ShockRods: Tips to help you in the vehicular battlefield
Navigating the beautiful chaos
ShockRods is like the classic, chaotic car battlers that you know and love. It's most certainly a wild game, and not only that but it is also exclusive to iOS and Steam (for now). Each match sees several players duking it out with their tank-like vehicles (known as ShockRods) - and each round sees guns blazing in every which way.
There are several game modes that you can play, including classics like Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. If strategy is a little more of your thing, rather than just going crazy with the guns, the always popular Capture the Flag is available too.
The controls can initially be tricky, especially when controlling your ShockRod. However, don't worry, it doesn't take long for things to get cozy. Although the game is wild, it's not too overwhelming as long as you understand how everything operates. There a couple of things at your disposal that can help you out while you're trying to have some fun.
Start playing offline
Yes, ShockRods is a multiplayer at its core, but it does present an offline mode. You don't have to do it if you don't want to of course, but it can help. the tutorial will tell you how to play the game, but heading out into the battlefield is a different animal.
By playing offline, you can take on some CPU opponents which should be easier to deal with. You can set their difficulty to your liking so if you want to start on easy and work your way up then you can. You can choose the game modes as well as the locations.
This is a great way to familiarize yourself with everything that the game has to offer. Experiment with different modes and check out the different areas. Recognizing locations can be helpful too. You'll know where to go once you get comfortable.
Keep an eye out for weapons
When playing in games, you'll see weapons scattered all over the battlefield. Sure, your default gun can do some fair damage, but as the old saying goes: "never bring a knife to a gunfight". In this case, it's "don't bring a gun to a bazooka fight". I say this because most players will attack with the guns from the jump.
The last thing you want is to go toe to toe with someone who has a more powerful weapon than you. Fortunately, weapons are really easy to find. It's all just a matter of if you can grab yours before your opponents spot you. If you do, then you'll be ready to retaliate.
Weapons should change automatically but if they don't, then all you need to do is tap your current weapon to change it (this is mentioned in the tutorial too). Do this and you'll be gravy and ready to destroy.
Jump
It's only one word, but it gets the point across. One of the neat features of ShockRods is that you'll be able to jump to some very decent heights. Not bad for little tanks, huh? You can double jump with two taps of a button, and get some nice hang time.
This is a great way to dodge bullets and avoid taking damage. Plus, there are some high vantage points in each level, so this makes for some good sniper spots. And you can still shoot while in the air so you can get some sweet ariel kills.
This is challenging to do early on, but if you are able, then use it to your advantage. If the opponents aren't good at shooting Shock Rods in the air, then you'll have them right where you want them. But use those jumps shamelessly.
Start with automatic shooting
In ShockRods, there is a feature where you can have shots automatically fired from your weapon. This happens when you put your aim cursor on an enemy. Your weapon will just start blasting, so all you need to do is keep stay locked on the target.
Some may say this is cheap, but it's really nifty for new players who are struggling. The cool thing is that you can turn it on and off anytime within a game. So if after a while, you feel like taking off the training wheels mid-game, then you can put your aiming skills to the test.
But, if your bullets are flying around erratically without hitting the target, then definitely turn it back on. Just remember you can switch at any time. So no need to go the setting in the main menu or anything like that. This really can come in handy.
