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

	Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS!
	Posted By: William Spencer	Date: 7/29/01 12:09 p.m.
	In Response To: Re: Volunteers -- Defend THIS! (Mark Levin) Nice, up-tempo music here that really gets you moving - "Right! We're on the move, let's get the defenses going! Yeah!" Re: the Doom-ness. Oh yeah. This level has it bad. What's with all these long, narrow, winding corridors - I know we had several cubic miles of asteroid to tunnel the colony vessel into, but don't you think that space would still be a priority in construction? Imagine commuting on Marathon - "Yeah, you leave your barracks on deck 84a, head down the corridor about half a klick, wait for the lift to arrive, then ride it up to the top, then ride it down seven floors, go into that next room, hang a right, go another kilometer or so, through the atmospheric processing center, up a level, across the 3rd botanical research lab, and then short cut through the storage room, then you're at the main offices. Wait, I'll draw you a map. Oh, and remember to wait until after the 0600 rush hour - everybody will be heading up that corridor the other way, and you just know some idiot will end up blocking foot traffic..." And the combat's not that special, either. Most of the time you can just park at one end of the corridor and empty a few pistol clips into the approaching aliens. There's no way for them to dodge. I like that big blue room, though - with the orange bar along the upper wall, and that strange steps and dais area to the side. It's impressive to watch the MADDs duelling with the compilers high above the floor. How did the aliens get up above the bridge? Um...they pole vaulted? Site-to-site teleporter? Hidden access ladders that you can't use because you're too heavy with all your gear? Heck, I don't know. It just looks cool. Some decent use of foreshadowing here. The chapter screen for the level lets you know you're up to something: you've mastered the basics, now it's time for Counterattack. And the image shows you charging to battle with a pair of defense drones escorting you - so when you see them in the game, you recognize them. (You still don't realize they're friendly, yet, unless you hold your fire a moment...) And then Tycho's hidden terminal. Great little message that - the A.I. equivalent of the messenger who dies (with a knife in his back) in the hero's arms. Very eerie. And as you're wondering, "What's 'rampant' mean?", you then get the Rampancy terminal. Hmmm, surprisingly helpful for that Compiler to be curious about the subject. (Coincidence: the story-teller's friend.) Leela also gives you a little foreshadowing with the alien autopsy terminal, where you first learn of Troopers and Hulks. Now you know about them, and can be prepared for when you encounter them. ("Oh, yeah, these guys have grenades, right?") Did you notice that you can get the defense center switches to beep by shooting them with grenades? You can't repair them that way - still have to do that by hand - but you can get the noise to trigger. Cute little bug, er, feature.

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

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.

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