Overview
Do you have teammates who play the Technician? Want to be a more effective teammate? Or are youi just wondering what the hell “Techniquette” is? Read on!
Introduction
Hello Hawkenites! My name is Venomous Woe. I am a Hawken player, just like you, and I have come to talk of something of extreme importance to my and everyone else’s enjoyment of the game. That something, you ask? Just a little thing called “Techniquette.” What is Techniquette? Well, let’s start from the beginning
However, there are some things that other players do that honk me off. In some extreme cases, these actions can compromise themselves and the Technicians working to help them. To prevent this, I have created a simple set of guidelines to follow whenever you’re partnering with a Technician. I call them “Techniquette.” Here they are, in no particular order
Guideline One
1. Don’t boost away when a Technician is trying to heal you.
With all the emphasis on healing, you’d think teammates would run into a Technician’s arms and plant their head squarely on the Tech’s shoulders in a loving embrace. However, this is far from the case. Due to a bizarre aversion to health and success that many players seem to have, they boost away from the Tech whenever the Helix Repair Torch casts its gentle yellow ray on their shredded metal hulk.
Really, it’s annoying as all hell, and it needs to stop. When you boost away from the Tech, it has to boost itself in order to keep up with you, leaving you both vulnerable. If you happen across the enemy team while you’re running away, they’ll be like, “oh look, free kills!”
To avoid this, please look on your screen for a yellow bracket. It looks like a damage indicator, except it’s yellow. That bracket shows that a Technician is healing you, as well as the direction that the Technician is healing you from. When you see this, DON’T FARKING BOOST. Take cover if you have to, but don’t move in the opposite direction. If you must retreat, retreat TOWARDS the Tech.
Another important point is that the Tech’s repair torch heals itself as well as you, so if you see that yellow bracket, but your health is at max, then it’s likely that the Tech is trying to heal itself. Again, don’t boost away, especially if your under pressure. You could cause the Tech to die and leave your other teammates vulnerable. And that wouldn’t be fun for anybody. So in summary, when a tech heals you, DON’T BOOST
Guideline Two
2. Don’t run towards the enemy with the Tech on you.
A Tech is not an angel dispensing immortality on all that it encounters; it’s mortal, just like you. Therefore, do not act as if having the Technician’s beam on you makes you invincible. It doesn’t. If enough players are attacking you, you can be overwhelmed. Do not charge straight toward the enemy when a Tech is healing you; you put both yourself and the Tech at risk. Instead, use the same rules as you do when a Tech is not around: take cover when possible, and pick off weaker enemies first.
I see this a lot with users of Heavy C-Mechs. They go into turret mode, out in an open space, and rush towards the enemy. This is not a good strategy for a number of reasons. Like I said before, the Torch does not make you invincible and this applies doubly when you are in a mode where you can’t move as fast and take double damage from the rear. All it takes is for enemies to attack you from behind and kill the Tech, and it’s all over. Remember, you are protected by the squishiest of all mechs. Don’t allow yourself to get in a position where that squishiness will be proven.
If you must use Turret mode, do it in a corridor, or around a corner, or any other area where the enemy will have a difficult time getting around you. Never EVER do it in an open or fairly open space.
Guideline Three
3. Don’t repair when the Tech is healing you.
Some players try to be helpful and make the healing process go faster by repairing when a Tech is on them. In reality, they’re doing the opposite. When you repair, you stand still. And when you stand still, the Tech has to stand still. See the problem here? If an enemy happens upon you, he’ll find not one, but two vulnerable targets. And one of them is guaranteed the stamina of a wet paper plate and the damage output of a teething puppy. Seriously, just don’t do this. Stop repairing, let the Tech heal you back to full, moving back towards your team when you do so.
Guideline Four
4. Don’t boost away when the Tech is trying to heal you.
Seriously, this is just incomprehensible. Don’t do it.
Guideline Five
5. The Tech is not your babysitter. Handle your own stuff.
This isn’t too much of a problem in my experience, but I still feel I should bring it up. The Tech does not exist to serve you. I can only speak for myself, but I try to play with my team. Therefore, I attend to whoever I feel needs the most tender love and care. In addition, I might also not see you in a trying battle situation. The Tech has to be there for everybody, and things can get hectic. That means I cannot be held responsible if I am unable to attend to you. And I probably won’t be able to attend to you if you go off and do something stupid.
As I said before, the Tech’s repair beam is not a license to be a dummy. You need to play just like you do when a Tech isn’t around. Take cover. Dodge fire. Support besieged teammates. I probably don’t need to explain this, but still, I don’t want to hear any cries of “WHERE WAS THE TECH WHEN I GOT KILLED BY TWO SCOUTS AND A VANGUARD?!?!” Simple, I was attending to another teammate, one who wasn’t stupid enough to put himself in that situation.
TL;DR, just play smart, and the rest will fall into place.
And finally,
Guideline Six
6. DON’T BOOST AWAY WHEN THE TECH IS TRYING TO HEAL YOU.
Conclusion
Well, that’s about it. This is largely common sense stuff, so it doesn’t take much effort to apply it. After all, Techs are your friends; if you boost away from your friends, put your friends in danger, and expect your friends to bow to your every whim, you’re a damned sociopath and no one should ever be friends with you. Thankfully, I doubt that the label applies to you; just make some adjustments to your play style, and all will be hunky-dory. OK? OK.
This has been a public service announcement from a disgruntled Hawken player.