MontyMail, Volume I, Issue 10: Active Lancer Weapon Modes, part 2

The Weapon Modes of Active Lancer

active lancer logo

Active Lancer, our new vertical (and horizontally) scrolling ship

Last time, we went over the five weapon systems in the Lancer suit. These systems are:

Spread - weak shots that shoot at a wide angle.
Plasma - medium strength shots with limited homing powers
Laser - strong shots that go only forward.
Dumb Bombs - explosives that hit the ground.
Missiles - these can lock onto ground targets. You can also get air-to-air missiles if you collect the right upgrades.

You can switch the three primary weapons at any time (instead of waiting to catch an upgrade that switches it, like some other games). Try switching shots in the demo to see which one you like best.

This time, we'll look at the three modes of the Laser. It's the most powerful weapon, but it can only shoot straight, so it's a lot easier to miss!

Laser's normal shot is a short laser burst. It travels up the screen very quickly, and you can press the fire button rapidly if you want to fire lots of small shots. You won't get much in the way of lateral coverage with this weapon unless you upgrade your ship's speed. That's when it becomes the deadliest weapon in the game.

In the laser's charged mode, the shots are much thicker and longer. They do more damage, and are harder for the enemies to dodge because they take up so much space! A charged laser is one of the best things you can use against a boss.

In rage mode, the laser shot becomes longer and more damaging. Of course, rage mode comes with a bonus of the lancer ship being impossible to damage, but you have to save up before you use it.

Try experimenting with each weapon in normal, charged, and rage modes with the demo. You'll be surprised at how much you can blow up with so few keypresses. You may even decide that a certain weapon is your favorite.

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Volume I, Issue 5 May 29, 2003 Back to MontyMail (this is just one in-depth article) If you discovered this article on the web, why not sign up for MontyMail using the form below? It comes once a month, and it appears right to your inbox with news, recipes, jokes, and other fun stuff! Our Privacy Policy: We will never sell, rent, lend, or give away your e-mail address to anyone for any reason. We will only use this e-mail address for MontyMail.	The Weapon Modes of Active Lancer Active Lancer, our new vertical (and horizontally) scrolling ship Last time, we went over the five weapon systems in the Lancer suit. These systems are: Spread - weak shots that shoot at a wide angle. Plasma - medium strength shots with limited homing powers Laser - strong shots that go only forward. Dumb Bombs - explosives that hit the ground. Missiles - these can lock onto ground targets. You can also get air-to-air missiles if you collect the right upgrades. You can switch the three primary weapons at any time (instead of waiting to catch an upgrade that switches it, like some other games). Try switching shots in the demo to see which one you like best. This time, we'll look at the three modes of the Laser. It's the most powerful weapon, but it can only shoot straight, so it's a lot easier to miss! Laser's normal shot is a short laser burst. It travels up the screen very quickly, and you can press the fire button rapidly if you want to fire lots of small shots. You won't get much in the way of lateral coverage with this weapon unless you upgrade your ship's speed. That's when it becomes the deadliest weapon in the game. In the laser's charged mode, the shots are much thicker and longer. They do more damage, and are harder for the enemies to dodge because they take up so much space! A charged laser is one of the best things you can use against a boss. In rage mode, the laser shot becomes longer and more damaging. Of course, rage mode comes with a bonus of the lancer ship being impossible to damage, but you have to save up before you use it. Try experimenting with each weapon in normal, charged, and rage modes with the demo. You'll be surprised at how much you can blow up with so few keypresses. You may even decide that a certain weapon is your favorite. back to MontyMail MontyMail is Copyright 2002-2003 Freeverse Software. Forwarding to close friends and colleagues is encouraged. Forwarding to large mailing lists probably helps us, but is not recommended.