Difference between revisions of "Guide to Being Robust"

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m (Since the overlay first, only insulated gloves can be turned into stungloves.)
(→‎Smash: Likewise update stamina and disorient numbers for wall smashes, again due to commit 8b3faec)
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Don't give your opponent the chance to click on you. That which cannot be clicked, cannot be robusted.
Don't give your opponent the chance to click on you. That which cannot be clicked, cannot be robusted.


*Move erratically, randomly and be where they do not expect you to be. Hammer the movement keys like you mean it.  
*Move randomly. Hammer the movement keys like you mean it.  
*Do not wait for your opponent to come to you. The aggressor holds the advantage.
*Don't wait for your opponent to come to you. The aggressor holds the advantage.
*Don't stand still.
*Don't stand still.
*Don't let anyone stand next to you.
*Don't let people stand next to you.


=== Don't waste your clicks ===
=== Make your clicks count ===


There's a delay between clicks that is often misinterpreted as lag. If you mash the mouse like crazy you'll be stuck in the click delay when you finally land the hit that would have killed that shifty pixel man and now he's making a cake out of your brain and feeding it to your friends. Don't be cake brain guy.
Click where it matters. Use the force.


*Get the mouse in position ahead of time. If you're using a close range weapon keep the pointer near your sprite. If you have a gun be aware of what side you're going to have to shoot
*For ranged attacks, put the mouse-cursor in position ahead of time. Drive-by attacks are pretty straight forward as long as you line yourself up so the projectile goes where your enemy will be.
*When you're having trouble hitting a moving target with a close range weapon try setting the mouse in the center of a tile next to you, then move in and click as the pointer lands on them.
*In melee, click on your targets sprite even if they're far away from you. If you have queued combat clicks enabled, they'll be hit as soon as they come in close range to you.
 
=== Use the force ===
 
Due to the internet and BYOND there's a delay between your input and the game window reacting. During that delay your input has already been sent to the server! If you're deft you can plan a couple actions ahead, like moving into range and then clicking someone while they're still out of range on your screen. When the lag catches up you've already hit them, whoa!


=== Know when to run ===
=== Know when to run ===


Do not stay in a fight where you have lost the upper hand. Do not stay when the opponent has reinforcements coming. Retreat, regain the advantage and strike back.
Don't stay in a fight where you have lost the upper hand. Retreat, regain the advantage and strike back.


*If you are depending on [[security_Objects#Weapons|tasers, batons, flashes]] or other items which can wear out, retreat to recharge them.
*Retreat to recharge [[Security_Objects#Taser|tasers]], [[Security Objects#Stun Batons|batons]] and [[Murder#Energy Weapons|other energy weapons]] and restock on [[Security Objects#Flash|flashes]], grenades, and ammo.
*If the enemy has superior numbers, retreat and wait for them to split up.
*If the enemy has superior numbers, retreat and wait for them to split up.
*If the enemy has superior weapons, retreat and either find weapons that can match his, or wait in ambush.
*If the enemy has superior weapons, retreat and either find weapons that can match theirs, or wait in ambush.
*If the enemy is retreating, don't follow blindly. You don't know what is happening off-screen. You could run into bombs or other hazards. Pick your time to follow, maybe use an alternative route to where they could be going.
*If the enemy is retreating, don't follow blindly. You could run into bombs or other traps.


=== Winners do not fight fair ===
=== Winners do not fight fair ===


Have a secret trick, a last resort item. They can't defend against what they don't see.
Have a last resort item to fall back on. They can't defend against what they don't see.


*Don't let your opponent know what weapons or defenses you have. Hide your [[Security_Objects#Optical_Thermal_Scanner|thermals]] or [[Security_Objects#Sunglasses|sunglasses]] behind masks and big [[hats]]. put your weapons in your pockets. drop and run from your pipebomb instead of throwing it.
*Don't let your opponent know what weapons or defenses you have. Hide your [[Security_Objects#Optical_Thermal_Scanner|thermals]] and [[Clothing#Sunglasses|sunglasses]] behind masks and big [[hats]], put your weapons in your pockets, drop and run from your pipebomb instead of throwing it.
*Cook [[Grenade|grenades]]. The primers on grenades and explosives are dangerously short, and choosing to throw can take a faithful moment or two if the server is busy, but a grenade thrown too early can still be avoided. Practice cooking foam grenades to get a feel for the timer.
*Cook [[Murder#Grenades|grenades]]. The primers dangerously short, but practice cooking foam grenades to get a feel for it.
*Strike when your opponent is distracted. Wait for them to be in conversation or for them to literally have their hands full with [[Chemistry|something]] [[Computers|else]].
*Strike when your opponent is distracted. Wait for them to be in conversation or for them to literally have their hands full with a computer or some other machine that requires using an interface.
*Use [[Chemistry#Drugs|drugs]]. Take a sip of coffee, robust-eez, a medikit patch or some health restoring [[Food]] right before the fight.
*Use [[Chemicals#Drugs|drugs]]. Take a sip of coffee, robust-eez, a medikit patch or some health restoring [[Food]] right before the fight.


=== Know your arena ===
=== Know your arena ===
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Knowing where the opponent can come from and where you can hide is key to staying robust.
Knowing where the opponent can come from and where you can hide is key to staying robust.


*Always have an exit. Have a backup plan if something goes wrong and your original exit is blocked. Don't enter a room you can't get out of on your own be that using tools, a fire extinguisher or going through [[Waste Disposal|disposal]].
*Always have an exit. Don't enter a room you can't get out of on your own.
*Prepare the area as necessary for what you are trying to achieve. Cut [[AI#Observing_the_Station|cameras]], [[Terminology#Electrify|shock doors]], lay glass on the floors, make a hole into [[space]], wet the floors, poison the air, set up mines, prepare bombs. Camera coverage varies across the station. Some areas like the [[Observatory]] haven't even got any cameras at all. Take advantage of blindspots or make some of your own if you need privacy from prying eyes.
*Prepare the area as necessary for what you are trying to achieve. [[Terminology#Electrify|Shock doors]], lay glass on the floors, make a hole into [[space]], wet the floors, poison the air, set up mines, prepare bombs, etc.  
*Disposal chutes are your number one get out of [[Security_(place)#Brig|jail]] free-card. Always be ready to run to one and set it to flush while diving inside.
*Cut security cameras; camera coverage varies across the station, but generally, [[maintenance]] areas do not have cameras. Take advantage of blindspots or make some of your own if you need privacy from prying eyes.
*Closet and disposal chutes will hide you from the prying eyes of thermal visions and the [[AI]]. Slipping out of range and taking cover in a closet is great way to shake the [[Detective]]. Note that closets make a noise when they open and shut, that makes them unreliable hiding places if people are close enough to hear you even if they can't see you.
*Disposal chutes are your number one get-out-of-jail-free-card. Always be ready to dive into one and flush it.
*Some bushes on the station can hide a standing person. These are great for ambushes, or as a temporary hiding place, although they might not be suited for sustained hiding as you can easily be spotted upon inspection.
*Closet and disposal chutes will hide you from the prying eyes of the [[AI]] and people who can see you behind walls, such as [[Werewolf|werewolves]] and those with [[Syndicate Items#Advanced Optical Thermal Scanner|advanced thermals]]. Slipping out of range and taking cover in a closet is also great way to shake pursuers. Note that closets make a noise when they open and shut, which can give you away.
*Some bushes and wall-signs can hide a standing person. These are great for ambushes.


== Dancing with Robusters ==
== Dancing with Robusters ==
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Victory is not determined by first blood, nor by most blood. In order to win, you have to stun or knock out your opponent. A taser is better than a laser gun for this purpose, and a flash is better than a fire extinguisher. [[Doctoring#Damage|Damage]] does not win you fights.
Victory is not determined by first blood, nor by most blood. In order to win, you have to stun or knock out your opponent. A taser is better than a laser gun for this purpose, and a flash is better than a fire extinguisher. [[Doctoring#Damage|Damage]] does not win you fights.


=== Tabling ===
=== Dodge lasers ===
 
Resting on the floor will make taser bolts pass over you. If an opponent is within one tile of you and using {{Harm}} intent, he will still hit you pointblank. You can dodge lasers the same way, though there's a 50-50 chance they'll still hit you. Note that the [[Alien_Artifact|artifact]] lasers and [[pod]] weapons can't be dodged this way.
 
=== Space walking ===
 
Standing on a [[Space]] tile will reduce your speed to the slowest possible, give you burn damage, and it could make you slip when you try to move. This doesn't mean space is off-limits. Space can be perfect for ambushes and retreats. You can walk for roughly a screen's length in space before the damage overpowers you. That can be enough to reach another safe area or a get-away pod, especially if you brought some healing with you.
 
Catwalks protect your from [[Space]] damage. You can stay on them indefinitely if you bring air, and they're often quite dark too. In particular, on [[Cogmap1]], the catwalk section between the [[Cargo Bay#Cogmap1|QM]] and [[Waste Disposal#Cogmap1|Waste Disposal]] allow for safe travel between the north and south part of the station without spacesuits and internals.
 
=== Disposal diving ===
 
Hiding in disposal chutes is just scratching the surface of the disposal systems true utility. You can put other people inside a chute by click-dragging their sprite over it. This even works while you're inside the chute. Any movement while in the chute will cause you to jump out and suffer a short stun. If you drag a person inside the chute just as you exit from it, you will recover from the stun before them. You can practically stunlock them by throwing them back into the chute.
 
Dropping an item while you are inside the chute will cause it sit in the chute until it is disposed of or ejected. You can also manage your backpack while inside the chute. This means you can dive into a chute, ditch contraband items, eject, be frisked, and then come back later to retrieve them.
 
Remember that the chute has to recharge between each time it's flushed. It takes about less than a minute.
 
Engaging the disposal will send you through the pipes to the [[Waste Disposal]] area. Most jobs have access here and can exit safely. If you are stuck, rest on the ground to crawl under the plastic flaps on the conveyor belt.


Grabbing a person and successfully grabbing them again creates an aggressive grab. Aggressive grabs can be used on tables to put your opponent on them. A tabled opponent is stunned for a longer period of time. You will obviously be unable to table a moving opponent, but one caught unaware can be quickly be wrestled.
Aside from the regular disposal chute, there are sometimes specialist/departmental chutes. Most maps have a black morgue chute that go from somewhere in [[Medbay]] to the [[Morgue]] and another set of black chutes linking the [[Morgue]] and [[Chapel|Chapel crematorium]] together. Sometimes, there's ones from [[hydroponics]] to the [[kitchen]] and the kitchen to the [[bar]] counter. They all lead to rooms that require more specific access.


Surgery tables work a bit differently. People can be put on them with a single grab, but they can also get up again by clicking their Rest button. Make sure you opponent won't be able to get up if you intend to operate on him.
You can reroute disposal pipes so a chute spits you out in another room or so it even sends you out of a mail-chute.


Speaking of [[Doctoring#Surgery|surgery]], it can be done on tabled opponents on regular tables provided that they are knocked unconscious. This is a great way to take an opponent out of the equation for good.
=== Ranged weapons ===


=== Disarms ===
Core rule: You can only click tiles you can see. Clicking a black tile does not fire your weapon. Bring thermals if you have to fight in the dark, that you can at least click a person hiding in shadows.


The Disarm intent is by far the most robust intent. Every click on another person grants a random chance to pry their weapon away or push them to the ground. It could take several tries to be successful, but you can cut some of your losses here by moving well in order to land more disarm attempts on your opponent than he is able to land hits on you.
It's common practice to click behind your intended target. This gives you a controlled shot even while moving. Hitting a moving target can be tricky however. If it lags, clicking a person will make you fire in their direction when the lag '''stops'''. That means you could be firing backwards into a crowd if the person ran around you. This is why there's a big difference between clicking someone and clicking on ground. The '''Click Buffer''' takes this further. With the clickbuffer on, all your actions are queued up. This let's you run around like a maniac and the game will still fire all your shots directly at the tile you clicked no matter where you end up standing. The clickbuffer can be fun for ranged combat, but it takes practice to get used to. Imagine that guy in Wanted who curved bullets, that's kind of like playing with the clickbuffer.


=== Loss of arms ===
=== Fighting in a crowd ===
 
Fighting an opponent in a crowd is ill advised, but at least you can run through people as long as you have {{Help}} intent on (and as long as they also have Help on). It's great for retreating or for putting bodies between you and a ranged opponent.
 
{{Harm}} intent is necessary to use stun gloves and to fire guns point-blank. {{Disarm}} intent is necessary to block punches or dangerous grabs. That means you will have to endure bumping into people if you want to stay on guard and be ready with your weapons. Switch to Help on the fly if you have to pass through people.
 
==Unarmed Combat==
Even if you don't have a gun or blade or some such, you can still do a lot unarmed. In fact, barring special circumstances, you always have two weapons with you. They're called hands. What can you do with an empty hand?
*With {{Disarm}} intent, you can do a [[#Disarm|disarm]] that can shove people to the ground and shove them away if they're already on the ground and a [[#Disarm Special|Disarm Special]] that shoves people away from you. The former can also knock people's weapons away or make someone with a weapon surgically attached to them hit themselves with it.
*With {{Grab}} intent, you can [[#Grab|grab]] someone, which opens up many options. You can take them as [[#Meatshield|meatshield]], [[#Pin|pin]] them to the floor, [[#Suplex|suplex]] them, [[#Table|slam them on a table]], [[#Smash|smash]] them on something, or [[#Throw|throw]] them into it. The intent also lets you launch yourself off a chair to [[#Shoulder Dive|shoulder-dive]] someone.
**{{Grab}} intent also lets you [[#Slide|slide-attack]] and perform an unarmed [[#Blocking|block]], though there are ways to do these without using {{Grab}}.
*With {{Harm}} intent, you can [[#Punch|punch]] people, with a [[#Harm Special|Harm Special]] version that is easier to land hits with.  If they're down and out for the count, you might [[#Kick|kick]] them instead.
 
===Disarm===
Click on someone while you're on {{Disarm}} intent to try to shove them to the ground, causing them to lose 20 Stamina while you lose 10; this unfortunately can't push someone below 0 stamina. The lower their stamina, the more likely you'll succeed. If they're on the ground already, instead of standing, you'll roll them away, guaranteed.
 
It also has a few extra effects if your opponent is wielding a weapon. If they have a weapon or some other item in their hands, you'll also try to smack it away, potentially sending it flying away into some unfortunate bystander. (Or you.) This is a flat 37% chance, 5% if they're blocking. If they have an [[Doctoring#Item Arm|item arm]] attached, you'll also try to smack them with it. This applies both when they're standing up and when you're on the floor being rolled away. This is also a flat 37% chance, 5% if they're blocking.
 
Disarm takes a bit of technique to use. If you treat it like the old disarm system, or others servers' versions, and use it as your sole attack, you'll rarely disarm anybody. That's because, again, the disarm chance is actually based on your opponent's stamina. The higher it is, the lower the chances of disarming. 


Having only one arm does not impair you much, you will still be able to fight with the best of them, it also makes it impossible to put handcuffs on you.
Instead, think of it as a "finishing move" of sorts. Start out with few punches to the face. Not only will a few direct hits sap their stamina, but if you're especially lucky, you may land a "devastating hit" that'll wipe out a huge chunk of their stamina. Once you feel they're about to be knocked out, that's when you switch to {{Disarm}} intent and proceed to murder them with their own weapon. You can also disarm people by hitting them over the head with a dinner plate, or by throwing a basketball at them.


Having no arms is on the other hand terribly [[Clown|unrobust]]. You can no longer interact with the world around you outside of bumping into things. Armless people can also be pulled around like they were handcuffed.
====Disarm Special====
Click on a tile at least two squares away from you while on {{Disarm}} intent to shove someone backwards in an adjacent tile in the direction you're aiming, with chance of success depending on how much stamina they have. In simple terms, push them away without actually clicking on them. No chance to fling away an item, but you have much better chances of shoving someone away than shoving them to the ground.


=== Dodge lasers ===
===Grab===
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent. Click on the grab icon that'll appear in your hand or press either {{key|Page-Down}} or {{key|C}} to upgrade the grab. You have a 25% chance to fail to upgrade the grab, which goes away if you have [[Guide to Genetics#Gamma Ray Exposure|Gamma Ray Exposure]]. There are three levels of grabs, passive, aggressive, and chokehold/strangehold, with the last two having increasing stamina regeneration penalties on the person grabbed. It is possible to escape grabs, see [[#Grabbed|here]]. Grabs enable several moves.


Resting prone on the floor will make taser bolts pass over you. If an opponent is within one tile of you and using Harm intent, he will still hit you with a pointblank shot. Note that the [[Alien_Artifact|artifact]] lasers and [[pod]] weapons can not be dodged by going prone.
====Suplex====
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent, rapidly click the resulting grab or spam {{key|Page-Down}} or {{key|C}} to quickly get an aggressive chokehold and use *flip (Hotkey: {{key|R}}) to knock them down to the floor, while also knocking you down too. They're out for 4.4 seconds while you're out for 3.9 seconds, giving you a literal fraction of a second to make another move. If you are a [[Wrestler]] or have stun-reducing chems, such as [[Chemicals#Methamphetamine|meth]], in your system, the stun time is significantly reduced. If you have two people in aggressive grabs, you'll suplex the person in your active hand.


Standing up from a resting position grants you a few seconds of prone movement. It is effectively a running slide. This trick can be used to slide under other players or if you're lucky enough, to run through taser bolts.
====Table====
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent, upgrade your grab (press click {{key|Page-Down}} or {{key|C}} or click on the resulting grab icon in your hand), switch your intent to {{Harm}}, then click on a table. You'll slam them on the table with a satisfying *THUMP*, knocking them down for 3 seconds, 4 if it was a folding table. If you do the same, but don't switch to {{Harm}}, you'll stun them for just two.  
Doing this with a glass table can be extra deadly. If you're ''not'' on {{Harm}},  they're knocked down for 4 seconds, and there's a 10% chance, which increases to 25% with [[Guide to Genetics#Dyspraxia|dyspraxia]], you also smash the table under them, causing them to bleed out a bunch and take 20 to 40 {{BRUTE}}. If you smash them onto a glass table that's bigger than a single tile, the entire table chain-reacts and breaks. This means you can't smash someone into multiple parts of the same glass table, but it does look kinda cool when the whole thing goes.


=== Body throw ===
If you ''are'' on {{Harm}}, you're more likely to break the table, but it might also backfire. Being on {{Harm}} pushes the chance to break the table under them from 10% for all tables to 80% for a regular glass table and 60% for a reinforced one. If you have [[Guide to Genetics#Dyspraxia|dyspraxia]], it's a 90% chance for a reinforced one and ''guaranteed'' for a regular one. However, slamming someone on a glass table also has a chance to make you cut yourself, hurting ''you'' too, albeit to a lesser extent, causing 10 to 30 {{BRUTE}} and making you bleed out somewhat. If you have [[Guide to Genetics#Dyspraxia|dyspraxia]], you always cut yourself. Stun duration is the same, and multi-tile glass tables still break as a group.


A standing person can be grabbed and smacked against any adjacent item for minor brute damage. It is not useful apart from opening doors with their ID, but it looks impressive. A prone person can be grabbed and thrown across the screen. Knocking someone down and throwing them out an airlock is the fastest and most reliable way to [[Murder|kill someone]]. Throwing someone into a shocked door is also a fast way to take them out as well as for checking if the door is electrified in the first place.
Surgery tables work differently. People can be put on them with a single grab or by click-dragging them into it, but they can also get up again by clicking their Rest button. Stun or cuff your target if you want to operate on him.


=== Stun gloves ===
Speaking of [[Doctoring#Surgery|surgery]], unconscious people can be operated on while they on a regular table. This is a great way to dismember someone or to swipe their brain.


[[Construction#Stun_Gloves|Stun gloves]] are excellent last-ditch tools to make an opponent drop what he's holding or giving you a chance to run away. Note that you can carry with you the item necessary to charge the gloves, letting you re-use them multiple times.
====Meatshield====


=== Space walking ===
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent, upgrade your grab to neckgrab/aggressive (press click {{key|Page-Down}} or {{key|C}} or click on the resulting grab icon in your hand). Both ranged targeted at you now hit the victim you grabbed instead. However, ''melee'' attacks will still hit you, and there is a flat 20% chance that attack makes you drop the grab and let go of your human shield. Unlike in the movies, the victim is still able to fight back (though they have a stamina penalty from the aggressive/neck grab). While it is certainly not "unarmed" at this point, taking someone at gunpoint (click on them with {{Grab}} while holding a gun) causes the same effect.


Standing on a [[Space]] tile will quickly cool you to minimal movement speed, give you burn damage, and it could make you slip in a random direction. This does not mean space is off-limits. Space is some times the perfect place for an ambush or an unexpected retreat. You can walk for roughly a screen's length in space before the damage will overpower you. With proper preparation, that can be enough to reach another safe area or a get-away pod. Also note that with the current health system, you can keep moving with critical damage to cross even more ground even though it is a really bad idea to do so.
====Pin====
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent, then click on a nearby tile. The less stamina the victim has, and the tighter your grip when you started pinning, the faster you'll pin.  


The space catwalks in the middle of the station allow for safe movement outside without actual spacesuits. You will lose your speed due to the cold and take some minor damage, but you can stay on them indefinitely as long as you have an air supply. Use this to quickly move between [[Cargo Bay|QM]] and [[Waste Disposal]], or to and from the backside of [[EVA]].
The victim won't be able to move, though they can attempt to break out of it in the same ways you'd normally break a grab (e.g. Resist key, mashing movement buttons, etc.). You also can't move and have little stamina regeneration, but you can still use your other hand to smack the fuck out of them. If you run out of stamina, you lose the pin. If you let go of the pin willingly, you'll also be briefly stunned. But then you can still *flip (Hotkey: {{key|R}}) to suplex.


=== Disposal diving ===
==== Smash ====
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent, click on something nearby that isn't a tile. Doesn't seem that deadly, but it looks impressive, and it has its uses if you know what to smash them against:
*If it's a wall, they take 80 stamina damage and get disoriented for a short while. The disorient lasts 6 seconds if you used an aggressive grab and 4 seconds if it was a passive grab.
*If it's a window, they take 50 stamina damage and, similar to walls, are briefly disoriented, with 5 seconds for an aggressive grab, 3 seconds for a passive grab. More impressively, if you manage to shatter the window in the process, they take 15 bleeding damage from all the broken glass they fell on, with suitably stabby sound effects.
*If it's a door, you can open it, if their ID has access to it.
*Otherwise, you just smack them against the object for 2-3 {{BRUTE}}.


Hiding in disposal chutes is just scratching the surface of the disposal systems true utility. You can drag other people inside a chute by clicking and dragging their sprite over the chute. This can even be done while you are hiding in the chute yourself. Any movement while in the chute will cause the person to eject and be stunned for a very short time. They have a couple of seconds of movement before a short stun kicks in after being ejected, and you should be careful that they don't run off and hide in a bush during this period. If you drag a person inside the chute just as you exit from it, you will recover from the stun before them.
====Throw====
Click on someone while on {{Grab}} intent, upgrade your grab (press click {{key|Page-Down}} or {{key|C}} or click on the resulting grab icon in your hand); if they're unconscious or knocked down, you don't need to upgrade grab. Enter throw mode (Hold down {{Key|Spacebar}} on Goon mode, {{Key|R}} on /tg/style controls, {{Key|Delete}} for both) and click on a tile to throw them there. People are heavy, so you can't throw them more than four tiles away. Does no damage, but where you throw them matters a lot!


Dropping an item while you are inside the chute will cause it sit in the chute until it is disposed of or ejected. You can also operate your backpack while inside the chute. This means you can dive into a chute, ditch contraband items, eject, be frisked, and then come back later to retrieve them.
It's a good way to handle people who are breaking and entering. If you're in the business of [[murder]], there's a lot of potential if you do a ''Sleeping Dogs'' and get creative with the environment:
*Knocking someone down and throwing them out an airlock into space is the fastest and most reliable way to kill someone.  
*Throwing someone into a shocked door is an easy kill.  
*Throwing someone into a glass table has a 80% chance to make it break under them (60% chance if it's reinforced), causing a lot of bleeding and 30-50 {{BRUTE}}.
*Throwing someone into a locker will shut it on them, stunning them for a brief second.
*You can throw people into vending machines to tip them over.


Multiple uses of a disposal chute will pump all the air out of the room, although the chute has to reload its pressure between each use. Keep this in mind so you don't unintentionally suffocate yourself or everyone in the room.
===Punch===
Click on someone while on {{Harm}} intent to, well, punch them, at cost of 15 Stamina. This does 2-9 {{BRUTE}} and drains 30 Stamina from them, with chance of landing a "devastating hit" (called a "crit") that drains more.  


Engaging the disposal will send you through the pipes to the [[Waste Disposal]] area. Most jobs have access here and can safely exit. If you are stuck, rest on the ground and stand up again to temporarily be able to slide under the barrier on the conveyor belt.
There are many ways to boost punching damage or give it extra effects, such as by having [[Guide to Genetics#Gamma Ray Exposure|hulk]], possessing a [[Roboticist#Arms|special limb]], and drinking overdose levels of [[Chemicals#Ethanol|ethanol]], which also gives you a flat 40% chance to shrug off a punch. Wearing boxing gloves is interesting in that you still damage the person, but drain about 55.5 Stamina at cost of not being to land crits.  


Aside from the regular disposal chute, there are several specialists chutes. These go between [[hydroponics]] and the [[kitchen]], the kitchen and the [[bar]] counter, [[medbay]] and the [[morgue|medbay morgue]], and [[Waste Disposal|waste disposal]] and the medbay morgue. They all lead to rooms with job specific access IDs.
====Harm Special====
Click on a tile at least two squares away from you while on {{Harm}} intent to punch somebody in an adjacent tile in the direction you're aiming. In practical terms, hit someone without actually clicking on them. Useful for nabbing something with a small hitbox or moving quickly. Same rules for standard punches apply, but without chance for crit, and if there's multiple targets you could punch on a tile, you'll hit one at random.  
====Kick====
Click on someone who's down on the floor and can't move, while you're on {{Harm}} intent and don't have any [[Roboticist#Arms|arms with special punching effects]], at cost of 15 Stamina, though it returns 5 stamina, indirectly making them cost 10. Kicking drains no stamina from victim, and it does same damage as punches. Wearing certain shoes, like [[Clothing#Cleats|cleats]] or [[Clothing#Military Boots|military boots]] will boost kicking damage, as will having hooves.


Changing around the right sections of disposal pipes can make disposal send you through the pipe and out of a blue mail-chute.
===Slide===
Also known as dive kick. Click on yourself while on {{Grab}} intent or press the Resist button on your HUD (Hotkey: {{key|Z}} for Goon WASD, {{key|C}} for /tg/keys WASD), then throw the resulting block (Hold down {{Key|Spacebar}} on Goon mode, {{Key|R}} on /tg/style controls, {{Key|Delete}} for both). You'll move forward a tile in the direction you threw and briefly drop to the floor but then stand up (so you'll drop whatever you're holding). If you hit somebody along the way, you'll boop them for 1-6 {{BRUTE}}, more if you're wearing certain shoes or have [[Guide to Genetics#Bovine Genetics | hooves]].  


=== Ranged weapons ===
Not a lot of damage but has some utility if you get creative, e.g. diving to dodge a bullet or enter a puddle of water to extinguish yourself.


Core rule: You can only click a spot you can see in order to fire in that direction. The dark is the biggest disadvantage to ranged weapons. A common practice is to click behind your intended target provided you can see anything to click there. This gives you a controlled shot even while moving.
===Shoulder Dive===
Aka, the chair flip, because it involves a [[General Objects#Chair|chair]] and flipping. Stand on the same tile as a chair and, while on {{Grab}} intent, either A) press {{Key|Z}} ({{Key|C}} for /tg/style WASD, and if either fails, click ''Resist'' in the bottom left) B) click-drag yourself onto the chair or C) click on yourself to climb onto the chair. A new aiming reticle should show up. Aiming and clicking will launch you up to 3 tiles, knocking down whoever you collide with; *flipping (Hotkey: {{key|R}}) will launch you in the direction your character's facing, causing the same effect. More damage is dealt the farther away the target. If you miss or collide into something like a wall, you'll suffer a brief stun and a little damage.


Hitting a moving target can however be tricky. With the way Byond handles lag, clicking a target with a gun means you will fire in his direction when the lag '''stops'''. This is important! You can be below a target when you click on him, the two of you can run around each other while the server experiences some minor lag, and the shot will go directly towards his new position from your new position when the lag clears. Enabling the '''Click Buffer''' will go even further, making Byond remember every single shot you made and fire where you clicked once it catches up.
When putting down a chair, you have to wait 1 second before climbing on it. That might not sound like much, but if you're carrying a chair with you to shoulder dive at a moment's notice or if you're trying to chairflip someone but they keep unfolding it, you might not have the time to wait a single second in the heat of the combat.


Know when to directly shoot at the target and know when to aim for the background instead. Aiming for the background is better for leading your aim, while clicking the the target is better when you think he won't move a lot at a time.
You can do a similar thing at the corners of the boxing ring in the [[Gym]] and other places. All you have to do is click-drag yourself onto the boxing cables sprite in the corner tiles. You do not have to be on {{Grab}} intent.


=== Fighting in a crowd ===
=== Stun gloves ===


Fighting an opponent in a crowd is ill advised, but can happen from time to time. Keep in mind that if you fight while on Help intent, you'll be able to run through any bystanders who are also on Help intent. This is great for retreating or for putting bodies between you and an opponent with a ranged weapon. Note that it is unreliable because not everyone is on Help intent.
[[Construction#Stun_gloves|Stun gloves]] are excellent last-ditch tools to make an opponent drop what he's holding or to give you a chance to run away. While unarmed and on {{Disarm}} or {{Harm}} attack, if you click on a tile two squares away from you, you launch some sparks, though they'll be restricted across one of the 8 cardinal directions. They're same as the [[Security Objects#Stun Baton|stun baton]]; they disorient, drain stamina, do miniscule {{BURN}}, and slightly heat them. Use it to slow someone down during a chase or open them up for a stronger stun.


Harm intent is necessary to use stun gloves and to fire guns point-blank. That means you will have to endure bumping into people if you want to keep your weapons ready. Consider switching to Help on the fly if you have to pass through a bottleneck of people to reach your target.
They have up to 4 charges, so you can do this up to 4 times. Keep a spare power cell or two in your backpack to recharge your gloves. Remember, adding a charge to a stun glove takes 1500 charge, so you get more mileage out of higher capacity cells.  


== Dining Robustly ==
<!---==Weapons of the Robust==
===Improvised Weapons===
===Other Weapons=== --->


The following [[food]] items are useful and easy to aquire. It's not necessary to keep them all in stock, but you should learn where to find them and when to use them.
==Blocking==


*[[File:Donut.png]] Donuts are available in security, crew quarters and from candy machines. Civilians heal a little bit of damage from them while officers gain double of that.
Press the Resist button on your HUD (Hotkey: {{key|Z}} for Goon WASD, {{key|C}} for /tg/keys WASD) or click on yourself while on {{Grab}} intent. You'll starting blocking, which slows you down slightly and costs stamina, but you gain 20% Disorient (Body) resistance, reduce melee damage to the head and chest areas by 2, and prevent the extra damage from critical/devastating hits. Blocks also nullify {{Grab}}-intent-based attacks, at the cost of dropping the block. You can even do this while downed! (Just imagine it's as if your holding up your hands crying uncle.)
*[[File:DrinkCoffee.png]] Robust Coffee makes you recover from stuns faster and it restores your body temperature, but it also gives away that you've been drinking coffee because you'll twitch around. It can also make you addicted to coffee.
*[[File:DrinkRobusteez.png‎]] Robust-Eez has a higher chance addiction rate than coffee, but it will make you recover from stuns much faster.
*[[File:Happy_Elf_Hot_Chocolate.png]] Happy Elf Hot Chocolate will randomly make you run really fast for short periods of time. These random bursts of speed override any mobility problems you have from damage.
*[[File:DrinkLimeaid.png]] Lime-Aid makes you sober.
*[[File:DrinkOrangeaid.png]] Orange-Aid will fix your eyes if your vision is impaired from welding.


== Robusting Byond ==
And that's all just from blocking unarmed. Every item can be used to block, providing the same benefits as a barehanded block, but blocking with certain items can ''also'' protect against one or more of the four main types of weapon damage: stab/stabbing, blunt, cut/slashing, and burn. If your block matches the attack's damage type, your melee damage protection temporarily goes from 2 to 4, reducing damage from the attack by 4. Read the tooltip descriptions to find each item's block properties.
:For example, if you block an attack from a katana (does cut damage) with a kitchen knife (blocks stab and cut damage), you take 4 less damage since your block matched the damage type, reducing the damage from 15 to 11. If you try to block a welder (does burn damage) or a baseball bat (blunt damage) with the knife though, your block doesn't match, but the attack still is reduced by only 2 damage, so the welder's 15 becomes 13 and the bat's 12 becomes 10.


There will be unexpected events. Things that shouldn't happen, but for whatever reason occurred anyway. Some of them can be reliably triggered, others are entirely out of your control. To be robust is to be prepared for Byond itself trying to get the better of you. This is not about abusing Byond or glitches in the game. This is a heads up on what you could run into as you go about minding your business in a very robust manner.
In addition, blocking reduces the chance of a [[#Disarm|disarm]] knocking away your weapon or making your [[Doctoring#Item Arm|item arm]] smack yourself from 37% to just 5%.  


=== Space Wind ===  
===Special Blocks===


Old space wind was a result of actual atmosphere leaking from the station into space. This created suction that could pull you into space. It was removed. What remains is something else, a ghost of what was. Occasionally you will be inexplicably pulled in one direction while you are on a space tile. It is best to retreat to the station as that seems to nullify it if this happens to you. Failure to recover will mean that no matter where you go in space, you will still be dragged in that one direction when you stop moving.
Certain items also have special properties when blocking. Again, you can read the tooltip descriptions to find each item's block properties. Here are some examples:
*A [[Syndicate Items#Cyalume Saber|cyalume saber]] can reflect projectiles when blocking, in addition to blocking all four damage types.  
*[[Clothing#Backpack|Backpacks]] (and satchels) block more damage if filled with items at the cost of losing some of them upon hit.
*A [[Security Objects#Barrier|barrier]] gives some explosion resistance and extra protection from ranged attacks.


=== Running through projectiles ===  
== Dining Robustly ==


People and projectiles will occasionally move in a way that makes it look like they were hit. Keep a close eye for telltale signs of a stun going into effect before you assume that your opponent was actually hit.
The following [[food]] items are useful and easy to acquire. It's not necessary to keep them all in stock, but you should learn where to find them and when to use them.


=== Stun effect delay ===
*[[File:FrostedDonutV2.png]] [[File:DonutV2.png]] Donuts are available in security, crew quarters and from snack machines. Civilians heal a little bit of damage from them while Security personnel (e.g. [[Security Officer]], [[Detective]]) gain double of that.
*[[File:RobustCoffeeV2.png]] Robust Coffee and other sources of [[Chemicals#Coffee|coffee]] boost your stamina regeneration and max stamina a little, slightly lower duration of incoming stuns, and heat you up somewhat when you're cold, but it also gives away that you've been drinking coffee because you'll twitch around. It can also make you addicted to coffee.
*[[File:HappyElfHotChocolateV3.png|10px]] Happy Elf Hot Chocolate is similar. The [[Chemicals#Chocolate|chocolate]] inside warms you up a tiny bit, and sometimes creates [[Chemicals#Sugar|sugar]], which provides a mild stamina buff and a little stun resistance. It might not seem like much, but they can really stack up if you combine the boosts from coffee and [[General Objects#Cigarette|cigarettes]] (for [[Chemicals#Nicotine|nicotine]]).
*[[File:DrinkRobustEezV3.png|10px]] Robust-Eez has [[Chemicals#Methamhetamine|methamphetamine]], which has a higher addiction rate than coffee, but it makes you faster, provides much better stamina boosts than the previously mentioned drinks, and significantly reduces duration of incoming stuns.
*[[File:DrinkLimeaidV3.png|10px]] Lime-Aid makes you sober.
*[[File:DrinkOrangeaidV3.png|10px]] Orange-Aid will fix your eyes if your vision is impaired from welding.


Knockdowns, slips and stuns some times take a few seconds to go into effect. This period of almost-stun is weird. Blast damage can occasionally be out-run, items can occasionally be used, disposal diving may work. This is why you should approach stunned enemies with caution until you can be sure the stun is in effect for real. It is also quite normal that stunned people remain standing on their feet even if lost their items and can't move.
<!-- Outdated section, still keeping this around because these parts could be useful for other sections
== Robusting Byond ==


=== Table stun-immunity ===
There will be unexpected events. Things that shouldn't happen, but for whatever reason occurred anyway. Some of them can be reliably triggered, others are entirely out of your control. To be robust is to be prepared for Byond itself trying to get the better of you. This is not about abusing Byond or glitches in the game. This is a heads up on what you could run into as you go about minding your business in a very robust manner.


You are not supposed to be able to perform an action will stunned. Byond doesn't always care. Some times after a tabling, your opponent or you will be able to interact with the world even though a stun was previously and should still be in effect. It is rare and it's impossible to force this to happen, but you should be aware that it's a thing. This will either last for a few actions until the opponent becomes stunned for real, or the stun will never take hold. If your opponent starts moving after he's supposed to have been tabled, back up and re-assess your chances to fight him again. Alternatively, he could be high on [[Syndicate Items#Stimpack|stun-immunity drugs]].
If your opponent starts moving after he's supposed to have been tabled, back up and re-assess your chances to fight him again. Alternatively, he could be high on [[Syndicate Items#Stimpack|stun-immunity drugs]].
-->


== Dealing with it all Robustlike ==
== Dealing with it all Robustlike ==
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=== Sickness ===
=== Sickness ===


[[Virus|Diseases]], addictions and poisons are a part of life, and life tends to kill people. Find a medikit as soon as possible and identify the disease you're suffering from. A bad cough can mess with your flow, making you drop whatever you were holding. A bad case of the [[Clown|clowns]] is nothing to laugh at. [[Medical Doctor|Doctors]] rarely have the faintest idea what they're doing, so it's important to be familiar with the common diseases and how to cure them.
[[Virus|Diseases]], addictions and poisons are a part of life, and life tends to kill people. Find a medikit as soon as possible and identify the disease you're suffering from. A bad cough can mess with your flow, making you drop whatever you were holding. A bad case of the [[Clown|clowns]] is nothing to laugh at. [[Medical Doctor|Medical]] is frequently criminally understaffed and overworked, and diseased patients are considered third priority to the dead and dying, so it's important to be familiar with the common diseases and how to cure them.


=== Damage ===
=== Damage ===
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Health restoration is easy to come by. Medikits are scattered through the station, food is easily accessible, the [[Medbay]] tends to be broken into. After robusting someone, make sure to check up on your health and return to top shape before you set out on another adventure. You don't want to ever remain in yellow health because that's when the first movement penalties kick in.
Health restoration is easy to come by. Medikits are scattered through the station, food is easily accessible, the [[Medbay]] tends to be broken into. After robusting someone, make sure to check up on your health and return to top shape before you set out on another adventure. You don't want to ever remain in yellow health because that's when the first movement penalties kick in.


Suffocation damage will automatically fix itself once you're breathing again. You can go through an airless vacuum as long as you get air before you fall unconscious from oxygen starvation. Furthermore, thanks to the changes in way health damage is handled, you tend to keep breathing while in critical damage. This means that critical damage is no longer a death sentence. You can recover from it provided you handle it before a heart attack sets in.
Should you get damaged to yellow health or lower, salicylic acid/painkiller/analgesic pills will reduce the movement penalties due to injury, keeping you at top speed for both fighting and fleeing to get better meds. Morphine does the job even better, if you don't mind the stamina regeneration penalties, as can certain speed-boosting stimulants like meth.
 
Suffocation damage will automatically fix itself once you get air as long as you haven't gone into critical. You can go through an airless vacuum as long as you get air before blacking out. Keep in mind that prolonged suffocation causes brain damage, which can instantly kill you if it builds up.


=== Mutations ===
=== Mutations ===
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[[Guide to Genetics#Mutations|Mutations]] can't always be avoided. Some times you might even want to risk getting them by hanging out near a [[Guide to Botany|radweed]], smoking some awful pro-puffs or messing around with glowsticks until they break. There's other means of instant and guarantied mutations for those willing to bet it all. It's a high stakes game of balancing radiation sickness with your uncontrollable greed for power. There's closer to 40 known mutations, and barely a handful of those can actually offer something you can't already achieve with your own street smarts. If you manage to unlock one of the useful ones, you should stop there before it all goes bad.
[[Guide to Genetics#Mutations|Mutations]] can't always be avoided. Some times you might even want to risk getting them by hanging out near a [[Guide to Botany|radweed]], smoking some awful pro-puffs or messing around with glowsticks until they break. There's other means of instant and guarantied mutations for those willing to bet it all. It's a high stakes game of balancing radiation sickness with your uncontrollable greed for power. There's closer to 40 known mutations, and barely a handful of those can actually offer something you can't already achieve with your own street smarts. If you manage to unlock one of the useful ones, you should stop there before it all goes bad.


Should you go down the path of intentional radiation exposure, make sure to have either rad treatment, anti-tox pills or a combination of [[Doctoring#Basic|Saline pills]] and [[Doctoring#Basic|epinephrine needles]] to handle the inevitable critical damage you'll take long enough to go back to the [[Medbay]].
Should you go down the path of intentional radiation exposure, make sure to have either rad treatment, anti-tox pills or a combination of [[Doctoring#Saline|Saline pills]] and [[Doctoring#Epinephrine|epinephrine needles]] to handle the inevitable critical damage you'll take long enough to go back to the [[Medbay]].


Note the following.
Note the following.
*Jumping inside something is bad.
*Jumping inside something is bad.
*Obesity does not play nice with the jump ability.
*Hulk <span style="text-decoration:line-through;">wears off without the muscle gene.</span> doesn't wear off unless you get too hurt.
*Hulk can wear off.
*Getting stupefied in a disposal pipe can stop your movement through the pipe.
*Suffering seizures in a disposal pipe can stop your movement through the pipe and that can in turn kill you if you try to rest.
*The radiation mutation will also constantly give you toxin damage
*The radiation mutation will also constantly give you toxin damage and minor burns.
*The cloaking mutation will cause [[Staff Assistant|people]] to lose their shit.
*The cloaking mutation will cause [[Staff Assistant|people]] to lose their shit.
*Fire resistance will prevent burns from electrical damage, but not the stun.
*Fire resistance will prevent burns from electrical damage, but not the stun.
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=== Bolted in ===
=== Bolted in ===


A supercop or a Big Brother AI has bolted you down in a room because they had nothing better to do. Maybe you deserved it, maybe you didn't. The fact remains that you'll probably want to not be bolted in that room. You'll need to know your basic [[Construction#Breakin'|deconstruction methods]] and have the necessary tools to handle it. Always keep a box of tools in your backpack or full toolbelt to prevent situations like this. You might even want a pair of sunglasses or a welding mask on your person at all times if you suspect you'll be forced to do some excessive welding. Being the [[Captain]] or any other role with good access is not a guaranty that you won't find yourself stuck in a room with no exit.
A supercop or a Big Brother AI has bolted you down in a room because they had nothing better to do. Maybe you deserved it, maybe you didn't. The fact remains that you'll probably want to not be bolted in that room. You'll need to know your basic [[Construction|deconstruction methods]] and have the necessary tools to handle it. Always keep a box of tools in your backpack or full toolbelt to prevent situations like this. You might even want a pair of sunglasses or a welding mask on your person at all times if you suspect you'll be forced to do some excessive welding. Being the [[Captain]] or any other role with good access is not a guarantee that you won't find yourself stuck in a room with no exit.


=== Spaced ===
=== Spaced ===
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*Get air. If you've been a robust gentleman, you'll own a mask and O2 tank already. If not, you have a very tiny window to operate in.
*Get air. If you've been a robust gentleman, you'll own a mask and O2 tank already. If not, you have a very tiny window to operate in.
*Find solid ground. You need something to stand on, and you need it now. Either build floor tiles from metal or navigate to a structure by throwing objects around. If possible, look for a wall to quickly tear apart for metal and tiles.
*Find solid ground. You need something to stand on, and you need it now. Either build floor tiles from metal or navigate to a structure by throwing objects around. If possible, look for a wall to quickly tear apart for metal and tiles.
*Get back. If you're still on the station level, either try to float back if you're confident in your health, or ask for help. There are plenty of [[Space Pod|pods]] around and a ton of [[Staff Assistant|assistants]] with nothing better to do. If you're in deep space, you'll have to navigate the [[Z-level]] to reach the [[Mining Outpost|mining outpost]]. There's a small pod parked south of its station that can get you back, or you could use the mining shuttle at the outpost itself.
*Get back. If you're still on the station level, either try to float back if you're confident in your health, or ask for help. There are plenty of [[Space Pod|pods]] around and a ton of [[Staff Assistant|assistants]] with nothing better to do. If you're in deep space, you'll have to navigate the [[Z-level]] to reach the [[Mining Outpost|mining outpost]]. There's a small pod parked south of its station that can get you back, as well as a few more in the diner area to its east, or you could use the mining shuttle at the outpost itself.
 
=== Grabbed ===
 
Someone is trying to get an aggressive and/or strangling hold on you, usually either because they want to [[Wrestler|suplex/throw/spin]] the crap out of you or [[Changeling|slurp up your DNA like a milkshake]]. In the unlikely event that you are not stunned or incapacitated, and your captor only has a passive (1st level) grab on you, simply move away to break free. If they've upgraded their passive grab to an aggressive grab, and you're still not stunned or incapacitated, spam Disarms or the ''Resist'' button. These will drain some stamina, but your assailant will lose more, and if knock them down to 0 stamina or get lucky, you'll finally break free.
 
=== Loss of arms ===
 
Losing an arm doesn't impair you by much. You can still fight like normal. It only prevents you from managing item containers in your hands. However, you can still be [[Security Objects#Handcuff|cuffed]], contrary to what you might expect.
 
Having no arms is on the other hand terribly [[Clown|unrobust]]. You can no longer interact with the world around you outside of bumping into things. Armless people can also be pulled around like they were handcuffed.`


==Supplementary Video==
==Supplementary Videos==
{{#widget:YouTube|id=LSHCNTELFI8}}
<youtube>LSHCNTELFI8</youtube>
<youtube>KgUAEkuiZTQ</youtube>


----
{{Game Mechanics}}
[[Category:Tutorial]]
[[Category:Tutorial]]

Revision as of 06:01, 10 April 2024

Boxing.png

Welcome to the Dojo of Robust-Fu. You will spend many shifts as a mere apprentice, watching zen masters robust their way through life before you yourself will find true enlightenment. It is a path of violence, passion and loss. This guide can not take you there on its own, it is only a tool, but it is no mere coincidence that you have found your way here. It is your destiny to be robust.

The Tenets of Robustism

Being robust requires a certain way of life. It's not about luck, it's about control. Control yourself, control your environment, control your opponent.

Don't be clicked

Don't give your opponent the chance to click on you. That which cannot be clicked, cannot be robusted.

  • Move randomly. Hammer the movement keys like you mean it.
  • Don't wait for your opponent to come to you. The aggressor holds the advantage.
  • Don't stand still.
  • Don't let people stand next to you.

Make your clicks count

Click where it matters. Use the force.

  • For ranged attacks, put the mouse-cursor in position ahead of time. Drive-by attacks are pretty straight forward as long as you line yourself up so the projectile goes where your enemy will be.
  • In melee, click on your targets sprite even if they're far away from you. If you have queued combat clicks enabled, they'll be hit as soon as they come in close range to you.

Know when to run

Don't stay in a fight where you have lost the upper hand. Retreat, regain the advantage and strike back.

  • Retreat to recharge tasers, batons and other energy weapons and restock on flashes, grenades, and ammo.
  • If the enemy has superior numbers, retreat and wait for them to split up.
  • If the enemy has superior weapons, retreat and either find weapons that can match theirs, or wait in ambush.
  • If the enemy is retreating, don't follow blindly. You could run into bombs or other traps.

Winners do not fight fair

Have a last resort item to fall back on. They can't defend against what they don't see.

  • Don't let your opponent know what weapons or defenses you have. Hide your thermals and sunglasses behind masks and big hats, put your weapons in your pockets, drop and run from your pipebomb instead of throwing it.
  • Cook grenades. The primers dangerously short, but practice cooking foam grenades to get a feel for it.
  • Strike when your opponent is distracted. Wait for them to be in conversation or for them to literally have their hands full with a computer or some other machine that requires using an interface.
  • Use drugs. Take a sip of coffee, robust-eez, a medikit patch or some health restoring Food right before the fight.

Know your arena

Knowing where the opponent can come from and where you can hide is key to staying robust.

  • Always have an exit. Don't enter a room you can't get out of on your own.
  • Prepare the area as necessary for what you are trying to achieve. Shock doors, lay glass on the floors, make a hole into space, wet the floors, poison the air, set up mines, prepare bombs, etc.
  • Cut security cameras; camera coverage varies across the station, but generally, maintenance areas do not have cameras. Take advantage of blindspots or make some of your own if you need privacy from prying eyes.
  • Disposal chutes are your number one get-out-of-jail-free-card. Always be ready to dive into one and flush it.
  • Closet and disposal chutes will hide you from the prying eyes of the AI and people who can see you behind walls, such as werewolves and those with advanced thermals. Slipping out of range and taking cover in a closet is also great way to shake pursuers. Note that closets make a noise when they open and shut, which can give you away.
  • Some bushes and wall-signs can hide a standing person. These are great for ambushes.

Dancing with Robusters

Victory is not determined by first blood, nor by most blood. In order to win, you have to stun or knock out your opponent. A taser is better than a laser gun for this purpose, and a flash is better than a fire extinguisher. Damage does not win you fights.

Dodge lasers

Resting on the floor will make taser bolts pass over you. If an opponent is within one tile of you and using Harm intent, he will still hit you pointblank. You can dodge lasers the same way, though there's a 50-50 chance they'll still hit you. Note that the artifact lasers and pod weapons can't be dodged this way.

Space walking

Standing on a Space tile will reduce your speed to the slowest possible, give you burn damage, and it could make you slip when you try to move. This doesn't mean space is off-limits. Space can be perfect for ambushes and retreats. You can walk for roughly a screen's length in space before the damage overpowers you. That can be enough to reach another safe area or a get-away pod, especially if you brought some healing with you.

Catwalks protect your from Space damage. You can stay on them indefinitely if you bring air, and they're often quite dark too. In particular, on Cogmap1, the catwalk section between the QM and Waste Disposal allow for safe travel between the north and south part of the station without spacesuits and internals.

Disposal diving

Hiding in disposal chutes is just scratching the surface of the disposal systems true utility. You can put other people inside a chute by click-dragging their sprite over it. This even works while you're inside the chute. Any movement while in the chute will cause you to jump out and suffer a short stun. If you drag a person inside the chute just as you exit from it, you will recover from the stun before them. You can practically stunlock them by throwing them back into the chute.

Dropping an item while you are inside the chute will cause it sit in the chute until it is disposed of or ejected. You can also manage your backpack while inside the chute. This means you can dive into a chute, ditch contraband items, eject, be frisked, and then come back later to retrieve them.

Remember that the chute has to recharge between each time it's flushed. It takes about less than a minute.

Engaging the disposal will send you through the pipes to the Waste Disposal area. Most jobs have access here and can exit safely. If you are stuck, rest on the ground to crawl under the plastic flaps on the conveyor belt.

Aside from the regular disposal chute, there are sometimes specialist/departmental chutes. Most maps have a black morgue chute that go from somewhere in Medbay to the Morgue and another set of black chutes linking the Morgue and Chapel crematorium together. Sometimes, there's ones from hydroponics to the kitchen and the kitchen to the bar counter. They all lead to rooms that require more specific access.

You can reroute disposal pipes so a chute spits you out in another room or so it even sends you out of a mail-chute.

Ranged weapons

Core rule: You can only click tiles you can see. Clicking a black tile does not fire your weapon. Bring thermals if you have to fight in the dark, that you can at least click a person hiding in shadows.

It's common practice to click behind your intended target. This gives you a controlled shot even while moving. Hitting a moving target can be tricky however. If it lags, clicking a person will make you fire in their direction when the lag stops. That means you could be firing backwards into a crowd if the person ran around you. This is why there's a big difference between clicking someone and clicking on ground. The Click Buffer takes this further. With the clickbuffer on, all your actions are queued up. This let's you run around like a maniac and the game will still fire all your shots directly at the tile you clicked no matter where you end up standing. The clickbuffer can be fun for ranged combat, but it takes practice to get used to. Imagine that guy in Wanted who curved bullets, that's kind of like playing with the clickbuffer.

Fighting in a crowd

Fighting an opponent in a crowd is ill advised, but at least you can run through people as long as you have Help intent on (and as long as they also have Help on). It's great for retreating or for putting bodies between you and a ranged opponent.

Harm intent is necessary to use stun gloves and to fire guns point-blank. Disarm intent is necessary to block punches or dangerous grabs. That means you will have to endure bumping into people if you want to stay on guard and be ready with your weapons. Switch to Help on the fly if you have to pass through people.

Unarmed Combat

Even if you don't have a gun or blade or some such, you can still do a lot unarmed. In fact, barring special circumstances, you always have two weapons with you. They're called hands. What can you do with an empty hand?

  • With Disarm intent, you can do a disarm that can shove people to the ground and shove them away if they're already on the ground and a Disarm Special that shoves people away from you. The former can also knock people's weapons away or make someone with a weapon surgically attached to them hit themselves with it.
  • With Grab intent, you can grab someone, which opens up many options. You can take them as meatshield, pin them to the floor, suplex them, slam them on a table, smash them on something, or throw them into it. The intent also lets you launch yourself off a chair to shoulder-dive someone.
    • Grab intent also lets you slide-attack and perform an unarmed block, though there are ways to do these without using Grab.
  • With Harm intent, you can punch people, with a Harm Special version that is easier to land hits with. If they're down and out for the count, you might kick them instead.

Disarm

Click on someone while you're on Disarm intent to try to shove them to the ground, causing them to lose 20 Stamina while you lose 10; this unfortunately can't push someone below 0 stamina. The lower their stamina, the more likely you'll succeed. If they're on the ground already, instead of standing, you'll roll them away, guaranteed.

It also has a few extra effects if your opponent is wielding a weapon. If they have a weapon or some other item in their hands, you'll also try to smack it away, potentially sending it flying away into some unfortunate bystander. (Or you.) This is a flat 37% chance, 5% if they're blocking. If they have an item arm attached, you'll also try to smack them with it. This applies both when they're standing up and when you're on the floor being rolled away. This is also a flat 37% chance, 5% if they're blocking.

Disarm takes a bit of technique to use. If you treat it like the old disarm system, or others servers' versions, and use it as your sole attack, you'll rarely disarm anybody. That's because, again, the disarm chance is actually based on your opponent's stamina. The higher it is, the lower the chances of disarming.

Instead, think of it as a "finishing move" of sorts. Start out with few punches to the face. Not only will a few direct hits sap their stamina, but if you're especially lucky, you may land a "devastating hit" that'll wipe out a huge chunk of their stamina. Once you feel they're about to be knocked out, that's when you switch to Disarm intent and proceed to murder them with their own weapon. You can also disarm people by hitting them over the head with a dinner plate, or by throwing a basketball at them.

Disarm Special

Click on a tile at least two squares away from you while on Disarm intent to shove someone backwards in an adjacent tile in the direction you're aiming, with chance of success depending on how much stamina they have. In simple terms, push them away without actually clicking on them. No chance to fling away an item, but you have much better chances of shoving someone away than shoving them to the ground.

Grab

Click on someone while on Grab intent. Click on the grab icon that'll appear in your hand or press either Page-Down or C to upgrade the grab. You have a 25% chance to fail to upgrade the grab, which goes away if you have Gamma Ray Exposure. There are three levels of grabs, passive, aggressive, and chokehold/strangehold, with the last two having increasing stamina regeneration penalties on the person grabbed. It is possible to escape grabs, see here. Grabs enable several moves.

Suplex

Click on someone while on Grab intent, rapidly click the resulting grab or spam Page-Down or C to quickly get an aggressive chokehold and use *flip (Hotkey: R) to knock them down to the floor, while also knocking you down too. They're out for 4.4 seconds while you're out for 3.9 seconds, giving you a literal fraction of a second to make another move. If you are a Wrestler or have stun-reducing chems, such as meth, in your system, the stun time is significantly reduced. If you have two people in aggressive grabs, you'll suplex the person in your active hand.

Table

Click on someone while on Grab intent, upgrade your grab (press click Page-Down or C or click on the resulting grab icon in your hand), switch your intent to Harm, then click on a table. You'll slam them on the table with a satisfying *THUMP*, knocking them down for 3 seconds, 4 if it was a folding table. If you do the same, but don't switch to Harm, you'll stun them for just two.

Doing this with a glass table can be extra deadly. If you're not on Harm, they're knocked down for 4 seconds, and there's a 10% chance, which increases to 25% with dyspraxia, you also smash the table under them, causing them to bleed out a bunch and take 20 to 40 BRUTE. If you smash them onto a glass table that's bigger than a single tile, the entire table chain-reacts and breaks. This means you can't smash someone into multiple parts of the same glass table, but it does look kinda cool when the whole thing goes.

If you are on Harm, you're more likely to break the table, but it might also backfire. Being on Harm pushes the chance to break the table under them from 10% for all tables to 80% for a regular glass table and 60% for a reinforced one. If you have dyspraxia, it's a 90% chance for a reinforced one and guaranteed for a regular one. However, slamming someone on a glass table also has a chance to make you cut yourself, hurting you too, albeit to a lesser extent, causing 10 to 30 BRUTE and making you bleed out somewhat. If you have dyspraxia, you always cut yourself. Stun duration is the same, and multi-tile glass tables still break as a group.

Surgery tables work differently. People can be put on them with a single grab or by click-dragging them into it, but they can also get up again by clicking their Rest button. Stun or cuff your target if you want to operate on him.

Speaking of surgery, unconscious people can be operated on while they on a regular table. This is a great way to dismember someone or to swipe their brain.

Meatshield

Click on someone while on Grab intent, upgrade your grab to neckgrab/aggressive (press click Page-Down or C or click on the resulting grab icon in your hand). Both ranged targeted at you now hit the victim you grabbed instead. However, melee attacks will still hit you, and there is a flat 20% chance that attack makes you drop the grab and let go of your human shield. Unlike in the movies, the victim is still able to fight back (though they have a stamina penalty from the aggressive/neck grab). While it is certainly not "unarmed" at this point, taking someone at gunpoint (click on them with Grab while holding a gun) causes the same effect.

Pin

Click on someone while on Grab intent, then click on a nearby tile. The less stamina the victim has, and the tighter your grip when you started pinning, the faster you'll pin.

The victim won't be able to move, though they can attempt to break out of it in the same ways you'd normally break a grab (e.g. Resist key, mashing movement buttons, etc.). You also can't move and have little stamina regeneration, but you can still use your other hand to smack the fuck out of them. If you run out of stamina, you lose the pin. If you let go of the pin willingly, you'll also be briefly stunned. But then you can still *flip (Hotkey: R) to suplex.

Smash

Click on someone while on Grab intent, click on something nearby that isn't a tile. Doesn't seem that deadly, but it looks impressive, and it has its uses if you know what to smash them against:

  • If it's a wall, they take 80 stamina damage and get disoriented for a short while. The disorient lasts 6 seconds if you used an aggressive grab and 4 seconds if it was a passive grab.
  • If it's a window, they take 50 stamina damage and, similar to walls, are briefly disoriented, with 5 seconds for an aggressive grab, 3 seconds for a passive grab. More impressively, if you manage to shatter the window in the process, they take 15 bleeding damage from all the broken glass they fell on, with suitably stabby sound effects.
  • If it's a door, you can open it, if their ID has access to it.
  • Otherwise, you just smack them against the object for 2-3 BRUTE.

Throw

Click on someone while on Grab intent, upgrade your grab (press click Page-Down or C or click on the resulting grab icon in your hand); if they're unconscious or knocked down, you don't need to upgrade grab. Enter throw mode (Hold down Spacebar on Goon mode, R on /tg/style controls, Delete for both) and click on a tile to throw them there. People are heavy, so you can't throw them more than four tiles away. Does no damage, but where you throw them matters a lot!

It's a good way to handle people who are breaking and entering. If you're in the business of murder, there's a lot of potential if you do a Sleeping Dogs and get creative with the environment:

  • Knocking someone down and throwing them out an airlock into space is the fastest and most reliable way to kill someone.
  • Throwing someone into a shocked door is an easy kill.
  • Throwing someone into a glass table has a 80% chance to make it break under them (60% chance if it's reinforced), causing a lot of bleeding and 30-50 BRUTE.
  • Throwing someone into a locker will shut it on them, stunning them for a brief second.
  • You can throw people into vending machines to tip them over.

Punch

Click on someone while on Harm intent to, well, punch them, at cost of 15 Stamina. This does 2-9 BRUTE and drains 30 Stamina from them, with chance of landing a "devastating hit" (called a "crit") that drains more.

There are many ways to boost punching damage or give it extra effects, such as by having hulk, possessing a special limb, and drinking overdose levels of ethanol, which also gives you a flat 40% chance to shrug off a punch. Wearing boxing gloves is interesting in that you still damage the person, but drain about 55.5 Stamina at cost of not being to land crits.

Harm Special

Click on a tile at least two squares away from you while on Harm intent to punch somebody in an adjacent tile in the direction you're aiming. In practical terms, hit someone without actually clicking on them. Useful for nabbing something with a small hitbox or moving quickly. Same rules for standard punches apply, but without chance for crit, and if there's multiple targets you could punch on a tile, you'll hit one at random.

Kick

Click on someone who's down on the floor and can't move, while you're on Harm intent and don't have any arms with special punching effects, at cost of 15 Stamina, though it returns 5 stamina, indirectly making them cost 10. Kicking drains no stamina from victim, and it does same damage as punches. Wearing certain shoes, like cleats or military boots will boost kicking damage, as will having hooves.

Slide

Also known as dive kick. Click on yourself while on Grab intent or press the Resist button on your HUD (Hotkey: Z for Goon WASD, C for /tg/keys WASD), then throw the resulting block (Hold down Spacebar on Goon mode, R on /tg/style controls, Delete for both). You'll move forward a tile in the direction you threw and briefly drop to the floor but then stand up (so you'll drop whatever you're holding). If you hit somebody along the way, you'll boop them for 1-6 BRUTE, more if you're wearing certain shoes or have hooves.

Not a lot of damage but has some utility if you get creative, e.g. diving to dodge a bullet or enter a puddle of water to extinguish yourself.

Shoulder Dive

Aka, the chair flip, because it involves a chair and flipping. Stand on the same tile as a chair and, while on Grab intent, either A) press Z (C for /tg/style WASD, and if either fails, click Resist in the bottom left) B) click-drag yourself onto the chair or C) click on yourself to climb onto the chair. A new aiming reticle should show up. Aiming and clicking will launch you up to 3 tiles, knocking down whoever you collide with; *flipping (Hotkey: R) will launch you in the direction your character's facing, causing the same effect. More damage is dealt the farther away the target. If you miss or collide into something like a wall, you'll suffer a brief stun and a little damage.

When putting down a chair, you have to wait 1 second before climbing on it. That might not sound like much, but if you're carrying a chair with you to shoulder dive at a moment's notice or if you're trying to chairflip someone but they keep unfolding it, you might not have the time to wait a single second in the heat of the combat.

You can do a similar thing at the corners of the boxing ring in the Gym and other places. All you have to do is click-drag yourself onto the boxing cables sprite in the corner tiles. You do not have to be on Grab intent.

Stun gloves

Stun gloves are excellent last-ditch tools to make an opponent drop what he's holding or to give you a chance to run away. While unarmed and on Disarm or Harm attack, if you click on a tile two squares away from you, you launch some sparks, though they'll be restricted across one of the 8 cardinal directions. They're same as the stun baton; they disorient, drain stamina, do miniscule BURN, and slightly heat them. Use it to slow someone down during a chase or open them up for a stronger stun.

They have up to 4 charges, so you can do this up to 4 times. Keep a spare power cell or two in your backpack to recharge your gloves. Remember, adding a charge to a stun glove takes 1500 charge, so you get more mileage out of higher capacity cells.


Blocking

Press the Resist button on your HUD (Hotkey: Z for Goon WASD, C for /tg/keys WASD) or click on yourself while on Grab intent. You'll starting blocking, which slows you down slightly and costs stamina, but you gain 20% Disorient (Body) resistance, reduce melee damage to the head and chest areas by 2, and prevent the extra damage from critical/devastating hits. Blocks also nullify Grab-intent-based attacks, at the cost of dropping the block. You can even do this while downed! (Just imagine it's as if your holding up your hands crying uncle.)

And that's all just from blocking unarmed. Every item can be used to block, providing the same benefits as a barehanded block, but blocking with certain items can also protect against one or more of the four main types of weapon damage: stab/stabbing, blunt, cut/slashing, and burn. If your block matches the attack's damage type, your melee damage protection temporarily goes from 2 to 4, reducing damage from the attack by 4. Read the tooltip descriptions to find each item's block properties.

For example, if you block an attack from a katana (does cut damage) with a kitchen knife (blocks stab and cut damage), you take 4 less damage since your block matched the damage type, reducing the damage from 15 to 11. If you try to block a welder (does burn damage) or a baseball bat (blunt damage) with the knife though, your block doesn't match, but the attack still is reduced by only 2 damage, so the welder's 15 becomes 13 and the bat's 12 becomes 10.

In addition, blocking reduces the chance of a disarm knocking away your weapon or making your item arm smack yourself from 37% to just 5%.

Special Blocks

Certain items also have special properties when blocking. Again, you can read the tooltip descriptions to find each item's block properties. Here are some examples:

  • A cyalume saber can reflect projectiles when blocking, in addition to blocking all four damage types.
  • Backpacks (and satchels) block more damage if filled with items at the cost of losing some of them upon hit.
  • A barrier gives some explosion resistance and extra protection from ranged attacks.

Dining Robustly

The following food items are useful and easy to acquire. It's not necessary to keep them all in stock, but you should learn where to find them and when to use them.

  • FrostedDonutV2.png DonutV2.png Donuts are available in security, crew quarters and from snack machines. Civilians heal a little bit of damage from them while Security personnel (e.g. Security Officer, Detective) gain double of that.
  • RobustCoffeeV2.png Robust Coffee and other sources of coffee boost your stamina regeneration and max stamina a little, slightly lower duration of incoming stuns, and heat you up somewhat when you're cold, but it also gives away that you've been drinking coffee because you'll twitch around. It can also make you addicted to coffee.
  • HappyElfHotChocolateV3.png Happy Elf Hot Chocolate is similar. The chocolate inside warms you up a tiny bit, and sometimes creates sugar, which provides a mild stamina buff and a little stun resistance. It might not seem like much, but they can really stack up if you combine the boosts from coffee and cigarettes (for nicotine).
  • DrinkRobustEezV3.png Robust-Eez has methamphetamine, which has a higher addiction rate than coffee, but it makes you faster, provides much better stamina boosts than the previously mentioned drinks, and significantly reduces duration of incoming stuns.
  • DrinkLimeaidV3.png Lime-Aid makes you sober.
  • DrinkOrangeaidV3.png Orange-Aid will fix your eyes if your vision is impaired from welding.


Dealing with it all Robustlike

It can't always go your way. Some times you have to suck it up and deal with it.

Sickness

Diseases, addictions and poisons are a part of life, and life tends to kill people. Find a medikit as soon as possible and identify the disease you're suffering from. A bad cough can mess with your flow, making you drop whatever you were holding. A bad case of the clowns is nothing to laugh at. Medical is frequently criminally understaffed and overworked, and diseased patients are considered third priority to the dead and dying, so it's important to be familiar with the common diseases and how to cure them.

Damage

Health restoration is easy to come by. Medikits are scattered through the station, food is easily accessible, the Medbay tends to be broken into. After robusting someone, make sure to check up on your health and return to top shape before you set out on another adventure. You don't want to ever remain in yellow health because that's when the first movement penalties kick in.

Should you get damaged to yellow health or lower, salicylic acid/painkiller/analgesic pills will reduce the movement penalties due to injury, keeping you at top speed for both fighting and fleeing to get better meds. Morphine does the job even better, if you don't mind the stamina regeneration penalties, as can certain speed-boosting stimulants like meth.

Suffocation damage will automatically fix itself once you get air as long as you haven't gone into critical. You can go through an airless vacuum as long as you get air before blacking out. Keep in mind that prolonged suffocation causes brain damage, which can instantly kill you if it builds up.

Mutations

Mutations can't always be avoided. Some times you might even want to risk getting them by hanging out near a radweed, smoking some awful pro-puffs or messing around with glowsticks until they break. There's other means of instant and guarantied mutations for those willing to bet it all. It's a high stakes game of balancing radiation sickness with your uncontrollable greed for power. There's closer to 40 known mutations, and barely a handful of those can actually offer something you can't already achieve with your own street smarts. If you manage to unlock one of the useful ones, you should stop there before it all goes bad.

Should you go down the path of intentional radiation exposure, make sure to have either rad treatment, anti-tox pills or a combination of Saline pills and epinephrine needles to handle the inevitable critical damage you'll take long enough to go back to the Medbay.

Note the following.

  • Jumping inside something is bad.
  • Hulk wears off without the muscle gene. doesn't wear off unless you get too hurt.
  • Getting stupefied in a disposal pipe can stop your movement through the pipe.
  • The radiation mutation will also constantly give you toxin damage
  • The cloaking mutation will cause people to lose their shit.
  • Fire resistance will prevent burns from electrical damage, but not the stun.
  • Immolation does not come with its own fire resistance.
  • Matter Eater will restore a bit of health when you eat objects.

Bolted in

A supercop or a Big Brother AI has bolted you down in a room because they had nothing better to do. Maybe you deserved it, maybe you didn't. The fact remains that you'll probably want to not be bolted in that room. You'll need to know your basic deconstruction methods and have the necessary tools to handle it. Always keep a box of tools in your backpack or full toolbelt to prevent situations like this. You might even want a pair of sunglasses or a welding mask on your person at all times if you suspect you'll be forced to do some excessive welding. Being the Captain or any other role with good access is not a guarantee that you won't find yourself stuck in a room with no exit.

Spaced

So you've been thrown out of the station. Tough luck. You'll probably die, but all is not lost yet. You now have three priorities:

  • Get air. If you've been a robust gentleman, you'll own a mask and O2 tank already. If not, you have a very tiny window to operate in.
  • Find solid ground. You need something to stand on, and you need it now. Either build floor tiles from metal or navigate to a structure by throwing objects around. If possible, look for a wall to quickly tear apart for metal and tiles.
  • Get back. If you're still on the station level, either try to float back if you're confident in your health, or ask for help. There are plenty of pods around and a ton of assistants with nothing better to do. If you're in deep space, you'll have to navigate the Z-level to reach the mining outpost. There's a small pod parked south of its station that can get you back, as well as a few more in the diner area to its east, or you could use the mining shuttle at the outpost itself.

Grabbed

Someone is trying to get an aggressive and/or strangling hold on you, usually either because they want to suplex/throw/spin the crap out of you or slurp up your DNA like a milkshake. In the unlikely event that you are not stunned or incapacitated, and your captor only has a passive (1st level) grab on you, simply move away to break free. If they've upgraded their passive grab to an aggressive grab, and you're still not stunned or incapacitated, spam Disarms or the Resist button. These will drain some stamina, but your assailant will lose more, and if knock them down to 0 stamina or get lucky, you'll finally break free.

Loss of arms

Losing an arm doesn't impair you by much. You can still fight like normal. It only prevents you from managing item containers in your hands. However, you can still be cuffed, contrary to what you might expect.

Having no arms is on the other hand terribly unrobust. You can no longer interact with the world around you outside of bumping into things. Armless people can also be pulled around like they were handcuffed.`

Supplementary Videos


Game Mechanics
The Basics Getting Started · Super Quick Tutorial · Rules · Game FAQ · Quick guide to station systems · Mentorhelp · SpicyChickenGod Tutorials
Critters Remy.png Critters · CyborgV3-64x64.gif Cyborgs · RobuddyLoveV2.gif Robots · BiosuitNew.png Viruses
Game Abstractions IDCardBlankV2-27x13.png Access Levels · MartianRover.png Adventure Zone · Basicfishingrod.png Fishing · OmniTraitorV2-64x64.gif Game Modes · HealthImplantNewHUD.png Health Indicators · 2k13VintageSantaHatV2-32x32.png Holiday Cheer · InHand.png Inventory · WarMedal-32x32.png Medals · BasketballV2.png Random Events · Clipboard2.png Station Grade · MonsieurStirstirV2-32x32.png Traitor Objectives · GraduationCap-32x32.png XP · ScienceTeleporterComputer.png Z-level
Miscellaneous Falsemustache.png Being A Better Traitor · WizardSpellbookV2-32x32.gif Books · CommunicationsComputer.png Calling the Escape Shuttle · PaintMachine.png Fixing the Paint Machine · DrinkRobustEezV3.png Guide to Being Robust · LaserGunV2-32x32.png Guide to Murder · Men.png Kendo · NtcommanderNew64.png NT Reputation · StampV2.png Roleplay Tips and Tricks · WallSafe32x32.png Safe-Cracking · SpacebuxToken.png Spacebux · StGDeckV2.png Spacemen: The Grifening · MiniPutt.png Space Travel · NanotrasenBeret.png Traits · ZoldorfSprite.png Zoldorf