Descent FAQ [2/4]

Stas A. Golovin написал(а) к All в Feb 95 19:49:14 по местному времени:

Нello, All!

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-- [1j] ---------- Where can I get Descent?

You can download the shareware version of Descent from the following
sources: (two files: dcnt11-1.zip and dcnt11-2.zip)

:: Interplay BBS: 714-252-2822, 24 hours, up to 28.8k baud, 8N1
:: Software Creations BBS: 508-368-4137, 24 hours, 8N1
or telnet to ftp.swcbbs.com
:: redeye BBS: +49.89.5460535, Munich, Germany, 24 hours, 28.8k,
big Descent Area, free downloads
:: CompuServe: "GO GAMBPUB", in the Interplay software libraries
:: America Online: keyword "INTERPLAY", in the software libraries
:: GEnie: type "M805;3", then search for "Interplay"
:: FTP sites...
ftp.wustl.edu in /pub/msdos_uploads/descent
ftp.uwp.edu in /pub/incoming/games
ftp.funet.fi in /pub/msdos/games/interplay
ftp.netcom.com in /pub/cs/csua/descent
ftp.demon.co.uk in /incoming OR /pub/ibmpc/games/misc
janus.library.cmu.edu in /pub/descent
ftp.cdrom.com in /.17/games/incoming
ftp.leo.org in /pub/comp/platforms/pc/games
ftp.prairienet.org in /pub/software/descent

You can get the registered version of Descent directly from Interplay, or
you can buy it in retail stores about a month after the registered
version is available.

-- [1k] ---------- Is there a Descent newsgroup on Usenet?

> Yes! Most sites carry the newsgroup "alt.games.descent". Ask your
> local news administration to carry it if they don't already.

-- [1l] ---------- Is there source code available?

Descent is a commercial product, and hence, no source code of the game
is available.

-- [1m] ---------- What are the differences between the different robots?

From the introductory info:

Class 1 Drone (Yellow) :
Standard utility robot, apparently modified for combat. Should
pose little threat alone, but could be trouble in groups.

Class 2 Drone (Blue) :
Aggressive when cornered. Relatively weak weapons, but fires
rapidly.

Medium Lifter (Green with arms) :
Normally used to burrow through porous rock. Recon cameras
have witnessed this robot shredding anything in sight -- including
hostages! Stay away from this robot -- because he has no
projectile weapons, your best bet is to fire from far away.

Small Нulk (Green, bulky) :
Standard borer robot. Tough and agile.

Medium Нulk (Yellow/Brown, bulky) :
Нeavily armored for explosive deployment deep in mines. Slow
moving, but very dangerous.

"Spider" Processing Robot (Red, 4 arms) :
These mechs were designed to pick up rubble for processing in
their body cavities. Explodes into smaller spiders when hit.

Unknown name (Silver) :
This robot is vicious, as it fires its vulcan guns (chaingun)
at you immediately when it sees you. Don't stay in its sight
too long!

SuperMech (Red; fires homing missiles) :
These guys are like the hulks, but about 200% more angry.

Mega Нulk (Yellow, huge, cloaks) :
This robot is huge and cloaks whenever you hit it. It reappears
somewhere else. For hints on how to kill it, see section [2d].

-- [1n] ---------- What are some popular control configurations?

"I use a basic analog joystick, along with the keyboard. I use
W,A,S, and D to strafe, and F to accelerate and V to reverse.
Ctrl fires and space bar fires a missile. The joystick controls
where my ship is pointed."
-John D., aka Bruin on #descent

(FAQ Note: "Strafing" means to slide, as opposed to accelerate.
For example, when you sidestep to your left, you are "strafing".
While the terminology is confusing, it is well-rooted in the
Doom culture of today, so this writer will choose to keep
it in.)

"The mouse is the best for me. Pitch up is the mouse, y-axis
inverted. Pitch down is the mouse's x-axis. Fire primary is
mouse left button, and fire secondary is the mouse right button.
(If you're using a 3 button mouse, use the middle button to fire
the secondary, and right button to go forward. W,A,S, and D
to strafe, and Caps Lock for a reverse view. Reverse
acceleration is left shift, and forward is space bar. Everything
else is default."
-"vxl" on IRC/#descent

"Mouse Y: pitch; Mouse X: turn (yaw); Mouse 1: primary weapon;
Mouse 2: accelerate; Mouse 3: reverse; W,A,X,D: slide; Q,E: roll;
C,Z,S: increase, decrease, stop cruise; spacebar: primary weapon;
Left Alt: secondary weapon; Left Shift: slide mode for mouse;
Left Ctrl: bomb. I tend not to use the cruise control much."
-Sean Gugler

"Number pad as ship heading controls. / above 8 is the flare
launcher; the * is the bomb key. My right hand is on the num pad
with my pointer on 4, my middle finger on 8, and my ring finger
on 6. My thumb rests on 0, which is the thrust-reverse key. My
left hand controls forward movement, and rests on the right side
of the main keypad. Right shift is thrust forward, the alt is
strafe on, and ctrl is fire. On the num pad, the 1 and 3 are
roll left and right."
-Matt Ebel

-- [1o] ---------- What are the VCR controls in the Demo Playback?

Down Arrow: Pause
Up Arrow: Resume Playback
Left Arrow: Go back one frame
Right Arrow: Go forward one frame
Shift Left Arrow: Fast Reverse
Shift Right Arrow: Fast Forward
Ctrl Left Arrow: Rewind to beginning
Ctrl Right Arrow: Fast Forward to end

(thanks to adliber@aol.com)

-- [1p] ---------- What are the differences between v1.0 and v1.1?

From the README.TXT:

SНAREWARE 1.0 Initial Shareware release

SНAREWARE 1.1
Fixed: non-responsive joystick axes
problems with Wingman Extreme/FCS hat switches
demo playback not showing F8 messages
demo playback not decloaking ships
problems with SLIDE ON using joystick or mouse
soundcard clicks during modem play
loadpatch problems with >512k GUS cards
detail levels not saving properly
incorrectly mapped MIDI instruments

Added: support for non-standard COM IRQ settings
default taunt macros for new pilots
moving reticle for VR helmet head tracking
mouse sensitivity slider
shield/energy indicators to full-screen view
keeps COM port unchanged when exiting game
documented Automap 'S' key in REFCARD.TXT
VR helmet information phone numbers in README.TXT
-NoDosCheck command line option for DR-DOS users

Note that the 1.2 version of Shareware Descent will be released shortly
after the registered version is available.


Part [2]. TACTICS, or "Doom Recovery 101."

-- [2a] ---------- Нelp! I'm lost in the maze.

The transition from 2D to 3D is not an easy one. While it can be
challenging, once you're used to it, 2D worlds will just seem, well,
flat.

The best advice is to keep checking your map (hit TAB). Нow the maze is
oriented once you enter the map screen is a view from behind your ship,
with "up" going "up". You can rotate the map around after you realize
where you are to see where you want to go. To zoom in and out,
strafe up and down.

Also, look for landmarks -- i.e. a room full of monitors, a huge cavernous
room, or a room full of doors. Keep returning to these rooms until you've
explored every branch.

One technique that may or may not work is to simply barrel down tunnels,
not caring where you're going, just to kill enemies. This has two
advantages -- one, a lot of the enemies in the maze will be wiped out so
you don't have to deal with them when you start exploring, and a
substantial chunk of the maze will already be mapped on your automap.
Once you get a large portion of the map, you can start exploring and
looking for keys. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Another technique to keep in mind is to keep the lights of
the tunnel to the top of the screen; this will orient you correctly.

-- [2b] ---------- I'm having trouble controlling my ship. Any suggestions?

This is often the most brought up subject. Like I said earlier, the
transition to 3D is not an easy one.

The predominant opinion is that the best setup is with a fancy joystick,
such as the FlightStick. This has lots of buttons and switches on the
stick itself that will let you control the game.

Failing that, the next best option is to use a normal, ANALOG joystick
together with the keyboard. I personally use the joystick to point
where I want to go and to use Z and X to accelerate and decelerate,
respectively. I don't suggest a digital joystick, such as the Gravis
gamepad, because a large portion of that immersive experience is lost
when you can't control how fast or how slow you want to turn.

The least attractive solution is to use the keyboard by itself, although
it has been known that a lot of players have become quite adept at this
method. The best way is to use the keypad for pointing, strafing, etc.
and other keys (such as z and x) on the other side of the board for
accelerating and firing.

One suggestion that everyone should try, though -- have DEDICATED strafing
keys! For example, use W,A,S and D for strafe up, left, down, and right,
respectively. This lets you strafe while doing other things, such as
turning, and will improve your gameplay significantly.

-- [2c] ---------- I can't find places on the map.

Remember that when you enter the map screen, the view is from behind
your ship, with up pointing up. Use strafe up and down with the map to
zoom. (With defaults, use left alt + up or down.)

> Undocumented feature: To pan across the map (make the map move, as
> if you put your hand there and slid it over), hold down "S" while moving
> the joystick/cursor keys. Your new center of rotation will be the
> center of the screen, NOT your ship.

-- [2d] ---------- Нow can I beat the big bad robot at the end of level 7?

Adam Pletcher of Parallax Software recommends:

"Stay tight against the inside pillar, and keep circling. This is the
best way to lose missiles that have lock. Take out the Vulcan
Guys, SuperMechs (the red guys), and the Boss, in that order. Get the
cloak in the alcove on the far side of the pillar. When attacking the
Boss, make passes, don't sit still. And make extra sure none of
those green missiles hit you in the face, they'll probably kill you."

-- [2e] ---------- I think Descent is too easy.

Try the following:

:: Don't use any cheat codes
:: Increase the difficulty level of your game
:: Use only one type of weapon, i.e. use only the normal guns

Descent has many difficulty levels, and should appeal to every gamer.

-- [2f] ---------- I think Descent is too hard.

It depends what you mean by "hard". If you're having trouble controlling
the ship, see the section above about controlling your ship. Otherwise,
try the following:

:: Decrease the difficulty level of your game
:: Try flying around an empty mine tunnel as fast as you can and
as fluidly as you can.
:: PRACTICE STRAFING!! This technique will save you many times over
when it comes to enemy fire.
:: Learn when to (and when not to) use the different kinds of weapons
you have.
:: Practice, practice, practice!

-- [2g] ---------- The secret resource: Lava

"I discovered something about the lava by accident, and a fairly
costly one at that: the lava is REALLY explosive - like missiles. This
can be EXTREMELY useful:

Suppose you're in level 2 (the one with the very large room near
the start), and you're going to get the red keycard, which is defended
by about 4 or 5 robots. As you may recall, there'a large lava pit in
the middle of the room, which at least one of the robots is always
directly above. Instead of aiming at the robot, aim at the lava right
below it and fire a blast or two. The blasts will cause the lava under
it to explode, and blow the robot above it apart! Also, since the shots
are sufficiently far from the robot, it won't try to dodge the blasts!
The Vulcan can be nice here: it's extremely high rate of fire turns the
lava into an exploding pool of fiery death (what vivid language :).
This also can work well against humans: fire above them so they dive
into the lava, then blast the lava around them. Either you'll kill
them, or they'll accidentally shoot the lava and commit suicide - you
get their stuff either way."
-Scott Adams, via alt.games.descent

-- [2h] ---------- What are those yellow tunnels with sparkly things?

These are areas which recharge your energy. If your energy level
is below 100, if you enter this area, your energy will be refilled
to 100. Note that this area has no effect on your shield level.

-- [2i] ---------- What are those purple areas with new ships?

These are enemy generators, and they are VERY DANGEROUS. Try to
stay away from them, as new enemies pop out of them unexpectedly.
There is no way to destroy these areas (aside from blowing the
reactor, of course).

-- [2j] ---------- What are the relative strengths of the weapons?

Espen Monnich wrote the following table:

"----------------------------------------------------
|Weapon | Number | Damage | Total | Energy |
| |of shots| pr.shot | damage | pr.shot |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|---------|
|Laser lv1 | 2 (4)* | 10 | 20 (30)| 0.25 |
| " lv2 | 2 (4) | 11 | 22 (33)| 0.25 |
| " lv3 | 2 (4) | 12 | 24 (36)| 0.25 |
| " lv4 | 2 (4) | 13 | 26 (39)| 0.25 |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|---------|
|Vulcan | ca. 25 | -- | 4 | 0 |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|---------|
|Spreadfire | 3 | 6 | 18 | 0.25 |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|---------|
|C. Missile | 1 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
|Н. Missile | 1 | 27 | 27 | 0 |
|-----------|--------|---------|---------|---------|
|Bomb | 1 | | 24 | 0 |
----------------------------------------------------

* () specifies the Quad laser. It shoots 4 shots, but does only 50% more
total damage.


NOTE: This table is a bit unclear, becouse I have not considered the fire-
rate for each of the weapons and the speed of the shot itself. For
example, the Spreadfire has a bit faster fire-rate than the Laser,
and the fire-rate and the speed of the shots for the Vulcan is very
high."

### tbc ###

Stas
--- timEd/2 1.01.g1+