maelstrom help needed

Author: helpdeskjockey
Date: Sun 16/12/2007 11:08 PM

hi, great maelstrom site !

maelstrom is probably the one game i wanted to but could never finish. For some reason i always got killed without seeing any hostile ships. the last few times i played it, i thought it had something to do with finding something on the eyeball ? But no matter how many agents i send there, i never find a way to get in, and the syndicate always beats me to owning it. i think something needs to be done or found before ? or does the ship needs to be equipped with something special ? Thankfully the plot lines are somewhat random, and i think i have seen and enjoyed most of the game, but i wonder if you know how to beat the syndicate to the eyeball, or/and how to stop the invisible fleets from invading harmony. - i hope you know. - thanks

here's a cheat for your maelstrom site: call skave, save your game, pay the hint fee, restore the game and the second time don't pay. the game will progress to the next hint. (maybe also to the next plot, maybe this is why i keep getting killed too soon! haha!)  

 

Replies: 2

 

Reply: 1

Author: jawapro
Date: Mon 17/12/2007 10:19 AM




Welcome to my site HelpDeskJockey!

Sadly it's been a while since I played Maelsrom straight through - so I could be a little off the mark here - Omnimors can correct me if I'm wrong.

The Eyeball is interesting - but dosnt really impact the game much. Its not something you need to control to be able to win the game.

The way I was able to win the game was to build a large fleet of heavy ships - and attack the Syndicate. From memory there are only some planets you need to defeat to win - but I think that's randomised between games. If you send recons around you should be able to work it out - or do what I did, and just build a killer fleet (or two) and just hit each planet in turn.

The planets still stay 'red' and remain to the Syndicate - but if you defeat the fleets around them all, you can win the game.

I had problems with the 'invisible fleet' as well. I dont think it's actually considered a fleet within the game - because even if you have ships in orbit - you dont get a chance to defend yourself against it.

When I started the game, it would sometimes show me a planet and ask for co-ordinates before it let me play. This was a sort of copy protection - to prove you own the manual - and thus the game. I think if you get this wrong, the doom fleet will show up and destroy you - but I think there might be a while in between getting it wrong and the fleet appearing.

I think there also might be a time cap. So if you play for too long - you lose automatically (killed by the invisible fleet). I didnt work that out back when I was playing the game, but someone told me since that there was a time cap.

Anyway - as I said, it's been a while since I played the game - so I might be a little off the mark. I think Omnimors has played it more recently - so hopefully he'll turn up shortly and either confirm or correct me.

But great to find someone else who likes the game.

Cheers,

Rob

 

Reply: 2

Author: omnimors
Date: Tue 18/12/2007 11:27 AM




I'd be glad to help you out.  In order to win the game, you need to have a victory over the Syndicate headquarters.  You need to recon all of the main syndicate planets to find out which one, but once you find it you'll know by the description in the Sector Map.  Once you find it, don't waste any time with anything else:  head to that planet with as big of a fleet that you can afford.  Once you enter Syndicate space, you will encounter patrol groups that can wreak havoc on an ill prepared fleet, so be warned.  (You can avoid some of them be not switching to Attack mode until just outside of the headquarter's orbit). 

The game does have a definitive end date (I think its 5/1/99).  If you follow the story, the Syndicate is eventually able to come up with a way to invade your planet without using ships (hence the "invisible" fleet).  Also, if you don't keep Harmony's population happy, they will take you out with a coup.  On top of that if you ignore Zoran, he will invade and you will be forcibly removed from office.  Those are the only three ways I've found to lose the game. 

As for the Eyeball, there's nothing you can do about it.  It's one of those things that supposed to get you to realize that the Syndicate is powerful, and you need to do something about it, and soon. 

I have a help guide/walkthrough that I would be glad to email you (and that I hope JawaPro will add to the website eventually).  Let me know if you want it.