Wow! Just finished this and I reckon it has been by far, the biggest and hardest mod I've ever played. In fact, I still don't know how I managed to complete it since many of the battles were just way WAY too hard for me. If I'm honest, some of them also became a really un-enjoyable grind to get through. Still, that's the way it was designed so it's fair enough I suppose. Just because it's a bit too hardcore for me doesn't make it wrong!
Having said that, I was still gripped enough by the story-line not to give up and I did enjoy searching for all the secrets and treasures. Some of the puzzles were a bit too convoluted (for me) and I would never have managed to get through them without the hints and discussion on this thread. IMHO a few extra clues about what to do, especially during the destruction of the factory, would have been a help.
In the end I played for 48 hours and found 115 secrets and 44 treasures.
I think I might have found another couple in the mines but I couldn't find a second blue gem for the door on level 10 and I was unable to open the door that needed the two enriched ores on level 22. For some reason I just couldn't get the adamantite forges to work.
Also failed to find the secret level 43.
Btw, Is it actually possible to find ALL the secrets? What I mean is that when I chose the "short" ending, finding Toorum's Sanctuary came up as a secret for level 25 but when I did the "long" ending it came up as a secret for level 54. Presumably you can't have both in the same game?
Hated the Warden Prison level but that's more to do with the fact that the cube always freaks me out! It has done so ever since the original game. The actual puzzle was cleverly designed but really REALLY tough. It felt like there was no margin for error and it took me ages to get through it... I'm even MORE traumatized by the cube now!
It does make me wonder though if this and some of the other timed puzzles (such as the white blobs firing at receptors) might become impossible to do if you're playing on a machine that has even the slightest bit lag? Fortunately I only tended to experience lag issues when there were lots of monsters on screen; mainly the neverending Shrak Torr on level 9 and anywhere that had a tons of archers.
The Supermachine level was completely bonkers!!!
Thank god I kept most of the guns to use on the Red Warden Boss. I'd have probably still been fighting him yet if I was just relying on swords and arrows! That was a crazy battle.
As someone who doesn't know how to operate the console (so no spawning items or teleporting past locked doors for me!
), I'm always in awe of those who make mods for the community. This one has obviously taken a lot of time and effort to put together, so many thanks to Bongobeat even though you have put my stress levels through the roof!
I'm away for a lie down now!