=======================================
===== NETSTORM =====
=======================================
By Elvin Ong, ong_elvinathotmaildotcom
FAQ v1.00
Netstorm v10.64
Date 17 July 2005
Copyright 2005 Elvin Ong
=======================================
===== INTRODUCTION =====
=======================================
Hello, and welcome to my first FAQ. I first played Netstorm in 1998. I didn't
play it very much back then. Heck, I didn't play much in the way of computer
games, period. Fast forward to the year 2003. In that year, I was awaiting
the release of Halo 2, and practising at Halo meanwhile. (Of course, I found
out later it was delayed. Again.) I had not played many good games recently,
and it was then I looked around for Netstorm. I found it easily, and was
surprised at the size of the community that still existed around Netstorm,
especially since I knew that Netstorm had not sold spectacularly when released.
But when I downloaded and started playing once more, I found out why it has
lasted so long with such a large community relative to other games: the
multiplayer interface, and the speed of the games.
Maybe later, I will make available a full manuscript of the original
Netstorm Manual. But enough of me for now. On with the FAQ.
=======================================
CONTENTS
=======================================
01 History of Netstorm
02 Epistle to the New High Priest
03 A Detailed Course in Operations
04 The Serenisphere (Multiplayer)
05 A Nimbian Glossary
06 Essential Buildings and Units
07 The Handbook of Nimbian Weaponry
08 The Handbook of Nimbian Magic
09 Legal and Credits
=======================================
01 History of Netstorm
=======================================
Release Title: Netstorm: Islands at War
Developer: Titanic Development
Publisher: Activision
Release Year: 1997
Patch for v10.37 released
Patch for v10.62 released
Activision abandons Netstorm in 2001.
Fans continue the game, providing servers for NS.
Patch for v10.64 released.
Patch for v10.70 is scheduled for release sometime around mid-2005.
** Nobody actually used the v10.62 patch when it came out, and players
continued to use v10.37.
** v10.70 may only be the discussion name. From what I am seeing, it
could be like a Beta for v10.71 or v10.72.
=======================================
02 Epistle to the New High Priest
=======================================
Taken from the Book of Nimbus. (The Manual)
* * * * * * * * *
BOOK ONE:
Epistle to the New High Priest
The fact that you have this Great Book open before you means that the
High Priest of your island - a divine friend to your people - has been captured
in battle and slaughtered by another tribe of Nimbus. Let your people mourn
and wail for him, as they surely will. For you, however, the time of mourning
must now be finished. For you have been chosen to replace him, and there is
much that you must learn, and very little time.
The pages that follow will clarify your tasks and duties in detail, but
certain things must be explained immediately. Let the details wait for a
calmer time, if ever it comes. You have been chosen from among your people to
serve them, even until your very death.
If you are reading this now, then you have come safely through your
initiation. Undoubtedly you are afraid and confused, and you body is weak. Be
assured that you will recover - that you will soon be even stronger than
before.
Now your training in the Priesthood of Nimbus begins.
Know that in a time before memory the floating islands of Nimbus were
one: one sphere of land, one tribe of people, and that our hearts were free of
hatred, as they can never be again.
Know that under that one land, there grew an invisible darkness and
storm. The Furies whose brotherhood was balanced and strong collapsed into
ferocious jealousies and rage. Thunder who is powerful and proud craved the
agility and speed of his brother Wind who longed, in turn, for the rejuvenating
powers of Rain. And the envy spiraled. And the storm under the land rumbled
and grew. It was this battle, which rages still, that tattered our land, tore
it into bits, and hurled the pieces into the sky: Nimbus as we know it now.
Know that the Furies have divided us the wise ancients say that the
Furies will unite us again in the end times. Until then, we must fight for the
precious resources that these islands supply us. We must descend from the
peaceful Serenisphere, down into the Pyroshpere where these battles rage. If
we do not fight, we do not survive.
But make no mistake: survival is secondary to glory. We are fighting
to rule these skies, to dominate our enemy tribes, and to unite Nimbus again
under one mighty hand.
Know that henceforward you are in mortal danger. Your spilled blood is
precious to other Priests, as theirs will be precious to you. It is only by
the release of their blood that the Furies will grant you the Knowledge of
wondrous and powerful forms of warfare. You people will need them to dominate
your ravenous foes. Let your knife dig deep into the hearts of these men. Let
your Altar wrench from their souls the bloody destiny of your people.
Know that this sacred Temple, these stately Workshops, and all the
parts of this miraculous machinery of war are now parts of yourself. And these
magical bridges that weave it together are like the veins that run between your
own organs. When a Workshop is destroyed it will seem that an arm is being
hacked from your body. When a bridge falls down through the clouds and into
the abyss, you will feel that you are falling with it. And when your
Whirligigs or your Thunder Cannons score victories for you people, you will
feel the glory of that victory surging toward your heart like a heat.
Know that one day, you may meet your end on the Altar of your foes. If
that hour should come, another will be chosen. He will suffer as you have
suffered, and he will carry on your work, just as you now take up the torch of
those who have come before you. Look to the vast tribute people now pay to
your slain predecessor. Someday that tribute and glory will be yours.
Go forth, High Priest of Nimbus, into your destiny.
* * * * * * * * *
While playing Netstorm, you will no doubt feel that the graphics are inferior.
This is a fair statement, but Netstorm was created with Multiplayer as its main
strength. This is also the reason you will find that the Campaign lacks any
decent features, such as saving and loading. However, it is important that you
complete the Tutorials and the first 3 or so Campaign missions before
attempting multiplayer, since you will find that Netstorm plays VERY
differently from traditional RTS games.
=======================================
03 A Detailed Course in Operations
=======================================
Before proceeding, it is important to play through the Tutorial and first
three or so Campaign missions to get a feel for Netstorm. This section of the
FAQ will introduce you to some details to refine your play. These playing
points are applicable to the Single Player Campaign and Multiplayer, so try
to remember them.
03a Battle units cannot move
---------------------------------------
You should know this if you played the tutorial. Unlike other RTS, once you
place a combat type unit, it CANNOT be moved. This means placement is
important. Since units cannot move, it can be easy to outflank an enemy
unit simply by placing attack units on a flank or outside its range.
Remember however that your opponents will be trying to do the same.
03b Bridge quickly
---------------------------------------
It is important in Nimbus to be able to bridge quickly. Games can and will
boil down a bridging match. Many newbies tend to wait for their bridge pieces
harden before ever using them. While this may be helpful in Campaign, this
is NOT a good idea in Multiplayer. Since your battle units cannot move, you
must gain territory and THEN place them. This is done by rapidly pressing
a bridge hotkey (qwaszx) and placing it quickly, then repeating. Do not wait
for your bridge to harden, because it is no better than a cracked bridge
against a Meltdown. (see part 06c) If you can cut off an enemy from bridging,
you can prevent them from gaining valuable space in which to build their
units.
03c Go go go!
---------------------------------------
In Warcraft III, despite being quite fast-paced, games still take about three
to five minutes to get going. In Nestorm, games get going in 10 seconds!
So in Multiplayer, speed is of the essence.
As soon as you begin the game, build a Temple. While waiting for it to
build, check the map to see if you are in a good position, and whether
your opponent has gone Wind or Rain. When the Temple has finished building,
build three/four golems and connect to one/two of your home geysers, order your
golems to start collecting, and start bridging towards the center. The process
described in this paragraph can be performed in a short 15 seconds.
As for where you go from here, experience and the Veterans can tell you
better than me.
03d Keep moving
---------------------------------------
Another important point in Multiplayer is to keep your Priest moving. Since
he is only needed to start a building, you should move him as soon as you can
to start outposting in the center of the map. This is similar to how Protoss
Probes and Undead Acolytes create their buildings in Starcraft and
Warcraft III, respectively. Don't forget to keep him away from danger however.
Later on, after you have secured an outpost or two, keep him near a safe
Outpost. If you're sure you have the upper hand, you might consider retreating
your priest to your home island.
03e Maintain supply lines
---------------------------------------
A common newbie mistake is to not connect to the enemy's home island when
assaulting. This is because if a key bridge near the island is destroyed, it
can be difficult to rebuild. You are bound to be connected to your opponent's
home island in various ways through the center of the map. By connecting to
their island during an assault, it is harder for them to break your connection.
Also, Veterans regularly connect to enemy islands while assaulting for the same
reasons - it is hard to destroy a connection if there are multiple branches.
=======================================
04 The Serenisphere (Multiplayer)
=======================================
Netstorm was designed with one thing in mind. If the Campaign didn't already
give you the idea of what it was, then that one thing is Multiplayer. For its
time, Netstorm's Multiplayer interface was unique, and still is, because it
is the only such interface that can actually impose a sense of community. Even
the Multiplayer interface of Halo 2 and Battle.net games don't come close.
When you enter Multiplayer, There are three options:
Add Server...
Find Local Server
[A list of servers you have added]
Find Local Server will search for a LAN server. If there is no LAN server,
you will automatically become a LAN server.
Selecting a server from your list will join that server.
Once you connect, you will enter the Serenisphere, the uppermost atmosphere of
Nimbus. Here, you can chat with other fellow players and look for games. It
might take a bit of getting used to, but you will learn to appreciate the
genius of Titanic. (the developers) The chat dialogue is much more powerful
than Battle.net's own, allowing you to set the colour of your text, name,
create customised tags, and mimic.
04a Power requires sacrifice
---------------------------------------
If you are a new player, no doubt the islands surrounding you at Level 43
look intimidating. However, remember that these levels do not mean much, as
even a Level 43 with a 100% unit bonus can still be defeated by a Level 1
player with no handicap. Heck, I've even seen it happen. To increase your
level, and gain access to new units for use in Multiplayer, you must sacrifice
an enemy Priest in battle.
04b Joining a Battle
---------------------------------------
When you enter the Serenisphere, you will probably see a host of islands
(ie players) around you. In a circular formation around the outer section,
float 8 rings, each with 8 holes. To join a game, click on a position on the
ring. The position you take in a ring reflects your island's position when
you play the game. If you are the first to join a ring, you will become the
BATTLEMASTER, aka Server. When you are ready to play, and you like the
options, click in the little box next to your name in the top-left. A button
will appear, indicating you are ready to play.
04c Ending a Battle
---------------------------------------
When playing, take note that games are never exactly finished completely. In
fact, long games last a relatively short 10 minutes, especially compared to
any other RTS. Short games can be over in 90 seconds.
When faced with a 'finished' battle, players will 'Declare a Draw.' Be a good
player and accept the draw as well. You know who's going to win anyway.
04d Taking a Priest
---------------------------------------
Newbies tend to ask other players to go sun only when playing. This is fine,
since most players are polite, and honourable. Don't be surprised if you
still lose though. While it is hard to sacrifice and level up if you have
lost, you can simply ask your opponent if you can have their priest. If
your opponent is level 27 or so, they should generally say yes to your
request. Alternatively, you could download a FORTgenerator from
www.netstormhq.com to generate a Level 43 profile.
04e Asking for Help
---------------------------------------
If you are a newbie, feel free to ask other players for some help. If you
are at the end of a game, don't quit immediately. Ask your opponent if they
could give you some pointers on how to bridge, build and so on. If you still
feel you are no good, try to arrange a game with another newb, and get a
Veteran to watch your game and provide help.
04f Your Island
---------------------------------------
You keep the same island between battles. You cannot change the shape of your
island or move the residence unless you hex the save game (something which is
frowned upon) or create a new save game for multiplayer. This means it is
important to get to know your island a bit. So if there is a lot of Edge Farm
(see part 06i) on the north side of your island, for example, it might be
better for you to play from the north side.
=======================================
05 A Nimbian Glossary
=======================================
Before going online, you might wish to brush up on some of the common terms
used in the skies of Nimbus.
- SP: Short for 'Storm Power,' or money/cash.
- Shop: Short for Workshop.
- Vet: Short for Veteran. This is the equivalent of 1337/Pro in NS.
- 1s, 2s, 3s These three terms mean team configurations. They mean
1vs1, 2vs2, and 3vs3 respectively.
- Battle Unit: These are units that are directly involved in battle. They
can be subdivided into three classes:
- Shooter: These units shoot at any units that come within range.
- Aerial Base, Flyer: The base acts like a defensive tower. When an
enemy unit is within range, it sends out a
Flyer to bombard the enemy from above.
- Blocker: These units are intended to protect your attacking units.
- Generator: These units are required to create units in an area. They
produce one unit of energy to anything built in a circle
around it. Gens for short.
- Transport: Transports are units that can be used to collect SP, capture
enemy priests and cast spells. Ground transports can only
move along land and bridges, while aerial transports are free
to move as they please.
- Building: Do not confuse Buildings with Units. Buildings are different
because they can only be constructed on land. They are also
larger than units - units are 3x3 on the grid, Buildings are
larger, but exact size depends on the Building. Buildings can
only be constructed by the priest. The Buildings are the
Temples, Workshops, Outpost and Altar.
- Hits: How much health a unit or building has. Normally called HP.
- Range: How far a unit can shoot or send a flyer.
- Damage: The amount of damage done by the unit per shot.
- Cost: How much the unit costs in SP.
- Level/Energy: How much energy is required to build the unit. All units have
an energy cost of either X, XO, or XXO, where X is its
alignment, and O is Sun energy.
=======================================
06 Fundamental Units and Buildings
=======================================
This section describes units that all players will have access to in general.
06a The Temples
---------------------------------------
Hits: 5000
Cost: 5000SP
You may only have one Temple in play at a time. The Temple is the most
important building in Nimbus. It allows you to build bridges, and lets you
build Golems. Temples also provide one unit of their namesake energy. The
Wind, Rain and Thunder Temples are the same overall.
06b The Workshops
---------------------------------------
Hits: 4000 (2000 for Sun)
Cost: 1000SP (800SP for Sun)
The Workshops are the second most important building in Nimbus. They are
your barracks of sorts, and if they are destroyed, you will no longer be able
to produce any units it was making. The Workshops start off at Level 1, and
have two slots for unit production. They can be upgraded up to Level 4,
gaining an additional slot per upgrade. Therefore, it is more efficient in
terms of SP to build two Workshops, rather than upgrade a Workshop to Level 3.
However, upgrading a Workshop will repair it. Also, you cannot build a
Workshop unless you have at least one non-generator unit of its alignment.
06c The Generators
----------------------------------------
Hits: 800
Cost: 400SP
Energy: 1 Sun
When playing Multiplayer, the generators gain the 'Meltdown!' ability. This
causes the generator to explode, destroying any nearby bridges. This is
useful to break through a section that an enemy has bridged off.
06d High Priest
----------------------------------------
Hits: 100
The High Priest is essentially your avatar. If he dies, you lose, although
you can continue playing with whatever you have to help your teammates. It
is important to keep your High Priest safe, because he is the only one who
can erect Temples, Workshops, Outposts, Altars, and perform sacrifices.
06e Outpost
----------------------------------------
Hits: 2000
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 1 Sun
This building is only available in Multiplayer. The advantages provided by
an Outpost are a cross between those of a Temple and Workshop. An Outpost
gives you ownership of an island, and serves as a drop-off point for units
collecting SP. Outposts can also send streams of Storm Power to units in
lieu of WOrkshops to allow faster building.
06f Altar
----------------------------------------
Hits: 1500
Cost: 500SP
An Altar is required to sacrifice enemy Priests. However, few games ever last
up to the point where the Altar is even built, let alone sacrifice the Priest.
Nevertheless, sacrificing an enemy Priest can make a battle decidedly easier
for you.
06g Bridge
-----------------------------------------
Bridges are the lifeblood of your war. They are your supplyline, and are the
method of gaining territory and cutting off enemies. It is important that
you learn how to brige quickly.
06h Residence
-----------------------------------------
These cannot be destroyed or built upon. The Nimbians live under the surface
of their floating isles to avoid the firefight.
06i Edge Farm
-----------------------------------------
These cannot be destroyed. You cannot connect bridges to an island if there
is an intervening Edge Farm.
06j Storm Geyser
-----------------------------------------
Storm Geysers are the resource stashes. You need these to collect SP. When
a unit collects SP from a geyser, it collects a Storm Crystal. Storm crystals
are yield 200SP when returned to an Outpost or Temple. If a unit dies, it
will drop the Crystal it was carrying. The dropped Crystal can be collected
by another unit.
=======================================
07 The Handbook of Nimbian Weaponry
=======================================
This section describes the attributes of the units of Nimbus. The unit
attributes provided are from Netstorm v10.64
07a Sun Units
---------------------------------------
07a0 Summary
Sun units are the cheapest units available to Nimbian generals, and somewhat
flexible. However, Sun is also the weakest alignment in Nimbus, so you should
use Sun to reinforce your aligned units. Regardless of whether you play with
Sun or not, the Sun Barricade is a very useful unit.
07a1 Golem
Hits: 50
Cost: 400SP
Energy: 1 Sun
The Golem is the basic transport unit, and having a Temple is the only way that
you can get them. When using Golems, they will keep harvesting, and will even
walk off broken bridges to collect SP. If your enemy is using a lot of Golems,
A Crossbow or two can take a lot of them out as they pass by.
07a2 Balloon
Hits: 50
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 2 Sun
The Balloon is the cheapest air transport unit available. However, its low
health makes it susceptible to anti-air attacks. Like the Golem, they are
vulnerable to Crossbows.
07a3 Sun Disc Thrower
Hits: 400
Range: 10
Damage: 15
Cost: 200SP
Energy: 1 Sun
The Sun Disc Thrower is actually quite potent in v10.64, and Disc rushing is
one of the viable strategies with them. In the soon to be released v10.70
however, they will be weakened significantly. Nevertheless, Disc Throwers
make excellent short range units as they are cheap and efficient, and can
also attack air units.
07a4 Whirlibase (Whirligig)
Hits: 200 (10)
Range: 30
Damage: 10
Cost: 400SP
Energy: 2 Sun
The Whirlibase is the simplest aerial attacker available. However, the
Whirligigs that it produces are not particularly strong, and Crossbows or
Vander Towers can easily handle several Whirlibases. Even Disc Throwers can
take down the Whirligigs (albeit not as effectively).
07a5 Stone Tower
Hits: 2000
Cost: 300SP
Energy: 1 Sun
The Stone Tower is a simple defensive unit. It has no special properties,
other than that it is cheap, and efficient.
07a6 Sun Cannon
Hits: 600
Range: 20
Damage: 16
Cost: 400SP
Energy: 1 Sun
Not a very powerful shooter. Nevertheless, the Sun Cannon has the ability to
aim in four directions, and has a longer range than the Crossbow.
07a7 Sun Barricade
Hits: 1000
Range: 45
Cost: 200SP
Energy: 1 Sun
Despite what the manual says, the Sun Barricade was never a Level 3 unit. It
has always been a Level 1 unit. These Barricades are very good, as they can
block enemy shooters completely if used right. When faced against SunBars,
aim for the Barricading unit, NOT the enemy units behind the barricade.
07b Wind Units
---------------------------------------
07b0 Summary
Wind units are the fastest units available. This is the alignment of choice
if you are playing 1s or 2s. The Crossbow is the reason that Wind is a good
choice, as it fires in an arc, as opposed to a line. Wind is also the most
commonly used alignment in the skies of Nimbus.
07b1 Sail Skater (aka Sail)
Hits: 100
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 1 Wind
The Sail Skater is usually used as a midgame ground transport. Its fast speed
is its best aspect.
07b2 Air Ship
Hits: 800
Cost: 1200SP
Energy: 2 Wind, 1 Sun
The Air Ship is the fastest moving transport in Nimbus. It is used when the
player has plenty of SP to spare and wants to collect a lot, as they can quickly
collect SP without the player having to bridge to new geysers.
07b3 Devil Maker (Dust Devil)
Hits: 600 (10 seconds)
Range: 30
Damage: 12
COst: 800SP
Energy: 2 Wind, 1 Sun
The Devil Maker creates a Dust Devil every 20 seconds. The Devil is
invulnerable, and will crack or destroy enemy bridges it passes over.
07b4 Crossbow
Hits: 400
Range: 16
Damage: 30
Cost: 500SP
Energy: 1 Wind, 1 Sun
Due to its range being an arc of 60 degrees, the Crossbow is the most commonly
seen attack unit. This maneuverabiliy allows it the user to attack an enemy
without having to line it up - sometimes a tricky task in the midst of battle.
07b5 Wind Tower
Hits: 600
Cost: 800SP
Energy: 1 Wind, 1 Sun
The Wind Tower is weak, but its curved side is invulnerable. This makes it
useful against Cannons. Placing one right up against an enemy Ice Cannon will
cause the Cannon's richochets to hit itself.
07c Rain Units
---------------------------------------
07c0 Summary
Rain units get their power from their stubborn determination to win. Units
of this alignment follow the idea of swarming the enemy with targets. When
playing 3s, it is a good idea to have one player use Rain so that your team
has some flexibility.
07c1 Cloud Floater
Hits: 200
Cost: 1000SP
Energy: 2 Rain, 1 Sun
The Cloud Floater is an excellent Aerial Transport, as it is slightly cheaper
than a Airship, and Aerial Transports don't normally have to go through enemy
territory. And when they do, the enemy is normally paying more attention to
where the battle is raging.
07c2 Ice Cannon
Hits: 600
Range: 28
Damage: 30
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 1 Rain, 1 Sun
The Ice Cannon is the fastest firing shooter in Nimbus. It fires a chain of
about 10 ice shards in rapid succession, like a chaingun. However, only the
first shot does the full 30 damage, while the rest seem to do 10-15 damage.
While these later shots are weaker, all of the shots have a bouncing effect.
Combined with the long range the Ice Cannon is good at taking out tightly
packed clusters of enemy units from a distance. However, the bouncing shots
can also damage friendly units.
07c3 Man o' War Pool (Man o' War)
Hits: 200 (200)
Range: 28
Damage: 20
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 2 Rain, 1 Sun
The Man o' War Pool is the best aerial attack unit overall. The base itself
is vulnerable, but the Man o' War comes out of the base as soon as the old
one dies. Because the flyer itself is vulnerable, but relatively tough,
enemy shooters will try to take down the flyer, and often fail to do so
before it can do some damage. This is especially the case when there are a
group of Man o' Wars swarming the enemy.
07c4 Acid Barricade
Hits: 1000
Range: 40
Cost: 400SP
Energy: 1 Rain
The Acid Barricade works by instantly destroying any units that come in
between its posts, and immobolising Priests caught in the barricade. This
aspect is useful for taking out a group of enemy units lined up neatly in
formation. The Acid Barricade does not destroy buildings however. If you're
crazy, or skilled, try bridging the enemy into their home island, and
surround it completely with Acids. Trust me, its funny.
07c5 Ice Tower
Hits: 800
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 1 Rain, 1 Sun
The Ice Tower is an excellent defensive unit. Although this tower is weak,
its true power comes from its ability to regenerate. When destroyed, they
will slowly regrow. When fully regrown, it will become active once again.
Keep in mind that it cannot regenerate health unless it has been fully
'destroyed' first, and cannot act as a blocker while regenerating.
07c6 Crystal Crab
Hits: 180
Cost: 600Sp
Energy: 1 Rain, 1 Sun
The Crystal Crab is not actually very useful. While it will stun and steal SP
from enemy transports, it is weak, and does not move fast, and the cost is a
bit high. If you intend to get a Level 43 island, leave this unit for last.
07d Thunder Units
---------------------------------------
07d0 Summary
Thunder is the most powerful alignment in Nimbus, but its ability against
aerial units is poor. You should never use Thunder in the beginning of the
game. Thunder and Rain are good choices for a second alignment in the
mid game.
07d1 Bulf
Hits: 1000
Cost: 500SP
Energy: 1 Thunder
Bulfs are the slowest transports in Nimbus. However, they are still used by
some players because of their toughness, or when they know they have a
stranglehold on resources and can afford to be a bit slow to collect.
07d2 Bulwark
Hits: 5000
Cost: 800SP
Energy: 1 Thunder, 1 Sun
Bulwarks are the toughest blockers in the game, and are as tough as a Temple.
They also have an invulnerabiliy to flyers to boot. Bulwarks are perhaps the
second best reason to invest in Thunder.
07d3 Thunder Cannon
Hits: 1000
Range: 42
Damage: 40
Cost: 1200SP
Energy: 1 Thunder, 1 Sun
Thunder Cannons are without a doubt the best reason to use Thunder. They have
an extensive range, and do heavy damage. But the cost means that they are not
good choices in the early game.
07d4 Vander Tower
Hits: 600
Range: 15
Damage: 25
Cost: 600SP
Energy: 2 Thunder, 1 Sun
Vander Towers are only useful against flyers and aerial transports. Their
short range however means they are not very useful. In short, Thunder is
a very poor alignment against flying units. In my experience, I have never
seen anyone use the Vander Tower.
07d5 Arc Spire
Hits: 1200
Range: 45
Damage: 50
Cost: 400SP
Energy: 1 Thunder, 1 Sun
Arc Spires are a must have for the Thunder general. While they don't kill the
enemy unit outright like Acid barricades, they still do massive damage - more
than even the Thunder Cannon - and have a fast attack speed. Arc Spires can
also attack buildings, a strength that that the Acid Barricade lacks.
=======================================
08 The Handbook of Nimbian Magic
=======================================
In the original game, spells could not be disabled. Players did not like this,
because a Veteran could spend thousands of SP just to be defeated by a single
Golem using a Devastation spell. For this reason, spells are now disabled by
default, but you can enable them if you wish to do so. Spells may appear
multiple times in the same map. Spells can only be used by transports.
Spells are represented by Obelisks. Move a transport to the Obelisk and have
it 'grab' the Obelisk to activate it. When used, lighting will strike the
transport, giving it the spell, and the Obelisk will disappear. To cast a
spell, right click on the transport. A transport can only learn one spell.
If it learns a second spell, the first spell will be forgotten. If it is
destroyed, the spell will be lost permanently.
08a Point Blast
---------------------------------------
Range: 1
Cost: 300SP
This is a simple spell that damages all units withing its point-blank range.
Not overly useful.
08b Devastation
---------------------------------------
Range: 3
Cost: 400SP (see below)
This is the same spell as Point Blast, but it has a longer range. Devastation
is the most efficient damage spell. In Multiplayer games, the High Priest can
pray for this spell. After an extensive prayer, the High Priest will be able
to cast Devastate for 100SP.
08c Decimation
---------------------------------------
Range: 7
Cost: 800SP
This spell has the longest range of the damage spells, about the same as a Disc
Thrower in v10.37.
08d Heal
---------------------------------------
Range: 9
Cost: 200SP
This spell is very good. It costs piddling to cast, has the longest spell
range, and heals units to full. It also heals units affected by Paralysis,
and negates the Invisibility spell.
08e Invisibility
---------------------------------------
Range: 7
Cost: 1000SP
As its name suggests, this spell makes all units in its range invisible for a
while. Invisible units cannot be targeted or picked up, but defensive units
will still block.
08f Paralysis
---------------------------------------
Range: 7
Cost: 1000SP
This spell acts like the opposite of Invisibilty. Units affected by paralysis
cannot move, shoot or cast spells.
08g Bridge Harden
---------------------------------------
Range: 7
Cost: 150SP
This is the cheapest spell in Nimbus, and is arguably the best spell given the
importance of briging in the skies. This spell hardens bridges, making them
silver in colour. However, even bridges affected by this spell can eventually
be destroyed given enough nearby explosions.
08h Treason
---------------------------------------
Range: 7
Cost: 2000SP
Treason is not useful against Crossbows, Thunder Cannons or Ice Cannons, since
they will likely facing the wrong way if you convert them. However, it can be
used to good effect on Aerial Bases, Transports and Blockers.
=======================================
09 Legal and Credits
=======================================
This work was created by Elvin Ong (aliases onge, ong_elvin, ELF) and is
copyrighted 2005. This FAQ may not be altered or published except where
permission is given. You may not link to this FAQ directly, but you may link
to
http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/game/198133.html if GameFAQs allows
it. GameFAQs is the only site with permission to host this FAQ.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
Thanks to Fleet_Admiral, for hosting the Netstorm server.
MrBiG, for running the site.
Daga, for showing me the way.
