level name: The Sphere
    author: Yokelassence
    e-mail: unique.by.y@gmail.com
      type: solo, coop
   players: 8
    editor: DLE-XP
      date: 2008
   version: 1.51
   
COMPATABILITY
===============

To make this mission work you need two things:

D2X-XL: A source port of Descent 2 that introduces enough features to make it
almost Descent 3. This mission is designed to use those features so get the 
latest version of D2X-XL from www.descent2.de. It just tastes better.

Please note that the mission requires D2X-XL version 1.15.75 or higher

Descent2: Vertigo: The official expansion set to Descent 2 which you may still
find online. The robots from the Vertigo expansion set are used in this mission.

Overview
===================================

You just completed Descent 2. You have been in and out of 6 different planets 
and watched the 7th one (Tycho Brahe) explode beautifully. Just when your about to head home
there is a malfunction in your warp drive and it sends you somewhere else.

Actually it was not a malfunction, your warp drive was being redirected
by PTMC back to the 6th system: Puuma Sphere (that green place) since it turns out you
only destroyed 3 mines there and not the usual 4. PTMC wants you to finish the job 
before your warp drive malfunctions for real and we get back on par with the storyline

What makes things more interesting is that your negligence to attack that fourth mine 
has given the robots an opportunity to make some real developments in the time you spent
at Tycho Brahe; such as the replication of the entire robot armada to name one.
This means your doing everything all over again...in one small planetary sector.

And by the way, the robots are fully expecting you. 

Features
====================================

Four large size levels + 1 secret level, each designed to look like a logical facility. 
No 3D Picasso paintings

Descent 1 style secret level: You can die in it without returning to the previous level

Custom textures and robots

Use of all D2X-XL features; fire, smoke, sky, lightning, camera's, dispensers and more

Although primarily a single player mission, there is support for 4 player coop and 16 player
anarchy.

Completely revisioned robot lineup, all robots from Descent 1, 2 and Vertigo are featured 
but have been given different strengths, weapons, abilities etc in order to give each robot a
unique role, purpose and style. Dont worry most robots have just been minorly tweaked, 
only a few are completely different. Even scoring has been changed to more 
effectively reflect the difficulty of the robot. You get more points for nastier robots, 
not bigger robots.

New strategies; you wont be looking for blue, yellow and red in that order any more. 
This mission is designed to be non-linear and playable in different ways

Hints
------------------------------------------------------------------

Level 1: You dont need to blow the reactor, you just need to 
reach the bottom of a shaft which is behind a large door nearby  

Level 1: The proper way to reach the exit safely is to shoot four panels in the blue sector
The correct panels are marked by red lights.

Level 1: An alternative way to complete level 1 is to find some cloaks and sneak past the
security system. Cloaks can be accessed by hitting a secret panel

Level 2: Boss robots hold the key to success. Seriously, they have the keys.

Level 2: The blue key is optional but can make things much easier, hunt down a series of
triggers to get it.

Level 3: You can blow up the boss in the central area at any time, but you will need all three keys to 
escape the mine. Despite the presence of other bosses, the one in the central area will start the countdown

Level 3: You can get the keys in any order but each are equally tough to get. The blue key is down
a long winding water-filled cavern filled with robots, to get the yellow key you must hunt down 4
colored Omega Guppies and to get the red key you must destroy 5 sentry turrets in an exact row.

Level 3: The central area is the biggest threat, but you can follow bypass tunnels around it. Unlock these tunnels
by reaching panels on the other side of the locked doors

Level 3: Stuck behind the central area with level 1 lasers? Re-arm yourself with the plasma cannon dispenser

Level 3: The keys dont just unlock the exit, keep your eyes open for bonus rooms.

Level 3: If you find the secret exit, you may be able to use it to beat level 3 without collecting keys!

Level 4: The Cliffside Dock area has little gauss ammo or earthshakers but it grants you access to cloaking 
devices and energy centers. The main depot has no energy center or cloaks but it has a repair center and 
earthshaker dispsensers. Either path can be used to beat the mission equally.

Level 4: The exit is off by default, dont forget to turn it on before you kill the boss

Level 4: Want to kill all the robots in the exit sequence? You can extend your time by destroying sentry turrets

Secret: Use smart mines to catch Omega Guppies, thats what they are there for. Omega guppies (those 
fast bomb dropping things) will drop earthshaker missiles when killed.

Legalities
=====================================

This mission is freeware for freeware and must remain as such. It wont sell anyway.

Please do not create new levels out of this one. Steal ideas but not structure.
If you want to modify/extend/improve this level set you still need to extend credit 
to the original author (Yokelassence)