Shootmania Storm - Game of the ZLAN 2023
Three years later, Shootmania Storm returns to the ZLAN. Nadeo's high-speed shooter will test the individual and team skills of the various players in this edition.
What is Shootmania Storm?
Shootmania is a game developed by Nadeo and published by Ubisoft. With Trackmania, it is part of Maniaplanet, a competitive gaming environment where players can create and share their creations. Maniaplanet games share the qualities of Trackmania: games optimised for esports, simple to understand, but difficult to master.
Shootmania is a special kind of shooting game. If, like most games of the genre, it is extremely focused on reflexes and precision, it also requires excellent management of mobility and trajectories of shots. Indeed, unlike Valorant and many others, the shots in Shootmania are not instantaneous. You don't have to aim directly at an opponent, but rather where the opponent will be when the shot arrives.
This is a complex undertaking, especially as the players are extremely mobile. They move fast, they can run into walls or do walljumps; a good player will know how to aim correctly while moving unpredictably to avoid being hit.
There are many game modes, but it is the Elite mode that has been chosen for the ZLAN. This one is played in 1 vs 3. An attacker, with 3 life points and an instant weapon, must steal a flag defended by three defenders who have only 1 life point and are equipped with the standard weapon. A round lasts one minute, but the flag can only be stolen during the last 15 seconds, forcing the attacker to play for survival first.
Some tips for a good start
The game is very different, depending on whether you play in attack or in defence.
When you are on attack, avoid getting stuck in tight places as much as possible to avoid being surrounded. Watch your back constantly or you could be caught out. Finally, don't go straight to the flag at the start of the game; occupy the space instead. You have more stamina than the defenders and can outrun them by taking good trajectories.
On the defensive side, cohesion is essential. Pay attention to the movements of the attacker, but also to those of the other defenders so that there are not three of you doing the same thing. There is no point in trying to chase the attacker, as he is faster than you. Instead, try to cut him off or intercept him with your shots.
There is nothing more vulnerable than a player in the middle of a jump, whatever your role in the game. Since you can't change your trajectory in the middle of a jump, it's very easy to predict where your opponent will be in a few moments, which should allow you to hit him with a well-placed shot.
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