Boss fight strategies[]
Taking down the bosses of Gunshine.net is most fun when done in a group. Here's some basic strategies that will help you tackle even the hardest of situations.
How to defeat a boss[]
To defeat a boss you will need to make a group. Always try to get 4 people into your group as it makes it easier to fight the boss. It is a good idea to have a good combination of character classes, as each type brings useful abilities to the group.
The key to battle is really just making time work for your group. Time dictates success or failure. The duration you can withstand/heal the damage per second versus how long it'll take to slay the enemy with the amount of damage you can produce per second. The way to increase your abilities and skills is with level, gear, and gear modifiers, plus special items where possible.
When you fight a boss, the player with the highest Armor Level (typically the Bodyguard) should always attack first, in this way they gain the Boss's "Aggro" (meaning the Boss will focus their attacks onto that player). Aggro is an important element that everyone needs to understand. This will hopefully put the Boss in a situation where they will only attack the player that is the hardest to kill. Next, the group tries to pour damage onto the boss as quickly as possible, while the doctor tries to keep the members of the group alive.
When fighting a boss, Special Items can be used to make more damage, enable you to fight better, or simply keep you alive; a good supply of Medkits, Force fields, Energy Drinks, and grenades can really turn the tide of battle in your favor. Another tip is to kill any other enemies in the area before attacking the boss because sometimes the fight with the boss will wake them up.
The Strategies in action page gives further insight into using the concepts on this page, and lists various tactics.
What is the ideal Group for a Boss encounter?[]
When you make a group to fight a boss, getting the highest levels possible can make things a lot easier. The ideal members to have in a group depends upon the Boss and what it's capable of, however a suggested standard would be, one Doctor, one Bodyguard, and two Hunters. This will alow the Bodyguard to "take the Boss aggro" (the boss will focus their attacks on them), while the hunters and doctor stay back and do ranged damage. At the same time, the doctor will focus on keeping group members healed (using their skills), and the Hunter will focus on giving Doctors (and/or mercs) energy (with an energy spike skill, assuming they have it). While that's happening, the entire group has a secondary focus of causing damage to the boss as quickly as possible to end the encounter before anyone dies.
Other group combinations have shown to be successful, though the general consensus is that a Doctor is a requirement for any group. A Doctor can take the role of a bodyguard with their skills and force-field (special item) if needed, but more importantly, no matter how the boss aggro is handled, they are the only class that can heal others, and that's usually crucial for a Boss encounter.
Groups[]
Group are the bread and butter of any tough encounter. They are also a fun way to spend time with your in game friends / facebook friends or just meet new people.
Easiest way to form a group[]
1: Click on a player (not yourself or an enemy)
2: Click on the menu button at the top left of their character portrait (...)
3: Click “Invite to Group”
4: Repeat on other players until you have your desired group size (Maximum 4)
You may also use the menu that pops up on people within your friends list if you click on them and select "Invite".
Note: Once you click “Invite to Group” the player won’t always want to join your group. If they do decide to join you will see their profile bar under your profile bar on the left hand side.
It is a good idea to tell people before hand why you want to make a group (to fight a boss, just for fun etc.) so it is easier for them to decide. In many cases, players will refuse to join a group if they haven't been messaged ahead of time. Many have their "Block Group Invite" activated on their Chat Settings, which prevents them from even seeing your invite at all, until you ask them to remove the block.
It is also strongly suggested that if your group is a good group, it's worth getting everyone on each other's friend lists so that you can easily find each other for another group later on.
Boss Finder[]
If you are all alone and tired of getting killed over and over by the elite npcs or a boss. Well "Boss Finder" is your new best friend.
In the top right you will see "Boss Finder". Click on it and all the boss encounters in your level range will be displayed. Click "JOIN GROUP & FIGHT" on the one you want to do and it will automaticly cue you up with players from around the island that want to do that Boss. If you are the only one it will show 3 spheres under your bar on left with a "?" and "Searching." Just go about your business and when your 4 player team is full a window will pop up asking you to "Confirm" (basicly an "I'm ready and not sleeping" button). Your group will be send to the encounter together.
The advantage is that you will have a group. The disadvantage is that you don't know your group members, and/or you may not like which classes are present. In some cases, it can spell doom for the mission before it starts, such as four low level (and/or under-equipped) players.
A significant advantage is that as a group leader, it's possible to allow Boss Finder to find replacement players for you if someone quits, or is removed from the group.
Unfortunately, there are currently no controls to request Boss Finder to find a specific class, so many people get on the chat system and ask for people of an appropriate level and needed class, to join them in Boss Finder.
How the Character classes work together[]
If you are new to MMORPG's or just overall in doubt what suits you best. Below you will find the basic roles a class is suited for.
"The Bodyguard takes the damage, the Hunter gives the damage, and the Doctor heals the damage."
The Bodyguard's main objective in a group is to attempt to be the only player being hit by the enemy, as such, the bodyguard must focus on Armor Class and Health modifiers so that they can handle receiving large amounts of damage. A secondary objective is to hit the enemy as hard as possible while toe-to-toe with them, to shorten the duration of the encounter. To help this objective, it's good to also pay attention to Melee bonuses as well, but it's a secondary consideration in a group scenario.
The Hunter has two objectives in a group. The first is to provide an energy spike to the doctors (using the hunter's skill), to ensure they don't run out of healing powers. The second, is to deliver as much damage as possible to the enemy, to shorten the duration of the encounter. Ranged bonuses are important to this class, as are energy levels.
The Doctor has two objectives in a group. First, they must heal the group using their exclusive skill set, usually this means focusing on healing the bodyguard. The second is to assist delivering damage to the enemy. The doctor will see improvements to their skills through Ranged, Melee, and energy bonuses.
The Strategies in action page gives further insight into using the concepts listed here.
Which items should I use?[]
When you pick your items for your character, you should always keep your character’s stats balanced. For example don’t use four items that give energy, use two that give energy and two that give health. Remember that Ranged Power is for Hunters whilst Melee Power is for Bodyguards, a Doctor will find both types useful.
For weapons always focus on the weapon you will use more often (Bodyguard = Melee weapon, Hunter = Ranged weapon, Doctor = Ranged weapon). Also pay attention to the bonus on each weapon (+ 25% damage against unarmored/armored/mechanical) because it is pointless to have 2 weapons that do extra damage on the same type of enemy.
The other items to focus on are Special Items (including consumables). You'll always want a supply of Medkits for Health, Energy Drinks for Energy, Grenades, Bazookas (or other attack items) to bring more damage to the tougher enemies.