Short url for this page: http://tinyurl.com/fraytips
Contents
Part I: Introduction
1) Weapons
2) Comboing Attacks - SF
3) Comboing Attacks - Rumble
4) Managing the Board
Part II: Swordfighting
Part III: Rumble
Part IV: Fray
1) Openers
2) Teaming/Reteaming <-- MOST IMPORTANT PART!!
3) Stalling
4) Demonstrations
A while ago, I made this recording out of sheer frustration that we kept losing cits because people were fraying as if they were doing a 1v1.
Then I got remarks such as "how could you ramble on for 7 minutes about teaming?"
Well, I'll admit it was slightly rambly, but I was following an outline :P So now, expanding on that, I wrote this.
Well, I'll admit it was slightly rambly, but I was following an outline :P So now, expanding on that, I wrote this.
Part I: Introduction
This is a guide for how to build basic combos in SF and Rumble, and some tips you need to know to be able to fight effectively in frays.
The point of this guide is not to go into the details of all the different strategies you could employ when fighting other players -- there are plenty other guides for that, and some will be linked from here. Not to mention I'm not nearly good enough to give good insight on those subject matters, but rather how to become an effective team player even if your skills aren't that good (mine aren't).
If you’ve ever been on a ship in any sort of battles at all, you’ll know that the outcome of the fray is what determines a win or a loss. The bnav score naturally helps a lot, but since the fray is what ultimately determines the outcome, knowing how to fight in frays effectively is rather important for the average jobber.
All the tips given are to help you stay alive as long as possible in a team setting, while killing off the bots as effectively as possible, even when you can’t dish it out.
Develop a method that works for you.
If you can't, you can always start by copying someone else, and then going from there.
Generally, you need to understand:
- Building basic combos for SF and Rumble
- Openers,
- Teaming/Reteaming
- Very important!!!! You shouldn’t concentrate on your board so much to the point where you forget about teaming.
- Stalling
- Managing the board
Do I need a sword or a bludgeon for these? They’re just bots.
Having weapons is always better than not having them, because... why not?
In SF, this means no sticks or foils.
In Rumble, this means no bare fists.
Protip!>> Ask crewbies or flaggies to give you an old sword. Atlantis gives them out often enough.
Do sword types really matter against bots?
Yes and no. It all depends on what you’re using and what your teammate is using. This is where the drop pattern factors in (in terms of color distribution). If your color pattern is similar, it will have an effect on how much they break.
If you’d REALLY like to do some further reading, you can read this:
In all honesty though, in my experience, as long as it isn’t a foil or stick, you’re solid.
Why do I need to combo my attacks?
In essence, it is a 1+1>2 situation.
If you really want to get into the mechanics, you can find out more on exactly how large the combos will be, how much you should build on the yppedia and on the various guides. (Tzz’s ultimate puzzling guide and Dachimpy’s guide)
For now, all you really need to know is to start off your game with a combo, both in SF and Rumble.
Comboing Attacks - SF
You know how in SF you make a block (2x2 etc)? That block when sent as a single attack, becomes a very small sword (1x4).
However, if you combo it, (e.g. in a double or a triple), the size of the attack starts to compound, and becomes substantially larger.
“Combinations multiply sequentially; i.e., the part broken when it says "double" will be multiplied by two, the "triple" by three, and so forth. Thus, when you set up a combo, the smallest breaks should be at the beginning of the combo, with the biggest breaks as late in the chain as possible.”
Here is a similar 2x2 block in a triple combo (the block is broken on the Triple! of the combo, thus the size is tripled) and its effect on the opponent.
- For non-block breaks, the number of sprinklies is equal to half the number of pieces you broken, rounded down, multiplied by the combo factor.
- For vertical swords, a combo multiplies the sword length. However, 2x2 block breaks become a 1x4 sword, becomes 2x4 with a double, becomes 2x6 with a triple, and so forth.
Comboing Attacks - Rumble
In Rumble, the balls break off if they are fired at a group of 3 or more balls. This however, only creates the equivalent of "loose blocks" in SF.In this screenshot below, the broken red and all the balls that fall off with it will become sprinkles.
They won't send immediately, as rumble sprinkles are "queued", and will only send after a row is full.
Not very effective.
Comboing attacks in Rumble means charging the colored balls in a sequence, and then setting them off in that order. The more groups of charged balls that are set off, the bigger the attack.
Managing the Board
How high should I build my combos?
That depends on how many bots are on you, and how big of a playing field you have.
Just remember that your goal is to survive as long as possible, while dealing damage when you can.
When you get better, you can build faster and bigger combos in a smaller space. However when first starting out, you should always aim to survive as long as possible with combos you can manage.
It’s a balancing act between building higher combos and being reasonable in what you can hope to send.
Two general rules:.
1. More rows of damage to you = smaller combos
2. More bots on you = smaller combos
Both strategies are intended to keep you alive as long as possible without dying, as you may otherwise overbuild (build too high of a combo) and die (accidentally).
This applies to both SF and Rumble.
In SF, the fuller your board gets (or the more heavily you’re being attacked), the more you should break as soon as you get the chance.
In Rumble, you die when the balls reach the bottom of the board. when the board gets more than half full, you should focus on keeping your board level (clearing the pieces that are closer to the bottom first), and sending sprinkles instead of combo punches.
In Rumble, you can control more of what you’re doing, because you’re not at the mercy of the random piece generator as much.
Part II: Swordfighting
Yppedia page on SF (doesn't really say anything tbh)
What are strikes and sprinkles in SF?
Loose blocks that are broken send as sprinkles.
Blocks that are formed in a 2x2 or larger send as strikes (swords)
How do I build strikes and sprinkles in Swordfight?
I sort of explain it here in this video, because I find that far too many SF videos just do their thing and don't really explain it. Furthermore, because I'm more at a "newb" level SF, it's easier for you to understand. Huzzah!
I sort of explain it here in this video, because I find that far too many SF videos just do their thing and don't really explain it. Furthermore, because I'm more at a "newb" level SF, it's easier for you to understand. Huzzah!
Then of course, as you get better, your Hamburger will get more and more complex. :)
What do I do if I don’t have enough breakers?
One of the big problems people have in SF frays is overbuilding.
The metaphor also extends to "don't build (bite) off more than you can break (chew)."
Don't overdo it!
You have to remember that since you’re fighting in a team, there is no reason to go way over the top, and then accidentally killing yourself in the process.
A bingo is perfectly acceptable. If you can’t manage that, doubles and triples work great too.
Other SF resources (These are more applicable to PvP):
Everything you need to know about swords. - can’t see the pictures anymore D;
Nemo’s post on SF AI - Very old, but mostly relevant
SF Misc Q&APart III: Rumble
Yppedia article on Rumble (a little more useful than the SF one)
What are strikes and sprinkles in Rumble?
Similar to SF, you get two types of attacks in rumble. One type is called punches (Strikes), and the other is called sprinkles.
Strikes (punches) - are attacks that come in from the top, and can give you bruises (the black colored balls).
Sprinkles - are attacks that come in from the bottom, as loose balls.
How do I build strikes and sprinkles in Rumble?
Strikes (punches) - occur whenever you charge balls in succession and then release them. The key to Rumble (vs bots at least) is charging your colored balls.
Sprinkles - occur whenever you don’t charge balls and just do a simple break. They are the loose balls that drop off your screen at the bottom, but they don’t immediately send with each attack you make. Instead, they collect in a queue, and will only send until they are enough for an entire row.
Similar to SF, you want to build combos (groups of charged balls) to compound your attack, and you want to do it in a combination of strikes and sprinkles.
In this video, I mentioned remembering the charge you started off with. If you're really good, you can remember exactly the order in which you charged them, but that is only strictly necessary for single fights.
To set off your charges, simply hit the ball you started charging first with a regular hit. It wasn't explicitly stated in the video, but that is what I did to set off the sequence.
Protecting, what is all that about?
It’s like teaming, but on your own peeps!
Note: Protecting only applies in Rumble.
When you click on the head of one of the people on your team, you can “protect” them. Like so:
- Only one person can protect another at any one time
- The blue bar at the top represents how much protection you are giving them.
- Longer bar = better protection.
- This mechanic is usually not necessary in regular Sea Battles, but quite a necessity for CIs (right screenshot)
Other Rumble Resources:
If you feel like you want to get into more of the very detailed puzzle mechanics of Rumble, Boothook has researched tremendously on the puzzle and written Boothook’s Rumbling Guide, and Boothook’s Rumbling Guide 2 on the Yppedia. More links are also available from the Rumble Yppedia Page.
Additionally, you may also want to check out this thread by Hurtboss on in-depth Rumble tips.
Additionally, you may also want to check out this thread by Hurtboss on in-depth Rumble tips.
Part IV: The Fray
When you first start the fray, before doing anything (before even building your combo)
1) Check if you’re teamed (if not, find your teams asap)
2) Check how many are on you (if 2+, stall)
Then, you can start building your opener combo.
Send it when you see fit, or right before you see an attack about to come in. Remember not to overdo it!
Keep building!
Don’t forget to glance at who you’re teamed on before you send an attack.
Don’t forget to glance at who you’re teamed on before you send an attack.
Don’t stop reteaming!
1) Openers
What is an opener?
The opener is so called because it is an “opening” (or starter) combo attack that you build up at the very beginning of the game so that you will hit your opponent hard right off the bat.
If you are fighting another person, you can employ different tactics to win the 1v1, but for bot frays, you always want to start off with a strong combo, even when stalling (but then not as high a combo as you would otherwise build.)
How do I build openers?
In SF, the easiest way is to make a 2x2 block of the color you get first, and then building different colors on top of that.
I couldn't possibly SF as well as Abieh does, so I'll just leave her video in here.
In Rumble, an opener of 4-6 charges is great for a start. If you're not teamed on, and would like to go above and beyond, you could try to go up to 8 or 9. Don’t forget to add some sprinkles to your opener!
Youtube is not being kind to me, so I can't find a good Rumble opener video that explains what they do. You're welcome to make one <3
Youtube is not being kind to me, so I can't find a good Rumble opener video that explains what they do. You're welcome to make one <3
An "insta" refers to an "instant kill", meaning that you build your opener in such a way that it instantly kills the opponent as soon as your attack sends.
That's not the focus here, but you can always find out how to do them on your own :)
2)Teaming and Reteaming
What is teaming?
It basically means to "gang up" on the opponents so that your attacks can stack on the bots.
Every pirate is represented by a dot next to the bots' screens. Ideally you always want to be in teams of 2s and 3s, adjusting constantly (reteaming) during the fray.
Dots represent the number on an opponent, so just team on a single or a double to make teams of 2s and 3s! Very simple indeed.
Notice how the red/red dot's colors match the red/red falchion, and the green/yellow dot matches likewise.
It's not strictly important to know, just that now you can choose to team with certain people. Or something.
Why is it always “teams of 2s and 3s”? No more, no less?
Solos, or singles, don't allow you to combine your attack with another teammate's. Thereby making it easier for the bot to break out of your attack.
If you team in 4s and above, the bots will tend to stall (slow down their play), making it tougher to kill them. Also a waste of Pirates.
Protip! >> Teams of 3 always works better than teams of 2 in Citadels.
How do I team/reteam?
Before building anything, always check who you're teamed on and reteam if necessary.
When fraying, always keep an eye out on the opponents’ side of the screen.
Use A and S keys to move up and down the opponents list, or you can click on the opponents’ head.
Always check to see who you're teamed on BEFORE you send an attack, and never stop reteaming for the duration of the fray.
Who should I reteam to?
Either reteam with solos, and always reteam to the bots/goons that have fuller boards.
This is to be able to knock the opponents out faster.
3) Stalling
What is stalling?
In very simple terms, deliberately slowing down your play.
In SF, that means don’t use the spacebar, and in Rumble, that means wait for the balls to fire on their own.
Why does it work?
Attacks are queued in both SF and Rumble, which means that every move you make, will only trigger one attack in the queue towards you.
So if you slow your moves down, it also slows down the rate at which attacks come in, thereby slowing down how long it takes for you to get knocked out.
In that spirit, you should not go full speed right after you see the number of dots on you go down.
Attacks that are queued will still continue to come in.
When should I stall?
The short answer? Common sense. Your goal is to survive as long as possible if you’re getting continuously attacked. So just use your good judgement, and you can always refer to the dots on your pirate as a reference.
You should always stall if you have 2+/3+ on you. This is especially true for citadels.
In SF - When there are 2+ bots on you, you should stall right off the bat.
In Rumble - you can afford to build and clear a Rumble opener before stalling
During mid-game, when your board gets half full, stall + quick clear for both SF and Rumble.
Below is an example of when you should stall. Just use your good judgement.
Just because you can swordfight really fast, doesn’t mean you don’t need to stall.
Queued attacks will come in regardless of how fast you can SF, and it actually propels you towards a faster death.
Queued attacks will come in regardless of how fast you can SF, and it actually propels you towards a faster death.
Do I still need to team, then?
When you’re stalling, it is always a good idea to be in a team of 3.
Logic says this is because if you’re stalling, you’re essentially not doing a whole lot of attacks. If you’re in a team of 2, you’ll essentially be letting your teammate solo. That is never good.
4) Demonstrations
Citadel Frays:- Find teams before doing anything else.
- Use A and S keys to team
- Never stop reteaming,
- Even if you think "oh, it's all good in the hood, we have a 10 person lead".
- Always reteam to nearly dead goons.
- Always strike > sprinkle
CI Frays:
- Video will come when I finish editing it.
- Protect your thralls in rumble, Vargas and EOs first.
- Hit fast in SF.
Max-Max Rumble Fray:
- Keep the board level, clear fast
Hope this has helped you become a better team player!
Squishat
Squishat
I'm so cute in a bear hat. - Gren
ReplyDeleteSo am I :D
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