Part 4

Explore the multiplayer options, difficulty levels, and the in-game NETRICSA system in Serious Sam: The First Encounter Part 4. Learn about controls and game modes.

This section covers various game modes, difficulty settings, and the NETRICSA interface in Serious Sam: The First Encounter.

Game Modes:

• Network: Set up and play multiplayer games.
• Split Screen: Start a 1-4 player game on the same computer.
• Demo: View or record pre-recorded demos.
• Mods: Activate installed modifications (MOD's).
• High Scores: View the High Score table.
• Options: Configure game settings and computer specifications.

Single Player Difficulty Level Differences:

• Tourist Mode: For new or occasional FPS players. Enemies are slow, less intelligent, easier to kill, and deal less damage. Few spawns.
• Easy Mode: For players new to FPS games. Enemies are fairly slow, not very bright, easy to kill, and deal low damage. Some spawns.
• Normal Mode: For experienced FPS players. Enemies have moderate speed, intelligence, strength, and damage. A good number of spawns.
• Hard Mode: For long-time FPS players seeking a challenge. Enemies are fast, smart, tough to kill, and deal significant damage. Many spawns.
• Serious Mode: For dedicated FPS players. Enemies are faster than the player, extremely intelligent, difficult to kill, and deal tremendous damage. Near-constant spawns.

NETRICSA (NEuroTRonically Implanted Combat Simulation Analyzer):

NETRICSA is a computer implanted in Sam's skull, providing combat data and analysis. It connects to his brain's perceptual cortexes, offering feedback on audio-visual experiences. It translates texts, displays information on a heads-up-display (HUD), tracks targets, and aids in tactics.

NETRICSA Interface:

• Heads-Up-Display (HUD): Active during gameplay, showing ARMOR and HEALTH (lower left), CURRENT WEAPON and AMMUNITION (next to health), ammo icons and bars (far right), SCORE (upper left), and MESSAGE COUNTER (upper right) when new messages are available.
• Target Detection Display (Center Screen): A CROSSHAIR indicates where your weapon will hit. It changes color based on target state: WHITE (no target), GREEN (new enemy), RED (damaged enemy).
• USE Indicator: Appears above the crosshair when targeting usable items (like switches) or items for analysis. Press the USE BUTTON to interact. Analyzing items provides research results via a new message.
• Fullscreen NETRICSA: Invoked by double-clicking the USE BUTTON. Displays four windows:
  • CATEGORY SELECTION (Upper Left): Buttons for Tactical Data, Strategic Data, Weapons, Enemies, and Statistics.
  • MESSAGE LIST (Upper Right): Lists messages in the selected category.
  • MESSAGE TEXT (Lower Right): Displays the message content.
  • MESSAGE IMAGE (Lower Left): Shows any attached visual information.

You can exit fullscreen NETRICSA by clicking EXIT, pressing ESCAPE, or pressing the RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON.