Tribes has been marketed as a squad-based game, that requires teamwork and
cooperation to succeed. This is true if you're involved in an actual Tribe
that competes with other Tribes, but the game is a slightly different beast
in the world of Public Servers where anyone can play. The first thing you
need to know to be successful is on public servers is that trying to
organize a team of complete strangers is madness. Most people know to
naturally assume a role on the team and it's best to just let them do that.
Generally, people are smart enough to fill in the blanks and your base will
be defended respectably. Public servers are not a good place to practice
your commanding skills because people log on to do their own thing and will
just be annoyed with you. That said, your greatest shot at grabbing the
high score every game is to go solo. Before I get into the tactics, let me
first review the basics for you.
Armor Classes:
Light is for the action heads. You have lots of freedom in movement and can
do a lot of damage with just the three starter weapons. If you want to play
an offensive or active role than I highly recommend light armor. Medium
gives a little more protection, but at the risky cost of less speed and
mobility. It also gives you access to a few higher-powered weapons, but the
truth is you can get by without them. Heavy is for the destruction-lovers
and defenders. You can kill someone with a good mortar shot, but it's not
that easy to aim without practice. Heavies are a good way to fill a hallway
or something like that, because no one will slip by before they're blown to
pieces. Your role will usually be defensive.
Weapons:
Most servers start you off with three essential weapons.
Disc Launcher- Good for threats more than anything else. It's hard to hit
targets unless they're still, and even then it won't kill them if they're
healthy. It's great for taking out the wounded, though. It is a power
weapon, and better for taking out machinery that your other starter guns.
It has very limited ammo. Blaster- It works best a sniper gun because it
uses energy you would need in close combat. If you can catch someone
standing still a steady stream of blaster fire can take them out before
they realize what's happening. It can fire unlimitedly, and the amount it
fires is based on your energy. Chaingun- Rips the enemy apart if you're
standing close enough. If you're going to use the chaingun than you have to
chase the enemy down and get right in their face. It's your best defense in
close combat and uses no energy. It does have limited ammo.
Additional Weapons:
These are weapons that I find useful for light armor wearers. Note that
mediums and heavies have access to higher-powered weapons but they
generally are not needed. Higher class armor means less mobility and that's
less fun in my opinion. Grenade Launcher- Fires hand grenades for you. More
accurate than throwing them by hand, but it is still not easy. Grenades can
bounce off walls and have to be launched to take into account trajectory.
They are most useful for clearing out enemy bases. Sniper Rifle- A deadly
weapon that can take out enemies at a range. Oddly enough, it seems less
accurate at close range than far away. The sniper rifle means that you'll
have to keep your profile down and out of the direct action.
The Action Hero on Public Servers
This is one approach to playing Tribes on public servers. Keep in mind that
it completely bypasses the teamwork aspect of the game, and will probably
be less fun in the long term. It all depends on whether you want to get
high scores, or have entertaining interaction with your teammates. If you
want to be part of a team than you should join a Tribe. There are always
new announced Tribes forming at Starsiege Tribes websites. The best armor
for the action hero is definitely light. Heavy or medium just won't give
you the mobility needed to capture that flag or objective and
simultaneously blow away the enemy behind you. Your inventory should look
like this: Armor: Light Weapons: Blaster Chaingun Disc Launcher Backpacks:
Repair Pack Miscellany:
Repair Kit
Mines
That means that the only items you should have to purchase are a repair pack
and some mines. Mines are optional and will add weight to your load, but
can be invaluable if you expect to have a search squad out to gun you down.
(Note: If these items are not available you are playing on a MOD, or
user-altered version of the game. You will have to adapt to these on your
own because these can differ in any way the designer chooses so there's no
way I could cover them.) Once you have assembled your gear choose mark
favorites at the inventory station. Now in the future you can just choose
buy favorites and get your setup instantly. Additional items that may be of
use to you are the grenade launcher and sniper rifle. Try them out for
yourself and see if they are really worthy of becoming part of your
arsenal. Remember that you may need to drop or sell some weapons to have
room.
IN THE FIELD
With your gear you are capable of many roles. Here are the tips that will
keep you on top, however you choose to play.
STAYING ALIVE -- REPAIR PACKS AND KITS
Unless you want to use a sniper rifle which requires an energy pack, always
buy the repair pack as your back pack. It can repair anything, including
your base machinery and yourself. It uses your energy, so it's best to use
it when you're not being attacked and have a free moment. Most people
forget that they also have a repair kit. This will give you back a nice
chunk of life immediately. These can be life saving in close combat.
VEHICLES
Vehicles can be your best means of transportation. Especially the Scout,
which will zip you across the landscape. The other vehicles, LPC and HPC
are bulky and slow but can carry passengers. Besides transporting you,
vehicles have offensive potential. The Scout can fire missiles, although
it's hard to be accurate with it. In the LPC's and HPC's your passengers
are free to use their weapons. They're also free to use repair packs on the
craft if it gets hit. Speaking of repairs, if you find your Scout getting
badly damaged, duck behind a hill, get out and use your repair pack to
restore it. The other offensive tactic is to run over enemies or set
yourself in a strategic place to blow up and take some bad guys out. If you
see a cluster of enemies you can try to run your ship into the ground and
get out in time. The resulting explosion can be devastating. Since it's
hard to get out before the crash you may just want to let yourself die. I
wouldn't bother with a suicide mission unless you're positive you can do
some damage.
SNIPING
Using the blaster you can usually take out any light and possibly a medium
before they notice if you fire in a steady stream. Thus, you can even take
on a sniper role if you wish! Most people choose the laser rifle for that.
The laser rifle is only as powerful as your energy. Your blaster also
relies on energy but can still be functional with minimum. So the blaster
is actually an effective sniper's tool. If you do choose to use the laser
rifle, you'll have to carry an energy pack, which means no repair pack for
you. Always fire on max energy and try and get a head shot. If you don't
kill your victim than move or you might find a mortar landing on your head.
Don't bother with the laser rifle in close combat. You can kill someone
easily with a good shot, but it's more important you have the energy
available to fly out of harm's way. Even if someone seems to be struggling
up a hill ten feet away from you there's a good chance you'll miss them.
The laser rifle should really only be used on stationary targets at a
distance. The sniper's goldmine is respawn points, the place where your
enemies come back to life. Almost everyone stands still when they come back
for a second or two. A good sniper can wipe them out before they have a
chance.
MOVEMENT
Never stay still, that's for sure. If you are sniping someone be sure to
find the least visible location to shoot from. Sometimes there are gaps
between hills that work perfectly. Remember, even if you are sniping, you
should be on the move. You are usually just as much a target as the people
you're aiming at. When heading straight for an enemy base or objective,
don't head straight at all. Zigzag and do short hops with your jetpack. Do
everything you can to make yourself a moving target. Your jetpack will save
your ass more times than any of the fancy weapons in your arsenal. If an
enemy is charging you with a blazing chaingun, fly over his head and use
your trusty disc launcher. Take advantage of open rooms in bases and large
corridors.
CLEARING THE INSIDES OF BASES
If your enemy has any idea of how to play, their base will be filled with
turrets, mines, and other terrible things that will wipe you out in a
second. The good thing is that you can clear out all the garbage with a big
weapon like the grenade launcher or mortar. Only heavies can use the
mortar, so unless you manage to have a friend with you the best strategy is
to zip by a doorway and pop some grenades in. I recommend using the grenade
launcher rather than hand grenades because hand grenades have an occasional
tendency to drop at your feet and kill you.
KILLING A SNIPER
Taking out snipers is extremely easy. First of all, don't ever head straight
for them. That gives the time to flee the scene or set a trap for you. The
very effective way to kill a sniper is to work your way up behind them and
then blast them at point blank range with the chaingun. I've never seen one
get away from this attack. Meanwhile, remember to warn your team if a
sniper is on the loose. I went through 30 guys once before they wisened up
and stopped standing still.
BASE DEFENSE -- TURRETS
The best thing you can do to keep your base secure is place turrets. Turrets
can be destroyed easily by the enemy, but that's only if they have the time
to do it. Usually they're dead as a doornail as they round a corner and
your turret blasts the life out of them. Turrets can only be placed in
certain proximity to each other. You can't just plaster a small chamber
with turrets or it will tell you there is remote interference. Also, there
is a limit to the amount you can place. For these reasons it is necessary
you place them in very strategic places. For example, around corners near
the entrance to your base and by your team's flag or generator is a good
use of turrets. You'll need to put on at least medium armor to place
turrets. When placing remember that it will be placed where you are aiming,
so you'll have to look at the ground. The next best base defense is a few
heavies ready to mortar intruders. Heavies seem more effective indoors than
anyone else because they can withstand a lot of hits and dish out big hurt.
TURRETS ON THE OFFENSE
An excellent trick is to place a turret right by or inside an enemy base if
you can. Usually the enemy is dead before they realized what happened. Try
and place it when no one is around because groups of people will see the
results and dispose of your trap quickly.
CAPTURING THE FLAG
Capturing the flag is often times very easy. There is always more than one
route to it, and almost certainly areas your enemy has left unguarded. Your
greatest threat in offensive moves is your enemy's defense system. Be
careful to snipe out as many small turrets as you can before running for
the flag. Try and work out a steady route to your objective. That way when
you walk through it on the way there you'll be able to get rid of any
enemies that may be waiting. The best routes are ones that run around the
line of site of your enemy. Sometimes you can charge straight at a base and
get lucky, but most of the time you just get slaughtered. Your best bet is
to try and slip in and grab the flag undetected. Of course once you take it
everyone will know. Take the same route home that you took to get there
because that is the one you are most sure is clear. Keep your jetpack on
full blast most of the way. If an enemy is on your tail, surprise him and
turn around with your chaingun in his face. More times than not you can
take out an enemy behind you just because they're not prepared. Use mines
also. There's not much someone can do when they're right behind you and a
mine appears suddenly. Going for the flag or any objective is usually
something done best alone. The more people in the same area the better the
chances of the enemy detecting you. For this reason you might want to avoid
taking the path the rest of your team is taking. Let them be the decoys and
you can slip on by without being noticed.
TIME IS NOT OF THE ESSENCE
Thanks to the frantic pace of everyone around you and the pressure of a time
and point system you may feel compelled to act. Sometimes it's fun to rush
right into the action, but most of the time that just means death for you.
Sit back. Relax. Configure your favorites at the inventory stations. Try
walking to an enemy base without using your jetpack. You won't need it if
you have found a nice, safe route. It's important to scout things out
first. For example, once I figured I would try approaching an enemy base
from the side because everyone seemed to be out front. If I had checked my
map, or bothered to look before I leaped, I would have avoided heading into
a canyon that was packed with enemies eager to destroy me. Don't let
yourself be pressured by numbers or other players. Take a minute to create
a good plan and you'll usually succeed.
REPAIR YOUR BASE!
If no one repairs the damaged equipment after enemy attacks, you're in
trouble. If you have a repair pack (and you definitely should unless you're
using the sniper rifle which requires energy pack) take a moment to fix
broken inventory and ammo stations and vehicle pads. It's a necessary job
if your team wants to stay in the game. Especially important is the
generator or generators. Remember that this is what powers your entire
base. No power equals no inventory stations, no buying vehicles, and none
of the built in base defenses. Ask someone to guard the gens, place some
turrets there, and if you get a message that says "unit not powered" tell
your teammates to fix the gens until they do. Don't bother repairing other
players. Equipment is much more important. Remember that using an inventory
station also restores a player's health and ammo.
SOUND MATTERS
Sound effects are extremely important in Tribes. Sometimes there is no other
way to tell that a mortar just carved out the earth behind you. Everyone
likes to crank up the CD now and then, but you're really endangering
yourself if you turn off the sound effects.
NET COMMANDER
Trying to command your makeshift team on a public server probably won't
work. Your best bet is to find a few friends and work with them. It's easy
to get a group of three or four organized and listening to you, but I doubt
you'll have any luck with 16 people who just logged on for a few minutes of
carnage. Typing is important because the preset comments are not specific
enough to command people with. If you want to use a command console I
recommend looking for an obscure one. They are usually right out in the
open and you'll get blasted if you stop to use it.
CONFIGURE YOUR CONTROLS
I'm not sure how you could access all the commands in Tribes without
anything other than a mouse/ keyboard combo. The mouse gives you precision
control in aiming and the mouse buttons give easy access to the two biggest
actions, shooting and jetpack. The keyboard works well in hosting the many
other options. I would configure most of your combat intensive commands
around the arrow keys and numeric pad. (Only if your keyboard is configured
like that of course, and has a separate numeric pad and arrow keys in
between the regular keys.) I place all the important functions, like zoom
and using certain objects around the arrow keys so that I can reach them
immediately. I use the arrow keys for movement. There will definitely be
some things that you won't be able to access easily. You'll just have to
wait for a safe moment before you start talking or looking at your
inventory.
USE YOUR MAP
The map can tell you two important things right away. It shows where the
bases are and it shows where you are. All you have to do to find your way
is look at the map a few times to orientate your direction towards the
location and off you go. Want to find a player? Click on his name from the
list and then the crosshair icon to see his location pointed out. There are
many other useful functions of the map, but they're not really necessary
for simple public server matches. I would spend some time experimenting if
you plan on advanced Tribe play.
UNDERSTAND THE NET
When the Tribes server list comes up you should pay attention to the Ping
number. The ping will relatively tell you how well play will be, but it's
not always an accurate reflection. For best reliability you want to play on
a server that's physically closer to where you are playing from. A ping of
1-200 is great quality. 200-400 can be acceptable. Beyond 400 is usually
poor quality, but again it's not always dependent on ping. If you have
problems getting any low pings it is most likely the fault of the company
providing your internet service. Ask tech support people for that company
or better yet ask other users of the service for help.
JAM THOSE SENSORS
When you see an enemy they have a big red arrow hovering over them. You look
the same way to them. However, with a remote sensor jammer you can get rid
of that and make yourself less noticeable. A clever place to set one is
near an enemy base so that they can't track your incoming team members so
easily. Of course they can still see you, but it's much easier to hide when
you don't have a red arrow on your head. You can also use a jammer back
pack for a similar effect, but you will probably be better off with a
repair pack.
Conclusion:
I've tried to mention as many useful tips as possible here that will benefit
the light-core Tribes gamer. With some practice I'm sure you'll do awesome
on public server matches. If you have anything to add feel free to email me
at traveet@aol.com. Legal: I reserve the copyrights to this document.
Please don't use it with out my permission. Non-profit sites may reprint
this document freely, commercial sites must contact me at traveet@aol.com
first.
