|  Driller | |
| |
| | Appeared On Compilations | | Softy 09 (Fixed version saved at $1000) |
| Softy 23 (Fixed version) |
| |
| | Remakes | | Title | Created by | Platform | Homepage | Notes |
| Driller | | Windows |  | |
| |
| | Game Objective | YOUR MISSION
Evath has two moons, Mitral and Tricuspid. Mitral has been heavily mined by an outlawed people, the Ketars, who have now fled the moon. A vast amount of gas has built up underneath Mitral's surface, and should Mitral explode, thousands of Evathians will be wiped out of Evath is thrown out of orbit. The resulting a meteor is due to strike entire population! Scientists have calculated a meteor is due to strike Mitral in a matter of hours and this alone will cause this disaster.
YOUR OVERALL MISSION is to make sage each of the 18 sectors of Mitral by positioning a drilling rig over the gas pockets in each sector before the meteor strikes.
In order to archive this you will need to:-
1. Gain access to and enter each of the 18 sectors.
2. Determine the gas centre and place the drilling rig on each sector to release at least 50% of the gas below. (use geological clues intuition or trial and error for this)
3. Locate and absorb sufficient Rubicon crystals for your continuing survival.
4. Avoid and/or destroy the laser beacons, and Skanners.
As sub mission: Amass as high a success rating as possible!
You have just landed on one of Mitral's artificial surfaces. You are within your excavation probe.
The whole world depends on you... you have been chosen... it's up to you...
CONTROL CONSOLE DETAILS
1. VIEWING WINDOW:
A dense and durable Transpex screen providing you with a survey of the immediate surroundings
2. TRANSPORT INDICATOR:
A visual image corresponding to your current mode of transport.
3. MOVEMENT/ATTACK INDICATOR:
Arrow on display - Movement Mode, Cursor and lasers on display - attack mode. NB: It is also possible to fire lasers in movement mode, but only to the centre of the viewing window when cursor is on.
4. PLAN VIEW:
Shows the direction of your viewing window from above, i.e. lines facing up - heading North
5. ANGLE TURN:
Measures the size of any rotational movement (5-90 degrees).
6. STEP SIZE:
Measures the size of one movement in the direction you are facing (1-250 standard distance units (SDU's))
7. VERTICAL EXTENSION:
Indicates the extension of the central body of the probe above the outer tracks. The Central body may be elevated to a fixed height. Shows "J" if currently in the reconnaissance jet.
8. ENERGY REMAINING:
A bar graph with length proportional to the total energy stored in on-board Rubicon Crystals. Energy is required for various operations: if this ever reaches zero (no graph visible) your craft will be disabled and you will be stranded.
9. SHIELD STRENGTH:
A bar graph with length proportional to the effectiveness of your vehicle's armour. Decreases if damage is inflicted on your craft.
10. X,Y CO-ORDINATES:
Pinpoint your exact position on each platform - can be helpful when determining where to place a rig. A platform can be thought of as a grid or square with each vertical side equal in length to 8128 SDU's.
11. VERTICAL HEIGHT:
The perpendicular distance from the central body of your vehicle to platform level.
12. COUNTDOWN
Before the meteor strikes Mitral. If the countdown gets to zero, and even one sector remains unsafe...
13. SUCCESS RATING:
Indicates your degree of success so far.
14. OPERATION LIGHT INDICATORS:
This shows when your current command is being processed.
15. SIDE VIEW:
Shows the side view of your viewing window in relation to your position, i.e. lines facing to the right indicate looking forward. Lines down indicate looking at the moon's surface.
16. MESSAGE DISPLAY:
Miscellaneous information from your console computer. Defaults to a message indicating the stability of the current sector.
17. AREA INDICATOR
Provides you with the name of the sector in which you are currently situated.
INFORMATION SCREEN
When the information screen is accessed, the viewing windows is temporarily replaced with the information below.
AREA:
Each sector is named to aid mapping and orientation. This displays the name of the present sector.
RIG STATUS:
This advises whether a rig is positioned or not. As only eighteen rigs are available, you may only place one rig per sector.
GAS FOUND:
The amount of gas found beneath the current sector, shown in cubic feet after the drilling rig is in position. The units are one of the few archaic remnants of half-forgotten Earth usage that still exist in modern Evathian culture.
PERCENTAGE TAPPED:
The percentage of total gas you have been able to tap. The nearer the exact gas centre, the greater amount of gas released. 50% or more is needed to render a sector safe.
GAS TAPPED:
The total amount of gas that the rig has accessed, i.e. gas found x %age tapped = gas tapped.
TOTAL SECTORS:
Displays "18" - the total number of sectors to clear.
SAFE SECTORS:
The number of sectors that have been successfully drilled to tap over half their total gas volume.
LOAD/SAVE:
Retrieve/store your game position from tape or disk.
ABORT MISSION:
When the odds are too great or time is too short. Emergency only - don't do it!
DRILLING
To tap the pocket of gas beneath each platform, you must place a drilling rig over it.
By pressing the appropriate key on your console, a signal is emitted, which informs those on Evath of your co-ordinates. The signal is conveyed by satellite so that the response is almost instantaneous - a drilling rig is teleported to you and materialises in front of your excavation probe within your viewing screen. Exact positioning of the rig is difficult, but can be mastered after experience. Drilling rigs are costly in terms of materials and workmanship - if you make an error in positioning, the rig must be teleported back to Evath in order that it may be used again. Waste is not allowed. The teleporting process of drilling rigs uses energy from both the sending and receiving devices. The closer you get to the centre of each underground gas accumulation, the more gas will be tapped. If the amount of gas tapped is 50% or more of the total contained in that pocket, then drilling has been successful and that sector is now declared safe. You will have to leave the rig in position, as although the gas tapped is displayed and your rating increased, it is actually slowly released over a period of time. If required and you have sufficient energy, you can reposition the rig for a greater percentage and a higher rating.
EXCAVATION PROBE
ARMOUR:
Durably heavy-duty plutonium/lead alloy plating.
ENERGY:
Powerful energy reserves stored in Rubicon Crystals.
MOVEMENT:
You can travel forwards, backwards, turn left or right as well as being able to make 180 degree u-turns. The speed of the probe can be changed by altering the step size of forward/backward movement or the angle of turn. The main body of the probe may be titled to either side and can rotate fully within the outer tracks to enable you to look any direction. In addition, the main body can be elevated or lowered although your vehicle is not able to leave the surface entirely. Beware! Do not travel off the platform edges without being sure there is another platform to move on to.
WEAPONRY:
The probe is fitted with a quadruple dual action laser system.
DRILLING:
The probe contains the means to transmit teleporting signals to Earth necessary to position drilling rigs - this is the most essential part of your mission.
DOCKING
At least one jet has been left on Mitral by the Ketars and should you locate one, you can transfer into it by simply docking your excavation probe into the underside of the vehicle, If docking is successful, you will now be in control of the jet and your probe will be left. To reverse this procedure, land the jet directly over the probe.
RECONNAISSANCE JET
ARMOUR:
No specialised armoured cover - vulnerable to attack, will not withstand repeated damage.
ENERGY:
High energy reserves stored in Rubicon Crystals.
WEAPONRY:
High intensity High - frequency quadruple dual action lasers.
MOVEMENT:
You will find that the control consoles for both the probe and jet are very similar. The controls and their functions are similar, with a couple of
exceptions. Firstly, the jet is not restricted in vertical movement, so whereas the probe could merely face (or look) up or downwards the jet can also
travel in these directions. Secondly, Reconnaissance jets are part of Ketar technology and do not have the necessary the transmitter requires for rig
positioning for stability, so stay over the structure!
LASER BEACONS
The Ketar defence system includes various laser beacons that are positioned throughout the platforms of Mitral. It is also believed that beacons are
positioned on the actual moon itself.
If you are detected within the range of a laser beacon, you will be attacked! Laser beacons fire highly damaging, high intensity lasers - and they do not
miss!
If under attack, your options include:
1) Backing off out of range
2) Making a run for it to get behind the beacon
3) Shooting the beacon (unpredictable results)
SKANNERS
Little is known about these except that they orbit mitral and are likely to be armed. |
| |
| | Keyboard Controls | | A | Increase turning angle | | Z | Decrease turning angle | | S | Increase movement step increments | | X | Decrease movement step increments | | R | Rise vertically | | F | Fall vertically | | P | Look up | | L | Look down | | , | Roll left | | . | Roll right | | U | U-turn | | D | Place drilling rig | | C | Cancel drilling | | Space | Toggle movement/attack mode | | + | Firing cursor on/off (movement mode only) | | I | Information screen (load/save/quit options) |
|
| |
Copyright © Plus/4 World Team, 2001-2024. Support Plus/4 World on Patreon |
