Stick Arena

Infobox VG
title = Stick Arena


developer = XGen Studios, Inc.
publisher = XGen Studios, Inc.
designer = Skye J.W. Boyes
engine = Flash
version = 1.313
released = November 5, 2005
genre = Fighting
modes = Multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: Teen (13+)
platforms = Flash
media = 3098 KB browser-based
requirements = Macromedia Flash Player (version 8 recommended),
A web browser (Internet Explorer recommended)
input = 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.

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. [http://forums.xgenstudios.com/showthread.php?t=25941]

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.

Weapons

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. The katana does 1/8th damage, Glock does 1/5th damage, AK-47 does 1/6th damage, shotgun does 1/3 damage and the sledge hammer only takes one hit to kill. Players starts with fists that take 12 hits to kill a player. 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.

tick Arena: Go Ballistick!

XGen Studios is currently developing an expansion for the game, titled "". 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 [http://www.xgenstudios.com/play/ballistick/ 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 [http://forums.xgenstudios.com XGen Studios Forums] . As of October 1, 2008, Stick Arena: Go Ballistick! has gone into closed [http://beta.goballistick.com beta testing] , and a [http://www.xgenstudios.com/ballisticktrailer2 second trailer] has been released. A [http://beta.goballistick.com/register.php "Lab Pass"] is required to use all of the new features of the expansion. These cost 5.95 per month, and allow players to access the 6 new weapons (Rail Gun, Chainsaw, Laser Sword, Flamethrower, Tesla Helmet, and Chain Gun) and 7 new, space-themed maps.

External links

* [http://www.xgenstudios.com/play/stickarena Stick Arena]
* [http://gotoandplay.it/spotLight/stickArena/ Interview with Stick Arena developers]
* [http://www.dkworldwide.com/techlife/archives/2006/12/26/stick-arena-free-online-multiplayer-game/trackback/ Published article in Chicago Area Newspaper] Reviews Stick Arena and discusses how to play
* [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/games/review.jsp?id=1359 Review] by Channel 4
* [http://www.xgenstudios.com/play/ballistick/ Go Ballistick! Trailer]