Vidmaster Tips & Tricks: Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones...

express elevator to...

This is a high ordnance level - Troopers, Enforcers and those low-flying hostile Defense Drones. As Durandal remarks:

...they're mostly harmless; I don't think I gave them any ammunition for those grenade launchers.

Yeah sure Durandal... we believe you...

You're going to die big time on Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones... if you hang about so most people tend to vid this level by jumping down off the high ledge (point A on the map below) and making a dash for the 3X recharger at point B. Once you get to the 3X the level is pretty straightforward - there is even a secret invincibilty power-up to help you (point C) once you wrestle it away from the Trooper guarding it. However you shouldn't need it to complete the level so save it to the end. Finish the level in Style with 3X shields and invincibility. It would certainly have come in handy at the start of the next level Eupfhoria

If you jump and dash however you cannot fully complete this level. You will most likely leave some of the Pfhor on the high ledge alive and the single Enforcer guarding the elevator at point D will still be waiting for you and muttering stuff about Spazeroids. Yeah he's guarding that old express elevator to hell... going down. Take this route and you have you work cut out before you reach the 3X recharger. But that's what Vidmastery is all about - pushing your solo skills to the limit.

express elevator to... is film of Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones... the hard way. It's by an old-timer who leaves the jump and dash stuff to the young punks.

Some interesting points about this level. Well it's one of those "don't pick up too many alien weapons all at once" levels. There are plenty of them about but you can't afford to be sloppy about it. Maximise the number of alien weapons available by playing strategically. Durandal armed seven hostile Defense Drones. Yeah you got to hand it to him. Don't forget to pay your respects to the Armageddon Beast at point E. Although left out of the full game you'll find a few spots where he was planned to appear. Lucky us that's all I can say. ;-)

beware of low-flying... what? is another film of this level except there are no hostile Defense Drones. What happened? Well I never saw any! The film shows how this level can be completed in 2 minutes, with no recharging and no hits if you ignore the objective of the level. Which is?

Why don't you kill everything in this area and get some more ammunition? You've got a big job coming up, so be sure to charge up your shields before you leave.

Raul Bonilla (aka REB) <biomeca@hotmail.com> makes an interesting post on the Story Forum concerning the possiblility that the inaccessible weapons room on "Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones..." was not always planned to be inaccessible. Using information from the map file Raul suggests that a secret passage similar to one already on the level was planned to lead to the weapons room. There is an unusal break in a long corridor suggesting that a door was being planned. Indeed if you examine this area while in-game you'll notice that the section has a flickering light associated with it. While this might have been created to provide a more realistic atmosphere (lighting panels do fail) it might also have indicated an area to examine more thoroughly. No such visual clues to help you find the actual secret door on this level though.