0
Chucking a grenade at an onrushing cluster of besuited adversaries and watching
them explode balletically across your field of view; launching yourself a
hundred
feet in the air then glancing down to hail laser death at a hapless guard who
only
has time to look up and murmur 'What the+?' before you end his dreary life;
setting charges on the wall of an enemy installation then running away, turning
back momentarily to enjoy the sight of said building detonating spectacularly!
Ah
yes, Terra Nova has many, many pleasures to offer the discerning gamer.
It's been carefully designed to allow you to complete most missions using a
number of different approaches - a stealthy sneak here, a heavily-armed assault
there - and as a result, you need only master a few basic techniques and get
used
to the control system, and you should find your way through the game fairly
easily.
But there are a few missions where things get a bit complicated, and many people
can get stuck. To prevent you suffering a similarly humiliating fate, examine
the
illustrated solutions to these tricky six missions on the second and third pages
of
this guide. First, though, arm yourself with some indispensable basic
instruction.
General strategy
The golden rule is to engage the enemy on your own terms. If they're standing
still, locate them (preferably using a long-distance EM scan), then jump in, all
guns blazing, and surprise them. If they're moving towards you, pull back,
preferably behind a hill, then ready yourself, switch to your heavy weapons, and
hit as they crest the ridge. Never, ever, let them get in the first shot.
Keep moving, as this obviously makes you a harder target. And the sooner you
can perfect a circling motion, running backwards while turning right and sliding
left to keep a target in your sights as you move around it continuously, the
sooner
you'll win the game.
There are a number of missions where you need to take a specialist with you in
order to destroy an installation, or perform some other critical task, and
you'll
often find yourself cursing when they take a few hits, panic, and evac,
effectively
aborting the mission. To avoid this, simply order mission-critical personnel to
remain at the dropsite until you've cleared the way for them. This may give you
a
few more bad guys to engage yourself, but you'll avoid the frustration of having
a
demolitions expert persistently run out on you after ten hard-fought minutes.
Be prepared
A mission can be won or lost, even before it's begun, at the team and equipment
selection screen. Sometimes you'll be forced to make some pre-defined choices;
more usually, you'll have a free hand.
You'll find team selection significantly easier if you can keep all your
personnel
unhurt in every mission. Don't worry too much if you can't manage it - essential
team members will always return to duty as soon as they're required to complete
a
particular mission - but the more people you do lose the more you'll find
yourself
picking demolitions specialists when you wanted weapons experts, and losing
team members as a result of the collective's decreased accuracy. It's a vicious
circle that should be avoided wherever possible - after all, it usually only
takes a
few minutes to re-play a mission once you've cracked it, and complete it without
loss the second time around.
Equipment choices are a matter of taste, but if you're in doubt then pick the
heavy
suit - it's much harder to make mistakes inside one of these damage-absorbing
exoskeletons. Similarly, pack damage prevention ASFs - first the Dynamo, then
the Personal Shield - if you reckon you're going to have any trouble. All the
other
devices may look slightly cooler, but you don't get points for style - just
survival.
When picking weapons, choose a short-range weapon, a long-range weapon and a
projectile weapon then, if you've got a spare slot, fit an EM Emitter. The 'The
tools of the trade' table above should remind you of each weapon's capabilities,
but I'd strongly recommend you fit a Particle Beam, wherever possible, in all
your
suits, as its long range makes it invaluable for knocking out turrets from a
distance. The Laser and Fusion Rifle are best for close-quarter combat -
obviously
- but should also be used for taking down drones, since the other weapons' fire
rates make them too slow to pick off the speeding robots effectively.
Mission 17 - Operation Conductor
Here's one of Terra Nova's earliest attempts to wrongfoot you - and it usually
works. The briefing states that you're to meet with a guarded convoy, but when
you turn up there's nothing but a few blackened patches of grass, and no convoy
for miles. Less capable squad leaders have been known to wander the landscape
for days, but all you need to do is follow the road south, take the right-hand
fork
(as indicated by the smoking patch of grass), then carry on down the south-
western path. Don't get put off by the fact that the road doesn't show up on the
map after a while; persevere, and you'll eventually reach a rocky area, where
you'll have to engage some Swooper drones. Continue down the road and, right at
the end, you'll find the missing convoy, now heavily guarded by Heg troops. Go
easy on the grenades as you assault the position, or you'll torch the trucks.
Oh,
and watch out for an ambush on the return journey - scout ahead to pick off the
marauding patrols before they hit the procession.
Mission 19 - Operation Goblin
Oh, this is a big upset. It works best as a surprise, of course, so if you
haven't got
this far yet I strongly advise you not to read the rest of this paragraph. The
bad
news for those still reading is that there's no way to save Schuyler. His
death's
worked into the plot and there's no way around it. All you can do is concentrate
on getting yourself out - just run for the pickup point at full speed. Don't
even try
to help your mates until you've reached the dropship, when you can turn around
and pick off some drones with your Particle Beam if you like, while you're
waiting for the surviving pair to catch up.
Mission 26 - Operation Cold War
Slightly annoyingly, there's only one way to complete this mission; a little bit
more flexibility to experiment with the pirate PBA would've been fun, but if you
don't follow this prescribed plan of attack, you're finished. Head west,
ignoring
the frolicking pirates, then drop down onto the base and stand by the relay
station.
Activate the scanning device and wait a few moments; you should see a couple of
guards patrolling in front of you. The second the transmission's intercepted,
run
straight forward, ignoring both the towers and the guards. If you try to shoot
anything, you'll quickly be overwhelmed. Instead, run off the ledge and into the
ravine, then run along the river, on the left-hand bank, until you're next to
the
dropship. There should be a small cleared area to give you a little manoeuvring
space; turn left and use it to lift yourself out of the ravine and up to the
ship. Made
it!
Mission 29 - Operation Sparkplug
This is probably the toughest mission of all - it's certainly the most
frustrating.
There are many ways to try and tackle it, but after a few hundred attempts I can
tell you that the strategy with the highest chance of success is as follows.
First, kit
out your team with Personal Shield ASFs, Heavy Suits, Ionic Fusion Rifles,
Grenade Launchers and Missile Launchers. While you're still in the air from the
drop, select the entire squad and order them to move to the southern edge of the
shuttle base. Turn yourself north, and run down the road towards the convoy.
Half-way down, order each team member, individually, to activate their ASF, then
switch to your Missile Launcher and activate your own Personal Shield. Ignore
the drones - they'll only slow you down - then bear right and you'll soon catch
sight of the Heg tank which has come to destroy the convoy. Lock onto it and
blast it with missiles, then switch to grenades, continue to head towards the
accompanying infantry, and bomb them too. Pick off the survivors with Ionic
fire,
then turn around and help the rest of your squad to protect the shuttles. Get
the
drones if you can, but make the Heg troops your priority. The faster you get
there,
the more of your team will survive.
Mission 30 - Operation Cadmium
Again, you've got to split your squad here. Immediately on landing, despatch the
entire squad east to the bridge, then order your demolitions expert to place a
charge on it. While you're doing this, move north, then skirt the rockslide,
keeping on the mountainside to the south, and engage the Heg ambush. There are
three groups of three troops, so you'll have to keep your wits about you and
move
quickly. Miss any, and they'll get the speedily arriving convoy. In the midst of
the
firefight, your demolitions man will probably finish laying his charges, while
the
other two team members cover him from the attacking drones. Immediately order
him to detonate the explosives, and command the squad to follow you. Forge
ahead on the Eastern road towards the base, and you should come across a fairly
obvious ambush site - a high ravine. Neutralise theclones that are lying in wait
for
the convoy, and take out the Heg mechs on the south side of the bridge while
you're waiting for the convoy to reach the base.
Mission 37 - Operation Absolute Zero
The long-range capacity of the Particle Beam is the key to successful completion
of this notoriously tricky final mission. First, order your brother to stand and
wait,
then lead your two remaining squad members towards the station and pick off the
initial few clones who come out to meet you. Now destroy the two westerly heavy
guard towers by running towards them firing your Particle Beam. Keep moving
and the missiles will fall behind you, while your weapon's long range gives you
enough time to take out the structures before you run into the perimeter wall.
If you stand in the opening of the western wall, you should just be able to pick
off
another gun turret, too. You'll probably attract a few clones, but just retreat
and
take them down in the open space. Next, head around the wall until you're facing
the south side of the complex. Again, approach the gap in the wall and destroy a
turret. Clones will attempt to counter-attack, but so long as you don't allow
yourself to go too far into the station you'll always be able to pull out
quickly and
pick them off as they stroll through the gap in the wall.
Destroy the south-easterly heavy guard tower, and at least one of the heavy
turrets
in the centre of the complex. Use your M-B Accelerator wherever possible to gain
invaluable extra range. You'll probably be attracting quite a lot of attention
by
now, and may have lost at least one of your companions, but don't worry. Keep
activating your personal shield whenever you enter the station, and stay cool.
When you've done as much damage as you think you can - in other words, when
your front shield's depleted and your two companions have evacuated - make one
last sortie, lead as many clones as you can away to the south, then tell your
brother to set the charges. Depending on how well you managed to deplete the
forces inside the station, he'll probably manage to set the explosives, although
it's
by no means certain he'll make it out. That doesn't matter - just run for the
pickup
point, press enter when you reach the dropship and marvel at the satisfying but
all-too-brief end sequence.
them explode balletically across your field of view; launching yourself a
hundred
feet in the air then glancing down to hail laser death at a hapless guard who
only
has time to look up and murmur 'What the+?' before you end his dreary life;
setting charges on the wall of an enemy installation then running away, turning
back momentarily to enjoy the sight of said building detonating spectacularly!
Ah
yes, Terra Nova has many, many pleasures to offer the discerning gamer.
It's been carefully designed to allow you to complete most missions using a
number of different approaches - a stealthy sneak here, a heavily-armed assault
there - and as a result, you need only master a few basic techniques and get
used
to the control system, and you should find your way through the game fairly
easily.
But there are a few missions where things get a bit complicated, and many people
can get stuck. To prevent you suffering a similarly humiliating fate, examine
the
illustrated solutions to these tricky six missions on the second and third pages
of
this guide. First, though, arm yourself with some indispensable basic
instruction.
General strategy
The golden rule is to engage the enemy on your own terms. If they're standing
still, locate them (preferably using a long-distance EM scan), then jump in, all
guns blazing, and surprise them. If they're moving towards you, pull back,
preferably behind a hill, then ready yourself, switch to your heavy weapons, and
hit as they crest the ridge. Never, ever, let them get in the first shot.
Keep moving, as this obviously makes you a harder target. And the sooner you
can perfect a circling motion, running backwards while turning right and sliding
left to keep a target in your sights as you move around it continuously, the
sooner
you'll win the game.
There are a number of missions where you need to take a specialist with you in
order to destroy an installation, or perform some other critical task, and
you'll
often find yourself cursing when they take a few hits, panic, and evac,
effectively
aborting the mission. To avoid this, simply order mission-critical personnel to
remain at the dropsite until you've cleared the way for them. This may give you
a
few more bad guys to engage yourself, but you'll avoid the frustration of having
a
demolitions expert persistently run out on you after ten hard-fought minutes.
Be prepared
A mission can be won or lost, even before it's begun, at the team and equipment
selection screen. Sometimes you'll be forced to make some pre-defined choices;
more usually, you'll have a free hand.
You'll find team selection significantly easier if you can keep all your
personnel
unhurt in every mission. Don't worry too much if you can't manage it - essential
team members will always return to duty as soon as they're required to complete
a
particular mission - but the more people you do lose the more you'll find
yourself
picking demolitions specialists when you wanted weapons experts, and losing
team members as a result of the collective's decreased accuracy. It's a vicious
circle that should be avoided wherever possible - after all, it usually only
takes a
few minutes to re-play a mission once you've cracked it, and complete it without
loss the second time around.
Equipment choices are a matter of taste, but if you're in doubt then pick the
heavy
suit - it's much harder to make mistakes inside one of these damage-absorbing
exoskeletons. Similarly, pack damage prevention ASFs - first the Dynamo, then
the Personal Shield - if you reckon you're going to have any trouble. All the
other
devices may look slightly cooler, but you don't get points for style - just
survival.
When picking weapons, choose a short-range weapon, a long-range weapon and a
projectile weapon then, if you've got a spare slot, fit an EM Emitter. The 'The
tools of the trade' table above should remind you of each weapon's capabilities,
but I'd strongly recommend you fit a Particle Beam, wherever possible, in all
your
suits, as its long range makes it invaluable for knocking out turrets from a
distance. The Laser and Fusion Rifle are best for close-quarter combat -
obviously
- but should also be used for taking down drones, since the other weapons' fire
rates make them too slow to pick off the speeding robots effectively.
Mission 17 - Operation Conductor
Here's one of Terra Nova's earliest attempts to wrongfoot you - and it usually
works. The briefing states that you're to meet with a guarded convoy, but when
you turn up there's nothing but a few blackened patches of grass, and no convoy
for miles. Less capable squad leaders have been known to wander the landscape
for days, but all you need to do is follow the road south, take the right-hand
fork
(as indicated by the smoking patch of grass), then carry on down the south-
western path. Don't get put off by the fact that the road doesn't show up on the
map after a while; persevere, and you'll eventually reach a rocky area, where
you'll have to engage some Swooper drones. Continue down the road and, right at
the end, you'll find the missing convoy, now heavily guarded by Heg troops. Go
easy on the grenades as you assault the position, or you'll torch the trucks.
Oh,
and watch out for an ambush on the return journey - scout ahead to pick off the
marauding patrols before they hit the procession.
Mission 19 - Operation Goblin
Oh, this is a big upset. It works best as a surprise, of course, so if you
haven't got
this far yet I strongly advise you not to read the rest of this paragraph. The
bad
news for those still reading is that there's no way to save Schuyler. His
death's
worked into the plot and there's no way around it. All you can do is concentrate
on getting yourself out - just run for the pickup point at full speed. Don't
even try
to help your mates until you've reached the dropship, when you can turn around
and pick off some drones with your Particle Beam if you like, while you're
waiting for the surviving pair to catch up.
Mission 26 - Operation Cold War
Slightly annoyingly, there's only one way to complete this mission; a little bit
more flexibility to experiment with the pirate PBA would've been fun, but if you
don't follow this prescribed plan of attack, you're finished. Head west,
ignoring
the frolicking pirates, then drop down onto the base and stand by the relay
station.
Activate the scanning device and wait a few moments; you should see a couple of
guards patrolling in front of you. The second the transmission's intercepted,
run
straight forward, ignoring both the towers and the guards. If you try to shoot
anything, you'll quickly be overwhelmed. Instead, run off the ledge and into the
ravine, then run along the river, on the left-hand bank, until you're next to
the
dropship. There should be a small cleared area to give you a little manoeuvring
space; turn left and use it to lift yourself out of the ravine and up to the
ship. Made
it!
Mission 29 - Operation Sparkplug
This is probably the toughest mission of all - it's certainly the most
frustrating.
There are many ways to try and tackle it, but after a few hundred attempts I can
tell you that the strategy with the highest chance of success is as follows.
First, kit
out your team with Personal Shield ASFs, Heavy Suits, Ionic Fusion Rifles,
Grenade Launchers and Missile Launchers. While you're still in the air from the
drop, select the entire squad and order them to move to the southern edge of the
shuttle base. Turn yourself north, and run down the road towards the convoy.
Half-way down, order each team member, individually, to activate their ASF, then
switch to your Missile Launcher and activate your own Personal Shield. Ignore
the drones - they'll only slow you down - then bear right and you'll soon catch
sight of the Heg tank which has come to destroy the convoy. Lock onto it and
blast it with missiles, then switch to grenades, continue to head towards the
accompanying infantry, and bomb them too. Pick off the survivors with Ionic
fire,
then turn around and help the rest of your squad to protect the shuttles. Get
the
drones if you can, but make the Heg troops your priority. The faster you get
there,
the more of your team will survive.
Mission 30 - Operation Cadmium
Again, you've got to split your squad here. Immediately on landing, despatch the
entire squad east to the bridge, then order your demolitions expert to place a
charge on it. While you're doing this, move north, then skirt the rockslide,
keeping on the mountainside to the south, and engage the Heg ambush. There are
three groups of three troops, so you'll have to keep your wits about you and
move
quickly. Miss any, and they'll get the speedily arriving convoy. In the midst of
the
firefight, your demolitions man will probably finish laying his charges, while
the
other two team members cover him from the attacking drones. Immediately order
him to detonate the explosives, and command the squad to follow you. Forge
ahead on the Eastern road towards the base, and you should come across a fairly
obvious ambush site - a high ravine. Neutralise theclones that are lying in wait
for
the convoy, and take out the Heg mechs on the south side of the bridge while
you're waiting for the convoy to reach the base.
Mission 37 - Operation Absolute Zero
The long-range capacity of the Particle Beam is the key to successful completion
of this notoriously tricky final mission. First, order your brother to stand and
wait,
then lead your two remaining squad members towards the station and pick off the
initial few clones who come out to meet you. Now destroy the two westerly heavy
guard towers by running towards them firing your Particle Beam. Keep moving
and the missiles will fall behind you, while your weapon's long range gives you
enough time to take out the structures before you run into the perimeter wall.
If you stand in the opening of the western wall, you should just be able to pick
off
another gun turret, too. You'll probably attract a few clones, but just retreat
and
take them down in the open space. Next, head around the wall until you're facing
the south side of the complex. Again, approach the gap in the wall and destroy a
turret. Clones will attempt to counter-attack, but so long as you don't allow
yourself to go too far into the station you'll always be able to pull out
quickly and
pick them off as they stroll through the gap in the wall.
Destroy the south-easterly heavy guard tower, and at least one of the heavy
turrets
in the centre of the complex. Use your M-B Accelerator wherever possible to gain
invaluable extra range. You'll probably be attracting quite a lot of attention
by
now, and may have lost at least one of your companions, but don't worry. Keep
activating your personal shield whenever you enter the station, and stay cool.
When you've done as much damage as you think you can - in other words, when
your front shield's depleted and your two companions have evacuated - make one
last sortie, lead as many clones as you can away to the south, then tell your
brother to set the charges. Depending on how well you managed to deplete the
forces inside the station, he'll probably manage to set the explosives, although
it's
by no means certain he'll make it out. That doesn't matter - just run for the
pickup
point, press enter when you reach the dropship and marvel at the satisfying but
all-too-brief end sequence.