Theorchero's Complete Guide to The Predator

Posted from an old forum (Clan BoM's, actually) when the format didn't work! Hopefully it will work here, if it does, i'll start updating and hopefully finish this

I'm now working on the guide more consistently than I was when I orginially posted it so I'm reposting it here, however I fear there may be different forum codes, but forgive me if it is so..

I'm currently in need of pictures people, so please send them in via PM or post here, feel free to comment on the pictures or the guide, but no flaming and keep criticism to constructive context please.

Video:




Guide:

I'm (still) currently collecting information on units and abilties through screen shots.

Theorchero's Complete Guide to The Predator

Index


• Introduction
  
• Game Mechanics
  
• Survivor
  
• Items

Predators


• Assassin
  
• Bezerker
  
• Brawler
  
• Demon
  
• Gorgon
  
• Hunter
  
• Insectoid
  
• Lich
  
• Mechanist
  
• Sage
  
• Vampire

-All unit descriptions with abilties will have lists of known glitches and abnormal uses, and will have tatics listed for both the ability and general play.

Introduction

Welcome to my Guide to The Predator, I assume you are here to learn how to own, glitch, and pulverize newbs? Well, you've come to the right place, Let Orcie Sensei teach you. This Guide is meant to be an encyclapedia of information on all of the units and abilities, and how to use them to your best advantage.

You can download the map Here.

Game Mechanics

The game itself is quite simple; It has a number of survivors who are trapped in a 2D world along with a Predator who wishes for some odd reason to kill them, and they to survive.

Modes:

-br [Bonus Round] An extra round tagged to the end of the game (when all normal round cycles are completed) that results in a FFA Predator Battle Royale in which the winner recieves +5 bonus MVP points.

-tk [Team Knockback/Kill] A favored mode in public and private games alike, this allows you to target offense spells toward allies, in attempting to kill them or move them from hostile Predators. Warning: Teamkilling results in a -2 on your MVP points.

-sr [Screw Referee] Nobody likes the Referee, but some HATE him, so they choose to remove him from the game; This does just that. Warning: If you choose to activate this mode, the Referee will be removed, along with Safe Box Portals, Runes, and Offensive spells he casts. However, if you do not type it as the first or second mode, it can have an effect of him staying long enough to be able to cast False Portals and Spawn Runes in the middle of the map.

-rd [Reset Default Destrucible] Removes all Destrucibles that were spawned or misplaced during the round on new round commencing, and revives destroyed ones. Warning: Due to bugs, Only Trees are effected by this, and only 95% of spawned trees are removed, especially around the Pit of Certain Death.

-nv [Night Vision] Activates Fog of War, creating more emphesis on finding Survivors. Personally, I dislike this mode, and combined with -mt or maybe -mr, could create drastic disadvantages... Vampire thrives in this mode.

Useful Commands

-mt [More Trees] Adds extra trees to the map, in a randomized fashion, great for blocking vision in Night Vision mode.

-mr [More Rocks] Adds more rocks, that, when destroyed, spawn Golems just like other rocks. Deadly to predators with abilites that give them destructible kill in an area of effect around them, (Infernal Rain for Vampire, Bladestorm + Rage for Bezerker, are just 2 examples) but Golems spawned don't always attack the person or unit that spawned them.

-pred=afk [Predator is AFK] Gives the Choosing Predator 10 seconds to choose one, great for Predators that are Away from Keyboard, or ones that are assholes or taking too long to decide.



Model: Human, Priest
Hit Points: 100
Mana Capacity: 50
Armor: 0, Unarmored, 0% Damage Reduction
Inventory: 6 Slots
Move Speed: Fast
Rank: Initiate, No Spells



Picture:

Spoiler:

Abilities

Default Abilities

Description: A fiery magical bullet shoots outward to the target area. Anything it hits is knocked back away. Does small damage to the Predator.
15 Mana
Short Cooldown

Unlisted Effects/Attributes:
-Goes through destructibles, but does not damage.
-Can hit multiple units in certain situations.
-Enemies can "Slant" to avoid being pushed back, and sometimes even take no damage. (hard to do, most discover this by accident, and the few who do, don't know how or can't replicate)
-Goes in stright line from the direction it was cast towards the target.
-Does not collide with other spells.
-Does not, when blinked to middle due to contact with a boundary, continue its effect.
-Interupts casting, such as channeling, and non-channeling as long as the anamation was just played and the effect of the ability was started.
-Slides from multiple Pulse Bullets stack.
-Does not effect certain units with certain conditions, namely Bezerker when Jumping, Lich when Flying, Insectoid when burrowed, Referee, etc (basicly most forms of invulnerability).
-Does not effect allies unless -tk mode was enabled by the Host in the beginning of the game.

Anamation/Pictures:

Spoiler:

Personal Notes: A VERY handy ability, this will save your ass maybe even more than Blink! Dealing 49 damage to other survivors, this is your primary teamkilling tool because it is cheap and spammable.

Tip: When facing any other direction than east, target yourself for this ability; It will send it east in a straight line, handy if you don't have the .23 seconds needed for the turning anamation (or for just showing off).

Tip: You can use this ability, in Conjunction to blink, in order to travel a long distance (at the cost of 49 health and 35 mana) to do this, cast Pulse Bullet towards the direction you want to be transported, then blink quickly to the line of fire of the Pulse Bullet you casted (This ability may be decent for transportation, but it isn't very useful in most situations, as you could just Pulse Bullet the Predator then Blink to safety; Still, it is handy to know because there eventually will be odd times, or when you're just bored).

Tip: You can avoid being pushed by this ability by Interpreting the angle of the bullet, and twisting your unit exactly to the edge of the bullet range at the last minute, while changing your direction; Like I said, you can avoid being slid very far, even avoid it completely (it still interupts your casting), and in certain situations you can avoid the damage. Example video coming soon (hopefully, Even I have problomes replicating this)!

Tip: You can "Lead the Target" ("Snipe") with this ability fairly well by guessing and shooting where the unit is going to be (you can do this with any projectile ability, such as Gorgon's Arrow + Medusa's Eye abilities) based on the speed of the projectile, speed of the target, obstucles, and habits of movement (Both Player +WC3). This is especially handy when it comes to saving allies' asses.

Spoiler:

Tip: Because multiple Pulse Bullets stack, if you fire 2 pulse bullets in exact oppisite directions at the exact same moment, and they don't hit edges (are perfectly centered shots) the predator will take damage from both Pulse Bullets, and will NOT be pushed, however they are helpless until the effect wears off (due to WC, one will cancel before the other, and the Predator will slide in the direction of the origin of the disengaged Pulse Bullet). Devastating to noobs.



Description: Short Distance Teleportation, useful in tight situations.
20 Mana
Medium Cooldown

Unlisted Effects/Attributes
-Split Second Effect ("Removal" for Split Second, see Tips in this section for more info)
-Cannot target cliffs
-Takes a Split Second for the effect to start, and you can be damaged within that time!
-Does not remove "buffs" (magical effects; Registered on the game on Status:)

Personal Notes: This ability is GOD. Although really simple, this ability is used more frequently than any other! Why? Because when you have 20 Hit Points and are about to die, there is nothing better to use than a well-placed blink.


Tip: Blink just temporarily "removes" your unit for a split second, and creates the anamation(s) where you are and the target, then removes you. The Split Second allows you to dodge aiming projectiles and spells, because they "lose" there target. Warning: This effect doesn't always work, because if you do not time it right the projectile will recognize it as regular movement, and will still pursue you.

Tip: This ability is wonderful in conjuction with Pulse Bullet! (Pulse Bullet the Predator, then blink away, creating a large distance between you and the Predator and likely the Predator will go after a closer target!)

Tip: In Conjunction with Pulse Bullet, this ability can be used to instantly kill the Predator. More detailed in the "Tatics" section of survivor.

Tip: You can use this ability to blink out of slide effects, Such as: Bezerker Rage'd Bladestorm, Pulse Bullet (Harder!), The Great Flush, and any other sliding effects that are not mentioned here.

Pictures

Spoiler:

Description: Creates a group of trees at the approximate location. Good for blocking off regular movement. Trees do not grow on bricked or tiled surfaces.
20 Mana
Long Cooldown

Unlisted Effects/Attributes
-Trees can grow in portions (such as 9/10 of the circle is on a tile, but 1/10th isn't, so tree(s) would appear in that area).
-Trees may be grown on top of other trees.
-If trees are placed on top of a Predator or other unit while it is moving, casting, channeling, or attacking, it will cause the order(s) to be disrupted because of the re-placed unit (if the Predator is suddenly within a area where he cannot fit (such as if he needed 2x2 space, and there was none, or with any other value) WC will automatically move him to the nearest location that he can fit with the same height, thus causing the order disruptions)
-If the above condition is met, and if done in certain ways, it can trap the Predator between the trees spawned; Good technique for Predators that are weak against tree-based defenses or Predators with low mana or health (mana preferred, but if it's health it'll give the Survivors a chance to whack at him with their Pulse Bullet spells, maybe even killing him!)
-If placed strategically on top of the Fountain, it may spawn trees on the top, allowing spells like Ancient of Hiding to create a safe place from melee attacks and from some spells.
-Can be used to near-permeantly seal-off the Pit of Certain Death; The Pros of this is that as a Predator, you cannot be pitted easily (note how I said easily, because it is still possible if you have active effects that can destroy destructibles!), however as Survivor it is good because you cannot be Knocked in there by Allies as easy, but to the same degree, you cannot "pit" the Predator easily, unless they are stupid enough to channel near Pit of Certain Death with Destructible-Kill effects active, without managing to destroy the trees.
-If you can create thick-enough tree walls, the Brawler's "Lightning Charge" can't penetrate the trees, saving the survivors from his deadly melee capabilities (because the Brawler does not have abilities that can kill Destructibles).

Personal Notes: This ability is quite useful, although the least used of them all; Even if the cooldown sucks, it's your last hope if you are low in health and mana, and all of your other abilties are on cooldown, with noone near able or willing to help you.

Tip: You can use this ability to block Predators chasing Survivors (most effective if they are going through a small "canyon" through trees; Select an area (deeper, the better, it will cause the Predator to go back around) and wait for your Ally to go through it, then cast the spell. It will block the Predator's movement; Is especially handy if the Predator is low on mana to cast range spells and when the Survivor's health is waning from melee attacks.)

Tip: You can use this ability to create a "Fortress" of sorts; Most effective and is much easier with help, but can be done alone. To do this, go to a corner of the map, and start creating a wide ring of trees from one end of the corner to the other, thickening them when possible. Some people believe that the bottom right is best because Predators are more hesitant to use Destructible-Kill type abilities, in favor of ranged singal or AoE spells. Some say that the area around the fountain is best, because it has the added bonus of no worries about mana, and at the same time denying the Predator Replenishment, and that if the Predator does kill any Survivors in the area it would just strengthen the fountain's replenishment abilities; however the fountain area has restricted growth because of tiles around the area.


Most tips on the use of this ability are covered in "Unlisted Effects/Attributes" Section on this Ability.


Pictures

Spoiler:

Description: Heal the targeted friendly non-mechinical wounded unit for 25 Hit Points
5 Mana
Very Short cooldown

Unlisted Effects/Attributes
-Takes a very short time to cast (just as long as the cooldown).
-Will continoue to heal the unit until it is fully healed or you cancel the order.
-Is dangerous to use while being pursued, but needed at some times.
-Can heal spawned units that you control.
-Cannot heal Ancients of Hiding that you or someone else summons.


Personal Notes:
Life saver, this is a very good ability because if you didn't have this, you would be sliced through like a hot knife through butter, but can be a mana hog at times!
The only "pure" ability, this is the only one I don't know a glitch for, besides the infamous healing-your-own-predator, but that is a trigger error that does not occur because of the ability...

Tip: This can be used to save other Survivors (you DO want to save them, right?) while they are being pursued.

Tip: This causes you to stop for about .75 seconds while casting, which is why it is dangerous to use while pursued, but you can use anamation cancelling to reduce the delay casting time by approx. 65%, sometimes even cancel the anamation altogether (this has been difficult to record, as it happends spontanously, so little documentation exists).

Pictures are not necessary in this section because the ability cannot be abused and requires no instruction to use.



Unique Abilities are random Abilities that are given to you at the beginning of each round, every Unique Ability has benefical effects, and some of the offensive ones can deal a lot of pain.



Description: Summons a Dragon to pick up the target and carries it towards the direction it is facing for 5 seconds. Can be casted on self, friend or foe, and is deadly to those who can't or don't know how to control it.
15 Mana
Long Cooldown

Unlisted Effects/Attributes

-Takes a small amount of time for the effect to occur
-If, during that small amount of time, you or the target moves sufficently (or spawns on a boundary) the dragon will merely circle around you for 2-3.5 seconds of the duration, picking you up in the last couple seconds of the effect; this can be dangerous to those who rely on this ability to save them.
-While flying you are immune to all damage or pushing effects (save the Sage's WindCurrent).
-If used on another player, if the caster quickly selects the dragon they may be able to control the direction of the carried unit before the owner of the carried unit takes control; useful in some situations where some moron Dragon'd the pred near the pit.
-If the dragon encouters a boundary, it will continue to attempt to move forward, forcing it to "flash" in and out of the middle (constantly "blinking") until the user takes control of the dragon and forces it to turn a different direction. If the player fails or refuses to do so, they are teleported to the middle of the map; unadvised because most predators will tend to go near the middle in awaiting
of players that land there from their dragon.
-If encountering a safe-box portal, it will play the teleportation animation
but will not teleport you.



Personal Notes:
Good defensive ability, this can help you save allies from the clutches of the Pred, or just saving yourself; Its cooldown is quite encumbersome however, making its relability diminish.

Tip: This can be used to save other Survivors (you DO want to save them, right?) while they are being pursued.

Tip: If the Pred is a noob you may be able to pit them by using this ability on them; it can move towards the pit, helplessly owning the n00b.

Tip: This can fix (and generate) the infamous "Floating Trap" in the middle of the map (where you are still in the air in the middle of the map, but cannot move) on the predator, just cast it on them and it'll remove the effect.

Tip: You can help an ally become a demi-god by casting this at the end of their own dragon escort spell, causing them to become "Sky Gods" (in the air and invulnerable, able to cast but not able to be killed).

Pictures

almost done adapting the forum code to my guide! Once that happends and I become familar with it, i'll be able to continoue my guide much easier. Btw, I noticed some typos (and fixed them) but if you notice any, please tell me.

Looks great, if I ever play predator, I will definitely read your polished version!

EDIT: Please post the download area for this map at the top of this guide, the game looks interesting, yet I don't know where to find it.

Why are you posting a guide to another game in a Vamp Speed forum?

This is Chit Chat. I posted this because it has no other forum XD AND this is general, not inside a VS category. Besides, this forums is most friendly I have seen when it comes to it, and if I constantly refer to this during my bot hosts, it increases forum views.. so why not?

Yeah, but the forum views that increases will not be from vamp speed players, but from The Predator players.

Well, still, I never played VS until I heard about this forum, so when they view this, it still can increase players of both VS and JPEE regardless of their original intent.

Fixed typos, adjusted language, and some format for a more fluent feel.

Looks good, I started playing a week ago, it is funny xD

lol

Edit: I may need to use more than 2 posts for my entire guide =/, but that is a while off - If needed I can always repost it XD

Fixed all the typos and text size glitches I could find. If you see any, let me know please.

Cool, awesome, thanks! Looks great.

Fixed the last of the typos and grammer issues.

Gathering information still!

If you play The Predator please send me your replays so I can gather information faster!

theorchero wrote:

I may need to use more than 2 posts for my entire guide =/, but that is a while off - If needed I can always repost it XD

I can just delete me and Lawl's post and you could edit your posts that are under it and have a total of 3. ONLY if you really need it though, no need in reposting the whole thing.

lol. I might need that much, maybe more, but I don't know the maximum size of a post

Ok, well either pm me or post here to tell me definitively if you need it or not. Looks good so far

I'm beginning to gather video for the Ytube vid.

I'm also gathering video for the guide, so each section / tip will have a hyperlink (I can't figure out the cmd on this website, help?) to a post below the main guide with video explaining how to do it.

Added a few tips and a picture to the guide, also fixed the last known typos and graphical glitches.

I'm still in need of pictures and information, send em in damn it -_-

YouTube video is up!

here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXIP9bF0q4o

You and your double posting ^^

It's sexy right

Hey guys I'm back.

Does anyone actually care if I finish this? =/

Btw, I got my hosting bot up XD