/| /| ------------/ |-------/ |---------------------------------------------------- -----------/ |------/ |---------------------------------------------------- ____ / | / | ____________ _____ / . / ___ / | ___ \ ___ \_\_____..... ...__ |____ / /___/\/ | (_) _ \_ \_ __ __ / /____|/ _| /_\ __ / / / / / \____/ /_| //_\\___ _/ /_____/ / ___ / /_____________ | | |_| ___/ _/ - `/ __/ __/ _ Y -_) ______________/ | |______________ |_/ / ___/| |\___/\__/\__/_//_|__/\_/ /\ \\\__ ____/ / \/ /__ \__| |__ ____/ / /__ ____/ /________/ \ _ \\ \ / / / // / / -_) _ `/ _ / / _ Y __/ '_/ -_)____ / \ \\_ V ___/ / // / /\__/\___/\___/ /\___|__/_/\_\\__/\ \/ / \ \O\__/ O ()/ / \/ / / / Stragegy Guide \ / \_. \________/ /____/ ___ /_/ by Jigganis \/ _ _________ ______ _____/ ____________/ \_____\__________ ___ __________.__________.. \____ __ _/ ============================================================================== Welcome to my strategy guide! Here you will (hopefully) find information on the strategies and workings of: Ratchet Deadlocked! Enjoy your look. In this FAQ, I will try to cover everything, but chances are that sometimes you yourself will need to improvise, just in case the path I've covered is a little different than the one you are on. If you are really desperate, you can always try asking on say, the Gamefaqs.com Forums, or even better, Forums.Insomniacgames.com for help. This also means that the only control scheme the guide will follow will be my favorite; Lock Strafe, and no Quick Select pause. Turning this pause off is unecessary, yet it trains you for the pause-less Online Mode. Suggestions and tips are always most graciously welcome for any part of the guide, and you can email me at jsthakar1992@yahoo.com, and in AIM, RDL Online, and the IG forums, I am Jigganis. You can easily find where a chapter starts using this method; press Ctrl+F on your keyboard, and then in the new window, type the word in the Table of Contents next to the chapter you want to go to, like 'Mootwritins' for Chapter 1. Click 'Find Next' or a similar button, then keep clicking it till you find what you want. It may be easier just to scroll down, though. __ _____________________....___________________ _ /_/ / \______________________/ \ \ / \ ___ . ___ / Table of Contents which is not a table (!): \ \ \ / \ \_/ / \______________________________________________/ / /_\ \_____/ /\.... \/./\llL) / / /_____// \ \_______ _______________/_________________/....._____/__________...._____\_________ /O O \_/ \ \ |__________/ 1. Mootwritins - The Section for the Story Mode \__\ ____ /||___/ 1A. Debasics - General Story Mode Tips / | __ 1B. Blowuppy - Weapon and Mod Systems and Strategies / ||_/ 1C. Trvlgide - Guide to the Planets and Missions | | _ 1D. Argufren - Tips and Differences for Co-op Mode | ||/ | | 2. Yawnlinemod - The Section for the Online Modes | | /-\ \ | 2A. Uarnooob - General Online Mode Tips |1| \_| 2B. Eexpludi - Weapon and Mod Systems and Strategies |2| / | 2C. Nplctogo - Guide to the Arenas and Game Types |3| / | \-/ | | 3. Rezathacrap - Ending bits | | | | 3A. Yestanku - Thank You List \ | 3B. Whodisgy - Short Autobiography \_| 3C. Lagelrot - Copyrights and Such _________ __ \ \__ ______ _ _ _______ ___ ____/ / \___.......\____.._________ _____ \ ____________________... ... / _____\ / ____________________\ \ \ \ \__________ o o o o o_______ /......\ / /(_)(_______________)\\ \____\ \ \__________/ / (__) / / /___/.............________/ \__ .. ... .. / / ___/______/ / _____ ____\___ ______ / / /___________/ / _ \ \ \ /______\ __ / /_____ _________ /__/.\__\ \ \___________________________/__\\// / \ __||| \ ^7`< U-________________________ \/ / \ -/ \______/__________....__________\______/ \___/ ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ ____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / // / Chapter 1. Mootwritins - The Section for the Story Mode_/ _, _/ // / ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / / \___/ /__________________| \/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ By now, I'm sure you know what dramatics play out here. Ratchet and his pals Clank and Al are in the Shadow Sector, and then get carried off by Gleeman Vox's men to go compete in the famous Vox Media Empire's 'Dreadzone'. Ratchet will have to fight through a ton of challenges with a vastly Modifiable arsenal to keep from getting blown up into tiny leetle molecules. Insomniac's games haven't been very tough, but you'll want some help in some areas anyway, like in the harder challenges or secrets. So, here I am to give you some guidance, lucky. _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ ____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / // /___ Chapter 1A. Debasics - General Story Mode Tips/ / /____/ _, _/ // // _ | ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / // | \___/ /__________________| \____/|_| I'm not going to be listing any controls, or basic manuevers, because if you don't know them, you need to play RC1 - 3 first. ;) I will, though, list some of the more useful strategies as a little reminder to the pros, and some extra help for noobs and intermediate players. These strategies vary from tips on using your Chargeboots, to controling your bots, and other tidbits to start you on a road to sucess. [Develop paranoia] Enemies come in droves in Deadlocked; you will need to check all around you just in case there's still anything moving (snipers, little enemies, ambushes, etc)... Don't be like the guys in Dragon Ball Z; not smart enough to realize that enemies are still around, probably above or behind them, even after flurries of attacks. Same sort of thing happens in scary movies. This strategy is also useful in real life, too. You never know when you could get hit by a falling plane. The government could take you away at any second! And mutant zombie aliens could beam you up at any time and probe you... up in there. They all suck! Your bots are also warning signs, since they have itchy trigger fingers and just CAN'T wait to shoot whatever enemy is nearby. In this case, that's a good thing, and you should do the same. Paying some attention to the map in the bottom right can give you some help in this area. [Move!] Platforming isn't the prominent feature of DL, as were Insomniac's intentions, but you'll see that there's still resemblance left in the constant challenge of avoiding your enemies' bullets and attacks, via running around and jumping. For instance, Landstalker bullet streams are ordinairly hard to avoid, but if you jump from side to side over them, no problem. You'll also need to run away or jump away from homing missles, bombs, and everything else. I use this strategy all the time, because I really want to be able to kick ass without getting mine kicked in return. Running and jumping around can save you tons of time not dying. Mix in a bit of Charge Booting, and you'll be raring to go with one of the best tips I've got. [Take advantage of your helpers] They can do lots of things for you; grind rail setting, Node turning, Hacking stuff... All at the push of a button. The second Combat Bot, if not doing anything, can also be used to protect the other with a shield while in the process of doing these things which you can't do yourself. Node turning you CAN do yourself, but there's almost always an ambush set up, waiting for you to get done twisting that node, and so it can get useful to stay out yourself with the more powerful weapons to eradicate the nuicance. And don't forget to help them in return, in the ways of Reviving them whenever needed (down on the d-pad), and to have Al upgrade them whenever he says he has new stuff at the Containtment Suite. [Boost!] Using your Charge Boots (tap L2 twice), can be a big part of the game. It's useful for covering ground quickly, and strategetically positioning yourself. One useful strategy is to rush through a group of enemies with a boost, and start jumping n' shooting like I'm nucking futs, taking them by surprise. There are also times when you will need to retreat, however. Sometimes the enemy can just overwhelm you, and you need time to think over your strategy, or to hit them with a few ranged attacks. Keeping your distance like that and dishing out pain form afar can be a suitable strategy too. You may also want to try to find an unused Nanotech orb to boost your health, or some ammo while you stay back, if that's what you need. I know of many instances when you'll need to use a shorter boost (like, for not falling off cliffs), so, a technique perfect for that is 'Boost-Cutting'. With this, you can start a boost, and quickly end it by shooting with whatever weapon you've got on you, which will stop you after a small slide. I think this may also work with the wrench, but I'm not sure. One more thing; to speedily use Swingshots, boost off the edge of whatever cliff and then press R1 quickly to grab the shot and go flying across the gap. [Be Conservative (of Ammo)] I'm not with the Conservatives, but now we're talking about the politics of ammo! I prescribe liberal usage of blowing uppings, but be wary of how you use your weapons; learn to make your explody arrows fly true, and not being wasteful in usage as well. This can be even more important with the more powerful weapons, or with the ones having more splash damage, which also generally have less ammo. Don't use these as much. I also advise you to switch weapons often to generally get a mental image of what weapons work well where and when, and it helps evenly distribute use of ammo. [6] Micellaneous enemy tips: Landstalker Turrets are BASTARDS. Their high speed streams of bullets are little devils delivering exquisite pain. Make sure you do not get in their crossfire anytime soon. AND MAKE SURE YOU EMP THEM FIRST! Also, if you get behind them while they are EMPed, you can try to stay behind them and you won't get hit if you're careful. Laser Turrets are ALSO bastards. The best way to handle them is to hide behind whatever object you can find, and start shooting once they are done trying to kill you. Not even jumping around works well on them. Executioners are quite deadly. Besides having high damage resistance, their wrench shot is quite deadly, and they have an even meaner wrench swing if you get in too close. Heavy firepower is the only choice when dealing with them. Laser Backs (Beetles) are rather like the LS Turrets, except for that they fly, and from my experience, their bullet streams are a bit harder to avoid. They can mow thru the breakable barriers scattered around in open areas within seconds, so don't count on them. Dropships (Ships) aren't all that tough to beat, but blowing them up quickly before they fly off and disappear can wield some good bolts and XP. I use the Fusion, Rockets, and B6 on them most. [7] More micellaneous tips: Always look for things in the environment you can hide behind, as they can give you extra protection when dealing with enemies. Try to figure out more ways you can use your surroundings to your advantage, such as figuring out what sort of thins can happen with different elevations and landforms... In Challenge Mode, all the tough enemies just got a lot tougher. Keep in mind that many foes will be able to kill you in just a few hits here. Retaliate by buying all those Mega Weapons, and level them up quickly. Be sure to equip all your XP mods to whatever weapon you are trying to upgrade most, and buy some more from the vendors. Then you'll have all your weapons up to rainbow-y V99 in no time, and you can pwnzors/frag everything to hell! _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ ____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / // /____ Chapter 1B. Blowuppy - Weapon and Mod Systems and Strategies _/ // // - / ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / // __ \ \___/ /__________________| \_______/ Ahh, now we get to the parts that've always been the core of Ratchet and Clank... And the new additions of mods. In here I'll be telling you certain statistics about these things, how they work, how best to customize them, and stategies to use them in. If there's a part you'd wanna be paying attention to besides the next one, I bet its this one. [Dual Vipers] Dual Vipers are the main weapon in this game, and pretty powerful ones, to boot, otherwise known as your machine guns. They'll send out streams of punch-packing bullets at a Sonic the Hedgehog rate; very neat shtuff. You might think the Vipers will be one of the weapons you'll use most over time, but they turn out to be pretty weak against all the stronger enemies. I've still used them for a few quick shots at any enemy, or against Swarmers and the like. Speed mods are the standard sort of mod for this weapon, but ammo mods and knockbcack mods I deem useful as well. As for Omegas, many R&C veterans will remember the Lancer or N60, and cite that they had the same 'shock' mechanisms as the Shock Mod, but with the new age of customization, I've been using the Freeze mod most towards the end of the game. Base Ammo: 200 Base Damage: Low Base Range: Medium/High Base Rate of Fire: Fast [Dual Raptors] Figures. Other than ricocheting bullets and a blue bullet stream, these aren't too different from the Vipers. However, the bouncing shots can be helpful as a semi-equivalent of the Shock mod, and the Vipers were at least good in the first place. [Magma Cannon] A shotgun of flaming fury!!one1! Basically the sequel to the Shock Cannon, another great weapon. This gun sends out rapid vortexes of flame towards your enemy. You'll love it. It's useful for a wide range of situations, from small groups to big enemies, so you may find you'll like a few ammo mods on it, and again some of the XP or Jackpot mods. The knockback mods are nice and all on this weapon, but I rather like to substitute that for other Alphas, and then put Freeze as its Omega. Base Ammo: 20 Base Damage: Varies by distance from target Base Range: Medium/Low Base Rate of Fire: Medium/Fast [Vulcan Cannon] A shotgun with homing shots?! Blasphemy! Ooh... Blasphemy is nice. The Vulcan turns the Magma into something not entirely different, but certaintly cooler and more effective. [B-6 Obliterator] Bombs, very explody. This is a weapon meant for groups, what with the splash damage and limited ammo. However, it never becomes entirely too useful, though I still use it lots since I value variety. The mods I use with it, are, of course, the Napalm Omega Mod, and then a few knockbacks, an area expander mod or 3, and a few ammos which make it more useful to me. Be sure to remember how your aiming effects how far the bomb goes. Aim down to the ground, and you'll clear away any enemies too close for comfort; but aim a few degrees above straight ahead, and you'll send your bomb flying to where no bomb has gone before. Base Ammo: 6 Base Damage: Medium Base Range: Medium/Low Base Rate of Fire: Medium/Slow [B11 Vaporizer] Again, a very similar weapon with a few more perks. I still don't use it all that much, though. [Fusion Rifle] The all-essential sniper, the most powerful weapon, which sends a flash of concentrated energy at a specific target, damaging any others close by. Getting to know how to use this weapon is very important, especially for online play. Besides the obvious method of zooming in on an enemy in 'Look' mode and taking him out, this weapon is extremely useful for outside L2, in a method called "Hip-Sniping" by nearly all of the R&C community. For this, the Lock Strafe mode is perhaps most useful. Because of the power this thing can deliever, its aiming capabilities are a bit off, and the weapon will not go exactly to the spot you want it to every time. Putting a few aiming mods on this can help make it into a killing machine. I also recommend a few ammo mods and many speed mods, which can make it something of a slow Vulcan Fury (Jak 2-3). There are a few sorts of Omega mods you can put on it, and some of the ones I've favored over the past have been Acid, Shock, or Freeze. Base Ammo: 8 Base Damage: High Base Range: It'll go straight across to anywhere! Base Rate of Fire: Slow [Anti-Matter Rifle] This is a swirling ray of doom which will fly to your enemy and smoke him. While that would be nice, it's not what actually happens. By the end of the game (and on into Challenge Mode) it becomes something of a weak weapon. It can still be useful whenever you want to get at something rather far away, and if you want to be selective about it (as in only hitting one thing). So, at the end of the game, I have 2 ammo mods on it, and 8 Speed mods, useful whenever I'm out of other heavy hitters like the Arbiter/Silencer. [Arbiter] Ah, rockets. Evil little packages of amazing fury. They are much like the Decimator in UYA, a fast, straight shooting monster, with less homing capabilities than the Minirocket Tube, but great anyway. This is probably the second-best weapon to use on far away or big enemies besides the Fusion, but pack on a few area mods, and it can be effective in a B-6 Obliterator fashion. The allocation of some speed mods doesn't hurt either whenever you're faced with constantly spawning enemies. You can always use the Napalm mod for this weapon, but I've found after time that I like to use Time Bomb, especially when this weapon V10s. Base Ammo: 8 Base Damage: Medium/High Base Range: Medium/High Base Rate of Fire: Medium [Silencer] An Arbiter which fires 3 rockets! This turns the weapon into one more useful against large groups, but more prominently into a close-range slayer of large foes (if you get close enough so that all 3 rockets fly directly into the enemy). [Tesla Mine Launcher] I refuse to call it the Hunter Mine Launcher! Tesla is a name that has been throughout all the R&C series, from the Tesla Claw to the Tesla Barrier! Hmmph. In any case, the TESLA! Mine Launcher launches mines, as you may guess. Once deployed, they will home in on any enemy who dares come near. This is most useful if they are coming staight toward you. Area mods are a good addition to this weapon, but I've put lots of ammo on it, too. Once I got it, I found Time Bomb to be an excellent Omega mod for it. Soroush 123 mentioned in his Weapons List v3 thread something about Manual Detonation, a technique in which you just run into an enemy with this weapon equipped, and the mine waiting to be launched will blow up in the enemy's face! Base Ammo: 12 Base Damage: Medium/High Base Range: Medium/Low, more when homing Base Rate of Fire: Medium/Fast [Stalker Mine Launcher] This is a pretty cool upgrade to an already awesome gun. For one thing, it's pretty cool that it is twice the size of the original, but the main difference is in the fact that it'll split into 2 mines once it explodes! [Holoshield Launcher] Like the Holoshield Glove in the last game, this gun launches protective shields for you to hide behind. You can shoot through them, but your enemy cannot. This gun will become more useful in later fights, as you are barraged by constant rounds of fire. Be carfeful, though, it only lasts about 10 seconds until you upgrade. Upgrading it isn't hard, but I don't think you'll be using it that much in any case. I didn't fully upgrade mine till somewhere in Challenge Mode! Ammo mods are just about the only thing that's worth it to put on, but I usually give the ones this weapon gets to other weapons, since it doesn't REALLY hurt anyone till it's the Omni-Shield. Base Ammo: 8 Base Time: 10 Base Range: Low Base Rate of Fire: Slow [Omni-Shield Launcher] Pretty much the same thing, but it will shoot back at the enemy once it's taken enough damage. This feature doesn't make it any better than the regular old Holos, though. [Scorpion Flail] In a sense, an upgraded wrench. This mace has many of the mechanics of the wrench (as well as the Plasma Whip from UYA), except it only slams down, which is sort of a good thing. Well, now that I've played thru the entire adventure... It kicks the enemies' ass. HARD. Especially in Challenge Mode. 2 Area mods make this weapon a heckuva lot more effective, as do 2 Knockbacks, 2 Speeds, and 4 ammos. And the Shock mod is great for this weapon. Base Ammo: 20 Base Damage: High Base Range: Low Base Rate of Fire: Medium/Fast [Leviathan Flail] Nothing different, but still hella cool. In Challenge Mode, this became my most prized weapon. Thanks to moomoomashoo (GameFAQs forums) for telling me this: the Leviathan Flail is different to the Scorpion. It now shoots a shockwave along the floor, so it can hit enemies quite far away (but only along the ground). [Miniturret Launcher] Meh. This is the weapon most people will use the least, because it's on the second page of your Quick-Select, and you really just don't have much use for it. In any case though, it's a nice little upgrade of a previous glove-type weapon in UYA, which fires... Miniturrets which fire at your enemy. Speed Mods and Ammo Mods are your primary need for this weapon. I would allocate them to another weapon though, since you won't use this one. Acid or Shock are good mods for this. Base Ammo: 8 Base Damage: Low Base Range: Low, Medium/High for Miniturret's Shots Base Rate of Fire: Slow, Fast for Miniturret's Shots [Quasar Turret Launcher] A nice little upgrade, which gives the turret sniper-ish shots to charge and unleash on the enemy. Doesn't make it more useful, though. [Harbringer] Eh... Not really any strategy to use with this weapon, now is there? Use it sparingly... _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ ____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / // /____ Chapter 1C. Trvlgide - Guide to the Planets and Missions/ _, _/ // // __/ ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / // /___ \___/ /__________________| \_______/ This guide is written on the difficulty level of Hero, since none of the others are very hard. You will also see some extra paragraphs in certain places entitled Ext. Strat:. This stands for Exterminator Mode/Challenge Mode Strategy. Keep in mind, no Challenge is so hard that you can't just go back and beat it on an easier mode. You WILL have to do it on Challenge + Exterminator mode if you'll be wanting to get all the Exterminator cards... [DreadZone Station] The home of Dreadzone and the Vox empire, where you'll be spending time in the Battledome, and visiting your pals. [The Training] Starting off my training session after getting captured and crap, this part's easy. Btw, check 'Skins' in Extras in the menu... There's a second default skin... Bunch of other already-unlocked stuff too! go through it all if you care. Just blow away crap with the Vipers and Magma, go through the teleports... Right now I'm humiliating some poor bots in the second room. Heh-OWWWW! Some godamn bug-bots or something snuck up behind me! Watch out for them. Boom! Just blasted them away. Nice, funny little cutscene, now go to the teleporter in the middle of the room. Oh, and BTW, don't forget to listen to the advice Clank and Al give you, though what they have to say is much less important than my words. Heh. [Outside] Hey, it's Ratchet's head! YAY! Now you furries can get some satisfaction. Now we go meet Al over to the right of your starting position to get Merc and Green, your Battlebots. Now go over and meet Clank, and get more of a glimpse at Ratchet's pop culture-y new personality (ugh). You'll be assigned your first real mission, get on it. [Advanced Qualifier] First real mission! Now might be a good time to quickly look at you skill points, and see which ones you could do at the moment. Anyway, go to the next room after killins are done fer that area. Watch out for the Dropship in the new room! Has some of those damn bug things again. Now then, go to the next room after turning your first bolt crank, and blast the turret with an EMP from your bots, and then just plain blast it. You'll be done now. I got a Green Medal... Yay? Ah, looked it up in the manual, and it says that if you get enough of them you face up against an Exterminator. And I got 3 Skill Points (Get Some Balls, The Protecter, Eagle Eye)! I unlocked Catacrom! \/\/007! I'll stay here for now, though. [Grist for the Mill] Just blow through everything, this one's not hard. Me gots 2 new Skill Points! I got Skillful and Fiver! Got HUD-Color Cheat! [The Big Sleep] Kill all these guys, but make sure you do it quick; sleeping gas is upon you, and will knock you out sooner or later. Ooh! Upgraded my MC (Magma Cannon)! My, that was done quick. [Outside] Got me the B-6 Obliterator! Going back to Battledome to get some SPs (Skill Points). Yay, I got Ankle Biters in Grist! Vipers V2! Got Can't Touch This in A. Qualifier! Now I'm back outside. I go to Al, and check out the Combat Bot Customization Booth. Cool stuff to get there. I get the Shield Link. I found it essential in the demo, so I want it now. The Commando Paint looks cool, but I don't have the money... Onwards to Catacrom! [Catacrom Graveyard] A robotic graveyard, filled with zombies, valleys, and mountains. [Valley of Heroes] Ooh, for a robo graveyard, this place sure is pretty. This is very easy, even on Exterminator mode! Just don't forget to use the giant robot corpses for cover. Rather morbid, isn't it? [On the Prowl] Bought Acid Mod at vendor, allocated it to all weps. Putting an Ammo mod on the B6. Be sure to take out the cameras and floating cameras for an SP! Watch out for the zombies that pop outta the ground. Now go get all the nodes, and then go cross to the Landstalker. Upgraded Vipers! Got SPs Nap Time, Holey Warriors, Unstoppable, Cha-Ching, and Vandalism! Exterminator Strategy: Hm... I have enough money for the Harbringer... Ooh, pretty streams of destruction... Now I go thru the tunnel straight ahead, and EMP the turret, and have my bots crank the node. Cranking the rest of the nodes around here is STILL easy... [All Aboard the Landstalker] Here you'll get your first taste of vehicles. Anywho, make your way to the Burial Dome; this should be easy. By the way, there's nothing around the ring of the dome if you are curious. [Rise Up] On foot again; just beat em all up. I used the B6 for 20 kills in a row for an SP, Piece Meal. Then I upgraded my B6! Try to round up a bunch of zombies into one place before sending them to the after-after-life with the B6 in order to get that SP. Got a GM (Green Medal)! Unlocked Sarathos! [Hoverbike Madness] Ooh, first taste of the Hoverbike! Tips: Learn to turn as tightly as possible with L2 or R2, and hold down R1 always. I did it quick enough to get the Chase the Goose SP! [Destruction Derby] Another fairly easy challenge. Use evasive manuevers liberally, but be quick as well Use your map to figure out where anything that you haven't pulverised yet is. One good strategy is to stay away from all LS Turrets, and attack them with charged-up mortars fom afar. Try to get Lights Out, and Derby Death SPs, too. [Monument to Death] Another easy one to play through. Just run to each monument, have your bots blow it up, repeat. Now I redo some old missions, get a few SPs... I buy Napalm (and allocate it to B6, then I get SP All Scattered in Valley! I get SPs The Perfect Mod, Camera Shy, and Crank it Up in On the Prowl! Onwards to Sarathos! [Sarathos Swamp Romp] This place reminds me of the Beast Makers Swamp in Spyro 1. Ah, that was such a long time ago... [Alien Soil] First I buy the TESLA Mine Launcher, and then the Holoshield Launcher. I allocate Napalm to the Mines, and Acid to the Holo. Now I run through the trenches to the little dome building, killing everything in sight with my new Mines. The Holo isn't of much use yet, though. Watch out for all the big scorpions scattered throughout, and in some of the pits, they have a nasty tail beam. Ext. Strat: Bought Mega Flail... WOOT! The main thing to watch out for here is those scorpions, they pack a wallop in their tail beams 'n blasts. Kill them quickly. [Sarathos Sprint] Here you must find the Puma, not an easy task... *giggle* Actually, it only takes a minimal effort (on Hero Mode). I blast through to the first gate to hack, upgrade my B6, and move on. A few nasty surprises waiting for you on the bridge, keep an eye out. I go over to the next part, EMP that turret, and upgrade me me Vipers. Take care of the node hacking, and finish it up. [Where the Leviathans Roam] Now you get to play with the third vehicle, the Puma. While this is cool and all, the wealth of enemies in this region is excellent weapon upgrade material, so I didn't use the Puma all that much... Now then, simply drive around, crank nodes, and do the usual nuts & bolts till you open the boss arena. I upgraded my Magma! [King of the Leviathans] Hack all the nodes, and awaken the 'King'. *Snicker* Oh god, when will they ever provide some challenge? Probably the next difficulty level up. Time to fight the... Tail.. Ah, there he is. Watch out for his tail beam, and try putting up some Holos to block it. Blast it up. Soon you'll win, unlocking Kronos and another Green Medal. [Check Me Out] Time for some more fun with the Hoverbike! Make sure you shoot all the barrels before you go through the ring to save time, or try to manuever tightly to avoid them, or even just jump over. You'll get SP No Peas Allowed, and Denied since you won't be using weapons... [Swamp Fever] A fun new challenge using the Landstalker, like Destruction Derby. Make sure you get the SP Death From Above. Now I go through the old missions, and I get the Shock mod, and Fusion Rifle from the vendor. I allocate the Shock Mod to the Holo and Vipers. I also switch out the Holo's Ammo mod to the Fusion, and put Acid on the Fusion. I got SPs Shocking, Mystic Warrior, and Long Shot in Alien Soil! Upgraded Fusion! Got SP That'll Fix Em in Sarathos Sprint! Got... Aaah, who cares? Just get all the SPs. I did the King Leviathan boss stage again, completing Time to Kill... Gotten Camera Shy, Gone in 30 Seconds, Don't Come Back, all easy. I'll let you refer to the in-game list if you need to know more about SPs. [Kronos] Much like Blackwater City, except for a more dark cyan tone. Take down Shellshock's forces! [Infiltrate the Cathedral] First off, aim to do SP Cow Patties, and Too Nimble at the sanme time. Try to do Lucky Shot too + continue Too Nimble to get Just Passing Through. Anywho, snipe those 2 guards, Obliterator the coming enemies, and then hit the dropship hard. Now you get to man the turret... If you want, but regular weapons are much better. Got V3 Mines! Continue on, and look for opportunities to do Lucky Shot. Soon you'll happen upon another turret. Use it on the bug things I hate up ahead in the little dome. After smashing some electronic skulls in there, head forward, kill the floaters, and set the grind. More enemies and 2 dropships waiting up ahead. Hack the nodes while defending against little drones. Finished! Upgraded Fusion! [Introducing Shellshock] Get SP Raining Shells, and Punishment. Go to the vendor, get Freeze, and allocate it to the Magma and Holo; put Acid on the Mines. Anyway, go to meet the Nazi-ish bot, and fill him with holes till he runs away. Be sure to avoid the targets on the ground! Finish off the bugs and little guys till you're done. [Enemies are Such a Grind] Ah, the triumphant return of Grindboots! This mission is truly one of the highlights of the game. Try to complete it in less than 3 minutes to get the Slip and Slide SP. Watch out at the beginning, spinners are ahead. Go up the lift, and watch it again; snipers have appeared for the first time. Clank suggests a Holo, and so do I. Get on the Grind Rail, and start your ride; jump over the life-preserver thingies and jump to the right once you reach the second rail. Soon you'll begin to see more snipers and floaters; shoot em all down, but make sure you run into the ammo spheres. Jump on the next rail to the left, circle it and keep going on the newly connected route. There's a Swingshot jump to make, so keep that in mind. And... You're done! [Infiltrate the Cathedral, Part 2] Try killing one of the big wrench guys with your wrench to get Now It's Personal. Kill the enemies to use the lift, now watch for some floaters up ahead, and prepare for some Dropships as you progress. Hey! There's an Executioner (Big Wrench Guy)! Kill him with the wrench. V4 Mines and V5 Magma! Dropships, and a turret you can use up ahead. Go into the arena, time for more B.W.G.s and ships. I find my Freeze Magma Cannon is working quite well. New spotlight to hack coming up; let the bots hack it and defend against the boatloads of new enemies coming in. Done! [Shellshock Returns!] Aim to get SP Can't Hit Me. Go in, prepare your strongest weapons, and fight. The Holoshield is useful here, but the Fusion can finsh the challenge in seconds. [Fight to the Cathedral] Go in and fight the Strikers, LS Turrets, and Ships, and go to the rail behind the slain turret. Jump to the right immediately. Try sniping the snipers down near your destination ahead of time. Blow thru the enemies till you get to the next long rail. Be ready for some chaotic sniper vs. you action on the rails! Make sure you don't fall off. By the end of that, you're at the Cathedral! [Showdown with Shellshock] Time to defeat Coffee Chip Brain once and for all! Make sure you crank 3 nodes youself as Ratchet for the SP Dizzy. Hip Snipe Shelly, kill the coming bugs, and turn the crank, then do the same in the other room opposite, and another time in the third. Finish him in the fourth, and get a new green medal and... CHARGE BOOTS! \/\/007! If you haven't read General Tips, you don't know how relieved I am. Now you've been entered in the Avenger Tournament. [Night Flight] Night Flight is the name of an old Spyro flight level! Ah, the memories. Anyway, now we're getting a chance to fight in the air with the new and improved Hovership! Try to get SP Flying High. Just shoot up everything, and be sure to lookit yer map to see where the Heavy Turrets (LS Turrets) are! Don't forget to use the Missles a lot. Feh, like you need more encouragement. >:D [Inverted Action] Not much strategy here. Just keep your bots on nodes, and defend them with Vipers, Magma, or whatever. V4 Fusion! [Dark City Arenas] Arena combat way back from Going Commando. Just keep on pummeling your enemies with everything you got, a classic strategy. V5 Vipers! V2 Holos (finally)! [Dreadzone Avenger Tournament] Time to return to the Battledome! [DreadZone Station] Go visit Al for a Bot Upgrade (get Bogo and Go-Comet), if you have money, and then go off to the Battledome to strut your stuff in some more missions, but buy the Arbiter and equip it with Napalm first. [Manic Speed Demon] (Hero) For a change of pace, I've decided to switch to Hero mode for reasons known only to Jigganises. Now I'll get a challenge... Aim to get the SPs Two in One and Speedy. Anyway, watch out for those bug guys at the beginning. Afterwards you'll be finding varied patterns of Dropships and enemies. Do it quick! [The Tower of Power] More arena-style combat with many Ships flyin in to drop off their kids at work, trying to kill you. Soon enough there will be some peace, and you can go visit the second room again, killing a few little guys and bugs along the way. Watch out for the new hedgehog guys! They fire long range homing spike missles. You know what you doing here. Once you finish that, you'll go o-oOOW! Watch out for those stupid new laser turrets! Some pretty intense fighting here, bring out the heavy hitters and some Holos for this one. Now you go to the next room, Finish off the little guys + Bugs, and proceeed. Upgraded Mines! [Climb the Tower of Power] You continue from the spot you just completed. Finally, a bit of real platforming. I'm not going to hold your hand here, so be sure to know that Fire + Lombax = Bad. Waiting for you across the lava is a laser turret and some big spinners. More switching platforms and more of the same enemies. The green platforms are safe. Purple ones... Well, once you see how they shake, you'll be wanting to get off soon. Hm... This last platforms to get to the top look easy to climb... OW! Hey! Ok, lets do it again. OW! Crap! again! OW! SHIT! ONE MORE TIME! Phew. BOOM! Damn. I just died. Watch for the Scorpian and B.W.G. at the top. Soon you'll be fighting Ships and more to finish up... And then you're done with the tournament! And you get a Green suit! And I unlocked Shaar and Orxon! [Perfect Chrome Finish] Face of with spinners, lasers, bladeballs and more in this challenge in which you cannot get hit. Make sure you keep Vipers, Freeze Magma, and Holos out! [Close and Personal] Time for some melee action! Blast, er, swing at everything that moves, and you should be ok. Be sure to keep your distance, and remember you have a wrench-throw move. Be sure to use the lasers to your advantage by standing behind other enemies while the lasers shoot them. Its gonnna be hard, specially when they throw in Strikers. I've just gotten the Morph/Freeze mod Cheat for my Wrench, so this is no problem anymore, even on Hero mode. Whew... Done! [Temple of Shaar] The demo level! I chose to go back to Orxon first, but I found it rather challenging. I don't think they meant for me to do that yet. [Return to the Deathbowl] Aim not to get any damage this mission to get 2 SPs. A short, sweet mission. Hack the nodes, get inside the bowl, kill enemies, hack more nodes while killing enemies, and get out. BTW, the Scorpion Flail is available! But so is the Mini-bomb mod... Ohhhhh, I don't know which to get. I'll go with the Flail since it IS a whole new weapon, and I put the Morph mod on it. [Landstalker Stalkin] Throughout this mission, I've gotten tons of SPs, so here's a list for you to try to match with; Shaar SPs 1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15! I've also upgraded many weapons. I got the Mini-Bomb "Bouncer" mod and put it on the Mines too add a lil extra kick to them. Hardest. Challenge. So Far! Most people won't have TOO much trouble, but me, being a completist, wants to get that extra SP for not taking any damage on the LS. I'm afraid I'm just not good enough to actually pilot the thing and not get any damage, cuz of the other LSes and rocket turrets, so I go on foot. Be sure to watch out for the LS Mortars; they can usually kill you, and they home in effieciently. One strategy for this SP is to rush up to the LS, EMP it, charge back to your LS, and blast away at the EMP'd LS. Do this once you've cleared away most rocket turrets. Anyway, go ahead up the snowy pathway; don't attract the attention of any LSes. Watch the rocket turret on the metal plateau. Go up there and start jumping and shooting away, and keep an eye out for the Ship which will fly in after those enemies are done for. Crank the node, and head toward the B.W.G.s which just appeared. Kill them, and don't start anything with the first and nearest LS until you're ready. Be sure not to get the LS turret's attention till later. Keep in mind that there may be more Nanos back at the first crank. Go up and kill the 2nd turret, and then the last few. You WILL die a lot, but no worries, you'll get it soon enough with just the right mix of strategy. Destroy all those LS turrets and LSes until you reach the next node plateau. Bring out some ranged and splashy weapons to kill these guys, and watch out for any Dropships that may come while your bots crank the node. The last part is substaintially easier, make sure you look out for more Ships and Laser Backs (the beetle things, I'm pretty sure) inside the Temple area, just be sure not to be impatient and die by rushing things too much. [As the Wrench Turns] Try to do SPs Hot Stuff, and... Well, anything else that needs doing which you have the resources to do with. Go right, and up the set of steps to the small building. Take out lasers, crank the node, go forward, beat the patrolling Strikers with a B6. Drop down on the next node, take out turrets, and watch for the Ship. Crank node, watch for Executioners, and go backwards to the trench between the Temple and little building to take out a few more enemies. Go back behind the Temple, shoot the Beserkers coming from the corner, and then crank the next node over there, destroying more stuff that moves. Use the jump pad, crank that node, and go through to where you started. Climb the steps up to the next node, crank it, and be done! There's some more cannon fodder around the building and in the opposite trench from the one mentioned. Ext. Strat: STAY THE &%$# AWAY FROM TURRETS! These guys are SUPER powerful, especially on Ext. Use Holos around them, a lot, and the lasers... The lasers... They also suck like hell, since the beams now turn towards you. And those beetles... ugh. Use Holos there, too. [Assault on the Frozen Tundra] Go around and crank nodes with preselected weapons scattered on the ground, ready for pickup, entirely WAY WAY WAY too damn hard!!!!!!!11!!1!1oneone [Shoot to Kill] An extremely easy round of shooting everything with the LS. Just shoot everything, and use the mortars! [Whack-A-Swarmer] Simple explody fun, you vs timer to kill 181 swarmers. You should get SPs Look Out Below and Locked and Loaded here. Ext. Strat: Again, this is extremely easy, but now I find this to be a perfect ground for leveling up the Mega B11 and Mega Vulcan, as well as getting a shitload of bolts! You know what to do with those XP and Jackpot mods... ;) [Robots in a Barrel] 10 rounds of arena-style combat, easy enough so that I don't have to guide you. Phew! Try to get Shocking here. [Orxon Mining Facility] Ah, first trip back to Orxon since the days of R&C 1. It sure has gotten a lot drearier, but seemingly less smoggy too... Oh, rain. [Labyrinth of Death] Try to get SPs Hard To Hit, The Electrical Socket, The Frying Pan, and Special Delivery. Time to go through the maze and shut down the forcefields. Oooooooooooohhh, Morph Mod! BUY IT (if you have the bolts) and equip it to whatever weapon. This thing roksors the enemies' boksors! I personally reccomend putting it on the B6 or Vipers. I go to the first choice, and pick left. Now I go through, and take care of some snipers on the left. Watch out for the little guys while the bots hack. Watch out, there's heavy forces on the other side, such as a fully-functional Landstalker with an EMP breakable shield. Hiding behind a shield and sniping may be the best option here. More ships... Go to the right. More DZ Strikers here as well. Go to the next room, and watch out for a ship and some snipers. Go to the LS Turret, and get behind that blue shield. Upgrade Arbiter (FINALLY)! Then continue on and to the right. Go straight, and shoot up everything that appears. Soon you'll have activated those gears, and you're done! [Node Overload] Get SPs Running in Circles, Counter Sniper, and Half and Half. Here's a typical drill; go around on top and crank the nodes (do it yourself to get the first SP). V5 B6! Watch for the Executioners up top, they packed a beating for ya, plus there's like, 10 of em! And lasers! V3 Holos! Get the first node after all those waves behind you, near where you started. Watch for the Beserkers and Lasers, and crank it. Afterwards, be prepared for some more enemies. There's more Executioners afoot. Get them, and return to the next node clockwise. Do the same as the last one, and repeat. [Chains of Villainy] Landstalker time! Free the poor crowds, and do it quick for an SP. Easy, since if you die, the clock restarts, and you keep what crowd thingies you launched already. Now you get to compete in the Crusader Tournament to face off with Reactor! [Swarming the Gauntlet] Pummel bunches of Bladeballs and Lasers with pick-up weapons. It's easy to get Snooker here if you find the B6 in the far upper- left corner of the map. Ext. Strat: Another good leveling-up place! Use XP mods! [Scoring with the Blarg] Another target shooting challenge with the LS. Now you have more enemies to compete with, which makes it tougher. Just try it a few times, you'll get it. Now would be a good time to get all the Skill Points you missed... Anywhere. I've been depleting the old planets of SPs, and I've gotten a TON of cheats. I just LOOOOVEE the 'Weather' cheat. Go accumulate those SPs and see it for yourself! [DreadZone Crusader Tournament] Time for the second tournament, this time up against Reactor. [DreadZone Station] Go to Al to get more upgrades; specifically the new head, the new weapons, and a new skin, if you want. Now then, I've also bought the new Mini-Turret Launcher, a classic all the way back from R&C 2. I give it the Shock mod. Time to go to the Battledome! [Static Deathtrap] Ooo, new colored DZ Bots. Still the same explosions, though. You know what to do here! Be sure to use the walls as cover whenever possible. Watch it when they bring out the Mini-lasers, and the final round's pretty tough. V8 Mines! [Marathon] This is a pretty cool course... If you don't count the fact that you will be blown to pieces once the timer counts down. Destroy the enemies in this area, get on the yellow grind, and sail to the next room. Here you will come across more new DZ guys, and a King Leviathan! Kill em all while your bots do the nodework. On the other half of the room there's more enemies and a second King, kill and repeat till the platforms come to get to the next room. Bladeballs, Green DZs and more here, just crank it and then... [Reactor Battle] Watch out for his 'Bull' attack in which he zooms through you, after kicking like a bull. A well timed jump can avoid this, as well as his streams of blue fire, blaster, and other attacks. Holos, rockets, and the Fusion help here. Yay, unlocked blue suit! Yay, unlocked two new levels! I decide to pick up the new wrench upgrade. I don't need it, but what the hell. Ext. Strat: Reactor's abilities have more homing power now; you'll really need to watch out for the bull attack now as well as the ground pound he does straight after, and side-jump over his rapid fire blaster again and again... Or just put a Holo in front of yourself. Holos can also block his blue streams, too. [Zombie Attack] Get SPs Dead Again, and The Bomb here. Objective; blow up tons o' zombies and more while explosive barrels, weapons, and health also spawn. Ext Strat: This is another great place to level up weapons. Hell, every challenge is great once you have 6 XP mods on one weapon! [Heavy Metal] Face off 'anything larger than a Blargian breadbox' here. Truly, this is so. An amazing battle. Watch those red things, they create little rings of fire past round 5, but can be stopped with an EMP. Ext. Strat: There's one round with a ton of zombies and a few beetles; you should get out the Holos, Vulcan, and Harbringer for this round. [Endzone] Don't let the enemies reach your 'goal'! Use lots of weapons with splash damage here, and I find that Vipers w/Shock and Magma are working well, as with anything having a Shock mod. Done! I heard that this weapon is amazing for leveling up weapons in Challenge Mode, BTW. [Valix Lighthouse Network] A campaign situated on meteors hurtling through space. This is pretty cool, yeah, but blowing things up is better. It's also what you do here. [Lost and Found] There's so many easy SPs to do here; just check the list in Menu/ Challenges/ Skill Points. Same goes for the rest of the levels here. I got the Brainwash mod and equipped it to the Fusion for use on Executioners. Anyway, start off by going forward and exterminating the flyers and swarmers coming from the edge of this asteroid. Medieval Power is an easy SP to get in the first half of this mission, so equip that Flail! Once that's done, go left and set the rail. Uh oh, ship coming in! Kill it first and then grind off to the next asteroid. Try getting SP Touchy-Feely, too. You don't have to kill Strikers particularly, just the medium sized green guys. Destroy those guys, and kill the coming Ship with rockets. Try using the miniturrets as well for yet another. Go to the next Meteor, kill guys, proceed to the final Meteor, where the Hovership is. Finish the Executioners, battle the Strikers, and blow up the Dropships nearby the entrance, and then crank the node inside the warehouse to finish up. [Space Ace] Another ol' Going Commando reference. Get the SP Schooled here, it's very easy, and you'll get Healthy automatically. Here you'll be piloting the Hovership around, clearing away all the enemies. The main guys you'll need to watch for is the Executioners which appear with the Green DZs. They have mean aiming skills, and their shots are fast like a rocket. I reccomend killing all the other guys with rockets, and then confronting the Executioner by staying in one place and shooting, then when HE shoots, you dodge down with L2. And all the while, you can charge up your rockets to kill him. Be sure not to get too close! [Power Up] Getting SP The Disease is easy here, if you equip Brainwash to the Vipers and use 1 shot each on the swarmers up in the building. Pummel the patrollers, go inside, use some explosives on the Executioner and his group, go right, kill the snipers, and start hacking while you Viper any swarmers which come up. Go thru the door, kill some Strikers, and use the turret to take out the Ship and its contents, as well as the snipers up ahead on the next building. Destroy the snipers and everything else inside, and start hacking. Watch out for the 2 Executioners which will appear outside from where you came! Now go back to the new door you hacked thru, and destroy all the Executioners and Ships before stepping in the blue light to finish. Oh, cool, V9 Vipers! [Let the Light Shine Through] Hehe, I think I remember that to be the title of an old song from the musical "Hair" about the 60s, in which everyone gets naked to sing this last song. Start off by destroying the Ship and Strikers outside, and then blow up the Cycloids with rockets. Be sure to detroy the other Cycloids later on the final asteroid with rockets as well, for SP A Baker's Dozen. Set the rail to the next meteor, and bring out some heavy firepower for use on the appearing Executioner and the 3 Ships. Now slide down to the third meteor, and be prepared for some swarmers and 2 Executioners. Go up the lighthouse on the lift, and then swing down to the next island, where a few swarmers and an Executioner have set up camp. Now grind down to the final meteor. More Exe-s, and some DZ guys, more coming in Ships. Go round to the back of the warehouse, and get out your rockets in order to blast up the coming Cycloids and more for that SP. Now then, go into the warehouse, blow that shtuff up, and crank the node to finish up. [Time Extension!] Oooh, a Hovership ring race. The enemies are not important, just concentrate on getting that Ring My Bell SP! Be sure not to forget to use L2 and R2 to navigate the tight turns. [Your Land is my Land] Besides the desecration of a famous, good-willed song, I like this level. Travel to each node, and fight all the baddies off, then capture it, easy. [Planet Torval] This planet reminds me very much of Mylon, the last level in UYA... And I like it. Time to show this deceased factory some action! [Hoverbike or Bust] Try to get the SP Dead On here, and Quick Fix. Phoo, this one's quite a challenge, right off the bat. Up ahead there's a Dropship, Strikers, and an LS turret. Fusion or Rocket the Ship, set up a Holo and EMP the turret, and then blast the hell out of everything that's moving while hacking the nodes. If you need health, there's some behind the rock where the vendor is. Now then, go left past the Ace mounument, and watch for more zombies and a second LS turret. Hack the nodes, and go further. There's more health in the nearby the base of the monument. Watch for the falling Laser Back, and proceed to the blue room. Strikers behind pillars, EMP the turret, finish the L.B., and then hack the nodes to finish up. [Seek and Destroy] Time for more hoverbike action! Now you must chase the little drones around and blow em up. Just make sure you try to stay in line with them as you chase, and hold down R1! You'll get 3 SPs here if you stick to the Bike, and are careful not to get hit by exploding barrels, but try for Hard to Hit, too. You WILL wanna blow up 10 of them in order to get another SP. [The Turn On] Possibly the most chaotic mission yet. Snipe the Exe, blast the zombies, forward into building. Try to get Mined Out on all the Bladeballs in there. Hip snipe next Exe, turn left, Morph the Laser Backs to start SP Frenzied, Acid some more enemies to start off SP I'm Melting. Once that room is taken care of, crank the node, but watch out for some laser turrets which will sprout up. Once you crank, B6 some Strikers appearing behind you, and then go up that Gravity Boot walkway and to the end of the path to find a Jackpot container. Get 3 of these for SP Muniez! Now then, go to the next pathway to the right, and take out all the Bladeballs and their containers. Soon you'll come upon some Strikers to Obliterate, if you know what I mean. Go left, into the next room, beat up the rest of the bots in here, and crank the node to finish. That SP, Far Away From It All, is so hard, it's almost a mission in itself. You must do it in [The Turn On], as this mission is the only one on this planet to have 10 Executioners to snipe. So then, I'm gonna list the locations of them. 1. In front of you at the start of the challenge. 2. In the entrance of the building. 3. In the Node room to the north-east. 4. Start turning the node in that room, and you'll find him. 5. Also appears at that point. 6. This one too. 7. In the big room with no roof in the Southeast corner. 8. Same place. 9. In the south-west corner. 10. On the platforms above it. [Blast of Fresh Air] Time to blow up the statue of Ace! Go forward, EMP the turret, blast the Executioner, start up the path, blast anymore Executioners and laser turrets. Have your bots start to set TNT and such while you defend them from Strikers, Bladeballs, and Ships. Time to go! Unlocked new tournament! [Turret Trouble] Man a turret and blast away all the enemies coming by. Be sure to check all around, there may be enemies you can't see on the radar. That's it for this planet. I reccomend going back to get all the SPs you missed at this point. OOOOOOOOHHHHHH, COOOOL! I got me an Anti-Matter Rifle by upgrading my Fusion to the V10! I'll keep callin it Fusion tho. [DreadZone Vindicator Tournament] Eh, whatever. We'll beat it. [DreadZone Station] I go to the vendor an-WHA? Harbringer, cool. It's 2 Mil, though... I get the Time Bomb mod and equip to Mines, and put Mini-Bomb on Arbiter, and then Morph on Scorpion Flail. Now I go buy the 2 new Bot weapon upgrades at Al's. Time to go fight! [Murphy's Law] Weapon-cycling challenge! Your weapon will switch to another every once in a while. Other than this, it's pretty much straightforward. [Air Drop] Now you fight enemies for 3 minutes while avoiding bombs dropping down all the time. Watch out when they start throwing Exe's and bugs into the mix. WOOT! V10 Magma = Vulcan Cannon!!! Oh, it's over. [Eviscerator Battle] Ooh, time to bash a BIG bug. I'm going to be bashing ol' Insectosor with the Flail in order to get my SP. First off, I switch its mod to Acid. Evis will first use a sort of dance/chopping movement. Just strafe to the side, and he will react by doing a ninja jump towards you, and then try to dice you up again with a quick slash. Try getting one more bash in before he jumps up and shoots a big-ass Leviathan-ish beam from somewhere on his head. Now he does a 'c'mon' taunt, and repeats the whole ordeal. After about a quarter of his health is gone, a shield appears around him, and he flies over to the corner, while he summons some little bugs. Kill them quickly. Now he has a new attack before the head beam, and after the quick slash, in which he does a cartwheel in which exploding arrows fly from him. At this point, its best to only smash him with the Flail whenever you're sure you can get a hit in, and only one. Jump whenever one of the bomb arrows lands near you. Soon he'll get faster, and you'll really have to watch your eyes. Watch out for more bugs! YES!!!!! I did it! FINALLY! Got me SP! Got orange suit! Acess to 2 more planets!! YAYYYYY! [Outside] I decide to buy the new wrench upgrade... Ooh, flamey cool to compliment my flamey suit! [Higher Ground] Time for some Dread Challenges! This one was apparently designed by a bunch of ignoramouses, so it must be hard. But, ignoramouses think alike, so you should have no problemo. First you have to grind that glowy rail into the Tower corridor, and blast some bugs (use a B6 or Mines) at the end. Now you must go thru a switching platform stint. Watch out, green platforms are supposed to be safe, but half of them are actually switchers. More bugs at the other end, and a Ship with some Cycloids over to the right. Now you have more platforming! Once you're done with it, more Cycloids and Strikers appear on the big tower. Use the rail to get to the next tower, where more Cycloids are. More platforming, and then a tough rail sequence. Soon you'll get to the top, where you'll fight Ravagers (hedgehogs), Leviathans, and more. Then you're done! [The Corkscrew] Now HERE's a challenge. Shoot all the baddies and all the orbs, till they're all green, so that you can grind the rail. Ride the rail to the next room, and start the process again till you can ride to the last arena, where you'll fight the rest of it out till you've completed the challenge. [Stygia] Rather boring, this level. Oh well, time to go to work saving the planet. [Junking the Jammers] Landstalker time! Push off the swarmers, and destroy the glowy things. Really, no strategy is needed for much of this. Just don't fall off, but use your sidestep in any case. Very useful here. Oh, and try to get Skilled Warrior, Don't Come Back, and Drop Dead in SPs. [Energy Collector] On foot again. Jump up to the floating platform, take care of all the enemies, crank the node, and swing over to the next platform. Flail and rocket these guys and repeat, then grind to the next one, and take out the B6 for the Executioners. Soon you'll be ready to crank again, and then grind the rail to the next. Be sure to jump and swing the shot at the end of that rail! Executioners will be coming; so will ships. You can use the big wall as cover when needed. Do'h! Forgot Holos. Better use em... Once you crank the node, you're done! BTW, use Vipers with Brainwash on the Swarmers on the second platform to get All Mixed Up easy. [Shields Up!] Now you pilot a Hovership again. Destroy all the enemies while your bots go to work hacking nodes. Pretty short mission... [Shield Survivor] Protect the generator! That's it. The ability to Replenish your weapons at any time makes this especially easy. Oh well, time to go back and collect SPs... Dum de dum doo doo... Man, CATACROM was harder than this campaign! Super Hero SP is easy to get here. [Maraxus] Many will call this Aridia/Korgon, because of its sandy, tan-color theme. I like the new prison elements as well! Let's blast it up! [Jail Break] Uh oh, no bots. Better go get them. First off, go get the Dead Last SP by sniping at the Ravagers up ahead, and then go left to get some more, but be sure not to hit the little green guys in the process. If you're careful, you can also get AA Assault! Once you're done with all them, use the jump pad to jump up to the circular cell where they're holding Merc. There's a bunch of Swarmers, around, and it would be a shame not to get Fatal Frenzy here. A few rounds of these bots and those bots... and Merc is out. EMP that forcefield, and go kick some more bots apart up ahead. On the right there's an entrance to the outside, where there's a few more Executioners and Strikers. [Total Control] Speed Bumps is a hard SP to get, but you should manage by shooting a little bit at your enemy before running them over. I've also managed Modified; dunno if you can, though. Just go to each node and turn it, but be careful of all the enemies around. [Leave No Man Behind] Time to go to get Green. Go forward and hack the nodes, while you defend Merc from the enemies behind. When outside, be very careful, there's Ravagers, a Ship, and an LS Turret out there. Once you've taken care of them and the other stuff that comes up, EMP the force field and move on (you can also get some stuff at the end of the little tunnel). Up the Gravity Boot walkway, there's some Strikers in the room, and then a Laser Back who'll appear behind. [Showdown in Delta Block] Time to get Green back! Now then, your objective is to stand on the green button to lower the cell. I reccomend just staying on it, and pummeling stuff with the Flail from there. After a short stint of more enemies, you're good to go! [Speed Trap] This level is so easy, I don't even need to tell you to get SP Time Will Tell. [Spider on a Wire] Gawd, when will these challenges provide some challenge?! In any case, time to go to the last tournament... [DreadZone Liberator Tournament] Time to go face up with Ace. Don't worry, he sucks like hell. [Swarmer Surprise] Not hard at all. Make sure you don't strafe-jump into the lava... [Accelerator] Wow, this is easy, but it's cool and speedy as well! [Ace Hardlight Battle] Oooh, finally we fight with Ace. He's a pushover, as long as you aren't aiming to get the Ace in the Hole SP. In that case, I would mod my Anti-Matter Rifle with lotsa Ammo add-ons. Make sure you get out the Holos also; they're useful against Ace's tricky blaster attack. Then yuo have to avoid his shockwave bombs and more blaster attacks till he puts up a shield and heals himself. Now he'll create copies of himself which can be shut down with a simple shot from your Dual Raptors. Continue pummeling him until he heals again. Now he'll create a homing snake which will follow you around for a while. Just keep moving in a circle, and you'll be fine. Watch out for his repeating other attacks. Soon he'll heal again, and create more copies. Be sure to concentrate on Ace once you find him; once you destroy all the copies, or inflict enough damage on Ace, he'll go into Shield mode until he creates more copies. About here is where the Holo is most useful, since you won't be totally aware of Ace's blaster. Be sure to keep hip-sniping with that Fusion! [Ghost Station] Mmm, greenish fun. [The Grinding Chase] Basically a load of grinding and node turning, with a hell of a lot of enemies. I've found the Silencer (used to be rockets) very useful in here. [Running the Guantlet] Go around with the rockets, mines, and sniper to turn all the nodes to get into the building. Watch out for all the enemies, they'll pop up everywhere, especially when you're turning nodes. I've been getting lots of weapon specific SPs here, and you should too. Once you've turned all the nodes, you need to go past that force field and to the blue light. You COULD fight all those enemies... But I chose to fly by them and finished. [Prison Break] Go into the first room; hack nodes; do all that... I reccomend using only the Raptors for this mission, without trying to kill the Executioners. Just blast your way thru to the computers, and blow em up. [Escape] Go ahead and destroy all the enemies, crates, and everything. Be careful of the LS turrets, and try using L2 and R2 experimentally to find ways you can avoid their bullets. Watch for the Cycloids which appear afterward. Remember where vehicle pads are, just in case you need some health. [Control Level] Uh oh, Vox is gonna blow up the station. This is the final throwdown with DZ, in which you must save yourself, your friends, the other heroes, and the fans. This will involve using everything you've got, all the strategies you've learned, and all the rest of your experience in this massive blastfest thru the halls of the Control Level. Be prepared for anything and everything you've encountered in your past hours playing this game... Especially Holoshields. Yep, they're important, especially in the generator rooms where the tough enemies respawn a helluva lot... [Vox Battle] ...And now you have to fight Gleeman Vox himself. Damn, is he hard! Vox has several attacks which he'll use in any order; a sweeping electric beam you must jump over, summoning several mini-spider bots which can be destroyed easily with any explosives, and summoning Ghost enemies. Try bashing him with the Flail once he comes in close for a few seconds... After you've cut his health down to about half, he'll turn into a giant floaty mech, as the classic final boss 2nd phase round always is. Now his Ghost summon has stronger enemies, and he will throw out a bomb/camera that creates a shockwave you must jump over. His other new attack is to create a bunch of floating cameras which hover about you, creating a pattern of deadly lasers. Just jump when the lasers start to come in. Once you've damaged him enough... Poof! He's done for, and soon you'll be viewing the ending cutscenes and credits. And now... Challenge Mode! That's the end of the story. Now it's time to wait out the wait for IG's next game... _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ ____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / // /____ Chapter 1D. Argufren - Tips and Differences for Co-op Mode_, _/ // // __ \ ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / // /_/ / \___/ /__________________| \_______/ Playing with a friend can be a bit of a difference; for one thing, your friend probably sucks, that's different. Both you and the friend will have the certain tools your Combat Bots have in 1 player mode, like a Node Hacker, a shield thingy, and grind rail setters, since they won't be around, which you or him will have to equip with the corresponding direction on the D-pad. I'd recommend having the friend do all this, since he probably sucks. It'll leave you open to defend him, which you should be much more effective at. Another thing you'll need to do is to direct the other player as to what to do all the time... This greatly helps if he/she is a noob. Since you both share everything, you'll also need to make sure that you ask your friend to switch to another weapon or item before you can switch to it. ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ __ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \_____ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\___ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ / Chapter 2. Yawnlinemod - The Section for the Online Modes _, _/ // __/ ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / /_ \___/ /__________________| \___/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ah, multiplayer, the foot of the body that makes Deadlocked walk. Or maybe it's the hair that makes DL look better... Hmmm... What about the toungue or something? Note, my strategies are formulated mostly on the assumption that you'll be playing with all weapons, all available vehicles, and all special pick-ups. _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ __ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \_____ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\___ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ /___ Chapter 2A. Uarnooob - General Online Mode Tips / /____/ _, _/ // __// _ | ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / /__/ | \___/ /__________________| \_______/|_| Deadlocked is an exhilirating experience online. You will be faced up against many other fans of the game, most of which are probably better than you. I mean, this part of the guide is called Uarnooob. So, you'll need a few tips and tricks to get you prepared. [Help Voices] Normally I don't like to listen to help from someone while playing, but turning it on (in your profile) is a good idea. Besides being great help to those with frequent memory loss, Merc (your combat bot) will give you warnings if a node of yours is under attack. Plus, I just like to hear Dallas anyway. [Develop paranoia] Your oppponents are everywhere in DL. You can be prepared though. I check the map by pressing in R3 all the time, whenever I want to see what's happening elsewhere. Some people want their privacy, and can turn off your option to be able to see others (besides your teammates' locations). In any case, it's very helpful. If you can't quite see the other edge of the map from where you're standing, you can always turn to the right or left a little, and your map will turn as well, allowing you to see farther. If someone is standing still on the map, he is most likely a sniper. Watch out for them, and MOVE if he's pointed in your direction. You can tell a lot about your enemies' movements, just by seeing where they are, what direction they're going, and that sort of stuff. Anyway, you need to be prepared for anything; high flying B6es, snipers, rockets (rockets are especially deadly when you are Chargebooting away). Try to predict what your enemy is doing when you can't see them, like trying to get a power-up, mod, vehicle, health... ...And try to predict what they'll be doing whenever you face your enemy. Once you get good enough, you'll be able to figure out what your enemy might do next, and base your plan of attack on this. Some good players I've met might just as well be psychic. They seem to know what I'm going to do next, and pull out just the appropriate strategy to kill me with. [Mic Strategy] Strategizing with your allies via headset can be the key to winning a game. You can figure out who's defending something, who's going to do what, and dicuss short term strategies for immediate use ("USE THE %#$*ING ROCKETS AND WATCH THE %&*@ OUT FOR THAT GODDAMN RED GUY!"). Be sure to keep constant communication with them; they'll be glad to know what's happening elsewhere without having to figure it out on their own. My Headset doesn't work on DL for some reason, and so I wouldn't know anything more about this. T_T [Move!] Platforming isn't the prominent feature of DL, as were Insomniac's intentions, but you'll see that there's still resemblance left in the constant challenge of avoiding your enemies' bullets and blasts, via running around and jumping. For instance, the Arbiter's rockets are extremely fast, but once you find the right moment to jump out of the way, it's no more trouble! Same against the Vipers. I use this strategy all the time, simply because I really want to be able to kick ass without getting mine kicked in return. Running and jumping around can save you tons of time not dying. Mix in a bit of Charge Booting, and you'll be raring to go with one of the best tips I've got. [Boost!!] Using your Charge Boots (tap L2 twice), can be a big part of the game. It's useful for covering ground quickly, and strategetically positioning yourself. Try putting up the map with R3 or Select before going anywhere, helps a lot; you can see where there is an enemy player anywhere on the map, before you encounter them. I know of many instances when you'll need to use a shorter boost (like, for not falling off cliffs), so, a technique perfect for that is 'Boost-Cutting'. With this, you can start a boost, and quickly end it by shooting with whatever weapon you've got on you, which will stop you after a small slide. This is very useful in many situations. One more thing; to speedily use Swingshots, boost off the edge of whatever cliff and then press R1 quickly to grab the shot and go flying across the gap. [Boost Retreating] There are also times when you will need to retreat, however. You must do it carefully, though. Here are just a few of the things you need to keep in mind when you Chargeboot away; Rockets, the most dangerous weapon in these circumstances. Since you can't jump around while boosting, they'll easily cut you down. Turning to the right or left helps, but that can vary by what angle you're charging from. Laying down some Holos as you go is a good plan for this and against other weapons. Some poeple will try sniping you with a Fusion, another good reason to twist and turn. Mines are also a liability. Make sure you destroy them before you rush straight into them. This also counts for Node turrets. [Don't Get Flattened] Don't join in any game where the teams are rather uneven. If you do, you'll get flattened by another team of power players, or vice-versa (that may sound nice, but it sure doesn't to the other team). And it's not nice beat up a bunch of noobs for an easy win! That makes you a bad person, and people will grow to hate you. :P Be sure to check the rules of a game before you start; many people want some variety, and will chose irregular rules like Wrenches only, no Chargeboots, Conquest's Home Nodes special rules... And you may not like them. One I particularly hate is Fusion/Vipers only. I suck with the Fusion... Many of the peoples I've played games like Lockdown Conquest or Home Nodes Conquest also get themselves into deep shit, because most people don't know how to play that mode. [Vehicle Strats] If you have a vehicle, make sure you go back to one of your vehicle pads to get it healed just in case it is about to get destroyed. A vehicle can heal only if only 1 person is in it, and sometimes it has to be none at all. Be sure to destroy your enemies' vehicles on their pads whenever you have the chance. [Game Modes] What sort of game do you want to play? Conquest? CTF? Monkey Sundae? What's Monkey Sundae? [Conquest] This is the expansion of UYA's Siege mode. It's main attraction, as always, is in the nodes, little mini-bases which provide weapons, power-ups, and a spawn point. This time, however, they play a little bigger role... Bolts are statistics comparable to points, and you can get them for killing enemies (or killing them in certain ways; normally, running them over with a vehicle, with a wrench, in defense of nodes). The main way, however, is by capturing, and keeping nodes. Over time, your nodes will generate more bolts (towards a set bolt total), the key to winning a match. This is why you'll want to get as many of them as possible. Be sure to keep watch on what's happening to each node... As you aspire to capture more nodes, your enemy is conspiring to do the same. You must keep them from hacking or turning your node, as in making with the killing. Another incentive for this is the fact that you get bolts for kills made in defense. You'll be wanting to try to get their nodes too... I reccomend trying to claim one which isn't getting as much attention, so that you'll have less competition. [Conquest Node Upgrades] As you accumulate nodes, your team will aqquire upgrades for those nodes. The first you capture will contain: 'x2 Turrets' More turrets just isn't better. Anyone can easily kill them without exerting much extra effort. 'Power Turrets' Upgrades the turrets themselves. They'll now have a double gun, and double the defense! Vote for this one. After your 2nd node you have: 'Teleport System' Lets you teleport throughout the nodes. Absolutely bleh. Don't go for this. 'Force Fields' Shields the turrets. Sure, it's cool, but compared to the other stuff... I will say, many pros I've played with like this upgade. 'Vehicle Pads' GET THIS ONE. Vehicles are an absolute must in games with them on! 'Capture Resistance' Whenever you're in a game with vehicles turned off, this is a great choice. It simply makes it take 2x as long for the enemy to capture your node (as in, turning, hacking...), leaving you plenty of time to get to it and defend. The third and final tier (after you capture like, 1-3 more nodes) gifts you any of these; 'Rocket Turrets' Gives your turrets a face-lift, power boost, and rockets to fire. Rather nice, though I haven't found them particularly much better if you have Power turrets... They have LOTS more health, though. 'Ammo Pads' Pretty much useless, since most games have unlimited ammo. 'Health Pads' Now that's better. Puts little team-exclusive health pads around your nodes. 'Player Turrets' A manual turret, like the ones you see in story mode. This is a pretty cool upgrade, plus it can count as extra armor while you're in. [More Conquest Strategies] [Stop Dying and Start Earning] Many matches become just too even, and both sides can't capture a single node more, thus halting any progress. If this happens, a good strategy is to fall back on your nodes, and start defending. This can get you more kills, bolts, and upgrades, all good towards a long term goal of capturing more nodes. [Node Capturing] There's many ways to capture a node; here's some tips on how to do it more easily, and effectively. First off, you'll always want to pick and capture nodes with (or near) special stuff, such as a mod pickup, health container, or powerups like Quad Damage or Shield. You'll often find the enemy looking to capture these nodes as well, so watch out. Sometimes it can be best to wait till they come, and keep back until they are ready to start turning it, when you unleash your can of whoop-ass on them. [Doing it] With Node Orbs, you can set a Holoshield close within hacking distance of the node, and one that protects you from both turrets, keeping you free to capture it. You can set up more to protect yourself if you are turning a bolt crank node, though it's hard to set them up in that manner. Always keep in mind this when you try to capture one of the opponents' nodes; if they're smart (which they likely are), they'll spawn there and try to stop you. This is why you don't want to try capturing it before you know you've got the time to do it, in between their dying and your capturing. [Things to Bring Along] Spreading some mines and Holos around you is a good strategy in this situation, to the effect of killing any opponents who respawn right away. However, the easiest way to capture one of these nodes is to have a teammate along to help. Teammates will be thankful to have your help with nodes they've been trying to capture, as well. And, if you have them at one of your nodes, go get a Quad Power bonus, or a Shield. [Special Rules] Conquest is technically 3 modes. You will often find the regular mode around, of course, but there's 2 others for variety: [Home Nodes] make Conquest more reminiscient of the old Siege mode. In this, you must capture the enemies' Home Node, essentially a base. It's the same as a regular node, but with many upgrades, right from the start. Obviously, both teams will want to capture the other's base, since doing so wins the game for that side. Regular nodes are still a big part, of course, and you'll need to capture as many of them as possible as well. Just be sure to protect your base, as it is the key to your enemies' victory. Believe me, I've lost a good few of these because of continually rushing enemies who try to sneak by to your base and attack it without your knowing. [Lockdown] Is the next. This is what I call "Race for Nodes". Yeah, regular mode is like that too, but in this, nodes only appear one at a time. Now each team races to each node, and the first one to capture it holds it for the rest of the game, and it can't be recaptured by opponents. The game ends once one team gets 3 nodes, though it's often more, varying by map. [Capture the Flag] Good ol' CTF from UYA, but without the nodes and the inclusion of more teams. As the name implies, your goal is to go to the enemy base, steal their Flag, and bring it back to your base. As you pros know, this is not a simple task. There's much strategy involved... [Offense and Capturing] The lesser part of your team should be used for this role (most of the time). One of your top priorities will be to find something you can use to ensure you can get in the enemy territory, get away without getting killed, till you safely return to your base and capture the flag. These include things like bringing a second guy along, Using a Vehicle, Using a power-up or mod, or Sniping out your enemies before you go in for a cap. While on your way back, you'll probably need some health. I reccomend taking a route back which you know includes this or other perks, like a Shield. If you look at your map for a sec while Chargebooting, you can check to see if a teammate happens to be nearby, and take that route home, so that you'll have someone to back you up in case you die. In non-'Crazy' mode games, you may have to wait at your base until your own flag is returned in order to capture the other teams'. Hopefully, your defenders will be able to protect you back there, as well as go after whoever has your team's flag. Also, if you need to, you can put down the flag using L2 + Square, so that you are free to unleash a bit of punishment on your enemy. Watch that flag though, if left out for around 30 seconds, it will return to the enemy base. [Defending] One thing you need to do, first off, is to designate at LEAST about half your team to defend. If you are playing with 3 or 5 peoples on each team, let the majority stay to protect, but it can still be wise to switch out and help out on the battlefront. The art of defending your Flag is just as important as capturing others'. You need to be prepared for enemies coming to get your Flag (as in bringing up the map often to see where they are), and knowing what to do when they come. The most popular strategy nowadays in defending is to put Holoshields in a criss-crossing pattern across the circular base of the Flag, making it very hard for any enemy to come in and get the flag. You'll still need to replenish them every 10 seconds, though. As always, mines are also a big player in this part. Spread em around your flag, or where behind places the enemy won't see when they rush in... Rockets are a Defender's best friend. They hit any capper who's trying to Chargeboot away, and it takes minimal effort. This, as well as every other weapon equipped with a Freeze mod is also in tight with defenders. As with Rockets, I also reccomend the B6 + Freeze in your defending, and anything else that has a Freeze mod on it. [King of the Hill] A new mode, in which you must stay in a hill for a set time to win, or at least longer than your enemy. This mode, in actuallity, is rather similar to CTF, as in that you must capture a thing (in this case, a place), and prepare for when you go in. So I'm not going to bother repeating myself about some of the things to bring along when you go to cap... Er, go into the hill. I myself haven't discovered much general strategy in this mode that I haven't repeated before. One thing I can think of at the moment is that you will be in fierce battles, sometimes the whole of one team vs. another in a fight to get into or stay in the hill. This is where Bombs and Rockets can usually become useful. And, of course, you'll always want to use the Holos whenever you're the team defending your space. Defending a Hill is usually a tough choice between two roles; you can stay out of it and off to the side while defending (because the enemy will probably be focused on whoever's IN the Hill so you shooting them will be a little more effective), or staying in (and getting hit), which can prove to make a great difference, as every moment in the Hill can count. Keep in mind that if you are in the Hill on a Vehicle, you aren't helping to get any more Hill time in; you must be on foot for that. [Jigganau-er... Juggernaut] This is a really fun mode, to me at least. Many people online don't seem to like it as much, and so you won't see as many games of it. You'll be getting the help of me, #9 in the Jug ranks (at the moment), and Matt B., the Jug King in the Beta version. The whole point of it is to go out and kill the Jug, so that you can become the Juggernaut. Then you'll be wantin to go out and kill s'more players, as that's the only way to get the points you need to win. [Preparing to Face the Jug] I always try to get ANYTHING which could possibly help me to kill the Juggernaut; mods, power-ups, vehicles, combinations of any of those... This is my favorites list in order; A Vehicle - All of the vehicles have a shot which can pin down the Jug; my faves are the Hoverbike or Ship, if you can get those. Shield/Quad Power-Ups - Since Vehicles usually aren't on, this is the next best choice all around. I have to say, Shield IS a LITTLE better than Quad; if you're low on health, you can run away easily with the Shield; Quad is more chancy. Mods - Everything but Morph is useful here; Napalm is only useful if the Jug holed himself up in a rather small place. Freeze is best when you have a Shield to go along with that mod. Acid is pretty good... But I prefer Freeze, since most Jugs are runners. If you don't find a specific mod or power-up about, you can always stand on the power-up projector and camp there until the next power-up comes along. The other competitors may try the same thing; don't give them the room to! [Matt B's Basics] Everyone teams up against the Juggernaut and tries to kill him. Once you kill the Juggernaut, you become it, and you must rack up kills as the Juggernaut to win the match. In addition, the Juggernaut has special powers that the other players do not. His weapons are upgraded, he has a ton more health, and more. And if the option is enabled, the Juggernaut can turn invisible when he stands still, or all the time except when hit. Now, there ARE limitations to being the Juggernaut; he can't pick up health from boxes, or use vehicles. Also, even when he is invisible, he can still be spotted on the map/radar, plus there's a barely visible cloud around him, so his invisibility is incomplete. [Being the Jug] I ususally take my time to get kills when I am it... My usual tactics are to try running directly to my favorite place on each map, where I wait for the enemies to come to me. Then I start blasting them up with anything I see fit for the circumstances. Sometimes I decide to just run around the whole area (make sure you take or blow up anything which is useful to the others; Vehicles, Weapons...), and try to get any kills I can find. This isn't always the best idea, though, especially if Rockets or Fusion are on. I always run away if I see some guy with a Quad, cuz they're dangerous. Shields are another liability, but they aren't inpenetrable; it's not quite so hard to kill someone with one on. If I find myself low on health, I will resort to the 'Racetrack' strategy (below), and that ususally helps me to get back up to speed, ready to take on the world. [Teammate Strategies] I don't have much to add onto Matt's stuff below, but I can say that you definetely MUST get any power-ups if they are on; they give such a good advantage to you. [Matt B's Strategies] Your teammates are also your enemy. Do not let them get kills on the Juggernaut, try your best to steal their kills. Always ride in the better seat of vehicles so you can steal their kills. Let the idiotic teammates surround the Juggernaut and be sacrifices while you sit back and hit the Jug with rockets or sniper fire. Although your teammates are your enemies, work together! You won't be able to kill the Juggernaut if you rush in one by one like a crappy fighting game or RPG. The Juggernaut will almost always win a 1 on 1 fight. Do not group together. Spread out and slowly surround the Juggernaut with nowhere to run. Get weapons and power-ups right away! Let your teammates go by themselves and attack the Juggernaut with Vipers and no chargeboots. You want to arm up before you try to fight the Juggernaut. [Intense Face-Offs] are when there are about 2-5 total players. When it's like this, you'll usually be fighting pretty tough bastids as well as a few noobish to average players who are experimenting with this mode. We shall call these players 'fodder' for the Jug. These guys will often just be a health bonus to the Jug. If they get the Jug title ever, at all, it's probably just because the Jug was low on health due to others' shots, and you know this new guy will be easy to take down. Then there's the good players; they will be the only REAL competitors for the Jug title. These are the ones to watch out for; run away if they have a Quad on them (Shield is bad, too, but only if you are low on health). Some of these guys may be Snipers, and are adept and scoping you out easily. There's also plain snipers, which are less so, and also easy kills. [Big Matches] With these 6+ player matches, all of the same types of players are there; Fodder, Competitors, Snipers... But now the Fodder's probably in bulk, meaning that Jugs last longer. The biggest difference here is that many players will be attacking the Jug at once, except for the smarter Pros. For the Jug, this will entail a choice between staying to fight, possibly getting much more health and kills, or dying due to the sheer number of projectiles coming at him at once. I can tell you, it's definetely safer just to run around. [Racetrack] When you're low on health as the Jug, it's always a good idea to just turn tail and run. What I do is to run around a map at random, going this way and that, up there and then Charging back down to there, or confusing my enemies by Charging one way, and then immediately Charging backwards. Get the idea? Then, usually I'll find some noobs who have managed to catch up, and I can get some health offa them once they be dead. [Deathmatch] A simple DM. All you need to do here is to kill every opposing player to a set score, or a time limit. Just use what you've learned about each map to win. _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ __ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \_____ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\___ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ /____ Chapter 2B. Eexpludi - Weapon and Mod Systems and Strategies _/ // __// - / ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / /__/ __ \ \___/ /__________________| \__________/ Note: Matt B. has let me copy some strategies for weapons from his Jug guide, so all the paragraphs with [M.B.J.S] (Matt B.'s Juggernaut Strategies) [Mods] Acid is the first one. Many people complain that it is extremely cheap. This is absolutely true. Anyone can pick them up, and use it on any weapon. Once it hits, corrosive acids will start picking away at the enemies' health, cutting it by a total of a little less than half. This is where your enemy will run away to get health, since it'll probably cut his health down pretty bad. This mod can be used on any weapon, preferably Vipers (since a single shot from it starts the draining process immediately). Others will also use it much on the Magma Cannon or Fusion Rifle. Freeze is next. This is a great weapon to use when you are using a weapon which is easy for the enemy to avoid; Freeze will make your enemies' movement slow down once they get hit, making it easier to get in more hits. This is great for CTF... It slows any would-be capturers by a bunch, giving you adequate time to catch up and get with teh pummelance. This is best with Vipers or Magma. Makes the enemy slow down enough to get in a good buncha more hits in. Now we have Morph... It's been a little downgraded from UYA, but it's still effective for humiliating and stalling your enemy. Keep in mind, it only comes into effect when the enemy's health is depleted. If you use it, I reccomend the B6, Magma, and every high-powered weapon. It's especially funny if your enemy comes in to defend a node, and some Morph Mines are laying around, waiting to give your enemy a front seat view to see you turning their node. And finally there's Napalm. This is only for Mines, Rockets, and B6, as in 1-p mode. It does take quite a bit health away, so it's good for keeping your enemy in line, like Holos and Mines. Especially great for KotH, against Holos. [Dual Vipers] Yay, back to the Twins! In online mode, these are your standard weapons. They really aren't particularly good... But when you have a mod on them, you can pwn with em. The main times to use this is if... Well, you have nothing else. There still are some good strategies for it, though. Many people find it much more useful when you put a mod on it; both Freeze and Acid give the weapon a great semi-upgrade. I like freeze, since they can't run away, and it slows them down enough for you to get in a bunch more hits. [Defense] Don't stay still. Make sure you don't get too close. KEEP JUMPING! [Matt B's Jug Strat] Use these if it's the only weapon you have besides the Scorpion Flail. They're a good all-around weapon with a good fire rate. Just run up behind someone firing full blast or approach someone from the front and keep jumping around and circling them. [Magma Cannon] The Magma's been changed a bit from the Blitz. Now its long range usefulness has been downgraded... But I use it a whole lot nowadays for close-up carnage. In order to use this weapon for its maximum potential, you need to be able to keep your camera towards the enemy, turning towards him wherever he goes. I've seen people like Nerdkiller14 do this with ease; it's like they know exactly where their target is going, these psychic bastids do! I always try to not get in the front way of the enemy, and try to keep to the side through tight turning + jumping to the side. If your enemy is on a Swingshot, you can use this to knock em off it into the abyss. If your enemy is trying to jump up to your platform on a Jump Pad, you can also use this to stop them in their tracks. Acid is always a nice mod to use, since the Magma is a weapon with a high hit rate. Freeze can make it easier for you to get more accurate shots in. A great weapon against Flailers, the knock-back in the Magma stops them from swinging when you are at a certain distance, especially with the V2. [Defense] Don't get in close to someone using it. Try to always get out of the way of your opponent's front. If you know someone's got one w/Freeze, get de fork outta there. [B6 Obliterator] While I didn't particularly like the B6 in story mode, IG made it a ton more useful in Multi. I didn't use the G-bomb in UYA all that much either! This weapon really is great, because a ton of splash damage has been added onto it. Now, instead of you being able to jump out of the way each time, like the G-Bomb, you can still get hurt a bit if it lands nearby. The trick to this weapon is knowing when to shoot. That NK14, he's amazing w/doing that. He seems to know exactly when and where you'll be landing, and will be able to kill you easily. I've noticed this pattern he uses; if his opponent is avoiding his shots by jumping rhythmically to NK14's firing rate, he will break the pattern by withholding his shot for a sec, and then starting up the pattern again at a different pace. This is a useful weapon if you are Chargebooting, and someone else is following you. I like to slow down for a sec, and wait for the opponent to catch up to me (be prepared for HIS attack as well, and be careful when slowing down; a sniper or rocket may catch up to you as well), and send out a bomb to where you know he'll stop at, helpless to defend while he slides right into it. Also, keep in mind that this weapon can get its splash damage past Holos; so if your enemy is hiding closely behind one, you can use this to get him. Rockets can serve the same purpose. Another useful purpose for this weapon is as a long range one. When you look up and shoot, the bomb will go much farther and higher. You can't really aim it correctly... Though if you tilt it just a little bit upwards you can make it fly just a tiny bit farther than usual. Holos can't stop you when you raise your weapon slightly before bombing the protected enemy. Perfect for groups of enemies, especially in KOTH, and against groups of Node turrets in Conquest. All the mods are useful with this weapon... Freeze can make it much easier to hit your target, though, and then Acid is great for the upgrade. I like the Morph mod a lot on this weapon too. [Defense] Keep jumping to the beat of your opponent's shots. Always use longer-distance weapons against a B6-er. If near B6-er, try to start jumping around him, to his back. Be prepared to run when your health is down. Never rush straight for them, or they'll get in a hit which will damage you greatly. [M.B.J.S.] This weapon is one of the best in Juggernaut mode. You can take down vehicles on their pads with just a few shots and it works well in a crowded area. If the other players surround you and get close enough, just aim down at the ground and keep firing. It usually takes two shots to kill a player. One technique I like to use is to chargeboot straight into someone and fire the bomb when I'm about 6 feet from them. It makes for a quick surprise attack, especially if they do not have chargeboots. [Arbiter] Many call this the most cheap weapon in this game. It fires an extremely fast rocket, though it IS widely avoidable. Just jump right before it hits you, and you're fine. This makes any hit quite a rare thrill. But, I'm making it sound sucky. It truly is WAY too good for its own good. The best use for this weapon is from far away, typically when your enemy is fighting someone else. Then you can sneak in a quick few rockets, and you're good for a kill. Getting someone from behind with the rockets is dishonorable, but boy, is it effective! Like the B6, if you break a constant pattern of shooting again and again, you have more chance to hit since your enemy won't be expecting it so much, plus it has great splash damage; if it hits anywhere near your enemy, they'll get hurt. Again, also especially useful against Holos. Freeze makes it easier to get in more hits with this baby, turning into a very quick agent when it upgrades. I reccomend it, though all the rest of the mods do quite alright as well. This weapon is the most useful when dealing with vehicles, specially Hoverships. I hear the upgrade is EXTREMELY useful against em. [Defense] Putting some Holos in front of you is a good idea... Stay away from them, though, you could get damaged by the splash from rockets. Of course though, your best bet is to just jump the way I said. Be especially careful of the rockets when you are Chargebootin... They can hurt you bad when you are traveling in a mostly straight line. That's why I put out Holos behind me when I am retreating. While these strategies work for me, I prefer to just counter with another Arbiter, preferably mixed with another weapon. [M.B.J.S.] This is one of the best weapons to use as the Juggernaut. It causes 25 damage un-upgraded and a full one-hit-kill 50 damage when it is upgraded. Use the rockets on a player who likes to jump around since jumping hardly dodges these. The arbiter is also great against vehicles, especially slow ones. When using the Arbiter, try to some jump-shots too since it'll be harder to dodge when you're close. You can even use the Arbiter as a secondary B6; just fire at the ground near a strafing opponent and he'll die quickly. One warning, though, don't get too carried away with the rockets because this could lead to people quitting if you keep hitting them with shot after shot and they have nowhere to run. [Fusion Rifle] The feared sniper. While it has the primary use of scoping (the proper way), there has been a resurgance from UYA of hip-sniping, an incredibly powerful force. There are many in this game who can totally own with this weapon; picking off enemies one by one at long distances, or close up killings. Scoping takes skill. Having good aim is important. You must know where your enemy is going to go, where you'll need to shoot... Very difficult stuff. I myself suck at it. Most of the time you'll need to be quick, too while doing it; many times there's another person playing the role of sniper on the other team, and they may be trying to get you, too. More scoping tips; always try to find a high up, well protected spot to snipe from. This gives you a good shot of much of the map. I will tell you the good snipe-spots in the Arenas guide. Also, try to set up near a nanotech, jus in case someone snipes you back, or someone is coming to kill you up close. Since you can't look at your map, or see if an enemy is nearby in scoping, you'll have to stop scoping periodically to check and see where your targets are. And yet more; staying back to snipe around your base can really be helpful to your team, like if they're trying to cap a flag, cap a node... Since you may need to be more mobile in this case, your favorite tool will become the Holoshields. They are just PERFECT for any sniper as a makeshift wall. And, like the Rockets, this is an excellent weapon to use while the enemy is in combat with someone else. Then there's Hip-Sniping. Really, I don't know a thing about this... I CAN tell you that getting in close to hit people with it is easy. You need real skill If you are interested in the practice, I CAN tell you that I know that putting a small dot with a marker in the exact middle of your screen (you'll see it when you scope or switch to another weapon), to help you see where your shot will go. Others will tape a Cheerio there, or something. The favorite mod for this weapon is Acid; one good shot on your opposition with the Fusion, and Acid will take care of the rest, providing your enemy doesn't get to a Nanotech on time. This is why you should station yourself near a Nano. However, when you upgrade the Fusion into a 1-hit-kill Anti Matter Rifle, it becomes exrtremely useful (in KOTH, CTF, and Conquest, at least) with the Morph mod attatched. Instant barn yard! [Defense] Holos are protection sent by god, Flails are evil, sent from Hell to slow you down for a sniper's next kill. Keep jumping (and sort of 'twitchily' moving and switching in all directions), be quick, but don't Chargeboot straight toward them (though you can go slightly to the right or left). B6s and Rockets are more nice weapons to use against. Getting close is not the best idea, yet I am able to Charge straight past any Fusioners most of the time, and start attacking from behind (and staying away from their front). This is where a Freeze mods can come in handy against. [M.B.J.S.] Just like the arbiter, this is one of the best weapons to use while being the Juggernaut. It is highly recommended you use this weapon while moving around and without the scope, but even if you only use the scope, it is still powerful. If you use the scope, hide somewhere high or in a corner and pick off players. (Note from Jig; the Fusion now kills in one hit, making it very effective when you are the Jug.) Dodging Fusion Rifle: This depends on the skill of the player using the rifle. Sometimes you can jump around and strafe and be random and a player can't hit you, but sometimes it just makes it easier for a good player. All I can really say for this is try to create some distance and make yourself a smaller target. [TESLA Mines] Mines are a great tool. They allow you to hurt an enemy even when you are all the way across at the other side of the map, due to the fact that you can place up to six anywhere, and they will stay there until an enemy comes within range. The main use for these is the ability to protect something (Flag, Hill, Node) when you are away. Many enemies will rush into a place without really thinking about whether there might be any mines there, so you'll want to put them in a place where they won't notice as they rush in. They're especially effective to put in the places where enemies have to land (from a Chargeboot jump, Swingshot jump, Jump Pad...). When using them as a close-range weapon, they'll be most effective to distract your opponent with, cuz if he doesn't shoot them, he'll get damaged. This leaves him open to attacks with other weapons, sponsored by you. ;) I'd recommend trying to Charge past an enemy, and spread Mines just ahead of where you predict he'll move to. That strategy works best when your opponent is busy trying to kill someone else, and is strafing backwards or side to side. Soroush 123 mentioned in his Weapons List v3 thread something about Manual Detonation, a technique in which you just run into an enemy with this weapon equipped, and the mine waiting to be launched will blow up in the enemy's face! This works best when your enemy has been slowed down. Also, there are a few instances where your enemy will be below you on another platform, and you will have to opportunity to drop some mines on him from above (though the B6 is better in some circumstances for this job). [Defense] The B6 is the main weapon for use to destroy mines, so it's great to keep out while attacking a miner. Vipers, Rockets, and the Magma are, too. Watch out; Miners often will be switching weapons, and you'll want to as well. I find Rockets are good when I need to switch. [M.B.J.S.] Tesla Mines are a great offensive weapon. Just throw them at players who are below you or by themselves on a small platform. Surround them with 5 or 6 mines and then feel free to walk away since they will probably be dead in a few seconds. If you have 3 or 4 people all approaching you at the same time in a small group, throw all your mines towards them and follow it up with some viper shots or rockets. However, I prefer to use the mines for defensive purposes only, as in hiding them near anything the enemy be going to. [Holoshield Launcher] Another weapon from UYA. This will fire a protective shield. Sounds simple, but this is easily one of the most useful weapons ever. The big change to it is that if an enemy walks or Charges thru it, it takes away half their health! How's that for incentive? The upgrade nearly kills them. Spreading several of these at once is a good idea. Use them whenever you are in combat with another player at close range, to protect yourself against node protection while you spin or hack a node... I like this especially when I am against someone close-up. I will spread 2 Holos in a crossed way (usually at end to end in a right angle like this: \/ ) so that they can't hit me while I strafe to the left or right, with one of the Holos always in front of me to block their shots. As I said earlier, very useful when you are sniping. Be sure to put them WHEREVER an enemy may be able to snipe you back. Always be careful when you use these; for one, they don't last forever. You have to replenish them after 10 seconds (20 for upgrade), keep that in mind when you're sniping. Also, enemies with higher ground can possibly hit you if you are a certain distance back from the shield. You WILL want not to keep too close to the shield, though, cuz Rockets' and B6's splash damage can still go past the Holo. You can also use the Holos to block pathway, like Mines. Try putting them wherever your enemy will land from a Jump Pad or Swingshot among the other things, or block the entranceway to a building in complete. You can always still jump over these things, just by using a careful double jump close to the Holo. Whenever I'm Charging away from a fight (to get health or something) and Rockets or Fusion are on, they can be useful to spread behind you as you Boost, in case someone is trying to kill you. If you decide to use a mod on it, Acid or Freeze work well. [Defense] Just don't walk or boost into them, and try to get some out yourself to counter. [Scorpion Flail] This weapon is changed a bit from Story mode. For one, it now has a sweeping all-around motion before the slam motion. This is great when you are in melee combat, like the B6. Charging into someone and then unleashing your Flail on them is the best use for this weapon. Just keep slamming! When you slam, try to get the enemy with the spiked ball, not the chain, since the chain is less damaging. When Charging in, be wary that the Flail won't usually take you in the direction you want when you use it just coming out of a Boost. This is a nice weapon for destroying Node turrets if you do the Hyper-Strike on them with the Flail. Keep in mind that you'll have to push the left Analog in the direction you want to slam in each time you slam. Also keep in mind that this is another weapon you'd want to use behind the enemy, sneakily. Be wary that the Flail slows you down a lot; makes you an easy target for good Fusioners or Rockets. Never use it against a Magma-er, their shots will stop you in your tracks, not allowing you to swing. Using a Hyper-Strike with this (X and then R1) is another good idea for when you want to drop in on your enemy hard from an above platform. If your enemy is trying to swing over to your platform, or trying to jump to it, you can use this like the Magma to knock them off, by swinging once and holding it, doing the taunting motion which will stop them. Great against any landed vehicle. Check that; I'd prefer the Rockets or Fusion on the Puma; Flail on Puma usually ends up in the Puma running over the Flailer. Any of the mods are great with this: Acid is good as always, Freeze stops em from running away, but Morph REALLY shines the most when you equip it here. [Defense] Don't get in close to them, and get away if they are Charging toward you. If they do this, though, you can just hit them with a Rocket or Fusion, anything that will hurt them while they try to come straight toward you. Use the Magma or Rockets against. [M.B.J.S.] Only use this if you absolutely must, or if you are giving yourself a challenge. It works best when you are invisible and an unsuspecting player is approaching. Just keep hitting R1 and try to smash it down on the player. You can even add some jump swings if he starts shooting at you. Most of the time, however, players will die quickly since the weapon is strong in the hands of the Jug. [Hoverbike] This is the first new vehicle, and it ROX! Fires out a constant bullet stream. EXTREMELY effective, machine guns' bullets home in, and stop the enemy from moving, making for an easy kill. The other great thing about it is that it is extremely mobile; strafes, jumps... Makes it very easy to avoid Rockets and anything else. Great for destroying Node turrets. Though this thing is great and all, it has a big downside of being pretty fragile, so make sure you take full use of its moving capabilities to avoid destroying it. [Defense] Don't try to run away; just fight back with a Flail, B6, Fusion, or Rocket. Holos can save your life as well. [Puma] The upgrade of the old Turboslider. As always, it fires a steady stream of bullets like the Hoverbike. You'll be wanting to try to run over people as well with it. Then, there's the second player's seat, which is an inaccurate cannon. [Defense] Same as Hoverbike, though I can say that it IS easier to run away from a Puma. Boost straight to the right or left, though, instead of forward. [Landstalker] Mechanical Death Spider! Not particularly noteworthy, but still good. The first seat has another bullet stream thingy, but this one is aimable with the right analog. The driver can strafe, side-jump with L2 and R2, and run over stuff. The unfortunate thing about this vehicle is that it isn't very fast... The passenger has homing mortars, rather weak, yet efficient. You can either hold down R1 to charge them up, or just release them one at a time. I prefer the latter. Make sure you've got a target, though. [Defense] Same as before, blah blah blah... Since it's slow, try to get behind it and then deal out some Flail or Fusion damage. [M.B.J.S.] This is the most dangerous vehicle if the driver uses it correctly. Your main objective should be to stay away from these at all costs so the seeking missiles won't be in range. Use rockets or sniper fire, it's a very large and slow-moving target, but it does have a lot of health. If you get pinned down by machine gun fire, use the B6. [Hovership] The new Hovership doesn't have all that many changes to it... Now it acts more like a regular plane, and can't strafe left, right, or backward quite as fast as it can go directly forward. When you do go forward with it, you can use L2 or R2 to go down or up, or point your ship in certain directions with the right analog. The second player has lock-on missles. you can charge them up and release a bunch of them at a time on one enemy, but that takes too much time. I'd go ahead and just shoot out one at a time, much better, since they fire pretty rapidly, unlike the LS Mortars. [Defense] Boosting away is not always the best strategy with this one. Holos are pretty much useless. Rockets or Fusion are your only chance against this demon. [M.B.J.S.] Hovership: The hovership is dangerous when it gets close since the primary blasts can pin you down, and the missiles will track you anywhere. Use Rockets or Sniper fire to get it down quickly. Once you hit it a few times, it shouldn't bother you anymore. It is probably the easiest vehicle to take down, and still get a kill out of it since most of the time the player can't escape in time. _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ __ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\ \_____ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \\___ / / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ /____ Chapter 2C. Nplctogo - Guide to the Arenas and Game Types _, _/ // __// __/ ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| | / /__/ /___ \___/ /__________________| \__________/ http://forums.insomniacgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=16820&start=30&sid=06aadfdf e7952091208e57aaa70fd032 has some nice guides to all the maps below, which shows the locations of every weapon, node, hill, flag, and power-up. [Know Where to Go] Your best strategy for each map, in general, is to know the general formations of it, and where everything is, like Health, Nodes, Power-ups, Mods, Vehicles... Have I forgotten anything? Well, you should get the idea. Learn how to use all the aspects of the map to your advantage, and predict how the other teams will, as well. Don't forget that mini-map... [Battledome Tower] Where the great Quanternion X met his fate, where Avengers are made, and where many have died a humiliating death falling into the lava. Yes, lots of bolts were spilled here... The final room of the Battledome, a big tower with many platforms on the sides, connected with jump pads and Swingshots all around. Because you need to land somewhere a lot, this makes the arena great to place mines at the places people will be landing. Use of the jump pads is critical... You need to watch out for people laying around things for you to be killed by, people jumping down from higher levels to come get you... You'll see some pretty crazy acrobatics in here. If you use the pads correctly, they can be a great part of your defense. When an enemy comes near while I am on the jump pads you use to jump to the top of the tower, you can use them to get out of the way of your enemies' shots, and repeat. You can still fire on them while you are in the air, of course, and so this is where the B6 comes in handy... These pads can also be used to disadvantage, though... They stop you from being able to move quite so much, making you a prime target for a Fusion shot, or a rocket. Small tip about the platform under the table; it provides good acess to other, lower platforms seated on the legs if you Charge off the platform. Whenever mines are on, watch out; many players will be smart enough to leave around a bunch wherever an enemy might land, via Jump Pad, Swingshot, or Charging. The Flail will also be useful; for when dropping down on an enemy from an above platform, or protecting a Jump Pad ending point... The hyper-strike is the most useful for these jobs. [Conquest Strategy] The nodes on the top are great factors in this battle. Try to get to them first, since they allow easy acess to all the nodes. The rest is pretty much a big battle for all the nodes. I reccomend going after the one in the middle as well, since it provides some more mobility, and a Shield power-up, and then the one on the bottom, closest to the lava has a Quad power. Try staying around any top nodes you have; up there you have a better view of what's happening elsewhere, such as the opponent trying to take over one of your nodes. [CTF] I personally recommend going to the green team, they have a nice advantage since they're located on the bottom platform, closest to the lava, plus a Quad. Once you get an enemy flag, it's easy to get back to your own w/Boots. Be sure to scatter around mines and/or Holos wherever an enemy may land. [KOTH] Whenever your team is the one in the Hill, Holos and Mines near all entry points are necessary. Be sure to watch out for the B6 bombs, they're especially deadly against tight teams of people in the Hill. This means to use em yourself against those who ARE in the hill when you aren't. ;) You can use little walkway behind each leg platform to shoot at those who are in the Hill when it is in the platform under the table. [Jug] When preparing to face the Jug; keep away from the Jug's location/ platform. If he is staying in one place, take your Holoshield and set up camp on the edge of whatever platform you are on, and try to get him from there w/ Rockets or something. When you ARE the Jug, stay on one platform (I myself prefer the one second closest to the lava, or the one on the bottom). Just running around the whole area doesn't hurt, I suppose... Unless Mines are on. [Catacrom Graveyard] A rocky hill/plateau, filled with the bodies of inactive 'bots, many rocks, and more. These statues and rocks provide you with good cover, especially on the south plateau, and so do the spaces in the tunnels. If you're on the 'Blue' side, watch out for anyone coming in from the bottom or top of the tunnel on that side. About the 2 tunnels on each side: both provide pretty good cover for sniping in. Many people will also use the space on the rock wall up north on the 'Blue' side, or the little cliff on 'Red' which you can climb up, on the west. [Conquest] The red team seems to have an advantage here; there's 2 nodes with Quads on that side. Their tunnel is less easily accessible, too. Blue does have the two Bikes, though. Try to get your team to rush into the enemy side and try taking one of the Nodes there in the beginning, preferably the other's vehicle Node. Much of the battle will probably culminate on the bridge in the middle, and Swingshots around. You and a few teammates will have to fiericely protect all the nodes nearest the bridge, and constantly try to push the concentration of the fight towards the enemy side. Try putting Holos up on the bridge a lot, that really helps. Snipers should set up on the edge of the tunnels, too. [CTF] Again, guarding the bridge is important. Try to get you or your team to monitor different areas around your side of the map. Don't keep out in the open. I recommend going somewhere to snipe if someone hasn't yet. Basically, this is the same as Conquest, so no real extra strategies besides the general ones. [KOTH] I have nothing that hasn't been said... Well, keep in mind that camping behind cover and throwing out a long range weapon (B6, anyone?) at any enemy Hillbillies, or intruding ones. [Juggernaut] Check back on the Red side often, the Quads there give you a great advantage. You'll find many ways to sneak up on the Jug here; just make sure someone is trying to kill him too before you go in. He will most likely hide in one of the tunnels, preferably the one on the Red side since it only has 1 entrance (unless vehicles are on). Once you ARE the Jug, this is where you'll wanna go. Don't go directly to the end of it, though; opponents can still get you from the ramp with Rockets, Fusion, and other things. So, try to park yourself somewhere in the middle of the tunnel, where people can't get you at all from the outside ramp. Then you can start fending off the coming kills. ;) [Sarathos Swamp] A desolate empty wasteland; a continent of opportunity for snipers. Charging around is one of the main things you'll do here, with such barren grounds. You'll need to be very careful if Rockets or Fusion are on. The only barriers are the 2 big hut-like buildings, dunes, and the rocks on the Red side. The little ponds with Lombax-height walls provide some minimal protection as well. [CQ] Red has a big advantage in this map. They start out on the larger island, which has 5 nodes, comapred to Blue's 3. This makes the front nodes on the Red side essential to capture, for both teams. I wouldn't concentrate on the rest of them until you've gotten something around there. Many experienced players will know, though, that they'd have a good chance of getting a node on the back of the other team's island if they rush to it in the beginning. [CTF] Orange definetely has the advantage here; if they are able to secure the bridge area, and stem the flow of either Blue or Green, plus they have acess to their entire island; much more stuff than Blue. Of course, against Red, Red's cover may be a bit better. If you are in a typical Red vs. Blue game, Red will also have the same advantages as Orange, though their flag will be a bit easier to yoink. Red again seems to have an advantage, what with their having more vehicles, mods, and... Stuff. Due to the vastness of their island, though, it can be easier for Blue cappers to be more stealthy... If they can get across the bridge. The bridge, it again will be a central point in the battle. People trying to get into your side should have to use the Swingshots, because you'll be using Holos on that bridge, got it? Make sure you don't let them in! Keep in mind that the other team, once they've gotten into your side, may try sneaking around back your hut/base and coming in from the back entrance. This is one of those instances where bringing up that map comes in handy. Small tip: Blue's front entrance to their hut is pretty steep, and can't really be charged through. Going around back instead, whether you're trying to bring back Red's flag, or cap Blue's... Good idea. Makes you less open to enemy snipers. [KOTH] Many KOTHS here seem to be centered around the Red hut, and there's s'more strategy involved than usual because of this. B6s, Rockets, Mines... All will be used between the teams. Holos will also be important, especially when the defending team is having to deal with vehicles. [Juggernaut] There's a small indentation in the northernmost region behind the Red base which leads to the next area in 1-p which is pretty good as a hidey-hole, but I've found out that it's much easier just to speed around the wastelands, taking my kills when I can get them. I'd try going inside one of the huts, that's a good place, then there's the area behind each hut, and behind the rock formation on Red. [Dark Cathedral] The new Blackwater City, a towering series of paths high over the water. Red ususally has a good advantage here; while not having many Nodes on their side (a big, upraised section), they have good acess to the rest of the area, unlike Blue who only has 1 entrance, easily blocked by a Magma-er shooting at any who dares use the Swingshot which carries one over to the Red area. There will be much sniping around here as well; right next to Blue there is a big tower (acessed by a Jump Pad) which is great for sniping from, and can be Charged off of (consider a Wrench/Charge for extra distance), good for all the other teams in CTF, since you can take Blue's flag and then go up to the tower and run off with it from there. Then, there IS a second entrance to Red... It's just very tough to acess. You know the Swingshot that they can use to get to the main area, but instead Chargeboot across? Well, if you are very careful, you can use it from the lower level. This is for those who are best with the platforming part of R&C. Since you also must take some time to Swing back and forth enough to be able to jump up to the platform, it really isn't worth it since an enemy can come and Magma you into the water. The multiple pathways into the Blue area create some strategy, too... Make use of, or guard the swingshot paths. [CQ] I recommend going on Red for this one, they have a great advantage, as I said. As per usual, the Nodes squarely in the middle are going to be the object of everyone's desires. By this, I mean the one off to the side with the Quad power; good sniping spot, and then there's the one right next to the main entrance to Red, with a Shield. For both teams, Sniping will be a big part of any games here. Blue will have their tower Node, and Red will be stationing around their higher-up area, and possibly from any middle nodes they've gotten. [CTF] Red again has the advantage. Being on Green or Orange gives you immediate acess to power-ups, but that option pales in comparison to the fact that the other two colors have permanent protection in the little arenas. Trying to get the Red flag will be hard here, as long as they've got good players. An experienced Red will know that they can hide tightly next to the wall in the little room next to the main Swingshot, and just wait there to off anyone who'd dare cross, using a Magma. The only thing that could hurt this person is the splash damage from a rocket, or a B6. [KOTH] KOTH here with the Hill moving every now and then is better, because when it stays in one place (the Quad power area), its a very tough battle to get in, sometimes. Keep in mind that this area is open, so sniping is welcome. I wouldn't try going the Swingshot way into that one Hill, too risky. [Juggernaut] The best place to hole up here is up at the Blue sniping haven, especially if Mines are on. You can spread them around all along the edge where someone may try to land, and it works very well. Rockets will most likely be on, and your enemies will try to use the Jump Pad and jump sort of away, not trying to land, but to Rocket you while up in the air like that. You'll want to walk to the edge and try to catch the people down below with Rockets or B6 yourself, as well. I also recommend confusing your enemy some by Chargebooting off of the platform, and proceeding to shoot your bewildered fodder from behind. If you're on the other side of the map, though, a good place to hide is at the Red base. Provides some pretty good cover. [Temple of Shaar] They say that in the Beta, you used to be able to play around in the outside area in Shaar... Why'd you take it out, Insomniac, WHY?! Oh well. Now we're stuck in the boring temple area. This place is still cool, though (no pun intended), as the symmetry of the area makes it fun and open ended (strategy-wise). When I say open-ended, I mean that there are tons of ways to get from place to place; Swingshots, walkways, Jump Pads... And you'll find them everywhere. Thus, many encounters are bound to happen. [CQ] The temple node squarely in the middle of the map is very valuable. Besides sporting a Quad, it is hard to cap once it's been capped by the other team. Its quite the portal to the other areas as well; the circlular windows on the walls of the Temple can be jumped upon and climbed out of. The rest of the map is completely even (except for the graphical details), 3 nodes on each side. You'll want to capture all the ones on your side, but do keep in mind that capping one in enemy territory is still valuable. The two nodes in the 'front' part of the map nearest the entrance are pretty vulnerable to enemy attack, especially from high up on the Temple's edge path, or from snipers all the way across on the other side. [CTF] For this match, I'd recommend being on Red or Orange more than Blue or Green; the former two have a bit more protection, being in the back of the map. This map + this mode is quite fun; all I can say is to watch all the paths for enemies, and use them yourself. This is a great map to try to be sneaky in like that. [KOTH] I know that if you are playing Koth with no moving hill, you will be playing inside the Temple. Bombs will be useful here for both teams to fire into and out of the building. Charging in will be pretty hard. You can also B6s into the climbable windows from the inside or outside. [Jug] Jugging inside the Temple is a good idea, though the threat of the Quad inside is ambient. Luckily, there's always to windows to escape through, and I can usually get out using the stairs. I'd also recommend the mini-buildings on either side of the map, they're good, too. This is a great place to run around randomly, to confuddle your Competitors about where you're going, and to weed out any of the Fodder to get a few kills on the way, as in the Racetrack strategy. [Orxon] Toxic mines, lotsa underground pathways, and a flat topside make this another 'open' map. An abundance of Jump-Pads also add some strategy. It is incredibly useful to lay mines all around the bottom tunnels for your enemies to run into. Oh, by the way, snipers may find that they like to use the little cliffs on the edge of the factory for their job. It's easy to block up the underground passages using Holos. [CQ] I'm not sure that there's really a team to go on here, but keep in mind that the middle node can be important. Remember that the Node in the southeast corner is quite easy to defend, what with it having a small slope the enemy must climb to reach it. It's hard to get into easily, as thus, but you can still shoot B6s from afar, snipe, or Rocket the area from the node directly west of this one. This side of the arena is typically Blue territory, which has more nodes than the Red side. Red will be needing to try to get the middle node; it offers a good base for getting to the rest of the nodes. [CTF] A pretty chaotic map to CTF on... Whichever side you're on, the passageways on the bottom floor will be a cappers' haven. Use them heavily whenever you have the enemy flag, but make sure to twist and turn a lot; snipers can easily chop you down in this zone. Make sure you check whether you might want to transition to the upper area judging on what's ahead. Blue is definetely a good team to stay on in CTF. Besides only having one way to their flag (many have tried Charging to it from the platform to the west, but they've only failed), which is easily guarded with B6s and Holos, they also get the luxury of having a Mod right next to them, as well as easy acess to other power-ups spread around. Red and Orange are still good, though... They're enclosed in the spaces described below in the Jug section. With a good defense, it'll be tough for Blue to get anything from you! [Jug] Typically, the Jug will be either running around the bottom floor, or zooming across the wide, top area. Neither is particularly good for the Jug, since snipers will probably be positioning themselves around the little upraised platforms. By far, the best place to hide is either one of the corners in the north part of the map. They provide great protection, if you hide close to either of the walls, so that B6s can't get you. In most cases like these, fierce B6 battles will erupt between the Jug and his opponents. Everyone will be using B6s, Fusions, or Rockets from every point around your hidey-hole; on the small sniper cliffs which hug the factory building, from the border of the upper plateau, or right in front of you, on the same grounds. Some will try to rush in and kill you with Flails, Rockets, or B6s often, but that never helps them. You'd need to watch out for snipers up on the edge of the plateau, especially if they have a Quad. That's always a good strategy, and one of the only ways I've passed on when I use this whole plan. [Valix Belt] Many would call this a bad map; it's pretty much a straight forward walkway from one side of ONE (!) meteor, to another. Cmon! We want a gigantic battle across all the meteors, with Hoverships everywhere! There isn't too much strategy for this, but I can say that using the little rooms on either side for cover (or blocking them up with Holos), is a good idea. Many will also use them to snipe from. Handy places to snipe at here are the middle node area (with the upraised platform), or at the Red base area (the small asteroid connected by a Swing to the other part.) [CQ] There's two nodes on each side of the asteroid. However, these aren't all too important; only the middle node (often garnished with a Hovership), is the bread-winner on this map. This is where to snipe at, where to immediately rush to... [CTF] I have to recommend staying on Red for this one; their base has a bit more protection, what with the rocks used for cover directly at their base, and the Swingshot can be blocked easily with a Magma. Other than that info, there's really not much to this mode on this map. [Jug] Staying on one of the end areas is still a good idea, specially on Red, but you'll usually have to take what you can get to at the moment. Sniping from the Red area, or the little rooms can be an excellent way to rack up kills. You can use the rooms to your advantage, taking cover with the pillars and walls which are scattered around them. [Torval] One of the biggest maps, and packed with strategy. Mines will be a great asset if they're turned on. You can hide them anywhere; the entrance to any passageway or hall, behind some rubble... Any enemy will likely run into them. Oh, another great place to put them is close to the top of a small ramp, where they aren't noticed from the other side. The enemy won't notice the mines until they've rushed right into them! Using the elevations and rubble around the map to your advantage and ease will be essential to mastering this map. Always try to get the upper ground, it helps a lot. Try to maximize your speed in getting around by expermenting in exactly how you can Charge around. Use whatever you can find as cover. Not getting noticed can be practical, too. This is a good map to keep out of the way so that you can be a little sneaky in it. Make sure you take advantage of every route and pathway. [CQ] One of the biggest Conquests yet. Each side has 3 nodes; most of them are pretty easy to reach with Chargeboots. For both teams, getting one of the other's Nodes (for Red, the node about in the middle, near the blue-lit building's ramp to the main blue-lit hall, and for Blue, the Puma Node), will be a great advantage. I'd recommend it. Defending all your nodes should be quite hard. If both teams are at a stalemate, try sneaking off with a bud to try to cap a node quickly in an unguarded area. [CTF] Blue or Red are pretty good teams to be on, each in their own respects. Blue's not hard to get into; you can go from the ledge above their base, and the other obvious means of intrusion. With 1 or 2 good players guarding, though, they won't have a chance. Red is also a pretty tough area; the narrow bridge over the water on the one side is easily guarded, and the other entrance is quite tough, too. Yesterday, I played a game in which just one guy, most of the time, was able to kill me and another guy most of the time when we came through to try to cap, because he had a mean V2 with Acid. The other entrances aren't pieces of cake, either. Still we DID win... Mostly the one guy just distracted the enemy/ies while I took the flag! ^.^ Our defenses back at Blue rawked. They were able to almost completely stop any progress for Red... [Jug] A pretty cool place to Jug around in. After finding a good place to hide (my faves are in the bowl where the A.H. statue was, around the upraised area next to the Red base, the passage underneath that, or one of the sniping spots with 'Boot walkways leading to it), there isn't really much more specific strategy to this map than to keep the kills coming. [Stygia] Ugh. Boring old white and blue Stygia. It's not a bad map, I guess, but the level design sure does suck in some ways. It makes CQ and CTF rather uneven. The floating, round platforms up on the Blue side are quite the advantage; they contain all manner of power-ups, Health, a Hovership, and, if Chargeboots are on, you can Charge down to the Red side via a hole in the side of the northern-most floating disc. Plus just given the fact that you can shoot Rockets and Fusion down from it, well... Keep in mind that you can 'Boot down to the ring area of the Blue base by Charging from one of the unrailed sections. If someone is guarding the northern-most disc, and you need to get into the area, you can always just try going around the other way. Both of these areas should be carefully guarded by Blue, if they're up there. There really isn't much cover in this level... Only the giant pillars holding up scenery and such are very useful for the cause. Makes it good for a sniper, that's for sure. There's a bunch of Gravity Boot stuff under the Blue base ring; there isn't anything particularly interesting down there except for some Health on the one side facing out towards nowhere. Mostly, it just slows you down for an enemy's kill; stay away. I have to admit, though, if you are under there, an enemy who CAN see you on the radar and knows through logic that you must be under him, will probably just ignore you; so, good stealthy place. On the Red side, you can use the center of that 'island' to Charge thru to get to another side easily, keep that in mind. IG added a little easter egg to this area; there's one last floating disc up around the back of Red, with everything you could ever want on it. It's not very useful most of the time, but still cool. Only accessible by 'Ship. [CQ] Blue = win, most of the time. It will be necessary for Red to try to get one Node on the Blue side, as well as 2 or 3 on their own. Try to get your team to rush directly over there, and start a takeover. Most games here will just end up a draw; I'd recommend just defending instead of full-on trying to cap more Nodes. [CTF] It's definetely extremely hard for Red, or any other color to get into Blue in this map. I'd just recommend the other colors instead. Any color still on the Blue area can still use its facilities up on the floating discs; make good use of them, especially the Chargeboot path to the Red area. Always try to go around the least expecting way towards your enemy; on either 'island'. There's always two paths. [Jug] I'd recommend staying on one of the floating discs, preferably behind one of the large pillars supporting them. It'll protect you from snipers on the other platforms. I'd recommend the northernmost one, so that you will have an escape route, if necessary. Just pick off the enemies who'll come from the Jump Pad or Swings one by one, most of the time. It's also funny to see all the snipers scatter if you try to return the favor. [Maraxus Prision] A sandy desolate (ooh, I love that adjective) prision; the previous home of countless outlaws... Now is your arena. Mostly flat ground; there's little cover besides a few rocks scattered around... The centrifugal force of the battle is usually the middle node area; the upraised platform and room. This area is easily protected with a Holoshield, among other things around the doorway, or nearer to the Jump Pads (but getting sniped is easy from there). You can lob B6 into the building via the windows on the sides. Snipers will use the upraise of rocks near the Blue base, and from the top of the small, round little dark brown structure as good cover for their job. They may also prefer the rocks and cover around the Red base. [CQ] Each team will usually get two nodes; for Blue, the Node on the upraisement on the north side, and the one in the corner near the black tube thing hanging overhead. Red will probably get the one in the 'tail' of the level sticking out from the rest, like the end of a 9, and the one right outside the black building, where the central node is. This central node should definetely be rushed to; it has a Quad, and access to most of the level, giving a large advantage. [CTF] For this arena, I have to say that... Hm... Red. The way into their territory is pretty narrow, and there's only the one. Green is second best, still having two, though still narrow... Wait, you can get into that area through the window in the above room. Sniping will be commonplace; keep in mind, Blue is much more easily sniped at. Whenever B6 is on, I remember some fierce, long-range B6 battles around the entrance to Red territory. [KOTH] I have this tip; if the hill is the building in the center of the 9, a really good way to defend the only entry point is to put a bunch of Holos in the window/door to go outside or inside. I don't recommend staying on the small cliff outside, too vulnerable. Enemies can use the Jump Pads there in strategetic ways. As for offense, lob B6 bombs into the room via the windows around the sides to drive out the Hillbillies. XD [Jug] I usually go in the room in the middle as the Jug; provides you the best protection, and in turn, you can protect the only major vice of your opposition; the Quad. Don't stay right in the middle of the room, though, B6s will inevitably be being lobbed in, as long as they are on, and the others are at least halfway competent. If you're smart, you'd do the same as a competitor, but with Acid, Freeze, or Napalm. You could also snipe from over on the rocks near Blue. [Ghost Station] "Ghost Station? That level's just plain screwed up," is what I once heard from an IG Forums member; I totally agree. The set-up of this level seems almost completely random; mostly good for the non-'sides' games, like DM. I describe the level as very strange, with most of the action centering around the heavily noded area in the south (around the wide open purple-lit room), and then many branches of small floating platforms and paths. Then there's the unlively section up north which contains only 1 node on an island. This place is pretty good for sniping from, though. This platform and the others are inconsequential in most matches you'll play, but keep in mind that they all hold mods. There's several G-boot walkways, but none of them are useful. They just make you more vulnerable. In order to become more protected, be sure to use all the cover provided in the whole place, specially around both circular areas where there's a bunch of pillars and collumns to hide behind, or the formations on the floating islands. [CQ] Ok, all the nodes around the described heavily-noded area here are pretty important, especially the ones which have Hoverships. The one in the middle of the big wide-open purple room is really too vulnerable to be an immediate need. Since the sole node up north is relatively ignored, you don't need to be too concerned about it either. But still, it can give an easily taken upper hand if you just swing by to get it sometime, preferably after everything else has 'settled in'. As you'll see, most of the Nodes around here are in rather tight spaces, and thus, B6 + Acid or Napalm will be valuable in the process of capturing these. I recommend long-ranging from a good distance away, while someone else tries to cap it up on the battlefront. [CTF] Green is definetely the best protected base here, due to the positioning of that flag's floating platform. Very hard to get into that, especially if a sniper is on duty there. Magma and Fusion will usually be the tools of anyone defending around here, cuz you can always stop anyone coming in using a Swingshot with the Magma (this will be likely; after all, 3/4 bases are on one of the islands). On the Red base platform, it's not as easy, since going out to Magma leaves you very vulnerable. Again, defending the flags is very hard to do if B6 is on. If I were defending one, and the enemy has an Acid, I'd be pretty much screwed. The best choice in that situation is to do the exact same on them, since you SHOULD have a mod on your B6, right? Blue isn't a good team to be on in this case because a Quad is usually right next to them, easily taken by a capper to use on you. After picking up the enemy flag, you should use the wide-openess of the whole area for getting around in a sneaky way, if someone's chasing you. For instance, if you were running across the big, open purple room, you could easily getcher ass sniped. Instead, go around the edge; preferably the one with the Nanotech. [KOTH] Again, the long-range B6 thing will work a charm, specially when there's a bunch of enemies in the one Hill. The enemy may be blocking the route into the hill, so it's hard to get into the tight Hills without this strategy. Then, of course, there's the wide open ones, like in the big wide room. Same applies, but you can always stay your distance there, which works too. [Jug] Alright, I say go with the CTF Green team's base (the one with 3 Swings.) Gives em one less mod for you to have to deal with, and it's a good distance from the Quad... Well, then the Red base area up north would make sense as well, maybe more... Ah hell, just go for whichever floater you're closest to. Any Jug who's half competent will know to go after one of these right away. That's where you need B6s or anything else that can get the Jug from far away, (SNIPE), like I said before. With Acid or Napalm, preferably. ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ _____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\___ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \ \ \ / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ / Chapter 3. Rezathacrap - Ending bits ____/ / / / /____/ _, _/ //__ / ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| |_____/ / \___/ /_________________________/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And, so ends the FAQ. I hope it was helpful, and gave you adequate information on the game. Now, though, it's time for Thank Yous, Autobiographies, and Lagel Crap! _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ _____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\___ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \ \ \ / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ /___ Chapter 3A. Yestanku - Thank You List____/ / / / /____/ _, _/ //__ // _ | ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| |_____/ // | \___/ /_____________________________/|_| First off, I want to thank all (well, a lot) of the forum members of Insomniacgames.com for contributing information on the game, specifically: Soroush123 - Many thanks to him for compiling a list of weapons and certain statistics about them, as well as stuff about the vehicles. Somenobody - He's contributed many articles from different sources about RDL, which have helped me write a lot of my guide before DL actually came out. Quadraxis - He hasn't exactly helped with the FAQ, but he did remark to me once about how he thought the structure of the guide could be better, and that has influcenced the course this guide took, plus it saved me a lot of time not writing unimportant stuff. fayt god - Thanks to him for contributing his 'Omni Swingshot Wrench Jump' tip. Yurivish - He's helped me with little odds and ends in little projects of mine, and I just want to say thanks; and how sorry I am that he won't be getting Deadlocked anytime soon due to his parents. I'm sure they are responsible and smart people, yet are apparently oblivious to the fact that they are underpriveledging his genius. Edit: Yay! He finally got DL a whole month after the release! He said thanks, and wanted me to add this in; His AIM screen name is yurivish42, and he can give you free R&C music if you message him. He says, "I like talking to random strangers." Matt B. - The former Juggernaut King. He was the best at Jug by far in the Beta of this game online. Thus, he wrote an amazing FAQ to help people with the mode, and has given me permission to use parts of it in here. Here I want to give the biggest thanks to him for his generousity. And anyone else there who thinks they may have had a part in it over there, even just a tip on what to put in, or even a late extra article. I know there is a lot of other people who contributed articles besides Somenobody... Most importantly, I want to thank those who made the game, Insomniac Games. They'll be in the credits at the end of the story mode (if my guide was good enough to get you to there), so I won't list them by name. Too many of them! Can I work there yet? Pleaasssseee, I wanna influence your next few games with my best-selling non-graduate genius imagination! I know a bunch of other non-Insomniacs from Sony and other companies helped make it too, thanks guys! Whoever you are, you masked riders! I wanna thank Electronic Gaming Monthly for giving us the first article on RDL, plus any other magazine that has ever harbored information on the game. Thanks to them too! An I wanna thank myself for telling all you undeserving fools about that EGM article. ;P Thanks to FIGWIN, an ASCII art program which helped create some of the cool big text in the guide (though I made lotsa additions and spicing-ups to those). _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ _____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\___ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \ \ \ / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ /____ Chapter 3B. Whodisgy - Short Autobiography / / / /____/ _, _/ //__ // - / ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| |_____/ // __ \ \___/ /________________________________/ Ahem... I am Justin Thakar, about 13, and my main hobby is video games. I've been playing them since I was practically 3 years old, and I was playing an obscure game called Commander Keen on the PC. Since then, I'd gotten my hands on SNESes, Genesises, Game Boys, Sega CDs, PS1s, N64s, Dreamcasts, PS2s, Xboxes, Gamecubes, GBAs, DSes, and more. If you can't already tell, I'm pretty damn experienced. You can trust my advice now. I like to think of myself as a nice guy, and I believe the only path to happiness is to spread it around among others. I try to act humble, fair, caring, and all the other Jesusy stuff, though I'm not religious myself. I'm liberal, actually, like my parents. It's really one of those 'growing-up with that' results, like how most religions are passed on through heiritage. Thus, I'm against Bush, hate Wal-Mart, and praise Michael Moore, and I believe it's justified. I also know how to save the world and environment from humans; I learned this in a book called Ishmael. My main interest besides games is the arts. I like to pride myself on all the artwork I do in programs like Flash, Paint Shop Pro 8, Anvil Studios, and more. _ ____/\_____ __ ----- ______ ... ________ _____ . . ....___/ ______ /\ __ / | ____ _____________ ____ \\___ \ ________________/ ____// / / // /|| / __ \ /_ ___ ____// __ \ \ \ \ / / /_/ // | / /_/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / /___/ /____ Chapter 3C. Lagelrot - Copyrights and Such / / / /____/ _, _/ //__ // __/ ______________________/ / // / |_|/_/ / /__/O O O O /_| |_____/ // /___ \___/ /________________________________/ This guide belongs solely to me, Justin Thakar. I wrote it, copyright it, and you can't put it on your site without my permssion. Here's a list of locations it is allowed on: Gamefaqs.com Ign.com 1up.com CheatCC.com Cheathappens.com I may have forgotten 1 or 2 sites I allowed it on, but if you see it on any sites other than those, please notify me. _____________ ______. ___. _________ ..... __/ ___________ /_____ |/ _ |/____ _________ / / ___ __ / / / |' / |'/ / //_/ ___/ \ / / / / / / /_/ / /| | / |/ / / \__ \ \ ______ _____/ \/ / / / __ / ___ |/ /| / /| |___/ / \ \____/ \___/ / / /_/ /___/ |_/_/ |___/ |______/ \ \/ __________ ____ __....._________ -------- / / ____/ __ \/ __ \ / / / ______ / / /_ / / / / /_/ / / ___/ / [______] _____/ / __/ / /_/ / _, _/ /_______________/ / / \____/_/ | | ____ _/ /_____ ____ | |___ ____________________ ___________ / __ \/ ____/ | / __ \| _/ | / / ________________/ \ / /_/ / __/ / /| | / / / // // |/ / / __ \ / _. _/ /___/ ___ |/ /_/ // // /| / /_/ / / / |_/_____/_/ |_/_____/_____/ |_/\____/ / / \/ My guide!