Thief 2: The Metal Age

2013-09-20 10:27:56 am

[quote:"SocratesJohnson"] Sometimes I think, "what would Lot suggest to save some time here?"[/quote]

What?! You're kidding me! Cheesy

It just happens to be one of my all-time favourite games... I guess theorycrafting is my speciality where others can do the running. Can't believe any of that stuff (let alone almost everything) would turn out potentially useful when to me it seemed I was really stretching my imagination to find anything at all. Smiley

1) Does crouching just ahead of it make going down the ladder shaft any smoother?
2) Your overall movement accuracy looks pretty good now, maybe tiny improvements will come to cornering and aiming directly for the next passageway when strafing.
3) That ledge on the left in Kidnap near the end in site 9 in a room that lights up when you enter and has a Watcher inside looks like you could jump onto it but do you prefer to take the momentum boost off the slope?
4)Is it too inconsistent to aim for hitting the obelisk base ledge when you enter that area with the 2 guys talking to each other.
5) When you've got Cavador (after knocking him out), could you just open the door on the other side of the room and go out that way? Isn't there a symmetric corridor?

[quote:"SocratesJohnson"] Sometimes I think, "what would Lot suggest to save some time here?"[/quote]

What?! You're kidding me! :D It just happens to be one of my all-time favourite games... I guess theorycrafting is my speciality where others can do the running. Can't believe any of that stuff (let alone almost everything) would turn out potentially useful when to me it seemed I was really stretching my imagination to find anything at all. :)

1) Does crouching just ahead of it make going down the ladder shaft any smoother?
2) Your overall movement accuracy looks pretty good now, maybe tiny improvements will come to cornering and aiming directly for the next passageway when strafing.
3) That ledge on the left in Kidnap near the end in site 9 in a room that lights up when you enter and has a Watcher inside looks like you could jump onto it but do you prefer to take the momentum boost off the slope?
4)Is it too inconsistent to aim for hitting the obelisk base ledge when you enter that area with the 2 guys talking to each other.
5) When you've got Cavador (after knocking him out), could you just open the door on the other side of the room and go out that way? Isn't there a symmetric corridor?

SocratesJohnson

Edit history:

SocratesJohnson: 2013-09-21 11:19:30 am

SocratesJohnson: 2013-09-20 10:17:43 pm

2013-09-20 10:16:05 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

Any little thing can help. Smiley

1) I'm not sure. I do hit crouch to break away from the ladder instead of jumping, however.
2) Thanks! I do try to look for corners to cut more often now.
3) That's a good question. I like to take the boost on slopes when I can remember to do so, but I'm not sure if the ledge is any faster.
4) I keep thinking of jumping onto it instead of going around. There were times when I was able to react quickly enough and get on it, but mostly I was distracted and just glad I missed the lamp hanging down on that ramp when I jumped down it.
5) I'm not sure where that door goes. I'll have to check to see if it's a shorter distance. I'm thinking right away that it might be trickier, since there's that guard in the way already, but we'll have to see.

I was working on Casing the Joint tonight, and getting really frustrated at the same time. I was able to get through it twice, but it's difficult to stay out of sight, and sometime you're caught for no conceivable reason. I need to practice it more and see what I can come up with, or reroute Cargo and Kidnap to pick up 600 loot for an invisibility potion.

Casing the Joint

Description:

This mission is extremely unforgiving. It sounds easy enough; find the secret entrance, and get to the street without getting caught. After grabbing the cuckoo bird, if I touch the tile at all, mission fail for whatever reason; nobody is around. I could REALLY use an invisibility potion on this mission, but that would mean grabbing 600 loot on the previous missions, which I might just look into doing just to make this easier.

Going to the top floor after opening the secret passage to jump out of the window doesn't seem to work that well with the few supplies I have. Also, why do they give me flashbombs when using them will fail the mission? Maybe it's just my version of the game, and I plan to play it all over on Win98 anyway, but for now, I'll have to live with it.

The reason for the multitude of arrows are as follows:
Water arrow - they'll spot me way too easily up there, and there's only that little corner of complete darkness.
Moss arrow - they'll hear me land on the wood, and though I make it through the window and it gives me an objective complete, more often then not I'd get a mission fail.
Broadhead arrow - Allows me to exit faster than hitting the glass with the blackjack, wasting a split second and getting spotted.

I don't think the exit to this level would be so bad if it weren't for that damn face cannon causing such a ruckus. Maybe I'll go around it and see how that works.

Any little thing can help. :)

1) I'm not sure.  I do hit crouch to break away from the ladder instead of jumping, however.
2) Thanks!  I do try to look for corners to cut more often now.
3) That's a good question.  I like to take the boost on slopes when I can remember to do so, but I'm not sure if the ledge is any faster.
4) I keep thinking of jumping onto it instead of going around.  There were times when I was able to react quickly enough and get on it, but mostly I was distracted and just glad I missed the lamp hanging down on that ramp when I jumped down it.
5) I'm not sure where that door goes.  I'll have to check to see if it's a shorter distance.  I'm thinking right away that it might be trickier, since there's that guard in the way already, but we'll have to see.

I was working on Casing the Joint tonight, and getting really frustrated at the same time.  I was able to get through it twice, but it's difficult to stay out of sight, and sometime you're caught for no conceivable reason.  I need to practice it more and see what I can come up with, or reroute Cargo and Kidnap to pick up 600 loot for an invisibility potion.

Casing the Joint
[hidden][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9fVtP-J2as[/url]
Description:
[hidden]This mission is extremely unforgiving.  It sounds easy enough; find the secret entrance, and get to the street without getting caught.  After grabbing the cuckoo bird, if I touch the tile at all, mission fail for whatever reason; nobody is around.  I could REALLY use an invisibility potion on this mission, but that would mean grabbing 600 loot on the previous missions, which I might just look into doing just to make this easier.

Going to the top floor after opening the secret passage to jump out of the window doesn't seem to work that well with the few supplies I have.  Also, why do they give me flashbombs when using them will fail the mission?  Maybe it's just my version of the game, and I plan to play it all over on Win98 anyway, but for now, I'll have to live with it.

The reason for the multitude of arrows are as follows:
Water arrow - they'll spot me way too easily up there, and there's only that little corner of complete darkness.
Moss arrow - they'll hear me land on the wood, and though I make it through the window and it gives me an objective complete, more often then not I'd get a mission fail.
Broadhead arrow - Allows me to exit faster than hitting the glass with the blackjack, wasting a split second and getting spotted.

I don't think the exit to this level would be so bad if it weren't for that damn face cannon causing such a ruckus.  Maybe I'll go around it and see how that works.[/hidden][/hidden]

SocratesJohnson

Edit history:

SocratesJohnson: 2013-09-21 11:20:03 am

2013-09-21 11:19:20 am

Always move forward, never sleep.

New route for Casing the Joint which is much safer and actually faster.

Casing the Joint

Description:

I put a new plan into action on this one. I still climb up to the second floor in the entryway where the guard and mechanist are talking, because I need that conversation to finish, so the mechanist leaves. Then I go through the ballroom and to the security room to turn off the face cannon. Luckily, there is a door to the next room with the secret passage to the library. I make sure to open the door to the hallway in here so I'm not hindered with the speed potion. After using the cuckoo bird, I wait until I'm back in the secret passage before using the speed potion, so that I can try to jump the gap from balcony to the ledge with the windows to smash.

However, this isn't very consistent, and I just got lucky on this attempt. It's still more consistent to shoot another vine arrow and swing across, and only about a second slower. If I fall, it's an easier recovery with the vine, because sometimes that guard doesn't notice me if I fall. Overall, using either of those techniques with the new route is a hell of a lot safer, as long as when I jump from carpet to carpet I don't land on the tile; the guards hate that shit.

New route for Casing the Joint which is much safer and actually faster.

Casing the Joint
[hidden][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IWIZFJ9OR8[/url]
Description:
[hidden]I put a new plan into action on this one.  I still climb up to the second floor in the entryway where the guard and mechanist are talking, because I need that conversation to finish, so the mechanist leaves.  Then I go through the ballroom and to the security room to turn off the face cannon.  Luckily, there is a door to the next room with the secret passage to the library.  I make sure to open the door to the hallway in here so I'm not hindered with the speed potion.  After using the cuckoo bird, I wait until I'm back in the secret passage before using the speed potion, so that I can try to jump the gap from balcony to the ledge with the windows to smash.

However, this isn't very consistent, and I just got lucky on this attempt.  It's still more consistent to shoot another vine arrow and swing across, and only about a second slower.  If I fall, it's an easier recovery with the vine, because sometimes that guard doesn't notice me if I fall.  Overall, using either of those techniques with the new route is a hell of a lot safer, as long as when I jump from carpet to carpet I don't land on the tile; the guards hate that shit.[/hidden][/hidden]

LotBlind

2013-09-22 10:04:02 am

Seems simple enough. Have you considered distracting the guard and mechanist using a noisemaker if that changes anything?

It looks like you open the door to the foyer when you first climb up to the 2nd floor but it's closed again when you return. What happened there?

SocratesJohnson

2013-09-22 11:23:50 am

Always move forward, never sleep.

I have tried using a noisemaker on the mechanist and guard, but what usually happens is that since they're already on alert, they hear me land in front of the window and spot me, sort of like if I make two steps on the tile by the first guard I encounter, he turns around instead of continuing to walk his normal route.

I have no idea why that door automatically shuts - it does it every time, so I still have to burn a second opening it. I thought of trying to prop it open somehow, but I don't have anything in my inventory, and I would probably just run into the thing holding it open anyway. Grin

I'm leaving the country for about 10 days this coming Thursday for vacation, but want to try and finish up these levels. If not, I'll have my laptop and can play in my off time.

SocratesJohnson

2013-09-26 01:28:13 am

Always move forward, never sleep.

Ok, so I haven't played since my last post. I did manage to set my laptop up to play the game, and will try to practice Masks, and if possible, Sabotage at Soulforge. I guess I'll probably be practicing all the missions before them since I'm not transferring my saves. I won't be recording, but if I'm able to get a route down for them, whether my own or not, I'll try to replicate it at home and upload some videos.

I have found that the version from Steam includes the New Dark patch; I could just create a virtual XP machine instead of 98. I will have to look into this, since either way, I will need to use a version of this game that has been officially released to be accepted by SDA.

If I don't post, I suppose I'll be back in about ten days.

LotBlind

2013-09-26 08:28:47 am

Good luck in your interim playsessions! Smiley

I personally don't like it when there's several versions of a game, cause it feels so arbitrary... I guess by the rules you have to choose the fastest one?

Show Karras who's boss!

ymh

2013-09-26 10:09:49 am

Quote from LotBlind:

[...]I guess by the rules you have to choose the fastest one?

You don't have to, but it's recommended. And I think in Thief 2 there are very good reasons to use an older version.

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-04 02:56:44 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

So I guess, for whatever reason, on my laptop I can't blast open metal doors, at least not the ones to the bank. Oh well, I'll be back home in a couple of days and will try to pound out Masks and Sabotage.

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-10 03:38:38 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

I hate being stuck at work after looking at some loot maps for Masks, and creating a route in my head, because I really want to get home and try it out. Tongue

Essentially, either go in through the secret door to the chapel, and then up to the second floor, or use two frogbeasts on the door around the corner to gain entry. Grab the plate in the chest, and the candlesticks at the top of the stairs and enter the ballroom, jumping down and looting the stuff there. Jump onto one of the walls and then onto the balcony instead of using a vine arrow. Enter the room ahead and hit the door on the left, grab the nuggets in the chests and enter the secret hallway. Head through the library and up to the third floor. Up here I noticed a lot of loot in the study off of the foyer right there that, if locked, I could frogbeast into by hitting them with a broadhead. Then it's just grab the precursor, the masks inside there as well, and the cultivator down the hall, and head to the streets. Hopefully it all works out and the map was correct. Here's hoping. Grin

I hate being stuck at work after looking at some loot maps for Masks, and creating a route in my head, because I really want to get home and try it out. :P

Essentially, either go in through the secret door to the chapel, and then up to the second floor, or use two frogbeasts on the door around the corner to gain entry.  Grab the plate in the chest, and the candlesticks at the top of the stairs and enter the ballroom, jumping down and looting the stuff there.  Jump onto one of the walls and then onto the balcony instead of using a vine arrow.  Enter the room ahead and hit the door on the left, grab the nuggets in the chests and enter the secret hallway.  Head through the library and up to the third floor.  Up here I noticed a lot of loot in the study off of the foyer right there that, if locked, I could frogbeast into by hitting them with a broadhead.  Then it's just grab the precursor, the masks inside there as well, and the cultivator down the hall, and head to the streets.  Hopefully it all works out and the [url=http://www.thief-thecircle.com/guides/keeperchapel/Masks/lootmap.asp]map[/url] was correct.  Here's hoping. ;D

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-10 09:06:51 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

I can probably get below 3:30 on this mission; it will just take some practice.

Masks

Description:

Took a look at the loot map for this mission and tried to route the thing from there, and it turns out it works! I find that I'm faster by going in via the chapel secret door rather than the double doors to the hallway. The door from the chapel to the hallway is locked, so I have to go around. I can't seem to jump cleanly over the railing to get down to the ballroom, but at least it doesn't take too long to mantle over. Jumping on the wall and onto the balcony seems faster than shooting a rope arrow to get up. The security station door is closed, but I don't need to get in that way and can hit the next door to grab the chests. I like to flashbomb these two guards so they don't follow me upstairs and get in my way while I'm looting the study. I opted for the study since the loot count is pretty high in there, and it's not that far out of the way. The door does take 3 frogbeasts, however. The rest I guess it pretty straight forward - saving the 2 frogbeasts and fire arrow for the cultivator door and get the hell out.

I can probably get below 3:30 on this mission; it will just take some practice.

Masks
[hidden][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnjF7rPwTg8[/url]

Description:
[hidden]Took a look at the loot map for this mission and tried to route the thing from there, and it turns out it works!  I find that I'm faster by going in via the chapel secret door rather than the double doors to the hallway.  The door from the chapel to the hallway is locked, so I have to go around.  I can't seem to jump cleanly over the railing to get down to the ballroom, but at least it doesn't take too long to mantle over.  Jumping on the wall and onto the balcony seems faster than shooting a rope arrow to get up.  The security station door is closed, but I don't need to get in that way and can hit the next door to grab the chests.  I like to flashbomb these two guards so they don't follow me upstairs and get in my way while I'm looting the study.  I opted for the study since the loot count is pretty high in there, and it's not that far out of the way.  The door does take 3 frogbeasts, however.  The rest I guess it pretty straight forward - saving the 2 frogbeasts and fire arrow for the cultivator door and get the hell out.[/hidden][/hidden]

LotBlind

2013-10-11 12:13:30 pm

1) If the guard is always there at that time, would it help or hurt if you jumped across onto the wooden doorway instead of hitting the tiled floor in-between?

hmm... the video is misbehaving after around 1:05, doesn't allow forwarding to any parts after that point and only the sound is playing if you let it play... I'll try again tomorrow, but if you notice the same issue, could you re-upload?

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-11 07:09:09 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

It works just fine for me, though I have noticed the same thing on other videos from time to time, and waiting a while seemed to work. Otherwise, you can give this one a shot. Ten seconds faster as well!

LotBlind

2013-10-12 01:40:30 pm

Ok, let's try this again Smiley

1) Do you get less stuck on bodies falling down if you back off and leap over them. You'd get a speed boost too. A little one.
2) Lovely frogbeast antics in this route. Approve!
3) Do you see any merit in my patented fire-the-vine-arrow-first-then-drop-down-to-collect-the-masks approach? (I just added this point to pad out the reply) Maybe you could then start firing during the drop-down when you don't need to pick stuff up yet. Fire as you're falling, grab the masks and save half a second... easily!
4) Make sure to jump directly back through the window for a longer goodbye when the party is over! Alternatively chuck that last frogbeast in for chuckles...

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-14 11:48:17 am

Always move forward, never sleep.

1) That's a good idea. I did it in Life of the Party, and it could possibly save about a second.
2) Thanks! It can be tough to line it up correctly to hit them with the arrow right as they break open. If I miss with the broadhead, well they're going to try to hop towards that guard and the door probably won't pop. It's on my list of things to practice.
3) I did some experimenting with that. I drop down and grab the first mask, and from there I didn't see a good angle to shoot the vine where I needed without having to backtrack. I could shoot it right where I drop down, but I'd have to go back to jump on it, or I could drop down where I want the vine, but would have to run over and grab the mask.
4) I should remember to do that. Toss the frogs and blind them with leftover flashbombs!

On a different note, I've found that VMWare isn't a good option to play the game on Windows 98.

Things I've tried:

1.07 on Windows XP - Error on launch
1.18 on Windows XP - Incompatible Video Card
1.18 with DDfix on Windows XP - Opens game, first mission loads with rainbowlike textures and immediately crashes.

The same stuff has happened on Windows 98. I'm assuming it's a problem with the virtual video card drivers, which are just generic. I tried a bunch of different things, and no dice.

Next steps - Install Windows Virtual PC, hoping that will work. So far, it doesn't support my mouse for some reason, and clicking in the virtual PC locks the computer until I ctrl+alt+delete go back into it. Right now I'm working on installing an updated version of Virtual PC that also has support for integrated components on Windows 98. So we'll see how that goes.

Haven't started Sabotage at Soulforge yet, but hopefully this week.

1) That's a good idea.  I did it in Life of the Party, and it could possibly save about a second.
2) Thanks!  It can be tough to line it up correctly to hit them with the arrow right as they break open.  If I miss with the broadhead, well they're going to try to hop towards that guard and the door probably won't pop.  It's on my list of things to practice.
3) I did some experimenting with that.  I drop down and grab the first mask, and from there I didn't see a good angle to shoot the vine where I needed without having to backtrack.  I could shoot it right where I drop down, but I'd have to go back to jump on it, or I could drop down where I want the vine, but would have to run over and grab the mask.
4) I should remember to do that.  Toss the frogs and blind them with leftover flashbombs!

On a different note, I've found that VMWare isn't a good option to play the game on Windows 98.

Things I've tried:

1.07 on Windows XP - Error on launch
1.18 on Windows XP - Incompatible Video Card
1.18 with DDfix on Windows XP - Opens game, first mission loads with rainbowlike textures and immediately crashes.

The same stuff has happened on Windows 98.  I'm assuming it's a problem with the virtual video card drivers, which are just generic.  I tried a bunch of different things, and no dice.

Next steps - Install Windows Virtual PC, hoping that will work.  So far, it doesn't support my mouse for some reason, and clicking in the virtual PC locks the computer until I ctrl+alt+delete go back into it.  Right now I'm working on installing an updated version of Virtual PC that also has support for integrated components on Windows 98.  So we'll see how that goes.

Haven't started Sabotage at Soulforge yet, but hopefully this week.

SocratesJohnson

Edit history:

SocratesJohnson: 2013-10-14 03:17:00 pm

2013-10-14 03:13:22 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

Forgot to install VMWare Tools on the Windows XP system. DDfix works with that one, but not without it. Since DDfix comes with the Steam release, I could definitely use that.

LotBlind

2013-10-15 09:47:02 am

Tech stuff: Good luck! I haven't got a clue...

VINE ARROWS: I meant could you shoot the arrow obliquely as you're entering the room to the spot where it needs to hang while crawling forwards, then drop off and do the rest? Maybe it's a bit difficult to aim it there?

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-19 01:11:44 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

I'll take another look and see if I can pull off the shot.

Sabotage at Soulforge - huge pain! Single segment is going to be very difficult, as I'm already having to reroute from Poesta and Xmodule999, not to mention I can't lean/clip through a panel to open it from the other side. Since there are so many of the big blue constructs walking around, and that I don't have enough fire arrows, it's making it difficult to open locked doors. I'll keep plugging away at it, though.

LotBlind

2013-10-19 01:51:18 pm

I'll be on my keenest whenever you've got a video up to tell you what's WRONG with it! Hahaha!

Tongue

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-19 02:28:59 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

I'd expect nothing less! Cheesy

I don't have a video yet, but a heavily segmented (many quicksaves and loads) nets me just over 13 minutes. I'll definitely need to optimize my flashbomb usage, try not to get hit so much, and learn to dodge the bombs that get shot at me better.

SocratesJohnson

Edit history:

SocratesJohnson: 2013-10-23 11:09:04 am

2013-10-23 11:00:01 am

Always move forward, never sleep.

Ugh, this mission is frustrating. I still take too much damage too early. One place at the storage room when there are the 3 mechs (sometimes I can catch them all with one flashbomb and get by) and the other in the room with two machines and the control panels on the mezzanine area. Sometimes they swarm me inside that room, other times it's when I'm leaving. After that, the only difficult part I can see might be some difficult jumps and maybe the mechs near the exit. Still a work in progress.

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-24 08:13:06 pm

Always move forward, never sleep.

Definitely getting better at raiding the stock room with little to no damage. I also found a new route in the room with the two machines surrounded by big blue mechs that is a lot safer and faster. Still haven't given up!

DarkDEVASTAT10N

2013-10-25 02:51:13 am

Quote from SocratesJohnson:

Ugh, this mission is frustrating. I still take too much damage too early. One place at the storage room when there are the 3 mechs

Is this the room you use the vine arrow to get up to the ledge with the 2 control panels? As I enter that area, I use a invisibility potion and shoot the floor with a moss arrow so I dont wake up the 3 mechs. That way I can take as long as I want in that area. As long as you're quiet and don't alert the small ones walking around, you should be able to do it pretty easy.
The jumps up to placing the beacon are fairly easy, I can make a video for that if you want. Basically, the idea is you want to line up so you jump onto the light. Then just hold space and you should mantle up and get in.

I buy 1 Fire Arrow, 1 Speed Potion and 1 Invisibility Potion for reference.
As I enter the storage room area, I flash the one at the far end, fire arrow the door and get all my stuff. Flash as I leave the door of the storage room because usually the one I flashed first is just outside by that time. Then I flash the other two on the way out.
Also I'm not sure of the route you take, but after I clear the area with the 3 mechs. I vine arrow up and take the key off the wall and enter that circle room. In the middle there's a health fountain which gives you a small boost if you're low at that point. I know it's quite a hard level to get through with just 1 health potion.
If you want I can make some videos of the difficult parts and how I tackle them.

[quote="SocratesJohnson"]Ugh, this mission is frustrating.  I still take too much damage too early.  One place at the storage room when there are the 3 mechs[/quote]

Is this the room you use the vine arrow to get up to the ledge with the 2 control panels? As I enter that area, I use a invisibility potion and shoot the floor with a moss arrow so I dont wake up the 3 mechs. That way I can take as long as I want in that area. As long as you're quiet and don't alert the small ones walking around, you should be able to do it pretty easy.
The jumps up to placing the beacon are fairly easy, I can make a video for that if you want. Basically, the idea is you want to line up so you jump onto the light. Then just hold space and you should mantle up and get in.

I buy 1 Fire Arrow, 1 Speed Potion and 1 Invisibility Potion for reference. 
As I enter the storage room area, I flash the one at the far end, fire arrow the door and get all my stuff. Flash as I leave the door of the storage room because usually the one I flashed first is just outside by that time. Then I flash the other two on the way out.
Also I'm not sure of the route you take, but after I clear the area with the 3 mechs. I vine arrow up and take the key off the wall and enter that circle room. In the middle there's a health fountain which gives you a small boost if you're low at that point. I know it's quite a hard level to get through with just 1 health potion.
If you want I can make some videos of the difficult parts and how I tackle them.

SocratesJohnson

2013-10-25 10:17:28 am

Always move forward, never sleep.

Comparing notes is never a bad thing!

I had thought of using that invisibility potion method, but I'm still opting for buying speed potions unless I can find a way to get the constant speed potion bug again (happened once, no idea how and trying to replicate it doing the same thing I was before has failed). I do also climb up and get the key like you mentioned and enter the circle room.

I'm opting for an alternate route instead of climbing up to the beacon, since I can lean through the gate at the top of the elevator and hit the switch. Sometimes if I get it right away, it's a bit faster, otherwise if it takes a while to get the right angle, can take either the same amount or more as climbing, but definitely safer.

If you use a speed potion at the beginning in that area where there are torches just before the circle room with the mechanist (great description, I know), the timing is right to just run right by the first blue mech before the storage room. Upon exit, I use either 1 or 2 bombs. What I've found works pretty well recently before the room with the two control panels on the upper platform is to flash them, and shoot a noisemaker in the opposite direction. Somehow, they won't care about you walking on the metal grate when you go in. They'll roam for a bit out there, but they may still come back in by the time you're putting the second piece together.

I did just finish the mission in 12:01, and will have a video up shortly. I'd also love to see any of yours, Dark!

Clipping through gate:

Comparing notes is never a bad thing!

I had thought of using that invisibility potion method, but I'm still opting for buying speed potions unless I can find a way to get the constant speed potion bug again (happened once, no idea how and trying to replicate it doing the same thing I was before has failed).  I do also climb up and get the key like you mentioned and enter the circle room.

I'm opting for an alternate route instead of climbing up to the beacon, since I can lean through the gate at the top of the elevator and hit the switch.  Sometimes if I get it right away, it's a bit faster, otherwise if it takes a while to get the right angle, can take either the same amount or more as climbing, but definitely safer.

If you use a speed potion at the beginning in that area where there are torches just before the circle room with the mechanist (great description, I know), the timing is right to just run right by the first blue mech before the storage room.  Upon exit, I use either 1 or 2 bombs.  What I've found works pretty well recently before the room with the two control panels on the upper platform is to flash them, and shoot a noisemaker in the opposite direction.  Somehow, they won't care about you walking on the metal grate when you go in.  They'll roam for a bit out there, but they may still come back in by the time you're putting the second piece together.

I did just finish the mission in 12:01, and will have a video up shortly.  I'd also love to see any of yours, Dark!

Clipping through gate:
[hidden][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gVKejuM5co[/url][/hidden]

LotBlind

2013-10-27 04:02:32 pm

Not getting notifications again for some reason... Maybe if I post here again.

BTW when you do the glitch, does it help if you first figure out which vertical angles are okay for hitting the switch when the portcullis is open and you can see what you're doing? Would that help you calibrate your wiggling?