Metaltech: EarthSiege
GAME PLAY TIPS
revised 6/16/95

PLEASE NOTE: This document contains game play information ONLY. If you are having a technical problem with Metaltech: EarthSiege, please download the file ESFAQ.TXT.

Technical Support has limited information on Metaltech: EarthSiege strategy and game-play hints. This document contains answers to some frequently asked questions. For additional game-play information, Sierra recommends the Metaltech: EarthSiege manual and on-line forums that address game play. CompuServe and America On-Line have active forums where you can obtain valuable information from your fellow EarthSiege combatants.

There is a tutorial on pages 11-14 in your game manual which will be helpful. It is also advisable to set the Mission Params menu to allow unlimited ammunition and invulnerability until you are familiar with the controls and game-play.

QUESTION: I can move my Herc with the joystick, but how do I move the turret?

ANSWER: Press button #2 on your joystick, or press INSERT on the keyboard to change to turret mode. You will still be moving in the same direction as before, but the turret will move independently. You can also control the Herc movement with the joystick, and the turret simultaneously. Press 'J' for right, 'K' for left, 'I' for up, and 'M' for down.

QUESTION: How do I know which Hercs are friends and which are foes?

ANSWER: Friendly Hercs are light brown, enemy Hercs are gray. On radar, the enemy is red and team mates are blue. Enemy Skimmers are yellow. Also, if you push 'T' to engage the target, only the enemy can be targeted.

QUESTION: I'm ready to start a career, but I haven't mastered the game completely. How do I set the career mode up for easier play?

ANSWER: Currently, the career mode comes with just one setting: very difficult. Installing the patch disk will add the ability to change career modes to easier settings. See Section 7 - Obtaining a Sierra Patch Disk.

QUESTION: In the First Campaign: Second Mission, I keep getting killed before I even reach the waypoint. How do I complete the second mission?

ANSWER: Read your mission objectives carefully. In many missions the waypoints are there for your reference and are not part of your objectives. Your objective here is to just get in close enough to the enemy base to get a target lock on one of the new 'Mongoose' class enemy Hercs. Once you get your target lock, get away as fast as you can. There should only be one active enemy Herc you have to deal with prior to reaching the base, along with a few Arachnitrons (spiders). Once you are past these, switch to Active radar so that you can get a target lock from a distance. Once you see the enemy base's buildings (green dots on your radar screen), bring your Herc to a full stop. You should be out of range of the base's gun turrets. Press F5 to switch your display to Target Status. Just cycle through the targets (by pressing T on your keyboard) until you see a 'Mongoose' on your target display. Now just turn around and leave the area, as soon as you are clear of enemy contact the mission will be complete.

QUESTION: When I use the Rudder Control System why do the controls seem to work backwards from the way it works in my flight simulations?

ANSWER: These are two different types of vehicles which work on different mechanics. In a flight sim, you are controlling a cable connected to the rudder at the rear of your plane. In EarthSiege, you are steering the Herc the same way you would steer a car. When you push your left foot forward in a plane, this causes the rudder to turn sideways on the left side of the plane. The wind catches it and pushes the plane to the left. If you push your left foot forward in EarthSiege it is like pushing your left arm forward on the steering wheel of your car. Your car, and your Herc will turn to the right. In ES, the rudder control pivots the Herc in sync with the pedals.

QUESTION: How do I destroy Skimmers?

ANSWER: Always destroy enemy Hercs first, before dealing with Skimmers. Although Skimmers are pesky, they do relatively little damage. Keep your Herc moving. Press the 'F4' key to bring up your radar. Click on MODE to set your radar to active, then turn your Herc until the skimmer is in the forward cone of your radar. Click on TRACK to enable your ATT (Automatic Target Tracking), and press the 'T' key to target the skimmer. Now your Herc's turret will automatically track the Skimmer and keep it in your sights. Fire at will.

QUESTION: Why do the enemy Hercs keep swarming all over me? Why are they ignoring the other friendly Hercs?

ANSWER: Switch off your active radar, and return to passive mode. Active radar is needed to find targets quickly, and to lock-on your missles, but the longer it stays on, the more likely you will become the target. The enemy will home in on your radar emissions and attack en masse.

QUESTION: How can I stop wasting missiles? Every time I fire, missiles are launched without locking on to the target first. They always miss.

ANSWER: Your supply of missiles is limited, and they should be used only when you have a target in your crosshairs. Remove them from the firing chain so that they are not fired indiscriminately. To do this, press and hold the ALT key, followed by the number representing missiles in the firing order. The green box to the right of the number should disappear. To launch a missile, simply press the correct number key. Make sure you have gone to active radar, and have a lock-on.

QUESTION: Gut keeps telling me to capture some new enemy weapons. How do I do that?

ANSWER: When you come across an enemy Herc during your mission, take pains to shoot it in the legs, disabling it rather than destroying it. If you are an accomplished marksman you can direct your fire carefully, and blast the enemies weapons off of its torso. Either way, you may find you have captured a weapon. Captured weapons will show during your debriefing.

QUESTION: No matter how many Hercs I take out, General Gierling says I'm worthless and should be working for the other side. What does it take to satisfy this guy?

ANSWER: The General is a real hard case. It isn't enough to just destroy Hercs, you must accomplish all of your mission objectives (press F11 if you've forgotten what they are) and return in decent repair. Some missions (such as rescuing a comrade) have a time limit. You must work fast. Gierling will give you a real pat on the back if you manage to accomplish all of the mission objectives in a healthy and timely manner.

QUESTION: How do I obtain salvage to build new Hercs with, and to repair damage after each mission?

ANSWER: Every time you destroy an enemy Herc, you are credited with the salvage of its remains.

QUESTION: I'm in the career mode, and the going is tough. I'm stuck with a weak Herc. How do I obtain a better Herc?

ANSWER: While you're in the service bay, click on CREW. Highlight your Herc and click on HERCS. Select the best available Herc for your own use, and make sure the rest of your crew have the best remaining Hercs. Once you've collected some salvage, you can click on BUILD and select a better Herc to be built. When it is finished, return to CREW and select the newly built Herc.

QUESTION: On some missions, I'm supposed to download data from an enemy base. How do I do that?

ANSWER: Find the rotating communications dish among the enemy buildings. Press T to target the building and stand next to it, but do not destroy it. It would be wise to issue a radio order to your crew members to prevent them from taking out the target before you can download the info. Left on their own, they have little direction. Shortly, you will see the verification in the text box that you have successfully downloaded the data. Now take out the enemy communications and continue with the mission.

QUESTION: I have tried all of the suggestions, yet I still have problems surviving. What else can I try?

ANSWER: One of the most common strategic mistakes made in EarthSiege is to march head-on against the Cybrid forces. Their numbers are many and they usually out-gun you. An indirect hit-and- run technique may work best for you. Whenever you see an enemy target on your radar (represented by a red dot) do not just head straight for it like you would in an arcade game. Look over the situation. How many are there? Are they moving or stationary? If they are stationary they are probably guarding something and will tend to stay in that area. If this is the case many times you can stay just outside of their perimeter and destroy them where they stand. You can lock on to a target even if you cannot see it. If you switch your display to Target Status with the F5 key, you can watch the damage you are doing with long distance shots. Arm your Herc with as many Autocannons as you can. They do the most damage from a distance and leave more energy for your shields. If you are facing several mobile targets, send your crew ahead of you and then come in right behind them. This will allow you to survive an unavoidable head-on battle. But most of all, just keep practicing. Your skills will improve. Plan each attack. Keep aware what you crew is doing and keep them together.

QUESTION: On the box it says there are 45 missions and 8 campaigns, but I can only find 40 missions and 5 campaigns. How do I access the other missions and campaigns?

ANSWER: If you succeed in every mission, and play the optimal campaign path, that is all you will see. The other missions and campaigns are alternates, and you will see them if you lose some missions. Since there are 5 campaigns per career, to explore the alternates, you would have to lose the last mission of the first, second or third campaign. This will put you into the alternate path. There are actually 60 possible missions, total, but on an average you will play 45 per career.

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