Stick Arena

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Stick Arena

Developer(s)	XGen Studios, Inc.
Publisher(s)	XGen Studios, Inc.
Designer(s)	Skye J.W. Boyes
Engine	Flash
Version	1.313
Platform(s)	Flash
Release date	November 5, 2005
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (13+)
Media	3098 KB browser-based
System requirements	Macromedia Flash Player (version 8 recommended), A web browser (Internet Explorer recommended)
Input methods	Keyboard, mouse

Stick Arena is a free 2D online multiplayer browser-based game, programmed in Macromedia Flash by XGenStudios, released in 2005 . It was built using MMOcha Server Technology. The objective of the game is to get a high cumulative number of "kills", avoid "deaths", and appear on the high score leaderboard.

1 Ranks
2 Kills and deaths
3 Weapons
4 Stick Arena: Go Ballistick!
5 Hacking
6 External links

[edit] Ranks

Players are assigned ranks based on how many cumulative kills they have made.

A list of rank icons and the number of kills required to gain each rank can be found here.[1]

[edit] Kills and deaths

Arenas are maps with weapons that spawn at fixed places, and are the places where gameplay takes place. The sizes of maps vary from small maps, preferred for melee combat, to large, wide open ones to allow for more strategic games. Players walk around the maps, picking up weapons along the way and using them to kill opponents. Players start the game with 60 health. As players take damage from opponents' weapons, their health decreases. When one player kills another, the killer is given a "kill" and the victim is given a "death", both of which is recorded on the respective recipient's score. Players are ranked by the number of kills they have; the player with the most kills will place first, the player with the second most kills will place second, etc. The number of deaths a player has is not used in ranking; it is only considered when two or more players have the same number of kills, in which case the player with the fewer deaths will be placed higher.

[edit] Weapons

The six available weapons are the katana, baseball bat, sledgehammer, AK-47, shotgun, and Glock. A knife is available through exploitations in the game code by hackers.

Each weapon has its advantages and disadvantages. Weapons are divided into two categories: melee weapons and range weapons. Melee weapons, such as the katana, are used directly on opponents, while range weapons, such as the AK-47, are used from a distance. Each weapon has a Damage Index, or set number of hits that will kill an opponent. For example, the bat has a Damage Index of 1/4, meaning that four hits with a bat will kill an opponent. Weapons also have a set damage to health they will cause when hitting an opponent. Melee weapons have a range value that indicates the area they affect. The lower the number, the larger the area.

The Katana is a melee weapon, and the fastest weapon. It is largely effective against the slower weapons, such as the sledgehammer and the shotgun. A player wielding a katana moves faster than when unarmed. It can hit around corners, and has the widest range of a melee weapon. (8 slashes to kill)

The Bat is a melee weapon. It is more powerful but slower and with a shorter range than the katana. Only four hits with the bat will cause the death of the opposing stick figure. The bat's damage level is only a little less than that of the shotgun. This weapon is most effective against the katana for experienced players. It can hit around corners. (4 hits to kill)

The Sledgehammer, also known as a "sledge" to many Stick Arena players, is the most powerful melee weapon. One hit will kill an opponent. It is also the slowest weapon, but it is still very useful against opponents at a short distance, especially in exclusively melee arenas. There are many camping spots where players can use the hammer's power to their advantage while disregarding its lack of mobility, such as behind a corner in a tight corridor. Camping can also be used to guard the entrance to some rooms. The entrance provides the player protection against opponents with ranged weapons, and forces other players to walk right past the wielder to enter the room. It can hit around corners. There are also glitches in several arenas where the hammer can hit opponents over some walls. (1 hit to kill)

The AK-47 has the fastest rate of fire amongst guns. Although the wielder's movement is slightly faster when wielding the AK-47 than when wielding the shotgun, it packs little punch. Its use is widespread among those who choose to fight in a large open area, although it can still be effectively used in narrow hallways and corridors. Often, players will hold down the fire button once they attain this weapon, as it can hit opponents that have not appeared on the screen yet, or opponents that have moved off the screen. (6 hits to kill)

The Shotgun is the most powerful but the slowest gun. A unique characteristic of the shotgun is its ability to kill at a wider area than those of other weaker guns, possibly allowing the user to shoot multiple opponents at once. Shotguns allow players to deal a significant amount of damage to others while staying safely out of reach of melee weapons, but good aim is necessary to use it properly. (3 hits to kill)

The Glock is a pistol with long range, fast attack, and high mobility. It takes 6 shots to kill, and it has the walking speed of the bat. This is the only gun that has visible bullets when fired. This is the second weapon that can shoot players not on the screen yet. (5 hits to kill)

Fists are what players start out with when spawned. Fists are relatively weak, but are the only choice available before picking up any weapons. Fists can sometimes be used against an armed player with a slow rate of fire. (12 punches to kill)

[edit] Stick Arena: Go Ballistick!

XGen Studios is currently developing an expansion for the game, titled "Stick Arena: Go Ballistick!". The game features six new weapons, and twenty eight new Arenas. The release date is not currently set. So far three of the weapons have been seen by the public. One is a Chainsaw, a minigun, and the other is referred to on the XGen forums as a "rail gun". The unofficial list of the new weapons is: Chainsaw, rail gun, mini gun (or chain gun), flamethrower, laser sword, and helmet. Some of the weapons were seen in pictures shown from an interview in Techlife. The game will also feature a currency system. A trailer has also been released for the expansion, but little information is given aside from the addition of currency earned from making kills and the two new weapons. Some additions include the ability to buy color rings and names with kill credits. Additional information can be found at the XGen Studios Forums.

[edit] Hacking

There are players who use hacking systems when playing Stick Arena. There are two main hacking systems, known as V3 and V8.

The V3 system has many more options than V8, but can be much more complicated. Some of the various abilities and advantages a player using V3 can have include infinite health, a high rate of fire without reloading, immunity to vote-kicks, multi-kicking, and teleportation.

The V3 system's Visual Basic 6 source code is freely available for use.^{[citation needed]}

The V8 hacking system is much more basic than the V3, but has fewer options to choose from. Hackers can become immortal or eliminate the walls around them, making it appear to others that they are walking through walls. This hack does not have an anti-boot ability, so opponents can vote-kick players who are using it.

There are other hacking systems as well. These systems are much more advanced and intended for more experienced users. They, along with all of functions above systems provide players with, can give users many other capabilities, such as granting users the ability to post multiple messages simultaneously in the lobby, increasing lag; however, this particular exploitation has been fixed recently.^{[citation needed]}