Games PC GIANTS-CITIZEN KABUTO User Manual

Game Manual

Game Manual

™

Giants™:

Citizen Kabuto

GAME MANUAL

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Table of Contents

Background Story 4
Menus 6

Player ID 6
Main Menu 6

Cast of Characters 10

Meccaryns 10
Sea Reapers 11
Kabuto 12
Other Characters 13
Structures 19

Game Interface 21

Mecc Interface 21
Delphi Interface 23
Kabuto Interface 26

Controls 28

Movement 28
Attacking 30
Views 32

The Meccaryns 34

Mecc Weapons, Packs, and Items 34
Mecc Base 39

The Sea Reapers 44

Sea Reaper Weapons and Spells 44
Sea Reaper Base 49

Kabuto 54

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Base Building 58

The Base Building Screen 60
Building a Mecc Base – Walkthrough 62

Multiplayer 66

Host a New Multiplayer Game 66
Join an Existing Multiplayer Game 69
Multiplayer Game Types 69

Hints & Tips 71
Appendix: The History of Planet Moon 73
Credits 75

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Background Story

Before man climbed down from the trees to shop in megastores and
drink cappuccino, before Earth wadded itself into a cool blue ball,
before PLANET MOON even existed, there was the Island. The
Island, a massive fragment of a long-lost planet, hurtling blindly
through space. The description evokes the term, “asteroid”, but the
Island is no dead piece of scorched rock. Even from a distance of light
years, the Island’ s radiant colors distinguish it as an anomaly within the
void of the cosmos. True asteroids, decaying and splintered pieces of
rock floating quietly around the Island like watchful ghosts, radiate
jealousy from their black pores, desperate for the beauty they will
never have.

The surface of the Island is mostly water … if it can be called water.
So rich and bright, so vast. Various land formations can be found
within the Island’s great sea – small continents composed of stone or
ice. These landmasses boast curious shapes, some curving gently, some
jagged. Seen from the sky, the scattered islands resemble the alphabet
of a lost deity, perhaps writing his name upon the surface of a world.
Or making a shopping list with whatever materials were at hand. Or
doing his taxes.

Anyway, the Island … whether these small continents are made of rock
or ice, they boast some curious life forms. Plants ranging from a few
inches in height to thousands of feet. Small humanoid creatures occu­pying quaint stone huts. A variety of monstrosities, all created by the
Island’s natural forces … all but one.

Upon the surface of this paradise wanders the giant, Kabuto. He
knows that this is his home, but he does not feel that he belongs. From
whence he came, he does not know, only the serial number “001”
imprinted on his stomach offers any clue. The only one of his kind,
Kabuto sits alone and longs for company. Every creature he has
encountered was … different. Whether they came from the skies or
from the seas, they tried to destroy him. Now, Kabuto trusts no one,
and guards the one thing that he loves – the Island, his home.

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Little does Kabuto know that the Island was home to others before
him. In the oceans, there dwells a race of females called the Sea
Reapers. These women, along with their many minions, once ruled the
Island with strong will and harsh law. In their pride, they created
Kabuto, as a defense against intruders. But Kabuto became conscious
of himself, his loneliness, his pain – and he went berserk. The Sea
Reapers’ creation turned on them, decimating their numbers and driv­ing them into the seas. In time, a wicked new leader arose to lead the
survivors: Sappho, the Sea Reaper Queen. Sappho intends to return
the Reapers to their rightful position on the Island, as the dominant
species, by whatever means necessary. Her daughter, Delphi, isn’t so
sure of her mother’s evil practices. By far the youngest and most inno­cent of the Reapers, Delphi is just learning the mystical powers known
to the others. If only she knew of some alternative to evil … if only she
could speak with someone from the universe outside the Island …

Perhaps five cockney space aliens on holiday aren’t the outsiders
Delphi had in mind, but what can you do, eh? Baz, Tel, Reg, Gordon,
and Bennett – otherwise known as the Meccaryns (Meccs for short).
After leaving their home planet for an annual lads’ holiday at the one
and only Planet Majorca, their ship is almost immediately attacked and
swallowed by the notorious Giant “Gibbon” Fish. Hurtling through
space within the belly of the great ship, all the boys could do was get
drunk and wait. After two months, the Meccs’ ship was ignominious­ly “discharged” from the bowels of the great beast. Sobering quickly,
the Meccs piloted their battered ship towards the nearest chunk of
rock for repairs. If you haven’t guessed already, they ended up at the
Island.

Faced with yet another unscheduled layover while restoring their ship,
the Meccs decide to make the best of their temporary home. They’re
used to harsh conditions, so they explore with the aid of suits and
weapons developed through superior technology, scouting the strange
world of the Island for signs of life. Just their luck – the natives are
already embroiled in their own little war, and the Mecc visitors are
most unwelcome!

Meccaryns … Sea Reapers … Kabuto … One island isn’t big enough
for the three of them.

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Menus

PLAYER ID

When starting Giants you will need to create a new Player ID (or select
a previously created one). The Player ID will store all your key con­figurations, statistics, and level load status. Feel free to create multi­ple Player ID’s – one for each of the voices in your head, if you like.
You can also delete old or unused Player IDs.

MAIN MENU

Having created (or selected) a Player ID, you’ll come to the main menu
screen, offering a number of options: Start New Single Player Game,
Join Multiplayer Game, Host Multiplayer Game, Options, Load Single
Player Game, Change Player ID, and Exit Game. Use the mouse or
arrow keys to move the selection/highlight cursor – use the Enter key
or left-mouse button to select an option. While navigating through
game menus, you can press the Escape key to return to the previous
menu screen.

Start New Single Player Game

Selecting this option will start a new single player game. The single
player game takes place over a number of glorious islands, with multi­ple missions upon each. You will control each of the three races –
Meccs, Sea Reapers, and Kabuto – for different portions of the single
player game. Your progress through the islands is automatically saved
out when you complete each mission. If you die during the completion
of a mission, you’ll be given the option to replay the mission. All
previously completed missions can be accessed through the “Load
Game” menu.

We recommend that you play the single player game first before tack­ling multiplayer. The progression of missions in the single player game
gives you excellent training on the abilities and strategies of all three
races – helpful stuff for an intense multiplayer session.

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Load Single Player Game

The load game screen lists all of the missions you have completed with
the selected Player ID, along with a score rating beside them. You can
access this screen to start the last mission you played or return to a pre­vious mission in order to improve your score.

Host or Join Multiplayer Game

Selecting these game options will allow you to host a new multiplayer
session or join an existing multiplayer session. For more information
about setting up and playing multiplayer Giants games, see the section
starting on page 66.

OPTIONS

Controls

This menu selection will let you access the controls options screen.
You can separately change the key configurations for Meccs, Delphi,
and Kabuto (you can find the default control configurations on the
card included in the Giants game box). When you’re in any of these
screens, you can change button/keyboard assignments by placing the
mouse cursor over the function that you want to re-assign, then hitting
the key/button that you wish to perform that function in the game.

Graphics Options

Graphics options will often affect the performance of your game.
Turning off special options, lowering the model detail, and decreasing
the view distance can all yield better game performance – at the cost of
some of the prettier stuff in the game. If you are experiencing poor
game performance, you should try changing the graphics settings
below until you find the balance of speed and visual quality that suits
you best. Depending on your video card, some of these options may
not be available.

Model Detail (high/medium/low): Three levels affect the detail of all

game models.

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Lighting (on/off): This option turns lighting on and off – note that

when lighting is off, the game does not become dark, but
becomes uniformly bright.

Object Bumpmapping (on/off): With this option, you can apply or

remove object bump maps in the game – bump maps give
surfaces the appearance of roughness or depth.

Landscape Bumpmapping (on/off): With this option, you can

determine whether or not to display landscape bump maps in
the game.

Environmental Mapping (on/off): This option turns environmental

mapping on or off – environmental maps are used to create
shiny or reflective surfaces.

Enhanced Water Effects (on/off): With this option, you can choose to

turn super-special water effects on or off.

Player Shadow (on/off): This option turns the player character’s

shadow on and off.

General Shadows (on/off): Through this option, you can turn all game

shadows on or off.

Sun Flare Effect (on/off): This option will apply or remove the sun

flare effect in the game.

View Distance (slider bar): Using the slider bar in this option will

increase or reduce the viewing distance. A certain amount of
“fog” will always obscure distant objects in the game – adjust­ing the view distance slider will bring the “fog” closer or push
it further away.

Sound Options

Depending on your sound card, some of these options may not be
available.
Sound Effects Volume (slider bar): Lets you change the volume at

which game sound effects are played.

Music V olume (slider bar): Lets you change the volume at which game

music is played.

Reverb (on/off): Adds or removes reverberation effects to game

sounds.

Occlusion (on/off): When occlusion is turned on, objects and terrain

will affect how sound travels.

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CHANGE PLAYER ID

This option lets you change your player ID. Different player ID’s
progress separately through the single player game, and save out
different control, audio, and video settings.

EXIT GAME

Selecting this option allows you to exit the game. Go ahead, you quitter.

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Cast of Characters

MECCARYNS

Five cockney space aliens: Baz, Tel, Reg,
Gordon, and Bennett – otherwise known as
the Meccaryns (Meccs for short). On their
way to a holiday at the infamous Planet
Majorca, the Meccs are swallowed by a giant
space fish and defecated into the vicinity of
the Island. Nursing a broken ship and mas­sive hangovers, the Meccs limp towards the
strangely beautiful world, where they find a
most violent welcoming party. Forced to
remain on the island while repairing their
ship, the Meccs have the advantage of teamwork and superior tech­nology when dealing with unfriendlies. Their goal: to get their ship up
to top speed and take a well-deserved vacation at Planet Majorca. If
they have to kill everything on the Island in order to accomplish that
goal, well then …

Baz

Baz (short for “Basil”) is the leader of the group, the most intelligent
of the lot and, consequently always frustrated by the ineptitude of his
mates. That said, he loves his mates like brothers and will do anything
to protect them. Like the rest of the group, Baz loves a pint. Unlike
the others, however, he insists on finishing the job at hand before
thinking about the fun he’s missing.

Reg

Reg is the technical maestro of the group. He’s polite, even to the
point of being timid. But when he gets pissed off, you’ll know it. Reg
is also the womanizer of the bunch – more than anything, he wants to
get to Planet Majorca as soon as possible for a few libidinous delights
with the beautiful Majorcan ladies.

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Tel

In his grating cockney voice, Tel often complains that he’s unjustly
branded as the complainer of the group. Of course, the irony of this
situation escapes him.

Gordon and Bennett

Gordon and Bennett love their beer, love their women, and love their
holiday destination: Planet Majorca. They rarely think beyond those
three things. These two fellows are rather dense, but in a lovable way
(even when they engage in psuedo-intellectual conversations and argue
the night away). Gordon and Bennett always seem to be together,
inevitably causing trouble.

SEA REAPERS

Exotic female creatures complete with crimson
eyes and skin of a soft bluish tint, the Sea Reapers
were the dominant life form of the island for long
ages. They lorded over all other Island life with
absolute power bordering on the tyrannical. In an
effort to discourage any unwanted visitors from
approaching their bucolic home, the Sea Reapers
created Kabuto, a massive giant creature with
brutish tendencies. Unfortunately for the
Reapers, Kabuto was too well-suited to his pur­pose. He not only defended the Island against any
intruders, he chased the Sea Reapers into the sur­rounding oceans. Adapting to their new home,
the Sea Reapers developed mystical powers –
from lightning-fast attacks with sword and bow to elemental spells on
a grand scale.

Delphi

Delphi is the youngest and most innocent of the Sea Reapers, as well
as the daughter of Queen Sappho. Delphi doesn’t always agree with
the other Reapers’ severe methods, but she doesn’t know of any
alternative. She is certain, however, that she must put an end to her
mother’s evil reign. When the single player game introduces Delphi,

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she is just growing into her powers, hoping to refine and increase her
abilities with the help of her famed tutor, Yan, the Samurai Smartie!

KABUTO

You don’t know how you came to exist
upon this beautiful Island, nor do you
know of any other creatures like your­self. Stomping around in existential
frustration, you only know two things
for sure: you are very big and you’re
mad as hell.

Created by the Sea Reapers to defend
the Island, Kabuto went a little berserk
and chased all the Reapers into the
ocean. Standing over ten times the
height of a normal person, Kabuto is a
truly massive brute, capable of swallowing opponents whole or
destroying entire villages with his prodigious posterior. As Yan the
Samurai Smartie says, “When big Kabuto ass drop from sky, run like
your nuts are on fire.”

While playing a 900-ton monstrosity of bone and muscle may seem
appealing, there is one problem. When the Sea Reapers made Kabuto,
they gave him a single fatal flaw – a weak spot in his tough skin, locat­ed directly in the center of his gut.

Offspring

Kabuto offspring are much smaller versions of the big cheese. When
Kabuto eats enough Smarties, he can lay an egg that hatches into one
of his offspring. Kabuto can then give his offspring simple commands,
such as attack/eat, fetch, and return. Offspring start fairly small, but
can grow to almost half of Kabuto’ s height if they are fed enough Vimp
meat.

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OTHER CHARACTERS

Smarties

Smarties are the hardy, indigenous little people who
inhabit the island. For the most part timid creatures,
Smarties can be extremely helpful when joined to
your cause. In the single-player game, Smarties will
guide you through the details of game play, give you
your mission objectives, and help you build a base
(when applicable). In the multiplayer game,
Smarties are used mainly for base building.

For Sea Reapers and Meccs, Smarties are one of the primary resources
needed to build a base. Smarties will not only raise structures, they
will also develop new weapons for the Reapers and Meccs (available in
the Gift Shop). But in order for your Smarties to be productive, you
first need to keep them happy. Protect them, feed them, and offer them
a pub where they can get plastered.

Kabuto uses Smarties in a slightly different manner. Rather than nur­ture and care for these mischievous scamps, Kabuto simply eats them.
When Kabuto devours a few Smarties, the creatures are transformed
into a viable mutant egg within Kabuto’s belly. At this point, Kabuto
can get in touch with his feminine side, straining momentarily before
giving birth to the egg. Shortly thereafter, the egg will hatch and yield
a mini-Kabuto (for more about Kabuto Offspring, see page 12).

Each of the three main characters can grab and carry Smarties. When
a Mecc finds a Smartie, the Smartie will climb on his back. When a
Sea Reaper finds a Smartie, the Smartie will be encased in a protective
bubble, which will trail behind the Reaper. Kabuto, being Kabuto,
doesn’t encourage volunteers. Instead, he can pick up Smarties (who
usually flee as he draws near) and skewer them on his horns – this
won’t kill the Smartie, but it will hurt when the Smartie laughs.

There are a limited number of Smarties on any given level, single play-

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er or multiplayer . Smarties are spawned one at a time from their under­ground hatches. If a Smartie is killed, then another will spawn from
one of the available hatches. Smartie hatches are spread fairly evenly
around the world – though in some cases they may be hard to reach.

Vimps

Extremely docile and not very bright, Vimps are the
cattle of the island. Vimps can usually be found
strolling across the idyllic plains in herds, gently
grazing as they await a grisly demise. Cooked Vimp
is a staple of the Smartie diet, while Kabuto prefers
to gobble Vimps raw. Either way, Vimp meat
restores lost energy just like a high-priced sports
drink … but with bones.

Kabuto can down Vimps like fleshy nachos in order to regain health –
or he can skewer them on his horns and save them for later. Meccs
refrain from Vimp consumption (perhaps they’re squeamish, though
reports from the Smarties insist that the meat tastes just like chicken).
Instead, they need Vimp meat in order to keep Smarties happy at their
base. Killing Vimps will turn them into small heaps of quivering steak,
which Meccs can gather and return to base. Remember: a bellyful of
Vimpy goodness equals more productive Smarties. Sea Reapers need
Vimps as well, but instead of collecting their meat to feed Smarties,
Delphi must kill Vimps and gather their souls. She uses these souls to
power the mystical mechanisms that keep her base going.

Some by-product of the island’s natural energy continually replenishes
the Vimp population. If you wipe out an entire herd of Vimps, more
Vimp young will spring up nearby within a few minutes. These crea­tures grow over time – the larger they are, the more meat they yield
when smashed, shot, or blown up. Thus, when encountering a herd of
young Vimps, you often have to consider the value of waiting for the
creatures to fatten up against the risk that an enemy will swoop in and
snatch up your meat. Wait, that didn’t sound right. You know what I
mean.

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Reaper Guards

The Guards comprise the bulk of the Reapers’
assault forces. They are the bodyguards, the sol­diers, the grunts. While Reaper Guards lack any
magical abilities, they do possess the requisite num­ber of limbs and coordination skills to fire a weapon.
Beyond that … well, they aren’t the brightest of
bulbs. You’ll often find groups of Reaper Guards
patrolling the valleys of the Island or guarding a
Reaper settlement, clutching heavy armament in
their scaly fists. Reaper Guards are also likely to show up when you’re
building a base, making it hard for you and your Smarties to get any
work done. There are many kinds of Reaper Guards, carrying differ­ent weapons and using different modes of transportation … you’ll just
have to stay on your toes and be ready for anything when encounter­ing these guys, especially with the Kamikaze Reaper who sometimes
makes a rare appearance!

Sonak

This great lumbering beast is the favored
method of transportation for the Reaper
Guards. While ponderous and none too
bright, the Sonak’s rigid hide makes it
extremely difficult to kill. In addition to the
gun turrets that the Reaper Guards often
mount on the back of a Sonak, these crea­tures have their own natural defense mechanisms. Sonaks possess the
ability to cause the ground around them to ripple and heave simply by
stomping their enormous feet. A Sonak can also harm opponents with
its destructive scream, projecting disorienting sound waves out of its
vast maw. If these waves hit you, you’ll lose your jetpack/turbo abili­ty for a short period of time.

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Charger

The Charger is an incredibly fierce territori­al creature. Once it settles on a spot, it will
rarely attempt to leave that spot, even if
fired upon from a distance. Not that a
Charger would even feel anything short of a
planet colliding with its skull, the creature’ s
skin is that tough. A Charger will attack
any creature to come near its nest, roaring as it barrels down on the
unsuspecting intruder. If you happen to be the unfortunate individual
placed in the path of this monster’s charge, you have two choices. One
– you can flee like a frightened child (not that there’s any dignity lost
in running away from a Charger). Two – you can try to shoot the crea­ture in its mouth as it charges, which is the only possible way to dam­age it, much less kill it. Of course, as you take aim, you’ll have to
remember that several tons of horn and muscle are approaching at a
very high velocity on a collision course with your comparatively frail
form. At the point of contact, if you don’t simply break apart like a
water balloon, you’ll probably wish that you did as you fly through the
air, spurting precious life fluids in all directions. And even if you do
manage to fire a shot into the beast’ s gullet, you’ll have to get out of its
way quickly or get mashed to a pulp before its irresistible charge.

Rippers

With ninety percent of their body mass composed of
claws and teeth, these insect-like creatures can be
ferocious enemies. Rippers are often found in
packs, barely visible with the majority of their bod­ies burrowed underground. Like many of the other
creatures of the Island, Rippers serve the Sea
Reapers, their sheer numbers ensuring that no
unwanted visitor will set foot on the Island without
some resistance. Rippers come in three sizes:

Small: Small Rippers move slowly, always remain above ground, and
possess a savage biting attack. The husks that spawn small Rippers
can be destroyed, cutting off their limitless supply of these immature
enemies.

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Medium: Medium-size Rippers are much tougher than their fetal
counterparts. In this stage, the Ripper can move at medium speed
above ground or underground. Additionally, medium Rippers can spit
flaming orb projectiles at you while they are above ground. When a
medium-size Ripper is killed, it leaves behind a glowing sphere that
will restore a moderate amount of health when picked up.

Large: These are the Rippers you have to watch out for . Large Rippers
are bulky, but can move fast above or below ground. They can spit a
massive blue fireball over long range, hitting with the concussive force
of a grenade. When a large Ripper is killed, it leaves behind a glowing
sphere that will restore a significant amount of health when picked up.

Raiks

Malignant subordinates to Queen Sappho, these
creatures possess the torso of a blue-skinned woman,
and the lower body of a wasp. Raiks have many of
the same magical abilities that Delphi does – turbo,
teleport, and cloak to name a few (see the section
below starting on page 44 for more information on
Sea Reaper powers). Like Delphi, Raiks wield a
sword and bow with great proficiency. Often found
commanding a contingent of Reaper Guards, Raiks
are not to be trifled with. And they have absolutely no sense of humor.

Queen Sappho

When Kabuto turned on the Sea Reapers, many were
destroyed; the scattered survivors that fled to the
oceans were demoralized. While the water-bound
Reapers increased their mystical powers dwelling in
the sea, they became increasingly embittered and
angry. Sappho was easily the most powerful and
most cruel of the Reapers to survive Kabuto’s
onslaught – it was only right that she should be the
Reaper Queen. Her primary goal is to return the Sea
Reapers to the dominant position on the Island. She
always intended for her daughter, Delphi, to become a powerful ally in

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this cause. However , Delphi has proven willful and rebellious – actions
that Sappho sees as necessary to the Sea Reaper cause, Delphi brands
as cruel and tyrannical. Now with the accidental entrance of these
accursed “Meccaryns”, Sappho finds herself forced to show them all
just how cruel and tyrannical she can be.

Cleaners

Weak but incredibly voracious, these parasites dwell
in vast numbers just beneath the surface of the soil.
Whenever a creature dies and falls, dozens, sometimes
hundreds of Cleaners will swarm upwards to devour
the corpse. Meat, clothing, bone … nothing will
remain of any carcass once the Cleaners have
finished gorging themselves and retreated to their
waiting places below.

Piranha

These aquatic creatures are a very basic mixture of
teeth and fins… but mostly teeth. Piranha won’t attack
a Sea Reaper or Kabuto, but Smarties and Meccs are
fair game once they enter the water.

Verms

Verms are ill-tempered flying creatures that will
attack on sight and launch fire at you – this sort of
antisocial behavior usually leads to a solitary and
bitter life for the Verm, punctuated by occasional
egg-laying (eggs will hatch additional Verms).

Dactyl, Lobird, and Flaks

These harmless birds can often be found circling
lazily above the islands. Don’t bother trying to
shoot them down, unless you really have too much
ammunition on your hands.

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STRUCTURES

Barracks

The Barracks are the living quarters for the
Reaper Guards, and they come in different
sizes. Often, several Guards will guard a
Barracks at once. When battle occurs near a
Barracks, more Reaper Guards will pour out
of the doors, armed and ready to deal with whatever threat approach­es. Barracks can only replenish a certain amount of guards, but you
can stop this process by destroying the structure altogether.

Bunker

A Bunker is a hollow bowl-like structure with
portals on all sides. The bowl can raise off the
ground and lower again – this way Reaper
Guards can enter and leave the Bunker. Once
inside, Guards are fairly well protected by the
Bunker’s shell, while still being able to fire at
enemies through the portals.

Guard Tower

Guard towers can often be found looming over small
villages, placed within strategic valleys to monitor any
who would pass through, or perched atop high hills to
give whoever stands within a view of the surrounding
countryside. Reaper Guards often stand watch atop
these towers, ready to rain fire down on anything that
moves. Of course, if you can eliminate any guards
occupying the tower, you can take advantage of its
strategic positioning for your own purposes.

Turrets

Turrets often guard larger Reaper settlements, lay­ing down heavy caliber cannon fire at any ground
enemies who come within range of their sensors.

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SAM Turrets

SAM (surface-to-air missile) turrets are designed to
repel airborne invaders, and do not threaten intrud­ers on the ground. These devices sweep the skies
with mid-range scanners. Any flying enemy who
approaches a SAM T urret will quickly receive a mis­sile lock-on warning – from there, it gets downright
ugly. Missiles fired by this turret will track you with fair accuracy,
moving fast and with eerie purpose. Unless you’re capable of some
very fancy maneuvering, the blast from one of these missiles will
almost certainly tear you in half as soon as it strikes.

Husks

Similar to barracks, husks are organic pods that house and spawn
Rippers. When you’re faced with a whole heap of hostile Rippers
bearing down on you, husks are more than likely the root of the prob­lem. What’s more, you can probably throw all of your ammunition at
the Rippers without thinning their numbers … until you get the bright
idea to blast away at the husk that’ s spitting them out. Husks come in
two sizes, small (only spawns small Rippers) and large (spawns medi­um and large Rippers).

Huts and Other Buildings

You’ll encounter many other types of structures as you explore the
Island – many designed and inhabited by the Smarties, some belonging
to the Sea Reapers. For the most part, these buildings can be reduced
to rubble if you apply some heavy firepower to their walls over a peri­od of time. Of course, you might not want to destroy every building
you see as a regular practice. Sometimes the cover they afford can be
a great blessing when you’re outnumbered.

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Game Interface

Many of the interface elements in Giants are common between the
races, but some portions of the interface are specific to each character.

MECC INTERFACE

Game Text

Any messages the game might have for you (such as, “I know where
you live”) will be displayed in the upper portion of the screen.

Jetpack Fuel Indicator

The jetpack fuel meter, displayed in the lower left-hand corner of the
screen, represents the energy level of your jetpack. Most of the mis­sions start you off with a full jetpack. Activating the jetpack thrusters
will propel you skyward, but will also consume fuel rapidly. Don’t
worry, though, your fuel level will regenerate over a short period of
time – just try not to fall from a mile above ground before it does. Next
to the jetpack fuel meter, a small light indicates when your nitro boost
is active. The nitro boost gives a little extra kick to the jetpack
thrusters – when it’s used, the light will go off as you shoot upwards at
greater speed. The nitro boost will immediately regenerate as soon as
you touch the ground (signaled to you when the small nitro boost light
becomes active again).

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Backpack Indicator

Next to the jetpack fuel meter, an icon for the current backpack that
you’re wearing will be displayed. Many backpacks, such as the Bush
camouflage or Shield, drain your jetpack fuel so long as they are active.
Other backpacks, like the Turret and Pop-up Bomb, are dropped and
activated one time only. Also, if you are carrying a Smartie on your
back, a Smartie picture icon will be shown here.

Weapon Icons

At the bottom center of your screen, you’ll see the weapons currently
held in your inventory. Blue brackets surrounding the weapon icon
indicate the weapon in use, while the numbers beneath each icon
indicate ammunition for the weapons you possess. Mecc weapons are
primarily guns of one sort or another – all except the handgun hold a
limited amount of ammunition.

Health Indicator

The heart in the lower right hand corner of the screen is your health
indicator. Look at the heart as a life container. When the level of red
stuff inside the heart goes down, your health is getting low. When
there’ s no more red stuff in the heart, you are dead. Just like in real life.

Vimp and Smartie Indicator

The upper left hand corner of the screen holds two sets of numbers –
one corresponds to Vimps, the other to Smarties. The Vimp number
is the amount of Vimp steaks you currently have in your possession.
You’ll need Vimp meat to feed any Smarties you have working back in
your base – but you can only carry a limited amount of Vimp meat.
The Smartie numbers indicate the number of Smarties you have work­ing for you in your base compared against the total number of Smarties
on the current island (in multiplayer games, a third number is dis­played – the number of Smarties the enemy has). Note that the total
number of Smarties on the island never changes. If a Smartie is killed,
another is spawned elsewhere. The only number that you can affect is
the number of Smarties that you have working for you – the more the
better, so start setting up that attractive benefits package and 401k
plan as soon as possible.

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Targeting Cursor

The Mecc interface uses a basic targeting cursor in the center of the
screen. For the majority of game play, this is displayed as a small white
crosshair. The cursor can change under certain circumstances. The
targeting cursor has two states, depending upon what it’s placed over.
The neutral state is represented by the basic crosshairs – this means
that there’s really nothing to shoot at directly in front of you. When
there is an enemy or structure in your crosshairs, a red highlighting
cursor will appear.

If you’re using a homing missile, you can keep your cursor aimed at the
desired target to lock the missile on – a highlighting bracket will
appear to let you know when you’re locked on. Once you are, fire
at will.

DELPHI INTERFACE

Game Text

Same as for the Meccs, all messages for either single player or multi­player games are displayed in the upper portion of the screen.

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Spell Indicator

In the lower left-hand corner of the screen, you’ll see a device with five
circular slots – this represents the five spells that Delphi currently pos­sesses. You can toggle between available spells and activate them
whenever you see fit. Spells may be obtained through regular game
play, or acquired at a spell shop. Beneath each spell, three “lights” are
displayed, indicating the number of times a spell may be cast. When a
spell is acquired, all three lights are on. When that spell is cast, one of
the lights goes out. If you cast the spell three times, you can return to
the spell shop in order to replenish the energy for that spell.

Delphi can also use acquired Vimp souls to recharge her spells. This
collected energy is represented by the vertical bar in the center of the
spell icon device. By killing Vimps and collecting their blue, ghost-like
souls, Delphi increases her magical energy. You can use this energy to
recharge any of your spells – just press Shift and use the cursor to click
on one of the 5 slots. This will take some of the Vimp soul-energy
you’ve collected and fill up one of the three “lights” so that you can
cast another spell. Vimp soul energy can also be used to restore the
mystical forces that power your base.

Smartie Bubble Indicator

When you “acquire” a Smartie, he’ll become encased in a bubble of
magical energy that will follow you around until you return the Smartie
to your base. If you have a Smartie bubble floating along behind you,
an icon next to your spells will show it.

Weapons Icons

Just like the Mecc interface, your weapons are displayed at the bottom
center of your screen. Blue brackets surrounding the weapon icon
indicate the weapon in use, while the numbers beneath each icon
indicate ammunition for the weapons you possess. Delphi always
possesses a sword and bow, but can acquire other, more powerful bows
in her spell shop.

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Health Indicator

As with the Mecc interface, the heart in the lower right hand corner of
the screen is your health indicator. The level of red contained in the
heart represents your health. When the heart is completely red, you
are at full health. When the heart has no red in it whatsoever, you are
at zero health. Hint: Zero health is bad. Delphi will gradually regen­erate health so long as she’s immersed in water.

Smartie Indicator

The upper left hand corner of the screen holds a number representing
Smartie allocation. This works the same way as the Mecc interface,
indicating the number of Smarties you have working for you in your
base compared against the total number of Smarties on the current
island (again, in multiplayer, your enemy’s number of Smarties is also
displayed).

Targeting Cursor

While you’re controlling Delphi, the targeting cursor has the same
highlight function as it does when you’re controlling the Meccs. In
short, if you place the cursor over a viable creature or building target,
a red highlight will appear. Also, if you have a certain spell selected,
new crosshairs will appear if you target something that the spell can
affect.

On Delphi’s interface, the crosshairs are encircled by another cursor,
which represents your turbo ability. When you place the cursor over a
viable landmass, the turbo circle will turn green. When the crosshairs
are aimed at water, sky, or land that’s out of turbo range, the turbo cir­cle is neutral gray. When you activate your turbo ability, the turbo cir­cle will drain as you fly through the air – the distance you travel deter­mines the amount of turbo energy you drain. Once drained, your turbo
energy will gradually recharge within a few seconds. You cannot acti­vate your turbo ability unless the turbo circle is full, though you can
change direction and turbo again while in the air, provided the new
destination you pick is within range. You can activate your turbo abil­ity at any time as long as you have enough energy for the jump.

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