Zen Rollerball Guide

Zen-R Lobby

First, the host should start a "Zen-R Lobby" game, invite-only, non-team play, for 8 players. This way up to 3 curious players can still drop by to find out what's going on. In the lobby game, the host should make sure that all players: are clear on the car design rules; know the end-game point threshold value; know their team name/colors (e.g. Puce Panthers); have a copy of the Zen-R map; know the basic features of the Zen-R map (the functional regen, the jump to the non-functional end-game regen, etc.); and, of course, know the basic rules of Zen Rollerball. After the host is comfortable that everyone is ready, he/she should go host the "real" game, which should be called "Zen-R Game On!" or something similar, and should be invite-only, team play, for 5 players.

Zen-R Game On!

Preferably, the host will start this game and move into position in the non-functional end-game regen, where he/she should park the car and turn off the engine. As the players join, they should move slightly off the spawn points, and hold all weapons fire. The score/kills/deaths need to stay zeroed out until the game starts. After all players have joined, the host should confirm that everyone joined as the correct team name/color, and in the right cars. Next, the host should get a "Ready!" from each player. At this point, the host declares, "Game ON!"

End-Game Points Threshold

Before a team is allowed to attempt to end the game by killing the host, the team must have reached a predetermined end-game points threshold at least once during the game. Typically, the threshold is set to 3,000 points in an IROC-style game. Keep in mind that the threshold only has to be reached once - if a team starts losing points after reaching the threshold, and even drops below the threshold, it's players may still try to end the game. And, be careful - drop too low and you might end the game with a score LESS than the other team, and LOSE!

End-Game Objective

The host's car, parked with its engine off in the non-functional regen, is the target for ending the game. As soon as the host is killed, he/she should regen IMMEDIATELY by hitting the spacebar, and then exit the game IMMEDIATELY, to get accurate end-game scores. The host should jot as much scoring info down as he/she would like to provide - at least each team's overall score, if not all the individual player data. The host will then rejoin the game and tell the tale of the tape. One note - if a team kills the host BEFORE reaching the end-game points threshold, that team loses immediately!

Scoring

Scoring is done by killing your opponents, or by making the functional regen. Typically, opponent kills will be worth about 1,000 points in an IROC-style game, and the regen is always good for 400 quick ones. The regen is tougher than it looks - you often will flip or get picked off down there. But, it does often make a quick catch-up strategy. Use wisely. Also, remember that various types of deaths will DEDUCT various amounts of points from your score. Zen Rollerball teaches you to kill your opponents while saving your own ass.

Car Design

It is strongly recommended that you stick to IROC-style play, meaning that all players use identically decked-out cars, aside from paint job, possibly. This way, kill scores will all be 1,000 points, making for an even and well-paced game. Other suggestions include: no mortars and no missles bigger than firerites (these weapons are only recommended for "pros" who can handle keeping the game interesting when the bridges go out); a balance of weaponry that will kill moderately efficiently, require decent skills, and not overly lag the game; use cars with enough guts to make the end-game leap; players on the same team should use the same paint job;

Lag and Crashes

The worst part of any I-'76 game, these will definitely affect Zen games. If all players are experiencing unacceptable lag, perhaps the game should be rescheduled or restarted. Player crashes are part of the game. Rejoin as quickly as possible - your teammate will need you! Keep in mind that when a player crashes, his/her team loses that player's points/kills/deaths tally. Hosts need to be attentive - get the players back in ASAP!

Some other things that will HELP reduce lag and crashes: Nobody should be running things like ICQ, Netscape, or HackerTracker in the background. In fact, kill ALL background programs before playing! Check your PING times before playing. Players should keep chat to a minimum - use it if you need to call for help, say something to host, have a particularly funny one-liner, etc. Let the host do most of the talking - it's their "action" in the game. The host should be like a sports commentator, hilighting players by watching via the F5 and E keys. Keep the teams appraised of the score. That way they won't have to CTRL-S all the time.

Sample Cars

Div. 15 Zen Manta

Div. 20 Zen 'Rahna

Good Luck!!!

Now get out there and play!