Laserforce Explained, Part 3: Examples of Arena Layouts and Objects
All Laserforce arenas are designed to promote fast-paced, challenging play for every player. They contain a variety of objects that players can find and utilize to improve their scores. Some of these arenas even have multiple floors, which literally adds a new dimension to gameplay. However, all of them have at least three colored targets and at least one Warbot. Since the behavior of Warbots have been described in detail in the last few posts, I will begin this post by discussing targets before explaining other arena objects later.
Targets in Laserforce are generally small plastic boxes or plates with a few colored LEDs inside them. Any player who zaps it three consecutive times without being deactivated or missing the target will gain 801 points, although players can only do this once for each hostile or neutral target during a game. In team games with two or three teams, each team is assigned a target to protect, and can only attack neutral or hostile targets; as such, any target not assigned to a team in these games is considered neutral. However, in individual games and team games with at least four teams, all targets are neutral. Targets may even serve as components for more complex arena objects, including the ones described below. Finally, some arenas even include reusable targets that can be zapped once every minute or so: instead of rewarding players with 800 points, they tend to give other rewards instead, such as a small amount of points (usually 50) or doubling the amount of points they can score for a short time. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek out targets as soon as possible to build up your score early on, and in team games, tell your teammates to do so in an attempt to give your team the upper hand.
A Warbot is basically a stationary swiveling turret that rotates horizontally, occassionally zapping nearby players every so often. Usually, the player being zapped will be deactivated, especially if he/she has outscored most of the other players; however, in some game modes, Warbots may also give special points or items to players who are falling behind. Moreover, in some game modes which feature Warbots, players can control them once per game by zapping them a few times, gaining valuable points in the process and causing it to accumulate points (and also special points to use on special abilities) on behalf of whoever controls it, usually for one minute. Some arenas even contain multiple Warbots for players to avoid or control depending on the situation. In short. learning how to take advantage of Warbots' capabilities is essential to maximizing your score in any Laserforce game which uses these devices.
Some arenas even include objects that combine features of targets and Warbots. Take the arena on Ipswich Road in Woolloongabba, for example. To this day it remains my favorite Laserforce arena because for some reason, it reminds me of a well-designed stadium: spacious, packed with amenities and very enjoyable to play on. Two of its features in particular stand out: the Time Vortex and the Jade Serpent. The former is actually a walkway inside a tube; when all four of its targets (which are located on one end of the tunnel) have been zapped, the tube will light up and rotate for a short time, exposing anyone who is hiding in it for defensive and/or offensive purposes and also rendering them vulnerable until the Vortex has stopped. Anyone who does this for the first time will receive an achievement.
The Jade Serpent, on the other hand, is effectively a Warbot that only activates once the targets on it have all been destroyed. Each target on the Serpent is only lit up intermittently, and even then only for a very short time, during which players can zap them. Given that it takes several direct hits to destroy these targets, exposing the Serpent tends to take a while, especially if only one player is attacking it. Once the Serpent is exposed, it will zap any player that gets close enough to it, and any players hit by the Serpent will be deactivated. However, the Serpent will be deactivated if it is hit enough times. Anyone who does this will receive a large points bonus, plus an achievement if they have not destroyed the Serpent before.
There is also a pair of tall structures near the entrance, called Reactors. Each one has a target attached to it, but uniquely, they will sometimes render the surrounding area impassable without players being deactivated for a short time once per game. This is called a "meltdown", and is preceded by the message "Danger: Radiation Overload!" (or something similar) a few seconds before the meltdown actually occurs. Obviously, avoiding the meltdown is a priority in a game where the Reactors have been programmed to overload.
Whatever props are present, however, the layout of a Laserforce arena is the most important attribute any player should remember. During a game, it is recommended that you find a good hiding place from which to ambush your opponents, while also reducing the probability of being discovered and attacked in return. For example, at Laserforce HQ, I found a small space in front of the Yellow Triffid (the only target on the top floor) and near the walkway leading to the upper floor to use as a hiding place. Like so many other players hiding in this part of the map, I was seldom detected by my opponents, but could easily find and deactivate them, especially if they were less experienced. The arena at Strike Wintergarden, meanwhile, isn't short of nooks and crannies either despite minimal elevation changes; the enclosed area opposite the prop resembling a crashed plane is particularly useful to sneaky players, as is the tiny area behind the desk at the near end of the corridor.
Having briefly discussed the most important parts of the arena at Laserforce HQ, I shall now summarize a few key aspects of the arenas at Sky Zone MacGregor and Strike Wintergarden, the only other Laserforce sites I have visited so far. The former is spread out over three floors, giving it a greater vertical element; as such, ambushes from players hiding in the top floor are not only more common, but also much more effective due to the attackers having a better view of their opponents. In particular, the ramp leading to the top floor is a hot spot for sudden attacks on unsuspecting players. On the other hand, it's rare for anyone playing in the much smaller Strike Wintergarden arena to have the high ground over an opponent, since the elevation change there is minimal. Defensively minded players especially tend to hide behind the barrels near the blue target; on the other hand, offensively minded players tend to launch their attacks along the narrow corridors leading to the blue and red targets, where their lines of sight are often unobstructed.
So if you really want to attain mastery in Laserforce, it is imperative that you remember the layout and features of each arena that you play in, especially the locations of the targets and Warbots. Otherwise, you will have a hard time keeping up with your opponents' scores. Speaking of which, the next post will show some of the consequences of skill gaps between new and experienced players.
