-SOLDAT-
FAQ/Guide
Version 1.6
Written by Nathan Mifsud
THIS GUIDE IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED.
THE LAST ACCURATE VERSION WAS OCTOBER 2005.
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|- 1. Table of Contents -| [TC001]
--------------------------
NOTE: To help you get to what you want quicker, I assigned 5-character codes to
each different section, so press CTRL+F and type in the code to skip to that
particular section.
1. Table of Contents [TC001]
2. Copyright Information [CI002]
3. Game Overview [GV003]
4. General Play [GP004]
4.1. Controls [C0041]
4.2. Player Commands [PC042]
4.3. Heads Up Display [HUD43]
4.4. Game Options [GS044]
5. Game Modes [GM005]
5.1. Deathmatch [DM051]
5.2. Teammatch [TM052]
5.3. Pointmatch [PM053]
5.4. Rambomatch [RM054]
5.5. Capture the Flag [CTF55]
5.6. Infiltration [I0056]
6. Weapons & Bonuses [WB006]
6.1. Weapons [W0061]
6.2. Bonuses [B0062]
7. General Advice [GA007]
8. Credits [CRE08]
9. Conclusion [CON09]
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|- 2. Copyright Information -| [CI002]
------------------------------
This entire file is copyright 2005 Nathan Mifsud.
This file 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.
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|- 3. Game Overview -| [GV003]
----------------------
Soldat is a game for PC that was made by Michal Marcinkowski. It is basically
freeware, but you can get minor improvements (such as using your own mp3 music
as background music in-game) by paying a small amount to the creator. (I
encourage you to do this if you have means available). The game is obtainable
by going to the following website:
http://www.soldat.pl
The game itself is quite unique; it is 2D, using elements from games like
Liero, Worms, Counter-Strike and Quake, and the view can best be described as
ant-farm like; you look at your character from the side, and the arenas are
like a cross-section, thus the need for the jetback, an interesting addition to
the game which changes gameplay a fair bit.
There are several different modes, such as the normal Deathmatch and Teammatch,
but it has other modes like Infiltration and Rambomatch (see below again). You
use several different guns, like the famous Desert Eagle and the AK74 (not a
typo, the AK74 is a modification of the AK47, look it up). You also have
grenades, and nifty bonuses that can change the course of the game.
The game can be played against bots, which are fun, but soon you will only have
challenges against Hard and "Impossible" difficulties, so if possible try
playing over humans over a LAN or the Internet.
These are the minimum specifications needed to run Soldat:
- PC, with a keyboard and mouse
- 333MHz processor
- Video accelerator that can run Direct3D
- Graphics card compatible with DirectX 8.1
- 32 MB RAM
- Some free hard drive space
- Sound card
- Network card or modem
- Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
- Microsoft DirectX 8.1
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|- 4. General Play -| [GP004]
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--- 4.1. Controls --- [C0041]
The following are the default controls of the game, which can be changed by
going to the 'PLAYER' tab.
A : Run left
D : Run right
W : Jump
S : Crouch
Left mouse button : Fire
Right mouse button : Fly
E : Grenade (you can hold it down to delay throwing)
F : Throw away the weapon you're holding
X : Go into prone position
Q : Switch to secondary weapon
R : Reload
T : Chat
TAB : Activate/deactivate weapons menu while waiting for respawn
/ : Enter command (see below)
F1 : Players list with scores
F2 : Player status
F3 : Statistics (such as FPS, ping and network bandwith)
F4 : Takes a screenshot
F5 : Stops/plays music
F6 : Previous music track
F7 : Next music track
F8 : Record/stop demo
F9 : Minimize the game
F10 : Pause game
ESC : Stops the game and shows the game menu
Also, you can press ALT and either a, b, c etc. or 1, 2, 3 etc. to 0 to make
chat taunts or commands.
--- 4.2. Player Commands --- [PC042]
These are the player commands that you can enter after pressing [/] but there
are many server and client-server commands which you can find detailed on the
website.
KILL : suicide
BRUTALKILL : more bloody suicide
SMOKE : player lights a cigar (type again to end it)
TABAC : player chews some tobacco
TAKEOFF : player takes off his helmet
VICTORY : player cheers
PAUSE : pauses the game
--- 4.3. HUD (Heads Up Display) --- [HUD43]
The Heads Up Display consists of 3 basic bars, and usually a few numbers.
The health bar is in the bottomleft corner. This is self-explanatory; it
decreases upon being hit (or falling long distances if you are in realistic
mode, see game options below). It can also be replenished by getting a health
bonus (see bonuses section).
The middle bar is yellow, and represents the ammunition of the weapon you have.
Once you use all your ammo, the bar will slowly refill (or quickly, depending
on the weapon) until you can use it again. (However, some guns, like the
shotguns, can be shot while reloading). The small gold bar underneath the
yellow one is the time interval between shots, but this isn't really needed and
you won't end up referring to it often. The green dots to the left of the gold
bar are grenades. You may start with some (depending on your settings), but
nonetheless you can easily get more by obtaining the grenade bonus (see bonuses
section below).
The bar on the right is simply jetpack fuel, so save some for a quick getaway,
don't waste it. You can use it while the bar is refilling though, it doesn't
have to be full. (It is continually slowly refilling).
Don't let this information bog you down though; once you get playing it's quite
simple.
--- 4.4. Game Options --- [GS044]
There are many settings/options, and most you can figure out for yourself. (For
example, the loop checkbox next to the map menu simply means looping the maps;
simple, eh?). Other options are not as obvious. Refer to the section below to
find the more complex options.
BULLET TIME
WHERE: In the settings tab.
WHAT: A Matrix-like setting. When ALL players are able to fit on the screen at
once (e.g. they are all in close-quarters) then it will slow down and black
bars will appear on the top and bottom of the screen, obscuring the HUD and
making it film-like.
COMMENTS: Nice effect, not needed. Not to mention it rarely happens (especially
if you play with 8 people or more). I turned it off.
SURVIVAL MODE
WHERE: Above the bot list.
WHAT: There is no respawning in this mode. After a player is killed he has to
wait until there is one man standing or one team left alive and then the round
ends and everybody respawns again. Much like Counter-Strike.
COMMENTS: This depends on what you like. If you like doing suicide missions,
like me, and fast games, like me, don't use this. If you want a longer,
possibly more tactical game, try this.
REALISTIC MODE
WHERE: Above the bot list.
WHAT: This mode is a lot harder than you might think. The following things take
effect in this mode:
- Players have lower health than normal
- You get damage for falling
- You see only what your player sees, so it's a bit like fog of war.
- Weapons have recoil. (After a shot your cursor goes up).
- No special bonuses.
COMMENTS: I don't play this mode against bots because they aren't very good,
but if you get a chance to play online or across a network, give it a try.
ADVANCE MODE
WHERE: Above the bot list.
WHAT: You cannot use primary weapons until you have a certain amount of kills
using your secondary weapon. (Change the advance amount).
COMMENTS: This is OK, probably only use it against human players, otherwise you
can easily chainsaw your way to a primary weapon.
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|- 5. Game Modes -| [GM005]
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--- 5.1. Deathmatch --- [DM051]
AIM: Get the set amount of kills before anyone else.
COMMENTS: My favourite match when playing bots, this is a quick match in most
cases and you can get used to the maps by playing several deathmatches on a
loop system.
--- 5.2. Teammatch --- [TM052]
AIM: Get the set amount of points (combined team effort) before any other team.
COMMENTS: Another good match, especially when playing friends. Also, if the
bots are getting a bit easy for you, try making them all go against you!
--- 5.3. Pointmatch --- [PM053]
AIM: Get the set amount of points before anyone else. While holding the flag,
you get double points (i.e. 2 points for a kill), but you can also get massive
amounts of point based on a multiplier; e.g. a double kill gets you double
points, triple kill gets you 4 times as many points, and so on up to 6 kills in
a row getting you 64 points!!
COMMENTS: Although not my favourite type of game, if you find yourself getting
lots of multiple kills this mode may be the one for you.
--- 5.4. Rambomatch --- [RM054]
AIM: Get the set amount of points before anyone else, but only the person
holding John Rambo's bow get points for kills.
COMMENTS: The bow is extremely good, so if you get it expect to be hunted! See
the weapons section for more information. When playing on the internet,
Rambomatch can be a lot more challenging. Some people just use the Barret to
kill someone as soon as they pick up the flag (and they get a point for these
types of kills). One way to prevent this is to shoot they back and then pick it
up, but I let you find a way to deal with it. Another strategy that is useful
is always using a knife as a secondary weapon in these matches, as you need to
throw your weapons to pick up the bow, and remember that knives can be one-hit
kills when thrown!
--- 5.5. Capture the Flag --- [CTF55]
AIM: Capture the other teams flag and bring it back to your base.
COMMENTS: This is a fun, team effort, as the other team will be going for the
flag held at your base while you are getting theirs, which means you may want
to assign people to defend the flag. This is the most played type of game on
the internet, and you'll find there are several strategies depending on which
map you are on.
--- 5.6. Infiltration --- [I0056]
AIM: [Alpha Team] To capture the black flag held in the other teams base and
bring it back to the white flag held at your base. [Beta Team] Protect the
black flag; prevent the Alpha team from getting it back.
COMMENTS: Another fun match, though not so much so with the bots, who are
extremely dum on certain maps. If you are the Alpha team, teamwork is the key.
The Beta team also needs teamwork, but doing things like positioning a team
member near the white flag (to kill any Alpha members that might get the black
flag close to their base) can make a difference.
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|- 6. Weapons & Bonuses -| [WB006]
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--- 6.1. Weapons --- [W0061]
There are a fair number of different weapons in the game, and each have their
own advantages and disadvantages. I will try to give them in the section below.
PRIMARY WEAPONS
// Desert Eagles
RELOAD TIME: 1.5 sec
CAPACITY: 7
SHOTS/SECOND: 3
COMMENTS: One of my personal favourite weapons, these only need 2-4 shots to
kill someone, and they reload pretty fast. On maps with a lot of ground and not
much jet boost, I combine this with a chainsaw and get plenty of multikills.
// HK MP5
RELOAD TIME: 1.75 sec
CAPACITY: 30
SHOTS/SECOND: 10
COMMENTS: My favourite submachine-gun in the game, this baby is very fast, and
has a pretty good reloading time to boot. I generally run in blazing and then
fly while it's reloading so I can shoot again when I land. If you are playing a
game with less than 6 people, you might find short bursts work better.
// AK-74
RELOAD TIME: 2.5 sec
CAPACITY: 40
SHOTS/SECOND: 6
COMMENTS: I don't like this gun very much, as it has a slow firing rate and a
long reloading time. It's roughly a third more powerful than the HK though, so
if you are quite accurate it can be deadly in most situations, considering it
has a large clip.
// Steyr AUG
RELOAD TIME: 1.91 sec
CAPACITY: 30
SHOTS/SECOND: 9
COMMENTS: Not bad, but there isn't much reason to choose this over the HK. It
is quite a lot faster, but that means the clip is chewed up quicker and this
gun has a longer reloading time. It isn't even as powerful as the HK. I find
myself using it more in Rambomatches though because it is slightly more
accurate.
// Spas-12
RELOAD TIME: 2.91
CAPACITY: 7
SHOTS/SECOND: 2
COMMENTS: Another really good gun. It is powerful, and though slow, it gives
time for you to line up the next shot. You can also shoot while reloading.
Probably the best gun in close range, even with a 7-bullet clip, because it
only takes 2 or 3 shots to take someone down with this thing.
// Ruger-77
RELOAD TIME: 1.25 sec
CAPACITY: 4
SHOTS/SECOND: 2
COMMENTS: A good rifle, which is extremely powerful (almost 4 times that of the
submachine-guns). It is also faster than any of the aforementioned; so it is a
good choice for a crack shot. Useful in Deathmatches and Rambomatches, but in
Capture the Flag with a lot of people consider something else.
// M79
RELOAD TIME: 3 sec
CAPACITY: 1
SHOTS/SECOND: 1 per 3 seconds
COMMENTS: Ah, the famous grenade-launcher of the Vietnam War. Bots abuse this
gun like crazy, and with over 100 times the power of the submachine-guns, why
wouldn't they? If you are on the receiving end of this, make sure you abuse the
long reload time, because you probably will only get one chance to live. In
various Capture the Flag matches, people use the power to their advantage to
get to otherwise impossible to reach places. Jump or jet into the air and
before you hit the ground shoot directly below you and you will shoot off into
the air. It takes out health though, but with practice this won't be much of a
problem.
// Barret M82A1
RELOAD TIME: 5 sec
CAPACITY: 10
SHOTS/SECOND: 1 per 4 seconds
COMMENTS: This sniper rifle can pierce armour tanks. Most "noobies" are accused
of abusing this weapon, but if you don't camp (ie. stay in one place hidden and
try to pick people off) most people won't mind. It's a one-hit kill, so use
that to your advantage and give yourself time to line the shot up. To gain
better accuracy, crouch or go prone.
// M249/FN Minimi
RELOAD TIME: 4.16 sec
CAPACITY: 50
SHOTS/SECOND: 7
COMMENTS: A solid machinegun, but because of its start-up time you should press
fire just before you go into battle. Also, be careful to be out of the way
while reloading.
// XM214 Minigun
RELOAD TIME: 6 sec
CAPACITY: 100
SHOTS/SECOND: 15
COMMENTS: Normally mounted on helicopters, the rate this thing burns out
bullets shows. Once again, be wary (or take advantage) of the start-up time on
this, which is 0.83 seconds. If you don't care about dying, I find you can just
run in blazing, get a few kills, and someone conveniently saves reload time by
killing you.
SECONDARY WEAPONS
// USSOCOM
RELOAD TIME: 1.08
CAPACITY: 12
SHOTS/SECOND: 5
COMMENTS: Good clip with powerful bullets, though it comes with a slow firing
rate. Not bad, but not the best.
// Combat Knife
RELOAD TIME: -
CAPACITY: -
SHOTS/SECOND: -
COMMENTS: One hit kill. Best used when in Predator mode (see below). Use the
throw weapon button to get a (usually) one-hit kill.
// M72 LAW
RELOAD TIME: -
CAPACITY: -
SHOTS/SECOND: -
COMMENTS: Fires a missile, which explodes on impact. Although amazingly
powerful, not recommended because of slow reload and start-up times. Use crouch
or prone to fire it.
// Chainsaw
RELOAD TIME: -
CAPACITY: -
SHOTS/SECOND: -
COMMENTS: Awesome weapon, my favourite secondary. An almost instant kill if you
run someone through with it. On some maps I combine it with the Desert Pistols
to great effect - fire a few times to weaken them as you're running in, and
finish them with the chainsaw!
SPECIAL WEAPONS
// Rambo Bow
RELOAD TIME: 0.41 sec
CAPACITY: 1
SHOTS/SECOND: 2-6
COMMENTS: Almost as powerful as the sniper rifle, but capable of chewing out
shots in less than a quarter of the time, this thing is dangerous. Press the
change weapon key to get exploding arrows.
NOTE: Only available in Rambomatches.
// Flamethrower
RELOAD TIME: -
CAPACITY: -
SHOTS/SECOND: -
COMMENTS: This obviously sets other players on fire, so they usually die even
after they kill you.
NOTE: Only available through a bonus.
OTHER WEAPONS
// Fists
RELOAD TIME: -
CAPACITY: -
SHOTS/SECOND: -
COMMENTS: Only use as a last resort. You will sometimes find you kill people
with this even when you still have weapons - I think it reverts to it
automatically if you are close enough.
// Fragmentation Grenades
RELOAD TIME: -
CAPACITY: -
SHOTS/SECOND: -
COMMENTS: These are the normal grenades you start with, and they can be deadly.
If you know you are going to lose, maybe throw a grenade before you die and get
a kill or two.
--- 6.2. Bonuses --- [B0062]
There are several different types of bonuses, and most are very helpful. To use
them, simply run over them.
// Medipack
DESCRIPTION: White box with a red cross.
EFFECT: Restores you back to full health.
COMMENTS: If you see one of these in the midst of battle, try charging through
on a suicide mission, and end up picking this up on the way, leaving you in a
much better position than the people remaining.
// Bulletproof Vest
DESCRIPTION: Brown box with dark blue circle-like shape on it.
EFFECT: Acts as a sort of second health bar, which is used quickly but can make
a big difference.
COMMENTS: Better than a poke with a rusty nail to be sure.
// Grenades
DESCRIPTION: Green box with a grenade shape on it.
EFFECT: It contains the maximum amount of grenades you are allowed to carry.
COMMENTS: These are abundant so don't be afraid to use all your grenades.
// Cluster Grenades
DESCRIPTION: Yellow box with yellow grenade shape on it.
EFFECT: A cluster means 3 grenades, which release shrapnel upon impact.
COMMENTS: Make sure you don't throw these right in front of you, or chances are
your neck will enjoy a pleasant breeze shortly thereafter. I suggest throwing
them off the side of a landmass, into the (somewhat) innocent people below.
// Predator
DESCRIPTION: Blue box with a silver shape on it.
EFFECT: Lasts for 25 seconds. You are invisible until hit by a stray bullet,
and become transparent if you fire or fly too much. Your gun will also be
silenced.
COMMENTS: A blessing in Capture the Flag, but good in other modes too,
especially when it is only one person you are trying to do in!
// Beserker
DESCRIPTION: Dark red box with a red shape on it.
EFFECT: Makes your weapons four times as strong for 15 seconds.
COMMENTS: One word: AWESOME! This bonus is crazy, especially if you have a
shotgun or submachine-gun handy (as you almost always should). Let loose and
kill your enemies in one or two shots!!
// Flame God
DESCRIPTION: Brown box with yellow flame on it.
EFFECT: You become invincible for 15 seconds, and get to wield the awesome
flamethrower!
COMMENTS: Throw yourself into the battle without risk! You can rack up
multikills in a matter of seconds with this bonus.
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|- 7. General Advice -| [GA007]
-----------------------
- Try to fall into battles when possible, and shoot as you come down. Useful
when you have a machine gun.
- Reload as often as possible, especially when no-one as there, because you
will be ready for a fight.
- Watch out for grenades, bots (and humans for that matter) often throw these
before you kill them.
- Use terrain as cover, and when against humans, prone/crouch often so they
can't see you as well.
- Get used to a few different weapons. I recommend getting used to a
submachine-gun, a shotgun, and the chainsaw. Learning to use the rifle when in
harder games is good too.
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|- 8. Credits -| [CRE08]
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Thanks to Michal for making such an addictive game, thanks to GameFAQs for
hosting this guide, and credits to the Soldat Manual, which gave me weapon
statistics.
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|- 9. Conclusion -| [CON09]
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This guide is no longer being edited, and I have no desire to update it so my
email is no longer available on this guide.
