Descent Primer

What is this document?
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This FAQ / Primer is not how to beat Descent in standard play but rather a list of hints and techniques to help you to become a better player. It assumes that you have DESCENT up and running and are playing on
either an IPX LAN (Novel) or over the Internet via Kali.

Why did I write this document?
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Reading through the user groups I became aware of a pretty small but persistent group of people asking for "hints" or for "lessons". A lot of the responses to these pleas were typically , "Just hop in and fly around a while, you'll learn just like we did" - well some CAN learn this way and many more just end up as fresh meat for seasoned players. Don't get me wrong, it takes PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, don't expect to become and ace overnight. I hope this document will be short and sweet and that by reading it you can pick up on what other Descenter's are doing to score so many points.

1) IT'S ONLY A GAME !
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The first thing to remember is that it is ONLY A GAME, yeah you're getting pounded to smithereens or if you're scoring like nobodies business. What NOBODY want's to hear (see actually) is you pissing an moaning about loosing, or worse yet gloating constantly about scoring. Try and keep the comments to a minimum and when you do try and make them with a basis of good sportsmanship. The vulgarity and constant name calling are unwarranted , unneeded and unwanted. Keep them to yourself or if you must to the KALI chat or private email.
BTW, comments are broadcast via the F8 key, HIT F8 and then type in your comments, there are also some stock comments accessible with the f9 through f12 keys too, but again don't waste everyone's bandwidth constantly putting comments on the screen.
Relax and enjoy it, IT'S ONLY A GAME !

2) KEEP MOVING!
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The number one mistake to be made is to STOP in your tracks, keep moving constantly, only when a room is empty and clear of `bots can you afford to sit still, even then YOU'RE STILL A SITTING TARGET. In a Mission like Megadeath, it is imperative to constantly be on the move, use the elevators a lot too.

3) GET A GOOD CONTROL LAYOUT
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Get a comfy layout of the keys - mouse - joystick combo and KEEP IT, practice, practice, practice with it. Which leads me to the "which is better the keyboard, mouse or joystick" question. The answer is WHATEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH. I've seen some kick butt keyboarders that got totally lost with a mouse, I personally HATE a joy stick and others will use nothing but the most button studded joystick there is. YOU make the decision and again STICK with it. There are very few players out there that stick with the stock kb layout, find what suits you and stick with it.

4) SLIDING IS THE KEY!

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So you've seen those dudes seemingly flying sideways, they ALWAYS beat you to the invulnerability globes, the mega's and what have you. What gives? Well for one thing they are SLIDING, and better than that they are going forward AND sliding at the same time. Be sure that your players has a keyboard control setup for SLIDE RIGHT and SLIDE LEFT somewhere' near your FLY FORWARD button, by using it AND the FORWARD button you can fly about 20% percent FASTER, the thing you have to watch for is to always CRAB to where you want to end up, that is, point the ship on a diagonal towards the target. This is by far the "best" secret I can point you to. Every great player does this, with it you can sidestep missiles, initiate turns more rapidly and line up on targets more efficiently. By crabbing you can maintain a constant circling motion around an axis that is several ships lengths ahead of you. It takes a LOT of practice to perfect but once your on to it you can really zoom. If your real clever you can slide UP and DOWN too and really dodge those mega's.

5) SUPERIOR AGGRESSION

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You enter a room and out of the corner of your eye you see the ghostly figure of a cloaked ship waiting in the corner, your health is down and you only have 2 megas , doomed again you say, NO you CAN beat him. By carefully anticipating where he might go to you can launch a mega in that vicinity and hopefully he will be there when it touches off. BE AGGRESIVE , if he kills you all you're going do is hand over you weapons to him right? USE `EM INSTEAD! Why should HE get all your hard earned work for nothing? Launch as much stuff as possible at various points around the room while STILL moving. Avoid your own stuff though. Is there a free standing elevator he is ducking around (like in MEG ADEATH) ? Launch a mega on the LEFT side then on the RIGHT side, he may reverse track to fool you. POUND, POUND, POUND use your primary weapons too, don't just rely on megas. I have won I don't kn ow how many seemingly impossible situations just by pumping the most missiles and laser shots out, you got weapons - USE 'EM.

6) WEAPONS OF CHOICE
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This is a lot of personal choice here but I believe the best weapons in a typical Descent game against another player is the PLASMA CONNON and of course MEGAS. The green gun and the red missiles are the best for all around defense (barring the earthhakers and other new D2 goodies not usually found in deathmatch games). Grab them FIRST as fast as you can.

7) A GOOD MEMORY HELPS
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There are a limited number of player starts and weapons positions, try and memorize them and keep going back there. In a game over KALI eventually theses weapons places get all used up an weapons start appearing all over the place due to lag, if that happens swoop up all you can and start chuckin' them megas!

8) USE WEAPONS TO THEIR BEST
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Each weapon has its advantages and disadvantages, learn and use them to your benefit. Following is a quick breakdown for the basic weapons.
	LASER - low power consumption but doesn't pack a very hard punch
	SUPER LASERS - teamed up with the Quads and you have one of the most powerful weapons in Descent ][
	QUAD LASERS - 4 times the power consumption but with 4 times the punch
	VULCAN CANNON- Unique that you can't see where it is being fired from, use it while lying in shadows. Somewhat limited in hit power and does not draw it's power from the power bank - you have to fin d ammo to shoot it.
	GAUSS CANNON - Unique that you can't see where it is being fired from, use it while lying in shadows. NOT limited in hit power and does not draw it's power from the power bank - you have to find ammo to shoot it.
	SPREADFIRE - Very rapid fire and quite often overlooked. When stuck between the FUSION CANNON and this, I will fire this.
	PLASMA GUN - Perhaps THE best gun, rapid fire and hard hitting, Grab it while the grabin's good.
	FUSION CANNON - Maybe the biggest joke Paralax pulled on us :) . Packs a wallop but takes so long to fire up, just DONT HOLD DOWN THE BUTTON TO LONG, it is surprising how rapidly you CAN peel off shots with a light finger, but still not as good as the plasma gun, alas it take to much energy too.
	FLASH MISSILES - Not the greatest, you have to really pummel a guy to bring him down
	CONCUSSION MISSILES - Not the greatest, you have to really pummel a guy to bring him down
	PROXIMITY MINES - Quite often overlooked, I call them "mouse turds". Can really piss off and slow down another player, use them often.
	SMART MINES - Feared, I call them "no skill kills". Will piss off and slow down another player, use them sparingly.
	HOMING MISSILE - Not any more punch than the CONCUSSIION, just better at finding its target, invaluable down long halls where you can pepper his tail.
	SMART MISSILE - Perhaps my favorite, even though I like how the mega's work. These are great for flushing out enemies. Ever wonder if someone was in the escape tunnel approach on level 4 of TOTAL CHAOS ? Fire a smarty down the hole, if the green balls all go ONE way then you more than likely got 'em. Fly near the ceiling in a long hall and before you enter a room fire a smarty into the floor just AFTER the hall changes into the room, the smart balls will seek out your opponent and you will have that extra instant to turn (crab as described above) to face off. Also see someone coming at you at high speed down a narrow hall, perhaps fleeing another opponent? Drop one of these just before you pass, guaranteed to do 'em in. And my favorite pastime - being chased and fire one into the floor ahead of you and your opponent runs into the balls, love that sound! Also useful for hitting the backs of halls leading off in 90 degrees in another direction, this is the only weapon that will h it another player at a right angle and hidden from you.
	MEGA MISSILE - It is a toss up between these and Smarts, these destroy so well that quite often even the concussion will knock 'em out. One trick to use is to fire one ahead of you down a long hall, if the missile veers toward one way or the other when it enters the room at the end, that's the way your opponent is, again you have that little bit of time and the knowledge which way to face coming out of the hole, that is if the mega doesn't get him first.
	EARTHSHAKER MISSILE - The name implys it all shoot this baby and when it blows the whole mine rocks

Goodies/Accessories in Descent 2
	AFTERBURNER - Need to move and move fast use this baby!
	POWER/SHILED CONVERTER - Need more shields then activate your power converter

9) LOOK AHEAD
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Look ahead, even to what your opponent is picking up. Did he just pick up a smarty and a few mines? Well don't announce your presence by shooting him in the butt with your dinky little laser, if your out gunned rig for silent running, it's surprising what you can get away with by being quiet. I've followed guys for MINUTES at a time not firing a shot until they picked up something I wanted and I knew I could kill them. See a invulnerability sphere ahead and you're out gunned? Don't shoot, run for it, beat him to it THEN wipe his butt and pick up his goodies.

10) LISTEN
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One of the best pieces of advice I can give you - SHUT OFF THE MUSIC! Use your ears and you can hear a cloaked enemy slurping up goodies just screaming "HERE I COME - SHOOT ME - SHOOT ME !", doors make sounds that diminishes over distance. You can visually cover your front and relay on your ears to cover your rear. Even hearing the reactor blasting away can clue you in to the fact that someone's in that area. USE YOUR EARS.

11) PRACTICE ADVANCED MANEUVERS
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Again practice makes perfect. Practice the slides most of all. Don't hesitate to use your REVERSE key too, and use it to crab too! It's great to watch a guy pump away with 2 megas and I dodge 'em both while he sits there like a dead duck and soaks up mine. A quick sweep to the right followed by a reverse and sweep to the left will turn you around right quick. Use the BANK KEYS TOO, they can help sweep around corners, picture some of the moves you see in air shows or in old WWII movies, it is surprising how much emulating some of these moves can help you. Remember COMBINE MOVES. BANK ( spin), CRAB and REVERSE away from a player and many times they will just sit and watch the pretty maneuver, while your smarts are picking him off.

12) TACTICS
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So you keep falling for the same old tricks?
Don't you wish you would at least know what they are so you can avoid them?
This is NOT by all means a comprehensive list but here are a few favorite tactics

1) DOORWAY DODGE - Act as if heading into a door to get your opponent to follow you, then BACK OFF with the reverse key, hopefully he will continue on and now be ahead of you - BLAST HIS TAIL!

2) ROUND AND ROUND SHE GOES - After learning the "crab" maneuver the first thing a player does is get caught in circular fights, around and around and around. After a while you learn to lead you opponent so that your blasts will be where he is going by the time he gets there. Change this tactic slightly by REVERSING the rotation. All of a sudden crab the OTHER WAY or come out of the crab and head dead nuts in your opponents face and drop that smarty. Above all DON'T BE PREDICTABLE!

3) SWEEPING MISSILE CHUCK - Sweep by a door or opening by crabbing or sliding directly sideways and shoot a missile in the opening, you're out of THEIR range quickly.

4) OPEN AND CHUCK - Pop a door with a laser that you have just seen a player enter - pop it anyway even if it IS already open, it may close before the next step ( a good example is the reactor / exit door the wall above the lava in Total Chaos level 3), now hesitate a bare instant and follow up with a mega - race away crabing. I've had megas follow them down the chute through the 2 doors and almost to the reactor. Great comments usually follow.

5) INVULNERABILITY FEINT - act like you are NOT invulnerable when you are (hope they don't hear the tell tale buzzing sound), back off and act like you're trying to get away, lure them into a closed or smaller room and have lunch!

6) MEGA INSURANCE - While in a Kali game where megas abound, why not load up and just pop a few off? They are plentiful so just sit there and send one down a hallway every second or so even though you don't see anyone coming (good example MEGADEATH). You'd be surprised how many times they will round the corner just in time to meet face first with your mega. YEHAH!

7) HIDE AND SEEK - Get a cloaking and then hide behind a floating mega that's floating just in front of you, preferably you should have your back to a corner. Opponent comes in sees and wants the mega and heads right your way, hold your fire till he's too close to escape. What fun !

8) ULTIMATE INSULT - That is to kill someone after the reactor blows, you may be mega points behind but kill the hot-dog before he can get out the exit and it wins you some esteem.

9) SMARTY BARAGE - Smartys don't seek after cloaked players but launch 3 or 4 of them in an enclosed space (not so hard in a Kali game) and the resultant fog of balls is hard to avoid.

10) SELF SACRAFICE - NO *NOT* KAMIKAZE, that's lame. Your health is down and shields non existent, find a dark secluded corner and kill yourself, use a missile in a wall or something, go back and collect your own goodies with renewed health and shields.

11) ROTATE AND ENTER - Sound kinky? NO just enter a chute / hallway BACKWARD. Just before entering a hallway or chute rotate around and enter backwards, this allows you to pop off any newly found weapons in your pursuers face - careful he's not behind you though!

12) COME RIGHT BACK - Run like hell out of a fire fight and then turn around and come right back! This works great in MEGADEATH where the guy usually concentrates on picking up more stuff and doesn't expect you to come right back - the element of surprise!

13) ACT KILLED - This is hard to pull off, and doesn't usually work, but nose up and rotate just a bit like you are ready to explode in death, the pursuer usually backs off a bit not wanting to get hit with your death concussion, rotate around enough to fire at him. This is great in a game over a LAN where the guy is in the same room -"Dang, you got me again - NOT!".

14) TURN OFF OUR SPEAKERS - I already mentioned about turning of the music but when in a LAN game with other players in the same room try and set up your speakers so they can be switched off for just a moment. See an invulnerability globe ahead? Switch OFF the speakers just long enough for the invul wail to pass and right back on. While this doesn't help in a modem or Kali game it is really sneaky when your opponent is in the same room and can hear you running over the invul globes. Some consider this cheating.

15) FLY HIGH OR LOW - it seems every newbie flies down the halls smack dab in the middle of the hall. Try flying against the ceiling or the floor or wall - it sometimes makes your harder to hit and allows other to pass with out damage, sometimes they may not even see you!

Author Steve Davis, aka MR MEGA

Have a question, suggestion or want to add then me.