| Quazatron |
Spectrum
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Tips - by Steve Turner |
The Opening Game
KLP-2 is extremely vulnerable until a grapple game has been won. Once achieved, this gives an extra 'life' as you automatically win the droid's security device. The first priority is to pick a low class droid and grapple it. If you lose the interfaced parts, seek an easy grapple immediately. X9 is the easiest droid to grapple and A1 is the hardest.
Building Up KLP-2
KLP-2 burns out its power supply every few minutes, so you should replace it whenever recharging on an energy plate ceases to be effective. If you load up with powerful equipment, you need a heavy duty power supply of KLP-2 will burn out even quicker than usual. When choosing equipment after winning a grapple game, it is beneficial to build a balanced droid. It is best to improve the power supply first then the weaponry. If you have a really good power supply then improve the drive unit and KLP-2 will have extra speed. Remember - better equipment is heavier and slows KLP-2 down.
The Data Library
This contains information about the droids and the equipment they carry. The data library also contains a data screen for each part of a droid. The weight (or if a drive unit, the thrust) is given, as well as the power usage (or power supply, if a power unit). This allows you to evaluate the different parts and find out which is best. There are also other hints in the notes. Study them well.
Using the Weapons
If you are clever you can shoot droids on the next level - or terrace - up. They may retaliate but their guns will fire over your head. Lie in wait for the fast droids below a narrow corridor and you'll get many shots at them. Blasting away at them in open areas is pretty useless.
Learn which droids are affected by each weapon. Each of the four missile weapons are of different power. The single beam laser, for instance, only zaps the lowest eight droids. You can see if a droid is affected by watching the speed of the rotating headpiece. If it slows down the droid has lost energy. Some take many hits to destroy.
Ramming
If you have a higher grade chassis you can damage any droid or push it off course and over an edge. This is a quick and easy way of eliminating the lower droids. But if you have a low grade chassis be careful not to collide with anything!
The Grapple Game
To master this you need a combination of arcade speed and cunning. Choose an opponent with care and only attempt to grapple droids close to KLP-2's current class number. For instance, if you have just grappled an X9, or are just starting off, don't try to grapple anything above an R7. Remember, the lower the number, the higher the class of droid. As a reminder, the number of the last successfully grappled droid is displayed by the side of the score.
When the grapple screen is displayed, use the preliminary time to study each side. Choosing the best side is usually VERY important.
Here are some good features to watch out for in the grapple screen:
A colour in the centre that the other side can not reach - especially if it is already of the right colour.
Splitters.
Autopulsers
A colour switcher on the OTHER side. Let the enemy work for you.
Decide on the side with the most good features, then use the rest of the 'study' time to decide if there are any lines you can shoot down straight away. When the shooting starts, shoot first any autopulser you want to activate because they do not run out. Then shoot any line that the enemy cannot reach. Save other shots until the last few moments, or until the enemy has committed all his shots. If you have many more shots to fire than the droid you are grappling, follow the enemy and shoot where he shoots. Being last your shot will last longer and will cancel out the enemy shots.
Occasionally it is better to play for a draw in the hope that you are offered a more advantageous game next time. The more lines you win, the better the chance of winning the droid's equipment, so every shot counts.
Points
Destroying several droids in quick succession raises the alert status thereby earning you bonus points. Use the grapple game or a disruptor - if you can win one - to do this.
Overall Strategy
Don't destroy all the the small droids first. Build up KLP-2 as quickly as you can and go after the high class droids. You need some small droids for rebuilding if you burn out your interfaced parts. You can always eliminate them later with a disruptor. Try to finish all eight levels with a high class droid because you will keep the droid when you are transported to the next citadel.
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