Maan ShadowCode was flippin' tough.

[Daggsy]

The axes aren't that tough if you stare at one of the walls they're coming from and sidestep past them one by one.

But, yeah. Apart from being a little confusing in the area you download ShadowCode from (with eight datapad things, but you only need to use four)... it's alright.

Also, It would have been nice if you could take ShadowCode home with you. I wanted to go back to PDX or WC and put him in the network for a laugh, but the door doesn't get unlocked until you've dumped him.

[Pointman]

a part of me died reading this thread. :'(

Hey there, Neo.

The thing is, most of the people - at leat those ones who occupy this forums - find that mission absolutely cool. After 50th reload, but still! -

The level IS great. And I will absolutely argue with you, Jonas. Most of the time I was able to get through the obstacles with no harm - it's all the timing, even w/o the speed aug. I'd just vote for nerfing the hoverbots a little. Not that my voice counts, I know.

Maybe... just publish that HARDER version of OSC as a separate download?

And I still hate you for stealing my SPAS-12 just to make your silly Weaver-fanboy ass-ault rifle, ZP

[xcomcmdr]

Yup, same as Pointman. The level design was perfect (and all the other departments : music, etc...)
To me, ShadowCode is a terrifying fun house even more enjoyable at night!

It reminded me SHODAN (from System Shock 2) right from the start, as it was intended.

[hozz]

I just finished it.
The ShadowCode part is great in it's own way.

Yes, a commercial product with that kinds of inavoidable traps, especially "have to take damage to get through" (*cough* who invented that turret room??? *cough*), would be bashed to death - rightly so.

But this is a mod! You can do things in a mod which you can't do in a retail game. Like having a "special" level different to the "usual" game.
The electricity and turret room just make the atmosphere so great BECAUSE you know this is going to be hard, maybe even so hard you can't finish it.
With all those traps, you have to prepare, save every 10 seconds, and you still know you'll have to try something over and over (and over) again.

This level will probably the one which I still remember when somebody throws "Nameless Mod" into a conversation in the year 2020 It's just memorable, but still in a good (not frustrating) way. Especially the "Resident Evil" room was just hilarious, a great moment when the door opens and that commentary from SC plays. I laughed hard


Some things should be fixed, though:

1. No total game stoppers please! In the last (ShadowCode PC) room, if you use all your multitools for the upper lasers (instead of using the crate), you may not be able to continue in the lower area (where you need 4 tools again! given there is no other way). This can make you just plain stuck.
Reload save game due to dying = ok.
Reload due to being totally stuck (but not dead) = very bad.

2. Please make the vents you have to crouch through HIGHER. I had NO idea the player can get through such tiny tiny looking vents, had to read this thread to realize that. It's just unintuitive, not a good puzzle.
(I desperately tried to get through with the Spy Drone mod for 15 mins - after jumping to radiation deaths the 15 mins before )


I'm also one of the people who'd enjoy an Xtra evil standalone version of the map for die-hards

*repairing my worn off quicksave button*

[Jonas]

I just finished it.
No total game stoppers please! In the last (ShadowCode PC) room, if you use all your multitools for the upper lasers (instead of using the crate), you may not be able to continue in the lower area (where you need 4 tools again! given there is no other way). This can make you just plain stuck.
Reload save game due to dying = ok.
Reload due to being totally stuck (but not dead) = very bad.

The problem here is redundancy. You don't have to hack all 8 control panels, you only have to hack 4 - and that's the amount of multitools lying around that area. People just sort of assume they have to hack all 8 of them, even though they should be able to hear the door opening when they've hacked 4. Plus, isn't there a countdown!?

Thanks for your comments

[Jetsetlemming]

I managed to get through the OSC without taking any damage besides from actual enemies, and a couple points in the gas room, but then I had the speed aug and am naturally a very lucky person.

a bunch of the OSC puzzles, especially a couple getting cut, managed to make me feel real smart, too. :saddowns:


(though I am actually kinda glad these are gone now at least I won't have to put up with their constant pinging noise for having the lasers blocked all throughout that end area)

[AgentSmithereens]

I had no idea we were meant to think outside the box for those laser beams. In the end I just assumed there was a bug somewhere so just exploited the quicksave glitch.

[Sergeant Kelly]

I must say I loved the tough puzzles from version 1.00. They were loads of fun.

The gun and fire puzzles weren't that hard, I simply used a fire extinguisher on the flaming boxes and an EMP grenade on the turrets.
Instead of removing those two puzzles, perhaps those little goodies can be added in? It would put an emphasis on creative thinking instead of 'run through as fast as you can'.

The electricity one was hard though, I had to use speed aug to get through there. I hope the new one has some lollerskates to get back through.

[JC_Helios]

(though I am actually kinda glad these are gone now at least I won't have to put up with their constant pinging noise for having the lasers blocked all throughout that end area)

That's why the first time I did it, after making it past the laser I thought I'd still need the crate. So I grabbed it and made a frantic jump at the same time.... I think I did end up losing the crate, but no annoying pinging sound.

[kyrieee]

Umm, what's hard about the moving platforms?
If you jump on the railing and just run (without jumping) from one platform to the next you'll get down without taking damage. If you start when the first platform is extended then you won't have to correct your timing one bit. It just goes on rails

I hated the hoverbots but that's good. They were really freaky, I hope you don't make them easy to kill.

[Dark Reality]

OK, this mission has me feeling like a complete noob. I'm ON the ShadowCode mission, but I can't START it.

I'm being told that I need to activate an old elevator to GET there, but I don't see how. I disobeyed Man in Black and went into the restricted area, two doors, but both just led to some cardboard boxes on the wall. I lobbed a few of them at the hot generator, but after that got old, I went around a couple more times and gave up for the night.

I'm not looking for spoilers, per se, but can somebody kindly point me in the right direction?

[kyrieee]

There is a datacube with a hint on a shelf

[Jonas]

I disobeyed Man in Black and went into the restricted area, two doors, but both just led to some cardboard boxes on the wall.

That's not the restricted area. The restricted area is not accessible in the PDX storyline.

Anyway, those rooms don't just have cardboard boxes on the wall, one of them has an elevator. Use it.

[Dark Reality]

OK guys, thanks.

I saw the elevator Jonas, so that's my facepalm for not trying it. I guess I assumed it would take me back up to the Man in Black.

//edit: And they do say restricted area. They may not be the restricted areas MiB doesn't want me in, but they say restricted area, so it's confusing at best.

[TownWithoutJustice]

First of all, having just finished TNM and registered here, great work guys! Loved the design, story, sound and improvements (vortex grenades!!!), not to mention the quickly released patch!

I welcomed the nerfing of the hoverbots instead of removing/reducing them. As SC points out, they are so cute, with their little angry eyes and deadly bolts!
It's a shame about the fire trap cut, though perhaps it could've been fixed with having breakable/destroyable boxes in the room (for the player to force a path if he doesn't have speed aug) and a hazmat + fire ext in plain sight before the room? Anyway, the 'design' reason justified the removal.

@Jonas - what actually had me thinking for 15 mins was the fire sprinklers - I was damn sure there was something that activated them! Was that intended?

Also, shouldn't Trestkon have destroyed the local machine after dumping the AI there? I did just to be safe