Onslaught Basics
I play a lot of Unreal Tournament Onslaught. Though I am critical of most of the default maps, I like the design of the game. To help people understand what I understand about the game, I wrote down my tactics.
Unfortunately, most people on public servers barely know the basics. So, I created this page. I will assume the reader has read the manual and has played any game type of Unreal Tournament 2003 or 2004 before.
Understanding Nodes
First, read this forum, which uses pictures to describe nodes and what to do with them. A picture is worth 1K of words.
Second, understand why nodes are so important. They provide spawn points, more vehicles, more weapons, and avenues of attack. So, it is important to deny the opposing team of nodes. Simply attacking a node will prevent opponents from spawning there for several seconds. Keeping pressure on enemy nodes cripples their effectiveness.
Understanding Basic Concepts
- This game focuses heavily on offense. Defense is handled automatically by shielding nodes. There's a time and place for defense, but beginners should focus on offense.
- Nodes are everything. Your team only gains ground by taking control of nodes.
- Attacking opponent players will not win the game. This is not deathmatch. Only attack players if they are preventing you from attacking a node.
- This is a team game. Your individual score means nothing. You should be willing to sacrifice your life for a chance to attack a node. (If your score is that important, understand that you get more points attacking and healing nodes than killing opponents.)
- If you are not attacking a node, you should be healing your own team's nodes. Doing anything else is probably a waste of time.
The Process of Playing
- Spawn.
- Grab the fastest vehicle you can find.
- Make a mad dash to an enemy node.
- Attack the node, doing as much damage as possible. *
- If you are still alive, bring up the node and heal it.
- If you die, go to Step 1.
* If an enemy is defending the node, continue focusing on the node and just dodge the enemy's shots. If you must, split your damage between the enemy and the node. Never stop attacking the node. A node under attack will not allow enemy reinforcements to spawn there.
That's the game in a nutshell. Once you get more experience, you can deviate from this process. For example, if an enemy tank is impeding your team's progress, take out the tank.
Send comments to ons-comm at fantasien dot net.
Content updated: 02 Jan 2007