INFESTATION - HINTS

Typed by SIDEWINDER


SAVE ME! SAVE ME!
Yes it's one of those games.  Save the game regularly, particularly if you
have successfully carried out some major operation.  If you don't, you just
know the dog's going to come in and stick it's paw in the plug socket,
frying itself and knackering the whole electrical system as soon as you've
solved some important bit of the game.  Dogs are like that.  Not all dogs
go to heaven.
Unfortunately, how to save a game in INFESTATION isn't explained in the
instruction manuel.  This adds an extra element of challenge, I suppose.
This is what you have to do.  First, pause the game with the 'HELP' key
and then press the 'ESC' key.  It will look as though you have quit the
game, as you are then presented with the game credits.  Not so.
Wait for the main menu to come up, and have a blank disk handy, format it
with the option from the menu.  It's got a funny formatter and so you have
to use the one from this menu, rather than your average run of the mill
formatter.
Next choose the 'save game position' option, enter a file name at the
prompt and then choose the 'resume game' option.  It's a bit of a faff, I
know, but at least it gets you there in the end.

GETTING TO LEVEL ONE
This is for all those stuck on the moon surface at the start of the game,
strolling around wondering what the hell they're supposed to be doing.
Just about as soon as you land, you'll be attacked by a load of insect-like
droids, and robots.  You can shoot them, but it's best to ignore them and
attempt to get off the planet's surface as fast as possible.
First off, turn the navigation HUD on and head for the coordinate 54,53
which is where you'll find the entry to the first level.  The easiest way
to find it is to head towards the sunrise which begins a few seconds after
the game starts.  After a little while, you'll arrive at another radar,
this time with a terminal which looks like a rectangular lump of rock and a
transporter that looks like a futuristic telephone booth.  Move right up to
the terminal, log on by pressing F2 and type KAL SOLAR when prompted to
identify yourself, before logging off.  Next, go to the transporter and
you'll find yourself miraculously transported to level one.

MAPPING
As soon as you begin on level one, start making a map of the level.  The
map terminal mentioned in the manual is obviously very useful for this, but
it'll be quite a while before you get there.  Making a rough plan of the
blueprint of the levels will make it a lot easier to get around without
getting lost and will tell you where the alien eggs are to be found.  It'll
also let you know where the other important stuff like oxygen cylinders and
batteries can be found when you are desperate later in the game.  You'll
need to pick up all the objects early in the game in order to identify them
and then figure out how best to use them later on.  As certain things -
like the alien eggs - kill you as soon as you approach them, its best to
save the game before you pick anything up.

KEYING IN...
The main elevator key is situated in the air vents on level one that don't
have an alien's egg.  After travelling through the transporters, take the
first right in the vent, keep going and eventually you should find it.  The
key to the quarters on level two can be found on level six, in the control
room.  Initially there will be a force field stopping you from getting to
it, but by solving the simple puzzle on the terminal you will be able to
deactivate it.

COOLING DOWN
When you begin the game, the cooling system is inactive, which means that
things hot up pretty quickly and Xelos will reach critical mass before
you've even had a chance to find out how unwelcome a fart in a space suit
is.  To activate the cooling system, go down to level six and head into the
air vents.  They're situated in the room at the top left of this section,
so go up or left at every opportunity.  Once you reach the room, find the
switch on the wall, flick it and voila - one completely operational cooling
system.
You may find that your suit gets a bit brassy on this level and you end up
freezing to death with startling regularity.  Not advisable, this.  Boring.
To avoid it, make sure that you complete a small section of level two
before you go piling down there, as this will make the temperature a bit
warmer.  Don't waste too much time farting around though, because every
second is critical.

OXYGEN
If you're in an underground section where normal pressure applies or in a
zone where there's no cyanide in the air, you can conserve oxygen by taking
the helmet off.  Remember however that radiation will take effect much more
quickly without the helmet on.  Switch the suit's power off, particularly
when you have the helmet off, unless you require some vital information.
This will make the power last much longer.

End.