Movement

Movement in *Devil Daggers* is fast paced and fluid, similar to other 1990s shooters, and the game's movement mechanics are heavily inspired by FPS games from that era. The default movement keys are WASD for forward / left / back / right respectively, and space to jump. There is no sprint key in the game. Instead, the player moves dramatically faster while moving diagonally (pressing W+A or W+D).

## Strafing

Strafing is achieved by holding any combination of non-opposing directional keys, I.E forwards + left, backwards + right. Strafing gives the player a significant boost in speed, thought it takes some getting used to for anyone unfamiliar with retro FPS control schemes.

## Bunny Hopping

The player may 'bunny hop' by jumping repeatedly while moving, which grants a generous boost to movement speed at the expense of more controlled movement. To bunny hop, you need to time your space presses correctly. A well-times press will result in a basketball-sounding sound, and an increase in your field of view. If timed badly the sound will be quieter and the speed gained will be a lot less. Pressing the jump key just before landing will result in a perfect b-hop.

## Dagger Jumping

The player is able to perform a 'dagger jump' (analogous to a rocket jump maneuver found in some first person shooters) by firing a spread shot at the floor immediately after jumping. This allows the player to jump very high in the air, and may be used to get around the arena more quickly or help escape enemies in a pinch.

It's possible to do a double dagger jump by doing a normal dagger jump and shotgunning the ground a second time at the peak of the jump **without** pressing the jump key. You can also double dagger jump by shotgunning a SKULL beneath you on the second shot for even more height.

The player's jump height is equivalent to 1 tile height (1/4 of a tile). The player's maximum single dagger jump height is around 5.2 tile heights. The player's maximum double dagger jump height is around 8.4 tile heights. Using this technique, the player can leap over SQUID I without perishing.

## Kiting

Kiting is a very important maneuver. If you don't learn how to do this, you'll get overwhelmed when the trios of spiders spawn at 175s and 200s. Kiting is the act of leading enemies in a circle so that they can never quite reach you. It's a big part of movement.

You don't really have to kite centipedes, as they're pretty easy to deal with. Kiting GIGAPEDES is also super easy, since they move as fast as you walk. The hard part is scraping them.

The most important thing to remember here is to avoid running in a straight line. The SKULLs move faster than you and will overtake you very fast. Keep your movement in circles. SQUIDs rotate clockwise, so it's encouraged to circles mostly anti-clockwise to attack their weak points faster. Sometimes it's necessary to go clockwise, but it's rare. There are very few times where moving in a straight line is just fine, these include:

1. When the arena is relatively clear of SKULL I / II / III / IV, and a straight line is the most efficient way to reach your next target.

1. Cutting through farms to clear out the SKULL II that gather towards the middle of the arena.