Axe kills structures. Welder kills assists fast.

Shot guns turn into 1hit kill machines if you learn the timing correctly.

Like SC and SC2, NS and NS2 have a VERY VERY VERY UNFATHOMABLY high skill ceiling. This game likely has the highest of any FPS game that has ever been or will be made.

As everyone plays more things will balance out and things that work now against all the noobs will not work anymore.

Earlier today I played a game where people were saying aliens at the start are op. This is because 95% of the players could not kill a skulk. The other team was not that good but 2v8 and they win 75% of the time! The issue was that all of the players on marines had not yet learned to aim. In a few weeks those players will be able to aim and their problems will go away.

We played that map again for a second round and balanced the teams out. This time the marines one against those op aliens.

As for skulks the real issue is that in ns1 you got res for kills so going higher lifeforms meant something. However the other aliens are not bad they are just different much like the races on the wcs server. You got to learn their play style and then they are really good.