Marines and Aliens

The TSA Frontiersmen

Natural Selection features two clashing forces, TSA Frontiersmen and Kharaa aliens, fighting for the control of a ship or space station. What is unique about Natural Selection is the approach in which control of the ship or space station is garnered.

The TSA begin the game with two structures, one resource tower and a commander’s chair, from there, any marine may leap into command at the helm, and begin ordering the other marines around. Generally the first few items built are spawn structures, as well as a turret factory and arms depot so that frontiersmen may pick up more ammo. While the commander may build the initial hulks of the turrets and other items, actual marines must go up and properly facet them into place, by simply holding the use key for a few moments.

Creeping along the grating

Fear the fade!

Destroying a turrent factory

The first goal for the marines is to secure more resources, as these resources are gathered the commander, and only the commander, may spend them on upgrades, more turrets, as well as researching advanced items such as heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, heavy armor and jetpacks. The commander also has access to a wide variety of other features, such as ion pinging, a radar that will reveal all nearby Kharaa in the area to marines, or motion tracking so that turrets will become more accurate.

It’s not a giant first person game of Legos however, as the aliens begin pounding the marines seconds after they have their first spawns built, and though it’s not entirely common, many a game has been lost in the first beginning moments if the marines aren’t vigilant. Every defense has a weak point, and the tiny skulk can easily weasel its way under a turret factory, chew threw it, thus rendering every turret in the vicinity into pricey decorum.

The Kharaa

The alien build is entirely different, there is no alien commander, however, aliens share a universal hive mind, and though resources are individual, all aliens gather their resources automatically from the same sources thus everyone on the team always has their proper share. The aliens also have the advantage of the hive mind, or a wall hack of sorts that shows locations of all friendlies, as well as the locations of all friendlies or friendly structures under attack. The aliens don’t have access to the technology that marines have, they instead are based around a genus scale that is entirely dependent on how many hive locations they have built at. There are three hives on the map, the Kharaa beginning with one in their possession.

This initial hive allows access to three mutation forms. The first is the basic Skulk, a lightning fast cat like creature that does palpable damage with its bite, can run on walls, and spray enemies with a parasite which will give a hive vision to their location for all Kharaa. The second form available is the Gorge, which is the builder drone of the alien team, the gorge is slow and minimally armored, but can build structures ranging from the alien equivalent of a turret to regenerating defense towers and more. The last form available in the first hive is the Lerk, a flying creature minimally armored but packing a fierce punch in its bite and spine attacks.

Go into the light Carol Ann!

Smoke in the face

Hiding in the darkness

Upon attaining a second and third hive the Kharaa have access to Fades and Onos. Fades are reminscent of the creatures in aliens, possessing a devastating slash attack as well as two separate ranged attacks. The Onos, the final form granted at attaining the last hive, are a game clencher, turning the morphing Kharaa into a giant behemoth armored to the teeth and able to kill teams of marines in a single charge.