The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998/hackers_encyclopedia.iso/pc/softdox/duke4d.txt

Text File | 2003-06-11 | 16.2 KB | 415 lines

Duke Nukem 3D

No doubt about it: Duke Nukem 3D is one mighty game. It rocks and
it rolls, it shakes and it bakes--and best of all, you get to try
it for free! The shareware version supports up to four players on
a network (the registered version will support up to eight), and
modem and serial connections for head-to-head action. You've got
nothing to lose but a lot of productivity by giving it a try.

Duke Nukem 3D - killer moves

the duckwalk

When you spot an enemy, fire a shot, then immediately crouch and
start advancing, shooting as you go. It'll take a few seconds for
even a Pig Cop to hit the ground--and that should be enough to
finish him off. You can also stay crouched to move unseen through
areas with plenty of cover, such as inside the theater on level 1.

leapfrog

If you're stuck in a tight spot and running low on health, try
leaping over the enemy facing you and getting the hell out of
Dodge. This move works great in open areas, but it can be
confusing and fatal when attempted in a small room.

the 180

Assault Captains love to materialize directly behind you, a habit
you can use to your advantage. When you see an Assault Captain
dematerialize, move forward a few steps, listening for the sound
of his transporter device--then hit the Backs pace key to do a
180-degree turn, and open fire. Ducking after you spin around
ain't a bad idea, either.

jump 'n' shoot

Your RPG will try to target any living enemies, and here's a way
to make the most of it. Hide behind a crate or other object; then
jump in the air and fire a missile. If there's an enemy anywhere
close to where you're pointing, the missile will hone in on it.
Great for Dukematch slugfests.

gunfight

Here's a variation on the jump 'n' shoot that'll work with every
weapon. While hiding behind an object, make sure you're facing
your enemy, then slide left (or right) to emerge and get off a
few volleys before sliding back to safety. It takes a little
patience, but the damage you'll avoid is well worth it.

strafe and turn

When using spiral stairways, slide in one direction and
occasionally turn in the other direction to keep your weapon
trained on the middle of the stairway. If you're going up a
spiral staircase that turns right, you'd strafe left and tap t he
turn right button. You can also use this technique to circle an
enemy, but if you have Run Mode on you'll probably be moving too
fast to keep a steady aim.

 - Duke Nukem 3D - weaponry

Note: although the complete version of Duke Nukem 3D will give
you nine weapons, the shareware game features only six.

Mighty Foot

About the only good thing you can say about Duke's front
snap-kick is that it doesn't run out of ammo. You can defeat weak
enemies using this method, but only in a one-on-one
situation--and even then you can take a fair amount of damage
yourself.

specs

gun contains: 48 rounds

ammo packs: 12-round clips

maximum ammo: 200 rounds

pistol

It's better than the Mighty Foot, but only because you don't have
to move in close to use it. Depending on the difficulty level at
which you're playing, you need three or four bullets to take out
Assault Troopers and Assault Captains, and you need more than
triple that for Pig Cops. To make matters worse, the gun stops
firing when you change clips--exactly what you don't need when a
Pig Cop has a shotgun in your face or when you're putting the
finishing touches on a Dukematch opponent.

specs

gun contains: 10 rounds

ammo packs: 10 rounds

maximum ammo: 50 rounds

shotgun

Now we're talking firepower! It takes only two or three good
blasts with this baby to splatter Pig Cops and Octabrains, and
one pull of the trigger is all you need to make a real mess out
of the Assault Troopers and Captains. You can't use it to blow
open walls or knock down doors, but on the bright side, you can't
get hurt by firing it point-blank at an enemy, either. The spread
pattern makes it good for intense, close-range battles when you
don't have a lot of time for precise aim.

specs

gun contains: 50 rounds

ammo packs: 50 rounds

maximum ammo: 200 rounds

Chaingun cannon

Go ahead, heft it. Feel the power in your hands. Squeeze the
trigger and spray a deadly shower of lead. Got four aliens headed
straight for you? A few strafes with this monster will slow 'em
down. The only drawback to the Chaingun is that it goes through
ammunition faster than you can say, "Die, scum!" Good thing
there's plenty of ammo lying around!

specs

gun contains: 5 rounds

ammo packs: 5 rounds

maximum ammo: 50 rounds

RPG

You can cause some serious mayhem with this powerful weapon.
Besides easily taking out every enemy (except Bosses) with one
shot, the chances are good that any enemies within the grenade's
blast radius will go up in flames, too. You can al so use it to
blow holes in walls to create shortcuts, but whether you're
shooting an enemy or an object remember one thing: don't stand
too close to your target! You're just as vulnerable to damage as
the aliens.

specs

ammo packs: 5 rounds

maximum ammo: 50 rounds

pipe bombs

They're not worth a damn in the middle of a firefight with a
bunch of Pig Cops and Octabrains, but pipe bombs are perfect when
you have time to set a trap. Here's how they work: after you toss
a pipe bomb, the weapon in your hand changes t o a detonator; you
can either press Fire to detonate the bomb or throw another (and
another, and another) and detonate them simultaneously.

Setting traps for aliens can be a little tricky, but it works
great in Dukematch games. Just toss one in a hard-to-spot
location--behind a counter, say, or in a toilet stall--then jump
into a hiding spot and wait for your hapless victim to mosey
along. Another strategy is to leave a few traps scattered
throughout several locations you know your opponent will visit,
then detonate them all at once. Why more than one in each spot?
Because when you hear one of them explode, you know your enemy is
shooting them with a weapon--and he might unknowingly be standing
close to another one as he does it. There's only one drawback to
this last tactic: you can mistake the sound of a grenade for a
pipe bomb and set them of f at the wrong time.

- Duke Nukem 3D - cheap shots

what a relief

The restrooms are there for your convenience, pal--and if you're
running low on health, just using the facilities will give you a
10 percent boost. If you're really desperate for some
rejuvenation, you can blast open a toilet, urinal, or f ire
hydrant and drink the water: each gulp restores one health point.
Go on, you know you wanna!

I'm watching you...

Use the video monitors to spot any areas you may have missed--or
to see if you can spot a Dukematch opponent running around.
Perfect for monitoring a pipe bomb booby trap.

HoloDuke as bait

Set up a HoloDuke in an open area, climb into a hiding space, or
duck behind a counter, table, and so on, and wait for your enemy
to attack the dummy. If nobody comes once the HoloDuke is 30
percent gone, turn it off and launch a couple of missiles or set
off a pipe bomb to attract attention. You can even set up a
HoloDuke on a pipe bomb, but only the most idiotic opponents will
walk that close to him, even if they think it's the real McCoy.

HoloDuke as guard

Yes, you can have eyes in the back of your head! If you're busy
punching buttons and don't want to keep constantly checking your
rear for approaching enemies, just set up a HoloDuke a safe
distance behind you. Anyone or anything who sees I t will open
fire, giving you the warning you need to run, hide, or turn and
start shooting.

pipe bomb fever

Oh, those pipe bombs--there are so many ways to use 'em it'll
make your cyberhead spin! Toss 'em near power-ups and set 'em off
when your greedy opponent goes to stock up on goodies; leave two
or three scattered far apart in every crucial spot of the level,
and hit the button at random for a long-shot chance at victory
(it worked for me--honest!); or throw out a trail of pipe bombs
that leads around a corner--even if your enemy is shooting them
as he goes, he'll never draw a bead on the one that gets him. Be
creative!

death from above

Ain't nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a Dukematch opponent
trotting along the street trying to find you--when you're
floating above him with a Chaingun or RPG, that is. By the time
he figures out you're above sea level, he'll be reduced to a
bloody spot on the sidewalk.

beat the boss

There's a very simple way to beat the boss of the shareware
version. When you enter the room where he's hiding, go in a very
short distance and then immediately back out before the door
closes behind you. Re-enter the room, and this time t he door
stays open. Lure the boss toward the door, and run out into the
circular room; the boss will get stuck, and you can leisurely
pump missiles into him from a distance. He'll manage to get a few
shots off at you, but if you've made it this far, you shouldn't
have any problems.

miscellaneous tricks and Easter eggs...

One of the greatest things about Duke Nukem 3D are all the gags
and hidden jokes the developers planted in the game. As you move
through the game, pay close attention for Easter eggs like
these...

In the theater bathroom on level 1, check just above the urinals
for a special phone number. Tommy Tutone, where are you now?

Go into the bar next to the disco on level 2 and check out what's
playing on the tube. Do the words "slow-speed chase" ring a bell?
(Note: you won't get to see what's on TV if you fire an RPG into
the room before entering.)

Go into the chapel on level 3 and walk up to the altar. Press the
Open button against the face panel, then shoot out the
stained-glass window on the left and enter the tunnel. You'll
find a corpse in a green space suit, and Duke says, "That's what
I call a doomed space marine." (If you haven't played Doom
DeathMatch, you won't get the joke--but who hasn't played Doom
DeathMatch yet?)

- Duke Nukem 3D - gear

the keyboard to success

In Duke Nukem 3D, you have complete control: you can make the
death-dealing dynamo run, jump, crouch, slide left or right, look
up or down--you can even make him use the bathroom!

With so many actions at your disposal, choosing and configuring
your input device is crucial. The main thing to remember is that
there's no right or wrong way to configure the controls, as long
as they feel comfortable to you. Fortunately, Duke Nukem 3D
supports four different control methods--keyboard only, keyboard
plus joystick, gamepad, and external controller--so it shouldn't
be too hard to find one that lets you focus on shredding some
aliens.

Here are a few general rules to keep in mind:

Not too many people use joysticks for this type of game, but if
you do, you'll want one that has at least four buttons so you can
perform the four most common actions--running, shooting,
crouching, and jumping--quickly and easily from the stick. If you
want to avoid the keyboard entirely, though, you'll need
something along the lines of Advanced Gravis's Phoenix, which
features 24 buttons that can be configured to send keystrokes.

It takes two hands to handle a gamepad, and that can spell big
trouble in Duke Nukem 3D. With a two- or four-button joystick,
there just aren't enough inputs to accommodate Duke's
abilities--and that means you'll constantly be taking one o f
your hands from the gamepad to strafe, open, or perform some
other fairly common action. If you just gotta use a gamepad, try
the Suncom SFX-PC Pad (list-priced at $29.95 from Top-Tek); with
six buttons and two "flippers" that can be programmed to send
keystrokes, the Suncom lets you do just about everything you need
to except change weapons.

Nearly everyone remaps the keyboard commands, but be warned that
certain setups make it impossible to type in cheat codes. For
example, if you use the F key to strafe right, any cheat code
with that letter will no longer work (don't worry- -we'll list
the codes later!).

a word about video

Duke Nukem 3D runs in several video modes, ranging from
320-by-200 to 800-by-600 pixels. To run at resolutions over 640
by 480, though, the game requires that your video card be VESA
2.0-compliant; if it's not, the game installs a universal VESA
driver to ensure compatibility.

It turns out that the ATI Mach 64 video card--a pretty popular
brand--is not VESA 2.0-compliant, and the universal VESA driver
that comes with the game doesn't work. Try running the m64vbe.com
driver that came with your card before loading the game, and it
should work just fine. - Duke Nukem 3D - tactical

 these feet were made for kickin'

Instead of wasting ammo, use Duke's Mighty Foot to kick down
fans, knock out grates, and open trash cans.

jumping in the night

Keep your eyes peeled for objects you can leap onto, especially
after you've cleared out a level and are searching for goodies.
At the start of level 1, for instance, you can jump onto the
crate near the crate on the street, and from there you can hop
through a window or onto the ledge just above the Innocent
sign--both are secret places.

don't waste medikits

If your health is only down to, say, 90 percent, don't grab a
large medikit worth 30 percent--the only thing that'll take your
health over 100 is the Healing Atom. Instead, make a note of its
location so you can come back when you really need it.

listen up

Use audio cues whenever possible. If you hear snarling and
grunting, it goes without saying that a Pig Cop or a Trooper is
nearby, and even the greenest of rookies will soon learn the
sound of the Recon Patrol Vehicles. But there are other cues,
too: if you hear Duke say, "What a mess!" after you've shot a
grenade into a window or detonated a pipe bomb, you know for sure
you killed something. The Assault Captains' transporters make a
distinct noise when they materialize, an d don't forget to listen
for the sounds of secret doorways opening--they won't always be
directly in your line of vision.

use the environment

You can greatly augment the destructive power of any weapon by
using it on certain objects. In the arcade above the theater in
level 1, for example, simply stand in the elevator and use the
pistol to blow up some yellow oxygen tanks and kill all (or
nearly all) of the enemies in the room. Fire extinguishers blow
up nicely, too.

the right weapon at the right time

RPGs and pipe bombs are no doubt powerful weapons, but they don't
do you a lot of good when you're in close-quarters combat in
rooms, tunnels, and other tight spaces. If you know you're about
to enter some spots where the enemy will get up close and
personal, try to conserve shotgun and Chaingun ammo by using
grenades and pipe bombs whenever possible--remembering to save
some of the heavy stuff for an emergency, of course.

leave the girls alone, man!

Yeah, you can tip 'em and hope they'll dance--some of 'em will
even give you a little show--but don't even think about
purposefully killing the ladies in the bar or dancing onstage at
the nightclub. Besides displaying a very warped attitude toward
women, it also will result in the appearance of one alien for
each gal you shoot. But what about the women who've already been
turned into pod creatures, you ask? Well, yeah, you can kill
them--they even ask you to, like in Aliens--but if you gotta do
it, use the Foot to save ammo.

night moves

If you have night-vision goggles, use them whenever you go into a
darkened area. Helpful messages only visible through the goggles
are often scrawled on the walls of tunnels, and the
glow-in-the-dark aliens are ridiculously easy to spot.

high flying

When you've cleared out an area, activate the jet pack and have a
look around from a better vantage point--you'll find ammo, armor,
and even buttons that you normally wouldn't see.

practice makes perfect

Before you even think about getting into a head-to-head or
network game, make sure you know the level inside and out--if you
don't, you'll be tasting grenades and walking on pipe bombs early
and often. Don't feel like taking on monsters, e ven if you're
invincible? Try launching the game by typing DUKE3D /M to play
without any enemies. It's perfect for carefully exploring each
level.