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Core GuideHow to Abstract in Experience Abstraction
There are exactly three ways to abstract, and you only need one of them. This guide covers all three routes, which one is fastest for your situation, and what happens the moment you turn.
The three routes
| Route | Trigger | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation | Stay far away from every other player | The server is calm and spread out |
| Darkness | Remain in an unlit area for a long time | You want full control, works even solo |
| Proximity | Hang around already-abstracted players | Late in a session when the server is full of abstracted players |
Step-by-step: the fastest abstraction
- Load in and get your bearings. You spawn in the main social area with the rest of the server. Note where the crowd gathers — you are about to leave it.
- Pick your route. Darkness is the most reliable because it does not depend on what other players do. Isolation is just as controllable on a quiet server. Proximity requires someone else to have abstracted first.
- Commit to the condition. Walk to a dark or empty area and stay there. Leaving the condition — stepping into light, or letting another player wander near you — interrupts your progress toward abstraction.
- Wait it out. The game does not display a visible countdown. Distortion effects build up as you get closer to turning, so treat the intensifying visuals as your progress bar.
- Abstract. Your avatar transforms into an abstracted entity. You can now roam the server and spread abstraction to players who stand near you — you become the proximity route for everyone else.
Stacking routes: the three conditions are independent, but nothing stops you from combining them. A dark corner far away from the crowd satisfies isolation and darkness at once and is the fastest legitimate abstraction in the game — full speed strategy on the abstract fast page.
What happens after you abstract
Abstracted players are the game’s antagonists. Your presence pressures nearby normal players toward abstraction, so groups scatter when you approach. Many servers organically turn into a chase: a shrinking pool of survivors holding bright, crowded rooms while abstracted players patrol the dark edges. Playing the villain well is its own skill — see the abstracted playstyle guide. If you want to switch back to normal play, rejoining the server resets your state.
Common mistakes
- Standing near the crowd in a dark room — other players nearby can keep you from counting as isolated; go truly alone if you are using the isolation route.
- Constantly moving between light and dark — the darkness condition needs sustained time in the dark, not passes through it.
- Chasing abstracted players who keep moving — proximity needs you to stay close; pick an abstracted player who is camping an area.