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erhaps the most dangerous defense of all that protects
the DarkSide Station against our soldiers is the
countless number of hazardous areas which bar free
movement within the facility. From alarm tripwires, to
automated cannons, to security cameras, the Lunar Mining
Cartel's base defenses are as dangerous as they are
varied. More often than not, you will want to eliminate
these automated threats first and foremost. What follows
is a list containing the vast majority of hazards you
will encounter throughout the Base.
Note that most of
the following devices may be thickly shielded, and thus
are absolutely impervious to conventional weapons. This
unstoppable shielding flashes blue when attacked, and
briefly glows red when decoupled. Shielded targets can be
made vulnerable by eliminating the shield's power source,
which is always nearby and usually in the same room. Always take care to destroy any and all
shield generators you encounter.
 
This wall or
corner-mounted device is geared to automatically trigger
the base alarm should it sight an intruder such as
yourself. Always eliminate the cameras first! Even if you
kill every guard in a room, if the camera spots you then
you'll be up to your neck in reinforcements in no time.
Furthermore, alarms tend to trigger other very unpleasant
defenses, from servomechs, to laser barriers, to worse.
Security cameras are extremely easy to destroy (unless
shielded), but difficult to notice. Learn to notice them
always.
Should a camera
spot you, make sure and eradicate any immediate threats
before concentrating your focus on the camera itself. Once the camera is destroyed, quickly disable the alarm.
 
Cameras cannot
detect targets which are not within visible range.
Observe the sweeping motions of the camera, and attack
when it is "looking" the other way. One rare
type of security camera, however, is programmed to train
upon you at all times, making stealthy sabotage virtually
impossible (except through the strategic use of spider
bombs). Destroy these quickly, but be prepared to face
the wrath unleashed by the ensuing alarm.
All-too-conveniently
placed throughout the base, these alarm panels inform
employees of your intrusion. Luckily, you can turn these
off yourself! If an alarm is triggered, make sure and
disable it as soon as possible or else you will have to
deal with reinforcements and more dangerous defense
mechanisms. Alarm panels glow bright red when active -
learn to spot them, and keep their locations in mind.
 These impassable obstacles prevent your passage as
would a brick wall. But while your grenade launcher could
punch through that wall, it won't even scratch an energy
barrier. Such barriers can be disabled in a number of
ways. Try looking for nearby switches first, then try
destroying all power generators in the vicinity. Laser
barriers may also be overridden through certain computer
terminals, so keep an eye out for any suspect machines.
Barriers come in multiple varieties: there are glowing
orange horizontal and vertical bars, and dark,
translucent energy walls. Bars can be shot through with
conventional projectile weaponry, but the walls are
entirely impervious. Note that when dealing with bars, a
power generator may be on the other side. Shoot through
the bars with your RP-32 and destroy the generator to
gain access. One rare type of laser barrier, noted by its
blue color, can be passed through at the dear cost of
health and energy. All other laser barriers cannot harm
you directly and are impassable.
These come in several
distinctive varieties, from wall turrets to electronic
eyes. Essentially, there are two types of wall defenses:
those which shoot straight ahead intermittently, and
those which sweep the area looking for intruders to pick
off. The former are generally triggered through booby
traps, whereas the latter work just like security
cameras, only they gun you down themselves rather than
tell someone else to do so. Like most any wall fixture,
such defenses may be shielded. Wall defenses have varying
degrees of armor, but as a general rule they require
somewhat more of a beating than the flimsy security
cameras. Just as they vary in functionality and
appearance, so do wall defenses support virtually every
type of weapon. Because wall defenses are mindless,
particularly the shoot-straight-ahead types, try and lure
enemy troops into their indiscriminate firepower.
 Certainly among the Certainly among the most
devious of WEC defenses is the laser tripline, which
elicits any number of deadly defenses if triggered by an
intruder. The laser tripline is an invisible infrared
beam which can only be spotted by a tiny red dot on the
wall. Laser triplines can be easily destroyed, but
spotting them is another matter entirely: learn to look
carefully in narrow hallways and door entrances for these
crafty devices, and destroy them without hesitation.
 If you do trigger a tripline, you
will hear a distinctive alarm chime. Learn the sound of
that chime, so that in case you do fall victim to such a
trap, at least you can destroy the source so you don't
make the same mistake twice… if you survive long
enough to get the chance. Laser triplines can be easily
spotted through the use of the VIR Imager, an item which
allows you to see any tripline beams at the cost of
energy. Though this item is effective, you should learn
to conserve energy and be able to locate the tripline
sources on your own. Beware these defenses - they are
fairly common, though not quite common enough to make
them predictable.
These come in two styles:
hard-to-notice, and impossible-to-detect. Both have some
sort of effect on the immediate environment, whether it
be opening a nearby door or triggering an alarm or
anything else. The hard-to-notice pads take the form of
distinctive floor panels - a corporate logo, for
instance. The impossible-to-detect floor pads must be
discovered, unfortunately, the hard way. Certain floor
pads are toggles, pads which open doors, for instance.
But if you step off and head for the door, the door
closes. Floor pads require little pressure, so placing
any sort of item upon one will hold it down. In said
situation, try placing either a detpac or a limpet mine
onto the pad so that you can pass through the door. Floor
pads are quite rare and usually unnoticeable, so don't
let their existence make you paranoid. The last thing we
need is a coward.
 Rotating death traps. Thresher cannons are
double-barreled GL-303s that swing around monotonously,
looking for folks like you to splatter all over the
premises. These exceedingly dangerous defense mechanisms
are fairly slow but heavily armored and frequently
shielded as well. Take care to destroy each one you
encounter through any means necessary, as their killing
potential is far too great to allow them to be left
intact. Thresher cannons are available in a number of
varieties: some are mounted on small moving trams while
others are designed to train upon you no matter where you
run. Like wall defenses, Thresher cannons do not
discriminate and will fire upon any WEC troops caught in
the line of fire.
These spit extremely hot
flames or steam either from the side or upwards from the
ground. Exhaust vents can always be disabled through a
nearby switch or valve. If you are careful in studying
which valves trigger which vents, you can learn to use
the deadly exhaust to ambush and kill many an
unsuspecting opponent. As a general rule, if you see
pipes in the area, be wary of exhaust vents.
Certain doors require key
cards for access, whereas other areas may require you to
input a passcode in order to proceed. Failure to input
the proper passcode will trigger the general alarm
automatically. Still other areas can only be accessed
through a locked security fixture which must be opened
from another source. All these things can be thwarted
with the ingenious, single-use Data Pick. The Data Pick
flawlessly cracks any and all encryption, so if you are
fortunate enough to find such a treasure, keep it in mind
and use it wisely.
Some areas have
particularly weak floors which may fall out from under
you. You'll tumble along with them, most likely to your
death in some blistering furnace below. Floor gratings
are usually safe, but some become damaged when exposed to
explosive blasts. Learn to spot damaged floors by their
darker color, and make sure to avoid such areas as best
you can. Damaged floors are extremely hazardous.
Certain large electronic
devices generate a steady stream of radiation or
electricity into the air, and are bound to inflict
serious damage unless dealt with in a timely fashion.
Radiation generators can be destroyed outright, but
electric walls must be decoupled from their power source.
You may discover a life-saving radiation shield which
will protect you from heavy radiation at the cost of
energy.
The Lunar Mining Cartel
is home to many a toxic chemical, and these chemicals are
left lying about in sealed barrels. If these barrels are
lying lengthwise, they have a bad tendency of rolling
about and detonating on impact. Be wary of lengthwise
barrels, and consider shooting them so that they do not
come back to haunt you. Some barrels are flammable, some
are radioactive, and still others are spilled all over
the ground. All are dangerous.
These tend to be linked
to security cameras, which tend to be shielded. Upon
spotting you, such a camera will trigger the dispenser to
unleash one of the small, mechanical anti-personnel
weapons to designate you as a target. Immediately destroy
the explosive, then deal with the camera. Better yet,
deal with the camera before the dispenser has a chance to
identify you in the first place. Bomb and mine dispensers
are seen as small, round metallic rings on the floor.
Mines are available in
the ground-based and aerial variety. Floating mines can
be shot or rolled under, whereas grounded mines can be
shot or leapt over. Floating mines are quite conspicuous,
but ground mines are somewhat difficult to spot. Look for
grayish rings on the floor, and use caution when you
proceed lest you end up very much dead.
Di-Cor, the dangerous
crystalline element which powers our modern age, is mined
abundantly here in the DarkSide Station. This stuff is
intolerably radioactive, so steer very clear of it if at
all possible, or arm your radiation shield if in its
presence. Luckily, you will hear a warning when entering
a highly radioactive area.
 
 
 
 
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