Guide to Combat: How to lose friends and infuriate people.

[Birdtalon]

How to lose friends and infuriate people

A guide to combat on Paradise Station

"Robusting", "Robustness" or "Being robust" are the colloquial terms for being good at things in Space Station 13, more specifically applied to combat. Combat can take many forms and end with many outcomes; such as death, incapacitation or mutilation to a stint in the Brig or a minor slap on the wrist. This guide will take you from the basics of interacting with other players in a combat situation, to surviving and eventually winning a combat situation.

The absolute basics

I have defined Combat as to engage in a fight with; or to oppose in battle. It is almost impossible to play Space Station 13 without engaging in combat of some shape or form eventually, combat is not every player's cup of tea and rightly so, however it pays dividends to know how to approach (or not) a combat situation when it happens.

Firstly and foremost I must outline the number one rule for engaging in combat;

"This is a game, I can die."

Remember that we all play this game for enjoyment, if you approach combat with the sole intention of winning above all else then you will not enjoy the experience. Combat in this game has far too many elements to consider and you will need a level head to be good at it; try to approach combat with a calm attitude and don't rage if you lose. There will always be someone better, luckier or better prepared than you are. Remember we all play this game to have fun and it's not all about winning, so try to take each loss with good grace and sportsmanship and use it as an opportunity to learn and develop yourself as a player. Maybe even congratulate another player after the round is done if they did something great?

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Now, this guide is about winning after all - so now that is over with, lets get on with it.

For all of the below, I highly recommend playing in Hotkey Mode. Hotkey Mode allows you to use WASD for movement as well as access key shortcuts detailed below to save you time in twitch situations, all hotkeys will be highlighted in purple going forward.

Important Hotkeys and shortcuts to know are as follows

Z - Use item in current hand
X - Swap hands
R - Throw
Q - Drop

Shift Click - Examine
Control Click - Drag

Intents

Learning to switch between intents quickly and as needed, as well as how the intents change how you interact with the world is one of the most fundamental parts of combat. Knowing which intent to use and when could be the difference between success and failure. In Hotkey Mode you can use the number keys at the top of your keyboard to change intent corresponding to the below numbers

• Help (1) - Help intent might not seem too important for combat, however help intent allows you to pass through other players who are also in help intent which is very useful, whereas all other intents will make you unable to be passed through yourself.
• Disarm (2) - Disarm intent is useful if you are unarmed yourself, using disarm intent on someone has a chance of disarming the item they are holding to the tile below them, or pushing them over which results in a short stun of around 1 second, however as this is RNG based you should not rely on it.
• Grab (3) - Grab intent when used on someone with an empty hand will apply a passive grab, you then have the option to reinforce the grab by clicking your hand or pressing the Z hotkey which will change the grab to an aggressive grab. An aggressive grab allows you to table someone by clicking an adjacent table, which will stun them momentarily. You can also throw people by using the throw button or the R hotkey. Once in an aggressive grab you can again reinforce the grab to aggressive grab (neck). You can reinforce this grab yet again to begin strangling the person, effectively incapacitating them and making them unable to resist or take an action. Be aware that someone is able to resist out of this action at all stages except for the last. There is a cooldown between each reinforcement stage.
• Harm (4) - Harm intent will allow you to attack aggressively with your fists or an item. Harm intent is not as important as you may think as most weapons default action is to attack when you click on a person, this is best used situationally and dependant on the item you are using at the time. For example, using harm intent with a ranged weapon on an adjacent person will cause you to hit them with the weapon instead of firing it.

Movement and positioning

The way that you move is fundamental to all combat encounters, the combat system in Paradise stun-based and being stunned unexpectedly by a taser or baton can and will end you if you do not have an anti-stun. Therefore it is paramount that you stay out of the reach of stuns as much as possible. Do not take your opponent(s) for granted and assume that unless they are incapacitated they can and will be a threat to you.

If you are able, you should be moving all the time whilst you are fighting, remember that if you move faster than your opponent can click on your sprite then they cannot attack you. Avoid moving in straight lines or in predictable patterns and use the environment to aid you, corners and choke points can help to funnel enemies if you are outnumbered, open spaces are helpful for dodging ranged weapons. If you are in a bad place or being overwhelmed by numbers - move somewhere else if you can! 

Better still, learn and prepare your environment before fighting. Don't fight fair and always have an escape route such as a hidden door or a window. Having good knowledge of your opponents potential weapons or abilities will greatly aid you with knowing exactly where to position your character in relation to theirs.

Preparation 

"If you fail to prepare you are preparing to fail."

If you do not prepare adequately for a combat encounter then you have a much greater chance of coming off worse from it. Having a weapon, chemical or ability available to use can ensure that your enemy's body is floating in space at the end of the shift and not yours. Knowing exactly who you are fighting against and what they bring to the table will also increase your chances of coming out on top significantly. If you are playing as an antagonist then find a security headset and keep tabs on security communications, if you are security then communicate with your team. If you are able to identify threats before they come down on you then you can prepare that much better.

Useful items to keep on your person are as follows;

• Melee stun    - A melee stun such as a stun baton, telescopic baton or stun prod. Abilities such as the Vampire's glare can also fulfil this role. Security officers and Heads of Departments carry these.
• Ranged stun   - Ideally give preference to a hard stun such as a taser or a weapon with a taser mode. Disablers are strong at range however require around 5 shots to incapacitate someone fully whereas a taser requires one albeit at closer range. A lot of these weapons have different modes which can be toggled with the Z hotkey. Security officers usually carry these, however you can find them in the Secure Armoury or you can print weapons from the protolaithe in Research and Development.
• Slip item   - Useful to have to slip people chasing you. A slip is almost as good as a taser and gives more than enough time to apply handcuffs, however these must be used with caution as you can easily fall on your own sword. Empty a spray bottle and refill it with water to create an easy reusable slip. (10 units of water required)
• Handcuffs - Handcuffs, cable cuffs or zipties. Once you have stunned someone it is wise to cuff them to ensure they cannot easily continue fighting once they recover. This is especially important when fighting multiple opponents as it is almost guaranteed you will run out of stuns before you win the fight. You can make cable cuffs with 15 cables.
• Flash - Use on cyborgs to apply a stun, almost necessarily if playing antagonist on a cyborg heavy shift. Most security officers carry one.
• Toolbelt with all tools - Tools are almost always necessary and can be printed from an Autolaithe. Toolbelts can be found in maintenance and are usually carried by engineers.
• Backpack or Satchel - With space, once you disarm or stun someone then take their weapon immediately, if their weapon is in your backpack then they cannot use it against you should they recover and you have the opportunity to use it for your advantage.
• Medical Kit - If you get hurt it's wise to keep a few patches or medical items around to heal up fast, remember that damage can slows you down significantly.

Actually fighting

So you're kitted out with your gear and ready to robust whoever comes your way, but how do you actually use it effectively? Effective combat follows three basic steps as of the current meta.

1. Disable - Either with a stun of some form or with heavy damage, we want our opponent on the floor and helpless so they cannot inflict damage on us and we can move on.
2. Secure - Highly situational, securing your opponent can range from simply applying handcuffs to stripping them depending on what you are trying to achieve. Handcuffing your opponent renders them unable to pick up items or move if you are pulling them; always handcuff first if possible. Removing the headset means that they cannot call for help easily, removing shoes will slow them down, removing their jumpsuit will mean they have no suit sensors. Ideally at this stage you want to ensure that your opponent has no means of retaliating against you. If you intend only to kill and have significant stopping power then you can skip this step completely.
3. Finish - Congratulations you now have someone at your mercy, it's up to you to decide how to proceed, if you are fighting multiple opponents you may have to simply leave one person handcuffed while you repeat this process with the others. Remember you do not have to kill everyone at this stage. Simply leaving the person bucklecuffed to a chair naked while you make off with their equipment may be victory enough. Remember they are a player too.

Sounds pretty easy doesn't it? In the next stage we will expand on these steps and discuss the most effective ways to achieve them.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Birdtalon

[Birdtalon]

The Three Steps to Robustness

This section will examine in greater detail the "three steps" outlined above and provide tips and tricks to help you with each part. The points outlined here are by no means the definitive way to go about things. The beauty of Space Station 13 is to improvise and think on your feet.

Step 1: Disable

Disabling the opponent is by far the most important step to combat, as during this stage the opponent is active and therefore can pose a threat to us. In order to minimise the threat to our safety we must render our opponent(s) incapacitated as efficiently as possible, this can be done with a number of techniques ranging from harmless to lethal.

Birdtalon's Top Pick

Quote

 Hybrid Taser
Preamble
Arguably one of the best overall weapons in the game, if not the best weapon. This gun is the subject of much salt. It has two modes, tase and disable which can be switched by using the item in the active hand (Z hotkey). Yellow for taser, blue for disable. The tase mode has a range of 7 tiles and stuns in a single hit, however drains a lot of power. The disable mode has infinite range and drains much less power, however requires around 4 shots to incapacitate someone. Deliver a further shot once they are down to ensure they stay incapacitated for the maximum time possible.

Location
You can find three Hybrid Tasers in the armoury, and most security officers will carry one at all times as they spawn with them.

Generally, less than lethal weaponry such as stun batons or the above mentioned hybrid taser tend to be more effective in disabling someone. If you are opting to use lethal alternatives then prioritise ballistic over energy based weapons as they also cause internal damage such as broken bones and internal bleeding. However if this is not an option then an energy gun, laser gun or advanced energy gun will fire beams which do 20 damage per hit. Meaning you will need roughly 5-6 shots to put someone into critical to incapacitate them. 

 

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Edited June 16, 2017 by Birdtalon

[Birdtalon]

Equipment and stats in depth.

 

Reserved for Section 3

 

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This is a work in progress and will be updated periodicly

Edited May 11, 2017 by Birdtalon

[necaladun]

I heartily endorse this product and/or service.

[CPTCoffee]

Quick question. How do you stop choking someone? 

[Birdtalon]

23 minutes ago, CPTCoffee said:

Quick question. How do you stop choking someone? 

Have the hand selected with which you're choking or grabbing them and press q or the drop button.

[Avatar137]

After reading this magnificent guide my chances of being robusted have decreased from 100% to 99% 

Thank you good sir ;D 

 

[owenowen101]

XDD great post my friend! ;)) Cool guide!

[Rurik]

20 hours ago, Birdtalon said:

it's not all about winning,

*autistic screeching*

[GuiltyBeans]

Also, for those that do not use hotkey mode and want SOME robustness, but not near as much as hotkey mode will give you. The following buttons help:

PgUp: Swap hands.
PgDn: Use item in selected hand.
End: Toggles throw.
Home: Drops item. 
Delete: Cancels pull.
Insert: Doggles intent as such; Help -> Disarm -> Grab -> Harm -> Help -> Repeat.

But this was an amazing post! +1

[CPTCoffee]

*kazoo version of Rocky training montage playing in the distance*

[Malphystoh]

Wow yeah that is a lot of great info. I'm gonna have to actually try me some hotkey mode. 

 

also 

On 5/12/2017 at 0:17 AM, GuiltyBeans said:

Also, for those that do not use hotkey mode and want SOME robustness, but not near as much as hotkey mode will give you. The following buttons help:

PgUp: Swap hands.
PgDn: Use item in selected hand.
End: Toggles throw.
Home: Drops item. 
Delete: Cancels pull.
Insert: Doggles intent as such; Help -> Disarm -> Grab -> Harm -> Help -> Repeat.

But this was an amazing post! +1

Thank you for that as well Beans! Good to know the options.

[ZN23X]

On 5/12/2017 at 2:17 AM, GuiltyBeans said:

Also, for those that do not use hotkey mode and want SOME robustness, but not near as much as hotkey mode will give you. The following buttons help:

PgUp: Swap hands.
PgDn: Use item in selected hand.
End: Toggles throw.
Home: Drops item. 
Delete: Cancels pull.
Insert: Doggles intent as such; Help -> Disarm -> Grab -> Harm -> Help -> Repeat.

I've never used hotkey mode for anything but stomping out a cig and seem to do alright in combat. Admittedly, I'm at the advantage of having sec gear 99% of the time so I'm sure that helps.

Big +1 to the "having items to heal yourself with" point. I try to carry a first aid kit on me all the time and it's saved my ass more times than I can count. As well as others.

I might at least learn to use these keys I quoted. I don't like needing to toggle on and off a mode that disables my chat...too much work...and I talk too much 

I guess you'd call me a "clicker" ctrl+click to pull things did change my world when I learned of it lol

I definitely enjoy the (hold a key) + click options.

Edited May 27, 2017 by ZN23X

[Malphystoh]

I am also a clicker. I think this is going to make us El Robusto Magnifico la Muerte. I waste alot of time clicking to change intent and other such things. or clicking to throw, then throw it... Streamlined I'm gonna be way more dangerous. and the advanced grab / table / stun? Some situations in the past are starting to make a lot more sense. 

 

[bigfatbananacyclops]

Robust tip: Use body slam to disarm the enemies, this method works good.

Also, USE BOLAS

Edited September 21, 2017 by bigfatbananacyclops

[imsxz]

I wholeheartedly agree on the slipping note. Slips are so good. Spray bottles are widely available, spawning in maints and the public garden under the guise of pest spray/plant b gone/other botany stuff.

When you first get one, right click and empty it, hit Z or Y (the use hotkey) to change the nozzle to 10u. It HAS to be on 10u otherwise it won't work with water. You can fill it up at any water tank (sometimes chaplain is a dick and runs around blessing all of them though, in which case you'll need to use the next option) or a sink, or any other places to get water from. Bam, you now have the best legal self defense weapon an assistant can get!

There wasn't much about when/how to use slips in the main guide, so I'll make a mini one.

Slipping is best used while disengaging, especially when you're being pursued through a tight maint hallway. Just cover your tracks in water, and depending on your intentions, you can reengage on your attacker if they slip, or just keep running from them. Using slips offensively is pretty tough, and usually requires the element of surprise. If your target is stationary, spray a tile with water and either drag them over it, push them over it (running into them on disarm intent/otherwise forcing them to move onto the tile), flip them over it(flipping is optimal when they're on a diagonal tile and looks robust, to flip over someone grab them passively and use the flip emote), or throwing them over it. If you're chasing someone, you likely won't be able to slip them unless you get a lead on them somehow.

Very important note: don't slip on your own water. It makes you look like an idiot, and usually means you lose whatever combat scenario if you were in one. Noslips are great and spawn in maints, if you can get these you can turn any battlefield into YOUR battlefield by spraying a shitload of water down.

Water isn't the only form of slipping, either. You can also throw/drop bars of soap, banana peels, or fill your spray bottle with lube. With lube, it is impossible to not slip on it short of antistuns such as hulk, even then it still launches you as it normally does. Lube can be used with a spray bottle on 5u instead of 10u. Using lube with hulk will act as a significant speed boost, and provide great area control as your opponents won't be able to walk on it without slipping.

That's all I got and my class is starting, I hope more of you try out slipping!

edit: forgot to add; borgs, simple mobs, and people with noslips/active magboots(usually CE has active magboots) will all be immune to all slips other than lube. People who are walking will be immune to water slips.

Edited September 22, 2017 by imsxz
Fuck borgs

[Rumiluntti]

Also, for some reason, the plant-b-gone/pestspray slippingmachines demand that you actually click on the tile you want to spray while surgery cleaners and other actual spraybottles are fine with you spraying in the general direction of your intended sliptile.

[Streaky Haddock]

Pepper-spray doesn't slip even when the nozzle is opened. Sorry officers. That's not to say they aren't useless, though from a security (or even an underequipped antag) perspective.