smithpd on 18/10/2003 at 08:13

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I am having trouble finishing Mission 2. Playing in Expert, I have made it across the lava, but I am missing one objective, to get "Pyonchan's book." This is not the same as the 31 year Engineer's letter that looks like a book. I have that, although I don't know what to do with it. I am also missing the key or procedure to open three locked things:

1. the wall safe / picture in a bedroom before you arrive at the jail cells.

2. A wood chest in a room past the lava.

3. A blue chest in a room past the lava.

If anyone knows, please spoil me on Pyonchan's book objective and the three locks. I think I have hunted long enough. :)

There are a few other things that I am wondering about if anyone knows:

4. I also see two stairways behind metal grates in the building that leads to the lava, and I can't get into either one. Are these fake places?

5. I found a ladder up to the rooftops in the last town, but I can't figure out what to do up there.

6. I can't get into the building with the woman who is standing behind wood-barred windows.

7. What's the deal with that area at the end of the left passage from the jail rotunda. There is a red-fire haunt type dressed in black standing behind a building. He blows up and I die when I kill him, even from a distance. I can't find anything there. Is it just a trap?

8. What's the deal with the area to the right of the chapel containing a guard with a hard hat and a large gate? I can't find anything there, either, althought it looks like a gate that might open.

Like the original Elevator, this mission can be frustrating at times. But, also like the original, I am enjoying it a lot. Believe it or not, this one is easier and a little bit shorter. :) I've got 4:17 into it now.

Roz on 18/10/2003 at 08:30

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It looks like I cannot play this FM. Its simply unplayable on my system :(. I tried limiting my save games and it worked a little bit for a while but it's just too choppy, I got motion sickness :D. This is how far I got:

[SPOILER]I used the hell gear to open the door and threw the switch in the room with the two vampire warriors -- scared the heck out of me. I sneaked out (I used my invisibility potion, but I think it's possible to do so without using it). I just hope I don't have to go back in there anytime soon. I entered the building the doors to which the switch had opened.[/SPOILER]

But it just got so choppy. I even went and deleted all my save games manually except the one I'm currently using, but it didn't help either.

smithpd on 18/10/2003 at 15:27

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Roz,

Too bad.:( I think that the problem is not likely be in the disk space used by save games, unless you are running out of disk space, so I don't think deleting the save files could help. I have plenty of disk space headroom, and my system slowed down too.

My theory, espoused above, concerned the number of reloads of saved information, followed by subsequent saves of the reloaded information. This could cause a build-up of bad information in the save file. As a minimum, reducing the number of reloads decreases the chances of corrupt data getting into a save file. The number of reloads itself may have nothing to do with it. It may just be some lucky circumstance of including or not including corrupt information in the save file, so when you save less often your odds improve. On my third play, I avoided reloading of saved games, I did not save at all down in the Cathedral, I BJ'ed fewer AI (less chance of damage and fewer changes of state to record in the save file), and I played in a different order (went left above the Cathedral and did my thing with the black-suited guy before venturing elsewhere). I also killed the bat, which was making an ugly noise, on the theory that sound may be the issue. Any of these things could potentially affect the corruption that causes the slowdown. But one thing is for sure - once that bad data gets into the save file, you are hosed, and you must reload from an earlier place. That means you should make slot saves more often as a precaution, but not reload them if you can possibly avoid it.

So now, having deleted your saves, you have no way to go back in game time to a good save state, so you would have to restart mission 2. I suggest that, if you don't want to do that, you can simply end mission 2 and go on to mission 3 by using the keys CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-END together. :)

smithpd on 18/10/2003 at 17:20

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The rope arrows are:[SPOILER]in the "house" you enter that overlooks the cathedral, in a chest upstairs.[/SPOILER]

smithpd on 18/10/2003 at 18:21

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OK I finished mission #2 in Expert.:D Satisfying and fun, I would say, although not without a few frustrations. It would have been better if there had been loot, IMO, but no loot seems to be part of JIS's theme here, so I can't argue with the master builder.:)

I have answered most of my questions. See below.

1. Wall safe[SPOILER]I never did open that. I think that is where the 31 year old letter from an Engineer is hidden. That is an optional objective I missed. The book in the chapel evidently describes this letter.[/SPOILER] 2. and 3. Locked chests at end[SPOILER]The chests I could not open are inaccessible if you achieve the objectives in the correct order - the mission ends when you get into the rotunda on the other side of the lava.[/SPOILER] 4. Stairways with grates[SPOILER]these have no entrance, so far as I can tell.[/SPOILER] 5. Rooftop in town[SPOILER]serves no purpose other than a view.[/SPOILER] 6. Building with woman[SPOILER]No entry. Nothing in there (roped up).[/SPOILER] 7. Red fire haunt BAD SPOILER[SPOILER]Something you need is located under the porch[/SPOILER] 8. Area to right of chapel[SPOILER]Nothing there other than scenery and a surprise hard-hat.[/SPOILER]