Celowin
03-11-2001, 08:55 PM
==================
Translator's Notes
==================
I was at the grocery store the other day, getting my weekly supply of produce,
when I heard a loud whistling sound coming from the parking lot. Soon
thereafter followed a horrendous crash. I rushed outside, and found that my
car's roof had been smashed in! I stood there in shock for several minutes,
and a huge crowd started gathering around. Eventually, I recovered enough
to examine the damage, and found the cause: a metal capsule, approximately a
foot in diameter, had fallen from the sky! Curiously, it wasn't warm to the
touch, despite having fallen so far through the atmosphere. Wondering how I
was going to explain this to my insurance company, I picked up the object and
examined it. I nearly dropped it when it suddenly opened! Inside was a
journal of some sort, written in an odd tongue. I have spent the last few
days attempting to translate it. I can't say that I fully understand all of
the obscure references, but it seems an important enough discovery that it
should be shared with the world. (And maybe this will make me famous enough
that I can afford a new car....)
=====================
Author's Introduction
=====================
My name is Celowin. I've seen horrors that cause most men to retreat into
madness, and still I press on. I write this in the hopes that it helps others
who have to face the same grim terrors that I have seen.
I am writing this guide for RAmars -- it is what I know best. Certainly, some
of this information will be useful for others as well, particularly RAcasts
and RAcaseals. Hunters should find some of it useful, though not all. Some
things I write will even be useful for Forces, though I expect it will be only
a small fraction of this document.
So, who am I to try to write this? In reality, a nobody. When I was young,
I dreamed of being a scientist, a philosopher. Those dreams were shattered
when I was drafted into the Rangers. They took away my calculator, and gave
me a rifle. They took away my lab coat, and gave me a parasitic mag. The
one thing they couldn't take away, though, was my mind. Throughout my career
of "go here and shoot things" I have approached every step with a scientific
fervor. Some of what I have to write will be somewhat technical... I'll try
to write a layman's summary of it, but for those interested in the raw data
I'll provide it as well.
Well, at this point, I think I am just avoiding starting the real work. Even
now that I am in relative safety aboard Pioneer 2, the thought of the creatures
down on Ragol still send shivers down my spine. But the longer I put off
starting this, the more will die because of lack of information, and I do not
want that on my conscience.
=========
The RAmar
=========
Before I begin any specific details, let's look at the strengths and weaknesses
of the RAmar.
You are not the best at any field. Forces and hunters are both better with
techniques than you are. Hunters will do more damage with weapons. RAcasts
and RAcaseals will be better at the same level with ranged weapons. Hunters
will be able to take more damage than you, and will evade more often.
The only strength you have is your greater capability for strategy. Your mix
of techniques (weak as they are) and range means that you can always position
yourself in the safest possible way. You can boost your effectiveness, heal
yourself when needed, and drop monsters before they get to you. Only by
using all of these skills will you be able to survive the endless nightmare
that is Ragol.
The remainder of this guide will try to teach you how to survive. What
strategy to use where. Which weapons to use. How to drag the last scrap of
power out of your Mag. Always remember --- you are not the best at anything,
so don't try to be. As soon as you stop using your mind, your corpse will
join those of the many before you.
=======
Weapons
=======
I'm sure many people are wondering "when is he going to get to the point?" In
my mind, I already have made my most important point. But for those more
interested in blowing stuff up, maybe this will be more to your liking.
There are six general weapon types that Rangers can use. Sabers, slicers,
handguns, rifles, machine guns, and shotguns. There are other, rare weapons
that you may be fortunate enough to find, but I am not so concerned with
those. I will refer to some of them in passing, but it is the basic six
that most concern me.
For each weapon type, I will list the weapons in that class from weakest to
strongest. I will also include the "common rare" version of that weapon,
in all capitals.
Handguns: (handgun, autogun, lockgun, railgun, raygun, VARISTA)
There is very little reason for a Ranger to ever use a handgun.
Since Rangers have access to rifles, which have greater range and do more
damage, handguns tend to actually be more useful to hunters and forces.
There is one exception, where I do use a handgun... when fighting the Darvants
of Dark Falz. The tiny bit of extra speed from a handgun is very handy when
you have such a short time to get off a shot, and Darvants go down so quickly
that you don't really need high damage for them.
Rifles: (rifle, sniper, blaster, beam, laser, VISK-235W)
Rifles have the longest range of any weapon in the game, do nice damage, and
are very accurate. As such, they are perfect for dropping solo opponents
before they even notice you. In particular, the rifle class of weapon is
great for using special attacks. I have a Hell Laser that I use regularly on
Pan Arms and Pofuilly Slimes. I also will occasionally pull it out for Dark
Gunners and Poison Lillies, or for anything on the other side of a split room.
Machine Guns: (mechgun, assault, repeater, gatling, vulcan, M&A60 VISE)
These are horribly inaccurate, and have limited range. But because each
attack is a three shot burst, they do massive damage. These are great for
powerful opponents. I personally use machine guns on dragons, sinows,
garanzi, Vol Opt, chaos bringers, and Dark Falz.
Shotguns: (shot, spread, cannon, launcher, arms, CRUSH BULLET)
These have fairly low accuracy, reduce your evade, and don't have very good
range or damage. Still, this is my weapon of choice 95% of the time. The
first reason is obvious... being able to attack multiple enemies at once
is always a plus. In fact, in some areas it is basically impossible to
survive without this ability. Just as importantly, though, is the ease of
targetting with a shotgun. Often you only have a second to get a shot off
before the enemy is upon you. You may not have enough time to get a lock
with a rifle or machine gun, but just point in the general direction with
a shotgun, and you are set.
Always, always check any green shotguns you find for their photon bonus.
People make a big fuss over the rare "Spread Needle." But let us look at the
math here. A RAmar maxes out at 551 ATP. A fully ground Spread Needle will
add 275 to that, for a total ATP of 826. Now, take a fully ground Arms, with
30% to the right type... (551+160)*1.3 is an equivalent ATP of 924. You'll
do better with the Arms, and 30% isn't all that hard to find.
Slicers: (slicer, spinner, cutter, sawcer, diska, SLICER OF ASSASSIN)
Basically, aside from the novelty of seeing a throwing weapon bend at a 90
degree angle, these are useless. Since they are based off ATP rather than ATA,
you won't be able to use them until you've put in some extra effort. All in
all, you're better off sticking to you guns. (Literally, rather than
figuratively.)
Sabers: (saber, brand, buster, pallasch, gladius, DB'S SABER)
In general, these play away from a ranger's strength. However, I recommend
always keeping one of these around. Why? In some cases, there are creatures
right next to the door. They are upon you before you can get a lock with
a gun, even a shotgun. You have two options... you can run past them, and
thereby become surrounded, or you can use a melee weapon to take out the ones
by the door. As much as I hate to go toe to toe with the vile things, it is
better than the alternative. (As a further note, if you hunt for it, you can
get a SOUL EATER, which while it has its disadvantages, is the only melee
weapon that RAmars can use that will hit multiple targets.)
So, what are the weapons that I use? For most purposes, I use a shotgun. I have an Arms for every occasion. One with 30% to Altered, One with 30% Dark,
and one with 20% to Machine. (Native is easy enough that I haven't worried too
much about finding a high photon bonus for them.) I always also carry around a
Hell Laser (no photons), and an M&A60 VISE (20% Altered, 25% Machine, 30%
Dark). I also carry a SOUL EATER, and I have a 40% Dark VARISTA that I use
only on Darvants. The only one of these weapons that is particularly hard to
find is the machine gun... and it would be easy enough to find different ones
with the bonuses individually.
====
MAGS
====
Raised properly, a mag is your greatest companion. Raised improperly, a mag is
still useful, but far less so.
My opinions on mags vary from those of many others. If you disagree, fine.
But I will be doing my best here to explain why I feel the way I do.
The primary purpose of a mag is to raise your abilities. Everything else
(the occasional invulnerability, heals, revives, and photon blasts) are
pretty much worthless. Photon Blasts, 95% of the time, are a flashy signal
that "I screwed up when I meant to heal." All the other abilities are great
when they work... but you can't *rely* on them. My goal is to keep myself
alive. I would rather have an increase to my strength that I can rely on,
than an invulnerability that might not be there when I need it.
For your first mag, I think that balance is the key. All abilities are
important to a RAmar in one way or another. Try to get as close to 50/50/50/50 as you can. It is difficult to raise Defense that high, and don't worry if
you fail. As an inexperienced Ranger, you're probably just feeding it whatever
you can afford.
Once you get to level 40 or so, though, your first Mag should be maxed out,
and it is time to start trying to design a mag with more long term usefulness.
I have a few key things that people should think about:
Balance of DEX versus POW: Every point of POW on a mag raises your ATP by 2
points. Every two points of DEX on a mag raises your ATA by 1 point. So, on
a mag, you get 4 times the effect out of POW than out of DEX. Further,
eventually your ATA will max out. Hence, it is better to make a mag with
high POW and no DEX, and use units to raise your ATA as needed. It is easy
to swap out units, not so easy to remake another mag.
Usefulness of MIND: The key thing to realize here is that you don't need a
high mind to *use* techniques, only to learn them. So, you don't really
need mind on the mag. It will give you extra TP, but that is about it, as long
as you have a way of learning the techniques in the first place.
Taking this into consideration, I think it is best to raise two different mags
for "intermediate level" use. One to boost combat abilities, one that is
almost all MIND, just for learning spells.
Combat Mag: (Something like 50/149/0/1)
The one mind is just to lock the shape.
Raising it
4 Sol Atomizers: (5/1/0/1)
7 Monomates: (5/4/0/1) -- Evolves to Kalki
161 Monomates: (14/20/0/1) -- Evolves to Surya
128 Dimate: (20/29/0/1) -- Evolves to Kaitabha or Bhirava, depending on Sec ID.
From here, feed it Dimates, Trimates, Antiparalysis, and Sol Atomizers. I
would recommend lots of Sol Atomizers at first, to avoid mistakes. One wrong
feeding could give you an unwanted point of DEX, so use the Sol Atomizers to
zero out the bar.
Mind Mag: (12/0/1/187)
I think this is the highest mind you can get on a mag. Also note that it is
very easy to screw up and be sub-optimal. One wrong feeding will not max it
out. Probably not all that important, unless you get as deep into Mag care and
feeding as me. Also note that this is easier to do with a Force character,
as the 375 Monofluid step can be greatly reduced.
Raising it
13 Monofluids: (5/0/0/5) -- Evolves to Kalki
1 Trifluids: (5/0/0/5)
42 Difluids: (7/0/1/11)
103 Monofluids: (12/0/1/22) -- Evolves to Tapas
375 Monofluids: (12/0/1/37) -- Evolves to Durga or Apsaras, depending on Sec.
From here, just feed it Difluids until it maxes out. This is easier with the
Durga (938) than with the Apsaras (1364).
Later on, you will find that you don't need quite as much power on your mag, and may want higher defense. You can just follow the steps for the combat mag, but feed it lots and lots of Anti-paralysis in the final stage.
================
General Strategy
================
In general, there is one key element of strategy for a Ranger -- stay near the
doors. Pop into a room, fire off a few shots, and then duck back out. Repeat
as many times as is necessary to kill everything off.
Cowardly? Perhaps. I'd rather be a live coward than a dead hero, though.
There will be times, however, when you are forced to go deeper into an area.
Perhaps the monsters are too far from the doorway to hit, or perhaps the
monsters won't even appear until you are deeper in. For these cases, you
need to be very careful. If you get surrounded, you may well be done for.
Always try to keep your back to a wall. While this gives you fewer options
for running, it means that the loathsome beings that populate Ragol can only
come at you from one side. If you are using a shotgun, you may well be able
to keep entire hordes at bay in this manner. Still, be ready to flee along
the wall should it be necessary.
At all times, have an escape route planned. Thinking ahead keeps you alive.
If exploring with a group, you should not be so timid -- it is not just your
life, but your companions' lives as well that are on the line. Discuss
tactics with them before journeying into the depths. Usually, you want the
hunters to draw the enemies away from you, so that you can lay into them from
behind. Be ready to resta the brave hunter if necessary, and don't use this
tactic unless the hunter has consented.
Do to memory limitations of the powered armor that we all use, we are only
allowed six actions at the ready -- 3 primary, and 3 secondary. I always
keep weak and strong attacks on primary. The third primary is either special
attack, or dimate, depending on what weapon I am using at the time. (For
the major guardians at the end of each section, I always use dimate.) My
secondaries are usually resta, anti, and difluid.
======
Forest
======
Your first time in the forest, you will be limited in what weapons you have
available. You will be stuck with a basic handgun, and that is it. Just make
the best of it, popping in and out of doorways, and eventually you will make
it through.
When you later return again to the forest, you will be much more experienced.
Unfortunately, so will the native animals. You have a big advantage from
before, though, in that you now have a shotgun. Really, this is the only
gun needed for the forest. You may want to use a rifle or machine guns on
the hildebears, but usually the shotgun is sufficient for everything you
come across.
At the end of the forest is a mighty dragon. No matter how many of the
foul wyrms I kill, another always seems to take its place. Again, your first
time facing it you will be limited to a handgun, and it will be a difficult
battle. Just stay to the dragon's side, and aim for the head. When it dives
underground, avoid it as best you can, and heal if you get hit.
For later dragons, you should have machine guns. Use the same strategy as
above, but you will be doing much more damage.
For actions, the default setup works well here, though anti is useless.
I don't find any other action that I use on a regular basis, though, so I
usually just leave it on anyway.
=====
Caves
=====
As usual, shotgun is your best overall bet in the Caves. However, once again,
your first time here you won't have one. You will, however, find a better
handgun, and your first rifle. These will be enough, with caution.
There are a number of enemies in the caves that are worth mentioning specially:
Poison Lillies: You can kill these from a distance, in complete safety. Your
guns have a longer range than their venomous spit. However, if there are
other creatures around, it is all too easy to accidentally get poisoned.
Worse, if you get hit again by their lethal pollen, you will be paralyzed and
nearly helpless! If you do not have an anti-paralysis with you, your best
bet, paradoxically, is to get hit again. This will revert you back to being
merely poisoned, and you can then use anti to get rid of the condition.
Grass Assassins: These are frightening foes, but really not as dangerous as
they appear. Two things to be aware of with them -- when they rear up to
charge, they cannot be hit. Wait until their front legs are back on the
ground, then lay into them before they hurtle toward you. The other thing to
be aware of is that Grass Assassins often will not return to their original
positions if you have fled through a door -- they will linger nearby, and make
entering difficult. If this happens, take out a saber and finish them that
way. You will have to clean the ichor from your suit, but better that than
cleaning your blood from the ground.
Nano Dragons: Do not get overly close to these without having first damaged
them. If you have hit them, their bolts are easy to dodge. If they breathe
unwounded, though, they exhale balls of plasma that track your movements.
While I usually stick to my shotguns here, lasers have their plusses because
they have such a long range that you can dispose of the dragons without
being noticed.
Pofuilly Slime: Annoying, rather than dangerous. I like to take them out with
a Hell Laser, though machine guns work well too.
Pan Arms: Another creature that I prefer to take out with my Hell Laser. If
you do not have access to one of these, it is best to let them split up,
and kill the Hidoom and Migium separately.
Finally, at the end of the caves, in the pipes, is De Rol Le. I personally
found him to be one of the hardest of enemies to face. My weapon of choice
is the shotgun, again. If you position yourself correctly, you can hit
him 5 times with each shot. While he is swimming at the side of your raft,
the best bet is to hit him with Rafoie, if you have it. Learn to dodge his
plasma balls if you can, and heal when you get hit (which will happen
eventually, no matter how good you are at dodging). For this fight, I always
put dimate on my primary actions, because sometimes you don't have time for a
resta. I put Rafoie on my secondary actions, in place of anti.
=====
Mines
=====
Mines are where Rangers shine the most. There are many, many enemies that
are trivial to take out at a range, but are difficult to take out with
melee weapons. Once again, shotgun is amazing, but if you don't have it,
you can make do with a rifle. Your first time through, you will get to
pick up your first machine gun.
Sinow Beat and Sinow Gold: These are very hard if you get surprised, yet
surprisingly easy if you are prepared for them. Line up with them on the
ceiling, and advance until they fall. Then lay into them with machine
guns. The rapid shots will keep them back until they die. If they do get
to you, get away as quickly as possible. Their rapid combination hits can
kill even the heartiest ranger very quickly. Be sure to have an anti
technique ready, since their hits can cause confusion.
Dubchics: Always look for the Dubwitch. While it is possible with effort to
blow the Dubchics to pieces without it, it takes only a few shots to clear
a room this way. The dubwitch doesn't show up on radar, but there is always
one somewhere.
Garanzi: These are perhaps the most difficult enemies of all. Their missiles
do tremendous damage, and come very fast if you are close in. The best bet is
to stay at the limit of machine gun range, and heal whenever you get hit.
Vol Opt: The first form is no problem... just heal yourself after you've been
hit with too many lightning bolts. For the second form, learn to run in a
circle. Every one of the attacks can be dodged with the same pattern. One
quick combination with machine guns, then run in a circle until he fails to
step on you. Repeat until dead.
=====
Ruins
=====
If this is your first time through the Ruins, it is finally your chance to
pick up your first shotgun. Though relatively weak, I think that you'll
understand why I rave so much about this weapon.
There are many enemies here that are very difficult... I can't stress enough
to stick near the doors and run if you have to.
The standard enemies are the Dimenians. They use the same attack patterns
as Boomas and Sharks, but are much faster. In general, just don't allow
yourself to be surrounded.
Delsabers: Very difficult to hit, since they block so often. Your best bet
is to wait until they start to swing, make a quick dodge to the side, then lay
into them. Shotgun is most effective for this, since it is easier to aim it.
Machine guns are also somewhat effective, because they will take it down so
quickly if you can get a shot in.
Chaos Sorcerors: Don't worry about the crystals, just fire at the main body.
Shotguns are nice because you can hit both, but are by no means necessary.
Dark Belras: They do nasty damage from a long range, but they are very slow.
You can easily dodge to the side and be safe for long enough to fire off a
combination. Just be careful when there are Belras in the background when
you're fighting other things, as their claws shoot amazingly far.
Chaos Bringers: Very dangerous. Prepare your machine guns before hand, and
let them charge. Dodge to the side, and fire into their back before they
can turn around. Hopefully, you can take them down before they recover, if
not you'll be in great peril.
Dark Gunners: Absolutely do not let yourself get surrounded by these. They
aren't incredibly dangerous, but get hit by too many lasers at once and you
don't have a chance. I find it most satisfying to take these out with a Hell
Laser, but it really isn't any faster than using a shotgun on them when their
eyestalks pop up.
Dark Falz: There are four steps to beating Dark Falz. (Only three, your
first time facing this epitome of evil.) The first is the Darvants. Run
between them until you get to the edge of the arena, using dimates if you
pass too close to one. Find an open area, and use a handgun to pop off
the Darvants one at a time when they are glowing. The second stage I find
the hardest. Fire at the dragon heads, and try to take out the Darvants when
you can. I usually use machine guns for this part. The third stage is easy,
just get as close to him as possible, fire when you can, and heal when you get
hit. Finally, the last stage. Run when you see him rise up, to dodge his
bubbles. He will throw a Grants, you heal. He will slash with his blade, you
heal. Then, with luck, you can fire at him a couple of times before he rises
up again. If he locks onto you or one of your companions, don't shoot. This
takes a long time, but if you are good at dodging the bubbles, you will
eventually triumph.
==========
Conclusion
==========
I hope this guide will be useful to whoever reads it. I would like to go
into more detail on some of these areas, but I find myself suddenly uneasy.
The Principal has asked me to his office to discuss my experiences on Ragol.
He has treated me well so far, but with the secrets I have uncovered, will
they truly allow me to go free? I cannot know, and so I send this out in
its current form. If you find something erroneous or feel something should
be added, try to contact me. Perhaps my fears are groundless, and I will
be able to revise and expand this document. If I am correct, then I wish a
happier end to your story than to mine.
Fare Thee Well,
Celowin
Translator's Notes
==================
I was at the grocery store the other day, getting my weekly supply of produce,
when I heard a loud whistling sound coming from the parking lot. Soon
thereafter followed a horrendous crash. I rushed outside, and found that my
car's roof had been smashed in! I stood there in shock for several minutes,
and a huge crowd started gathering around. Eventually, I recovered enough
to examine the damage, and found the cause: a metal capsule, approximately a
foot in diameter, had fallen from the sky! Curiously, it wasn't warm to the
touch, despite having fallen so far through the atmosphere. Wondering how I
was going to explain this to my insurance company, I picked up the object and
examined it. I nearly dropped it when it suddenly opened! Inside was a
journal of some sort, written in an odd tongue. I have spent the last few
days attempting to translate it. I can't say that I fully understand all of
the obscure references, but it seems an important enough discovery that it
should be shared with the world. (And maybe this will make me famous enough
that I can afford a new car....)
=====================
Author's Introduction
=====================
My name is Celowin. I've seen horrors that cause most men to retreat into
madness, and still I press on. I write this in the hopes that it helps others
who have to face the same grim terrors that I have seen.
I am writing this guide for RAmars -- it is what I know best. Certainly, some
of this information will be useful for others as well, particularly RAcasts
and RAcaseals. Hunters should find some of it useful, though not all. Some
things I write will even be useful for Forces, though I expect it will be only
a small fraction of this document.
So, who am I to try to write this? In reality, a nobody. When I was young,
I dreamed of being a scientist, a philosopher. Those dreams were shattered
when I was drafted into the Rangers. They took away my calculator, and gave
me a rifle. They took away my lab coat, and gave me a parasitic mag. The
one thing they couldn't take away, though, was my mind. Throughout my career
of "go here and shoot things" I have approached every step with a scientific
fervor. Some of what I have to write will be somewhat technical... I'll try
to write a layman's summary of it, but for those interested in the raw data
I'll provide it as well.
Well, at this point, I think I am just avoiding starting the real work. Even
now that I am in relative safety aboard Pioneer 2, the thought of the creatures
down on Ragol still send shivers down my spine. But the longer I put off
starting this, the more will die because of lack of information, and I do not
want that on my conscience.
=========
The RAmar
=========
Before I begin any specific details, let's look at the strengths and weaknesses
of the RAmar.
You are not the best at any field. Forces and hunters are both better with
techniques than you are. Hunters will do more damage with weapons. RAcasts
and RAcaseals will be better at the same level with ranged weapons. Hunters
will be able to take more damage than you, and will evade more often.
The only strength you have is your greater capability for strategy. Your mix
of techniques (weak as they are) and range means that you can always position
yourself in the safest possible way. You can boost your effectiveness, heal
yourself when needed, and drop monsters before they get to you. Only by
using all of these skills will you be able to survive the endless nightmare
that is Ragol.
The remainder of this guide will try to teach you how to survive. What
strategy to use where. Which weapons to use. How to drag the last scrap of
power out of your Mag. Always remember --- you are not the best at anything,
so don't try to be. As soon as you stop using your mind, your corpse will
join those of the many before you.
=======
Weapons
=======
I'm sure many people are wondering "when is he going to get to the point?" In
my mind, I already have made my most important point. But for those more
interested in blowing stuff up, maybe this will be more to your liking.
There are six general weapon types that Rangers can use. Sabers, slicers,
handguns, rifles, machine guns, and shotguns. There are other, rare weapons
that you may be fortunate enough to find, but I am not so concerned with
those. I will refer to some of them in passing, but it is the basic six
that most concern me.
For each weapon type, I will list the weapons in that class from weakest to
strongest. I will also include the "common rare" version of that weapon,
in all capitals.
Handguns: (handgun, autogun, lockgun, railgun, raygun, VARISTA)
There is very little reason for a Ranger to ever use a handgun.
Since Rangers have access to rifles, which have greater range and do more
damage, handguns tend to actually be more useful to hunters and forces.
There is one exception, where I do use a handgun... when fighting the Darvants
of Dark Falz. The tiny bit of extra speed from a handgun is very handy when
you have such a short time to get off a shot, and Darvants go down so quickly
that you don't really need high damage for them.
Rifles: (rifle, sniper, blaster, beam, laser, VISK-235W)
Rifles have the longest range of any weapon in the game, do nice damage, and
are very accurate. As such, they are perfect for dropping solo opponents
before they even notice you. In particular, the rifle class of weapon is
great for using special attacks. I have a Hell Laser that I use regularly on
Pan Arms and Pofuilly Slimes. I also will occasionally pull it out for Dark
Gunners and Poison Lillies, or for anything on the other side of a split room.
Machine Guns: (mechgun, assault, repeater, gatling, vulcan, M&A60 VISE)
These are horribly inaccurate, and have limited range. But because each
attack is a three shot burst, they do massive damage. These are great for
powerful opponents. I personally use machine guns on dragons, sinows,
garanzi, Vol Opt, chaos bringers, and Dark Falz.
Shotguns: (shot, spread, cannon, launcher, arms, CRUSH BULLET)
These have fairly low accuracy, reduce your evade, and don't have very good
range or damage. Still, this is my weapon of choice 95% of the time. The
first reason is obvious... being able to attack multiple enemies at once
is always a plus. In fact, in some areas it is basically impossible to
survive without this ability. Just as importantly, though, is the ease of
targetting with a shotgun. Often you only have a second to get a shot off
before the enemy is upon you. You may not have enough time to get a lock
with a rifle or machine gun, but just point in the general direction with
a shotgun, and you are set.
Always, always check any green shotguns you find for their photon bonus.
People make a big fuss over the rare "Spread Needle." But let us look at the
math here. A RAmar maxes out at 551 ATP. A fully ground Spread Needle will
add 275 to that, for a total ATP of 826. Now, take a fully ground Arms, with
30% to the right type... (551+160)*1.3 is an equivalent ATP of 924. You'll
do better with the Arms, and 30% isn't all that hard to find.
Slicers: (slicer, spinner, cutter, sawcer, diska, SLICER OF ASSASSIN)
Basically, aside from the novelty of seeing a throwing weapon bend at a 90
degree angle, these are useless. Since they are based off ATP rather than ATA,
you won't be able to use them until you've put in some extra effort. All in
all, you're better off sticking to you guns. (Literally, rather than
figuratively.)
Sabers: (saber, brand, buster, pallasch, gladius, DB'S SABER)
In general, these play away from a ranger's strength. However, I recommend
always keeping one of these around. Why? In some cases, there are creatures
right next to the door. They are upon you before you can get a lock with
a gun, even a shotgun. You have two options... you can run past them, and
thereby become surrounded, or you can use a melee weapon to take out the ones
by the door. As much as I hate to go toe to toe with the vile things, it is
better than the alternative. (As a further note, if you hunt for it, you can
get a SOUL EATER, which while it has its disadvantages, is the only melee
weapon that RAmars can use that will hit multiple targets.)
So, what are the weapons that I use? For most purposes, I use a shotgun. I have an Arms for every occasion. One with 30% to Altered, One with 30% Dark,
and one with 20% to Machine. (Native is easy enough that I haven't worried too
much about finding a high photon bonus for them.) I always also carry around a
Hell Laser (no photons), and an M&A60 VISE (20% Altered, 25% Machine, 30%
Dark). I also carry a SOUL EATER, and I have a 40% Dark VARISTA that I use
only on Darvants. The only one of these weapons that is particularly hard to
find is the machine gun... and it would be easy enough to find different ones
with the bonuses individually.
====
MAGS
====
Raised properly, a mag is your greatest companion. Raised improperly, a mag is
still useful, but far less so.
My opinions on mags vary from those of many others. If you disagree, fine.
But I will be doing my best here to explain why I feel the way I do.
The primary purpose of a mag is to raise your abilities. Everything else
(the occasional invulnerability, heals, revives, and photon blasts) are
pretty much worthless. Photon Blasts, 95% of the time, are a flashy signal
that "I screwed up when I meant to heal." All the other abilities are great
when they work... but you can't *rely* on them. My goal is to keep myself
alive. I would rather have an increase to my strength that I can rely on,
than an invulnerability that might not be there when I need it.
For your first mag, I think that balance is the key. All abilities are
important to a RAmar in one way or another. Try to get as close to 50/50/50/50 as you can. It is difficult to raise Defense that high, and don't worry if
you fail. As an inexperienced Ranger, you're probably just feeding it whatever
you can afford.
Once you get to level 40 or so, though, your first Mag should be maxed out,
and it is time to start trying to design a mag with more long term usefulness.
I have a few key things that people should think about:
Balance of DEX versus POW: Every point of POW on a mag raises your ATP by 2
points. Every two points of DEX on a mag raises your ATA by 1 point. So, on
a mag, you get 4 times the effect out of POW than out of DEX. Further,
eventually your ATA will max out. Hence, it is better to make a mag with
high POW and no DEX, and use units to raise your ATA as needed. It is easy
to swap out units, not so easy to remake another mag.
Usefulness of MIND: The key thing to realize here is that you don't need a
high mind to *use* techniques, only to learn them. So, you don't really
need mind on the mag. It will give you extra TP, but that is about it, as long
as you have a way of learning the techniques in the first place.
Taking this into consideration, I think it is best to raise two different mags
for "intermediate level" use. One to boost combat abilities, one that is
almost all MIND, just for learning spells.
Combat Mag: (Something like 50/149/0/1)
The one mind is just to lock the shape.
Raising it
4 Sol Atomizers: (5/1/0/1)
7 Monomates: (5/4/0/1) -- Evolves to Kalki
161 Monomates: (14/20/0/1) -- Evolves to Surya
128 Dimate: (20/29/0/1) -- Evolves to Kaitabha or Bhirava, depending on Sec ID.
From here, feed it Dimates, Trimates, Antiparalysis, and Sol Atomizers. I
would recommend lots of Sol Atomizers at first, to avoid mistakes. One wrong
feeding could give you an unwanted point of DEX, so use the Sol Atomizers to
zero out the bar.
Mind Mag: (12/0/1/187)
I think this is the highest mind you can get on a mag. Also note that it is
very easy to screw up and be sub-optimal. One wrong feeding will not max it
out. Probably not all that important, unless you get as deep into Mag care and
feeding as me. Also note that this is easier to do with a Force character,
as the 375 Monofluid step can be greatly reduced.
Raising it
13 Monofluids: (5/0/0/5) -- Evolves to Kalki
1 Trifluids: (5/0/0/5)
42 Difluids: (7/0/1/11)
103 Monofluids: (12/0/1/22) -- Evolves to Tapas
375 Monofluids: (12/0/1/37) -- Evolves to Durga or Apsaras, depending on Sec.
From here, just feed it Difluids until it maxes out. This is easier with the
Durga (938) than with the Apsaras (1364).
Later on, you will find that you don't need quite as much power on your mag, and may want higher defense. You can just follow the steps for the combat mag, but feed it lots and lots of Anti-paralysis in the final stage.
================
General Strategy
================
In general, there is one key element of strategy for a Ranger -- stay near the
doors. Pop into a room, fire off a few shots, and then duck back out. Repeat
as many times as is necessary to kill everything off.
Cowardly? Perhaps. I'd rather be a live coward than a dead hero, though.
There will be times, however, when you are forced to go deeper into an area.
Perhaps the monsters are too far from the doorway to hit, or perhaps the
monsters won't even appear until you are deeper in. For these cases, you
need to be very careful. If you get surrounded, you may well be done for.
Always try to keep your back to a wall. While this gives you fewer options
for running, it means that the loathsome beings that populate Ragol can only
come at you from one side. If you are using a shotgun, you may well be able
to keep entire hordes at bay in this manner. Still, be ready to flee along
the wall should it be necessary.
At all times, have an escape route planned. Thinking ahead keeps you alive.
If exploring with a group, you should not be so timid -- it is not just your
life, but your companions' lives as well that are on the line. Discuss
tactics with them before journeying into the depths. Usually, you want the
hunters to draw the enemies away from you, so that you can lay into them from
behind. Be ready to resta the brave hunter if necessary, and don't use this
tactic unless the hunter has consented.
Do to memory limitations of the powered armor that we all use, we are only
allowed six actions at the ready -- 3 primary, and 3 secondary. I always
keep weak and strong attacks on primary. The third primary is either special
attack, or dimate, depending on what weapon I am using at the time. (For
the major guardians at the end of each section, I always use dimate.) My
secondaries are usually resta, anti, and difluid.
======
Forest
======
Your first time in the forest, you will be limited in what weapons you have
available. You will be stuck with a basic handgun, and that is it. Just make
the best of it, popping in and out of doorways, and eventually you will make
it through.
When you later return again to the forest, you will be much more experienced.
Unfortunately, so will the native animals. You have a big advantage from
before, though, in that you now have a shotgun. Really, this is the only
gun needed for the forest. You may want to use a rifle or machine guns on
the hildebears, but usually the shotgun is sufficient for everything you
come across.
At the end of the forest is a mighty dragon. No matter how many of the
foul wyrms I kill, another always seems to take its place. Again, your first
time facing it you will be limited to a handgun, and it will be a difficult
battle. Just stay to the dragon's side, and aim for the head. When it dives
underground, avoid it as best you can, and heal if you get hit.
For later dragons, you should have machine guns. Use the same strategy as
above, but you will be doing much more damage.
For actions, the default setup works well here, though anti is useless.
I don't find any other action that I use on a regular basis, though, so I
usually just leave it on anyway.
=====
Caves
=====
As usual, shotgun is your best overall bet in the Caves. However, once again,
your first time here you won't have one. You will, however, find a better
handgun, and your first rifle. These will be enough, with caution.
There are a number of enemies in the caves that are worth mentioning specially:
Poison Lillies: You can kill these from a distance, in complete safety. Your
guns have a longer range than their venomous spit. However, if there are
other creatures around, it is all too easy to accidentally get poisoned.
Worse, if you get hit again by their lethal pollen, you will be paralyzed and
nearly helpless! If you do not have an anti-paralysis with you, your best
bet, paradoxically, is to get hit again. This will revert you back to being
merely poisoned, and you can then use anti to get rid of the condition.
Grass Assassins: These are frightening foes, but really not as dangerous as
they appear. Two things to be aware of with them -- when they rear up to
charge, they cannot be hit. Wait until their front legs are back on the
ground, then lay into them before they hurtle toward you. The other thing to
be aware of is that Grass Assassins often will not return to their original
positions if you have fled through a door -- they will linger nearby, and make
entering difficult. If this happens, take out a saber and finish them that
way. You will have to clean the ichor from your suit, but better that than
cleaning your blood from the ground.
Nano Dragons: Do not get overly close to these without having first damaged
them. If you have hit them, their bolts are easy to dodge. If they breathe
unwounded, though, they exhale balls of plasma that track your movements.
While I usually stick to my shotguns here, lasers have their plusses because
they have such a long range that you can dispose of the dragons without
being noticed.
Pofuilly Slime: Annoying, rather than dangerous. I like to take them out with
a Hell Laser, though machine guns work well too.
Pan Arms: Another creature that I prefer to take out with my Hell Laser. If
you do not have access to one of these, it is best to let them split up,
and kill the Hidoom and Migium separately.
Finally, at the end of the caves, in the pipes, is De Rol Le. I personally
found him to be one of the hardest of enemies to face. My weapon of choice
is the shotgun, again. If you position yourself correctly, you can hit
him 5 times with each shot. While he is swimming at the side of your raft,
the best bet is to hit him with Rafoie, if you have it. Learn to dodge his
plasma balls if you can, and heal when you get hit (which will happen
eventually, no matter how good you are at dodging). For this fight, I always
put dimate on my primary actions, because sometimes you don't have time for a
resta. I put Rafoie on my secondary actions, in place of anti.
=====
Mines
=====
Mines are where Rangers shine the most. There are many, many enemies that
are trivial to take out at a range, but are difficult to take out with
melee weapons. Once again, shotgun is amazing, but if you don't have it,
you can make do with a rifle. Your first time through, you will get to
pick up your first machine gun.
Sinow Beat and Sinow Gold: These are very hard if you get surprised, yet
surprisingly easy if you are prepared for them. Line up with them on the
ceiling, and advance until they fall. Then lay into them with machine
guns. The rapid shots will keep them back until they die. If they do get
to you, get away as quickly as possible. Their rapid combination hits can
kill even the heartiest ranger very quickly. Be sure to have an anti
technique ready, since their hits can cause confusion.
Dubchics: Always look for the Dubwitch. While it is possible with effort to
blow the Dubchics to pieces without it, it takes only a few shots to clear
a room this way. The dubwitch doesn't show up on radar, but there is always
one somewhere.
Garanzi: These are perhaps the most difficult enemies of all. Their missiles
do tremendous damage, and come very fast if you are close in. The best bet is
to stay at the limit of machine gun range, and heal whenever you get hit.
Vol Opt: The first form is no problem... just heal yourself after you've been
hit with too many lightning bolts. For the second form, learn to run in a
circle. Every one of the attacks can be dodged with the same pattern. One
quick combination with machine guns, then run in a circle until he fails to
step on you. Repeat until dead.
=====
Ruins
=====
If this is your first time through the Ruins, it is finally your chance to
pick up your first shotgun. Though relatively weak, I think that you'll
understand why I rave so much about this weapon.
There are many enemies here that are very difficult... I can't stress enough
to stick near the doors and run if you have to.
The standard enemies are the Dimenians. They use the same attack patterns
as Boomas and Sharks, but are much faster. In general, just don't allow
yourself to be surrounded.
Delsabers: Very difficult to hit, since they block so often. Your best bet
is to wait until they start to swing, make a quick dodge to the side, then lay
into them. Shotgun is most effective for this, since it is easier to aim it.
Machine guns are also somewhat effective, because they will take it down so
quickly if you can get a shot in.
Chaos Sorcerors: Don't worry about the crystals, just fire at the main body.
Shotguns are nice because you can hit both, but are by no means necessary.
Dark Belras: They do nasty damage from a long range, but they are very slow.
You can easily dodge to the side and be safe for long enough to fire off a
combination. Just be careful when there are Belras in the background when
you're fighting other things, as their claws shoot amazingly far.
Chaos Bringers: Very dangerous. Prepare your machine guns before hand, and
let them charge. Dodge to the side, and fire into their back before they
can turn around. Hopefully, you can take them down before they recover, if
not you'll be in great peril.
Dark Gunners: Absolutely do not let yourself get surrounded by these. They
aren't incredibly dangerous, but get hit by too many lasers at once and you
don't have a chance. I find it most satisfying to take these out with a Hell
Laser, but it really isn't any faster than using a shotgun on them when their
eyestalks pop up.
Dark Falz: There are four steps to beating Dark Falz. (Only three, your
first time facing this epitome of evil.) The first is the Darvants. Run
between them until you get to the edge of the arena, using dimates if you
pass too close to one. Find an open area, and use a handgun to pop off
the Darvants one at a time when they are glowing. The second stage I find
the hardest. Fire at the dragon heads, and try to take out the Darvants when
you can. I usually use machine guns for this part. The third stage is easy,
just get as close to him as possible, fire when you can, and heal when you get
hit. Finally, the last stage. Run when you see him rise up, to dodge his
bubbles. He will throw a Grants, you heal. He will slash with his blade, you
heal. Then, with luck, you can fire at him a couple of times before he rises
up again. If he locks onto you or one of your companions, don't shoot. This
takes a long time, but if you are good at dodging the bubbles, you will
eventually triumph.
==========
Conclusion
==========
I hope this guide will be useful to whoever reads it. I would like to go
into more detail on some of these areas, but I find myself suddenly uneasy.
The Principal has asked me to his office to discuss my experiences on Ragol.
He has treated me well so far, but with the secrets I have uncovered, will
they truly allow me to go free? I cannot know, and so I send this out in
its current form. If you find something erroneous or feel something should
be added, try to contact me. Perhaps my fears are groundless, and I will
be able to revise and expand this document. If I am correct, then I wish a
happier end to your story than to mine.
Fare Thee Well,
Celowin