Oh man, AvP 1 is so frickin scary. My only real advice for playing marine is to always have nv goggles on and run. Never stop running. The moment you stop those three or five aliens you didn’t see will have snuck up and surrounded you.
I second getting Fallout 1 and 2. Incredible games for a great bargain. And, yeah, anything Blizzard is good too.
Fallout 1 and 2, thirded. Excellant games.
If we’re dragging RPG into this, I’ll suggest Planescape: Torment. Bit of a learning curve, but excellant game.
Here is one I’m anxiously awaiting:
Far Cry, showcasing the new CryTek Engine.
Website: http://www.farcry-thegame.com/
E3 Trailer: http://www.ausgamers.com/files/details/html/6292
Tech Demo: http://www.gamershell.com/download_1523.shtml
I highly recommend the Tech Demo if you are at all interested in this game. The editor can do some truly amazing things on the fly. I imagine that this game will make a big splash in the FPS gaming world.
P: T is a great game. I heartily agree.
Far Cry has nothing at all to do with the OP in the least (no stealth), but it does look good.
SkyBum
My recommendation of NS is somewhat couched, because it is a VERY team/strategy oriented game, and at the moment (because its so new) even the veteran players are still getting used to the new maps, abilities, and strategies. So it’ll take some time for people to really figure things out to the point that stalemates stop happening.
It has a fairly high learning curve, which is both good and bad. It’s good in that there’s always something more to try, some new skill or technique or game subtlty that you haven’t found yet: there are so many options, and yet each has its role in countering the options of the other team. It’s bad in that, well, it takes a lot of practice, and at he moment things are a little chaotic as the mass of players are just learning too.
In either case, check out the minimap (press W on a default control config), and make sure to communicate (via mike and a vouce key is the best way)
If aliens: try going gorge if the rest of the team hasn’t, and putting up some res nodes and chambers (use the E key to build in a default config) Don’t feel you have to evolve immediately: getting res and hives up is crucial for aliens at the start of the game.
If marines: OBEY. Listen to your commander, and demand orders if you don’t have any. The marine team, unlike the alien team, CANNOT function without good teamwork. At all. Be sure to move in groups, build structures fast but with at least one person to cover/give early warning. And keep your comm informed of what’s going on: what chambers the aliens are using, and where their hives are.
Anyway, give it some time. It’s very rewarding, but it will take several games on any given map before you really feel like you know what’s going on and where everything is,