KIDOU SENSHI GUNDAM: RENPOU VS ZION DX (ARCADE) THE DICTA BOELCKE: 8 RULES FOR SUCCESS IN SPACE COMBAT Version 0.80 Copyright Wavehawk 03/01/2003 ============ UPDATE BOARD ============ 03/01/03 - Version 0.80 - First version of Renpou vs Zion DX 'Dicta Boelcke' FAQ. Set at 65 CPL. ======== LEGALESE ======== This FAQ may only be shown at Gamefaqs website, or as part of Don "Gamera" Chan's Renpou VS Zion DX FAQ. Any reprinting or publication of part or the whole of this article without the authors' permission is prohibited. Any attempt at copying part or the whole of this FAQ and pass it off as another's work is considered blatant plagiarism and will be punished accordingly and personally by the authors themselves. This is a non-profit FAQ written for free and informational purposes only and not to be marketed for any reason. Know fully well that if this is violated in any way, the writer and the maintainers of the page this FAQ is displayed on are perfectly within their legal rights to sue the pants off of you, since murder is not permissible. The information written in this FAQ is neither sponsored by nor endorsed in any way by software developer Capcom nor by entertainment company Bandai/Sunrise. The names and terms Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam, GM, Zaku, et al., and the likenesses thereof are copyright 1979, 2001 Sunrise animation and Bandai Co. ======== CONTROLS ======== This article assumes you are already familiar with Gundam: Renpou VS Zion DX. For completeness' sake, the controls for Space Combat are illustrated here: NW N NE \ | / G F J O W - C - E T / | \ SW S SE N - North. Move Forward. (Tap twice to dash) E - East. Move Right. (Tap twice to dash) W - West. Move Left. (Tap twice to dash) S - South. Move Backward. (Tap twice to dash) C - Center. Neutral. (Self-explanatory) NW - Northwest. Move Forward-Left. (Tap twice to dash) NE - Northeast. Move Forward-Right. (Tap twice to dash) SW - Southwest. Move Backward-Left. (Tap twice to dash) SE - Southeast. Move Backward-Right. (Tap twice to dash) T - Target Selection. G - Ranged Weapon. F - Melee Weapon. J - Jump. Move Upward. O - Start button/Order Wingman MS ========= THE DICTA ========= The Dicta Boelcke (Boelcke's Rules) were originally compiled by Hauptmann Oswald Boelcke in 1916. They were the first and probably the most successful attempt to lay down ground rules of air combat, which was quite a new concept at the time of First World War. These rules were ground-breaking, unique, and important--although Oswald Boelcke died in an accident, his Dicta was passed on by his students, most notably his star pupil, the 'Red Baron', Manfred Von Richthoffen (chief inspiration for Char 'Red Comet' Aznable). Time and again, the Dicta has served aces well; from the Red Baron in World War I, Erich Hartmann (top fighter pilot of World War II, with a still-undefeated score of 352 kills), to the early aces of the Vietnam War. Even modern fighter combat schools such as the Navy's Top Gun fighter weapons school continue to teach the Dicta, almost unchanged, to this day. Although the rules of the Dicta Boelcke were originally developed for the World War I-era airplanes, they remain fact even in the age of modern weaponry; High-Tech guided missiles and so-called 'intelligent' weapons systems are nothing without a well-trained pilot, something the US Navy painfully learned in Vietnam. Time and again technology has evolved, but the eight basic rules of the Dicta remain unchallenged. In the premise of Kido Senshi Gundam, these rules of engagement become especially true; Most MS combat is done within visual range, and in space combat, these rules become the lines between victory or death. The rules are simple, direct, and yet important. The rules are presented here with respect to the game mechanics of Renpou VS Zion DX Space Combat, but may also be used to apply to combat in the ground aspect--albeit to a lesser extent: THE DICTA BOELCKE: 1. SECURE EVERY ADVANTAGE BEFORE ATTACKING. Impulsiveness can kill you. Even though speed is of the essence in this game, it's no good to rush in half-prepared. Know your enemy. How does he play? What kind of MS does he pilot? Is he aggressive or passive? Is he a fast, lethal opponent, or the cold and calculating type? Before challenging anyone, observe how they play against the CPU or against other players first. Know the map stage. Is it clear space? Are there obstacles to take cover behind? Do not MEMORIZE a map; that gives you familiarity with the map, but lacks flexibility. Be able to view an old map in a new way, and use that to your advantage. 2. ALWAYS FINISH AN ATTACK YOU STARTED. NEVER break off an attack suddenly, especially if you're still caught circling your enemy. Do not break for a reload, do not pause, and above all DO NOT RETREAT when you are ALREADY engaged with an enemy. Retreating trades off your offensive abilities in favor of escape--simply put, you make a real nice target when you're running away from an enemy. Retreat only if you're outnumbered, outgunned, and have no other hope for victory. In such a case, you have to be prepared beforehand. (See Dicta #7) When your enemy is out of ammunition, do not break off your attack to allow him to reload. ALWAYS go for the kill. You are under no obligation to be chivalrous; this is a war, you win by making the other poor schmuck die for HIS country (or Space Colony, to be exact). Even worse, an enemy might take advantage of this, proclaim he's out of ammo, and nail you just as you pull back. 3. ATTACK AT CLOSE RANGE. Not every MS in the game is blessed with the horrifying homing ability of the Gundam or Gelgoog Beam Rifle. Some weapons have poor accuracy compared to others, and in the case of the GM's Beam Spray Gun, the accuracy is downright pathetic when compared to the other Beam Weapons in-game. The general rule in the game is that the farther you are from an opponent, the higher the chances that you will see his incoming fire and dodge it. 4. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYE ON YOUR OPPONENT. At the famed Miramar Naval Air Station's Fighter Weapons School (better known as "Top Gun"), they teach a simple-to-remember variant of this Dicta Boelcke rule: "Lose sight, lose the fight". This is true even in the day of beyond-visual range Radar; if you lose track of where your enemy is, chances are he'll be able to use your confusion to ventilate your behind. This is especially important in RvsZDX's space combat stages. Even old players of RvsZ will be disoriented the first few times they run through the Zero-G stages, as it's ridiculously easy to lose track of an enemy out there. Worse still is when you have to deal with two (and sometimes more) opponents at different angles from you. Always be aware of where the enemy is. 5. ATTACK FROM BEHIND. Trying to hit an enemy MS from the side is quite difficult, especially if it is dashing away. It presents a smaller target area, moves relatively fast, may have a shield equipped, and it also wastes more ammo than you'd like. As mentioned in Dicta #3, not everyone is a gifted marksman, and trying to hit a quick opponent with a Beam Rifle? Good luck. Thus the two best times to attack an opponent is head-on or from behind. Now nobody in their right mind would charge straight into an enemy's sights. Even if it presented a bigger target, hitting a Guncannon head-on is suicide. The only times wherein this would be practical is if as a counterattack and confident that you can survive anything thrown at you by your enemy. Thus, the best tactic is to attack from behind. Your enemy does not see you, thus has less chance of dodging or counterattacking. Take note that RvsZ has a warning system, thus your attack is not completely by surprise. It does however take time for an enemy to turn and attack, thus you will still have a slight advantage. It is effective, safe, and downright common sense to have a good bead on your target when he is in no position to counterattack. 6. MEET YOUR OPPONENT'S ATTACK. When in desperation, do not panic and flee. As stated in Dicta #2, an unplanned, panicky retreat trades off your offensive capabilities in favor of escape, making you an easy target for your enemy. When attacked, and confident that you can survive your enemy's attack, counterattack. Side-dash to circle and counterattack, or if you think you can dash fast enough, give him a full spread. 7. NEVER FORGET YOUR LINE OF RETREAT. Always make sure there's a way for you to back out and take cover before you attack. This is for times when you may run out of ammo, or have weak armor, or for any other reason. Even if you're piloting a Gundam, Gelgoog, or Ziong, do not for one second believe that you're invincible. Be prepared to make a break for it if circumstances call for it. 8. ATTACK IN GROUPS. This is probably the primary thing to remember in a game. The original Renpou VS Zion normally pit two against two combat situations. This normally wasn't a problem then, but in RvsZDX, the Computer AI tends to gang up on a weaker opponent, or one they happen to chance an advantage on. What happens is that a single MS may be torn apart by two enemies working in concert (three if you consider the trio of Doms in the Black Forest Stage). This doesn't even begin to consider the support craft and Mobile Armors found 'assisting' the enemy MS in a game. The best way to avoid this is for each pilot to concentrate on one MS at a time, leaving your wingman (teammate) to at least keep the other opponent busy. Though it seems a prudent way to finish off enemies quicker, double-teaming a single enemy MS isn't really recommended for two main reasons: - The additional firepower does more harm than good; you're just as likely to get in each other's way as hit the enemy. This is especially true in Melee combat. - Doubling up also leaves some other enemy machine out there free to nail you and your teammate from behind. It's especially important to attack in groups when your side is at a numerical disadvantage. There are a lot of hotheads, especially those that fly the more powerful MS such as the Gundam and the Gelgoog, who expect to take on all opponents at once. Needless to say, the advantages of their MS are quickly undermined by the way enemy MS can team up on them. ======== CONTACT: ======== For any further queries or comments, please email with Subject: RvsZDX Dicta Boelcke FAQ if you have any questions, I'll try my best to answer them. Send me no Spam; my mother just unloaded 60 cans of it on me wholesale. ======= BIBLIO: ======= These FAQs I have worked on as of this writing. All game FAQs are available exclusively on GameFAQS. I have also written some material for GURPS. Half-Life: Counterstrike (PC): - Counterstrike Real Weapons FAQ Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2) - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Real Weapons FAQ Gundam: Renpou vs Zion (Arcade): - MS-14A/S Gelgoog FAQ - MS-09/R09 Dom/Rick Dom FAQ - MS-07B Gouf FAQ - RGM-79 GM FAQ - RX-77-2 Guncannon FAQ Gundam: Renpou vs Zion DX (Arcade): - RGM-79(G) Ground Combat GM FAQ - The Dicta Boelcke: 8 rules for success in space combat ======== CREDITS: ======== - Thanks to Don "Gamera" Chan for his FAQ on Gundam: Renpou vs Zion, which helped give me a head start on this game. - Quantum amusement, for actually bringing this gem of a game here instead of yet another fighting game.