UniBall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the 2D online game. For the pen brand, see uni-ball.
| UniBall | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | C:\ and NickW |
| Publisher(s) | ByteRyder Productions |
| Release date(s) | 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | 9.1 on MPOGD |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows) |
| Media | Download |
| Input | Keyboard, Mouse |
UniBall is a free 2D online multiplayer game. Originally created by C:\, who was a graphics designer for ARC, it is now owned and maintained by NickW, who also programmed BRChat, the companion chat program to UniBall. In its most popular game mode, Hockey, players are given ships that can move, boost (move faster) for short distances, and shoot and receive balls. Players on opposing teams compete to be the first to score enough points to win the game. The game features an Observer mode, allowing anyone to join a game and watch real players in action. It is a good way for new players to learn how the game is played by mimicing cool moves, strategies, etc..
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[edit] Physics and Gameplay
In UniBall, players pilot ships, which can pick up and hold a single ball at a time. Consisting of up to 20 players and up to 4 teams, the main objective in the game is to defeat the other team(s) by either being the first to reach a point limit, or by having the most points when an optional time limit expires.
There are two types of balls, neutral (white) and colored. Neutral balls can be picked up by any player, while colored balls may only be picked up by a player of the same color. Players of a different color can nudge a colored ball around the map, but this is extremely slow. If a ship has a ball in its possession, the player in control of that ship can opt to "shoot" the ball outward. This is done, for example, to pass the ball to a teammate or to score points. Ships do not have weaponry in any game type.
There are two officially supported game modes: Hockey and Dodgeball.
In Hockey, players can score points by shooting the ball into a goal or against a bumper. Goals are typically defended by automated goalies, and learning how these goalies move (and hence being able to shoot past them) is considered a basic skill of the game. Bumpers behave like bumpers in Pinball, actively pushing the ball away when the ball comes into contact with them. While a ship is carrying a ball, it can be knocked loose on contact with a player on an opposing team.
The Dodgeball game type follows the same physical rules, except that gaining points is achieved by shooting colored balls against players on an opposing team.
Beyond Hockey and Dodgeball, a number of unofficial game modes exist. Racing, Speedball, and Corner Defense are user-created, and are achieved by adding additional rules to the structure provided by the game itself. These rules are not enforced by the game's mechanics, so it is up to the players involved in the game to learn the rules and regulate themselves. Additionally, some leagues use referees to enforce game rules.
[edit] Competition
Many players choose to form and join squads, similar to clans in other games. Squads may participate in the ongoing UniBall Ladder, or may compete in a league. Often, a squad will host a game pitting their squad as one team against a team composed of any three members of the general community. These types of games are often the only type of practice squads have, outside of league or tournament play. Squad activity on the official ladder is now becoming active again, giving fantastic competition to the community.
There also exists an official duel ladder, which encourages competition among individual players. The duel ladder uses the chess rating system to determine the ranks of players. Currently, there are over 1000 players ranked on the duel ladder.
The UniBall Fantasy League, a relatively new and quite popular league, offers a different type of competition than that offered by traditional squad play. Instead of squads, there are several general managers that are preselected, and are given equal amounts of virtual money. The general managers can draft, steal and trade players for their team, and these teams then compete for the duration of the season. There are the usual playoffs to determine the overall champions at the end of the season.
There are several other types of individual-oriented leagues, such as Survivor, UHL and Corner Defense. These leagues typically involve the creation of new user created game modes, attracting players by providing them with a novel set of rules. Such leagues provide competition by ranking participating players for performance in league games, ending with the crowning of an overall champion at the conclusion of the league. Leagues with multiple seasons may decide to record and display past champions for posterity.
In Survivor, players are placed into a fairly small map, and the play proceeds in such a way that the ball is considered to be like a hot potato. The last player to touch or carry the ball after a fixed amount of time is eliminated. The game repeats until only one player remains.
Corner Defense is a game mode with 4 players where players try to stop the ball from going into their designated goal. If the ball happens to go into a player's goal, that player is given one point. The gameplay follows the Speedball ruleset, so a player cannot hold the ball and must immediately shoot the ball the moment they receive it. This is easily done by continually holding the shoot button down. Players who fail to do this are penalized by being given a point. If a player accumulates 10 points, they are eliminated. The play continues until only one player is left, who is considered the winner.
UHL stands for Uniball Hockey League. A league where players of all skill levels can compete with each other for individual rankings on a leaderboard. Each season lasts 25 days and will track your personal progress such as Win/Loss, goals for and against, enemy team ranking, etc...
[edit] External links
[edit] Official Sites
UniBall Central, the official UniBall site.
[edit] Other Sites
Uniball Tutorial training website A great "getting started" guide for new players, from installation and setup recommendations through to making it into a squad and making name for yourself, as well as teaching alot of important tactics and tricks.
UniBall3D, the website for UniBall3D, a third party client which runs on a 3D engine.
uniball gaming network has alot of leagues and tournaments for uniball including the popular uniball hockey league.
