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----------------------------------------------------------------- *RADIX (REMIX v2.0): BEYOND THE VOID* By: Neural Storm Entertainment Published By: Epic MegaGames "Official" post-release FAQ, v5.0 Written by: Greg MacMartin May 1996 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================= <TABLE OF CONTENTS> ================================================================= I. Introduction 1. Preliminary Info. [1-1] A note from the author II. General Game Information 2. What is "RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID"? [2-1] So, what is it? [2-2] What is "shareware"? [2-3] What is the difference between the shareware and the registered versions? 3. What makes RADIX different than any other "3D shooter"? [3-1] How does RADIX compare to DESCENT? [3-2] DUKE NUKEM 3D? QUAKE??? 4. What kind of features does the RADIX engine have? [4-1] Sloped ceilings and floors. [4-2] Non-orthogonal walls. [4-3] Dynamic light shading and effects. [4-4] Moving Surfaces. [4-5] Analog movement. [4-6] Complex event system. [4-7] Digital music system. 5. What system is needed to run RADIX? [5-1] REQUIRED hardware. [5-2] What sound cards are supported? [5-3] What input devices are supported? [5-4] How does Radix run under Windows 95? III. Gameplay strategies, hints and cheats 6. Help me! Please!!?? [6-1] For those who constantly crash into walls... [6-2] For those who die all the time... [6-3] How do I get to the secret hangar bay in 1-2? (Radix 1.1) [6-4] How do I get into the security bunker in 1-6 and complete the secondary objective? [6-5] How do I find the fourth secret area in level 1-1? 7. How do I cheat in RADIX? [7-1] What cheat codes are there? [7-2] What command line parameters are there? 8. Did you know... (various features and neat things that you might not have found yet) [8-1] Game features. [8-2] Power-ups and other things. [8-3] Can I make my own Radix levels? IV. Ordering Info 9. Where can I get RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID? [9-1] How do I order RADIX? [9-2] How do I get a copy of the shareware release? V. Final Thoughts 10. Game version history. 11. Revision history. ================================================================= I. <INTRODUCTION> ================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Preliminary Info. ----------------------------------------------------------------- [1-1] A note from the author Well, its a full year since the release of Radix 1.0. Although the game has sold VERY poorly, some of the developers (namely, Dan Dufeu and I) refused to sit back and let Radix become super-vaporware. Yes, as tough as it is to believe, due to severely busted gameplay (namely, forced forward movement) and a non-existant marketing strategy the game has made nothing for anyone involved in its creation. However, we believe that there is FINALLY a good game to be found here in REMIX. It's 3D. Its definitely full of action. But wait!! It is NOT a walk-around! That in itself should at least pique your interest.... No, Radix REMIX has not been upgraded with Quake technology. And no, it has not been given an SVGA upgrade. And no, it has not been rewritten as a native Win95 application. However, the GAMEPLAY has been given a large upgrade. Levels have been fixed and replaced. A whole bunch of new art has been added to increase the fun factor of playing the game. Basically changes have been made to make the game a great one to boot up and release all that built up aggression. Isn't that what action games are for? If you like 3D action, then I urge you to give the shareware version of Radix REMIX 2.0 a whirl. If you have any questions regarding this game or this FAQ, please dont hesitate to ask them. My E-mail address is: cl662@freenet.carleton.ca ================================================================= II.<GENERAL GAME INFORMATION> ================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. What is "RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID"? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [2-1] So, what is it? "Radix: Beyond The Void" is a 3-D perspective action game. The player is the pilot of an experimental fighter, the Radix-class inter-dimensional star fighter, in the year 2148. The player has complete control of the plane's movements, including speed, and lateral / horizontal movement. The ship is heavily armed and has the capability to incorporate new technologies into it's systems if they are found. Many aliens, alien craft, missiles, mines and environmental hazards try to hinder your completion of mission objectives. Why would one want to put themselves through something like that? Well... In the 22nd century, after centuries of global strife and tyranny, the people of Earth united to form a sovereign world government. The United Earth Space Alliance (UESA) launched a dynamic plan to expand the reaches of the human race beyond that of our solar system. In the year 2147, this effort resulted in the launching of the first of two colony ships. These massive vessels were destined to colonize a huge asteroid, designated Theta-2, on the outskirts of our solar system. After five months of space travel, the first ship safely arrived at Theta-2 and initiated the colony. Soon after, the second of the two ships departed from earth with 10,000 colonists to bring the Theta-2 base into full operation. Once the colony was fully established, mankind would finally have the opportunity to leave the confines of the solar system. It happened on October 24, 2148; While the second vessel approached the colony, something unnatural occurred. A dark shape began to form out of nothing, blacking out the starscape and eating away at the very fabric of reality. The commander of the colony vessel "Salvation" had barely managed to dispatch an emergency message to Earth confirming that there were multitudes of alien ships emerging from this "Void." Just after the transmission, the largest of the alien ships tore the Salvation apart with an immensely powerful particle beam. The gigantic alien craft dragged both portions of the Salvation into a huge hangar bay, sealing the fates of the 10,000 human beings aboard. According to the information received from the destruct beacon (the "black box") there were 45 alien vessels in the vicinity of Theta-2. The largest ship, which captured the Salvation, moved to orbit the asteroid. The remaining ships started converting the Theta-2 base into a base of their own. Immediately after the incident, UESA went on level one alert status and began assembling a fleet to eliminate the alien force. UESA's ships reached the Theta-2 asteroid and began an intense battle with the alien fleet. UESA's 3 battlecruisers, 10 frigates and 15 destroyers fought well, but their weaponry was no match against the massive alien dreadnought. The mission was a devastating failure. The Alliance realized that a large frontal assault was not the way to defeat the invaders. It was decided that a small, heavily armed, fast attack ship might be able to make it past the ships in orbit and reclaim the Theta-2 base. Back on Earth, scientists combined their knowledge and pooled their ideas, and concluded that the black space, dubbed "The Void," was some sort of inter-dimensional portal; a tear in the structure of our universe. Using the current knowledge of multi-dimensional physics, they were able to develop a device that would allow a small spacecraft, preferably a fighter of some sort, to enter The Void and possibly leap into a different universe. Three months after the invasion of Theta-2, the Radix class inter-dimensional starfighter was built. Due to the enormous amount of resources required to build this powerful fighter, only one was built. Although the Radix class had just barely begun the experimental stage of it's development, there was no time left. The Radix-class fighter was loaded onto the Defiance, a battlecruiser, and Operation Vengeance commenced. The Defiance had to leave, and the Radix, the last desperate hope for humanity, was going with it. [2-2] What is "Shareware"? Shareware is a popular method of distributing software in which the possible buyer gets to "try it" before buying it. It the case of games, the first episode, usually out of three is the one that is freely distributed for people to try. This game is no exception. RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID is a shareware game separated into 3 episodes, the first of which can be distributed freely. This free version is called the "demo" or "shareware" version. [2-3] What is the difference between the shareware and the registered versions? The primary difference between the two versions is that the shareware version only has the first episode in it. The shareware version also lacks a large portion of the alien enemies in the game. It is also missing four main weapon systems. Basically, the shareware version is only a sampling of the game. If you want to play the entire game, you must purchase the full, "registered" version of Radix. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3. What makes RADIX different than any other "3D shooter"? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [3-1] How does RADIX compare to DESCENT? RADIX IS NOT A DESCENT KILLER. Nor is it intended to be. The gameplay is remarkably different, even if at first glance Radix seems to be some kind of Descent clone. Radix, first of all, does not have that much exploration. The game focuses more on your getting to your objectives and surviving, and much less of exploring mazes. There are some exceptions, like secondary objectives. While sometimes out in the open and obvious, secondary objectives in Radix tend to be hidden. Even the exploration that there is much more simple than Descent's because in Radix you cannot go straight up or straight down. Basically, the designers of Radix did this purposely to give the game a DIFFERENT and somewhat easier feel than Descent. Also, it is much harder to get "lost" in the Radix levels. The second main difference between Radix and Descent is the combat. In Descent, a popular way to destroy enemies is to fire at them, then backup, then move forward and fire again until they are dead. Now, you could use that same method to fight in Radix, but you will find that is not very effective in this game just because of the sheer number of enemies you face at once. The most effective way to kill enemies in this game is to "circle strafe" around enemies while continously firing. Or, if you are using weapons with "seeking" abilities, fly around in a room firing and avoiding enemy fire. Basically, combat in Radix tends to be more frantic and intense than in Descent, with explosions going off all around the player all the time. [3-2] DUKE NUKEM 3D? QUAKE??? Well, those two games are walk-arounds. And they both DO have superior game engines (especially Quake). However, I think that Radix is unique enough and has enough GAMEPLAY differences that people could still play Radix and enjoy a "different" gaming experience. One difference between Radix and Duke is that in Duke the designers attempted to model REALITY to some degree. With Radix, we had no intention of ever doing that. The Radix environment is pure imaginative, fantasy stuff. Oh, and one last thing....There are *NO* keycards in Radix!! To be fair and truthful, the only games that could really be called similar to Radix are Descent and its sequals. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4. What kind of features does the RADIX engine have? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [4-1] Sloped ceilings and floors. Although the Radix engine is one that is similar to Doom in many ways, a major difference is that Radix has sloped floors and ceilings. This allows for vastly different level design than Doom and many other 3D games that do not have slopes. With slopes more realistic locales can be made. Radix has some neat architecture as well, such as huge curved support pylons and arches. [4-2] Non-orthogonal walls. This feature is fast becoming the standard among 3-D games, although there are still some that aren't implementing it. Basically, this means that the walls can be at any angle to one-another. For instance, in some 3-D games the walls are at 90 degrees to one another, so that every locale was rectangular in shape (Rise of the Triad). Radix never had this problem. Areas can be created that look much more real than before and increase the feeling of realism and immersion into the gaming world. [4-3] Dynamic light shading and effects. Radix has 120 some-odd different shades of lighting built into it's engine. This allows for a more realistic depiction of light in the game. There are also flickering, pulsating and moving lights similar to those in Hexen. [4-4] Moving Surfaces. In Radix entire surfaces can move up or down. This allows for some neat effects like water and lava lowering and uncovering architecture underneath. [4-5] Analog Movement. Analog movement is a kind of movement that automatically adjusts for the speed of the CPU, which means that the player will move at the same RATE on a 386-33 as on a 486-DX2 66. Obviously, the FRAME rate would be significantly slower, but the rate that one MOVES is not effected. [4-6] Complex events and event system. Radix employs a very complex event system that allows for the activation of many events at once. Events could be things such as lighting effects, moving surfaces, teleportation, super speed boosters, sucking fans, scrolling bitmapped surfaces, among others. For example, triggers could deactivate one event and activate two others simultaneously. [4-7] Digital music and sound system. Radix uses a digital sound system that allows digital sound effects and music. Games like Jazz Jackrabbit and One Must Fall 2097 have similar sound systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5. What system is needed to run RADIX? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [5-1] REQUIRED hardware. RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID has been developed to be played well on a 486-66 with 8 megs ram, standard VGA. The game will run with 4 megs of ram, but it wont run well. It is highly recommended that you have a pentium processor for playing REMIX 2.0. The improvements made for that version could bog down a low-end 486 considerably. [5-2] What sound cards are supported? RADIX has native support for the following: 1) The Sound Blaster family (SB/SBPRO/SB16 and compatibles) 2) Gravis Ultra Sound NOTE: There is no support for the original Adlib sound card, as RADIX uses pure digital music and sound effects which are not possible to reproduce on the FM synthesis based Adlib card. [5-3] What input devices are supported? Radix can be played with the keyboard, mouse and joystick. If you have a joystick with a throttle control, Radix should support it as well. Although support for such devices as the Microsoft Sidewinder and the Logitech Extreme series of joysticks was asked for, we were unable to get support for those in there. :( However, future versions may very well have support for those. It all depends on how well REMIX is received by the gaming community. [5-4] How does Radix run under Windows 95? Although Radix is a native DOS application, it runs very well under Win95. The only problem that anyone has had running the game under Win95 is that the music might occasionally "skip". This is a memory shortage problem. To fix this problem, get more RAM or run the game in MS-DOS mode. ================================================================= III <GAMEPLAY STRATEGIES, HINTS AND CHEATS> ================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Help me! Please!!?? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [6-1] For those who constantly crash into walls... SLOW DOWN! The main reason that many beginners tend to fly around, smacking into walls and becoming disoriented is because of speed. In Radix you are able to fly at VERY fast speeds. If you don't believe me you should try punching your afterburners when you have acquired the maneuvering jets! This great speed can be used to great advantage in combat but for regular flying around it can be very disorienting, especially when you are flying in levels you have never been to before. Disorientation can also be remedied by using the automap. By hitting TAB, you can bring up a map that overlays itself over the play screen. This should make it easier to find exits and doors that you might not have noticed before. If all else fails...think of Radix as DOOM in the sky. Grab your mouse, crank the sensitivity and picture yourself playing DOOM except you are always flying. I have personally found this control method to be about 50% more accurate and simply better than the joystick or the keyboard. This control method is especially good in dogfights. One more note: Doors in Radix work very differently than other 3D games. In other games, you have to open doors by shooting the door or by hitting a key. In Radix you fly nearby the door and it will open by itself. If you see a door and crash into it then you know that it must be opened by other means, such as by destroying a computer console nearby. [6-2] For those who die all the time... Lower your skill level. This is the most obvious solution to that problem. The lowest skill level in Radix should be easy enough for most players to play through the game without much trouble. Another way to avoid death is to cheat. Look below for some interesting cheat codes that should make the game MUCH easier to play. [6-3] How do I get to the secret hangar bay in 1-2? (Radix 1.1) In order to complete the secondary objective for this mission, you must find a secret alien hangar bay and destroy all stationary Skyfire Assault Fighters. This can be done by following these steps: 1. Complete the Primary Objective 2. Find the Cruncher Room. (The room with all those pile-drivers) 3. Destroy the computer console in that area. 4. Go back to the huge outdoor area near the beginning of the level with the huge energy core. 5. You will notice that a small portion of the force field surrounding the core is now turned off. You can now fly onto the core pad... [6-4] How do I get into the security bunker in 1-6 and complete the secondary objective? 1. There is a secret room at the bottom of the long, deep shaft in one of the beginning rooms. You must find this secret and fly around it. 2. Once you have done that, you must then proceed to the area where the right wall opens to reveal MANY Skyfires and Bio-Mines. Go through the red phantom wall and into the "doughnut" secret area. If you completed step 1, there should be a passage leading from this area. 3. This passage appears to be a dead end, but it is not. There is ANOTHER phantom wall about half way along the left wall. In there you will find a small computer terminal. Destroy it. 4. Now one door of the security bunker is open. You may fly in and complete your secondary. The consoles you destroy in the bunker will also deactivate the force field protecting a bunch of pow-ups elsewhere in the level. [6-5] How do I find the fourth secret area in level 1-1? There was a bug involving this, but there are now 4 secrets in level 1-1. (fixed for Remix 2.0) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7. How do I cheat in RADIX? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [7-1] What cheat codes are there? Here are all of the cheat codes in Radix. Type them in while playing the game. You may pause the game while you type in codes. * indicates that the cheat code is only available in Radix version 1.1 and 2.0. ^ indicates cheat is only relevant for versions 1.0 and 1.1. NSOPTA Full armor, shields, energy, weapons, plasma bombs and ammo. NSBAGWAN Toggle Ultra-Shields. Will remain on until end of level. * NSE Full energy. NSBJIPP Toggle maneuevering jets. NSOPTL Surface illumination. * NSBLASTER Toggle rapid shield regeneration. * NSHORSLEY Toggle rapid energy regeneration. * NSDIEBESTERDS Makes all weapons fire at a MUCH faster rate. NSOPTS Does absolutely nothing. * NSFRICOFF Toggles air friction. Pretty neat. * NSDEATH A hidden skill level that makes all enemies go nuts. If you finish the game with Death mode on, it will be marked on the Top Ten pilot screen. *^ NSHALT Press MIN THROTTLE to Hover! NSOPTD Enter the realm of debugging. Real fun. NSWARP [ep] [lvl] Warp to any level in the game, EXCEPT the secret level. Map 9 (secret) in each episode can be reached by command line, however. NSOPTM Makes the automap show all of the level. [7-2] What command line parameters are there? Here are all the command line parameters for Radix: * indicates that the parameter is only in Radix version 1.1 and 2.0 -debug Play the game in debug mode. -nosound Force Radix to disable sound when the game loads. -file (filename) Used to load an external resource file. -warp (ep,lvl) Go directly to the specified level. -skill (#) Sets the skill level to play (0-3). Used in conjunction with -warp. -record (filename) Record a demo into the specified file. -play (filename) Play a recorded demo. -boom (# players) Initiate a network game from DOS. The parameters below are to be used in conjunction with -boom. * -cheater Gives the player who uses this parameter the very fast weaponry that is normally gotten by using the cheat code NSDIEBESTERDS. -dogfight Set the net game to dogfight. -cooperative Set the net game to cooperative. -capture Set the net game to capture the flag. -noenemies Set the net game to no enemies. -respawn Set the net game to respawning powerups. -name (plyr name) Used to give yourself a name for net play. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Did you know... (various features and neat things that you might not have found yet) ----------------------------------------------------------------- [8-1] Game features. IN-GAME MISSION BRIEFING SCREEN.(F11) This is a useful screen that shows the primary and secondary objectives for the current mission. AUTO-LEVELING.(F8) This is a feature that some find useful to keep themselves orientated. It will automatically level the player out so that the craft is flying straight. It can also be annoying to some players. Experiment with this. CHASE PLANE VIEW.(F2) A neat feature that allows you to see the Radix craft from behind. Its a little hard to play this way, but it does look neat. This key also toggles the cockpit instrument panels. AUTO-DETAIL.(F6) This feature will automatically adjust detail levels to keep the frame rate high. MOUSE/JOYSTICK SENSITIVITY. In Radix 1.1 and 2.0 you may adjust the sensitivity of these input devices in the In-Game menu (ESC). [8-2] Power-ups and other things. A.L.D.S. (Automated Laser Defense System). This is a powerup that is found only in the registered version of the game. There is no cheat code for it, so you'll have to find it. It will automatically shoot out blue laser bolts at any enemies nearby. PLASMA BOMBS. These are powerful weapons that are found even in the shareware version. The little icon at the top right side of the screen keeps track of how many you have. The default key for this is the spacebar. Once activated, a plasma bomb will cause heavy damage to ALL visible enemies. TWO NEW EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE CANNON LEVELS: For Radix 2.0, 2 new levels of the EPC weapon (#2) were added. Collect more EPC powerups to gain access to them. Once you have them, press "2" repeatedly to change the level of your EPC's. NOTE: The "Advanced EPC's are only available in episodes 2 and 3. [8-3] Can I make my own Radix levels? Yes! You can. After ordering the registered version, you can download RadCad, the official Radix editor from this web site: http://www.sonetis.com/~nstorm The editor also comes with documentation in the form of the RadCad FAQ (which is included with the zip file but is also separately available from the same site). You cannot play user-created levels with the shareware version. ================================================================= IV <ORDERING INFO / RELEASE DATES> ================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Where can I get RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID? ----------------------------------------------------------------- [9-1] How do I order RADIX? There are 3 ways to purchase Radix: 1. Call 1-800-972-7434 and you can use your MasterCard or Visa 2. Fill out the order.doc file and fax or E-mail it to Epic. Fax: (301) 299-3841 E-mail: orders@epicgames.com 3. You can also use snail mail by sending a check or money order to the following address: Epic MegaGames 10406 Holbrook Drive Potomac. MD 20854 [9-2] How do I get a copy of the shareware release? Internet users: ftp://ftp.uwp.edu/pub/games/epic ftp://ftp.execpc.com/pub/epic You can also download Radix from the Epic MegaGames Web site: www.epicgames.com Also check out the Neural Storm Web site: www.iosphere.net/~nstorm And a couple of cool people have made Radix "Homepages": Jim Lowell's www.winternet.com/~jlowell/radix "Xenomorph's" www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/6066 For those without internet access you can call the EXECPC BBS at (414) 789-4362 (type FFE at the main menu) and download Radix from there. ================================================================= V. <Final Thoughts> ================================================================= 10. Game version history. RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID 1.0 : This was released November 8th 1995. It had very few if any technical bugs, but had some gameplay and control problems. RADIX: BEYOND THE VOID 1.1 : Released January 4th 1995. A new version of the shareware version was released as well as a patch that will update version 1.0 to 1.1. Control was fixed, levels were altered, inertia was added and more. It is a big improvement over 1.0. RADIX "REMIX": BEYOND THE VOID 2.0: Released November 1996. Basically a super enhanced version 1.1 with new levels, weapons and Descent-like controls. A game that should have NO major gameplay problems. 11. Revision history. Version 1.0 (November 1994) Very old, useless information. Version 2.0 (Early 1995) Discussion of engine features, slopes Also very old and not very relevant to the current Radix. Version 2.1 Bug fixes, etc. Version 3.0 (Late 1995) A true pre-release FAQ that is mostly correct. Version 3.1 Bug fixes, etc. Version 3.2 (October 1995) More of the game's features were added. The last pre-release FAQ. Version 4.0 (January 1996) First post-release FAQ. Completely rewritten. Very concise and shorter than the unnecessarily lengthy pre-release versions. This version was included with Radix 1.1 Version 4.1 (May 1996) Bug fixes. Accidently omitted cheat code NSOPTM added. Radix version history added. Gameplay questions answered. Version 5.0 (November 1996) A full year after the initial release of Radix, this version reflects the new version of the game, Radix REMIX v2.0. ================================================================= <COPYRIGHT NOTICE> ================================================================= Do what you will with this. ***************************************************************** *********** Greg MacMartin ************ *********** Email address: cl662@freenet.carleton.ca ************ *****************************************************************