_______ __ __ __ __ __ _________ |_____ \ ________ __ __ __| |___ | || || ||__| / ____ \ _____| | / ____ \ | | | || ______| | || || || | | | | ||_____ || | | || | | || | | || || || | | |____| | _____| || |____| || |____| || |_____ \__________/\____|| ______/ |_______/ \________/ \________/ \_______| |__| |__| |__|__| S P E C I A L E D I T I O N AUTHOR - Charlie Emery - Hellfire X VERSION - 1.0 E-MAIL - charlie.emery(at)gmail(dot)com Dedicated to Rowena, my wonderful girlfriend, and to all the staff and members of WipeoutZone. =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **CONTENTS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ To jump straight to a specific section, enter the corresponding code number in the search function of your browser. - [001] VERSION HISTORY - [002] E-MAIL USAGE - [003] INTRODUCTION - [004] DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WIP3OUT AND W3O:SPECIAL EDITION - [005] CONTROLS - [006] GAME MODES - [007] RACING TECHNIQUES AND GAME MECHANICS - [008] WEAPON SYSTEMS - Mines - Multi-Missile - Energy Drain - Rockets - Gravity Shield - Autopilot - Reflector - Cloak - Plasma Bolt - Force Wall - Quake Disruptor - Revcon - [009] MANUFACTURERS - Federal European Industrial Science And Research - Goteki45 - Auricom Research Industries - Piranha Advancements - Qirex Research and Development - Anti-Gravity Systems - Assegai Developments - Project Icaras - Drag Prototype - [010] CIRCUITS [010A] WIP3OUT LEAGUE - Porto Kora - Mega Mall - Sampa Run - Stanza Inter - Hi-Fumii - P-Mar Project - Manor Top - Terminal [010B] CLASSIC LEAGUE - Talons Reach - Altima VII - Sagarmatha - Phenitia Park - Terramax - Gare d'Europa - Odessa Keys - Arridos IV [010C] PROTOTYPES - LS101/NP62 - LS102/MG71 - LS103/AW72 - LS104/AW73 - LS105/GP02 - LS106/GP73 - [011] CHEATS - [012] SOUNDTRACK - [013] USEFUL LINKS - [014] THANKS - [015] LEGAL [001] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **VERSION HISTORY** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ v1.0 - 09.07.07 - Guides for the remaining prototype tracks added. Guide complete v0.8 - 08.07.07 - Guides for Classic League, LS105/GP02 and LS105/GP73 added v0.7 - 10.12.06 - Guides for Manor Top and Terminal completed. Wip3out league done. v0.65- 01.12.06 - Guide for P-Mar Project completed. v0.6 - 27.11.06 - Guides for Sampa Run, Stanza Inter and Hi-Fumii completed. Added Differences section. v0.55- 21.11.06 - Guides for Porto Kora and Mega Mall completed v0.5 - 20.11.06 - Game modes, Racing techniques, Manufacturers and Weapon systems completed. Descriptions for Wip3out league added. Track guides for all 2097 tracks imported from 2097 FAQ, will be altered to account for any differences later. Cheats section added. [002] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **E-MAIL USAGE** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ My e-mail address is open if you have any comments to make on the guide, such as if anything is missing, if something could be more concise, etc. Useful comments please, any flames and you won't be mailing me again. Please don't mail me with any questions on the game if the answer can be found in the guide, it will be ignored. I have revealed all I know about the game here. If it's not in the guide, I can't help you. On the other hand, if you'd like me to explain something a little more clearly, or if I have missed something, then by all means mail me. If it's something important you'll get a mention in the credits. But above all, DO NOT SPAM MY INBOX. This includes advertising, chain letters and any other useless junk that gets sent. I've had to put up with a lot of this recently, so I'm going on a zero-tolerance policy now. ONE useless email and your address will be blocked. In the case of mass emails, all addresses involved will be blocked. To help avoid this, DO NOT ADD MY ADDRESS TO YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. [003] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **INTRODUCTION** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ The year is 2116, and AG racing is in its prime. Following the success of the F5000 and the worldwide recognition the sport now has, the rise of the metropolis known as Mega City has prompted the race commission to open the first single-city race season. For the first time, people from all over the world will be brought together in one city to witness the excitement in all corners of Mega City, and with talk of some classic tracks being reopened in honour of this, this is set to be the brightest time in the history of AG racing. Welcome to the F7200 AG Racing League. [004] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WIP3OUT AND W3O:SPECIAL EDITION** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ So what exactly is so special about Special Edition? Below is a list of everything that differs in this game from the original Wip3out, and what makes it one of the most sought after games in the series. Thanks to all the members of WipeoutZone who helped compile this list. - 8 classic courses from WipEout and Wipeout 2097 make up a new Classic league - 2 tracks from the Japanese version of WO3 added to the prototypes and the addition of a new high-speed craft to race on them - Several AI bugfixes - Game physics are now more "floaty" - Assegai shield upgraded to 2 - Icaras handling upgraded to 3 - After finishing a race, there is now a "Next Race" option in the menu - The game now auto-loads your data instead of letting you manually load it - Certain tunnels have had their brightness increased to make navigation easier - A number of bugs were removed that caused your craft to react as though it had hit a wall when there wasn't one. - Text size on the menu screens has been increased so you don't have to use a microscope anymore - Numeric characters available for player name entry - AI craft now have shadows underneath them - Perfect laps are now indicated on the race results by a red P next to the time - The console link-up feature is now fully available without having to unlock it with a code - There was a bug in the original that if you changed the configuration of the NegCon controller, you wouldn't see your opponent's craft in multiplayer/replay. This has now been fixed - Weapon pads now grey out for a second once they have been used - There is now a confirmation before saving/loading your game. before it would just save/load without confirming, resulting in a lot of lost data. - The four original prototype tracks have slightly enhanced graphics. - Elimination mode is now multiplayer only [005] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **CONTROLS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ D-pad/Stick - Steering and pitch control Square - Discard weapon Triangle - Change view Circle - Fire weapon Cross - Accelerate L1 - Rear view L2 - Left airbrake R1 - Hyperthrust R2 - Right airbrake [006] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **GAME MODES** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ \\// :SINGLE RACE: \\// //\\===================//\\ Pick a speed class, course and craft and race over two, three, four or five laps to come in the top three. There is a grid displayed when you pick your speed class to show you which golds you have yet to achieve. Initially, only the first four courses and the first four craft will be available. To unlock the next course, you will need a medal in the courses before it, and to unlock the next craft, you will need a medal using all the craft before it. The easiest way to unlock everything at once is to work your way diagonally through the grid, so when you complete the fourth race and any beyond that you will unlock a track and craft at the same time. Getting golds in all tracks and with all craft will unlock a Prototype track. \\// :TOURNAMENT: \\// //\\==================//\\ Tournament mode will set you off in a four race tournament against eight other craft. Points are allocated for finishing position: 10 for first, 6 for second, 4 for third, 3 for fourth, 2 for fifth and 1 for sixth. Whoever has accumulated the most points over the eight races is the winner. There are tournaments for Wip3out league and Classic league. The tracks are determined by the class you race on. Vector puts you on tracks 1,2,3 and 4, Venom on 3,4,5 and 6, and Rapier on 5,6,7 and 8. Phantom class tournament is an eight-race tournament on all eight tracks. \\// :PROTOTYPES: \\// //\\==================//\\ The prototype courses are made available as you gain golds in all 64 tracks in any single race league. For each grid you complete, one prototype track will be made available. The fifth and sixth tracks are speedway tracks that are raced in special high speed craft (thrust 3, speed 10, shield 3, handling 3) taken from the Japanese version of Wip3out. All prototype tracks are in wireframe mode rather than fully rendered. They are available for single race and time trial. \\// :CHALLENGE: \\// //\\=================//\\ The challenges are extra races set up to test your ability as a pilot to the limit. The three types of challenge are Race, Time Trial and Elimination. There are eight challenges in each category requiring you to race on a certain track in a certain craft, and there are challenges for both Wip3out League and Classic League. Race challenges require you to finish the race in a certain position, Time Trials require you to race the course by yourself in a certain time, and Elimination requires you to destroy a certain number of opponents before either you are destroyed or you run out of laps. Once these are complete, you'll unlock the Combo Challenges, which are EXTREMELY hard. These combine all the above challenges into one. You will need to come in in a certain position, within a certain time, while eliminating a certain number of opponents all in the same race. \\// :TIME TRIAL: \\// //\\==================//\\ Race against the clock on any of the Wip3out or Classic tracks with no opponents to get in your way. There's no medals to be earned here, just the satisfaction of registering a great lap/race time. You can also save ghosts of your best run to show off/race against later. \\// :ELIMINATOR: \\// //\\==================//\\ If straight racing is getting you down and you want something a bit more aggressive, then Eliminator is what you want to be playing. Set an elimination target number, select your class, track and craft and then head out and start blowing things up. The game ends once you hit your target or your craft is destroyed. The pit lane is disabled so no wimping out. While in the original Wip3out this mode was available in Single Player, in W3O:SE it is a multiplayer-only game mode. \\// :MULTIPLAYER: \\// //\\===================//\\ For the first time in the series, Wipeout has a split screen mode so you can play against a friend without needing to hook up two Playstations and two TVs, although this option is also available. Take on a friend in a single race, tournament or eliminator. The split screen can be changed between horizontal and vertical, whichever you prefer. \\// :FLIP TRACKS: \\// //\\===================//\\ Not really a game mode, but it will alter the way you play so it is worth a mention. Once you have all 64 golds in Phantom Class in Wip3out league, this option will be available in the options menu. Activate it and all tracks in the game will be mirrored. A great way to revitalise the game. These can be used in any game mode. [007] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **RACING TECHNIQUES AND GAME MECHANICS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ \\// :BASIC RACING LINE: \\// //\\=========================//\\ Knowing the track is one thing, knowing how to race it is something completely different. Knowing the track will allow you to navigate it, but knowing the racing line will allow you to do it in a much quicker time and without crashing. A racing line is the line you need to take through a corner to allow you to take it in minimal time, and also to set you up for the next corner. The best place to learn the racing line of a course is in Time Trial mode, where you don't have the distraction of other craft ramming you or firing on you. To find the ideal racing line of a track, you need to take each corner with the next one in mind. Usually when taking a corner, you should enter it from the outside, move over to the apex while taking it, and the allow yourself to drift over to the outside again. However, sometimes if there is an opposite corner directly following it, you can find yourself on the wrong side of the track and leave yourself with a bad approach to the next corner, making you either crash or slow down far more than necessary. Always take a corner series with the final corner in mind, as this is where you will be making your exit and where you will need to maximise your speed. Chicanes are another type of corner series that require knowledge of the racing line. You need to use the apex of each turn in the chicane as a sort of slalom marker, keeping the turns as straight as possible. Weaving over to the outside will slow you down somewhat. If the chicane is very shallow, it may be possible to see a straight line through without the need to turn. In this case, you can easily see the racing line and perfectly illustrates how you need to be able to take the sharper versions. \\// :SHIELD ENERGY: \\// //\\=====================//\\ Your shields are what will keep you alive on the AG circuit. The white bar below the thrust indicator shows you the status of your shields. Any form of impact will drain shield energy. Hitting a wall or another opponent will produce a slight loss whereas a weapon impact will reduce it much further. Obviously craft with a higher shield stat will lose energy at a slower rate than those with lower stats. Once your shields drop to 25%, you will receive an "Energy low" warning from the craft computer, and as a precautionary measure the hyperthrust will be locked out. Your craft will be destroyed if your energy hits 0%. To recharge your energy, you will need to fly through the blue pit lanes. There is one on each track, most commonly close to the starting line, but sometimes they will be a fair way into the circuit. When you are approaching a pit lane, a "Pit" indicator will appear in the top left side of the HUD. Bear in mind that the shields in Wip3out tend to be more fragile than those in 2097, so you will need to minimize wall contact. \\// :USE OF THRUST: \\// //\\=====================//\\ While most of the time you'll want to keep the thruster hammered down, there are some situations where letting off of the thruster will give you greater control over the craft. For example, going over a peak too fast will cause you to lose contact with the track and as a result will slow you down, dropping your craft back to the track. Letting up on the thrust briefly as you go over will keep you close to the track and will keep your speed up. Also, letting up will also allow you to turn much more sharply, and is practically necessary in the heavier craft. \\// :AIRBRAKES: \\// //\\=================//\\ The airbrakes are there to serve two purposes. The first is to provide an extra slowing method if you find yourself going too fast into a corner, or too hard over a peak. In this case, hitting both brakes will slow the craft down. However, this is a very inefficient way to get round the circuit, and it is recommended that you don't get into a habit of doing this and only use them in real emergencies. The other use is what they're really meant to be used for, and that is to provide you craft with a sharp turning circle. Hitting the left brake will cause your craft to veer left, while hitting the right one will cause it to veer right. Use the corresponding brake while turning and the craft will turn more sharply as the brake causes the back end to swing out. The opposite brake can also be used to laterally shift the craft in the opposite direction if you find you've entered a corner too early. \\// :PITCH CONTROL: \\// //\\=====================//\\ Knowing when to lift or drop the nose can really give you the edge in a race. When airborne, keeping the craft as level with the track as you can will ensure that you won't bottom out by bouncing along the track, losing speed as a result. When jumping, pull the nose as far up as you can to soften the landing. When going over a peak, drop the nose to keep the craft level with the track, and similarly raise the nose if you enter a trough. \\// :HYPERTHRUST: \\// //\\===================//\\ Hyperthrust is a new addition to Wip3out. Pressing R1 will cause your craft to divert power from its shields to the engines and give you a speed burst. The longer you hold it, the longer the boost, but the more power is drained from the shields. This is a very strategic mechanism, as overuse of the hyperthrust, while it may put you in a very good position, will leave your craft very vulnerable. Coupled with the fact that the craft in Wip3out generally don't have as powerful shields as in 2097, this can leave you in real trouble. If your shield energy drops to 25%, the computer will lock out the hyperthrust as a precautionary measure. \\// :BOTTOMING OUT/BOUNCING: \\// //\\==============================//\\ Bottoming out is not a new feature to the series, but the effect it can have in this game warrants a mention in its own section. Due to the very loose connection the craft have with the circuit in this game, it is easy for the craft to go into an uncontrollable bounce on the circuit if you bottom out in the wrong places. This usually happens if the track suddenly dips away from underneath the craft and the nose has not been suitably manipulated to compensate. If the craft starts bouncing, it can be very hard to recover from and will either slow you down, or in the worst case may even destroy your craft through heavy side impacts. In a spiral, the craft will start to bounce if the nose is directly in line with the centre of the track. To avoid this, use the airbrakes to slide the craft through the spiral, keeping the nose tilted towards the inside. Should the craft begin to bounce heavily, slow down and raise the nose as quickly as you can. [008] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **WEAPON SYSTEMS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ \\// :MINES: \\// //\\=============//\\ The perfect present for someone with their nose too _ _ _ _ close to your arse. Activate this to deposit five |_| |_| |_| |_| mines behind your craft, anyone hitting them will suffer moderate shield damage and will be slowed quite heavily. You can either lay them down in a single line to catch out one irritating opponent, or you can lay them across the track which will deal less damage but will probably catch more than one pursuer. You can use rear view to get an idea of where your opponents are, but the position indicator on the HUD is much more useful. \\// :MULTI-MISSILE: \\// //\\=====================//\\ The homing missile is back, and this time it's ________|\ brought a friend. Once picked up, a targeting / _______ | reticule will appear and attempt to lock onto the /_/ \ \___|/_|\ nearest two craft. Once the reticule has locked on, \_______ | fire to send two homing missiles down the track after |/ them. Each one can deal a fair amount of damage and will effectively bring them to a dead halt. If there is only one opponent in the near vicinity, the unlucky git will get both missiles coming after him. Unlike the previous game, you cannot fire missiles backwards. \\// :ENERGY DRAIN: \\// //\\====================//\\ _ | | The energy drain is a great way to stock up your ___| |___ ________ energy in an emergency. When picked up, a targeting |___ ___| |________| reticule will appear in a similar way to the missile, | | only this time you will see your target's shield |_| energy over their craft. Once locked on, activate it to start draining your opponent's shield energy and adding it to your own. The link will be broken if the distance between the two craft becomes too great, the target moves behind you, your shield energy reaches maximum, or the target is destroyed. Bear in mind that the lock can be fairly temperemental at times and it is best to use this on opponents close to you. If you activate it without a lock or while locked onto someone with a shield, the weapon will be discarded. Also, be very careful locking on to opponents with the reflector active, as this will reverse the link and your energy will be drained. However, this effect only happens in multiplayer, in single player the weapon will deactivate if this happens. AI opponents will not use the shield drain. \\// :ROCKETS: \\// //\\===============//\\ _________|\ The rockets are the simplest weapon to use. Activate |_________ | it to launch two unguided rockets down the track in _________|\ |/ a straight line parallel to each other. Despite the |_________ | fact that only two are launched, they have a large |/ explosion radius and do not need precise aiming to hit the target, making them effective stopping weapons. Best used on straights or at close range. \\// :GRAVITY SHIELD: \\// //\\======================//\\ _________ | _____ | The gravity shield is a gift when you are amongst /|_|_| |_|_|\ aggressive opponents or in a tricky section of the | _ _ _ _ | course. Activate it and your craft will be surrounded \| | |_____| | |/ by an orange energy field and will be protected from |_________| all damage for five seconds. Be careful in single player as your opponents like to use these a lot, and even the mighty plasma bolt cannot penetrate them. While you can pick up another weapon while the shield is active, you cannot use it until it expires or you lower the shield. \\// AUTOPILOT: \\// //\\================//\\ __ | \ Ever the popular pickup on Phantom Class, the _________|\ | |\ \ autopilot takes control out of your hands for five |_________ || | | | seconds, effortlessly navigating even the trickiest |/ | |/ / corners and doing so at a very good speed as well. |___/ When the autopilot is about to disengage automatically, it will remain active until the craft is on an even keel so you don't plough straight into the nearest wall. Unless you manually deactivate it, in which case it will immediately disengage. Be very careful about using this when a lot of weapons are flying about, as a hit will seriously disorientate the craft, and if the autopilot disengages at that moment it can be very difficult to recover. It will also take you straight through mines as well. A popular use of the autopilot is to stop yourself from slamming into a wall, as activating it will take you through the wall and back nto the track with no loss of speed. \\// :REFLECTOR: \\// //\\=================//\\ ___ /|_______ | _| A nasty weapon in any situation, and the only shield- | _____ | | | type weapon which will trigger a warning from your \| | | | | weapon tracker. The reflector, when activated, will ___| | | |_ surround your craft with a blue energy field. Any |_____| |___| projectile weapons which hit you while it is active will be reflected away from your craft, and if impacted in the right place, straight back at the craft that fired them. It will also reverse the effect of the shield drain in multiplayer. Be very careful about firing on a distant craft if you suspect them of having a reflector active. Bear in mind though that it will not protect you from any other weapons or impact damage. \\// :CLOAK: \\// //\\=============//\\ _________ | _____ | The cloak, while more useful in multiplayer, is a | | _ | | great way of avoiding fire in single player. When | | |_| | | activated, your craft becomes invisible for five | |_____| | seconds, rendering all opponents unable to see you |_________| and all weapons unable to lock onto you. If activated after a weapon has locked and been fired, the weapon will lose the lock. However, it will not protect you from damage should anything hit you. AI opponents will not use the cloak. \\// :PLASMA BOLT: \\// //\\===================//\\ __ __ |_ \_ |_ \_ The most lethal weapon in the game, the plasma bolt \__|__\__|_|\ is one of the more sought after weapons. Once |__________ | activated, a blue orb will charge up for one second _/ _| _/ _| |/ and then launch straight down the track. Anyone |__/ |__/ unlucky enough to be hit by it will be destroyed, regardless of their energy reserve. The plasma bolt in Wip3out is surprisingly easy to aim, as it has a large radius of effect. You don't need an exact hit to destroy a craft, it only has to be very close to them, making the plasma bolt an extremely lethal weapon. One to use on straights as the charge time can make aiming in corners awkward. Thankfully, the AI opponents will not use the plasma bolt. \\// :FORCE WALL: \\// //\\==================//\\ ____ ___ | __| | _| The force wall made an appearance in Wipeout 64 as | | | | Qirex's super weapon, and now it becomes a regular | |____|\ | | weapon here. When activated, a red sphere will |______ || |_ hurtle up the track ahead of you and create an energy |/ |___| wall on one side of the track. Anyone hitting this will not be brought to a halt as you may expect, but will have their momentum reversed and will be flung back up the track at the speed they hit the wall. The recovery time from this can be very long. The firer is unaffected by the wall, but be careful of slamming into the back of someone who has just hit it. The wall can be destroyed by weapon fire as well, including your own. AI opponents will not use the force wall. \\// :QUAKE DISRUPTOR: \\// //\\=======================//\\ ________ / ______ \ Everyone's favourite crowd pleaser, the quake will / / \ \ deal heavy damage to a large number of opponents in | | \ \___|\ one go. Activate to send a wave of destruction down |_| |_____ | the track, throwing anyone hit by it up into the air |/ and slamming them back down to the track, dealing very heavy damage and slowing them right down. The quake has a considerable range that becomes longer as the speed classes increase. Unlike the previous game, the speed of the quake also increases with speed class, so you won't be caught behind it as you fire. Thankfully, the AI opponents will not use the quake. [009] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **MANUFACTURERS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ \\// :FEDERAL EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND RESEARCH: \\// //\\=========================================================//\\ _ _ . ° /__° . / // ____` . ///´_____. | ///´_______| |__ -´///´ | . -´/// . \-´// / °´. _ . ° _ _ _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_|_|_| SPEED - |_|_ _ _ SHIELDING - |_|_|_|_| HANDLING - |_|_|_|_| ORIGIN - United Europe LIVERY - Blue and Yellow ESTABLISHED - 2017 UNLOCK BY - Initially available The formation of FEISAR came about in order to fill the gap in the AG market following AG Systems' relocation to Japan. Never the most successful of teams, FEISAR have the unwanted reputation of almost always bring up the rear. Despite this, they are responsible for the breaking through of a large number of highly rated pilots due to their craft's ease of use. The large scale bureaucracy that surrounds the team is the one thing standing between them and real success. The FEISAR craft is very agile and is very quick to get off the mark, having the strongest thrust of all of them. This is ideal for beginners, as the high handling will let you get used to the tracks without being forced to use the airbrakes straight away, and if you do hit the wall, you'll be up and running again very quickly. It is also heavily shielded, allowing you to take a lot of punishment. However, the huge tradeoff for this is that it is extremely slow. \\// :GOTEKI45: \\// //\\================//\\ ____________ _____________ | | | | | ________| |______ | | | ______ .´ | | | |______| .´ .´| | | |___________.´ .´ | | | .´ | | |________________.´ |___| _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_| SPEED - |_|_|_ _ SHIELDING - |_|_|_|_| HANDLING - |_|_|_| ORIGIN - Pacific Islands LIVERY - Orange and Black ESTABLISHED - 2095 UNLOCK BY - Initially available Goteki45 hail from a heavily shielded base of operations on the island of Makana in the Pacific Islands. Over their tenure in the AG league, Goteki45 has been known to hire pilots with a tendency to favour violence over racing skill, and it seems their craft has also been designed with this in mind. There are several rumours circulating about the possible repurcussions of Goteki45's approach to the new season, and that they may be attempting to undermine the AG League. In this vein, the Goteki45 craft is more geared towards combat than racing. It is slightly faster than the FEISAR, but sacrifices thrust and handling to maintain it. However, it still has high shielding, making it an effective combat craft. \\// :AURICOM RESEARCH INDUSTRIES: \\// //\\===================================//\\ ____ .´ `. `. `. _ /____ `. |_| | | __| | /. `. | __/ `. / | \______`_____/ _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_| SPEED - |_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_| HANDLING - |_|_|_| ORIGIN - North America LIVERY - Blue and White ESTABLISHED - 2025 UNLOCK BY - Initially available Indebted to the ideals of Pierre Belmondo, Auricom have competed on the AG circuit with the intent of directly opposing Qirex's lust for profit and for the commercialisation of the AG league. They are well known for their emphasis on fair play and are widely regarded as the "nice guys" of the league, a stance which several other teams, most of all Qirex, find sickening. Despite this, they have met with great success over the years and are regarded as the only team currently capable of dethroning Qirex. The Auricom craft has average written all over it. It is a good step up from the two slower craft, but it's shields are slightly weaker so you will need to be a little more conservative with regards to combat. It can still hold its own though, and it a great bridge into the heavier craft. \\// :PIRANHA ADVANCEMENTS: \\// //\\============================//\\ ________ ___________ \ \ | \ \ \ | \ \ \ | \ \_______\|______________\ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_ SPEED - |_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_ _ HANDLING - |_|_|_|_| ORIGIN - Brazil LIVERY - Red and Yellow ESTABLISHED - 2060 UNLOCK BY - Initially available Newly relocated from China, Piranha has always been shrouded in mystery. Their secrets are their own to keep, with only glimpses of them being shown in their racecraft. They shocked the F5000 with their prototype craft sporting no weapons, and now they are out to show what they can do in the F7200 with what they consider "the perfect balance". Communications with Piranha have generally been fruitless as they never hold press conferences and any communication they do release generally tends to be very ambiguous, revealing little. It only remains to be seen what they will offer this season. The Piranha is a very agile craft, concentrating on a good top speed and very good handling to maintain it. Once it gets going, it handles very well and only minimal airbrake usage will be necessary on high speed classes. It's shields are weak however, so try to avoid combat wherever possible. NB: For some reason, Piranha is called Pirhana in this version of the game. All other games in the series show its correct spelling, and that is what I will use in this guide. \\// :QIREX RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: \\// //\\======================================//\\ __ .´_--_¯ *. .´.´ --. `. + .´.´.´. ¯ *.\ .\ \ .´.´.´.´ ) '| | .´.´.´.´ . .´. / ´.´.´.´ .´.´.´.´ | | '( .´.´.´.´ \ \ . \ .´ \ \ \ * `.`. ¯¯_.´\ \ \ \ ¯¯¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯¯¯ _ _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_|_| SPEED - |_|_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_| HANDLING - |_|_| ORIGIN - Russia LIVERY - Purple and Blue ESTABLISHED - 2041 UNLOCK BY - Gain at least Bronze with FEISAR, Goteki45, Auricom and Piranha on any tracks The giants of the AG league, Qirex have won the championship more times than all the other teams put together. With a massive commercial backing from their benefactors Overtel, they have money to burn, and set out with the sole aim of making more. There are suggestions that some Qirex employees are becoming sick of Overtel's lust for money and feel that the company is in great danger while they hold control, but the success it brings to the team is evident, and Qirex are set to continue this success for many years to come. The Qirex is a heavy rocket, very fast and very quick off the mark. Few can match it for sheer power, but its weight means that is is very heavy in turns, making it the poorest handling craft. Also, for some reason, its shields aren't quite up to their usual standard. One for the experts. \\// :ANTI-GRAVITY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL: \\// //\\==========================================//\\ _ | | | ____------____ | | | | | |_| | | | . |______________| _____ __________________ | | | || | | ||___| |_____ _ | ___ / / | || | | / / | || | | /_____/ |_____|| |_| _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_|_ SPEED - |_|_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_ HANDLING - |_|_|_| ORIGIN - Japan LIVERY - Red and White ESTABLISHED - 2017 UNLOCK BY - Gain at least Bronze with FEISAR, Goteki45, Auricom, Piranha and Qirex on any tracks The original AG team, AG Systems are the hub around which every other aspect of the AG league revolves. With Pierre Belmondo at the helm, they are at the forefront of AG technology and are constantly changing and modifying their craft to reflect their new research. While this is a great way to introduce new technologies to the leagues, AG Systems suffers itself as a result, as most of their pilots complain about the inconsistent behavoiur of their craft with the constant modifications. Despite a general lack of success on the racing front, AG Systems is respected by all other teams as being the father of modern AG racing. The AG-S craft is a much faster incarnation than its predecessors, able to match Qirex for top speed and better it for handling. However, like its previous incarnation, its shields are thin and a lot of wall scraping will cripple it. \\// :ASSEGAI DEVELOPMENTS: \\// //\\============================//\\ ___ __________ . ° ___ ° . | _______ ° . / .´° _ °`. \ | | _____¯ ° . \ . / .´¯ _ ¯`. \ . | | (_____¯ `. . . | | / .´¯ ¯`. \ | | | |_______¯`. \ \ | | | | | |¯| | | | | |_________) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | _________ .´ . . | | | | | | | |_| | | | _________.´ / . | |_| | | |_____| | | |________ . ´ / |_____| |_________| |___________. ° _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_| SPEED - |_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_ _ _ HANDLING - |_|_|_|_|_| ORIGIN - United African Nations LIVERY - Ochre and Blue ESTABLISHED - 2113 UNLOCK BY - Gain at least Bronze with FEISAR, Goteki45, Auricom, Piranha, Qirex and AG Systems on any tracks The United African Nations were invited to join the AG League just prior to the inauguration of the F7200 in an attempt to give the anti-grav circuit truly international representation, and the success of African pilots already racing for the current line-up suggested that this would be an important development. Taking their name from an African long-spear, Assegai chose to recruit only pilots from the African nations, and as such were instrumental in greatly enhancing the sport's international development. While it's speed and thrust are average, nothing can match the Assegai for agility, able to tackle the most technical circuits without even touching the airbrakes. Unfortunately it has the weakest shields of all the craft, so keep well away from combat and use the hyperthrust very sparingly. Its agility can also be a problem in that it is very easy to overturn corners, so be very light with your controls. \\// :PROJECT ICARAS: \\// //\\======================//\\ .-. .--------. | | .--------. | || || | ._____ || || _____. .-----' || || '-----. | || || | | || || | | || || | .________. | | .________. `-´ _ THRUST - |_|_ _ _ _ SPEED - |_|_|_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_ HANDLING - |_|_|_| ORIGIN - England, but developed multinationally LIVERY - Purple and Pink ESTABLISHED - 2109 UNLOCK BY - Gain at least Bronze with FEISAR, Goteki45, Auricom, Piranha, Qirex, AG Systems and Assegai on any tracks Icaras was formed as a pet project of the English businessman, Burnston Burns. He always had a love of publicity stunts, perfectly illustrated by the two extra eyes in the top of his forehead to launch his digital spectacles company Four-Ize, and he stunned the F7200 commitee by building and registering a new AG team from scratch in only seven months. Burns claims that the team will take a new approach to AG racing. The Icaras is built for one thing: pure speed. All other stats are secondary. It takes a long time to get going, its shields are poor and it handles a bit heavily, so a lot of airbrake usage will be necessary. In fact, the speed will make it feel like it handles worse than the stats suggest. However, if you learn to control this beast and can keep away from weapon fire, there's nothing that can keep up with you. Experts only. \\// :DRAG PROTOTYPE: \\// //\\======================//\\ _ _ _ THRUST - |_|_|_|_ _ _ _ _ _ _ SPEED - |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| SHIELDING - |_|_|_| HANDLING - |_|_|_| ORIGIN - F7200 Prototype LIVERY - Interchangeable ESTABLISHED - 2116 UNLOCK BY - Unlocking the LS105/GP02 or LS106/GP73 prototype tracks. This craft can only be used on these circuits. A special prototype AG racer that is believed to be faster than anything ever seen on the AG circuit. It is being offered to the best pilots from each team in the F7200 to test bed on special prototype circuits. As you can see from the stats, the speed of this thing is off the scale, putting even Icaras to shame. The remainder of the stats aren't too shabby either, maintaining a decent handling and shield strength. However, it can only be used on the prototype circuits it was designed for and is not available for general use on any other circuit. Plus, it cannot be compared to any other craft as you will only race this aganst a full grid of them. [010] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **CIRCUITS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ [010A] \-\/-/ **WIP3OUT LEAGUE** \-\/-/ /-/\-\============================/-/\-\ The Wip3out league consists of the eight tracks from Wip3out. They can be raced in any order in Single Race mode, and in Tournament you will race them in the order shown below. In order to complete Single Race mode, you'll need to win gold on every track in every craft, so you'll need to race in the heavyweights at some point. To reflect this, all guides have been written while racing on Phantom Class in a Qirex. Under normal circumstances an Icaras would have been used, but the increase in its handling from Wip3out means that the Qirex is more appropriate in order to keep the handling as low as possible. \\// :PORTO KORA: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available A nice relaxing way to start off the league, Porto Kora is a short and very straightforward course with only the odd tricky corner to test you. This course is built for pure speed, and Icaras will have little trouble here. --- The first corner is a long right hander that will require little to no braking, which leads into a fairly sharp left. Not a problem, but you'll need to swing the craft through with the left brake and aim to exit either in the centre or on the left. There's a fast right-left chicane on the peak ahead and if you exit on the right you'll just hit the apex. As you approach this chicane, use the right brake to put the end of the craft out and aim for the centre of the peak, then just before you reach it, use the other brake to swing the craft the opposite way, just brushing the left apex as you exit. If you raise the nose it's possible to jump the apex as well, making the chicane even shallower. DOn't rely on this though, if you get caught in the chicane it can slow you right down. It's easy to mess this chicane up on Phantom class, so you need to have your exit from the previous corner just right. Tap the right brake to take you round the quick right hander ahead and hit the double speed pad on the left to take you up the slope. A small jump ahead takes you into a fairly sharp right hander. Tilt the nose right up and just turn into it. If you turn at the correct time there won't be any need to brake, but be ready in case the craft drifts too far over to the left. Try to land ont he left to hit a double speed pad. Raise the nose again as you go over the peak and try to land on the right for another double speed pad. The track curls round to the right before taking you into a sharp double right hander. Treat this like a fast hairpin, use the right brake to swing the craft round through the first apex and then drift over to the outside, repeat for the second corner. This should all come as one fluid motion. The track then dips and takes you into a long sharp left hander. This one needs to be taken with plenty of left brake feathering, you need to swing the end out going through here. Don't forget to opposite brake if you turn too much, shift the craft back away from the wall. Over the peak there is one last fast left-right chicane before taking you back over the line. Try to hit the double speed pad near the right apex as you go through. If necessary, the pit lane is on the right just before the last chicane, but be very careful on the exit as it is facing straight at the opposite wall. You may want to slow right down there. \\// :MEGA MALL: \\// //\\=================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available Mega Mall is well known for one feature: its giant corkscrew. It can be a fairly tricky course, with plenty of sharp corners and long straights to keep you on your toes. It'll be difficult keeping a top speed up here, so some of the lighter craft will fare well here. --- The first few corners are actually quite tricky despite them not being
particularly sharp. This is because they do not have a particularly easy approach. The first corner is a medium left hander which should normally be taken with light left braking. however, to set yourself up for the next one, you need to slightly overturn it and use the opposite brake to pull the craft round the corner as you'll want to exit on the left hand side. This will give you a good approach to the sharp right hander that immediately follows it. Quickly switch to the right brake and swing the craft through this corner. It may also be an idea to let up on the thruster briefly too. A fairly light left follows that can be taken with some left braking, but again i will recommend you opposite shift a little if you are in a heavy craft. There is a small jump into a tunnel following this, and it is also the only time in this league I will recommend not raising the nose. Depending on the speed you build up beforehand, it is possible to hit the roof of the tunnel, causing significant speed loss. Even clipping it will slow you down a bit, so leave the nose as is, or if you have built up a lot of speed, lower the nose. Tap the right brake to take you through a shallow right hander and over another small jump. Do raise the nose this time and come out on the right for a double speed pad. The next part is the famous Mega Mall corkscrew. On the higher speed classes it is extremely difficult to navigate as you will be picking up speed from the descent and misaligning the craft can cause it to violently bottom out. Hit both brakes as you approach the peak and bring your speed down to around 250. Swing the craft hard left into the corkscrew, letting off the thruster. Now comes the hard part. You need to alternate both brakes to keep the craft near the centre of the track, but with the back end slightly swung out. If you find yourself drifting wide, hit the left brake. If you're moving to the inside, use the right brake to shift out. Try to feather the thruster to keep your speed up if you can, but initially I would recommend letting up entirely and drifting through the corkscrew. Should you find yourself bottoming out, hit both brakes immediately and regain control before continuing. It is very possible to go into a bounce that can destroy the craft. Once you near the bottom, hit the thruster and ride the apex over the small jump, not forgetting to lift the nose. The rest of the course is very straightforward, lots of sharp corners all with easy approaches, so it's just a matter of using your airbrakes correctly. Up ahead is a double right hander, both fairly sharp so both will require heavy right braking. Incidentally the short pit lane runs parallel to this section, to enter it you'll need to very quickly swing left as you go through the right hander. The exit will make the second right much easier but it is very easy to clatter into the wall on the entrance. After the second right you will enter a tunnel with a fairly sharp left. Only a little left braking will be needed here, and the right hander immediately after it is even shallower, so only light tapping will be needed. Exit ont he left to hit another double speed pad which will take you into the last left hander. This one is pretty sharp, I'd recommend swinging hard into this one and using the right brake to shift through the corner. This will allow you to hit two consecutive speed pads on the left which will take you down the long straight to finish the lap. \\// :SAMPA RUN: \\// //\\=================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available Sampa Run is a dark track with a lot of undulations to destablilise the craft. There's also a few tunnels that will require you to slow down unless you want to kiss the ceiling. Plenty of heavy braking is needed here, you'll need to swing the craft about to keep it from bouncing. --- The first few corners are probably the hardest in the course, not the best introduction. it starts with a very sharp peaked right hander which immediately leads into a tight left-right chicane. The approach here has to be pinpoint accurate otherwise you'll be ploughing into the wall, and that can be difficult when you're bombing it down the straight back over the line. To take this first one, you need to swing the craft hard round to the right. On a first lap boost start, this should be soon after you get going, when starting a subsequent lap you'll want to start turning as soon as you cross the line. Let up on the thruster as you go up the slope and make sure you're on the right hand side. In the event that you do overshoot the line and end up on the left, brake hard before you reach the left hander. Just before you hit the peak, keep your hands off the thruster and brake hard to the left to take you into the chicane. Go back on the thrust as you go through and brake right to take you out of this corner series. Go down the short straight and tap the left brake to take you round the shallow left at the bottom. The track undulates slightly in the next straight so raise the nose to prevent the craft from bottoming out. Tap the left brake again to take the quick left into the tunnel. The log right at the other end will require some heavier use of the right brake, but still pretty easy stuff. The track heavily undulates on the short straight outside with two large peaks in the track. Pull the nose up as you go over the first one and you should land nicely on the peak of the second. The next section is a shallow chicane with a difference. The corners themselves are very shallow, but the track rises significantly in the middle. Not a good thing as you are in a tunnel and it is very easy to plough straight into the ceiling. The chicane itself is a right- left-right. The first right will requite a light tap of the brake. Before you reach the slope, slam on both brakes. This will prevent the nose from hitting the ground and pulling you to a halt as well as stopping you from picking up too much speed. Don't drop the speed too much, but enough to safely control the craft up the slope. Once you reach the slope, use the left brake to pull yourself around the quick left, then immediately switch to the other side of the track with the right brake to prepare yourself for the exit. Push the nose down and turn right over the peak. With the nose down you shouldn't hit the ceiling, if you do you can lose a lot of speed. Letting up off the thruster as you go over the peak will make life easier as well. Another short straight follows with a sharp right directly ahead. This one is sloped downwards so it's easy to lose contact with the track. Turn early for this one and shift into the corner with the left brake, it's easy to leave it too late if braking normally. Raise the nose as you go over the peak to soften the landing. The left hander ahead isn't particularly sharp, but you'll want to overturn it and use the right brake to shift through to set yourself up for the next part. Ahead, the track splits in two briefly. The left path takes you over a slightly curved peak while the right takes you through a tunnel with a couple of quick corners. On lower speed classes the left path would probably be better as it is more direct, but the exit makes it unsuitable for Phantom class. Here I will describe the right hand path. To go through here you'll need to practically brush the apex of each corner The entrance is a very quick right- left chicane. Tap the right brake to enter and immediately tap the left brake to swing into the tunnel. Ahead is a similar arrangement for the exit but in the opposite direction. Again, tap the left brake to take you through the apex, then tap the right to level out again. The final corner is a pretty sharp right hander, it is recommended you turn early and shift in with the left brake. Now charge down the straight towards the line, remembering the difficult corner series to start off the course. The pit is on the left hand side of the straight. \\// :STANZA INTER: \\// //\\====================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available A lot of people hate Stanza Inter, but it's one of my favourite tracks. Very tricky at high speeds with lots of sharp corners and very few straight sections. This will really test your braking skills, and like Sampa Run, you'll need to swing the craft about to stop it from bouncing. --- For the first left hand corner you'll want to be over to the right, which is okay for any lap other than the first or a race, but the first lap of a time trial you'll be right up close to it and on the left. If you can get a run up to the corner, hit the left brake as you cross the line and swing into the corner, aiming to hit the speed pad on the left as you exit. If it's the first lap, you'll need to hit the left brake as soon as you set off assuming oyu got a boost start. The track then slopes up into a sharp right immediately followed by a long left. You'll need to turn early for the right hander and swing into the corner with the right brake, then again try to swing the craft into the left hander. You'll only need to do this to turn the craft into the corner, once you're in the left hander you'll barely need to use the brakes at all. Maybe some light left tapping if you're going a bit quick. Following this is a short straight and then the track splits in two. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THE RIGHT PATH! Believe me, though the left hand path is straight and seems easier, it is very narrow and you'll never take the exit without crashing everywhere. It is also a deathtrap when there's weapons flying about. The right hand path will take a little skill however, as it consists of a series of quick chicanes that aren't quite shallow enough to just go straight down the middle. The first one at the entrance is a quick right-left which can be taken by just flying straight through. The rest of them however will require a bit of dextrous braking. The corner series goes left-right, right-left, left-right, right-left and left-right. The last one is also pretty shallow so you only need to worry about the ones in between. You'll more than likely need to use a little opposite braking here. As you approach the first one, hit the left brake to swing the back end out, then use the right brake to pull yourself in. Try to go through the left apex. Once through, immediately switch brakes and swing the end round the other way, and again use the left brake to shift in. Repeat this for the remaining two chicanes. The final chicane as noted before is very shallow. Run through the middle but make sure the craft is parallel to the track and exit as far over to the right as you can, almost hugging the wall. The track dips suddenly before throwing you into a sharp left. If the craft is tilted to either side, you'll go into a bounce and will either hit the ceiling or the back wall. You need to go over this one as straight as you can and then slam on the left brake just before you land. Any sooner and you'll bounce, any later and you'll hit the back wall. Try to keep the turn going a little as you exit as another sharp left almost immediately follows. Hit the left brake to go through this one as you reach it. Ahead is another medium right which dips into a tunnel, with a sharp right and sharp left immediately following it. Swing the craft round with the right brake, but as you exit, release the brake and turn normally. You should slide nicely over the peak rather than clattering down the other side, go back on the right brake just before you land to swing the back end round and place you facing centre on the exit. As soon as you exit, immediately hit the left brake and swing the craft left through the corner. Exit the left hander on the right hand side and tap the left brake to take you through a quick left hander. Again the track curls left ahead, but this time it is followed by a similar left-right chicane that you encountered in the tunnel. Take the shallow left with minimal braking, but stay in the middle and be ready to hit the left brake for the chicane. As soon as you see the entrance, left brake and swing through the apex of both corners. You may have to quickly right brake on the exit to avoid ploughing into the wall. Ahead is a very sharp descending right hander. You'll need to turn very early for this one. Approach on the left and then slam on the right brake and turn a good distance before you reach it, you'll need to really swing into this one. It's always better to turn slightly early for this one rather than slightly late, as you can opposite brake if you're early. Descend down the slope and tap the left brake to go through the last shallow left and back onto the home straight. If you need the pit, it's on the left, you'll have to treat the final left like a quick hairpin if you want to enter. \\// :HI-FUMII: \\// //\\================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Porto Kora, Mega Mall, Sampa Run and Stanza Inter in one speed class Hi-Fumii isn't quite as tricky as it first appears when you race it. Sure, it has some very sharp corners, but the approach to the majority of them is very favourable and will enable you to take this track at a fairly high speed. Just one narrow track section near the end that may cause some problems though. --- Like Stanza Inter, the first corner here is sharp and right in front of the line. Not bad if you're on a grid or coming in from a previous lap, but if you're starting on the line it's difficult to navigate. It's a sharp right hander. If you're approaching it, hit the right brake and swing through it, ending up on the outside to hit a double speed pad. From the line, take your boost start, but immediately let up on the accelerator and slam on the right brake. This should hopefully give you just enough room to clear it, but even if you hit the wall, you'll still get a quicker start than a normal start. Ahead is an interesting corner series, a light right followed immediately by a long sharp right leading into a sharp left. It's a lot easier than it sounds but you must get the approach right. Cut the apex of the first shallow right without braking, then as you enter the tunnel let up on the thruster for a second and apply the right brake, turning into the corner. This should swing the back end out. Keep tapping the brake to take you lightly through the corner and try to exit fairly central. If you're over to the left you may have to double brake. Then slam on the left brake and swing into the sharp left to take you up the slope. You can opposite brake on the exit if you go too early. If you still aren't confident about taking this section at speed, lift off the thruster entirely and drift through. Exit on the right for a double speed pad. Ahead are a pair of fairly shallow corners, a left followed by a right. Both can be taken with some light braking. Immediately after this is another light right hander, but it is followed this time by a very sharp right. Right brake through the shallow right and exit over to the left hand side. Then slam on the right brake and turn hard. The back will swing out and you should be able to direct the craft into the corner fairly easily, use the left brake to shift if you're not far enough over, but you must turn early to avoid hitting the back wall. Try to exit over to the left for a double speed pad, then cut the apex of the shallow left ahead for another one. A fairly long straight follows which leads into another reasonably shallow left, this can be taken with the left brake but you'll need to turn fairly early. You'll enter a tunnel and the track will significantly narrow. There is a speed pad slightly over to the left which serves more of a purpose than a simple speed gain. There is a sharp left right in front of you and the narrow track will make timing here absolutely crucial. This pad marks out the point at which you need to turn to be guaranteed of taking this corner on Phantom class. As you go over the pad, slam on the left brake and turn hard to swing the back out. You should reach the corner before you start moving left so there shouldn't be any need for opposite braking. However, be ready to quickly stabilise the craft with the right brake on the exit as it is easy to overturn slightly. Cut the apex of the sharp left ahead with some light braking and exit on the inside for another double speed pad. This will take you up a long straight and over a quick jump. If you're confident here, you could hyperthrust over the jump to get a huge speed boost, but you'll need to have some great control to land safely. Over the jump, the track splits into a helix, the left path is the pit lane and the right is the starting grid. The turns through here should be shallow enough to be taken with only light braking. Head up the grid and over the line, swinging the craft right as you do to take you through the first corner again. \\// :P-MAR PROJECT: \\// //\\=====================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Porto Kora, Mega Mall, Sampa Run, Stanza Inter and Hi Fumii in one speed class. P-Mar Project is EXTREMELY difficult, especially on Phantom class in a heavy craft. Believe me, this one is to be taken VERY carefully, as the corners will destroy your shields if you're not careful. Some of the corners aren't too bad, but the approach to them can really destabilise your craft and make them very tricky. Coupled with the generally narrow track, this is easily the most difficult course in the game. --- The first corner is a long sharp right, use the right brake to turn into this one. The incline in the track however will mean the craft may slide towards the back wall, so use the right brake to keep the craft tilted towards the right side and use the left brake to shift through the corner. Exit ont he left for a double speed pad. Up ahead is a similar corner going left this time. Take it in the same way, the track is narrow and judging it exactly without opposite braking is difficult. Following this is a sharp right leading into a left-right chicane. Approach is everything here, mess up one of the corners and you'll be clattering your way through the rest. As before, turn early and drift into the corner until you see a speed pad ont he apex. Cut the apex here and tap the left brake to bring you in line with the next one. Use the left brake to swing through the apex and over the speed pad, then do the same with the right brake to take you over the double speed pad on the right apex. The track rises and curls slightly to the left before taking you into a long right hander similar to the first corner of the course. However, this one dips away near the end so you'll have to let up on the thruster briefly or you'll gain too much air. As you reach the tunnel entrance, brake HARD. THe next section is extremely difficult at speed and you'll need to take it slow and careful. You'll have your hand off the thruster for almost the whole section here, only tapping it lightly to keep you going every so often if necessary. Drop your speed to no higher than 350, but no lower than 250. Use the left brake to guide the craft through the first corner. Ahead is what looks like a fairly shallow right-left- right chicane, but the corners are very tightly packed and they are impossible to navigate at speed. With the thruster off, use alternate brakes to guide the craft through the apex of each corner. The exit is a left hairpin, use the left brake to swing the craft through this. Only once you have nearly cleared it should you go back on the thruster, any sooner and you'll hit the back wall. The fun doesn't stop there. Ahead is a small jump followed by a larger one, and at the base is another sharp left-right-left chicane. However, this time there is a way to bypass it. As you go over the second jump, pull the nose up. You'll shoot into the air and fly straight over the chicane. This is also possible in Rapier class but you'll need to use the hyperthrust. In the event you are unlucky enough to drop before you clear it, you'll have to brake hard and take the chicane like the one in the tunnel. Whatever you do though, don't land IN the chicane or you'll crash all over the place. If you don't think you're going to clear it, double brake and drop the craft back to the track. If you manage the jump properly, you will be landing in a long but fairly shallow right hander. You'll need to right brake just before you land to set yourself up for it. Hit the two speed pads on the right to take you up towards another jump. This jump is much larger than the previous one, and unlike that one, here you'll want to minimise the height you gain. The straight below isn't as long as it looks, and having too much speed will cause you to hit the next corner too fast and lose control. As you go over, double brake and bring yourself back down to the track. Ahead is a shallow left followed almost immediately by a long sharp right. The left hander can be take with little to no braking, but you'll need to use the right brake to swing the craft through the right with a bit of counterbraking to set you up for the next one. Inside the tunnel is another sharp left, and this one is inclined. You may want to lift off the thruster for this one, as if you take it with too much power the incline will throw you into the wall. Exit on the right for a double speed pad, then take the shallow right back onto the home straight. There is a short pit lane on the left, but the entrance and exit are quite sharp so you'll have to slow down for it. No bad thing though, just means you'll gain more energy. \\// :MANOR TOP: \\// //\\=================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Porto Kora, Mega Mall, Sampa Run, Stanza Inter, Hi Fumii and P-Mar Project in one speed class. The infamous Manor Top is well known for its long straights leading into sharp 90-degree corners and jumps which will require precise control to land successfully. The part everyone loves here is the four 90-degree corner series. Easy in an Assegai, but getting a heavier craft round will require expert braking. Also quite a few opportunities to leave the track. --- The first corner is a sharp left hander leading into a long right. You'll have to hit the left brake early for the first one as there is no flow to the turn, the track just immediately switches direction. The right hander up ahead will probably require some counterbraking, as there is a tight left-right chicane immediately following it. Keep the nose pointed over to the inside and aim to hit the double speed pad ont he right as you exit. You'll almost immediately need to swing the craft the other way to get a good line into the chicane. It is possible to cut the apex of each corner in the chicane by using the speed pad on the left apex as a guide, but it is easier to try to stay central. Counterbrake to take you into the left and try to hit the speed pad, then immediately switch brakes to bring you level again. There is a quick jump ahead with a 90-degree right hander very close to the landing point. Tilt the nose up as you go over, then just before you land, turn hard. You'll only need to use the brake if you're late in turning, but do not brake until you are back down on the track, otherwise you'll drop and bottom out. If you're going too fast, lift off the thrust as well. Follow the long straight up through the narrow right-left chicane. If you hug the right wall on the approach you won't even have to turn. The next part is the 90-degree roof jumping. As you approach the first turn, a right hander, brake HARD. If you try to enter the first corner at full speed using only the right brake you'll clatter into the wall. In a heavy craft, this section needs to be taken slowly, certainly no faster than 250. Slow to around 250 and drift through the corner, slamming on the right brake. Turn early as you'll need to swing the back end in line with the track or you'll just hit the back wall. Use a little thrust when you're back on a straight section, but immediately lift off again before you turn. The next one is a 90-degree left hander, so take it in the same way as the previous one only brake left this time. There are two more 90-degree turns in this series, right then left. once you're safely out of the series, go back on the thruster. A short straight follows with a fairly shallow right hander leading into a shallow chicane. Things get a bit easier from here now you've cleared the nightmare corner series. After exiting the final 90-degree turn, hit the double speed pad ont he right to take you up the short straight and into the right- hander. Only light braking is needed here, and the left-right chicane on the exit is so shallow you can just fly straight through it. There is a jump just up ahead that will take you into a tunnel curving right. Go over the jump on the right hand side and start turning right as you go over, pulling the nose up. This will give you the ideal landing line, but you'll have to control the craft going through the corner as you land. It's easy to lose control and plough into the wall. The best way to take it is without braking if you can stay central, but you may have to tap the brakes if you find yourself drifting wide. A double left hander is waiting at the end, the first quite shallow and the second another 90-degree bastard. It is best to treat this as a single corner. Take the first one hard and wide and swing the back end out with the left brake. Try to cut the apex of the second corner, using the right brake to shift if you start turning too early. A helix fork up ahead takes you either into the pit (right) or the final straight (left). Very shallow either way and both can be done with little to no braking or slowing. Careful on the pit exit though, you may have to hit the right brake hard. \\// :TERMINAL: \\// //\\================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Porto Kora, Mega Mall, Sampa Run, Stanza Inter, Hi Fumii, P-Mar Project and Manor Top in one speed class. A nice balanced track to finish the league, Terminal has pretty much everything. A long spiral, lots of sharp corners and two huge straights to finish on. The straights can actually be very difficult as everyone is a sitting duck and you'll get hit by quite a few weapons. There's also a tricky corner that can easily bounce you out if you don't approach it correctly. --- The course starts off with its own version of the Mega Mall corkscrew, only this one ascends. The trick here is to turn sharply at the start and then try to regulate your speed so you can go through it with minimal braking that would otherwise destabilise the craft. Hit the left brake to swing the back end into the corner. Now keep the nose slightly over to the inside and use the right brake to pull the craft away from the wall, feathering the thruster as you do. If you find you are going too fast and you are going to hit the outside wall, lift off the thrust and lightly tap the left brake. At the top, there is a shallow right to take you onto a short straight, tap the right brake to take you out of the corkscrew. The next corner series is fairly tricky. There is a sharp right leading into a right-left chicane, and then into a long descending right hander. This can easily destabilise the craft if you approach it incorrectly. Use the right brake to swing the craft into the right hander, but aim to exit wide. You'll see the chicane a little way ahead. Tap the right brake to take you into the apex and then the left brake to pull you level again. Turn sharply to the right using the right brake as you exit and then use the left brake to shift through the descending corner. By doing this you will remain close to the track and will be in no risk of bouncing. Keep turning into the corner while opposite braking and you should have a good exit line. Turn through the light left at the end onto the short straight. Up ahead is a sharp left-right chicane, with the track descending through the second corner. Again, you need to have a good approach into the first corner, it is easy to steam into it too quickly and not leave yourself enough room to take the second. Hit the double speed pad on the right and then slam on the left brake and aim to swing the craft towards the left apex Don't wait to approach the entry of the right hander, as soon as you are through the first one immediately switch brakes and swing into the right hander. You may need to let up on the thruster if you're going too fast. Another fairly sharp left waits at the bottom of the slope. It's close enough that you can immediately start turning after you exit the right hander, but you may need a little counterbraking. Another fairly long right hander follows, light right braking should be sufficient. This will take you onto a long straight. As you go down, you will see the pit entrance on the right, just swerve over to the right if you want to enter. There is one final sharp right at the bottom of this straight, turn a little early and hit the right brake to take you through this. It is worth noting that if you are in a race instead of a time trial, it is safer diving into the pit lane each lap than taking the long straight, as you will be expose to much less weapon fire. [010B] \-\/-/ **CLASSIC LEAGUE** \-\/-/ /-/\-\============================/-/\-\ The Classic League consists of eight tracks resurrected from the two previous games. There are three WipEout tracks and five Wipeout 2097 tracks. The Classic League is more difficult than the Wip3out League in that your opponents are much faster and much more aggressive, so you'll really need to know the courses before racing them. Winning in a slow craft is really an achievement as each craft will race to its specification. If you've got an Icaras at the front of the pack and you're in a FEISAR, you may as well restart. One more note: be VERY careful racing on the WipEout tracks. The handling system has changed since they were designed and it is very easy to go into an uncontrollable bounce. Also, racing them in Phantom Class will be a real challenge as Phantom Class did not come into the series until 2097. \\// :TALON'S REACH: \\// //\\=====================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available Talon's Reach is a very simple track and a good introduction to the league. A few reasonably tricky corners, but nothing that should scare you off. Very open in places so you should be hitting some good top speeds. Also, like Porto Kora, it is a good track to try out the heavier craft for the first time --- The first set of corners are two almost consecutive shallow right curves, both of which can be taken without braking. it is recommended you stick to the inside of both and move over to the outside when you reach the peak. The next corner is easy to be caught out on, as it is a sharp blind right turn. As soon as you go over the peak, use your right brake to swing the craft down into the trough and through the apex of this right hander. If you turn a little too early, use the opposite brake to pull yourself through. The opposite braking technique may actually be favourable, as with the dip in the track you will want to drop the craft as the track drops, otherwise you are likely to bottom out. A fast straight follows with a quick left-right chicane ahead. Move over to the right hand side after the last corner and swing the craft through the apex of each corner. You will gain some height on the higher speed classes due to the undulation between the two corners so you may be able to cut the right hander somewhat. Immediately ahead is a fast right-left-right-left chicane series which can be very tricky on the faster speed classes. The main aim here is not to be on the outside going into the second left hander, otherwise you will almost certainly hit the back wall unless you slow down sharply. If you're not particularly nimble with the airbrakes, it may be an idea to stay away from the speed pads on the left leading up to this corner series. Swing the craft into the first corner using the right brake and then immediately swing it round the other way, aiming to slightly overturn the corner to bring you over to the outside. Feather the thruster and IMMEDIATELY swing the craft back to the right again. If you don't, you'll drift too far to the outside and you'll encounter the scenario described above. Aim for the apex of the next corner and use the left brake to pull the craft through the left hander. The right hander that follows the corner series is quite long but reasonably shallow. Light taps of the right brake should keep you in line, but stay over to the outside and keep your eyes peeled for the apex of the shallow left that marks the end of the corner. As soon as you see it, make a sharp turn to the right and use the left brake to swing the craft to the left. It may be possible to simply cut the apex of each corner in a lighter craft, but in the heavier ones you will need to use the airbrakes to tackle this corner. Finally, ahead is a double shallow right followed by a double shallow left. All of which can be taken with only light taps of the brakes, brush the apex of each corner to take them easily. A light right curve takes you back over the line. \\// :ALTIMA VII: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available The track that introduced the world to AG racing back in the original WipEout, Altima VII is very long and open, ideal for the fast, heavy craft. There are a couple of tricky corners to deal with which should mildly test your braking skills, especially the narrow hairpin at the end of the lap. One of my favourite courses. --- Opening the track is an ascending left-right chicane. The left is a little sharp and may require a slight lift from the thruster, but use the brakes to navigate the chicane. There is a speed pad on the left up ahead, use this as a marker to take you into the long shallow left hander at the top of the hill. Light taps of the left brake should be enough to keep you in line, there are also several other speed pads along the way if you can drift over them. The curve gets slightly sharper before the end before leading into a shallow right- left chicane. Simple brake tapping is enough for this if you approach from the left hand side. Follow the track as it continues round to the left and hit the speed pads to take you over the peak. Raise the nose and tap the hyperthrust to pick up a lot of speed down the straight. As you go up the other side of the trough, there are two sets of double speed pads on each side of the track. If you are dead centre it is possible to hit all of them. A small jump is at the end of this straight which masks a sharp right hander waiting under the bridge. Raise the nose as you go over the jump and while in the air just as you reach the bridge hit the right air brake to swing the craft into the corner. Almost immediately lift off the thruster and hit the left brake to take you into the ascending left hander in front of you. The ascent curls round to the right over the peak. The exit to this one is on a descent and can be quite tricky. The best way to take this one is to use the left brake to shift the craft through the corner while using the right brake to keep the nose tilted towards the right. This will give you an ideal approach to the exit. If you gain any height coming out of the corner, lift the nose to give you a soft landing. Ahead is a shallow but quick left-right double chicane. Quick taps of the brakes are enough to take you through these and if you can, hit a couple of the speed pads as you go through. You may need to use the brakes to drift over them if your line is awkward The last right of the double chicane is much longer than the rest. Keep tapping the right brake to take you through it, but keep your eyes up and look for a yellow bill board. When you see this, prepare for a very tricky exit to the corner. The right strut of the billboard marks a left hand apex. As soon as you see this, try to gauge where the right apex will be and use the left brake to shift away from the right side. Then it's just a case of using the left brake to go through the left hander at the end. This is of course the quick way of doing it. If you want to be more cautious, then let up on the thruster as you go through, which will give you more control. Almost immediately on the right as you exit this corner is the pit lane, but use it only if you absolutely have to as the exit is evil. A quick narrow right takes you into the tunnel, try to drift into this one as the width makes it awkward to get a good approach. The final hairpin at the end of this straight is very difficult, mainly because it is both narrow and sharp. The best way to do it would be to look for the speed pad on the right hand side of the track. Just before you hit it, slam on the left brake and use the right brake to shift the craft through the corner. Steady tapping is needed on the right brake as you need to keep the craft away from the left apex. The exit takes you back onto the home straight. \\// :SAGARMATHA: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available Also a fairly simple course, Sagarmatha introduces you to the more tricky chicanes and the odd blind turn. Still nothing to fret over though, generally Sagarmatha is a very relaxing track and is one of my favourites out of the whole series. --- The first corner series is actually pretty difficult in the heavy craft. Not so much when you start out, but in subsequent laps after building up speed from the straights, they can be very tricky to navigate. This is a very sharp left- right chicane. There is a speed pad on the right hand side of the track. Use this as a marker to slam on the left brake and cut over to the apex. Due to the momentum you will more than likely end up on the outside of the corner. Almost immediately slam on the opposite brake and swing the craft in the opposite direction, this will drag you over to the outside of the right hander and onto a double speed pad. This will really take some practice as it is deceptively sharp. If you're still having difficulty, double brake on the approach or let up on the thruster as you take the corners. Up the straight is another chicane series in the opposite direction, but this one is much shallower. Use the brakes to swing the craft through the right-left chicane. Next is a sharp right hander, made easier by the incline of the track which should keep the craft stable. Hit the right brake to get round this one. The next part of the track consists of a number of quick but shallow turns which will require a bit of dexterity with the airbrakes. The first section is a right-left-right chicane which is shallow enough to almost fly straight through. Use light taps of the brakes to guide the craft around the apex of each corner, but aim to be over to the outside after exiting the second right, as it is immediately followed by a sharper right hander. Quickly let up on the thrust and hit the right brake to swing the craft through this corner and into another left-right-left chicane. This one is sharper but longer than the last series, and so can be taken simply by swinging the craft through the corners using the brakes. Emerge from this corner on the outside to hit a double speed pad to take you up the straight and over the jump. Lift the nose to soften the landing, then tap the right brake to take you into a long right hairpin. You may have to tap the right brake occasionally to keep the craft away from the back wall. Exit the corner on the outside to hit the double speed pad to take you back towards the line. Move over to the right if this isn't the final lap, as this will make the approach to the first corner series easier. \\// :PHENITIA PARK: \\// //\\=====================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Initially available Another very enjoyable circuit, this one has a few long jumps that lead into corner series, so you'll need to be quick with the turning. There are also a few very sharp chicanes which will require good use of the opposite brake shifting technique. --- The first corner is a light right curve which will require light tapping of the right brake if you managed a boost start or are coming in from another lap. Try to come out on the inside to hit a double speed pad to take you over the peak. A short straight is followed by a fairly sharp left hander, which will also require some fairly heavy braking and maybe even some counter braking to keep you from hitting the apex. A tricky section follows, keep the craft over to the left to hit a double speed pad. A shallow left-right chicane is immediately followed by a much sharper right-left. Fly straight through the first chicane, then use your right brake to start turning VERY early for the second chicane. Turn too late and you'll either hit the back wall or you won't lose enough speed to take the second corner easily. If the latter ends up being the case, double brake to slow down. Once through the first, use the left brake to guide the craft around the long second bend and over the peak. it may be an idea to let up on the thruster when tackling this corner series. Once over, the track curls round to the right which should only need light braking if any. There is a peak at the end of the bend that masks a quick left hander into a straight, be very careful of this, a light tap of the left brake should bring you into position. If you can't quite see where to go, the scenery should give you a clue where the bend is. Ahead, the track swings quickly to the right and then into a shallow left bend over another peak. Over the peak is a very shallow right-left chicane taking you into a tunnel that can be taken with little to no braking. Once in the tunnel though you will probably need to tap the left brake. The next section is a very sharp right- left chicane. Just after the checkpoint, immediately slam on the right brake and start turning. This will make sure you're facing into the corner and not the back wall by the time you reach it. You MUST turn early for that corner or you'll simply bounce off the walls. If you turn too early, use the left brake to shift into the corner. Let up on the thruster once you've made this turn and use the left brake to pull you into the second turn. Inside the tunnel following this corner series is a very shallow right-left followed by a sharp left hander. Simply fly straight through the light chicane and hit the left brake as you near the exit of the tunnel. The last section of the course is pretty fast but throws in a few quick turns to keep you on your toes. Ahead is a shallow double chicane, the first left-right, the second right-left. Neither is particularly sharp and can be taken with light brake tapping. Incidentally, the pit lane is parallel to this section, to enter you turn right instead of left at the first corner. The final corner is a fairly sharp left hander, and only light tapping is required. \\// :TERRAMAX: \\// //\\================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Talons Reach, Altima VII, Sagarmatha and Phenitia Park in one speed class. Terramax is a fairly open course for the most part, but it does have its moments, most notably the tunnel near the start of the course. There is also a tremendous hyperthrust opportunity near the end that can give you a huge speed burst. Its main threat though is its undulation, which can be blinding on Phantom class. --- The first set of corners are very shallow, a right-left-right rising chicane. each can be taken without brakes and try to stay as close to the apex of each corner as possible. The exit to the second right is blind as you go over a peak, but the track continues round to the right. Keep the craft positioned so you can take another right turn. Also, the track descends after this so you'll need to keep the nose up, bottoming out here will lead to all manner of problems. Raise the nose as you go over the peak and tap the right brake to take you down the slope. Use the left brake to shift away from the right hand side as you don't want to take this too sharply. Exit as far over to the right as you can, as a very narrow left takes you into the tunnel. The ideal way to enter is to left brake early and shift in with the right brake, but if your approach is too fast, double-braking may be necessary. Try your absolute hardest not to hit the wall at any speed as the width of the tunnel will have you bouncing off the walls for ages. The pit lane is on the left right after the entrance, but the exit is quite rotten at speed. Down the tunnel there is a sharp right followed immediately by a sharp left. Brake shifting is highly recommended in both corners as it is difficult to obtain a good line at speed with normal braking. Out of the tunnel is a short straight followed by a quick right hander. This can be taken with light right braking. The next section is a quick jump immediately followed by a sharp left hander. This is an extremely risky but very rewarding tip only to be used by those who are very confident in craft control. As you approach the jump, aim over to the left. Then hyperthrust over the peak. You will pick up an enormous amount of speed and will gain enough height to completely cut off the left hander. This leads into a long right, so as soon as you have jumped, hit the right brake to swing the craft back round to the right and raise the nose, and if you can land perfectly you'll shave off a considerable amount of time. Screw it up though, and you'll either fly off the track or slam so hard into the wall your kidneys will fly out your mouth. For the less adventurous (or mad), hands off the hyperthrust and be ready to slam on the left brake as soon as you take off. This will set you up facing the exit of the sharp left and ready to go into the long right. Turn without using the right brake, but use the left brake to pull away from the right hand wall if needed. Ahead is another shallow right which can be taken without braking. The track then undulates quite heavily, dipping through a quick right and then rising through a quick left. If you've got a lot of speed going through here, you're gonna lose it if you don't raise the nose. As you go over the peak, tap the right brake to keep in line with the track, and then tap the left one to bring yourself in line with the other side. Now comes the jump back onto the home straight. it's not completely in line, you'll need to turn a tad over to the right, but this is the perfect hyperthrust opportunity, and the perfect place to regain any lost speed if you bottomed out from the last little section. All it needs is a little tap, and you'll rocket over the edge and shoot down the straight at ungodly speed. ONLY a little tap though, any more and you'll be going too fast when you hit the first corner again. And try to keep in line with the track, hitting the wall at that speed will wreck your shields. \\// :GARE D'EUROPA: \\// //\\=====================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Talons Reach, Altima VII, Sagarmatha, Phenitia Park and Terramax in one speed class. Quite possibly one of the most famous tracks in the whole series, Gare d'Europa is both fast and tricky. Plenty of straight sections to get your speed up, and lots of tricky corners to take it away again. There will be plenty of thruster lift here, some of the chicanes can really unbalance the craft. --- The first corner is a 180 degrees right hairpin. Not particularly sharp, but the speed you'll have from the main straight or a boost start will mean you'll definitely need some heavy braking. Try to swing into the corner early and use the speed drop to line yourself up to take the exit on the right. You'll miss a speed pad but your line will be much more manageable through the next few corners. These are a shallow left-right-left chicane, which can each be taken with only a light tap of the corresponding brake, or in light craft no braking at all. On the final left, try to swing the craft over to the right to hit a double speed pad to take you up the slope. Waiting at the top of this slope is a very sharp blind left hander. You'll see a speed pad on the left hand side of the track near the top. Use this as a marker, right before you hit it slam on the left brake and turn as hard as you can. Let up on the thruster too, you don't want to be going too fast over this. You'll be quite high up in the air on the exit so trace the track and keep the nose up to land safely. The track levels out at the bottom and you'll see a fairly sharp right hander waiting. Again there is a speed pad on the right, use this as a marker to swing the craft through the corner and into the tunnel. A similar right hander awaits at the top of this slope. The turn is slightly lighter so you don't have to be as aggressive with the brakes as before. Aim to exit on the left to hit two double speed pads to take you into a very shallow chicane series. Keep the nose up and blaze straight down the middle. The next set of corners require some heavy braking and good timing, it's surprisingly easy to hit the walls in here. The first corner is a reasonably sharp right, take this with some light brakign and aim to end up on the left. The next set is a deceptively sharp right-left chicane. The entrance to the first corner hides how much of a bitch the second
can be if the approach isn't quite right. There are two ways to take this chicane. The first requires precise timing, you need to start turning early and aim to practically brush the apex and end up on the right hand side going into the second corner. As soon as you clear the corner, immediately switch brakes and turn the other way, letting up on the thruster as you do. There should be just enough room to squeeze through without hitting either wall. This will allow you to keep your speed up, but is very tricky. There is a second way. Take the first corner like you did the previous one, only this time try to exit in the middle. Slam on both brakes to slow yourself down before hitting the left brake and skimming the left apex. Use the right brake to shift if you're too close to the apex. The track now curls round to the right again before taking you into a sharp left hairpin. After exiting the previous chicane, immediately start turning into the right hander. Just before reaching the hairpin apex, slam on the left brake and swing into the corner. Make sure you let up on the thruster as well, it can make all the difference between skimming the back wall and slamming into it. Exit on the right to hit a double speed pad which will take you up the straight towards the final corners: two sharp right handers in quick succession. Not quite close enough to make a hairpin, you'll need to brake twice to get through. Just swing the craft through both corners as with other turns like it and exit on the left to hit a speed pad. The remainder of the course is one long straight. You'll need to keep the nose up for most of it. The section ahead takes you over a set of undulating peaks that will cause the craft to bottom out and lose speed if you don't keep the nose up. The last one is a huge jump, the perfect place to use the hyperthrust. Try to line the craft up before you go over the jump, it can be tricky in mid-air. Keep the nose up as you land and go over the line. Remember the first hairpin though, it's very easy to overshoot it, especially as the line can hide the track ahead. \\// :ODESSA KEYS: \\// //\\===================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Talons Reach, Altima VII, Sagarmatha, Phenitia Park, Terramax and Gare D'Europa in one speed class. Voted by WipeoutZone as the most hated track in Wipeout 2097, the Wip3out incarnation is actually considerably easier. Odessa Keys has a lot of sharp corners in dark areas, requiring you to be very dextrous with the brakes in order to take them. You will tend to lose height rather quickly over peaks here so keeping the nose up is a must. --- Odessa Keys gives you a taste of things to come in the very first set of corners, a sharp right followed by a deceptively sharp left. Approach the first corner incorrectly and you're going into the wall. You MUST turn early into the first corner and aim to exit on the right, then let up on the thruster and immediately swing the craft to the left using plenty of braking. If you find yourself on the right after the first corner, slam on both brakes and turn slightly over to the right. Then slam on the left brake and turn as hard as you can. Up ahead is a large peak which you will gain some considerable height from. below you should see the track wind to the left and then rise up and curl to the right. Keep the nose up and trace the track round, using your right brake to help you round the right curve, especially as it tightens near the end. Exit this corner on the left to hit a double speed pad. The next corner is deceptively tricky. The corner itself is your typical sharp left hander, but there is a small bottleneck in the exit, meaning if you're wall hugging when you exit, you'll end up crashing to a halt. Turn early for this corner and use the right brake to shift the craft into the centre to exit through the bottleneck. Shift over to the left to hit a double pad and use some light right braking to swing the craft through the right hander at the top of the peak. There is a short straight followed by a short jump ahead. As you go over, raise the nose to soften the landing. There are a few sharp corners ahead and the last thing you want is the craft to be bouncing when you get to them. Inside the tunnel, the track curls round to the right before swinging sharply to the left. The speed you'll pick up from the jump will make the approach to the left hander very tricky, so hit the brakes to slow yourself down a bit before using the left brake to swing into the corner. Immediately following this corner is a shallow right-left chicane which will take you up another slope and over another jump. Raise the nose going over this one and almost immediately slam on the right brake as there is a sharp right hander waiting for you soon after the jump. You'll land in the corner so you'll need to be turning before you reach it. If the nose isn't up high enough, you may bottom out and lose some control. Head up over yet another jump and prepare for a very evil way to end the course. At the bottom of this slope is a quick left immediately followed by a VERY sharp right hander. On Phantom in a Qirex this will be impossible to take at full speed. As you approach the first corner, hit the brakes hard and let up on the thrust. You'll need to drift through here, so leave the thrust well alone. Tap the left brake to bring you through the first corner and use the right brake to swing the craft through the right hander. It's not the end of the world if you can't quite make it as the pit entrance is just before the end of the corner on the left. There is one last light left hander before the final straight. Only once you are in line with the apex of this last corner should you go back on the thrust. Head over the line to finish the lap, remembering that rotten corner series that's waiting for you on the other side. \\// :ARRIDOS IV: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Gain at least a Bronze in Talons Reach, Altima VII, Sagarmatha, Phenitia Park, Terramax, Gare D'Europa and Odessa Keys in one speed class. Arridos IV is a nightmare. A long, winding course, with a lot of undulation that can easily send the craft into a bounce. There's a large drop and a split section that can easily make you lose control, so pinpoint accuracy is needed to tackle this one. Even near the start, there is a descending chicane series that will try its best to slam you into the wall. This one needs a lot of practice and only lunatics hyperthrust here. --- The course slaps you in the face right after the line, a sharp right-left chicane. Slam on the right brake as you reach it, and almost immediately slam on the left brake for the next corner. Use the right brake if needed to pull yourself away from the wall. The track then undulates wildly while darting very quickly from left to right. Keep the nose up and stay as close to the centre line as you can. If you don't raise the nose you'll almost certainly start bouncing. A quick but shallow left-right chicane takes you into the tunnel. These can both be taken with light braking and ideally as close to the apex as possible. Now HIT THE BRAKES. The tunnel contains a very sharp right-left-right chicane series that is impossible to take at full speed. Slow down to about 260-270 and use the shifting technique to tackle the corners, so turn early with the corresponding brake and use the opposite brake to shift into each corner. Drifting without using the thruster is also recommended as you don't want to pick up too much speed. There is a small jump at the exit to the tunnel, but for the love of God don't use the hyperthrust. There is a fairly sharp left at the bottom of it and hyperthrusting will ensure you overshoot it by a mile. Use the left brake to turn as you go over and, keeping the nose high, shift into it with the right brake. This should ensure a smooth landing. At the top, the track looks like it curls to the right, but as you go over the peak, it quickly veers left again. No braking needed, but it's a long drop so lift the nose as high as you can. Immediately at the bottom is an double helix. Trust me when I say go right for the first one, it'll make life a lot easier. As soon as you land, tap the right brake to take you onto the right path. Follow this side round and switch to the left side for the second helix. After the peak of the second helix, use the left brake to shift away from the right wall and try to turn the craft so you will exit on the right hand side. There is a double left hander taking you into the tunnel, with the pit lane lying in the second turn. Shifting into the two corners is probably the best approach. The remainder of the course is quite fast, but the undulations can prove to be a problem if you don't manipulate the nose well. A quick left ahead can be taken with a tap of the left brake, but the one at the top of the peak will need some hard left braking. Use the back rail as a guide to navigate it. If you gain any height ont he exit, lift the nose and keep it up through the next corner, which is a long right hander waiting at the bottom of the hill. Hit the right brake on the approach and keep your speed relatively low to aid navigation, using the left brake to shift if you turn early. A left-right hairpin follows. Use the left brake as you hit the checkpoint to turn in and shift in with the right brake. The right hander should only need the right brake. On the exit, head up a long section of track containing five light right handers. A right brake tap should be enough for each one. At the end is a jump back on to the home straight, and again DO NOT HYPERTHRUST. The track turns left at the bottom, so apply some left brakign as you go over and line up to land back in the home straight. [010C] \-\/-/ **PROTOTYPES** \-\/-/ /-/\-\============================/-/\-\ The Prototype tracks are essentially track designs that were turned down to be included in the main game, but have been added as unlockable tracks as reward for clearing a speed class in Single Race mode. The first four Prototypes are in a polygonal format, to give the impression of racing in a VR simulator. The final two are special tracks which use drag craft to race on instead of the usual line up. The prototypes are only available for single races. \\// :LS101/NP62: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Clearing one speed class with all craft in Wip3out League or Classic League This first prototype track is probably the simplest track you'll see in a Wipeout game concept-wise. While it is still quite tricky at speed, it is essentially one chicane after another for the whole course, and it is very short too. All you'll need to memorise is the sharpness of each corner and how close they are together, no intricate patters to memorise with this one. However, the VR environment means there aren't any landmarks to help you out, so memorising it may be more difficult than usual --- The first corner is a left-right chicane. Not too sharp, but use corresponding brakes to guide yourself through, and try to brake a little early. The right hander is quite long so several taps of the right brake will probably be needed. This leads into a quick left so be ready to switch brakes when you see the double speed pad. A shallow right takes you over a small jump into a very tricky chicane series: a double right-left followed immediately by a long right. Just braking into these corners will severely destabilise the craft, so you'll need to shift in. For the first corner, right brake early and use the left brake to shift into the corner. Then provided you feather the thruster or drift, the remainder can be taken okay with normal braking. Just don't pick up too much speed as losing control in here will heavily damage the craft. The final right is quite long and can be taken with normal right braking. The next corner is a sharp left that will pretty much definitely require hard braking, so brake early with the left and swing the craft through. Past that is a very shallow right-left-right chicane that will require only a little braking, so stay as close to the apex of each corner as you can. There is a small jump following this with another sharp left at the bottom. As the craft can be quite hard to control in the air, you may have to shift into this one. While in the air, start to left brake and then shift witht he right brake as you land. This should take you through the corner without too much fuss. Finally at the end of a short straight, there is a quite shallow right hairpin to take you back onto the home straight. Brake in with the right brake and the remainder can be done with little to no more braking after that. If you need the pit, keep your eyes left, as it will be making an appearance almost as soon as you exit the corner. Head up the straight to complete a very short lap. \\// :LS102/MG71: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Clearing two speed classes with all craft in Wip3out League or Classic League This track teases you for the most part, seemingly quite simple if a little narrow... and then slaps you in the face with an extremely tricky corner series near the end. Also, the pattern on the tunnel walls make seeing ahead very difficult, so this is definitely one to memorise before attempting it at speed. Lots of brakework needed near the end of the lap. --- The first corner is a simple right hander that needs little to no braking. The next right however, is a different story. Slam on the right brake for this one as you'll need to swing the craft quite heavily in order to navigate it. Don't worry about turning too early, If you find yourself pulling inside before the apex, use the left brake to shift into the corner. On subsequent laps where you will have a lot of speed, it's highly recommended to let up on the thruster briefly as you go through. Another left follows that can be taken with a tap of the left brake. Another reasonably shallow left hander is up ahead, but this time it's inside a narrow tunnel. If you're swinging in from the outside it's not too bad, just apply some left braking and you should get through okay. If you're not too confident about the tunnel though, then try shifting in with the right brake. The tunnel goes on for a bit and then presents you with another sharp right on the exit. This is a tricky one as not only can you see where the corner opens out on the exit, but it start quite shallow before tightening. Bet bet is to shift into this one, but provided you turn early enough and know where to exit it is possible to take it with only minimal right braking. There is a banner going over the track which indicates the exit, so as soon as you see this, straighten out. A light right hander takes you into a descending shallow chicane series. Tap the brake through the right hander and make absolutely sure you are dead centre on the exit. The chicane is shallow enough for you to raise the nose and shoot straight down the middle, so do this. Be ready at the end though, as there is a pretty sharp left that will need some braking to tackle. You will see the course hit a trough before going into the left hander. As soon as you hit this, slam on the left brake and turn into it. This will take you through perfectly. The track then leads into a long right hander. Tap the right brake to take you into the corner and follow it round, using the right brake only when necessary. At the end is a large jump which would normally be a tempting hyperthrust point, but leave it well alone. In fact, slam on BOTH brakes and lift the nose. The course suddenly becomes a whole lot more difficult from here and the last thing you need is to be rocketing down the track. Once you land, do NOT touch the thruster. Just drift for a while. Tap the left brake to take you into the left hander after the straight, then use the right brake to guide yourself round the long right hander. If your speed drops really low, then feather the thruster to keep it to a reasonable level. As you near the end, you will se what looks like a very sharp left. Just before you get here, slam on both brakes and slow to no more than 200. You need to be going this slow to even have a hope of getting through here. Drifting through, hit the left brake to take you through the first corner. Almost immediately after this is a very sharp right. Keep your speed low and hit the right brake to tackle this one. And once again, it is followed by a very sharp left, which must be taken with the left brake. This is why you need your speed low, any faster and this series would be nigh-on impossible without hitting a wall. Slam on the thruster as you exit and get your speed back up. The pit lane is on the right, and slightly further along is a quick right to take you back onto the home straight. \\// :LS103/AW72: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Clearing three speed classes with all craft in Wip3out League or Classic League Without doubt the hardest of the prototypes and probably the hardest track in the whole game. This one's got it all: chicanes, sharp hairpins, narrow tunnels, jumps, and terrain that makes it very difficult to see ahead. This will take a long time to get the hang of and getting a heavy craft round without severely damaging it is the mark of a true Wipeout master. --- The course starts with a sharp left before you've even cleared the grid. Slam on the left brake or shift in to get through this one. Head down the long straight, hitting several speed pads on the way. Up ahead is a double left, a shallow one followed by a sharper one. The approach isn't too good for two lots of left braking, so tap the left brake to go through the shallow corner and shift into the second corner. Almost immediately you will go over a jump and straight into a sharp right hairpin. As you go over, slam on the right brake and shift in with the left as you get close to the apex. On exiting, go over another small jump into a very narrow tunnel, the entrance to which is marked with a quick right hander. The width of the track here is very prohibiting, so you'll need to time a right brake tap very well to take you through this one. Try to stay dead centre all the way through as there isn't much room to move. Once out of the tunnel, you will come across quite a shallow right-left chicane. These will only require simple corresponding braking. Go down the straight, hitting speed pads again as you go. Now comes a very tricky part of the course, and one that has a very good chance of wrecking your craft. There is a corner series that requires some incredibly dextrous brakework to take at anything like full speed, and anyone trying this track for the first time is highly advised to slow down before reaching the first corner. The series begins with a pretty shallow left which can be taken with a light tap of the left brake. However, it is quickly followed by a right- left chicane, with the left hander being quite sharp. The approach you have after clearing the first left isn't good, and at speed you will almost certainly clatter into the left apex. The best bet is to immediately tap the right brake as you exit the first left, which will put you in line with the first right of the chichane, then almost immediately again hit the left brake. The momentum should be enough to take you through the left hander before the direction change kicks in, but you'll also need to aim very close to the apex, which is risky. For the less adventurous, slow down before tackling the chicane, it will make life slower, but easier. After this is another right taking you into a tunnel, easy right brake tap, but following is an absolute beast of a corner. It is an extremely sharp left, and the wall at the back hasn't been programmed properly so you go straight through it if you hit. Slam on both brakes before you reach this one, and the hard left brake to swing the craft through. If you're going a little faster, shifting may be necessary, but be careful not to hit the back "wall" or you'll go off the track. The fun doesn't stop there. After exiting this one, there is a quick straight jumping into another narrow tunnel, containing a fairly sharp left-right chicane. You MUST drift through here, going too fast will certainly have you bouncing off every wall in there. Hit the left brake to swign through the first corner, and almost immediately switch brakes to take the second corner. Coming out of the tunnel, you will land in a shallow left hander, so be careful not to exit the tunnel too far over to the left and fall through the gap. A shallow undulating chicane series follows, which you can take just by going straight down the middle and lifting the nose. The final two corners are shallow and sharp left handers respectively, only the sharp one is in another narrow tunnel. Treat this like the double left earlier in the course, hit the left brake for the first one, and shift through the second one. Shifting will slow you down a little, but it will prove to be a good thing as the pit lane is on the right almost immediately as you exit the tunnel. I'm willing to bet you've taken a pounding on this course and the pit lane is easy to miss, so be prepared to slam on the right brake. This is also the home straight, but going through the pit lane will make the first corner shallower so maybe that is the better option. \\// :LS104/AW73: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Clearing four speed classes with all craft in Wip3out League or Classic League The last of the four standard prototypes is pretty simple to be honest. Far more straightforward than the nightmare that is AW72, this one consists of quite a few sharp corners, but the approach to each is quite long, giving you plenty of time to prepare. A quick sharp chicane near the end provides some end-of-lap fun, but it's nothing to worry over. --- First corner is a long right hander. This can be taken with only a couple of right brake taps to keep you in line. A long straight leads into a pretty sharp left hander, but the track is quite narrow for this one. You must shift in here, slam on the left brake early on the approach and use the right brake to shift through. The track descends, taking you into another sharp right. Two ways of doing this. You can either slam on the right brake as you hit the trough of the dip, which will give you enough of a turning circle to get through, but this is risky. The other way is to shift through like you did with the previous corner, and it's likely this will give you a better approach to the next corner, which is a sharp left. Do not exit the previous corner on the left hand side or you will not have enough room to turn. If you shifted, you can adjust early to move over to the right and then use the left brake to guide yourself through. Yet another sharp right waits up ahead, once again use the right brake to get through. Go up the slope towards ANOTHER sharp left. Hit the left brake as you approach the top of the slope to bounce into the corner. There is a long right hander immediately following this that can be taken with only a little right braking. However, be very careful at the exit, as there is a quick left waiting right at the end. As soon as you see the end of the corner approaching, be ready to hit the right brake to face into the corner and then swing the craft through using the left brake. Ahead, there is another quick right that takes you into an ascending tunnel. Tap the right brake to take you in and go up the slope. There are quite a few speed pads here so you'll be able to pick up quite a lot of speed. However, as you approach the top, you MUST drop the nose. As you are in a tunnel, going over the top at full speed will clatter you into the roof and send you into a bounce. The track curls round to the right as you descend, easily taken without braking. The final corner series is a shallow right leading into a quick left-right chicane. A light tap of the right brake should help you through the shallow corner. Stay over to the right, adn as you approach the chicane, aim for the left apex. Swing through using the right brake, brushing the apex of both corners. The pit lane is on the left of the final corner, and is easily accessible from the chicane. \\// :LS105/GP02: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Clearing five speed classes with all craft in Wip3out League or Classic League Well... it's an oval. Not much I can say about the track, but tips on handling the new craft should suffice. Looking at the stats, it's safe to say you'll be hitting speeds absolutely unheard of anywhere else in the game, so control is of the utmost importance. The handling is clean enough that you shouldn't need to use any braking. On the two turns, turn normally and feather the thruster. This will almost instantly bring your speed down into the 600 range which is more than adequate to take the turns without braking. Don't go into the corners with too much speed though, this speed pushes the clipping engine to its limit and a heavy impact will more than likely end up with you going straight through the wall by a considerable distance. Make sure you lift the nose after the jump too. \\// :LS106/GP73: \\// //\\==================//\\ UNLOCK BY - Clearing six speed classes with all craft in Wip3out League or Classic League Another oval, but this time it's got a few more tricks up its sleeve. First of all, the two major turns are much sharper than the previous track and are right handers instead of left. The track is tilted but it doesn't do much good. Letting up on the thruster and some right braking are essential here, you don't want too much speed going through them. The second addition is a fast right- left chicane halfway round. Nothing to worry about, it's possible to skim the apex, but be ready for the second major corner. [011] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **CHEATS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ These cheat codes either unlock certain parts of the game or change things to make them more fun. To enter a code, go into the options menu and change the default pilot name to one of the codes. ALLTRACK - Unlock all tracks PROTO - Unlock all prototype tracks CRAFTS - Unlock all manufacturers PHANTOM - Unlock Phantom class ALLCNG - Unlock all challenges ALLTNT - Unlock all tournaments UNLIMIT - Infinite weapons during a race. When you use one, another will immediately be picked up NOFEAR - Infinite shield energy. This will also give you infinite hyperthrust MIRROR - Unlock Flip Track mode. Go into the options menu and toggle Flip Tracks to play each track mirrored AXCEL - Speed pads will turn white and give you a much bigger speed boost DROIDS - Replaces all craft with the rescue droids for each manufacturer. Fun to race in but can be difficult to handle. Droids maintain all stats of the craft they replace. HITOMI - Plays the videos seen on completion of Wip3out league and Classic league in Single Race mode COLLIDE - Something to make the game a bit harder, this cheat amplifies wall impacts and emulates collisions as they were in the original WipEout [012] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **SOUNDTRACK** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ Title : Artist ----------------------------------------- FEISAR : Sasha Kittens : Underworld Icaras : Sasha Know Where To Run : Orbital Auricom : Sasha Surrender : MKL Lethal Cut : Propellerheads Goteki45 : Sasha Influence : Chemical Brothers Piranha : Sasha Control : MKL Avenue : Paul Van Dyk Xpander : Sasha [013] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **USEFUL LINKS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ WipeoutZone - www.wipeoutzone.com [014] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **THANKS** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ Psygnosis - For making this game and giving birth to the entire series Rob Foxx - For the team backstories and for hosting this guide Maximilian - For the Qirex, Assegai and Icaras logos Fraundorfer Everyone at - Just because you're a damn good bunch :) WipeoutZone [015] =============================================================================== \\-\/-// **LEGAL** \\-\/-// //-/\-\\===============================================================//-/\-\\ This FAQ is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced for any kind of direct commercial use. You are allowed to reproduce this guide for personal use only, whether a printed copy or stored electronically, and may be distributed as long as no profit is made by doing so. It may not be modified in any way, shape or form, and must always contain this disclaimer and copyright notice in full. This guide may only be hosted on GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com), IGN (www.ign.com), Neoseeker (www.neoseeker.com), and WipeoutZone (www.wipeoutzone.com). If you see this guide on any other website, please pop me a line to let me know. Gamespot and AOL are affiliates of GameFAQs and are allowed to link directly to the guide. In addition, WipeoutZone is the ONLY site permitted to use material from this guide (in full or excerpts from) in an altered form. Under NO circumstances is GameCheatsWorld (www.gamecheatsworld.com) allowed to host this guide following plagiarism of one of my other guides. I will file a DMCA complaint if this guide appears on this site, as they have stolen a large number of guides from GameFAQs. I AM NOT CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ANY NEW HOSTS, SO PLEASE DO NOT E-MAIL ME ASKING TO HOST THIS GUIDE. PERMISSION WILL NOT BE GRANTED. Above all, do NOT lift sections directly out of this guide for your own. That's plagiarism, and it doesn't go down well. If I find you've lifted ANYTHING original from this guide, I will find out where you are hosting it and I will contact your ISP. However, you are welcome to use the layout of this guide as inspiration for your own as long as I am given appropriate credit. You may also use factual information from this guide in your own as long as it is not just copied and pasted and as long as this guide is credited as the source. All trademarks and copyright material not exclusive to this guide are recognised as the legal property of their respective owners. Copyright 2006-2007 Charlie Emery - Hellfire X