To fight these opponents, you first need the normal holograms listed in column one below. These were/are obtainable several ways:
- Halloween Teardown 2011
- Defeating holographic opponents in the Collapsed Dorm following Halloween 2012
- Crafting any solid hologram with glimmering crystals to create two normal holograms of the same type
- (For gunman hologram only) defeating a holographic opponent with a holosight rifle equipped
- Acquiring them through the Omnimall or gifts
Note that hologame opponents from the Midgard HGS prototype do not count as holographic opponents.
Fighting Holographic Opponents
To fight a holographic opponent, you must be Etheric, have a holographic projector installed, and play a hologram. You will begin fighting a single opponent. After doing enough damage, the opponent will split in two, with each copy having fewer hit points than the original. (Each of the Writhing Hologram's copies will again split into two copies when they take enough damage.) You must defeat all copies to win the fight. Win or lose, your hologram is consumed.
| Effects of Winning (in order or precedence) | |
|---|---|
| Condition | Result |
| Solid hologram matching the type of opponent defeated equipped | Gain one instance of associated technique and one matching (non-solid) hologram†. |
| Dual laser equipped | Equipped dual laser transforms into solid hologram of the appropriate type and your holographic projector burns out and becomes a charred projector. |
| Holosight rifle equipped | Gain gunman hologram regardless of the type of opponent defeated |
| Homemade laser, commemorative laser, or non-matching solid hologram equipped | Gain hologram of the appropriate type† |
† If you started the fight by using a hologram from your stored data inventory, winning gives you the hologram back again, resulting in no net loss/gain of holograms.
Various messages
When splitting in half, one of the following messages is shown at the end of the round. It's not clear what triggers each of the messages, or if it's simply random.
The hologram is sliced cleanly in half, each half becoming a dimmer copy of the original.
The hologram splits in two with a sound like breaking glass.
The hologram collapses into a puddle of light. After a moment, the puddle reforms itself into two copies of the original.
The hologram glows brightly for a moment, casting two shadows, then blinks out. The shadows close in on you, taking their parent's place.
When you defeat the all copies of the hologram, you get one of the following messages:
It's safe to say that wasn't a normal hologram, but you don't really know enough about them to say what was different. There's… something about lasers, if you remember right.
The hologram fades away like a trick of the light.
Or with a binding tome equipped:
You try to bind the flickering light, but somehow don't feel that ancient words are the right tool for the job.
Or with a laser offhand equipped:
The last shreds of its energy desperately try to flow back up your laser's path. A strange notification pops up on your comm.
You found: <type of hologram>
Or with a solid X hologram:
The hologram in your hand twitches strangely, as though it's trying to grow outside the confines of your fist. While you're distracted, a strange notification appears on your comm.
You learned a new Technique: Project X
You found: X hologram
Mirror Gazing Holographic Opponents
To successfully acquire the reflection of a holographic opponent, you must use Catch Reflection on all of the holograms that appear in battle. The original holographic opponent, the splits, and, in the case of the Writhing Hologram, the splits of the splits. If successful, you'll get this message at the end of combat:
Dark shapes flit around under the surface of your hand mirror.
So far, the reflections of holograms simply give higher than average XP.
Additionally, you only gain XP for killing all of the opponents. (No XP for a partial win or tie.)