Marathon Redux (Alpha 0.013) Spoiler Guide Part 3


	/-/S'pht-Translator-Active/-/

Marathon Redux (Alpha 0.013) Spoiler Guide Part 3

Posted By: Lion O Cyborg Date: 12/27/21 5:15 a.m.

WARNING: This is not representative of the final product and anything in the game depicted here is subject to change. This is just a recording of a beta test I’m doing for the mod creator. DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE GAME TO BE SPOILED FOR YOU. I’m dead serious. Like Parts 1+2, this was originally written in mid 2020 and the version you will see here is heavily modified. This was originally part of Part 2 but I had to split it up into chunks for the story page, even after trimming it down significantly.
E5M5/Map20: Beware of Low-Flying Defence Drones
The bit I enter now has a skylight so I can see the ship I just came from. It’s now around Map17 that you are less likely to see jump pads by terminals such as in this one. This is because of Durandal’s modifications to the Marathon’s teleporters thanks to the S’pht, making it a much more appropriate time to drop the pads, whereas the original gives up by Map02.

See, this alongside the broken lights by the troll room passageway door are 2 more examples of secret doors done right. The troll room armoury in early/ios M1A1 could be entered but since you couldn’t refill your clip by picking up another gun on Total Carnage in M1A1, there wasn’t much point in that case. The old Redux build kept the passage but locked the door. This alpha does the same but changes the passageway to a rusted duct flooded with lava.

They wouldn’t go that far without making the door at the end openable somehow, to reward the player for taking the risk of following the lava (I haven’t tested if the M1 Classic Total Carnage gun refil works in Redux yet) so I assume there’s a switch or a trigger somewhere to open it since the Use key doesn’t work. If it’s not been implemented yet, don’t sweat it. I’m happy enough the passage is more interesting.
(Note: In my Total Carnage run, I did manage to get into this room after all though I don't know how I was able to open the door. It must have been a trigger or a switch because using the Use key on it doesn't work.)

Shouldn’t Tycho’s terminal text now be red instead of white like it started out as? This is the point where he turned against Durandal. Then again, it could be yellow instead like the S’pht: they are the ones who rebuilt him. Then, the text could be red by the time Tycho actually sides with the Pfhor.
E5M6/Map21: Eufphoria
I think the reason for that pfhor pun is because this area is meant to be the Sfiera’s recreation section and sleeping quarters.

Youch. That’s looks painful: In M1 Classic, getting too close this table damaged you as it was counted as a major ouch sector like the actual slime pools. I wonder what the Bob specimens in this area are for? Then again, it doesn’t bear thinking about considering the map title. Juggernauts now patrol outside the windows.
I noticed in the Pfhor ship levels that the elevators use both their M1 and M2 sounds: the buzzsaw noises are just for when it starts up and stops, while the M2 pfhor lift noises are for when the platforms are actually moving. Aside from the jelly fountains and the pillar in the living room with the wasps being see-through now, it’s more or less the same. I have to say I’m impressed with all the Pfhor ship levels so far. Anything wrong with them is minor at best (except the pretzel arena teleporter not working right) and the things I REALLY liked such as being able to get out of the ship on Map19 gave me some ideas for how to expand them.
E5M7/Map22: Pfhoraphobia
Hands down, the worst level of the late game in the original. Hard as hell, no save terminal, the M1A1 version has a glitchy goal code (you need to actually touch the areas marked as “explore here” like in M2 instead of simply looking at them) and the boss fight that Durandal foreshadowed eariler is a shitty cop-out done a similar way to the W’rknacnter avatar in Pathways into Darkness, only even easier as the Pfhor cyborg takes a single rocket to the face before you even start fighting his guards.
Like the escort quest’s, Redux’s version is a good map instead: it aims to replace that anticlimax with a proper boss fight, and it started with the old alpha build having the Controller Pfhor move back and forth trying to dodge your shots and rockets didn’t work anymore, forcing you to use other weapons. All it needed then was an attack or two and you’d have a proper boss fight.
Trying this time, it seems the boss now functions identically to the original, keeping only its immunity to rockets. Disappointing, but not a deal breaker. Unlike the original, you now get sounds of small arms fire and see huge explosions from juggernauts as the S’pht begin rebelling immediately and no longer attack you. Normally they only start helping you out in the next map. I’d love to know how this was achieved. I also notice that the controller seemed to have an energy shield in front of it, blocking the majority of your shots. The havok rifle punches right past it however.
For the next build, restore the controllers dodging, keep the shield but make the havok rifle less overpowered against it and give the controller attacks of his own. Perhaps plasma flamethrowers from M2’s enforcers maybe, or a bullet hell of fighter shots.
A word of caution: MIND THE OTHER FORCE FIELD IN THE NORTH END OF THE MAP. It’s entirely possible to jump out of the ship here, where your health and oxygen will both be rapidly drained.
E5M8/Map23: Ain’t Got Time Pfhor This
Not much is changed here either but you can now destroy the eggs –actually pupae as opposed to their actual eggs- in the Pfhor nursery.

The pupae just shatter like glass with a little phut however. That’s lame. What I’d do instead is have them squelch apart and show the dying, half-transformed Pfhor climbing out, covered in Pfhor blood, yolk and gibs. I just thought now, are they actually egg shaped pupae or are they some kind of sleeping chamber that looks like eggs? I can't remember if the post I read about them said they were pupae or the latter, though they definitely aren't eggs like I thought the first time I played Marathon 1.
You can also destroy the pupa in the engine room(?), which if I may say so myself looks smashing with the reactor’s texture update.

EPISODE 6: Rebellion
E6M1/Map24: Welcome to The Revolution

The level is yet again more or less the same as before except now the M1A1 shimmering lava is restored.

Redux

“Original” shimmering liquid from M1A1

Original hotplate polygons from M1 Classic
I couldn’t tell as I did it anyway, but I think you no longer have to grenade jump to reach the final Tycho terminal as there’s a tiny lift in front of it to lift you up. The only thing I can suggest here is to overhaul the cargo holds completely to look like actual cargo holds instead of 4 small empty rooms.
I also notice the Admin@Thermopylae.com notice in Leela’s terminal has been changed to a similar Mac OS error to the one that appears when you have the enforcer weapons.
E6M2/Map25: Try Again
Perfect map in Redux, only thing missing is maybe some lava proof turbines in the lava falls for generating extra power as the rock flows back to the reactors and maybe some civillian volcanic park areas. (the latter is less necessary) The lighting and color coding in the textures looks better now and the pools have much deeper areas, such as the M1A1 pools at the start of the map.

Infinity’s Vidmaster challenge version did something similar to that, as those pools are now way deeper than M1A1’s deep ones.

As I said before, Juggernaut rockets seem to now work the same as M1 Classic, only with updated sprites.

I love the weir design for the lava canals in this area. Unlike Infinity’s version which just had really deep lava all the way around, Redux saves the deep bit for the end –also like in M1A1 but deeper- and adds little river groins over the falls. In the older alpha (or at least one of them), The lava falls continued under the surface in tiered steps that reminded me of a fish ladder. I like that too.

Speaking of tiered steps, get a load of this! Try Again is now one of my favourite levels in Redux next to the fixed escort quests, Habe Quiddam, FIREX5, Defend THIS, Cool Fusion, G4 Sunbathing, Couch Fishing and Two Times Two Equals. There’s a similar one on the other side.
Leela teleports in ammo in the corridor to the jump pad. There also appear to be new drains carrying the lava from open river to open river like a creek in a city, but there doesn’t appear to be a way to climb out, unless in the Fusion Vent, you jump from the weir to the teleporter platformers or simply climb the magma ziggurat.
The creek near the final juggernaut in engineering storage is now flowing fast and you can clearly see it feeding the fusion vent river if you follow it.

Coming to the area behind the start, looking at the cooled lava pipes on the walls here, I wonder if the area Try Again is set in is the head of the lava rivers at the terminal end of those pipes? That makes the final map the mouth. These are also the only lava pipes in the game not to play the lava sound when standing next to them.
The secret in engineering storage now has 3 active camo/transparency chips in it so take them all before talking to Leela.
E6M3/Map26: Ingue Ferroque
Unlike the original, this map is no longer the “flaming dick” move it was. Not only does the havok rifle come in handy for tough spots like the credits terminal, but the 3 active camo chips make you even more invisible in the dark recesses of the Marathon’s upper core. The CD version of Splash is perfect for this area and makes me feel like a right badass. The Eupfhoria version too as both are well suited to Redux. Craig’s version of Splash is great too, but it suits the climax of Marathon Eternal X better, especially considering it was written specifically for it. On top of weapons for the credits terminal, the Overshield chip from early/ios M1A1 is kept as well to help you. The original didn’t have it, making surviving without finding the secret pattern buffer a right pain in the ass.

With my jump plugin, I can just hop up there no worries. Vidmasters who play vidding runs cannot do this however. It’s back to hitting the upper lift switch with grenades for you. (not fusion because you cannot shoot where you can use grenades, unless scratch starting)

“The knowledge, so much so fast. It’s glorious!”

Wow! The new lava texture is even more beautiful when you look at it up close!

No longer do you need to hit the switch in the 5D maze in order to open this secret. In the main M1A1 and M1 Classic, this is just a secret pattern buffer hidden in the wall. In early M1A1 and the original ios Marathon, this secret debuted here: it’s a second credits terminal dedicated to M1A1 specifically. You won’t find this in the final version of M1A1 before Aleph One could support the original files.

Marathon 2 and Infinity style messages go for this one. I appreciate their work as M1A1’s final build is how I first played Marathon 1. I also appreciate Liacrow’s work on Marathon Redux as it makes Marathon 1 even more enjoyable than it already was, effectively rendering the original M1A1 obsolete. Even though it’s just an alpha, I really loved playing through the mod as a beta test and I look forward to trying out future builds to see what’s changed.

That’s dedication right there, recovering the WAD (merged map) off the floppy game for making M1A1 (at least, I think that’s what he means by that, given how it’s worded). Makes me think of how Strife was reverse engineered for new systems, which led to the creation of Chocolate Strife for Doom engine ports like GZ Doom and later, the Strife Veteran Edition on GOG & Steam. That bottom message however gets really weird.

To cut a long story short, Pfhor science students implant simulacrum conversion devices in earth life for their exams.

A Good Way to Die is a level exclusive to the early ios version of Marathon, accessed via the level select screen when using Master Chief Mode (a micropayment option for some odd reason), but due to the buggy nature of the HD and Master Chief Mode microtransactions in the ios game, trying to load the map causes the whole game to crash and I never got to play it.

As of the final version of M1A1, the Pathways into Darkness area on Arrival no longer exists so the start is identical to M1 Classic. I didn’t even know it existed until I saw Shudaki’s let’s play. We already saw in Redux that we have a much better new opening to Arrival than the PID reference.

The music in Marathon is so good due to that.. The QT 3.0 tracks are garbage. Thankfully, other than the CD enhanced tracks Alex did and the Eupfhoria OST tracks both of which I’ve been using during this guide, there also exists versions of the original MIDIs called Chibi-usa that were upgraded to actually sound good in modern QuickTime. Namely the 2013 version.
http://www.themarathonmusic.com/music/other/chibi.zip
Ross Scott explains the thinking behind how such mods get made in his Strife review:
https://youtu.be/oPrU7LSqiX0?t=972

Likewise. Thank all of you so much for keeping it going and especially for Marathon Eternal and this mod.
EPILOGUE

E6M4/Map27: Roots and Radicals
Sound familiar? That’s the name of a failure plank map in episode 1 of Marathon Eternal X and for good reason: It’s a brand new Redux exclusive map set on the bridge of the Marathon! It uses the same architecture from Eternal but uses Marathon 1’s textures. Unlike Marathon 1 where you just teleport off to Boomer with no explanation, Marathon Redux has an ending that doesn’t suck.
I start by a terminal outside Durandal’s central AI core. The switch doesn’t work so I can’t get inside.

Don’t stop running on the main floor of the bridge or else you’ll get teleported away. We don’t want to do that yet.

I see the radar screen from Eternal is still going strong

Since Durandal isn’t here, the AI Core access terminal by the radar doesn’t detect him or another AI.

Buttons!

This is the main helm of the Marathon. I step over a bit to admire the view of Tau Ceti e and the ice desert colony below and…

And this is our new sequel hook to Marathon 2.

TO BE CONTINUED…
http://forums.bungie.org/story/?read=64448
Thank you for creating Redux. It, Eternal and Tempus Irae are my three favourite Marathon mods.

[ Post a Reply | Message Index | Read Prev Msg | Read Next Msg ]
Pre-2004 Posts

Your Name:
Your E-Mail Address:
Subject:
Message:
: WARNING: This is not representative of the final product and anything in the : game depicted here is subject to change. This is just a recording of a : beta test I’m doing for the mod creator. DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE IF YOU : DO NOT WANT THE GAME TO BE SPOILED FOR YOU. I’m dead serious. Like Parts : 1+2, this was originally written in mid 2020 and the version you will see : here is heavily modified. This was originally part of Part 2 but I had to : split it up into chunks for the story page, even after trimming it down : significantly. : E5M5/Map20: Beware of Low-Flying Defence Drones : The bit I enter now has a skylight so I can see the ship I just came from. : It’s now around Map17 that you are less likely to see jump pads by : terminals such as in this one. This is because of Durandal’s modifications : to the Marathon’s teleporters thanks to the S’pht, making it a much more : appropriate time to drop the pads, whereas the original gives up by Map02. : : See, this alongside the broken lights by the troll room passageway door are 2 : more examples of secret doors done right. The troll room armoury in : early/ios M1A1 could be entered but since you couldn’t refill your clip by : picking up another gun on Total Carnage in M1A1, there wasn’t much point : in that case. The old Redux build kept the passage but locked the door. : This alpha does the same but changes the passageway to a rusted duct : flooded with lava. : : They wouldn’t go that far without making the door at the end openable : somehow, to reward the player for taking the risk of following the lava (I : haven’t tested if the M1 Classic Total Carnage gun refil works in Redux : yet) so I assume there’s a switch or a trigger somewhere to open it since : the Use key doesn’t work. If it’s not been implemented yet, don’t sweat : it. I’m happy enough the passage is more interesting. : (Note: In my Total Carnage run, I did manage to get into this room after all : though I don't know how I was able to open the door. It must have been a : trigger or a switch because using the Use key on it doesn't work.) : : : Shouldn’t Tycho’s terminal text now be red instead of white like it started : out as? This is the point where he turned against Durandal. Then again, it : could be yellow instead like the S’pht: they are the ones who rebuilt him. : Then, the text could be red by the time Tycho actually sides with the : Pfhor. : E5M6/Map21: Eufphoria : I think the reason for that pfhor pun is because this area is meant to be the : Sfiera’s recreation section and sleeping quarters. : : Youch. That’s looks painful: In M1 Classic, getting too close this table : damaged you as it was counted as a major ouch sector like the actual slime : pools. I wonder what the Bob specimens in this area are for? Then again, : it doesn’t bear thinking about considering the map title. Juggernauts now : patrol outside the windows. : I noticed in the Pfhor ship levels that the elevators use both their M1 and : M2 sounds: the buzzsaw noises are just for when it starts up and stops, : while the M2 pfhor lift noises are for when the platforms are actually : moving. Aside from the jelly fountains and the pillar in the living room : with the wasps being see-through now, it’s more or less the same. I have : to say I’m impressed with all the Pfhor ship levels so far. Anything wrong : with them is minor at best (except the pretzel arena teleporter not : working right) and the things I REALLY liked such as being able to get out : of the ship on Map19 gave me some ideas for how to expand them. : E5M7/Map22: Pfhoraphobia : Hands down, the worst level of the late game in the original. Hard as hell, : no save terminal, the M1A1 version has a glitchy goal code (you need to : actually touch the areas marked as “explore here” like in M2 instead of : simply looking at them) and the boss fight that Durandal foreshadowed : eariler is a shitty cop-out done a similar way to the W’rknacnter avatar : in Pathways into Darkness, only even easier as the Pfhor cyborg takes a : single rocket to the face before you even start fighting his guards. : Like the escort quest’s, Redux’s version is a good map instead: it aims to : replace that anticlimax with a proper boss fight, and it started with the : old alpha build having the Controller Pfhor move back and forth trying to : dodge your shots and rockets didn’t work anymore, forcing you to use other : weapons. All it needed then was an attack or two and you’d have a proper : boss fight. : Trying this time, it seems the boss now functions identically to the : original, keeping only its immunity to rockets. Disappointing, but not a : deal breaker. Unlike the original, you now get sounds of small arms fire : and see huge explosions from juggernauts as the S’pht begin rebelling : immediately and no longer attack you. Normally they only start helping you : out in the next map. I’d love to know how this was achieved. I also notice : that the controller seemed to have an energy shield in front of it, : blocking the majority of your shots. The havok rifle punches right past it : however. : For the next build, restore the controllers dodging, keep the shield but make : the havok rifle less overpowered against it and give the controller : attacks of his own. Perhaps plasma flamethrowers from M2’s enforcers : maybe, or a bullet hell of fighter shots. : A word of caution: MIND THE OTHER FORCE FIELD IN THE NORTH END OF THE MAP. : It’s entirely possible to jump out of the ship here, where your health and : oxygen will both be rapidly drained. : E5M8/Map23: Ain’t Got Time Pfhor This : Not much is changed here either but you can now destroy the eggs –actually : pupae as opposed to their actual eggs- in the Pfhor nursery. : : The pupae just shatter like glass with a little phut however. That’s lame. : What I’d do instead is have them squelch apart and show the dying, : half-transformed Pfhor climbing out, covered in Pfhor blood, yolk and : gibs. I just thought now, are they actually egg shaped pupae or are they : some kind of sleeping chamber that looks like eggs? I can't remember if : the post I read about them said they were pupae or the latter, though they : definitely aren't eggs like I thought the first time I played Marathon 1. : You can also destroy the pupa in the engine room(?), which if I may say so : myself looks smashing with the reactor’s texture update. : : EPISODE 6: Rebellion : E6M1/Map24: Welcome to The Revolution : : The level is yet again more or less the same as before except now the M1A1 : shimmering lava is restored. : : Redux : : “Original” shimmering liquid from M1A1 : : Original hotplate polygons from M1 Classic : I couldn’t tell as I did it anyway, but I think you no longer have to grenade : jump to reach the final Tycho terminal as there’s a tiny lift in front of : it to lift you up. The only thing I can suggest here is to overhaul the : cargo holds completely to look like actual cargo holds instead of 4 small : empty rooms. : I also notice the Admin@Thermopylae.com notice in Leela’s terminal has been : changed to a similar Mac OS error to the one that appears when you have : the enforcer weapons. : E6M2/Map25: Try Again : Perfect map in Redux, only thing missing is maybe some lava proof turbines in : the lava falls for generating extra power as the rock flows back to the : reactors and maybe some civillian volcanic park areas. (the latter is less : necessary) The lighting and color coding in the textures looks better now : and the pools have much deeper areas, such as the M1A1 pools at the start : of the map. : : Infinity’s Vidmaster challenge version did something similar to that, as : those pools are now way deeper than M1A1’s deep ones. : : As I said before, Juggernaut rockets seem to now work the same as M1 Classic, : only with updated sprites. : : I love the weir design for the lava canals in this area. Unlike Infinity’s : version which just had really deep lava all the way around, Redux saves : the deep bit for the end –also like in M1A1 but deeper- and adds little : river groins over the falls. In the older alpha (or at least one of them), : The lava falls continued under the surface in tiered steps that reminded : me of a fish ladder. I like that too. : : : Speaking of tiered steps, get a load of this! Try Again is now one of my : favourite levels in Redux next to the fixed escort quests, Habe Quiddam, : FIREX5, Defend THIS, Cool Fusion, G4 Sunbathing, Couch Fishing and Two : Times Two Equals. There’s a similar one on the other side. : Leela teleports in ammo in the corridor to the jump pad. There also appear to : be new drains carrying the lava from open river to open river like a creek : in a city, but there doesn’t appear to be a way to climb out, unless in : the Fusion Vent, you jump from the weir to the teleporter platformers or : simply climb the magma ziggurat. : The creek near the final juggernaut in engineering storage is now flowing : fast and you can clearly see it feeding the fusion vent river if you : follow it. : : Coming to the area behind the start, looking at the cooled lava pipes on the : walls here, I wonder if the area Try Again is set in is the head of the : lava rivers at the terminal end of those pipes? That makes the final map : the mouth. These are also the only lava pipes in the game not to play the : lava sound when standing next to them. : The secret in engineering storage now has 3 active camo/transparency chips in : it so take them all before talking to Leela. : E6M3/Map26: Ingue Ferroque : Unlike the original, this map is no longer the “flaming dick” move it was. : Not only does the havok rifle come in handy for tough spots like the : credits terminal, but the 3 active camo chips make you even more invisible : in the dark recesses of the Marathon’s upper core. The CD version of : Splash is perfect for this area and makes me feel like a right badass. The : Eupfhoria version too as both are well suited to Redux. Craig’s version of : Splash is great too, but it suits the climax of Marathon Eternal X better, : especially considering it was written specifically for it. On top of : weapons for the credits terminal, the Overshield chip from early/ios M1A1 : is kept as well to help you. The original didn’t have it, making surviving : without finding the secret pattern buffer a right pain in the ass. : : With my jump plugin, I can just hop up there no worries. Vidmasters who play : vidding runs cannot do this however. It’s back to hitting the upper lift : switch with grenades for you. (not fusion because you cannot shoot where : you can use grenades, unless scratch starting) : : “The knowledge, so much so fast. It’s glorious!” : : : Wow! The new lava texture is even more beautiful when you look at it up : close! : : No longer do you need to hit the switch in the 5D maze in order to open this : secret. In the main M1A1 and M1 Classic, this is just a secret pattern : buffer hidden in the wall. In early M1A1 and the original ios Marathon, : this secret debuted here: it’s a second credits terminal dedicated to M1A1 : specifically. You won’t find this in the final version of M1A1 before : Aleph One could support the original files. : : : Marathon 2 and Infinity style messages go for this one. I appreciate their : work as M1A1’s final build is how I first played Marathon 1. I also : appreciate Liacrow’s work on Marathon Redux as it makes Marathon 1 even : more enjoyable than it already was, effectively rendering the original : M1A1 obsolete. Even though it’s just an alpha, I really loved playing : through the mod as a beta test and I look forward to trying out future : builds to see what’s changed. : : : That’s dedication right there, recovering the WAD (merged map) off the floppy : game for making M1A1 (at least, I think that’s what he means by that, : given how it’s worded). Makes me think of how Strife was reverse : engineered for new systems, which led to the creation of Chocolate Strife : for Doom engine ports like GZ Doom and later, the Strife Veteran Edition : on GOG & Steam. That bottom message however gets really weird. : : : : : To cut a long story short, Pfhor science students implant simulacrum : conversion devices in earth life for their exams. : : : : : A Good Way to Die is a level exclusive to the early ios version of Marathon, : accessed via the level select screen when using Master Chief Mode (a : micropayment option for some odd reason), but due to the buggy nature of : the HD and Master Chief Mode microtransactions in the ios game, trying to : load the map causes the whole game to crash and I never got to play it. : : As of the final version of M1A1, the Pathways into Darkness area on Arrival : no longer exists so the start is identical to M1 Classic. I didn’t even : know it existed until I saw Shudaki’s let’s play. We already saw in Redux : that we have a much better new opening to Arrival than the PID reference. : : The music in Marathon is so good due to that.. The QT 3.0 tracks are garbage. : Thankfully, other than the CD enhanced tracks Alex did and the Eupfhoria : OST tracks both of which I’ve been using during this guide, there also : exists versions of the original MIDIs called Chibi-usa that were upgraded : to actually sound good in modern QuickTime. Namely the 2013 version. : http://www.themarathonmusic.com/music/other/chibi.zip : Ross Scott explains the thinking behind how such mods get made in his Strife : review: https://youtu.be/oPrU7LSqiX0?t=972 : : Likewise. Thank all of you so much for keeping it going and especially for : Marathon Eternal and this mod. : EPILOGUE : : E6M4/Map27: Roots and Radicals : Sound familiar? That’s the name of a failure plank map in episode 1 of : Marathon Eternal X and for good reason: It’s a brand new Redux exclusive : map set on the bridge of the Marathon! It uses the same architecture from : Eternal but uses Marathon 1’s textures. Unlike Marathon 1 where you just : teleport off to Boomer with no explanation, Marathon Redux has an ending : that doesn’t suck. : I start by a terminal outside Durandal’s central AI core. The switch doesn’t : work so I can’t get inside. : : : : : Don’t stop running on the main floor of the bridge or else you’ll get : teleported away. We don’t want to do that yet. : : I see the radar screen from Eternal is still going strong : : Since Durandal isn’t here, the AI Core access terminal by the radar doesn’t : detect him or another AI. : : Buttons! : : This is the main helm of the Marathon. I step over a bit to admire the view : of Tau Ceti e and the ice desert colony below and… : : And this is our new sequel hook to Marathon 2. : : TO BE CONTINUED… : http://forums.bungie.org/story/?read=64448 : Thank you for creating Redux. It, Eternal and Tempus Irae are my three : favourite Marathon mods.

If you'd like to include a link to another page with your message,
please provide both the URL address and the title of the page:
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:

If necessary, enter your password below:
Password:

Problems? Suggestions? Comments? Email maintainer@bungie.org
Marathon's Story Forum is maintained with WebBBS 5.12.



	Your Name:
	Your E-Mail Address:
	Subject:
	Message: : WARNING: This is not representative of the final product and anything in the : game depicted here is subject to change. This is just a recording of a : beta test I’m doing for the mod creator. DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE IF YOU : DO NOT WANT THE GAME TO BE SPOILED FOR YOU. I’m dead serious. Like Parts : 1+2, this was originally written in mid 2020 and the version you will see : here is heavily modified. This was originally part of Part 2 but I had to : split it up into chunks for the story page, even after trimming it down : significantly. : E5M5/Map20: Beware of Low-Flying Defence Drones : The bit I enter now has a skylight so I can see the ship I just came from. : It’s now around Map17 that you are less likely to see jump pads by : terminals such as in this one. This is because of Durandal’s modifications : to the Marathon’s teleporters thanks to the S’pht, making it a much more : appropriate time to drop the pads, whereas the original gives up by Map02. : : See, this alongside the broken lights by the troll room passageway door are 2 : more examples of secret doors done right. The troll room armoury in : early/ios M1A1 could be entered but since you couldn’t refill your clip by : picking up another gun on Total Carnage in M1A1, there wasn’t much point : in that case. The old Redux build kept the passage but locked the door. : This alpha does the same but changes the passageway to a rusted duct : flooded with lava. : : They wouldn’t go that far without making the door at the end openable : somehow, to reward the player for taking the risk of following the lava (I : haven’t tested if the M1 Classic Total Carnage gun refil works in Redux : yet) so I assume there’s a switch or a trigger somewhere to open it since : the Use key doesn’t work. If it’s not been implemented yet, don’t sweat : it. I’m happy enough the passage is more interesting. : (Note: In my Total Carnage run, I did manage to get into this room after all : though I don't know how I was able to open the door. It must have been a : trigger or a switch because using the Use key on it doesn't work.) : : : Shouldn’t Tycho’s terminal text now be red instead of white like it started : out as? This is the point where he turned against Durandal. Then again, it : could be yellow instead like the S’pht: they are the ones who rebuilt him. : Then, the text could be red by the time Tycho actually sides with the : Pfhor. : E5M6/Map21: Eufphoria : I think the reason for that pfhor pun is because this area is meant to be the : Sfiera’s recreation section and sleeping quarters. : : Youch. That’s looks painful: In M1 Classic, getting too close this table : damaged you as it was counted as a major ouch sector like the actual slime : pools. I wonder what the Bob specimens in this area are for? Then again, : it doesn’t bear thinking about considering the map title. Juggernauts now : patrol outside the windows. : I noticed in the Pfhor ship levels that the elevators use both their M1 and : M2 sounds: the buzzsaw noises are just for when it starts up and stops, : while the M2 pfhor lift noises are for when the platforms are actually : moving. Aside from the jelly fountains and the pillar in the living room : with the wasps being see-through now, it’s more or less the same. I have : to say I’m impressed with all the Pfhor ship levels so far. Anything wrong : with them is minor at best (except the pretzel arena teleporter not : working right) and the things I REALLY liked such as being able to get out : of the ship on Map19 gave me some ideas for how to expand them. : E5M7/Map22: Pfhoraphobia : Hands down, the worst level of the late game in the original. Hard as hell, : no save terminal, the M1A1 version has a glitchy goal code (you need to : actually touch the areas marked as “explore here” like in M2 instead of : simply looking at them) and the boss fight that Durandal foreshadowed : eariler is a shitty cop-out done a similar way to the W’rknacnter avatar : in Pathways into Darkness, only even easier as the Pfhor cyborg takes a : single rocket to the face before you even start fighting his guards. : Like the escort quest’s, Redux’s version is a good map instead: it aims to : replace that anticlimax with a proper boss fight, and it started with the : old alpha build having the Controller Pfhor move back and forth trying to : dodge your shots and rockets didn’t work anymore, forcing you to use other : weapons. All it needed then was an attack or two and you’d have a proper : boss fight. : Trying this time, it seems the boss now functions identically to the : original, keeping only its immunity to rockets. Disappointing, but not a : deal breaker. Unlike the original, you now get sounds of small arms fire : and see huge explosions from juggernauts as the S’pht begin rebelling : immediately and no longer attack you. Normally they only start helping you : out in the next map. I’d love to know how this was achieved. I also notice : that the controller seemed to have an energy shield in front of it, : blocking the majority of your shots. The havok rifle punches right past it : however. : For the next build, restore the controllers dodging, keep the shield but make : the havok rifle less overpowered against it and give the controller : attacks of his own. Perhaps plasma flamethrowers from M2’s enforcers : maybe, or a bullet hell of fighter shots. : A word of caution: MIND THE OTHER FORCE FIELD IN THE NORTH END OF THE MAP. : It’s entirely possible to jump out of the ship here, where your health and : oxygen will both be rapidly drained. : E5M8/Map23: Ain’t Got Time Pfhor This : Not much is changed here either but you can now destroy the eggs –actually : pupae as opposed to their actual eggs- in the Pfhor nursery. : : The pupae just shatter like glass with a little phut however. That’s lame. : What I’d do instead is have them squelch apart and show the dying, : half-transformed Pfhor climbing out, covered in Pfhor blood, yolk and : gibs. I just thought now, are they actually egg shaped pupae or are they : some kind of sleeping chamber that looks like eggs? I can't remember if : the post I read about them said they were pupae or the latter, though they : definitely aren't eggs like I thought the first time I played Marathon 1. : You can also destroy the pupa in the engine room(?), which if I may say so : myself looks smashing with the reactor’s texture update. : : EPISODE 6: Rebellion : E6M1/Map24: Welcome to The Revolution : : The level is yet again more or less the same as before except now the M1A1 : shimmering lava is restored. : : Redux : : “Original” shimmering liquid from M1A1 : : Original hotplate polygons from M1 Classic : I couldn’t tell as I did it anyway, but I think you no longer have to grenade : jump to reach the final Tycho terminal as there’s a tiny lift in front of : it to lift you up. The only thing I can suggest here is to overhaul the : cargo holds completely to look like actual cargo holds instead of 4 small : empty rooms. : I also notice the Admin@Thermopylae.com notice in Leela’s terminal has been : changed to a similar Mac OS error to the one that appears when you have : the enforcer weapons. : E6M2/Map25: Try Again : Perfect map in Redux, only thing missing is maybe some lava proof turbines in : the lava falls for generating extra power as the rock flows back to the : reactors and maybe some civillian volcanic park areas. (the latter is less : necessary) The lighting and color coding in the textures looks better now : and the pools have much deeper areas, such as the M1A1 pools at the start : of the map. : : Infinity’s Vidmaster challenge version did something similar to that, as : those pools are now way deeper than M1A1’s deep ones. : : As I said before, Juggernaut rockets seem to now work the same as M1 Classic, : only with updated sprites. : : I love the weir design for the lava canals in this area. Unlike Infinity’s : version which just had really deep lava all the way around, Redux saves : the deep bit for the end –also like in M1A1 but deeper- and adds little : river groins over the falls. In the older alpha (or at least one of them), : The lava falls continued under the surface in tiered steps that reminded : me of a fish ladder. I like that too. : : : Speaking of tiered steps, get a load of this! Try Again is now one of my : favourite levels in Redux next to the fixed escort quests, Habe Quiddam, : FIREX5, Defend THIS, Cool Fusion, G4 Sunbathing, Couch Fishing and Two : Times Two Equals. There’s a similar one on the other side. : Leela teleports in ammo in the corridor to the jump pad. There also appear to : be new drains carrying the lava from open river to open river like a creek : in a city, but there doesn’t appear to be a way to climb out, unless in : the Fusion Vent, you jump from the weir to the teleporter platformers or : simply climb the magma ziggurat. : The creek near the final juggernaut in engineering storage is now flowing : fast and you can clearly see it feeding the fusion vent river if you : follow it. : : Coming to the area behind the start, looking at the cooled lava pipes on the : walls here, I wonder if the area Try Again is set in is the head of the : lava rivers at the terminal end of those pipes? That makes the final map : the mouth. These are also the only lava pipes in the game not to play the : lava sound when standing next to them. : The secret in engineering storage now has 3 active camo/transparency chips in : it so take them all before talking to Leela. : E6M3/Map26: Ingue Ferroque : Unlike the original, this map is no longer the “flaming dick” move it was. : Not only does the havok rifle come in handy for tough spots like the : credits terminal, but the 3 active camo chips make you even more invisible : in the dark recesses of the Marathon’s upper core. The CD version of : Splash is perfect for this area and makes me feel like a right badass. The : Eupfhoria version too as both are well suited to Redux. Craig’s version of : Splash is great too, but it suits the climax of Marathon Eternal X better, : especially considering it was written specifically for it. On top of : weapons for the credits terminal, the Overshield chip from early/ios M1A1 : is kept as well to help you. The original didn’t have it, making surviving : without finding the secret pattern buffer a right pain in the ass. : : With my jump plugin, I can just hop up there no worries. Vidmasters who play : vidding runs cannot do this however. It’s back to hitting the upper lift : switch with grenades for you. (not fusion because you cannot shoot where : you can use grenades, unless scratch starting) : : “The knowledge, so much so fast. It’s glorious!” : : : Wow! The new lava texture is even more beautiful when you look at it up : close! : : No longer do you need to hit the switch in the 5D maze in order to open this : secret. In the main M1A1 and M1 Classic, this is just a secret pattern : buffer hidden in the wall. In early M1A1 and the original ios Marathon, : this secret debuted here: it’s a second credits terminal dedicated to M1A1 : specifically. You won’t find this in the final version of M1A1 before : Aleph One could support the original files. : : : Marathon 2 and Infinity style messages go for this one. I appreciate their : work as M1A1’s final build is how I first played Marathon 1. I also : appreciate Liacrow’s work on Marathon Redux as it makes Marathon 1 even : more enjoyable than it already was, effectively rendering the original : M1A1 obsolete. Even though it’s just an alpha, I really loved playing : through the mod as a beta test and I look forward to trying out future : builds to see what’s changed. : : : That’s dedication right there, recovering the WAD (merged map) off the floppy : game for making M1A1 (at least, I think that’s what he means by that, : given how it’s worded). Makes me think of how Strife was reverse : engineered for new systems, which led to the creation of Chocolate Strife : for Doom engine ports like GZ Doom and later, the Strife Veteran Edition : on GOG & Steam. That bottom message however gets really weird. : : : : : To cut a long story short, Pfhor science students implant simulacrum : conversion devices in earth life for their exams. : : : : : A Good Way to Die is a level exclusive to the early ios version of Marathon, : accessed via the level select screen when using Master Chief Mode (a : micropayment option for some odd reason), but due to the buggy nature of : the HD and Master Chief Mode microtransactions in the ios game, trying to : load the map causes the whole game to crash and I never got to play it. : : As of the final version of M1A1, the Pathways into Darkness area on Arrival : no longer exists so the start is identical to M1 Classic. I didn’t even : know it existed until I saw Shudaki’s let’s play. We already saw in Redux : that we have a much better new opening to Arrival than the PID reference. : : The music in Marathon is so good due to that.. The QT 3.0 tracks are garbage. : Thankfully, other than the CD enhanced tracks Alex did and the Eupfhoria : OST tracks both of which I’ve been using during this guide, there also : exists versions of the original MIDIs called Chibi-usa that were upgraded : to actually sound good in modern QuickTime. Namely the 2013 version. : http://www.themarathonmusic.com/music/other/chibi.zip : Ross Scott explains the thinking behind how such mods get made in his Strife : review: https://youtu.be/oPrU7LSqiX0?t=972 : : Likewise. Thank all of you so much for keeping it going and especially for : Marathon Eternal and this mod. : EPILOGUE : : E6M4/Map27: Roots and Radicals : Sound familiar? That’s the name of a failure plank map in episode 1 of : Marathon Eternal X and for good reason: It’s a brand new Redux exclusive : map set on the bridge of the Marathon! It uses the same architecture from : Eternal but uses Marathon 1’s textures. Unlike Marathon 1 where you just : teleport off to Boomer with no explanation, Marathon Redux has an ending : that doesn’t suck. : I start by a terminal outside Durandal’s central AI core. The switch doesn’t : work so I can’t get inside. : : : : : Don’t stop running on the main floor of the bridge or else you’ll get : teleported away. We don’t want to do that yet. : : I see the radar screen from Eternal is still going strong : : Since Durandal isn’t here, the AI Core access terminal by the radar doesn’t : detect him or another AI. : : Buttons! : : This is the main helm of the Marathon. I step over a bit to admire the view : of Tau Ceti e and the ice desert colony below and… : : And this is our new sequel hook to Marathon 2. : : TO BE CONTINUED… : http://forums.bungie.org/story/?read=64448 : Thank you for creating Redux. It, Eternal and Tempus Irae are my three : favourite Marathon mods.
	If you'd like to include a link to another page with your message, please provide both the URL address and the title of the page:
	Optional Link URL:
	Optional Link Title:
	If necessary, enter your password below:
	Password: