T2 FM: The Sun Within and The Sun Without v1.3 (December 23rd, 2009)

bob_doe_nz on 23/12/2009 at 10:22

Woohoo!
Something to play on the 25th! :cheeky::thumb:

Tannar on 23/12/2009 at 11:08

Quote Posted by <Username>

Unfortunately, no. Could you give me directions? I can't find it. I must have been blown off that rock about fifty times now while searching the area.

First check the roof of the tower. Then go to the bottom room of the tower and read the note there.

qolelis on 23/12/2009 at 11:43

Quote Posted by <Username>

Oh, and the mission crashes to the desktop when I lug off the dead thief from the cliff.

Thanks for reporting. I will have to get back to that later, though.
Are you by any chance using Windows Vista?

<Username> on 23/12/2009 at 12:02

I realize now that what had me stumped for so long was I didn't try to shoot the locked panels depicting elements spirits with elemental arrows. Bloody hell, that puzzle was introduced in The Lost City, right? It's been a while since I have played The Dark Project and didn't remember that at first. Thanks Little_Dragon and Tannar, you indirectly clued me in on it! :)

qolelis, I'm on Windows XP with Service Pack 2.

<Username> on 23/12/2009 at 14:26

I finished all objectives except the loot goal. In need 1800 in loot and I got 1785. I looked everywhere and even found a secret, a small crystal hidden underneath two rocks below where the thief died. Which particular piece of loot could be so cleverly hidden that I´ve missed it?

JonesCrusher on 23/12/2009 at 14:32

Quote Posted by massimilianogoi

Well, then it's breed for my theeth!

someones been at the christmas sherry a bit early.....:D

I think you mean "its something to get your teeth in to",:cheeky:

downloading now!,so glad I have this for christmas day!...THANK YOU

Renault on 23/12/2009 at 17:00

Congrats on the release! Anxious to fire it up tonight. Mirrored it over at the Southquarter download page too.

Little_Dragon on 23/12/2009 at 17:01

Quote Posted by <Username>

Which particular piece of loot could be so cleverly hidden that I´ve missed it?

Have you found (what's left of) the pond behind the tower?

Winter Cat on 23/12/2009 at 18:17

Great mission. :thumb: But I'm stuck. I have all goals checked, except to find the twin gems. Where're they? :confused:

<Username> on 23/12/2009 at 18:19

That did it, thank you very much Little_Dragon! :D I had been there before, but did not spot the loot until my second visit to the place.

All in all, this is a very memorably mission. The atmosphere in that desolate place is its strongest feature. It really makes you feel you're lost in limbo. Navigating the winding tunnels and the vertical shafts above the gaping abyss was challenging to say the least. I lost count of how many times I plunged to my death. I estimate it must have been more than a hundred times. Seriously, I had to reload the game over a hundred times. It says a lot about the quality of this mission that I didn't let that deter me from pressing on and finally completing it. I had a hard time completing the loot goal on Hard difficulty and when I saw the final statistics, I was surprised to find out I had found only half of what was hidden in the mission. This is a mission for hardened explorers who aren't intimidated by difficult climbs and devilish loot placement.

I have a few questions for qolelis or for people who have already finished the mission:
[SPOILER]
* As far as I understood, the portal in the Lord's crypt teleports you to a giant piece of rock surrounding the remains of the tower of a Precursor stargazer. Somehow, it was ripped out of the earth and teleported to a nameless limbo. Did I miss a readable that details how the tower ended up in limbo along with the sun?
* There are three ways to exit back to the Lord's crypt: the chamber with the wheel for which you have to find a missing piece first, the pool with the dark void in the temple where there is a wall with precursor messages, and, finally, a dark cloud atop the sun tower, right next to the telescope. Any more that I missed?
* There is a loose stone on the ceiling of the room in which the stargazer died. I shot a fire arrow at it and it fell to the ground. I tried to shoot a rope arrow at that hole, but it wouldn't stick. What's up with the hole in the ceiling?
* I retrieved the Ring of Clarity. It apparently can be activated as soon as it is in your inventory. What does it do?
* Later in the mission, a shaft opened through which I could conveniently float from the bottom of the tower to the top and back. When does this shaft open?
* What happens when you activate all heat/energy transfers? I did that and nothing seemed to happen. Something to do with the shaft?
* Who is the thief that died in a shaft with the red lights and a broken ladder? The place is above the wall with the Precursor messages. I did not find anything to identify him. Dying alone in a place like this, not knowing in which forsaken, derelict place you are, and no way to get back, that's just a terrible thought. For some reason, this had a strong emotional impact on me.
* Below the aforementioned shaft with the red lights is another ladder. It leads below the sun tower, directly into the gaping abyss. I ropecrated down there and after many tries I managed to jump to the remains of a corridor. It looks like there is nothing down there, the door is fake. I have a hard time believing there is really nothing down there since this would be a perfect place for a secret, but there isn't, right?
[/SPOILER]