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Jedi Knight Force - The Unofficial FAQ v1.0
by Dan Thompson edge@chipware.net
--------------------------------
Table of Contents:
- What's new in this version
- Introduction
- General Force Information
- Character Rank
- Sound Effects
- Force "Cheaters"
- The Force Powers
- Neutral Force Powers
- Force Jump
- Force Speed
- Force Pull
- Force Seeing
- Light Force Powers
- Force Healing
- Force Persuasion
- Force Blinding
- Force Absorb
- Force Protection
- Dark Force Powers
- Force Throw
- Force Grip
- Force Lightning
- Force Destruction
- Force Deadly Sight
- What's still missing
- Special Thanks
--------------------------------
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS VERSION (1.0, 12.10.97)
Everything!
INTRODUCTION
Unlike many 3D first-person shooters out there, Jedi Knight has an aspect that
drastically alters the gameplay, and
keeps it from being yet another Quake clone: Force Powers. These powers can
easily help you best anyone who
tries to play you in a traditional 3D "run to the rocket launcher" way. This FAQ
is intended to help you use the Force
in the most effective ways possible. Note that most of the information in this
guide is useful in multiplayer play, and
may not be applicable to a single player game.
GENERAL FORCE INFORMATION
Character Rank
When you create a new multiplayer character, the rank you choose impacts you in
three ways: First, what Force
powers are available to you; second, how many stars you have to assign to those
Force powers; and finally, your
maximum mana limit in battle. I have found that for the most part, only two
ranks are really useful. Those ranks
are 8 - Jedi Lord and 6 - Disciple.
The advantages of being a Jedi Lord are that you have access to any Force power
(including Protection and Deadly
Sight), you have the most stars possible to assign to force powers (32), and
that you have the maximum mana limit
in battle. The only drawback is that you must choose either light or dark side;
you cannot have any mix of both.
The advantage of being a Disciple is that you can pick both light and dark side
powers. The drawbacks are that you
cannot use Force Absorb or Force Destruction (or, by matter of elimination,
Protection or Deadly Sight), you only have
24 stars to assign to Force powers, and you have a lower maximum mana limit.
Personally, I consider the ranks about equal; each has it's advantages in a
given situation. However, I usually use
Disciple about 85% of the time.
Note that your rank has nothing to do with how effective your Force is; that is
completely dependent on the number
of stars you have assigned to that Force.
Sound Effects
Knowing the sound effects of the different forces is a really important part of
playing Jedi Knight. For example, when
you hear the Persuasion sound (a low-pitched hum), that should clue you in to
use Seeing. If you hear the high-pitched
scream of Blinding a lot, you should be using Seeing to avoid a possible
Blinding.
Force "Cheaters"
There are ways to edit certain files so that you may use combinations of forces
not normally allowed, such as Grip with
Absorb or Seeing with Protection. Basically, I watch for these things:
If they use Absorb or Destruction, they should not be using any opposite side
powers.
If they use Protection or Deadly Sight, they should not be using any opposite
side powers or any neutral powers.
Please do not become one of the many (ignorant) people who think Disciple is
cheating. I have played quite a few
people who scream, "Cheater!" simply because I used Grip and Persuasion
together. I can tell you from experience;
telling people over and over again about the Disciple exception gets really old,
really fast.
THE FORCE POWERS
Here's the format for the Force power descriptions:
Force Name
Cost*
Overall Effectiveness (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most effective)
Star Effect (what having more stars assigned to this power does)
How to implement it
How to defend against it
*Note: The value for Cost is out of the .cog file. To put it somewhat in
perspective, a Force Boost is equivalent to
about 100 mana.
Neutral Force Powers
-Force Jump-
Cost: 20 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 2
Star Effect: More stars = Higher jump
How to implement it: You can use it as a way to access otherwise inaccessible
areas, as a shortcut, or as a way to
help escape Grip. I wouldn't be caught without at least 1 star on this. Force
Jump is also variable. If you only tap
the button or hold it down until the sound is at it's highest pitch, you will
get the maximum height out of your jump.
If you let go somewhere in between, you'll get a slightly lower jump.
How to defend against it: You can't stop it in any practical way, but all it is
is a high jump.
-Force Speed-
Cost: 20 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 3?
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 8 seconds, 2 stars = 11 seconds, 3 stars =
13 seconds, 4 stars = 16 seconds
How to implement it: You can use it to run over mines without taking damage,
for more maneuverability in battle,
or to help you escape or chase someone down. I'm not too experienced with this
power, as I don't use it that much.
Any tactical suggestions would be appreciated.
How to defend against it: Again, not really applicable.
-Force Pull-
Cost: 20 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 4
Star Effect: More stars = Longer targeting range
How to implement it: This is the bane of the Quaker. Any time you see a
person, and they do not have a lightsaber
in their hand, use this on them. They will lose their weapon, at which time you
move in for the kill. This power is
extremely effective vs weapon-users, as the only weapon that can't be pulled is
a lightsaber. Also, you can use this
to pull items toward you, which can be useful if you and an opponent are racing
towards, say, an armor vest, or a
force surge. You can also use this to pick up an item that you cannot get, such
as a armor vest if you have full shield,
or a light surge if you are dark. This has the effect of getting the item (even
though you actually don't), making sure
that no one else can get it until it respawns.
How to defend against it: An opponent cannot use this if they are Blinded.
Also, if you have Persuasion active, and
they do not have Seeing activated, they cannot target you. Finally, Pull will
not work if the target has Absorb active.
-Force Seeing-
Cost: 30 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 3
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 10 seconds, 2 stars = 15 seconds, 3 stars =
20 seconds, 4 stars = 25 seconds; also, on the map, 1 or 2 stars lets you see
all players, 3 stars lets you see players
and items, and 4 stars lets you see players, items, and projectiles, while
activated.
How to implement it: Use it whenever you hear the Persuasion sound, so that you
can see them. You can also use
it to avoid being Blinded (note that this will not un-Blind you; you must use it
*before* you get Blinded). It can also
help in low light situations. Beware, though, you lose all form of stealth when
you use this; the sound it makes while
active is quite loud.
How to defend against it: If you hear that they don't already have it active,
go ahead and Blind them. After they are
Blinded, it will be too late for them to use Seeing. Other than that, there
isn't much you can do.
Light Force Powers
-Force Healing-
Cost: 200 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 2
Star Effect: 20 HP healed for each star
How to implement it: It heals you. That's it. There is about a 1 second delay
between the moment you activate it
and the moment you actually receive the HP, though.
How to defend against it: Try to take off HP faster than they can heal it. This
isn't too hard, especially given the
healing delay.
-Force Persuasion-
Cost: 250 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 4
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 10 seconds, 2 stars = 20 seconds, 3 stars =
30 seconds, 4 stars = 40 seconds
How to implement it: Use it to snipe, or to use weapons in general. Use it to
gain the element of surprise in an
attack. I use this particular Force a LOT. In fact, I usually Never Leave Home
Without It. It is extremely helpful in
multiplayer DM games. However, it's damn near useless in a 1 on 1 DM, which is
why I ranked it 4 instead of 5.
This Force can be very nasty when combined with Grip or Pull, or for best
results, all three. I'll suffice it to say that
90-95% of the time, if I Grip someone while I have Persuasion active, and they
don't already have Seeing activated,
I kill them in that encounter. If they have a weapon armed and I Pull that too,
kick that percentage up to about 98%.
Additionally, this will prevent you from taking damage from Deadly Sight.
How to defend against it: Persuasion is probably the third most whined about
Force in Jedi Knight. However,
Seeing stops it in its tracks. I have found that there are two methods of using
Seeing to beat Persuasion. The first
is to continually have Seeing activated. This is good in 1 on 1, but can be
hard to implement in a multiplayer DM,
especially if there is only one other opponent using Persuasion and you have
other things to worry about.
The second method (the one I prefer) is to TURN UP THE SOUND ON YOUR DAMN
SPEAKERS and ACTUALLY LISTEN
for the Persuasion sound, and then activate Seeing. This second method seems to
be difficult for several people,
because I constantly hear whining about "Persuasion is cheap," "Let's see how
good you are without Persuasion,
etc; yet Persuasion seems fairly simple to stop for me. I have never yet to
this day been repeatedly victimized by
anyone using Persuasion against me. If people catch on to this, I might have to
re-evaluate the effectiveness ranking
for Persuasion, but for now, I feel that ranking is perfectly valid.
-Force Blinding-
Cost: 100 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 2.5
Star Effect: Duration of target's blindness- 1 star = 5 seconds, 2 stars =
8 seconds, 3 stars = 12 seconds, 4 stars = 16 seconds; More stars = Longer
targeting range
How to implement it: You can use this Force to stop any target-aimed force
(Pull, Throw, Grip), as they cannot target
while Blinded (with the exception of Blinding; you can still Blind while
Blinded). This will also prevent Deadly Sight
or Seeing from being used. This power works best if you don't use Persuasion a
whole lot, because then they are less
likely to have Seeing activated.
How to defend against it: If you have Seeing active when the opponent attempts
to use this on you, you will not be
Blinded. Also, you can see somewhat through the blindness, but it can be
difficult to aim.
-Force Absorb-
Cost: 200 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 3
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 5 seconds, 2 stars = 10 seconds, 3 stars =
15 seconds, 4 stars = 20 seconds; Damage lessened from Dark Force attacks-
1 star = 25% of the attack absorbed as a mana boost, 2 stars = 50%,
3 stars = 75%, 4 stars = 100% (does not work vs Force Throw).
How to implement it: If you are bent on using weapons, use this, as they cannot
be Pulled while Absorb is active. If
you are fighting a bunch of Force-happy Dark Jedi, this can help you immensely.
Note that this isn't entirely effective
vs Grip, because you are still immobilized.
How to defend against it: This does not protect them from Force Throw. Also,
Grip can still immobilize them, making
it easier for you to get in some shots.
-Force Protection-
Cost: Up to 300 mana (you can activate it with less than 300 available, but it
will use up all you have, up to 300)
Overall Effectiveness: 3
Star Effect: N/A
How to implement it: This will protect you completely from everything but
Sequencer Charges, Thermal Detonators,
Rail Detonators, Concussion Rifles, Force Lightning, Force Destruction, Force
Deadly Sight, and Lightsabers. Those
attacks will wear down Protection (see below). Just don't use it in an area
with a lot of Throwable Objects.
How to defend against it: Protection is THE single MOST COMPLAINED ABOUT Force
in Jedi Knight, and doesn't
really deserve it. Grip is much better (or worse, depending on how you look at
it). All Protection is is a 200 HP
shield that lasts 53 seconds. In other words, if you can take off 300 HP in 53
seconds (200 HP + presumably full HP),
they WILL DIE. And since you know they don't have Seeing or Pull, Light Jedi
can easily take out Protection users
by simply using Persuasion and a Concussion Rifle or Rail Detonator.
Let me spell it out for you. A concussion rifle blast does 80 naked damage
points, and a sticky rail charge does 110.
So, assuming they have 100 HP and 100 Shield, it would take approximately 5
shots of the concussion rifle or 4 shots
of the rail detonator to kill them. It's not that hard, especially while you
have Persuasion activated and are Blinding
them at the same time. Also, you can use punches or Force Throw through the
Protection for full, instant damage.
-=Dark Force Powers=-
Note: All the damage amounts listed below are used on a stationary point-blank
opponent.
-Force Throw-
Cost: 30 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 1?
Star Effect: More stars = Longer targeting range
How to implement it: This Force will do direct damage to opponents with Absorb
or Protection activated. You can
also use this Force to snipe, as they will not be able to tell where the hits
are coming from. You must be in an area
with free-moving objects (rocks, drums, containers) in order to have something
to Throw at them, though, and the
objects you wish to Throw must be in your line of sight. Any additional
strategies on how to use this Force would be
appreciated.
How to defend against it: There is no Force that can directly stop this, save
Blinding (which would make them unable
to target you). It's much easier just to be aware of the areas that have a lot
of loose objects that can be Thrown and
try to avoid those areas if you are fighting a Dark Jedi who likes to use Throw.
-Force Grip-
Cost: 50 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 5+
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 2 seconds, 2 stars = 3 seconds, 3 stars =
4 seconds, 4 stars = 5 seconds; Damage- 1 star = 8 HP, 2 stars = 24 HP,
3 stars = 48 HP, 4 stars = 80 (!!!) HP
How to implement it: Grip is the best Force in the game, by far. It uses
comparatively little mana, does good damage,
and holds them somewhat stationary to make it easier for you to supplement your
attack. It stops opponents from
running away from you. Use it all the time. ALL THE TIME. If they have Absorb
activated, they will take little to no
damage directly from Grip, but their movement is still restricted, so you can
still take the opportunity to step back and
fire off a few rails, or run around them and slash them in the back. The only
case where Grip is truly ineffective is
when they have Protection. If that happens, see the above sections on how to
deal with Protection.
How to defend against it: Grip gets its fair share of complaining, but it
pretty much deserves it, for the most part. It
can be stopped, but it isn't easy. First of all, if you get out of the
targeting range after Grip is applied, it will stop.
Jumping and Force Jumping can help you to get some movement started. Absorb
really doesn't work too well,
because you are still restricted.
If you really despise Grip, you can use Protection, but you are really putting
yourself in a worse situation than before
(and plus you have to deal with all the people who will immediately whine,
"Protection is SO CHEAP!"). The best
thing to do is to jump around and try to get out of the Grip's range. Or, of
course, you could try my personal strategy
on dealing with Grip: Grip them first. =-]
-Force Lightning-
Cost: See Star Effect
Overall Effectiveness: 1.5?
Star Effect: Mana Cost- 1 star = 40 mana, 2 stars = 35 mana, 3 stars = 30 mana,
4 stars = 25 mana
How to implement it: Lightning does 13 damage per bolt, so if you have a dark
surge, I suppose you could jam the
button and try to kill people really quickly. I don't really use this power, so
any input would be appreciated.
How to defend against it: Absorb will protect you from this. Other than that,
you can try to get out of the bolt range
and shoot them.
-Force Destruction-
Cost: 200 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 4
Star Effect: Damage- 1 star = 35 HP, 2 stars = 50 HP, 3 stars = 65 HP,
4 stars = 80 HP
How to implement it: Destruction has a pretty big blast radius, so you can fire
it into a crowd and it will do mass
damage. You can also use it to blast people off edges or walkways. You can
also fire it into the floor and create a
kind of damage shield, dealing out damage to everyone near you. A good way to
aim it is to fire at a wall or floor
right next to your target instead of directly at them, so you don't run the risk
of missing them completely.
How to defend against it: Absorb works quite well against Destruction. If you
don't have Absorb, treat Destruction like
a rail charge, and try to make them miss their shot.
-Force Deadly Sight-
Cost 300 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 0.5
Star Effect: N/A
How to implement it: Deadly Sight is the most useless force in the game. It
lasts for only 7 seconds, does 14 damage
per hit at a rate of about 2 hits per second, and uses a boatload of mana. The
only things remotely good about this is
that you don't have to aim it that precisely and that you can do damage to a
crowd. Once people see that you have
Deadly Sight, though, they will kill you vigorously and repeatedly, simply
because they know all the Forces you gave
up to get this one worthless Force.
How to defend against it: Where to begin.... They can't have Seeing, so you can
simply Blind them and that's that. It
also won't work on someone with Persuasion active, so you could use that. They
can't have Pull, so you can bring out
a weapon and shoot them, and you'll usually win the damage tradeoff. However,
the easiest thing to do is wait for the
7 seconds to expire, and go kill them, because they will have no mana left, due
to the fact that Deadly Sight uses so
much mana.
WHAT'S STILL MISSING
-More strategies for Speed, Throw, Lightning, and Destruction
SPECIAL THANKS
Chip, my roommate, for letting me use his computer to test a lot of this stuff
ObiTwo of DarkSaber Clan, for giving me
some info on the .cog files Luke of DarkSaber Clan, for showing me the power of
Grip Jediknight.net, for providing a
Server board and Chat room that allowed me to find games to put this into
practice
Last but not least, LucasArts, for having the balls to make a game that is
actually unique and one in which the rocket
launcher is not God.
Information content copyright (c) 1997 Dan Thompson. All rights reserved. All
other copyrighted and trademarked
information is property of their respective owners.
by Dan Thompson edge@chipware.net
--------------------------------
Table of Contents:
- What's new in this version
- Introduction
- General Force Information
- Character Rank
- Sound Effects
- Force "Cheaters"
- The Force Powers
- Neutral Force Powers
- Force Jump
- Force Speed
- Force Pull
- Force Seeing
- Light Force Powers
- Force Healing
- Force Persuasion
- Force Blinding
- Force Absorb
- Force Protection
- Dark Force Powers
- Force Throw
- Force Grip
- Force Lightning
- Force Destruction
- Force Deadly Sight
- What's still missing
- Special Thanks
--------------------------------
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS VERSION (1.0, 12.10.97)
Everything!
INTRODUCTION
Unlike many 3D first-person shooters out there, Jedi Knight has an aspect that
drastically alters the gameplay, and
keeps it from being yet another Quake clone: Force Powers. These powers can
easily help you best anyone who
tries to play you in a traditional 3D "run to the rocket launcher" way. This FAQ
is intended to help you use the Force
in the most effective ways possible. Note that most of the information in this
guide is useful in multiplayer play, and
may not be applicable to a single player game.
GENERAL FORCE INFORMATION
Character Rank
When you create a new multiplayer character, the rank you choose impacts you in
three ways: First, what Force
powers are available to you; second, how many stars you have to assign to those
Force powers; and finally, your
maximum mana limit in battle. I have found that for the most part, only two
ranks are really useful. Those ranks
are 8 - Jedi Lord and 6 - Disciple.
The advantages of being a Jedi Lord are that you have access to any Force power
(including Protection and Deadly
Sight), you have the most stars possible to assign to force powers (32), and
that you have the maximum mana limit
in battle. The only drawback is that you must choose either light or dark side;
you cannot have any mix of both.
The advantage of being a Disciple is that you can pick both light and dark side
powers. The drawbacks are that you
cannot use Force Absorb or Force Destruction (or, by matter of elimination,
Protection or Deadly Sight), you only have
24 stars to assign to Force powers, and you have a lower maximum mana limit.
Personally, I consider the ranks about equal; each has it's advantages in a
given situation. However, I usually use
Disciple about 85% of the time.
Note that your rank has nothing to do with how effective your Force is; that is
completely dependent on the number
of stars you have assigned to that Force.
Sound Effects
Knowing the sound effects of the different forces is a really important part of
playing Jedi Knight. For example, when
you hear the Persuasion sound (a low-pitched hum), that should clue you in to
use Seeing. If you hear the high-pitched
scream of Blinding a lot, you should be using Seeing to avoid a possible
Blinding.
Force "Cheaters"
There are ways to edit certain files so that you may use combinations of forces
not normally allowed, such as Grip with
Absorb or Seeing with Protection. Basically, I watch for these things:
If they use Absorb or Destruction, they should not be using any opposite side
powers.
If they use Protection or Deadly Sight, they should not be using any opposite
side powers or any neutral powers.
Please do not become one of the many (ignorant) people who think Disciple is
cheating. I have played quite a few
people who scream, "Cheater!" simply because I used Grip and Persuasion
together. I can tell you from experience;
telling people over and over again about the Disciple exception gets really old,
really fast.
THE FORCE POWERS
Here's the format for the Force power descriptions:
Force Name
Cost*
Overall Effectiveness (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most effective)
Star Effect (what having more stars assigned to this power does)
How to implement it
How to defend against it
*Note: The value for Cost is out of the .cog file. To put it somewhat in
perspective, a Force Boost is equivalent to
about 100 mana.
Neutral Force Powers
-Force Jump-
Cost: 20 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 2
Star Effect: More stars = Higher jump
How to implement it: You can use it as a way to access otherwise inaccessible
areas, as a shortcut, or as a way to
help escape Grip. I wouldn't be caught without at least 1 star on this. Force
Jump is also variable. If you only tap
the button or hold it down until the sound is at it's highest pitch, you will
get the maximum height out of your jump.
If you let go somewhere in between, you'll get a slightly lower jump.
How to defend against it: You can't stop it in any practical way, but all it is
is a high jump.
-Force Speed-
Cost: 20 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 3?
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 8 seconds, 2 stars = 11 seconds, 3 stars =
13 seconds, 4 stars = 16 seconds
How to implement it: You can use it to run over mines without taking damage,
for more maneuverability in battle,
or to help you escape or chase someone down. I'm not too experienced with this
power, as I don't use it that much.
Any tactical suggestions would be appreciated.
How to defend against it: Again, not really applicable.
-Force Pull-
Cost: 20 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 4
Star Effect: More stars = Longer targeting range
How to implement it: This is the bane of the Quaker. Any time you see a
person, and they do not have a lightsaber
in their hand, use this on them. They will lose their weapon, at which time you
move in for the kill. This power is
extremely effective vs weapon-users, as the only weapon that can't be pulled is
a lightsaber. Also, you can use this
to pull items toward you, which can be useful if you and an opponent are racing
towards, say, an armor vest, or a
force surge. You can also use this to pick up an item that you cannot get, such
as a armor vest if you have full shield,
or a light surge if you are dark. This has the effect of getting the item (even
though you actually don't), making sure
that no one else can get it until it respawns.
How to defend against it: An opponent cannot use this if they are Blinded.
Also, if you have Persuasion active, and
they do not have Seeing activated, they cannot target you. Finally, Pull will
not work if the target has Absorb active.
-Force Seeing-
Cost: 30 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 3
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 10 seconds, 2 stars = 15 seconds, 3 stars =
20 seconds, 4 stars = 25 seconds; also, on the map, 1 or 2 stars lets you see
all players, 3 stars lets you see players
and items, and 4 stars lets you see players, items, and projectiles, while
activated.
How to implement it: Use it whenever you hear the Persuasion sound, so that you
can see them. You can also use
it to avoid being Blinded (note that this will not un-Blind you; you must use it
*before* you get Blinded). It can also
help in low light situations. Beware, though, you lose all form of stealth when
you use this; the sound it makes while
active is quite loud.
How to defend against it: If you hear that they don't already have it active,
go ahead and Blind them. After they are
Blinded, it will be too late for them to use Seeing. Other than that, there
isn't much you can do.
Light Force Powers
-Force Healing-
Cost: 200 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 2
Star Effect: 20 HP healed for each star
How to implement it: It heals you. That's it. There is about a 1 second delay
between the moment you activate it
and the moment you actually receive the HP, though.
How to defend against it: Try to take off HP faster than they can heal it. This
isn't too hard, especially given the
healing delay.
-Force Persuasion-
Cost: 250 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 4
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 10 seconds, 2 stars = 20 seconds, 3 stars =
30 seconds, 4 stars = 40 seconds
How to implement it: Use it to snipe, or to use weapons in general. Use it to
gain the element of surprise in an
attack. I use this particular Force a LOT. In fact, I usually Never Leave Home
Without It. It is extremely helpful in
multiplayer DM games. However, it's damn near useless in a 1 on 1 DM, which is
why I ranked it 4 instead of 5.
This Force can be very nasty when combined with Grip or Pull, or for best
results, all three. I'll suffice it to say that
90-95% of the time, if I Grip someone while I have Persuasion active, and they
don't already have Seeing activated,
I kill them in that encounter. If they have a weapon armed and I Pull that too,
kick that percentage up to about 98%.
Additionally, this will prevent you from taking damage from Deadly Sight.
How to defend against it: Persuasion is probably the third most whined about
Force in Jedi Knight. However,
Seeing stops it in its tracks. I have found that there are two methods of using
Seeing to beat Persuasion. The first
is to continually have Seeing activated. This is good in 1 on 1, but can be
hard to implement in a multiplayer DM,
especially if there is only one other opponent using Persuasion and you have
other things to worry about.
The second method (the one I prefer) is to TURN UP THE SOUND ON YOUR DAMN
SPEAKERS and ACTUALLY LISTEN
for the Persuasion sound, and then activate Seeing. This second method seems to
be difficult for several people,
because I constantly hear whining about "Persuasion is cheap," "Let's see how
good you are without Persuasion,
etc; yet Persuasion seems fairly simple to stop for me. I have never yet to
this day been repeatedly victimized by
anyone using Persuasion against me. If people catch on to this, I might have to
re-evaluate the effectiveness ranking
for Persuasion, but for now, I feel that ranking is perfectly valid.
-Force Blinding-
Cost: 100 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 2.5
Star Effect: Duration of target's blindness- 1 star = 5 seconds, 2 stars =
8 seconds, 3 stars = 12 seconds, 4 stars = 16 seconds; More stars = Longer
targeting range
How to implement it: You can use this Force to stop any target-aimed force
(Pull, Throw, Grip), as they cannot target
while Blinded (with the exception of Blinding; you can still Blind while
Blinded). This will also prevent Deadly Sight
or Seeing from being used. This power works best if you don't use Persuasion a
whole lot, because then they are less
likely to have Seeing activated.
How to defend against it: If you have Seeing active when the opponent attempts
to use this on you, you will not be
Blinded. Also, you can see somewhat through the blindness, but it can be
difficult to aim.
-Force Absorb-
Cost: 200 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 3
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 5 seconds, 2 stars = 10 seconds, 3 stars =
15 seconds, 4 stars = 20 seconds; Damage lessened from Dark Force attacks-
1 star = 25% of the attack absorbed as a mana boost, 2 stars = 50%,
3 stars = 75%, 4 stars = 100% (does not work vs Force Throw).
How to implement it: If you are bent on using weapons, use this, as they cannot
be Pulled while Absorb is active. If
you are fighting a bunch of Force-happy Dark Jedi, this can help you immensely.
Note that this isn't entirely effective
vs Grip, because you are still immobilized.
How to defend against it: This does not protect them from Force Throw. Also,
Grip can still immobilize them, making
it easier for you to get in some shots.
-Force Protection-
Cost: Up to 300 mana (you can activate it with less than 300 available, but it
will use up all you have, up to 300)
Overall Effectiveness: 3
Star Effect: N/A
How to implement it: This will protect you completely from everything but
Sequencer Charges, Thermal Detonators,
Rail Detonators, Concussion Rifles, Force Lightning, Force Destruction, Force
Deadly Sight, and Lightsabers. Those
attacks will wear down Protection (see below). Just don't use it in an area
with a lot of Throwable Objects.
How to defend against it: Protection is THE single MOST COMPLAINED ABOUT Force
in Jedi Knight, and doesn't
really deserve it. Grip is much better (or worse, depending on how you look at
it). All Protection is is a 200 HP
shield that lasts 53 seconds. In other words, if you can take off 300 HP in 53
seconds (200 HP + presumably full HP),
they WILL DIE. And since you know they don't have Seeing or Pull, Light Jedi
can easily take out Protection users
by simply using Persuasion and a Concussion Rifle or Rail Detonator.
Let me spell it out for you. A concussion rifle blast does 80 naked damage
points, and a sticky rail charge does 110.
So, assuming they have 100 HP and 100 Shield, it would take approximately 5
shots of the concussion rifle or 4 shots
of the rail detonator to kill them. It's not that hard, especially while you
have Persuasion activated and are Blinding
them at the same time. Also, you can use punches or Force Throw through the
Protection for full, instant damage.
-=Dark Force Powers=-
Note: All the damage amounts listed below are used on a stationary point-blank
opponent.
-Force Throw-
Cost: 30 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 1?
Star Effect: More stars = Longer targeting range
How to implement it: This Force will do direct damage to opponents with Absorb
or Protection activated. You can
also use this Force to snipe, as they will not be able to tell where the hits
are coming from. You must be in an area
with free-moving objects (rocks, drums, containers) in order to have something
to Throw at them, though, and the
objects you wish to Throw must be in your line of sight. Any additional
strategies on how to use this Force would be
appreciated.
How to defend against it: There is no Force that can directly stop this, save
Blinding (which would make them unable
to target you). It's much easier just to be aware of the areas that have a lot
of loose objects that can be Thrown and
try to avoid those areas if you are fighting a Dark Jedi who likes to use Throw.
-Force Grip-
Cost: 50 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 5+
Star Effect: Duration- 1 star = 2 seconds, 2 stars = 3 seconds, 3 stars =
4 seconds, 4 stars = 5 seconds; Damage- 1 star = 8 HP, 2 stars = 24 HP,
3 stars = 48 HP, 4 stars = 80 (!!!) HP
How to implement it: Grip is the best Force in the game, by far. It uses
comparatively little mana, does good damage,
and holds them somewhat stationary to make it easier for you to supplement your
attack. It stops opponents from
running away from you. Use it all the time. ALL THE TIME. If they have Absorb
activated, they will take little to no
damage directly from Grip, but their movement is still restricted, so you can
still take the opportunity to step back and
fire off a few rails, or run around them and slash them in the back. The only
case where Grip is truly ineffective is
when they have Protection. If that happens, see the above sections on how to
deal with Protection.
How to defend against it: Grip gets its fair share of complaining, but it
pretty much deserves it, for the most part. It
can be stopped, but it isn't easy. First of all, if you get out of the
targeting range after Grip is applied, it will stop.
Jumping and Force Jumping can help you to get some movement started. Absorb
really doesn't work too well,
because you are still restricted.
If you really despise Grip, you can use Protection, but you are really putting
yourself in a worse situation than before
(and plus you have to deal with all the people who will immediately whine,
"Protection is SO CHEAP!"). The best
thing to do is to jump around and try to get out of the Grip's range. Or, of
course, you could try my personal strategy
on dealing with Grip: Grip them first. =-]
-Force Lightning-
Cost: See Star Effect
Overall Effectiveness: 1.5?
Star Effect: Mana Cost- 1 star = 40 mana, 2 stars = 35 mana, 3 stars = 30 mana,
4 stars = 25 mana
How to implement it: Lightning does 13 damage per bolt, so if you have a dark
surge, I suppose you could jam the
button and try to kill people really quickly. I don't really use this power, so
any input would be appreciated.
How to defend against it: Absorb will protect you from this. Other than that,
you can try to get out of the bolt range
and shoot them.
-Force Destruction-
Cost: 200 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 4
Star Effect: Damage- 1 star = 35 HP, 2 stars = 50 HP, 3 stars = 65 HP,
4 stars = 80 HP
How to implement it: Destruction has a pretty big blast radius, so you can fire
it into a crowd and it will do mass
damage. You can also use it to blast people off edges or walkways. You can
also fire it into the floor and create a
kind of damage shield, dealing out damage to everyone near you. A good way to
aim it is to fire at a wall or floor
right next to your target instead of directly at them, so you don't run the risk
of missing them completely.
How to defend against it: Absorb works quite well against Destruction. If you
don't have Absorb, treat Destruction like
a rail charge, and try to make them miss their shot.
-Force Deadly Sight-
Cost 300 mana
Overall Effectiveness: 0.5
Star Effect: N/A
How to implement it: Deadly Sight is the most useless force in the game. It
lasts for only 7 seconds, does 14 damage
per hit at a rate of about 2 hits per second, and uses a boatload of mana. The
only things remotely good about this is
that you don't have to aim it that precisely and that you can do damage to a
crowd. Once people see that you have
Deadly Sight, though, they will kill you vigorously and repeatedly, simply
because they know all the Forces you gave
up to get this one worthless Force.
How to defend against it: Where to begin.... They can't have Seeing, so you can
simply Blind them and that's that. It
also won't work on someone with Persuasion active, so you could use that. They
can't have Pull, so you can bring out
a weapon and shoot them, and you'll usually win the damage tradeoff. However,
the easiest thing to do is wait for the
7 seconds to expire, and go kill them, because they will have no mana left, due
to the fact that Deadly Sight uses so
much mana.
WHAT'S STILL MISSING
-More strategies for Speed, Throw, Lightning, and Destruction
SPECIAL THANKS
Chip, my roommate, for letting me use his computer to test a lot of this stuff
ObiTwo of DarkSaber Clan, for giving me
some info on the .cog files Luke of DarkSaber Clan, for showing me the power of
Grip Jediknight.net, for providing a
Server board and Chat room that allowed me to find games to put this into
practice
Last but not least, LucasArts, for having the balls to make a game that is
actually unique and one in which the rocket
launcher is not God.
Information content copyright (c) 1997 Dan Thompson. All rights reserved. All
other copyrighted and trademarked
information is property of their respective owners.