From: davidt@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Teo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.netrek
Subject: Some Hints on using a Borg
Date: 27 Sep 92 19:01:24 GMT
Reply-To: davidt@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Teo)


I decided to post this because I feel that most borg players do not know
how to use a borg effectively.  If anyone do not agree with any of my
techniques listed here, please feel free to replace them with your own. 
However, I would hope that, since I am posting this free of charge and
in my own time, there WILL BE NO FLAMES!

For a start, something very important :-

The real power of a borg lies not in its auto phasers, auto torps or
whatever, it lies on how good the human user is in interfacing with it. 
You have to combine the speed and accuracy of your borg with the
flexibility and cunningness of a clueful player.

Remember a borg is not a robot, dont let your borg control you, control
your borg!

How to be a good Borg Player :-

1) LEARN FROM GOOD PLAYERS! :-

For a start, ftp the files from gs69.sp.cs.cmu.edu.  These files are
written by some of the best netrek players.  I, especially, like the
articles written by Grey Elf and I became a better player after reading
them and after putting them into practice.

Many times I would be defeated by good human players even though I was
using a borg, but I learned from them and incorporated their techniques
to defeat them.

2) READ THE BORG HELP FILE :-

If you want to use your borg effectively, this must be the first step.

3) BORGS ARE OGGERS :-

Borgs are most effective for ogging and defending because of their speed
and accuracy.  Some borgs may provide useful information, like who is
carrying, who have kills and so on.

4) ADJUST YOUR BORG PARAMETERS TO THE SERVER :-

Do point number 2 first.
Although most servers are bronco-like servers, there are some servers
that are very different, like sturgeon (well it doesnt allow borgs now).
When I was playing in sturgeon (when it allowed borgs), I usually set my
phaser range to about 1.2 that of my maximum phaser range.

My Sequence of Play :-

1) GET KILLS!

Use the ogging feature of the borg if you wish to, but becareful, ogging
requires alot of fuel and you may be badly damaged if not killed in the
process.  Remember to break from your ogg when you think that you cant
do it.  It is better to try again the second time than to give away a kill.

Remember to ogg those that are suspected of carrying (some borgs show
that), then those with kills (some borgs show that too).  Relay this
information to your team (some borgs do that automatically).

2) IF YOUR TEAM HAS LOTS OF ARMIES AND THE ENEMY HAS LOTS OF PLANETS
REFIT INTO AN ASSAULT SHIP.

Remember that the power of the Assault ship is its ability to take alot
of damage.
Therefore, refit into an assault, try to get the armies from the planets
nearest the enemy so as to prevent them from being bombed.  You may
decide to bring the armies from these planets to the inner planets where
your team may be able to guard them more effectively.

If you are scumming for DI, try to take the planets that are far away
from the enemy but BEWARE OF OGGERS, LOOK AT YOUR GALACTIC MAP!

If you are orbitting an enemy planet, in the process of bombing or
taking it over on your assault ship, and enemies are shooting at you,
cloak and continue to bomb/beam down.  Do not run away!  Det the torps
that will hit you.  If you die while trying, so be it, but since the
assault ship can take alot of damage, there is a chance that you may succeed!

3) LOOK AT YOUR GALACTIC MAP!!

You should look at your galactic map more often than you look at your
local map!  Your borg should be able to handle most dogfights by itself
(especially if it has auto dodging, auto torps, auto phasers), thus
leaving you free to assess the situation.

4) AVOID OGGERS!

You have to do that if you are carrying armies!!!!
This seems like common sense but unfortunately there are just some
players out there who thinks that because they are using a borg, they
can kill anyone anytime.
If you are not carrying and you dont have enough kills, and you think
you can defeat the ogger, go ahead and attack (that's the good part
about using a borg).

5) WHEN TAKING PLANETS, CLOAK WHEN YOU ARE IN ENEMY SPACE OR WHEN
ENEMIES ARE NEAR

You should cloak, lock onto the planet, go at max warp!!
Do you business quickly and run towards your friends!  Play it safe!
Send them an emergency message before taking a planet, let them know if
you need escorts, and send them another emergency message if you need
help running away from oggers.  Try to cloak and run away from them as
fast you can towards your friends.

6) IF THE ENEMIES ARE FAR AWAY, YOU DONT HAVE TO CLOAK, SAVE FUEL!

Becareful of cloakers though, if they are far enough, they will still be
invisible to your borg (even on the galactic map) because of the hidden
enemy flag of the server.
If you are on an Assault ship and your enemies are either clueless or
far away, you may carry more than sufficient armies to take one planet,
to save time ferrying armies to and from planets.  Beware of Oggers!

7)  HOW MANY ARMIES TO CARRY?

This is debatable.  My rule is this:-  figure out which enemy planet to
take, and take enough armies, at least, to destroy the planet.  If the
planet is farway from your enemies and there are lots of enemy planets
near it and you have enough kills, you may want to take more. 
Otherwise, take not more than 5 armies.

8)  HOW MANY ARMIES TO BEAM DOWN?

If you want to prevent the enemy from taking the planet back, I would
say beam down enough till there are 4 armies on the planet, beaming down
more would make it a bombing target.  If you just want to prevent the
enemy from using the planet or if your team is short of armies, leave
about 1 army on it.

You or someone else may want to protect a neutral planet (0 armies) or a
weak planet (1 army) until the weak planet pops more armies or until the
neutral planet is taken by your team.

--

There are many more techniques listed in gs69.sp.cs.cmu.edu.  You can
read them for yourself. 

Strengths of a Borg

- Speed
- Accuracy
- Ability to provide useful information

Weakness of a Borg

- Predictability

That is why you need to complement the weakness of a borg with the
strengths of a good human player which is cunningness.