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Science & Industry - A teamplay Halflife modification
FAQ/Strategy guide by MJ
*Version history:
1.0 - The first, and mayhap the last. I might have forgotten a few things
that may need to be added later, might clean up the format a bit later on.
*------------*
| Overview |
*------------*
If you're reading this guide, you've decided to check out an ancient and
little known Halflife mod called Science & Industry. Like most people who
play S&I for the first time, you're probably a tad bewildered by the
multitude of original concepts employed by this neat game. Hopefully this
guide will be comprehensive and in-depth enough to take you from wasting away
at the bottom of the team listing to employee of the year.
This guide will cover all the important aspects of S&I:
-Concept
-The Basics
-Capturing Scientists
-Sabotaging Enemy Equipment
-Capturing Technological Resources
-Capturing Enemy Technology
-Basic strategies and information for each map featured in the release
-Listing of weapons and devices with information about each
-Listing of technology in the game with information about each
-The Tau Cannon, so awesome it deserves its own section
-Miscellaneous tips & stuff
*------------*
| Concept |
*------------*
THE SETTING
It's the early 1950's and industry is booming. Two rival corporations, Midland
Carbide Labs and Amalgamated Fluorodynamics, are entrenched in a bitter
technological war to dominate and corner the market on all things deadly. As a
lowly security guard, it's your duty to defend the research laboratories of
your chosen corporation from intruders who want to steal valuable human
intelligence assets and technologies.
ABOUT S&I
Firstly, don't let the name fool you. S&I is one of the most strategic,
intense, and brutal mods you'll come across for Halflife. It combines elements
of deathmatch and capture the flag with its own unique gameplay features to
make one of the most innovative mods around.
At it's heart S&I has deathmatch. Player versus player(s), shooting until one
drops dead. Although this is a significant part of S&I's makeup, the other
gameplay elements are vital to a successful match as well. I often say that no
Science & Industry match ever goes the same way twice. This notion is
supported by the fact that there is a giant technology tree at your disposal
in each and every match, with multiple branching paths to go down, each
leading to different flavors of lethal or subversive technologies.
As of now there are 3 modes of gameplay for S&I. The most common is scientist
capture. You'll sneak into an enemy base to steal scientists and bring them
back to your administrator. This is featured on almost every map save for one.
The other two are sabotage (destroy enemy equipment to hinder research and
cost funds), and resource capturing (capture resources from enemy base or at
arbitrary locations throughout the map to speed up research or gain cash). All
maps feature a blend of these 3 styles and a few feature all 3. The only map
not to feature the sci capturing element is the resource capture map si_virus.
At the end of the day, the team with the most cash wins. Cash is generated by
scientists, and resources you may capture. Cash is depleted when you are
cloned by your company (death) or your valuable research equipment is
destroyed, so be wary of warnings you get on screen about such events.
*----------------*
| The Basics |
*----------------*
BREAKDOWN
Capture enemy Scientists, sabotage equipment, or capture resources to earn
cash. Most cash at the end of the round wins. Maps are almost always in a
classic "2fort" or "2base" setting, with each base sporting nearly identical
features and only differing in asthetics. Each team starts with 3 scientists,
making the maximum you can have 6.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF
Warnings in the middle of the screen informing you of events taking place in
your base. You'll get text messages about scientists missing from the labs and
equipment that has been destroyed. This will help you pinpoint an intruders
location and generally help you be a more effective player.
Voting time. You'll hear a small tone and a list icon will appear on the
screen. Press your vote key to bring up your voting options. You'll want to
vote so that the team progresses in a way you'd like and gets weapons you want
to work with (unless you're in the minority, then it's just TS :D).
Productivity meter. The small atomic symbol on the HUD is your teams
productivity. If your scientists are disturbed by noise, gunfire, radios,
being shot, anything, it decreases. While it's decreased your team will earn
less money and progress on their research at a slower pace. If your
productivity meter is a healthy glowing green, you've kept the labs quiet
and/or are shooting the scientists with mindrays, either way, they're working
faster and harder.
Llama status. Repeatedly kill yourself with grenades, or mindraying opponents
in battle will quickly give you llama status. Once you're "llamaed" you can't
grab new weapons, also, you'll have decreased health and armor, be careful.
COMBAT
Ah yes, bloodshed. Combat in S&I is pretty straightforward, but there are some
subtleties that you should be aware of. First off, as of SI0.97a (the current
standard version), headshots do not work, subsequently, chest shots do the
same damage as a legshot. This was a bug nobody was aware of until a few
months ago. It's debatable whether or not damage bonuses should (or will) come
back, but as for now kneecapping someone is as good as a shot to the brain, so
bear that in mind when fighting and don't waste precious ammo trying to hit
someone in the head.
S&I also has no restrictions on movement. You're free to strafe jump, bunnyhop
(to Valves cap at 170%) and move like mad all you want. I felt inclined to
mention this as alot of popular mods now like to take away free movement (CS,
DoD, FA) to add to the realism.
One final note about combat, S&I has a system known as "teambalance". While I
can't get into specifics (mostly because I barely know them myself), it's
basically a way of keeping matches interesting when one team is dominating
another. So, if team A has 6 scientists for the whole match and gets far,far
along in the technology tree, they'll notice team B moving a bit faster,
taking a bit more damage, and being a tad more lethal. These "balancing"
factors are almost always subtle and will deplete once the other team gets on
its feet a bit, but, if team A continues to dominate, the effects can be
devastating. It's not a perfect system, but you'll cherish it in those times
when you're the team getting dominated and having no fun.
WHAT IS LLAMAFILTER?
If you've tried to say certain keywords on S&I servers, you'll notice them being
replaced by various funny messages. Trying to accuse someone of "hacking" and
"cheating" will net you a llama message, as well as a racist remark and a few
others.
*------------------------*
| Capturing Scientists |
*------------------------*
The main objective. Get those scientists so you can complete your projects
faster and make more money!
WHERE ARE THE SCIENTISTS?
Every map with the exception of si_virus, has a laboratory where these
valuable people are working. Simply head over to your opponents base and
follow the signs on the walls that say "Research Laboratory". Eventually,
you'll end up in a room full of them, blissfully unaware of their fate as they
walk around, work, and chatter.
HOW DO I GET THEM TO GO WITH ME?
Well, they never go willingly! Your briefcase can be a mighty coercive
argument though. Simply take out your briefcase and give that scientist a good
whack. He should now be slung over your shoulder and ready to start his new
career at your company!
*note: In S&I, scientists get heavy the more you have, that way it's a bit
harder to cap your enemies last. Additionally, the less scis you have the
lighter and easier to cap they'll be. It's a good balancing factor.
WHY IS THIS SCIENTIST SITTING ON THE GROUND?
Somebody slipped up and failed in their kidnapping attempt. When you're killed
while carrying a scientist, he'll remain conked out on the ground for a while
until he eventually wakes up and goes back to work. If you see any scientists
like this, make sure to walk over them, if you pick them up finish taking them
back to your base, if not, it's one of yours! Defend him!
*note: You'll know if you have a sci on your back by the little icon that
will appear on your HUD, pay attention as sometimes if the sci is light
you might not realize.
I GOT THE SCI BACK TO MY BASE, WHERE DO I TAKE HIM?
To the administrator of "Human Resources". You should notice signs in your
base, one of them should be "Human Resources". This office or area is usually
located in a central type place, or close to your spawn rooms. You'll know you
got it when you see a very pale looking man holding a briefcase just standing
around. To get the scientist ready and working, just walk through the man with
the briefcase (known as Gman) and he'll be glad to take him off your
shoulders. Your scientist will now appear in the labs ready to work!
*note: Enemy scientists can often bring cash bonuses to your company, or
better yet, information about enemy projects. It all depends on how hard
up your company is for information (i.e. how bad you're losing). If your
team is down and you're about to cap a sci, make sure to wait until the
current project is finished to capture the sci. If you do, the next
project will receieve a boost or finish entirely.
*------------------------------*
| Sabotaging Enemy Equipment |
*------------------------------*
WHY?
Sabotaging enemy equipment, while not only fun and rewarding (you can get
anywhere from 1-4 points for doing so), will hinder your foes production
speed, cost them cash, and in one case wipe all the progress for their current
project.
HOW DO I "SABOTAGE" EQUIPMENT?
Simply whip out your briefcase and go to work on their sensitivte equipment.
After a few strikes you'll get a satisfying crash and see their stuff break
apart.
WHAT MAPS CAN I DO THIS ON?
There are a number of maps that have the sabotage gameplay element, they are
si_mercato, si_metropolis, si_mill, si_mtg, si_rush, si_sewers, si_tundra, and
si_urban. I'll get into the locations of breakables further in this FAQ, rest
assured that you can't just break anything and everything you see.
*-----------------------------------*
| Capturing Technological Resources |
*-----------------------------------*
WHAT ARE RESOURCES?
Resources are special items that spawn on maps that will help your research
effort. There is quite a variety to resources, everything from fine paintings,
bottles of wine, and data CDs.
WHAT MAPS HAVE RESOURCES?
Maps that have resources are si_daybreak, si_mercato, si_overtime, si_sewers
and si_virus.
WHAT DO RESOURCES DO?
They can have different effects. For instance, you can find a large briefcase
of cash on si_sewers that will give your team more cash (duh). Data CDs can
finish projects, etc, etc.
I'VE GOT A RESOURCE, NOW WHAT?
Take it back to your human resources department and give it to the
administrator. You'll receieve some points and help your team as well.
*----------------------------*
| Capturing Enemy Technology |
*----------------------------*
WHY?
Capturing enemy technology will net you 2 points, also, it will further your
knowledge of that technology. Capture enough of a single technology and your
team can vote for it and research it very quickly or instantly depending on
how many you've captured.
HOW DO I KNOW IF IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY?
When you pick up weapons you haven't voted for yet, usually from a fallen foe,
you'll get a message on the screen informing you of such. After that the
choice is yours. I usually head back to cap it, so as not to die and let it go
to waste.
HOW DO I CAPTURE TECH ONCE I HAVE IT?
Head down to the "Human Resources" area (yes, where you take scientists) and
walk through the administrator with the weapon in your hands. He'll take it
off of you.
*------------------------------------*
| The Maps: Information and Strategy |
*------------------------------------*
MAP LISTING
The maps included with the 0.97a installer are:
- si_alley
- si_daybreak
- si_early
- si_hirise
- si_laser
- si_mercato
- si_metropolis
- si_military
- si_mill
- si_mtg (mindthegap)
- si_overtime
- si_rush
- si_sewers
- si_tundra
- si_urban
- si_virus
SI_ALLEY
Two large facilities set apart by a narrow alley. This map only features
scientist capturing. Research labs are easy to locate on the top floor of each
buildings, just keep climbing steps until you're there.
Voting strategy: The crossbow is important here, try to get that early.
Explosives can make your time on defense alot easier, try
to get tripmines and satchels as quick as possible.
SI_DAYBREAK
One of my all time favorites, daybreak. There are 2 huge bases here, each with
multiple entrances. This map features scientist and resource capping. Labs are
located in the basement, very large labs. The resources are data CDs and can
be found in a small room near the front of the base, at the end of the hallway
to your left as you exit spawn from the top exit. For more reference, the room
where the data CDs are kept is visible from the area where the van is parked
out front (the 2 windows above and on the right).
Voting strategy: The tau cannon is especially important here as it opens up
a new way to assault the base (down the fan vent) and a
new escape route (tauing out the back way near the fan
vent exit).
SI_EARLY
Two large labs face each other separated by a narrow street. There are lots of
different entry points here. The labs and respawns are covered in cool alien
life forms as well. This map only features scientist capping, the labs are
located at the back of the main building on the second floor, but can be
accessed from the basement and first floor via elevator.
Voting strategy: Crossbow important here, otherwise any basic strategy is
sound.
SI_HIRISE
Two hirise buildings next to each other separated by a small truck loading
zone. This map has a few points of entry, but it's flawed heavily as all lead
to the same place when heading for the labs. This map only has scientist
capturing. The labs are located across the large catwalk outside of spawn,
past the elevators and behind the wall.
Voting strategy: EXPLOSIVES! Yes, having tripmines and satchels will make
defense on this map a non issue. The sooner the better.
This is because all entry points to the base meet at the
same lab entrance with no alternative entry at all.
SI_LASER
One of the most balanced and well designed maps. Two large (and odd looking)
bases face each other, divided by a large ravine with a bridge crossing. This
map features only scientist capping. The labs are located at the back of the
base and on the 2nd floor. You can reach it by elevator or ramp.
Voting strategy: Tau cannon is pretty important here as it opens new
options for assaulting the labs.
SI_MERCATO
The corporations bring their turf war to Italy in this map. This is one of
the largest and coolest looking S&I maps. It features all 3 gameplay elements,
sci capping, resource capping, and equipment sabotage. The labs are located
underground in the wine cellar area, the entire wine cellar area. The resources
include a painting at the market square, and bottles of wine in the labs
themselves. Breakables are a coffee machine outside the labs and a
temperature controller on a wine barrel inside of the labs.
Voting strategy: Tau cannon. This map isn't really a map until you have the
tau. Once you do you can take to the skies for 2 extra
entry points to the enemy base, before that you have to
try a frontal assault which is easily defended.
SI_METROPOLIS
Two sexy bases in the middle of urban sprawl. Metropolis is probably the
smoothest and most balanced map around. It features scientist capping and
sabotage elements. The labs are located somewhat in the center of the base.
There are 2 breakable computers sitting on platforms in the labs, also a
generator that needs 2 people to access (they both have to hit the switches
at the same time to open the door).
Voting strategy: Any basic strategy will work good here. Don't neglect the
crossbow and try to get explosives to defend the labs.
SI_MILITARY
Ack, lagariffic. This map isn't very popular. There are 2 rather small bases
with big neato tanks in them (unusable, curses). There is only scientist
capping on this map, the labs are located on the right side of the base and
can be accessed by an underground route or a big hole in the wall on the bases
first floor.
Voting strategy: Just vote smart and that's enough.
SI_MILL
Classic map. Two large bases separated by a large back area littered with junk
and trailers. This map has scientist capping and sabotage. The labs are located
at the back of the base across the catwalk, or up the steps. It can also be
accessed by the vent entrance at the back of the alleyway on the right side of
the base. The breakables are in a small room at the top of the ladder on the
catwalk, just hit the button and wait for the door to open. Be quick however, as
the alarm will alert defenders.
Voting strategy: Tau cannon is nice, explosives are a major help on defense
SI_MTG (Mind the Gap)
This time the fighting spills over into a subway! Is there anywhere these
corporations won't take their war? This is one of the sexiest maps, especially
the trains on either side of the bases main choke points. This map has scientist
capping and sabotage. The labs are located alllllll the way at the back of the
base and can be reached from the front or the back by going through the train.
The breakable computers are in a small room at the opposite end of the hallway
leading to the labs.
Voting strategy: Crossbow and explosives, tau cannon if time after that.
SI_OVERTIME
Two very large buildings connected by skywalks. This can be one of the most
frantic maps as the labs are wide open to assault and escaping is fairly easy.
This map has scientist capping and resource capturing. The labs are located
on the entire first floor of the base, specifically the 2 rooms on the left
and right. The resource is inside a safe in the room with the administrator
on the 2nd floor. Just press the button on the desk and after an alarm sounds,
the safe will open, grab it and go.
Voting strategy: Grenades and crossbow, the is tau useful as well. Try to
tank up on armor so you're harder to take down, going in
to the labs, grabbing a sci and running WILL get alot of
defenders on you on this map, there is little cover.
SI_RUSH
Two big bases embedded in rock. The bases are overly large and a bit confusing,
I never really liked this map, it's pretty though. This map has scientist capping
and sabotage. The labs are located at the back of the base, along with the large
generator thing that you can break.
Voting strategy: Any basic strategy should be enough.
SI_SEWERS
The bases here are separated by a long and winding sewer tunnel. This is a well
designed map, but pretty boring to play on. This is one of the only S&I maps to
feature water. Sewers has all 3 gameplay elements, sci capping, sabotage and
resource capturing. The labs are located at the back of the base. There is a large
breakable even further back in the alternative entryway, and smaller breakables
inside a room in the labs themselves (the computer workstation consoles), there
is one more breakable behind the main spawn exit it is a water pump, destroy it
to flood the base. The resource is on the surface, take the ladders up to the
top then enter the building to find a briefcase full of cash.
Voting strategy: The crossbow is a must as it's the only gun that can fire
underwater.
SI_TUNDRA
In the artic wastelands the war goes on. The 2 bases here are underground and
are separated by a snowy field with a truck trailer in the middle, there is
also an alternative route that leads further underground through an icy cavern.
This map has scientist capping and sabotage. The labs are located on the bottom
floor and all the way at the back. Sabotage here is extremely important.
Breaking the 2 large standup computers in your opponents base will take away
their teleporters, without them they can't teleport into your base. Try to
destroy these as fast as possible to save yourself defensive woes. There is a
third breakable, a large computer situated at the back of the lab, break this
big puppy and it'll wipe all the progress on the current research project.
Voting strategy: Crossbow and explosives. Don't bother with tau as it's
near worthless. Bulk up on implants and armor.
SI_URBAN
The curvyness of it! Ahhh! This is a cool map. It has scientist capping and
sabotage. The labs are located on the ground floor inside a giant chamber with
a big laser thing of death, you really can't miss it. Sabotaging is important
here as it opens a new entry way and escape route (the laser guarded doorway
in the garage). The computers are at the far right side of the base, you can
break 4 that will hurt your enemy, the 5th on the right wall will open up the
laser door for your team to use, you should try to get the door open first as
it'll make your time easier if you're caught breaking things and have to come
back after getting killed.
Voting strategy: Tau cannon lets you escape from the conveyor belt area,
good to have.
SI_VIRUS
Better known as Science and Industry: Deathmatch. This tiny map is a fragfest.
It is a resource capture map, sort of experimental, but it can be wildly fun.
The resource is located in the center of the base, fairly easy to locate by
wandering around, it glows the color of your team. There is a third resource
that spawns in the ambulance outside, grab it for a project completion and a
cash boost. There is no way to get at the scientists here, you'll keep 3
throughout the whole match.
Voting strategy: Don't sweat it. You'll more than likely finish the entire
tech tree with 20 minutes left to spare.
*-----------------*
| Weapons Listing |
*-----------------*
S&I sports a hefty arsenal of weapons and gadgets at your disposal. Here is
a list with a few bits of info:
*note, there are a few differences in weapon designs forthcoming for
S&I. AFD has always been a more blue collar outfit, while MCL more white
collar. These differences are reflected in their weapon design styles,
but, each weapon is for all intents and purposes the same and functions
exactly the same, with no changes that would alter the teams too greatly
coming down the pipe.
BRIEFCASE
Ahh yes, the briefcase. One of the funnest melee weapons ever conceived.
Your briefcase serves many a purpose. As a trusty bludgeoning weapon, a one
shot blackjack for knocking out scientists before you sling them over your
shoulder, and a technology smasher as you break apart vital components of
your enemies labs. A security guard is lost without his trusty briefcase.
As the match and technologies progress, the briefcase will be more lethal
and will also allow you a kamikaze attack (if your team researches "C4
Explosive Briefcase") if you right click and take a swing, great in
desperate situations where you need one last bang to save that scientist.
As far as I know, the briefcase defaults to "briefcase cam", where your
camera will rest over your shoulder in a third person view. This is alot
better than the standard first person view for melee combat as you can see
more of the area around you, making it easier to track targets. If you
don't have a third person view when you take out your briefcase bring down
your console and type "cl_allowthirdperson 3", switch off it and switch
back and you should be good to go.
Research requirements: None
Research enhancements: C4 Explosive Briefcase, Bionic Muscle Fibre Implants
COLT DEFENDER
A standard sidearm, 7 shot pistol. At the start of the match, this is
sufficient enough to take down enemies in 3 shots, but as the match
progresses it will become near useless unless in low ammo situations where
you need a little more to take down a foe. This is a great starting gun, it
has little to no recoil and shoots perfectly straight, those sciboys sure
know how to cook up an efficient pistol.
Research requirements: None
Research enhancements: Optical Implants
ASSAULT SHOTGUN
Now we're talking! The combat shotgun holds 8 shots that can be fired
singularly or in pairs with the devatstating double blast by using
secondary fire. The shotgun eats away health and armor quickly and is
useful throughout the match.
Research requirements: None
Research enhancements: None
TOMMYGUN
A fully automatic machine gun. It holds 50 in the clip and has two firing
modes, fast and really fast. The former is more accurate than the latter.
The tommy is good at close range and at long ranges if you burst fire a
bit. Its fairly strong, great for finishing off targets.
Research requirements: Shotgun
Research enhancements: None
SNUZIS
Why are these called the SnUzis again? I forget, maybe I'll find out and
add it someday. The SnUzis are little handheld akimbo uzi-like weapons
affectionately called "staple guns". They hold 28 bullets and fire very
fast. They're basically the opposite of the Tommygun. They are more
accurate and less damaging. They're great at long ranges, to soak up armor
and health before an enemy is close enough to strike you back. By then he
should be 1 shotgun blast away from death. To fire both SnUzis, hold down
both primary and secondary fire, simple no?
Research requirements: Shotgun
Research enhancements: None
HAND GRENADES
These are the same basic handgrenades found in Halflife. You can carry up
to 8 of them at a time. Holding down primary fire button will let you prime
them, be careful, too long and they'll blow up in your hands. Secondary
fire will let you drop grenades straight to the ground and very quickly to
boot, great for covering your ass while escaping.
Research requirements: None
Research enhancements: None
CROSSBOW
If god had a weapon of choice, it'd be a crossbow (xbow). The xbow holds 5
in the clip and has devastating power. Shooting without being zoomed gives
you a dinky explosive bolt, useful for taking out tripmines and little
else. Use secondary fire to zoom in, now we're down to business. The xbow
bolt is deadly accurate, with the added zoom has great range, and is lethal
in 2-3 shots throughout most of the game. Later in the guide, i'll talk
quick sniping, but for now think of this as your standard sniper type
weapon.
Research requirements: Shotgun, Handgrenade
Research enhancements: Optical Implants
TAU CANNON/GAUSS GUN
Whatever you choose to call it, this gun is rocking. It uses cell ammo and
starts with 80 of them, but it eats up ammo quickly. Primary fire will give
you a small laser burst, it's weak, it's pathetic. Secondary fire (hold it
down) will let you charge up the tau and shoot a beam of death! This beam
is also good for getting around, which I'll explain in more detail in the tau
section.
Research requirements: Manufacturing Process Upgrade, Mindray
Research enhancements: None
SATCHEL CHARGES
Little bundles of death. These are great for defending your labs. Toss a
pile on the floor and wait for some unsuspecting intruder to go near them
and detonate. You start with 5 satchels. Left clicking once will throw one
down and give you the detonator switch. To throw more down, simply right
click. Left clicking while satchels are on the ground will detonate them
all at once. It only takes 3-4 satchels to kill anyone, so they're very
effective.
Research requirements: Hand Grenade, Transistor Radios
Research enhancements: None
FLESH EATING VIRUS
Little vials of flesh eating death. Toss one at an enemies feet and watch
the voracious cloud of green gas start consuming him. The FEV does
permenant health damage to anyone it hits, meaning not even the mighty
health charger will be able to bring them back to life fully until the next
time they're cloned. The secondary function of the FEV is a tad on the
suicidal side, but definitely worth it. Risking life and limb you pull a
vial and gulp it down to send your body into overdrive. Your speed is
nearly doubled as is your melee damage with the briefcase. This trick is
mighty nifty for escaping with scientists, so don't forget about it.
Research requirements: Cloning Method Upgrade
Research enhancements: None
TRIPMINES
They function the same as the tripmines in Halflife. Stick them to a wall,
floor or ceiling and you have instant defense. You and your team can't
trigger the team specific tripmines, so don't worry about plowing through
them to chase after intruders or get around. You can carry 5 tripmines. 3
will kill anyone and anything that crosses their path. Make sure to place
your tripmines smartly, along floors and in doorways and not just
everywhere. Enemies can easily turn them against your or your team by
shooting them while you're near them.
Research requirements: Satchel Charges
Research enhancements: None
ROCKET PISTOL
A lethal if cartoony pistol that is all business. The rocket pistol is a
great weapon to have. Primary fire will launch an arcing rocket at your
enemies that will explode upon impact. Though these explosions are weak in
comparison to other explosive devices in S&I, the pistol can fire off 4
rockets rather quickly for deadly results. Secondary fire will shoot all 4
rockets at once, rounding out the rocket pistol as one badass mofo.
*note as of SI0.97a, the poor rocket pistol is horribly bugged. Try to
fire your rockets at a downward angle and for gods sake don't use the
secondary function as 9 times outta 10, it will only kill YOU. These
things have been fixed in the upcoming SI0.98.
Research requirements: Shotgun, Tripmines
Research enhancements: None
LASER GUIDED RPG
The older brother of the rocket pistol. This is basically the same as the
RPG from Halflife. Primary fire will launch the rocket. Secondary will
toggle the laser guide on or off. This weapon is truly devastating, one of
the strongest in the game. You can hold 1 rocket in the weapon and 5
additional.
Research requirements: Rocket Pistol, Manufacturing Process Upgrade
Research enhancements: None
*-----------------------------*
| Devices and Other Gadgets |
*-----------------------------*
This section will cover everything else at your disposal in S&I, and there
is quite a bit. Your security guard can become James Bond near the end of a
match.
RADIO TRANSISTOR
What's more distracting to important scientific work than loud music? Place
these radios (they stick to surfaces like tripmines) all over enemy labs to
distract and annoy their scientists. Doing so will make them work slower
and make less money, very useful in tight games.
Research requirements: Handgrenades
Research enhancements: None
MINDRAY
In addition to being the stepping stone to getting the tau cannon (a useful
gun for any situation), the mindray is also a nifty device in its own
right. Head over to the nearest scientist in your labs and shoot him in the
head with this gadget to speed up his effeciency, up to 50% faster. Be
careful though, as this sucker can waste alot of cells, which are used for
the tau cannon.
*note in SI0.98, the mindray will operate on a battery much like the
flashlight from Halflife and not use up tau cannon cells anymore
Research requirements: Coffee Strength Upgrade or Satchel Charges
Research enhancements: None
GI DESTABILIZER
A supereffective vomit inducer. Very easy to use and hit targets with, this
gadget shoots out a concussive wave of intestinal fortitude dwindling
noise. When hit with this your screen will be covered over in vomit and
worse bodily fluids as it zooms in and out and generally leaves you
helpless, you'll also have your movement speed decreased by more than half.
Research requirements: Cloning Upgrade or Mindray
Research enhancements: None
PERSONAL CLOAK GENERATORS
Strap this puppy to your back and grab the trigger in your hand and
invisiblity is yours. You must stand still or move extremely slowly and in
bursts to stay completely invisible however, and scientists or resources
slung over your shoulder will not go invisible as well. Other than those
minor drawbacks, this is a great little device. You can use it to sneak
through tripmines without disturbing them as well. If you move while it's
activated, you'll become about 50% transparent instead of fully cloaked,
also, if you try to stay cloaked for too long, the device overheats and
begins zapping you.
Research requirements: Manufacturing Process Upgrade
Research enhancements: None
C4 BRIEFCASE BOMB
I was at a loss on where to place this item, it's not a weapon persay, ah
well. When your team has this researched, your briefcase is filled with c4.
When you hit secondary fire, you'll hear a small beep meaning it's ready
to blow. Use primary fire when in this mode to explode yourself. It does
the most damage in the game and can kill in one shot usually (hey, it has to).
Research requirements: Satchels
Research enhancements: None
EMP CANNON
This device is another useful non-lethal tool. The primary fire shoots out
a beam of electro magnetic energy that can tear through an enemies armor.
The secondary allows you to toss a cannister that will result in an
electromagnetic explosion disabling any satchel charges that are in its
viscinity.
*note: This weapon is from SI0.98, which is in beta testing as of now
Research requirements:
Research enhancements: None
*----------------------*
| The Rest of the Tech |
*----------------------*
I'll list out the rest of the tech tree here with brief explanations on each
techs benefits.
START RESEARCH
This is the first thing your team of scientists do. Before you can begin voting,
labs need to be setup, coffee mugs filled and big computers turned on and
crunching those 1's and 0's.
ARMOR UPGRADE MK1
Gives your team 25 armor and a slight speed decrease.
ARMOR UPGRADE MK2
Upgrades your team to 50 armor, again, speed decreases.
ARMOR UPGRADE Mk3
Upgrades to 75 armor, more speed loss.
ARMOR UPGRADE MK4
100 armor, yet you're a slow tank, literally.
UPGRADE COFFEE STRENGTH
Knocked out scientists wake up 5 seconds faster, they can work harder, but,
they recover from noise/disturbances slower.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS UPGRADE
Booyah, $25000 for researching this. Killed scientists are also cheaper to
replace and they earn $2 more a second. Replacing destroyed equipment costs
25% less as well.
PRODUCTION SPEED UPGRADE
Weapons and ammo respawn twice as fast. Health chargers will heal you faster,
destroyed equipment will come back faster (a blessing on urban and tundra,
but useless on other maps where having equipment does nothing really).
Scientists will also earn $3 more a minute.
CLONING METHOD UPGRADE
The cost of cloning and the time it takes are cut in half. Scientist rehiring
time is also cut in half. Health charger speed is increased.
PERSONAL AMMUNITION REPLICATORS
Regenerate ammo for your guns as you're walking around, very useful,
especially for the tau cannon.
PERSONAL AMMUNITION REPLICATORS MK2
Regenerate ammo even faster.
REGENERATIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY
You can regenerate your health by 2 points every few seconds. Scientists
also regenerate, gain 25 max health and can now heal you. Health charger
speed is increased, but, so are cloning costs.
ADVANCED REGENERATIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY
Further increases your regeneration rate and health charger speed.
REGENERATIVE ARMOR TECH
Regenerate 1 armor every few seconds.
REGENERATIVE ARMOR TECH MK2
Regenerate 2 more armor every few seconds.
CYBERNETIC LEG IMPLANTS
Increases your speed by 35, but, adds on $50 to cloning costs.
CYBERNETIC LEG IMPLANTS MK2
Increases speed by another 20, decreases fall damage by 20%, cloning
costs $25 more.
BIONIC MUSCLE FIBER REPLACEMENTS
Player and scientist max health is increased by 25. Melee damage
(briefcase) is increased by 100%! Cloning costs an additional $25.
EXOSKELETAL IMPLANTS
Player and sci max health boosted by another 25 to round you out at 150.
Cloning costs increased by another $25.
OCULAR IMPLANTS
Precision weapons (colt, xbow) receive a boost of 20% in damage. With
these you also get enhanced identifying abilities so great that you
can see your enemies remaining health and armor as well as their name.
Cloning costs rise by another $25.
*note: As of si0.97a, the zoom function with oculars doesn't work
correctly. When it's fixed, you'll be able to set your own zoom
distance at will, once your team has researched these.
*------------------*
| The Tau Cannon |
*------------------*
WHY THE TAU CANNON?
You may be asking yourself, "How can a single weapon necessitate an entire
section?", well, this is no ordinary gun. Aside from it's devastating power,
it has a few abilities that should be explained out in it's own section.
TAU JUMPING
If you've played any Halflife Deathmatch, you know what this glorious passtime
is, if not, i'll explain. Tau jumping involves charging the tau cannon, then
releasing the beam beneath you while jumping. If done correctly, you should
notice yourself flying at a zillion miles per hour. Practice this if you plan
on playing S&I, it's a very important skill. Just look for high ledges and
windows and try to land on/inside them.
WHAT IS THE "NUKE EFFECT"?
The tau cannon comes equipped with the cheapest and most awesome ability ever,
tau nuke. Shooting the tau cannon through a thin wall, or through the corner
of a wall at an angle, or through a step, a railing, anything with the properties
of matter, will result in the beam "coning" out the other side and hitting damn
near everything around it. There is a simple way to test and witness the effects
of the tau nuke. Place a tripmine on the ground near a wall or just a bit behind
the corner of a wall. Now charge and fire into the corner. Even if you shoot
nowhere near the tripmine, the cone of "nuke" will hit it, setting it off.
HOW STRONG IS THE "NUKE EFFECT"?
As strong, if not stronger, than the tau cannon itself. Many a times i've gibbed
people through corners with only a half charged shot. I'm not sure on the
exactness, it could only be as strong as the normal charge, but it definitely
feels like more.
*---------------------------------*
| Miscellaneous Info and Strategy |
*---------------------------------*
The everything else section of the FAQ where I can mention varous tidbits
of info.
SO WHAT IS A "GOOD" VOTING STRATEGY?
Well, that's a good question. Lots of people like to vote for guns first,
leaving them vulnerable but lethal. Others like to vote armor as fast as
possible and rely on their pistols and perhaps shotguns to get the job done.
What works best is a mixture of armor, weapons and implants. The most common
voting scheme I like to follow is:
-Armor 1
-Armor 2
-Shotgun
-Armor 3
-Regen Biotech
-Legs 1
-Bionic Muscles
-Prod Speed Upgrade
-Legs 2
That's usually what I try to get established, it's a nice base for moving
into any other area of the tech tree, you're fast, strong, with good armor
and a good weapon (the shotgun), not to mention the beefed up briefcase that
comes with bionic muscles. This strategy has won myself and my clan many a
match. What's important though, is experimentation. Don't neglect things like
the GI and the cloak, or radios for that matter. Everything is in the game
for a reason, try stuff out, S&I is a game of infinite strategy.
HOW DO YOU TAU DOWN THE FAN VENT IN DAYBREAK?
Argh! I still have trouble with this one every once in a while. It's a great
way to assault the labs on daybreak, but it's hard to pull off as well. Try
to position yourself perfectly aligned with the fan, now charge the tau and
aim it at the ground, but not so much that you'll fly over the vent. When
it's good and charged walk backwards, jump, and shoot. As soon as you shoot
that beam, begin charging another, the first will only carry you so far down
the vent. Once you're in the vent, shoot the second beam at the ceiling to
help finish your descent. If done correctly, you'll be able to pop out at the
bottom. If not, the fan will spit you back out onto the roof. The hardest
part is the first shot and aiming correctly into the vent, good luck!
WHAT ARE WEAPON BINDS?
Weapon binds are commands that switch to different weapons. You can bind a key
to "weapon_briefcase" and when you hit that key, you'll switch to the briefcase,
no fuss, no muss.
ARE THEY CHEATING?
NO! NO! NO! This has been a debate forever in the S&I community. Are binds cheating.
Of course they aren't. They just let you switch to weapons with a keypress instead
of a mousewheel roll, or a slot key hit. Most people have this idea that "weaponbinds"
are all these scripts that switch to different weapons and shoot for you and all kinds
of crazy stuff, they're not. It's just a convenient way to switch to the MASSIVE
amount of weapons you get in S&I.
WHAT ARE THE BINDS?
The weapon bind commands are:
"weapon_colt" - Colt Defender
"weapon_briefcase" - Briefcase
"weapon_shotgun" - Shotgun
"weapon_crossbow" - Crossbow
"weapon_tommygun" - Tommygun
"weapon_snUZI" - SnUZIs (you must leave the capitalization in the bind)
"weapon_rocketpistol" - Rocket Pistol
"weapon_rpg" - Rocket Launcher
"weapon_cloak" - Cloak Generator
"weapon_satchel" - Satchel Charge
"weapon_gauss" - Tau Cannon
"weapon_mindray" - Mindray
"weapon_tripmine" - Tripmines
"weapon_handgrenade" - Grenades
"weapon_vomit" - GI Destabillizer
"weapon_fev" - Flesh Eating Virus
"weapon_empcannon" - EMP Cannon (only in SI0.98)
HOW DO I BIND A KEY?
Bring down your console and type:
bind <the key you want> <the command>
Don't forget to put the quotation (" ") marks around the command or it
won't work.
WHAT IS QUICKSNIPING?
Quicksniping is a method of using the crossbow in close range battles.
You switch quickly to the crossbow and shoot a bolt very "quickly".
IS THIS CHEATING?
Of course not, you're using abilities and commands in the game. It
involves no scripts, or h4x or anything, it's just using commands in
the game.
HOW DO I DO IT?
It helps to have a key bound to the crossbow so that you can unleash
the quicksnipe when it's most unexpected in close range battles. As
for the action itself, just have the crossbow out, then hit your
secondary fire, then primary fire buttons in succession very quickly
(usually mouse2 then mouse1). What should happen is you zoom and fire
the bolt quickly. When you combine this action with the crossbow weapon
bind you get a truly devastating attack that, with the use of other
weapon binds, can be comboed with any weapon.
*------------------------------*
| The Bitter End & Legal Stuff |
*------------------------------*
Thanks for reading my guide. I hope you found at least one tidbit of
info to help you in your Science and Industry career. If not feel
free to send any hateful hateful emails to
[email protected].
Thanks to VBJ, SalsaShark, Bo, Nas, Cuppy and all of ATG, The Bunnehs
and even the evil empire, IKM, for being part of an awesome online
gaming community. And props to PNB and the dev team, keep up the
awesome work!
Alot of technical info came from the official Science & Industry site
here: www.planethalflife.com/si
If you're an IRC junkie, you can see the horrid channel at #s_i on
GamesNET.
I got the ASCII art by using the awesome generator here:
http://www.network-science.de/ascii/
LEGAL STUFF
This guide is copyright of Mark J.
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or
otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
(Thanks Ceej :D)
