mekton(6D)
mekton - multi-player networked game
As shipped in IRIX 6.5.7. Unchanged since IRIX 6.5.
NAME mekton - multi-player networked game SYNOPSIS mekton [ -n | -i infile [ -s ] ] [ -o outfile ] [ -t 0|1|2 ] DESCRIPTION Mekton is a multi-player networked game. Players in the game pilot 15 meter tall humanoid robots("mektons"). OPTIONS -n Enable networking mode. If this flag is not used mekton will run in solo mode. -i infile Specify an input file to be read instead of taking input from the network. -o outfile Specify an output file to be written that can later be read using the -i flag. -s Enable shadow mode. In shadow mode instead of controlling your own mekton you view the game through the eyes of the other players mektons. -t 0|1|2 Select team. 0 = "Rouge". 1 = "Terran Defense League". 2 = "Barnard Pirate". MEKTON: THE STORY SO FAR The year is 2250. Only a few short decades have passed since Humanity freed itself from the boundaries of the Solar System and joined forces with a vast interstellar compact of races inhabiting the Milky Way Galaxy. But, as with any far-flung stellar empire, Humanity has its problems maintaining control over its far flung worlds and outposts. Chief among these are the notorious Pirates of Barnard's Star, rebels seeking in- dependence from what they see as an oppressive government, who have de- clared open war upon the rest of Human Space. Attacking starships, colonies and other facilities with impunity, these Pirates are a dangerous threat to all those who live in Space; dangerous zealots wil- ling to sacrifice thousands of innocent lives for their cause. In star systems too dangerous to tame, Humanity has recently established Spinners; titanic ring-shaped space stations housing millions of ci- tizens. But these mighty artificial worlds are also big targets -- espe- cially to the depredations of those who would defy Earth's laws. To pro- tect these vital stations, Earth has established the Terran Defense League; brave warriors armed with MEKTONS -- giant humanoid robots with the firepower of a battleship. But the Pirates have also developed their own Mektons; and that has the Terran Government very worried. As a member of the Terran Defense League, you have been assigned to pro- tect the Starcross One Colony in the Beta Crucis system. Orbiting the gas giant that is Beta Crucis' primary world, the Starcross colony is the vital link between the Rim Systems and the Core, as well as providing processing for most of the heavy hydrogen fuels for the Human Space Fleets. You know your job is critical -- millions of lives depend on your skills as a Mekton warrior. As a member of the Pirate Fleet, you know you must gain access to the vi- tal supplies of fuel and weapons the Terran Government has stockpiled in the Beta Crucis system. You are prepared to face any danger -- even the advance Mektons of the Defense League, if that's what it takes. Now the Battle will be joined. Who will be the victor? Who will survive in the world of Mekton? THE MEKTONS To accomplish your mission, you will command the ultimate battle machine of the 23rd century -- the MEKTON. Giant humanoid vehicles used in ex- ploring hostile environments, deep space construction and rescue mis- sions, Mektons can also be used as deadly weapons of warfare, armored with heavy ablative plate and carrying energy cannons. The Vantage The backbone of the Terran Defense League, this mekton is heavily armed and armored. The Ex-Sentinel An advanced design favored by the Pirates. It is lighter armed and armored then the Vantage, but is capable of transforming to X fighter mode. THE COLONY Start Cross One is a vital link between the Rim and Core Sectors of Human Space. As either a Pirate attacking Star Cross One for vital supplies, or as a Defense League warrior fighting off the Pirates, your engagements will take place within the Colony. CONTROLS Mektons are controlled using the mouse and keyboard. The following con- trols apply regardless of the mode of the mekton. ESC Exit mekton. H Display Help. Enter Restart and bring up the user interface window. h Toggle the level of the HUD(Heads Up Display). r Toggle the radar mode. space Fire plasma. e Fire plasma. w Raise aim point. q Lower aim point. W|Q Reset aim point. The following control the location of the camera. F1 View from player's mekton. F2 Follow the mekton's path while always facing the mekton. F3 Wingman view. Follow the mekton's path and orientation. F4 Spin View. A camera that faces and spins around the player's mekton. F5 Tether View. A camera that stays at a fix location relative to and facing the players mekton. F6 Drop a camera at your mekton's current location and then view your mekton from that camera. F7 View from the last location a camera was dropped. The following adjust the view from the current camera. These only have effect on the current camera if applicable to that camera. z Zoom the camera in. Z Zoom the camera out. ^Z Reset the camera zoom. x Spin the camera left. X Spin the camera right. ^X Reset the camera spin. c Raise the camera height. C Lower the camera height. ^C Reset the camera height. The following control the lighting. v Make the lighting brighter. V Make the lighting darker. ^V Reset the lighting. The following controls apply only to a mekton in ground mode. f Transition to flight mode. t Transform if capable. Mouse Y movement. Set desired velocity. Mouse X movement. Set desired turn. The following controls apply only to a mekton in hamanoid flight mode. t Transform if capable. d Increase desired rate of climb. s Set desired rate of climb to zero. a Decrease desired rate of climb. Mouse Y Movement Set desired velocity. Mouse X Movement Set desired slip velocity. Left Mouse Button Turn left. Middle Mouse Button Hold heading. Right Mouse Button Turn right. The following controls apply only to a mekton in transformed flight mode. t Transform to humanoid form. d Increase thrust. s Set thrust to zero. a Decrease thrust. Mouse Y Movement Adjust pitch. Mouse X Movement Adjust roll. By holding down the Tab key can you can disengage the mouse from con- trolling your mekton. While the Tab key is held down your mekton will continue on the path you have set. When the Tab key is released the mouse will go back to the position it was at when the Tab was pressed. While the Tab key is pressed the following special command is possible. Left Mouse Button Control aim point. In shadow mode the space bar can be used to switch which mekton you are shadowing. PILOTING MEKTONS In most cases you control your mekton by setting desired rates. Your mekton's computer then calculates the thrust, leg movements, etc. that are needed to achieve the desired rate set by you. Ground movement is fairly simple. You set the desired velocity and turn rate and the mekton walks or runs as appropriate. Humanoid form flight is not quite as simple. Aerodynamically a mekton is a rock with big jets attached. All flight in this form is done by directing jets and adjusting thrust. The only reason a mekton is stable in flight is that it has a computer to make all the adjustments. The user sets the desired forward velocity, slip velocity, climb rate. Turn- ing is done through two possible methods. By default the mekton will turn to face its current direction of movement. This can be overridden by holding down the middle mouse button. Turning can also be achieved by holding the left and right mouse buttons. If the middle mouse button is not held also then this turning will compete with the turn to direction of movement. Transformed flight is basically like that of a modern jet fighter. This form of flight can best be learned with the flight demo because the colo- ny does not provide a lot of room to maneuver. CREDITS Developed by: Silicon Graphics R. Talsorian Games Alias | Wavefront Coryphaeus Software, Inc. Based on the Mekton Zeta roleplaying game from R. Talsorian Games> Built with realtime tools from Coryphaeus Software, Inc. Developed with content creation tools from Alias | Wavefront and Coryphaeus Software, Inc. Built with IRIS Performer. Author/Director: Rob Mace, SGI Art Director: Mike Pondsmith, RTG Original Art: Don Choy, RTG Benjamin Wright, RTG J. Waltrip, RTG Content creation: Buckley Collum, AW Kevin "Bubba" Lombardi, AW Contributors: David Cooper, CSI David Ligon, SGI Michael McDonald, RTG Special Thanks to: Alan Gerrard, CSI Andy Bushnell, CSI Bruce Sinclair Cindy Ferguson Dan Vivoli, SGI Doug Whetter, AW Ed Immenschuh, SGI H. B. Siegel, SGI Ian Clazie, SGI Jayne Capelin, CSI Jim Helman, SGI John Rohlf, SGI Justin Howell Kowsik Guruswami, CSI Lisa Pondsmith, RTG Megan Jewel Mace Michael Jones, SGI Paula Cutts, SGI Randy Fox, CSI Ritva Garlick, CSI Sharon Clay, SGI Warren Pratt, SGI NOTES The mekton executable is located in /usr/demos/General_Demos/mekton BUGS The Colony does not yet have a hub and spokes. LEGAL Mekton, Mekton Z, Mekton Zeta are trademarks of R. Talsorian Games Inc. All Rights reserved.