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Off-Topic Discussion => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Roanoke on October 30, 2008, 04:37:58 pm

Title: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on October 30, 2008, 04:37:58 pm
I've gone back to playing Hostile Waters....
Title: Re: Freelancer
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 01, 2008, 02:08:34 am
I'm stuck on that stupid stealth mission (on hw) when you get your first puma.
Title: Re: Freelancer
Post by: Roanoke on November 01, 2008, 02:47:07 pm
Following Train Tracks to find bases ? I like that mission. How are you stuck ?
Title: Re: Freelancer
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on November 02, 2008, 08:51:15 am
Um...request split, anyone? :nervous:
Title: Re: Freelancer
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 04, 2008, 06:19:13 am
I'm stuck on that stupid stealth mission (on hw) when you get your first puma.
That takes a lot of trial and error, plus not using your cannon loads. Iirc, dumping the entire load onto a single silo should take it out.

There are two, iirc, and the Scalpel strapped to the Puma should be able to handle it, albeit it'll take a while.
Title: Re: Freelancer
Post by: Roanoke on November 04, 2008, 12:08:26 pm
Just destroy the Guidance stations. It's easy. I like to avoid the resource objective and take-on the local bases. Takes ages pushing tanker trucks into position with a stealthy puma but it's awesome when it's all set up.
Title: Re: Freelancer
Post by: Androgeos Exeunt on November 05, 2008, 11:48:15 pm
Colonel, are you going to moderate (and split this thread) or is there a rule about the number of off-topic posts required to do a thread split? :wtf:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2008, 03:42:40 am
Split and renamed.

I hadn't noticed people were talking about Hostile Waters or I'd have done it long ago since I love Hostile Waters (and Carrier Command for that matter).
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 06, 2008, 06:32:09 am
I think it should have a sequel. Too bad I've never played Carrier Command. Was it similar?
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 06, 2008, 06:38:28 am
*shrug* Hostile Waters is the Fans choice i s'pose.




I'm contemplating Uplink when i get home :yes:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 06, 2008, 06:53:37 am
Uplink?

Btw, how'd you pass the mission where you have to rescue the Cabal? It took me quite a number of tries to pass it.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 06, 2008, 06:54:30 am
The ACKBAR trap mission?

or the one with lasers?


edit, regarding UPLINK, i thought i was in the "revisitng classic games" topic :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 06, 2008, 06:58:25 am
Tts the one where the Cabal begs you to rescue them, then they deliver you plans for the Shark, the first vehicle with dual weapons.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 06, 2008, 06:59:55 am
I've not done it yet. Last i played i was on the Puma/stealth level.  SInce i got RA3, i'm gonna be there a while too. :cool:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2008, 07:11:09 am
I think it should have a sequel. Too bad I've never played Carrier Command. Was it similar?

Carrier Command is what Hostile Waters was obviously based on. It's not got quite as much depth as Hostile Waters (It is an Amiga/ST/Spectrum game after all) but it's based on the idea that there is an enemy carrier trying to take over a set of newly formed islands from one end while you try to do the same from the other. You could send out air and amphibious vessels from the carrier and could step in to take control of any of them at any point.

Hostile Waters is without a doubt the better game of the two but CC did give you the option of controlling the Carrier too and the ability to choose whether you made islands into Factory, Resource or Defence islands did give the game a strategic level that was missing in HW.

Hmmmm. I've just noticed that the game is now 20 years old. Boy do I feel old now. :D

EDIT : OMFG!!!11111 (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/278557.html)
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 06, 2008, 07:29:27 am
So it came out when i was six ;7 :p
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on November 06, 2008, 07:56:14 am
I was 16 and had it on the Spectrum iirc :D

Good to see it's being remade.

And Hostile Waters was brilliant, the only mission that really annoyed me was the only 'FPS' style one where you had to go in and destroy a computer core or the like, but the rest of the game is still one of my favourites :D
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 06, 2008, 08:30:06 am
... I do believe I've seldom seen Kara so excited.


Added to my gamespot watch list, any how. If it resembles Hostile Waters, I'll definitely love it.

Spoiler:
I love the Antaeus. Too bad it had to self destruct. But its ending just screams sequel!
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 06, 2008, 08:44:44 am
 :shaking: SPOILER TAGS PLOX
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2008, 01:02:26 pm
... I do believe I've seldom seen Kara so excited.

Carrier Command is my 2nd all time favourite game on the Speccy (Which as you can imagine puts it up against some pretty stiff competition) and Hostile Waters gets reinstalled and played once ever 18 months or so since I enjoy that game so much.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on November 06, 2008, 02:29:46 pm
Tts the one where the Cabal begs you to rescue them, then they deliver you plans for the Shark, the first vehicle with dual weapons.

Is that the one where the map is a base at either end with a thin channel of land connecting them ? And there are friendly (conventional) Cabal units? That is easily my favourite level. I keep a save game sperate so I can play it from time to time.
Haven't played it for a while though.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 06, 2008, 02:50:48 pm
Yep. That's the one. First one where you get Jean Reno Lazare. :D
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 06, 2008, 07:34:52 pm
Yep. That's the one. First one where you get Jean Reno Lazare. :D
Heh heh. He's awesome. Him and Ransom are my favorite pilots.

Is that the one where the map is a base at either end with a thin channel of land connecting them ? And there are friendly (conventional) Cabal units? That is easily my favourite level. I keep a save game sperate so I can play it from time to time.
Haven't played it for a while though.
Yea, that one. Its damn tough to play, for me, at least. When I finally managed to push them back, there was a horde of scrap at the Cabal gates. Probably enough to build a new Antaeus cruiser from that.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 07, 2008, 01:24:43 am
I do like Ransom but he has a bad habit of biting off more than he can chew.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 07, 2008, 01:31:39 am
I do like Ransom but he has a bad habit of biting off more than he can chew.
Point. I usually pair him up with Korolev though, so at least he has some back up.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 07, 2008, 04:03:17 am
The Marine bird is sooooooooooooooo, cute.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 07, 2008, 04:26:48 am
If I can spare her from the recycler. Otherwise I tend to vary tactics. Borden is actually pretty good with a chopper (Actually she's a good all-rounder) so I've used her for that a few times. Other times I fly a longbow equipped hornet or Phoenix myself and slave him to that.

Until I get Lazare that is. As he's the second chopper pilot with me sometimes being the third.


I've got to say that the whole soulcapture chip stuff really does add a lot to the game. My only real complaint about it is that I would have liked to have seen a little more of Kenzie and Elroy.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 07, 2008, 04:30:38 am
Borden and Ransom are my core two wingmenpersons :yes:

Tom Baker and the in-game-engine cutscenes make it all worthwhile for me.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 07, 2008, 05:24:28 am
I've got to say that the whole soulcapture chip stuff really does add a lot to the game. My only real complaint about it is that I would have liked to have seen a little more of Kenzie and Elroy.
QFT. Elroy can only participate in what, 2 missions?

I love flying the fighter in the last mission. Especially when I put the Warhammer on it, and it becomes a bona fide bomber. On a related note, the Patton is damn good with that damn thing. And he's only happy in a warhammer-equipped Rhino.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on November 07, 2008, 04:38:57 pm
Yeah Ransom just loves to run off and get himself killed. I tend to have him hold position above Patton in a Warhammer equipped Tank. I like Madson with the Laser as he's pretty handy but tends to wander away while sniping.

After years of Little Britain, I struggle to get into the spirit of the cutscenes....
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Colonol Dekker on November 07, 2008, 06:52:28 pm
Good-bive :) lol.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 07, 2008, 09:00:45 pm
If you give Ransom some Longbow support, he lives quite long. Generally I'll make a craft for my personal use, and have him fly wingmen on me. My brother reckons their behaivour will change depending on how you order them. I don't really believe him tho.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: General Battuta on November 07, 2008, 09:04:14 pm
This game sounds fantastic.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 07, 2008, 09:14:56 pm
This game sounds fantastic.
It is. Especially when Ransom makes a kill, and he goes, "Haha, **** you!"
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 08, 2008, 02:25:07 am
Okay, I'm going to have to reinstall and play at least that mission where you get Lazare. Where did I put that savegame folder....
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on November 08, 2008, 03:27:29 am
I always fitted Ransom with Scalpel and used him as close air support for the artillery, but yeah, it was always a problem when you turned your back for 20 seconds and he had chased something halfway across the map, and was now happily trying to engage multiple enemy AA towers :(

Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on November 08, 2008, 06:56:40 am
I always fitted Ransom with Scalpel and used him as close air support for the artillery, but yeah, it was always a problem when you turned your back for 20 seconds and he had chased something halfway across the map, and was now happily trying to engage multiple enemy AA towers :(



hahha yes that's right! The guy's a complete nutter. I usually play a cautious game so I have to keep tabs on Ransom. Borden is probably the most reliable of the pilots.

Kroker seems best as forward control in a stealthy Puma. On some missions, if they're about, I like to use a cloaked Puma to push petrol tankers into enemy bases. The mission when you first get Puma is great for that but it takes ages to set-up.

I find Patton in a Salamander with Warhammer is great for beach assault and put myself and one or two others with long-bow equipped Hovercraft/Choppers as cover.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on November 08, 2008, 06:59:27 am
Shame you can't choose when the mission finishes. It'd be nice to have the option to mop-up any remaining hostiles/instalitions.
Or suck up any spare energy and carry whatever amount you have left over into the next mission.

One thing I didn't like was the Hostile Waters theme song. The one you had to type a code in order to hear.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 08, 2008, 07:54:13 am
One thing I didn't like was the Hostile Waters theme song. The one you had to type a code in order to hear.

You didn't like that! Man, that was sheer class!

"Hostile Waters..Waters that are a little bit...hostile" :lol:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on November 08, 2008, 11:58:40 am
I didn't know there was a theme song ?!
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on November 08, 2008, 03:00:48 pm
http://www.gamewinners.com/Cheats/index.php/Hostile_Waters:_Antaeus_Rising

Just use the theme song one. :)
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on November 08, 2008, 03:04:37 pm
I never finished that damn game.

It was good but my (LEGALLY BAUGHT) version always told me that I was using a corrupted CD. A NO-CD solved the problem but screwed up the language settings, which was kind of silly.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on November 09, 2008, 05:57:27 am
You can get it on ebay, Amazon etc for next to nothing.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on November 10, 2008, 05:51:01 am
Hey I've finally reached "that" mission.   :D
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on December 25, 2008, 06:01:22 am
Bought a new version for christmas (4 Euro)  :lol: . Enjoying the game right now. Finally, banters and so on work!
Currently problem is the mission were you get the first laser. Game crashes EVERY time when Church gives the message  :sigh:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on December 26, 2008, 03:16:21 am
Is this with the patch? There was one released for Hostile Waters. I needed it to fix a joystick bug which made the game unplayable otherwise.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on December 26, 2008, 11:43:30 am
yes, it's with the German version of the patch. Finally got an error:
Failed to allocate 85c000 bytes of memory

trying to reinstall.


(I remember that problem...     ...I just don't know how I fixed it anymore. Compatibility Mode doesn't)
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on December 26, 2008, 12:03:34 pm
now I know, it works without the patch  :D
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on December 26, 2008, 12:22:50 pm
I didn't know there was a patch. Never needed one.  :doubt:
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on January 04, 2009, 01:56:02 pm
Crap, Island Zero (frozen over, I think it's m19) is frustrating. Managed to take out all three central hangars by using the carrier's cannons and my cloaked scout Puma but they are still coming at me and so few resources  :)
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on January 05, 2009, 02:41:23 am
The first time I did that one I think I did it by establishing a beach head very close to the carrier with Sharks and Phoenixes. I allowed the enemy to attack for a good few minutes then I pushed the beachhead forwards a few metres and scavenged up all the enemy dead.

Gave me enough to make a real push into the island. :)
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on January 05, 2009, 02:47:00 am
Sometimes scouting out the outer regions of the map can reveal pockets of resources as well, though I'm not certain about that particular level.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on January 05, 2009, 09:05:10 am
*snip*
Is that the one you have to rescue the Behemoth?
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on January 05, 2009, 09:21:01 am
lots of derricks in every corner.
I like to use kara's beachhead tactic as well, then push forward with heavy artillery units and my personal flamethrower hovercraft...
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on January 05, 2009, 09:49:25 am
*snip*
Is that the one you have to rescue the Behemoth?

It's a couple of missions before that one I think. It's the one straight after you have to protect the Cabal town from the new species. The one where you find out what actually happened to the Cabal leaders. 
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on January 05, 2009, 03:40:54 pm
I find a Shark with twin missiles can nail just about anything. Patton with a Shark and Warhammer is great for taking fixed defences while I cover. Same with Madson and a laser equipped chopper but he tends to wander into the range of othetr stuff.
Best to use hovercraft as you can pull back beyond the range of hostile ground units.

IIRC nearly all the resoures come from the (destroyed) hostile base wreckages.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on January 05, 2009, 07:49:58 pm
It's a couple of missions before that one I think. It's the one straight after you have to protect the Cabal town from the new species. The one where you find out what actually happened to the Cabal leaders. 
Oh. That one. Most of my resources come from destroyed alien wreckage. My Recycler tends to move up with me. I used the beach head tactic too, but I used a Rhino with a Warhammer for Patton. In case he gets flanked, he can live long enough for Korolev or Ransom to save his plastic-chip ass. I personally take a Shark with twin Scalpels. I get marginally more range than flamethrowers.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on January 06, 2009, 07:02:48 am
I'm on the Behemoth mission now, forgot how much of a pain it could be.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on January 06, 2009, 07:28:27 am
Damn straight. Rushing head long over water to storm a fortified position against the clock.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on January 06, 2009, 02:47:44 pm
Damn straight. Rushing head long over water to storm a fortified position against the clock.

Sure you've got the right mission ? The behemoth is a stealthy mission but it's plenty dull.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on January 06, 2009, 10:03:08 pm
Wait, the one you are the Behe or the one you have to rescue the Behe?
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on January 07, 2009, 02:18:10 pm
boy, the rescue Behe is terrible  :ick:          currently stuck.  (pretty bad that HW has these crappy missions at the end). I hope the final one is better (please tell me there is another good one).
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on January 07, 2009, 09:28:22 pm
Rescuing the Behe was a lesson in rapid deployment and engagement. Not to mention the value of air cover and having six big guns to back you up.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: karajorma on January 08, 2009, 03:58:02 am
You don't like the rescue mission? That's one of my favourites. :D

Here's what I do.

Spoiler:
Scout with the Puma. I tend to drive it myself rather than giving it to Kroker as that allows me to stick some armour in for emergencies. Arm with either scalpel or firestorm as you won't be doing much fighting obviously).

Once you've had a very good scouting session, deploy Patten in a shark with warhammer and give him two scalpel equipped sharks for protection. Have them follow Patten so they don't wander off too far from him.

Head north and take the route around the island to the west. You'll find a set of alien oil derricks to the north of their base. Take them out with bombardments from Patten. You should be able to stand off shore out of range of everything except the slugs to do this. Once production is down, stand off shore of the base itself and pummel it in the same way. Once it's dead. Scavenge. Y ou should have more than enough resources now to build a small fleet.

Head back to the carrier the way you came remembering to send a pegasus to pick up and recycle the scarab. Now from the carrier head south staying well away from the shore. Once you reach the bottom of the map head east. On the beach you'll see the main resource production for the alien base. Take it out. Once that's done you can either return to the carrier and get Patten in a tank or if you're feeling brave move back to the south eastern corner of the map and perform an amphibious assult on the enemy base.

Either way once you have destroyed the enemy base do not rescue the Behe until you have scavenged everything. You should now have all the resources you need to kick the crap out of anything the aliens can send at you.

 Y ou don't actually need the carrier guns to win this one, So I tend to use them to take out the slug factories just before I begin an assault
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on January 08, 2009, 04:57:58 am
The trick is not to get fought to a beachhead, isolate and destroy each base individually, but if you lose control of the landing-zone, it's very difficult to regain control.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Stormkeeper on January 08, 2009, 05:54:36 am
:wtf: Sounds so damn easy. But I usually rush like hell to save the Behe. Although I tend to forget about it until about half the base is dead. :p But I do cover my assault with Patton's Warhammer and Ransom and Korolev in Scalpel and Longbow Phoenixes respectively.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on January 08, 2009, 06:19:31 am
It's a war of attrition to be honest, particularly in heavy combat, I find using the Scarab is still sometimes a good idea, since a Behemoth can't work whilst fighting, and it loses an awful lot of potential once you stuff one of those big modules into it.

Sometimes it's worth setting the Behe's up for combat centred only and drive around in a Scavenger Scarab, cleaning up afterwards, with a repair Scarab providing services to the main Behemoth group, the game always pick Korolev, but swap it to Kroker, since Korolev is more dangerous with the Longbow in my experience.

It's a pity you don't get more pitched battles with the Behe to be honest, but then Hostile Waters is one of those games you never want to end, and leaves you screaming for a sequel.



Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on January 08, 2009, 07:04:43 am
Yeah, resucing Behemoth is great. the mission where you start with a stealth behemoth is the terrible one.

The trick is not to get fought to a beachhead, isolate and destroy each base individually, but if you lose control of the landing-zone, it's very difficult to regain control.

I do as Karajorma says and perform an amphibious assault but I use Patton in a warhammer'd salamander and cover him myself with a Missile equipped shark. I keep a repair scarab (forget hisname, first officer dude) and a recycle scarab (usually Korolev) under a pair of Pegasus out to sea and bring them in once all the badguys are down. The base on the west coast is great for resources once it's all taken down.  Having a stealth Puma is handy but more of a luxury if resources are short.

I almost never use behemouth. Too expensive and too slow. Plus I've found the AI tends to struggle crossing heavy terrain, waterways, trainlines etc  :)
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on January 21, 2009, 02:29:49 pm
Gah, the penultimate mission is so annoying!!

I really wish I could have had the Vulture earlier too.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Flipside on January 21, 2009, 03:43:57 pm
I've found a program that will open the compressed files for Hostile Waters, but it would take some considerable time to decode some of the unqiue formats inside those packages...

http://www.watto.org/extract/info.html
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Roanoke on January 22, 2009, 03:03:41 pm
Do it flip!
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: VPR on January 29, 2009, 05:52:03 pm
Another way to rescue the Behemoth is to build 3 x Pheonix (Longbows), 1 x Pegasus (Armour + Chip), 1 x Shark (Dual Warhammer) and then put Madsen in a Sentinel (Laser + 3-4 recharge units & shields) on one of the little islands near the carrier. This is more expensive but works well for me with no losses.

Beforehand assault the Western base to build the above group with the resources gained from it. Using a Puma or Shark with a Cloak unit hit and run all the Radar & AA towers where Behemoth is using a Flamer unit, you only need a brief spray and they'll eventually burn to death.

When you attack use your Cloaked Puma/shark to spot the Behemoth and use the other Shark to strike the Behemoth free. Once Behe's free send in the Pheonix force and then the Pegasus behind them to grab and return Behe' to the Carrier, cover it and pull back any of your Pheonix' when they lose shields to Madsen, who'll rapidly frag any chasing flyers in one hit once they're within his range. Form a choke point in between the hills near your carrier to the south and place the Shark (Warhammer) below the small drop to terrain mask it from ground units. Before attacking you can hide your force behind the bank if you've removed the all the towers on the southern side as the Aliens will not detect you until you unmask over the hill upon their base leaving you able to shield up without the need for Cloaks. Build your clean up force from the ensueing chaos at the choke point.

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: General Battuta on January 29, 2009, 06:53:25 pm
Sooo, uh, I kinda want to play this game now.

What should my first step be? Ebay?
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: redsniper on January 29, 2009, 09:03:46 pm
Ebay? More like Pirate Bay amirite?

Really, I don't know if the game has abandonware status or not. I would think so.
Title: Re: Hostile Waters
Post by: Vidmaster on January 30, 2009, 02:05:49 pm
well, it is on underdogs and now guess who made the entry  ;7
I finally changed my stradegy and voila, the level is beaten quickly. I always used units with maximal upgrades and it seems that was an error for this mission.