From: napalm@next14pg2.wam.umd.edu (Warren L. Mohn)
Subject: Re: Numerous Steel Talons Questions (somewhat long)
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: rec
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 07:01:08 GMT

In article <-1eH0b7p6@cs.psu.edu> melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger)  
writes:
> 
> I, along with a friend, can complete Steel Talons with $5 between the
> two of us.  Now we're looking for optimal strategies.  Our first
> question is, can this game be won on one credit? 

St.Talons can be won on one credit with two players. I've done it a couple  
times. 

>How about by one person?  

I can do 11 missions and 3/4 of the final, twelth mission on one credit.   
But I sort of doubt that the 12th mission can be done by one person.  The  
helicopters and ground targets are just too accurate and relentless.

 > I've seen times for Level 1 near 20 seconds, for example, and
our best time together is only 30 seconds.




(SPOILERS FOLLOW...for those of you who want to figure it out on your own,  
(you'll be a better pilot for it) :-)






To get really great times here, use realflight but punch out of it to  
accelerate to 200, then punch back in to go 300mph(you can do this on  
every mission).  Find a linear path that doesn't cause you to turn too  
often. 

 > When playing partners do
people usually find it better to split up the targets or fly in
> formation to protect each other?

If the other player is not real good and might get into serious trouble,  
stay in the same quadrant(nw,ne,sw,se) as the other player to protect him  
or her if they get into trouble, but don't fly in formation. If the other  
person is good, go wherever you want, the times will be faster. 
 
> Level 11 is definitely the hardest, but it would be much easier if we
> could figure out how to deal with the planes.  
('Stuff deleted)  
> The past few
times on level 11, we've taken the strategy of keeping the big
> mountain near the starting point at our backs, rising high enough to
> attract the planes, then going low to hit them from underneath as they
> fly by.  The problem is that the planes are quite fast, and this is a
> hit and miss tactic.

The following is the procedure for all plane kills:

1.  To get one plane(in any mission), find out it's attack route at the  
very beginning of the mission(by playing the game enough). 
 
2.  "bait" the plane. 

Rise up to about 200ft and then lose altitude as fast as you know how,  
till you are near the ground.  If you do this right the plane will come at  
you but will not fire or hit you.  

3. Track the plane.

  - Find the plane on your tactical radar(the small round one) and  
maneuver so that it is flying directly away from you (straight up on the  
tactical radar display), 
  - visually spot the plane. 
  - Rise up to somewhere above 200ft.  
  - Visually track the plane by keeping it directly in front of you(using  
the pedals and joystick).  The plane will turn left or right.  Keep it in  
the center of the screen.  The plane will come directly at you, head-on.

4.  Pre-fire the missile.

DO NOT wait until you have a missile lock.  When the plane makes it's turn  
to come straight at you, count one mississippi...two mississippi then fire  
the missile.  The missile will fire straight, at the last moment the plane  
will be close enough for a missile lock, the lock will turn red and the  
missile will vere in at the last second. Roll left or right to avoid  
incoming cannon fire. In the early sequences of mission 10 the planes turn  
a lot closer to you, so fire the missile before it turns in(this takes  
some more timing).

For two planes(missions 10 and 11), kill one plane(see above) and  
immediately head for the ground.  When you are near the ground, start the  
sequence over again.  

That's about it.

STEEL TALONS is a great game isn't it?  Glad to see someone out there  
actually plays something besides that SFII game.  Going head-to-head in  
SFII will NEVER match the pulse-quickening, heart-pounding,  
sweat-pouring-down-your-forehead-till-you-can't-see intensity of  
head-to-head STEEL TALONS. OH YEAH. :-)