I. The Basics
II. Cheats
III. Enemies
IV. Weapons
V. Powerup Items
VI. Episodes/Levels
VII. Maps
Controls in Abuse are fairly simple. You aim a cursor
around the screen that determines what direction you
fire in with the mouse. Clicking the left mouse button
fires. You move the player with the keyboard direction
keys. 'Up' climbs up ladders and also functions as the
jump button. 'Down' works with switches and moves you
through doors and teleporters. You will eventually find
powerup items that will allow you to fly or run faster.
These are activated with the right mouse button.
There are a number of weapons to be found in the game.
Either use the number keys to toggle between weapons or
the CTRL and INS keys to cycle to the left and right.
The player starts with 100 health, and there are hearts
and medkits that will replenish your energy.
There are hidden areas throughout the single-player and
multiplayer levels that are accessible by shooting
walls, or sometimes by shooting an invisible trigger
either on or off screen.
If it doesn't look like you, kill it quickly. :)
Throughout the game there are several save-positions that
are activated by pressing 'down'. You can save over one of
five slots. These files are named 'Save000X.spe' where X
equals the numbers 1 through 5 (the number of the slot you
saved over). These files can be renamed if you want to free
your save slots, and still keep your older savegames. You
can also load these files in the level editor.
Before playing the single-player game, make sure you run
the setup file and configure your sound card's settings.
By running the single-player game in edit mode, you have
access to the god mode cheat (Shift+Z). You can also use the
'J' key to 'jump' your player to the position of your mouse
cursor, and use any of the other editor functions to aid you.
If you're not careful though, you can save over the original
levels... so make sure you're either playing from a savefile,
or a backup copy of the level.
Normal restart positions always restart the player with 100
health. However, in fRaBs there is a new variant which
remembers the player's health that may be used in some
levels, so don't depend on this.
In edit mode, you can press SHIFT to save the game. This
acts like your personal, invisible save point machine. :-)
ANT: Very plentiful little alien creatures that shoot you with
a variety of weapons. Here's a guide of
their attributes,
which vary depending on their color. I
may add some new
colors to fRaBs in the future, namely
green. Thanks to
Leon's new addons, the Ants have a variety
of different
behaivor routines, death sequences, and
even new weapons
to kill you with.
Maroon - Very common ants that
fire short-range yellow
lasers that are similar to your original gun.
Blue - Also common.
These guys fire orange lasers that
are stronger and slower than those of the maroon
ants. They also have extremely long range.
Brown - In groups and
on ceilings, these guys can be a
pain with their grenades.
Yellow - IMO these guys are
slightly less dangerous than
the grenade ants. Their rockets are easier to
dodge in many instances, unless you're close.
Orange - These ants fire plasma
gun. Kill them quickly or
they'll make their mark.
Gold - BEWARE!
Their firebombs can kill you in one hit,
even if you have full life. One is dangerous, and
a group is nearly unstoppable.
Red - Very
rare. These guys fire the death frisbee, and
they can't aim them too well. Not a big problem.
Purple - Lightsaber ants will
roast you if you try to shake
their hands, but if you keep your distance they are
harmless.
Green - Green is my favorite
color, so I had to make a new
green ant for fRaBs. It doesn't shoot anything at
the moment, and it might not ever. It's just a cute,
agressive little bug that will jump on you for fun.
This has been taken out for now because of errors.
DarkBlue - This one shoots plasma bullets
like the flyers do,
but for some reason he makes the game crash, so you
probably won't be seeing him in levels anytime soon.
Removed due to errors.
Gray - These guys
come in a few varieties, and they tend to
be very difficult. Their new weapon may be shared by
flyers and whatnot as well. There are three different
types of gray ant at the moment.
1) Fires single, white laser.
2) Fires three white lasers.
3) Fires five white lasers.
They tend to be smarter than normal ants, and also
have more vitality. The new ones that fire five lasers
will kill you very quickly, but the other two aren't
pushovers unless you have lots of weaponry at your
disposal. Thank Leon for these little buggers.
ALIENS: Straight from the famous horror flicks (and originally
from the Aliens Doom
TC). They are faster than Ants and
tend to pack more of
a wallop, not afraid to come in
close and tear you apart.
Drone - They're small,
dark green, and fearless. They're
able to shoot acid, and are hard to see in the
dark. In groups they will jump you quickly, so
make sure you have your heavy weapons ready.
Face - Tiny yellow
spider-like creatures that come out
Hugger of eggs
and jars. Again, they're deadly in groups.
Warrior - Bigger and badder than
the drone, but they act
similarly. Flamethrowers or plasma does the trick.
FLYER: Another common enemy. They fly and most of the time
they shoot little plasma bullets.
There are three
distinct varieties. Sometimes
you can catch them
carrying ants or boulders.
Who - Brown
and flat, they follow you and are easy targets.
They can only shoot the plasma bullets.
Flyer - These guys look
cool, with their miniature helicopter
mechanical look. Watch it though, as they can fire
any one weapon at any speed, and they're tough to hit
because of their compact size. The new ant weapons
apply to flyers as well, so be on the lookout.
Green - Bigger and a
tad slower, but otherwise they're not any
Flyer different
then their smaller counterparts. Most of the
time in fRaBs they will be harder than their smaller
bretheren, with faster firing rates and tougher weapons.
Walking - It's a tossup where this
guy goes in the enemies list.
Rob Head It usually shoots
rockets at a brisk rate, so take out
the heavy weapons when you see one.
LARGE FLYERS: Behemoth ships that will make you hurt.
Death - They look like
UFOs, and there's one right at the
Umbrella beginning of fRaBs.
Shoot it more and it will hit
you with heavier firepower. It will shoot firebombs
if you provoke it enough.
Ant Ship - A huge ship piloted by a tiny
ant. I'll probably
make them tougher to kill than the Death Umbrellas,
with more life and more firebombs. Otherwise they
act the same.
Death - Notable for the
interesting sound they make, they
Skull aren't
large, but they have the same attributes.
Unlike the other larger flyers, a Death Skull
starts exploding before it dies, so make sure
you shoot them until you know they're dead.
ROBS: Various enemies with different properties.
I grouped them together because
they all act
in predictable fashions.
Droid - Shoots a barrage
of any bullet type, and then
walks towards the player. They're small, grey
robots that look similar to you.
Jugger - Big, fat green guys
that shoot grenades at
different velocities. There's also a variety
of Juggers that look like Droids.
Rob1 - Cleaner
robots with big blades. They'll chase
you down corridors at varying speeds. You'll
sometimes face these robots double-decked on
top of each other, and in one level there is
a grenade turret tacked on one's back. These
variations are sure to cause trouble.
T-Rex - These dinosaurs will chomp you up at close range.
WalkRob - They act like Droids, but
are generally bigger
and stronger.
TURRETS: These are circular, wall-mounted guns that fire
in nearly any
direction, with any of the weapon types
that ants and
flyers can use. You'll find them in
various situations
and positions. When they're not
firing, they serve
as platforms. When they are firing,
you may be able
to take advantage of their killing
power... generally,
a turret does not discriminate
friend and foe.
However, there are a separate
variety of turrets
which track your position.
At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the weapons you
have available. All you need to do is find some ammo, and
viola! You will gain some fun new toys.
Laser - The classic laser,
reminiscent of the blasters from
Rifle Star
Wars. You get ammo for this to make it fire
faster, but even if you don't, your gun will still
shoot. Your gun will shoot at the same rate with 999
ammo as with 15... just as long as you have some
ammunition, you'll get the same faster firing rate.
Grenade - A grenade launcher can
clear rooms fairly quickly.
Death from above!
Rockets - Heat-seeking rockets chase various objects around.
Napalm - AKA Firebomb. The
ultimate room clearer, this kills
nearly everything in it's path.
Plasma - Plasma guns send an
instantaneous charge to your
happy target that doesn't end until you let the
trigger loose.
Light - Another Star
Wars throwback, this is a gun with a
Saber short
beam that you can hold down and swing around.
About as strong as napalm at close range.
Frisbee - Similar to rockets, you
can aim these around with
your mouse. Try firing a bunch of these in the air,
and sending them towards a target...
Death - The 'New Weapon'.
It's a tossup whether this clears
Ray
rooms better than the Firebomb, but when you fire a
blast, it will shoot out little lasers that attack
whatever enemies are in the vicinity. This is taken
from Profound's excellent Twisted Minds addon.
These items will give the player special abilities. The
current ability icon will be located in the upper-right
corner of the screen when you pick it up. All power up
items are lost at the end of a level, or if the certain
level has an area that takes your powerup away.
Speed - A chip with a
thunderbolt on it. It will make you run
faster and jump higher as long as you hold the right
mouse button.
Flight - A chip with a wing
on it. This item will allow you to
fly as long as you hold the right mouse button.
Stealth - A chip with some ovals
on it. Useless in the normal
single-player game, it's enveloping invisibility is a
handy tool in a heated deathmatch.
Health - This handy item will
give you 100 health and allow you
to obtain a maximum of 200 health. On varying modes of
difficulty, this item will give less benefits.
Lamp - This is
a tiny little scope object. It creates a light
around the player. Sadly it isn't quite working right
at the moment.
The very first single-player level in fRaBs is a
transition level. It is arranged so that there are
three 'rows' of teleporters that take you to each
episode/single level. On the top level, where
the player starts in the forest, there are two
teleporters. Here is the order, from left to right.
---
1. Abuse Shareware Episode
These are the original five levels that came with
shareware Abuse. If you're a newbie to the game, these
are a good place to start. The first level is a
training level to get the player acquainted wit the
controls, and the other four are all quality levels.
2. Abuse Custom Level Project Pak / Cypress' Levels
This project was started by Cypress, and eventually me
and EitanTal contributed as well. However, with fRaBs
the levels have been rearranged and now I probably
should just call this 'Cypress' Levels'... the last
level here also uses his new custom artwork. :)
1. ACLPXX (Level06.spe) by Cypress
A fairly easy starting level... it gets tougher as it
goes on though. Be sure to look for all of the secrets
because you'll need them to get through. At one point
you will have to find a hidden wall and blast it with
grenades to keep going.
2. AB2DTH02 (Level07.spe) by Cypress
This is a maze-type level. Very non-linear... make sure
you try every teleporter. This was originally part of
another one of Cypress' projects, 'Abused to Death'.
3. AB2DTH04 (Level08.spe) by Cypress and /Messiah\
Many of the 'Abused to Death' levels were just outlines,
with fully drawn maps but no objects or enemies. Cypress
sketched the map and I added in the objects. There are
two distinct routes to the exit, just like the following
level, only here you choose your path from the outset.
4. Figure8 (Level09.spe) by /Messiah\
This level is a step up from the previous in difficulty
and like many of my single player levels, the fun comes
from just blasting all the stuff that comes at you.
There are two distinct paths that you can take to the
exit after the second savepoint, so if you have trouble
with one, try the other.
5. Untitled (Level10.spe) by /Messiah\
Short level, centered around a final showdown with a
powerful foe. Check out the artwork... :)
---
If you fall below the forest line, you'll go into a
cave with some ants. Here, there is one teleporter.
---
3. Justin's Levels
This is going to be a vantage point for most of the rest
of the single player levels I make... I may make others
whose purpose is to start off other episodes, but my plan
is to concentrate my efforts here.
1. Trench II (Level11.spe) by /Messiah\
A tough level centered around long vertical fallaways. At
the bottom of these are firebomb turrets that will rip you
apart. Bottom line: Keep shooting, don't fall, and remember
that the firebomb ammo is there for a reason. :)
2. Entrenched (Level12.spe) by /Messiah\
This level acts as a sort of intermediary hub to my levels,
as well as to the Aliens Abuse episode. It dwarfs most of
my other levels, and has some very cool features, like
underwater lakes. Keep in mind that the first exit you
see may not be the best exit for you; this level has a
total of five exits. Keep in mind that on harder levels
of
difficulty, the water may be impossible to move through,
so
you may be forced to take one of the earlier exits.
3. Unfriendly Skies (Level13.spe) by /Messiah\
This is the first exit in Level12 that I warned you about.
It's a short level, and if you can get the hang of how it
works then it will be fairly easy. You start out with a
fly
powerup, and the idea is to follow the 'path' of pillars
and
hit all of the switches. The only problem is that you are
followed by firebomb turrets which will easily incinerate
you if you aren't careful, or get off the 'path'.
4. Pancake (Level14.spe) by /Messiah\
If you make it all the way through Level12 to it's intended
end, then you will skip the evil Level13 and go here. This
level has tons of flying objects, and it's horizontal, like
a pancake. You'll end up facing plenty of difficult foes,
from gray ants to ANT_SHIPs and UFOs.
5. (Level15.spe) by /Messiah\ and MJF
There are two ways to make it here. Firstly, there is a
secret exit in Level12 near the beginning of the level that
will take you here. I won't tell you how to find this exit,
but I will just say that it has to do with the first four
save points in Level12. The other option is to beat Level14,
of course. :)
My roommate and good friend got the ideas for this level.
His initials are MF. The layout of this level is his, and
I
populated it with new artwork and some enemies and whatnot.
6. (Level16.spe) by /Messiah\ **Not Finished Yet**
---
There is a little section of Level12 that tapers off into
a green cave. This is actually the beginning of an entirely
new episode not accessible from the main hub - the Aliens
Abuse episode.
---
A. Aliens Abuse
This episode is named for it's special enemies derived
from the Aliens Abuse addon by Michael Moss. Eventually
some of the levels in this episode will use those little
alien guys.
1. Leon1_2 (Level30.spe) by Leon
The old Level30 sucked and I accidentally included an
incomplete version. So, out went that level and in came
an excellent level by Leon. I added in a secret exit
somewhere, so if you can find it you're good. The secret
exit is not shown on the map JPEG so you'll have to be
sharp. :-)
---
Fall further and there's a flat area with caves going
both left and right. On the left-hand side, there is one
exit, and on the right there are shafts with room
for 10 (!!) exits. However, at the moment there are only
three exits total on this bottom floor. Starting from the
left-hand side:
---
4. Eitan's Levels
Here you can find many of EitanTal's best levels. They
tend to be long, with lots of enemies and puzzles. This
episode is definately only for the hardened Abuse veteran.
You might want to go through the other levels first, in
order to pick up extra ammo in order to tackle this one.
1. Untitled (Level17.spe) by /Messiah\
This level is similar to some of Eitan's, so I put it in
the same little episode. There are two exits on this one,
and both are fairly hidden. One is only accessible via a
secret passage that takes you back through the first part
of the level, and the other is found by blasting your way
through the catacombs and cleaner robots and finding the
fly powerup. If you're too greedy then the previously
mentioned secret passage will be blocked off.
2. Eitan2 (Level18.spe) by EitanTal
A fairly easy level in comparison to the former, although
it still takes quite a bit of practice. Lots and lots of
respawning ROBs in this one.
3. Eitan3 (Level19.spe) by EitanTal
This level is a bit tougher, and you never seem to quite
have the exit in reach, and oftentimes you're tricked into
a sense of false security. Another level that requires you
to have quick thinking and reflexes.
4. Eitan6 (Level20.spe) by EitanTal
If you find the secret exit in Level17, you end up here.
Eitan doesn't make very many subterranean levels, but this
is a bit of an exception. Lots of different paths to the
exit in this level.
5. Eitan4 (Level21.spe) by EitanTal
This used to be Level08.spe in the second episode, but I
felt
it was best placed here instead. This level began as a tiny
unfinished fragment of a level by me, and Eitan made it
into a
huge floating fortress-type level. The only problem was
that
there were a few sections that were obnoxiously difficult,
so
I made a few slight 'modifications' in the gameplay so that
I
didn't have such a hard time. That said, this level is still
very difficult, just like the rest of this episode.
5. Abuse!
The whole level spells 'Abuse!' and there's all sorts of
cool gimmicks. Another tough puzzler by EitanTal, its
big enough and it's Abuse 'theme' makes it deserve its own
episode.
1. Abuse! (Level70.spe) by EitanTal
There is one section with these 'switches' that you need
to turn on and off and find the right combination in order
to pass. Without the answers, it is a very annoying trial
and error procedure. The answers will be included in the
next version of fRaBs... as I'll need to go and ask Eitan
for them (or do the switches myself).
6. Justin's Old Stuff
These three levels are older single releases by me, all
packed into a short-running three-level episode. It's
a little tough, but shouldn't take long to finish for the
average Abuse player.
1. Jungle Underground (Level71.spe) by /Messiah\
Named for the Jungle in the beginning, and the underground
hideout that ends the level. Plasma and grenades are the
weapons of choice here. The trick to getting through the
area with the cleaning robot with the grenade turret on
top
of it is to stay between it and the grenades it shoots.
It
can provide useful cover against the hordes of blue ants
that
spew forth from the walls.
2. Orange Ant (Level72.spe) by /Messiah\
There's two ways to the exit in this level, but only the
one
to the right has a save point. The left exit is for the
real
brave souls, but you'll be rewarded with lots of extra weapons
if you take this route. Also, there are plenty of orange-colored
ants to take care of, but you probably figured as much.
3. DDBoulder (Level73.spe) by /Messiah\
The first area is full of ammo for the laser rifle. Don't
be
greedy here or you'll be sorry. The rest of the level is
a
fairly straightforward romp. Don't be afraid to let the
wall
turrets help you.
Justin Cassidy
messiah15@dog.com