Tips for dueling tough NPCs

[MeleeMaster]

I used to have trouble dueling tough NPCs (without force powers), but I've been studying and testing how the Single Player saber system works, it's actually kind of cool when you learn it.

 

And I've come up with some tips based on a Jedi-Jedi Knight difficulty experience.

 

Parrying is the core of saber duels in SP, you either block succesfully, attack succesfully, or get parried.

 

In order to increase your chances of blocking a swing, switch to fast stance or use duals or staff, duals has all around good defense while staff constantly blocks attack repeatedly and fast has good defense.

 

Then, in order to block complicated swings, always move your saber right infront of your opponets swing, like, if a swing is coming at me from the left I'd turn my character to the left so my saber is directly infront of my opponets saber, then my guy will block, and if I'm lucky, he'll parry the other guy and then I can swing and take down my opponet.

 

Now about parrying, being able to force someones saber away with a swing is tied in with your saber offense, and being able to parry/force someones saber away by blocking them depends on your saber defense.

 

Being parried offensively depends soley on the force of your swing, like, if desann hits my saber without hitting me, I will be slowbounced.

 

However, if I swing at my opponet with fast stance, chances are I might be defensively parried.

 

If you ever get parried by a boss like Alora roll away immediately, because you won't be able to take her next hit.

 

And if you want to try and parry someone defensively, use the tip about succesfully blocking swings, and then make sure your only in range enough that your saber can be hit, and then, usually you'll parry and that will break your opponets guard for a special.

 

Always go for headshots in duels, and never hesitate to do a saber twirl and do the fast style kata, they win duels very quickly and if the enemy tries to block it they will almost always be parried (even against bosses).

 

In Single Player specials are much more deadly, they usually parry and guard crush, the medium over head swing is very useful for flipping over your opponet and getting headshots, as the blue lunge is a superb finishing move.

And the red kata is unstoppable in close quarters.

 

Another thing thing I always had trouble with was resisting force pushes, but I learned that if your pushed while your are standing still and not moving your character will be able to always resist one push at a time.

 

Is this a good guide to saber dueling in Single Player? I worked kind of hard on it.

[MeleeMaster]

Here's more:

 

Swing blocking, when you swing, and your opponet swings, and they clash. Usually one person is parried, and the other has a chance to attack. How it works is whichever blade has more force put behind it parries the other. In order to make sure your the one who is parrying, swing first, and try to interupt the NPC's swing just as he starts it.

 

If your swing spamming, usually, you'll get parried. Alora very good at swing parrying you if your spamming on her.

 

There are several ways to put more force behind a swing of yours, like I said, a swing that is stronger is more...complete. It has a larger ARC (your swing is the strongest when your arms are fully out stretched) and it can't be easily blocked.

 

Certain saber swings might be more powerful than others (not sure about this), as in an upper cut swing might be more powerful than a horizontal swing. Do unusual combos and swings, don't do 3 horizontals in a row, mix it up, but make sure you know what your doing, and don't be afraid to spin sometimes, a spin swing is more powerful and can parry well offensively.

 

And sometimes, use the auto-combo. Yes that's right, it's when your close to an opponet just holding down attack will make your guy swing.

 

The auto-combo is very useful, because your not controlling it, the game itself is. One time I did a diagonal on Alora, she blocked, and I stood still and held attack, and the game calculated it perfectly and did a spin move and I vanquished her in one hit.

 

One last thing, one of the hardest moves for you or any NPC to block is a waist swing. Aim your crosshair at an NPC's waist or saber hilt and swing (works best with fast style) and you'll hit them most likely.

 

And also, walk, if you walk, your guard is still up.

 

All you have to do to block waist swings is crouch.

 

Something I found for JK2 strategy:

Lightsaber Blocking

- You can block an opponents lightsaber attack only when you are in the ready position or defensive position. If your attack is weak and your opponent is strong, a parry is possible. The defender knocks down your lightsaber and it will take a while to recover.

[MeleeMaster]

Feedback?

[Orj]

Great guide. This will make SP more interesting. One thing you didn't mention is the Dual saber jump+forward+attack. Do you ever use this? I find it to be quite useful against a nearby enemy; it's slash to the back of the head. You just have to be careful not to jump of a cliff.

[katanamaru]

Very nicely detailed post there meleemaster.

 

- You can block an opponents lightsaber attack only when you are in the ready position or defensive position. -

 

I've read this before but what exactly is the 'defensive position'

Ready should be standing idle but what about 'dp'?

 

It seems to help me when I move away from the swing as well. = more distance between me and attacker.

 

Some powerful swings are the overhead red and the left red swing. Overhead is nearly fatal to all non boss combatants. The left red swing is very quick and seems to chain even when it should not for the red style. Maybe the code is broke but check it out.

[MeleeMaster]

The curious thing about the auto-block system in SP is how it works.

 

The higher your defense level:

Better and more efficient blocks you use (there's different animations as you progress)

The more blaster bolts you can deflect and the better you can block them

Have a stronger guard, not better, but stronger (meaning you can guard against being parried better)

You have a larger arc of defense

 

But it uses a life like system, when a swing is thrown at your character, he'll throw out a block, but the game won't use complex math formulas to figure out whether or not he'll actually block it successfully (it probably does that to figure out parries though.

 

It's just as simple as that, he'll do a block animation and if his saber blocks the other in game time then so it happens, but if he throws out the block and the sabers don't actually collide then he's screwed. It all happens in real game time, it's not pre-determined or anything, or at least, it doesn't seem to be.

 

Any thoughts on this? (by the way, I don't have the Single Player game code in my hands, this is all pure speculation)

 

And also, if your having a tough time with Alora or any boss for that matter and you have duals or staff, just saber twirl and ram them, and if you time it right you can nail them and you'll get them with a few twirls, this also works with the fast kata.

 

@katanumeru (sorry if I spelled it wrong)

Defensive position is just when your standing still holding up your saber in the stance animation, not sure about ready stance, I'm pretty sure you can still block while walking and maybe running as long as your not swinging.

[Vaelastraz]

Good guide. Altough I knew most of it.

One tip from me:

 

-Saber staff, spamming the left-right attacks nonstop, is the most powerful thing in saber combat and will mow down everyone. There is no single player enemy that stands a chance.

[MeleeMaster]

The main problem about raven's boss fights were that NPCs can't use powers like speed correctly, they're reflexes slow down when they use it (not talking about how you have to use it before them).

 

Here's some more tips:

 

Never purposely stand completely still in a saber duel relying on the auto-block, because there's no gurantee you'll block everything, always dodge if you can, but make sure your guard is always up so you can block and dodge simultaniously.

 

Remember, with duals and staff, you have an advantage vs. single users, your attacks are considered two handed so you parry other people way better (even though single is more versatile hence all the styles)

 

Bosses can be defeated by roll stabs, even though it's difficult, you have to time your roll perfectly then, as you roll in they'll roll left or right, and you have to turn your mouse and catch them and time it perfectly.

 

If your stuck in a saber lock you know you can't win, and you have push 3, just push out of it, even bosses will do it to you if they're about to lose. You usually won't push them away but just stall the saber lock and avoid being killed by a saberlock that happens where it starts at the point where your about to lose.

 

Something I hate about the default singles and duals of the game is that you can't kick (I have a modified single that can kick and has +5 attributes), but you know whats more fun? You can knock people over by jumping on their heads or you can run up and force jump off of them as if they were a wall you were flipping off (does damage too o.O), and you can kick people by cartwheeling them over.

 

Whenever you really want to push/pull someone over and they keep resisting just use the force power when they jump, or jump over their head and push mid air and usually you'll knock them over.

 

Whenever your trying to resist force pushes theoretically you can roll and flip out of being pushed (just when your knocked back but not over) if your reflexes are good enough. The bosses flip out of being pushed mid-air if you watch them sometimes.

 

Just resisting a push with your arm requires you standing still and it helps to have your crosshair on your opponet (NPCs are always locked on to you so that's why they resist so often).

[knight 12167]

Nice