Player Survival Guide – The Wolf Front

By BrotherTank

Introduction

Whoa! A player and strategy guide. Who needs that? That's right! Most people have that attitude. You might be saying, "Wolfenstein 3D is easy." Yes, that's probably true when you are playing the easier difficulty levels. Once you play like a real soldier (Bring 'em On & Death Incarnate difficulties), this game can be as tough as some of today's FPS (First Person Shooter) games.

When playing the Wolfenstein series of games, it requires combat experience that only battle-hardened veterans may possess (or learn in time). The strategies given here provide the basic ideas on combat etiquette. They may also give you some inside information that should help you survive when things get tough!

Ways to Play

Different players have different styles of playing, and as a result, the game will play completely differently. Who can say what is right or wrong? In the end, your style of fight and the choices that you make will be your own.

Adapting Your Playing Style

If you are normally methodical and move slowly and cautiously, try moving quickly through a level or two and shooting anything that moves. Afterwards, you may still prefer the slow methodical approach, but you will have sharpened your reaction time and improved your playing so that when you are in a tight spot, you'll do much better.

Likewise, if you normally play fast and furious, slow it down a bit. Think about who might be around the corner and how you can take them out! Or what you'll do if there's a troop of 20 guards!

OR Change the way you play according to your health and ammo:

Low Health / High Ammo: It's kamikaze time! Go in (or out, as the case may be) with your gun blazing and ask questions later.
High Health / Low Ammo: Don't shoot from a distance. Wait until you're nose-to-nose with a guard before you plug him!

Be a Mouse-Key-Teer

Using the keyboard and mouse together is a must for the advanced player (if you don't have a joystick or gamepad). The mouse can be a more exact tool for movement than the keyboard. While the keyboard is functional, using both can help you move quicker and more efficiently. In long corridors, use the Up Arrow & Right Shift keys to run like lightning.

Basic Controls

Function	Keyboard	Mouse	Gamepad
Move Forwards	Up Arrow	Push Forward	Push Up
Move Backwards	Down Arrow	Pull Back	Push Down
Turn Left	Left Arrow	Move Left	Push Left
Turn Right	Right Arrow	Move Right	Push Right
Strafe (Move sideways)	ALT + Left/Right Arrow	Middle Button (3rd)	Button 2
USE (Doors/Pushwalls)	Spacebar	Right Button	Button 3
Run	Right SHIFT	Use Keyboard	Button 4
Fire Weapon	CTRL	Left Button	Button 1

These basic commands can be altered to your own preferences in the "Control Menu." It is suggested that you find the keys that best suit your playing style.

Additional Keyboard Commands

Key	Function
1	Switch to Knife
2	Switch to Pistol
3	Switch to Machine gun (if you have it)
4	Switch to Chaingun (if you have it)
ESC	Return to Main Menu
PAUSE/BREAK	Pauses the Game
F1	Boss Key (Registered Version) - Shows C:> prompt on a blank screen
F2	Save Game - Save up to 10 different points in the game
F3	Load Game - Load 1 of 10 saved games
F4	Sound Setting - Takes you to the Sound Menu
F5	Change View - Takes you to the Screen Size Menu
F6	Control - Takes you to the Control Menu to adjust player controls
F7	End Game - It ends your game like dying
F8	Quick Save - Saves game over last saved game you used
F9	Quick Load - Loads the last saved game you used
F10	Quit Game - Quick exit to the DOS prompt

Game Strategies & Survival Tips

Watching the Clock!

The game has PAR times which it will compare to your time after completing each level. If you beat the par time, you will be rewarded handsomely. While beating the par time may increase your score, you may not get the other bonuses for 'Killing All Enemies', 'Finding all Treasures', and 'Finding all the Secrets'. Some people race for a high score, others strive for 100% ratios... It's really your choice.

Note: The game won't display your time after completing a Boss or Secret floor, so you'll have to use a stopwatch on those levels.

Ten Levels & a Wake Up

While you can finish each episode in 9 levels, there are actually 10 levels of gameplay. This tenth level is always reached by a secret elevator somewhere in the first 9 levels. This secret elevator is almost always hidden and will require some patience to find. The secret levels are usually filled with extraordinary amounts of treasure, ammo, and health.

Beware: Secret floors are almost always tougher than the prior level you came from. So cash in, but be careful!

(Note: In Spear of Destiny, the game is structured differently. You can finish the game in 18 levels, but there are 21 continuous levels, meaning 3 are hidden.)

Quick Level Tips

Run: Run wherever possible. You are being timed, and getting a fast time may increase your bonus.
Learn the levels (or map them out): Knowing where things are on each level will help you in your times of need (e.g., Ammo, Health).
Conserve Ammunition: You never know what is beyond the next corner.
Know your enemy: Learning about the enemies might just help you with that high score, extra bonus, or just plain save your life.
Save often: Saving the game can save you from hours of frustration. There is nothing like making a stupid mistake that forces you to start all over because you didn't save.

Memories of the Past

Your chances of survival increase dramatically if you can remember where you've been and your way around a floor. Your memory is your best defense! Well, after your chaingun at least!

If you're finding it difficult to make your way around a floor, try always going in the same direction (left or right). This should make retracing your steps easier. Still, remember to check every door before you leave the floor if you want to play the entire level.

Cheaters Never Prosper!

You probably know about the MLI key sequence by now. Pressing the keys "M-L-I" at the same time will give you both keys, 99 bullets, 100% health, and all weapons. While doing this may make you feel guilty, living with the shame may be more desirable than dying.

Note: When you press the MLI sequence, the game adds 10 minutes to your time and sets your score back to 0. You will never achieve a top score by using this cheat, but at least you will have survived!

Gibs by the Gallon to Go!

A great warrior will do anything to survive. When you are severely injured, you can gain health and strength by drinking/eating pools of "Gibs" (aka Blood, Gibbitude, Giblets). Torture Rooms, Prison Areas, and Dog Kennels are the best sources for finding the floor slop. When your health drops below 10%, it's time to remember that "pride goeth before a fall." Go for the gibs!

Hidden Rooms & Lost Keys

Because the Nazis don't like walking across a crowded dungeon, there is very often a door or secret room hidden near where the key you require is located. These doors can reveal a much shorter and safer passage. Start pushing walls! Besides treasures, health, and ammo, they may hold the key to get you to your next challenge. Secrets count in the bonus calculations at the end of each level, so happy hunting!

Securing the Area

A good soldier always clears a corridor or room of everything before moving on to search for secret passages. Enemies can sneak up behind you and kill you with one or two shots from close range. If you hear a shot behind you, your best maneuver is to run to safety before spinning around. Keep your eyes and ears open!

The "Hoover Maneuver": Once you've cleared an area of any threat, quickly run around picking up all the ammo, health, and items you can.

Combat Tactics

Shoot them in the Back! War has no place for manners. Take advantage of the opportunity to surprise a guard and shoot them in the back, which causes double damage. Sneak up with caution, though, as guards have better peripheral vision than you do.
Don't get Shot in the Back! When fleeing guards, don't just wait for a door to open. Run to the door, open it, and spin around quickly with your gun blazing. Don't forget to use your RUN key when you spin!
Run Backwards? Often you'll see a room that appears clear, but guards love to hide by the door. Running in backwards can give you a big advantage in picking off guards on either side of the doorway.
Up Close & Personal: The closer you are to an enemy, the more damage you inflict. Just make sure you get the first shot!
Shooting their Mouths Off: When guards hear shots, they often yell out a warning. Shoot from outside an open doorway and count the voices from inside to gauge enemy numbers. (Warning: Mutants are dead, and dead men tell no tales!)
Never Dally in a Doorway: Guards posted near a doorway will shoot at you without you even seeing them. Open the door, stand back, and slide (strafe) from side to side to spot enemies safely.
Thank the Doorman! Kill a guard or dog in a doorway to hold it open. You can even use this trick to hold open a locked door that you don't have the key for!

Weapon & Ammo Management

Waste Not - Want Not: Many adversaries (like guard dogs and officers) are placed solely to waste your ammo. They dodge side to side. Don't fire until you move close enough to frag them efficiently.
Big Guns Chew Ammo: When low on ammunition, switch back to the machine gun or pistol. A room full of brown-uniformed guards can be easily dispatched with the lesser machine gun. Save the chaingun for the SS!
Real Men Use Knives: If you're really low on ammo, conserve it by using your knife on dogs and basic guards. But if SS or Mutants show up, you'll probably be dead before you can switch weapons!

Advanced Navigation & Boss Fights

Elevators are for Everyone: Don't view the elevator as your sanctuary. In later levels, you may often be surprised by an SS or guard waiting inside larger freight elevators.
Never Fight a Two-Fronted Battle: Keep your firefight localized to one entrance. If there are two doors, open one, step back, and wait. If you hear the other door open behind you, move quickly for cover.
Head Over Heels: If you are near sources of food or first aid during combat, move to them to attract guards to you. Slowly move over the health items as your fight progresses. This is especially useful during boss fights.
No Hostiles in Hidden Areas: For the most part, guards are never stationed immediately inside secret areas. But if there is a door within the secret room, all bets are off once you open it!
The Boss says "You're Fired": Having problems killing the bosses? ATTACK! RETREAT! ATTACK! RETREAT! Bosses alternately shoot, then pause. Run towards them with your chaingun blazing while they pause, then run backwards and stop shooting to conserve ammo when they fire. This works best in large open areas.

Boot Camp is Finished: Get to It Soldier!

That's most of the hints that we can give without taking the fun and challenge out of the game. If you really are stuck, you can get more information by viewing the Hintbooks, but try to use these only as a last resort.

Play Safe... Play Smart... And good luck on your adventure!