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Lander |
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andrew (13:24 27/1/2007)
tribbles (16:43 27/1/2007)
eddyosaysyo (21:01 27/1/2007)
andrew (21:51 28/1/2007)
tribbles (22:44 28/1/2007)
SimonC (10:39 29/1/2007)
filecore (07:34 30/1/2007)
SimonC (11:39 30/1/2007)
VincceH (18:21 30/1/2007)
andrew (19:12 30/1/2007)
filecore (19:46 30/1/2007)
SimonC (14:23 31/1/2007)
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Andrew |
Message #97720, posted by andrew at 13:24, 27/1/2007 |
 Handbag Boi
Posts: 3439
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One thing that has always puzzled me about this game is: why is the control so impossible? I never bothered with Zarch because of it.
Also, given that it was written right at the beginning of 32-bit Acorns I wonder was this the kind of thing Braben was wanting to do with Elite 2 on the BBC and if Elite 2 - at least the planet landing - would have looked like this? |
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Jason Tribbeck |
Message #97723, posted by tribbles at 16:43, 27/1/2007, in reply to message #97720 |
 Captain Helix
Posts: 929
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The control was fairly easy - I even learnt to control it with my foot.
You basically move the mouse in the direction you want it to go in (it's not quite that, but it's the easiest way to learn). |
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Ed Willson |
Message #97729, posted by eddyosaysyo at 21:01, 27/1/2007, in reply to message #97723 |
Posts: 172
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I remember finding it impossible, but you soon grasp the idea. |
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Andrew |
Message #97753, posted by andrew at 21:51, 28/1/2007, in reply to message #97723 |
Handbag Boi
Posts: 3439
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The control was fairly easy - I even learnt to control it with my foot.
You basically move the mouse in the direction you want it to go in (it's not quite that, but it's the easiest way to learn). Your foot? Why?
It seems to be a balance between not touching the mouse too much and bursts of thrust. Only took the best part of 20 years to work that out 
Having to play lander in A310em doesn't seem quite right. I'm surprised it doesn't work on the StrongARM!
Here's my next question: can you refuel in Lander and is their any objective e.g. landing?
[Edited by andrew at 21:52, 28/1/2007] |
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Jason Tribbeck |
Message #97754, posted by tribbles at 22:44, 28/1/2007, in reply to message #97753 |
Captain Helix
Posts: 929
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The control was fairly easy - I even learnt to control it with my foot. Your foot? Why?
Why not? I got bored with my hands, and I was showing off.
Here's my next question: can you refuel in Lander and is their any objective e.g. landing? To be honest, I can't remember. I stopped playing it a fair number of years ago.
Edited to add: I think you have to land back onto the platform.
[Edited by tribbles at 22:45, 28/1/2007] |
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Simon Challands |
Message #97778, posted by SimonC at 10:39, 29/1/2007, in reply to message #97754 |
 Right on, Commander!
Posts: 398
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Here's my next question: can you refuel in Lander and is their any objective e.g. landing? To be honest, I can't remember. I stopped playing it a fair number of years ago.
Edited to add: I think you have to land back onto the platform.
That does it. There's not much else to do apart from shoot the scenery (which gains you points), and after you've got enough points also dodge rocks that start falling out of the sky.
There was an interview a long time back (in The Micro User, I think) with David Braben, which suggested Zarch / Lander used ideas that he had been poking around with for Elite 2, although nothing like it seemed to end up in Frontier.
Control isn't impossible, but does take quite a bit of practice before you can do anything other than crash (often full-throttle straight downwards into the ground, I seem to remember). Once you've got the hang of it the craft is quite agile.
Elite and Lander players will probably have noticed that ArcElite's Copperhead craft is of a very similar design to the Lander craft, and that the datacards described it as "often seen flying erratically" 
[Edited by SimonC at 10:41, 29/1/2007] |
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Jason Togneri |
Message #97807, posted by filecore at 07:34, 30/1/2007, in reply to message #97778 |
Posts: 3868
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There was never any point to Lander. It was a cut-down version of Zarch, given free with new machines to demonstrate the power of the OS. In Zarch, however, there was a point; alien spaceships were turning your planet red and you had to destroy them. You had three rockets on your launchpad that you could fire (actually homing missiles), and you had to land and wait in order to refuel - difficult if there was an enemy attacking you. There were 'red' bombers, 'red' sprayers and attackers.
Control was far from impossible - remember that velocity makes a difference, so you could actually point forwards and attain quite a speed without danger of hitting the ground. At a certain altitude your thrusters bottomed out - try going straight up and continue to hold the thrust button ; you bounce
The homing missiles (spacebar) were fun; there was a cheat or a hack of some sort which gave you infinite missiles. I used to sometimes do that and just launch millions. I crashed Zarch a few times. It was a good game. |
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Simon Challands |
Message #97814, posted by SimonC at 11:39, 30/1/2007, in reply to message #97807 |
Right on, Commander!
Posts: 398
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The results of my first ever attempt at playing Zarch - "A suicidal aubergine could've done better." |
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VinceH |
Message #97830, posted by VincceH at 18:21, 30/1/2007, in reply to message #97814 |
 Lowering the tone since the dawn of time
Posts: 1600
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I never got Zarch - I should have done, though, because I really enjoyed Lander. I /did/ get Virus (which is what it was called for the other platforms) for the ST, but IIRC I didn't enjoy it.
(As an after thought - it might have been because the controls were different; three button mouse vs two button mouse). |
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Andrew |
Message #97834, posted by andrew at 19:12, 30/1/2007, in reply to message #97778 |
Handbag Boi
Posts: 3439
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Here's my next question: can you refuel in Lander and is their any objective e.g. landing? To be honest, I can't remember. I stopped playing it a fair number of years ago.
Edited to add: I think you have to land back onto the platform.
That does it. There's not much else to do apart from shoot the scenery (which gains you points), and after you've got enough points also dodge rocks that start falling out of the sky.
There was an interview a long time back (in The Micro User, I think) with David Braben, which suggested Zarch / Lander used ideas that he had been poking around with for Elite 2, although nothing like it seemed to end up in Frontier.
Control isn't impossible, but does take quite a bit of practice before you can do anything other than crash (often full-throttle straight downwards into the ground, I seem to remember). Once you've got the hang of it the craft is quite agile.
Elite and Lander players will probably have noticed that ArcElite's Copperhead craft is of a very similar design to the Lander craft, and that the datacards described it as "often seen flying erratically"
[Edited by SimonC at 10:41, 29/1/2007]
So landing refuels does it? I don't see how it's possible, you only have to touch the mouse at the start and the craft explodes! |
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Jason Togneri |
Message #97836, posted by filecore at 19:46, 30/1/2007, in reply to message #97834 |
Posts: 3868
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So landing refuels does it? I don't see how it's possible, you only have to touch the mouse at the start and the craft explodes! It's exactly the same with modern aircraft. If you put them and down nice and evenly, they'll land safely and be able to refuel. However, if you yank the controls of a 747 round at the last moment, splat. All it takes it a bit of practice and a steady hand. |
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Simon Challands |
Message #97893, posted by SimonC at 14:23, 31/1/2007, in reply to message #97834 |
Right on, Commander!
Posts: 398
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The most important thing about landing is to be level. Any slight deviation from that and you'll explode. Similarly for taking off.
Would love to play Zarch again, but I've not even seen the disc for ages (probably threw it in with the A310 when I got rid of that), if it could even be made to work. One of the oddest things about the whole game was that the only enemies that flew constantly at the same height and in the same direction were the hardest to destroy :/ |
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