February 1993 Beta

This is a sub-page of Proto:Syndicate (1993, DOS).

A beta version of Syndicate with files from February 1993 can be found on the internet. Based on a saved game editor released by a cracking group from May 1993 that explicitly works only with this version of the game, it was likely leaked not long after creation and spread among pirate groups before the game was released.

This build has all fundamental elements of the final release in place, seemingly just after replacing the earlier eight player version of the equip screen based on magazine coverage at the time. However, it has substantial differences to the final game and shows that while the game mechanics and appearance may have been decided on, the actual progression of levels and how the game would play out over its length had not. The beta also has some key changes even from the slightly later PC Format demo, showing the pace of progress on the game.

To do: Loads, all missions are different in some way, different placements, briefings, item costs, etc.

Cheat Modes#

Examining the game's executable shows that the final game cheats are not yet present. However, looking at position 339604 shows that in fact there are text strings that are used to check if the company name is set to

GUNS AND ROSES

or if the player name is

W AXL ROSE

This is interesting as the final game cheats are only set in the company name box.

• GUNS AND ROSES - this unlocks all missions from the start without having to beat adjacent map locations. Note that the final game's cheat/bug of just pressing enter to start any level you want works here, suggesting it probably really was an oversight and not a debug feature.
• W AXL ROSE - Gives the player 100,000,000 credits, and also unlocks all weapons and body mods as ready to buy.

Command Line Arguments#

While the final game arguments are mostly present, some previously unknown ones are left in, and some functionality that was removed from the final game still works here:

• /a[number] (e.g. /a2) - Rebuild the data structures of the selected GAMEXX.DAT file (such as the MAPWHO list of all peeps in a level) and re-write the file. Presumably used to fix errors in level files and possibly to update old level file versions
• /e - Editor. Unfortunately this seems to be stubbed out in this build, further suggesting this was only for QA testing or magazine previews, and not a true developer build.
• /m[number] - Mission select. However this is useless as the value set is overwritten by the game's menu system. Possibly was intended for use with other arguments like /e or the multiplayer mode.
• /p - Playback recording. Plays back inputs from MOUSE01.DAT. However, it's not possible to bypass the title screen in this mode, making it useless and suggesting it was already somewhat deprecated at this point.
• /r - Record inputs. As with all Bullfrog games it was possible to record input packets and play them back later. Again it's not possible to bypass the title screen in this build, making it useless.
• /t - Territory test mode. This sets all territories to one enemy owner instead of randomly owned as in the final game, and peculiarly starts the player off taking Alaska as the first mission instead of United Kingdom/Western Europe as normal.

Menu Screen Differences#

While the main menus are very close to the final iteration, they have many subtle differences. Slightly different font and anti-aliasing colours are used throughout, as well as different highlighting effects on buttons etc. The main menu still has the working Multiplayer option, which would be cut from the final release and would only return for the American Revolt expansion.

The corporate logo defaults to a yellow Eagle rather than the final game's red bullfrog logo.

Map Screen#

While the map screen is identical to the final game's in terms of territory divisions, the names are generally of specific countries even though this makes little sense due to the size of the areas. Examples are what is the final game's Western Europe territory being called the United Kingdom here (despite containing France, Germany, Spain, etc) and the Central Europe territory simply being named Czeckoslovakia. This also applies to the United States as well, for example what is called the Mid West in the final game is called just Kansas here, and New England is called New York.

Prototype	Final

Equip Screen#

Many of the weapons have very different attribute values to the final game, especially costs. The pistol costs 100 credits here, whereas it's free in the final game (presumably to stop the player completely running out of weaponry and being unable to continue).

Research Screen#

Prototype	Final

• The research graph graphic was changed over development. In the beta it's a rectangular shape that's wider and not quite as tall as the final game's. This was likely changed as its dimensions means it results in a jagged research line, whereas the final game chart is square and has a smooth line across. It also has actual text on its axes, "% COMPLETED" and "DAYS IN DEVELOPMENT" whereas the final game just has a percentage sign on one and a clock picture on the other.

• Research amounts are different. They've generally only been reduced by a small amount for the final game. However, the max funding limit is often massively larger in the final build (e.g. 2500 credits versus 24,000).

• The funding + and - buttons are not hidden until an item is chosen in the beta.

Briefing/Debriefing Screens#

• The briefing screen has buttons with the actual words "next" and "previous" written on them to move around the briefing text, whereas these would be replaced with arrows in the final game.

• Failing a mission reveals a handy "replay" button on the debriefing screen that allows to instantly return to the equip screen to try the mission again. This was oddly removed for the final game, with the player needing to return to the map screen and manually choose the same level again if they want to replay it.

Cut Items#

Auto Mapper#

The cut Auto Mapper item is present in slightly more substantial form in the beta. While it is still useless, if hacked into a saved game it at appears with the correct icon in the equip screen and more interestingly the original equipment artwork for the item, which was removed for the final build. Oddly its name string is not shown despite being present in the executable. If brought into a mission it simply appears with the icon for the Access Card and disappears when dropped. It does not get researched when returned from a mission.

Energy Shield#

The Energy Shield is only half-finished and not available unless hacked into a saved game. It uses the correct artwork throughout (icons and graphic), but does nothing in-game. It's also does not have its naming text string shown on the equip screen, like the Auto Mapper and also cannot be researched if returned from a mission.

In-Game Changes#

HUD#

Prototype	Final

The most striking difference is the crude GROUP button. At this point it's a single sprite width that's ungainly dumped between the four agent buttons/profiles. This would be improved in the later PC Format demo to be two sprites that fill the entire space, before being replaced with a pictogram in the final game. There's also an odd idea that lasted through the various early demos where unpopulated agent slots show the words ADRENALIN, PERCEPTION and INTELLIGENCE in their respective bar.

Minimap#

The minimap is again very similar to that of the final game, but with some interesting nuances. The in-game view is closer to that of the briefing map, using squares for units rather than circles like the final game. There's also a white square drawn around the lead agent at all times. The final game's black crosshairs drawn over the lead agent don't exist at this point.

Gameplay Changes#

• The game only shows the pincer pick-up mouse icon if the current agent has space in his inventory. Therefore it's not possible to click on weapons in grouped mode to make other agents collect the items like can be done in the final game if the current agent has no more space.

• Dropped weapons always have full ammunition, unlike the final game where they are usually almost empty. This actually exposes a bug/exploit that was later fixed - if the player drops their own weapon, it magically becomes full once picked up off the ground again.

• The player's units do not regenerate health in the beta, making it substantially harder.

• Enemy agents are sometimes inaccurate in combat to an almost farcical degree in this build of the game, often completely unable to hit player units at all even when they're standing completely still.

• There is no mouse-over effect on cars, unlike the final game.

• The final game uses five different palettes it steps between for each mission presumably in an attempt to add variety in a game where every city uses the same graphical tiles (and likely to help disguise the fact at least one city map is used twice for different locations). The beta only uses the one default palette for all missions.

• The Time Bomb is absolutely devastatingly powerful in the beta, destroying a much wider area and causing huge flames to erupt.

• The Gauss Gun has four shots instead of only three.

• The final game has various palette-swapped heads for enemy agents to help distinguish them from the player's units. These graphics don't exist in this build of the game, so all enemy agents look identical to the player's.

• The beta always runs at maximum game speed unlike the final game that throttles itself to run slower. This can be controlled using the F3 (faster) and F4 (slower) keys to run at the correct speed.

• The beta doesn't charge the player for saving the game yet, like the final game does.

Missions#

At this point in development there were not actually 50 different missions yet. To get around the shortfall, a script called MAKER.BAT in the game's DATA directory is setup to duplicate the existing 25 or so mission files into the remaining empty slots so that none are empty. This means that the same missions are in the game twice, with e.g. Mozambique sharing the same mission as East USSR. While access to missions/countries is still constrained to only those surrounding already occupied territories, completing the first mission in the UK already allows access to the Atlantic Accelerator and missions in the USA and Greenland. The Atlantic Accelerator mission also does not exist yet, although its inclusion on the map suggests it was already in mind as a special location.

Progress through missions (and the map) in the game is also very hard to gauge. While the first mission is identical to the final game (but more difficult to the final version), almost all other missions are significantly harder and assume access to most weapons. Based on this it's likely at one point the game did not have weapon research/progression and instead the player would have access to most weaponry from the start.

Briefings#

All missions have earlier briefings, even those levels that went on to the final game were radically re-written. Notable commonalities between these early briefings:

• All levels assume a much higher base tech level than the final game. Even the briefing for the first level explains enemies have Uzi submachineguns and that the player should arm themselves with similar. That said the player starts with the same starting items and tech level as the final game, suggesting the levels and briefings were from an older build, or the decision to start with few weapons and lower tech was a recent change to the game.

• While the Persuadertron is named as such in the research and equip screens, it's consistently referred to in the briefings as a "chip gun". It's not clear if the final name was a recent decision or if the briefings were simply leftover from an earlier build.

Mission 1#

As stated above, the first mission is much more difficult and seemingly expects a higher player tech level than the final game. This seems to have been toned down even from what the briefing suggests, as it claims all enemies have Uzis when in fact only one has, like the final game. That said, enemies are in the same places as the final game mission, just with many tweaks. The first and most startling is that the enemy in the building at the top of the entrance square now has an Uzi, will quickly burst out of the building once the player gets near and can easily squad wipe a beginner player. In the final version of the level he simply has a shotgun and barely registers as a threat. The target and his car have also been changed; in the beta level the car is parked right outside the door of the building the target enemy is hiding in, and he himself sprints straight for it, giving the player barely seconds to respond and kill him. The end result is he can surprise even veteran players and get away. In the final game he slowly ambles along to the now more distant car and is a sitting duck.

Finally there is still the enemy near the unseen landing pad. In the final game he has an Uzi on him, which works as a secret reward for players who explore the map. In the Beta he simply has another pistol and is unremarkable.