AsterMaster

		
			# Aster Master — How to Play

## Controls

- **Click a tile** — move your avatar (path is highlighted)
- **Click on yourself** — cancel movement
- Shooting is **automatic** (avatar fires at the nearest enemy within 4 tiles if line of sight is clear)

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## Level Structure

The game consists of three levels:

| Level | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **L1** | Large maze. Collect crystals, kill enemies, find the portal. |
| **L2** | Smaller maze, tougher enemies. |
| **Arena (L3)** | Finale. Solo — boss fight. Multiplayer — PvP. |

To advance to the next level, reach the **portal** (highlighted tile at the far end of the map).

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## Crystals

Three types of crystals are scattered across the map:

| Crystal | Effect |
|---------|--------|
| **Red** (ammo) | +10 ammo. If ammo is full — +2 heat shield charges. |
| **Green** (HP) | +8 HP. If HP is full — +2 HP shield points. |
| **Blue** (coolant) | Activates cooling for 20 sec (heat generation x0.5). |

Collect all crystals on a level to unlock **infinite ammo**.

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## Combat System

- **Ammo**: 120 max, spent in bursts of 5 shots.
- **Heat**: each shot heats your weapon. Overheat triggers a cooldown, cleared by **walking** (3 tiles).
- **HP Shield**: absorbs incoming damage. When broken — shockwave damages nearby enemies.
- **Heat Shield**: prevents overheat (consumes a charge instead of triggering cooldown).

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## Powerups

One powerup can be found on each level:

| Powerup | Effect |
|---------|--------|
| **Fire Rate** (green) | Increases fire rate (x0.8 per level). |
| **Coolant** (blue) | Reduces overheat cooldown and lowers heat buildup. |
| **Damage** (orange) | Unlocks critical hits (25-45% chance, x2-3 damage). |

Powerups **level up** as you gain XP. Thresholds: 500 / 1200 / 2500 / 5000 XP. Each level amplifies the effect.

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## Score and Healing

- Kills earn score points. Kill streaks (combo within 3 sec) — multiplier x2, x3...
- Every **5000 points** — full HP restore.
- Streaks: 3 kills — TRIPLE KILL, 5 — RAMPAGE, 8 — UNSTOPPABLE, 12 — GODLIKE.

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## Multiplayer

### Connecting

1. **Create a game** — press "Create". You'll get a lobby code (6 characters). Share it with friends.
2. **Join a game** — press "Join", enter the code, or pick a server from the list.
3. Minimum **2 players** to start. The host presses "Start".

### Gameplay

- Each player progresses through L1 and L2 **independently** — no need to wait for each other.
- After L2, everyone enters a **shared arena** (identical maze for all players).
- On the arena — **PvP**: your avatar auto-fires at other players just like it does at enemies.

### Mob Curse

The core cross-player mechanic during L1/L2. Kill enemies to curse your opponents!

**How it works:**

1. Every **8 mob kills** automatically triggers a curse.
2. A random enemy near the target player gets **buffed** and starts hunting them.
3. Targets are selected with priority toward players who are **ahead in progress** (70% chance).

**Three curse types:**

| Type | Mob Buffs |
|------|-----------|
| **Juggernaut** | HP x5, speed x0.7, size x1.5 — slow tank |
| **Berserker** | Fire rate x2, damage x2 — glass cannon |
| **Stalker** | Speed x2, detection radius x2 — fast hunter |

The cursed mob is repainted in the sender's color and gets a nameplate.

**Outcomes:**

| What happened | Result |
|---------------|--------|
| Victim **killed** the cursed mob | Sender receives a **debuff for 20 sec** |
| Victim **died** to the cursed mob | Sender gains **+20% max HP** and **+7 shield** |

**Three debuff types (on failure):**

| Debuff | Effect for 20 sec |
|--------|-------------------|
| **Jammed** | Fire rate x0.5 |
| **Weakened** | Damage x0.5 |
| **Blinded** | Fog visibility radius x0.5 |

Curse progress is shown in the HUD (bottom-right, CURSE X/8). Sound cues alert you when curses are sent or received.

### Death in Multiplayer

- **On L1/L2**: not the end! After 2 sec, auto-advance to the next level, but all powerups lose 1 level.
- **On arena**: the player is eliminated. Shows "DEFEATED" screen with placement.

### Arena and Timeout

- If one player is on the arena while others are still on L1/L2, a **60-second timer** starts.
- When it expires, all living players are forcefully teleported to the arena.
- Before teleport, a **stats table** showing all player info is displayed.

### Victory

- Last player standing on the arena is the **winner** (#1 VICTORY).
- If the match ends while a player is on L1/L2, they see "MATCH OVER" with the winner's name.
- Match results are saved to the **leaderboard**.

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## Tips

- Keep moving — enemies spawn near idle players.
- Watch your heat — overheating during a boss fight or PvP means death.
- Collect crystals even at full HP/ammo — they grant shields.
- In multiplayer, rush through L1-L2 to reach the arena first and pick a good position.
- Farm mobs on L1/L2 — curses can slow down or even kill your opponent.
- Be careful with curses: if the victim kills your mob, you get debuffed.
- Juggernaut is more effective against weaker players, Stalker — against fast ones.
		
	

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