Anarchy Home - Return to Tutorials Image taken from the level "Frag Tag". Anarchy is probably the most played modes in Descent 3. Anarchy can also be the most diverse of level types there is. Some great anarchy levels can consist of one or two large rooms while others can be great honeycombs on tunnels. Each has their own strong and weak points to game play. Scripting isn't such a big thing in an anarchy level because most players are either too busy running or pursuing to notice nice scripting or intricate structural designs. In anarchy, the emphasis is on the play ability of the level and not as much as how intricate the level design is. Ambiance is a very large role in anarchy levels. Not only the sound effect ambiance, but the additional effects like fog. These give the player more of the effect of actually being in the pyro without diminishing on the framerate or lag. I recommend on using ambiance as needed, I wouldn't string every room with a sound and fog color, it would diminish from the game play. Setting one ambient sound for the whole level is a nice touch, especially if there is a distinct theme, or motif, to your level. Fog is always a great thing to apply if used in moderation. Remember that you need to be able to see your opponent before you shoot at him. Firing blindly sometimes gets a kill, but it drains your energy a whole lot faster. When you are in a fire fight, the last thing you want to be doing is ramming into outcroppings on the walls. Watch out, when making your level, for things in your level that will disrupt the 'flow' of the level. All free-standing obstructions in the level should have a good distance of two or three ship lengths (about 50-70 units) to make navigation between them easy. Of course, sometimes having a tight corridor or passageway really tests your skills in a chase, which can really get heart pumping. Placement is another key issue in creating an anarchy level. Mainly the placement of energy stations. The amount of stations should depend on one thing, the amount of players that this level will, on average, hold. When placing energy stations in your level, take note of the amount of energy weapons, the amount of players that it will contain, and the size of your level. From my experience, most players won't share an energy center if they are aware with each other. If the level is designed for 1 on 1 battles, one energy center should do fine. Otherwise you should have at least two. Weapon balance should be very carefully planned in your level, depending on your level structure. With open levels, weapons like EMD, homers, mass driver, and omega at close range are very effective and should be placed sparingly unless you want a high kills level. When you create tight, close range levels. Weapons like fusion, frag missile, vulcan, and napalm really wreak havoc when used correctly. The amount of weapons can make or break your level. Too few will make one or two players who have collected a whole lot of weapons and just slaughter all of the weapon less players. While too many power weapons will just kill everyone all of the time. Home - Return to Tutorials