Getting a Feel for the World

You'll start off in Boot Camp, ready for action. The first thing you'll notice is that even though you have an over-the-shoulder view, Tabula Rasa controls much like a first-person shooter. Swing your mouse around to look around, and use the W A S and D keys to move forward, backward, or step side-to-side. To bring your mouse cursor onto the screen, tap the "`" key (the upper-left-most key on your keyboard).

Fortunately, the gentleman right in front of you -- Commander Elvers -- is here to walk you through the interface. You know he's got a mission for you because he's got a walkie-talkie over his head. Walk toward him and press the use key (default is "T") to strike up a conversation. He'll give you the scoop on using your mission log, moving around, equipping weapons, readying your abilities, etc.


As you get used to the interface you'll find that you rarely ever have to take your eyes away from the action in the center of the screen. Commander Elvers will tell you about the "Radial Menu," which you can access any time by hitting the Control key. Your character screen, maps, equipment, mission log, social menu -- even your game options menu -- can be accessed from the radial menu in the center of the screen with a quick click. Give it a try. Nice.

Elvers will also teach you the basics of combat. Hitting the "C" key will make your character crouch -- very important (see the next section). Afterwards he'll ask you to target a nearby crate. Remember, you have to close your mission log in order to get mouse control back. You'll see the crate near the center of camp. Follow his instructions to start blasting away. Easy! Follow the rest of his advice and then report back to complete the mission.

You're probably itching to get into some real combat, and the game happily obliges...

Time to Get Your Fight On!

Yes, the Bane have destroyed our planet. What are you going to do about it? Personally, I plan to reduce them to smears on the pavement. Let's make it happen.

Elvers will give you a mission to clear some debris in the military fashion (Explosives! Woohoo!) What he doesn't tell you is that your first serious combat action is in store right beyond. Time to run and gun, soldier.

Combat in Tabula Rasa has a great deal of tactics, so you might as well learn them now. Keep a finger onto that "C" key. Crouching makes you more accurate and harder to hit from enemy ranged weapons. However, it leaves you vulnerable to melee attacks -- so don't stay crouched if the enemy overruns your position.

Scattered around the battlefield you'll see plenty of waist-high debris or sandbags. These bits of cover aren't just for show! They're an important part of gameplay. When you're crouched behind cover, you'll be harder to hit. With good tactics, you and your friends will be able to stand a firefight against some pretty tough foes without taking a lot of damage. So learn to use that cover!

NEXT PAGE: More on Combat... and How to Win It!