FAQ
Location: Imperial Fuel Station, Ergo
Difficulty: Moderate
Go south and hit the "hand" switch at (-058/0.0/0032). Get into the elevator and press the switch at (-068/0.0/-051) to take it up. Take the circular stairway down and open the sliding semicircular door at the bottom to enter the outer ring. Enter the "cantina" at (0242/0.0/-295); get the Blue Key from an officer. Go through the sliding doors at (0149/0.0/-551) and up the stairs. Face the courtyard at (0004/16.0/-458). Run and jump across to the central "cylinder". If you can't make the jump, hit the switch at (0006/16.0/-456) to bring the arm around to your position. Drop down to your left and activate the switch at (-127/-16.0/-470) and run back to the elevator at (0022/-15.0/-469). Take the elevator up and jump onto the rotating arm. Go across the rotating arm bridge to the southwest cylinder. Hit the switch at (-136/16.0/-480) and immediately run backwards onto the bridge. It will rotate to the northeast.
SECRET 1: Get onto the northeast cylinder. Open secret door at (0016/16.0/-255); drop down to collect items. Crouch and hit switch at (0020/-16.0/-269) to raise the platform and exit.
Hit switch at (-020/16.0/-316) and run backwards onto the bridge again. It will rotate to the northwest cylinder. Get off and head northwest; enter the elevator at (-289/16.0/-255). Hit switch (-298/16.0/-253) to go up. Exit; go down hallway and up stairs.
SECRET 2: Use the Blue Key to access storage at (-175/74.0/-330).
Go through one of the side doors (-169/74.0/-366) or (-139/74.0/-323) and go to the "honeycomb" map/switch at (-191/74.0/-320). Hit this switch once. (If you hit this more than once, the door leading to the ship access tunnel will be closed; hit the switch again to open this door. If the access tunnel swings back to your ship, repeat the procedure until it is directly in front of the control room and you have hit the switch an odd number of times.) Go back to the northwest cylinder. Drop down into the courtyard; the elevator at (0022/-15.0/-469) in the southeast cylinder will take you back up. Take the stairs down to the outer ring. Go through the door at (-339/0.0/-210). Go upstairs, through the newly-opened door at (-354/17.0/-208) and into the elevator at (-351/17.0/-207); hit the switch at (-361/17.0/-210) to go down. Enter the "white area".
Go northwest; take Yellow Key from officer at (-611/0.0/-029). Open the Yellow Key door at (-557/-3.0/-142). "OK, Jan. Smuggler ship secured." Hit switch at (-579/-3.0/-140). "Now launching. See you on the dark side."
EXTRA NON-SECRET: Blow open the door behind the Yellow Key officer at (-618/0.0/-025) to see a DF "DEFAULT" texture!
Location: The Executor
Difficulty: Low
Trivia: The Executor is a Super-class Star Destroyer, serving a Lord Darth Vader's flagship. At 8000 m in length, it is five times larger than an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. It was destroyed during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi.
Go down stairs at (-849/-31.0/0225). Hit switch (-917/-55.0/0120) to lower platform; hit switch at (-924/-54.0/0114) to go up. Head south and west. The switch at (-1112/-32.0/0146) briefly opens blast door above. Approach the blast door, which will raise a platform; step through the open doorway. Go north through door at (-1158/-16.0/0208); take platform down, then head east and take platform up. Head south and take platform up. Go east and take platform at (-810/65.0/0154) up. Run and jump across five elevated platforms.
SECRET 1: On the fifth platform, hit switch at (-670/92.0/0197). Jump north to newly opened alcove containing supplies. Jump back onto the platform.
Jump to platform to the east. Go through the door at (-627/92.0/0180).
SECRET 2: Take platform at (-594/93.0/0208) down. Crouch at (-595/-8.0/0138) to open secret door.
Open door at (-565/92.0/0173) and face DT(s). If you're still alive, continue east through doorway at (-375/92.0/0178). Welcome to the Cargo Shuttle Bay! Now you must prepare the Cargo Shuttle for departure. Hit switch at (-242/92.0/0150) to move shuttle out of the first bay. Go through door at (-265/92.0/0095). Hit switch at (-172/92.0/0153) to move shuttle into the next bay. Continue east through door at (-164/92.0/0094). Hit left switch at (-098/92.0/0117) to rotate the shuttle, then the right switch at (-098/92.0/0109) to dock it. Take south door at (-117/97.0/0039). Continue until you're in the shuttle. "Here we go."
Location: The Arc Hammer
Difficulty: High
Exit the shuttle. Take platform at (-010/91.0/0182) down. Go south around the QS100 Welding Arm and hit switch at (-166/90.0/0138). Go back around the welder and take the platform up again. You will now be able to access a door at (-080/122.0/0243).
SECRET 1: At (-091/128.0/0179), point east. Run and jump across to a small hallway. Open door at (-036/122.0/0159) to get items.
Continue to (-175/128.0/0164) where you'll summon an elevator to take down. Go through doorway at (-199/96.0/0116). Hit switch at (-330/101/0085). Run and jump to door with the red circle at (-283/96.0/0028) which will be open briefly. Confront DT(s). Continue ahead, taking platform up at (-166/97.0/-077). Cross catwalk and head west, then up stairs. Hit switch at (-467/126.0/0023) and go up these "double" stairs again(!). Run and jump north across to narrow ledge.
SECRET 2: Behind you on a pillar is a red switch. Run and jump, nudging the switch in mid-air. Turn left and return to the catwalk. Drop down and crouch at (-303/92.0/0003) to enter a room containing several items.
Follow ledge along. Run and jump east to alcove, and continue north. Crouch at (-415/128.0/0280) and follow tunnels along until you drop down. Shoot switch at (-454/100.0/0183); this will allow you to set the first Sequencer Charge at (-440/100.0/0157). "That's one."
Take elevator at (-424/100.0/0238) up. Follow tunnels back out. Go east into elevator at (-378/128.0/0278). Hit hand switch at (-357/128.0/0285) to go down. At the hallway with rising and falling pillars, jump onto the south pillar first. Get off into small alcove to the west; then run and jump north across to the alcove across the hall; get onto next pillar, to the west.
SECRET 3: From the pillar, go north into a short tunnel. Welcome to the Intergalactic Room of Pancakes--you'll soon be one! The idea is to run across the room, hiding in small holes at the east and west sides of the room. The secret part is at the north end.
Go across the pillars westward. Don't try to go against the conveyor.
SECRET 4: Run and jump west across to the other side. Run and jump east to alcove at (-442/64.0/0411).
SECRET 5: In the alcove, open a secret door at (-442/64.0/0422). Follow the passageway, then run and jump across to another alcove at (-479/64.0/0462) to get supplies.
Drop down; take elevator at (-507/33.0/0490) up. At (-483/64.0/0557) point yourself northeast; run across. Set Sequencer Charge 2 at (-464/64.0/0638). "For freedom."
Run and jump across to the east side. Ride along the conveyor. Run and jump across to the west side. Go through the now-open door at (-500/64.0/0418). Hit the switch at (-519/64.0/0369) to take elevator down. Go through the door at (-541/0.0/0274). Get on the conveyor at (-562/0.0/0384). You'll turn a corner, then see an obstacle coming. Duck! (If you fall, take the elevator at (-598/-16.0/0099) to get back up.) If you need supplies, go through the door at (-553/0.0/0121). Get onto the next conveyor at (-574/-1.0/0136). Shoot the switch on your right to open the door ahead. Continue north through the door at (-724/0.0/0354) until you get to the next conveyor. Follow the conveyor to the right, jump a barrier, veer left, jump, jump, duck, veer left, and duck. Jump south over a barrier to the next conveyor, which leads to an elevator. Continue to the end and hit the switch at (-595/48.0/0054) to shut off the conveyor.
Head back along the conveyor and drop through the first opening on the right. Head east and south. You'll see a row of five red switches at (-489/16.0/-139). Your goal is to line up all the markings on the west wall so it looks like this:
_____
_____ | |____
|_____|
This should work: hit the leftmost switch 4 times, the next one once, the next
four times, the next three times, and the last one 5 times.Go up elevator at (-552/16.0/-048) and through newly opened doorway at (-534/64.0/-078); head south. Shoot switch at (-484/64.0/-239); now plant the final Sequencer Charge at (-458/64.0/-225). "Jan would be proud."
Get into the elevator and hit the switch at (-529/64.0/-271) to go down. Kill any Dark Troopers, then drop down into the southwest hangar bay. Hit the switch at (-659/-113.0/-557). Face the last DARK TROOPER: General Mohc in a DT exoskeleton. "It's been a long time since I've faced a man in battle. I'm glad my opponent is so worthy." In addition to standard DT weapons, he also fires a barrage of five golden spheres.
If you survive, go into the northeast hangar bay and open door at (-484/-96.0/-375) and find an Imperial Shuttle. The Arc Hammer will be destroyed ("...an unfortunate setback."), but have we seen the last of the Dark Troopers...?
In fact, Lucas appeared on CNN's Future Watch show on the weekend of March 18/19 talking about and playing (!) DF. During the last week of February, Daron Stinnett accompanied Lucas and crew down to Disneyland for the opening of the Indiana Jones ride. They took the opportunity to promote DF with George Lucas and the national press in one place. Stinnett reports that Lucas "was a DF natural".
The 'official' name of Kyle's ship is the 'Crow'. It comes from a joke name I had for it while I was writing the design, 'Mouldy Crow'. Which is still my personal favorite. I used it to annoy some people who, wanted a more macho name. Maybe it will appear somewhere in the future.
Originally, that was our first level. It was a really well designed level, but we decided that it was too big for the first level of the game. We were concerned that the puzzles were too difficult and that the level was too non-linear for beginners. So instead we created the secret imperial base. Much of the geometry for the Imperial-class Star Destroyer was carried over to the Executor. But the mission was different, so not all of the geometry could be reused.
 click to order! |
A book has been published giving complete, hand-holding walkthrus of each and every DF Mission, complete with black&white and colour pictures. Dark Forces: Official Players Guide by Jeff Hoff is published by Infotainment World Books; ISBN = 1572800224, or by Prima Publishing; ISBN = 0-76159993-2. This book is not cheap: US$18.95. |
(Sorry, it's just that no one asked me if I wanted to rake in gobs of money, writing a book about DF! >fume<)
Computer Gaming World #131 (June, 1995) also had a brief article giving tips on some missions. It is nowhere near as comprehensive as this humble FAQ. (See checklist above.)
Computer Game Review Vol. 4, No. 11 (June, 1995) included a 32-page special "CGR's Guide to Dark Forces". This booklet contains a review of DF, an interview with Daron Stinnett, a list of enemies, and walkthrus of all missions with some colour pictures. It does not guide you to any secrets, and again is not as comprehensive as this document. For US$4.99/CDN$6.50 it's not a bad deal. (And I say that even though I'm not getting paid for it :-)
Dark Forces novels:
 click to order! |
 click to order! |
 click to order! |
Star Wars: Dark Forces -- Soldier for the Empire
Written by William C. Dietz, with illustrations by Dean Williams |
 click to order! |
 click to order! |
 click to order! |
Star Wars: Dark Forces -- Rebel Agent
Written by William C. Dietz, with illustrations by Ezra Tucker |
 click to order! |
 click to order! |
 click to order! |
Star Wars: Dark Forces -- Jedi Knight
Written by William C. Dietz, with illustrations by Dave Dorman |
 click to order! |
Star Wars: Dark Forces -- The Collector's Trilogy
The complete Dark Forces trilogy |
For more information, see the Star Wars page at Dark Horse Comics.
Dark Forces ChromArt:
Approximately 8 x 10" chromium-matted print with an engraved-like identity plate and a certificate of authenticity (ready for framing). Available at your local comics/specialty store.
DF T-shirt:
Two-sided, all-cotton white shirt with saying, "I conquered Dark Forces." Sizes M, L, or XL. Available from the LA Company Store, item 23-005, US$12.95+shipping.
DF mousepad:
Features the picture from the cover of the DF box. Available at your local
computer specialty store; or from the LA Company Store: item 91-801,
US$6.00+shipping (only available with the purchase of the DF T-shirt).
DF allows you to customize all controls in the game, except "view center." The default for "view center" is keypad-5, which has a scan code of 4C. To change the keyboard control, use a hex editor on the file JEDI.CFG and modify offset D8 from 4C to whatever key you wish. You must use the scan code of the key, which you can find using programs like Norton Diagnostics, PC-Tools' DiskEdit, or other.
Control Hex offset(s) ------- ------------- Turn right C9,D3,E1 Turn left CA,D4,E0 Forward CB,DD Backward CC,DC Crouch D5 Jump D7 Nudge D6 Speed mode CD Slow mode CE Primary fire CF Secondary fire D0 Strafe mode D9 Strafe right D1 Strafe left D2 View up DE View down DF View center D8You can use the mouse buttons to slide by changing hex offset F6 to 03, according to Werner Spahl.
Here are some scan codes for keyboard keys in hexadecimal:
Q W E R T Y U I O P [ ] [Enter] left[Ctrl] 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D A S D F G H J K L ; ' ` left[Shift] 1E 1F 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A \ Z X C V B N M , . / right[Shift] keypad * 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 left[Alt] [space] [caps] 38 39 3ATo customize the controls, replace the data at the proper offset with the key code indicated above.
From Daron Stinnett (speaking about the demo Mission):
There are only three files in DARK.GOB that comprise a level definition (.inf, .o, .lvb). Any of these files can be extracted, modified, and will run as normal files in the \DARK directory. The loader will load up files from the normal DOS file system before it goes to the GOB. The .INF and .O files are plain text and should be easy to modify. The .LVB file is a little more complex. It represents the binary version of .LEV files. .LEV files are plain text descriptions of the level geometry that we use for internal development. We have decided to ditch the .LVB files in favor of the .LEV files for the final release of the game. It should be a simple task to create editors. I would suggest that someone write an extractor to pull out the .O and .INF files and play around with them with any text editor.
dark -u[GOB-name]where [GOB-name] is the filename of the custom Mission(s).
We just used DPAINT to create textures. Then we converted them into our own .BM format. It is a very simple bitmap file format with the first 32 bytes a header and the rest is data. Texture assignment is obvious by looking at the LEV files.
There is a level "programming" language that is used to script the actions of all geometry. The scripts are contained in the .INF files. This data is plain old ASCII text, so it shouldn't be too hard to learn how it works. There are a few predefined scripts that can be attached to a given sector by setting bits in the geometry data (.LEV files). These are things like standard doors, etc.
Not really. DF is comprised of two 3D engines. One that is geared for high speed and has some geometry restrictions, and one that is slower but doesn't have any geometry restrictions. The player can only have very simple collisions with the full 3D geometry, thus it isn't suitable for normal level geometry that you can walk on. However, you could create stairs and lay a polygon like a piece of plywood on the stairs. This would create the illusion of a sloped floor. But when you walked up the slope, your movement would be like you were on the stairs, not the plywood.
There are default sounds for most script components, but you can override default sounds with certain keywords in the INF files. There are also special objects in the .O files called point sounds, we use these for things like the wind in Mission IV.
Memory was our limitation. The total of all the level components couldn't exceed 2MB because we wanted to keep DF under the 8MB memory requirement. If you don't mind requiring more memory, then the levels can get larger than 2MB. There are some hard limitations for the number of objects, sounds, sectors, etc. But these limits are pretty high.
SPR: IDTGUN.WAX
or
SPR: DEFAULT.WAX
Go to the end of the file and add the lines:
CLASS: SPRITE DATA: 10 X:183.00 Y: -42.00 Z:332.00 PCH: 0.00 YAW: 0.00
ROL: 0.00 DIFF: 1
SEQ
LOGIC: SCENERY
LOGIC: ANIM
SEQEND
Save the file and put it in the DARK dir and start the game. The Tentacle
will be waiting on the roof.