Lemmings Hints
			      by
			  Neuromancer


Ok, here's a little strategy/hint lesson on playing Lemmings.

Lemmings are (in real life) stupid-assed little rodents that live up north.
They've heard of this "survival of the species" thing, and they don't
want anything to do with it.

Their main purpose in life seems to be to survive long enough to gather
together into a large group and run off a cliff into the ocean and drown.
It's a Jim Jones/Guyana type of situation without the grape koolaid. 

Lemmings are (in the game) stupid-assed little rodents that live in your
computer.  Their main purpose in life seems to be to walk in one direction
regardless of what peril lies in their way.  Your mission is to save the
moronic little fucks from their own stupidity.  (I dunno, maybe in the game
you're some sort of bleeding-heart Greenpeace fag or something.  Personally,
I say let the little bastards die, but if you wanna play the game...)

The Lemmings are released from a trapdoor hanging in midair, and you have
to guide them to the exit of the level.  This all sounds very easy until you
discover that on each level are a myriad of obstacles and hazards between
the Lemmings and the exit.  Y'know, shit like bonfires, water, vats of acid,
sheer drops, mountains, metal feet that'll smash a Lemming flat, etc.

The good thing for you is that you can teach the Lemmings a few tricks.  At
the bottom of the screen are icons representing game controls and the skills
you can teach the Lemmings.  You can teach them (one at a time) to climb up
walls, float down a long drop, blow up (I know, but it comes in handy), block
other Lemmings from passing them, build ramps for the other Lemmings, bash
through certain material in a straight line, use a pick to dig a shaft down
at an angle, and dig straight down.  Each icon only has a certain number of
uses in each level, that number is above each icon.

If you want to teach a Lemming a trick, select that Lemming and either click on
the corresponding icon or press the Fkey that denotes it.  The Lemming will
then perform the task if he is able.  For example, you can have a Lemming bash
through rock, but he can't bash through metal.  If you come up against 
something like that, you'll have to figure out another way around it.

You only have a certain amount of time to finish each level (it's normally
more than enough time), and you have to save a certain percentage of the
Lemmings (this can be tricky sometimes).  The strategy part comes in when
you're deciding which Lemmings to sacrifice in order to save the rest.

Once you start playing, you'll get the hang of it pretty quick (unless you
have the IQ level of a Lemming).  

I have to warn you, though, that the game is VERY VERY addictive.  The Surgeon
general should require a warning in the game to that effect.  I just sat here
playing the damn thing for 4-1/2 hours straight, and didn't realize it.

A couple of little pointers:

When you've turned a Lemming into a blocker, he stays that way.  The only
way to get rid of him is to blow him up.  Once you have saved all the 
Lemmings except your blockers, select the mushroom cloud (or press F12)
and all remaining Lemmings will blow up.  (Personally I like to get a
shitload of Lemmings on the screen and nuke 'em all at once.  It's fairly
spectacular.  But then again, my favorite book is "Vivisection for Fun and
Profit" by G. Gordon Liddy)

Sometimes you have to use a Lemming to blow a chunk out of something before
your bashers, miners, and diggers can go to work on it.  When you select a
Lemming to explode, a countdown (5,4,3,2,1) appears over his head.  Timing
the exposion just right is tricky.  Takes practice.  Luckily, you can retry
a level as many times as you want.

WRITE DOWN THE CODES you are given at the end of each level.  Then when you
want to start the game again later, just choose New Level and enter that
code.  This way, you won't have to start over from level 1 again.

I guess that's it.  Have fun, and try not to blow too many of the little
bastards up.

			Neuromancer (713)
			    5-23-91