Microsoft Zone Archive/Asheron's Call Handbook/The Way of Steel: Strategy
Related topics: Game Mechanics
Original Link (now dead) - http://classic.zone.msn.com/asheronscall/tips/ASHEtipswayofsteel3.asp
The Way of Steel: Strategy
Excerpted from the Eagle's Road, by Ummaz ibn Baqani
Even the legendary Thorsten Cragstone started out not knowing which end of a sword has the point. He learned quickly, however, or he would have met his death much sooner, and we might all still be thralls of the Olthoi.
While you can fight, and maybe even survive awhile, without much knowledge of battle tactics, you'll get much farther if you understand some basic combat strategy. Heed this advice, and someday your name may be remembered as well as Thorsten's.
Preparing for Battle
Buy some real weapons (you start off with practice weapons) and some decent armor as soon as you can afford them. Don't be too hasty to sell off your practice weapons, though. They're still better than nothing, and a good backup in case you die and lose your better stuff. At the same time, be sure to use armor and weapons that your strength and endurance can support -- see the "General Advice" section of the Handbook.
One of the most common mistakes a warrior can make is to care only about his health. If your stamina runs out, your fighting skills will suffer. If you get tired too quickly, don't strain yourself so much.
Pace yourself in the dungeons. More likely than not, you will be encountering many monsters within a short space of time. Engaging in combat with these monsters will quickly eat up your stamina. Make sure that you stop and rest frequently between battles so that you don't tire out in the middle of a fight and become a sitting duck.
If you're in danger of running out of stamina, leave combat mode as quickly as possible and find a safe place. Lying down is the best way to regain stamina, but if you've got foes nearby, try eating some food instead.
Slow, powerful attacks drain stamina more quickly than short jabs. Also, the larger and heavier the weapon, the more stamina you expend in using it. If need be, use a lighter weapon: don't wield a massive morning star if a club is enough to slay your foes.
While shields improve your armor rating against attacks to your front, they also increase the amount of stamina you use per swing. Make sure you consider this stamina cost before rushing out to purchase that tower shield. And remember your armor and all the treasure you're carrying will weigh you down, too.
As soon as an orange dot appears on your compass, stop where you are and hover your mouse pointer over it, and the name of the creature it represents will appear in the upper left corner of the view window. If you wait until the creature is in view, it may attack before you can decide the best course of action to take with it.
Click the creature to target it. Or if it's too hard to click, use the L and SEMICOLON [ ; ] keys to cycle among nearby creatures. You might also try using the APOSTROPHE [ ' ] key to select the closest creature. When a creature is selected, its image will flash, its name will appear on the lower right corner of the screen, and its corresponding dot on your compass map will be circled. To deselect a target entirely, hit the ESCAPE [ESC] key.
To get more information about a creature you've targeted, try examining it. Click on the magnifying glass in the bottom right of the screen, or just hit the E key. The success of your examination depends on the level of your Assess Creature skill and your distance from the creature.
The HOME key is the shortcut to select the last creature that attacked you.
- Enter combat mode by hitting the tilde (~) key or clicking the dove icon on the screen. The combat interface will appear at the bottom of your view window. You can toggle auto-target and auto-attack on or off by clicking their check boxes. Adjust the slider to establish your default fighting style. Moving the slider to the far left will cause you to attack in quick jabs. Moving it to the far right will select a slow, powerful slash or kick attack. Leaving the slider in the middle may be the best compromise for most situations.
- Select your target as per the above directions.
- Attack either by clicking the High, Medium, or Low button beside the slider or by using each button's corresponding quick key: PAGE DN (high), END (medium), or DELETE (low). Your character will run toward the selected creature in a straight line and attack. Note that some creatures that are low to the ground, such as rats and rabbits, can only be hit with a low attack.
Remember when entering combat that even with auto-attack on, you will not begin to attack until you have selected a low, medium, or high attack elevation.
Once you've gained proficiency in the simple attack mode, you may want to experiment with the advanced mode. Click the Options icon (the one with the two checkmarks) on the right-hand panel; select the "Character" tab, and then check the item "Advanced Combat Interface (No Panel)"; you can also set auto-attack and auto-target from this menu. To attack in this mode, you hold down and release the left mouse button. The duration you hold the button sets the power of your attack, which you can gauge by watching the movement of the red line on the power bar that appears below the view window. While holding the mouse button down, move the mouse forward or backward to change the height of the attack.
The current health of the creature you have targeted is indicated by the red bar below its name in the Selected Element Display on the lower right. Click on your stat bars at the top of the screen to view your Health, Stamina, and Mana values. If your health or stamina gets low, you'll probably want to break off the fight.
You'll find your own body can sometimes block your view of opponents. You can keep your target continually centered in front of you by choosing the "Automatically keep combat targets in view" option from the character options menu, which you can reach by clicking the Options icon. You can also adjust your camera any way you wish -- see the quick-reference card included with your beta package.
Even the feeblest drudges can be deadly if they attack an inexperienced fighter en masse. When fighting against groups, try to put your back to a wall, so they can't flank you and attack from the rear. Corners work even better, as does fighting back-to-back with another warrior.
When faced with a group of opponents there is more than one way to increase your chances of victory. One method is to circle the outside of a group at a safe distance, assessing your foes. Target a foe that is likely to chase you (you will learn their ways with experience) and approach close enough to attract its attention. Allow that one to chase you far enough from the others that they will not interfere, and defeat it before going back to lure out another. When the odds are more in your favor, take out the opponent in the group who is likely to do the most damage, then fight your way through the weaker ones.
Power and Speed
If you can kill an opponent with a single mighty swing, use as powerful an attack as possible. But if it isn't necessary to summon all your strength for one crushing blow, attack quickly and try to finish your foe before it can attack you again.
Some creatures are particularly vulnerable to some kinds of damage, but are little harmed by others. For instance, piercing weapons like spears are ineffective against skeletons, but bludgeoning maces can shatter their bones. Choose your weapons to suit your foe.
Enemy Weaknesses
Some creatures and characters have body parts that are poorly protected. Choose the height of your attack to aim for these weak spots. If you're fighting a warrior who isn't wearing a helmet, for instance, swing high to aim for his head. Monsters' weak spots are less obvious, but if you discover one, use it.
Using Missile Weapons
If you have a missile weapon, ready it before battle is joined. Most of the delay in using a bow or crossbow comes from loading, not firing. Don't waste shots by firing at targets from too far away. Only the most skilled archers can shoot well from long distances. And, above all, watch your ammunition; there's nothing worse than reaching for that vital arrow only to discover your quiver is empty.
While some fighters disdain wizardry, a friendly magic-user can be a tremendous asset. Sorcerers' war magic can be as effective a weapon as any sword. An enchanter can improve your abilities and equipment, or weaken a foe so you can deal the death blow. And a life mage's spell can save you from an early death.
Fleeing
At some point, even the mightiest warrior gets into a fight he can't win. If you find yourself outmatched, it's often best to turn and run. Many monsters will chase you, but they'll give up eventually -- if they don't kill you first. Don't stay in a hopeless fight until your health is almost gone, or you won't get away. And again, watch your stamina: if you're exhausted when you try to flee, you'll never outpace your foes.
Be sure to hit the tilde (~) key or click the shield-and-axe icon to end combat mode.
After killing a monster, you can loot its corpse in a number of ways. The easiest is probably to double-click the corpse in your view window, and then click on its treasure and drag and drop it to your backpack icon.