Star Wars: Dark Forces FAQ
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STAR WARS:
DARK FORCES
FAQList
"The dark side of the force
Just got darker."
Version 1.12
Last updated: March 5, 1995
compiled and maintained by
Karsten A. Loepelmann
<kloepelm@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
<kloepel@psych.ualberta.ca>
This FAQList is copyright 1995 by Karsten A. Loepelmann. All rights reserved.
Permission is granted for reproduction, distribution, transmission, or storage
for noncommercial purposes only, on the condition that the contents are not
changed in any way. Permission for any other use or distribution of this
FAQList must be obtained from the rights holder, Karsten A. Loepelmann. All
trademarks herein are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.
Star Wars is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. Dark Forces is a
trademark of LucasArts Entertainment Company. Header created by Bren Lynne
<bren@gold.interlog.com>.
Preferred forum for discussion is:
news:alt.games.dark-forces
Due to low propagation of the above newsgroup, an alternate forum is:
news:comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Abbreviations used:
DF = Dark Forces
LA = LucasArts
TD = Thermal Detonator
DT = Dark Trooper
Contents:
** indicates a minor revision since the last revision (1.11) of this FAQ
* indicates a section changed since the last release (1.10) of this FAQ
+ indicates a new section added since the last release (1.10) of this FAQ
+**0.0 Dark Forces FAQList
1.0 Introduction
* 1.1 What is "Dark Forces"?
** 1.2 When will DF be released, already!?
* 1.3 What media format is DF offered on?
* 1.4 What is required to run DF?
+ 1.4.1 What kind of sound support does DF have?
+ 1.4.1.1 Sound card tips
1.5 Why no modem play?
1.6 How much will DF cost?
1.7 Is DF canon?
+ 1.8 Will there be any sequels to DF?
+ 1.8.1 Will any sequels offer a multiplayer option?
2.0 Is there a DF demo available?
** 2.1 Where is the demo available from?
* 2.2 Is there a demo editor?
+ 2.3 Will the demo level be in the full game release?
* 3.0 DF vs. DOOM
** 3.1 Isn't DF just a ripoff of iD Software's DOOM?
3.2 Does DF kick DOOM's butt?
3.3 Is DF easier than DOOM?
4.0 What are some DF command-line options and undocumented features?
5.0 What are the secret areas in the Prologue Mission 1 demo?
5.1 Red Key Door
5.2 A New Area
5.3 Thermal Detonator/Shield Unit Storage
5.4 Ground Floor Zero
* 5.5 Outer Ledge and Caves
5.6 The Big One
5.6.1.1 Method 1: Troublesome Windows
5.6.1.2 Method 2: A Leap of Faith
* 5.6.2 To the Outer Wall
5.7 The Death Star Plans
5.8 A Revolution
** 5.9 A Diversion and a Grate Finish
6.0 Weapons, shields, and objects
6.1 What weapons are there?
6.1.1 Fists
6.1.2 Modified Bryar Rifle ("blaster")
* 6.1.3 Stormtrooper Rifle
6.1.4 Thermal Detonators
6.1.5 Imperial Repeater Rifle ("autogun")
6.1.6 Jeron Fusion Cutter
6.1.7 IM Claymore Mine
6.1.8 Packered Mortar Gun
+ 6.1.9 Weapon Supercharge
6.2 How is aiming/targeting accomplished?
+ 6.3 How do the shields work?
* 6.4 What do those little black robots that run on the ground do?
6.4.1 How do you shoot them?
6.5 What does the 'Spider-Gem' do?
* 6.6 What does the red switch behind the hidden panel in the 'Emperor's
Lounge' do?
7.0 Misc questions
7.1 Who are the people behind DF?
+ 7.2 Has George Lucas provided any input to DF?
+**7.3 What are .GOB files?
* 7.3.1 What software was used to create the .GOB files?
+ 7.3.2 How should a custom .GOB file be loaded?
* 8.0 Problems running DF?
8.1 How can I contact LA?
+ 9.0 Acknowledgements
10.0 References
============================================================================
0.0 Dark Forces FAQList
This file is a list of Frequently-Asked Questions about the MS-DOS game "Dark
Forces." It's also a file of answers to those questions ;-) I welcome any
feedback, questions, answers, and suggestions. You can send email to either of
my addresses. I also scan the Usenet newsgroups comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
and alt.games.dark-forces semi-regularly. This file is available in the AOL
Star Wars Software Library, the Action Games forum on CompuServe, as well as
the ftp.wpi.edu Star Wars FTP archive. (With that kind of distribution, I
don't intend on establishing a mailing list.) If you put this FAQList onto an
FTP or WWW site, please let me know; it will aid in distribution, and timely
updates of obsolete versions.
What I'd like to have is more info on solving problems running DF, especially
with regard to sound cards. I'd also like to have Dark Forces snugly spinning
in my NEC 3Xi as soon as possible :-)
Dark Forces fans are fortunate that DF project leader Daron Stinnett has
agreed to provide me with inside info on DF. Many of the questions below were
answered with info provided to me by Daron (thanks!). In fact, he's even
outlined the contents of the .GOB files (see section 7.3)! Send your questions
to me; I will relay them to Daron and include them in the FAQ.
This FAQ will not be updated again until DF is released.
-KAL
(hate to say it, but...)
May the Force be with You
1.0 Introduction
1.1 What is "Dark Forces"?
[*** Warning: Spoilers in paragraphs below! ***]
Dark Forces ("DF") is LucasArts' ("LA") new first-person perspective game. It
is based on a LA-developed 'Jedi Engine', which according to the company
supports "full 3D objects, a realistic lighting model, atmospheric effects
(haze, fog, etc.), Gouroud shading, animating textures, 3D viewing angles and
more."
Missions encompass 14 different worlds, each with a unique look and feel. This
is not a static environment, according to project leader Daron Stinnett: "the
worlds extend out in all directions. There are elevators to take you to
multiple floors, bridges over flowing water, catwalks, air shafts and other
architectural features. We wanted an active environment, so ships come and
go at the flight decks, rivers sweep along, platforms and conveyor belts
move, and much of the machinery functions."
In this game, you play Kyle Katarn, a mercenary once employed by the Empire,
now working for the Rebel Alliance. Kyle's first mission is to steal the plans
for the Death Star. However, Kyle stumbles upon the Imperial Admiral Mon Mohc's
plans to create battalions of mechanized "Dark Troopers" -- specially enhanced
stormtroopers which could spell the end of the rebellion. In Dark Forces, the
player, as Katarn, must travel to varied locations -- such as the rebel base on
the planet Agamar and the Gromas Mines, a Star Destroyer, the Imperial City on
Coruscant, and the spaceport moon of Nar Shadda -- to stop the Empire from
unleashing the Dark Troopers...
The characters inhabiting the game are familiar ones from the Star Wars
universe, and include Imperial Stormtroopers and officers, Gamorreans,
interrogation droids, the monster from the trash compactor, and Boba Fett
(and maybe even Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and Jabba the Hutt). You will be
able to use nine different weapons; among them fists, blaster, blaster rifle,
thermal detonators, autogun, mortar gun, fusion cutter, Claymore mines, and
an assault cannon. (For more, see section 6.1. No, there are no lightsabres.
Why not? Because the protagonist, Kyle Katarn, is *not* a Jedi. Yet. ;-)
In your DF directory, you will find the file TXT.MSG, which is the source for
the messages displayed on-screen during the game. This file lists some
interesting objects -- such as ice cleats and gas mask -- not found in the
demo. Scott H. Novack <scottn@csfcorp.com> hacked this file:
So, in the spirit of the recent Star Wars commercial on TV, I've changed,
among other things, the message "1 Battery Pack" to "1 Energizer". :-)
1.2 When will DF be released, already!?
Hold your horses. Do you want it good, or do you want it now? (Yeah, I know:
you want both!) Note that LA doesn't provide an exact shipping or release
date. Also, the estimated release date apparently depends on which customer
service representative you speak with!
NOTE: Project leader Daron Stinnett confirmed on 2/22/95 that the game has
gone out for duplication and should be available *very* shortly!
Bottom line (as of 2/22/95):
Second week of March, 1995
1.3 What media format is DF offered on?
Right now, DF is being offered on MPC CD-ROM *only*. Although it has been
rumoured, there are apparently *no* plans to offer DF on floppies later.
Daron Stinnett notes:
I don't think so. We considered it, but it doesn't look like the
retailers want a floppy version.
LA has not announced that there will be a version of DF for the Apple
Macintosh computers, which is not a denial ;-)
1.4 What is required to run DF?
COMPUTER: IBM and 100% compatibles
OPERATING SYS: MS-DOS 5.0 or higher
CPU: 386/33 DX Minimum (486 strongly recommended)
MEMORY: 8 megabytes system memory (6.5 megabytes EMS free)
INPUT DEVICE: Mouse required, joystick supported
VIDEO: VGA (Local Bus, or PCI Recommended)
SOUND CARD: Various popular sound cards supported; see section 1.4.1.
The full release of DF requires a CD-ROM drive. The drive need not adhere to
the MPC2 standard of a 300kb/s transfer rate, but the faster your drive, the
faster you'll load the levels. DF actually exceeds certain MPC2 requirements
(i.e., you *must* have 8 Mb RAM). Yes, you need at least 8 (eight) megabytes
of RAM -- no, this is *not* a typo. Time to upgrade that PC XT! (There are
rumours of people running the DF demo with <8 megs of RAM, but they're
probably also running Widget-DOS v.23.01 plugged into a gerbil running
wheel...;-)
The README.TXT file accompanying the DF demo states that DF requires a
Microsoft-compatible mouse, but will also support the Flightstick Pro and
ThrustMaster Flight Control Systems, as well as regular joysticks.
1.4.1 What kind of sound support does DF have?
Among supported sound cards in the demo are the SoundBlaster, SoundBlaster
2.0, SoundBlaster Pro, SoundBlaster 16, AWE 32, AdLib, Roland MT 32/LAPC-1,
ProAudioSpectrum 16; General MIDI and compatibles supported. Note that
although there is no official support for General MIDI daughtercards in the
demo (as stated in the README.TXT file), some people have apparently had some
success with them (see section 1.4.1.1). The final version is expected to iron
out any bugs, as well as have support for an extensive list of sound cards,
including -- yes -- the Gravis UltraSound and the Ensoniq. (I have a PAS16,
and can attest that the stereo sound is flawless and fabulous.)
1.4.1.1 Sound card tips
- SoundBlaster16 with WaveBlaster owners will need the file SBMPU401.EXE (to
give the SB16 MPU-401 compatibility). This fix can be obtained from
Creative Labs' FTP site: ftp.creaf.com (thanks to Bart Barenbrug
<bartb@win.tue.nl>).
- SoundBlaster16 with Roland SCD-10 owners will also need this fix,
apparently run with the "/E" parameter (thanks to Thomas Meyer
<i03a@zfn.uni-bremen.de>).
1.5 Why no modem play?
LA made the decision not to include modem play in DF, preferring instead to
concentrate on producing a solid game (I'm paraphrasing).
Although it wouldn't make sense to have a 'deathmatch'-style game with two
rebels fighting each other, it might have been interesting to see a
one-on-one Dark Trooper/Kyle Katarn match. Also, a cooperative modem game
option could fit into the storyline.
The storyline, however, is not the decisive factor here. LA obviously
decided that DF would be 'popular enough' without a modem-option. Perhaps if
they received enough feedback from DF players, they might consider changing
their minds when/if DF2 is released. So stop complaining and *do* something
about it!
1.6 How much will DF cost?
DF is listed at US$54.95 when ordered directly from LA (CA residents add
7.25%). Shipping and handling is another US$5 per order within the US; US$6 to
Canada. Yes, LA is taking advance orders (see section 8.1).
1.7 Is DF canon?
DF itself is probably not canon (meaning 'in Star Wars continuity'), but
that's not to say it isn't tied into Star Wars continuity. Kyle Katarn's
first mission takes place shortly before the events of _Star Wars: A New
Hope_ (Episode IV).
BTW, 'katarn' (the surname of the protagonist in DF) is the name of a
predator on the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk. In the Star Wars book _Heir to
the Empire_, written by Timothy Zahn (the first book in his trilogy), there
is a Lieutenant Page who heads a New Republic group called the 'Katarn
Commandos.' It is unknown whether the LA design team consciously named the
protagonist of DF after either the commandos or the animal.
1.8 Will there be any sequels to DF?
It's not policy for LA to speculate on unannounced products; however, it is
very likely that the DF design team will use the 'Jedi Engine' to create
sequels to DF, perhaps with a Jedi knight in the central role.
1.8.1 Will any sequels offer a multiplayer option?
LA is reportedly "exploring multiplayer technology for use in future games."
2.0 Is there a DF demo available?
Yes: "Prologue Mission 1: The Death Star Plans, Operation Skyhook: Phase 2"
(Kyle infiltrates an Imperial base on the planet Danuta) is available in a
package of three files:
DFORCES1.ZIP - This file contains the first level of Dark Forces. This is
the only file that is REQUIRED to play the demo.
FILE SIZE: 3.3 Megabytes
HD SPACE : 8.0 Megabytes
DFORCES2.ZIP - This file contains the opening cutscene for the demo. This
file is optional. The demo will work without this file,
however you will not see the opening cutscene.
FILE SIZE: 1.0 Megabytes
HD SPACE : 2.0 Megabytes
DFORCES3.ZIP - This file contains the trailing cutscene for the demo. This
file is optional. The demo will work without this file,
however you will not see the trailing cutscene.
FILE SIZE: 5.8 Megabytes
HD SPACE : 8.0 Megabytes
2.1 Where is the demo available from?
Try the following FTP sites:
ftp.uwp.edu://pub/msdos/incoming/demos/
ftp.gatech.edu://pub/submissions/
ftp.leo.org://pub/comp/platforms/pc/msdos/games/
dge103.rh.psu.edu://pub/dos/
ftp.wustl.edu://pub/msdos_uploads/games/demos/DarkForces/
(If you don't know what FTP is or how to do it, pick up one of those
ubiquitous Internet books at a local bookstore, or contact your system
administrator.)
The demo was also included on the CD-ROM coverdisk of the magazine PC Gamer,
Vol.2, No.3 (March, 1995), as well as on the CD-ROM coverdisk of Computer
Gaming World, No. 128 (March, 1995).
2.2 Is there an editor for the demo?
Yes there is! According to the README.DFE file accompanying DFED171.ZIP, this
editor will apparently add and randomize weapons/characteristics including:
energy, shields, invincibility, extra life, revive, "concussion rifle"
(stormtrooper rifle?), fusion cutter, thermal detonators, autogun, Claymore
mines, mortar launcher, mortar shells, and med kits. You can also apparently
add and randomize enemies including: stormtroopers, officers, commandos,
interrogation droids, probots, seeker remotes, Gamorrean guards, "Ree Yees"
(Quarren?), Dark Troopers (3 kinds), Boba Fett, and Bossk. The program will
also allow you to back up and restore levels. Caveat: this editor has met with
varying degrees of success.
This editor can be found at the FTP site:
ftp.wustl.edu://pub/msdos_uploads/DarkForces/incoming/dfed171.zip
The author of the editor is Sean Baker <srbaker@nwoca.ohio.gov>. If you decide
to use this editor, he requests a donation of between US$2 and US$10.
2.3 Will the demo level be in the full game release?
Yes. However, not all of the enemies, weapons, and secrets will be in that
level in the final game. The demo level was loaded up with goodies so that
people would have more fun with the demo and see more variety.
3.0 DF vs. DOOM
I've only included this section because there's a *lot* of net.advocacy (and
net.noise) on Usenet. *Don't flame me!* I have tried to make this section as
balanced and fair as possible, staying away from mere opinions in favour of
the facts. If my facts are wrong, let me know. Ultimately, every individual
must make up his or her own mind which game he or she prefers. (Me? I bought
DOOM, and have played it solo and over the modem, and have played a bit of
DOOM II -- in addition to playing the DF demo level about a thousand times, of
course. But I'm probably not going to "rmdir doom" anytime soon. I think I'll
like each game for its unique features.)
I suggest you make up your own mind -- and not try to "convert" others.
Download the shareware version of DOOM 1.8 and compare it with the DF Prologue
Mission 1 demo, available at better FTP sites everywhere (see section 2.0).
If you wish to flame me on these (quite reasonable, I think) answers, get a
clue. Like IDDQD. ;-)
3.1 Isn't DF just a ripoff of id Software's DOOM?
Strictly speaking, no: although Dark Forces is a first-person perspective
action/adventure game -- as is DOOM -- it has many features which make it
unique. Think of it this way: if DF is a ripoff of DOOM, then DOOM is a
ripoff of Wolfenstein 3D, which is a ripoff of Wizardry for the Apple ][...
Each one of these games has, shall we say, 'inspired' a successor. The
successor has made large improvements in gameplay and design. Also, advances
in computer hardware have allowed the latter games to be more ambitious in
their attempts to create a pseudo-immersive game environment.
That is not to say, however, that DF could have existed without DOOM. But I
will not change the answer to this particular FAQuestion unless I receive the
'smoking gun' internal memo from LA stating "Develop a ripoff of DOOM." (The
magazine PC Games Plus Global, Vol. 3, No. 1 reported that "apparently
LucasArts confessed to Jay Wilbur of id that they had ripped apart the DOOM
engine to assemble Dark Forces.")
>From _CD-ROM Magazine_:
So how much had id Software's Doom influenced the team.[sic] "When Doom
first came out it made us set our sights a bit higher," said Stinnet[sic].
"We knew we wanted to do a first-person _Star Wars_ game, but we didn't know
what programming technology we'd use. But it is our own engine, which we
developed internally." Is it better than the Doom engine? "It has quite a bit
more capability -- ours can look up and down and it has 3D objects."
However, there's no rivalry going on, just a lot of healthy American
mutual respect. Both teams keep in touch through E-mail and the id team has
played Dark Forces and (according to a Lucas PR person) loved every bit of
it. This is probably because Dark Forces includes some of the features which
id is supposedly including in its latest title, Quake. The most obvious
difference is that in Dark Forces, you can look up and down. To create the
right perspective, the programmers employed a clever fish-eye effect which
makes buildings look as if they're really looming over you.
3.2 Does DF kick DOOM's butt?
DF does offer several substantial improvements over the features offered in
DOOM. The primary one to be considered must be the fact that it is a part of
the Star Wars universe. As a member of the 'Star Wars Generation', I can
attest to the impact of the movie trilogy on the popular culture shared by
me and my peers. Indeed, George Lucas intended Star Wars to be no less than "a
fairy tale for a generation that had none of their own" or something like
that.
DF and DOOM have many features in common:
- designed as pseudo-immersive first-person shoot-'n'-move environments.
- use realistic lighting/shading fx (unknown whether DOOM uses Gouraud
shading).
- have the player acting as a single protagonist attempting to accomplish
various goals (e.g., collecting keys, destroying enemies, finding
exits) within each game level.
- have a myriad of weapons at the player's disposal.
As mentioned in section 1.1, though, DF has several unique features:
- has full 3D objects, whereas DOOM had planar graphics (I believe).
- allows multiple-layered 'levels' of play *directly* above each other, vs.
DOOM's multiple-tiered, but single-layer levels.
- many animated fx (rotating Death Star holos, etc.)
- atmospheric fx, like haze and fog.
- the ability to 'look up' and 'look down', as well as aim weapons up
and down at will.
- multi-megabytes of cutscenes.
The most significant difference between DOOM/DOOM II and DF is that id's games
have a modem play feature, an option that LA does not currently offer in DF
(see section 1.5).
3.3 Is DF easier than DOOM?
Did you get *all* the secrets in the DF Prologue Mission 1 demo (see section
5.0)? It's difficult to compare the DF demo with the DOOM shareware release,
because the former has one mission, compared with the latter's multiple
levels. Enemies not challenging enough, even on "hard"? Press a certain
button (see section 5.6.2), and DF becomes pretty friggin' challenging. Even
so, I presume that DF's later levels will be even more difficult. (Note that
the demo level doesn't even contain a *single* Dark Trooper!) Which one is
harder? Maybe I don't care. Maybe you think you're some DOOM-god. To you I
say: Don't underestimate the Force. Your overconfidence is your weakness. ;-)
4.0 What are some DF command-line options and undocumented features?
Thanks to pulse <pulse@mcs.net> on Usenet for this section.
At the main screen (mission objectives) press F1, then F2. This will bring up
a counter of some sort in the form of xxx(xx) where x equals a number (e.g.,
001(00)). Pressing F1, then F2 stops it. F1, then F2 re-starts it.
While in the DF directory, type one of the following:
df -testlevl
df -test
df -transform
df -trans
This skips the intro screen showing you mission objectives. It automatically
loads the level with the gates closed (you're locked in). Exits after about 5
seconds.
Type:
df -level
result:
>Dark Forces Demo Version: 0.163D
>....................................
>FILE: c:\proj\jedi\src\main\main.c, LINE: 1484, ASSERT: COULD NOT LOAD LEVEL
>AVAILABLE MEMORY: 4272K LARGEST BLOCK: 3135K
>
>
>PRESS ANY KEY TO EXIT...
Type:
df -advanced
result:
>Dark Forces Demo Version: 0.163D
>...................
>
>Dark Forces Advanced Controller Mode...
>
>Control Structure Version: 18616458.7341812
>Control Structure Address: 0H
>ERROR: Bad Control Structure Version Number
>ERROR: Terminating Advanced Controller Mode...
>
>
>Press Any Key To Continue...
5.0 What are the secret areas in the Prologue Mission 1 demo?
[*** Warning! Spoilers ahead! ***]
5.1 Red Key Door
To get the red key, go outside the complex to Floor 0. As you exit Floor 1,
there will be two doors in front of you--one to your left, one to your
right. Go in either one, and shoot the stormtrooper. There will be an
elevator which you will take up a level. Shoot any enemies; the Imperial
officer is the one with the red key. Run over the key and go back to Floor
1. Now you can go through the red door and take the elevator up a level.
5.2 A New Area
In the red key area, there is a round, red switch on the wall. Press the
switch and jump down to Floor 1. There will be a new area now open, to the
right of where you started the game. Kill any enemies there.
5.3 Thermal Detonator/Shield Unit Storage
While in the new area described in the section above, turn around as if to
leave this area the way you came. There will be a switch on the wall. Press
this and return to the red key area (Floor 2). Go to the round switch again,
and look across the hallway. There will be a 'closet' that has opened up. To
get to it, you must run fast (hold down the left [SHIFT] key and jump [X] at
the last moment. You will retrieve some shield packs and Thermal Detonators.
5.4 Ground Floor Zero
Go outside to Floor 0 again. Check your map with [TAB]. You exited Floor 1 at
a location of 6:00 on an analog clock; on the outside wall, between 11:00 and
12:00, there is a crack in the wall. (It's pretty tough to see; it looks a
little like an "X".) Use a TD to blow open the crack (stand back a ways!).
Enter the cave; if it's too dark, turn on your headlight with the [F5] key.
You will find 5 TDs and a Weapon Supercharge!
5.5 Outer Ledge and Caves
Go into the area opened up by pressing the round switch in the red key area.
(This is the area behind the walls to your right as your started the game.)
Take the round elevator up to Floor 2. Shoot any enemies. Go up to the
Northmost part of the Floor (don't fall off!). Point yourself West. You
should see a ledge on the outer wall that has three shield units on it. Back
up as far East as your can go, and take a running jump to reach the ledge.
Pick up the shields.
Now face the wall; if you turn to your right you should see another, very
narrow ledge. You will see two cracks in the wall here. Open them up with a
couple of TDs. Now do a tiny run and jump to this ledge. Turn on your
headlight to see. The left cave contains energy units and the autogun. The
right cave contains medkits and an extra life (the spinning red New Republic
insignia).
5.6 The Big One
5.6.1.1 Method 1: Troublesome Windows
Go into the red key area again. There you will see two windows to the outside.
You must get to the other side. Some have found it easy to get through the
right window by taking a crouching run and jumping at the last moment. Others
can only get through by doing a crouching run *backwards* and jumping (it's
worked for me). Go to section 5.6.2.
5.6.1.2 Method 2: A Leap of Faith
Go to Floor 2 again, as described in section 5.5. Go to the Southmost point,
where it forms a little 'peninsula'. There is another peninsula for the East
side of this Floor. You must jump across from the West side to the East side.
(It may help to use the Map view.) It *is* possible to run and jump almost
immediately and reach the other side.
5.6.2 To the Outer Wall
Go to the NorthEast corner of this Floor, and point yourself to the
NorthEast. You should be able to see a crack in the outer wall. Throw a TD
to the crack (hold down the fire control for a second or so to get some
distance). Back up a ways, and run and jump into the cave. Turn on your
headlight. You cannot open the door on your right. Go deeper into the cave
until you hit a wall. You can open the wall, which reveals a switch. Press
the switch to open the door by the cave mouth. Go through the door, and
press the switch on the wall. This will lower the wall. Drop down.
Now you're on Floor 0 again, but to your left will be a new area. Go through
the door. This area will contain a lot of neat stuff. First up will be some
axe-wielding Gamorrean guards who are, for some odd reason, a lot tougher
than stormtroopers. Be on the lookout for TD-tossing Quarren ("Squid Heads").
There are also seeker remotes, which are much more lethal than the ones Luke
Skywalker practiced with. You will also find *lots* of goodies! Among them,
the Mortar Gun and mortar shells, TDs, Fusion Cutter, Claymore mines, a
battery cell, infrared goggles, and a 'revive' gem.
Go to the door of the central room. In the room are several dangerous
interrogator droids. You'll see why this room is called the "Emperor's
Lounge": there are a couple of pictures of Palpatine. On the wall is a
panel, behind which is a switch. Pressing this switch will start a few enemy
generators. When you leave this area, there will be a *lot* of stormtroopers
and floating probe droids ("probots"). Note: you don't *have* to flip the
'enemy generator' switch if you don't want to!
Interestingly, the probots don't appear consistently each time you play.
Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It is not clear why this occurs.
Also, some enemies will tend to come back to life after this switch has been
activated!
5.7 The Death Star Plans
Go to the new area described in section 5.2. Take the stairs behind the
round elevator. Behind the first door is a stormtrooper and a brownish
mechanism, which is part of the elevator mechanism. If you have followed
this walkthru so far, the elevator will be in the upright position, and you
will be able to step into the secret area behind the mechanism and pick up
some energy cells and shield units.
Continue down and past the holo of the Death Star, turn left down the hallway.
You will see an Imperial officer behind a counter. Shoot him and any others.
Behind the counter is a switch which will open the wall behind you. Go into
this new room and take the red circuit board. "This is too easy. Now to get
to my ship!"
5.8 A Revolution
Go through the door on your left, and go *past* the door of the round elevator
until you reach a lone stormtrooper. Blast him. Now face East. Go up to the
wall and open it. It will turn, and you must move ahead to enter the room.
Blast the stormtroopers and soldiers. Pick up the TDs, rifles, energy packs,
and shield units. To exit, go back up to the wall and open it again.
5.9 A Diversion and a Grate Finish
Now take the round elevator up. Blast any stormtroopers here. (In this
courtyard, you can open a grate in front of a duct leading down. If you take
this, you will land right where you started, which is kind of pointless. This
is presumably how Kyle entered the Imperial Base in the first place.)
There's one last secret area here. Go to the diagonal wall in the southwest
corner of the courtyard. Stand close to the wall, drop a Claymore mine (you
may wish to switch to invulnerability ;-), and wait. The explosion should
send you up to the top of the wall. From there, you can drop down into a
secret room: if you haven't picked up the Death Star plans, the room contains
your recon ship; if you've already got the plans the ship will be waiting for
you in the courtyard (of course). To get out of this room, you must sit on a
mine and jump up when it goes off, in order to get the required altitude.
Why would a rebel ship hide in an Imperial base? Well, don't forget that Han
Solo hid the Millennium Falcon *on* a Star Destroyer...!
If you've got the Death Star plans, your ship will drop down into the
courtyard. You've accomplished your objectives! (Hit [ESC] to end.)
*** If I've left out any secret areas, please let me know where they are and
how to reach them.
*** If my description makes no sense, let me know and I'll attempt to
clarify my instructions.
6.0 Weapons, shields and objects
6.1 What weapons are there?
6.1.1 Fists
Good luck! ;-)
6.1.2 Modified Bryar Rifle ("Blaster")
Fires coherent packets of intense light energy, also called bolts.
6.1.3 Stormtrooper Rifle
Also fires bolts, but more rapidly. Also, each bolt takes *two* units of
energy, whereas the blaster uses only one. Note that it appears the player
is only allowed a certain number of shots at any given moment (e.g., when
you shoot a near wall, the rifle fires more rapidly than when firing at a
more distant target). Uses the same ammo as the blaster; you can carry a
maximum of 500 rounds.
6.1.4 Thermal Detonators
When activated, a TDs produce a fusion reaction which causes a small
explosion. Princess Leia threatened to use one in _Return of the Jedi_. The
longer you hold down the primary fire button (e.g., the [CTRL] key), the
farther you toss the TD when you release it. Hitting secondary fire (e.g.,
[z]) tosses the TDs with a time delay before detonation.
6.1.5 Imperial Repeater Rifle ("autogun")
Fires blue energy bolts. Pressing primary fire shoots off a single bolt,
whereas pressing secondary fire shoots off a trio of bolts simultaneously
in a triangular configuration.
6.1.6 Jeron Fusion Cutter
Fires green energy bolts. Pressing primary fire shoots bolts successively
from each of the four chambers. Pressing secondary fire launches all four
chambers simultaneously. Uses the same ammo as the autogun.
6.1.7 IM Claymore Mine
Drops an antipersonnel mine. Pressing primary fire drops a mine which
explodes after a couple of seconds (run!). Pressing secondary fire drops a
mine which is not detonated unless some fool comes along and steps on it.
Heh.
6.1.8 Packered Mortar Gun
Fires mortars. Duh!
6.1.9 Weapon Supercharge
This powerup will allow all weapons to fire more rapidly. Lasts for 20
seconds. Your ammunition indicator will turn yellow when this is active;
it will flash and beep when it is running out.
6.2 How is aiming/targeting accomplished?
One of the first things you'll notice is your accuracy at shooting distant
targets; it almost seems as if the shots find their targets by themselves.
(No, you're not using the Force...) The development team devised a routine,
whereby the game will pick the best target within a cone-shaped zone
emanating from the weapon. So even if you're pointing slightly off the mark,
it'll direct the bolts to the target.
6.3 How do the shields work?
You can have a maximum of 200 shield units and a maximum of 100 health units.
Kyle begins the game with 100 units of each. Your health does not go down
unless you're shot when your shields are below 50 units. When your shields
are at 0, your health will decrease very rapidly when shot. When you are
struck with a shot, the screen will briefly flash a colour indicating the
type of damage you've sustained. If the screen flashes green, your shields
have taken a hit. If the flash is red *and* green, your health and any
remaining shields have been decreased. (Note that picking up an object will
flash the screen blue.) Jumping down a level takes 20 shield points (usually).
6.4 What do those little black robots that run on the ground do?
When you shoot them, they leave behind a battery pack that you can pick up
only if you need it (e.g., if you've used the headlight).
6.4.1 How do you shoot them?
You have a choice: either aim your weapon lower (by using PageUp/PageDown
keys), or by crouching down ([C] key) and firing.
6.5 What does the 'Spider-Gem' do?
This item is located in the secret area with the Gamorrean guards (see
section 5.6.2). Picking it up produces the message 'Revive!' This gem resets
your shields and health to 200/100.
6.6 What does the red switch behind the hidden panel in the 'Emperor's Lounge'
do?
This switch turns on an enemy generator, so that *lots* of stormtroopers and
probots appear outside (see section 5.6.2); some dead enemies will also be
revived. Apparently, the probot generators will not start generating until
some period of time has passed (10 minutes?).
6.7 What are the infrared goggles?
These goggles help you see in the dark. The enemies in DF can't detect you as
well when you are in the dark. If you turn on your headlight, you can see
them, but they will also be able to see you. The infrared goggles allow you
to see without being seen, but at the cost of draining your batteries much
more quickly than the headlight.
7.0 Misc questions
7.1 Who are the principal people behind DF?
Daron Stinnett - project leader
Ray Gresko - lead programmer
Justin Chin - lead artist/co-writer
Winston Wolff - programmer
7.2 Has George Lucas provided any input to DF?
George Lucas, author of the Star Wars trilogy of films, director of Star Wars:
A New Hope, founder of LucasArts Entertainment, was involved in the creation
of the Dark Troopers. He gave the DF team feedback on the design of the DTs.
7.3 What are .GOB files?
Very simply, the .GOB files contain the architecture of the levels of the
game. They are simple resource files that contain a bunch of files packed into
one file. For example, the SOUNDS.GOB file that came with the demo is
comprised of 98 VOC sound files stiched together, with an identifying header.
>From Daron Stinnett:
There are only three files in DARK.GOB that comprise a level definition
(<level>.inf, <level>.o, <level>.lvb). Any of these files can be
extracted, modified, and will run as normal files in the \DARK directory.
The loader will load up files from the normal DOS file system before it
goes to the GOB. The .INF and .O files are plain text and should be easy
to modify. The .LVB file is a little more complex. It represents the
binary version of .LEV files. .LEV files are plain text descriptions of
the level geometry that we use for internal development. We have decided
to ditch the .LVB files in favor of the .LEV files for the final release
of the game. It should be a simple task to create editors. I would
suggest that someone write an extractor to pull out the .O and .INF files
and play around with them with any text editor.
(Note: If anyone does develop an editor for the full release, please let me
know so I can make note of it in this FAQ!)
7.3.1 What software was used to create the .GOB files?
Daron Stinnett has informed me that the .GOB files were *not* created using
AutoDesk 3D Studio. AutoDesk AutoCAD release 12 was used to create the .LEV
and .O files. Note that this fact does not rule out the use of home-brewed
levels. It just means that whatever editors are used must be able to generate
compatible .GOB files.
7.3.2 How should a custom .GOB file be loaded?
There will be a command line option (in the full release version) to do that.
8.0 Problems running DF?
Don't forget that the demo is essentially a beta release which may not be
completely bug-free, especially when it comes to a myriad of sound cards. If
you run into problems running DF, make sure you've read the README.TXT file
that came with DF. Try making a clean boot disk, and make sure you have
enough EMS free (see section 1.4). Beyond this, I simply cannot not help you
with any problems. Contact LA, giving them your exact configuration and a
description of the problem. However, if you have a *solution* to a problem,
please let me know and I'll include it in the FAQ.
8.1 How can I contact LA?
CI$:
Game Publishers Forum A (GO GAMAPUB)
section 7
Or send e-mail to ID# 75300,454
America Online:
Keyword "LucasArts"
Or send e-mail to LUCASARTS3
GEnie:
Games RT (m805)
category 27
Or send e-mail to LUCASARTS
Internet E-Mail:
75300.454@compuserve.com
Or send e-mail to LucasArts3@AOL.com
Technical Support BBS:
+(415) 257-3070
To order DF, call 1-800-STARWARS in the USA and Canada.
9.0 Acknowledgements
- The secret ship-storage area in section 5.9 was found by both CANNING JOHN
<canni872@uidaho.edu> and H. Ian Novack <ian@gomez.jpl.nasa.gov>.
10.0 References
_The Adventurer_, #9: Winter 1994/5 (published by LA).
_CD-ROM Magazine_, Vol.1, #5 (Dec.1994).
_PC Games Plus Global_, Vol.3, No.1 (#44).
_Star Wars Insider_, #23.
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