Natural Selection is an advanced, complex modification with intricate strategies and tactics that rival most commercial games. Veterans and new players alike can have trouble when they join a game, when the myriad of options available to them becomes painfully clear in the form of your team yelling at you to be productive. One can read strategies until the computer monitor implodes or meditate for five years, but the full spectrum of Natural Selection can never be fully grasped. This is why we, at the Readyroom, have compiled a short, concise guide to hold your hand through game after game of the Half-Life mod we all know and love. This list is the result of empirical research and balanced analysis. A quick glance at this article and you will discover or rediscover exactly how to play, behave, and act in public servers and clan matches alike. Without further ado, we present the What to do and What Not to do in Natural Selection list.  

What to do as Kharaa: 

• Picture marines as hickory-smoked legs of pork.
• Attack the hive every once in a while to keep your teammates on their toes.
• Chuckle incessantly. The pros do it.
• Try to bunnyhop even if you can’t. It makes funny noises.
• Get carapace when you’re an Onos, then charge into the marine base and count how many seconds it takes to die. This is easier if you don’t bother attacking anyone.
• An affectionate bite when friendly fire is on is the best way to make sure a Gorge knows you need healing.
• It is an efficient use of resources and time to spell your name with offense chambers.
• If you’re a Skulk, pretend you’re a guard dog for marines. Growl at aliens who get close to marine spawn.
• The funny noise a Gorge makes when he jumps is more important than anything else you could ever provide for your team.
• “Suck the nozzle” is the only advice a Gorge will ever need. It is helpful to bind this to an easily reachable key.
• Climb into a vent with multiple passageways, and block one off. When a teammate attempts to bypass you, make hissing noises and pretend to be a vent. Hilarity will ensue!
• Players who have evolved into a Fade may find it more expedient to pretend to be a marine if spotted than to fight it out.

What not to do as Kharaa: 

• Movement chambering to the hive that is under attack is the lazy way out. True players bunnyhop like mad and arrive just in time to listlessly bite a lone marine as the hive goes down.
• If you hear a phase gate, it’s probably just your imagination. Wander off.
• The Gorge healspray is designed for buildings. Using it on players is a gross exploitation of the ability and generally considered cheating.
• The walk key should never be utilized. Stealth is frowned upon unless you have silence and cloaking and have played Splinter Cell twice.
• Never spend any resources. That’s just being greedy.
• Scouting out the enemy’s position and destroying lone resource towers is a surefire way to be branded a lone wolf. Try some teamwork, Rambo.
• Never zig zag towards a marine. A straight line is the fastest and safest way to close the distance.
• It takes too much work to switch between different attacks. Just use whatever is selected when you spawn; if it’s good enough for one hive it’s good enough for them all.
• Unlike marines, the Kharaa are not designed for teamwork. If anyone attempts to talk to you, act aloof and unresponsive. If all else fails, bite them.

What to do as marines: 

• The more you beg, the more you get. The commander probably isn’t busy either way.
• If you scream into voice comm whenever an alien kills you, your team will learn to protect you.
• Welders make the best flashlights. If an alien shows up, be sure to try to peg them with the welder a bit before pulling out a gun.
• Any old marine knows how to go towards a waypoint, but how many are able to walk away? Your commander will be in stitches when he realizes you’re doing the exact opposite of what he orders.
• Never miss the chance to chase a tempting alien deep into the heart of enemy territory. The excitement is well worth the eventual death.
• No marine should ever leave the base without ammunition, so why would you ever leave with less ammo than you can carry? Simply suck the armory dry each time you spawn. Be sure to fill up the pistol too.
• In the event that you manage to grab a jetpack or a suit of heavy armor, you will become invincible. Wander off alone to the best-defended hive.
• It is entirely possible to have both a jetpack and heavy armor. You just have to get one and stand on the other for 10 minutes. Try it.
• If you can spell out your name with bullet holes in the wall, the aliens will forfeit the game in reverence of your coolness.
• As commander, constantly reassign your marines to different squads. If a soldier hears “You’re Squad 5!” twice a minute, he’ll know he’s being cared for.
• A parasited marine should spearhead any large attacks on alien bases, in order to intimidate any defenders.

What not to do as marines: 

• The name of the game is Natural Selection. Teammates screaming for help are weak and do not deserve to live.
• Welding other players or damaged buildings gives off a telltale glow that is sure to attract aliens. It would be best to avoid it altogether.
• A teammate is frantically screaming for you to take a phase game? That’s a sure sign that there’s trouble on the other end. Better stay away.
• Constructing a building gives off highly visible sparks. Veterans call those “sucker sparks” because only suckers construct buildings. Leave that to the commander. If he wants those buildings so bad, he’d get them done somehow.
• Never listen to the commander. If he’s so sure of what you should be doing, why doesn’t he do it himself?
• If your teammate has a grenade launcher, don’t protect him. He should be able to knife any aliens he encounters, and you’re better off doing something else, like hitting your use key in an attempt to open a door that won’t.
• Don’t stick together. That’s what the aliens expect you to do.
• Got a brand new grenade launcher? Don’t bother shooting those alien chambers; it’s a waste of time and ammunition. Your best bet is to fire at airborne Lerks. If you hit their bellies, it causes massive damage.
• A commander should never drop medpacks. An alien could easily grab one and make a fool of you and your team.

And there you have it! It’s as simple as that. Follow these tried and true time tested tips, and you can become a master marine, an amazing alien, or whatever your heart desires. The Readyroom takes no responsibility for injuries occurred while practicing the tips set forth the in the above list, and reminds the reader that following these is purely discretional and possibly dangerous.