Until there is a manual, this may be a good place to put keyboard shortcuts and special characteristics that make playing easier.
1. Multi-select.
If you double-click on a weapon of one type (eg. blaster), all similar units within 6 squares will be selected and you can move them all to a new location. They will arrange themselves as near as they can to that new location.
2. Shift-select
You can hold down Shift while clicking on weapons to select more than one weapon for move orders at the same time. It works the same as multi-select as far as move location.
3. Double-click to reselect
If you have a weapon selected, clicking on another weapon will deselect the first weapon, then clicking on the second one again will select the second. This is useful for things like Repulsors and Creeper makers, where you may want to alter their beam direction, or strength one after the other.
4. Keyboard shortcuts:
"W" - selects the Weapons Tab
"S" Select the Systems Tab
The numbers 1-5 can then be used to select a unit within the weapons or Systems tabs.
"T" selects and dismisses the Tech Table.
"Esc" will dismiss the first Black screen as well as all of the dialogs.
- You can hit "esc" as soon as the screen appears, you don't have to wait for the fade-in to complete. Or wait, gives you a chance to settle in and get in the right frame of mind to give the creeper a good kicking.
"P" is to pause or resume the game. You can hit "Pause" on the black screen or on the dialogs to have it take effect before the game starts.
The "Backspace" key will create a screen shot of the entire map at that point in time.
- On Windows, this screen shot is stored in a subfolder in your "Documents" folder named "creeperworld2_screens." Each screen shot will have a numeric number, with the most recent being the highest number in that folder.
I'll add more as I remember them.
In case people did not (already) know this: When the black screen appears, you can immediately click or hot Esc to move on. You do not have to wait for the screen to fully fade in.
Here is the current strategy guide for Creeper World 2. If you would like to share your strategies for inclusion in the game manual, here is the place to do it! Especially interested in short, general rules of thumb, like in the General Strategy section below! Thanks!
General Strategy
1: Prioritize Energy production at the beginning of each level: build Reactors and collect Crystals.
2: Overbuilding will slow your progress and leave you vulnerable.
3: Excavate terrain if there isn't enough space to build.
4: Mine Ore to create Good Creeper.
5: Different Artifacts provide different resources: Remnants provide Ore; Crystals provide Energy; Nanochips provide Technytes.
6: Start attacking the Creeper as early as possible; the longer you leave it, the more of it there will be.
7: Don't stretch your weapons too thin. It is often best to tackle Emitters one at a time.
Strategy Guide
1: Use Launchers against dense Creeper.
- Missiles work best against dense Creeper and always target the densest Creeper in range.
- Missiles travel around terrain and do not require a line of sight.
- Always have Launchers nearby when opening a chamber of dense Creeper.
2: Use Blasters against low concentrations of Creeper.
- Blasters attack the nearest Creeper.
- Blasters have a high rate of fire, but are less useful against dense Creeper.
- Position Blasters at choke-points to prevent the Creeper's advance.
3: Use Synthetic Creeper against Hostile Creeper.
- Synthetic and Hostile Creeper slowly destroy one another when they come into contact.
- Synthetic Creeper damages Drones and blocks enemy Packets.
- Use Shields and Repulsors to direct the movement of Synthetic Creeper.
4: Research can tip the odds in your favor.
- The sooner you build Tech Domes, the more technology you will be able to research during a mission.
- Choose upgrades wisely and to fit the mission's circumstances.
- Researching all upgrades on every mission is unnecessary.
5: Beware of Drones.
- Drones target all units and can travel through Micro Rifts to reach undefended parts of your base.
- Only Blasters can damage Drones, so always keep some in reserve.
- Drones often travel in clusters to disguise their actual numbers.
6: Use the terrain to your advantage.
- Excavating terrain can create extra space for building.
- Excavate around dense terrain when possible as it costs more Energy to excavate.
- You can excavate terrain to influence the flow of Creeper.
Quote from: DMCH on March 27, 2011, 10:59:05 AM
3: Use Synthetic Creeper against Hostile Creeper.
- Synthetic and Hostile Creeper slowly destroy one another when they come into contact.
- Synthetic Creeper damages Drones and blocks enemy Packets.
- Use Shields and Repulsors to direct the movement of Synthetic Creeper.
Oh great, not another one. What have we got now? Good, benign, synthetic, bad, evil, and hostile! To many! :D
It all seems very good. The only thing I kind of disagree with is #7 in the general strategy. I often multitask to the extreme, in missions, attacking 4 or even more emitters/Gateways at a time. But since this is for the novice, it is the right starting strategy and they should be able to work out what strategies they like once they get CW2 down. So it seems good to me.
Actually, naming the Creeper was still a WIP. It is now decided. In the game there will be Creeper and Anti-Creeper. :)
Happy hunting.
I'm still calling them Creeper and Goodies (Good--ies)
For me it's obvious :D
Quote from: Fisherck on March 27, 2011, 03:57:22 PM
The only thing I kind of disagree with is #7 in the general strategy. I often multitask to the extreme, in missions, attacking 4 or even more emitters/Gateways at a time.
Same for me, but I can imagine fighting at multiple fronts isn't very easy for a beginner. Tip 0: pause a lot!
Quote from: DMCH on March 27, 2011, 10:59:05 AM
6: Start attacking the Creeper as early as possible; the longer you leave it, the more of it there will be.
I'm also not sure about this one. I rather build up my force first and generate all the energy I'll (probably) need. Some digging in advance won't hurt and actually saves time, but I won't open any chambers before I'm completely ready. I only use weapons during the build up phase when I need to defend myself (just like for CW1). This ensures all energy is used to generate more energy (which grows exponentially). Once I go, I fight several chambers simultaneously (see above).
Thanks all for the tips and observations! Keep them coming :)
Quote from: Karsten75 on February 13, 2011, 06:44:53 PM
this may be a good place to put keyboard shortcuts
I'll add more as I remember them.
F1 = return to Windowed mode
Q = (de)activate
A = (dis)arm
X = destroy
E = Experimentals tab
SPACE = next
Right-mouse = cancel
Arrow-up = scroll up
Arrow-down = scroll down
Ctrl-C = quick save
Ctrl-V = quick load
Quote from: Karsten75 on February 13, 2011, 06:44:53 PM
The numbers 1-5 can then be used to select a unit within the weapons or Systems tabs.
1-
6
Thanks, I'll alert our writer. Actually, we have some (most?) of them already, but I'll still ask him to have a look.
Edit:
SPACE is similar to "Cancel," is it not? WHen you say "Next," in what context is that? If you have a unit selected, Spacebar deselects that unit.
Quote from: Karsten75 on February 13, 2011, 06:44:53 PM
The numbers 1-5 can then be used to select a unit within the weapons or Systems tabs.
Isn't it 1-6? I just tried out selecting rifts/coils by pressing the "6". That'w working too, so you should change the 1-5 to 1-6.
I just wanted to say^^
It's not a typo. It works just fine.
grr, virgil changed it again >:(
Quote from: Grauniad on March 31, 2011, 01:36:00 PM
we have some (most?) of them already
Just added the ones not mentioned in the top post.
Quote from: Grauniad on March 31, 2011, 01:36:00 PM
SPACE is similar to "Cancel," is it not? WHen you say "Next," in what context is that? If you have a unit selected, Spacebar deselects that unit.
Oh, didn't know it worked like 'cancel'. I use it to get to the next dialog of the conversation, but probably right-mouse would do the same then.
Quote from: Link327 on March 31, 2011, 02:13:23 PM
Isn't it 1-6? I just tried out selecting rifts/coils by pressing the "6". That'w working too, so you should change the 1-5 to 1-6.
I just wanted to say^^
Did you even look at my post?
Quote from: thepenguin on March 31, 2011, 02:14:52 PM
Typo: F11
Quote from: thepenguin on March 31, 2011, 02:26:06 PM
grr, virgil changed it again >:(
*sigh* .... *counts to 10* .... *makes it 20*Only 7 builds ago....
Quote from: virgilw
DONE: Pick something other than F11 for fullscreen exit (won't work on mac). Chose F1.
well, that shows how much I play in full screen
Note in general:
It's helpful to read about all issues fixed/addressed in a new build when you download and install it, because these are the things that should get extra attention during testing. There can always be exceptions that were forgotten about or unwanted side-effects that got introduced.
:-[
First I've known about the Technical Menu.
I think it's time to start over again from Day 1.
What a great feature.
dbit
WTHeck is a "Technical menu?"
I didn't see this one:
MOUSE WHEEL: scroll up/down
Quote from: Karsten75 on May 19, 2011, 02:09:27 PM
WTHeck is a "Technical menu?"
Please pardon me all to pieces..."Tech Table".
Does that answer you?
Quote from: DethbyIT on May 19, 2011, 05:44:18 PM
Quote from: Karsten75 on May 19, 2011, 02:09:27 PM
WTHeck is a "Technical menu?"
Please pardon me all to pieces..."Tech Table".
Does that answer you?
A simple mind (like mine) needs a full word. No, I still don't know what you are talking about.
probably the upgrades menu..
Your own words:
Quote from: Karsten75 on February 13, 2011, 06:44:53 PM
"T" selects and dismisses the Tech Table.
In other words: the upgrades menu. :)
Quote from: UpperKEES on May 19, 2011, 06:34:18 PM
Your own words:
Quote from: Karsten75 on February 13, 2011, 06:44:53 PM
"T" selects and dismisses the Tech Table.
In other words: the upgrades menu. :)
Kees and MadMag - thank you for interpreting. ;)
Helpful "how-to" for new players in regard to all-direction building. Pictures explain the pattern used to get the most energy out of an all-direction map. Refer to this thread for more information: http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=7162.0
Picture 1, 2, and 3: explanation and description of the pattern, and the poses of making it.
Picture 4: what the pattern should look like
Nice one Cotters! Very good tutorial.
Did you know? If you move a vacuum maker across a shield retaining Greeper it will suck it up.
Stupid question, but do repulsors stack? I.e. if I put 2 repulsors one behind another facing same direction, will the resulting gravity beam be twice as "strong"? I somehow assumed thy do not stack but I notice on some people scrrenshots they have them stacked sometimes.
Yep, they stack. This won't make them push Creeper 'faster', but they will be able to hold back a greater density of Creeper.
Quote from: virgilw on August 18, 2011, 02:57:18 PM
Yep, they stack. This won't make them push Creeper 'faster', but they will be able to hold back a greater density of Creeper.
Im not quite sure if it is true that they will not push creeper 'faster' If they stack, and the 'spread bias' is focused in that direction, with twice the force of one, then you can move twice as much creeper in that time. Also, considering the evaporation of creeper, I think that it does move it faster.
However, Since I did not code the system, I am just guessing.
Essentially creeper moves every 2 frames from what I understand (half of the map each frame) - and creeper can only move 1 subcell each time it moves, so no matter how strong the fields etc. are the creeper will never move faster than that - the strength of the fields only efects how much of the creeper moves each time. Because of some interactions with evaporation of creeper (creeper under 10 density evaporates instantly) this may make creeper appear to move faster/slower, but it's typically just that the creeper is actually disappearing on one end or the other rather than actually moving at a different speed.
I just had to post this here because this hotkey isn't documented and might be forgotten.
Equals sign(=) - show FPS
It is documented and will never be forgotten - by betas. (That hotkey also works in CW1, for reference)
lol my first time reading this entire post, i never knew about the (=) lol i gotta try that now xD
When you pause the game, you can press 'N' to play 1 frame of the game. Hold it and it will look like the game is not paused. :)