============================================================================== GUNBOUND A.SATE SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDE ============================================================================== Version 1.22 Copyright 2005 chloromethane Last Updated 30 March 2005 Contact at chloromethane@gmail.com If you intend to reproduce this guide under any circumstance (other than for personal, private use, in which case be my guest), please ask. The only place you should see this guide in is GameFAQs. OUTLINE 1. Before You Begin 1.1 Terms 1.2 Recommended Readings 2. Guide and Personal Introduction 3. Mobile Introduction 4. Weapon 1 and Its Uses 5. SS and Its Uses 6. Weather 7. Anti-A.sate 8. General Advice 9. Version History ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 BEFORE YOU BEGIN My grammar is terrible. If you spot mistakes and are 100% sure that they are so, please contact me with the details. 1.1 Terms Close range - Opponent next to you or up to say, three bot lengths from you Mid-range - About half the map length Long-range - About the entire map's length Mid/long-range, close/mid-range - Somewhere in between Bot length, bot height - These are for estimating only, and do not include the guy sitting on the bot. Bunge - Causing an opponent to fall through into the bottom of the screen, resulting in a kill. Dig - Literally digging your opponent into a hole. This is typically done by aiming at the ground just in front of the opponent. Double Team, DT - being targeted by multiple people Shotgun, sg - Choose Drag (while in battle, click Esc then select Drag) and do a full-bar shot. Terrain - The ground, the stuff you stand on Tracer - The dot that the A.sate fires for all its weapons 1.2 Recommended Readings The 'main' in-depth A.sate guide on GameFAQs, by Smashnuke, is very good for people who don't know the difference between shooting left and right with an A.sate. If you are one of those people, read it before coming back. Understanding delay is ridiculously important. For that, turn to the General FAQ by Dissemble. While you're there, learn about the weather bar if you don't know about it yet. ______________________________________________________________________________ 2 GUIDE AND PERSONAL INTRODUCTION Understand that this is a SUPPLEMENTARY guide. It touches on the slightly finer aspects of the game. Because of that, I try not to include information that is too 'obvious', that you probably know or can figure out by yourself. My ASCII text diagrams are not exactly fine art, but I hope they get the message across and that you can bear with the ugliness. I play in avatar-off zones, which usually only allow dual and dual-plus. I usually use A.sate, but sometimes choose random or other mobiles just for kicks. I use slice, and typically use angle 50 (I tend to forget angles easily, so I standardise). I play Score 3v3, 2v2, occasionally 1v1. Keep these in mind as you read the guide. ______________________________________________________________________________ 3 MOBILE INTRODUCTION 3.1 Pros - High close to mid-range damage, considering its relative ease of use - Shield When you are damaged then no longer targeted, the health regenerated can be quite significant. - Good traction (for climbing terrain) - Shooting mechanics: leaves room for much creativity in the strange maps (Shooting mechanics refers to the way the A.sate shoots - the tracer, the satellite, the lasers, etc.) 3.2 Cons - Weak long-range game - Low health - Shield Mage SS is a world of hurt. A good Mage will SS you on his first turn. Not only does it damage your non-shield health, it also takes away all the shield in its blast radius (yes, that includes you), leaving you with a bit less than half your life. A dual will kill you off. - Shooting mechanics This leaves you killing yourself if you're not careful. When in doubt, use weapon 1. A good opponent will also use that to shield himself, either using terrain or your teammate. 3.3 Shooting mechanics 3.3.1 Tracer The A.sate works like so: you fire a tracer, then a satellite shoots lasers in the direction of where the tracer landed. Take a look at the A.sate and you'll notice it has this snout-like thing in front of its eyes. And in front of the snout is that aiming arrow. It's this snout from which the tracer comes out (yes, I recorded a clip with my digicam, all for your education). You'll need to know this in many close range situations, or like when there's some terrain right in front of you and you're not sure if the tracer will land smack there. 3.3.2 Position of satellite For weapon 1 and 2, the satellite stays directly above you (the mobile); for SS, it hovers above (or below) where the tracer landed. The heights of all three satellites are relative to you only: weapon 1's satellite is the lowest, weapon 2's is the highest, and the SS' is in the middle of weapon 1 and 2's. (By the way, I did screen shots, and found that the bot, weapon 1's, SS' and weapon 2's satellite are all evenly spaced apart. So it's like the following diagram.) X <<< weapon 2's satellite - - - - X <<< SS' satellite X <<< weapon 1's satellite O x <<< tracer ^ ^ you Knowing the height of the SS' satellite is very important in maps like Nirvana B and Metamine B, where there's very high and very low terrain, and people standing a lot higher than others are. If the SS' satellite is BELOW your target, you'll need to shoot ABOVE the satellite (if you shoot below it, the satellite will aim downwards). 3.4 Evaluation Fragility and a weak long-range shot are a problematic combination. Later in the game, it is likely that the teams will be on opposite sides of the map. You can't go too close to them, or you'll be their common target (i.e. dead in one turn). You can't be too far from them, or you can't do anything. A mid- range game is your best bet. ______________________________________________________________________________ 4 WEAPON 1 AND ITS USES 4.1 Bunge You might have witnessed one of those 'un-bunge-ables' before. The mobile stands on the tiniest platforms that seems impossible to remove. The problem is that in order to hit the platform, you hit the mobile first, which absorbs the impact. Just remember that weapon 1 comes down at a lower angle, so it might be a better choice especially at close range. Dual [weapon 1] if necessary. 4.2 Long-range or awkward terrain Weapon 2 does pitiful damage at long-range and your opponents will exploit this fact. In larger maps like Dragon, your best shot does about 100 if you aim from end to end. Weapon 1 can do similar damage and is definitely a viable alternative if you have a dead aim (granted, weapon 2 spreads wider and has greater room for error). Furthermore, you get better delay. Similarly, weapon 2 can be useless when there is a whole chunk of terrain between your target and satellite. On rare occasions, your weapon 1 can connect if you move and adjust your shot. Two weapon 1s can do 200 damage, which is not strong, but respectable. ______________________________________________________________________________ 5 SS AND ITS USES 5.1 Introduction The A.sate's SS shoots vertically, giving it more uses than simply dishing out damage, which it does a good job of, nevertheless. Both the damage and delay of SS are between that of Dual-plus and Dual [weapon 2]. That makes the SS your weapon of choice when your opponent's health is about 400+ and/or when there is item lock. REMEMBER that the SS has smaller shooting angle than weapon 1/2. Don't just switch to SS and fire away without checking if the angle changed. 5.2 Long-range Unlike weapon 2, the SS's damage does not decrease with greater range. Provided it connects, you will find that it is well worth the delay at long range. (See 'Weapon 1 and Its Uses - Long range or awkward terrain') 5.3 Enemy on pixel platform Problem Sometimes you have an enemy sitting comfortably on a thin/small platform that is above the ground (see diagram below). You want to kill him off with a dual, but you're afraid the first shot might clear the platform, causing the enemy to fall and your second shot to miss. O <-- guy --- <-- thin/small platform ______ _____ / \__/ |__ <-- ground Solution For most other bots, you'll thus have to either make sure you don't clear that platform, which is pretty hard, or do an ultra high angle shot. As an A.sate however, you can also use your SS. Done well, it does almost the same damage as a dual, and since it is vertical, you don't have to worry about whether you do clear that platform. Evaluation This use of SS is theoretically quite good, but in reality, it is very difficult to get the maximum damage (low 400s to 500, depending on the target mobile) out of SS, particularly when your target is on a platform. A slight misjudgment will cause either half the lasers to miss, or the tracer to land completely off target. It will work if you are comfortable with SS and have used it often, but otherwise this might not be up your alley. 5.4 Welcome-hole for an incoming bot Problem An enemy will often drop near you after you've killed him, hoping to 'take revenge'. Solution A fun strategy that I have found amazingly effective is SS-ing his landing spot. Remember that the wind will affect his drop. Take note that this strategy is to DISABLE your opponent (i.e. render him useless so that you can bother someone else), rather than bunge him. As the hole is vertical, it will be pretty hard for you to dig him further, or shoot him, for that matter. Weigh your options. Evaluation The SS creates a clean, narrow, vertical hole of about five bots' height that you can't achieve with any other bot. Most players will find it pretty difficult to shoot from it, and might even damage themselves while trying. I think it is quite worth the delay with the right conditions. Incentives - Bot types: some mobiles have a tendency to kill themselves when stuck in a hole, or just have a hard time shooting from one, e.g. A.sates, lightning mobiles like Lightning and JD. - Favourable, strong, permanent wind: If your opponent is landing downwind from you (e.g. rightward wind, he lands to your right), he will have an exceedingly hard time hitting you. Disincentives - Higher priorities: maybe you should help your teammates kill off an opponent, etc. - Opponent's shooting: This won't work on Nak [weapon 2] or Aduka [weapon 2, depending on where Thor is], or on people who do high angles on a regular basis, e.g. Boomer, Turtle. - Wind Change: If you see that Wind Change (the meteorite on the top bar) is coming or is already here, the wind will most likely change by the time your opponent lands. And he will not land in your hole. Boohoo. - Thor: Depending on the position of Thor, its lasers usually widen the SS hole, making it slightly less effective. (On a separate note, if the land is thin, your SS will clear the whole chunk, thus your opponent will fall right through. Funny, but not that useful, as it doesn't earn you a kill nor does it disable your opponent. It is just a delaying tactic that takes up a turn of yours as well. You will probably be better off doing something else.) 5.5 Anti-Nak Problem Naks have a powerful weapon 2. You don't want to be on the receiving end of one. Solution Move as far as you can from the Nak. Fire an SS right next to you, between you and the Nak (See diagram below). __o _____o__ <<< Nak ^| | ^| | ^|_|<<< SS hole you It will be extremely difficult for the Nak to use weapon 2 on you, not only because of your position immediately next to the cliff face, but also because of the land on the side of the hole opposite of you. He will be forced to either use weapon 1, or do an ultra high angle, which is still quite difficult. Evaluation The biggest problem with this is the delay and what your opponents can do during that time. Unlike the welcome-hole idea, you are simply granting yourself a one-to-one immunity. You are still vulnerable to other opponents, which is a big factor given the delay, and that Nak can simply shift its focus to your teammates. This will be more useful in smaller games such as 1v1s and 2v2s. Take note that if the Nak is downwind from you with very strong (e.g. 25) wind, he can use a slightly high-angled shot to hit you. (A similar idea can be applied to Grubs who abuse slopes for their weapon 2, but for this case, a hole using your weapon 2 should be enough.) ______________________________________________________________________________ 6 WEATHER (If you don't know what weather is, go see the General FAQ by Dissemble) 6.1 Weather patterns At the start of the game, check out the weather bar to see what's coming and make some sense of them and their order. Use them to your advantage. They always show where the lightning or solar beam is going to be on the turn before. That's useful as well. For example, say Thor is arriving before Item Lock: You dual at Thor. Your opponent shoots without item at Thor. He shoots again at Item Lock. You SS, he's dead. (This assumes, among other things, that your opponent doesn't have a particularly damaging SS, e.g. JD, Nak, Aduka) 6.2 Hurricane 6.2.1 Shooting through a hurricane Hurricane can be pain, since, being an A.sate you have to think about the path of both your tracer and your lasers. Nevertheless, I found a useful 'Rule of Thumb' for when your tracer meets the hurricane on its upward path. That is to shoot just as you would without the hurricane. This is because in this case, the tracer's path is lengthened by the hurricane while that of the lasers is shortened. It sort of cancels out. The rule does not work that well in close-range battles, but try it out and see how it works for you. And this has only been tested with weapon 2. I usually shoot through a hurricane with weapon 2, which is like the lesser of two evils. Firstly, the better delay of weapon 1 can result in you 'lapping' others in delay, in which case you have to shoot through the hurricane again. And since weapon 2 reacts differently through a hurricane from weapon 1, your previous shot was essentially useless. Secondly, you're more likely to do team damage with weapon 1 because of the lower angle. Weapon 2 is easier to control. (Say your tracer landed on an opponent by chance when you were shooting through a hurricane. SS-ing on the next turn would be a sweet idea (if the hurricane didn't leave by then). Hurricane amplifies your deviations by the way, i.e. a slight miss will equate to a complete fiasco.) 6.2.2 Considering the hurricane If you don't fancy the challenge, you can dual when you see a hurricane coming between you and your target. That way you skip the hurricane entirely, and you continue shooting on your next turn as if the hurricane was never there. Alternatively you can aim for a guy not blocked by the hurricane, but this is a new shot, one that you are more likely to miss. I prefer the dual idea. Sometimes your opponent finds himself at the base of a hurricane. You should be happy. It's hard to miss in this scenario, so you should go for it. If YOU find yourself in a hurricane, same thing applies to your opponents. Move before the hurricane comes. 6.3 Thor/Lightning/Force/Item Lock Some players believe that you should dual during Thor/Lightning/Force, and SS during item lock. While you can get 100-200 more damage during Thor/Lightning, delay should be your priority. Reducing an opponent to 200 health is great, but that might mean he gets to kill you with two consecutive turns. Besides, I like to save up the SS to make a welcome hole (See SS and Its Uses). ______________________________________________________________________________ 7 ANTI-A.SATE 7.1 Use of terrain Because the A.sate's lasers spread significantly from mid-range onwards, an opponent can become quite a nuisance when he keeps against a fairly steep slope (say, 60 degrees to the ground). Even if the lasers SHOULD get him, they are more than likely to scrape against the terrain, and even your best shot will hardly scratch him (see diagram below). If you face this snag, move closer or target someone else. You can even SS if you feel lucky. o <-- your satellite ____o____ <-- you / _/ / o/ <-- guy Other uses of terrain include sheltering, digging a hole etc, but these have fairly obvious solutions. Blast your way through or get someone else. 7.2 Close range diggers These include Raon and Bigfoot, JD to some extent. Bigfoot's weapon 1 deals damage at the low 200s with better delay than you. Raon has their mines that can be very disruptive. Both dig well. It isn't so bad if they are on your left, since you can shotgun their side and still keep up with their damage. However if they are on your right, you have to aim for their right side at a high angle, which can be very challenging with all the digging and angle changes. Therefore if you are near a digger whom you think is competent, 1) pray that he does not aim at you or 2) move as far from him as possible. The latter is a more viable option though. I would suggest teleporting, but few rooms allow it nowadays. 7.3 Damage monsters With A.sate's pathetic health, you can die quite easily. 'Damage monsters' include shotgunning Tricos and Turtles, Armour, Boomer and A.sate. Their weapon 2s can do 250 damage without help from weather or items. For shotgunners, try aiming a little short to have a digging effect. As for the rest, it is pretty much a damage competition. There is nothing much to say. (A well-placed Lightning weapon 2, Thor-charged Aduka weapon 2 and shotgunned Raon mines can deal 250 damage and above, but these situations are rare.) 7.4 Mage As with all shield mobiles, the Mage SS is a deadly foe (see 'Mobile Introduction - Cons - Shield'). If you get to shoot before the Mage, keep some distance and maybe try to dig it. If he misses slightly, the SS does not do direct damage and only removes your shield. You can now laugh at him. If you fear them, just choose a non-shield bot. ______________________________________________________________________________ 8 GENERAL ADVICE 8.1 Shooting My personal opinion is that you shoot best relaxed. As they say, it's just a game. Even if you missed a particular important shot, your teammates are screaming 'NOOB!!' at you and your opponents are laughing their heads off, try not to take it too hard. That shot is in the past. Concentrate on the present. As for method of shooting, I use the marker on the slice bar intensively. It is great for adjusting your shot immediately after you shoot. I have bad short-term memory, so it is a lifesaver. 8.2 Items Where I play, rooms usually only have Dual and Dual-plus, sometimes Teleport. Dual-plus is useful when your opponent just Dualed and you want to beat his delay while damaging him considerably at the same time. Weapon 1 acts differently from weapon 2 though, so it can be difficult to make the best out of Dual-plus, especially anywhere further than close range. And I hope you know that the item's delay is adding to the weapon you select. Therefore, Dual-plus with weapon 1 rather than 2. Teleport is good for escaping a tight situation, e.g. being dug, being Double Teamed, dying. But you only have six slots, so I am not that keen on Teleport. 8.3 Game Theory Game theory is an Economics theory essentially about making assumptions regarding your rival's behaviour and (re)acting accordingly. In Gunbound, these assumptions would be based on anything from ranking to chats (e.g. he blatantly says 'DT the sate') to past matches against the same people. First of all I need to say that this has only worked (or rather I have only put it into practice) very occasionally, but it's such an interesting theory that I had to include it here. For example, Assumption: Your opponent swears by Dualing at Thor/Force/Lightning. Action: Say it is the turn before that weather comes, and your turn is after his. Dual before the weather comes. The usual response would be to try to beat your delay (with weapon 1/2/SS, Dual-plus, etc), but this guy swears by the Dualing at Thor, right? So he obediently does so, giving you the next turn and a good chance at killing him at Thor, i.e. At some other weather: - He does weapon 1/2 - You Dual At Thor/Force/Lightning: - He Duals - You Dual kill I remember someone pulled this off on me when I was among the fervent Dual believers. 'Twas very clever. Yet another example, Assumption: Dual double-teaming. This typical happens at the start of the Cave map, where everyone is close to everyone else. Two teammates Dual the same target on their first turn, killing that target off. Action/reaction: Because A.sate is much more of an offensive mobile than a defensive one, you'd rather your teammates be the ones taking damage, especially if their mobile type is suitable. A defensive strategy in close-range situations is [what I call] Dancing, which is essentially moving on to an opponent whose turn comes latest on the delay list. If/when that opponent moves, you repeat the Dance. Remember that A.sate isn't too mobile, so you might run out of fuel before reaching. Sometimes it's better to stay put. On the offensive end, it is important to dish out a lot of damage, quickly. Firstly it puts an end to the double-teaming when you kill opponents. And secondly if you can't Dance you will probably die a swift death. In this case it is better to make an impact before you leave to let your teammates finish them off. (Side note: Game theory is often credited to John Nash, the character in 'A Beautiful Mind'. It's not specifically an Economic theory, but also has uses in other social sciences, mathematics, etc. I learnt it in Economics though. If you're interested check out the Wikipedia article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory The term Dance was adopted from Real Time Strategy games, or in my case, Frozen Throne. It is a counter to Focus Fire, which is essentially the RTS term for double-teaming, except on a larger scale since RTSs tend to have many units. You run that unit being Focus Fired so that all those Focus Firers chase it round the mulberry bush and end up doing nothing. You can see that it's quite similar to Gunbound.) 8.4 Etiquette Please refrain from spamming. Repeating a person's name over and over will not make him ready more quickly. Spamming and shaking while someone is trying to shoot reflects bad gamesmanship. It is completely 'legal', but, like jeering in a game, is not socially accepted. ______________________________________________________________________________ 9 VERSION HISTORY 1.00 - 1 Feb 2005 Guide created 1.01 - 5 Feb 2005 Minor content and presentation changes Added 'Introduction' and 'Long-range' in SS section 1.10 - 25 Feb 2005 Added enlightened stuff about hurricane and other weather issues. Changed to a number dot number dot number format. We'll see how that works out. Other minor content additions 1.20 - 3 Mar 2005 Shooting mechanics guys. Very important. Changed the format of Pros and Cons. See how that works. 1.21 - 12 Mar 2005 Added a part on game theory 1.22 - 30 Mar 2005 Hello Smashnuke, of the main A.sate guide. If you're reading this, please contact me if you're interested in merging the two guides. I actually wanted to mail you this stuff (months ago) but your mail doesn't seem to work and I ended up making an entire guide. Haha. Minor content changes ______________________________________________________________________________