Stages

Notice how at the beginning of matches you end up fighting in different areas? That's one of the key points in Wavestorm; there's several 'stages' you can fight in. The different stages offer more variety, and the various things that can happen in these stages can tip the scales of a battle in a split second.

If you hop into the game in mid-battle, you'll just start playing on whatever stage everyone else is already on. However, you can choose your stage manually if necessary. Simply click on the "Stage Select" button under Battle Options to open a dialog that will let you choose where to fight. Keep in mind, however, that after a stage is chosen, by you or another competitor, it takes five minutes for the Stage Select button to re-enable. This is done to prevent stage switching abuse.

Here's some info on each stage available.

Stage 1 - Volcano

Magma boils and erupts constantly throughout this stage. Every so often, the volcano will erupt, smacking a player with fire damage. Purple Wavestorm Defenders need to keep an eye on their HP here; they're more vulnerable to fire attacks than anyone else.

Stage 2 - Airship

This fight takes place on a gigantic flying warship. The cannons on the ship randomly fire at combatants each turn. You can also get knocked off the ship (akin to having Whitesmoke Halt, or Stop, cast on you). If a sudden drop of the ship to catch you or a sudden burst of wind to pick you up doesn't fix the situation, then it'll be a good minute before you can climb back up.

Stage 3 - Grassy Field

While the serene grassland looks peaceful, its qualities lend a testy edge to the fights. The huge grasses around the area increase everybody's dodge rating, making physical attacks harder to connect with. Also, grass + Red Wavestorm Defender = brushfires. If there's a Red Defender throwing fire around a lot, don't be surprised if the grass beneath your feet lights on fire from the constant heat.

Stage 4 - Battered Building

One of the neatest stages available, this decrepid building is so far gone, it should be torn down. And that's exactly what a nearby construction company is attempting to do in mid-battle. The building has 5 levels, and you can hop up and down levels as much as you want in between turns. The farther away in the building you are from your enemies, the less damage their physical attacks will give you. But watch out; that construction company has a demolition ball on site, and every so often it'll smash into the building. If you're on the level it hits, you'll get popped!

Stage 5 - Space Station

Fighting in the steel girders in the middle of space may sound tough, but it's not really. Only 3 situations will happen here, all dealing with gravity. Gravity has the tendency to switch constantly here. Either it'll be half, normal, or double. Normal is normal, obviously. If it's at half gravity, your physical attacks will do less damage, but you'll move twice as fast (akin to Beige Shift, or Haste). If double gravity is in effect, your physical attacks will hit with twice the damage, but you'll move twice as slow (akin to Mint Decel, or Slow).

Stage 6 - Mine

In the depths of a mineral mine shaft is where this stage is located. Mine tracks crisscross the stage, and mine carts can suddenly fly down the tracks without notice. Physical attacks push you on the tracks if you were off them before, or vice versa. If you're standing on the tracks when a mine cart comes flying by, you'll get smacked. If you're standing off the tracks, however, the mine cart will stop next to you, and anytime during your turn you can hop in and use it as a unique, new physical attack.

Stage 7 - Temple

Like most Aztec/Mayan temples in games and movies, this temple is filled with loads of traps that will spring on you randomly in battle. Here's the various things that can happen:

• A column will fall on you
• A boulder will run you over
• Spike floors will trigger and pierce you
• Pitfalls you can fall in (akin to Whitesmoke Halt, or Stop)
• Statues shooting arrows out of their mouths at you
• Walls moving in and crushing you
• Quicksand impeding your progress (akin to Mint Decel, or Slow)
• Aztec/Mayan lookalikes swinging into you on vines

Stage 8 - Wind Tunnel

Ths streamlined wind tunnel offers a nice fighting ground, but every so often the fan at one end will cut on. The fan can either slow you down (actual Slow, your next turn will take twice as long before you can go), knock you over for damage, or knock EVERYONE over for damage.

Stage 9 - Highway

On this stage, all the players hop on conviently placed motorcycles and speed off into the night, fighting from atop their moving vehicles. Randomly, right after being hit with an attack, a player can fall off their motorcycle, and have to climb back on and catch up (akin to Whitesmoke Halt, or Stop). Random things can happen here too, just like in the Temple. Here's what can occur. As a note, none of the bad things below can Stop you like being hit by another player in an attack will; you'll just take damage.

• Running over roadkill will trip you up
• Potholes can knock you over as well
• Oncoming traffic will knock you into the air
• Drunk drivers on the wrong side of the road will plow straight into you
• Too sharp of a turn will send you flying off your cycle
• Pulling into a pit stop and grabbing a bite to eat will give you some HP

Stage 10 - Factory

This factory isn't like most; it's dangerous. The workers apparently don't turn anything off at night, and as a result, there are all kinds of devices running amuck for you to get caught in. Here's a list of what can randomly happen to you in this stage:

• Electric floors will Stop you (akin to Whitesmoke Halt), and will also give lightning damage. Blue Wavestorm Defenders are the most vulernable to lightning, so be careful
• Huge pistons can crush you
• Cranes can swing into you from behind
• Oil spills will trip you up and Slow you down (akin to Mint Decel)
• Toxic gas can poison you. Make sure to bring some Neutralizers with you into battle to prevent this! (or a White Wavestorm Defender)
• Runaway hand trucks can bean you as well
• Swinging armatures will pop you
• Large gears exploding out of broken machines can fly into you

Stage 11 - Holostation

A standard stage with no actions whatsoever. Plain fighting.

Stage 12 - Repulsor Arena

In this rotating cube room, cannons in the walls shoot bouncy balls that ricochet around the chamber. Whenever your HP is above one ninth of its max, the balls will smack you and knock your HP back down. EXP/AP/Omni gain is doubled here as well.

Stage 13 - No Man's Land

A hostile desert with condors circling around above. Condors swoop down and block off item usage constantly. Throughout the battle, the temperature will rise and the ground will heat up unbearably, causing all players to take damage. Red players take less though, and Purple takes more. Everyone else takes an average amount of damage.

Stage 14 - Photon Accelerator

In this technologically advanced room, a photon accelerator is tested. The accelerator plays havoc with light throughout the battle. Ever so often it will change modes. These are three different modes it can be in:

• Off - No effect
• Barrage - Light particles shoot through the area causing all magic to only cost half MP
• Void - No light anywhere so magic is unavailable for usage

Stage 15 - Space Romp

A three part stage. The stage starts in part 1, and every five to eight minutes, it'll go to the next part. Once part 3 is over, it goes back to part 1.

• Pt. 1 - Inside the Space Shuttle
  Armatures swing and engines flare in this area for damage
• Pt. 2 - Deep Space
  In this section of the stage, the shuttle explodes and all combatants float in deep space, where no gravity makes for half attack power but twice speed, and asteroids fly around for damage.
• Pt. 3 - Planetary Combat
  The combatants fall from space and crash-land on one of three planets. After the standard five to eight minutes, the combatants hop back in a remodeled space shuttle and part 1 begins again.
  • Lush World - This entire planet is a massive jungle. Tall plantlife makes for improved dodging, but animals attack in midbattle.
  • Arid World - This planet is an immense desert where sandstorms damage the players battling, and gigantic worms attack, but random wind blasts increase attack power to 2x.
  • Water World - The battle on this planet takes place on a large platform floating in the middle of the ocean. Tsunamis can damage people, but water turbulence randomly changes the power rating of attack magic.