LEGO Rock Raiders (Windows)

LEGO Rock Raiders
Developer: Data Design Interactive Publisher: LEGO Media Platform: Windows Released in US: November 15, 1999 Released in EU: November 30, 1999 This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has revisional differences.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

LEGO Rock Raiders is a real-time strategy game about a team of space explorers who, being only three days from returning from Earth, got pulled through an asteroid field into a wormhole. They found themselves, drained and damaged, orbiting a mysterious planet rich in Energy Crystals (needed to power the LMS Explorer), Ore (needed to repair the LMS Explorer), and strange lifeforms (not needed at all). Using oversized drills and powerful equipment, the Rock Raiders exploited this planet for their survival.

It was also terribly rushed and revised many times, so a good 30 MB of the 80 MB of data for this game is unused.

Additionally, this game is well known for being one of, if not, Data Design Interactive's only good game.

Unused Enemies

Three enemies have configuration code and object files left unused in the game.

Large Spiders

A very low-polygon enemy composed mostly of flat sheets, resembling a very scaled-up version of the used Small Spider. There are only three animations for it: standing, walking and an incomplete spitting animation. It appears it was supposed to crawl around and shoot webs. While it can be re-activated, the spit model is corrupted, and the function to form webs was never coded in. Its concept was used in the PlayStation Rock Raiders game, though it was more realistic-looking than either of the spiders from the Windows PC game, and it could bite Rock Raiders.

VLP Snake

A two-polygon surface with a .bmp file of a snake crawling. It greatly resembles the snakes that appear in several of the game's pre-rendered cutscenes. What it would do had it been used is unknown.

Snake

A higher-polygon version of the VLP Snake contained in the same folder, with grey and white markings instead of blue and green. The animations for this creature are glitchy, as the game can't decide if the center of the model is in the head or the actual center of the body. It has an eye texture that doesn't seem to be used, leaving it with a featureless head. In addition to the non-VLP versions of the normal snake's animation, there are also two other animations, snakey and mar-snake, which both give the snake an absurdly wide head and narrow body.

Scorpion

A small red scorpion that may have pinched Rock Raiders, had multiple "I'm being attacked" animations been coded in for the Rock Raider. This one actually appears in early images, meaning it was working. Additionally, Scorpions were used in the PlayStation game; in fact, their sprites appear to be this same model as viewed from above. Interestingly, Slimy Slugs have a commented out CanScareScorpion line in their configuration code.

Unused Models

Rock Monster Foot

A more realistic (albeit untextured) Rock Monster foot, saved as LeftFoot. The design of this foot fits how the Rock Monster had been designed in the sets. Presumably cut early in favor of a lower-polygon model.

Rock Monster Head

A poorly-designed head, saved as simply Head. It was replaced by a more realistic head and an independently-moving jaw.

Rock Monster Delme

A bizarre file in the Rock Monster folder. There are no traces in the animations telling what it could be. The name presumably is short for "delete me", so the artists probably meant to remove it, but never got around to it. Upon closer inspection and examining a real LEGO Rock Monster, it appears to be the forearm.

High Polygon Energy Crystal

A very high polygon Energy Crystal model, saved as Crystal in both the Shared folder and the folder for the standard Rock Raider. This model closely resembles actual Energy Crystals as seen in the pre-rendered cutscenes and the LEGO sets, and it has an unnecessarily high 688 polygons. It was presumably cut for performance issues.

Rocks Falling Gem

A strangely-proportioned Energy Crystal model saved as Gem. It was likely not intended to be used as the main Energy Crystal model, but instead was part of an unused landslide animation with unknown purpose. It can be found in a miscellaneous animation folder called RocksFalling, which does not appear to be used at all.

Unused Graphics

To do: Add them.

There are a lot of unused interface graphics from old designs or that were cut out to simplify the game. There are also a fair number of unused model textures.

Jet Skin

There is a single file in the Rock Raider folder for the pattern of Jet's leg. There was also a 1999 advert that showed several in-game Rock Raiders that were copies of Jet.

As the Rock Raider is named "Pilot" and there are unused Rock Raiders named as the other training skills, it is believed that the trained Rock Raiders would be dressed like the Rock Raider they take their skill from.

Ice Monster Textures

The Ice Monster has a second texture set that is identical to its current one, except merged into a single file, like the Lava Monster. For some reason, the developers switched it to separate files, like the Rock Monster.

Priorities Panel

A version of the priorities panel with twelve icon slots instead of the nine used in-game. It also lacks a reset button.

Info Images

These two info panel images are variations of the "a new cavern has been discovered" notification, likely intended for ice and lava caverns; however, the rock cavern image is used universally.

Unused Sounds

To do: Add them.

The game has a lot of unused voices and sounds, most of which are stored in the Newsfx folder.

Unused Text

There is a large amount of unused text in the game files.

Encyclopaedia

There are four files in LegoRR0.wad/Information/Encyclopaedia/ that hint at a planned in-game help system.

Pilot.epb

MINIFIGURE PILOT

The Pilot is one of the most courageous and strong-minded of the Rock Raiders team.
Her piloting skills are legendary and she has built a reputation of being able to fly anything from a Hoverboard to a Giant Lifter Helicopter like no one else.
Ready for any challenge she always approaches her missions with a level head.

rockmonster.epb

THE ROCK MONSTER

The Rock Monster is the main foe of the LEGO Rock Raiders.
Rock Monsters show no fear in attacking vehicles. However if any mining tool repeatedly hits it, it will eventually give up the attack and retreat.
The Rock Monster is able to move through rock walls at will, although it slows down.
Tip: Rock Monsters steal crystals, so do not leave your crystals unguarded.

smalldigger.epb

THE SMALL DIGGER

The small digger is more efficent at digging than the Rockraider figures.
It uses a powerful chainsaw action to hack away at soft, medium or compacted soil. 
It can be used to cut into hard rock and ice but it blunts the blades fairly quickly.
Tip: Sharpen the blades as often as possible to maintain maximum efficency.

Teleport.epb

TELEPORT PAD

The teleport system on board the explorer is the only way that the Rock Raiders can get into the planet.
Once a teleport pad has been constructed on the level, the equipment and vehicles required for exploration and mining can be requested, and if enough power is available will be transported to the surface.

Level Editor

There is a file (LegoRR0.wad/Information/Help/EditorHelp.txt) with instructions on how to use the (non-existent) level editor; presumably this was a planned or internal feature that was removed in the public release.

IN GAME OBJECT EDITOR
DATA DESIGN INTERACTIVE COPYRIGHT 1998
(KP = KEYPAD)

F1(toggle)		- This help,
SHIFT(toggle)		- Object select menu,
KP FWRDSLASH(cycle)	- Block hightlight mode,
KP ASTERISK		- Show all map,
KP PLUS(toggle)		- Map swap (prev. save and curr.),
KP MINUS		- Save map,
KP 1-6			- Quick select object
TAB(cycle)		- (placing objects)
			Cycle through objects of same type,
[ ]			- (placing objects or selection)
			Rotate object,
PGUP(toggle)		- (selection) Move mode,
PGDN(toggle)		- (selection) Copy mode,
DELETE			- (selection) Delete.

Debug Mode

Open LegoRR1.wad with a hex editor and find "AllowDebugKeys". There, change the nearby FALSE to TRUE followed with a hex value of 09 and save the modified .wad file. Alternatively, create a shortcut to the game's .exe and add the parameter -programmer to the end of the target path. Then, the player should be able to access many debug keys in the game.

Key	Result
F6	Toggles fallin mode on or off. When off, landslides will only occur at areas specified in the fallin map.
F11	Disables all building and vehicle prerequisites.
F12	Disables all NERPS functions, such as mission objectives, tutorial scripts, and Slimy Slug emerges.
Shift + A	Tells a Rock Raider to get a Sonic Blaster from the Tool Store and place it at mousepoint (triggers landslide at mousepoint).
Left Ctrl + D	Instantly fails level.
Left Ctrl + F	Toggles frame rate monitor on or off.
Left Ctrl + G	Toggles memory monitor on or off.
Left Ctrl + S	Instantly completes level (toggles sound).
Right Ctrl + S	Instantly fails level with the unused crystal failure reason "Too many Energy Crystals have been stolen for you to be able to complete this mission." (toggles sound)
Left Shift + U	Triggers Advisor_Anim_Point_N, which causes Chief to hang down from the Radar panel. This animation is otherwise unused.
Right Shift + U	Will end a looping advisor animation if one is playing.
Spacebar + Esc	Quits the game when in a level.
1	Primary selected Rock Raider goes to eye view (menu doesn't change).
2	Primary selected Rock Raider goes to shoulder view (menu doesn't change).
3	Primary selected Rock Raider goes to top view (menu doesn't change).
4	Primary selected unit will be selected by the radar for tracking.
5	Makes cursor light shrink and grow starting from its default state. May grow to a much larger radius if used after exiting and then entering a level after prior use. If a unit that changes its model when upgraded is selected, it will change the first number in the upgrade code. This will change the model, but it does not appear to grant it that upgrade.
6	Makes cursor light grow and shrink starting from a separate counter than the normal cursor light uses. May grow to a much larger radius if used after exiting and then entering a level after prior use. If a unit that changes its model when upgraded is selected, it will change the second number in the upgrade code. This will change the model, but it does not appear to grant it that upgrade.
7	If a unit that changes its model when upgraded is selected, it will change the third number in the upgrade code. This will change the model, but it does not appear to grant it that upgrade.
8	If a unit that changes its model when upgraded is selected, it will change the fourth number in the upgrade code. This will change the model, but it does not appear to grant it that upgrade.
9	Decreases 3D sound fall off.
0	Increases 3D sound fall off.
A	Creates a landslide at mousepoint. Any materials designated at the selected block in the Cryore.MAP file will also be generated if A is tapped twice in a row, and will repeat generation for every time tapped after that until all current landslides end.
B	Pushes any Rock Raider or Monster at mousepoint east-northeast (one half-tile to the map's absolute top per every one tile to the absolute right).
E	Makes a monster emerge from any wall at mousepoint except Solid Rock.
F	Take 40 health points off all units selected.
H	Creates an otherwise-unused spider web at mousepoint on any single tile with two walls non-diagonally adjacent to it and across from each other.
J	Creates an Electric Fence at mousepoint (same placement rules as normal Electric Fences).
L	Instantly exits the level to the results screen.
M	Toggles music on or off.
O	Decreases oxygen level.
R	Rotates the cursor light.
S	Toggles sound on or off.
Y	Triggers the CrystalFound InfoMessage; clicking this message's go to button points to the northwest corner of the map at (5,5), although no crystal has actually been created.
Z	Shakes the screen like when dynamite explodes when in top view. Makes the primary selected Rock Raider eat while in any view.
End	Toggles power to the currently selected building on or off. Using this on a Tool Store or Power Station toggles the "Turn Power Off/On" button from being grey and unusable to being usable, as these buildings normally can't be turned off.
Number pad 3	Destroys connections between any walls at mousepoint, except border rock. Walls exposed this way show as shades of pink on the radar instead of purple.
Number pad 7	Sets game speed to the maximum of 300% (note that changing the game speed through the menu only allows up to 250% speed to be set).
Number pad 8	Decreases game speed.
Number pad 9	Increases game speed.
Number pad Delete	Destroys any walls at mousepoint, except border rock.

(Source: gmjab (Neoseeker), Rock Raiders United)

Revisional Differences

The game was rereleased in the early 2000s, with only two major changes:

• The SafeDisc copy protection and intentionally-bad sectors were removed, allowing the game to be run without the disc in the drive. However, as the game stores the music as CD audio, the music will not play if this is done.
• The printed manual was scrapped in favor of a PDF one.