Just a couple of notes about this tech demo.
In terms of controls, there are some quirks. As noted, 'enter' is used to cycle through different options. 'Space' selects it.
'H' is keybound for God Hangar, which still works! You can equip some early weapons, ammunition, and blag cash. If you try to launch, sometimes you get stuck
'B' is a searchlight. It doesn't seem to light up the environment.
'+' displays FPS, positional, direction and time values.
'-' displays the scoreboard (for multiplayer)
There is an amazing amount of stuff to do in this tech demo. In no particular order/reasoning:
Game starts you off in Downtown 05
A lot of the original buildings are present although not all are accessible. Some are renamed - a lot of the buildings in Downtown have affiliation with Klamp-G or Lazarus.
None of the buildings have faction symbols/signs.
None of the tunnels have physical crater indicators
Mass Drivers are not present.
Klamp-G and Lazarus secret bases are not present.
Downtown and Port are connected - no Customs Block is present
Looks like the full roster of the original moths are in. No police moths and no alien moths though.
Only weapons are the laser, sprats and a 'machine gun'. Sprats and machine gun require ammunition, with the machine gun using '15mm EXP' rounds.
Collision models and hit detection are in. However death is not modelled in, so nobody dies. Machine gun and sprats do a ton of kinetic damage, and make enemies bounce around with marbles
Sprats will even track targets like you expect missiles to
Some form of AI combat is in; once you engage with a faction ship, it will start to fly around you and 'aim'. It will shoot nothing, but once it completes an attack run, it will continue to circle and attempt to get another attack run line.
There is a tunnel within a tunnel between Mines and Gamma (
)
Both the caves are missing. Instead there is just a long tunnel between Mines/Alpha and Mines/Gamma
You can wait for Monorails inside of some buildings, not sure if they are implemented yet.
No audio at all. I tested it in both Dosbox and original hardware. The config.ini has some audio descriptors, maybe screwing around it will allow for audio.
Software improvements have a lot of options, maybe showing some of the ideas they had at the time. The following systems are able to be upgraded/downgraded (but have no effect):
-Autopilot, AltSpeed, Power, WeapLink, TurCon, Shield, Damage, Autorepair, ShipToShip, Navigation, Salvage, ATAS, Radar, Decrypt, ECM, RearCam, BellyCam, Cloaking.
By default, all of these are 'level 3', and the downgrade option does nothing.
Some of the very basics of the economy are in. 'Food' is produced by the macroclimates and 'Pure Water' by the purifiers. A LOT of the buildings do nothing, even ones you would expect. All the estate sellers do not selling buildings. Breaker Makers are in but do nothing, ect. This demo is a great snapshot of some of the systems being set up (flying feels pretty good. Navigation, tunnels, buildings). Seems like at this step is when they started to build the economy side and AI. Faction buildings are in, even more advanced ones like components, ship buildings, weapons, FE mill, ect. So they started to contextualize exactly how factions supplied and built their stuff.
Buildings will shoot you! Some of the Lazarus buildings in Mines shoot lasers. No need to have attacked or do anything, simply being in range will make them shoot you. Different coloured lasers (red seems to be the normal and a blue one. Possible early plasma kannon?)
From Gamma to Mines second tunnel entrance
From Mines to Gamma second tunnel entrance
Hawk with lights
Hawk with lights. So that's what the second weapons port is for!
Laz Hightower
Laz Undecided
Lazarus turrets shooting lasers
What an interesting view into the early build of the game.
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