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	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!
	Posted By: Mark Levin	Date: 7/29/01 10:51 a.m.
	In Response To: Volunteers -- Defend THIS! (7revor Smith) I agree, this level was almost Doom-like in its linearity and use of arbitrary puzzles. Why on Earth is the Marathon's crtitical defense control system in an area so hazardouse and difficult to navigate? It's hidden behind a trash compact or for god's sake! More cool music is playing; it sets the tone for the fights very nicely. And indeed the action is almost constant on this level, although it's back to the small groups of monsters encountered earlier in the game. The first taste of vertically oriented combat comes on the bridge, where not only do you have some fighters charging you but some raining down fire from two sides. Once you defeat them, ask yourself exactly how they got up there. Fighters can't grenade hop :P A short way beyond this is the Rampancy terminal. Cyberlife, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Thrashedness. If you don't notice this alcove in the darkness you will ambushed as the fighters pour out behind you. It also has some ammo and a health charger so you'll definitely want to stop by anyway. In the really big room, we find another of Marathon's ahead-of-it-time features: Friendly NPCs. Since they had never been mentioned until now (except in the chapter screen), the first time through I killed them along with the enemies before noticing they were on my side. Their powerful machine guns (why do they fire M-75 bullets but sound like pistols? See the physics model) make short work of the enemies, and they race out of the room in search of more prey... ...back down the hallway you entered the room from, into the half of the level you have already cleared out. If you lower the central platform fast enough and get lucky, or stand in their way and punch them, they will realize their search is fruitless and return to go down the newly exposed corridor, where they will probably get killed because they are already weakened from the initial fight and don't have any maneuvering room. But they block shots from you ;) Next up is the random puzzle zone, which has 2 switch puzzles, one dodge-the-crusher puzzle, and a few monsters to keep things interesting. One grenade and a full clip of M-75 ammo takes care of each chip insertion room (I'm playing on normal, so I don't get killed when Marathon bogs down in OS X), and then we're off to Couch Fishing.

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Replies:

	Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	7revor Smith	7/29/01 9:20 a.m.
	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	Mark Levin	7/29/01 10:51 a.m.
	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	William Spencer	7/29/01 12:09 p.m.
	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	Hamish Sinclair	7/29/01 1:27 p.m.
	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	Hamish Sinclair	7/29/01 1:30 p.m.
	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	Hamish Sinclair	7/29/01 1:21 p.m.
	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!	Locucious	7/29/01 3:24 p.m.

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