Power-Up FAQ for Amplitude
--------------------------
Version 1.0
Written by Michael Kautzman
AKA - Sephirothson
Contact:
[email protected]
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Table of Contents:
I. Introduction and Information
a. Version History
b. Introduction
c. Definitions of Terms Used
II. The Power-ups and there usage
a. General Advice
b. Autoblaster
c. Freestyler
d. Score Doubler
e. Slo-Mo
III. Usage in Specific Songs
a, Why is this here?
b. Blink 182
c. Cosmonaut Zero
d. Synthesized
IV. Multiplayer
a. Bumper
b. Crippler
c. Strategies
d. Tips and Tricks
V. Legal Crap
VI. Other stuff
I. Introduction and Information
-------------------------------
a. *Version History*
2/20/06: Version 0.5 -- The original that actually never was accepted.
2/22/06: Version 0.7 -- Added Multiplayer Section
3/11/06: Version 1.0 -- Fixed Numerous Spelling and Grammer errors. Added
more content and organized the FAQ. Added "Synthesized" To the Specific Song
Section
b. *Introduction*
I wrote this FAQ in response to the large amount of people I see wondering
where and how to use the various Power-Ups. This FAQ is written for the more
advanced player although it can defenitely be used by new players. I'm
assuming that you have beaten all songs on Insane mode (or are close to doing
so) and that you are now going for four bars or just a higher score. I've been
playing the game since it's release and all the tactics and ideas here are ones
that I developed as I played the game. Some of them or very obvious while
others aren't. If your unsure of when and how to use the various powerups,
this is a perfect FAQ for you.
c. *Definitions of Terms Used*
If you don't understand what I am saying or you see a word or phrase in the FAQ
you've never seen, look it up here! I use alot of terms I just made up as I
played so to be consistant, I also used them in the FAQ.
When I say "First track in the series." I mean
the first track you play as your go down the line of 6 tracks. So if we look at
this diagram:
|_|_|_|_|_|_|
1 2 3 4 5 6
The 6 tracks all named 1-6, a common layout is:
1: Drums
2: Bass
3: Vocals
4: Guitar
5: Synth
6: FX
Typical movement in the song is either left the right or right to left. So, if
your moving from right to left, the first track in the series for you would be
6. If you are moving from Left to right, the first track in the series is 1.
Understand?
~
Measure: For those of you who are fimiliar with
music, you already know what this is. For those of you not so musicaly
inclined, read on. Typically, to complete a line in Amplitude, you must finish
2 measures of music. The distinction in the game is made by a
thicker-than-normal line drawn on the track. A measure in Amplitude is always
four beats.
~
Track: A line of music. There are six tracks in an Amplitude Song. It might
also be refered to as a "line of music."
~
Series of Tracks: Simply playing through all the tracks. At the end of a
Series of Tracks, you get a one measure grace period to move from the last
track you played, back to the first track of the series.
~
Break in the Tracks: is when there is no music for that track at the time. For
example, at the beginning of POD, there is no vocal line, this would be
considered a break in the track.
~
Grace Period: The one measure you get of freedom after you successfully clear 6
tracks in a row. It's your time to recover and get back to the beginning of
your series of tracks.
~~
If you have ideas of your own different from mine, You can email me them at
[email protected]. I'll mention them here and give you credit for the idea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
II. The Power-ups
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a. *General Advice*
Using power-ups is mostly common sense but there are ways to maximize their
effectiveness. When playing by yourself, It's important to understand the
basic concepts of using power-ups in order to maximize your points and give you
a better shot at 4 bars.
One of the most important things to remember is that power-ups will stay in the
same places as long as you restart the song without actually exiting it. If
you struggling with a song, learn where the power-ups and try to make that
knowledge work in your favor. Stringing a "Score Doubler to Freestyler" combo
becomes much easier when you know where both are located. Adjust your play
style to take advantage of this knowledge.
b. *The Autoblaster*
The Autoblaster automatically clears a line for you. What makes this such a
awesome power up is that after you make a mistake on a line, you may use this
power-up on it and you will keep your multiplier. This is also where it is
most used. If you have this in your inventory, keep it there until you need it
to save your multiplier or just blast one of those insanely hard tracks you can
never get. Don't use this unless you need to though as you only get 10 points
for an autoblasted line. Outside of the general uses, there are a few other
uses that can net you a few more points. If you happen to see a score doubler
or Freestyler in the next line but you know you want be able to finish the
line in time to retreive other power-up, Just autoblast your way to the next
line and pick the other powerup. Be warned though, if you autoblast the first
track in the series during the first measure, You will not get the one measure
grace period to get back to your first track, so be aware where you are when
you autoblast your tracks.
c. *Freestyler*
The Freestyler lifts you off the track and lets you either scratch some funky
rythems or use the Axe to add some Synth to the music. One of the biggest
misconceptions of the Freestyler is how many points is actaully gives you. The
freestyler in Insane mode will give you a Maximum of 10 points per measure.
PER MEASURE. To complete a track, you must play 2 Measures. So, in insane
mode, the Freestyler will dish out points equivilant to a 20 point track. As
you can see, this is a point machine and a key tool to getting 4 bars in many
songs (as discussed in the Blink 182 section...). When to use this beast is
tricky business though. Typically, a player wants to use this either when they
have a 8x Multiplier and are in the middle of there series of tracks or when
you have a fairly high multiplier and you screwed up. I would define "fairly
high." as 6x, 7x or 8x.
This thing has alot more uses then just grabbing some massive amounts of
points though. Lets say there is a break in one or 2 of the tracks. Instead
of trying to move akwordly through the rest of the song, just use the freestyle
and fly right over the break until you can get to the place where all the
tracks are active again. This not only could net you some massive points, if
also might save your multiplier.
Another alternate use if your going for those 4 bars is to skip over the easy
lines that are only worth 10 - 12 points until you get to the tougher lines
that are worth more. In Symbion Project's Synthesized, this is a great use for
it as alot of the lines are only worth 4-7 points in some places. Skip over
those until you get to the massive drum lines and tougher synth lines.
One last thing, when using this little toy, move toward the top of the screen
so you can see exactly what power-ups are in the next lines. It's possible to
chain a few Freestylers together if your lucky, but you have to be able to see
the next few tracks so you can determine where you want to go.
d. *Score-Doubler*
This one is simple, use it when you can make the best out of it. Ideally you
want to pop this thing off just before a high-point track and when you have an
8x multiplier. Also, try to activate it toward the beginning of your Series of
tracks. By doing this, you won't have the score doubler activated during your
grace period. Learn to be able to activate this power-up whenever you can,
even during the most intense of tracks. There is no reason that this should be
overwritten by any other power-up. If you see that you are going to be picking
up a different power-up, use this before hand. Practice being able to hit the
"X" button in any sistuation, just in case. Another important skill to learn
is to be able to activate this just before the end of the line. If you can
manage to activate this power-up just before the end of you current line, you
will get credit for the entire line you just played and it's likely you will
get an extra measure of use of the power-up. This is especially useful when
the power-up will last over your grace period.
Some people will say that using a Score-Doubler and then Using a Freestyler is
the formula for massive points. While more often then not, this is true, but
hear me out. If you playing A song with alot of tracks that are worth more
than 20 points, it's still much wiser to stay on the ground then to activate
the freestyler as you can still net more points hitting the big lines.
Usually, it is in your best interest to use a freestyler right after activating
a Score-Doubler but think about what lines are coming up and how many points
you will be able to net from both situations.
e. *Slo-Mo*
Some people may consider this the most useless of Power-ups, and I agree. It
lasts for just over 2 measures, so if
you are capable of hitting all the lines in a song without a slo-mo, using this
tool may only screw your flow up. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend using
it unless your a little unconfidant about an upcoming line. There are specific
spots in the game where it's almost required that you use this beast (Blink 182
comes to mind.) but other than that, I would try to avoid it's use unless
absolutely needed.
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III. Usage in Specific Songs
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a Intro: (Why is this here?)
=====
I created this section because I felt that some songs required some special
attention as to where it would be wise and unwise to use certain powerups,
right now there are only two songs listed in this section but I intend to add
more as I discover more tricks about the games.
b. -Blink 182: Girl at the Rock Show-
This song is FAST. To get 4 bars on this song requires 4000 points and
although that may seem like a small amount, with the uber quick speeds and
cheap lines, this song is nigh impossible to get 4 bars on without powerups.
First thing I need to mention. Remember the general rule about the Slo-Mo?
Don't use it unless your unconfidant about a line. Forget that rule for this
song but be on your toes. The transition out of Slo-Mo is very quick and may
need some practice. Also, Always keep a Slo-Mo in stock for the most
impossible line in the game: The 17 point drum line. You've probably seen it
before and you may have tried it. If you have, you probably also realized that
hitting that line consistantly is nothing short of inhuman. Save your Slo-Mo
and Autoblasters for that beast.
Secondly, The Freestyler is your best friend in this stage. If you can get one
of these babies when you have an 8x multiplier, use it Immediately. This
allows you the chance to chain a few freestylers together and the fewer lines
you have to play on this one, the better.
Don't try to move more than 1 line at a time on this song is it moves to fast
to chain anything together. Plan ahead and use a freestyler to reset your
series of tracks if you must. Your multiplier is your most important thing to
maintain here.
c. -Cosmonaut Zero: Spaztik-
This song is SLOW. Actaully, it's in Cut Time. Anyway, ignore that last
sentence and we'll move on.
Unlike in most songs, Freestylers should be avoided in this song. Almost
EVERY line is worth 20+ points and alot of them are 29+. Freestylers are a
waste of your time unless your using it to maintain a multiplier after making a
mistake, but try everything in your power to avoid the usage of Freestylers
here.
Obviously, score doublers are the ultimate power-ups, with the drum tracks at
40 and 38 points, you can net a massive amount of points with those things.
Make sure use them when they will be of the greatest benefit.
Slo-Mos can be some of your greatest friends here. The 2 drum lines can be
nerve racking and seem impossible without a good amount of practice. Since the
song moves at a slower pace, moving in and out of slow motion is relatively
easy here so use these things whenever needed.
This song is going to take alot of practice to get that 10000 for 4 bars.
Good luck!
d. -Symbion Project: Synthesized-
This song also cruises at a high speed, Thus, using a slo-mo on the drum tracks
is a logic thing to do if you not sure of yourself. As with Blink 182, be
mindful of how fast your going to come out of that slo-mo; It's going to be
rough. Score-doublers need to be used for the drum lines as the rest of the
song is worth pocket change compared to the 18 and 20 point drun lines. This
is also one of those songs where a score doubler followed immediately by a
freestyler is very ideal so watch out for that combo and use it whenever
possible. Any freestyler is welcome on this stage but try to use it after
finishing the drum lines in order to net as many points possible. 6500 points
will not come easy unless you know the drum lines well. Practice those and try
not to bank on autoblasters or slo-mos constantly.
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IV. Multiplayer
----------------
In Multiplayer, the strategies are mostly the same, but you must take into
consideration the other players. More often than not, your multiplier won't
last much past 4 or 5 lines and thus, a few strategies are different then those
from single player. First, I'll introduce the new multiplayer power-ups than
I'll discuss multiplayer strategies.
a *Bumper*
The Nastiest of the nasty in multiplayer. This one item is your ticket to
messing someone's line and combo up while maintaining your own. Alot of people
just randomly use this item to disrupt someone's combo. I would refrain from
doing that and instead, wait until you can use it to continue your combo.
Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. If you have lost your combo and
your opponent(s) is/are on the only line, by all means, bump him off of that
line and destroy his combo and take it over. Another thing to pay attention to
is what power-ups your opponents are getting. If you don't have any combo and
your opponent is about to pick up a score-doubler with a healthy multiplier,
Kick him off that line and make sure he doesn't get the advantage of having a
score doubler. A general rule of thumb is if you have a 4x multiplier, save
your multiplier over everything else.
b. *Crippler*
Unfortunetly, this power-up has decreased in usefulness from Frequency. A good
player usually won't have a problem hitting the lines while being crippled but
it still has some uses. It can be very difficult to manage during faster songs
when the track is taking turns. Other than that, against a good opponent, it's
use is limited.
c. -Strategies-
As mentioned before, your strategies for Multiplayer are much different than
those used for single player. I'll dedicate a paragraph to each of the
power-ups, but I'll start with some general tips.
If your not playing online, learn your opponents tendancies. Do they use a
bumber randomly against you or do they use it only to maintain there
multiplier? Will they use an Autoblaster to screw you up or just to save
themselves? It's important to know what your opponent is going to do so you
will know how to use your own power-ups.
First, we will cover the Autoblaster. This is argueably the greatest utility
item you can possibly get. It can screw your opponent, save your multiplier or
even allow a chance for recovery from a bumber. The majority of the strategy
of the Autoblaster is similar to the one used in Single Player mode; It's used
to save your multiplier. A few other uses include autoblasting an opponents
line to kill their multiplier or prevent them from getting a good power-up on
your way to your next line.
The Score Doubler is used exactly the same way you would use it in Single
player mode. Just be mindful of how many lines you can complete before your
multiplier is put in jeopardy.
The Freestyler is a very very precious item in most songs. It can save your
multiplier while netting you points. It can kick your opponent off of their
freestyler early as only one person can be freestyling at any one time.
Effective usage of this item depends greatly on how well you can observe your
surroundings. If you opponent has a Freestyler in his inventory, wait until he
uses his or until he picks up a different item. If your opponent is already
freestyling away and racking up 40 points per measure, kick him out of there
with your own. It's an excellent item but maintaining your multiplier after
your freestyling session can be difficult. As soon as your done freestyling,
be aware what line your on and IMMEDIATELY start blasting notes or you don't
have a prayer for keeping your multiplier as unlike the Single player mode
where you get time to recover from a Freestyler after use, you get no such time
in Multiplayer. Ideal usage is when you have a 4x multiplier and you either
screwed up or your multiplier will soon be gone due to the lack of lines to
blast.
Slo-Mo can be used for 2 things in multiplayer. 1, to slow down a track that
you aren't confidant about OR 2, to screw your opponent up. The latter of the
two is much more difficult to do and usually requires an opponent that really
isn't paying much attention to whats going on.
The first use is pretty self explainitory and follows the same rules as the
Single Player uses.
The Second use requires careful timing and awareness (and a little luck.) but
can really tick your opponent off. If your opponent is coming up to a fast and
furious line, he probably is very ready to be hitting those buttons very
quickly, but if an unexpected Slo-Mo gets activated, he may end up rushing one
or two of those notes just enough for him to screw the line up, thus slowing
down the song for you and causing a headache for your opponent.
d. Tips and Tricks
1. Your Multiplier is your primary concern, don't ever do something that will
put your multiplier in jeapordy. If your not confidant about using a score
doubler at any moment, don't use it. Wait until you know you won't be messing
up your multiplier.
2. Learn to use power-ups on the fly as your moving past an opponent. So, if
you moving from line 1 to line 3, and your opponent is on line 2, practice
being able to drop a crippler on him without disrupting your mutliplier. It's
an invaluable skill
3. Take note of your opponents tendencies! One of the most important aspects
of the game is the know your opponent.
4. Pay attention to your surroundings! Where is your opponent(s)? What
power-ups do they have? Where are you going to move next? Is your opponent
going to beat you to that line? Whats your opponents multiplier at? Know what's
going on.
5. Practice! Know exactly what lines are available at what points in the
songs you play. Be able to play your lines without error the great majority of
the time. I'll say it again: Practice!
6. Playing on the internet is rough so don't get discouraged if you lose your
first games. People on that play on the internet or typically better than the
people that play in your neighborhood. If you get discouraged, see tip #4...
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V. Legal Crap
----------------
This is my work and the only site that has rights to use it as of now is
Gamefaqs and Neoseekers. If you would like to post elsewhere, drop me an email
at
[email protected] and we can probably work something out.
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VI. Other Stuff
www.freq.com -- An awesome Website devoted to Frequency, Amplitude and other
music games!
www.Gamefaqs.com -- A great Website with tons of FAQs for every game imaginable.
A Special Thanks to everyone at Harmonix for putting together such an awesome
game and To Gamefaqs for Hosting this FAQ and wasting tons of my time!
I intend to add on this FAQ as I learn more and maybe add details and such. If
there are specific things you want mentioned, comments or questions, email me!
END!
