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


Re: More Volunteers -- Couch Fishing
Posted By: Mark LevinDate: 7/30/01 3:24 p.m.

In Response To: More Volunteers -- Couch Fishing (7revor Smith)

The music makes for a very atmospheric level, at least the first part. The excellent lighting effects make this tight corridor maze much better than the one on Arrival. But you won't notice that for a few seconds because of the ambush that pours out at you from both sides. Finish them off and take a gander at what may be the most flagrant accidental use of 5D space in the game, at the east end of the main L.

This level goes further into the universe's backstory, and the events immediately before the Marathon launched. Mars in decline, warring factions, political chaos... The area containing the CRIST term is one of my favorites. It's a very tight suspenseful area but the monsters and corridors are placed so well that you don't die from getting hung up on meaningless walls, there's enough room to fight with skill and luck.

Through the only locked door, signs point to this level having a somewhat rough birth. Large spaces, rough detailing, random piles of monsters instead of the careful ambushes of the maze indicate that either the author was quite rushed by the end, or that the level was abandoned and finished by someone else. It's quite a jarring change.

Someone below said that the door to the last room traps you... Wait about 15 seconds and it pops back open, and you can squeeze the monsters into a single line down the hallway.

I've already mentioned how OS X doesn't like Marathon, but when I reached the end of this level, something almost supernatural happened. I was struggling to pump M-75 bullets into some unfortunate blue fighter with a framerate of 2 or 3, when the game literally popped into full 30fps smoothness. Nothing brought it down after that, not even teleporting ahead to The Rose and waking up all the Bobs. My theory is that the kernel just couldn't bear to see such a great game run so badly.

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

Replies:

More Volunteers -- Couch Fishing7revor Smith 7/30/01 10:34 a.m.
     Re: More Volunteers -- Couch FishingHamish Sinclair 7/30/01 11:40 a.m.
     Re: More Volunteers -- Couch FishingMark Levin 7/30/01 3:24 p.m.
           Re: More Volunteers -- Couch FishingWilliam Spencer 7/30/01 5:30 p.m.
                 Re: More Volunteers -- Couch FishingMark Levin 7/30/01 6:31 p.m.
           Re: More Volunteers -- Couch FishingHamish Sinclair 8/2/01 11:46 a.m.



Problems? Suggestions? Comments? Email maintainer@bungie.org

Marathon's Story Forum is maintained with WebBBS 5.12.