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mahnini, Sep 17 2009
I was working on my desktop late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my keyboard from his desk began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise
He did the mash
He did the keyboard mash
The keyboard mash
It made my Windows crash
He did the mash
It was faster than NAND flash
He did the mash
He did the keyboard mash
From my desktop that built, named 'the beast'
To the shitty fucking printer that would eat my sheets
The processor suddenly kicked into turbo mode
I got a jolt from its electrodes
They did the mash
They did the keyboard mash
The keyboard mash
It made my Windows crash smash
They did the mash
It was faster than NAND flash
They did the mash
They did the keyboard mash
The nerds were having fun
The LAN party had just begun
The guests included IBM
Oracle and Sun
The screen was rockin', all were digging the sounds
Steve was on his Air - it weighs exactly 3 pounds
The bleeding-edgers were about to arrive
With their brand new CPU, the Intel i5
They played the mash
They played the keyboard mash
The keyboard mash
It made my windows crash
They played the mash
It was faster than NAND flash
They played the mash
They played the keyboard mash
Out from his mansion, did Bill descend
He had in his hands Windows 7
He opened the box and popped in the CD
And said, "Don't worry, it's better than XP!"
It's now the mash
It's now the keyboard mash
The keyboard mash
It made my Windows crash
It's now the mash
It's faster than NAND flash
It's now the mash
It's now the keyboard mash
Now everything's cool, Bill's a part of the band
And my keyboard mash is the hit of the land
For you, TLers, this mash was meant too
When you get temp banned, tell them nini sent you
Then you can mash
Then you can keyboard mash
The keyboard mash
It made my Windows crash
Then you can mash
It's faster than NAND flash
Then you can mash
Then you can keyboard mash
 
mahnini, Aug 15 2009
Shoes. Check. Coverall. Check. Gloves. Check. Mask. Check.
Before you even step foot in it, Hell deprives you of your senses. Touch, taste, and smell are all halved. I ascended the wobbly ladder with confidence; knowing, at the very least, I wouldn't be falling up.
Your entrance to Hell is never dignified. You enter crouching, grasping for a solid foundation, yet you are never worried because, again, you wouldn't be falling up.
There we were, one late-summer afternoon, maintenance workers of the super-terranean sewage system of Hell. Immediately, you are enveloped by the heat waves. The airless musk clings to you, hoping that, perhaps, since you came in, you can lead it out.
It was hot, dark and I could barely stand. I was reduced to walking around like a toddler, clinging to wooden foundations, as if, with one false step, the ground itself would swallow me whole. Up there, you are deprived of one of the only things that makes you human; the ability to stand upright. You are forced into a perpetual state of limbo between slouching and crouching. Perhaps this is how Neanderthal felt.
The work was worse. We would sand copper pipes and coat them with some plumbing cement before we took to the task of fusing them together with fire and lead. The stench of raw, sanded copper is terrible. The feeling is similar to being punched in the nose; it's not so much a pain as it is a sensation. The calm, blue flame washes over the pipe causing the cement to bubble and enticing the lead to liquefy. If God were to die, his veins would bleed copper and his bowels would evacuate lead.
I sat there, holding one end of the pipe as the other is being bonded. Smoke begins to pour out of my end. In its virtually windless environment, the noxious smoke dances enchantingly through the air. Unlike the goofy, puffy clouds we are used to, up there, smoke is an elegant orchestration of weightless strings.
Hours pass and I am literally soaking wet from sweat. It is sticky, mucky and all over. We kept going; it had to be done. We watch the sweat drip off our brows by the light of the flame.
The fatigue is unrelenting. After a while, even the flame, which is usually a tranquil, translucent blue, spits a furious orange which snaps the air with its frustration. Even Hell's natives cannot endure.
mahnini, Aug 13 2009
I received news a few weeks ago that one of my classes was being dropped next quarter, it contained a comment informing students that the professor will not be returning in the fall. I think it's safe to assume this is due to the massive budget cuts because the state of California is basically out of money and in massive debt. I've no problems with dropping classes to meet budget, shit happens and you deal with it.
My prospective professor was a young part-timer who actually works in the field, which in my experience, tends to be the formula for the best teachers. I know this because I've had him, and similar teachers before. However, I suppose for "obvious" reasons, being a new part-time professor means you're one of the first to be lined up for the firing squad, while older or full-time professor get priority.
Here's the goddamn problem. All the full-time professors suck. Most of these full-time professors are people who got their PhD in some semi-related field 20+ years ago and wrote some paper about it. They may, at some point, have worked in the field but have not for a very long time (which is even longer in the technology field). I don't understand the necessity of having an academically successful person be a teacher. It is not, at all, relevant to students, nor is it done in their best interest.
Those who live their live by the absurd rules and standards of academia will only live to know academia. Their classes will have a ridiculously stupid grading system, while learning and relevance become secondary to maintaining the purity of the academic system of points and grades. It's bullshit and everyone knows it; but the only people suffering are the students.
This rant isn't really going any where. I'm just pretty pissed my school decided to drop one of the best professors on campus. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else had similar stories of terrible teachers so I know it's not just me.
mahnini, Aug 10 2009
![[image loading]](http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/413/sfullmoon.jpg)
As I laid in bed last night unable to sleep, I noticed a light seeping through the blinds. I peeked out the window and caught a glimpse of the moon. It was brilliant. While fumbling the light through my hands, a thought hit me. The light particles which were now strewn across my bed and hand had, at one point, bounced off the moon. The fucking moon.
The fuck?
mahnini, Jul 12 2009
Computers are outdated even before they hit the shelves. There will always be louder speakers or bigger monitors to replace the old ones. Keyboards come and go. The only thing you will miss when it's gone is your mouse.
The mouse that you play StarCraft with is the mouse you want to use till you die. It feels perfect. Perfect size, perfect weight, perfect everything. You become so accustomed to it, it becomes an extension of yourself. I want to click there. Thoughtless. Effortless.
A few weeks ago my 6 year old ball mouse died. It came with my Dell computer and I've used it since the day I hooked it up, even when I built a new computer I refused to give it up. All the DPI in the world could suck it, my mouse kicked ass. Then one day, a few weeks ago, it just started skipping over to the sides of the screen and getting stuck. I'd move slowly hoping it would track. Nothing. Come on, you can do it. Nothing.
"It won't be so bad", I told myself, "I finally have an excuse to get a new one", but I didn't want a new one, I wanted my old mouse back.
For a couple weeks now I've been using my laptop mouse, which I loath, while weighing my options for a new mouse. I've also been putting together a computer for my sister because her's up and died. Today, we headed over to the local Fry's to pick up a case because shipping for those things are a bitch. While we were there I considered looking at the mouse section but quickly dismissed the idea, I don't know why. During those few seconds, however, I managed to think aloud, "I need a new mouse". God I missed my old mouse.
Wait a second, my sister's old computer was also a Dell and I've never seen her use her Dell mouse before.
"Wait, do you still have your old mouse...?"
![[image loading]](http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/900/s6300535ejb.jpg)
Left: New-old mouse still in wrapping. Middle: Old-old mouse. Right: Stupid laptop mouse.
![[image loading]](http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7656/s6300537.jpg)
Left: Old-old. Right: New-old.
All the DPI in the world can suck it, my mouse kicks ass.
mahnini, Jul 11 2009
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15881927
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G
RAM: PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0
Graphics: on board
Probably going to end up ordering it tonight.
Any comments / recommendations? This computer is going to be handling vigorous, vigorous web surfing, sometimes maybe over 4 tabs at a time!
mahnini, Jun 05 2009
Note: This is meant for players starting out and I definitely consider my take on the races to be quite shallow, but it's just to give beginners a place to start!
StarCraft: Broodwar
Why do we play?
If you ask ten different gamers what their favorite games of all time are, chances are you’ll get ten different answers. If you ask those very same gamers if they’d played StarCraft before, they would unanimously respond, “Yeah, I love that game”. In this review, I will seek to analyze the elements of StarCraft that contribute to an unprecedented decade of play, and why it still remains one of the most beloved games in the hearts of gamers everywhere.
The Balance
This is the most important aspect of any game, but it is still even more important than you think! StarCraft has three races, the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. Each of these races is meticulously balanced. In fact, StarCraft is considered to be the most balanced RTS in existence by many gamers. What separates StarCraft from the rest of the pack, however, is that its balance transcends the concrete aspects of the game. The balance between mental and physical is why StarCraft remains one of the most frantically fun games to play.
Understanding Balance
There are two general aspects of StarCraft: mental and physical, better generalized as grand strategy and mechanics. Grand strategy (path to winning) as a generalized category can be separated into two subcategories: strategy (decision making) and tactics (the art of engagement). Mechanics also can be separated into two subcategories: macro (resource management) and micro (unit control). Mechanics are a way to execute your grand strategy. Even at its most fundamental level, you can see what makes StarCraft, StarCraft. The yin and yang, the give and take – the balance. You can be the world's greatest tactician but in StarCraft that means nothing if you cannot execute your tactics; likewise, you can be the world’s greatest strategist and it will mean nothing if you cannot carry out your strategies.
Before we get confused here let me explain what strategy and tactics are. Tactics is the simpler of the two, it is the art of engagement – or how you seek to break your opponent by physically overpowering him. Strategy is much harder to define because it is a much more abstract concept.
- Consider this example: You are playing a straight up player. You know that when he plays straight up he is a solid player, so you decide to play more unconventionally by relying on drops and harassment to slowly wither him down.
In this case, your decision to play a certain style would be what is considered a strategy, because you know it will give you an inherent advantage. The style of play, however, would be considered a tactic. Strategy is the reasoning behind every move you make; tactics are a way to achieve the move.
Now, here's the hard part, let's explain macro and micro. Micro is the simpler of the two, which means, in essence, the ability to make your units do what you want them to – physically outplay your opponent. Macro, in this case, is the more abstract concept.
- Consider this example: You've just won a small but important battle by flanking your opponent, and instead of making taking an expansion and playing for a longer game you decide to upgrade to prepare for a timing push.
In this case, the action of upgrading instead of expanding to prepare for a timing push is a strategic macro decision and winning the battle by flanking was a tactical micro victory. There's a reason I mirrored these paragraphs, it's because, as you can see, macro is intertwined with strategy and micro with tactics.
Now that I've discussed how the mental and physical coexist on a more abstract level. Let's bring it down to what we can consider tangible: unit production. Unit production is the most important aspect of both macro and micro, but because we physically see it as resource management, we simplify it to macro. For clarification purposes, I will refer to it as unit production, macro will be referred to as resource management. Unit production is the knot that ties strategy together with tactics, and macro together with micro.
- Consider this example: As a Protoss you are playing a Zerg that is well known for a strong three hatchery mutalisk opening. In an effort to nullify his advantage over your weaker standard play, you open with two stargates after fast expanding and proceed to lay down two well timed robotics bays and begin to break down your opponent with harassment.
Your decision of opening with a certain play style that will give you an advantage is the strategy, the unit combination and use is the tactic. The action(s) of going fast expand, two stargate corsair, two robotics to gain an advantage is the macro, physically using these units to break down your opponent is the micro.
As you can see, without unit production, strategy cannot translate into tactics and macro cannot translate to micro – there is no connection. Even still there is a much more tangible level of understanding to this. Unit production is a both a tactical strategy and a micro of macro. Again, I must point to the give and take that is so very important in BW. In each and every single game we play – tens, maybe hundreds of times a game – we make a decision whether to expand / produce units / upgrade or micro. Expanding or upgrading is done relatively few times during a game, but unit production is done thoroughly without, and is therefore the majority of strategic macro. Microing takes strategy, tactics, and speed. Macro takes strategy, tactics, and speed. You must be prepared to master both in order to be a successful player.
Understanding Your Race
I don’t think that in any other game you will find players with stronger opinions of race than in StarCraft. There is very strong reasoning behind this because although the game is balanced, it really is balanced on a razor’s edge. Even the most minor change to the game could turn it upside down. As a result, StarCraft is able to maintain a great degree of balance and distinctiveness between its three races.
Terran
Terran is considered the most mechanically heavy race, mostly due to the fact that its many strategies require copious amounts of speed to execute. The Terran race is not a very flexible one, I don’t know whether is it the mechanical look of Terran units, or the movement of their units, but playing Terran is almost like being a robot. If the Terran race were a computer it would understand two things: macro and timing push, in general this is what I consider the Terran binary. Before we get confused here, let me explain what a timing push is. You see, throughout StarCraft games there are times when your opponents strategy leaves him vulnerable to attack a timing push takes advantage of this timing window to heavily damage your opponent or even win outright.
- Consider this example: As a Terran player you siege expand and scout the Protoss double expanding as a counter. You finish building up your economy and promptly put down five factories and prepare for a timing push on his third base.
- Consider another example: As a Terran player you see a Zerg going three hatchery mutalisk while being at a fairly close expansion. You cut worker production add a barracks and begin producing units for a sunken break.
Note: In the previous examples and the examples below let us understand not only what the player is doing given a certain situation, but why.
The Protoss strategy of out-expanding you is sound, but his tactic of double expanding leaves a small window of opportunity in which he must stop making units in order to expand a second time. In the second situation, the Zerg greedily leaves himself open by powering drones while teching to mutalisks, leaving you with a timing window to break his sunken wall with a relatively large number of medic, marines, and firebats. In both these situations you as a Terran player are looking to push because you now hold a strong unit advantage. By timing your unit production you can maximize both your economy and the amount of units you have to strengthen your attack. These are very specific examples but they happen very often. The Terran reliance on such inflexible timing windows forces a player to be nothing short of perfect with his timing push. Though other situations and matchups vary, it is this type of play in addition to the extreme cost-effectiveness of Terran units that make up the Terran race.
Afterthought: The reason Terran is so seemingly inflexible and reliant on timing pushes is because in every Terran matchup it is the Terran that decides when he wants to be aggressive. The Terran player must be proactive in stopping expansions and worker production, therefore, it is the Terran player that must force the action. Another thing to consider is the need for Terran to keep their units alive. Since Terran mobility is much more limited than the other two races, you must exploit the cost-effectiveness of your units to their fullest. This high speed requirement for both unit production and unit management make Terran a difficult race for slower beginning players.
Zerg
Zerg is thoroughly considered the hardest race for beginning players (so don’t get discouraged!). Why? Zerg, in contrast to Terran, is extremely flexible. It is, in fact, the most flexible race in the game. Now you may by thinking “Isn’t this better for beginning player?” It sure isn’t. First and foremost, Zerg macro is not as mechanically intensive as Terran but is definitely more strategically taxing due to the fact that Zerg only has one production building, the Hatchery. This constantly forces the Zerg to choose between attacking units and workers, and as an economically driven race, this can present large problems for newer players. Secondly, the extreme flexibility of Zerg play leaves newer players at a loss because you will almost never see the same situation twice as a Zerg player. Although, this is true for Terran as well, it affects Zerg play much, much more because Zerg play is much like waves in the ocean – it ebbs and flows – building momentum for a huge crash. Any change in that rhythm can throw inexperienced players off.
- Consider this example: You are a Zerg who is currently producing attacking units. You are no longer powering drones but are cranking out attacking units. You see a red dot in the corner of your minimap and find out it’s a reaver drop. You quickly run your drones and kill both shuttle and reaver. You proceed to stay passive while cutting production on attacking units and expand while powering more drones.
- Consider another example: You are a Zerg who is currently producing attacking units. You are no longer powering drones but are cranking out attacking units. You see a red dot in the corner of your minimap and find out it’s a reaver drop. You run your drones but not quickly enough, so you lose a majority of your drones for that expansion but do not manage to kill the shuttle nor reaver. You proceed to remain actively passive searching for another reaver drop while delaying unit production in order to replace lost drones.
These examples are just two of many ways in which a ten second situation can play out within a twenty minute game. The flexibility of Zerg allows for polarizing reactions to the same situation, passive or aggressive, as well as a gray area including everything in between. Every single aspect of that single reaver drop will affect how you play out the rest of the game. It might kill tons of drones forcing you to counter, it might kill some drones forcing you to delay an attack, or it might kill no drones allowing you to expand or counter. Whether or not the shuttle and reaver survive introduce an even more headache-inducing tree of options because the single goal of the shuttle reaver strategy is to keep the Zerg occupied and in his base, basically forcing the Zerg to be stagnant for as long as possible – of course additional drone kills always help. Zerg play is deeply rooted in experience because as you can see, the smallest things will affect a Zerg player. This reactionary and flexible play leads me to consider it the race of hippies (it’s ok, I play Zerg!!).
Afterthought: One of the few upsides of being a beginning Zerg player is that you are playing the most mobile race in the game. This makes scouting and unit movement much easier, it is not uncommon for a Zerg to have vision of nearly the entire map late-game. Also, remember that Zerg is a reactionary race and that if you are not being attacked you should be expanding.
Protoss
Protoss is considered the easiest race for beginners to pick up, the reasons are fairly obvious. They require slower mechanics to play “decently” and the matchups are fairly straight forward. This has actually become the source of backlash for many frustrated lower level players of other races who consider Protoss easy. This is very wrong. Protoss is almost the in between race when it comes to mechanics and strategy. Not as much mechanics is required as Terran and strategic decisions are not employed as often as Zerg. If the Protoss shine at one thing, however, that one thing would be unit management. Due to their stronger but fewer units, average unit speed, and need to limit map control in each matchup, Protoss are a very tactical race.
- Consider this example: As a Protoss you are constantly moving your units around the map due to the nature of “stronger but fewer” Protoss units. You scout the Terran coming out of his base to push but also see he is sending a handful of vultures through an alternate route to your expansion. You proceed to wall off your expansion preventing vultures from enter while waiting for your next round of units to complete to fend them off, all the while delaying the Terran push with your main army.
- Consider another example: As a Protoss you are constantly moving your units around the map due to the nature of “stronger but fewer” Protoss units. You scout the Terran coming out of his base to push but also see he is sending a handful of vultures to an alternate route to your base. You pull a handful of units back that will arrive just in time to meet the vultures at your expansion while pulling back your main army and giving the Terran some ground before you begin delaying his push while you handle the harassing vultures.
This situation happens very often, and as a Protoss player you must be able to handle it correctly. One mistake with your scarce Protoss army and you could end up with your army on one side of the map and the Terran army killing your expansion on the other. Newer player do not experience these situations too much, as the margin of error in lower levels of play are much more generous. At higher levels, however, where timing pushes, micro, and macro are practiced to near perfection. A strong Protoss player must know precisely how to manage his small but very powerful army to maintain the game flow in his favor. The margin of error for the Protoss tactician is very thin, and as the attacks become more and more complex so will your options to react.
Afterthought: It is interesting that Protoss plays both the aggressor in PvZ and the reactionary in PvT, though recently it has not been as clear cut. Also remember that even though Protoss will have a relatively low units count, you must always seek to limit map control. If your army cannot be everywhere at once, you should make sure your opponents army cannot either.
---
Though above I have compared and contrasted the three races, I have exaggerated many of their strong points to emphasize the distinctions between them. Each of them shares similar difficulties and strategic roadblocks. There is no hardest or easiest race, nor is there the most tactical or most strategic. You can only choose the race that is right for you!
Why do we play, again?
Is there not enough to choose from? Replayability, balance, distinctiveness, and extremely deep strategic thought. Though all these aside, the thing that makes StarCraft so special is because each game is not so much you against someone else, but you against yourself. What else could keep hundreds of thousands of players interested after a decade of StarCraft? The road to being a great StarCraft player is long and arduous, but many enjoy the journey whether or not they reach their destination.
Basically, what I’m saying is, we play because it’s fun!
Interesting Note: I actually wrote this (well part of it I reused) for a Blizzard intern application and I didn't want to post it up in case they read TL and thought I plagiarized it or something. The process is over (no I didn't get it), so no sense in keeping this to myself now!
mahnini, Mar 20 2009
Hello folks! It's time for mahnini's TF2 Engineer Guide: pl_badwater (brought to you by Carl's Jr)!
The first part of this series (hopefully) is based on the map pl_badwater. For those of you who don't play TF2 pl_ maps consist of a red team (defensive) and blue team (offensive). It's the blue team's objective to push a kart aka the payload (payload pl_, get it?) to the red team's spawn capturing points and receiving extra time on the way. Of course, it's the red team's job to stop them.
Let us examine the Engineer's arsenal:
1. The Sentry Gun
![[image loading]](http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7015/sentrygun1.jpg)
It's basically a missle turret that shoots ground.
2. The Dispenser
![[image loading]](http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1508/dispenser.jpg)
Remember in elementary school when the teacher gave out stars, or what have you, for good behavior in class and at the end of the week you got to pick out of a box with a bunch of candies and toys inside of it? This is that box. It provides health and ammo for your team as well as metal for the engis.
3. The Teleporter
![[image loading]](http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7660/teleporter2.jpg)
Self-explainatory. Each of these items have 3 levels and with each level the item becomes more powerful / useful.
I will have detailed positions and intricately constructed diagrams below, but first let us examine the role of the defensive Engi.
RED
![[image loading]](http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5/redtf2t.jpg)
The red team's job is to hold ground, if the red team were a tree the engi would arguably be the trunk. Your job is to provide a central point around which your team can gather to defend. Generally if all SGs in the area go down your team will be pushed back, so I will stress that SGs are your absolute top priority. This doesn't mean that you should rush to get it first though, that is an amateur mistake most engis make! When the round begins the first thing that you should be putting down as red (after the tele entrance, of course!) is ALWAYS a dispenser. ALWAYS.
Why the dispenser?
Putting a dispenser down first ensures that you will have a supply of metal without having to run around once you've exhausted all the sources around you. Not only that, the dispenser only costs 100 metal and once it is finished you get an immediate +25, this gives you the option to build a teleporter exit straight away, or wait 10 seconds and put up an SG. Making a dispenser first will make the most out of the precious setup time that you have because engis are like probes, they can set something down to build and run off and do other stuff (but they can repair like scvs)! So you can put a dispenser down, run off to get metal, come back put down an SG and have enough metal to get it to level 2 asap!
After you get your dispenser and SG up, upgrade your SG to level 2 so it can defend you, your dispenser, and your teammates more effectively. After that you want to get your dispenser to level 2 and THEN put down a tele (note: this build is assuming minimal pressure from the other team). The reason for putting down the tele last is because it is essential that you setup and SECURE a point on the map since you are the defensive team and you MUST hold territory to prevent pushes.
What if you are facing moderate-high pressure?
If your sucky team is getting owned and your SG barely survived a run in with the other team with no end in sight, you need to get your SG to level 3 asap. (Sidenote: always save 100 metal to repair). Remember you are the tree trunk, of you get pushed back so do your branches~
What if your team sucks so badly that you died?
Take your tele back as fast as you can, if it died with you - run! Generally, if your dispenser is still alive, I would recommend trying to retake the position and get an SG back up because a level 3, even level 2 dispenser, will allow you to do that fairly quickly. If your dispenser dies and you die, chances are your SG will die before you get there or die shortly after because you will not have enough metal to repair it. Whether or not you want to go back is highly conditional.
What do you mean IF I want to go back?! I'm no coward!!
When both your dispenser and SG get owned and your team is getting pushed back because the other engis are incompetent, it's time to pull back and setup at another point. JLIG man, time is of the essence! You can't waste your time getting up a level 2 SG then getting steamrolled while killing only one guy. Use your teammates as fodder (that's what they are!) and pull back to secure another point while your team stalls their push. By the time they get to you, you'll have everything at level 3 waiting for them as well as some back-from-the-dead teammates.
So remember...
It's your job to hold vital points to halt the blue team's advance, you will hold like the strong Redwood and when you fall your seedlings will float to more fertile soil to grow again~
BLU(E)
![[image loading]](http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6348/blutf2t.jpg)
Being a blue engi is a very dynamic job and everything you do will be highly situational so this section will be relatively short (I think).
In contrast to the red engi, the first thing the blue engi should construct is an SG. Why an SG? Because it's the only building that will survive out of the gate (literally LOL!). Putting down a tele will not help your team when the red team is waiting outside the gates for you, and a dispenser will most likely die before it can do any good - not that you need it that close to spawn anyway.
The role of the SG.
If you are on a good team you will be almost constantly on the move for the first few points, because of that you will most likely never get the chance or even need to upgrade your SG. That's a good thing because it gives you time to move your teles forward. You almost never EVER want to be making actual "offensive" SGs, it is a complete waste of time you WILL die. The point of an SG on the blue team is to be a safety net, you should construct it as close as possible without getting it killed before it can do anything substantial. SGs will essentially be a guard against counter-pushes that can undo a lot of hard work. You don't need to be the tree trunk, you are the roots that hold it when it sways~
I should never be aggressive with my SG?
Yes, you should, but there is a time and a place.
What happens when the push cain't push no mo'?
This is where you are needed the most and this is where you get to be aggressive. You should be actively moving forward teles for most of the round, but this is where you will need to put down a dispenser and SG and own some bitches. Here's the very important part, unlike the red team who will be mostly likely closer to their spawn, your team will be relatively far from where your push stalled and teles can only do so much. This is when you are going to need a well placed dispenser to provide ammo and health so they can outlast the other team. If there is a push stall, the dispenser is equally important for both teams (assuming your team doesn't suck and this is happening near the middle of the map). You should upgrade your SG to level 3 before you even dink! your dispenser because when you're stalling you want to stop any reds from trying to be aggressive and counter-push.
So remember...
You are the counter to the counter-push not the counter-counter-push (it makes sense, I swear!). Hold the line while your team does the rest, and remember to be active in moving buildings up.
+ Show Spoiler [Red Cap 1] +
![[image loading]](http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4290/badwater1red.png) A: This is a very temporary spot. Sometimes it can stall for a bit but you'll be overrun in about 5 minutes. The bright side is you'll get a lot of kills. B: This is a decent spot, it's actually pretty important because it denies blue access to the high ground that overlooks the whole map and the tunnel exit. C: This position has one job and one job only. Rain lead on the heads of the people pushing the cart. Unless someone has position D you shouldn't take this, even then people can still pick you off. D: The rocks to the left of D draw a line to B and basically split the map in half. D is here to restrict pushes through the middle. You can catch some people when they are on top of the cap as well, but that's pointless by itself. E: This is actually sub ground level, the beige you see is the roof to this little square room that's missing a wall. E is basically the last stand for cap 1, many times there will actually be two SGs and engis in there because it is so hard to snipe. F: Marginal spot. Catches people as they exit tunnel. It can last a while with a good team though, don't underestimate it! G: Bit of an after thought. I notice people use this sometimes, it's nice to catch people as they leave spawn but it's so open it will not last long at all. Though being on high ground helps.
+ Show Spoiler [Blue Cap1] +
![[image loading]](http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4009/badwater1blue.png) To the right the awesome squiggle the spots are self-explanatory there are no dispensers because you usually push too fast to use them. Again, these aren't offensive SGs, they are just there to stop counter-pushes and pick off wannabe heros. To the left is where the pushing usually stalls for a bit. Non-labeled items are, hopefully, self-explanatory. A: I usually use this dispenser to level up the SG for B until it's 3 and move it there. Having to rebuild an SG is easier than having to rebuild an SG + dispenser. B: This is a good spot (on the roof). Despite the SGs, angle it actually covers the large opening to the left of it to a good extent and it takes advantage of the choke to the right. The dispenser here is important, you absolutely need it to hold back ubered heavies which get owned by level 3 SG + dispenser.
+ Show Spoiler [Red Cap 2] +
![[image loading]](http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7194/badwater2red.png) If red has good engis and blue is slightly bad, round ends here. A: My personal favorite spot. I usually skip trying to defend cap 1 altogether because if the other engis are bad it is a complete waste of time. Spot A is pretty decent at holding it's own ground, it covers both the cart, the most prominent entrance to the roof which I dotted in gray, and some area to the right of it. The dispenser goes right enxt to the a/c unit or whatever it is to protect it from sniping as well as to get teles on to the top of it. A1: A slight modification of A, dispenser is the same but the SG is moved to prevent sniping by demos from the right. The downside is that it leaves your back exposed. B: Plain and simple. Surprise missiles for cart pushers who aren't aware it's there, which they won't until it fires at them due to the position. Dispenser goes next to A's dispenser. C: Second most favorite. You are completely covered from the back and you are covering the small stairs to the left as well as the main entrance. This is a really hard spot if they are pressuring because you are so exposed to the entrance. The dispenser I prefer to have behind me as I'm repairing but if they took a while to take cap 1 I will just put it where A/B put theirs so if my SG + I die my team can clean up and the dispenser will still live. The ammo next to it is crucial! D: I don't like this spot because demos can get you from the back and it gives people coming from the main entrance too much room to maneuver before they are shot at. Covers same spots as C.
+ Show Spoiler [Blue Cap 2] +
![[image loading]](http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/650/badwater2blue.png) Generally blue engis don't take the roof because if they do then they should have pushed red back already and will shortly anyway. A: Usually you won't need these but if your team blows then, yeah, you'll need this. I don't have a preference as to which side because if I have to SG there it's kind of a morale killer anyway but the right side seems to give more cover and a place to put your dispenser if you need one. B: I actually put B too far back but it's in the right place relative to the room! Dispenser and SG go there to stop red team from pushing into that little room and controlling it with an SG of their own. It's an ok spot to control as red but there are better places, I usually move here if I died to a spy or something and blue is close to or just captured the first cap. C: Nothing much to say, once your team captures the room a dispenser here is helpful for your teammates to push out of the room.
+ Show Spoiler [Cap 3 Combined] +
![[image loading]](http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1518/badwater3rb.png) This is probably the most impossible spot if red engis are good. There's only one way past this corner and that's suiciding into it. A: Theres a small niche which I outlined with the dotted lines for a dispenser and an SG. It's not great by itself, but with B and C it's really strong. B: This is my absolutely most favorite spot on this map because even by itself with no other SGs it is VERY strong. It's right around the corner, the dispenser is hidden you're entire team is usually there with you. It just wrecks the other team. Especially in combination with B and C. C: C is great in combo with A and B but by itself it's quite horrible. Dispenser goes behind it relative to angle so you can take on heavy (the adjective) pushes and heavy (the class) ubers. Squibbly is before (below) and after A is destroyed. A: Dispenser here helps a lot. SG is optional and really is pretty marginal I think but it doesn't hurt. If you do build an SG it should be last thing you build here. B: Dispenser behind it and SG just peeking over the corner. This really helps cap this point for blue, it's pretty open from second story of the building A is at though. C: After you take down A you need to get C up asap, SG first. This stops red from counter-pushing and trying to retake A.
+ Show Spoiler [Red Cap 4] +
![[image loading]](http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9842/badwater4red.png) A: The left position here can hold by itself as it cannot be sniped from anywhere, so if your team sucks setup here. The right side can be sniped from above B. If you have more than 3 engis you can have 2 SGs setup here. B: The upper SG position here is ok, not great as you can be sniped from above A by demos and from above C by everything. Again, you can have 2 SGs if you have more than 3 engis but the lower position here is open to above A, above C, and fairly open to cart so it's not great. C: Not that great of a spot, more of a last resort or if you feel you are feeling too much pressure from the stairs. It can be sniped from above A and B though. D: Crucial spot that a lot of people overlook, I drew in the little doorway there since it seemed out of proportion. Controlling this room leaves only one side open to attack and protects both A and C from sniping. As an added bonus if you position it correctly it can hit the cart as it starts it's decline into the final point.
+ Show Spoiler [Blue Cap 4] +
![[image loading]](http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6311/badwater4blue.png) Really not much to say... The left SG setup is great for stopping counter pushes people don't usually notice till they are hit. The SG on the right is setup in the room with one open window. It's ok, it helps stop harassment but that's about it. As a blue engi at this point you just want to get teles up and in good positions and watch out for spies.
That was pretty long. Whatever, take it like a man shorty.
mahnini, Feb 12 2009
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mahnini, Sep 30 2008
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Remember that thread where we were talking about how screwed the economy was and some guys were like "oMG green energies will save us"! Yeah.
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