Buck Rogers - Matrix Cubed
 

Feel free to comment and discuss this game here. Also, if you have any useful tips or tricks don't hesitate to share them with the others! Thanks!

Review and Download

Outfit everyone with at least one (3) rocket launchers, plasma thrower and (2-3) needler guns and a few backup grenades. You'll kick arse. :D

Laser guns are all fine and dandy too, until you fight robots that reflect the shots. sigh. So just blow them up instead. :)
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I have problem about the journal, as it is not include with the copy that I download from this site. Although it still be able to enter the game, but the difficulty is kind of crazy and very frustating.

Is it because I don't answer the password, or the game is simply very difficult from the begining?

Yes it is difficult from the get-go. I play with a party transferred from doomsday myself. :)

There should be a difficulty setting option in the rest menu somewhere.
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Great Game
 

I have some great memories of this game... I think I have the manual/journal somewhere, so I may be able to post it (although I have no clue as to what I would have to do other than scan it)

The game is pretty tough, but if you have played one of TSR's games before, you'll have a pretty good idea how to proceed. It's is DEFINITELY beneficial to import a party from Countdown, which is a great game as well, so I would recommend playing that first.

Check your In-box please. I sent you Personal Message :)

I am sure I have this game - cannot remember if I have it on PC or Commodore 64! :)

So, how do I import a party from Doomsday?

Every time I try I get a 'save game error'

I'm using DOSbox and mounting drive c: as the directory in which both the Doomsday and the Matrix folders are found, should I be doing something different?

You can get the manula,the logbook, the cluebook and the quick reference card for this game from replacementdocs now.

Delete the configuration file before starting the game from DOSbox. It's called MATRIX.CFG (and for Countdown to Doomsday it's BUCK.CFG). Upon restarting the game you will be asked what your configuration is, select the appropriate (VGA, Soundblaster, etc.) and a new config-file will be created. During these questions you will be able to specify a save game path.

I still need to finish this game. I'm disappointed by the PC speaker sounds. I wish someone could hack the game to add in better sounds. It's frustrating when the Commodore 64 version has better sounds, but this version has better graphics. I stopped playing when I got mad that there was a door I couldn't pick and apparently I was just a tiny bit under the skill limit and I couldn't find a cheat program to raise my lockpicking or whatever skill that game uses. If anyone knows of one, let me know.

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone here would happen to have an archive of the original install disk for this game?

Might sound a bit nutty but I'm collecting the original release(disk copies) of all the Gold Box games, and am lacking the two Buck Rogers ones.

Once again, it's an archive(RAR or ZIP) of the original INSTALL disk that I am looking for, not the pre-installed game available here on Abandonia!

Thanks for any help!:)

An earlier poster suggested removing the MATRIX.CFG file from the installed game before playing it for the first time. This not only allows one to load a saved game from Coundown to Doomsday, but also allows you to specify graphics and sound options. I did this (mainly because I wanted to import my characters from the earlier game), and I've been able to play Matrix Cubed with VGA graphics and SoundBlaster music and sound effects, just like the YouTube videos of this game show.

I know I got through the ratwurst den in Losangelorg (to save the children, of course!) when I originally played this from the floppy disk version decades ago, but it's been a long time since then. When the whole party can attack them, it's not really a problem, but to actually rescue the kids, 1 character has to go through a tunnel and tackle about 5 or 6 of them single-handed. My Desert Runner warrior has plenty of grenades and a grenade launcher, but after that first grenade has been switching to her lighter weapons -- and getting killed by the rats before she can finish them off. Since she's got the highest STR score of anyone in the party, perhaps I should also give her a rocket launcher or plasma thrower temporarily, so she can give the rats a dose of that, then a grenade, and then switch to the lighter weapons? Which of the lighter weapons are most effective against unarmored but nimble animals like ratwurst? They seem to dodge a lot of needle gun shots (and probably would bolt gun shots, too, since they work the same way), so I've been trying laser pistols & rocket pistols instead (for the high rate of fire). Another character has a microwave gun, which only seems to be useful against unarmored animals, so perhaps I could give that to my warrior, too.
Any suggestions?:dunno:

Aargh! The data sharks are eating Scott.dos alive!
 

One of the last things your character party needs to do before leaving the RAM prison on Mars is to rescue Scott.dos (the digital personality that's been advising your party throughout both Buck Rogers games) from the digital sharks hunting him down in the prison's computer. In order to do this, a character has to make:
A) A successful Programming roll to access the computer;
B) Up to 5 successful Programming rolls to shut down the data cells; and
C) Up to another 5 successful Programming rolls to find the one where Scott.dos is.
If multiple characters in the party have Programming skill, you are given the option to have a second character attempt to complete all this; however, a second failed Programming roll in a row means that Scott.dos is "dead."
My problem is that I only had 1 character develop Programming skill, and it's only at a pretty mediocre level (33%); thus, it's extremely difficult (maybe impossible) for her to succeed at that many Programming rolls in a row.
If anyone is just starting one or the other of SSI's Buck Rogers games, a word of advice: It's possible to "muddle through" a lot in these games (especially in Countdown to Doomsday) with minimal to mediocre skills, but not here in the Mars Prison area. Be more long-term-thinking in your party's skills development than I was, and develop at least 1 character with the highest possible Programming skill (2 if you can manage it!).
If anyone's already completed this game not too long ago -- is it possible to complete the game if Scott.dos does get eaten by the digital sharks?:doh:

Still trying to save Scott.dos from digital sharks
 

It looks like your PCs can try again to complete the job of shutting down all of the data cells in the RAM prison's computer (at least once at each of the 4 terminals in the room), so it may be possible to get part of the job done, save that much (at a different save position than the one just before you started the process), and repeat at each terminal until the job's done. There seems to be a maximum of 6 attempts allowed, though, before you get the dreaded message that "Scott.dos is dead." Thus, this room may be merely insanely difficult to complete successfully (rather than impossible), if you only have 1 PC with Programming skill, and only at a mediocre level like mine.
(That thumping noise you may be hearing is me banging my head against the wall over this silly thing!:wall:)

A drastic solution to underdeveloped PC skills
 

If I get frustrated enough, I could just reload my saved character party from Countdown to Doomsday and restart Matrix Cubed from scratch. I was thinking how nice it would be to have a skills list table one could mark up offline with which PC has what skill, and at what level. Printing out or copying the section on Skills from the Matrix Cubed logbook (p. 9-13 of the original book/p. 7-9 of the ReplacementDocs scanned PDF version) accomplishes a lot of that, although setting that list up as a chart (database?/handdrawn on graph paper?) with columns for each PC to mark their levels in each skill, would be even better. Having the "big picture" in front of you like that would certainly help in building a balanced and successful character party.:mhh:

I have a solution for this, but it involves a hex editor and messing with your game files to change stats and stuff.

Not sure if that is that's what yr after.

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NB - this photo was taken *before* Megan's law came into effect.

I reloaded my last saved game from Countdown to Doomsday, and made sure I put lots more skill development points into Climb, Acrobatics, and especially Programming for those characters who already had those skills open. I also had the Rocketjock open Programming & put the max. 15 points into that skill with each level-up (he already had the Maths prerequisite skill opened, since it's also required for Astrogation & Navigation). Still made sure I saved before attempting to save Scott.dos from the data sharks -- but at least I succeeded this time.
Did a lot of the Jupiter flying-rig sequence dumbed-down to Novice level. As it turned out, it was no big deal that my characters weren't earning as many XPs in that area -- because once your party gets the Matrix Device deployed and finally defeats Sid Refuge once & for all, you get 3 cheers from Buck, Wilma & the rest of the NEO troops who arrive at the rig -- and then get dumped back to the DOS prompt in DOSBox!:(
BTW, I found my old floppy-disk copies of both Buck Rogers games in the basement (just can't play them without a floppy drive on any of the computers at home) -- so watch my eBay auctions next month, because I'll be selling them there, complete with the original boxes, manuals, and even the SSI cluebooks!:3:

Hi guys and gals,

I downloaded this game today and I'm thoroughly stuck - hoping somebody can help.

I'm on the first mission, I've saved the Sun King from the assassination attempt and I've spoken to De Sade or whatever his name is (decided NOT to tell him about Romney) and currently fighting off his goons every few steps (very annoying...) and I have no idea what to do now.

I went into the security room and got the message from Buck about finding more info on Romney, but I've been to every bloody room I have access to and I can't seem to progress the plot. Going back to my ship results in Scot.dos telling me the mission hasn't finished and to go back.

Any help?

saved scot doc with 133 programming skill with hex editor
 

saved scot doc with 133 programming skill with hex editor. It is possible lol.. I thought it wasn't with 101 programming maxed at level 13. He basically congrats you that's all.

I'm having trouble getting the game to work properly.

I'm using DOSBox 0.74.

When I try to make a character, I get the following message:

UNEXPECTED ERROR DURING SAVE: 3

Does anyone know how to fix this?

EDIT:

Okay, I've gotten it working. Deleted the Matrix.cfg file, and that seemed to do it.

Though I'm finding the game to be incredibly hard. I've set it to "Novice", which should make the battles easier... but I'm still getting slaughtered in some of these fights.

What part of the file did you edit to get that?

If there is a save file, I would try that.

stuck
 

I've just rescued ScotDos. I move through the next door and about 100 guards attack me. Is there any easy way of getting past this? I've tried about 10 times already but they're just too strong.

ok i finally made it past the prison by using a hex editor to change the bad guys hitpoints to 1. It sucks having to cheat but there really wasnt any way past it.

I finally finished this game. Too bad there was not a sequel to it. It would have been a great series like the D&D Gold Box Series.:woot:

fun way to replay
 

While its too bad there was no sequel there is a fun way to replay the game (you might call it a sort of "cheat"). Playing in DosBox, you can restart the game from the beginning with the same characters and gear from any point in a previous game.

1. Play until you get characters to a high level with good equipment (for instance, defeat a squad of Lunarian police and nab their gear).

2. Go to a training center where you are given the option to remove characters from your team (or just save and reload). Remove all of them.

3. Exit to DOS.

4. Restart the game. Choose "add characters to team" and you will see the characters you just removed. Add them and start the game. The characters will start with all the exp and equipment they had when you removed them.

Have fun!

Been a long time since I've played this game, does your equipment carry over if you transfer a party from "Countdown"?