New Rushnik Battle Mech Strategies

May 19, 2008

New Rushnik Battle Mech Strategies

NCsoft has released a new Exteel developer diary
that provides strategy tips for the Rushnik Mechanaught as well as a set of
weapons and battle maps. This package includes a large set of screenshots to
help describe the subject of the diary which includes tips on using the weapons
the Hellrazor, the Zeus Persuader, the Polymer Array and the Colony Burster, as
well as conducting battles in the Dreadnaught Battle Map.


Exteel PC screenshots
Click here to see all new Exteel screenshots.

Exteel Dev Paper #4
The Rushnik Mechanaught – Weapon Highlights – Battle Map: Dreadnaught

After the initial group of entry-level
Mechanaughts, the Rushnik composes part of the next available tier of
Mechanaughts and is a bit of an improvement from the starter Pinkett and other
low-level sets (the Mekhi and Frontliner). At this point in the pilot’s
progress, these Mechanaughts become more specialized towards their specific
tasks and pilots will start to upgrade their own Mechanaught not as a whole set,
but part by part, to create the best mix for themselves. While the Rushnik is a
light-armor design that places emphasis on pure speed, the designers also
concentrated on making it tougher than its Mekhi sibling.

On a cost basis, the full Rushnik set costs
54,000 credits, well over twice the price of the Mekhi. The Rushnik generates
and recovers more energy than the Mekhi, and has the ability to use its jump
jets more efficiently. Not intended for the rigors of front-line combat, the
Rushnik does not cool down quickly nor is it particularly accurate, though its
equivalent armor protection is closer to the Frontliner than the Mekhi. The
Rushnik head is only equipped with one Mechanaught Processing Unit (MPU),
meaning only one purchasable skill can be equipped and used at any time.

The designers of the Rushnik have particularly
developed the Mechanaught towards situations where speed and protection is more
essential, such as Aerogate capture, reconnaissance, and flag carrying.
Close-range combat with SMGs or melee weapons would be preferred over long-range
engagements.

Weapon Highlights

  • Hellrazor – The Hellrazor is the next
    available Mechanaught shotgun after the Spatter Gun, though it shoots blasts
    of fire rather than traditional ammunition. Despite its high capacity to deal
    damage at close range, usually better than most other shotguns, the Hellrazor
    retains low marks for accuracy while it generates heat much quicker and takes
    much longer to reload.
  • Zeus Persuader – This rifle fires electrically
    charged rounds of ammunition that can short out a Mechanaught’s electrical
    systems and controls. The Zeus Persuader is a popular low- to mid-level rifle,
    capable of hitting targets at medium range with decent accuracy.
  • Polymer Array – Commonly referred to as a
    “rectifier,” the Polymer Array is technically not a weapon at all, though a
    Mechanaught wields it like one. It fires polymerized energy particles that,
    when aimed at an ally, will reinforce the armored plating and synthetic
    bonding of a damaged Mechanaught, recovering some of its ability to absorb
    damage. Like other weapons, however, rectifiers will overheat after repeated
    usage. The Polymer Array has a long range but narrow lock-on angle, so it may
    take a little bit of practice to master. Certain purchasable melee skills also
    make use of rectifiers, like the Polymer Array, to degrade an opponent’s
    ability to absorb damage.
  • Colony Burster – While it’s not actually able
    to burst open entire colonies, this heavy two-handed underslung cannon should
    sure come close. A set of three intake valves nestled along the Colony
    Burster’s long barrel means that it can deliver explosive shells the furthest
    of all the cannons available in Exteel. Like most cannons its shells deal
    tremendous amounts of damage, is very accurate once the pilot locks onto a
    target, and takes a long time to reload.

The Dreadnaught Battle Map
Dreadnaught is one of the more unique battle maps available to players in Exteel.
Mechanaughts battle atop a massive space cruiser as well as various winding
corridors within the ship. The ship is also engaged in a great battle against
other spaceships in the background, which provides an interesting backdrop to
the immediate battle at hand.

The outline of the map is mostly rectangular,
with a long playing surface across deck of the ship, bisected lengthwise by a
squat row of open bays and communications tower. One end of the map features a
raised platform in front of bridge superstructure, and various Mechanaught
launching bays line the sides of the playing arena. Various tunnels also lead
further down to two sets of corridors and rooms that also run the length of the
ship.

Dreadnaught is one of two maps in Exteel that
feature low-gravity environments, meaning normal non-boosted jumps can reach
quite high (Hint: at the apex of the jump, hit your boosters to jump even
higher). The Dreadnaught map is currently available for play in Deathmatch, Team
Deathmatch, Territory Control, and Last Stand battle modes. Territory Control
matches can be rather tricky, with usually one Aerogate on the top deck and the
other four nestled in rooms set at the four corners of the map. Approaches to
these rooms are narrow and pilots contest each Aerogate viciously.