Last Robot Standing

Game by DDT
Instruction Manual by ScouSin

Quick Rules

If you want to just jump in, this will get you started. Read on for a more detailed description of how to play.

Win #1: Get 2 other power supplies to your base.
Win #2: Kill all other robots!

Lose #1: Both your supplies on other active bases.
Lose #2: Die!

Rule: 3 moves per turn, with one Boost.
Rule: 1 attack per turn.
Rule: Turn ends when you pick up an item.
Rule: You get up to 2 new modules at the end of your turn.

Otherwise, you can play all the cards you like, and you can do things in pretty much whatever order you like.

The Game

Inspired by the classic Wiz-War board game by Tom Jolly, Last Robot Standing (LRS) is a tactical board game where the main object is to blast the other robots to oblivion or bring their Power Supplies back to your Base. To do this you have to go through smoldering hot walls, deal with Microsoft's Blue Screen Of Death, or utilize all sorts of gadgets to outwit and outgun your opposition.

Getting into the game

In order to play LRS, you must first download the BYOND client at http://www.byond.com, make a key, and join the game.

To join an existing game, you can check out the LRS hub page, where you can connect to a persistent server or join a currently hosted game. You can also find games from the BYOND pager, using the "Hub" tab. Once in a server, you're ready to play.

Just click the "JOIN" button on the display screen, if there isn't already a game running, or use the "join game" command to get on the waiting list for the next game.

Keep in mind while playing that most play involving actions and the like are done via the Browser tab. Only a few actions like moving (arrow keys) and choosing a target are done on the map.

Basic playing

When you start play, you will be in one of many possible 'sectors' of the play field (sectors are 5x5 areas where bases are the centers). The Power Supplies that you see are the basic keys to victory. Bring ANY two other Power Supplies back to your base, and you will win (not your own, that'd be too easy!) If your own Power Supplies end up on two other bases of living players at ANY time, you automatically die (gasp). You can also win by killing all other players, using one of two simple methods; killing them using cards and/or zapping, or taking their Power Supplies. The goal is simple, but succeeding in your goals is anything but.

You may move three spaces each turn, and attack once per turn (except not on the first round). You may use a module to attack, or move on top of your enemy and zap them (zap deals 1 power of damage). Dealing damage is very easy to do, but it can take awhile, given everyone starts out with 15 power.

Movement

When moving, or trying to check Line of Sight (LOS), you can go off the edge of the board. Each edge of a sector is connected to another sector somewhere on the board, in sometimes strange ways (like in PacMan). To help you know where you will go if you leave a sector, there are colored arrows. A blue arrow indicates that the sector edge is connected to the other sector edge on the board with a blue arrow. If you blow up a wall on the edge of a sector, you make a hole into the connected sector.

You cannot move diagonally.

Modules

Most actions in the game are triggered by modules. Your modules are listed in the browser view. During your turn, modules that can currently be used have links to activate them, and all the modules have a link for deleting the module.

In addition to modules that allow you to do things in the game, there are two special modules, the Control Module and the AI Module. The Control Module shows you effects currently impacting you and gives you basic commands like "Pick up object" and "End turn". The AI Module summarizes the game rules and sometimes has notes about the state of the game.

Line of Sight

Many modules refer to "line of sight" (LOS), which means you can only take action on something that is in view of your robot, with no items blocking the view. Robots being rather inflexible creatures, they can only see things in cardinal directions (North, South, East, West), not diagonally.

Whenever a module has a Line of Sight restriction, you can always click the module link to start using it, at which point you will be shown on the map what valid robots or items are in Line of Sight. If you don't want to continue with the action, you can Cancel the module at this point.

Attacks

During your turn you can attack another robot. Usually it will need to be in Line of Sight, though not always. Most attack modules have a link you click to start the attack, after which you choose the robot you wish to attack. Once the attack starts, the game takes over and determines the outcome, based on any defenses the victim has active.

Defenses

Defenses protect you from attacks. To work, a defense must be active at the time you are attacked. You activate a defense module during your turn (they take the place of your attack for the turn, so be smart in which turns you activate them). Once activated, a defense automatically protects you if you are attacked (if you have activated more than one defense, then the game chooses what is used for you, as best as it can).

Your attacker may have a defense for your defense, causing things to ping-pong back and forth. For example, I attack Deadron with Superheated Air, and his Quantum Mirror defense activates, reflecting the Superheated Air back to me. However, I have the Anti-Anti-Matter defense, which destroys a defense used against my attack. So Deadron's Quantum Mirror is destroyed, and my original Superheated Air hits him, causing damage.

Any module that is active takes a place in your hand (max of 7 modules under most circumstances). At the end of your turn you fabricate up to two modules (not going over 7). You may delete modules at will, if you want to make room for drawing new modules, or otherwise have a reason for removing a module.

Some modules impact other modules. For example, you can use the Recycle module to get another module back after it is used.

You can use as many modules as you find use for in a turn, with the exceptions noted above. In the right circumstances you could use all your modules in a single turn.

Boosts

Boosts are improvements that increase your movement or the power of a module. For movement, a Boost adds to your movement; for a module, a Boost sets the power of the module, as specified in the module's description. It might set the damage the module does, or how long the module lasts. For example, you can Boost a Superheated Wall to get it to stay up longer. Note however, you are limited to using one Boost AS MOVEMENT per turn.

Objects

Picking up objects and dropping them off is very simple. All you need to do to pick an object (like a Power Supply) is to go on top of it, and hit "Pick up object" in your Control Module. This however ends your turn (you still fabricate modules), and thus you should try not to waste movement points when getting to it if possible (all too often is it not possible). Dropping off objects is effortless, and doesn't hinder you at all. Objects can be dropped off anywhere, which is important to know considering you can have only hold one object at a time.

Tips

Remember that when two opponents fight, they are doing you a favor by keeping each-other busy, possibly critically harming the other person, and otherwise not going after you. In some rare cases this may not be good though (specifically if one of them has the a Power Supply that the other can snag).

One of the hardest choices most players will have to make at least once, is to continue get Power Supplies to base, or to stop someone else from doing the same. In a case where them dropping it off may kill you or win them the game, it can get ugly. Never underestimate your opponent, because even when inexperienced, a way to victory can be very clear to them, but you could be blind to it. Use your best judgement when deciding to ignore someone, or go out of your way to try and stop them.

Never go into combat without any defenses. That BSOD may deal 10 damage, but a Quantum Mirror could make you see red.

It is almost always in your best interest to be able to draw 2 cards. It may not be easy deleting Spyware (no pun intended), but if you are stuck with the perfect set of cards to do Power Supply runs, go with the flow. Being ready for combat near the end of the game, when attacking was scarce, will get you nowhere, especially when the kill will take time you don't have.

Don't waste Boosts. You may have 5 now, but it is ALWAYS a welcome experience moving a little closer to base, to drop off that first Power Supply, and saving the others for getting another at light speed, then being glad you had that seemingly useless Boost 2 to finish that low opponent. And besides that, all too often have people said "He won't win unless he has a 5", and that person whips out a Boost 5, bringing about a very close victory.

Time your cards. You may want to use Drain Battery to move really far really fast at the game's start, but it's too much of a risk to your life, and later when players are 'ready' to stop you, you will wish you had that edge still, to get back to base in 14 moves. Same goes for things like Teleport, or high Boosts.

Don't trust anyone. You may have a common enemy, but he could be ready to kill you, just for your Power Supply. Remember that EVERYONE has a common enemy, with and against everyone else.

Force fields are basically walls with more ways to go through them. However, you must remember that even if you have a one-time entrance through one, doesn't necessarily mean you have a way back (unless of course it DOES that). Same goes for things like Superheated Walls.

Although you can't be ready for EVERYTHING, it is vital to ALWAYS have a back-up plan. Remember that if you don't have cards to call for one situation, a skillful player will always have a way to make their cards call for another.