======== 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 carried by an increasing number of public and private bulletin boards. 2. SPECIFIC. a) The 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 º Str.: Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º º Init: Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º º Awar: Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º º Dext: Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º º Agil: Å ºÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û º º Will: Å ºÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛ 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 he 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. then 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. 3) In the lower right side of the screen, the Warrior can see exactly what his status is. Only the Current Fatigue and Current Wounds are likely to change during combat. 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. 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. 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 such coup de graces 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....