[starbase ogg]

Get a Clue: Tips for beginners and clues

by DrD

These pages are maintained by Frank Niessink.
Last updated on 26 feb 1996.
Clue and superclue There's clue and there is superclue. Clues basically know how to play the game. Thats to say they escort, det and know how to DF etc.. Superclues however:
  • Are at the right place at the right time
  • Do the right thing at the right time
  • Are strategically aware
I only know 5 players I'd call superclue, and since they already have heads big enough to cause a change in the Earth's orbit (lucky they are from all over the planet ha) I won't name any. If you read this stuff and think I am wrong, I'd sure like to know about it. I bet you will find at least one thing useful in what I say no matter what standard you are.

Beginner/Clue tips To escort does not mean just get to the planet and torp.

1: You Carrier Planet Defender WRONG !
2: Carrier You Planet Defender Close but no cigar
3: Carrier Planet You Defender Right !

Ideally you want to *end* up in position 3 and det and torp and phasor. Yes !! you can torp, det and phasor at almost the same time ! If I had a pound for everytime I've seen people just det while a good stream would clear the sky...

Scumming If someone is chacing you wait till you are slowing from maxwarp on your way to orbit and send back a stream of torps in his face. Most of the time you kill the guy, even if you don't, you cause him to slow down or pickup damage. Then just don't fucking orbit at all cost. If you see a stream coming at your cloacked ship, break off the drop, move out of the way and then start to drop again. Even if its an AGRI you will very likey have time to finish the take. Also, even more likely, he won't have the fuel for another stream.

If you can, fake ! That means cloack and fly over one planet on your way to another. Advanced fake is head on away from where you want to go, then cloack and maxwarp for a bit toward some planet, a few secs later switch to your target. Hopefully half the opposition is headed to the wrong place by then. If there is a superclue in your team he'll be waiting at your announced target when you get there.

Cloack when you PICK ! Its bloody obvious really. If they see you pick they know you are carrying. This way atleast you have a CHANCE they may not spot you until its too late.

Defending If you are just going to sit around waiting for the carrier then you are being about as useful as a dick in a lesbian colony. While you wait your team is a man short. While you wait some other carrier gets through. Just be useful and keep your eyes open. Your chance will come. See advanced tips below for a few tips on wiping the REALLY good scummers out of the game. Thats for some dickwits who are so hell bent on ogging one person they are being useless for most of the game. Ofcourse far be it from me to advise such a great intellects who should ask team-mates for help ogging the guy in the first place.

To defend does not mean sit around the planet. It means identify anyone with kills (more kills the better) as priority 1 and go and ogg/fight them. It doesn't matter if they carry or NOT. They represnt a danger. If I had a pound for everytime I have seen people just DFing others with no kills supposedly to defend a planet I'd really be a millionaire.

Advanced tips Take in order of priority:
  1. fuel-repair AGRI
  2. fuel AGRI
  3. AGRI
  4. fuel
  5. repair
  6. ROCK.
Now you are saying "thats bloody obvious isn't it". However, strategy comes into it. Here is a typical situation. They have just taken an AGRI or a rock or whatever ! and their whole team is over there trying to stop a take-back. You now have to consider, can I make it with team-escort or is it better to take a USEFUL planet on the other side away from the action ?? Remember if you opt to take the other planet you *will* split their team trying to take it back, hence you relieve pressure on anyone trying to take the original planet. I've seen idiots waste 12 armies trying to take a rock while other useful planets in the vicinity were clear !

Basically consider taking AWAY from the action (base ogg, etc..).

Counter or AntiOgging Lets say they have a REALLY good ogger on their team and he is swating your carriers like flies. OK, here is prime time for a counter ogg. You pick this guy out (his having kills or not does not come into it !) and you ogg him all the time you have ANY carriers at all. The worst case is you take a faceful of torps, but even this has slowed him down, AND wasted some of his fuel so your carriers have a much better chance. In clue games you want to pick him out even before the game starts.

Ogging out Lets say they have a terrific scummer. If you know this before the game pick him out and keep a short distance. Soon as he starts to dogfight someone (preferably in the middle of the fight) ogg him. The idea is not to let him get a kill in the first place. Man, this is so frustrating I've seen mild-mannered guys go ape shit. When the guy has a kill then things are tricky cause he is sure to get an escort. Case of stitch in time saving 9 planets. Again, in clue games you want to identify this guy before the game starts.

Base oggs There are many types of base ogg so maybe if you are captaining you want to consider what to do and when.
  • 4 man ogg:
    This is more like an instant ogg which is used to either send the base packing, or cover a take or prepare the way for a full ogg. Most time you kill the base if you pick the right time.
  • Formation ogg:
    "I know this" you say. No you fucking don't. Apart from spreading out, you want ONE guy to stand-off (preferably behind the base) and plink the base in a CA or DD. The reason is this guy will stop the base reparing, and cause some escorts to chace you leaving free space for the second ogg wave. Most of the time this guy gets the base kill cause he manages to torp while others have died.
  • Plinking ogg:
    You send in a BB and this guy plinks the base. If he reports a good job, try a 4 man ogg or a proper base ogg. Its always best to start off with the base low on shields than to ogg a prestine base.

Scumming and tactics Consider what to take ! Don't just go for the obvious. If you are being ogged stay cool and pick something else to do like ogging their carriers or escorting or something. After a while things cool down and you can start to scum again. The motto being if you do the SAME thing all the time you are predictable ! Be unpredictable and above all THINK !!