epithumia on 15/3/2004 at 18:24
I managed to just barely achieve the loot goal only by [SPOILER]using my three wishes wisely.[/SPOILER]
I couldn't come anywhere near the loot maximum.
Nens on 15/3/2004 at 18:40
Same here...[SPOILER]used all three wishes on loot. Though now I'm not sure if reloading after each wish might help, as diamond there gave me 500, and two other times there were gold coin stack and necklace. If anyone have a save there, tell if it's possible to get diamond all three times. I forgot to save there :(...[/SPOILER]
The Fire Eater on 15/3/2004 at 20:44
Well I'm having a rough time of it and although I've been trying to get some hints from this thread I still can't make much out of it for me.
[SPOILER]I'm playing Easy (I think, loot goal is 5K) and boy I don't think it's very easy as such. Without going into all my deaths (even one I really didn't deserve) I have tried at different places to go into the sewers. There was only one that I found that let me get safely out and that was back to the main body of water. I could not mantle out to the street. There was only one in Market I could mantle out but caused so much noise I got killed :( I tried another that got me next to a guard door but could not get out and that was after I took damage from pots, so I either ended up dying or reloading. As you might guess I'm getting somewhat frustrated with this mission, sorry to say. I did get the one key up in Pomogranet's place but apparently there was another under the desk so now I guess I'll need to go back again. In all my trials in the sewer I don't think I found that "red" key? Where do I find that one (which hole)?
It seems there are "many" false leads in this game and that on top of everything else is taking much fun away from it IMHO.[/SPOILER] Thanks for whatever help can be offered. Ta and Good Hunting!
Nightwalker on 15/3/2004 at 21:37
If you're playing on Normal, [SPOILER] you can destroy a couple of those smoking barrels down in the sewers with the fire arrows that are over by the lighthouse at the docks. (As long as you KOed the guard that patrols that walkway, of course.) That makes it a bit easier to negotiate down there without taking damage. This mission is basically a key hunt so you do some back and forthing once you've started to find them. Did you find the key in the kneehole of the desk in Pomegranite Security?
There's a note there as well about a meeting in the garden. The person there has the key to the other door in Pomegranite's building.
As long as you're playing on Normal, if you haven't done anything wrong (in public) and aren't carrying a weapon, the townspeople mostly ignore you which makes it easier.
There are a couple of buildings you can get into by picking open doors where you'll find more clues/keys. There's a wooden door over by the guy selling roasted rats (Yuck!) and just past there, there's a set of double doors at the top of a short flight of stairs that I believe you can pick open. [/SPOILER]
demagogue on 15/3/2004 at 23:40
I just wanted to weigh in and say that VG was one of my favorite FMs in the contest. I've always loved the exoticism of the Middle East (I lived there for 9 months) and loved the arabesque atmosphere in this one. The buzz in the bazaar was great. I really got caught up in the details...the little touches of middle east magic!
I think I never got as frustrated as some seem to have gotten because the first time I played this, I never read the opening scroll and never got the objective not to brandish a weapon or KO anyone. I just went in, took everybody out, and took my sweet time solving all the puzzles, only to find out at the very end I couldn't finish! (author: you should have this objective from the beginning to avoid just this problem...but IMO the mission was more fun without such an objective). By the time I replayed it, it was a lot easier.
By the way, I cracked into dromed and found your use of space inspiring. The heart of the whole game is packed into 3 40x40 boxes, with the other 5 serving as gratuitously fun tangents. And then what you stuffed into those unused corners :eek: ...Amazing.
You mentioned this was your first contest mission. I sincerely hope you keep making FMs. This one is a keeper. :thumb:
Nens on 16/3/2004 at 01:55
And by the way Fire Eater...
[SPOILER]...you can use rat's bodies in the sewer to move a bit those poisoneus barrells. Just throw at them couple of times. [/SPOILER]
The Fire Eater on 16/3/2004 at 04:41
Nens...LOL, thanks for that tip...do they blow them UP? Anyway, Nightie, thanks to you also but since I wrote that post I did progress fairly well but am at another problem and will really need some help now cause I've been all over quite a bit now.
[SPOILER]I don't know what to do with medallion? I've been into vault/secret passage from Inventor/used three wishes/found stuff you mentioned early at start, got into bldg with three chests/loot behind crates/and another way into vault. Only been able to open three boxes in vault, etc. I did go back into earlier posts and think I found answer to Magic Carpet question I was going to ask. Maybe then I'll get the rest of loot/other mask? Don't understand reading about "Horn" and where to find it?[/SPOILER]
So I guess I'm needing some guidance on those remaining puzzles please :) Ta and Good Hunting!
ps: Although I've had some difficult moments (a lot of dying) it has been an interesting mission with a lot of different ways to go about getting things, abeit somewhat of a chore to find all these different items at times :D
UPDATE: I have completed this mission [SPOILER]but still didn't understand about where to get key for the fourth box in vault and "Horn"? Also, Mediallon still unknown use or just an objective item for no other reason or use? This was a very fine mission all in all after I once got a good start and a couple of hints from this thread to help me a bit :) I'll be keeping this one for another play sometime...I did manage to get about 86K+ but a long way from total available? LOL Don't know where that could have been other than at least one more box in vault and maybe something in the "water" other than the Talismen (very tricky to get around in there and didn't take any extra time to search other than one chest that didn't seem to open and/or have anything in it? Was there?[/SPOILER] Now moving right along and "The Saint" next ;)
Nens on 16/3/2004 at 15:19
[SPOILER]About rats...I just throwed them at lower part of barrell, and barrell moved a bit. And again did the same till the barrell is out of way so I could pass by it without taking damage. About medallion...if you've used wishes then you've used medallion as well, atleast on expert I frobbed top of genie bottle with it and got my wishes. Btw, same here about loot, have 8500 and got only 3 boxes in vault...just that objective is still on for me.[/SPOILER]
epithumia on 16/3/2004 at 15:26
For another box:[SPOILER]There's another key in the vault. Search the curtains very carefully. And by that, I mean run up against all of the curtains and click madly.[/SPOILER]
I don't know if this will get you to your loot total, however.
bassmanret on 16/3/2004 at 19:18
Anybody make a loot list for this mission yet? I'm exactly 52 short of the loot objective on expert, and am done searching for now. And yes, I used all three wishes for loot. If I remember correctly, I got a gold stack, a diamond, and a necklace with my wishes.
I would have liked this mission even without the Lost City area, so what a wonderful surprise when I found that! :D Until then, I kept thinking, "How in the Hell am I going to meet this loot objective!"
BTW, did anyone figure out a way to:
[SPOILER]Get through the exit in the basement area of the Lost City without using a speed potion or blocking the two doors with skulls (like I did)? It took me quite a few saves to clear all the rooms down there, only to realize I was trapped and had to load a previous save in order to find another skull. Grrrr!! Maybe it can be done with one skull, but my save locations didn't allow me that luxury.[/SPOILER]
Very Fun Mission! :)
