D1 Manes, Level 2 "Hmm, what can I say about this game? Suck-ass? ;) This has to be the most aggravating game I have ever played. Granted I came out on top but it could have easily went either way as the score indicated. This is the first match where I recall actually shouting profanities out loud in my room while I was playing, and I am normally a reserved guy. Starting out this match I just tried to get a feel for Aldak and his patterns. I believe he got the first kill but then I came off with the lead after that. He is a good dogfighter but he just couldn't beat me straight up in the first half of the match. I had a 4-kill lead on him at 14-10 and figured I was pretty safe. Wrong. :) Didn't Karash teach us newbies to NEVER assume the game is "in the bag"??? Why do I have such a hard time with that? Well, from now on I'll never assume that again. Hehehe. At just the wrong time, I was going into the reactor tunnel from the big dogfight room and the phone rang. I hit "f8" to type "hold on, phone", and my own argument that people should have a macro set for "hold, phone" for 1-on-1 matches smacked me in the ass. Aldak came whizzing around the corner and fired a fusion shot right at me. I frantically tried to hit f8 again and regain control with my joystick so I could dodge the shot but it was too late. I saw the things schmack me head on and there went 80 shields. Darn. Those 80 shields easily could have made the difference between a 20-18 game and a 32-30 game. Aldak closed the gap with some sweet vulcan kills up my ass. Ow, I'm still tweezing lead pellets out every once in a while. At 19-19 thats when the real battle began. Aldak turned extremely defensive. Staying as far away from me as possible in order to keep using vulcan/spread on me and not getting into dogfights with me. This sucked for me but it did allow me to do something you don't normally do in manes2. I went into the reactor room constantly to get homers and smarts. ;) Once I fired a homer across the huge room and trichorded towards the back energy bay room. Lo and behold, there was aldak coming in the other side...the homer still chasing him. hehe. BLAM fusion in the face repaid the deed he had done earlier. It went kill for kill the whole time. Nobody able to get the win. It was me up by 1, then tied, then up by one, for about 8 kills. Then at the 27 or 28 kill mark, aldak took a 1 point lead and I thought, for a second, that it was going to be over. But, rather than panic, I took a deep breath and fought my heart out to take back the lead. I tied it up and it went back and forth until he tied me at 30. I knew he was low on energy and I caught him in the lower energy bay. A "head fake" move which made him think his escape route was clear caused him to fly right into a full charge of fusion. *DOINK* 31-30. 1 more to go. The last kill was luck on my part. I was right underneath the reactor room door and he was in the room through the two holes next to it. I saw him heading for the hallway I was in but he didn't appear to be aware of my presence. Should I play it safe or play it hard? Fack, I thought, if anyone was gonna win this game it was the person who took a chance. So I estimated the 2 seconds I thought it would take him to reach the connecting hole and then jumped out right into the opening with vulcan and concs blazing. He was dead center in the middle of the little hole and there was just nowhere he could go at all. 100-0 in about .5 seconds. He later told me that he didn't even realize my presence until he was already dead, so it was that anticipatory move which got me the game, and the busdriver. Still, we got the record, but I'd rather have the win than the record any day. :)"

-LordDeath

D1 Manes, Level 2 "This was the first LAN matchup I had ever had against BHayes. However, since during most of the year we have a very fast connection to each other, I wasn't expecting many surprises, and I didn't get them for the most part. Manes is not a level I tend to play very well, but for some reason that day I was just on top of my game. I knew where he was the entire game and what he was doing. It almost felt like I had psychic powers for that game, and although the score is fairly close, it didn't feel like it. I owned him throughout the entire first half of the game, building up an extremely comfortable lead. At midway through the game he made some changeups and made a comeback, but I was just too far gone for him to catch me. He gained some ground back but I wasn't playing as aggressive as in the first half. I knew if I could just play smart, and defensively, that I would get the 3 or 4 kills I still needed to win before he could catch up and thats just what I did. That's not to say there weren't interesting aspects of the game. I was running descentr that game, and I'm not sure what bhayes was running. We were having problems with the d1x LAN "two of everything bug" When he would die he would spawn two of everything, including shields, and I would get two kills. So once we restarted and I was in descentr, homers were a bigger factor. They were the reason I ruled so much of the game. I hoarded the missiles and I would NOT give them to him! He had to pry them out of my cold dead hands before he was going to get them. At the end of the game I broke them out and fired a few from distances to the the last few kills in. I believe our game ended in a double-kill dogfight, where we both died simultaneously, to end the game at 20-16. He didn't tell me until after the game that it was his home level, but I didn't care about that. I would rather have a good game like this one, then a sucky game and win an award, and BHayes delivers on the good games every time."

-LordDeath

-Sirian

-IM_GOOD

-Anonymous

-Sirian

D2 Manes, Level 1 "So far, this is my only one on one with Kaffeine and I was suckered by Sirian into playing Kaf in his home level. :P I knew that he used to be in UT, so I was expecting a tough game. What I got was one of the most fun D2 games I've had in a while. He mentioned loving smart mines while we were in kchat, and I quickly found out that he was a master. About 10 seconds into the game, I turn around the corner and see smart mines at every choke point. I went merrily about replacing them with my own. :) It caught him by surprise and the first kill of the game was followed by the comment, "Doh! Thought it was mine!" He knows the level well. There were many times that I would come back from a death to find a homer heading for me from halfway across the level. Kaf had a great pattern that he flew in the ratty areas that covered it entirely and left golden droppings at every opening. There weren't very many shifts in scoring, but when there were it was 3 to 4 points at a time. I remember being ahead 10 to 7, and then being behind 14 to 13. I had a very small lead at the end when he decided that to call it quits. All in all, it was one of the most fun sneaky, ratty games I've played."

-ENDER

-Chipmunk

Observer's Note: Chip is right, I did watch this game. It was one of the biggest IDL matches played at that fest, and the only match out of eleven that Chippy lost in D2. But it may have been even bigger for me than it was for them, because I learned some VERY important things by paying close attention to the way that Manson played. I remember noticing that Mans had smarts at the top of his autoselect, and thinking to myself, "That's dumb. He's not going to get any kills with those. He should put homers or mercs first." Well let me tell you, I am glad I didn't say that out loud and make a fool of myself, because those damn smarts were the difference in this game. As much as I knew about that weapon, Manson knew that much more, and he opened my eyes. I've had smarts at the top of my order ever since, except when I play certain very specific levels, and that has made the difference for me many times. I also discovered just how much you could tell about the opponent's position and movements by watching the lighting. And I learned four other game-breaking fine points, that in combo with the two I have described, have made me a MUCH more dangerous opponent than I used to be. I learned more from watching that game than I ever did while playing a single game, to be sure. And in Manson's defense, he didn't do any sit-in-place camping. That's not his style. He moved around a lot, but he did so mostly in the tight areas, near the reactor. He likes to stake out a part of the mine and then force the fight to that area. But he did come out some. There were six or seven dogfights, and they were all to the death. I remember one in particular, because Chip was sitting in a corner and Manson called out, "Fucking camper!" as they went at it. Chip won that fight. Manson talked a lot, in general, which made the game that much more interesting to watch, because you got some insight into what he was thinking and feeling. Some memorable quotes: "Is he there? Is he there? *fires smart down the tunnel* *Doink!* God damn! He WAS there!" "This sucks! I need that gauss back." "Oh you want to come into MY tunnels do you??" and "No way, dude. You can't pull that rat shit on me. Not in my home." I wish I could have videotaped this match. Even this story fails to capture what it was REALLY like. - Sirian

THE MANES are Spaz's breakthrough project not only for weapon balance, but for design as well, marking his first use of the "well" structure now common in many of his levels, and incorporating other significant 3D aspects as well as variation in hall and room design and a general reduction of door counts, allowing for less camping and more stalking, increasing the average tempo of head to head matches.

D1 Manes, Level 1 Level One of Manes is a tunnel rat haven. The level has only one dogfight area, and this is the only spot where spreadfire is highly effective. For the most part, this level demands use of quads or plasma, and is designed specifically to be ruled by the fusion cannon. All of the Manes are levels where smarts are highly dangerous, but they are a particular threat here. Speed is also of the essence, so bring your best triple-chord with you or consider playing somewhere else. The reactor is in a very exposed spot at the end of a hall that sees an occasional rat fight, so be sure to set the reactor to invulnerable for the maximum length or you may inadvertantly find yourself on the next level.

Long distance engagements occur often on this level. Dealing with campers here can be a stiff challenge. Manes 1 lacks the escape hatches of many Spaz designs, so turning extremely aggressive will often pay off, especially if you mix that up with other attack plans to keep your opponent off balance. Fusion is lethal in these tight tunnels if you have the aim and know-how to put the smack down on your target. Overall Rating: 8

D1 Manes, Level 2 Level Two is the most popular Manes level, due to its small size and relatively simple design, and perhaps to its generally flat nature, for it has fewer 3D elements than the other levels. The layout is basically square with a shortcut through the middle. Dogfighting characterizes most fights in here. The rooms are not quite as small as those in Io, but they are close, so it often feels like you are trapped in a pit, locked in a deathmatch with another gladiator as all the Romans look on with amusement.

Coping with runners in this small level is surprisingly frustrating. An opponent can sit at any of the outside corners and spot you coming long before you can get in his face. If your opponent is camping a lot, and immediately disengaging from all fights, chasing him down can be hard to do. On the other hand, if both players often ask each other to dance, games in here can be a lively party with plenty of music and entertainment. So it's a good idea to know what you are getting in to before you agree to play someone in here.

This level has another correlation with Io, and that is the weapon mix. With only one spreadfire and only one fusion, you will have to be able to fight well with plasma or quads to survive in here. The player with the spreadfire at his disposal has the advantage, whether he uses it or not, and the range of available tactics shifts dramatically depending on who has which guns. This level has a low missile count, but due to how easily a player can missile boat unchecked, the missiles can respawn significantly by the end of a match. Having the discipline to hoard missiles can assist you if you are facing down a player who relies heavily on them. Overall Rating: 8

D1 Manes, Level 3 Level Three of Manes is the most favored anarchy level of the atLANta players, for gatherings of four or more, on LAN or the internet. This design features a pair of wells, and the layout gives them a prominence in the action that can only be described as masterful. There is greater connectivity to this level as compared to the others in this set, and this is also the only level with a major secret: a long, winding tunnel that includes the way to the exit.

Tunnel ratting is the main skill required here. There are no dogfight areas at all, but there is a lot of 3D architecture, so you will need to be well versed in controlling your ship in the 3rd dimension. You will also have to do some fighting in flat rooms. Judicious use of prox bombs can earn you a kill or two if you can figure out your opponent's tendencies. This level is very skill-intensive. It is definitely not for the uninitiated. Overall Rating: 9

D1 Manes, Level 4 Level Four of Manes is one of the best fusion-dueling levels ever made. There are tunnels, small rooms, large rooms and a huge room, requiring a variety of skills to master. The long tunnel that runs over the two largest rooms is a moth habitat, to be sure. And there are just enough doors, corners, pillars and portals to allow for some intense peekaboo action.

There are three energy bays: the usual count for a Spaz level. Only one of these bays is readily accessible to main engagement areas, so players who use plasma or spread will need to make frequent pit stops. This can provide an advantage to someone who relies on the fusion or switches up to quads, so keep that in mind. The only doors on this level go in and out of the two tunnel areas, so if your opponent goes through those areas often, use bombs to pick up some extra hits or to cut off his escape route the next time you get a chance to pursue him.

This level is the least played in the Manes set, and I find that a shame in light of its nuances. If you have never played this level before, I urge to get off your Minerva/Nysa/Athena playin' butt and venture forth to phear the quality! Manes level 4 requires all the D1 skills you will need to overcome top notch players, and if you can't cut it here, that speaks for itself. Overall Rating: 8

D2 Manes, Level 1 Add D2 items to level 1 and you turn a tunnel rat haven into one of the premeire levels for tunnel fighting ever created. Afterburners make for quick escapes and brutal attacks. Smart mines bring danger even when the opponent is not near, and will turn escape tunnels into blind alleys. The omega is simply brutal in these close quarters if left in. There is only one gauss, and you had better control it more than your opponent if you want to survive. And most of all, there is the phoenix cannon, which can hold off an army of charging attackers. Almost no level ever created sees a more dramatic shift in the game play from its D1 version to its D2 version than this one. About all the two levels have in common is the effectiveness of the plasma cannon. Overall Rating: 8

D2 Manes, Level 2 Add D2 items to level 2 and... not much changes. The danger of spreadfire is replaced with a single gauss and a couple mercs. That about sums up the list of differences in game play. As with all the levels in the D2 Manes, there are both lasers and superlasers; for those who prefer Laser 4, there is the option to disable the superlasers and still have powerful quads. Overall Rating: 8

D2 Manes, Level 3 Where in D1 prox bombs are dangerous in this level, in D2 the smart mines are particularly deadly. The phoenix cannon can add tactical elements, but in these close quarters it is easy to suicide with it. Quads also become a particular danger in combination with the afterburner. The skill set, if anything, is even more demanding than in the D1 version, except for the declawed fusion cannon. Overall Rating: 9

D2 Manes, Level 4 Level Four of The Manes for D2 is one of the premeire arenas for use of the phoenix cannon. There is only one phoenix, and whether you use it or not, you will need to possess it as much as possible to prevail here. The gauss is the other key to this level, but the layout also lends to judicious use of the fusion (yes, the fusion) to put the smack down on a slightly injured opponent. Smart mines in the tunnels can catch some opponents unawares. If your opponent uses the phoenix a lot, he will require lots of fueling stops, so use this to your advantage when you are fighting to recover the orange lobber. Overall Rating: 8

Summary

This mission set is one of the all-time masterpiece collections, for both D1 and D2. Your level collection is NOT complete unless it includes The Manes.

-Ratings-

Level Name	DF	TR	TM	TP	EB	GM	3D	WF	CR	LV	ST	Overall	Special
D1 Manes, Level 1	4	9	4	5	6	3	3	8	3	7	9	8	x
D1 Manes, Level 2	8	5	5	3	7	3	3	7	1	7	6	8	x
D1 Manes, Level 3	5	9	4	3	8	5	5	8	4	7	7	9	x
D1 Manes, Level 4	8	7	7	3	8	4	5	9	4	7	6	8	x
D2 Manes, Level 1	5	10	5	4	7	3	3	7	2	6	9	8	DF
D2 Manes, Level 2	7	7	4	2	6	2	3	8	1	5	6	8	x
D2 Manes, Level 3	4	9	4	4	7	4	5	7	4	6	8	9	DF
D2 Manes, Level 4	9	7	7	3	7	2	5	7	6	6	4	8	DF

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