Windows and alternate methods of entry

Windows and 1st floor ledges should not be overlooked as valuable
resources. Few assassins are foolhardy enough to sit with their backs to
a door. However, even fewer extend that same courtesy to windows.  This
has served me well in several games. If a footstep sounds in the
hallway, many assassins become alert and paranoid, clearing their guns
for an easy draw. However, footsteps outside the building are rarely
heard, let alone acted upon. By placing a stethescope upon the glass of
a window, one can listen to a private conversation with safety and
comfort. Well, one does need to worry about random assassins and NPs,
and concrete can get rather cold at night, but at least you can gather
info that would be otherwise difficult to obtain.  In addition to
gathering info, this blind spot can also be utilized to deadly purpose.
Smashing a window then opening fire, tossing a grenade, or throwing a
poisoned knife can dispose of an enemy that might otherwise prove
somewhat difficult to eliminate. Also, when staking out a room, don't
forget the window. 

WARNING: should this file gain general circulation, these methods may
be somewhat less effective as the general body of assassins become more
aware of them.

Miscellaneous

When fleeing across Killian court at night, do not run towards lobby 10.
It's probably going to be locked. I learned this one the hard way. 

Along similar lines, figure out what doors phys plant is locking and
what doors they are not during the game - it changes periodically. 

When staging an ambush or attack, it is best to plan everything
extensively in advance. Scouting the area, determining the position of
each member of the opposing force, then planning who will take whom
when, can aid in eliminating a superior force in seconds.

However, a group that goes a-hunting should determine ahead of time if
they should 'hit' an available-looking target if the opportunity arises.
Use some discretion. Code phrases are common. If a group of assassins
ask you "What time is it", it might be wise to flee. If you <the
ambusher> reacts instantly and suprise is on your side, several of your
opponents may never even get the opportunity to return fire. What a
terrible pity. 

SUPRISE. The guy with surprise has a heinous advantage. Simple. Always
try to suprise the enemy, and try not to let him do the same to you. 

When engrossed in a game, one can forget to visit the bathroom until you
NEED to go. This can be bad if one is, say, being pursued by a mob with
orders to shoot to kill.  Go more often than you think you need to, and
only under 'safe' circumstances. Don't laugh, people have been killed in
bathrooms, on toilets, or while exiting a bathroom. Recently bathrooms
have become protected space, but still, determine whether there is
someone one the other side of the door with a gun before exiting.

Same goes for food. Eat large quantities of food before entering game -
hunger just adds an unwanted dimension to those 4am stakeouts. 

Walk. Don't run, and feel free to yell at anyone doing so. Pursuits
should not degenerate into the fastest walker wins. 

Know your way around the 'tute. Learn where the back doors and unused
passages are. Could come in handy. 

I'll skip the points that Sherriann covers in
/mit/salea/Assassin/new-players. Read it. Is good. 

Assasssins should be very careful late at night. Most people's reflexes
slow as they grow sleepier and sleepier... this can work both ways.
Ambushing tired people means that they will react more slowly, and
possibly not at all, but remember that you are more apt to make noise,
miss, drop/jam your gun, and otherwise screw up yourself.  Also, it is
likely that less NPs will be around, and less random assassins, so your
ambush is less likely to be interrupted by unplanned stuff.

Check your six. Watch your tail. Unless you know that the person walking
directly behind you is absolutely loyal to you, panic. Actually, try not
to commit yourself to an offensive course of action. Displaying paranoia
too openly is often frowned on. Lacking paranoia can be deadly. Take
your pick. 

Walking off with large, randomly formed mobs, especially early in game,
is not likely to prove fatal. Sure, odds may be that one or more people
in the crowd want to gun you down, but equally true is that others are
gunning for them, and so on. A nice circular MAD-type situation.
However, non-randomly formed mobs are more likely to be less safe... a
sword agent wandering off with the shield mob is not likely to return.

Some of my favorite moments assassining were spent hudded under a bush
outside a window planning an ambush in hoarse whispers.  This may be
obvious from the type of experience that I've primarily acquired and
have written here. Some people take to the high-stress combat side of
assassin well. Others do not. It's hard to predict which category you
fall into without actually being in one. Don't assume that because you
froze in your first combat that you can't cope and will never adjust.
Experience will help, as will rehashing the situation time and time
again, complaining about how you screwed up royally, and what you should
have done to hose your slayers. Assassin stories can improve the future
play of all those involved in the telling and/or listening. 

If you plan on participating in a gun battle, test your draw before
entering game each night. That back pocket that worked wonderfully last
night might be a tad to large in the pants you have on today. Reaching
for a gun and discovering it buried, handle out of reach, can just ruin
your day. 

Warning: do not test-fire your gun near the control room!

Basically, pulling or testing a gun in public is a bad thing to do.
Pulling a gun for demo purposes during a conversation about guns and
combat with someone confident in his skill can be safe. I've done it
quite a few times, but don't try this at home, folx. These are trained
combat heavies...

Never drop a gun unless you feel like being used for target practice.
It's amazing how quickly assassins can dive for cover and draw after
hearing that distinctive clatter.

Many people have hard-wired defensive moves. If something sudden
happens, they go for cover.  Doing something stupid around them usually
won't get you shot. Some of us have hard-wired offensive moves. If
something sudden happens, we have our guns out and ready reflexively.
Doing something stupid around them is extremely likely to prove fatal.
Moral: Stupidity is often fatal.

When you get a new gun or new disks, test fire them a few times. Some
disks just jam. It happens. I would much rather find out that the third
disk in my gun consistantly jams in the safety of my Jerrig space than
during a combat. But that's just me.

When martially attacked, martially defend. Eeep just doesn't cut it, no
matter how many style points it's worth.

Acting combat-heavy can often get you out of a tight situation - people
will tend to not try to attack you without backup. Therefore, you are
less likely to be attacked, because it is fundamentally harder to
coordinate a multi-person ambush than a simple one. On the other hand,
the odds of you surviving the attack are greatly decreased, and quite
likely zero unless you pull something devious and excape. 

Acting combat-squishy will make it easier for you to convince people to
walk down dark alleys alone with you. Also, people are less likely to
perceive you as a direct threat to their person. On the other hand,
people will be less hesitant to attack you.

When in doubt, use a gun. But don't get too close to your intended
victim - within 5 feet or so, disarms, martial combat, and other
assorted unpredictables take over.  

Tranq, truth, then terminate.  A phaser set on vaporize is
fundamentally less useful than one set on stun.  That should be your
major incentive for using martial combat in a game without tazers -
taking a person alive for interrogation.


This file is still being edited and modified. ie - pardon my spelling
and grammar, this is a rough draft.

			- Dave Kern