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Compiled May 27th, 2000
Purpose
Too win is sometimes easy. The days of new discoveries in the world of Descent
are long gone. Players are experienced, and to some degree, that is one of the
problems. Tactics are well known...what truely separates players these days is Skill and Style.
Time passes on, players come and go...but what does it truely take for
greatness in the long term? We all hear of legendary players from days past.
Why do people remember them and not others? These players were greatly skilled,
but they had something more...they had a touch of style.
Many say Descent has reached its evolutionary life. With no Descent 4 in the future...
the community is going to grow smaller every month. Will it die off completely? Who knows.
but its present track record and dedication by hardcore players gives it more than a sporting
chance.
This site is not meant for one-trick ponies. If you like to play a particular level night
after night...using the same 2 primaries, and 3 secondaries please leave. I realize that
everyone has their preferences...but being truely 'great' is not a state of mind, rather a
state of opinion. Its a philisophical point to consider. Ask yourself what defines you as
a player and a member of this select community. Are you a LAN puppy? Too scared to
damage your rep with lag and sub-standard connects? Are you a one-trick pony? Too reliant
on your spreadfire or massdriver? Afraid to change it up once in awhile? Are you a BB fiend?
Would you rather sit and watch a page for updates so you can say "lol" or "yup" rather than playing
and honing your skills?
We all have our own likes and dislikes, including myself. We all can be labeled in some way if we
sit down and think about it. The ultimate goal is not to be labled into neat categories...but rather
to be simply known as a Player. How many truely great players can you categorize away into
neat stereotypes? I would bet not many...and it should ultimately tell you something.
Play for the love of the game, and the people (both bad and good) in the community. I hope my comments
help you find your own balance.
Attitude
Probably the greatest importance to your style as a Descent Player is attitude. Your
attitude shapes the opinions about you to others...and shapes your perspective on the
game. Some have disregard for this...and it effects both their Style and Skill.
Cry Babies: To lose your cool in the middle of a heated match is very undesirable.
We all have our 'off days'...including great players. Many factors can affect your performance, but one of
the greatest is irrational and hot-headed attitude. Truely infamous players all share one thing in common - a
stank ass attitude when they started losing. Keep it on the level...remind yourself that you *should* be having
fun...and if its too much to handle leave the game respectfully with a "GG" parting comment. A two character
abbreviation can go a long way to settling down that roaring ego.
Arrogance: You know you are a good player...maybe even a great player. Your skill often
is unmatched after weeks of play...but its your attitude about that skill that will determine your actual legacy. Food
for thought I would hope.
Inflexibility: Brokering for the level of play is sometimes expected...often relished. To negotiate
a successful level of play in any type of pure competitive contest is to be congratulated. What really gets under people's skin
however is when you smash them in a level of your choice...then will not play a fair rematch in a level of theirs. This will definately
give you a reputation of what many call an "Angle Player". This player continually and sometimes forcefully plays levels he is good at, and
will not accept the extra challenge of going on someone's home turf. A truely great player can succeed in any arena...and if you lose
occasionally you still win in the eyes of your opponent.
Pay your Dues: We all lose...learn to do it gracefully. Great players give credit where credit is due.
Sometimes this is hardest while losing in a large margin...learn to shrug that off, give the man his due, and learn from the experience.
The Killing Spirit: Be a killer. This game determines
your success on how many kills you aquire by your name. That means never, absolutely never, hold back on an opponent in a match. This is
fine to do in training sessions you have or the like...but when it comes match time, never give your opponent a break. This means, kill them
on respawn, camp the weapons, etc...Just because they have Laser lvl 1s and concs doesnt mean you go light on them.
Honor First: Now reading the above statement might make
you think I'm telling you to be an asshole. Not exactly. You can be great buds with your opponent, and very freindly with them. In fact,
most of us play our freinds on a regular basis in ladder matches...however throw that out the window when you actually get into the game. It's
great to talk about it later, and hang out...in fact thats what you SHOULD do. This game is about community as well as playing in my opinion, and
that only strengthens our community. Honor your opponent as a person, never slander them in a game, or make rude remarks about their skill...however,
do everything you can to kick their ass.
Relax: When playing competitive Descent, it is very easy to blow
games way out of proportion. Remember that your opponent is just a person, capable of mistakes, as well as you are. Expect a good game, relax, and
play to the best of your ability. Don't tense up. Stretch if you have to before a match...get loose. It will definately help your game, and won't
hurt at all.
Jedi Mind Tricks: Now you can probably laugh at my next sagely advice,
and I imagine a lot of people wont take me seriously...however you can WILL yourself to win. Just keep in mind that a level is generally very LARGE, your ship
and weapons are very small, therefore just have the attitude that you cannot (will not) be hit by your opponents fire. Loosen up, and tell yourself you
wont be hit by enemy fire. Trust me it goes a long way. You can apply this to other areas as well.
The Psychology of the Clang: You ask many players what drives them in a match,
and its the simple sound of them hitting a ship..."The Clang". This is a very powerful force...and can be used both offensively and defensively. Offensively, I would
suggest that you pump as many extra shots into a dying corpse as you can before the ship explodes. This has the effect of really unnerving some opponents. Defensively, I
would suggest that the only time you get hit is medium to far range...so your opponent has less chance of hearing the clang. Of course you cannot do this all the time...but
its effective when cruising around 30 shields and you just killed your opponent. Leaves him wondering if he got any hits in at all...which maybe he did, but he doesnt
have to know that. D3 gives off a light blue sheild impact when you get hit...if an opponent sees too many in a row, he will smell blood...make sure that does not happen.
Knowledge can mean a lot of different things to many players. Simply said, Descent Knowledge revolves first around
the game itself...and then its community. Know whats in the game - how much weapons drain power, what damage they do
to different ships, what strengths and weaknesses in each Descent engine, etc...KNOW YOUR GAME. Do tests with your
freinds if your unsure how much damage a Gauss cannon does on Rookie skill level.
You also need to familiarize yourself with the community. What websites have valuable community news, where to go for
serious discussions on Descent related topics, who the movers and shakers are in the D world.
Recon your Opponent: To know as much as you can about a specific player in a Ladder situation is absolutely
critical for success. Most will counter this argument saying "Great players should adapt to anyone"...and that is partially true (see
below), however if you dont do your homework on your upcoming matches thats just plain stupid. Don't be caught with your pants down as
your opponet seemingly knows your every move.
Recon the Level: Its a general rule that you should not play a ladder match on a
level you have no clue on how to play. Now granted, you might want to feel a bit
ballsy and go ahead and play a level you have never seen before...but against
someone that is equally skilled...don't do this. Sure, for pickup games you should always seek
out new ground and see how you do. In ladder matches, level knowledge deals with how the
level is designed to be played, and what is effective in playing it. Know wether or not
a level has traps...or ambush places. Where the energy is...what the weapon load is.
How most players play it...etc. Every level has its own design that affects gameplay,
so know the level you are getting into.
Gossip: Gossip is just that...something that is hearsay. Take things with a grain of salt...and be sure not
to bad mouth a player...or otherwise be critical of other players in general. We live in a world of flowing text, all of which can be
cut and pasted to any email address in the world. If you are discussing another player or group, be sure you can trust who you are talking
to. Nothing is more embarrassing than having to defend your words from a private conversation. Keep in mind to second guess your words in
serious conversations.
Community Knowledge: From the DescentBB, to Kali's Kchat...all the way to IRC, and Gate for D3. There is many
ways to communicate with players in the Descent community...but each has its own rules and flavors. Get to know each before opening your
mouth and sounding like an Ass.
Combat
All this talk, and nothing about combat you say. Ultimately, no one is going to remember you if you keep putting up
ducks on the scoreboards. Your initial impression on any player is how many kills are sitting next to your name. This
is the same for almost any game in the FPS genre. This should be your first priority in honing your skills, but as this
style page was meant for more advanced players, I have stuck it somewhere here in the middle.
Tempo: Controlling the Tempo of a match or open game is vital to
your success. When I refer to Tempo, I am talking about the pace of the game, and if you control it or not. Some players are masters
of controlling the tempo of a game...but a lot of it has to do with the level you play. When considering Tempo, ask yourself "Am I always
fighting on his terms?", "Why is he always on my ass?", and "Why do I feel I'm not controlling this game?". Controlling the tempo of a game
is almost always hard to do against a great opponent...however if you do manage to do this, you will feel very comfortable in the game.
Weapon Selection: Simply put, you need to
use the right weapon at the right time. If your opponent is far away, use a high velocity weapon such as gauss, vulcan, D1
spreadfire, MassDriver, or Vauss...and to some extent plasma (D1 and D2). If your opponent is in close range, switch over to quads, D1 or D3 fusion, and plasma. Plasma
is usually the best overall weapon due to its speed and power, but it doesn't fit every situation (its comparibly weak in D3). You also, if possible,
need to figure out what your opponent is weak against. Some players do very poorly against spreadfire, "green" weapons, Vauss or other ballistics...so exploit
that to its fullest extent.
Secondary Weapon Usage: I don't know how
many times I've played an opponent...even great opponents that waste their secondary weapons. As soon as you see someone, do
NOT just start letting the missiles fly...especially if they are halfway across the level. You would be surprised on how
often YOU do this. I even catch myself doing it. Your secondary weapons are not like your primary weapons...it is much
harder to replenish them...so make every one count. Situational use is also a skill you should work on. Use homers in wide open areas,
mortars if your being chased, smarts if your surprised, or frags to clear out multiple dogfighters.
Movement: Most people who read this tactics page are playing on Kali, or hitting the D3 Servers every night.
That said, let me state something you might not be aware of: MOVEMENT is KEY in competitive KALI play...but not as stressed in D3 Client/Server play.
Period, no discussion. In Kali, if you don't know how to move your ship in a fast, deadly way...your going to get ate up and spit out like a
used, tired, newbie you are. In D3, movement is centered around the efficient use of afterburners and knowing your exits.
Descent 3's Client/Server play is substantially different in this regards. You can move very efficiently and still get nailed if your ping
is too high. The basics behind this is - if the server saw you get hit, you got hit...and it gives you the 'client' this info even if your
screen doesnt register those hits. Your efficient use of the afterburner (see below) and erratic movement is your only hope at higher pings.
If your modem lags in D3, you had better be a certified lunitic if you want to dodge a majority of incoming fire from fast connect players.
Maximize your Burners: So many people waste their afterburner juice while moving about a level searching for targets. Its
almost habitual and requires a great amount of patience to control. The only time you should engage your afterburners is to dodge incoming fire, move yourself
in a better offensive position, cutting off a target, and dodging ballistics more effectively (Gauss, Vauss, MD). Thats about it. I cringe when I go
to LAN fests and see people jetting around all over the place...even in competitive matches. This wastes your fuel, and more importantly, gives away your
location to any opponents nearby. I can honestly say at least 30% of my kills are due to my hearing of a target before I see it. Learn to move stealthily and
tricord to where you need to be if possible. Only use afterburners if it enhances your position or dodging. Patience is a virtue worth learning.
End Comments
Some of its ranting, some advice, and a good dose of common sense. Legendary players were known for being Players...not for their spreadfire or MD skills,
not for their LAN skills, or if they posted 1,000 posts to the DescentBB. Its an important aspect to remember...and one you should dwell on. Be smart, respectful, and
honor your opponents when deserved. Good things will happen to those deserving, and I wish you, the player, best of luck.
Happy hunting.
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