Chaosforge Forum

  • March 28, 2024, 11:44
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.



Login with username, password and session length
Pages: [1] 2  All

Author Topic: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit  (Read 11842 times)

LuckyDee

  • Sound Wizard
  • Grand Inquisitor
  • General
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1516
  • High Caliber Consecrator
    • View Profile
    • LuckyDeeIndustries
The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« on: April 30, 2012, 12:08 »

Having played a fair share of HNTR games, I've decided to give HMP a try. First impressions are underwhelming, but especially without INT I keep on running into the same problem I always do: I get hit. A lot.

I got the basic principles of doding and taking cover down. I know how to gift-drop and I know how to interpret the monster sounds I'm hearing. Most hits that are scored against me are when I step into some monsters vision, thereby practically painting them a bullseye right above my nose. How in the seven hells do you do an N! run without getting hit a single time? How do you not step into monsters' vision?

I have the feeling that grasping this concept is all that stands between me and dominating this game. That and not rushing into things, thinking before you act, not pressing the wrong key etc.

I mean it's not like there's only 1 player that's managed to master this, right?
Logged
[0.9.9.7G] Current: Hell Knight 1st Lieutenant [20/12/4/0/0/0]
High: Arch-Vile Lt. Colonel [25/21/12/2/1/0]

Creepy

  • First Sergeant
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 118
  • Duelist
    • View Profile
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2012, 12:51 »

Be much faster than the monster. If you're pulling less than .5 seconds for an action, any monster that takes a second to act will give you a second turn to move before they can react.

At least that's the theory as far as I know it, I don't do it well myself; I'm more interested in surviving the hits that land, because I know I'm not good enough to dodge everything. I lack the mad skillz for it. =P
Logged
Formerly Hell Knight Warrant Officer [16|7|5|1|0]
Currently Cacodemon 2nd Lieutenant [18|10|3|0|0]
Current Goal: ???

2DeviationsOut

  • Guest
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2012, 12:53 »

Radarshooting is incredibly important. It's also about being able to predict where the AI will put the enemies. I also make sure to clear the rooms before I go into one by firing at anywhere I can't see. Also, in my opinion, the most important thing that you can do to not get hit is to take a lot of turns. If you look at my mortems, I take a TON of turns, even if I take a short amount of time. It's really important to be able to run in place to wait for enemies to possibly pop up. I also use a tactic that I call the "Rolling Retreat" where I back off the second I see an enemy so that I can break LOS with them, and then fire at where they will most likely be. This works on a lot of enemies.
Logged

LuckyDee

  • Sound Wizard
  • Grand Inquisitor
  • General
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1516
  • High Caliber Consecrator
    • View Profile
    • LuckyDeeIndustries
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2012, 13:16 »

Be much faster than the monster. If you're pulling less than .5 seconds for an action, any monster that takes a second to act will give you a second turn to move before they can react.

Sounds like a nice theory, but wouldn't this only work every other turn? I usually favor scout builds, which already gives me an edge, but not every build can include HR, let alone start with it.

Radarshooting is incredibly important. It's also about being able to predict where the AI will put the enemies. I also make sure to clear the rooms before I go into one by firing at anywhere I can't see. Also, in my opinion, the most important thing that you can do to not get hit is to take a lot of turns. If you look at my mortems, I take a TON of turns, even if I take a short amount of time. It's really important to be able to run in place to wait for enemies to possibly pop up. I also use a tactic that I call the "Rolling Retreat" where I back off the second I see an enemy so that I can break LOS with them, and then fire at where they will most likely be. This works on a lot of enemies.

Radarshooting is another thing that puzzles me; with shotguns this works perfectly of course, but with any other weapon this becomes quite a pain, especially since your hit chances decrease when firing out of vision. I do try to take my time (/turns), but I'm generally forced to take breaks from the game, thus getting me out of the  'zone', so to speak. I make most mistakes the moment I return to a previously saved game. I've also developed some sort of 'rolling retreat' for myself, though I could do with some more experience on the AI, I guess.

I think I'm gonna try and earn the Untouchable Cross next, on ITYTD if need be, first with a MCe and then with something like MAc. I tried AoPc and quit halfway through dlev3 ;(
Logged
[0.9.9.7G] Current: Hell Knight 1st Lieutenant [20/12/4/0/0/0]
High: Arch-Vile Lt. Colonel [25/21/12/2/1/0]

Kg

  • Captain
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 261
    • View Profile
    • Celestial Horizon
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2012, 15:53 »

Rolling retreat.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It's a very nice idea. Also, using 'running in place' tactic is very good, but on N! it's not so desired, I assume (due to respawn). It can be painful to scout large room with something other than shotgun. But if you use shotgun, you really can't tell exact position of monsters - only that they're there somewhere...
Or, I don't know, scouting with pistol to conserve ammo?
Logged
Hell Baron 2nd Lieutenant
[22|11|4|0|0]
Latest: Eagerness Bronze

LuckyDee

  • Sound Wizard
  • Grand Inquisitor
  • General
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1516
  • High Caliber Consecrator
    • View Profile
    • LuckyDeeIndustries
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2012, 13:36 »

So far, except for giving up on the Untouchable stuff and trying MVm on AoLT(HNTR) - again -, there have been some successes to report. This time I lasted well into Hell's Arena (at depth 3) without getting hit: I was running out of ammo and thus limiting my radarshooting, stepping out of cover in full view of a caco. I was fortunate enough to find a duelist armor on dlev4 (+15% movement) and made tac boots after the CC, which really helps with both the Rolling Retreat and being a MVm. The Anomaly would have been a pain in the ass (no phase to be found on Phobos) if not for a lucky Zerk pack a couple of steps from the stairs, and the only blow I took in the Armory was because I decided to take on the Shambler with my (b-modded) chainsaw. As long as I'm still using the shotgun and do my scouting, I'm not taking that many hits.

The reason I gave up on the Untouchables: I gave it 3 tries, and every dlev2 put me in this situation [WARNING: I don't play the console version, so I don't know if this is entirely correct]:

Turn 1:
..
...
....
....
###/###
....@..
#######

Turn 2:
......
........
.....h..
.......
###@###
.......
#######

And there goes about 25% of my Untouchable Cross. No audible clues, no room to maneuver, just a face full of shrapnel. I think patience would simply be the key, since it can't take too many turns for sarge to either show his face or whisper hoarse seductions in my ear. It's easy to forget patience though.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2012, 13:38 by LuckyDee »
Logged
[0.9.9.7G] Current: Hell Knight 1st Lieutenant [20/12/4/0/0/0]
High: Arch-Vile Lt. Colonel [25/21/12/2/1/0]

Creaphis

  • Backer
  • First Sergeant
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 110
  • Lost Soul
    • View Profile
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2012, 15:49 »

I don't have any patience whatsoever so I just accept that I'll sometimes get a face full of shrapnel as a matter of course. I've started "creeping" around corners, though. In your visual example, instead of going NW go west one turn and then north. This way you don't put yourself within LOS of so much unexplored territory in a single turn and you have a better chance of being able to corner shoot an enemy when you first see it. It's not fool-proof, obviously, but seems to help somehow.
Logged

Creepy

  • First Sergeant
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 118
  • Duelist
    • View Profile
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2012, 16:03 »

2dev mentioned wait-running; that's something I've started using on occasion and it's been pretty helpful. You hit run (,) and pick the wait command as your direction (.) and the game will wait for 200 ticks/20 seconds. If something show it's ugly face, the game interrupts the 'run' and you get the first shot at them. Turnabout ambush!
Logged
Formerly Hell Knight Warrant Officer [16|7|5|1|0]
Currently Cacodemon 2nd Lieutenant [18|10|3|0|0]
Current Goal: ???

AlterAsc

  • Supporter
  • Major
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 399
    • View Profile
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2012, 16:18 »

Quote
you get the first shot at them
...unless they have more than 100% speed.In that case they may get the first shot.It's quite rare, but can happen.
Logged
(0.9.9.6 - ?) Arch-Vile Chaos Lt. Colonel [26|20|18|16|12|2]

Creepy

  • First Sergeant
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 118
  • Duelist
    • View Profile
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2012, 16:27 »

Imps have 105%, which makes it very rare; early game nothing else goes that fast unless they're dedicated melee. Late-game does have quite a few critters that go fast enough to get the first shot on occasion though, you're right on that.

It does fix the whole early game problem of "assholes with shotguns" pretty tidily though.
Logged
Formerly Hell Knight Warrant Officer [16|7|5|1|0]
Currently Cacodemon 2nd Lieutenant [18|10|3|0|0]
Current Goal: ???

Kg

  • Captain
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 261
    • View Profile
    • Celestial Horizon
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2012, 16:34 »

Also, I'd recommend binding run command to numpad0. So when you play on numpad, you have wait command on 5, and run on 0. Then you can spam 0->5 fairly quick and get free shots (or even better, combine it with giftdropping).
Very good tactic, unless you're doing AoRa, or N!. Or if supercharged without Badass ;)
Logged
Hell Baron 2nd Lieutenant
[22|11|4|0|0]
Latest: Eagerness Bronze

raekuul

  • Supporter
  • Brigadier General
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 668
  • Storyteller Under The Bridge
    • View Profile
    • Veldania
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2012, 20:07 »

As far as the doors thing... try closing the door, then opening it again from a better vantage point. I don't think monsters will shoot you on door-open (can't remember, as I usually just blow doors apart anyway)
Logged
Quote
Tormuse doesn't lose, he dies on purpose to lull the demons into a false sense of security.

LuckyDee

  • Sound Wizard
  • Grand Inquisitor
  • General
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1516
  • High Caliber Consecrator
    • View Profile
    • LuckyDeeIndustries
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2012, 22:53 »

In your visual example, instead of going NW go west one turn and then north. This way you don't put yourself within LOS of so much unexplored territory in a single turn and you have a better chance of being able to corner shoot an enemy when you first see it.

Thanks, but in these cases the net result would most likely have been the same, I think I'd also step into LOS by going W, though I don't know if my drawings reflect this. The problem is not being able to step back from the door, both to minimize vision and to create a better angle from which to fire.

You hit run (,) and pick the wait command as your direction (.)

Ah, I don't think I fully understood what TwoDev meant; I'll give this a try, thanks.

Also, I'd recommend binding run command to numpad0. So when you play on numpad, you have wait command on 5, and run on 0.

I've seen more people mention this, but I fail to understand the point. Is there something like a 'Fastest Waiter' bonus? What's wrong with the ./, keys?

I don't think monsters will shoot you on door-open

They do if you don't give them the password. I've tried, and it's not 'Ken sent me' by the way.
Logged
[0.9.9.7G] Current: Hell Knight 1st Lieutenant [20/12/4/0/0/0]
High: Arch-Vile Lt. Colonel [25/21/12/2/1/0]

AlterAsc

  • Supporter
  • Major
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 399
    • View Profile
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2012, 22:57 »

Quote
What's wrong with the ./, keys?
They are far from the rest of most of the buttons, the usual i think is: right-hand on numpad, left hand somewhere near e,f,r.
I binded run comman to w as it was in adom.
Logged
(0.9.9.6 - ?) Arch-Vile Chaos Lt. Colonel [26|20|18|16|12|2]

LuckyDee

  • Sound Wizard
  • Grand Inquisitor
  • General
  • *
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1516
  • High Caliber Consecrator
    • View Profile
    • LuckyDeeIndustries
Re: The Underappreciated Art of Not Getting Hit
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2012, 23:41 »

I would have if this were a real-time game. I don't play that fast anyhow, so the exact location of the keys makes little difference to me.
Logged
[0.9.9.7G] Current: Hell Knight 1st Lieutenant [20/12/4/0/0/0]
High: Arch-Vile Lt. Colonel [25/21/12/2/1/0]
Pages: [1] 2  All