THE SPECTRUM GAME DATABASE

NETHER EARTH

PUBLISHER

AUTHOR

YEAR

DESCRIPTION
Nether Earth is a strategy wargame using robots that you must
build.

CONTROLS
A variety of joysticks can be used, and the keys can also be
redefined.

INSTRUCTIONS
The aim of the game is to either take control of or destroy the
four bases that are spread around the long thin city.  You are
the human player, competing against the Insignians.

The device you control around the map (using up/down/left/right
and fire to ascend) can be used to either land on base (by
landing specifically on the 'H' mark), to control robots (by
landing on top of them) or affecting robots by moving into their
way.

When you land on a base, the robot building screen is
automatically brought up.  Here you can select which components
to add to your robot, provided you have enough of them.  You must
select one movement base for the robot, and at least one of the
other pieces.

Of the movement bases, bipods are the slowest and hover is the
fastest.  Of the weapons, cannon is the weakest, followed by
missiles and then the pulsar.  The nuclear bomb, when set of,
will destroy the robot carrying it and also scenery and robots
in any surrounding squares.  The electronics device increases the
intelligence of your robots.

The amount of items that you have with which to build the robots
depends on how many factories you have and what those factories
produce (shown by the top of the factory).  You must try and take
over the factories in order to produce more items to build more
robots.  You can tell which side a factory belongs to by the
flag; on the left it's yours, on the right it's the computers.

When you have built a robot, select Start Robot, otherwise exit. 
You will then be returned to the main screen, with the robot in
the front of the base if you selected Start Robot.  You will now
want to land on the robot to give it orders or control it
directly.

When you first land on the robot, you are given the following
menu's and sub-menus:

DIRECT CONTROL:  This gives you direct control to move the robot
as you wish.  This does not allow you to fire any of it's weapons
though.  Press fire while controlling the robot to be returned
to the menu.

GIVE ORDERS:  This allows you to give the robot orders which it
will attempt to follow until it is destroyed or the orders are
changed.  You can change the orders at any time.  If you select
this then you are given a sub menu of the following orders:-

Stop and defend:  The robot will stay where it is until an enemy
robot comes near to it.

Advance/retreat ?? miles:  The robot will move in the appropriate
direction for however many miles you select, using the up and
down keys to move in multiples of 5 miles.

Search and destroy:  The robot will search and destroy the type
of installation or enemy robots, that you select from the next
menu.

Search and capture:  The robot will search and capture the type
of installation that you select from the next menu.

COMBAT MODE:  This option brings up the robots combat mode sub-
menu.  Here you can select to fire any of the robots weapons
(assuming they have not run out of ammo) or take control of the
robot directly just as the first menu option does.

LEAVE ROBOT:  This launches your controller back into the sky
above the robot.


CHEATS
A quick way to win is this; at beginning build one big robot with
a hover craft drive (highest speed) and as many weapon units as
possible, and move it (under your control) as fast as possibile
(don't stop for a fight if you can avoid it) to the next base
(i.e. not the one that you start at) and kill all robots around
and claim it.  Then build some robots at that base to guard it
(order: kill enemy robots) and some more for conquering both
sorts of factories (neutral and enemy).  Afterwards you should
have enough time to go back to the beginning point where you
should build other simple robots to claim the free factories
between your two bases; they should be able to do this
unhindered.  Now you should have access to most of the factories
(= resources).  That's the point where YOU can control game flow
- usually you don't finish it immediately.  It's very funny to
play with the enemy, but you should conquer or destroy (robot
with nuclear bomb and order: destory all enemy bases) the 3rd
base to reduce the speed of production of new enemy robots.  You
can now toy with the enemy like a megalomaniac.


SEQUELS/PREQUELS
Nether Earth was followed up by the sequel Mission Omega.

INLAY CARD TEXT

SCORES RECEIVED

URL
ftp.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/OS/sinclair/snapshots/n/netherea.zip

GENERAL FACTS

NOTES