Part 3 "Hoverboards and more" by Strag (vannatta@cis.ohio-state.edu)

  If you think the minisub will offer an underwater advantage in Malice deathmatch,
wait until you experience what the hoverboard will do for you on dry land!  
Since a hoverboard increases your running speed fourfold, you'll want to
grab one whenever possible.  While on a hoverboard you can jump much higher
than normal, and as an added bonus the hoverboard has a turbo boost feature.
Quickly pressing jump twice will give you a short, powerful burst of propulsion 
in whichever direction you're pointing.  Hear me now and believe me later!  
Players who are able to control the hoverboard like an extension of their bodies 
will assuredly have an advantage over those players who neglect this skill.

  Besides offering speed and maneuverability, the hoverboard will also save you
from the nasty effects of falling.  While riding a hoverboard, you'll be able to 
leap from any height without having to worry about splattering yourself upon landing.
Of course, having all this power in deathmatch does come with a few strings attached.    
You make noise while riding a hoverboard, and the turbo boost is especially loud.
Also, you'll have some trouble maneuvering through areas with low-hanging beams
and other obstructions.  And especially troublesome for hoverboard riders are liquids!
Sadly, the hoverboard seems unable to traverse fluids easily; you'll have difficulty steering
(much like someone trying to run on ice while wearing penny loafers).  Either deactivate 
your hoverboard or use the turbo booster to blast yourself onto dry terrain.  Otherwise
you're a sitting duck!

  At this point let me mention the player's inventory and how it's used.  Since Malice wisely
features only a few key items, you won't be wasting time searching through an endless
"Bag of Holding" for whatever it is that you want.  You'll need to bind one key to an impulse
that allows you to toggle through the items in your inventory, and you'll also need to
bind a key to an impulse that will allow you to use your selected item.  In your inventory you'll
be able to carry the probe, the hoverboard, and the parachute.  Of those three items,
you'll only ever need to select the probe and/or the hoverboard for use since the
parachute is always available via the jump key once you've picked one up.  Flipping 
through your inventory will quickly become second nature, and a small picture of your 
selected object appears on the status bar as visual input.  It's all very fast and
efficient.

  The parachute is another cool item that's very useful (sometimes necessary!) in Malice DM.  
I'd say it's more accurate to call it a parasail.  It's shaped like a real parasail, and with it you
have a high degree of maneuverability while floating down from high places.  This is an item
that, once you pick it up, is always at your disposal.  It'll definitely save you from 
splattering on the sidewalk, but it can also make you a floating target if you use it incorrectly.
Here's a tip:  Don't deploy the 'chute until you're almost to the ground.  You can safely
fall most of the way down and then quickly slow your descent at the last second.  You'll want to
learn this trick, as you can't pull the 'chute back in once you've deployed it.  And it makes
noise, so if you deploy early then everyone nearby will come looking for a free frag.  Overall,
the parachute obviously isn't as desirable as the hoverboard, but it's a good practice to grab
one just in case you need to make a quick exit from a great height.

  Scuba gear is the underwater version of the parachute.  Once you pick up a set of scuba gear,
it'll automatically kick in when you're submerged.  While it doesn't last indefinitely, scuba
gear is a necessity if you need to make long underwater excursions.  Upon acquisition of the
gear, a readout on your status bar will indicate nine units of air.  One unit will provide
around 20 seconds of air, so you'll be able to stay underwater for....ummm....uh...a while.  Grab
a new set of scuba gear and you'll instantly have a full tank of air (even if your old tank wasn't
completely empty).  Learn where scuba gear is located in the levels so you don't start sucking
water in the middle of an underwater fight.

  The last item I'll mention is the teleporters.  Malice's teleporters will pass any and all
objects.  This includes players, bullets, buckshot, kidney stones, Stinger missiles, mortar rounds, plasma
bursts - everything but the kitchen sink (something about teleporter physics prevents this).
So as you can imagine, this adds another dimension to deathmatch.  Fire a few mortar rounds
through the nearest teleporter and watch all the campers at the other end roast in peace.  
Even spent casings ejecting from various weapons will pass through teleporters (all
firearms, the mortar gun, and the Punisher eject spent casings of their respective ammunition
type).  This game is gonna rock your deathmatch world - get ready!

