After poring over many Spiral Knights guides pertaining to various subjects, I have noticed a shocking absence of a cohesive guide for dodging.
While I do understand that many players learn how to dodge from experience, thus creating different dodging methods for different monsters/attack patterns, I also suspect that there is a most efficient way to dodge most monsters/attacks. This leads me to one of two conclusions: either a guide exists and I have not found it, in which case, it would be excellent if someone pulled a Bopp and directed me to it. If complete a guide actually does not exist, the following would be my hopes for it's format and content.
The content would first be divided by monster family. Within each monster family, there would be sections on every category within that family. For example, within the Constructs section, there would be subsections for Scuttlebots and Lumbers containing their attacks, the most efficient dodging method, and how to know which attack a monster is charging for. When/if this is done, I would like to have video tutorials for every monster type, that way the dodging methods described via text would have better visual context.
Hopefully, there could be some kind of PvP/LD section as well with tips for dodging different weapons commonly used in LD (for example, how to effectively dodge a Final Flourish).
I would also like a to have a general dodging tips section for newer players, although I am not sure what that would include. My hope is that through collaboration of many seasoned forum users, we can discern the most efficient ways to dodge everything. This way, players who are having trouble because they take too much damage, endgame or otherwise, would have a comprehensive resource to improve their skills in the same way Bopp's sword guide is often shown to players deciding alchemy paths.
Thank you too anyone who chooses to collaborate in this endeavor.
~ Changonanak
There have been threads about dodging, but not about writing a dodging guide, that I can remember. I also can't find a dodging guide in the Steam SK guides. So congratulations. The following comments apply to PvE only.
As you point out, this boils down to a detailed discussion of the AI of every monster's every attack. Probably each attack will require at least one screenshot --- maybe even three screenshots or a video. So the guide would be huge. It would have to spill over multiple pages.
Alternatively, if dodging is really about the particular AI you're facing, then maybe there is no general theory to write about. You could just edit each monster's wiki page, to add dodging/fighting strategies there.