FRONTIE2.TXT - Rebel Assault / Frontier hints

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     Date: 11-16-95    Time: 00:28a     Number: 2184   
     From: Perish Rotwood                Refer:         
       To: Wladimir Van Der Laan      Board ID: FIX             Reply: 
  Subject: Rebel As/ Frontier    1/4       135: fido.en.gami   Status: Public 
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WVDL--> PR> Frontier Hints
    --> PR> Rebel Assault Hints

Alright, all in one message!

    Hints for Frontier
    ------------------

Q: How can I make more use of the outside view ?
A: You can rotate around the ship with the cursor-keys (using the mouse
   will change the course of the ship) and the +/- Keys on the keypad
   for zooming in and out.

Q: How do I jump to a FAR system ?
A: There is a bug in Frontier called "Short Wormhole". Just scroll the map
   out very (!) far (eg. 650 ly). Now you will notice that the sign "Out
   of Range" changes to "Fuel required: 1t" or something (this exactly
   happens after 655.35 lys). Then it takes only a very short time to
   jump, too. This is not of much use, is it ? It IS ! Try this: You want
   to go from Sol to Achenar. Now jump to 83;-1. From there you can easily
   access Achenar.

Q: How do I scoll FAST in the galactic map ?
A: Hold down the right shift.

Q: How do I zoom FAST in the system map ?
A: Choose a destination as usual and double click on the "Zoom In"-Icon.

Q: Do you hate those boring days of interplanetary flights ? How do I land
   FAST ?
A: Use the autopilot to turn you towards the destination. Switch to highest
   speed. Now turn the autopilot off and accelerate by hand (using the
   "Engines Off"-state) until you have reached about 20.000 km/s or about
   1AU distance to the target. At about 1AU distance to target (or earlier)
   switch on the autopilot and you will be there. Seek&Enjoy.

Q: The landing sequence (orbit->site or outside->inside station) is slow.
A: Just turn to highest speed. But _NOT_ if you are in a hurry. There seems
   to be a bug which can cost you several days using this !

Q: HELP ! I cannot launch !
A: This seems to be another bug. If you are lost (doing anything will
   result in a crash), select a destination for a hyperjump and force
   a missjump with .

Q: When I use the autopilot to go to a planet (and do not intend to land),
   the end-speed is too high. I always crash into to planet.
A: Note that your main engines are more powerful then the retros. If you need
   a fast stop, turn you ship around and use the main engines to slow down.

Q: How do I fit a different hyperdrive to an imperial ship (courier or
   trader) ?
A: Buy 20 shields, several (30-50) E-bombs and use them on a world with
   atmosphere (eg. Anchenar/Capitol or Sol/Earth). Then they'll begin to
   shoot you. Wait until they have destroyed you hyperdrive (use the
   E-bombs to slow the progress of beein shot together :-). Maybe this
   takes a while. Then you can fit another hyperdive.

Q: What do I have to notice if I carry passengers ?
A: Passengers get angry if the jorney takes more than one month. So if you
   need four jumps to get there, forget it or use the Short Wormhole
   technique. If the passengers got angry, they'll tell you. They will
   leave you at the next stop. They won't pay you but more important:
   future passengers will REFUSE to fly with you ! If they do, just ask
   them several times in the bulletin board.

Q: What happens if I fail in a military mission ?
A: If you fail, the number of successful missions is decreased by one.

Q: How do I solve military missions ?
A: Not all offered mission _can_ be solved by you ! You need a good knowledge
   of your ship and how far and fast it can travel. Also note that you need
   much time of travel in a system with many suns. So calculate the time
   you have for the mission with the circumstances.

Q: How do I get a camera ?
A: If you have solved several military mission, you will be offered
   "photograph missions". They will install you a camera then.

Q: The camera hides the mining icon !
A: You can use the mining nonetheless. Just click on the icon, when you
   are near a mining station. Frontier will know that you don't want to
   take a photograph of the station.

Q: How do I get permits for a system ?
A: You have to transport someone/something who/that wants to get there.

Q: When I start Frontier from WB, it hangs after some time.
A: Frontier is very nice to the OS. You have to remove all screen and mouse
   blankers for a smooth gameplay.

Q: When I buy a big ship, there is not enough crew available. Any proposals ?
A: There are several ways to get enough crew. 1: Buy ships that need a bit
   more crew then the current until you have reached your aim. This way,
   you only need 1-2 new crew members which are easy to find. 2: Wait.
   Every week, the bulletin board is refreshed. This way, you can collect
   your crew, but it is expensive (you must pay the tax every day) and
   anoying (you must restart every day and look into the BB, scroll, etc.).

Q: Do I have problems after firing someone from the crew ?

(Continued to next message)

--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12
 * Origin: Partners For Peace  (1:300/705.0)
===============================================================================
     Date: 11-16-95    Time: 00:28a     Number: 2185   
     From: Perish Rotwood                Refer:         
       To: Wladimir Van Der Laan      Board ID: FIX             Reply: 
  Subject: Rebel As/ Frontier    2/4       135: fido.en.gami   Status: Public 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Continued from previous message)

A: Yes. You will not find crew again. If you do this several times, it will
   take YEARS (no joke !), to collect 10 crew members !

Q: How much should I pay to the crew ?
A: 20c/week. There is no point in beeing mean there. If you need much crew
   (as in the Panther Clipper), you can earn 5-600.000 c/flight or even
   more. The crew is only 500c then. So who cares ?

Q: My autopilot runs into anything in it's way !
A: Yes, this is a severe problem with this dumb crap. The autopilot will
   by no means avoid anything in it's way. Solutions: Buy 30 shields and a
   Hull Repair System or make sure no planets, suns, space stations and
   ships are between you and your target AND that your target is on the
   side of the planet that is TOWARDS you. The autopilot sometimes takes
   shortcuts through a planet to reach a position on the other side (eg.
   fly from NewYork to London).

Q: Pirate attacks always kill me !
A: Did you know that you can pause the game, target the pirate and fire a
   missile after him ?

Q: What is the best ship ?
A: Depends. What do you want to do ? If you want to trade, get a Panther
   Clipper. It is the most expensive but also the biggest ship around. You
   can stuff all equipment in it (even a Large Plasma Accelerator) and
   still have space left for cargo. When I fly it, I have this equipment: 2
   Mines, 6 Naval Missiles, Auto Refueller, Atmos. Shield, Laser Cooling
   Booster, Scanner, Radar Mapper, Auto Pilot, 10 Cabins, 20 Shield
   Generators, Energy Booster Unit, Naval ECM, Hull Repair and 2 100MW Beam
   Lasers in the top and bottom turret. The Class 8 hyperdrive is built in.
   You need 12 crew, but the ship is indestructible. You will survive
   allmost any crash and have plenty of time to shoot pirates. And then,
   one or two shots will kill them. When you fly in a system, switch to the
   turrets and don't disable the autopilot if you are beeing attacked.
   There is really no point doing it since the pirate will be dead after
   the first few shots and the work to readjust the autopilot is not worth
   it. Big but slow.
        The next best ship is the Imperial Courier. It is slick and fast and
   needs only one crew (you) ! It has enough space to fit everything necessary
   but you cannot fit a fuel scoop. Not very fast.
        Then comes the ASP Explorer and the Constrictor. They are faster,
   have some space and need not much extras (eg. crew). Third choice, anyway.
        For all the veterans of Elite, the choice is of course the Cobra
   MkIII. Small but nice. It is the remnant of another time. Everyone must
   have flewn it at least once and smell the past. The time of fierce fights,
   the struggle and victories returns. The ship for the real (wo)man !

Q: I need a really fast ship !
A: No you don't. But if you really want one, the fastest ships are: Falcon
   Attack Fighter, Osprey Attack Fighter, Hawk Airfighter. But don't even
   think of any extras (not even a laser) ! The ship with the biggest
   hyperspace range is the Sidewinder.

Q: How do I do assassinations ?
A: Head Hunting is not a simple task. The least problem is that most of the
   time you will have to break several laws (lowering your legal state and
   you money bag). Save your game before you ACCEPT the misison. You must
   reach the destination several days BEFORE the time. Save again. Now wait
   and see what the victim does. Often, he refuses to leave the safety of
   the station (he knows why ;-). Then some just turn around and land
   before you can kill them (NOTE: Killing someone near a station is a
   crime and you will be punished !). Others jump as soon as they have left
   the station. The last case is the best. You can simply analyse the cloud
   and follow him (you need a faster ship then he has for succeeding here).
   The second case is a bit more difficult. Note the exact time of exit and
   reload the last saved game. Now wait until the noted time arrives. He
   will pop out and turn. If you are fast, you can shoot him before he is
   able to do anything (which is a serious crime and the fine is high). The
   other method is to buy some shields. Shields repulse each other. Just
   use your ship as a bat to push him into the station (like in Ping Pong).
   He won't survive that and you have just broken a little law which costs
   only about 600 c for penetrating the landig zone.
        But what to do if he won't leave ? Check your scanner. Sometimes,
   there is no one in the station (all ships IN the station do appear on
   the radar !). This way you can also see when he begins to leave. But
   sometimes the station is just empty. In this situation nothing can
   possibly leave (obvious, eh ?) and therefore the mission failed. Load
   the first saved game again and forget about this mission.


Q: How do I clean my legal status ?
A: No way man. Or is there ? We don't know.

Q: How do I build in a fuel scoop into an imperial or big ship ?
A: Dunno. Do you ? Tell us !

Q: How do I explore unknown stellar systems ?
A: Dunno. Do you ? Tell us ! (NOTE: The military camera doesn't work here).

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            R E B E L   A S S A U L T    H I N T   T E X T
===============================================================================

Rev. 1.3
January 1994

What follows is a description of all Chapters. The passcodes are listed in
EASY/NORMAL/HARD order.



(Continued to next message)

--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12
 * Origin: Partners For Peace  (1:300/705.0)
===============================================================================
     Date: 11-16-95    Time: 00:28a     Number: 2186   
     From: Perish Rotwood                Refer:         
       To: Wladimir Van Der Laan      Board ID: FIX             Reply: 
  Subject: Rebel As/ Frontier    3/4       135: fido.en.gami   Status: Public 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Continued from previous message)

*** Chapter 1: Flight Training

 Part I : Beggars Canyon
 View: Third Person Flight
 Part II: Target Drones Shooting
 View: Third Person Bombing
 Spacecraft: Shuttle
 Hints: -

*** Chapter 2: Asteroid Field Training

 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: A-Wing
 Hints: Try to avoid the rocky asteroids. It is possible to fly without
        a single collision!

*** Chapter 3: Planet Kolaador

 View: Third Person Flight
 Spacecraft: A-Wing
 Hints: This is pure 2D! Move the image of your ship exactly on top of the
        other ship. A bit tricky.

 Passcodes: FALCON / BIGGS / ACKBAR

*** Chapter 4: Star Destroyer Attack

 View: First Person Flight
 Bonus level: Torpedo Attack the Bridge
 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: Shoot the Tie-Fighters first. They're always the major threat. If you
        let one slip by, it will hit you twice!

*** Chapter 5: Tatooine Attack

 View: Third Person Flight
 Bonus level: Attack ground forces at Mos Eisley
 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: Very simple in EASY and NORMAL but almost impossible in HARD. Shoot all
        three ties within the first seconds by firing at a very high rate.

*** Chapter 6: Asteroid Field Chase

 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: Avoid the rocky asteroids. Most of the ice-asteroids are not on your
        flight path, so you need'nt shoot them.

 Passcodes: ANOAT / KAIBURR / FORNAX

*** Chapter 7: Imperial Probe Droids

 View: Third Person Flight
 Spacecraft: Ice-Glider
 Hints: The fastest way out is left/left/right/left/left.

*** Chapter 8: Imperial Walkers

 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: Ice-Glider
 Hints: -

*** Chapter 9: Stormtroopers

 View: Third Person Shooting
 Spacecraft: none
 Hints: Shoot at the heads. The way out of the maze is different in
        every new game.

*** Chapter 10: Protect Rebel Transport

 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: -

 Passcodes: YUZZEM / MYNOCK / BESPIN

*** Chapter 11: Yavin Training

 View: Third Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: -

*** Chapter 12: Tie Attack

 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: Don't let any ties slip away !

*** Chapter 13: Death Star Surface

 View: Third Person Bombing
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: -

*** Chapter 14: Surface Cannon

 View: First Person Flight

(Continued to next message)

--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12
 * Origin: Partners For Peace  (1:300/705.0)
===============================================================================
     Date: 11-16-95    Time: 00:28a     Number: 2187   
     From: Perish Rotwood                Refer:         
       To: Wladimir Van Der Laan      Board ID: FIX             Reply: 
  Subject: Rebel As/ Frontier    4/4       135: fido.en.gami   Status: Public 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Continued from previous message)

 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: As always, the tie-fighters are the major threat. Concentrate on them
        first, then shoot the cannon.

 Passcodes: BRIGIA / DAGOBAH / KESSEL

*** Chapter 15: Death Star Trench

 Part I : Trench Flight
 View: First Person Flight
 Part II: Shoot Torpedo In Exhaust Port
 View: First Person Flight
 Spacecraft: X-Wing
 Hints: -

 Passcodes: GREEDO / MIMBAN / ORGANA

*** End Titles and Credits


General hints:

With some training it is possible to fly all 15 chapters in less than
40 mins (without loosing a single life). You will get app. 60000 points
by doing that in EASY level.

Become used to shoot at a very (*very*) high rate. The laser blasts can be
fired as fast as you're able to push the trigger button. Don't wait for a
shoot to reach it's target. Shooting will cost nothing in Rebel Assault (in
the contrary to X-Wing, where every shoot counts). This is even true for
chapter 4 and 15, where a torpedo is to be positioned.

After some chapters a 'Target Accuracy' is calculated. This is purely the
number of hitten targets. The number of shoots you needed is not important.

Always disable HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.SYS as they may slow down your game
significantly.

There is a bug in the SB16 driver which prevents the use of 8-bit DMA.
Try the SBPRO driver instead or use a 16-bit DMA channel (usually 5 or 6).

If the game hangs after a few minutes you have a problem with DOS4GW, the
dos-extender for RA. There is a fix for this on various internet sites
(look for REBFIX.ZIP (older) or REBEL17.ZIP (newer), which can be found
 at  wpi.wpi.edu  in  /starwars/Rebel_Assault).

The program itself is rather small (only 214 KB) and was written in 32-bit
protected-mode Watcom-C. The rest of the 400 MBytes consists of pictures,
movies and sounds.

The soundtrack is completely sampled at a low rate (22000 ?) with 8-bit
and only mono (therefore the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired...).


Cheat mode:

When the Lucas Arts logo appears after the joystick calibration, press
UP+FIRE DOWN+FIRE LEFT+FIRE RIGHT+FIRE.
You will hear bell and a voice saying "Lucas Arts".
Now the following keys can be used:
+               decrease damage
-               increase damage
ESC     skip to next level
1-f     select level
z               restart game
(thanks to Jurgen Valks [jurgen@hsbos.nl] for this information)


Good luck and may the force be with you!

Martin Doppelbauer

Perish


 * QMPro 1.53 * Help stamp out, eliminate and abolish redundancy.

--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12
 * Origin: Partners For Peace  (1:300/705.0)
===============================================================================