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Not So Common Sense - A Halo 2 Strategy Guide

by Overswarm

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FAQ


What playstyle type do YOU use, OS? I wanna be JUST like you!

I actually did receive that question in the way it was typed. I just replied back with a real short answer, but then I received about 6 or 7 more seriously worded questions. So, the answer.

All of them! As any player should know, you can't always play the same. You can't always do the same thing. Not because it won't work (sometimes it will), but because you might not always have the perferred weapons on hand. You should switch to whatever playstyle is best benefiting to you, your ability to win, or, when applicable, your team.

But nine times out of ten, I play with the Bear playstyle. I've found that since I use Legacy controls, I can literally run circles around the majority of players on Live. I'm also damn good with grenades (when htere is no lag), and pretty good at injecting with a sniper rifle. So, I can normally take out two before I die.

My second type is that of the Spider. I try to outsmart my opponents a lot, and I can do this easily because they expect me to run in, guns blazing, since I use the Bear type. If you were hunting a bear, and the bear was wounded, and it starts to run away, you'd assume you'd won. You wouldn't expect that Bear to be waiting behind a tree to maul you. That's why it works!

After that, Hawk and Vulture are kinda tied for 3rd. Those depend on my standing in points, the number of people playing, and my spawn/weapon.

However, I am always a wolf (or try to be) on team games. Which is what really frusterates me, because I'll be spewing forth info like "Two guys going for RL", "Enemy sniper on Ribs (the downed ship in Burial Mounds)", "Full hog coming to frontside of base", "The guy with teh bomb is in the tunnel" nonstop. My teamates? "THAT'S MY SNIPER!!!!!" Or, my personal favorite "STICK TOGETHER!"

Yeah, they've got two snipers and a rocket launcher. You're standing out in the open with a carbine looking for them. I can't wait to see how that turns out.

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I think I'm a Hawk, but I don't always get the sniper rifle. What should I do?!
(I'm transforming this into a new question)
Do your weapons determine your playstyle? Should they?

Sort of. Hawks rely on their good aim, their reflexes, and their eyes to win. I never said anything about their weapon. The sniper is definately best for a good Hawk, but a Hawk doesn't need it. You CAN be a hawk with an SMG.

"But OS, if I run in with an SMG, aren't I playing like a Bear?!"

Sort of. The Bear and Hawk are closely related, if you recall. But does it matter anyway? You don't have to stick to one playstyle.

One major difference you should be aware of is that most Bear players plan on dying. They don't think they'll get out of it alive, and if they do, it's just a mild "eh" if they do die. They'll be back to kill in 5 seconds or so anyway.

Your weapons shouldn't be a direct representation of your playstyle. I'm a Bear, but you don't see me with a shotgun on Coagulation, running across the map. Your environment and particular skills should determine what your playstyle is, or if you are using a hybrid.

Your weapon is part of the environment though, so it IS a factor.

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You said that the spider, the wolf, and the vulture will always beat a hawk if they are of equal skill to the hawk. You also said something about a spider countering a bear. Does that mean each playstyle beats another? What beats what?

Kinda sorta maybe. I'm giving you very rough ideas here, so please remember that this isn't like rock beats scissors beats paper. While some "generally" beat other playstyles, that doesn't mean they are great against each other. It just means, in ideal circumstances, that playstyle has a natural advantage . That advantage can be taken away by several stimuli.

The Bear is directly countered by the spider. The Bear won't stop from chasing a spider, even if the spider is waiting with a shotgun behind the wall. Spider wins.

That's a natural counter. That's also why you shouldn't play with just one playstyle; you should change your playstyle to go along with your situation.

Hawk- Spiders, Vultures, and Wolves all would beat a Hawk if they are all equal skill. I say this because those three all rely on outsmarting their opponent. If they are of equal skill, the Hawk won't win, because they'll be hitting the hawk as much as he'll be hitting them. Vultures, Spiders, and Wolves would all take him down in a safer fashion than the standard "Stand up here and shoot crap" that Hawks have. The Vulture, Spider, and Wolf all try to use tactics rather than ability to win. If they both have the same skill, then it end ups being (skill) vs. (skill + tactics). Skill + tactics wins.

Bear- Same as hawk. Just expect the Bear to be rushing at you while you're thinking.

Spider- Spiders kind of venture outside the playstyles. The spiders are using their brain all the time, out smarting their opponents. If you're smart, and realize that they are a spider, and play against them like they are a spider, you will win. The spiders biggest weapon is his brain.

Vulture- This guy stands real far away, so get into close quarters. I played against one guy who would do nothing but stand there with the sniper rifle, and wait until I was in the perfect position, and then shoot me. This was lives, and so when he killed me twice I got pissed. Instead of running up after him, I just went indoors. (this was on beaver creek) I went inside and just sat there with a shotgun and an RL. He came eventually, and he lost his natural advantage from being a vulture. So I won. You just have to take away the Vulture's natural advantage.

Wolf- The wolf doesn't do one particular thing. The only thing you can do to stop a pack of wolves is take them out one at a time. Take out those that will be helping the pack the most, then go down the chain.

In other words, think of each playstyles "natural advantage" and try to take it away when playing against them. You'll then naturally change your playstyle. Don't change your playstyle to change your tactics; let your tactics change your playstyle.

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Who made that kickass banner for your strategy guide page?

That would be none other than Germain Couët! You can find some of his artwork uploaded on this very site, be sure to check it out.

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Would you join my clan/group? Would you add me to your friends list? Will you train me? Will you train my clan? Can you record a game of me and you and put it online for me?

I have received MANY requests to join clans and groups. Unless you are a very high level, high skill clan, the answer is undoubtedly no. I just don't have the time.

For training you or your clan, or doing commentaries on your games, or anything like that, sorry. I have received so many offers for that that I cannot do it. I don't have time. If you are willing to offer me payment to do something, I'll definitely do it. But I wouldn't recommend it. You can get better by playing with friends just fine; you don't need to pay anyone. Buy a few books, read a few articles, play a lot of halo. You'll get there.

For friends list, you add me. I get anywhere from 2 to 40 friend requests a week from people I have never seen before. I have about 40 people on my friends list that I frequently play with, so that leaves about 60 spaces left. My friends list gets full a lot, and I just don't have time to add people manually anymore. My name is easy to type in, so it shouldn't be much of a problem. I generally accept all friend requests, but I also generally remove members of my friends list at random. It gets full, I get invites all the time. If you play with me a lot and I remove you, send me an invite. I'll probably recognize your name. If I played with you once over 3 weeks ago and I removed you, please don't send a request unless you are able to play with me.

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I added you to my friends list but you are never on/are always busy!

I play with a lot of people, and when I get on I like to PLAY the game. I don't have too awful much free time. I don't like sitting around and waiting much. I'm normally on late at night (11 p.m.-3 a.m. EST), so many people have trouble playing with me due to time issues. Sorry, but I work at the start of the afternoon until 9 at night, and I have class before that.

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Alright buster, you said that if I was removed from your friends list, all I had to do was send you an invite. What gives? You aren't accepting my invites, and you have room on your list!

Well, could be a couple of things. I believe in equal opportunity, and if you've been on my friends list for a long time and you aren't actually a close friend of mine, you generally won't be accepted back until I forget your name.

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I have a friend on your friends list, and he hasn't been deleted. But I've been deleted TWICE. Why?!

You've probably done something to piss me off. I hate mass messages, since there is no "Delete all messages" option, that could be it. It could also be that you always want to play Zombies, or Big Team Battle, or something else that I'm not too fond of.

It also might be that your level is exteremely low. When I notice that my friends list is full, I almost always immediately remove at least 5 people. While I don't mind who I play with, playing with low levels generally means playing with lower skill levels. That is always less fun, and can be a burden when making teams even. I don't have time to go through all 100 of the members on my list and think about each one. I just delete on the slightest whim and move on.

While it may sound crazy, I'll delete you off my list if your clan name is irritating to me. There's this one guy that had a fairly offensive clan name, and he and everyone associated with him has been booted off my list permanently.

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I have a friend that told me you work for Bungie. What do you do?

I wish. I don't work for Bungie. I'm a guy who likes their company and likes their product (for the most part), and I like writing and teaching. This fits! I'm doing it just to do it, and Louis Wu has been kind enough to let me spread it to the masses.

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I got your AIM name and started IMing you, but you don't seem to care about my glorious stories from the battlefield! I am hurt and confused.

I have receieved more random IMs and e-mails (Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga being one of them) since this site came up than I ever have before. If I am short with you, or seem apathetic, try not to take it personal. Realize that you are one small person from a sea of thousands that talk to me. There is a strong chance that I won't remember you in a week, and since I'm generally busy, I have no qualms from ignoring IMs until I have the time.

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What sensitivity/controller/button setup/favorite drink/eye color do you prefer?!

Too. Many. Questions. All the time.

My sensitivity is 5. It used to be 7, but that was when I only played Rumble Pit. My sniping got a lot better at 5, and since I am playing more team games, I have to snipe.

My controller is a microsoft brand "S" controller, and it has an awesome skin from www.gameconsoleskins.com

My button setup is Legacy + Default. I had Jumpy in halo 1, but had to switch because it doesn't exist in H2.

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Can you put up a 'What's New' section, so I can tell what's been updated?

An easy way to find out is to use the news archives search bar. Just type "Overswarm" in, and you will get the dates in which there has been an update to NSCS.

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Uh, OS? What the hell is a "reticule"?

An alternate spelling for reticle. It's also a drawstring handbag or purse. Apparently, it's the "proper" spelling for reticle, since my copy of Microsoft Word automatically changes "reticle" to "reticule". I didn't feel like messing with it, so I just let it stick.

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I heard a rumor from a friend that you will be clearing off your friends list. I don't want to be removed!

Sorry, it's true. My friends list, the moment I get back to college, will be cleared off. There will be a few VIPs out there that get to stay on, and all of my "real life" friends get to stick around, but most of you will be purged.

However, that doesn't mean that you can't send me another friend request the moment I get back! I'm sorry for the dozen or so that were just recently added to my friends list and never got to play with me, but I can't memorize everyones names. If you are REALLY itching to be on my friends list, you have to figure out what day I'm getting back in college. I do go to Northern Kentucky University, so a few people will be able to figure it out. First come first serve.

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That's great OS, but why are you doing it in the first place?

There are at least ten people on my friends list that have made new accounts and abandoned the ones on my list. There are also a few people on there two or three times. I need to clean it all off so that everyone gets a chance to play a few games with me. It's awesome opening up my friends list and having 30 so friend requests, but it's horrid having to accept them all and have to tell a few hundred others that I can't let them on my list. I'd like to give a few more people a chance.

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Why don't you have a bio or anything on this page? I'd like to know more about you.

Because it's a halo strategy website, not my personal blog.

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Are you ever going to do anything OTHER than Halo? Halo can only last so long!

Eventually, I will be doing strategy guides for other games. I have my eye on Perfect Dark: Zero and the new Smash brothers game coming out with Nintendo's Revolution. They won't be on this website obviously, seeing as how it is halo only, but you will all certainly know when it comes. If you see any up and coming games that you think merit a strategy guide, feel free to tell me about it at Overswarm@gmail.com

I plan on sticking to multiplayer only guides though. If you want good campaign, go to Prima or Bradygames. I just pick up where they left off.

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Hey, why don't you work for (insert company name), you'd do great! Or hey, I've got this cool website, could you drop in and make a news post or something?

I get lots of offers to do varoius things. I got an offer to work at a gamestore in Ohio (too far away), a book deal (accepted and working out details, you'll hopefully hear more later), a lot of fansites (whether for me, strategy in general, or halo) wanting me to post there, all sorts of things.

If you make it worth my while, I'd happily accept. I have time to go and write a few strategy articles for your website if you compensate me somehow, but people, please stop sending me e-mails asking that I update your website for you and give me nothing.

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What's with all these interviews? I want some MEAT in your guides, not this fluff!

I've been having some trouble with my video capturing equipment . It is Dazzle 90, and it's been freezing up on me. I can not move my mouse, I have to reboot my computer, and the video that was captured is not encoded. If anyone has had a similar problem and found a solution, e-mail me. Also, if you know of a good (and not bank breaking) capturing device, let me know how it's worked out for you. Since I don't have too much time right now (college is started, I have homework and tests being handed out), I don't feel like sitting down and writing a lot of articles (although I have a few on the back burner).

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I read elsewhere that you're looking for a sponsor. My dad owns a gardening company and-

Stop. Stop right there. I made the mistake of announcing on a forum that I was looking for a sponsor (and I am) for NSCS, because in the future I'd like to make NSCS spread across many games, and maybe have merchandise and a community. Since Multiplayer games are going to be on the rise with the next generation, guides like mine will be eaten up by the masses. I need someone to help me pay the bills as far as bandwidth goes, as well as helping me pay someone to do web design.

That is not your dad's gardening company. I need a steady, reliable business to sponsor me, if I get one at all. If you're reading this and you actually have an interest in supporting me, e-mail me. Don't tell me that your dad's gardening company would though. No more of that.

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This clan thing... how does it work?

Well, it's a simple concept. You get in a clan with people that have read NSCS, and more than likely play MLG games. I am -always- going to be in this clan, and I am never going to remove someone from the clan unless they abuse clan messages, invite tons of people, or are just downright jerks.

You can do clan matches if you want. I don't care, they don't mean anything. You CAN invite your friends, that doesn't bother me; just don't try to get your whole friends list in there. I'd rather have 8 people that just want to stay on my friends list (the reason for the clan) than 80 people because they want to say "I'm in a clan with Overswarm".

However, if you are in the clan, you WILL be removed from my friends list. If you are real nice, once you join the clan you can remove yourself from my friends list. As always, a few VIPs will get perks, like staying on my friends list or being Staff in the clan. Don't ask to be staff, nor to stay on my friends list. If you do, it will NOT happen.

You might not want to leave your clan, that's fine. You might want to leave the clan after you join, that's fine too. You can always come backif there is room.

If yo

u want to be part of the clan, send a friend request to someone in the clan or to me, and put "I want to join your clan" in the text. You will then be sent an invite, and possibly be removed from the friends list.

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Are you going to purge your clan list or anything like that?

Nope. I'm not going to touch the clan except changing roles in the clan and inviting members. Maybe the occasional booting of jerks or multiple accounts, but that is about it.

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Why are you doing this?

Because I'm now getting friend requests from some pretty good people, and people I want to have on my FL. This continually shortens the list down, further and further, and I don't want to have such a small number of people on my friends list that are NSCS fans; it feels wrong.

The clan fixes that, and lets the hardcore NSCS fans that really want to be on my FL have a chance to be a permanent addition via the clan. It also allows NSCS fans to have a community of people they can relate to, and can talk about NSCS with.

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I like that .GIF banner that was uploaded. Who made it?

Odin117. He just contacted me about it, actually. He took the original NSCS banner and made a short draft of an idea, and we tossed ideas back and forth, and then he made another draft that blew me away. I really like it, and it is now my sig for the mlgpro.com forums.

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I want to make artwork for you too!

This has been an increasing request lately. A lot of talented individuals are out there. If you really feel like it, e-mail it to me. If it's really good, I'll try to put it up here in the FAQ, or maybe if I get enough just have an art section (or put them in the art section of HBO). It can be banners, sigs, wallpapers, sculptures, paintings, wahtever. Doesn't matter to me. Show me your stuff!


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