This is the First Day is based on a song by NIN by the same title. I may be showing my age, but I don't like NIN and I really don't like this song. I'm not too crazy about this level, either. There are major clues in map mode on how to play the level if you know the song, but if you don't, it's still fairly straight-forward to figure out. One cool thing - there is a chapter screen at the beginning of the level showing the marine taking out a super Jugger using the rocket launcher, while the start of the song plays. This chapter screen is a true classic. This level has the distinction of being one of only three that I had not previously mastered on TC in the TI/TI2 saga. Thanks to this volunteers series, I've had an incentive to try again and have managed to master all three - we'll get to the third one later. It's nice to know that my skills have continued to improve, in spite of my "advancing age".
This is the First Day is laid out with three distinct parts. The player starts out in a dungeon that could represent virtually any of the players trips to earth in the original time line. Although the spoiler guide suggests approaching the cavern in the dungeon from the back, I really find no advantage to this and in fact can avoid dealing with a hunter and some drones by not approaching it from the back. Even on TC, or perhaps especially on TC, it's fairly easy to engage all of the monsters in the cavern without taking significant damage. The advantage of approaching from the front is that you can activate all of the monsters at once and force them to fight each other. By ducking back out of the mouth of the cavern, you can often avoid battling these monsters for a while, although I found no need to do so myself. Which brings up an interesting point - TI and TI2 both make extensive use of zone borders to restrict monster movement. This is how a monster is prevented from leaving their assigned area, but they often will not follow you across a zone border, either. One very effective tactic, then, is to attack monsters from across zone borders or to duck back across these borders and avoid taking damage. This is a bit spazeroidish, but it can save your posterior if nothing else works.
Once you have cleared the cavern and picked up the ammo contained therein, the player can then go out the back entrance to pick up the ammo stashed there and that 2X power-up that will be desperately needed to survive the next area in what is still the fist part of the level. Don't forget to pick up the fusion pistol, either. Personally, I find that it's rather foolish to take out all the baddies as you come to them until you have a saved game. Since the pattern buffer is in the second part of the level and not available until obtaining the key from up the stairs, I strongly recommend confronting as few monsters as possible on your way to retrieving the key. If you run, it's surprisingly easy avoid them and to take only moderate damage that you can afford if you can just make it to that pattern buffer. Once you have the key and a saved game under your belt, you can go back and deal with all the MF's so that you can access the all important rocket launcher and other ammo, as well as some more 1X power-ups.
The second part of the level is, well, different. There's a dungeon area with a miniature battle going on - and I don't mean miniature in the figurative sense. The lone terminal for the level is also down here, and it alludes to the idea behind the demonstration. Beyond is an open area with a swamp and some Yeti - would the Pfhor have brought Yeti to earth with them? I don't think so, but they fit in nicely here. Finally, the player comes to a cavern with lots of friends to play with. This brings the player to the final part of the level - an open sewage-filled chasm with lots of action. Before leaping into the canyon, however, be sure to check out the other side for one of the biggest secrets in the TI/TI2 scenario. No need to worry about saving your game - you're not likely to die on the next level unless you've used up your O2.
