. Once you get over the "oohs" and "aahs" of the impressive artstyle and code it gets old really fast.

[CaptainYankee]

My ideal round would be keeping as much of my squad alive for as long as possible with numerous close shaves and clutch plays. Then nearish to the end of the round the remnants band together in a major effort against the xenos and either succeed at a high cost or die gloriously and enjoy eachothers company in deadchat.

I want to medevac my SL with seconds to spare, or pull my favorite pfc just out of the way of that crusher. I want to have time in between the small tragedies of war and feel real loss when a valued member of the team goes down. And I want also to be there on the ground when the smartgunner triumphantly returns to tge front lines with a shiny new arm.

It seems to me that marine players are forced to choose between rp and winning. Xenos don't really have that choice. The only way for xenos to have satisfying rounds us slaughtering marines, that in and of itself is totally fine. But it encourages xenos meta and powergaming while marines are heavily watched for similar tactics.

To address the OP. I don't care about winning, exploiting bugs, or even surviving. But i do care about marines being able to put up a good fight despite the overwhelming advantages xenos have. I will get mad if I, my squad, and another squad all die within minutes of the round starting. I will likewise get mad if we stumble upon an unprepared hive only to have our assets mysteriously disappear and enemy numbers suddenly and magically swell.

[Heckenshutze]

Honestly, the thing what keeps me playing is my own Ego.

I've always considered myself a damn robust spaceman and I'm willing to prove it everytime they push a nerf throu my ass. So yeah, I don't care as long I keep getting kills and damn right I'm still able to wreck xeno scum

[Scrubakistan]

Regarding the "the aim of the game is a marine loss w/ good storytelling along the way" stance by the staff:

I used to be okay with this. But after three years on this server, the more I've come to realize how boring and unfulfilling it is. Why waste thirty to forty minutes of my time gearing up and getting to know my squad, just so I can end up bleeding out in some dark, alien-infested corner, every. single. game? Sure, it makes for good storytelling or whatever. But it creates a sense of sameness that's overwhelmingly stale and boring.

One of the major elements of fun in vanilla SS13 is the air of the unknown that surrounds the beginning of the round: what kind of horror are we fighting today? Can we win? Will I survive, and get kickass new stuff along the way, or go out with a bang? A whimper?

On CM, it's more like: Okay, great, I'm an engineer. Better go sort my exhaustingly complex loadout for ten minutes, see if anyone I know and can meme with is in my squad. Oh, cool, there's Bob. Alright, it's been thirty minutes of sitting around, finally we're getting somewhere.

Then it goes either one of two ways:
1. "Well, I got FFed in the back/slashed once by a runner. I'll try to follow my squad as they run in panic from the - shocker - already overwhelmingly powerful xenos, and bleed out on the ground."
2. "Huh, I actually managed to survive until evac. Time to run back to the Almayer, wait thirty more excruciating minutes, and then die when the xenos get here."

No storytelling, just blandness. Once you get over the "oohs" and "aahs" of the impressive artstyle and code it gets old really fast.

This is why I play Xeno, nothing more satisfying than ancient spitting marine after marine and watching them falter. Get shot? No biggie, just hang back a bit and heal up. Marines are basically made to be slaughtered, so why play them?

[Swagile]

Regarding the "the aim of the game is a marine loss w/ good storytelling along the way" stance by the staff:

I used to be okay with this. But after three years on this server, the more I've come to realize how boring and unfulfilling it is. Why waste thirty to forty minutes of my time gearing up and getting to know my squad, just so I can end up bleeding out in some dark, alien-infested corner, every. single. game? Sure, it makes for good storytelling or whatever. But it creates a sense of sameness that's overwhelmingly stale and boring.

One of the major elements of fun in vanilla SS13 is the air of the unknown that surrounds the beginning of the round: what kind of horror are we fighting today? Can we win? Will I survive, and get kickass new stuff along the way, or go out with a bang? A whimper?

On CM, it's more like: Okay, great, I'm an engineer. Better go sort my exhaustingly complex loadout for ten minutes, see if anyone I know and can meme with is in my squad. Oh, cool, there's Bob. Alright, it's been thirty minutes of sitting around, finally we're getting somewhere.

Then it goes either one of two ways:
1. "Well, I got FFed in the back/slashed once by a runner. I'll try to follow my squad as they run in panic from the - shocker - already overwhelmingly powerful xenos, and bleed out on the ground."
2. "Huh, I actually managed to survive until evac. Time to run back to the Almayer, wait thirty more excruciating minutes, and then die when the xenos get here."

No storytelling, just blandness. Once you get over the "oohs" and "aahs" of the impressive artstyle and code it gets old really fast.

this guy gets it

and one of the reasons why i only hop on to play once in a while, lately never

[Plaguewalker]

Regarding the "the aim of the game is a marine loss w/ good storytelling along the way" stance by the staff:

I used to be okay with this. But after three years on this server, the more I've come to realize how boring and unfulfilling it is. Why waste thirty to forty minutes of my time gearing up and getting to know my squad, just so I can end up bleeding out in some dark, alien-infested corner, every. single. game? Sure, it makes for good storytelling or whatever. But it creates a sense of sameness that's overwhelmingly stale and boring.

One of the major elements of fun in vanilla SS13 is the air of the unknown that surrounds the beginning of the round: what kind of horror are we fighting today? Can we win? Will I survive, and get kickass new stuff along the way, or go out with a bang? A whimper?

On CM, it's more like: Okay, great, I'm an engineer. Better go sort my exhaustingly complex loadout for ten minutes, see if anyone I know and can meme with is in my squad. Oh, cool, there's Bob. Alright, it's been thirty minutes of sitting around, finally we're getting somewhere.

Then it goes either one of two ways:
1. "Well, I got FFed in the back/slashed once by a runner. I'll try to follow my squad as they run in panic from the - shocker - already overwhelmingly powerful xenos, and bleed out on the ground."
2. "Huh, I actually managed to survive until evac. Time to run back to the Almayer, wait thirty more excruciating minutes, and then die when the xenos get here."

No storytelling, just blandness. Once you get over the "oohs" and "aahs" of the impressive artstyle and code it gets old really fast.

This kinda sums up a normal run for marines, it's usually 5 minutes of gearing up followed by 10 minutes waiting behind those already geared up. THen another 5 on briefing, dropped in. Do objective etc etc, die or last till final stand then that's it. Sometimes aliens will draw the round out on purpose to make sure there's no real chance of a marine pullback. Hell I've seen some aliens that just sit at the LZ1 and just camp.

[Cobraman202]

This made my character have a crisis of self. Excellent work!

[Slywater]

I get the impression that "I am not the main character", by being left to slowly bleed out after receiving a deadly dose of friendly fire. CM is great at showing you how meaningless you are, and that another baldie is always ready to take your place. I too accept that one must embrace the suck.

[Heckenshutze]

Due to recent changes in our gameplay, should we make an Embrace the Suck thread for xenos? because I've seen some good bug stomping lately.

[Mvp777]

I learned to become the suck when i got captured by a mature runner alone, lost my gun and BOTH of my raider knives to the little bugger before getting facehugged.

[x31stOverlord]

The rule of thumb is:

You play CM. You embrace the suck.

I suck. You suck. We all suck.

[Dolth]

I get the impression that "I am not the main character", by being left to slowly bleed out after receiving a deadly dose of friendly fire. CM is great at showing you how meaningless you are, and that another baldie is always ready to take your place. I too accept that one must embrace the suck.

Yeah well at least you aren't hard focused by xeno.
At least I get revived all the time if grabbed.

[Gnorse]

That's the thing. If you, as a marine, are even SLIGHTLY known as being robust, expect all xeno bois to meta-target you even if you're a PFC and the lad next to you is a specialist.
On that note, at least you get healed up/revved more often by medics.

[ColdSuit]

Yeah, being well known seems to be a double edged sword.

[Dolth]

They added a grey mask so everyone had the same shape and was named Unknown once... That was good. If only the shape could be easier to spot (not fuzzy grey) that would be insanely great. No more metagaming.

[YourGuts]

I love and adore this mindset, I really hope the community is able to take it on board. Though, I also understand some don't enjoy just being a cog in the greater story machine that is a round; I do, and I think players that can take the proverbial and literal L are the lifeblood of the game. If you want to be the hero, the main man, the Arnold, the Andrew Cooper in that one round a few days ago, then you've gotta earn it through sheer robustness. I've actually taken to recording my games and watching them back, to see where I went wrong, to see what I can do in the future. Most of the times, not always, players die due to their own errors, though sometimes RNG just takes a big steaming shit on them. I think players get a little too obsessed with the winning of the round, the marine deathball of AP and whistling, and don't take a moment to breathe and roleplay. This is a roleplay server gamers, chill! Woo-sah!

[TrollerNoob]

The reason marines tend to be dead set on winning, is because the way they lose in the first place is so cheesy/unfair. Sure, the rp with your fellow marines out on the fob or on the almayer is cool, but you're going to have to pick up a gun and shoot at the lizards.

Nobody wants to get stunned and killed in a situation where they physically can't do anything, such as a super long tackle time, or neurotoxin chain spam. This only fuels the desire to win and get 'revenge' the next round. Imo, I have more fun fighting and beating xenos while knowing they're geared towards being OP, than hitting my me verb and doing with others shipside. You're not going to stop in the middle of combat and wave at an ancient sentin.