COMBAT GUIDELINES version 1.5

[Max Liao (Callandryn)]

Thanks to Lt Aja for his inputs into this information.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT

Know the approximate strength of what you are going to be fighting.

• Checking the level of the mission is the best method, although payment and even distance can be an indicator, too.

Turn your graphic settings down as low as you can.

• This is more for PvP or congested areas. In PvP, it is a MUST that you turn your settings down. In PvE, suit yourself, but don’t let a low frame rate kill you or your buddies.
  
• I know the graphics in this game are nice, but it’s more important to see the enemy to kill him than to be lagged by slow frame rate or have the inability to see your foe. (As an example, with my graphic setting too high, I once targeted some big nasty lizard instead of the rebel I wanted. If my settings were lower I would have noticed (quickly) that the creature was horizontal and not vertical.)

Using /follow can be a great way to keep the group tight and together.

• This will help to not extend the aggro range of your group.
  
• PAY ATTENTION though, even with /follow someone can edge a corner too tightly and you (being the follower) will cut that corner causing aggro.
  - use /stopFollow to stop following.

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ENGAGEMENT

Unless the mobs CONs Blue or lower, let the puller pull and DO NOT SHOOT until given the word! Just because the puller is shooting does not mean that you should be shooting.

• Kodoss will often times tell me to wait for his AT-ST to hit the creature a few times before opening fire. I tend to tell people not to fire until they see my pets firing. It’s all on how the puller can be the most effective.
  
• Also, it is possible to single pull creatures/rebels from a group. Sometimes it takes a bit of running around, but it can be done. This may look tedious, but in the end it saves you HAM bars and allows us to move on to the next mission quicker. Again, do NOT assist or engage the enemy until told to do so.
  
• Often times the creature I target and hit will not be the one that follows. This is why I start with a bleed. By the time we get back to killing the initial target, he’s about dead. Also, this is why you have to wait for the puller to give you the okay to fire. If they are not separated, you just brought down all the creatures on us.

When fighting creatures that will take some time to kill, your first shot should be an aiming bleed shot ... NO EXCEPTIONS! If you miss, use it again.

• My pistol bleed looks like this:
  /aim;
  /healthshot2;
  /healthshot1;
  Replace healthshot with mindshot (rifles) or actionshot (carbines).
  
• This will put a DoT (Damage over Time) wound on your target. Every few seconds he’ll take more damage from the bleed ... even if you are not shooting him. Bleeds will not kill, but they will bring the creature down to 1 hit point. So if it’s tough, bleed and run. Come back to finish it off after the bleed has been sitting on him a while.

Know your posture.

• Do not remain kneeling or prone when an animal or melee is punching/clawing/chopping you.

Know your HAM.

• Unless you have doctor, spice or food buffs on you, do not spam your special attacks. By the time the first fight is over you’ll be close to dead and one good action or mindshot will take you out.

If it is your mission, after the men are killed and all that is left is the base, let your pets and group members attack the base while you loot the bodies to save time.

• You can also use your attack button/macro and you will still attack while looting if in range – There’s no need to use specials on a base until you’re done looting.
  
• Loot ONLY your own missions unless directed otherwise.

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POST-ENGAGEMENT

After the base is destroyed the first text that should appear are the distances to the next missions.

• If you still have two missions left to do and one is 200m away and the other is 360m away, type in ‘200 and 360’
  
• See this thread if you don't have the waypoint monitor on your screen at all times.

Before moving on be comfortable with your health and buffs.

• Doctor Buffs last a couple of hours.
  
• Spice buffs last a few minutes then suffer side effects. If you take spice, be sure to let your group know so they can plan around your withdrawal.

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MISC INFO

Burst Run is your friend

• Especially if you are the medic/healer ... you’d best not die!
  
• Burst run can be used to redirect combat, too.
  
• Be sure to tell people when you’ve used Burst Run and when it’s ready to go again.

Unless it is broken, stay in group chat

• Because of both spam and color I don’t pay attention to /say when in combat. I’d hope that you are paying more attention to the fight than /say, too.
  
• Make your group chat a color you can’t miss and ignore /say /shout /yell, etc.

Pet Macros - use the /tellpet command and save the world from spam. As I type this I still have to fix my droid macro, but the rest are fixed.

• Do NOT create your macro like this:
  /say attack;
  
  DO create your macro like this:
  /tellpet attack;
  
  player1 says to group: Callandryn we need you to heal us.
  Player2 says: mypet you will attack
  Player2 says: mypet you will attack
  Player2 says: mypet you will attack
  Player2 says: mypet you will follow me
  Player2 says: mypet you will attack
  Player2 says: mypet you will follow me
  Player2 says: mypet you will attack
  Player2 says: mypet you will attack
  By this point I have to scroll back up to see what I was told in group. As I scroll up someone dies. If you use the /tellpet command, the command will work and the spam will not follow.