Dinobut's Combat Etiquette Guide

What's a Combat Etiquette Guide you may ask? It's not a set standard operating procedure, more or less ... it's a bunch of suggestions to abide by when engaging in combat here at TF2k5. First and foremost, I'd like to remind everyone reading this about the object of the MUSH. No winners, no losers. It's not about going all out to trash that one FC or comboing a multitude of abilities for an uber awesome combo that'll one shot KO people. It's about creating a friendly atmosphere amongst your peers, enjoying the enviroment and players around you, and having fun! If anything, I'd like the readers to come away with a better understanding of 'the norm' and how to properly handle fighty scenes!

Starting Combat
How should one open up combat? Should you pull out your biggest attack, weaken 'em in the opening salvo ... then clean them up with lesser attacks? Or maybe try devestating disintigrate upgrade you just got pushed through? From a traditional standpoint, I'd say no to both of those suggestions.

Usually it's a good idea to open up with a global 1 or 2 leveled attack. It's not overly offensive, no. But who wants to end something before it starts? If you open up with your 'bread and butter', then the person you're fighting is only going to escalate the conflict his/her turn, then you're kinda stuck in an arms race from square one. Here I'd suggest just a plain jane level 1 or 2, no effects.

Maintaining Combat
How does one pull out their 'show stoppers' you might be asking, if you only start out with a punch or a laser? Easily, it's called gradual escalation. Example: Joebot attacks Bobcon with a level 3 attack, Bobcon responds with a level 4 attack. From personal experience, I've found it's good to go by the 'Two Rule'. Either two above, two below, or the same level. That's how one should respond. So, utilizing the 'Two Rule' ... Joecon's recourse could be a level 2-6 attack.

Figuring attack costs, that's important as well. Try adding your effects into your attack levels, to give a rough estimate. A level 1 Blind & Shatter shouldn't be used as a level 1, but rather a level 6 ( Level 1 + Blind (2) + Shatter (3) = 6).

Also, with area attacks ... try to ask OOCly if the participants wouldn't mind taking one. Try to say the level of the attack. Most of the time, no one is gonna care ... but that one time out of ten, you're gonna make a disgruntled player quite furious. -DO NOT- engage in combat with someone who hasn't given OOC permission beforehand, this is not negotiable. ICA = ICC, but you can not impose combat on someone who isn't willing to participate.

Combinations. Is it kosher to always start off by sneaking or cloaking? Should you always pose as being out of sight, yet !analyze a target? Is that combo of the Hidden flag + !analyze + Booster + level 8 attack fair? No, no, and hell no. Keep in mind your combinations you've got going for you. I'm not saying -never- utilize abilities in conjunction together ... but please be aware of their lethalness. Doing 50% END damage in one round will actually KO an opponent, and it's quite easy to pull off with some of these combinations. Also, if you !analyze and miss ... keep in mind you keep your analysis until you hit.

Ending Combat
But !retreat said I could shoot, so that's why I leveled the guy with my level 6 rockets! This isn't only wrong, but quite twinky if taken out of context and without permission. If Joebot doesn't care, that's fine ... but if not, then never fire off a retreating shot higher than level 3 if you can avoid it. Also, keep in mind that most Autobots shouldn't be shooting off parting shots anyways; it's just not in their style.