Scouting Machine as Seen in Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (1998 Video Game).
The Scout Machine is a light and fast Martian unit used for reconnaissance and scouting new terrain. it is several times faster than a Fighting Machine, but has armour more than 50% weaker and is only equipped with a light Heat Ray.
Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds PC Game (1998)[]
The Scout machine is the first attack unit available in the game, as only Scout machines are deployed from landing Martian Suspension Pods (cylinders) along with Handling Machines and Digging Mechanisms, neither of which are designed for combat.
The Scout Machines are built like all Martian units at a Constructor. it is built in units of 3 like most front line Martian units. The Scout machine does not require any separate facilities to be added to the constructor to build it.
The Scout machine has 3 generations that can be researched and built, each generation increasing in speed and firepower. The first two generations of the Scout machine are equipped with Rapid-Fire heat rays similar to the Rapid-Fire heat ray turret, which can fire quickly but are very weak compared to the Heat Rays deployed by the Fighting Machines. Only the 3rd generation of Scout Machine has a 38 KrK heat ray, which is deployed on the first generation of Fighting machine also.
Scout machines are never equipped with a Black Smoke canister launcher on any generation.
Strategic uses[]
Although the Fighting Machines are superior to the Scout machines in every way other than speed, Scout machines can be useful to a campaign in several ways.
They have a much shorter build time than most other Martian units, 18 cycles to complete a unit, as opposed to 30 cycles for a unit of Fighting Machines, making them useful to build if a sector needs urgent reinforcements, as the scout machines have a build time comparable to some human units, so can be built almost as quickly.
They move very quickly even when turning, so can be useful for mapping an area and discovering where the enemy units are.
They can also be useful when an Ironclad is identified in a sector, as they can move quicker than an Ironclad can target them, so can be used to draw the Ironclads fire while other stronger units move in. However if an Ironclad's guns manage to hit a unit of scout machines, they will be overwhelmed quite quickly.
Specification[]
1st Generation[]
Armament: 18 KaK Rapid Heat Ray
Armour: 14 DKO Shielding
Power Plant: 1380 UAL Cyclic Depletion Generator
2nd Generation[]
Armament: 38 KaK Rapid Heat Ray
Armour: 18 DKO Shielding
Power Plant: 1680 UAL Cyclic Depletion Generator
3rd Generation[]
Armament: 46 KaK Rapid Heat Ray
Armour: 25 DKO Shielding
Power Plant: 2400 UAL Cyclic Depletion Generator