Cobra (group)/Guide: Difference between revisions
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*[[Fuel]] and/or [[Portable Generator|Gennie]]s - Bounty-Hunters and a few other hard targets tend to hide in [[dark]] buildings. If you want to pump them full with bullets (and who doesn't?), then a fuel and probably also a genny are needed to negate the attack penalty. | *[[Fuel]] and/or [[Portable Generator|Gennie]]s - Bounty-Hunters and a few other hard targets tend to hide in [[dark]] buildings. If you want to pump them full with bullets (and who doesn't?), then a fuel and probably also a genny are needed to negate the attack penalty. | ||
*1 or 2 [[Useful_Items#Radio|handheld radios]] - These are most useful in areas where local groups actively use radios. However, many don't. Except in forts and malls (where radio transceivers are easily found and many clueless trenchies yell into them), harmans see little use in them. When you are in these places, tune them to the local frequency to hear of break-ins ([[:Template:PKerCrack|PKer crack!]]), PKer and GKer reports and sightings (it might be about ''you'', which is both good for your longevity and for your ego) as well as pathetic trenchie bragging. | *1 or 2 [[Useful_Items#Radio|handheld radios]] - These are most useful in areas where local groups actively use radios. However, many don't. Except in forts and malls (where radio transceivers are easily found and many clueless trenchies yell into them), harmans see little use in them. When you are in these places, tune them to the local frequency to hear of break-ins ([[:Template:PKerCrack|PKer crack!]]), PKer and GKer reports and sightings (it might be about ''you'', which is both good for your longevity and for your ego) as well as pathetic trenchie bragging. | ||
*Comedy Weapons - I'm talking here about sports equipment, [[pumpkin]]s, [[Decorative_Items#Christmas_Decorations|tinsel]], [[toolbox]]es and similar weapons that perform poorly efficiency-wise, but are great for generating an unusual death message or for RPing. The usual way to use them is to weaken the victim to the last couple of HP with an efficient weapon, and then to deal the death-blow with the comedy weapon - bystanders only get to see the weapon with which the death-blow was dealt, so it makes no difference to them what else has hit the target in between. While you are at it, do not neglect [[ | *Comedy Weapons - I'm talking here about sports equipment, [[pumpkin]]s, [[Decorative_Items#Christmas_Decorations|tinsel]], [[toolbox]]es and similar weapons that perform poorly efficiency-wise, but are great for generating an unusual death message or for RPing. The usual way to use them is to weaken the victim to the last couple of HP with an efficient weapon, and then to deal the death-blow with the comedy weapon - bystanders only get to see the weapon with which the death-blow was dealt, so it makes no difference to them what else has hit the target in between. While you are at it, do not neglect [[Cobra/Guide#Killing_faster_with_URL_actions|actions via question marks]] to use zombie attacks as a survivor. More than one target has fallen to the deadly kiss of Cobra's lovely Sally A Summers (weapon=bite). | ||
= The actual killing = | = The actual killing = |
Revision as of 14:46, 13 November 2010
We are going to do whatever the fuck we want. | |||
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So you are about to run a PKer, a human character who slays other survivors. First things first
SkillsLet's be clear here, PKing isn't really the thing to do as a Lvl 1 medic. You should first rack up some XP as a survivor or as a zombie before you can even hope to kill someone within a single 50AP-cycle. You are going to absolutely need these before you can go a-PKing:
You should probably go the extra mile, though, and also pick up these:
Equipment
Must-Have
Useful
Optional
The actual killing
First thing is, you have to have enough APs to get to your target, kill it, and run back into safety. We'll get back to hiding later and focus on the actual killing first. Take first a look at damage per action. Take the HP of your target, divide it by the damage your weapon does, and divide that again with your hit chance. Say that your target has Bodybuilding (60HP) and wears a flak jacket, while you have plenty of pistols (normally 5 damage, but 4 against flak jacks) and maximum pistol skills (65%).
On average, you'd need 23AP to kill your target. But that's just the stochastical average - in practice, you'll want some spare APs to run back into safety. And even stochastically, about half of your kills will take more APs, and there's little that is more embarassing than to run out of APs in front of an almost dead target. So always have more APs then you calculate to need to kill your target. Keep those 23AP very well in mind, it's a number that will come up all the time:Also, do not neglect ammo while you count APs. Obviously you'll need 23 or more pistol rounds at hand to kill someone in one session, or 4 fully loaded pistols (4 pistols à 6 rounds = 24 bullets total). If you had just one pistol, you'd need to reload at least 3 times, adding even more APs on top of the 23 for the shooting itself. Hiding
Dark BuildingsThe classic hiding spot is a dark building, such as a Bank, Cinema or Club. (Technically, there are also Fort Armouries, but they tend to be continuously lit, and also filled with triggerhappy trenchies.) Darkness cuts down hit chances by 50%, which saves you from 90% of all potential retribution kills, particular those by unorganized and clueless loners. The downside of dark buildings is that bounty hunters know very well that dark buildings are the PKer's fave. So they'll scour them for PKers first, and they'll also carry generators and fuel to negate the darkness penalty. Depending on how common BHers are in the area that you operate in, this is either as good as a non-issue, or it is something that turns dark buildings into death traps. If you decide to sleep in a dark building that you haven't scouted before, it's a good idea to have 10-15 spare APs. It might be lit, and in that case it might be a good idea to destroy the genny. Bummer BuildingsBummer buildings are shorthand for non-TRPs such as schools, motels, churches or junkyards that don't provide resources, at least not in meaningful quanitities. They receive relatively little traffic from survivors, so you are less likely to get unpleasant visitors. As a bonus, the scarceness of harmanbargarz also makes them less attractive for zombies. Just make sure that your hide-out is neither on a freelane between TRPs, on the shortest way between dark buildings, nor an entry point (particularly near RPs where most survivors need to go outside and back in). The advantage in comparison to dark buildings is that they are less obvious targets for bounty-hunters to look for PKers. The obvious downside is that when they find you, they don't need a genny or fuel to effectively shoot you. It will also make it immensely easier for lone wolves to cap you. For that reason, bummer buildings are more an emergency bolthole for areas that are really teeming with bounty hunters, or where local survivor groups put a lot of effort into keeping dark buildings lit. RuinsObvious downside of ruins is that they can't be barricaded, leaving everyone inside at the mercy of the zeds. But look at it this way: That lack of protection also keeps survivors away, especially those butthurt trenchies who prefer to collect their 27th shotgun inside an Insanely Heavily Barricaded mall. Lack of survivors also means that zombies are less likely to visit you, especially if there are intact buildings around and feeding groans coming from them. In a contested suburb, a ruin is often the safer sleeping place than the NT with 12 zeds assaulting it next door. Ruins also cut down on bounty hunter interference:
Can you guess which approach those lazy, cowardly, pro-survivor, Lone Ranger types prefer? It's up to you if you go with dark or with non-dark ruins. Dark ruins provide darkness penalties like any other dark building. Furthermore, they are particularly uninteresting to survivors: They'd need a genny and fuel to repair it, they don't know repair costs before they illuminate the place, and repair costs of dark ruins can be epic due to the difficulty of repairing them. Non-dark ruins provide no darkness penalty, which makes them more inconspicuous to bounty hunters. In every case, stay away from TRP ruins, especially in suburbs with an organized zombie presence. Some zombies (particularly organized,non-nomadic ones) like to squat in them to hinder reclamation efforts. Especially NTs are prone to this. TRPsDon't. TRPs tend to be massively crowded with survivors and to receive many visitors looking for consumables. Especially stay away from malls, police departments, factories and auto repairs - that's where bounty hunters go to restock ammo, generators and fuel. Hospitals and NTs are also particularly bad because bounty hunters have to occassionally shop for FAKs and syringes, though not as often as for the above. Exotic BoltholesThis is a catch-all category for PKer boltholes that are highly situational. You won't very often have an opportunity where they are feasible or even possible, but when you do, they can do a lot to throw off bounty hunters, especially those mentally sluggish punch-clock hero types who just follow the daily "go to dark building near mall - install genny - fuel it - shoot - restock - sleep in other dark building" routine. In green suburbs with little to no zombie activity, it's often very possible to just sleep outside and survive the night. As long as you stay away from RPs and entry points near RPs, it's very possible that you don't run into any survivors at all. Bounty Hunters also rarely bother to patrol outside squares. If that suburb has fast working RPs, then the next logical step is to dirtnap as a revivifying body. Jump out of a window, rise, shamble to the next fast running RP and await your poke as you sleep. As a zombie, bounty hunters can't claim your bounty to increase their e-peen, so they usually leave you alone. As long as you dirtnap, you are also invulnerable to any attacks and have the guarantee to be alive to kick ass next time you log in. The most situational bolthole is the use of islands. Islands are buildings that aren't connected to any other, so that they can't be entered by freerunning. The only way inside is by entering them - and if they are caded above VSB, that's impossible. Killing with style
There are two types of PKers in UD: Those who do it with panache, and those who nobody remembers. You want to be remembered, don't you? Target SelectionMany PKers have their priorities in looking for targets. Some of the most common (in nor particular order) are:
TauntsDo not kill in silence! You are not a zombie who wastes 90% of his APs on the cades and then tries to clear the building - you get to pick your individual target. You should still have plenty of spare APs, so spending 1AP to say anything goes a long to establishing yourself as a killer with style. Something specific to the situation and/or target is best. Of course, not all of us are critically acclaimed stand-up comedians, popular speakers or slam poets, but coming up with anything unique and specific is always better than some canned taunt you've used 137 times. If you really can't up with anything, a canned taunt is still better than nothing at all. "COBRRRAAA!", "Hail Cobra!" and "Hail Cobra! May death come swiftly to her enemies!" are our classics, as they at least advertise and provide exposure for our group. If you have your eyes on a specific target, you should jot down your taunt in advance so that you can simply C&P it later. Little is more embarassing than to attack your target, think 2 minutes about a taunt and then refresh the page to be dead or have the target escaped. Also jot down the attack URL(s) for your target in advance while you are at it, you can C&P them as well and thus save time. Comedy WeaponsYou don't have to use them all of the time, and some never use them at all. However, they can sometimes add a personal touch to a PKing, or just go well with the situation and/or taunt. One of my favourite PKings was done with a fuel can in an unlit mall where they had broadcasted for hours that they need fuel - it are PKings like that which put you on the local KOS lists and make you remembered. |