: i am on level 22-Pfhoraphobia in marathon. i have found the secret door in
: the circular passage way where i get an alien gun and shadow power up.
: what does shadow power up do??
I presume you're referring to the Invisibility powerup. It doesn't have much effect in Singleplayer, though it does mean that projectiles that normally would follow you around (specifically the Green S'pht Bolt) instead just go in a straight line. Also, I think it means that Aliens have a little more trouble finding you, making them just a wee bit more clumsy (as if they weren't stupid enough already).
: i have also found the alcove on the left of the elevator that takes me out of
: the pit. everything is blue when i get to this room and stays blue for
: some time. i think the blue disappears when i enter another room if im not
: mistaken. is there any significance to this blue state? im not sure what
: the infrared power up is / does or how to get it. unless the blue is it!!!
: without the ability to power up im not sure that i can get through this
: level. i have been at it for 2 days.
Yes, the blue is the Infrared power-up. It makes most enemies look all red, except for the S'pht Compilers, who are blue just like everything else. To be honest, the Infrared power-up is often more of a detriment than a help. While you can see most enemies more clearly, you can't get a sense of distance (lighting is usually the main way of gaging distance, but the Infrared removes any such lighting effects, putting everything into one giant, bluish blur) and you can't tell what sub-type of enemy you're facing. Am I looking at a Purple Fighter or an Orange Fighter?
These kinds of distinctions are terribly important, tactically speaking. On Total Carnage, the fact that everything is the Major version of itself makes this less of a problem, but it's still good to know if that Fighter ahead of you is going to send energy balls your way or just gonna keep running towards you until it gets close enough to whack you with a stick.
Basically, you'll probably do better without the Infrared power-up, though the Invisibility power-up is fairly useful, especially when you have to deal with the S'pht Compilers.
Vale,
Perseus
