: The Omega is the way to get to those unreacable areas. it has blast that
: thrusts you pretty hard, with out any negitive affects. Thus getting the
: mace is more then possible with this weapon.
The mace is also the only weapon I'm aware of in any Marathon scenario that is capable of pulling the player forward (when used with the alternate trigger). Aimed upward, it can lift the player up a short wall or make it possible to jump across a rift that would otherwise be unreachable. This trick will be of significant use to us later in the game. It's too bad that the Omega Cannon is so well hidden, as the combination of this super-weapon along with the fusion mace makes much of the rest of the game survable on Deathwish. Again, if you follow my tips for finding secrets, you would notice that there is a large void where the cannon can be found - the trick is to find the entrance.
My approach to this level is completely different from Mark's. I have finished this level a couple of times now on Deathwish without even using that hidden 3X recharger, since I had never previously found the Omega or gotten the mace until John told me it was there. This last time, the level was a snap - and that was only with using the Omega once - to get the mace. Basically, I first head to to the sides rather than to the center battle. That quickly nets the player the first pattern buffer, making everything else so much easier. Try to avoid picking up that first 2X armor until your initial health is nearly depleated. Since the first part of the level is all metaloids, which are slow moving, a slow and steady approach will allow the player to take most of them out without taking much damage - until reaching the ambush. But first be sure to get the Omega cannon and fusion mace.
Once the door to the second half of the level is open, forget about the slow and steady approach. Very quick advance and retreat works well here because the monsters are oh so obliging in taking each other out. The first task is to run into the reactor room and dive immediately into the sewage in the center. You'll be long gone before the monsters you triggered have a chance to attack. As Mark noted, you can then stay under water and take very little damage, then once you surface and emerge from the water using your fusion mace to avoid the problem with shifting water levels, you can run around the organics and usually get one of them beserked so that they will take out most of the rest. In short order you'll have cleared the room, and you'll be able to see those strange sewage cannons that Mark was mentioning - you just won't be able to enter the ones you can see nor to get up to where the more interesting stuff is, but you'll be able to see it in map mode.
Now you can return to the upper reactor area using the elevator in the central column and, as Mark suggested, leap around 180 degrees as you exit, landing on a ledge behind. With any luck, most of the monsters below you are already dead, but no matter, you can deal with them later. Go through the door in the center of the ledge to access that upper area and you'll have a chance to play with the sewage cannons (and return to the lower reactor area should you fall) and get a look at one of the large battle areas you will be entering shortly. You can jump down right now if you wish, but I would recommend a slightly more deliberate approach. Return back to the ledge overlooking the upper reactor core and deal with any remaining organics there. Then enter the passages off to the sides of this room and proceed as described by Mark. I tend to favor quick advances and retreats - if you're lucky, you'll escape before getting trapped and the monsters will take each other out. Be sure to check out the terminals in the secret room with the pattern buffer - finding it is easy if you follow my suggestions. For some reason, the wall just looks tabable, but I'm not sure exactly why. Finding the elevator to the rooftop is a bit tricky - the door is fairly well hidden in a column.
All-in-all, this is an enjoyable level with lots of battles and lots to explore. My only gripe is that so many of the accessible, but secret areas, are devoid of ammo or other rewards. Maybe Ian decided that he'd overdone it a bit. In any case, I generally don't lose a lot of shield strength here on Deathwish as the monsters and marines do most of the fighting, leaving me to strategize. Excellent work, Ian, even if your textures are often mis-aligned.
