FireAce

**ShootMaster** is a casual game that combines **Merge** mechanics with **Tower Defense** gameplay. Players merge and upgrade weapons to automatically fire at incoming virus enemies, defending their base from destruction.

### 2. Core Gameplay

#### 2.1 Weapon Merge System

- The bottom of the screen features a **3×4 weapon grid** (12 slots total).

- Each weapon has a level (Lv1, Lv2, etc.). Higher levels mean more damage and higher coin output.

- **Merge Rule**: Drag a weapon onto another weapon of the **same level** to merge them into a higher-level weapon.

- Successful merges trigger visual effects and may unlock new weapon types.

- When merges are available, an animated finger guide appears to assist you.

#### 2.2 Battle System

- **Auto-Fire**: Weapons automatically aim at and fire upon approaching enemies (enabled by default).

- **Manual Aim**: Tap and hold on the screen to manually target a specific enemy. Release to resume auto-aim.

- **Weapon Stats**: Different weapon types (Pistol, Rifle, Machine Gun, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, Submachine Gun) have unique fire rates, damage, magazine capacity, and reload times.

- **Reload Indicator**: A reload prompt appears when weapons run out of ammo.

#### 2.3 The Fort (Base)

- The fort is your base located on the left side of the screen — your primary objective to defend.

- Enemies attack the fort upon reaching it, reducing its HP.

- The level is lost when the fort's HP reaches zero.

- At the start of each level, the fort recovers 50% of its max HP.

#### 2.4 Enemy Types

The game features various virus enemies, each with unique behaviors:

| Enemy Type | Characteristics |

|-----------|----------------|

| Split Virus | Splits into multiple smaller viruses upon death |

| Mother Virus | Continuously spawns new viruses |

| Speed Virus | Extremely fast movement speed |

| Self-Cure Virus | Regenerates HP over time |

| BOSS Virus | Massive size, extremely high HP and damage |

| Link Boss | Special boss-level enemy |

| Treasure Box | Drops loot boxes when defeated |

#### 2.5 Level Progression

- Each level requires defeating a set number of enemies.

- A progress bar shows remaining enemy count.

- Special events can trigger randomly during levels:

- **Mini-Boss Appears**: Elite enemies with boosted stats

- **Enemy Swarm**: A dense wave of rushing enemies

- **BOSS Appears**: A boss-level enemy enters the field

- Victory rewards include coins, diamonds, and loot boxes.

- On failure, you may restart the level.

#### 2.6 Resource System

| Resource | Uses |

|----------|------|

| **Coins** | Upgrade weapons, purchase items |

| **Diamonds** | Purchase premium items, speed up |

| **Task Boxes** | Earned from completing tasks, contain random rewards |

| **Lucky Boxes** | Earned from lucky draws, contain rare rewards |

### 3. Item System

Three special items can be used during battle:

| Item | Effect |

|------|--------|

| **Air Support** | Drops an airdrop supply crate on the battlefield |

| **Open Fire** | Switches to a super weapon for 10 seconds, dealing massive damage |

| **Split Second** | Greatly increases fire rate for a short duration |

### 4. Buff System

| Buff | Effect |

|------|--------|

| **Double Profit** | Doubles coin output per second from weapons |

| **Multi Gold** | Multiplies coin earnings by a specified amount (up to 10x) |

| **Auto Merge** | Automatically detects and merges identical weapons |

### 5. Super Power (Ultimate Skill)

- Killing enemies fills the Super Power energy bar.

- When full, tap the Super button to unleash a powerful shockwave that deals massive damage to all enemies on screen.

- The Super Power is unlocked after completing Level 21.

### 6. Weapon Enhancement

- Weapons can be enhanced using resources:

- **Speed Enhancement**: Increases fire rate

- **Power Enhancement**: Increases bullet damage

- **Earning Enhancement**: Increases coin output efficiency

- Enhancement effects scale with upgrade level.