Motherload Created by Xgen Studios (xgenstudios.com) *********************************************************************** .: Table of Contents :.------------------------------------------------ *********************************************************************** To jump to the section you are looking for, hold CTRL+F and enter the code listed beside each section. (EX: If you want to jump to Walkthrough, type in [WALKT]) 1. Update History [UDHST] 2. Introduction [INTRD] 3. Plot Synopsis [PLOUT] 4. Basics [BSICS] 5. Shops [SHOPS] -Fuel Depot [5.1] -Mineral Depot [5.2] -Junk Shop [5.3] -Repair Station [5.4] -Save Pod [5.5] 6. Walkthrough [WALKT] -0 ft [6.0] -500 ft [6.500] -1000 ft [6.1000] -1750 ft [6.1750] -2100 ft [6.2100] -2500 ft [6.2500] -3100 ft [6.3100] -3500 ft [6.3500] -4100 ft [6.4100] -5812 ft [6.5812] -6200 ft [6.6200] -7000 ft [6.7000] -7300 ft [6.7300] -66666 ft [6.66666] -Playing again [6.PLAY] 7. Challenge Mode [CHLNG] -Challenge 1 [7.1] -Challenge 2 [7.2] -Challenge 3 [7.3] -Challenge 4 [7.4] -Challenge 5 [7.5] -Challenge 6 [7.6] -Challenge 7 [7.7] -Challenge 8 [7.8] -Challenge 9 [7.9] -Challenge 10 [7.10] -Challenge 11 [7.11] -Challenge 12 [7.12] 8. Secrets [SCRTS] -Mr. Dog [8.MDOG] -The Martian Oilers [8.MOIL] - The Ancient Relics [8.ARLC] - Cheats [8.CHTS] 9. Copyright info. [CRGHT] 10. Credits and Contact info. [CRDTS] (Type in [GOLDIUM] To search for Goldium Edition Notes) *********************************************************************** 1. .: Update History :.-----------------------------------------[UDHST] *********************************************************************** -06/12/08 3:00AM Idea started for the guide. -06/20/08 6:06PM Version 1.0: Finished version 1.0 of the guide, submitting to Gamefaqs. -06/20/08 3:27PM Version 1.1: Noticed a few format issues with the titles, Now fixed. *********************************************************************** 2. .: Introduction :.-------------------------------------------[INTRD] *********************************************************************** Welcome! I am DJxChrome, and this is the very first walkthrough I have written. I decided that for my first guide I would tackle a relatively small game, and I decided to write a guide for Motherload, since Im absolutely fascinated and a little obsessed with the game. Motherload is a game made by Xgen Studios, and its more of a flash game than an actual game. However, with the release of Motherload: Goldium Edition, which is an expanded version of the original game, the game became a little bit more than that. Motherload is a game similar to Dig-Dug, in which you dig up ores and minerals from Martian Soil. Motherload is hosted on many sites, such as Miniclip.com, Shockwave.com, and of course Xgenstudios.com. Xgen Studios offers Motherload: Goldium Edition on a CD or a downloadable file, on a CD for around $20.00 and the download for $15.00. The CD is actually pretty cool, with the artwork and details on the game bundled with it, but you of course get everything you would need from the download. The regular version of Motherload is just as fun, and can be played from any of the hosts mentioned above. But without further ado, let us continue with the walkthrough! *********************************************************************** 3. .: Plot Outline :.-------------------------------------------[PLOUT] *********************************************************************** You are a human miner sent to Mars to excavate valuable ores from the Martian soil. You operate a digging pod called an AATV, which is a ship will a massive drill that is capable of digging into the ground many feet per second. As you are dropped from a spacecraft onto the surface of Mars, you receive a transmission from your boss, Mr. Natas, welcoming you to Mars and giving you details on your job and mission. As you dig further and further underground, however, you start noticing strange happenings behind the scenes... *********************************************************************** 4. .: Basics :.-------------------------------------------------[BSICS] *********************************************************************** Your pod is controlled by the four arrow keys on your keyboard. It can also be controlled with the W, A, S, and D keys (W= Up, A=Left, S=Down, D= Right). When you move your pod toward diggable soil, it will automatically drill into the soil. It impossible to dig straight up. You may notice some discolored patches in the soil. These are, of course, the minerals, and they are what you are after in the game. Just dig into the patch like you would regular soil, and youll collect the mineral. It is instantly stored into your cargo bay, or inventory. Once you are done collecting the minerals you need, you can trade them for money at the mineral depot on the surface. At the title screen, there are two 3 options: New Game, Load Game, and Instructions. New Game will start you out at the beginning of the game, Load Game will load a previous game played from exactly the point in which you saved at the save pod, and Instructions will tell you the basic basics of the game. If you click New Game, you will see your digging pod dropped from the spaceship and Mr. Natas will send you a transmission. The interface is as follows: -Hull meter: This is the red cylinder directly in the top-left corner of your screen. This is your health. If you drop too hard onto a solid surface, or you hit a lava of gas pocket (explained later), you will lose health. You must be extremely careful in the beginning of the game, because you dont start out with a lot of health. Later in the game, though, you can purchase upgrades which will give you more health. You can refill your hull meter at the Repair Station located on the surface for a certain amount of money. If you run out of Hull, its game over. -Fuel meter: This is the brownish cylinder located right next to the Hull meter. You will notice that over time, it will start getting lower and lower. You must refill it at the Fuel Depot located on the surface for a relatively small amount of money. This means that you only have a limited amount of time before you are required to return to the surface and refuel. You have a very small fuel meter at the beginning of the game, and can only mine a few minerals before youll have to refuel. However, later in the game, you can purchase upgrades which will slow your fuel meter from emptying, giving you more time to mine. If you run out of Fuel, its game over. -Score: The score is located right next to the Fuel Meter. The number increases when you dig up minerals and perform other actions. If your score is high enough, you can submit the score online to the High-Score leader boards. If you are playing Goldium Edition, and you play an offline game, however, the score is relatively useless. Your Score resets to 0 if you are playing an online game and you save your game at the Save pod. -Altimeter: The altimeter is located directly under the Hull meter. The altimeter is a very useful tool that tells you how far you are underground, or, if you feel like it, how high you are in the sky. The surface of Mars is located at 0 feet. At different depths underground, you will receive certain transmissions that further the plot of the game, and you can also use it as a checkpoint to remember how far underground you dug when taking a trip to the surface. -Money: The amount of money you have is located at the top of your screen, in the middle. Money is used to purchase upgrades to your pod, fuel, Hull repairs, and certain objects that help you throughout the game. Your money increases when you sell your minerals to the Mineral Depot, and sometimes under other circumstances. When you purchase something, the cost is subtracted from the money you have. You start out with $20 with which you can purchase little more than fuel (In Goldium Edition, you have $0), and as you progress through the game, the value will increase greatly. -Inventory: The Inventory button is the green button shaped like your digging pod with the letters INV stamped on it, and it is located in the top-right corner of the screen. If you click it, it will bring up the Inventory Menu, from which you can view various things. At the top left, you will see a percentage that tells you how full of minerals your cargo bay is. The percentage increases with every mineral you collect. If it gets to 100%, you cannot hold any more minerals in your pod. You can upgrade your cargo bay in order to store more minerals. You can lower the number by dropping minerals, which can be done by clicking on the mineral. Under the percentage is the weight of your pod. This number also increases with every mineral you collect, and usually the more a mineral is worth, the heavier it is. The heaviest minerals can slow down your pods upward acceleration. How fast your pod can fly or move can be improved with the purchase of an engine upgrade. Under your weight is the list of equipment your pod is using. The equipment consists of a Drill, Hull, Engine, Fuel Tank, Radiator, and Cargo Bay. The functions of the different pieces of equipment are explained in the Shops section. They can all be upgraded at the Junk Shop, located on the surface, for a considerable amount of money. Upgrading your equipment is crucial in progressing in the game. Under the Equipment List is the Items. The different items are Reserve Fuel Tank, Hull Repair Nanobots, Dynamite, Plastic Explosives, Quantum Teleporter, and Matter Transmitter. The functions of these items are explained in the Shops section. If you have none of the item, it will have a faded picture of the item. If you do, then the picture will light up, and a number will be beside it, telling you how many of that item you have. Taking up the right half of the Inventory screen is one of the vital elements of the game: the minerals. The different minerals are Ironium, Bronzium, Silverium, Goldium, Platinium, Einsteinium, Emeralds, Rubies, Diamonds, and Amazonite. The worth of these minerals is listed in the Shops section, and the description of the minerals is listed below in this section. -Options: Beside the inventory button is the options button, which is a green button shaped like a wrench with the word OPTION stamped upon it. Clicking on this button brings up the options interface. From here you can control the volume of the sounds and music in the game, and you can also toggle the graphical features that look cool, but arent really needed. It is also from here that you can choose to end your current game. -Help: Beside the Options button is the Help button, which is a green button shaped like a question mark with the word HELP stamped on it. This brings up the Instructions screen, which tells the basic basics of the game, identical to the Instructions on the Title Menu. Besides regular soil, There are a whole bunch of things that you can dig up on Mars. The minerals are discolored patches located underground. When you dig into them, you collect them and they are stored in your Cargo Bay. These are the minerals: -Ironium: A dark grayish mineral -Bronzium: A bright orange mineral -Silverium: A white mineral -Goldium: A yellowish mineral -Platinium: A bright bluish mineral -Einsteinium: A blueish green blocky mineral protruding from the soil -Emerald: A green gem-shaped mineral -Ruby: A red rectangle-shaped mineral -Diamond: A white gem-shaped mineral -Amazonite: A blue-greenish shiny mineral shaped like little crystals Again, the worth of these minerals is explained in the Shops section. As you dig, you will sometimes notice other things besides minerals in the soil. There are valuable treasures and obstacles buried in the Martian soil. The treasures are like minerals, except they give you money instantly instead of having you sell them to the mineral depot. The treasures start appearing at about -1000 ft. They are as follows: -Dinosaur Bones: A skull of a raptor and a bone. Worth $1000 -Treasure: A Treasure Chest full of jewels. Worth $5000 -Martian Skeleton: A human-like skeleton. Worth $10,000 -Religious Artifact: An Egyptian ankh, which is shaped like a cross except with the top part in the form of a loop. Worth $50,000 Obstacles will hinder your performance. There are four different obstacles: -Boulders: Boulders are a big gray mass of rock that you cannot dig through. The only way to get rid of boulders is by blowing them up with dynamite or plastic explosives (or by using the Multi-Drill, only in Goldium Edition). Boulders are very annoying when you are trying to make a straight path to the bottom, and the further down you go, the more boulders will appear. -Lava Pocket: Lava Pockets are a bright red colored patch in the soil. If you try to dig through Lava Pockets, they will damage your hull. They start to appear after digging about 3100 ft underground. In the early stages of the game, Lava Pockets are dangerous, perhaps deadly. However, upgrading your radiator lessens the damage taken by Lava Pockets. All in all, a strong hull and a strong radiator will save you from death when hitting a Lava Pocket. -Gas Pocket: The deadliest obstacle you will encounter, the Gas Pockets are most dangerous because they are undetectable. Thats right, Gas Pockets look just the same as a regular, brown patch of soil, and its impossible to tell the difference. Gas Pockets can appear as early as 4700 ft underground, so take caution at around 4500 ft. When you hit a Gas Pocket, it will explode and clear the soil around your pod by one square. The explosion is just like a dynamite blast, except it damages your hull. There is no way to lessen the damage except by purchasing a strong hull. Only the Einsteinium Hull and the Energy-Shielded Hull can withstand the blast. If you dont have it and you hit a Gas Pocket, expect a Game Over. -Earthquakes: Earthquakes occur after youve dug a certain amount of feet underground. They only occur when you are on the surface, more precisely just after youve left a shop. Youll know when an Earthquake occurs as the screen will tremor, and a big red flashing exclamation mark will appear. Earthquakes upset the soil, meaning that any pathways youve dug are now rearranged with soil patches, creating an incomplete path. [GOLDIUM] (In the Goldium Edition, you can also find an ancient blueprint underground, which will give you one of the Ancient Relics. See the Secrets section for more information about the Ancient Relics. You can also dig up Oil from soil patches, also explained in the Secrets section.) *********************************************************************** 5. .: Shops :.--------------------------------------------------[SHOPS] *********************************************************************** On the surface, there are various shops operated by machinery, and not by actual life forms. To access a shop, take your pod and run it over to the shop. There are four main shops, and they are all vital to progressing in the game. They are as follows: -Fuel Depot [5.1] The Fuel Depot is located to the very left on the surface. When you access it, a menu pops up. On the left, It shows an enlarged meter of your current fuel, and under the meter it shows how many liters of fuel are in your tank opposed to the max it can hold. There are five buttons: You can either purchase $5, $10, $25, or $50 of fuel, or you can click the Fill Tank button to automatically fill your tank, subtracting the corresponding amount from your money. I usually recommend the fill tank option, but if your low on cash then you can use the other options. Fuel is relatively low in price, and if you dont have enough you can usually mine a few Bronzium minerals from the soil and youll have enough to fill your tank. -Mineral Depot [5.2] The Mineral Depot is located next to the Fuel Depot. This is where you sell the minerals youve collected for cash. When the menu opens, you will see a list of the minerals youve collected, how many, the value of each mineral, and the total value of each mineral, which is the value multiplied by the quantity. At the bottom right, you will see the total value of all your minerals added together, and to the left of that you will see an option that says [SELL ALL]. Click it, and you will receive the total value of all your minerals in cash. The value of all the minerals are as follows: -Ironium: $30 -Bronzium: $60 -Silverium: $100 -Goldium: $250 -Platinium: $750 -Einsteinium: $2,000 -Emerald: $5,000 -Ruby: $20,000 -Diamond: $100,000 -Amazonite: $500,000 -Junk Shop [5.3] The Junk Shop is where you buy upgrades to the equipment on your pod. Its located to the left of the Repair Station, and to the right of the Save Pod. When you go to it, The Upgrades menu pops up. There are small buttons in the top-left of the menu. If you mouse over these buttons, You will see in the small screen above the buttons what section of the menu these buttons will open. Also, there are small stamps on the buttons which represent what they will open. There are 7 buttons: Drill, Hull, Engine, Fuel Tank, Radiator, Cargo Bay, and an Exit button. If you click on one of these buttons (except the Exit button), you will open a menu to upgrade the part you selected. You will see a picture of your current equipment and a list of upgrades that are available for purchase. If you click on the picture of an upgrade, you will see a small statistic and how much it costs under the picture of your current part, and what it is called under the upgrade options. If you would like to purchase it, press the [PURCHASE] option under the cost. The upgrades are listed by the name, the improvement, and the cost. They are as follows: -Drill: Upgrading your drill improves how fast your pod will dig into the soil. Drill speed will slow down the deeper you dig into the soil. Drill speed is represented in feet per second. There are 6 Upgrades. Stock Drill: <28 ft/s Starting Drill. Silvide Drill: 28 ft/s $750 Goldium Drill: 40 ft/s $2,000 Emerald Drill: 50 ft/s $5,000 Ruby Drill: 70 ft/s $20,000 Diamond Drill: 95 ft/s $100,000 Amazonite Drill: 120 ft/s $500,000 -Hull: Upgrading your hull gives you more health. This makes repairing your Hull cost more, though. There are 6 Upgrades. Stock Hull: 10 Health Starting Hull Ironium Hull: 17 Health $750 Bronzium Hull: 30 Health $2,000 Steel Hull: 50 Health $5,000 Platinium Hull: 80 Health $20,000 Einsteinium Hull: 120 Health $100,000 Energy-Shielded Hull: 180 Health $500,000 -Engine: Upgrading your engine improves your speed while flying and moving (NOT while digging). Upward movement will decrease in speed and acceleration depending on the weight of you pod due to minerals. There are 6 Upgrades. Stock Engine: <160 Horsepower Starting Engine V4 1600 cc: 160 Horsepower $750 V4 2.0 Ltr Turbo: 170 Horsepower $2,000 V6 3.8 Ltr: 180 Horsepower $5,000 V8 Supercharged 5.0 Ltr: 190 Horsepower $20,000 V12 6.0 Ltr: 200 Horsepower $100,000 V16 Jag Engine: 210 Horsepower $500,000 -Fuel Tank: Upgrading your Fuel Tank gives you more fuel, making your Fuel Meter decrease slower. This makes the cost of fuel higher, though. There are 6 Upgrades. Micro Tank: 10 Liters Starting Fuel Tank Medium Tank: 15 Liters $750 Huge Tank: 25 Liters $2,000 Gigantic Tank: 40 Liters $5,000 Titanic Tank: 60 Liters $20,000 Leviathan Tank: 100 Liters $100,000 Liquid Compression Tank: 150 Liters $500,000 -Radiator: Upgrading your Radiator reduces the damage you take when digging into a Lava pocket. There are 5 Upgrades. Stock Fan: Full Damage Starting Radiator Dual Fans: 10% damage off $2,000 Single Turbine: 25% damage off $5,000 Dual Turbines: 40% damage off $20,000 Puron Cooling: 60% damage off $100,000 Tri-Turbine Freon Array: 80% damage off $500,000 -Cargo Bay: Upgrading your Cargo Bay enlarges the amount of minerals you can carry. It does not, however, affect the weight of each mineral. Cargo Bays are measured in Cubic feet. There are 5 upgrades. Micro Bay: <15 Cu ft. Starting Cargo Bay Medium Bay: 15 Cu ft. $750 Huge Bay: 25 Cu ft. $2,000 Gigantic Bay: 40 Cu ft. $5,000 Titanic Bay: 70 Cu ft. $20,000 Leviathan Bay: 120 Cu ft. $100,000 -Repair Station [5.4] The Repair Station is located to the very right on the surface. The Repair Station has two distinctive functions: Hull repair and selling items. When the Repair Station menu pops up, the menu is halved into two sections. The left half is where you buy items. The items are as follows: Reserve Fuel Tank: $2,000 Refills 25 Liters into your fuel tank instantly, eliminating the need to return to the Fuel Depot. Hull Repair Nanobots: $7,500 Repairs 30 damage to your hull instantly, eliminating the need to return to the repair station. Dynamite: $2,000 Clears a section around your pod 1 square of soil in every direction with an explosion Plastic Explosives: $5,000 Clears a section around your pod 2 squares of soil in every direction with an explosion Quantum Teleporter: $2,000 Teleports you above the surface, but it either sends you way above the surface, or flings you at the surface, causing hull damage. Matter Transmitter: $10,000 Safer than the Quantum Teleporter, teleports you safely right beside the Fuel Depot. The right half of the menu is for Hull repair. There are 5 options: you can repair $50, $100, $200, or $500 worth of damage, or you can perform a total repair. As with fuel, I recommend the total repair, but since Hull repairs cost much more than fuel there is more use for the different buttons. -Save Pod [5.5] The save pod is located between the Mineral Depot and the Junk Shop. It is a small floating craft in the middle of all the shops. If you fly up to it, it will ask you if you would like to save, and warn you that saving will reset your High Score. If you are playing the Xgen hosted version, you will have to submit information on your Xgen account. Saving your game will save your data, but it will not save the tunnels you have dug. [GOLDIUM] (If you are playing an offline game, you can save without resetting your score and without entering any information. Also, if you collected an Ancient Blueprint from underground, saving and reloading resets your tunnels, and you can search for another Blueprint.) *********************************************************************** 6. .: Walkthrough :.--------------------------------------------[WALKT] *********************************************************************** Now we get to the part that youve been waiting for and Ive been waiting to write: the walkthrough. One thing I must say about this game: The mineral placement is randomized each game. There are a many definite things I will mention, but I cannot tell you the exact place or location of a religious artifact or a piece of amazonite. Thats part of what makes this game fun, in my opinion. This walkthrough will be divided up by how many feet below the surface you are, more specifically the section between transmissions. WARNING: This walkthrough will have spoilers. If you do not want the story spoiled for you, do not go on to the next section until you reach the designated amount of feet dug underground. - .:0 feet: The mission:.-----------------------------------------[6.0] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas We forgot to refuel you on the way over! Drive over to the fuel station (left) and fill er up! Its been almost impossible to hire decent miners on mars since all the strange activity started happening around here. Thats why were willing to pay you at a premium for your services! Ive given you a basic mining machine to get started with. Unfortunately, youll be on your own from this point onward, as the settlers who were lucky enough to escape with their lives have fled to safety. However, all of the shops here have been computerized, so youll still be able to sell your minerals, fuel up, upgrade your pod, and buy special items Remember - your job is to collect minerals and bring them back to the surface for processing. The deeper you dig, the more valuable the minerals youll encounter. Dont forget to refuel - Good Luck! *** Transmission Terminated *** [GOLDIUM](The beginning transmission is slightly different when playing the Goldium edition of the game; as you start out with no money, Mr. Natas will not tell you to fuel up and your fuel tank will be full.) That was your boss, Mr. Natas. He gives you some good advice: refuel, refuel, refuel. Throughout this guide, I will not remind you to refuel your tank; that you must do on your own. Just remember not to wait until the moment it says fuel low. Watch your tank. If your fuel goes below the words FUEL, thats probably a sign that you should fill your tank. At the beginning of the game, you start out with the worst equipment possible; Stock Hull, Micro Tank, everything. So, in order to upgrade, you need some money. After refueling your pod, start out by mining Bronzium, the orange colored mineral that you see everywhere. Ironium is worth half as much as Bronzium; dont even waste your time with it. If you see any Silverium, which is white in color, make sure to collect it. If your lucky, you might even find a Goldium or two, which is yellow. Remember, with your current Cargo Bay you can only carry 7 minerals. After gaining at least $750 from selling Minerals to the Mineral Depot, upgrade your fuel tank first, as it is the most important at this point. Now to start your journey under the surface. [GOLDIUM] (In the Goldium Edition, when you get the $750 fuel tank, I suggest using the Mr. Dog trick, which you can learn in the Secrets section of the FAQ.) Here is the strategy that has gotten me and several other players of this game to the end safe and fast: dig one tunnel, straight down. Its common sense for most people, as this helps you get up to the surface quicker and helps you get down to continue your drilling faster. Some people find this out the hard way. I found it easier to dig the tunnel right next to the Fuel Depot. When you need to go to the surface, remember the depth you drilled; in fact, write it down on a piece of paper if you have to. Now, if you see Goldium, take it; its fair game at this point. And if you see a Platinium, bright-blue in color, you really want that too. Once you hit 500 feet, youll get a transmission... - .:500 feet: The Bonus:.---------------------------------------[6.500] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas Good! I see youre adapting well to the Martian soil! Heres a little something to help you on your way. *** Transmission Terminated *** Mr. Natas gives you a gift: $1,000 dollars in cash. A good amount of cash to spend on upgrades. However, at this point I would still only focus on the fuel tank; save up $2,000 and buy the next upgraded fuel tank. Then youll be in some serious business. [GOLDIUM] (After 500 feet, the Martian Oiler pod appears. See the Secrets section for more details) You should be seeing a little more Goldium. Youll be able to get a few pieces of it and take it to the surface for some good money. It is still possible that Platinium appears at this point, but youll probably only see one or two. Once you get to 1000 feet, you will receive another transmission. - .:1000 feet: Earthquakes:.-----------------------------------[6.1000] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas Congratulations on reaching a depth of 1000 ft! Ive wired you a bonus for your excellent work. Were picking up some heavy vibrations from the planet core - They seem to be causing some earthquakes. They also seem to be causing some garbled and misdirected transmissions - just ignore them. Keep up the good work! *** Transmission Terminated *** Earthquakes; they suck. They destroy your wonderful tunnel that you made if they occur. Luckily they occur very rarely, but if they do, you have to dig your tunnel all over again. They only occur when your on the surface, so dont be afraid of being caught in one while digging. Mr. Natas was nice enough to give you $3,000 dollars! If you havent already, upgrade your drill, cargo bay, or engine; I suggest the drill, as yours should be slowing down at this point. Do not worry about your radiator at this point, theres no need for it to be upgraded. You should have a few $2,000 upgrades at this point. If not, then just keep digging, theyll come soon enough. After 1000 feet, you might run across treasures, explained in the Basics section. My favorite, of course, is the religious artifact, and if you see one, collect it AT ONCE! Dont worry too much about the dinosaur bones, but Treasure chests are worth a good amount, as are Martian Skeletons. Religious Artifacts will buy you some good upgrades early in the game. If you get it, buy a $20,000 fuel tank, and $5,000 on all other upgrades. After around 1500 feet, you should start seeing boulders. These are kind of annoying; you cant dig through them. If one blocks your main tunnel, youll either have to dig around it and remember its depth, or, if you have enough money, blow it up with dynamite. Goldium is still good, but Platinium is better. Forget about Bronzium or Silverium at this point, and only collect Goldium and Platinium. At 1750 ft underground, you will receive a transmission. - .:1750 feet: Stray Transmission:.----------------------------[6.1750] ** Transmission Received ** Unidentified Source The eyes... Oh my god, THE EYES!!! *** Transmission Terminated *** ...what? Who was that? That must have been one of the misdirected transmissions Mr. Natas was talking about. Anyway, keep on the lookout for religious artifacts. Platinium should be your goal here, as it starts showing up more often. Keep accepting Goldium though if you cant find any; you have to make income somehow. Make sure to get those nasty boulders out of the way, and if you get an Earthquake, just hope that it didnt mess up your tunnel too much. Not much happens between this and the next transmission... - .:2100 feet: The miner:.-------------------------------------[6.2100] ** Transmission Received ** Martian Digging Pod #3422-2 Im surprised to find another signal around here Im the only miner who hasnt disappeared in the past three years. Next week, I finally get to retire, wealthy, to the moons of Jupiter with my wife and three daughters. *** Transmission Terminated *** This guy is your only friend during the mining process; he will give you two more transmissions before the end. Hes a good guy, and it also seems hes a family man. Moons of Jupiter? Sweet Stay on the same strategy before; digging a main tunnel, getting rid of rocks, and collecting Goldium and Platinium. However, be on the lookout for a new mineral: Einsteinium, a bluish-green blocky mineral. Its worth $2000. Another transmission should appear after 2500 ft. - .:2500 feet: Cry for Help:.----------------------------------[6.2500] ** Transmission Received ** Unidentified Source Is anyone there?! I need help badly!! I cant feel my legs - Oh god, hes coming back.. OH NO!! PLEASE HELP ME!!! AAAHHHHGGGK!. *** Transmission Terminated *** ...That was eerie. Who was that? Two transmissions like this... That cant be coincidence. And who is he? Oh well. Its not your problem. Keep digging. You should be finding Platinium in abundance. This means you should abandon looking for Goldium. Einsteinium should also be appearing more often also, so collect that while you dig. If you save up, buy some upgrades. Now is the time to start upgrading your radiator. Why? Because of this next transmission... - .:3100 feet: Lava Pockets:.----------------------------------[6.3100] ** Transmission Received ** Martian Digging Pod #3422-2 How are you making out, kid? I know youre new here, so I thought Id give you a tip; make sure you dont neglect your radiator. I ran into a Lava pocket a few moments ago, but my twin turbines dissipated the heat amazingly and my hull was barely damaged - Probably saved my life. *** Transmission Terminated *** Thanks! Theres our friend again with some great advice. Now we know that the radiator is good for something. After this point, you should start seeing the Lava Pockets your friend mentioned. Avoid them; they can kill you in an instant if you dont have the right equipment. Now, start digging Einsteinium, because it should be appearing a lot more frequently. Dont go out of your way to get Platinium. Also, you might see a new mineral at this point: Emeralds, a green gem. These are worth $5,000. Try to get these. Try to buy reserve fuel tanks before you delve into the ground, because they are very useful. You should be buying the $20,000 upgrades, and dynamite. If you have a good hull, buy a Quantum Teleporter too. Just be careful in using it with low health. At 3500 feet, you will receive another transmission. - .:3500 feet: Gas Pockets:.-----------------------------------[6.3500] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas Once again, congratulations! Youve made it farther than even I anticipated... Anyways, Ive sent you another bonus. Watch out for natural gas pockets - theyre undetectable and highly explosive! One more thing - Your altimeter is only rated for a depth of around 6000 ft. After that, youll need to turn back. Really - its just too dangerous. *** Transmission Terminated *** Hes right about the gas pockets; they are undetectable. They look just like regular soil, but will hit your pod like a Mack-truck if you dont have an Einsteinium or Energy-Shielded Hull. But dont worry; you wont have to worry about Gas Pockets until around 4500 ft. Oh, and dont forget the bonus he gave you! Spend it wisely. Emeralds are appearing more often now. Not only that, but if you go deeper, you might see rubies, a red-colored gem. Collect these; theyre worth $20,000. Keep collecting Einsteinium, but dont go out of your way for it. Watch out for Lava Pockets. If you get enough money, and you already have a good fuel tank (which you should), then buy the Einsteinium Hull to protect against Gas Pockets; if you hit them without a strong hull, its definitely a game over. You should be saving up for better upgrades, and by the time you hit 4100 feet you should have all of the $20,000 upgrades. Also, along with Reserve Tanks and Dynamite, you could probably afford a Matter Transmitter, which is safer than the Quantum Teleporter. The next transmission is a sad one... - .:4100 feet: The disaster:.----------------------------------[6.4100] ** Transmission Received ** Martian Digging Pod 3422-2 Trapped... In a crevasse. Earthquake damaged my drill and Im out of fuel. This will probably be my last transmission. Tell my kids.. I love them.. I- what? YOU!?? what are you doing dow-AAARGH! *** Transmission Terminated *** ...what in Gods name was that? What happened to our friend? What - or who - did he find? Hmm... keep digging. More rubies should start appearing, and a lot of Emeralds. This should eliminate the need for Einsteinium at this point. Keep collecting these valuable gems, and cash them in for very good money. You should be buying dynamite and reserve fuel tanks, and one Quantum Teleporter or Matter Transmitter. If you bought the Einsteinium Hull and the 20,000 Radiator, You should be safe digging through Lava Pockets, but probably only about one. If you can afford it, you can always buy a few Hull Repair Nanobots. [GOLDIUM] (You should be on the lookout now for the Ancient Blueprint, which looks like a blue scroll. Look at the Secrets section for more info.) - .:4500 feet: Motherload:.------------------------------------[6.4500] ** Transmission received ** Martian Digging Pod #10043 Oh BABY!!! THIS IS IT!!! I HIT THE MOTHERLOAD!!!!! Im rich, Im FILTHY rich!! Hey, what the!?? NO! IT CANT BE!!!! OH GOD!! *** Transmission Terminated *** ...another Martian Digging Pod? What happened to it? There must be something going on underground... Well, keep digging. You should start seeing diamonds, a white gem. These are very valuable, $100,000 a pop. If you get one of these, try to buy that Einsteinium Hull, or even the Energy-Shielded Hull. You will need it, because you will start to hit gas pockets soon. You wont be getting many transmission after this point. Keep getting Rubies and Diamonds, and save up to buy upgrades. At around 5000 ft, you will start to hit gas pockets. These are not fun. Be careful if you dig into soil near valuable minerals, as it could be a gas pocket. There is also something else around this depth: Amazonite, a turquoise crystal. These are worth $500,000, and it is the last mineral in the game. They are very valuable, and if you keep digging after 5000 ft, you will find more and more of them. The problem with Diamonds and Amazonite is that theyre very heavy, and will slow down your pods upward acceleration. However, you should have a Matter Transmitter in your inventory, or at LEAST a Quantum Teleporter. If not, you are making this game very hard for yourself. Also, there are a lot of rocks at this depth, so bring dynamite, or if you can afford it, Plastic Explosives. Of course, dont forget a few Reserve Fuel Tanks. You should have all the $100,000 upgrades by the next section. - .:5812 feet: Malfunction:.-----------------------------------[6.5812] No transmission yet, but there is something unique about this depth: After you hit it, your altimeter will malfunction, spouting off random numbers at a high speed. Now it is useless. The next few sections were measured manually by me, since your pod digs 12 or 13 feet per square. Anyways, Gas pockets are common. If you dont have an Energy-Shielded Hull, you might want to go get one, or find a piece of Amazonite so that you can purchase it. Amazonite should be appearing frequently, and the more you grab, the more upgrades you can purchase. Grab a few diamonds also if you want. Remember how heavy these two minerals are. A small mining spree at this depth should give you enough money to buy all the upgrades, plus a bunch of items. However, be careful of Gas pockets, and watch your hull. You should have a bunch of Fuel Reserves, and if not, a Matter Transmitter. If this is the case (and I hope it is), you shouldnt have to worry about watching fuel. Your hull just got more important. At about 6200 feet, you will receive a transmission - .:6200 feet: The Warning:.-----------------------------------[6.6200] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas You are violating the terms of your employment! Turn back immediately! *** Transmission Terminated *** Well, hes right... He told you not to go further than 6000 ft. But gosh, he sounds very forceful Hes not a very nice boss. Wait... How can his transmissions reach you from this depth anyway? A lot of boulders will be blocking your path, so I hope you brought a whole bunch of dynamite and Plastic Explosives. Remember: 1 Amazonite can buy 100 Plastic Explosives, 66 Hull Repair Nanobots, 250 Reserve Fuel Tanks/Dynamite/Quantum Teleporters, or 50 Matter Transmitters. You can keep collecting Amazonite if you want, but you really wont need much more than $5,000,000 to get a good supply of items. At this point you should get between 100-300 Hull Repair Nanobots, 200-250 Plastic Explosives, 25 Reserve Fuel Tanks, 100 Dynamites (just in case), and a Matter Transmitter. Trust me; if youve collected a few Amazonites, you can afford it, WITH money left over. Now you can just blow away a path to the next section. - .:7000 feet: The Threat:.------------------------------------[6.7000] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas Return to the surface immediately or youll be terminated... er... as in fired! *** Transmission Terminated *** Im sorry... Did he say terminated? That sounds violent... Perhaps he knows something about the miners that have disappeared and the concerning transmissions youve already received, including the one from MDP #3422-2. Keep digging. Or should I say keep blowing up stuff... Theres a lot of Amazonite down here, but you really dont need it. You can mine some and then buy more Nanobots and Explosives if you want. Also, its almost full of rocks... And pretty much every soil patch you touch is a Gas pocket. So I recommend blowing it all up. After that transmission, you will notice that the background gets darker and darker the further you go down. Once you hit the bottom (yes, thats right; the bottom), it will be pitch black. You will notice at the bottom that there are stalactites under where your pod sits. You cannot dig through that point. However, if you dig (or explode) to the very right, you will notice a small part that is not stalactites, but diggable soil. Make sure before you dig you have a lot of explosives and a lot of Hull Repair Nanobots. Dig through the soil and fall, and you will receive a most disturbing transmission - .:7300 feet: Mr. Satan:.-------------------------------------[6.7300] ** Transmission received ** Mr. Natas HAHAHA!! YOU FOOL!!! I told you to turn back now I have no choice but to kill you. Youve served my factories well, but I think Ill take my machine, my money, and your pathetic life now. SEE YOU IN HELL!!! *** Transmission Terminated *** That explains it. It explains why the pods were disappearing, why the settlers left, why you kept getting those weird transmissions... Not only does Mr. Natas know about whats going on, hes causing it. Why? Well, have you ever noticed what Natas spells backwards? Thats right. Mr. Natas is Satan in disguise. You will fall into a cave, the ground littered with a heap of bones. I hope you brought some explosives, because thats the only way youll be able to beat him. Mr. Natas will rise from the floor of bones with a most evil laugh, and youll notice his health bar appear at the bottom of the screen, saying 1000/1000. As soon as he starts walking around, you may attack him. Mr. Natas has two attacks: -He will try to hit you with his Staff of Hell -He will shoot a laser-beam out of his Laser Monocle. To attack Mr. Natas, get near him and set off one of your explosives. You have to get very close to him in order to do some damage. You will do a whole lot of damage is you run into him and set off a Plastic Explosive, somewhere around 240 or so points of damage. However, touching him will hurt your hull, so make sure to repair quickly after doing this. After 5 or so hits with this method, Mr. Natas will sink, defeated, into the bone-littered floor... Or will he? - .:66666 feet: Final Battle:.--------------------------------[6.66666] ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Natas MWAHAHAHA! Imbecile!! You really think you can defeat me? I am the master of all EVIL! BEHOLD MY TRUE FORM!! *** Transmission Terminated *** Mr. Natas will jump from the bones as Satan. After the transmission, another health bar will appear at the bottom of the screen, this time with 2000 health. Satan will also damage you if you touch him, but the same method as above can be used: just run up under his legs and set off a Plastic Explosive, and then repair the moment you get a chance. Satan has two attacks also: -He will extend his mechanical arm and fling it around so it hits you. -He will open the Boiler of Eternal Infernos in his chest and release a huge fireball that bounces toward the direction Satan is facing. Strangely, the mechanical arm attack is more devastating than the Boiler attack. They are both easy to dodge, though. You shouldnt have a problem with either of the bosses. During the fight, your hull may flash white and wont return. No worries, just use a few hull repair nanobots and attack again. When you take damage, itll return to normal. Once you defeat Satan, he will fall to the ground, defeated. For real this time. The screen will steadily become gold in tint, and then you will receive the following: $50,000 for Mr. Natas Kevlar Suit $100,000 for Mr. Natas Staff of Hell $200,000 for Mr. Natas Laser Monocle $300,000 for Satans Hooves $400,000 for Satans Horns $500,000 for Satans Evil Eye (right) $500,000 for Satans Evil Eye (left) $600,000 for Satans Boiler of Eternal Infernos $1,000,000 Martian reward for restoring peace. $25,000,000 half the shares of Mr. Natas company You will immediately be taken to the Final screen, where your score will be tallied depending on your money. Then it will tell you how many Martian Days it took for you to beat the game, How many times youve defeated Satan, and your total play time. Congratulations, youve beaten Motherload! If you press the button that says Continue, you will be asked to save your game. Click yes or no, and you will be taken back to the title screen. - .:Playing Again:.--------------------------------------------[6.PLAY] If you chose to save your game after beating the game, you can play again from where you left off. Select Load Game at the Title Screen, and the game will start over. If you check your inventory, you will notice that you have Satans Head in your inventory. Satans Head has no value; this is just a counter to tell you how many times youve defeated him. You will start the game just like a New Game, except with Satans Head. The second time you play the game, however, all minerals money value will be cut in half. The score they give, however, will double. If you play for a third time, the mineral value will be a third, but the score will be three times as big, and so on. By the time you play a 15th time, your income will be so little you can barely refuel. [GOLDIUM] (When starting a new game after defeating Satan, all Ancient Relics will be lost, and you must find them over again. This includes the Multi-Drill. See Secrets section for more information) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [GOLDIUM] Below this line are features of Motherload: Goldium Edition, which is the upgraded version available for purchase at Xgenstudios.com. This information does NOT apply to the regular version of Motherload, hosted online. *********************************************************************** 7. .: Challenge Mode :.-----------------------------------------[CHLNG] *********************************************************************** When starting a new game, you can choose 2 options: Adventure or Challenge. Naturally, if you choose adventure, it will start the main game. Challenge Mode, however, is different. For one, its a lot shorter. Gameplay-wise, its a lot different from the main game; There are 12 challenges, all of which have a certain time limit. If you complete all the objectives within the time limit, without running out of fuel or health, then you will receive one of the Ancient Relics; the Multi-Drill. The challenges consist of digging for certain minerals, digging a certain number of feet underground, or even navigating mazes. You may sell your minerals for fuel and hull, but I would not recommend it in the slightest. After finishing each objective, your fuel and hull meter are restored, and the next objective is given to you. Some objectives will upgrade your fuel tank, drill, or engine. If you do not complete the challenges within the time limit on the first try, then you will not receive the Multi-Drill. Opening the inventory screen does not stop time from counting down. Any method can be used, as long as you complete the challenges within the time limit. I repeat: ANY METHOD can be used. *wink* =). - .:Challenge 1:.-------------------------------------------------[7.1] Objective: Mine and retain 5 Ironium in your Cargo Bay Upgrade: none Time Limit: 1 minute Strategy: You start Challenge Mode with all beginning equipment. Do not listen to them when they say you can resurface to sell your minerals for fuel and what-not; it is possible, but its totally unnecessary. As soon as you hit the ground, start digging near the surface for some Ironium. You have 60 seconds, but your fuel tank will run out sooner than your time will. This one should be easy. - .:Challenge 2:.-------------------------------------------------[7.2] Objective: Mine and retain 3 Ironium and 3 Bronzium Upgrade: None Time Limit: 1 minute 20 seconds Strategy: It says 1 minute 20 seconds, but you still have pretty much the same amount of time you had last time. Why? Your fuel tank still goes down at the same rate. Dig a little further underground, around 200-250 ft, and mine the required minerals. If you mine more than required, get rid of it in the inventory screen, because you can only hold 7 minerals. Once again, dont resurface; its not worth it. - .:Challenge 3:.-------------------------------------------------[7.3] Objective: Collect 3 Silverium Upgrade: Medium Tank Time Limit: 2 minutes Strategy: This is an easy task. Dig down to at least 600 ft before you collect the last Silverium, making sure you have at least 2 of them on your way down. Make sure you remember where you saw certain Silveriums while digging for emergency. Once your fuel gets about 1/4 full, dig your last Silverium. You should be at least 600 feet underground. - .:Challenge 4:.-------------------------------------------------[7.4] Objective: Dig to 600 ft Upgrade: None Time Limit: 1 minute Strategy: If you did what I told you in the last objective, you should have already passed this objective and moved on to the next objective. If you didnt, and you are under 600 ft, then keep digging down. Look for places that do not have soil, or air pockets, because its faster to drop than it is to dig. If you dug more than 600 ft in the last objective, you should have a head start on your next objective. - .:Challenge 5:.-------------------------------------------------[7.5] Objective: Dig to 1400 ft Upgrade: Goldium Drill, 1 Reserve Fuel Tank Time Limit: 2 minutes Strategy: Okay, so, my first mistake on these types of objectives was that I was digging a tunnel straight down. However, there isnt any point to that since you wont be resurfacing. The easiest way to complete this objective is to look for air pockets, the ones that seem to drop a long ways. Like I said; its faster to drop than it is to dig. Use your fuel tank when your fuel is really low, or even critical; as small as your fuel tank is, the reserve tank will fill it completely. - .:Challenge 6:.-------------------------------------------------[7.6] Objective: Collect 5 Goldium, Dig to 2400 ft Upgrade: Emerald Drill, 2 Reserve Fuel Tanks Time Limit: 3 minutes Strategy: You now have 2 reserve fuel tanks and a better drill. On the way down, you should have no problem collecting the Goldium. Do not go far out of your way in order to get a piece of Goldium, as there is a lot of it on your trip down. Your main problem is getting to 2400 ft. Remember, search for air pockets that go deeper and dig to them. You should reach your objective with time to spare. Also, use your reserve tanks wisely. - .:Challenge 7:.-------------------------------------------------[7.7] Objective: Collect 5 Platinium, Dig to 2500 ft Upgrade: 2 Reserve Fuel Tanks Time Limit: 2 minutes Strategy: Okay, this objective can be hard or easy depending on how much Platinium there is. 2500 ft isnt hard to get to, its basically right below you; the Platinium is what you should be worried about. The fact that your pod goes in the direction you dont want it to go doesnt help either, due to a magnetic field or something... Anyway, Try to get the Platiniums further up than the ones further down, to prepare for a future objective. Dont forget to get to 2500 ft. - .:Challenge 8:.-------------------------------------------------[7.8] Objective: Collect 5 Platinium Upgrade: none Time Limit: 2 minutes Strategy: They said they upgraded your engine, but I dont see any change... Hmm. Anyway, This is probably the objective I have the most trouble with. Try to scrounge around for 5 Platinium, and if you dont find it within the time limit, then your screwed. I believe that you can save your fuel tanks from the last objective, so if you have one left, use it when your fuel gets critical (Im serious). Now, try to navigate against the magnetic field that is screwing with your pod ever-so-annoyingly. When trying to finish the objective, try to stay close to the huge rock layer at the bottom for the next objective. - .:Challenge 9:.-------------------------------------------------[7.9] Objective: Destroy the rock layer at 2560 ft with dynamite Upgrade: 10 dynamite Time Limit: 1 minute Strategy: Okay, do not waste your dynamite. Dig straight to the rock layer and then use it. You have JUST enough to blow right through it. Try to stay close to the left of the screen, as the entrance to the maze youll be navigating in the next objective is to the left. - .:Challenge 10:.-----------------------------------------------[7.10] Objective: Navigate the first maze Upgrade: none Time Limit: 1 minute Strategy: The entrance to the maze is close to the very left of the screen. Dig to it. If there is a rock in the way of any of the entrances to the maze, its not supposed to be there, and your challenge has been spoiled. However, there most likely should not be one. This is the case for all three mazes Once you drop through the entrance, go right. Navigate the tunnel, and you should hit an intersection. Go left at the intersection. You should be going through a one-way tunnel that goes left, drops, goes right, and drops, in a zig-zag pattern. Near the end of it, do not go to the tunnel to the left, keep going down, and you should hit the end. - .:Challenge 11:.-----------------------------------------------[7.11] Objective: Navigate the second maze Upgrade: None Time Limit: 2 minutes Strategy: The entrance is almost straight below you. Dig down and drop down the entrance. Go right, not left. You should be navigating a one way tunnel, until you drop down, and you have a few choices, right, down, or left. Go left. You should navigate another tunnel. You will see a drop-off to other tunnels midway-through, do not drop into it; keep going right through the tunnel. There are a couple of obvious dead-ends through the whole process that you can see. Keep navigating and you should reach the end. - .:Challenge 12:.-----------------------------------------------[7.12] Objective: Dig through the third maze. Upgrade: None Time Limit: 5 minutes Strategy: The hardest and longest maze. The entrance is further to the right, so dig that way. Once you find the entrance, dig down into it. Now, throughout this navigation I am going to ignore any obvious dead ends that you can see. It is possible to dig yourself down into tunnels so that you cannot navigate the rest of the maze, so follow along and pay close attention, pausing to read. Do not access your inventory screen to pause, as the time will keep counting down. I will capitalize all checkpoints and directions that are important. Throughout this maze you will almost definitely need a reserve tank. Use it at critical fuel level. Okay, here goes: Once you hit the entrance, dig down so that you can access the pathway leading LEFT. You should hit an AIR POCKET. After that, keep digging LEFT so that you hit a second AIR POCKET. Keep Navigating, you should hit a FORK of two tunnels that go straight down. Take the one on the very LEFT. (If you take the one on the right, youll get stuck.) Navigate the tunnel, and you will hit another FORK. Dig to your RIGHT. Navigate the tunnel until you hit a big AIR POCKET. Go up the pocket and keep navigating. You should see two dropping tunnels going straight down, IGNORE them and keep digging RIGHT. You should see another AIR POCKET, go all the way up the pocket and then dig RIGHT. (You cant dig anywhere else). Navigate the one-way tunnel and ignore obvious dead- ends. You should see a downward tunnel and a right tunnel. Take the RIGHT tunnel. Navigate the one way tunnel. Ignore the down tunnel you see and dig to the AIR POCKET. Go all the way up the pocket and dig RIGHT into a second AIR POCKET. Navigate that pocket. Keep digging LEFT, ignoring the down tunnel, and dig into a small AIR POCKET. Keep digging left, and you should see an obvious dead end. Dig DOWN a bit, and you should see two options: down and right. Take the RIGHT tunnel. Navigate through and youll see another obvious dead-end and two more options; down and right. Take the RIGHT tunnel again. Navigate through, and you will hit the end. After this challenge, if you completed them all within the time limit the first time, you should receive the multi-drill. To use it, start a new normal game. You should see it in your inventory. Make sure you save with it (for info on Multi-Drill, see the Secrets section.) Congratulations, youve beaten challenge mode! *********************************************************************** 8. .: Secrets :.------------------------------------------------[SCRTS] *********************************************************************** There are certain secrets in the game that are only available in Motherload: Goldium Edition. They add a good bit to the content of the game, and it makes it a little more fun. Be warned, These secrets might contain spoilers to the main game. - .:Mr. Dog:.------------------------------------------------[8.MDOG] The Mr. Dog secret was believed to be in the normal version of Motherload. However, it is not. It is only in Goldium. Anyways, while playing normally in Motherload: Goldium, instead of digging, fly up above the ground. Fly until you reach 5000 ft (This requires at least the $750 upgrade on your fuel tank). You will get a transmission: ** Transmission Received ** Mr. Dog Hark, what strange thing is this? Make haste from my domain, Human, for you tread in the realm of the divine! Thine foul machinery creates much distaste among my choirs. You are still here? Fine, take this and GET OUT. *** Transmission Terminated *** You will receive $5000. This can be repeated if you save and quit. However, there is more. If you dont have them, upgrade to at least the $2000 fuel tank and the $2000 engine, which shouldnt be hard since you just received $5000. Then, fly up to 10,000 ft. You will receive another transmission: ** Transmission Received ** GOD Hast thou tired of tunneling the depths before thy time? Seek ye instead to soar the highest reaches of my heavens? Return now to thy rightly domain - carry with thee this guardian to aide thy journey. *** Transmission Terminated *** ...wow. You were spoken to by God. You will receive a small guardian angel that looks like the Xgen logo. Any damage you receive will be reduced by half as long as the guardian is following you around. If you save and quit, your angel will disappear, and youll have to fly up to 10000 ft again to get another. In case you didnt realize by the picture, Mr. Dog and God are the same person; Dog is God spelled backwards. Mr. Dog is just a clever disguise. Who else do we know that has a name like this? Ah, yes, Mr. Natas, or Satan backwards. Mr. Natas is truly Satan. =P Now wait, theres even more. If you fly up to 100,000 ft, you will receive another transmission: ** Transmission Received ** GOD Thou hast too much time on thy hands. *** Transmission Terminated *** As long as you stay anywhere above 100,000 ft, you will be continuously sent this message. You wont get a reward, but it is an interesting easter egg. - .:The Martian Oilers:.---------------------------------------[8.MOIL] In Goldium edition, If you dig past 500 ft, a small pod similar to a Save Pod will appear over the Repair Station. It looks like a smaller version of a Save Pod, except itll be flashing different colors. If you go up and touch it, youll receive a transmission: ** Transmission Received ** Martian Oilers Welcome Earthling! We've been observing your activities, and we'd like to offer you a proposition. Martian Oil is saturated with the base constituent of the ancient fuel petroleum: Oil. We've taken a bird species native to Mars and genetically re-engineered and trained it to collect oil. The problem is he still can't dig up anything but worms! If you let him tag along to collect oil, we'll pay you for every Liter you collect. Deal? *** Transmission Terminated *** Now you will have a small black angel that looks similar to the Xgen Logo. It looks just like the white guardian received from God, except its black and has red wings and a red flashing halo. Now, every time you dig into a soil square, you have a chance to receive a small amount of money, for oil that you collect. As you dig deeper, youll get steadily more and more money from the ground. If you save and quit, your bird will disappear, and youll have to dig to 500 ft before the pod will appear again. - .:The Ancient Relics:.---------------------------------------[8.ARLC] Motherload: Goldium Edition holds some very interesting new features, but in my opinion, none are as exciting as the Ancient Relics. The Ancient Relics are, quite simply, the best upgrades to your ship. However, they cannot be bought at the Junk Shop; they must be found underground. Ancient Relics are received from Ancient Blueprints. They look like big blue scrolls. Once you dig into and collect the blueprint, youll get a congratulatory message informing you of what Relic you received. The blueprints are usually found somewhere below 4000 ft underground. There is only one on the map. All you have to do is dig to collect it and it will be automatically equipped to your ship. If you want all of them, collect one on the map, save, quit, load the game, and search for another. Earthquakes will not make another relic appear. There are 6 relics; one for each part of your mining pod. They are exactly like the $500,000 upgrade for your ship, except with a special ability. Listed here are what they are called and what their special ability is: -Multi-Drill (Drill): Can drill through boulders. -Regenerative Hull (Hull): Regenerates lost health slowly over time. -Hyper-Drive (Engine): Allows unlimited teleportation to the surface by pressing M, just like Matter Transmitter (after receiving, cannot use Matter Transmitters; they will stay in your inventory). -Fuel Integrator (Fuel Tank): Collects fuel from gas pockets, but does not stop damage. -Magma Converter (Radiator): Money is earned when you hit lava pockets, but does not stop damage. -Portable Wormhole (Cargo Bay): Gives you virtually unlimited storage capacity. All these can be found underground except for the Multi-Drill, which is earned by completing Challenge Mode. After receiving all the Ancient Relics, digging into an Ancient Blueprint will earn you $100,000. - .:Cheats:.---------------------------------------------------[8.CHTS] Contrary to what people may believe, cheats can only be used in Motherload: Goldium Edition. If you use a cheat, you will receive the infamous Xgen skull symbol by your score, followed by the word CHEATER. Now, you cant save your game. Even after beating the game, you still cant save, youll just get a message that says Sorry, cheaters cant save So, honestly, is there really any point at all to using cheats? Why yes, there is one; if youve gotten very tired of Challenge mode, you can cheat your way through it with no penalty! You can feel the satisfaction of blowing up those horrible mazes and digging straight through the first challenges. In the end, youll STILL receive the Multi-Drill! How wonderful is that? I, personally, beat Challenge Mode legitimately before I figured out I could cheat my way through it... But now you know. I still gave you a step-by-step on how to beat Challenge mode anyway, so it shouldnt be all that hard. Open the Options screen, and then type in these codes to get the specified reward: blingbling Adds $100,000 (every bling after adds another $100,000) ntouchable Upgrades equipment to max and gives 99 of every item fillerup refills your fuel supersize Upgrades Cargo Bay to the next upgrade digdug Upgrades Drill to the next upgrade warp9 Upgrades Engine to the next upgrade guzzle Upgrades Fuel Tank to the next upgrade penetrable Upgrades Hull to the next upgrade toocool Upgrades Radiator to the next upgrade *********************************************************************** 8. .: Copyright Info. :.----------------------------------------[CRGHT] *********************************************************************** This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display without permission is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Any display of this guide with the permission of the author should be credited to the author, which is me, DJxChrome All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by Xgen Studios and their respective trademark and copyright holders. *********************************************************************** 8. .: Credits and Contact Info. :.------------------------------[CRDTS] *********************************************************************** If you have any questions, comments, or misinformation concerning this guide, email me at djxchrome@gmail.com. Make sure that your title says something with Motherload, else it will be deleted. There are some things that will not be accepted, Im sure you know what they are. Grammar/spelling mistakes are accepted. Constructive criticism is accepted. Destructive criticism is NOT accepted. And, of course, Compliments are accepted =). If you find something wrong with my guide and I accept it, your name will be posted here (with your permission of course). FAQs are accepted also. If I get a few, then Ill make an FAQ section in my guide. I had fun writing this guide, and I doubt Ill ever play Motherload again... I am growing very bored with it, just like with every game we play =P. However, I would like to give credit to Xgen Studios for giving me the opportunity to play such an addicting game and for offering an upgraded version of it, and also Gamefaqs for hosting my guide. Also I would like to thank a few people from the Xgen forums (dont really know their names), for giving me bits of information to start my quest for some of the secrets in Motherload: Goldium. Thanks a bunch, DJxChrome