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Deck Swabber
Ahoy matey!
[ play
it ]
The First Round
The first round is definitely the easiest. The bad guys are not very
aggressive and they don't move very fast. However, the time limit you
have to get a "10" time bonus is less, and the treasure
payoffs are usually mediocre. Keep the following things in mind as you
play Round One of Deckswabber:
1) You will find Pirate Myncis and Cannons as your only enemies.
2) The treasure payoffs range from 5 to 75.
3) You will see a box with squares on the sides. This will make a
predefined number of columns of squares go back to their original brown.
4) The squares stay yellow NO MATTER how many times you hop on them.
The OTHER Rounds
Right, now things get tricky. In the 2nd round, you still only have to
change the squares from brown to yellow. The thing is, if you hop on
them again, they turn back to brown. Arrgh! The 5 levels are the same as
in the first Round.
In the 3rd and 4th levels, you need to change the squares from brown to
yellow to red. Now, in Round 3 you start off on what was Level 2 in the
previous rounds, and get a new, even harder, Level 5 at the end. This is
also where you are likely to start seeing the Pirate Techo. Now, NOTHING
will kill you faster (except the Ghost Pirate) than a Pirate Techo. They
don't do any more damage than the other baddies, but they are FAR more
aggressive. They'll chase after you, and they're fast.
The only real differences I was able to discern between Rounds 3 and 4
is that the squares change from red back to brown in Round 4 instead of
back to yellow as in round 3. Also, as always, the enemies get more and
more aggressive, and the payoffs get higher. If you get lucky, you might
even find a Golden Chest, which holds 100 "treasure points",
worth 5 points at the end of the round.
I confess, I've never hit Round 5. The Pirate Techos always get me.
Stupid Pirate Techos. However, I can presume that this is where the
Ghost Pirate makes his appearance. Run, if you see him. RUN LIKE HECK.
The Ghost Pirate can kill your Blumaroo instantly. I'm not sure what
kind of treasure payoffs are in Level 5, but if in Level 4 the Golden
Chest shows up, there must be something good in there. (: Anyway, keep
these things in mind as you play the more advanced levels of Deckswabber:
1) The squares do NOT stay yellow.
2) The Pirate Techos come to town.
3) The treasure payoffs increase.
4) The time that you can get the 10 time bonus in increases each Round.
5) The GHOST PIRATE shows up sometime!
Things That Stay True
Despite the apparent complexity of Deckswabber, there are some things
that always stay true. For your reading ease, I'm putting them in a
handy list, as follows:
1) Play with the sound on. It helps you get a rhythm and move faster.
2) You cannot hop till your Blumaroo's little tail is back on the
ground.
3) You cannot begin a hop at the same time as a pirate Mynci or Techo.
4) Move in patterns. That way you lessen your chances of having to
backtrack.
5) Avoid your enemies if you can, but sometimes you just have to go
through.
6) MOVE FAST. The faster you can complete a level, the less time the bad
guys have to come and get you.
7) The little flag is a HEALTH RESTORER. That is not the Ghost Pirate!
Go after that flag; it will restore your health back to 10!
8) Straight lines are generally
faster to move in than squares or other patterns.
9) If you DO have to backtrack, there's a handy two-step you can do. Hop
on a square in front of the one you changed back to brown or yellow,
then hop back onto the square you changed. In Round 4 this becomes a
4-step, but oh well. Repeat as needed.
Treasure and the Elusive Dubloon
One of the members of my guild once said "WHEN am I gonna get a
Dubloon? I've been playing and playing that stupid game!" I once
wondered the same thing. But it's simple. You just have to get over 300
points on Deckswabber, and a One-Dubloon coin is yours. I am sure you
can get higher "Dubloonage" sometimes, I am just not sure how
yet. Well, somebody's gotta know�and I'm sure they'll Neomail me
within a few days. Heehee.
Also, on the question of Treasure: What is it and what does it mean for
me? Treasure is the little coins and chests (not the square boxes with
designs on the sides) that hop around the Deck sometimes. The coins
range in value from 5 to 20, and the chests range from 50 to 100, as far
as I have seen. Maybe in Level 5 they're higher. Stupid Pirate Techos.
Anyway. The question also arises; to Chase, or Not to Chase. Here are my
rules for whether or not to Chase a coin or treasure chest.
1) Chase if you're on the first level. Getting a 10 time bonus is tough
anyway; may as well get a few extra points while you're out there.
2) Chase on the other levels if it's not in an area you've turned your
goal color already.
3) Always chase a Golden Chest, unless there's a Pirate Techo or Ghost
Pirate in the way!
4) Don't chase if you are under your time limit for 10 points. It's just
not worth it, unless that's a Golden chest ye be after, Matey!
5) Besides treasure, you should also chase Health Bonuses and those
darned little boxes that change squares.
a) Health Bonuses you should chase if you're low on health. Always!
b) ALWAYS chase those boxes unless you're close to your last square and
think you can make it before the box explodes!
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