Strategy:Intuition

Main Guide (v0.9.9.4 )

Version Changes (v0.9.9.5)

Nothing significant to the trait itself.

General Tactics

Base strategy was posted by theduck101 8:41, November 15 2011 (GMT).

__Forewarned is forearmed__

The Intuition trait (also known by its abbreviation, Int) allows you to 'sense' information about the level you're on - Int1 reveals the location of powerups and Int2 reveals enemy positions as purple asterisks within an area with a radius 3 squares bigger than your vision area whether or not you have a clear line of sight. A further advantage is that levers are labeled - with Int1 levers effects are described as beneficial/dangerous and with Int2 lever effects are explicitly stated. The first level of Intuition is useful but not overly powerful - knowing where the powerups on a level are can be convenient especially in low-health situations. The real benefit of Intuition comes from Int2 when you become a skilled demon hunter.

• The first level in intuition is okay, but once chosen you might as well plan to take the second level. Being able to see what powerups are on the level and where they are is certainly nice, letting you know how much healing you can expect, or if there is a tracking map that you can get early in the level, or maybe even if there's an invulnerability glove. Knowing whether levers are beneficial or dangerous can also be useful, but be aware that exploding barrels is considered a neutral lever type despite the potential danger. Matt_S 5:22, November 10 2011 (GMT)
• In particular, the monster-sensing ability of Int2 reveals the position of enemies out of vision within a radius of your own sight +3. As there are only two enemies that have a vision advantage over you (excepting rare line-of-sight bugs), you can prepare yourself to be in the most favored situation. This means no more nasty surprises after opening doors or getting around a corner, finding cover and corner-shooting the enemy before it detects you, and generally shooting before your enemy does. AlterAsc 16:31, November 15 2011 (GMT)

Basics

Intuition is a gamble on tactics. Instead of fire power, defense, or speed, Intuition offers the chance to ambush your enemies. To get the most out of Intuition you need to think like a sniper - running, hiding and distance are the key elements to a successful game. It's useful to think of Intuition as a tactical booster: all the tricks you would use in a normal game become more powerful when you're informed of the enemies position. Intuition changes your game style rather than effecting any variable within the game. A Scout with Int2 and a starting Scout with Int1 do exactly the same amount of damage and have the same active and passive defensive resources. However, the Int2 Scout will have the ability to ambush the enemy, avoid dangerous situations and conserve more ammunition.

Consider this setup:

###@##########
............*.
############## 

This is a standard game scenario. The Intuition advantage is that we've set things up to be optimal: we've waited for our asterisk to move some distance from the door and we can now take several shots before the asterisk (whatever it is - if you listen carefully you can usually get a good idea of what you're up against) can gain ground on us. Most enemies won't survive the trip to visual range and you'll notch up an easy kill. This is especially important in harder difficulties where late game enemies show up before you have the traits/weapons to bring them down easily.

Intuition also makes setting traps more effective - in this scenario we've waited for our asterisks to move too close to the barrel:

#........................#  
#.................**.....#
#@**X.............0.*..../
#........................#

Other Uses

I find it's best to stick close to doors/cover when sniping a large number of enemies - you never know when something unpleasant is lurking among a horde of formers - being able to duck out of sight when a hell knight or baron shows up prevents unnecessary injuries, foul language and broken computer screens. Of course this is good advice in general - Int2 just helps with timing exactly *when* to duck. In fact being able to find advantageous positions is one of the strong points of Intuition - shoot through doors, blow up walls - do whatever you can to make sure you have a clear shot from a distance while the enemy does not. Maneuvering around to flank enemies is much easier when you know where they are. Since positional play is so important in DoomRL it's useful to explore the empty rooms of a new level first. A line of asterisks usually means there's a wall between you and the enemy - explore the surrounding rooms first to get a good idea of what is where on the level. If things go wrong running into an explored area rather than an unexplored one is generally preferable.

• There are also some less-considered possibilities involving Intuition:

  Pillar Dance: Ring-a-ring-a-rosy, KABOOM, daemon fell down.You'll know if you're faster than your enemy and when to shoot. If you'reslower in a pillar or corner dance, hit run and see if you are faster then. Ifyou're already faster, abuse cover and leading monsters by the nose all youcan.

  Diving: Screw the level, there's nothing on it and you needlife. Just avoid every enemy you can, find the stairs as fast as you can, andbug out to the next level. Really easy to do with the scout class. It mightseem wussy, it might destroy your 100% kill rating, but so does being dead on alevel that you only killed 2 enemies on. Run and dive is often the best option. Sambojin 0:33, November 16, 2011 (GMT)

Playing Int2 gives you a chance to get a feel for the enemy AI. Do the Arena a few times to see the movement patterns of Lost Souls, Demons, Cacodemons, Hell Knights and Barons. The information will come in useful in future games even if you decide not to use Intuition regularly. And if you do decide to include it in your bag of tricks knowing AI patterns can help identify enemies. A doomguy with Int2 is a like an African tracker - he listens to the sounds around him and follows the signs of the bush. The DoomRL equivalent is hitting the wait button and watching the asterisks. Hyperactive asterisks, for example, tend to be Cacodemons or Archnotrons. It's not an exact science but can help prioritise targets.

• The amount of versatility in your attack and defense Int2 gives you is not to be underestimated. Often you can just check up on what enemies do when they're not hunting you. It gives you an idea for how they move in their idle states, as well as the various tendencies during combat (that may be missed when running away). How long does it take for a baron to ignore you after you've shot them? Int(2) will provide you this answer and many more. Intuition helps build the intuition you can use in any build, without having to gain the wisdom that you would otherwise require to play well. Sambojin 0:33, November 16, 2011 (GMT)

Somewhat counter-intuitively you still want to use radar shooting even if you have Int2. Int2 increases your vision range by 3 (albeit hazily) but you can never have enough information about what you might be facing. Int2 makes radar shooting more effective because it can provide clues as to the best direction to shoot in.

• Yes, you have an actual radar. You already know when you'll hear a sound when you shoot, so get shooting. It's not quite perfect (there will sometimes be a wall between you and your enemy) and there is a 50% miss chance for every square you can't see that you shoot into (except with shotguns, which is 100% depending on the range). But every shot does a minimum of 1 damage in DoomRL. Fifty shells might seem excessive to knock down an enemy or two, but if it means fifty more shells, some life and two less enemies as the reward then it can be worth it. Sambojin 0:33, November 16, 2011 (GMT)

On later levels Intuition can help reveal the whereabouts of Arch-viles - if you hear an Arch-vile on a level watch out for asterisks appearing in an area you cleared - the Arch-vile(s) will be in the vicinity. Time to ready the BFG/rocket launcher.

• In general, you can not only tell when you are approaching enemies, but also when there are enemies on the other side of a wall or door. The only thing you can't tell is what type of enemy it is, but listening for monster sounds can let you know that. Matt_S 5:22, November 10 2011 (GMT)

One of the most successful uses of Intuition on high-level play can be called zerk/invuln "bouncing". This involves seeing if there are enough dark red and white power-ups that are close enough together at the start of the level to essentially run through the level with berserk/invulnerability mode going the entire time. Between berserk's resistance and speed boost, the unequivocal invulnerability by its respective globe, and constant health/run boosts, you can often run through a level or two where you'll never see anything but a red or white screen. There's also the reverse of this strategy, where you'll know that you have a couple of these powerups close by each other and choose to wait until the end of the level to use them. This is especially good for the Scout class, as youknow the location of the stairs from the beginning of the level as well. Sambojin 0:33, November 16, 2011 (GMT)

In my experience the biggest problem with an Intuition build is overconfidence. Int2 is very powerful on early levels and I find it easy to lose concentration as I descend. A typical mistake I make (too often for comfort) is to move through an area devoid of asterisks only to walk straight into a difficult situation because I wasn't paying attention. Remember - it's not paranoia if they really _are_ out to get you!

Trait Usage

Intuition is an advanced trait for Marines and Technicians and a Basic trait for Scouts. Therefore the simplest class for an Intuition game is the Scout. Take Int1 as your starting trait and then take Int2 the first time you level up. Because of the need for accuracy over a distance it's usually beneficial to take a level in Eagle Eye if you're playing as a Scout.

• Intuition as a Scout is even more significant when playing Angel of Max Carnage – your to-hit bonus is already huge so taking EE is a waste and it compensates for shooting in the dark. Marines don’t have many possibilities – only Survivalist doesn't block EE. Technicians require Int1 for Scavenger and, since Sharpshooter requires EE3, you can take it immediately after snagging the master trait. Entrenchment does not block it, either, so it's another possible choice. AlterAsc 16:31, November 15 2011 (GMT)
• Scouts also have the master trait Cateye that requires the first level of intuition, and Cateye works well with the second level of intuition. Matt_S 5:22, November 10 2011 (GMT)

Special Levels

If you're playing a Scout Intuition game then you should always do the Arena. By the time you get there you'll have Int2 and if you play carefully and have a bit of luck with enemy spawns you should have a much easier time than normal. In fact if you haven't managed a Hell Arena Key (finishing the Arena without taking any damage) an Int2 Scout playing Angel of Max Carnage practically guarantees one unless you're *really* unlucky with enemy spawns.