Guides:Newbie

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When you first launch Auto Assault you'll have the choice of three races (Human, Biomek, and Mutant) to create your first character from. Each race has a selection of four classes to choose from, each offering a variety of unique vehicle types, abilities, and skills. Select the class that carries the most appeal - you can always build new characters at any time (for a maximum of twelve per server). You also have the ability to choose from a number of physical characteristics, as well as your unique in-game name.

Each new character begins in an instanced tutorial/starter area, where a series of introductory missions and objectives will teach you the basics of the game as well as the specifics of your chosen race and class at your own pace, without an audience. Once you've passed the first set of missions and gained a level or two with your vehicle, you'll be shepherded through a series of city missions before moving on to the initial starter cities.

Attributes

Each character in Auto Assault has four attributes, each assigned with a number rating. Attributes can be raised sequentially each time the character gains a level (usually two attribute points to use are gained per level).

The four attributes define how well the character performs certain actions. In addition, the particular class of the character is dependent on two of these attributes, and are listed as the Primary and Secondary attribute. For instance, a Human Commando is primarily dependent on the Combat attribute, and somewhat dependent on the Tech attribute. However, a Mutant Avenger would be mostly dependent on Percetion, and somewhat dependent on Combat.

Here are the four attributes:

   * Combat - Influences the character's fighting and driving capability, and affects accuracy and ability to inflict damage.
   * Tech - Reflects practical knowledge; affects the ability to repair yourself (and others).
   * Theory - Indicates a higher level of intelligence and education. Influences special power and mental capabilities.
   * Perception - Awareness of the environment around you. Affects your chance to get a critical hit, ability to take damage, and detection skills.

The Quick Bar

The QuickBar is located at the bottom of the in-game user interface and consists of ten boxes numbered 1-0. You can assign skills or inventory items to each box, and access them easily by hitting the appropriate number or clicking on the box. This allows the player to customize a fast way of activating certain skills and items without having to search through a skill list or inventory diagram looking for a particular ability or item.

Usually new skills learned will automatically be assigned to a QuickBar slot. Inventory items must be dragged to a box in the QuickBar to get a slot. In system options, you can choose to remove QuickBar items by dragging them off their slot.

If you run out of slots, don't worry, you can click on the small up and down arrows on the right-hand side of the QuickBar - you have a total of ten rows of boxes so theoretically you can have up to 100 individual skills and inventory items represented.

The QuickBar also contains the red INC button on the far left, which summons an INC airlift to hoist you to another location. To the right of the INC button is the Hazard Mode meter, which shows how close you are to being able to activate your vehicle's Hazard Mode.

Inventory

You can click on the Equipment icon near the bottom of the user interface or hit "I" on the keyboard to bring up your personal inventory and the vehicle layout. On the right-hand side is the main inventory, or vehicle cargo, that consists of a grid layout where unequipped inventory items are arranged; small items like commodities usually take up one slot whereas many weapons take up four slots and large items can take up six. There are also multiple inventory pages - how many depends on the vehicle.

In the middle is the vehicle layout, which shows what is currently equipped in the various vehicle slots or hardpoints: Front Weapon, Turret Weapon, Rear Weapon, Ignition (type of vehicle), Hazard Kit, Ornament, Melee slot, Power Plant, Tires, and Armor. If you mouseover an item in the inventory, a box will pop up comparing that item to the one currently equipped so you can compare the properties. You can then right-click on the inventory item to swap it out with what you currently have.

In town, your personal locker shows up on the left side of the screen. Your locker has essentially the same functionality as your vehicle inventory, except that it remains accessible in towns only, and has a larger storage capacity than most vehicle cargo holds.

Death and Dying in Auto Assault

When bullets are flying and nukes are dropping, there will be casualties of war. Even the most skilled driver will eventually run into a situation that is too tough to handle. When the inevitable happens, your vehicle will be a smoldering wreck, broken and immobile on the wasteland highway.

Friendly drivers with the proper skills can restore and repair your wrecked vehicle, though typically they must be of an engineer-type class (Constructors, Shamans, and Engineers). If no one is available nearby, an airlift may be dispatched. Offering 24/7 roadside assistance for wrecked vehicles, INC will send their nearest airlift to your location. The airlift will hoist you up and fly you to your last repair station.

When the airlift drops you off, your vehicle will be operational - just barely - with only one hit point and your power reserves drained. You can then repair for free at the station over time, use consumables to repair more quickly, or have another player with the appropriate skills help fix you up. The disadvantage to using INC instead of having a player repair your vehicle is that INC will transport you to the last repair station you visited, which can be very far away from where your vehicle was wrecked. Repairs by other players take place on the spot.

The only real death penalty is the time you spend out of the action. There is no experience loss of any kind in Auto Assault, so you will never lose character progress or items from dying.