Deus Ex: Nihilum [Post-Release Issues] [SPOILERS]

[ipso]

Thx a lot, it worked! I hadn't see the switch! Now everything is clear.
I've just got one more question (SPOILER):
How do you get to know the right answer for the tongueman questions in the illuminati fortress level? My character keeps saying FK Roosevelt all the time but I guess there must be some kind of hidden stash behind the wall if you answer correctly, am I right?

[FastGamerr]

Actually, it's supposed to be malfunctioning so no answer will actually make any difference... but I'd advise you to listen to everything it's got to say. :]

[nerdenstein]

Inside the club, I've paid the guy to pretend to have a spasm in the toilets and I've spoken to the guard to check on him. Well, it sends both guards in which for starters makes it more difficult to ambush one of them and second, they hang around near the door during the conversation.

I think this goal may be made more impossible by the fact I've got no non-lethal weapons and as soon as I kill one of the guards, (I wait for the second Toilet guard to go back to his post), all the guards in the club know exactly where I am.

Was this all intensional, and am I just being a rubbish Deus Ex player?

EDIT: Killed a different guard that was on his own. No problems.
Spoken to David Yoon, took the assassination mission.
I've gone to the place where the images shows but can't get into either of the two doors now.

[FastGamerr]

The guard scenario is all intentional, but so's figuring out that you can just do like you did instead

EDIT: As for the second query, perhaps this will help: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/ ... 433461.jpg

[nerdenstein]

The guard scenario is all intentional, but so's figuring out that you can just do like you did instead

EDIT: As for the second query, perhaps this will help: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/ ... 433461.jpg

Oh, fair play. I was just annoyed I paid that guy 300 credits for nothing.

Yeah, I found the location easily enough and assumed it was that door, I just couldn't get through it because it was locked and I hadn't got enough lockpicks. So off I went exploring (again) and found an lockpick in the room near the laundrette. I had to use the pistol to break the door down to conserve lockpicks.

[CrocMagnum]

Hi ! I’m trying to figure out how the Factions work. Precisly I had in mind a perfect XVA playthrough. Thing is: that simple matter aroused so many questions I had to ask the man himself:

- How to do a perfect XVA playthrough?

- Is it possible to stay with UNACTO?

- Is the Tian Bao Hotel compulsory?

In Kowloon I sided with David Yoon and accepted his ‘neutralization’ mission. However when I reach Tian Bao and talk to one of David Yoon’s goons, Gao, he tells me to go back to the roof and 'call back my chopper'. On my second and third playthrough I chose to go back to the chopper but Lana is never there. Is there a way to call my chopper back? Or is Gao speech purely rethorical? In other words: is the Tian Bao Level compulsory?

- is The Cutter Estate compulsory?

I mean can I ignore Lana Zavich rendez-vous in the airport and go to New York? If yes, how?

- is the fight with MacFarlane compulsory?

I had to ask all this because I seem to be missing something important. I don’t know why but I always end up siding with the Illuminati, and XVA always ends up getting mad at me. Mmh! I feel dumb. Anyway sorry to disturb you, but I need these clarifications: one day, when the mood hits me , I plan to add a ‘Deus Ex Nihilum’ section in my French Deus Ex thread, that's why. *teasing*

Note: I did several playthroughs with version 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0. My latest tinkering is with version 2.0 (fresh install). DXN 1.2 feels well polished, I feel quite a difference with older versions. Those differences are in the details mostly, but it’s amazing how mere ‘ nitpicks’ can enhance the gaming experience…

[FastGamerr]

At one point I did consider making Steam-like achivements (or even better, a New Game+ mode) for DXN but I would probably still be tinkering with the mod in 2020 if I had implemented them any further.

(Includes some mild spoilers, more heavy spoilers use the actual spoiler tags)

1) A perfect XVA playthrough would involve not killing any of their militia members during the mod (you can just knock out the 5 guards at the Forichi helipad), siding with Yoon at Berlin and completing the XVA ending at Dynamene.

2) Like in the original game, nope. However, unlike in the original game, you can side with MJ12 at Dynamene.

3) Yup. The "calling back" thing is only rhetoric. However, you can go back to the roof, open the vent on top of the red rectangular structure, grab the key and use it to open the black security door that you can reach on the right when you go down the first flight of stairs.[/spoilers]

4) Nope. You've got to do what the Illuminati (i.e. Lana) says at this point to move on in the mod.

5) All the "boss fights" are skippable, mostly by taking advantage of the AI or just running really fast. For instance, MacFarlane will always stand behind the blast door that leads to the basement so you can just use the vents in the basement to rendez-vous with the chopper. The reason for that is because if you've unlocked the entire Alistair sequence, Alistair will appear to help you and the easiest way I could make the conversations triggerable was by sticking them in that room.

[CrocMagnum]

1) A perfect XVA playthrough would involve not killing any of their militia members during the mod (you can just knock out the 5 guards at the Forichi helipad), siding with Yoon at Berlin and completing the XVA ending at Dynamene.

Thanks. Things are starting to make sense. I suppose the Fortress Level with Anthony Stafford is compulsory also?

3) Yup. The "calling back" thing is only rhetoric. However, you can go back to the roof, open the vent on top of the red rectangular structure, grab the key and use it to open the black security door that you can reach on the right when you go down the first flight of stairs.[/spoilers]

Tell me about it. I spent 2 friggin' days on that map! I know I know. *mad giggle*

4) Nope. You've got to do what the Illuminati (i.e. Lana) says at this point to move on in the mod.

I feel reassured. I had the nasty feeling I'd missed something.

5) All the "boss fights" are skippable, mostly by taking advantage of the AI or just running really fast. For instance, MacFarlane will always stand behind the blast door that leads to the basement so you can just use the vents in the basement to rendez-vous with the chopper. The reason for that is because if you've unlocked the entire Alistair sequence, Alistair will appear to help you and the easiest way I could make the conversations triggerable was by sticking them in that room.

Oh! Yeah! The *****ess guy! What a quirky lad! *mrgreen*

Anyway Thanks again for making things clear. Finally I'll sleep peacefully. 'cos between you and me this is the kind of questioning that drive me mad...

[ipso]

Hello again,
I've finished the Illuminati playthrough and I'd like to see the MJ12 one.
SPOILER
I removed the killswitch but then Number One tells me to get back to the AI control hub, and I can't: it's closed and the computer won't open it (the button is like frozen). Btw, there is a room just in front of the computer with a big man and lasers, and I did not figure out what could be done there.
Could you give me a hint ?

[ggrotz]

I removed the killswitch but then Number One tells me to get back to the AI control hub, and I can't: it's closed and the computer won't open it (the button is like frozen). Btw, there is a room just in front of the computer with a big man and lasers, and I did not figure out what could be done there.
Could you give me a hint ?

I'll try to tell you in the best way possible without a video or the like. Go down the long hallway the other direction - keep going straight (it'll snake around back on itself a couple of times). You'll run into the communicator that (I think) Alexia used for something. Go down that ladder. Follow that hallway (it snakes around a bit and to the left). You should see the main chamber with the giant spiderbot (where the goodies were behind that forcefield). To the left of that should be a ladder that goes down to where you need to go.

Like my review of this would say (if I were to write one): If you hated Redsun, you're going to hate this one. Lot of labyrinths, lots of wandering, lots of searching for stuff.

[CrocMagnum]

...Like my review of this would say (if I were to write one): If you hated Redsun, you're going to hate this one. Lot of labyrinths, lots of wandering, lots of searching for stuff.

Well! ggrotz! I'm surprised by this statement.

I really have the feeling that, as far as searching / backtracking / hair tearing is concerned, Redsun is the hardest of them all. I mean on a first playthrough Redsun (I like Redsun very much by the way) can really drive you nuts! And you should know it, since you've made a youtube walthrough for it after all.

Now you have a point for DXN: they're 4 instances that could drive a average gamer crazy:

- Tian Bao Hotel (with the patch it's ok),

- Where is the Oval Office,

- Where is that m*****f**** Second Maglev Transport,

- Where is the Observation Tower,

Apart from those 4 instances the game feels right.

By the way I finally posted a mini-faq and a review for DXN in my French thread. Since I have no more space on post 1, a link will lead the to following post:

Deus Ex Nihilum Critique et Mini-Faq: http://forum.canardpc.com/threads/35766 ... ost6769805

[ggrotz]

I really have the feeling that, as far as searching / backtracking / hair tearing is concerned, Redsun is the hardest of them all. I mean on a first playthrough Redsun (I like Redsun very much by the way) can really drive you nuts! And you should know it, since you've made a youtube walthrough for it after all.

I have a thing for wanting to at least finish the things I start, so that's perhaps the only reason I stuck with Redsun enough to finish it. It took a lot of patience, though, as did Nihilum at times. Even then, Redsun had its shining moments to offset the three maps where you had to exhibit patience for all the wandering. Regardless, Redsun required a lot of "rehearsals" so all the wandering wasn't captured for that walkthrough, and that was even after I've beaten it a large number of times.

This said though, I keep Redsun and Nihilum around (both) because I like them enough to do that. But if someone asked me what other mod Nihilum was most like, I'd have to say Redsun simply for that reason (I can think of more than 4 instances) since I was wavering a lot between Redsun and ZODIAC on that question.

[CrocMagnum]

...This said though, I keep Redsun and Nihilum around (both) because I like them enough to do that. But if someone asked me what other mod Nihilum was most like, I'd have to say Redsun simply for that reason (I can think of more than 4 instances) since I was wavering a lot between Redsun and ZODIAC on that question.

Now I understand what you mean!

I do think DXN should be taken as is it: a breath-taking piece of bravura in the world of fan-made missions! This game could be one of the greatest treat for all the DX Veterans out there. Indeed DXN should not be recommended for beginners. Nihilum is really for those who know all the tricks...

By the way even after so many playthroughs, Redsun drove me so nuts that once I had to:

to refer to my OWN FAQ to finish the d**** thing. Quite flabbergasting considering how many times I've finished Redsun!

This is the shame of my life! *mad giggle*

[FastGamerr]

On my last DXN playthrough, I noticed that I had a map of the outer section of Dynamene Station (which has the observation station marked in it) in my inventory. I guess it can be a bit helpful, but I don't even recall actually making it >_>

Fun story: In 2004 I was pissed off at Grim Fandango because I got really frustrated at not advancing forwards in the game because it had a sequence where you to have to go to an office to grab one item, then go to another place to mix it with another thing and finally put it in a third place to finally advance the game. In the very beginning. I still haven't continued playing that game, and my last save is from the area immediately after the whole "crash the tube post system" scene I just described.

Now, 9+ years later... funny how things turned out >.< In retrospect, a minimap system would have been very helpful but I didn't have the skills to implement one nor the will to ask for someone on these forums to make one for me.

Off-topic: I still think that Redsun2020 is one of the best mods for DX, but it has three major faults (IMO): I hate the dialogue, the other half is unfinished and really crazy (with a post-apocalyptic lava city under Tokyo, not to mention the whole "shrunken city" sequence) and I still don't know if the player character's supposed to resemble Paul or JC.

[ggrotz]

Off-topic: I still think that Redsun2020 is one of the best mods for DX, but it has three major faults (IMO): I hate the dialogue, the other half is unfinished and really crazy (with a post-apocalyptic lava city under Tokyo, not to mention the whole "shrunken city" sequence) and I still don't know if the player character's supposed to resemble Paul or JC.

FWIW, What I thought was wrong with Redsun:
1. The plot. There really wasn't much of one. Most games don't, so I don't hold that against Redsun too heavily. The dialogue suffered, of course, because there wasn't a solid direction. Redsun really was a project that fell apart under its own weight (as do most DX mods).
2. The wandering through labyrinths. Especially the dark ones (thinking the mall levels primarily, but a few other segments too like Tokyo Station).

Those two things alone would have sunk the mod as trash, but certain maps in isolation (the bank, the lava city, the shrunken area, the whole Kabuki-Cho sequence, the tower) were great in about every sense of the word.

Over all, Redsun simply suffered for poor planning.

(As a footnote, I had a bunch of reviews of mods over on PDX, but those got bombed out...soooooo...if anyone wants my thoughts on any of the older mods, they can always ask.)