So you want to play Natural Selection 2! But you don’t know where to start, and you’re not sure how to get started. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with this short series of guides. Should you want to go even further, you can check out my Natural Selection 2 Guide series that is dedicated to helping NS2 players get the most out of their games and get better at the game.

The alien commander has been chosen, and the Xenomorphs are preparing to implant it in the womb. The new specimen will be pumped with the necessary nutrients, hormones and growth hormones to ensure a successful Xenomorph baby. The humans have also managed to construct a new weapon, a device that serves as a biological ”countermeasure” to the threat posed by the Xenomorphs. If the human commander successfully escorts the specimen through the constructed tubes connecting the Alien Hive to the spaceship, the alien commander will be safely released into the Hive. But if the specimen is captured, the human will be wiped out in the process.

Alien Commander is a game that I made in the past year, and it’s a sequel of my first game, Natural Selection. It’s a first-person shooter game, where you control an alien. This game has a couple of game modes, and the non-fiction one is the story mode. You can play it against the computer or with a friend (who also has the game on their computer). This guide will teach you the non-fiction game modes.

natural selection 2 alien commander guide

It’s an understatement to say that Natural Selection 2 has a high learning curve. Natural Selection 2 throws you into the deep end of a diving pool with a cement block attached to your shoes, in a world of hand-holding electronic games that will push you in the correct way if you even think about straying from the route.

Today, I’d want to go straight into one of the game’s most intimidating features: commanding, and more particularly, a function that even Natural Selection veterans are unfamiliar with: Alien commanding. Unknown Worlds has chosen to level the playing field this time around and enable Alien players to enjoy the RTS/FPS experience of a live commander, which was previously only available to marines.

The Aliens themselves, with their melee-focused hit-and-run tactics, are intimidating enough for a novice player, much alone the idea of controlling them. This guide is not intended to be a comprehensive list of legal tactics; rather, it is intended for players who are eager to test out the system. Simply stated, it will most likely prevent your squad from being enraged with you. Probably.

Before we begin, I suggest creating a server in ‘Explore mode’ to get a feel for the controlling interface without the added pressure of a live game.

2012-11-14_00004-600x337Explore mode offers you with limitless resources and comprehensive knowledge on all alien evolutions, marine weaponry, and marine and alien buildings.

So. Let’s go on to the guide.

When you get into the Alien com chair, the first thing you should do is extend to a few of resource nodes. To extend your base, you’ll need to create a network of ‘cysts,’ which will slowly spread illness on the ground while also allowing you to construct structures. Anyone acquainted with Starcraft’s Zerg race’s ‘creep’ mechanism will understand.

Take a quick glance around the map to see where the nearest hive is located. A large yellow square on the map indicates possible hive sites. This is a fantastic location to expand since these rooms often include a resource node, and securing the room guarantees that you’ll be able to set up that crucial second hive when you’re ready.

2012-09-11_00027-600x337To extend your base, you’ll need to create a cyst network.

Look for the next nearest node once you’ve placed the resource tower in this room. Typically, a single node should be located near your base. Expand to that point and seize it. You should be able to generate a continuous stream of revenue with three nodes. Going for four may be a feasible strategy, but it’s usually better to stay with three this early in the game and then concentrate on team improvements. If you find your team has a stronghold over a region with a res node, be sure to grow there.

2012-11-11_00006-600x337The green silhouette indicates the presence of a resource tower.

After that, you’ll want to consider improving your primary hive. Shade, Crag, and Shift are the three kinds of hive you may upgrade to. Shade or Shift are excellent choices for the initial hive. Shade hives enable you to experiment with cloaking, which is particularly useful against skulks that like to ambush. Shift hives enable you to study celerity, which improves movement speed and is particularly useful for skulks that like to hurry. Inquire with your staff about their preferences.

2012-11-11_00005-600x337Upgrades may be found by clicking on the hive-specific structure (Spur, Veil, or Shell) first, then the upgrade. Alternatively, as shown in the center of this image, you may simply click the upgrade symbol that is floating above the building.

Let’s pretend you choose the shift hive for the purpose of this tutorial. You’ll be able to construct a shift and a spur after upgrading. Both should be constructed in your primary base. You may look into celerity on the spur of the moment. Your skulks will adore you as a result.

2012-11-14_00002-600x337A potential hive site is shown by the orange square.

The next step is to put money aside for a second hive. With a second hive, you may develop unique abilities for your comrades, such as leaping for skulks, bile bombing for gorges, and blinking for fades. Upgrade the hive to either shift or fade, depending on which one you didn’t construct previously.

Natural-Selection-2-Guide-Alien-Commander-Non-Fiction-GamingThe evolution abilities are studied from the far left icon, while the three distinct hive kinds are researched from the next three icons in a hive’s construction menu.

You may now study new abilities for your colleagues by clicking on your hive. In nearly every game, the first thing you should learn is how to jump. Skulks are the basic foot troops that every respawning player will spawn as, and their ability to jump allows them to move and flee quickly.

1626568473_495_Natural-Selection-2-Guide-Alien-Commander-Non-Fiction-GamingEvery alien evolution has one or two researchable talents. The audience favorites include leap, blink, and bile bomb.

Make sure you learn about camouflage by making a veil, and the rest is up to you. Ask your squad what improvements they want, tell them where you want to grow, and make sure you keep them informed about enemy moves. To counteract nade-spam and provide some additional defense, place whips at your bases and expansions. Because they have a limited melee range, try to construct them near corners. To create forward siege positions, construct shifts and hatch eggs at them. Once you have a crag hive, place crags in strategic places for your soldiers to heal.

1626568474_768_Natural-Selection-2-Guide-Alien-Commander-Non-Fiction-GamingThe presence of crags in different places allows your soldiers to heal without having to return to the hive.

Last but not least, you may produce eggs with evolutions connected. This is especially helpful in the late game, when you may have a lot of team res but not enough personal res for your friends. You may spawn onos, fade, lerk, or gorge eggs for free, which your friends can utilize to upgrade to these evolutions.

2012-11-14_00003-600x337After clicking on the egg, choose an alien development. Teammates will be able to ‘use’ the egg to develop into the evolution of their choice quickly.

Obviously, there are many more sophisticated strategies, including a couple that make advantage of the secondary buildings’ “special” powers, but these should get you through most games.

 Natural Selection 2 may be purchased on Steam or via GameFanShop. If you like Steve’s essay, don’t miss his “Natural Selection 2 impressions!”

The following guide for Natural Selection 2 shows you how to play as the Alien Commander in a tutorial mission. You can spawn your own units with the basic commands and then lead them in battle against the human forces. This guide will cover some basic tips and tricks, tactics, and strategies for the Alien Commander.. Read more about natural selection 2 wiki and let us know what you think.

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Holly is the smartest person you will ever know (Or so she tells us lol). She's a gamer by heart, and an author by soul. Writing for the website g15tools is a dream come true for her - she loves being able to share her thoughts and insights with others who love gaming as much as she does. When she's not writing or gaming, Holly can be found spending time with her friends and family.