A quick self-introduction (+ EXU stuff)

[KeeperUTX]

Greetings, fellow EXU (or just UT in general, too) players.

My usual online nickname is KeeperUTX. I've kinda come back from my AFK regarding Unreal since I discovered EXU2: Batshit Insane... or should I say, re-discovered. While in the past when I had only 5.03, I sorta didn't like the crazy "in-your-face" attitude this mod gave me... and now, suddenly, after several years, I find it refreshing! While there hasn't been any update as of about 2014 (with 6.00's release), I must say this mod, after examining it in UED and reading all the changelogs... EXU2 is way more than just a simple clusterfuck of chaos.

Shortly back to myself, before I ended my UT days for a while, I was a real Nali Weapons 3 nut towards the end (I'm sure some of you heard of that weaponpack), and admittedly I still am; but nothing, to me, beats some Turbo CTF with Monsterspawn featuring EXU's craziest monsters and its totally absurd arsenal (Okay. not that absurd as I'll be covering the function of each weapon in this topic to avoid spamming new threads, hence the + EXU stuff in the title)!

I also played the original Unreal quite a bit because Co-op was enjoyable back in the days of 227f - you'd meet some new people, become friends, laugh at some fails... I kinda miss that. It's a shame that the EXU servers are dead aside from that one guy that joins every once in a while.

On the bright side I actually managed to defeat EXU2: Batshit Insane on Unreal difficulty! I did have the ammo fabricator on,yes, but I can guarantee you... if you aren't really very mindful of cameras in the mod - or your health and armor, for that matter - it certainly doesn't help that much save for

► Show Spoiler

Map 15: The Highlands of Despair's insane Archdemon encounter where the PentaPowertm and Tachyon Driver are probably your bestest buddies

... and outside of that instance, it honestly didn't help much. The only map I was actually forced into skipping was Map 03: The Shitstorm, due to it crashing even if I dared to press the save button - I kind of did not want to stay in one map for several hours just trying to get past it because of UE1 crapping itself every time I attempted to save... I'll try in my next run to complete it, though.

All in all, EXU2: Batshit Insane truly deserves its name - carnage and chaos are in abundance the second you exit the first map - and it only gets worse and worse with each progressive map (with it being less obvious in indoor maps - you aren't being attacked from every corner possible in those cases, making it substantially easier to deal with a large group of enemies so long as you don't shove a flare up your A-55), and each run you do back-to-back isn't really that identical to the previous one due to spawn chances and so-forth (excellent implementation!).

I also went through the fan campaign, G59. Really enjoyed it, but I played it on Easy mode to familiarize with the "terrain" I'd be dealing in future difficulties - and I'm gonna complete it on Unreal difficulty, as well. Having gone through BI, I don't think UBerserker's fan-made campaign is going to push me off my seat (hopefully).

In conclusion, I'll be covering the function and overall usage of each weapon currently present in EXU2 v6.00 - I'm not going to create a new topic for that... because then that'd be wasting people's time, creating 1,000 new topics and only posting 1-2 times in that topic unless it pertains critical information... and this won't exactly be THE MOST CRITICAL INFO OF ALL TIME, it's just [going to be] a personal overview of the weapons. That's all. It could be useful for someone delving into EXU2 for the first time.

I'll see ya in the next post.

[UBerserker]

Oh wait you were the guy on the FXAN's video comments right?

Also TIL I'm assuming you played an old version of EXU2 BI considering some of the already released maps are currently unavailable.

[jaypeezy]

Greetings! And glad that you dig Excessive Unreal 2 as much as the rest of us. If you're ever in the mood for another EXU2 server that runs the latest version + deathmatch with monsters, I recommend you check out my server @ Diabolis.net

(On a related note, I'm also a fan of Unreal Co-op from time to time. I'm kind of picky with servers when it comes to that, but have found NewbiesPlayground to be one of the best.)

[KeeperUTX]

Oh wait you were the guy on the FXAN's video comments right?

Also TIL I'm assuming you played an old version of EXU2 BI considering some of the already released maps are currently unavailable.

Indeed I was the commenter, UBerserker. I honestly had to comment since he plays it quite well (compared to someone who's used to "regular" Unreal maps like me). As for the maps, yeah, AFAIK maps 12-16 are not updated to 6.00 standards and still date from the 5.00 stuff (if not earlier... I only arrived at about 5.03). I'm aware that certain maps such as the Doom Arena (which as of now is entirely revamped) aren't in version 6.00 of EXU2, but I haven't seen any recent releases... unless Waffnuffly updates elsewhere than on here?

@jaypeezy: Same here, I like Unreal Co-op quite a lot, and have been kinda thinking to reinstall Unreal and update to v227j (? is that the current latest update? I can't tell anymore, have to check with oldunreal.com), relive some of the old days of running through the original maps with strangers I hardly knew, but befriended.

Diabolis, huh? I like crazy deathmatch so I'll give it a look in the nearby future.

[KeeperUTX]

(Forgive me for breaking the rule of doubleposting, but it's information time.)

EXU2: Arsenal Analysis, Part I

This section of the topic will cover the first few weapons that can be found within the original Batshit Insane Campaign. NOTE: This information is subject to change as updates are released and is intended mostly for people new to EXU2's arsenal and gameplay. If you're gonna be a smartass we're sending the Demon Chef's Cousin on your ass. I'm serious. No, not THAT serious... look, just get on with reading!

Before we start...
It's important to know certain things. And knowledge is power, as they say. Excessive Unreal 2: Batshit Insane takes its name VERY literally from the second map onwards... A really important fact to know is that you should not run into the fray. Why is this? Well... you're sure to die very quickly. Namely because of the fact that almost every zone in this campaign (and in many cases, in UBerserker's G59 campaign) is filled with enemies, left and right. Even certain hallways are crammed with things ready to rip you a new one.. An ideal scenario is to keep yourself behind a wall or some other obstacle (large crates, doors that open/close rapidly) while jumping out of the cover and firing off several shots, then hiding again. Dodging and sidestepping only helps so much as a LOT of projectiles fired by your enemies will have massive speed and considerable splash damage - that's bad if you're hugging a wall and it happens to hit said wall next to you, especially if you don't have the armor to take a blast like that without almost dying or taking serious damage (this damage can turn your screen completely red due to the Unreal Engine's damage logic - numbers over 150 will most likely do this and make you vulnerable during this as you are mostly unable to see what's coming at you, and you... well, put simply, you're fucked).

Aside from that, there's also certain items you'll want to conserve for when things truly get ugly. Armor Seeds, which generate a 750 point armor, and 100-point fruit Seeds are reserved for when your heavier armors are depleted (along with, of course, your HP pool). Aggressive, powerful items such as Battle Flares and Firestorm Generators (Some very important and helpful flares will be covered later on in a future post as well). Use these sparingly, reserving them only when faced with rooms filled with enemies, or confronted with a powerful opponent (such as a boss). And even THEN you'll want to save the good stuff - try to make use of the weapons available to you if at all possible, and if it doesn't work... time to pop something sliiiiiiiiiiiightly more volatile.


Weapon Slots 1 and 2

1-A: EXU's Translocator Source Module

Weapon type: Transport, exploration, telefragging capacity
Origin: Human
Damage Type: Instant death (highly damaged Translocation disc, telefrag)
Ammunition Capacity: N/A
First located in: Map 01: Damnation

"Sir? I found one of the Translocator, uh... source or whatever modules on this body. It seems like it's in good shape; nothin' too wrong about it, but it looks like the disc is a bit... sturdier for some weird-ass reason. No, sir, it doesn't seem to have been tampered with. Yeah, I'll bring it back to the encampment ASAP, ETA 2 hours. Wigand ou- *Unknown* Aw shit, I'm outta here! *Unknown*"

-Officer Wigand to Polaris Command on the Translocator of a dead soldier.

We're all familiar with the translocator from Unreal Tournament, yes? The little device that helps us reach the unreachable and to travel a little faster via a couple of tricks, yes? Well, EXU features an ever-so-slightly different variation on the Translocator of it's father-game; While the primary and secondary fire have remained unchanged from its incarnation in UT, one thing is notable about the disc it fires: It can handle far more damage than the original.

Batshit Insane features a healthy plethora of secret areas where you can obtain many goodies, ranging from healing items, to flares, and even powerful weaponry. It's important to remember that the Translocator enables you to go to places where you normally could not without its assistance. After clearing an area (WATCH OUT FOR CAMERAS IF YOU LIKE HAVING HEALTH AND ARMOR. Will be covered in a future post just like the flares), make good use of the device to traverse to otherwise unreachable ledges, where, quite commonly, decent items abode.

But what if there's something REALLY interesting in the distance? The translocator can't reach it...

Oh, yes it can. Certain weapons have massive momentum on certain firing modes, enabling the player to launch the disc enormous distances. This is where the increased durability of the disc comes into play - it can take one hell of a beating and still function normally. This can come in handy to cover a large area with the disc with relative ease, whereas the regular translocator would fizzle after a few Enforcer rounds.

One other thing the Translocator can do, just like in UT, is telefrag an enemy. If you're low on ammunition at certain points, both the device and the next weapon can help with this, but not against opponents who fire many projectiles - the disc could get hit and knocked off-course, forcing you to retrieve it. Only use the telefragging capability of the Translocator when pinned down by a large opponent. WARNING: This does NOT work on certain enemies. All it'll do against such enemies is bounce off, or worse, break - Do not bother using the Translocator against opponents who are immune to it, unless it is used as a means of escape.

Lastly, remember that you can press the fire and alt fire keys at once to quickly switch back to your previous weapon. It can come in handy.


1-B: The Extractor

Weapon Type: High-damage melee-range vacuum
Origin: Demonic
Damage Type: Physical - affects nearly all enemies
Ammunition Capacity: 1-99 (100 triggers the tertiary fire AKA Gutburst)
First located in: Map 01: Damnation

"*Static*... Sir? Sir, I've found, uh... what even is this... *thunk* Oh. Oh hang on, I'm holding it wr-*Static*... Uh, it looks like it's some sort of- *Static*... Okay, hang on, let me fix this fucking transmitter, the static is gonna make my ears bleed... *Wigand moves out of cover briefly*... Alright, no sight of any hostiles. This thing looks like, uh... that "Impact Hammer" thing from the Liandri Tournament... oh, you don't watch it, sir? Well, the thing is literally like a 21st century jackhammer on steroids; just used as a weapon or something. But... the inner piston thing is replaced with... uh. A cylinder of some s- *The sound of guts flying across the area and Wigand cursing fill the air* WHAT THE HECK?! This shit just shot out a hailstorm of... are those intestines and limbs? What the fuck happened with this thing? Never mind, fuck it, I'm dropping it and advancing - nobody in their right mind would use this as a weapon - not with all the artillery units in the area *THUNK - the Extractor is dropped* I have to move on before I get spotted. ETA 1 hour and 42 minutes judging from the holomap, if it's correct... Wigand out."

-Officer Wigand to Polaris Command on the odd weapon, located 18 minutes from the previous transmission location.

The Extractor is the melee weapon of the mod.

Primary Fire: Holding down the Primary fire causes the weapon to begin sucking the guts/mechanisms of any enemy within close-to-point-blank range of the wielder, filling the tanks with the remains of your foes. At 100 kilos (Yes, kilos - you were able to carry 100 kilos of Tarydium byproduct in Unreal, so stop whining about it being heavy, you pansey!) of its "ammunition", the weapon will exhume the entirity of its tanks in a violent shower of guts, gears and blood, depending on what got sucked in. This Gutburst deals ENORMOUS amounts of damage, normally enough to put down even larger, more durable opponents, or otherwise plowing down mobs of enemies. Best used in narrow corridors and opponents who only try to melee you, or otherwise incapacitated or unaware foes. The damage of the primary fire is so high that it'll usually end up stunning your target, letting you obliterate them with ease.

Secondary Fire: The alt-fire of this weapon is the complete opposite of the primary fire - absolutely harmless, but is nonetheless useful. The Extractor has a scope (a melee weapon with a fucking scope, go figure) attached to it - While it doesn't help much with the weapon itself, it can be used to line up shots with many other weapons from the arsenal of EXU, and to identify and assess the threat of an enemy group from a distance.

Tertiary Fire: Pressing both the Fire and Alt-Fire keys at once will result in the Extractor immediately spewing out its contents at anything it's directed at. It requires a minimum filling of 15% to enable the tertiary fire. Note that even at 15%, the Gutburst is still very powerful.

The Gutburst may be "bounced" around corners, much like the Flak Cannon's primary fire. The chunks will still deal a ton of damage and normally kill any lesser foes (or severely injuring heavier ones). One last thing to remember is that the Extractor's projectiles do not hurt the wielder even if they bounce back at them somehow.


2-A: The Piddledoper

Weapon Type: Rapid-fire energy pistol
Origin: Human
Damage Type: Energy
Ammunition Capacity: 0-999 (Slowly recharges over time - recharge rate increased with akimbo)
First located in: Map 01: Damnation

"Polaris Command! Officer Wigand here requesting b-*Static*up! I repeat! I'm in need of backup here! My location is... oh, COME ON! *Unknown* Fuck off! I'm down on Z-P9 ammo! Repeat! Down on Z-P9 ammo, I have NO OTHER weapons with me! I need a dropoff of chargers at *Static*... n*Static* of *Static* bl-*Static* falls, 238 clicks away! Get me a Z-ER-900/5 if... *Unknown* SHIT, that thing is on to me, I gotta go. Get a fucking airstrike ready or something, ANYTHING, shit's huge! Wigand out!"

-Wigand's request for the Z-P9 "Piddledoper" chargers along with another weapon.

The first weapon you find right next to you in the first actual map of EXU, the Piddledoper, unlike the Enforcer and Automag of Unreal, which were almost always put out of commission on lower difficulties by more powerful weaponry (and a vast supply of ammo for them), the Piddledoper prefers to break the meta, remaining useful at all times.

Primary Fire: A consistent stream of low-damage energy balls at a high rate of fire with extreme range when held down. While not as harmful as the Secondary Fire, the primary's projectiles travel at commendable speeds while consuming minimal ammunition and dealing a fair amount of splash damage, making it valuable against clusters of small enemies and distant opponents if you don't have the ammunition of other weapons to blow out that pack of Pupae trying to hug your face.

Secondary Fire:: A highly concentrated, powerful beam of energy is shot out when held down. This firing mode deals damage much faster than the previous one, but consumes ammo at a much faster pace, just like the Minigun. Particularly useful against single, heavy targets such as the Mechanical Brutes. Note that the range of the secondary fire is limited to a very much shorter reach than the energy balls of the primary fire and will not hit enemies that are far away from you.

Tertiary Fire: The last firing mode of the Piddledoper is the strongest. Upon holding down both the Fire and Alt-Fire keys, the Piddledoper will launch a short-range projectile (somewhat shorter range than the secondary fire) that deals very high damage and stuns all targets hit by the blast for 1.5 seconds., consuming 50 ammo in the process. The stun effect can be "stacked"; Hitting the same target with another orb adds another 1.5 seconds to the stun, resulting in 3 seconds of inaction, another rolls it up to 4.5, then 6.0, then 7.5, and so on... this can be done until the weapon (or weapons) are absolutely depleted of ammunition. This method isn't advisable against targets that can be disposed in a better way; instead, go for 3 orbs (or 2x2 if you are wielding akimbo Piddledopers) and then switch to the Extractor. Make good use of the stun-time while you can and suck the target's guts right out, followed up by a Gutburst as soon as the stun wears off. Repeat this until the target dies.

The Piddledoper may be held akimbo-style, like the Enforcers of Unreal Tournament. All effects are doubled (doubled recharge rate, projectiles fired, doubled ammuntion consumption, along with the stun effects => One Tertiary Fire launches two orbs instead of one, immediately resulting in a 3-second stun.) The weapon, held double, becomes all the more powerful. WARNING: The Tertiary Fire, even when fired from only one Piddledoper, is VERY damaging. Avoid its use in close-to-point-blank combat; you may end up killing yourself if you're too low on armor to survive.


2-B: The Flare Gun

Weapon Type: Long-range Battle Flare launcher
Origin: Demonic
Damage Type: Varies per Flare
Ammunition Capacity: Flare Inventory
First located in: Map 01: Damnation

"While the structure of the weapon appears to be Terran, it holds no known ammunition in its barrel; not even 15 or 20 milimeter bullets fit... The inner firing mechanism appears to be a set of two pistons; one set into the other, and smaller. We're assuming it's intended to fire a certain kind of explosive - or perhaps even several types, much like our M392 Grenade Launchers in either armed or unarmed modes. We're still analyzing the weapon as we speak. Further data will be given to Command as soon as it's clear what this armament does, or rather, what it would fire."

-Polaris Field Analyst determining the properties of the vaguely Terran-stylized gun.

As mentioned before, you'll find quite a few "Battle Flares" in EXU-style maps. While their power is lethal to almost anything but the strongest foes, the usual delivery method - thrown by hand like a shrapnel grenade or dynamite stick - often isn't enough to reach distant clusters of foes / heavy enemies. What you'll want is the Flare Gun for those kinds of encounters.

Primary Fire: Launches a Flare a great distance at high velocity. Upon striking a solid surface, the flare will detonate, releasing whatever projectiles / explosives it has in it. Using this at point blank range is unadvised unless you're using certain types of flares which don't harm you. Along with that, it's preferable to keep such flares selected in your inventory and have some other weapon out for foes at greater ranges, while using the flares at close range and using a splash-weapon (let's say the Piddledoper(s)) to trigger it.

Secondary Fire: Almost entirely identical to the secondary fire, save one feature: Only the outer piston (or at least I imagine it to be a piston of some sorts) will hit the currently chambered Battle Flare, launching it, but causing it to bounce off of surfaces, with its regular detonation time set. The Flare can then be triggered by enemy splash damage, or by the player's weaponry, or can be waited to blow up. Can be bounced around corners into the center of a large room to spread out the damage area, ensuring that the room is clear and safe to enter (in most cases).

One thing to note is that the Flare Gun will automatically switch your inventory to a different Flare if one type runs out. Forcibly switching from a flare to a regular inventory item (such as your Translator) will disable the gun from firing. Keep this in mind.


Well. That was enjoyable to write down, haha. If any errors are seen in this information, feel free to correct me. I'm not a 100% professional EXU player so yeah. No Demon Chef Cousins to fear

[UBerserker]

This is pretty good stuff, I approve of the BI-style story tidbits.
I still wished I could have created a Saint Gun for G59 set to replace the late-game useless Hell Gun but I was kinda clueless in doing so.

[KeeperUTX]

This is pretty good stuff, I approve of the BI-style story tidbits.
I still wished I could have created a Saint Gun for G59 set to replace the late-game useless Hell Gun but I was kinda clueless in doing so.

Thanks, sir A hobby of mine is writing stories. While "Unreality", my series, so to speak (The name is adapted from you-know-what-game, but the content is far different, I assure you) is not related to the immediate EXU universes/timelines, that doesn't mean I won't try to make a small story out of this info xD I simply couldn't resist adding those.

As for the "Saint Gun"... now that I think of it, WHY isn't that a thing? That would've been helpful against large demon groups... then again I suppose it'd be overpowered due to it dealing holy/saint damage (which as far as I know, most pawns lack any resistance to). But yeah, the Hell Gun became effectively worthless and replaced by the Shitgun and RFPC after reaching Yaksha Kingdom: Verflucht Demon Legion.

*Ding* Hey, UBerserker...

► Show Spoiler

I just got an idea. Before entering Map 08: SHADOWNESS of your campaign, G59, the Hell Survivor reads a book prior to Map 07: Mausoleum of Exusia's ending, which blesses them. What if the Hell Gun is transformed into a Saint Gun thereafter by this blessing? Saint damage would deal slightly higher damage than Hell damage to Shadow Creatures (After all, the Survivor is blessed?) and of course deal a good amount of damage to Demonic pawns, the Saint damage type being their antagonistic weakness. The weapon of course would have to have limited ammunition like the Tachyon Driver to avoid overusing it - it would slowly replenish itself by feeding off the energy of freeing souls - or in lay-man's terms, killing refills ammunition, but only slightly per kill. Don't know if it's implementable but it sounds like a really cool idea you could implement in the next version of G59!

Anyhow...

Arsenal Analysis: Part II

Hold on... why are damage types listed?
Well, namely because in Excessive Unreal, as you may figure from the first part of this post (and UBerserker's), certain enemies are immune to a certain type of damage, or are even healed by being hit by that damage type. For example, there is the Hell damage type. This damage type is used by a weapon named the Hell Gun (uses and tactics discussed in next post), along with certain flares. Any demon-type pawns will be rendered immune to the Hell Gun's damage, no matter what you do with it. What's worse is that some enemies that are immune to Hell damage will be healed by it, and the Hell Gun's side effects would only make the healing worse (in the demon's favor). When pitted with a horde of enemies that are immune to your currently held weapon, it is advised to switch to other available weapons and retreat to a safer area and dispose of the threat from there.


Slots 3, 4, 5

3: The Shitgun (known to me as the "O.W.U. - Organic Waste Unit"... yes, I know, it's EXU, but c'mon... xD)

Weapon Type: Corrosive Waste Launcher, Area Denial
Origin: Demonic
Damage Type: Shit
Ammunition Capacity: 0-900
First located in: Map 02: Infernal Falls

"Fucking hell! I almost got stomped on by some kind of huge thing that spews out little things! Whatever the fuck they are... Oh, wait, my transmitter is, uh... *cough* Polaris Command, this is Officer Wigand. I found another weird weapon that looks like it's from our planet, but something's off about it... like... it smells and shit... actually, it smells OF shit. Also, what the heck is this thing atta- *Wigand briefly pauses in realization*... Is this a joke? This is a modified GES Bio Rifle that shoots SHIT. What kind of fucked up planet are we even on, Command? Huh? It's effective? Sir... I don't think a gun that shoots diarrhea is going to help the matt- Acidic? You're shitting me here, Command... How can... shit... be acidic? Well, it might not actually be shit, in that case, but it sure smells it... Alright, fine, I'll use it. My Piddledoper pistol's going to burn out soon, anyways. I'm not sure where I am, sir, no. Holomap isn't working anymore. Some big, grey demon tore it out of my hands right in front of me. I had to gun it... yes, I know, sir, it's an expensive piece of equipment... fine, I'll pay for it. Whatever. ETA to the holdout is ... like an hour, I guess... Wigand out."

-Wigand reluctantly taking up the Shitgun.

With a name just as vulgar as the havoc it can wreak on the opposition, the Shitgun is one of the more reliable and often-used guns in Excessive Unreal maps.

Primary Fire: Releases a consistent stream of highly corrosive organic waste globs, in a similar style to the GES Bio Rifle of Unreal Tournament, at a high rate of fire. Continuously firing at the same location and not impacting the enemy will cause the organic waste to fragment into more globs, making it fly all over the place. Often times this method isn't too useful as the fragmentation doesn't go all that far, however, the weapon is highly effective at tearing apart clusters of enemies with low ammo consumption in this firing mode.

Secondary Fire: Consumes 15 ammo to launch a Shit Canister. This canister will not hit enemies, but rather land on any solid surface, exploding after approximately 1 second in a violent shower of highly corrosive crap. Anything caught in the immediate blast of the canister exploding will take a high amount of damage, alongside additional damage from the wave of waste globs striking it in the explosion. If the target doesn't die, it will be knocked back a large distance. Highly effective at clearing out hallways and small to medium size rooms.

Shit damage is one of the least immunized damage types in the mod, so this weapon will be your best friend for a few maps, and then some. It deals extra damage to mechanical enemies, letting you shred them to pieces more easily with the firing modes.

Note that the if the Shit Canister lands on water, it will activate its proximity sensor, effectively becoming a sea mine. When something approaches the canister (or if it lands on some poor fucker's head when he's taking a nice swim), it will detonate in a similar fashion to when it lands on a solid surface, minus the arming time. Shooting the canister offers the same result.

The waste thrown out by the gun can force enemies into taking another route to reach you. This is called the Area Denial effect. The same is applied for the GES Bio rifles of Unreal and Unreal Tournament, but some enemies still run through it, harming or otherwise killing themselves. Coat corridors when retreating in an attempt to destroy your pursuers.

The Shitgun is also highly unwieldy to use underwater, as both firing modes' projectiles will float upwards slowly... this can lead to some uncomfortable predicaments.

Lastly... recall the Translocator? The Shitgun is one of a few weapons that can be used in combination with the module. Launch the Translocator disc to the edge of something like a cliff, or some other. Next, pull out your Shitgun, and shoot it next to the disc opposite of where you want it to go. Upon detonation, the disc will be sent hurling a huge distance across the area, hopefully landing in the desired location. If not, rinse and repeat - The Quick Save and Quick Load buttons are handy in this.


4: Energy Assault Rifle (E-AR)

Weapon Type: Long-Range Elimination, Close-Quarters Assault
Origin: Human
Damage Type: Energy
Ammunition Capacity: 0-900
First located in: Map 03: The Shitstorm

"*Panting* Wait... you're telling me they SHOT DOWN THE FU-*Static*-ates?! Polaris Command, I'm begging you, I have a f-*Static*-ily... No, YOU listen to me, sir! *Panting with static heavily disrupting it* I'm not dying in this fucking hellhole, sir. *Pant* If I've gotten this far, then I'm coming over, in *Static*... Aw, hell... This is a fucking nightmare... Without an Assault Rifle I'm f-*Unknown* ... Oh, God, no... please, no! *The sounds of the Shitgun being fired several times can be heard, along with demonic screams. Suddenly, a loud THUD is heard, along with bones cracking and Wigand shouting in pain* No, GOD PL-*Static greatly intensifies, and another bone-chilling scream is heard.*"
"Wigand? Wigand! What happened? Officer Wigand, do you copy? I repeat, do you copy! Wigand! Come in, Wigand!"

-Wigand goes M. I. A. to Polaris Command.

The Energy Assault Rifle, or E-AR abbreviated (or if you're feeling funny, EAR... "You have my EAR, citizen..." geddit? eh...) is a Terran, energy-based heavy assault rifle, largely used by the human survivors.

Primary Fire: Fires green bolts of energy at a moderate rate of fire. These can pierce enemies 1-3 times before stopping its course.

Secondary Fire: More powerful, blue bolt that consumes 5 ammunition, has a much lower rate of fire, and pierces many more enemies than its green cousin.

While the Energy Assault Rifle shows good prowess at long-range combat, excelling greatly compared to other weapons in regards to its stopping power, it fails to catch up with other weapons in terms of clearing power exempting enemies that are lined up. In this case (per se a narrow hallway or really stupid enemies), it can most certainly still shine.

The firing rate can be upgraded, however, making it more valuable as a weapon. Power-ups for it increase its rate of fire by 25%, and maxes out at 400% (Requires a total of 16 upgrades). These resemble the Amplifiers from the original Unreal.

► Show Spoiler

For now there's only one upgrade unit that I know of in Batshit Insane, and that is in the late parts of Map 11: Realm of Corruption. G59 features far more upgrades, and even prior to that, the weapon has a chance of showing its prowess in one of the first maps due to the initial part of it being properly shaped - no massive clusters that overrun you immediately if you use your flares and Shitgun wisely.

The E-AR's secondary fire is very useful with the Extractor's scope, making the two in unison a sort of "energy-sniper-rifle". Line up with the scope and then switch to the E-AR, firing a blue laser. Very useful against targets that are hard to aim at a distance (usually due to being too far away or just flat out tiny) that would pose a great threat if not taken care of prior to entering the area.

ADDITIONAL: Both firing modes' bolts can pierce enemies infinitely. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is that both types of bolts gain increased damage per enemy pierced; the first pierce of a green bolt normally will not kill a weak enemy, but when it hits a second, it normally results in its death, and so on... in the current version (6.00) this damage increase is capped to a certain amount. Credits to Buff Skeleton AKA Waffnuffly for this important correction!

Lastly, targets that move in erratic ways (such as a player) turn out to be very hard to hit with the E-AR. Don't bother using it in a heated fight if it isn't upgraded by a lot (even then I'd rather recommend other weapons like the Shitgun).


5: Hyper Flakker

Weapon Type: Close-Medium Range Combat, Annihilation
Origin: Demonic
Damage Type: Hyper (*Gasp* WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!... Sorry.)
Ammunition Capacity: 0-250
First located in: Map 04: Soul Storage

Huh? What's this? Uhhh, leave it alone... it's a spoiler. Don't... dooooon't...

► Show Spoiler

Well, you clicked on it. Here's the secret. In Map 02: Infernal Falls, which was NyLeve's Falls in Unreal, there's a secret Hyper Flakker present in this map. Remember that cave with the waterfall coming out of it in the original version? It's there. To reach it, use the Shitgun/Translocator combination I mentioned earlier. It'll take several tries to get it to land into the cave, but it works. Voila, you have a better weapon... use it sparingly until Map 04. Ammunition for it is scarce until then.

"We've found a weapon that seems to operate similarly to the Mk3 "Negotiator" Flechette Cannon that was based off the riot weapon used in 2267, during the Green Rebellion, and is currently utilized in the Second Liandri Tournaments. Tests have not been started yet - The weapon is en-route in the hands of Corporal Arzen, ETA 20 minutes. Reports say the device is highly lethal - one enemy entity managed to put down four of our men with a single shot - Arzen reports that the projectile is "wave" shaped..."

-A report concerning the discovery of a powerful weapon.

The Hyper Flakker is one of the most powerful weapons in the mod, featuring insidious firepower and powerful clearing capability.

Primary Fire: Launches a wave of Hyper-based energy. This "wave" is segmented into several bolts of energy, resembling that of the Dispersion Pistol's 5th upgrade level from Unreal. Due to the bolts being clustered in the central area of the wave, enemies will take the full brunt of the hit if struck by the middle section of the massive projectile, usually taking the "sides" with the center. However, if one of the side sections hits an enemy, the other two will still pass on unobstructed, allowing for clearing out more than one target at once. This firing mode excels in destroying heavier, singular targets.

Secondary Fire: Lobs a Hyper Grenade at the cost of 5 ammunition. When the timer for it (roughly 3-4 seconds) runs out or it hits an enemy, it splits into several other grenades (3-5). The timers for these grenades are shorter, and upon detonation, release Hyper Bolts like the Hyper Flakker's primary fire bolts. These deal splash damage, and in tight quarters, can wipe out rooms very quickly. Even larger rooms are subject to the effects of the Hyper Grenades.

WARNING: Take caution when using the secondary fire. The grenades are EXTREMELY LETHAL and WILL kill you or otherwise severely hurt you if you are not careful enough. Use it from a safe distance and behind corners - the secondary fire can bounce off solid surfaces.

The secondary fire is also horrendously brutal against very powerful, large enemies that take more than a few hits to kill. When fired directly at them, the grenades will explode "inside" of them, causing enormous amounts of damage while killing anything that can't take more than one blue bolt from the E-AR in the near vicinity.

[UBerserker]

 

Saint Gun was planned to be obtained at the beginning of Map 9, just exactly when the Hell Gun would become permanently useless. It was owned by one of the fleeing Saints.
Couldn't make it because I didn't want to fuck with the damage stacking effect code of the Hell Gun and I had no idea how to replace the Hell Gun proj effects with Saint variants. Too much of a hassle.

[Buff Skeleton]

This is a fun thread to see!

One correction for the Energy AR: both fire modes can pierce an infinite number of enemies; the bolts only stop against hard surfaces (i.e. level geometry).

In the currently-released version, I think the amount of additional damage each pierce adds is capped. I removed that cap recently. So the bolt becomes progressively more powerful with each target it hits, and there is no limit on how many targets you can hit or how powerful a bolt can become. Line up a lot of enemies down a long hallway, and you can seriously wreck the shit of almost anything at the far end.

[UBerserker]

WEAPON BUFFS

[KeeperUTX]

This is a fun thread to see!

One correction for the Energy AR: both fire modes can pierce an infinite number of enemies; the bolts only stop against hard surfaces (i.e. level geometry).

In the currently-released version, I think the amount of additional damage each pierce adds is capped. I removed that cap recently. So the bolt becomes progressively more powerful with each target it hits, and there is no limit on how many targets you can hit or how powerful a bolt can become. Line up a lot of enemies down a long hallway, and you can seriously wreck the shit of almost anything at the far end.

@Buff Skeleton: Thanks for the positive feedback, Waff ^^ BTW, what ever happened to the EXUMegaShotty? I honestly liked its concept, and I'd like to use it as a replacement for when I go into G59 again (via summon codes ofc)... The Quadshot placeholder gets a little old after multiple mods having it as a weapon (WMage, it uses it as really janky ass shotgun (I'm currently also trying to make an alternative to the E-AR off of the Pulse Cannon of WMage - I'm learning a little UScript as I try to edit certain variables to something to my liking - none too overpowered but none too weak and more reliable against bots that jump like they were on caffeine... I still like that sexy energy rifle tho)

Neither did I know that the bolts amplify... I was wondering why one enemy took a green bolt to the face while the other behind him transmutted into a shower of gibs. I'll add that as a correction along with another fix (I was thinking Flak Cannon = Skaarj weapon because I was theorizing, but then that got instantly eliminated by the "warning" band around the gun's barrel. Seems I forgot that little fact).


@UBerserker: Oh, I see... well, I'm mostly a complete blank when it comes to UScript (I can edit small variables to change something. Let's say the Pulse Cannon (renamed Z-444-TORRENT Assault Cannon) from WMage currently shoots blue dispersion shots / increased alt-fire's ammo cost to 10 and cooldown to 3 seconds to balance it out a little. Still thinking of a new projectile for the alternate fire though). But I can see how that'd be complex to handle. I'm already aware that making a gun switch in different firing modes on one button is difficult, but I can't really comprehend how damage stacking would work. Something like

---
EXU.HellGunBolt

check if hit;
Check pawntype
if pawn EXU.EXUScriptedPawn receives action TakeDamage;

then return increase DamageType_Hell (Number);
end;

This probably isn't correct, but it's pretty much how I assume it'd work. Projectile checks if it's applicable to the pawn (namely the EXU ScriptedPawn type, to which the gun's damage stacking variable is limited), and if it is, it increases the damage by a set amount. Considering how I'd like to create my own kind of weaponpack someday I may learn some actual UScript and give it a go.

[UBerserker]

@UBerserker: Oh, I see... well, I'm mostly a complete blank when it comes to UScript (I can edit small variables to change something. Let's say the Pulse Cannon (renamed Z-444-TORRENT Assault Cannon) from WMage currently shoots blue dispersion shots / increased alt-fire's ammo cost to 10 and cooldown to 3 seconds to balance it out a little. Still thinking of a new projectile for the alternate fire though). But I can see how that'd be complex to handle. I'm already aware that making a gun switch in different firing modes on one button is difficult, but I can't really comprehend how damage stacking would work. Something like

---
EXU.HellGunBolt

check if hit;
Check pawntype
if pawn EXU.EXUScriptedPawn receives action TakeDamage;

then return increase DamageType_Hell (Number);
end;

This probably isn't correct, but it's pretty much how I assume it'd work. Projectile checks if it's applicable to the pawn (namely the EXU ScriptedPawn type, to which the gun's damage stacking variable is limited), and if it is, it increases the damage by a set amount. Considering how I'd like to create my own kind of weaponpack someday I may learn some actual UScript and give it a go.

Damage stacking of the HellGun is also really wonky at the moment because it doesn't affect just your HellGun but every projectile thrown at the same enemy. Say you shot enemy X full of hell bolts (so a lot of damage stacking "debuff" on the enemy) and if other people shoot the same enemy in the meanwhile with different projectiles, enemy X will be damaged even more by these different projectiles. Damage stacking affects pawn, therefore every projectile will take advantage of this debuff temporarily (tl:dr hell gun damage stacking is more like the enemy resistance getting progressively decreased. Broken in Coop games, SP impossible).

[Buff Skeleton]

Uh, what? It only affects projectiles with the 'Hell' damage, not all damage. It works fine in both coop and SP and always has. But yes, it is more like a 'Hell' resistance debuff, except it can wind up increasing the healing amount for pawns with a negative damage scale to that damage type, as noted.

There was only one way I could think of to make it work for only the Hell Gun and not all damage with the 'Hell' damage type: when the pawn takes a hit with 'Hell' damage type, check the instigator, then check the instigator's CURRENT weapon (since we can't know what weapon was selected at the time when the projectile was fired). If both the primary and secondary fire modes use the 'Hell' damage type, then it's most likely a Hell Gun, and damage stacking should apply. I COULD have checked for the Hell Gun class itself, but then I'd not be able to make it work for Demon Bolter Turrets or other potential weapons. So I figured a MyDamageType check was a better compromise.

This means that if you take a shot at long range, then switch to another gun before the bolt hits and you don't switch back to the Hell Gun before impact, said impact won't increase the HellDamageScale any further. It'll still do more damage than normal if the HellDamageScale has already been increased above 1.0 since changes to that variable are permanent, but the latest hit won't do any more damage than the last hit to be registered while the Hell Gun was selected.

This ALSO means that if you have a Hell Gun selected when you chuck a Demonblast Flare, it'll do even more damage because the stacking will start to increase dramatically while the explosion is going off. Fun times.

I'm not even sure how else I could have made this work, let alone for non-EXU pawns or PlayerPawns. It seems like the next best option would have been to spawn a proxy actor for each pawn hit by a Hell Gun projectile, and have the proxy stick to the pawn until death. Make the proxy track how much hell damage the pawn's taken and apply extra damage on top of that or something, which would probably end up being shit for performance. Imagine if you did the Demonblast trick mentioned and had like 300 pawns in the blast radius. You'd now have 300 proxy actors as well all tracking the additional damage, and it would be a clusterfuck to process. That, and the proxy actor would somehow have to be able to tell what the damage type and damage amount was taken for every subsequent hit to the attached pawn, and I don't think that's even possible unless TakeDamage itself notifies the actor, which requires a custom pawn class, and you're back to EXUScriptedPawn-specific implementation.

I'm sure a more seasoned programmer could figure out a method, but it just probably isn't viable in this game engine. Oh well, it's still pretty damn fun as it is and super useful for taking down nasty shit like fighters or Rage Reactors!

[UBerserker]

yeah now that I remember the massive healing from hell projs was the issue, not damage. This is why I had to turn off damage stacking on all bosses lol but anyway there isn't a point figuring out a better stacking system, current one works enough and this engine is too primitive for such advanced stuff.

[KeeperUTX]

Uh, what? It only affects projectiles with the 'Hell' damage, not all damage. It works fine in both coop and SP and always has. But yes, it is more like a 'Hell' resistance debuff, except it can wind up increasing the healing amount for pawns with a negative damage scale to that damage type, as noted.

There was only one way I could think of to make it work for only the Hell Gun and not all damage with the 'Hell' damage type: when the pawn takes a hit with 'Hell' damage type, check the instigator, then check the instigator's CURRENT weapon (since we can't know what weapon was selected at the time when the projectile was fired). If both the primary and secondary fire modes use the 'Hell' damage type, then it's most likely a Hell Gun, and damage stacking should apply. I COULD have checked for the Hell Gun class itself, but then I'd not be able to make it work for Demon Bolter Turrets or other potential weapons. So I figured a MyDamageType check was a better compromise.

This means that if you take a shot at long range, then switch to another gun before the bolt hits and you don't switch back to the Hell Gun before impact, said impact won't increase the HellDamageScale any further. It'll still do more damage than normal if the HellDamageScale has already been increased above 1.0 since changes to that variable are permanent, but the latest hit won't do any more damage than the last hit to be registered while the Hell Gun was selected.

This ALSO means that if you have a Hell Gun selected when you chuck a Demonblast Flare, it'll do even more damage because the stacking will start to increase dramatically while the explosion is going off. Fun times.


I'm not even sure how else I could have made this work, let alone for non-EXU pawns or PlayerPawns. It seems like the next best option would have been to spawn a proxy actor for each pawn hit by a Hell Gun projectile, and have the proxy stick to the pawn until death. Make the proxy track how much hell damage the pawn's taken and apply extra damage on top of that or something, which would probably end up being shit for performance. Imagine if you did the Demonblast trick mentioned and had like 300 pawns in the blast radius. You'd now have 300 proxy actors as well all tracking the additional damage, and it would be a clusterfuck to process. That, and the proxy actor would somehow have to be able to tell what the damage type and damage amount was taken for every subsequent hit to the attached pawn, and I don't think that's even possible unless TakeDamage itself notifies the actor, which requires a custom pawn class, and you're back to EXUScriptedPawn-specific implementation.

I'm sure a more seasoned programmer could figure out a method, but it just probably isn't viable in this game engine. Oh well, it's still pretty damn fun as it is and super useful for taking down nasty shit like fighters or Rage Reactors!

Yeah, that's what I was trying to state. Slipped my mind, certain details.

But yeah, the Unreal Engine 1, while highly flexible (As demonstrated by certain mods such as NW3 - props to that one, seriously), has limits to it. It'll only take so much strain before it can't process a certain action and close down out of attempting to perform it, or otherwise other stuff that basically just fuck around with how the engine's logic processes everything. It especially farts out when there's too many things going on for it to handle (Map 03: The Shitstorm of the Batshit Insane campaign emphasizes this heavily, as when the engine attempts to write down a save file of what's going on, it is very likely it'll instead fail and crash to the desktop due to its current limitations.) The computer its working with of course will contribute to its failures (for example, my computer isn't really modernized, with low RAM as well, so the Unreal HD texture pack will cause a crash within moments of initializing it in-game; planning on a better computer soon enough)

Oh also I should be posting slots 6 and 7 tomorrow. I think, unless there's gonna be stuffness to do.