OXYD STRATEGY AND TACTICS
The object of the game is to find and open matched pairs of oxyds (see
below). Simple? Yes. Easy? Definitely not. The designer has drawn 100
different landscapes which will test your ingenuity, cunning, forethought and
lateral thinking, as well as your mouse control technique. The landscapes
increase in difficulty and you will quickly realise that the designer has a
devious mind and is a master of misdirection. Much of the enjoyment in
solving a level comes from overcoming the obstacles and problems that are
thrown at you (sometimes literally!) Fortunately you are not playing against
the clock - some levels can take at least two days concentrated work before
they are finally solved. The pleasure of playing Oxyd comes from the
different skills required; sometimes fast reactions and speed of movement, at
other times forward planning and calculations. Very few of the levels can be
solved at one visit (remember to write down the password number); usually you
will have to master one area and then go on to the next, and then the next,
until you finally triumph. Warning: playing Oxyd may spoil you for any other
computer game!
Moving the marble
At the start of each level you have 3 marbles (lives). There is a black
marble on the screen and two at the bottom of the screen in reserve (extra
lives sometimes appear in the landscape and can be picked up). The marble is
controlled by the mouse and you can move it as fast or as slowly as is
required in any situation. Most care is needed when moving along narrow paths
over the void; and also when hitting blocks to move them - you can get a very
nasty rebound! When a marble is destroyed the new marble appears at the
original starting point.
You may need to adjust the tracking speed for the mouse. If it is set too
fast, the marble tends to get out of control. If it is set too slow, levels
requiring fast reactions may be impossible to play.
Oxyds
These appear in two forms; black and white diagonal squares which open like
flowers (level 2), or plain black blocks where the top peels away (level 1).
Symbols are revealed when the oxyds open but only one oxyd opens at a time
until you find matching symbols. They can be opened by rolling the marble
against a side but the black and white squares can also be activated by
touching the corner (level 15). They can be triggered by a laser when it is
not possible to reach them (level 3). There may be only one pair to open, or
as many as 8 pairs; although usually there are 4 oxyds (2 pairs) or 6 (3
pairs). In complicated levels you will probably need to note down which oxyd
reveals which symbol, but be warned they often change if you have to re-start
the landscape.
Meditation landscapes
These landscapes appear after each nine levels and are well described in the
Oxyd Book as nerve-wracking. They consist of a landscape with four craters
into each of which a small ball has to be placed. The problem is that the
mouse controls all four balls at the same time so that any violent movement
to place one ball affects all the others and may remove a ball already in a
crater. Meditation seems a singularly inappropriate description as they lead
to more frustration than the preceding nine levels put together. Controlled
mouse movements are essential even at the nth attempt.
Oxyd Book
A humorous little volume which is an absolute necessity after level 10. It is
impossible to do level 11 (and future levels) without the secret codes which
destroy the magic tokens (the ones with the number on them), and all the
secret codes are in the book. The book also contains tips and tricks , and
many helpful hints and descriptions. It is also very funny.
Level 1
An easy landscape to get you started
Tip: work from the sides as much as possible
Hint: try to avoid triggering the rotor and don't fall in the swamp.
Level 2
Another easy one
Tip: the laser can destroy blocks.
Level 3
Your introduction to movable mirrors
Tip: there is a pattern to the positions of the mirror.
Hint: beware of the chasm.
Level 4
Introduces umbrellas and mouse reversal
Tip: use the first umbrella to collect more for future flights.
Hint: the ceiling isn't solid.
Level 5
The first sighting of porthole blocks and flashing lights.
Tip: the gates are opened by porthole blocks and/or switches.
Hint: the floor isn't solid.
Level 6
Bombs and dynamite!
Tip: a lot of the objects are irrelevant, if not downright dangerous. Avoid
switching the laser on.
Hint: you only really need two explosions, around the inaccessible oxyd.
Level 7
This time the porthole blocks and lights will produce bridges.
Tip: take a bit of time to work out which block covers which light. It isn't
always as obvious as it seems.
Hint: don't get trapped in the top left corner. Make sure you move the two
blocks in the right order.
Level 8
This level isn't as difficult as it first appears - don't panic!
Tip: don't try to control the marble on the path, otherwise you will fall
off.
Hint: as soon as you've passed the 2 arrows, top and bottom, have a coffee
break. This will allow you to survey the scene and should stop you falling in
the water.
Level 9
The most difficult landscape so far.
Tip: you will need to destroy all the bomb tokens but make sure you can still
move around to activate the oxyds. You will have to cross the rotten
floorboards twice so take care.
Hint: the order in which you do things is important. Take out the bomb token
in the top right first.
Floors, surfaces and backgrounds
a. Wood
There are different patterns of wooden floors. The "parquet" pattern has a
nasty habit of breaking up (level 11) but with care it can be negotiated.
b. Stone
c. Woven
d. Tiles
Some tiles will also break up (level 8)
e. Ball-bearings
f. Slope tiles
These are marked with a white or black pattern (level 8) and will throw the
marble off unless great care and/or speed is used.
g. White tiles (marble movement reversal)
These present an interesting problem in mouse control as up is down and left
is right, and vice versa (level 4). Even more fun is the chess board where
the black tiles are normal and the white ones reversed (level 87)
h. Water
Not unnaturally you drown in water (level 8), but there are some levels where
the marble has to leap across a stretch of water at least once; in one
particularly difficult level several jumps are needed
i. Ice
The marble just skates around with no traction unless there is a spike
available, probably hidden from immediate view (level 15)
j. Quicksand/ swamp
Speed is the key here. If the marble stands still or moves slowly, it will
sink (level 1)
k. Space
When you see blackness with stars it is usually OK to move the marble out
there (level 14) but the marble will not respond to the mouse and you will
have to wait until it bounces off something to get it back.
l. Blackness
This will kill the marble every time unless you have some way of negotiating
it (level 4). Be careful moving at the edge of the screen into another part
of the landscape as the designer tends to lay traps (level 3)
Tokens/ Blocks
a. Plain white
These come in three varieties and the differences are not obvious until the
marble touches them. There are solid unmovable ones, which can sometimes be
blown away with dynamite or smashed with a hammer, assuming that these are
available to you; solid movable ones which can be pushed around and will
disappear in blackness, and ones that the marble will pass under. They can
also conceal nasties which are not revealed until the marble touches them.
When moved over objects they can destroy or activate them
b. Black
These won't move and sometimes hide oxyds (level 4) or ways to open gates
(level 19)
c. Wooden
These can be moved (level 6) and will form new planks when pushed into
blackness. Sometimes they will explode bombs if pushed over them
d. Outline
These can sometimes be moved but usually only when you can see something
inside them
e. Porthole
These blocks can be moved and are normally associated with flashing lights
(level 5). When the blocks are manoeuvred over the lights, they will open
gates (level 5), build bridges (level 7) or open passages.
f. Clock faces
Some of these change automatically, for example to control lasers, and others
can be altered by the marble (level 26)
g. Spring blocks
These are white blocks with a small cross on the top. They "uncoil" and push
other blocks away but have to be triggered from the correct place to work
effectively (level 29)
Mirrors
These reflect the ray produced by the laser and can be particularly difficult
to organise without a degree in higher physics. You may find it easiest to
draw a plan before arranging them as a mis-angled mirror can zap the marble
in a flash. Some of the solid mirrors can be moved (level 3). The angle of
any mirror is changed by touching it with the marble, either on the side, or
in tricky situations, just on the corner.
a. Solid
The least unfriendly of the three types of mirror. When angled it deflects
all the ray at 90 degrees
b. Non-solid
This deflects part of the ray at 90 degrees BUT allows the rest to pass
straight through.
c. Triangular
These are the most awkward mirrors to organise and the best description of
their function is in the Oxyd Book (page 24)
Lasers
These will destroy a marble caught in the full ray; however it is possible to
move the marble so that only an edge is touching the beam which doesn't
trigger an explosion. The lasers can be used to destroy blocks, trigger oxyds
(level 3) or trigger blocks to unlock gates, either directly or via one or
more mirrors. They can be switched on with a switch, or a coin. Sometimes
they are on permanently and care is needed to avoid being zapped. Lasers can
also be used to transform objects.
Nasties
a. Rotor
The nastiest of all the nasties as they actively attack the marble (level 1).
However they have an attack distance so that the marble can avoid triggering
them. If they have to be passed in order to open an oxyd, it is sometimes
possible to explode a stick of dynamite and trap them in the crater (level
12). In a maze it is possible to trap them in a cul-de-sac but only at the
cost of having the marble destroyed (level 92)
b. Deaths head
These are fairly easy to avoid when visible. Unfortunately there are levels
where they only appear after they have eaten the marble (level 25), although
they do then stay visible
c. Black knights
These can only be neutralised with a sword (level 21) and it takes several
blows to cut them down to size
d. Whirlwinds
These attract the marble, suck it in and then either throw it out elsewhere
(level 10) or eat it.
e. Thieves
They hide in a white block until the marble touches it when they come out and
steal objects that have already been picked up (level 17). Security systems
include putting down anything you don't want to lose and picking it up later;
mailing items (level 17), or picking up a lot of items that you don't mind
losing, scrolls etc.
Objects can be picked up by rolling the marble over them and are of two types
(see below). They collect at the bottom of the screen and the one under the
arrow at the left can be placed by the mouse. Shift them around using the tab
key. They are of varying usefulness.
Objects - re-usable
a. Spade
This will fill in a crater caused by exploding dynamite and is only really
useful if the first explosion hasn't worked and a second is needed
b. Dark glasses
These, if unbroken, will allow you to see invisible deaths heads
c. Spring
Sometimes the only way to cross empty space (level 11). Practice is advisable
before actual use.
d. Sword
Used to destroy the black knight (apparently based on Monty Python and the
Holy Grail)
e. Hammer
Will destroy certain blocks but you won't know which ones until you hit them.
f. Spike
Used to keep control of the marble on ice (level 15)
g. Key
One way to open a gate
h. Floppy disk
Another way to open a gate (level 27)
Objects - once only
a. Umbrella
Another way to cross empty space (level 4). However there are disadvantages
which include limited duration, not being able to control the marble, and
only being able to use each umbrella once. However they will also protect the
marble from laser beams, deaths heads and thieves.
b. Cherries
These turn the marble invisible which means that your enemies can't see you.
c. Cup of coffee
Halts the movement of the marble until the mouse is clicked again (very
useful in level 8)
d. Dynamite (see bombs below)
This is needed to detonate bombs.
e. Seeds
These, when placed in position, grow into wooden blocks which can then be
moved (level 66)
f. Coins
Come in three denominations, 1,2 and 4. The number indicates how long they
will work for.
Trampolines and trapdoors
Two types of subterranean movement. The trapdoor opens automatically and
ejects the marble somewhere else. The trampoline is more complicated as the
mouse movement controlling the marble has to start just before the marble
exits from the hole otherwise the marble just bounces back down again (level
23)
Glass
This needs to be struck with some force by the marble to shatter it (level
39). Unfortunately it is also easy to shatter the marble at the same time so
take care
One way arrows
Obviously the marble can only pass under the arrow in the correct direction
(level 8). However with free-standing arrows it is possible to slide under
them sideways (but you will have to find out yourself which level that
applies to)
Mailboxes
Obviously used to post objects from one area to another (level 17). Normally
a pipeline is posted first and then the object.
Bombs
These come in three types (level 6) and are usually detonated by dynamite
placed next to them, although a block moved over a bomb may trigger it. They
cannot be picked up.
a. Black
This bomb will destroy the tile it sits on when it is detonated.
b. White
When detonated, this more powerful bomb destroys the tile it is on and the
neighbouring vertical and horizontal tiles as well
c. Bomb token
A white block with a bomb symbol which will supply bombs when touched by the
marble. It can only be destroyed by a bomb and dynamite in combination.
Fortunately the tile on which it sits is not destroyed in the explosion
Flags
These are very useful when attempting a long and/or hazardous landscape
(level 11). If the original marble is destroyed, the new marble will appear
where the flag has been placed
Gates
These may open automatically when approached by the marble (if you're lucky).
Otherwise a switch (level 5), key, floppy disk (level 27) or some other
method of opening will be needed. Dynamite doesn't work.If using a floppy
disk don't touch it while passing through the gate otherwise the marble will
pick up the disk and the gate will close and crush the marble. Also don't
forget to retrieve the disk after passing through the gate as you will
probably need it again.
Puzzles and Magic tokens
These are extensively covered in the Oxyd Book.
Scrolls
The designer has left these in some of the landscapes. Sometimes they are
useful and sometimes they aren't. However the Oxyd Book contains suggestions
for solving the most difficult landscapes, although their definition of a
difficult landscape may not coincide with yours, or ours (we hate level 31)
Sound can be useful
In a lot of computer games sound effects are just noise. However in Oxyd the
sounds can be actively helpful; for example, hearing a gate open although you
may not be able to see it, or the warning sound of a creaking floorboard. And
nothing beats the sound of a really BIG explosion.
AVOID LEVEL 10
Level 10 is the first meditation landscape and in itself is fairly easy.
However its main function is to set ALL your password numbers for levels
11-100. Therefore if you play it again without the Timed Game on, it will
change all the password numbers for levels that you have already solved from
level 11 onwards and you will no longer be able to access them.
SO DO NOT PLAY LEVEL 10 WITHOUT THE TIMED GAME ON; IF IN DOUBT DO NOT PLAY
LEVEL 9 OR 10 AGAIN!!
As an insurance policy, copy the file named Oxyd Preferences from the
Preferences folder in your System folder to somewhere safe. This file
contains the codes which generate the password numbers. If the worst happens
and someone changes the codes by playing level 10, just copy the original
Oxyd preferences file back again.
The Link Game
So now you're addicted to Oxyd, you've solved levels 1-100 and you're
suffering withdrawal symptoms. What do you do?
You play the Link Game! Another 100 levels! Two marbles, one black, one
white!
All you need is a friend (equally addicted to Oxyd), another Mac and some
method of linking both your terminals. (Technical details in the Oxyd Book)
Then 100 more landscapes are at your finger tips. But be warned that tempers
can flare and harsh words be exchanged; even hysteria has been known to
strike.
