Steel Battalion (Not LOC)

[Commander Marklar]

If anybody who owns this knows how to disassemble the controller and get it back in the box can they PM me please. I havent played it for a bit and want to get it put it away as the controller takes up a tad too much room at the moment.

I wrote a guide on this and the LoC boxset but they're missing from the website Helpful, huh?

You could check www.lineofcontact.net or here. While the later is LoC, it's kind of the same for the original. Playing Tetris before hand will help.

Also, there's a jump and crouch ability to be unlocked later in the game

[Darwock]

Should be an Allan Key clamped to the bottom of the centre control part, use that to undo the bolts on the two connecting panels on the left and right, then unplug the ribbon cables and take it apart. Easy.

Oh, and for the box - pedals go in first, the two side packaging bits fit on top of the pedals, the centre panel fits in between these, the two sticks are clamped between the remaining packaging sides and go in upside down above the pedals.

[eastyy]

I realise there's a smiley there and this isn't a personal attack. It does kind of upset me somewhat to see someone say this as you have made the investment, you knew what you were buying so you must realise that you needed the space/time to play it properly. If there's even the slightest "I haven't got the space"-doubt, I wouldn't recommend anyone buy it as it isn't the kind of game you can just setup once in a while. Dedication is lacking from many areas of modern gaming, Steel Battalion highlights this perfectly (also see: "I don't using a wheel as I haven't the time to set it up", etc...)

I have the controller permanently assembled now on a wall unit ready for use

I would say the game is something that has to be experienced by everyone

[Commander Marklar]

The game's ending is on www.game-endings.co.uk too

[Darwock]

One complaint I do have about the controller is the lack of any kind of grip/suction. I have to compare it to my AC5 flight stick - if I was over-enthusiastic with the throttle on that, it'd be the desk that moved rather than the controller. In comparison this is lame, cos when I go to switch gears it slides all over the place.

[Commander Marklar]

A bit of blu-tac should help. I used to be the same though, especially during the heat of battle in a LoC session

I'd love one of those flight sticks. Where'd you get yours, if you don't mind me asking (drop us a PM if you like)?

[Darwock]

Got it on release, no amount of shipping costs were going to stand between me and my love of Ace Combat

[eastyy]

The only way i play it is to have the controller on my lap i find it not to bad

[Darwock]

I've got it sat on a computer desk with a slide out shelf. Shifting up gears is fine cos the controller is flush with the back of the desk, but when I shift down I pull it towards me.

[Zed]

... actually played it - totally worth it as well! I've made it to the 3rd or 4th mission, it's one where you have to cross a bridge. ... I'm not doing well!

If you're in flames does the extinguisher button save you every time or do you have to bail out to be certain of surviving?

Glad to hear it Darwock. But dont go accross the bridge, i did almost the same as youm, but crossing at the river-ford is much easier. The extinguisher is for when you get hit by flame attacks it seems, and will NOT save you when you've taken too much damage and the cockpit seems on fire. Basically the appropriate button flashes at the right time.

It does kind of upset me somewhat to see someone say this as you have made the investment, ... If there's even the slightest "I haven't got the space"-doubt, I wouldn't recommend anyone buy it as it isn't the kind of game you can just setup once in a while.

Hmm sort of. As i'm playing on a projector it needs to be darkish, so morning or night only and a bit of furniture shifting, but with the time pressures i have its hard to actually get everything together at once. I only managed one free mission all weekend just gone, and the massive controller is a bit of a pain to leave up. But yes people should know this going into buying it.

You get used to it and will try new stuff as you play further through the game and unlock higher difficulty levels. While the campaign in LoC is dead, it is still playable online in 'Free Mission' as far as I know. It was last time I played anyway, some five/six months ago. There's a patch to unlock all the VTs for free mission use.

Yeah i've got the Prominance(?) and the missiles and so on really help. If anyone could confirm if LoC is playable somehow it would be good?! But really a little patch to enable play offline would have been far better. The patch/cheat to unlock all Free Missions is here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/code/554980.html

It does work, but its a bit tricky working out how its meant to work, i was using the dail as a clock, but really they mean each "click" is a number. Its great as it means i can try a mission in Free Mission with the VT i intend to use, then go to the campaign and i know what im doing with far less risk of dying due to ignorance, say of how to pick up boxes with your manipulator arm.

[Silvergun X]

Campaign died off a long time ago on LoC - Free Mission as far as i'm aware is still playable.

[Zed]

Is that online or offline though? As i dont have a Live account.

[Silvergun X]

Line of Contact play is online only.

[Commander Marklar]

Yeah, online only and it does still work. There's no offline content at all. System link play, you want to pop around for a fight?

[krispyk]

You could check www.lineofcontact.net or here. While the later is LoC, it's kind of the same for the original. Playing Tetris before hand will help.

Youre a life saver thanks!