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Shadowrun

Magic and Technology

When kitting out your character, you can assign three tech or magic abilities for quick activation (using the left and right bumper buttons and the left trigger on the pad, or mouse buttons 2-4 and/or number keys on the keyboard & mouse). Additionally you can "quick cast" some spells from the radial menu during combat if you don't want to dedicate an action button for the ability, and you can switch out assigned abilities on the fly. Your need to use essence to cast spells, and many spells also "lock out" a portion of your essence pool as long as the effect is in place. This prevents players from using lame tactics like spamming a Strangle field in every nook and cranny.

While the tech items must be assigned for use, many of the spells work fine from the radial menu, as long as aiming or timing are not critical. Here is a full low-down of the magical and technology-based abilities you can purchase. Those that are practical to use without assigning a slot have been marked as "can be quick cast".

Teleport - Allows you to instantly teleport approximately eight meters to the direction you are currently travelling. This includes teleporting through walls, floors and ceilings, assuming there is an empty space at your destination. Skilled players can pull off impressive stunts with this, such as backing off from one enemy towards another and quickly teleporting behind the second enemy, leaving him in the crossfire.

Resurrect - Allows you to bring back to life any friendlies around you. This resurrection is temporary and linked to you - if you die, all players you have resurrected start to bleed out health and either need a new resurrection spell from another player before they die, or stick close to a Tree of Life. If you die again after a Resurrect, you then just go poof and disappear, leaving no corpse for further resurrects - this keeps the round lengths in check. Corpses can also be destroyed to prevent resurrections, but spending time shooting up a corpse leaves you open for attack. Resurrect can be quick cast.

Tree of Life - While you can't directly heal people in Shadowrun, you can summon a Tree of Life by tossing a magical seed. A tree will pop up from the seed and form an area that will heal everyone in a radius around the tree - friend or foe. Dwarves can also suck up essence from the trees by hugging close to them - the tree can take it in moderation, but doing this is also a way to destroy a tree that is helping your enemies too much. Can be quick cast.

Smoke - The ultimate escape tool that turns you semi-transparent, invulnerable and unable to attack for as long as you have essence available (or until you turn off the ability). Also adds an essence regeneration penalty just for being assigned for use - dwarves with Smoke equipped regenerate no essence.

Gust - A telekinetic push that also affects people using Smoke. Can be used to push people away from their camping spots, off the ledges or out of the map area in some spots. Also handy for keeping katana-wielding elves off you while you blast some holes in them.

Strangle - A spell that deploys a field of crystal spikes that slow down anyone trying to pass through them - good for sealing up bottlenecks or protecting the flag. Strangle fields can be destroyed with weapons or by the magic-sucking abilities of Dwarves and the Anti-Magic Generator. Can be quick cast.

Summon - Summons a magical monster. If you target an area, it will guard it attacking any enemies near its designated spot. If you target an enemy, your summoned pet will chase down and kill that enemy unless killed first. Can be quick cast, but it's nearly impossible to quick cast it to chase a specific target.

Glider - A tech-based backpack that allows you to unfold small wings that make you glide through the air, extending your jump distance.

Wired Reflexes - Increases movement speed and reload speed when assigned, and allows you to partially deflect gunfire if wielding a katana. Wired Reflexes can also be activated for short extra burst of speed at the cost of some health.

Anti-Magic Generator - A type of grenade that sticks to any non-living surface and sucks up anything magical around them - essence from players, Strangle fields, Summoned creatures, Trees of Life and so on. If it's magical, it will be rapidly drained.

Enchanced Vision - This is the wallhack, fully legalized. Enhanced vision allows you to see enemies through walls up to 60 meters away - unless they happen to be using the Smoke ability.

Smartlink - Increases the accuracy of your weapons and prevents you from firing on friendlies. With this tech assigned, you are incapable of firing your weapon if it's pointed at a teammate. Very good for keeping that minigun spray in check when friendlies are around. Also adds limited "autoaim", even for mouse users, keeping your sights locked on a target as you fire. As a drawback, enemies can see your laser sight from a mile away.

Grenades - Everyone has a couple of grenades at start, and they are pre-assigned by default. While you see many flying around during opening rounds, most people tend to use the grenade slot for something else in the later rounds.

The weapon selection is more limited than tech and magic - you have the pistol, SMG, shotgun, rifle, sniper rifle, minigun, rocket launcher and katana to choose from. Each weapon has its use and you can carry up to two weapons. For example, a katana is handy for slicing open those pesky snipers, assuming you can circle behind them, while a minigun is a good for plowing open a path through enemies in tight quarters. The only useless weapon is probably the rocket launcher, which feels weak and clumsy, especially considering its price tag.

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