Mega lo Mania


 PASSWORDS:

 BNYABDUNBHV - 2nd Epoch
 COVCPMJVEBL - 3rd Epoch
 WKCCHIEUKNL - 4th Epoch
 GATAVRXRONT - 5th Epoch
 WWKDXGPXDBZ - 6th Epoch
 KUUCTOPLGHV - 7th Epoch
 PEHAJBPKZAQ - 8th Epoch
 GYJDJHPNFHN - 9th Epoch
 TJLBVSNNIGD - Mother Battle


 CHEAT MODE:

 At the start of each island, select as many men as you need to conquer
 the island. Now place your castle on the island in the normal way.
 Before the screen goes blank and you start the island, make the number
 of men lower than you had originally chosen. You should now start the
 island with the number of men you selected at first, but all the men
 you put back into the 'man pool' will be available for other islands
 in that Epoch.


 PLAYING TIPS:

 Pick a starting sector with the best elements for the inventions you
 wish to make this time round.
 Note the components and sector of any Ergonomically Terrific designs.
 This is probably the best way to design that object and reduces design
 time by half. If you see another sector later in the game with the same
 elements available you'll know this design can be knocked out in next
 to no time.
 Look out for sectors with a plentiful supply of gatherable elements.
 These are often the best places to quickly produce a Surprise Attack!
 During the later stages, especially in Epoch three, its advisable to
 find a sector with more sophisticated elements.
 Eventually you should be able to pick the best seams to mine and know
 the ones to leave alone.
 It's always best to check the design menu whenever a new seam is mined.
 A new design may have just become available.
 What should you do if a seam or element is totally used up when designing
 an object? Bin the design on the blueprints menu and there's a chance you
 may be able to redesign it with the elements you have left.
 Shields and building weapons can sometimes increase your tech level and
 reveal an element which could lead to the designs you require.
 Inventions made from gatherable elements save valuable time and manpower.
 Always wait until the clocks have ticked down to zero before changing the
 factory to produce a new object.
 Knowledge of the different elements in each sector can help you figure
 out what the computer opponents are likely to arm themselves with.
 Try to keep your men balanced between tasks to maximise efficiency.
 Only throw all your men into a single task during an emergency.
 If time is on your side, try to leave as many men as possible to
 reproduce in the tower. Men are your currency, bank wisely. There are no
 overdrafts in Mega-lo-Mania!
 Designing shields from just gatherables can be a lifesaver if you're
 under fire but with some spare time.
 Play sensibly. Don't send unarmed men to attack buildings as they will
 have no effect. Play sneaky. Send one or two lambs to the slaughter as
 a tester to see what sort of armies your opponents have hidden away.
 Use the map to see what your enemies are up to.
 Remember a building weapon man is twice as strong as an armed man on the
 ground from the same area.
 If an opponent is too close for comfort at the beginning of a game, try
 to ally with him before he starts attacking you.
 What should you do if your back is against the wall and you're about to
 die? Try allying with your aggressor! You have nothing left to lose.
 Use as few men as possible. See how low you can go...

 Good Designs
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Rock, Wood and Bones:-

 Bow + Arrow
 Catapult
 Crossbow
 Rock Weapon
 Spear

 Slate, Moonlite Planetarium:-

 Longbow
 Musket
 Pike
 Giant Catapult
 Spear
 Stick Weapon

 Bethlium, Solarium Araldite:-

 Boiling Oil
 Cannon
 Catapult
 Crossbow
 Longbow
 Pike

 Herbirite Yeridium:-

 Giant Catapult
 Longbow

 Valium Parasite:-

 Boiling Oil
 Bow + Arrow
 Musket

 Aquarium Paladium:-

 Giant Catapult

 Tricky Teamster Tactics
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Scarlet (Red):-

 Usually a good bet for a quick alliance but prone to infidelity.
 Tends to attack frequently and with unpredictable armies can be quite
 easily tempted into a battle in order to divert her men away from
 duties at home. Try to avoid picking a starting sector next to her or
 she could cause trouble. She likes designing army weapons.

 Oberon (Yellow):-

 Likes to offer himself in alliance more than most and unsurprisingly
 veers towards the less reliable side of remaining faithful.
 Oberon is prone to erratic retaliation attacks but is a useful ally in
 battle. Puts his hand towards any weapon design.

 caesar (Green):-

 Not so easy to persuade to ally, but worthwhile and fairly reliable.
 Seems to have the best balance between defence and attack.
 Prefers building weapons. You should attempt to limit his territory.

 Medcap (Blue):-

 A real tough cookie to turn into an ally but faithful as the day is long.
 A careful tactician he rarely makes a false move. Hit Medcap early to put
 him off balance. He likes designing building shields.
 Tends to throw the occasional but devastating attacks.

ELEMENTARY MY DEAR WATSON!

DESIGNS THAT THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS ARE GOOD FOR:
===============================================

ROCKS, WOOD AND BONES
---------------------------
Rock Weapon
Spear
Crossbow
Catapult
Bow & Arrow


SLATE, MOONLITE, PLANETARIUM
---------------------------
Pike
Giant Catapult
Spear
Longbow
Stick Weapon
Musket


BETHLIUM, SOLARIUM, ARALDITE
---------------------------
Catapult
Longbo
Boiling Oil
Pike 
Cannon
Crossbow


HERBIRITE, YERIDIUM
------------------
Longbow
Giant Catapult


VALIUM, PARASITE
---------------
Bow & Arrow
Musket
Boiling Oil


AQUARIUM, PALADIUM
-----------------
Giant Catapult


SHIELD DESIGN
=============

EPOCH ONE

Rocks, Wood, Bones - Shield 1,2,4
Slate, Moonlite, Planetarium - 1.3
Bethlium, Solarium, Araldite - 2
Herbrite, Yeridium - 3,4
Valium, Parasite - 4
Aquarium, Paladium - none


EPOCH TWO

Rocks, Wood, Bones - 1,3,4
Slate, Moonlite, Planetarium - 2
Bethlium, Solarium, Araldite - 1
Herbrite, Yeridium - 2,3
Valium, Parasite - 3
Aquarium, Paladium - 4


EPOCH  THREE

Rocks, Wood, Bones - 2,3,4
Slate, Moonlite, Planetarium - 1
Bethlium, Solarium, Araldit - 1,2
Herbirite, Yeridium - 1,2
Valium, Parasite - 2
Aquarium, Paladium - 3,4


All elements can be used in ALL designs with the exception of rock and
stick weapons, but the listed weapons are more likely to be designed from
these elements.

_______________________________________________________________________

TARGET MEN TO COMPLETE EACH ISLAND

    Aloha - 5
    Bazooka - 10
    Cilla - 10
    Dracula - 15
    Etcetra - 15
    Formica - 20
    Gazza - 20
    Hernia - 20
    Ibiza - 15
___________________________________________________________________________

ISLAND KEY

   * Gatherables
   & Open Cast Mine
   # Pit Mine
   % Best Starting Sector
_____________________________

     ALOHA                             BAZOOKA

   Rock % *                Bones *        !  Rocks *
   State *                 Planetarium &  !  Bones *
   Solarium &              Herbirite #    !  Planetarium &
   Herbirite #             Valium #       !  Yeridum #
   ------------          -------------------------------------
   Wood *                  Slate % *      !  Wood *
   Parasite #              Bethlium &     !  Moonlite &
   Bethlium &              Herbite #      !  Araldite #
   Moonsite &              Parsite #      !


                      CILLA

   Bones *      !  Moonlite &     !  
   Solarium &   !  Slate *        !
   Valium #     !  Parasite #     !
   Aquarium #   !                 !
 -----------------------------------------------
   Rocks *      !  Wood *         !  Slate %
   Aramite #    !  Planetarian &  !  Bethlium &
   Yeridium #   !  Solarium &     !  Araldite #
                !  Parasite #     !  Yeriduim #
 -----------------------------------------------
                !  Wood *         !
                !  Solarium &     !
                !  Aquarium #     !


                       DRACULA

   Bones *        !  Wood *         !  Bones *
   Planetarium &  !  Solarium &     !  Solarium &
   Herbirite #    !  Herbirite #    !  Araldite #
                  !  Planeterium #  !
 ----------------------------------------------------
   Moonlite &     !  Rocks % *      !
   Bethlium &     !  Slates *       !
   Valium #       !  Araldite #     !
   Aquarium #     !                 !


                      ETCETRA                  

   Wood *      !  Planetarium &  !  Rocks *
   Bones *     !  Solarium &     !  Moonlite &
   Moonlite &  !  Araldite #     !  Araldite #
   Aquarium #  !                 !  Aquarium #
 ------------------------------------------------
               !  Moonlite &     !  
               !  Bethlium &     !
               !  Parasite #     !
               !                 !
 ------------------------------------------------
               !  Slates % *     !  Bones *
               !  Planetarium &  !  Moonlite &
               !  Onion #        !  Yeridium #
               !                 !  Valium #
 ------------------------------------------------
               !  Moonlite &     !
               !  Planetarium &  !
               !  Solarium &     !
               !  Araldite #     !


             GAZZA                              IBIZA

   Wood *         !  Aradite #            Wood % *    !  Rocks *
   Moonlite &     !  Aquarium #           Slate *     !  Planetarium &
   Bethlium &     !  Tedium #            --------------------------
   Aquarium #     !                       Solarium &  !  Araldite #
 -------------------------------          Onion #     !  Tedium #
   Slates % *     !  Moonlite &           Bones *     !  Bones *
   Herbrite #     !  Planetarium &       ---------------------------
   Moonlite &     !  Onion #              Moonlite &  !  Planetarium &
   Paladium &     !                       Bethlium &  !  Solarium &
 ------------------------------           Onion #     !  Tedium #
                  !  Rocks *
                  !  Bones *
                  !  Valium #
 --------------------------------
   Planetarium &  !  Wood *
   Araldite #     !  Bones *
   Valium #       !  Moonlite &
   Parasite #     !


                     HERNIA

    Parasite #  !  Rocks *     !  Slate % *
    Paladium #  !  Solarium &  !  Moonlite &
    Onion #     !  Valium #    !  Herbrite #
                !              !  Paladium #
 ------------------------------------------------------
    Rocks *     !  Slates *    !  Bones *
    Moonlite &  !  Araldite #  !  Yeridium #
    Bethlium &  !  Parasite #  !  Aquarium #
                !  Paladium #  !
 ----------------------------------------------------
    Wood *      !  Wood *      !  Planetarium &
    Moonlite &  !  Bones *     !  Herbrite #
    Parasite #  !  Araldite #  !  Tedium #
                !  Aquarium #  !


                       MORE MEGA-LO-MANIA TIPS
                       =======================


o   If you invent something and the designer says, `Ergonomically - 
    Terrific`, it means that this is the perfect way to design it and
    reduces the design time by half. Note down the sector that it was in
    and look under Blueprints for the design, where you will see a hand
    shaping an OK symbol. You should note down it`s components. If you
    see a sector later in the game with the same elements, you will know
    that this item can be churned out in next to no time.

o   Sectors with a lot of gatherable elements enable you to quickly
    produce weapons for a fast surprise attack. However, sectors with
    mostly gatherable elements are not desirable if the game has gone on
    to the later stages, in which case you should try to find a sector
    with more sophisticated elements.

o   Whenever you mine a new seam it`s best to check the Design menu
    first in case a new design has become available. If a seam has been
    totally used up, making a design impossible to produce, bin the
    design on the Blueprints menu. You may still be able to produce it
    with the elements you have left.

o   Don`t be too disheartened if designs are`nt available to you
    straightaway. If you want, for example, an army weapon, but you only
    have shields and building weapons, these may shift you up a tech-
    level, which will make another element available to you. This may
    lead to the design you require.

o   Try to produce designs that are either quick to make immediately or
    can be manufactured speedily, try making as much as possible before
    you start mining, since inventions made from gatherables save time
    and man-power.

o   Always wait until clocks have fully ticked away before changing the
    factory over to production of a new object. Likewise always think
    twice when designing, since aborting a design when you are half way
    through it wastes time.

o   Keep an eye on what elements are in the various sectors, because
    this can give you clues to what the enemy are likely to arm
    themselves with. And also keep your assignments of men balanced to
    keep up efficiency. You should only throw all your men into one task
    in an extreme emergency.

o   If you do have time on your side, then do try to leave as many men
    in the tower as possible so that they reproduce. Men are your
    currency, so look after your assets! Being attacked with time on your
    side allows you to defend by designing shields only using gatherable
    elements.

o   Although it`s a bad idea to send unarmed men to attack buildings, it
    is sometimes worth sending a couple of martyrs in to see what kind of
    armies the enemy have hidden away. Also, keep an eye on the map to
    see what the ememies are up to.

o   If you start next to an opponent, try and ally with him right away,
    this will stop him from attacking you. It`s also an idea to try and
    allay with an aggressor if you`re just about done for. After all,
    you have nothing left to lose!