Current game version: 3.0
Current server patch: Beta 5
Natural-Selection 2 the retail only game is currently in development
Natural-Selection:Source will most likly be developed soon
What is Natural-Selection?
Natural-Selection is an intensly unique Half-Life mod that brings the HL engine to it's ultimate limit in graphics and code. The game is a war between the aliens (Kharaa) and marines (TSA). The two game modes NS and CO (combat) are played in completely different ways, NS using teamplay and strategy to destroy the aliens hives or CO, a fast-paced intense showdown between the two teams using a level up system to increase your skills throughout each match.
How does it look superior to other mods?
Natural-Selection also has something that no other Half-Life mods have, a particle system which is something used by mappers. It enables mappers to use stunning visuals which bring out the best of the Half-Life engine. Natural-Selection also has a great detail of texturing in it's maps to create an eerie indoor enviornment for levels to take place. Imagine walking at the dark wet bottom of a sewer basement just hearing the chuckle of a nearby alien and turning the corner to see a man eating tank of an alien staring right at you.
Maps
You can find these maps for regular NS:
ns_agora
ns_altair
ns_ayumi
ns_bast
ns_caged
ns_eclipse
ns_eon
ns_hera
ns_lost
ns_metal
ns_mineshaft
ns_nancy
ns_origin
ns_tanith
ns_veil
You can find these standard maps for combat:
co_angst
co_core
co_daimos
co_ether
co_faceoff
co_kestrel
co_niveus
co_pulse
co_sava
co_ulysses
How does this game work?
The teams are:
Aliens
Marines
It's suggested to start playing the game as a marine as they follow standard FPS procedure, so if you've played other FPS games, you should be fairly well off, though there's no recoil or head shots so your past CS skills won't make too much of a difference.
Marines
Marine: All but one of the players on the team. The marines carry out their commanders orders, though they can easily abandon them and rambo out on their own, of course this is not the best course of action.
Marine Commander: At the start of the game one marine will jump into the Comm Chair and become the commander of the marines for the match. As a commander you should know how the marine team operates so it's not a role to take on your first time playing. You'll also be dealing with real human players, not computers. So rest assured a team that does what their told 100% of the time will be very rare indeed. Also, a distruptive commander can be ejected by a vote from the team.
Items: You spawn with a light machine gun, pistol, and knife.
Can recieve from commanders: Heavy armour, jetpacks, Heavy Machine Guns, mines, shotguns, grenade launchers, welders, grenades, ammo, health, catalyst packs, and an arsonal of buildings.
How Marines win: To win the game marines must destroy all of the alien hives. Though the aliens start out with only one they can build up to three and just because it's destroyed once doesn't mean it can't be built again and again. Of course things such as phase gates and sieges which shoot hives through walls at a short range can often help this goal succeed, so you shouldn't have to worry too much.
Other info: The marines come to life with spawn portals, they can hold "e" to get ammo from an armoury and should always follow the commanders orders. The commander uses resources to build things for the team. The marine commander must drop and object on the ground, and then the marines themselves must hold "e" to build it. There are turrets which automatically shoot at aliens. There are phase gates which allow teleportation between phase gates. There are arms labs which allow weapon and armour upgrades and much more. You even have the option to electrify Turret Factories and Resource Towers to protect against aliens with stunning visuals for the Half-Life engine.
Aliens
Aliens spawn with one hive, if they have enough resources they can evolve into any of the following (although you spawn as a Skulk). You need aditional hives to use the 3rd and 4th alien attacks however.
Skulk:
The basic form of life that you will always spawn as. Skulks are very fast which makes them hard to hit. They also posess the ability to climb on walls, ceilings, and any objects they want to, while facing the correct direction as they climb. Their attacks are:
Bite, a strong melee attack which can kill a marine in two hits (without upgrades).
Parasite, a shooting attack that does very little damage, but once a marine is hit, all aliens can see him through walls.
Leap, a jumping attack that lets you jump very far very fast.
And Xenocide, a high blast attack that will cause major damage and impact to any non-friendly players around you. How? You blow yourself up.
Gorge:
The alien builder. The gorge builds aliens their hives, offense chambers, defense chambers, movement chambers, sensory chambers, and resource towers. Without a gorge on the team, the aliens would almost always lose. Their attacks are:
Spit, a long range attack that's often used a gorges last resort when attacked by a marine.
Healing spray, a spray that can heal other aliens and structures. It also damages marines by a small amount.
Bile Bomb A huge bomb of acid that damages marine structures to a great extent but can not harm marines.
And Web, a web that once placed it will trap marines for a few seconds rendoring them unable to move, and unable to attack. Only a certain amount of webs can be active at a time so use them wisely.
Lerk:
A bird like alien, and yes they can fly. These aliens are the only ones that actually have a good shooting attack at the start of the game, so it's neccisary to use them to attack long range, and can later defend other aliens too. Their attacks are:
Bite, the Lerk bite is not as powerful as the Skulk bite but attacks quicker and a master lerk can dive bomb unsuspecting marines to take them out quickly.
Spores, The Lerk shoots green toxic gas that makes marines lose life while standing in it. However it has no effect on a Heavy Armour marine as their suits carry recycled air.
Umbra, a yellow cloud that will stop 50% of the bullets being shot at the aliens within.
And Primal Scream, a mighty roar which increases the attack speed of the Lerk and any near by aliens for a few seconds.
Fade:
This alien looks like a deformed human, it walks on it's legs and is the closest to a marine. But if a Fade meets a single Marine, the marine better be prepared because they don't go down easy. Their attacks are:
Slash, quite a bit more powerful than a Skulk bite, but with the same effects.
Blink, an attack that makes you zoom forward at a very quick speed, highly effective in combat making fades hard to hit for even the most experienced players. A good fade can do remarkable things with blink, so it's neccisary to know how to use it!
Metabolize, useing Metabolize will give you a 20 hit point recovery and a small boost in your adrenaline. A very nice recovery technique, which can often save you a trip back to the hive to heal.
Acid Rocket a rocket made out of acid, low adrenaline cost and average damage. Quite fun to use even if it's not the most effective attack.
Onos:
The most powerful form of alien. Huge and practically unstopable, if you're a marine and see one running is not always the cowards way out, because these things are not easy to take down. Tons of life and tons of damage to go with it. Their attacks are:
Gore,Stronger than bite, even the most powerful marine structures wont last long against this.
Devour, mmm that marine was good. A marine is taken right into the stomach of the Onos and without his weapons too. He is slowly digested and unable to play while in the stomach. He is however capable of rescue if the Onos dies first.
Stomp, this doesn't do any damage but it paralyses a marine helpless for one second. Unable to move, unable to shoot. It does not howerver effect jetpackers.
Charge, the speed of the Onos increases and it does a small constant stream of damage as well. An Onos with celerity and charge is perhaps the fastest you will ever move in the game, second only perhaps to a skulk leaping, and that's quick enough on it's own.
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As if all of these aren't enough, each alien can get up to three upgrades to make them even more powerful. Things like cloaking, regenerating life, seeing marines through walls, running extra fast, extra damage and more all can be used at once to help you out.
Items: Offense tower, Defense tower, Movement tower, Sensory tower, Resource tower, Hive.
How Aliens win: For the aliens to win they must destroy the marine infantry portals and all the marines. Infantry portals have low life but are usually well defended. If they are destroyed the marine commander can always make more, but there has to be someone to build them.
Other: The aliens start with one out of three possible hives. They also start with only their first two attacks but if they have enough resources, they can turn into a Gorge, Lerk, Fade, or Onos. Once the Gorge builds a second hive, the aliens have their third attack avaible. When aliens posess all three hives, they can use all of their attacks. The basic marine strategy is to keep the aliens away from resource nodes and hives long enough to kill them. Their armour also becomes more effective with more hives. In combat their armour will always be at a 2 hive level.
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If you wish to download NS you will need a few things, Steam which you can get at www.steampowered.net and Natural-Selection itself which is availble at www.uknownworlds/ns.com. You can also use www.nsarmslab.com to download the client.
Also, if you wish to play NS with me please check out my communities website, www.specialistsarmy.com
Have fun!
The Dawn Of A New Day Has Come And My Reign Of Terror Continues!!!!!
. Or is it just a slow-loading site?
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