Movement and Navigation:

• Basic Movement: WASD keys.
  
• Sprint: Hold LShift.
  
• Jump/Mantle: Press Space to jump. Near walls, press Space again to mantle.
  
• Crouch: LCtrl for toggle crouch, C for hold crouch.

Combat Mechanics:

• Fire Weapon: Left Click.
  
• Aim (ADS): Right Click (available only with scoped weapons).
  
• Melee Attack: F. (Some classes offer powered melees)
  
• Reload: R. Reloads are staged allowing for interruption and resumption, including a "one in the chamber" mechanic for non-empty reloads.

Abilities & Resource Management:

• Tactical Ability: E
  
• Lethal Equipment: Q
  
• Restore Armor: Z

Note on Ability Use and Combat Dynamics:
Using a tactical or lethal ability temporarily disables the use of other tactical or lethal abilities, as well as aiming down sights (ADS) and reloading functions. However, you can still fire your weapon and replenish your armor during this time.

Graphics Settings
If your system just meets the minimum system requirements, try lowering your graphics settings. Doing so can lead to smoother gameplay with higher frame rates, reducing lag and making the game more responsive.

UI Customization
Adjusting UI elements can significantly impact how you perceive and interact with the game:

• Ally and Enemy Colors: You can change the color of allies and enemies in the settings menu, which can enhance visual clarity and allow for quicker target acquisition, crucial in fast-paced scenarios.
  
• Sprint Settings: You can set sprint to be either toggle or hold, depending on your preference, to better match your playstyle.

Kit, Weapon, and Ability Selection
By pressing Escape during a match, you can access the loeadout menu to select your lethal ability, tactical ability, primary weapon, and secondary weapon. Note that changes to your weapon, ability, and kit will only take effect after you respawn.

Leveling System
In Merk Mayhem, player progression is driven by a point-based leveling system. Actions in the game contribute to your overall level

• Leveling Formula: lvl = 0.04x^0.85 + 1
  
• Points Breakdown:
  
  • Kills = 3 points
    
  • Assists = 1 point

As you level up, you’ll earn Merits, a key currency for unlocking gameplay enhancements.

Economy
Merk Mayhem features a robust three-currency system:

• Credits: The basic, tradeable currency earned through gameplay.
  • Earning: Gain Credits by playing the game, dealing damage, and getting kills assists.
    
  • Conversion: 25 Credits → 1 Merit; 100 Credits → 1 Mark.

• Merits: Progression currency earned by leveling up and performing well in matches.
  
  • Earning: Awarded for player and weapon leveling, as well as gameplay achievements.
    
  • Usage: Unlock weapons, kits, mods, and abilities.
    
    • Combat Kits: 1 Merit
      
    • Weapon Mods: 3 Merits
      
    • Abilities: 5 Merits
      
    • Primary Weapons: 7 Merits
      
    • Secondary Weapons: 3 Merits
  • Conversion: 4 Merits → 1 Mark.

• Marks: The premium, non-tradeable currency earned through milestones or purchased.
  
  • Usage: Loot boxes, exclusive cosmetics, and premium mini-games.

Note that unlocks are permanent and account-wide and that Marks and Merits cannot be traded or converted down.

Overview of Kits
Combat Kits define your gameplay experience in Merk Mayhem. Each kit offers a unique combination of health, movement abilities, and special melee attacks. The three main kits are:

• Hornet Kit: Focuses on agility and precision with fast movement and advanced mobility options like double jump and wall running.
  
• Hound Kit: Provides a balanced approach, offering moderate health and versatility, with grounded combat abilities.
  
• Heavy Kit: Emphasizes fortitude and power, featuring the highest health but restricted, slower movement, making it ideal for players who prefer a more defensive style.

Kit Leveling and Mastery
Kits level up individually based on performance in matches, culminating in a Mastery Bonus at level 20, and the points required to level up your kit increase by 7 for each level with 20 points being the default.

• Progression:
  
  • Kills = 2 points
    
  • Assists = 1 point
• Max Level: 20

Note that each kit receives a powerful enhancement at level 20.

Weapon Classes
Merk Mayhem currently features 15 weapons, divided into 12 primary and 3 secondary weapons. These weapons are categorized into five distinct classes:

• Assault Rifles
  
• Marksman Rifles
  
• Submachine Guns
  
• Shotguns
  
• Sidearms.

Note that only Assault Rifles and Marksman Rifles can Aim-Down-Sights (ADS).

Weapon Unlock System
Players start with the stock weapon in each class available by default. As players progress through the game, they have the opportunity to unlock additional weapons within each class. This is achieved through gameplay by earning points, leveling up, and accumulating Class Merits, which can be spent to unlock new weapons.

Weapon Leveling
Each weapon levels up individually based on your usage. Accumulate points by dealing damage, scoring kills, and assisting teammates to progress your weapon’s level.

• Points Breakdown:
  
  • 1:1 ratio for damage dealt.
    
  • 150 points per kill.
    
  • 50 points per assist.
• Class Merits:
  
  • Earn Class Merits upon leveling up a weapon.
    
  • Use these merits to unlock new weapons within the same class.

Weapon Mods
As you level up your weapons, you can enhance their performance by equipping mods. These mods unlock as you reach certain levels and provide various benefits such as faster reload speeds, increased magazine sizes, or enhanced ADS speed.

• Mod Application:
  
  • Unlock the first mod slot at weapon level 5.
    
  • Unlock the second mod slot at weapon level 20.
    
  • Mods are account-wide and do not consume when equipped

Note that mods have three tiers and level up with use

Ammo Economy
Ammo management is crucial in Merk Mayhem, as running out of ammo can leave you vulnerable. Enemies drop ammo packs, which contain a magazine for each of your equipped weapons. Managing your ammo effectively ensures you’re always ready for the next engagement.

• Ammo Packs: Dropped by enemies, refills a magazine for each equipped weapon.
  
• Personal Ammo Crate (Tactical Ability): Deploy this ability to resupply up to 8 magazines over 40 seconds.

Armor Management
Armor plays a vital role in your survivability, absorbing damage before it affects your health. Each combat kit has a different amount of armor, and it can be replenished by using certain abilities or by collecting armor canisters.

• Armor Canisters: Dropped by enemies, replenishes your armor.
  
• Armor Leech (Passive Ability): Converts a portion of the damage you deal into armor.
  
• Restorative Cover (Tactical Ability): Deploy this ability to regenerate armor while standing behind the cover.
  
• Nanite Boost (Tactical Ability): Heals nearby allies and restores their armor.

Abilities Overview
Abilities in Merk Mayhem are divided into three categories: Tactical, Passive, and Lethal. Each category allows for one ability to be equipped at a time, providing strategic depth and customization options.

Tactical Abilities
Tactical abilities offer strategic advantages, such as mobility enhancements, defensive tools, and support functions. Examples include:

• Apparition: cloak for a short amount of time. You cannot fire while invisible and using abilities automatically makes you visible.
  
• Dash: Provides quick, directional movement, useful for dodging or repositioning.
  
• Stim: Heals quickly, cures status effects, and grants a brief speed boost.

Passive Abilities
Passive abilities provide continuous benefits that enhance survivability, combat effectiveness, and utility. Examples include:

• Stalker: Changes how you appear on enemy radar, making you harder to track.
  
• Vital Surge: Regenerates a portion of health on each kill, triggering additional health regeneration.
  
• Predator: Tag and highlight enemies you damage, allowing you to see them through walls.

Lethal Abilities
Lethal abilities are powerful tools designed to inflict significant damage. Examples include:

• Frag Grenade: A standard grenade that deals heavy damage in a small radius.
  
• Shuriken Blast: Throws explosive shurikens that deal area damage.
  
• Thermite Flash: Combines blinding effects with damage over time, ideal for controlling spaces.

Players should experiment with different combinations of Tactical, Passive, and Lethal abilities to find the playstyle that best suits their strengths.