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Author Topic: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v0.2  (Read 17163 times)
Shiver
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Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v0.2
« on: June 13, 2008, 05:58:56 pm »

Hello. If you've been frequenting these forums for long enough, this should look very familiar to you. I have changed the format of this guide and wanted a clean slate to start from. The sections detailing how to win every individual ship-to-ship match-up are gone. They required too much work on my part and I am of the impression that people were glossing over them anyway. I've added content across the board, except for the Fundamentals chapter which is completely unchanged. Here is the old thread if you're curious.

This guide is a work in progress. For the time being, the PVP strategy guide will exist as a forum thread. The finished product will be uploaded elsewhere in another format. I am currently seeking input on this project.




The Ur-Quan Masters Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide

For those of us who love Star Control but have already beaten the game and crushed the computer in Super Melee a thousand different ways, player-versus-player combat is the only way to go. Online melee became a reality on December 19th, 2006, when it was first implemented into The Ur-Quan Masters version 0.6.0. If you have no experience with net melee but want some pointers before you try it out, here is a good place to start. This guide is also intended as a fix for anyone who is sick of being steamrolled by every other player they go up against.



Table of Contents

Fundamentals

Androsynth Guardian

Arilou Skiff

Chenjesu Broodhome

Chmmr Avatar

Druuge Mauler

Earthling Cruiser

• Ilwrath Avenger

• Kohr-Ah Marauder

• Melnorme Trader

• Mmrnmhrm Transformer

• Mycon Podship

• Orz Nemesis

• Pkunk Fury

• Shofixti Scout

• Slylandro Probe

• Spathi Eluder

• Supox Blade

• Syreen Penetrator

• Thraddash Torch

• Umgah Drone

• Ur-Quan Dreadnought

• Utwig Jugger

• VUX Intruder

• Yehat Terminator

• Zoq-Fot-Pik Stinger




Credits

A huge thanks to my play-test opponents, Elvish Pillager and Gekko. I would also like to give credit to everyone who contributed to the content of this guide in some form or another. The list of minor contributors is as follows:

• Meep-Eep
• countchocula86
• Amiga Nut
• Lukipela
• Alephresh
« Last Edit: August 09, 2008, 12:37:42 am by Shiver » Logged
Shiver
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2008, 05:59:36 pm »

Fundamentals

Below is a compilation of useful information and tactics that apply during a wide range of different ship-to-ship confrontations.



Natural Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence



To a player uninitiated in net melee, Star Control's "awesome cyborg" combat AI likely appears to be a competent pilot. The computer's main strength is that its reaction time exceeds human capabilities. This is especially obvious when it is given control of a ship that rewards this, such as Pkunk. The many weaknesses of the awesome cyborg vastly outweigh this strength, however. The computer cannot distinguish between different enemy ship types so it doesn't try to exploit its opponent's flaws. It will use one ship the exact same way in every given situation. Among other things, this leads to the AI aggressively chasing Spathi around the arena when a more cautious approach would be more effective. The computer will also decide which craft it sends into battle at random rather than choosing the most effective counter to what their adversary has in the arena.

By contrast, a live player can pick up all of these things very quickly. No person will be able to match the computer's ridiculous dodging ability with the Slylandro, but with practice they can get very close to it. Despite human limitations, an experienced player can become more dangerous even with those fast, dodgy ships by utilizing superior tactics. The most significant advantage a player has over the computer is that the player's abilities improve with every skirmish while the computer remains static forever. Given practice, a person will eventually outgrow the AI.




Initial Selection



When a melee match begins, both players must pick their first ship without knowledge of what the other player is using. The best approach is to use something cheap and crappy that you don't care about losing. If your opponent starts out with Chmmr and you only use Zoq-Fot-Pik, this is actually a good thing. You've only paid out 6 points and now your opponent has one of their best ships set up for you to counter. Gaining initiative is well worth the sacrifice of one weak ship. Zoq-Fot-Pik and Shofixti are the most commonly deployed starters for this reason. Use of slightly more expensive starters such as Syreen and VUX is also frequent, as they are just powerful enough to lay waste to the cheapest of ships without leaving you at a disadvantage afterwards.



Countering



Although the most expensive spacecraft are also typically the most effective, they each have a weakness to at least one ship which costs less. It's good to get in the habit of holding back certain ships until the other player deploys ideal prey. For instance, Orz has a tendency of leaving a long trail of death and destruction whenever it's deployed. That is to say, until Androsynth shows up in the arena with its comet form and slices right through it without even trying. Androsynth costs a little more than half the price of Orz, so if the other player has Orz in their fleet then you had better keep your Androsynth in reserve. Strive to hit every ship the other player uses with the most effective counter available.



Mirroring



This is another solution to difficult enemy craft. If someone has a ship out that you have no counters to use against, match them with the exact same ship yourself. If the other player's ship is already damaged, then the odds of winning are in your favor. If the other player's ship is at full crew capacity or very close it, mirroring them is not a smart choice.



The Arena



This diagram is a representation of the entire arena in melee. The arena is actually the size of four fully zoomed-out screens. Within the arena's confines there are always five asteroids and one planet. If an asteroid is destroyed, it will respawn off camera. Why is this information useful? Because during a significant portion of ship match-ups, one player will begin searching for the planet as soon as combat begins. Even when this is not the case, you should constantly be on the lookout for the planet so as to minimize your chances of crashing straight into it. Get in the habit of doing this and you'll find yourself ramming the planet much less often.



Blind Spots



A ship can only face 16 different directions. If you approach an enemy ship while hiding between their firing lines, they will be unable to hit you. Although this is usually not a major factor, blind spots exist on every ship in the game. If you find that your opponent is approaching along one of your blind spots, it's generally a good idea to reposition yourself so that you have some possibility of landing a hit on the other player. Weapons that fire in a wide spread or automatically home in on their target almost totally negate the presence of blind spots.



Braking



The above header is a bit misleading here; there are no actual brakes in Star Control. If you want to bring your ship to a stop, turn your ship exactly 180 degrees from the direction you're moving in and apply just enough thrust to negate your inertia. Due to differences in acceleration, top speed and ship mass, you'll find that the various warships each require a different amount of thrust to bring themselves to a stop.



Flanking



Flanking is a tactic in which an attacker maneuvers around their opponent's front and strikes them from the side or back where they cannot retaliate effectively. When piloting a fast and agile craft such as the Arilou Skiff, this is the only way to fight. In some situations, a flanking ship can use an enemy's blind spot to help close the distance without being shot at.



Pillboxing



For vehicles with fast turning speed, pillboxing is the best answer to a flanking adversary. To pillbox, simply bring your ship to a halt and then rotate in place so as to lead your opponent with your guns. A stationary craft is difficult to flank, for if it is not traveling in any direction then there is no obvious opening to rush in from.



Asteroids



Asteroids are a minor factor, but never to the point where you can totally disregard their presence. Crashing into an asteroid inflicts no damage, but will bounce your ship away from it. Asteroids exist in Star Control melee to add a random element to combat. It is unusual for a player to win or lose a bout because of an asteroid, but it does happen. Situations where one can actively capitalize upon an asteroid are rare, but here's one tactic you can use...



Covered Charge



This is a fun one. If you happen to notice an asteroid directly approaching the enemy ship and you're close enough to it, you can hide behind the obstacle and advance under its shadow. An asteroid can only absorb one good shot, but sometimes one deflected shot is a huge advantage. This is a tricky and highly situational technique that you won't get to perform very often, but there's satisfaction in using a stray space rock to win.



The Planet



Behold the planet. The overlay you see around it shows the area upon which a planet exerts its gravitational pull. The approximate distance that this area extends across is three times the planet's diameter starting from the planet's outer edge. When your ship's center of mass crosses into this boundary, the effects of gravity begin to slowly drag your ship inward. A direct collision with the planet will kill either one fourth of your current crew, or a single crew member if your vessel has very few staff aboard.



Gravity Whip



The above figure demonstrates the ever popular Leyland Gravity Whip, a handy trick that will significantly boost the speed of most spacecraft. To perform this maneuver, accelerate straight through the planet's gravitational field. Once you've left the planet's immediate vicinity, stop accelerating. Using thrust beyond the planet's area of effect will rapidly bring your vessel back down to its default speed. Due to this limitation, a gravity whip can only be used to travel in a straight line. This maneuver has a wide range of applications within melee. The most obvious use of the gravity whip is to send spaceborne artillery such as the Earthling or Mycon careening so that they become much more difficult to engage up close.



Orbiting



Orbiting is a defensive technique with some similarities to pillboxing that allows the player using it to escape by gravity whip at any time, in any direction they want. As you can see from the diagram, orbiting involves placing your vessel in the planet's gravitational field in such a way that you automatically revolve around it. Lots of players seem to have trouble with this, but it's actually fairly easy to do. Remember how to brake? Simply repeat that procedure in close proximity to the planet. As you grind to a halt, your ship will begin to circle the planet on its own. You can adjust your orbit by accelerating very slightly in a given direction, and may need to do so to avoid colliding with the planet itself.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2008, 09:45:48 am by Shiver » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2008, 06:01:29 pm »

The Androsynth Guardian



Androsynth is versatile and deadly enough to put up a decent fight against almost every ship in Star Control. It is also easily the most overpowered ship in the game when considering its low point value of 15. Androsynth is not the most effective combatant, but anything that can outperform it costs quite a bit more. You should always have one of these in your fleet for the purpose of getting the most bang for your buck. It's hard to go wrong with Androsynth.



Primary Function: Acid Bubbles



These adorable little hazards move slowly and erratically in the general direction of the enemy, inflicting two damage each on contact. Acid bubbles are insignificant by themselves, but quite lethal as a large cloud.



The Bubble Bath

While acid bubbles aren't used as frequently as the ship's comet form, there are a few enemies which warrant a technique known as the bubble bath. To perform a bubble bath, spam the bubble weapon whenever your opponent draws near and maneuver around to keep the bubbles between them and yourself. You would be surprised how many different ships are unable to break past this defense. Unfortunately, bubble bathing is also considered foul play in many situations because of its tendency to create long, boring stalemates. With that in mind, the bubble bath is best used against speedy opponents that can easily thwart the Androsynth's comet form. These ships are: Arilou, Pkunk, Slylandro, Thraddash and Umgah.



The Bubble Trap

The acid bubble weapon can be used to force an opposing craft to abandon a particular position. If the other player is soaring around on a gravity whip and you want to make them to break off the maneuver, move into their path and drop a large heap of bubbles. This same trick is also a good way to force an opponent to cease pillboxing or orbiting for a time, as they will have to move away to avoid damage. The likelihood of your opponent sustaining damage from this technique is low if they know what they're doing. This is a utility move, not something you win battles with by itself.



Secondary Function: Comet Form



The Androsynth can compact into a tight little ball and launch itself like a battering ram at enemy craft. As questionable as that sounds, it's amazingly effective against a wide range of different enemy craft. A single bump against an enemy ship counts for three damage, but the comet will often crash against its victim's hull multiple times before bouncing off in another direction. Occasionally the Androsynth can even wedge itself into its opponent, destroying them almost instantly. Comet charges are best started when you have a full battery and finished far away from the opponent's position where the other player cannot retaliate while you recharge. The comet form can also be used when your battery is low to make a quick leap away from imminent danger. The turning rate of the comet is rather poor, so whenever you fly past or bounce off a target you should not attempt to turn around for another attack run until you've bypassed them by a reasonable distance. Attempting to turn back around in close proximity to your opponent is a great way to get yourself shot up.



Ideal Purpose

If your opponent has an Orz in their fleet, hold your Androsynth in reserve until given the opportunity to counter and destroy it. Your comet form is the perfect weapon for dispatching an otherwise dangerous vessel. Orz marines are killed instantly upon contact with your comet form and the ship itself is not nearly fast enough to evade you. When faced with an opponent that has no Orz, think of your Androsynth as a spare that can be used to take out almost anything which you have no specific counter to use against. Here is a list of the ships that make good alternate targets for your Androsynth:

• Druuge
• Earthling
• Melnorme
• Spathi
• Supox
• Umgah
• Ur-Quan
• VUX
• Zoq-Fot-Pik




Counters

If you absolutely, positively have to crush an Androsynth into scrap metal right this instant then use Kohr-Ah. Drop a few spinning blades nearby and try to time your flamewave ability for the moment the Androsynth's comet form is about to crash into you. Expect them to try and pull a fake-out or two to get you to waste your battery -- it's their only way around the devastating flamewave. If Androsynth does not go on the offensive, they are shooting themselves in the foot; Kohr-Ah excels at long range warfare. Before you send your Kohr-Ah out for this, you should consider your less expensive alternatives.

If the other player's Androsynth is damaged down to half its crew capacity or less, a well piloted defensive Ilwrath is a more economical solution. Keep your distance from the Androsynth until they decide to comet charge and then do your best to catch them with your flame thrower as they strike.

Slylandro is also an effective Androsynth killer regardless of the target's crew, but you'll need good reflexes and a little bit of patience for that. You will have to dodge around the dreaded bubble bath and slowly wear the Androsynth down with your lightning weapon. This is generally the best counter to use.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2008, 12:13:18 am by Shiver » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2008, 06:02:25 pm »

The Arilou Skiff



Being the first of several ships designed for flanking, the Arilou is built around the premise of being able to pick apart its enemies without taking any damage in return. With only six crew members, this craft does not allow its pilot any room for error. The ship's maximum velocity is not high enough for it to flank most other spacecraft the conventional way, so Arilou pilots must instead rely heavily upon a frustratingly random teleportation ability to get into attack position. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the Arilou falls short of its 16 point value.



Primary Function: Auto-Aiming Laser



This short range laser that is always aimed at your opponent. The weapon stutters while firing, causing a point of damage every other frame. To look at it another way, that's half the rate of sustained firepower which you can expect from a VUX laser or a quarter of sustained firepower from a Chmmr laser. This comparison is hardly flattering for the Arilou, but the weapon's precision and ease of use mitigate this lack of impact somewhat. Be sure you do not exhaust your battery entirely when you unload on an opponent. Keep a small reserve of energy in case an emergency teleport becomes necessary.



Secondary Function: Teleport



For only three points of energy, the Arilou may instantly teleport to a random location within the arena. This ability is most frequently used as an escape mechanism. See a projectile flying your way? Teleport out of there before it connects. Teleportation has a catch to it: There is a minuscule chance of the Arilou spawning inside an asteroid or planet, destroying it instantly. The more you use Arilou, the more you will learn to hate this flaw in the ship's design.



Chain Teleportation

It's not immediately obvious, but teleportation also has offensive potential. To teleport offensively, use the secondary function repeatedly until your ship appears close to your opponent at an angle they are not able to stop you from flanking them. Between each teleport you should wait for your battery to recharge so that you are at your maximum capacity when the moment to strike finally presents itself. This tactic dramatically increases your chance of a fatal teleport, but is nevertheless worth it against many different ships which Arilou would otherwise not be able to beat.



Bonus Feature: Inertial Nullifier



Arilou is the only ship in the game which does not continue to coast in a direction after it turns off its thrusters, allowing it to come to a full stop in an instant. This gives you better handling of the ship, but isn't really decisive by itself. Arilou is also not affected by the planet's gravity, nor the Chmmr's tractor beam.



Ideal Purpose

If the other player has Mycon in their fleet, definitely use Arilou to take it down. The technique for that particular match-up is as simple as watching out for plasmoids while moving in for the kill. Most players are sharp enough to know not to ever use Mycon, unfortunately, so you will not be able to do this very frequently.

The next most popular ships to send Arilou against seem to be Melnorme and Supox. These are normally easy prey for Arilou, but unfortunately both ships each have their own obscure anti-Arilou tactic which can give them an edge. Attack either ship with Arilou if you want, but understand the risk involved. Here are the most viable alternate targets:

• Druuge
• Earthling
• Umgah
• VUX
• Zoq-Fot-Pik

One other thing you can do is deploy the Arilou as your starting ship, particularly if you think the other player is going to start with VUX. Arilou's teleportation ability negates the VUX's point-blank starting position, which is especially brutal in the very first bout of a net melee match where both ships warp in at a complete stop. Hold down teleport just as the match begins to avoid this first strike.




Counters

Ilwrath is a reasonably effective counter against Arilou, and it's cheap too. Abuse the cloaking device as much as possible, for Arilou's laser does not track you while you're cloaked. For the best results, play cautiously.

Shofixti is not the most reliable Arilou killer, but it's certainly the cheapest. The Arilou's effective weapon range is too short to hurt Shofixti without walking into the glory device's kill radius. Unfortunately, this leads to a long and frustrating series of feints from the Arilou in order to trick you into triggering the bomb at a bad time.

Spathi performs well against Arilou, although the match is long and tedious to an extreme. Keep plugging away with those torpedoes and you'll eventually nail them.

You can also use one of the tougher ships such as Androsynth, Slylandro or Mmrnmhrm if none of the cheapo ships are available to you, although none of these are ideal as you should have bigger fish to fry with them.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2008, 03:20:24 am by Shiver » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2008, 06:18:13 pm »

The Chenjesu Broodhome



To say that Chenjesu is lacking in mobility would be an understatement. Due to its mediocre acceleration, abysmal turning rate and high ship mass, this ship lurches about during combat like an obese sea turtle. This ship will crash into the planet more frequently than anything else in the game, and due to Chenjesu's large crew capacity, even one crash will sting like a swift kick to the crotch. An expert player can minimize these collisions, but they are still going to occur. Despite this, Chenjesu is a quite powerful. Its choice of armament is powerful and versatile enough that this ship can put up a fight at all distances against just about everything in the game. It's a solid combatant, but not nearly worth the cost of 28 points.



Primary Function: Photon Shard



Photon shards can be launched all the way across the screen and continue traveling beyond the camera's boundaries and come back again on a wrap-around. While that is a neat demonstration of the weapon's infinite range, it's also a phenomenally stupid way to fight. Lots of players like to try and hit their opponent with a crazy wrap-around shot and I have no idea why anyone would think that's a good idea. That technique is not reliable in the least bit and wastes far too much time, so don't do it.

With that tangent out of the way, let's go over the specifics of this weapon. To fire a photon shard, hold down the primary attack button. The photon shard inflicts six damage on a direct collision with the enemy. If you release the primary attack button before the shard strikes an object, it will explode into eight little pieces of shrapnel that travel in different directions and inflict two damage each. You do not need to line up your shots perfectly to damage an enemy craft thanks to shrapnel. These smaller fragments are not very precise, but they do help.




Shrapnel Spamming



Rapidly tapping the primary attack button will unleash a flurry of ordinance nearby that can be devastating at short range. This technique is a good way to handle small enemy craft attempting to flank you, for it will cover your ship from almost every angle with weapons fire. Shrapnel spamming does leave two diagonal openings behind the Chenjesu itself that are not covered, so try to keep hostiles off your back as much as possible.



Secondary Function: De-Energizing Offensive Guided Interceptor



Using their entire battery, the Chenjesu can construct and deploy DOGIs during combat. DOGIs seek out the opposing craft and attempt to bump into them. A DOGI collision inflicts no damage, but rather drains ten points of battery power and knocks the other ship off course. Chenjesu can only maintain four DOGIs during combat at a time, though even one DOGI can potentially disable an opponent by keeping their battery empty. DOGIs have varying amounts of usefulness depending upon what the Chenjesu is up against. Even when you're in a match where DOGIs do not appear to be decisive, it's good to make one if you've got the energy to spare and the opposing ship is not an imminent threat. DOGIs are vulnerable to your own weapons so try not to shoot them down.



Ideal Purpose

While Chenjesu is too expensive to be used as a proper counter, it is also moderately effective against the entire line-up of ships within the game. You can use Chenjesu against almost anything and get significant mileage out of it. The DOGIs make it particularly devastating against Utwig and Druuge, so those are often the best prey.

If you're being smacked around by a Syreen bloated full of extra crew, Chenjesu is a good ship to put a stop to the rampage. Against Syreen, pillbox to minimize their ability to steal your crew.

Chenjesu is also a good choice against a Chmmr that has been beaten down to half its crew compliment or less. You should be able to wipe them out before they can unload their battery on you. Shrapnel is mostly useless against Chmmr, so try to land every shot.




Counters

The most reliable counter to Chenjesu is Orz without a doubt. If you have an Orz around, save it specifically for Chenjesu. Drop marines from many different directions so that they cannot avoid them all. Do not engage the Chenjesu directly.

Earthling is a good way to finish off a Chenjesu that has lost at least half its crew. Run away from them, then turn back around and lob missiles until the Chenjesu is no more.

There are many ships that cost less than Chenjesu, but can go toe to toe with it when played well. Androsynth, Mmrnmhrm, Melnorme, Slylandro, Mycon and Yehat can all see success here.
« Last Edit: July 18, 2008, 06:46:06 am by Shiver » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2008, 06:35:36 pm »

The Chmmr Avatar



Here we have the first of three 30 point heavyweights, and it's a doozy. The Chmmr is not very fast, but it has astronomical firepower and a solid defensive screen. Even casual use of this ship should make it clear to anyone that the Chmmr is an absolute murder machine. A melee newbie will likely think the ship is unbeatable -- not true. There is one definite hard counter, one soft counter and several weaker ships that can inflict respectable damage upon Chmmr. So is the ship still worth all the points? Very much so, especially if you learn how to win some of the trickier matches. At the same time, I wouldn't really call Chmmr a "must have" simply because multiple smaller craft can give you more flexibility.



Primary Function: Terawatt Laser



So long as you keep the beam on your target for more than an instant, this weapon's rate of damage is ridiculous. An Androsynth comet lodged into a ship does more damage per frame, but in general the Chmmr's laser inflicts the highest rate of sustainable damage. Watch those blind spots, however, for it's very easy to charge right into an opponent and then be unable to point your beam directly at them.



Secondary Function: Tractor Beam



This exerts a gravitational pull on the other ship, dragging it towards the Chmmr. Each ship in Star Control has their own ship mass, turning rate, acceleration and top speed so the effectiveness of the tractor beam will vary depending on what you're fighting against. Both the Terrawatt Laser and the Tractor Beam eat up considerable amounts of power. Use these abilities with restraint. At the very least, make a habit of never activating both at the same time. The tractor beam can screw up your opponent's gravity whip, pull them out of orbit or drag them smack into the planet itself. Because of this, the planet becomes particularly beneficial to Chmmr and an obstacle to anything fighting against it. Take full advantage of this. High level Chmmr play involves clever utilization of both the tractor beam and the planet.



Bonus Feature: Protective Satellite Array



These nifty little things intercept incoming projectiles and provide fire support at close range. They have 10 hitpoints. If the satellite ring is destroyed, Chmmr becomes vulnerable to many different ships it would otherwise be able to shrug off effortlessly.



Ideal Purpose

You can use Chmmr against almost anything and come out on top. My personal recommendation is to send your Chmmr to take down Mmrnmhrm or Slylandro. Both ships can be ridiculously hard to stop in the hands of a skilled player, but Chmmr steamrolls right over them.

I also recommend NOT using Chmmr to go after Ur-Quan or Kohr-Ah. Ur-Quan will damage Chmmr quite heavily and Kohr-Ah will wipe out all of your satellites with its flamewave. Either opponent will cripple your Chmmr, setting it up to be destroyed by the next ship the other player sends in. There are more cost-effective ways of taking on the other two heavyweights which will be discussed elsewhere.




Counters

The most reliable Chmmr counter is Utwig. The Chmmr's satellite ring works against itself by firing constantly and indiscriminately on Utwig whenever it moves in close by. This gives the Utwig endless battery refills, which in turn leads to virtual invulnerability against Chmmr. I personally opt to save Utwig for something else, but using Utwig on Chmmr is not a bad decision in the least bit.

The other effective Chmmr counter is Druuge. Between equally experienced players these two ships have 50/50 odds against each other. This is good seeing as how Druuge costs substantially less. While the balance between ships may be even, the match is heavily dictated by player skill. Avoid using this counter if you haven't practiced it extensively.

Orz can put up a fight against Chmmr, particularly if the other player isn't very experienced. The Orz cannon can shoot right past the Chmmr's satellite ring and has long enough reach to pummel them from a safe distance. Unfortunately, there's a score of dirty tricks the Chmmr can use to catch and destroy the fragile Orz. This is not a smart counter, but it can see a degree of success.

A damaged Chmmr can be finished off by Chenjesu. Try to land direct hits, do not rely on shrapnel.

A nearly dead Chmmr can be finished off by VUX. Try not to fly straight through the Chmmr's satellite ring after you kill it with your beam. They continue to fire for a brief period even after the Chmmr itself is destroyed.
« Last Edit: July 18, 2008, 06:52:42 am by Shiver » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2008, 09:24:31 am »

The sections detailing how to win every individual ship-to-ship match-up are gone. They required too much work on my part and I am of the impression that people were glossing over them anyway.
For what it's worth, I actually read those.  I completely understand why you're not going to keep doing that, however. 

Druuge is next, I'm excited!
« Last Edit: June 15, 2008, 09:26:40 am by Ph » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2008, 04:36:47 pm »

I think giving them for selected ships is a good idea (as you are doing it now); but every one was a bit much.
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2008, 10:35:54 pm »

What is a good counter to earthling cruiser besides androsynth? I don't want to waste a blazer for that. Also, what is most effective against syreen?

I tend to disagree about the effectiveness of arilou against androsynth. it's easy to get in a few pot shots and warp away if the androsynth is bubble bathing or in rocket form. I can't beleive arilou is worth 16 points. That's way too many.

Also, I found against the computer that orz blows away chmmr. I don't know if anyone's had experience with this match-up in pvp, but it works pretty effectively.

What would you recommend as the all-around best 30 point ship? I've been kind of leaning on kohr-ah because utwig makes such an impossible match-up for an avatar.

Is druuge worth putting in your line-up (if you're a beginner)? How about chenjesu?
« Last Edit: June 25, 2008, 11:23:14 pm by SweetSassyMolassy » Logged

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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2008, 11:31:20 pm »

Quote from: SweetSassyMolassy
What is a good counter to earthling cruiser besides androsynth? I don't want to waste a blazer for that.

Ilwrath, and that's the best thing to use it for. Like many counters, you need to have the technique down pat or it isn't a counter at all. I will cover this in more depth when I get around to it.


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Also, what is most effective against syreen? mycon?

Honestly, there is no Syreen counter. You have to kill it with something that costs more. Druuge and Slylandro do the job nicely.

If you want Mycon to disappear, use Arilou for an easy sweep. A harder, but more punishing way to do it is with Zoq-Fot-Pik. Mycon is a bad ship for its price, possibly the worst in the game.


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I tend to disagree about the effectiveness of arilou against androsynth. it's easy to get in a few pot shots and warp away if the androsynth is bubble bathing or in rocket form. I can't beleive arilou is worth 16 points. That's way too many.

I'm afraid I don't follow you. In the guide's current incarnation, I don't discuss that match-up at all because it's one of those "grey area" fights where there isn't a consistent result. It sort of favors Androsynth, at least from what I've seen. Arilou is indeed a bit on the sucky side.


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Also, I found against the computer that orz blows away chmmr. I don't know if anyone's had experience with this match-up in pvp, but it works pretty effectively.

I used to like that counter too in PVP. You're in for a world of disappointment once you try it out on one of the better Chmmr players.


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What would you recommend as the all-around best 30 point ship? I've been kind of leaning on kohr-ah because utwig makes such an impossible match-up for an avatar.

Kohr-Ah, but every so often Chmmr pulls more weight.


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Is druuge worth putting in your line-up (if you're a beginner)? How about chenjesu?

Druuge is a great ship. It takes some practice to use well, but not as much as people around these parts would have you believe. Chenjesu is a decent newbie ship, but sucks at higher levels of play where things like Melnorme, Slylandro and Mmrnmhrm will go head to head with it and win.

EDIT: Upon further reflection, Chenjesu isn't a good newbie ship. Earthling will eat a poorly played Chenjesu for lunch.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2008, 11:45:42 pm by Shiver » Logged
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2008, 12:23:14 am »

It looks like you’ve done quite a bit of work on this. I like the graphics. Good job! You should convert all this information into a PDF when you complete the guide.
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2008, 06:22:52 pm »

Quote from: SweetSassyMolassy
quote]Also, what is most effective against syreen? mycon?

Honestly, there is no Syreen counter. You have to kill it with something that costs more. Druuge and Slylandro do the job nicely.

If you want Mycon to disappear, use Arilou for an easy sweep. A harder, but more punishing way to do it is with Zoq-Fot-Pik. Mycon is a bad ship for its price, possibly the worst in the game.


I think he may have been asking whether or not Mycon is a good choice against Syreen, rather than asking about counters for Mycon.  At least, that's how I read it.
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2008, 03:50:49 am »

shiver had it right actually.
when is the next installment of the guide coming out?
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I am not always understand about what you speak, unfortunately.
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2008, 08:53:20 pm »

when is the next installment of the guide coming out?

A few days after the second round of the net melee league.
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Re: Player-Versus-Player Strategy Guide v1.1
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2008, 01:08:48 am »

Hey guys, what's a good static image for the Druuge's furnace ability? I'm not feeling creative right now, someone give me an idea.
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