======== How To Fight : A Short Dissertation On Conduct In The Arena ======== ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEMORANDUM FROM: Warriors' Guild World HQ, Colorado Springs, CO, USA MEMORANDUM TO: All New Warriors. SUBJECT: Fighting In The Arena. 1. GENERAL. This short text is intended to give the new Warrior enough information to prevent bumbling about, perhaps fatally, in the Arena. It is not intended to instill instant expertise. For advanced hints and on-going discussions of tactics and strategy, the Warrior is referred to the international MELEE discussion forum (echo conference) carried by an increasing number of public and private bulletin boards who use FidoNet (tm) compatible message areas. 2. SPECIFIC. a) Combat Screen Information. Below is a representation of the MELEE combat screen. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍËËÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» ºStatus: (1) ǶEnemy Status: (2) º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄǶÄ(6)ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ ºEquipment: Armor Helm Shield ǶApparent Fatigue: º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄǶDegree of Wounds: º º Shape ----- -- -- ǶHelm Shape : ÅCover: º º Bonuses --- -- -- ǶArmor Shape : ÅCover: º º º º Covering -- ** -- -- ǶShield Shape: ÅCover: º º Torso -- ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÊÊÍÍÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÑÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ º Arms -- ºBlock Parry Counter ³ BerserK ³ Combo Attack ³ Surrenderº º Legs -- ºÛßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÛ º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄĶÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ºStatus: Orig³CurrentºÛÛ(4)ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ºWounds: (3) Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ºFatig.: Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ºDirty/Special TricksºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ºChoke Dust³MindBlastºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ºCrit Hit ³Taser GunºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÏÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛ º ºMessages: (5) º 1) In the upper left, the Warrior can find a computer monitored display of his status. Key items to track are the Equipment coverings. When the covering of a piece of equipment shows "0" then no covering is being offered by that piece of equipment for the specific body part that it should be covering. For enhanced equipment, bonuses will still provide coverage. The new Warrior should note that the higher the quality of the equipment, the less likely it is to get hacked to pieces by an opponent. 2) In the upper right of the screen, one can find information on his opponent. Enemy status is a reflection of how much "fight" the other Warrior has in him. While it is weighted by how fatigued the other Warrior is, this is primarily a reflection of how much pain he can still endure before being bested. Apparent fatigue and apparent wounds show exactly what you would expect them to show. Your opponent's equipment shape is last in the window, and show's how much coverage your opponent has remaining over the various parts of his body. For the armor, the three divisions are Torso, Arms and Legs. Note that these values do not reflect coverage by your opponent's shield, nor any armor bonuses the other Warrior may have as a result of equipment enhancement! 3) In the lower left side of the screen, the player can see exactly what his status is. Only the current fatigue and current wounds are likely to change during combat. Below this area are the available dirty/special tricks options. A Warrior must first decide ahead of time to throw chivalry to the winds and conduct special training in any or all of these dirty tricks, and then he must procure the necessary materials needed for implementing one of these tricks. Success or failure in the use of a dirty/special trick depends on a number of factors, based on the selected trick. Aside from the amount of skill developed in the implementation of the chosen trick, the defender's abil- ities count, too (ie., Luck is factored into the defender's actions-to-evade in nearly all the tricks; high constitution map void the effects of choke dust, good agility may assist in evading an enemy that has invoked a critical hit trance, superior intelligence and mind strength can ward the effects of a mind blast, and high agility and awareness may assist a defender in avoiding a taser gun dart). 4) Dominating the right side of the screen is a graphic representation of the Arena. Warriors are limited to this space for maneuvering. Warriors move via the use of the numeric keypad (with NUMLOCK on). The Warrior will move in the direction of the arrow on the keypad. Pressing "5" will cause your Warrior to take a break in place (rest). If his constitution is good, he may regain some of his fatigue, thus gaining a second wind. Keep in mind that this is a very simplistic view of the combat itself. Almost ALL of the action takes place in your head, with the descriptions provided to feed your imagination. Along the top of Arena window are several special tactics available to the Warrior. These are summarized below: A) Block: Pressing this will ensure that no matter what your Warrior has set in his tactics script, he will attempt to block the next sure hit against him. This puts you in defensive mode, so you have a slightly im- proved chance of actually blocking a hit. Solid blocks have been known to shatter weapons; this is a function of the weapon quality. B) Parry: This does just about what A) above does, except that instead of blocking, your Warrior will attempt to parry the next sure hit. The major difference between a block and a parry is that a parry is much easier on your and your opponent's weapons! NOTE: Attempting to block or parry an enemy's sure hit will throw your Warrior's timing off, forcing him to sacrifice his next move. C) Counter: Just like A) and B) above, except that instead of blocking or parrying, your Warrior will attempt to counter a sure hit. A successful counter both avoids the blow and actually hits your opponent, taking advantage of the inevitable lapse of defense one incurs when throwing an attack. NOTE: If are not forced to use your defensive action (because the enemy misses you anyway), then your defensive status is reset to the default value which is determined by your combat script file. D) Berserk: This will cause your Warrior to go berserk. This is a very dangerous strategy, since berserking Warriors will then fight on their own (no keyboard input) until they either win, are slain, drop from exhaustion, or recover their wits (checks are made in accordance with the tactics set for the Warrior and are subject to the Warriors willpower to see if his will is strong enough for him to rein in his emotions). Berserking Warriors tend to hit a little harder, although their accuracy is degraded. They usually are too insane to bother with any kind of defense..... E) Combo Attack: This will cause your Warrior to try to slip in two attacks in the current round. This action drains fatigue very rapidly. F) Surrender: Self-explanatory. The new Warrior should be aware, however, that surrender is not necessarily an easy out. Other Warriors can refuse your surrender and finish you off anyway. On occasion the wounds from a coup de grace are so severe as to cause semi-permanent damage.... 5) Messages: Combat actions/results are displayed here. 6) Opponent's Name: Let's you know who you're fighting, in case you forget...(you can only fight a person one time per day). ADDENDUM: Information on Dirty/Special Tricks. 7) Dirty (or "Special," as they are called by those who consider themselves above the use of nasty tricks (but who will use them anyway)) Tricks are a relatively new introduction to MELEE. Completely unsanctioned by the Guild, these are special abilities or devices a Warrior can call upon in a last-ditch effort to stave off overwhelming defeat. Dirty Tricks require special training of a most unsavory nature. While there is some training that will improve a Warrior's ability to execute dirty tricks in general, in order to have any real chance of success, a Warrior must specifically train for the skill he wants to develop. Even then one may not be able to execute the nasti- ness planned for a hated opponent. Most of the tricks require special equip- ment of one type or another. So, how do you get the training and equipment? Naturally, you have to find them in the seamy side of town.... 8) If you wish to swap your primary and secondary weapons while in the arena, you can invoke hidden command "F" for (F)lip your weapons. If you do not have a secondary weapon on you, then the program will automatically swap your primary weapon back into play. The most likely use for this feature is to protect your primary weapon if it's quality is low to start with, and you take or give a couple of good blocks, and are anxious about your weapon shattering by just one or two more blocks or parries....