Syndicate rookie guide

This is a rookie guide for Syndicate , an isometric action/strategy hybrid game for DOS, Amiga, Macintosh, FM-Towns, PC-98 and several 16/32 bits videoconsoles. It plays like a simpler version of X-COM: UFO Defense / UFO: Enemy Unknown , although both games are completely unrelated.

Currently the best way of playing Syndicate is emulating the DOS CD-ROM edition under DOSBox or any of its forks. The settings cycles=9600 and memsize=8 are recommended.

This edition of the game is multilanguage (English, French, Spanish and Italian) and also includes the expansion American Revolt .

The Amiga version is basically the same, but plays in a lower resolution, and I haven't played the Mac, FM-Towns or PC-98 versions. I'd strongly advise against playing the console versions of the game because they are VERY censored, so much that I'd consider them different games.

Premise

Syndicate is a world domination game set in the near future. You're the head of one of the many crime syndicates trying to conquer the world.



This is accomplished (or not) by playing missions with your cybernetically enhanced agents. Most of these missions involve erradicating other criminal groups (either regular criminals or rival syndicates), but also stealing technology or kidnapping potential assets.

A succesful mission means another piece of territory under your control, which will start paying you taxes. In between missions, you can use this revenue to research new weapons or enhancements for your agents.

 

Controlling your agents

In Syndicate you control your agents from an isometric perspective, individually or as a group. Since we're going to need as much firepower as possible, it's better to always use them as a group, clicking on the (****) button on the top left of the screen. You move by pointing a destination on the screen and clicking on the mose left button. You choose weapons from the inventory by clicking on them and dispose of them (once empty, for instance) again by clicking on them but with right mouse button. We fire on enemies by placing the mouse cursor on them (it will turn into a target, and a red one if they're in range) and pressing the right mouse button.



The 3D environments take some time to get used to. They have narrow passages and blind spots, so move your agents slowly and don't point to too distant areas. They have a rudimentary AI, but they can get lost or stuck.

Further in the game you'll see areas that are only accessible using catwalks, vehicles or public transportation. Already on the first stage of the game there's a car you can use to move around. Vehicles also provide some protection against enemy fire, but if they explode it's likely the end for your team.

Combat missions are pretty straightforward. Use the radar on the bottom left of the screen to locate your objectives and try to engage them from a distance. Kidnappings require the use of a tool, the persuadertron , already available at the beginning of the game. To use it get close to the objective and activate it. A sound effect will play and the objective will follow you during the rest of the mission. Persuaded objectives will also pick up weapons (from dead policemen or enemy agents) and fire wherever you fire, but they are vulnerable, so try not to engage enemies with them.

After accomplishing your objectives, you may be asked to reach an evacuation area.

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Drugs, drugs, drugs

A key element when controlling your agents is the use of drugs . We alter their behavior by clicking on the colored bars on the top left of the screen.



We administer drugs to your agents by clicking on the right side of the divider. The more obvious drug is the red one. It increases the speed and reflexes of your agents. The other two, blue and green , make them react automatically to threats.

If you increase the red drug , you're agents (and the presuaded people with them) will move faster.

If you increase the blue and green drugs, your agents will respond automatically to enemy fire.

But you can't use them all the time. If you do, they'll start losing effect. You can reverse this by clicking on the left side of the divider.

As you enhance you agents, the drugs will become more effective, and even provide extra functions. Reversing the red drug, for example, will heal your agents after they're wounded.

By quickly pressing left and right mouse buttons during gameplay, you inject all your agents with drugs. This works great as a panic button whenever you're surrounded by enemies or you hear the music change, which is an indication that enemy agents are near.

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Managing your crime syndicate

Compared to other similar games, the managerial options of Syndicate are rather limited.

Of course, you get to choose your weapons and equipment before each mission:



Although the choices will be limited to the weapons / mods you were given at the start of the game and those you have researched.

Also, from the world map, you can increase or decrease the taxes on your territories, but you won't need to alter anything to finish the game. If that, make sure none of your populations is too unhappy. Otherwise they'll revolt against your rule and you'll have to play that stage again.

After a few sucessful missions, the game will also let you choose your next mission. Read the briefings, choose wisely and of course save your progress after every succesful mission.

The research section of management, on the other hand, is essential in order to progress into the game.



You use this section to research the new weapons you "acquire" during the missions, but also to develop mods for your agents. These mods will give your agents advantage in the battlefield, especially against other syndicates. Leg mods mean more speed, and brain better AI, and so on.

For every project, you control its funding, and you can only reaserch one project at the time.

More funding means the project will be ready sooner, but less money for equipment and weapons before every mission.

Less funding means less financial strain, but the project will take more to be finished.

To make things easier, the game uses missions as a time measure . If the graph shows a project will be finished in "one", the weapon / mod will be ready after finishing the next mission.

 

Ooops. I forgot a very important detail at the end of the Drugs, drugs, drugs section.

Can anyone add it to its section?

 

Thank you!