UPDATED T2 FM: Finals at the Academy - v2.0 May 6 2012

gnartsch on 7/1/2012 at 23:17

Quote Posted by adam7100

Is anyone else having this problem?
I downloaded the mission and it won't load in Garrettloader?
Do I need additional files? Can't figure out why I can't play it.:confused:
I can play all other missions. Huh? Please help.
How I love this games and all the fan mission makers out there, WOW!!!!!!
I salute you all. Thank you!!!!!

Adam7100.

PS: I'm a girl.:angel:

Hmmm... a description on what the problem is would surely be helpful...
any error message or something else ?
Maybe download it again and retry. It might be a download problem, since quite a few people out there using GarrettLoader as well and do not seem to have any issues.
And for sure no 'additional files' are needed.

thiefessa on 7/1/2012 at 23:42

Another option is try loading using Darkloader instead. This has worked for me when I've had the (very occasional) problem using Garrettloader.

Good luck, hope you can eventually fire it up successfully!

Pagan Hammerite on 8/1/2012 at 00:13

I can get it to load, but I can't play it.

Requires too much "ghosting" skill.

LarryG on 8/1/2012 at 02:32

Finals was tested extensively with both DL and GL and runs fine with both. I can't get DL to run on my machine at all, so I know personally that GL loads it just fine.

Without knowing anything about the specific trouble you are having, I can only recommend the normal things:

1. If GL will restore your directories to play the T2 release, have it do that. If not, start over with a clean T2 installation.
2. Clean up all the miscellaneous directories that GL (and DL) sometimes leave behind after you play a mission (ref. (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48202) Thief Fan Mission FAQ):

Quote:

Clean up of files

Occasionally you will find that you'll start a new mission and run into problems. For instance, you might load one mission and when you start to play you'll see something that indicates you're going to be playing a mission other than the one you selected or you might experience crashes.

Sometimes DarkLoader or GarrettLoader fails to cleanup the Thief folder while uninstalling a FM, so you might have to do it manually:

Install the original game missions and delete any remains of the following folders in your main Thief folder:

* Pal
* Bitmap
* Books
* Fam
* Intrface
* Obj
* Mesh

but don't delete the movies, crfs or the res folder!

3. Download a new copy of the zip. It's possible that you got a corrupted copy.

It would be easier to offer advice with specific details about what is going wrong. How full is your disk? Maybe there isn't room to unzip the mission. Finals is pretty big ... ?

LarryG on 8/1/2012 at 02:41

Quote Posted by Pagan Hammerite

I can get it to load, but I can't play it.

Requires too much "ghosting" skill.

If you play at Normal or Hard no ghosting skill is needed. You have a BJ and can use it to your heart's content. At Expert, you still don't have to ghost it, AIs can search for you without you failing the mission. You only will fail the mission if they find you or you really arouse their suspicions (level 3 alert), and you can get your BJ back pretty quickly at Expert to BJ everybody in sight, should you so desire.

My suggestion is to play first at Normal, dousing all the lights as you go (frob them off), and BJ'ing all the Keepers from behind. Once you get the hang of it, I think you'll be fine. It just seems harder than it really is at first.

Nightwalker on 8/1/2012 at 03:11

As Larry said, you don't need to ghost at all except at the very beginning on Expert only. I played this many times during beta before I even attempted ghosting it and had a lot of fun cracking heads. :)

LarryG on 8/1/2012 at 04:17

Quote Posted by adam7100

Well, somehow the other thread where I posted my advice has disappeared :grr:. EDIT: I just noticed that some kind admin / moderator merged the two threads (but left the other thread's header in place marking it as moved. :erm: Nightwalker, was that you? Thanks!). Oh well. I repeat myself.

Again:

Finals has been extensively tested with both GL and DL without any reported problems up to now. I personally only have GL and know that GL loads it just fine. I suspect that your Thief directories have somehow gotten hosed. But without you posting any specific symptoms it is very difficult to diagnose what might be wrong.

1. Verify that you can still play Thief 2 through GL. If you can, jump to step 3.
2. Reinstall Thief 2.
3. Clean up your Thief 2 directories per the (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48202) Thief Fan Missions FAQ. Both GL and DL sometimes do not clean up properly when you switch missions.
4. Download a fresh copy of the Finals zip.
5. Make sure you have sufficient disk space to unzip it, then unzip it manually to a temporary directory. Check that all of the directories and files look OK.
6. If you still have trouble, you may need to reinstall the latest GarrettLoader. Check this thread: (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125417) GarrettLoader 1.42 Public Beta - Updated 29/04/09 to v1.4196 . I think the latest stable release is available through that thread. Or maybe here: (http://ttlg.mobi/garrettloader-stable-release-thread-134469-page-1.aspx)

If you still have issues, please post specifics about your problem. As is, anyone offering advice is just guessing.

Nightwalker on 8/1/2012 at 17:24

Yes that was me. I thought it was better to keep this all in one thread. I left the redirect in place in case anyone got confused about the thread going missing. It will disappear in a month.

Dafydd on 9/1/2012 at 01:49

Can somebody give me a hint about that treasure vault (or treasure chamber -- putting both search terms in here)? I'm woefully short on loot, needing about 1400 just to satisfy the (admittedly optional) loot "requirement".

I assume that qualifies as one secret; once I find it, I will still have two more secrets to go. I know I got two in the maze (the moving sarcophagus and the pathway to the upper level of the chariot room); the special exhibits section; and one more I don't recall at the moment.

Thanks!

Dafydd

LarryG on 9/1/2012 at 02:13

Quote Posted by Dafydd

Let's see what I can offer that isn't an outright spoiler . . .

Hint: The hidden burial chamber was pretty fancy, yes? But not much loot. Why not?
Hint: Sometimes there are multiple purposes to things.
Hint: Just when you think you are ready to quit, turn around and try some more.

Quote Posted by Dafydd

I assume that qualifies as one secret; once I find it, I will still have two more secrets to go. I know I got two in the maze (the moving sarcophagus and the pathway to the upper level of the chariot room); the special exhibits section; and one more I don't recall at the moment.

I'm betting you found the secret area in Colman's rooms behind the painting. So it sounds like you didn't find the hi-rise sarcophagus chamber? Hint: Take a close look at the sarcophagi in the wall niches. And you really need to look at the ancient living chambers more closely, I think.