Exile #1

By John McHugh

Originally published in EUG #16

General tips

  • It is important to save as much energy as possible until the first power pod is found. Try this particularly at the beginning. Teleport or walk around. Avoid using the jetpack if necessary.
  • Make full use of the screen scroll keys. Most of your adversaries can be avoided this way.
  • Resist the temptation to wildly blast with the weapons. Use the aim keys and try to get the first shot in. Not doing so only wastes energy and you often get hit by your own rebounding bullets! The first five robots only have to be hit two or three times and they start flashing.
  • I have only indicated to Save in a few places but set up an alarm clock near your computer to remind you to save every half hour or so. This will cause you the minimum of frustration.
Feeding Chatter The Coronium Crystals Feeding Chatter The Coronium Crystals

Welcome To The Land Of The Exile

Step 1
When you first drop down from the spaceship, just make a slight movement right in order to land above the cannon. Remember here.
Step 2
Walk off right and get the grenade in the bush. Don't push against the bird, crawl under it and it will push you along.
Step 3
Lead the bird to the cannon, it will push you up and through. Get the grenade. Teleport to above the cannon and remember again.
Step 4
Walk left, drop a grenade not on the door but just to the right (as this stops the grenades underneath it being blown up).
Step 5
Teleport and remember again, collect the two grenades, teleport.
Step 6
Walk to the right and go left to the first gun droid. As you walk, scroll the screen right and it won't 'see' you until you are almost past. Go to the safe spot to the left of the locked door and remember. Get a grenade out and walk over to the door and drop it. Teleport and lie down. Scroll up to miss the wasps as you walk through the gap.
Step 7
Go down then up the passage North West. Remember at the top. Don't go into the passage on your left for the grenade as flying up the West passage causes the bees to knock the grenade to the ground (and you can later scroll the screen and crawl in unnoticed). You are meant to be able to collect these bees and give them to the imps in exchange for power pods. I don't bother with this as if you are not stunned with mushrooms or crowded out by imps, the pods usually explode before you can collect them...and that's after catching the bees!
Step 8
To get the pistol, go to the small craft with the screen scrolled down and right; this will stop the bird getting in the way. Remember at the door then fly underneath and remember just under the switch in order to see where the pistol goes. Go back to the door and drop a grenade on the ledge and teleport.
Step 9
If the robot comes after you or the gun stays inside then teleport. If the gun dropped below remember, then try to lead the robot away before teleporting back.
Step 10
There are plenty of places to lead the robot to kill him. To the right of the imps and then down is a good one. Don't forget that it only needs a few shots to get him flashing then push him against a wall, drop a grenade and move back. This should be done ideally without the bird hanging around. If you lead it up the passage west of the cavern with the bees and the grenade in, it will protect you from the bees in the cavern above while you collect the key and teleport out.
Step 11
To get the flask, remember outside and below the door. Pick up the flask, move just over halfway across the cave, set your aim for the bottom half of the opening...
Step 12
...throw the flask and quickly fire the pistol. Teleport out. (If you fail, go to the arches to the left of the imps. Your presence triggers the door open and you can try again when the bees return to the hive.)
Step 13
Find the flask and retrieve it.
Step 14
To get the RCD, fill the flask at the pool. The bird can be avoided by scrolling left and down. Otherwise, you can kill it with the pistol.
Step 15
Carefully put the flask on the right side of the door above the fire and remember.
Step 16
Go to the arch left of the imps and fire the pistol to lure them over, teleport and then quickly thrust down.
Step 17
Store the RCD...
Step 18
...pick up the flask and leave it in the pool. Remember.
Step 19
Set your aim for straight up and scroll the screen up. Thrust up, slowly at the top. The two birds should be lured into this vertical passage so you can shoot them from below. If one remains, you can probably take it on in the passage going left.
Step 20
Go along the passage. Remember. Scroll the screen up and right. Go left. Keep as near as possible to the planet surface to avoid the birds. Just before the opening to the key remember, then shoot at and grab the key as you are blown along. On failing, teleport and try again. When you succeed, teleport back and move slowly to the bushes on the right. You can then very slowly drop down and get the grenade before the birds come.
Step 21
Now head over to the right as far as you can go, past the area where you were attacked by the two birds. Remember. Fly over the hidden fire and collect the key. If you are attacked by the bees, teleport and try again.

Teleport back to the pool. You should now have the RCD, two keys, the pistol and at least one grenade.

Save your position.
Step 22
Go to the top of the diagonal passage leading to the wasps, remember and scroll the screen up. Next move to the ledge above and right of the wasps. If the wasps don't appear then set your aim to slightly up. Drop down and let them have it as they come out of the hive. If they do appear, fire down as you drop and adjust your aim as necessary.
Step 23
Remember, open the door with the RCD. Drop RCD. Lie down, set your aim. A few accurate shots as you crawl forward will have the robot backing off.
Step 24
If he is not flashing when he falls from the ledge, lie at the end of it and fire down on him as he passes.
Step 25
Drop to his right and force him up the ramp, adjusting your aim as you go. The second robot will blow him up.
Step 26
To push this one into the pit, you will probably have to go back to the start of the ramp and reset your aim. As you near the pit, just push the robot. Your firing will alert the birds through the transporter. Thrust up, into the transporter...
Step 27
...and up to the power pod...
Step 28
...store it and teleport out.
Step 29
Sound out your energy levels and transfer a unit to the pistol if it is low. Above, to the right of the ramp is a chest. Stand on it, shoot down at an angle to move it then remember. Drop down the hidden passage, centralise your aim, slowly just get on the edge of the ledge on the left above.
Step 30
Be ready for the robot that drops from above as you edge forward. Fire until he's flashing and fully to the left, throw your grenade and back off. The next opening is full of wasps, fire at them and up into the opening. Remember. Go into the left transporter, check it leads to the cannon. Teleport back and note the position of the switch beside the right transporter. This alters their destinations. Remember. Stand just before the left transporter and fire up to knock down the icer.
Step 31
Stand just outside the right transporter and shoot the icer into the left one, checking that the switch has not been hit. Get the icer and teleport back. Remember. Stand outside the right transporter and change the switch with the pistol. A gun droid will now be waiting in the left transporter. As you go through, thrust up and go into the small ledge on the left.
Step 32
Remember. Centralise your aim and select the icer. Face left as you drop down, lie down and blast the gun droid.
Step 33
Turn around, lie down and fire through the transporter to knock the key down. This will alert the wasps.
Step 34
Adjust your aim to get the key to the windy passage and also kill the wasps before they get through the transporter. Go above the transporter, scroll down and right and check if the key has gone. If it has gone to the other side of the windy passage, thrust down the left side and go next to the hive, lie down and thrust back across the opening. Otherwise drift up the windy passage and the key will be at the top of it. Teleport, hopefully to the two transporters.
Step 35
Go back up the hidden passage then to the wasps' nest. Store RCD. Check to see there are a couple of units in the icer energy. Remember.
Step 36
Go up North West diagonal passage, drop down and right to where the power pod and the robot are between two doors. Left of the nest above is a small ledge. Leave the RCD there and remember. Drop down slightly against the main ledge and remember a couple of times.
Step 37
Lie down on the main ledge, facing the door, select icer, set aim. Ideally, you should fire a single shot near to the top of the door and when the door opens to this point, open fire to hit the robot. A few direct hits and he will flash, fire/push him right and store the power pod. You must get to the right side of the robot either by flying over him or by pushing him right, remembering and then letting him push you left before you teleport back. Fire/push him off the ledge.

If it all goes according to plan, it's worth saving. If things go wrong, you'll have to use your judgement. Do not panic and shoot wildly. There's no point blasting the door. The pod may drop and the robot may shoot it through as the door closes. If it drops behind the closed door, it's not worth going in to get it; it would be better to lie down and restart your assault on the robot.
Step 38
Get the RCD, open the second door, put the RCD back on the ledge. To the left of the first door, remember a couple of times. The next part, getting to the power pod supply is solved in most helpsheets by using 'Fluffy'. I didn't like this. The way I do it can be frustrating but I have often managed it at the first attempt. Just past the first door, lie down and scroll down and left. Thrust along and up the hill, just clear the top of the gun droid and thrust down into the opening on its right. Remember twice and save.
Step 39
When you are attempting this, the gun droid may shoot the booster down for you (or you could even go up for it first!) or even blow itself up - a real bonus! If you become really frustrated, you can try aiming up the hill and trying to shoot over the droid, it may just blow itself up. Remember behind the first door before each attempt.

Stand under the switch, face left and jump up. As soon as you hear or see the power pods drop, knock the switch off then run back, pick up and store the pods. In the event of any exploding, remember again. Repeat until the pods stop. I usually manage to get all of the pods but if you just miss one, save.
Step 40
You must set the switch to stop the transporter above before you go up again; this will disable both the gun droid above and the one in the cavern left and below. Get the booster if you don't already have it. Sound out then transfer your energy so that the jetpack and the icer are about the same.

Go to the ledge, store the RCD and remember. Drop down the ledge where the robot was pushed off, go right into the cavern.

Step 41
Select the jetpack, lie down and full boost right to get the whistle. A quick thrust down as you start and pressing turn when halfway will help. Teleport out. If the gun droid next to the power pods was blown up, you can turn the transporter on.
 
Go to what should now be signposted the North West diagonal passage and go to the door above and to the right of the wasps' hive. Remember. Scroll the screen up so you can see the red protection suit. Save, select pistol, lie down and press right. Set your aim to do diagonally down through the base of the door. Test your aim. The bullets should go down then bounce up in the direction of the suit. The idea here is to alert the grenade-dropping droid with a couple of shots and then stop firing. On a good day, the first of the grenades will move the suit off the wall and the next will knock it down between the two transporters. You should only fire enough shots to alert the droid. Continuous firing will release an avalanche of grenades which will blow the droid and you will need its supply later on. If the suit gets stuck halfway down, try moving well away from the door and scrolling. The shifting of the screen will sometimes shake it loose. If the droid blows itself up on this trip or in the future when collecting grenades, always start again with a saved file.

(This part could obviously have been done when you collected the icer, but it could have wasted the suit energy getting past the droid at the power pods.)

Go back down the secret passage and under the two transporters. Remember a couple of times. The left one should still be set to the windy tunnel location, check it and teleport back. Remember. Reset the switch if necessary. Stand outside the right transporter and shoot the suit into the left. Now go round and pick up the suit.
 
 
Step 42
With the RCD, turn off the transporter where the key was. Go to the ledge above the transporter, remember, select the jetpack and lie down. A long run up and full boost right will get you across the windy tunnel.
Step 43
Scroll to see the passage below, take out the RCD, walk to the right and, when the door below opens, drop the RCD. Teleport back, remember, drop left and down to thrust across the windy tunnel to the door.
Step 44
Lie down and remember at the top of the rise.
Step 45
Scroll left and down then full boost right to get under the door opposite before it closes. As soon as you get under the door, stand up and remember. Walking under the power pod store will release them. If one blows up, remember again. You can get them all, but a miss of one should be saved. Teleport out. Transfer your energy so the jetpack, icer and protection suit are about the same.
Step 46
Go up the vertical passage just right of the rise, go to the ledge above the mushrooms on your left. Remember.
Step 47
Scroll down and right. The boulder lies in the mushrooms. Drop to the left of the mushrooms and use the icer to fire the boulder off the edge, teleport above to check. If not, remember and go down again. If when you drop, you touch the mushrooms, they will stun you and you may not be able to direct your aim. Teleport above, remember and try again when it wears off.
Step 48
Go around and pick up the boulder...
Step 49
Select jetpack and go just past the door being held up by the RCD.
Step 50
Drop the boulder and remember. Now go up and store the RCD.
Step 51
Teleport back...
Step 52
Pick up the boulder, remember and save.
Step 53
Scroll down and right then thrust down the windy tunnel. It is important that you go steadily down the centre. If you lose the boulder high up, it may drift up after a few minutes but otherwise it will drop to the bottom and you will have to start again with a saved file.
Step 54
Go into the first opening left. Drop the boulder halfway along and remember. Go down the diagonal passage and scroll down and left; there are some nasty birds above. Go to the door in the passage left and above then wait for the imps to open it.
Step 55
Crawl under.
Step 56
Do the same with the door above.
Step 57
Now get the whistle and then teleport back to the boulder...
Step 58
And pick it up again.
Step 59
Scroll down and right then continue thrusting down the windy tunnel. At the bottom, just move about an inch, scroll up, drop the boulder and remember. Set your aim at an angle downwards then select icer and thrust down and right to get to the other side of the tunnel. To the right is a pool with pirahna and a switch halfway down. Note the switch's position. You must make it change either by an icer bullet or touch. (The pirahna may knock it too!) If your attempt turns into a scrap, take on the fish and keep an eye on the switch. You only need to a third of the way into the pool as a properly-angled shot will curl around and hit the switch. The second it's changed, teleport back to the boulder.
Step 60
Don't pick it up. Remember twice then scroll up and right, set your aim for almost straight down. Now thrust up slightly as you go left to keep above the suck pit and the water. Go up to the first little ledge that appears above and remember. Stand on the edge of the ledge facing left. Scroll down and shoot the pirahna. Don't shoot at them wildly, or blast the nest. Adjust your aim and you will soon pick them off. Make sure that they are dead and save.
 
Go left of the nest where the water is deep and remember twice at the bottom. Select the jetpack, scroll up and go back and pick up the boulder. Bring the boulder across. Again, keep above the suck pit and also the water - stop when you get to dry land. If the boulder goes into the water, it takes ages of thrusting up and alternatively swimming left and right to get it back there!
 
Step 61
Scroll down and right, centralise aim, hold the boulder, face left lying down. Ease slowly forward. If the fireball flies up and away, full thrust forward through the door and the sticky bush. If the door was locked then the switch at the first piranha is in the wrong position. The Protection Suit gives some protection from the fireball. If you have to teleport, quickly throw the boulder and try to hit it with the icer. As you teleport, thrust down and remember again at the bottom of the pool and then try again. You are supposed to grab the fireball and pull it into the water but I've only managed this once and this was attempted past the sticky bush in the deep water (after remembering at the bottom of it).
Step 62
When you are a little past the sticky bush, drop the boulder. Go down the first bit of water and remember. Scroll left, take the boulder to the bit of land above left and leave it there.
Step 63
Select icer, set aim slightly upward, scroll right, fly left over the water, adjust aim to fire up the rise and kill the imps.
Step 64
Select jetpack, bring the boulder to the nest (keeping it out of the water), remember and drop the boulder. Now put the RCD on top.
Step 65
Thrust through the crack, get the key, teleport and store the RCD again. Pick up the boulder and save.
Step 66
Now it's back to the windy tunnel using the same care as before.
Step 67
Thrust gently all the way up the windy tunnel (to the very top) and do not lose the boulder.
Step 68
Go onto the ledge left of almost the very top of the windy tunnel, remember and walk left an inch from the other side.
Step 69
Select icer, set aim almost straight up and stand on the boulder. Shoot at the gun droid above. If you can't see it, use its bullets to adjust your aim and/or scroll up. Blast it away.
Step 70
Open the door to its left with the RCD.
Step 71
Teleport back to the spacecraft. Go below the two transporters where the icer was and remember. Centralise aim, stand before the left transporter and turn it off with the RCD. Store RCD.
Step 72
The right transporter has to be set to go to the left of the transporter near the far west.
Step 73
Check it. If it does, use the RCD to turn it on, teleport back and remember. If it was wrong, teleport quick, remember, reset the switch and then go in as above.
Step 74
If it does, use the RCD to turn it on, teleport back and remember. (If it was wrong, teleport quick, remember, reset the switch and then go in as above.)
 
Stand below the two transporters, drop the RCD and remember. Go halfway up where the grenade-dropping droid is. Quickly store a grenade and teleport and remember. You should not hang around doing this. If the grenades are not within reach, teleport before you or the droid are blown away. All of the grenades are primed so afterwards, get them out of your pockets and press the Space bar to deactivate them. Store them away again. Repeat until you have three grenades, remembering before each attempt. Now store the RCD and remember.
 
Step 75
Check that the exploding grenades have not reset the switch and go into the right transporter. Go into the one you turned on. Now remember near the windy tunnel. Go to the ledge where the gun droid was blasted and go left through the open door. Set the switch under the engines so that they ignite as the door closes. Remember under that switch. Scroll right and up, check pockets so the RCD comes out last and centralise your aim.
Step 76
Go left, down and across to the crack above the robot and Chatter. Lie down, press left and boost to stay at the crack. Throw a grenade in and the robot should be blown into the transporter to come out right of the engines.
Step 77
Teleport and press the switch...
Step 78
...to vaporise it!

(If three grenades are not enough to get the robot and Chatter out, remember then go into the transporter down and right of the engines, get some more and teleport back. Chatter is inactive and he will be unharmed by the engines.)

Save your position.
Step 79
Push Chatter through the door, down the passage...
Step 80
...and back right up to the wall left of the transporter. Remember.
Step 81
Turn on the transporter and go in. Now go in the right transporter where the icer was.
Step 82
Switch off the transporter near the west, get rid of any grenades you have, teleport back to Chatter and remember.
Step 83
Go to the passage above the transporter and remember. Now thrust over the windy tunnel and drop the RCD to hold the door below open again. Teleport, thrust down to the nest then across and through the door. Go to the ledge above where the boulder was. This time go in the mushrooms on the left. You can walk through these and store them until you have four (Keep pressing S until Storing doesn't work any longer!).
Step 84
Teleport back to Chatter, remember then go into the transporter, into the right transporter and now scroll left. Go right.
Step 85
Remember before getting to the urn with the fire. Stand against the urn - not in it! - and, if the fire is out, fire downwards with the pistol. Facing the urn, you must quickly get and store the mushrooms to covert them into crystals. In the event of any explosions or burns, remember to the left again. Teleport back to Chatter and remember.
Step 86
Make sure Chatter is backed against the wall, push right up against him and get the crystals out. Repeat until he eats all of them.

Stand a little way back from Chatter, press U to activate and, when he moves towards you, run into him and press Y. As you bump apart, a power pod will drop into the space between. Get it and store it. Repeat with all the mushrooms you managed to convert. Save. [You will, at least the first time you follow this solution, probably need to repeat this procedure when your energy levels run low! - Gus]

That's it for this issue folks! Those of you who wish to continue or just explore... I would recommend that you spend a session repeating the last bit and fill the jetpack, pistol, icer and Protection Suit with energy. Each will hold 32 units. Also leave a few in Chatter, then save. There are some even harder battles to come and weapons to collect. You need all of the energy you can store. If you feel like some revenge, stock up on grenades. The gun droid you meet when the right transporter is set wrong can be blown with one. Also get the robot you pushed off the ledge flashing and lob two at him. The robot pushed into the little pit likewise can be destroyed by shooting at him with the icer, hitting the switch above him to send him into the transporter and then flinging two grenades after him. These have the added bonus of killing two pesky birds in a nearby location!

Feeding Chatter The Coronium Crystals Feeding Chatter The Coronium Crystals

John McHugh, EUG #16
Continue To EXILE SOLUTION #2, EUG #17