Arcanists
From FunOrb Wiki
| |
| Genre | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Release | February 27, 2008 |
| Multi-player | Yes |
This page is for objective, encyclopaedic content. There is a separate forum page to discuss tactics and strategy.
Arcanists is a turn-based strategy game. Players take turns to utilise one of sixteen spells, chosen by the player beforehand, in order to defeat their opponents. Members have many more spells, clothing and abilities than free players.
Contents |
[edit] How to Play
[edit] Basics
You play as a wizard who can deploy various spells, most of which deal damage, protect you, or summon minions which you can then command. Each player starts with 250 health, and unless they have used a special ability (Soul Jar) will die when it hits zero. After the player dies, he/she may still spectate the game. Playing the tutorial will help you to get the hang of movement, aiming, and firing, and is recommended before joining a multiplayer game. It is worth noting that you can customise your spell book: non-members, new players, and new members won't have access to the full range of spells, but can still benefit from examining the options available. You can also customise your appearance and unlock more clothing items by completing achievements or purchasing them with orb coins on the Orb Downloads section of the FunOrb website.
[edit] Movement and Direction
All of the basic movement actions have alternative keys. Note that these vary between the localised FunOrb sites, as assumptions are made about the keyboard layouts players on each site will be using. This table documents the keys for the English-language version:
| Move | Key 1 | Key 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Z | , |
| Right | X | . |
| Long jump or Down (while flying) | Enter | Ctrl |
| High jump or Up (while flying) | Backspace | Shift |
Note that Firefox users may wish to configure Backspace to not go back in their page history, as otherwise a loss of focus on the applet could result in the loss of a game.
The mouse is used to target and fire most weapons.
The cursor keys are used to look around the battlefield, although this will cause the camera to stop automatically following the active player or minion. On your turn N and C will loop through your team's minions and your Arcanist; on someone else's turn, C will centre on the active player and return the camera to auto-follow mode. Pressing Q on your turn will skip the current go and move on to the next player without you doing any action.
Under certain circumstances, you may find yourself with the ability to fly, or controlling a flying minion. In this case high jump becomes movement upwards, and long jump becomes movement downwards. If your Arcanist has mounted a minion, you have to control the minion rather than the Arcanist.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to jump from one location to the next if your character is facing the wrong way, as turning around may mean you fall from where you are standing. To change direction without moving, choose a weapon and target it in the direction you wish to face.
[edit] Rating
A player's rating is a measure of that player's success in rated games. It starts at 1000, and increases or decreases when a player wins or loses a rated game. It is however, possible to earn or lose 0 rating, but this can only happen if the same two players have fought each other for forty-or-so battles. Since non-members cannot play rated games, their rating cannot change: in consequence, a player who has never subscribed will have a rating of 1000.
[edit] Wands
[edit] Game Modes
There are two styles of game: team and free-for-all (FFA). Although nothing prevents people from forming informal teams in an FFA game, the handling of turn order between the two styles has an important difference. In FFA the turn cycles through the players, but in team games it alternates between the teams and so offsets a lot of the advantage which would otherwise be gained by eliminating a player from the opposing team.
A team game requires an even number of players: the top half of the list of players form the red team and the bottom half form the blue team. The host of an unrated game cannot start a team game with an odd number of players.
[edit] Awards
At the end of a game, certain awards are given out to the players who did certain things during the match. In a rated game, players who get awards usually get wands; however the number of wands gained seems to vary greatly. It may depend on you, your team's, and your opponents' ratings; how many awards you each received; and whether or not the average rating of the game is less than the level for your prestige hat. As a general rule, more awards are given in games with multiple opponents and many turns.
Note that the meaning of the awards has not been officially published, and so is intelligent speculation for the most part.
| Award | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Most Damage | The player who caused the most damage. |
| Most Powerful | The player who used their spells most effectively. |
| Most Minions | The player who summoned the most minions. |
| Most Kills | The player who killed the greatest number of people during the match. |
| Most Skillful | The player with the most successful hits. |
| Minion Master | The player who used their minions most effectively. |
| Most Wet | The player who fell into the water the most times. (Minimum - 2 times) |
| Most Useless | The player who caused the least damage to their opponents, and healed themselves the least. |
| Most Resilient | The player who was hit the most times. |
| Most Cruel | The player who caused the least damage to themselves or their team. |
| Most Honourable | The player who caused the most damage to themselves or their team. |
| Most Annoying | The player who repeatedly used the same spell. |
| Most Fit | The player who moved around the most. |
| Most Bouncy | The player who jumped around the most and who bounced the most. |
| Dragon Master | The player who used their dragon most effectively. |
| Imp Master | The player who used imps most effectively. |
[edit] Spells
On your turn, a spell bar at the bottom of your screen shows which spells you have available. Unavailable spells in your spellbook will be shaded out. Some spells can be used a limited number of times, or must be charged for a certain number of turns before they can be used. Hovering the mouse over a spell will display its name and description and, where relevant, the number of charges remaining and turns remaining for it to charge.
Spells have three levels:
- Level 1 - These spells are available as soon as you purchase the respective spellbook, which costs 5 wands. They are found on the left hand side of the spellbook.
- Level 2 - These spells cost 2 wands each, and you must also have the corresponding level 1 spell in your spell list in order to use them. The corresponding spell will be exactly on the opposite side of the book.
- Level 3 - These spells cost 3 wands each, and you must use five spells (not counting level 3 spells) from the same spellbook in order to use them. They are usually single-use. They are located directly on top and the bottom of the spellbook.
The breakdown by spellbook is fairly uniform:
| Spellbook | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane Book | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Book of Flame | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Stone | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Storm | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Frost | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Underdark | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Overlight | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Nature | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Seas | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Book of Cogs | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Total | 52 | 50 | 18 |
In addition to its spells, each book except Arcane also has a familiar which grants special abilities to players using the entire book. To gain these abilities it is necessary to sacrifice health, in 20 point increments up to a total of 100.
[edit] Ball Spells
Balls are projectiles which follow a parabolic trajectory. They are generally among the basic spells in a spellbook. Weapons are aimed and fired with the mouse; the weapon's velocity is controlled by how long the left mouse button is held. You can also right click to cancel fire. Balls explode (or, in a few cases, have another effect) at the point of their first impact with the terrain, an Arcanist, or a minion. If they fall into water or leave the playing area to the left or right then they have no effect. The one exception is the Water Ball: if its first impact is with the water, twice the usual number[citation needed] of water drops bounce off the water.
[edit] Bomb Spells
Bombs behave similarly to balls, except they bounce instead of exploding on impact. They explode after 5 seconds. Some bombs bounce more than others.[citation needed] Bombs can be very useful for enemies which are at the bottom of a pit, especially as many bombs have a cluster effect. They can be difficult to use against enemies who do not have obstacles close to them. It is highly recommended that you do not use bomb spells in close combat, because the damage done to your opponent may equally be dealt upon your own character.
[edit] Arrows
Arrows are essentially homing ball attacks. These spells are excellent at damaging opponents at a distance and can be very accurate when used correctly. However, these attacks curve, which can make their direction difficult to predict without practice, and will be stopped by any obstacle. Players must first click the homing target, and then fire the spell as with the ball spells. These spells are often fired at full power upwards, to allow the arrow to curve over the top of the landscape.
Arrows follow a three-stage flight pattern. First, the spell flies in a parabolic arc. Second, the arrow makes a circular arc, changing its course to fly directly at the target. Third, it goes straight towards the target. Most arrows have a turning circle with diameter approximately the width of 20 Arcanists. Arcane Arrow, however, has a turning circle diameter of about 3 people, making it the only arrow spell to be able to "turn on a dime".
If, for some reason, the arrow does not strike anything when it reaches its target, it will curve back, making a circle back to the target. It will do this several times, with a bit of variation, until the arrow loses its energy. At this point, it reverts to a parabolic trajectory.
[edit] Bolts
Bolts are similar to firearms: they are aimed in one direction and always fire at a set power with a number of shots, normally around 10. They are aimed and fired with the mouse. Some care is required as shots may damage you if you stand too close: in this case, you will usually cease firing. If you stand really close then with some bolt spells the shots may go completely through your intended target, who remains completely unscathed.
Enemies may be knocked away mid-shot with these spells, so it is advisable to back them against a piece of scenery.
[edit] Arena Spells
These spells affect all the players in the game. No aiming is required for them.
[edit] Targeted Spells
These spells are not directed from your character. Instead, they come from the terrain, for example, from the sky or the water. For this reason, they are very useful for players hiding in an enclosed space, as they do not require any line of sight from the player, although they may require a line of sight from somewhere else (for example, attacks from the sky can be blocked by scenery above the player).
[edit] Personal Spells
These spells affect the player that casts them. They are often some kind of defence against attacks. All personal spells, with the exception of Lichdom, Shining Power and Arcane Energiser, are cancelled when they enter the aura of a Sanctuary. Also, all shields except Static Shield are destroyed if their owner falls into the water or off the side of the playing area.
[edit] Minions
Minions are creatures that you summon to aid you in different ways. Control of these creatures is cycled by using the N or C keys. Minions are moved in the same manner as your Arcanist, although some have limited abilities (for example, many giants cannot jump very well). Minions will generally have a limited move-set consisting of 1-4 moves, which may use ammunition from your Arcanist's spells.
Some minions are capable of transporting their owner or certain other minions belonging to their owner. To mount such a minion it suffices to bring the rider and the mount into contact by moving your player into the minion you wish to mount. To move the pair, the mount should be controlled. To dismount, use a jump - generally a long jump, as a high jump will usually result in landing on the mount again. A mounted minion will take damage in place of its rider (so double damage overall); however, the rider may be knocked off of a mount by a strong impact.
Most minions become zombified when killed by death damage. For more information, see below.
Most minion summoning spells have a recharge time of 5 turns. However, some stronger minions have one use only, and Brine Goblins can be summoned every turn.
[edit] Towers
Towers (except the Clock Tower) render the Arcanist immobile. They have a limited amount of health of their own, which is added to that of the player for display purposes. This is the only way to make your Arcanist appear to reach health of over 250. When damage is dealt to an Arcanist in a tower the tower's health is depleted rather than the Arcanist's; when the tower's health reaches 0, the tower vanishes. If more damage is dealt by a single source (e.g. a single fire ball) than is needed to destroy the tower, the surplus damage is not carried over to the Arcanist.
A tower spell cannot be cast if the tower would overlap a living organism (an Arcanist, a minion, or a living tree).
Towers are damaged by the Quake spell (except the Clock Tower), and many spells from the Book of Stone have increased damage against towers.
Pressing any jump key will cause you to leave your tower.
Note that although selecting Arcane Gate while in a tower will give a large targeting circle, the Arcane Tower is the only one which you can take with you when gating.
[edit] Damage Types
Many damage-dealing spells affect all Arcanists and minions equally, but others have special effects.
| Type of damage | Spells | Special effects |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Damage |
| Does not hurt the caster, with the exception of imps' self-destruct; heals Imps and Arcane Towers. |
| Pebbles |
| Double damage to towers. |
| Storm Damage |
| Cyclops and Storm Dragons are immune. |
| Snow Damage |
| Heals Frost Giants, Sylphs, Frost Dragons, and Ice Castles. |
| Death Damage |
| Will zombify a minion instead of killing it if the minion isn't already a zombie or an arcane minion. It also heals undead minions and liches. |
| Light Damage |
| Deals twice the usual damage to liches and zombie minions.
*The healing sphere heals 25 health; however it deals 50 damage and provides high knock-back against undead minions and liches. |
| Water Damage* |
| This damage is reduced/prevented by the Seahorse familiar. At level 3, no damage is received from Deluge or English Summer; and at level 5 the user is completely immune to all water damage spells.
*The information available in game incorrectly states that Maelstrom and Ocean's Fury deal water damage. There is a conceptual difference in that they use salt water rather than fresh water; the damage that they do is indistinguishable from normal damage. |
[edit] Maps
Arcanists features 9 distinct maps to fight in: one for beginners, and one each for every spellbook except Seas and Cogs.
| Grassy Hills These green slopes are where all young Arcanists train to become great mages. All that can be found here is a clean battleground in which to test your skills. Armageddon Spell: None | 
|
| Giants' Mountains Steep slopes and rugged terrain. Stay here too long and the volcanoes will erupt! Armageddon Spell: Volcano | 
|
| Elven Isles These living islands offer much in the way of places to hide, but watch out, as the ancient magics guarding the area will start raining comets down! Armageddon Spell: Comet | 
|
| Goblin Caves The dank caves of the goblins are a common battleground. Intense mining has disturbed the deep and the ground is liable to erupt from under your feet! Armageddon Spell: Fissure | 
|
| Murky Swamp Amid the witches' huts and rotten trees, Arcanists battle to control the arcane sources of magic within the swamp. Keep hidden, as the high concentration of power draws storms in from afar. Armageddon Spell: Storm | 
|
| Graveyard The gentle slopes of the graveyard are covered with the remains of past Arcanists who have failed in this arena. Evil spirits haunt this place, sending bolts of pure chaos down onto anyone who disturbs them. Armageddon Spell: Rain of Chaos | 
|
| Sky Castles The angels of the sky have opened their heavenly gates to allow Arcanists to engage in battle between their castles in the clouds. Choose your tower and allies carefully to achieve victory in this realm. Armageddon Spell: Sky Ray Note: This map might be based on the Castle Wars minigame in RuneScape. | 
|
| Mos Le'Harmless Make your way to the islands of Mos Le'Harmless to get your hands on some 'rum', but watch out for the monkeys - they might just rain on your parade. Armageddon Spell: Monkey (not a spell from any spellbook, but based on the Book of Nature) Note: This map is based on an island in RuneScape of the same name, and shares its theme tune, 'Life is a beach!', with RuneScape. | 
|
| Arcane Crystals This map will provide a very different style of gameplay; imps will surely find their home there... Armageddon Spell: Arcane Arrows Note: Members only. This map has unique dimensions - it is half as tall and twice as wide as the other maps. To accommodate the wider mini-map it rearranges the spell book layout. | 
|
[edit] Prestige Hats
Prestige hats are an optional series of icons which players can earn after purchasing all spells. The spells are traded in for a prestige hat, and the player is left with the initial spell sets (most of the arcane and flame books) and the Book of Cogs, which is only unlocked by obtaining a prestige hat. They have to repurchase the lost spells with more wands. Each Prestige hat makes gaining wands more difficult. To make sure players don't accidentally buy prestige hats and lose all their spells, you must hold 'CTRL' and then click the buy button (right) before you can actually buy the hat. Gaining the first five prestige hats will unlock the Lord of Wands achievement. Gaining all ten prestige hats takes time and persistence but is a huge milestone, and gives you the Wand Hoarder achievement.
| Icon | Prestige Hat | Rating needed for normal wand rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 250 |
| 2 | 500 |
| 3 | 750 |
| 4 | 1000 |
| 5 | 1250 |
| 6 | 1500 |
| 7 | 1750 |
| 8 | 2000 |
| 9 | 2250 |
| 10 | 2500 |
In total it takes 168 wands to buy a prestige hat, meaning it will take 1,680 wands to buy all prestige hats, and 1,848 wands to earn all prestige hats and all spells.
[edit] Achievements
Total Achievements: 55
Total Orb Points: 17,300 (may be incorrect)
[Secret Achievements] | [Hidden Achievements] [Halloween Achievements]
| Image | Name | Requirement | Orb Points | Orb Coins | Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Acolyte | Win 20 Rated games | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Apprentice | Win 5 Rated games | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Arch Mage | Obtain a Rating of 4000 after winning 50 Rated games | 1000 | 10 | Yes |
 | Block out the sun | Use Flurry with at least four Elves at maximum power in a Rated game | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Champion of Magic | Win a rated game, over 3000 rating, with any full spellbook. | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | Claustrophobia | Win a Rated game, over 2000 rating, taking no towers | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | Cogs Arcanist | Win a rated game, over 3000 rating, with the Alarm Clock familiar. | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Comet Chucker | Deal 25,000 damage to your enemies in Rated games | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Critical Hit | Deal 250 damage in one attack, during a Rated game. | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Cursed Earth | Win a Rated game because the environment aided you | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Diplomat | Win a Free-For-All Rated game with over 4 players | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Enchanter | Win a Rated game | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Fear Me! | Win a Rated game with an army of at least four Hard Water Trolls. | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Fissure Finisher | Deal 1,000,000 damage to your enemies in Rated games | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Flame Arcanist | Win a Rated game, over 1500 rating, using a Harpy Flame familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Frost Arcanist | Win a Rated game, over 1500 rating, using a Frost Sprite familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Hangin' with my friends | Only deal damage with minions and win a Rated game | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | High Mage | Obtain a Rating of 2000 after winning 50 Rated games | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | It's Alive! | Win a Rated game ending as a Lich with a Zombie Dragon | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Just a Flesh Wound | Win a Rated game with 1 health remaining. | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | Lord of Wands | Get the fifth level prestige hat. | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Mage | Win 50 Rated games | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Mark of Fame | Defeat an Arcane Master Moderator in an epic battle of skill and arcane cunning! | 1000 | 10 | No |
 | Master Diplomat | Win a Free-For-All Rated game, over 2000 rating, with over 4 players | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master Team Leader | Win a Rated team game, over 2000 rating, taking no losses to your team | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master of Arcanists | Win Rated games on every map without changing your spellbook | 1000 | 10 | Yes |
 | Master of Cogs | Win a rated game with the full Book of Cogs | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master of Darkness | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Underdark | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master of Flame | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Flame | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Master of Frost | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Frost | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Master of Imps | Having 3000 rating or over, win a rated game using the Full Arcane Spellbook | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | Master of Light | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Overlight | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master of Minions | Win a Rated game with 10 minion spells in your spell book | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | Master of Monkeys | Play a Rated game and earn the most Zombie Monkey kills in the Mos Le'Harmless arena during the Hallow'een holiday | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | Master of Nature | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Nature | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master of Seas | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Seas | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Master of Stone | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Stone | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Master of Storm | Win a Rated game with the full Book of Storm | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Nature Arcanist | Win a rated game, over 2500 rating, with the Fungus familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Overlight Arcanist | Win a rated game, over 2000 rating, with the Cherub familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Paper Bag | Win a Rated game with a very weak attack. | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Seas Arcanist | Win a rated game, over 2500 rating, with the Seahorse familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Sniper | Kill an Arcanist in a rated game with a ball, bomb or bolt spell... from the opposite side of the map. | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Stone Arcanist | Win a rated game, over 1500 rating, with the Pet Rock familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Storm Arcanist | Win a Rated game, over 1500 rating, using a Storm Cloud familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Storm Seeker | Deal 5,000 damage to your enemies in Rated games | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Team Worker | Win a rated game using a teammate's minion to kill the last enemy | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Trainee Team Leader | Win a Rated team game taking no losses to your team | 200 | 2 | Yes |
 | Underdark Arcanist | Win a rated game, over 2000 rating, with the Soul Jar familiar | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Volcanic Volleyer | Deal 250,000 damage to your enemies in Rated games | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | Wand Hoarder | Purchase the tenth (and final) prestige hat for your Arcanist | 1000 | 10 | Yes |
 | Winning Storm | Win 5 Rated games in a row during one session | 1000 | 10 | Yes |
 | Winning Streak | Win 2 Rated games in a row during one session | 500 | 5 | Yes |
 | With the Fishies | Win a Rated game by knocking your opponent into the water | 300 | 3 | Yes |
 | Wrath Wreaker | Deal 1,000 damage to your enemies in Rated games | 100 | 1 | Yes |
 | You got the Touch | Kill three or more Arcanists in the final turn within a rated game. | 500 | 5 | Yes |
Did you notice a missing achievement? You can help the FunOrb Wiki by making a page for it. Simply type the achievement name in this box to make a page for it.
[edit] Trivia
- Once a player has played 500 games the ratings menu will no longer accurately count; it will instead say 500+
- The Arch mage achievement was previously obtained by achieving a ranking of 5000 after winning 50 rated games, but it has recently been lowered to 4000 because of the difficulty of obtaining such a high rank.
- After 100 turns, the game will automatically draw, saying the game was out of time. Some players stall in order for this to happen.
- During the 2008 Christmas season, the Grassy Hills theme was covered with snow, with castles and trees having Christmas decorations.
- During the 2008 Halloween season, the mos le' harmless stage had the monkeys dropping from the first turn as zombies that shot thorn bombs, which were affected by the nature familiar.
- The flame familiar Harpy flame graphics are reused from Wizard Run Harpy king boss.
- The Cuckoo clock spell sound is reused from Torquing! collecting hourglass power-up.
- Many things have been changed.
- Arcanists can also be played at www.arcanists.com, although account management and server switching is still done via the main FunOrb site.
- "Arcane" Mods (currently thought to be all Jagex Mods, but it is possible that there are only a few) have various special abilities based around the Arcane book. They are hard to kill, as they start on 500 hp, have damage resistance, and even gain health from arcane damage (similar to an arcane tower/imp). They are rather larger than normal Arcanists (about the size of a dragon), and don't suffer from knockback as much. Their imps start with 100 hp each; when they cast Arcane Arrows they fire a lot more than 4; and they have a spell called Arcane Fountain which transforms the health of any arcane tower caught in the blast into arcane arrows, and launches them into the air.
- All achievements in Arcanists are members-only, with the exception of Mark of Fame.
- The Block out the sun achievement is a reference (possibly indirectly through reference to a modern adaptation) to an incident mentioned by Herodotus in the context of the Battle of Thermopylae.
- Arcanists can also be played in Dutch at www.arcanists.nl.
