T2 FM: "Acquiring New Ventures" - 15 August 2025 -- *UPDATED TO v1.2*

Kubrick on 2/9/2025 at 15:09

The blackjack being missing from Maestro is the whole point of that difficulty setting, that's why Normal has been scrapped and there's an extra "super hard" difficulty. Has been used in a few FMs before.

Your missing secret seems to be the small cultivator in the topmost floor of the boarding house, same floor that looks smoking from a fire from the outside, in the last section of the level. Specifically, you can find it in the small greenhouse.

csamba on 2/9/2025 at 15:39

Thank you, I'm going to check this out immediately.

BTW, re #162: I found 1020 loot in the first part (on Expert), before entering the mage trap.

And a curiosity in v1.2: in the final scene (Sickert Square) when the lady zombie collapsed under my sword her body began to fly continuously in lightning fast circles all around the place - and did not stop until I entered the guesthouse...

csamba on 2/9/2025 at 16:45

(cont'd): thanks, that was my missing secret in v1.2. BTW, I also have the "no Found Secret messages" bug, which creates some uncertainty.
P.S: I also checked in v1.0, but in that version the same cultivator did not register as a secret. Was there another 4th secret there?

downwinder on 2/9/2025 at 18:43

my replay results 4867/5642,, 4/5 secrets on second difficulty as i have to have the blackjack, i only found 2 rope arrows on in pagan place and other when roping up to area from sewer, never found another rope arrow, maybe removed on 1.2 from grate in church, as i opened one upstairs from switch under painting but no rope arrow part

i notice a decent amount changed in v1.2

very looking forward to storyline

loved the 2 areas of dogs barking, felt bad for the dog in sewer

also i found a way to get up on to the dock area in part 1, i went up that metal ladder from building with red light. then i jump through window on to a roof top, then when to the side of that bar with wooden roof, and slanted jumped onto it, took a bit of damage but not to much, then dropped down on right side of the guard and lady, they did not even notice me as i blackjacked them, did not realize they weren't aware of me, nothing to find in that area, but was cool to get there, pretty much had a great view from up there, i still only had i think 850 loot before i went to part 2 and someone else had over 1k so i missed something

i did find a gas arrow also and was trying to get to that higher level with what looks like a trash can fire but nothing mantled at all

also wondering if the keepers will make a showing in future missions and i felt like i was being watched in some parts of mission

MrMunkeepants on 2/9/2025 at 23:47

Quote Posted by csamba

it never registered as a secret for me in v1.0 and none are registering for me now. maybe it was broken previously, or there's another?

Quote Posted by downwinder

the rope arrow has been replaced by a rope that can be combined; I believe there is also one on the floor in the kitchen that is not obvious but isn't hidden.

Quote Posted by downwinder

also i found a way to get up on to the dock area in part 1, i went up that metal ladder from building with red light. then i jump through window on to a roof top, then when to the side of that bar with wooden roof, and slanted jumped onto it, took a bit of damage but not to much, then dropped down on right side of the guard and lady, they did not even notice me as i blackjacked them, did not realize they weren't aware of me, nothing to find in that area, but was cool to get there, pretty much had a great view from up there, i still only had i think 850 loot before i went to part 2 and someone else had over 1k so i missed something

i did find a gas arrow also and was trying to get to that higher level with what looks like a trash can fire but nothing mantled at all

way to explore! I'll have to try your method of getting past the gate.
I couldn't get up to the roof, either. there are many places having a crate would be very useful, but would probably break things.

downwinder on 3/9/2025 at 01:22

mrmunkkeepants, go to entrance to warehouse look to your left see the red light, go into door there, climb up metal ladder, on same side as ladder there is a window you can jump through by standing on the machine on left of ladder then run jump on to roof top then go to other part of roof and walk edge till you see that big bar building you are able to walk on the roof, just run slant jump and land on slope of roof then explore places to drop and explore but i found nothing in that area, i think the gas arrow is the big find in first part, unless someone found something better

anything first mission that is possible to climb no crate needed any where else is way to high with no way to access anything i tried one other area where you get that single cup on the wood building onning close to start, but there is no way into that building where the drunk guy is passed out by bar, seen some stuff in building but never found a way to get in t

MrMunkeepants on 3/9/2025 at 06:08

downwinder, I find it faster go up the ladders in the building to jump off of (with the broken down metal door) than from over by the forge.
I had to carefully run diagonally (forward and to the side) along the edge of the roof, as I kept getting caught on the small barrier - but I did it! Landed on the street light, then up and over the roof. You can get into the warehouse the vagrant is sitting in front of (nothing there) but I couldn't find a way into the tavern itself - except maybe the grate above the sign, if it would open? probably not

kubrick/marsupial is probably laughing at us climbing like monkeys, but still missing that last secret

Aged Raver on 3/9/2025 at 08:49

Playing on easiest difficulty ... I have 5487/5642 in v1.2 (not quite as good as in v1).
As csamba reports finding 1020 in section 1, it means at least 40 of the shortfall is in section 1 so perhaps 115 still to find in section 2.

I don't remember a cultivator but I must have collected it, as bizarrely I have 5/5 secrets (and I ended up with 4 rope arrows).

It's a generous mission and guards are not over alert (I'm only on “normal” with my standard blackjack approach) and Lowell can often get down from high places with little or no bruises. All welcome.
No ghosting for me. :o

Kubrick, after your comment about the Lady of the Woods and the dolls, I read her diary and this time treated her with due respect. I also made more effort to look at readables, including the ingredients for Hearty Burrick Pottage.

I see the zombie is no longer inhibited by the grill, which took me by surprise. HaHa.
And if the lamppost function was there in v1 then I've only just discovered it. Very welcome.

I too liked both versions and although the sewers were a challenge in v1 it was something to get to learn.
Choosing between an open mission where the player has to make choices or a linear mission where they are hand-held and guided, must be a challenge for an author. Some players very much like one sort and not the other. I reckon trying to please everyone can encroach an author's gut instinct and creativity. Best be one's own boss. I find the style very refreshing.

> ... Will see if I muster a 1.3

If you do ... for what it's worth, some silly observations:

In the upper part of mansion where the party has been, a servant lady is walking about and I blackjacked her, in the West-ish room that has stairs going down.

A lady who is slumped over on a sofa wakes up and calls “Guards” or “Good Lord a corpse”. She then just stands “through” the sofa and doesn't move or say anymore. I attempt to blackjack her but she is without substance, so to speak.

A second time round I knocked out the maid in a different area, not waking the lady and she continues to snore, and I can quietly knock her out.

On a third attempt without knocking anyone out, I jump up and down near the sleeping lady and she eventually stands up, and after a moment runs to fetch the guard.

I suppose I was thinking, if they're asleep, they stay asleep.

Holy Water:
In v1.0 I destroyed (blew to pieces) 3 zombies with Holy Water arrows but in v1.2 the Holy Water, although it makes the usual sound when activated, the arrows seem to stay as ordinary water.

I was still able to render the zombies dormant so-to-speak in v1.2 with torch arrows (or with the sword) but feared they may resurrect. However on reloads they have not come back to life, thankfully, even when I brush by them. Sometimes they are standing upright and other times lying horizontal, levitating off the ground. All good.
EDIT: The female zombie in Sickert Square just came back to "life" after I went too close.

So I have 2 lots of Holy Water that I can't find a use for.

Really trivial ...
I got rid of the flies around the dead horse (with a torch arrow) but after a reload they are back and further torch arrows had no effect.

The barrel of wine in the museum basement that has a leak:
I didn't report in V1.0 but when the barrel is destroyed, the red wine leak continues to leak from mid-air. :D

Windows on the mansion marble-floor corridor can be broken and climbed through.

csamba on 3/9/2025 at 10:41

A few easy-to-miss loot items in part 1:
- a spice bag on the left ledge above the roof under the starting window
- a goblet on a high windowsill left of the guard by the torch
- upper marketplace, purse under a bench
- a ring in a chest below
i'm still missing 250 (in both versions) almost certainly in part 2…

Aged Raver on 3/9/2025 at 11:16

Quote Posted by csamba

Ah.Thank you very much. I'll check them out. :thumb:
One item that I found recently in section 2 that I'm sure I missed in V1 is a pair of spectacles.
They are in plain sight on a desk (somewhere, I think on middle floor of lodging house) but they are on top of a readable such that when you approach the desk, the readable highlights. And because spectacles elsewhere were not frobbable I imagined that these were not, but by slightly adjusting my view they suddenly lit up and I was able to collect them. A small amount of loot but a welcome surprise.