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| Jim and Dave's Map Page |
| Marathon Links |
The Athens Outpost base consists of a main level (where you start) and four sub-sections. When you first arrive, all of the sub-sections are closed due to a security lock-out. It is you job to eradicate the base of any pfhor that are present, and boy are they present. To kill all the monsters, you'll have to release the security lock-out, one sub-section at a time.
Main level: There are no real hints in this area except to kill the troopers behind you when you first teleport in first. Then you can get the ammo that they are guarding and kill the rest of the attackers as they come. The beginning is not easy but you must survive with at least 3/4 shields left.
First sub-section: There is a secret door near the switch that releases the second sub-section. You will be able to get more ammo and the Fusion gun there. Also on the other side of that switch, there is a platform that will take you to the top of the big main room, where you will find the fish-eye power-up. You may want to save this for the third sub-section.
Second sub-section: There are two switches to turn on the lights in this section. Don't worry to much about them, or the security switch to release third section until you kill some of the aliens first. If you go for the switches, you'll upset the nearby aliens, unless they're dead. When you enter this area, if you're low on shield, keep to the right and you'll run into the save game a little faster.
Third sub-section: Be sure to have full 2x shields before going here. When you are in the air-lock, use the SPKR and just stay inside and pluck them off. Use the door to crush aliens that wander inside. And, just like the term says, don't worry about bobs. The switch to the fourth section is guarded heavily by hulks. It is located in the upper right-hand corner of the map, have a SPNKR surprise ready for them. If you get low on ammo, go to the other air-lock, it has some more there for you, along with a 3x shield generator for you.
Fourth sub-section: Once you kill the aliens in the lava room and flip the final switch in the following room, go back to the lava room and you'll find the final door open. If the terminal says you've not completed your mission, you probably need to go to section three and finish killing the monsters outside. To win you DONT need to kill everything (To the authors displeasure) you can leave up to eight aliens alive.
Unfortunately, AO, being my first map, hardly contains any secrets.
When you first arrive on the scout ship 'USS Raider', everything is off-line. The ships computer system and artificial intelligence have been shut down. In the 'aft section', your first your first task is to re-boot the computer from the protected archive. This is straight forward. Now lets talk secrets...
There's a secret in the room where the BIG platform comes down and there's a ledge on the top with a switch. In the top right hand corner (map view), there's a door which leads to an ammo hallway. At the end of this hallway, there is an air-lock leading to the engine chamber. It looks cool, but don't fall in, there's nothing but death down there. In that secret hallway, you have to kill a green fighter, the wall that he is looking at is also a secret door. It leads to a small room where the Tozt can be found.
Did you get trapped in the lower area? The trick to getting out is to find the secret room under the read observation tower. You will run into the secret door to this room if you head straight into the wall at the end of the long tunnel leading to the rear observation deck. In this room there is a switch that controls the door at the other end of the tunnel, the one you entered this rear area through. You'll have to RUN to that door to make it through.
The secret room that holds the over-ride switch for the security doors into the engineering section is located in the room with the fans on the floor. The door is on the right wall near the bottom (map view). If you don't just 'gobble up' the ammo, you'll notice that it's been layed out for you in the shape of an arrow (layed out by whom? Bobs perhaps?).
The secondary security doors that lock you into the engineering section activate when you step in front of the power switches. Therefore, avoid stepping in front of these while you kill the monsters. Then you will be able to go back to the 2x shield generator and power up. You can even clear out the recreation area and go back as long as you don't step in front of these switches.
In the room with the fans on the floor you'll notice a ledge, where the hunter was, that is too high to reach. The only way up there is to grenade hop (thats why the 2x shields are there). Once up there, it goes under and around the core where you'll find the SPNKR. This is helpful when clearing out the rec room and you'll definitly want it later. This hall way will 'open up' when you get to the end of it, and let you out on the other side of the level (Where that little grelin hole was).
In Raider I wanted to make it as reallistic as possible. Therefore, I made some areas, that would be present on a ship, hazardous (like the engine access in the aft section). In the engineering section, there is a way to lower the safety wall to the engine core and jump in! In real life, this would be hazardous to your health, so it is in Raider too. There are no secrets about jumping into the reactor core, only death.
The bridge level was the first level I made that introduced randomness in monster generation. If you look at the map with an editor, you notice that there aren't many 'placed' aliens.
The main secret on this level is the 3x shields in the last crew quarters (captains quarters, where do they sleep?) Watch out, there is a 'placed' major Trooper in there.
Be sure to go to the communication station on the top of the Bridge where you'll find lots of ammo.
This level is not too hard if you don't care about the bobs, but then you'll lose. If you want to win, you have to save a few bobs in the first main room (Plasma Magnetic Storage Area). To do this you may have to take some shots for bob.
Activating the platforms to extend a bridge to the brig: Overall you need to go through this level in a counter-clockwise direction. This will enable you to activate the different switches as you go. After you activate the switch for the 'Stage Area' (the second switch) the platform going across (the first switch) will lower as well. Just go back to the first switch and activate it again. Overall, going counter-clockwise, the order of the switches is: 1,2,1,3,4. That's the fastest way.
After activating all the switches, opening the door to the brig, monsters will emerge from the brig. Don't fire rockets at 'em cause you may kill the bobs in the jail. Kill the 'free' bob coming out of that section cause he's a simulacrum. Once you release the bobs, don't waste time, get to the original term and get out. Random monsters appear and will kill the freed bobs. If a random monster appeared in one of the cells during the game, you'll have to start over to win.
There is a secret 3x shield generator in the room with the lone juggernaut. It's in the upper right hand corner (map view) of that room. There's also a lot of ammo in this secret room as well.
For those of you who need more firepower on this level, be sure and click on the light-emitting pillar (east one according to the map) in the room with two such pillars and score the Rocket Launcher.
For a good ammo load and a cool semi-secret terminal, go to the room that
has the large platform with lots of ammo on the top (located at the South side
of the octagonal room with four portals). Grab the ammo in a clock-wise
direction starting directly in front of you. The platform will raise as
you RUN around and scoop up the ammo; be sure to drop on the side that
was to your right when you entered this room! You will click a switch
that will lower a platform; kill the alien located on it and ride the platform
up to the top (you should be able to see the passage on the map) and check
the terminal nestled up there.
NOTE: The platform should be on your right when you click the switch. If not, you
got off on the wrong side!
Another secret terminal is located in the fan-duct that is located to the right of the exit/stairway of the ventilation access section. Rather than dropping down to the central catwalk that overlooks the feed sites to the ventilation access levels, take a quick right into the fan/duct, click on the fan and visit the terminal.
A nice stash of ammo can be found by clicking the fan texture you find when you fall off of the north side of the catwalk in the ventilation access section. Scoop up gobs of ammo, but watch out! There is a room inside with a hint terminal (not obvious at first but you might be able to gleen some information that will help you decide which exit terminal to pick or avoid!). Continue on through the tunnels to find a 2x shield generator and more ammo as well as a quick way back to the entry room (hmmm, this might be useful later...).
Be sure to clear out the entire level before entering the room that is sealed off by the steel twin (side-by-side) doors. Also make sure you have the identification card before you go in there! You will have your hands full enough fighting the compilers. Also, you will want to read all three exit terminals with no disturbances. Be sure to use the shield generator before you teleport and grab the assault rifle if you don't have it already.
And go back to the pattern buffer and SAVE before you teleport out; this will be a great starting point for a myriad of scenarios!
Also, one of the thrall chambers has a secret door inside which will you to enter one of the audience chambers from the back and teleport out. Again, if you use this term (which takes you to the Rampancy Testing Area) you will not have chance to get the HFET Device. But it is fun to kill the bobs in this little room.
Actually, the best way out of this level is to go to the lower right hand thrawl room located on the map. This will take you to what we will refer to as GIDEON-a. This is the optimal way to leave this level because it will allow you to score the HFET device later.
If you choose the wrong thrall chamber, you will return to this level again. Try not to do this because when you return, there is no more ammo. Therefore, eventually you'll run out.
When you return, you'll notice that the thralls are in a different location WRT each other. There is no real secret to killing them, just don't let 'em get too close.
Who's that in that special chamber with the gold compilers? :)
The best way to open the doors to the lab area is NOT to flip the switch that turns off the lights. Just walk up to the switch. There are three polygons which are pressure sensitive right in front of the switch. Once you step on them, the doors will open. You'll be happy to have the lights on later.
There is a secret door that leads to a 2x shield powerup, an alien weapon, and a terminal. It is located behind one of the monster traps, where a wall comes down with monsters on it. The terminal will take you to the underground geothermal plant, but if you want to kill Seth, don't teleport here. The best way out of this level is through the term that you first read (to GIDEON-a). The important thing here is the 2x shields and the alien weapon (dubbed 'The Cyborg Killer'). FYI the alien weapon now has a second trigger that fires half rockets.
To kill the deactivated cyborgs, you must find the hidden switch located in the room with them (where the bob was standing or the paper on the floor). Instead of trying to pump them full of lead (which you can only do on kindergarden due to ammo restraints) , just hit the switch and watch them get squashed. This is the self-destruction device refered to on the first level and the term with Dr. Kodas' personel log on this level.
Advice on killing cyborgs: Make sure you have some AR-75 clips left for the alien weapon. You can trigger only one cyborg to be released at a time if you know what triggers them. The triggers are located in the rooms with the deactivated cyborgs. Enter one of those rooms, crush the deacivated cyborgs, and without entering the other room, go back and engage only one of them. DON'T stand in the hallway leading to the lab. Just run right up to him and blast with the alien weapon. Go back and crush the other ones, and do the same to the other, recharging your shield in between. Don't let them hunt you!
Again use the first terminal you read to exit to GIDEON-a
The first secret was taken from USS Raider. In the upstairs room, directly opposite of the 2x Shield generator, there is a secret door. Ammo is layed out on the floor in the shape of an arrow to give you a clue. This secret door is actually an elevator that takes you under the castle to the moat fluid pumping room. In this area, there is a 3x Shield gen., a terminal, and teleporters that take you to the high corner security towers. These towers are a good vantage point to take out any aliens left over around the outside. Don't try and kill the purple hunters from the towers or they'll pick you off. Just run down and kill them point blank. The terminal in this area is the best one to leave this level from. Once you finish the level objectives, this term will take you to the all important Tryptich level where the HFET device is located. By using this term, you can avoid GIDEON-a level all together.
The only other secret is located in the upper right hand corner of the map. If you go into the moat, and go into the corner, you'll find a story term. It is not essential, but it does hint at something :).
A cool variant of this level is to see how many of your people you can keep alive.
If you didn't notice, that large platform in the main room is a teleporter that will take you to Moon Man (Rampancy Testing Area).
There is a secret door in one of the upper hall ways on the right side of the map. You'll find some ammo and a weapon (I think it's the SPNKR but I'll have to check) here. Also in that same area, in the room with the fourway look out tower and the 2x shield power up, there is a TOZT/Grenade launcher in the tower. You'll have to rocket hop up into the tower to get it. The TOZT has been modified to rapid fire grenades using the second trigger, if you haven't noticed.
If you don't want to end up going to GIDEON again, don't fall of the teleporting catwalk. From this level you can go to the TTS, GIDEON, or Rampancy Testing Area.
This area consists of two levels, upper and lower. You start in the lower area in the middle of an interlocking door area. The first secret is: how do you get the invincibilty sphere? In one of the rooms, there is a desk with a red desktop. If you grenade hop up onto it, the invicibility powerup will become available.
Where are the shield powerups? If you go to the room in the upper right hand corner of the map, there is a secret door to a room that has a 2x shield powerup.
On the upper level, there is a secret door that leads to a very important room. In this room, you will find the quantum shield conduit for use with the HFET Device. This will activate the teleporter suppression field and stop Dr. Seth from escaping. There are two terms in this secret room, but you can only access one of them depending on the state of the suppression field. Although this is a totally blind secret, there is a hint given to you in the Pillar B area.
Once you have gone through this level, you will realize that there is a secret door right at the beginning that takes you to the end of this level. Therefore, there is no reason to go through this more than once.
The only secret in this area is located on it's upper level. If you notice, there is a light sensor about 1/3 of the way down the wide hall way (the one with the troopers at the other end). When you cross this light sensor, a wall will rapidly drop to block your path. This is dubbed 'The Indiana Jones Secret'. You have to RUN past this wall before it can block your path. In the area past the wall, you'll find a term that shows you the location of the secret room in the Pillar A area. Behind another secret door (the only way out), you'll find an alien weapon.
This area is a risk/reward area. The higher the risk you take the higher the reward. The first hint is when you go across the trap door, WALK don't run, across the left side.
There is a secret door on the right hand side of the stage leading to the hall way on the other side.
There is a semi-hidden pattern buffer in the room with all of the computer banks. It is camouflaged within the computer banks.
Be carefull going back to the 1x shield generator. The Thralls get introduced in that room periodically.
The trap room: It is possible to get all the ammo on the sinking platform. There is no real secret, but if you are willing to take the risk, the reward is grand. Be sure to use the 2x Shield powerup (the one you have to grenade hop up to) before you try this.
Get ready for hell. The only way out of this level is through the term in the room with the distillation columns. It leads to GIDEON-b which is pure hell.
The room in which you arrive contains a terminal and window through which you can view the lower-most section of the "THERMAL SPINDLE" (yellow-black-white-red sliding-textured triangle). As you explore Tryptich you should notice that the thermal spindle spans the entire height of this level. Indeed, the entire level is centered around this feature, indicating that there is some significance to it...
Many parts of Tryptich are not accessable to each other via walking or grenade hopping. You will have to find the teleporter network that will allow you to achieve your goal. Admittedly, not all teleporters are conspicuous. But you must remember that this is a research facility with different levels of clearance and accessability.
(A recent thread on c.s.g.m.a discussed the validity of secret doors. Their argument was basically "when have you ever been in a building with secret rooms and doors?" {sarcastically asked}. I submit that the question itself contains the answer: If there were secret doors in a building, why would they tell you and how can you say you have not passed by them? Anyhow, there are no fully secret doors in this level; off-set textures will guide you!)
One non-essential (but VERY helpful) teleporter and terminal is located behind the WEST (left according to map) drop wall in the room with two drop walls on left and right (east and west). You will have to get behind the west wall before it retracts, otherwise forget it (one-shot). If you are in the room with the three teleporters (east), you probably missed it.
Before you go into the main chamber, investigate all the rooms that overlook it, if you can. Switches in the rooms to the EAST and WEST of the main chamber will lower platforms with powerups that may be essential should you enter the main chamber (depending on your skill level).
The group of rooms to the WEST have a hidden teleporter that help you navigate this level! The hidden door to these rooms are marked by an off-set texture in an east-west tunnel located (on the map) south of where these rooms are.
The group of rooms to the EAST contain a helpful terminal. You will have to reset the breakers in order to open the door to the terminal located there. Lava flows slower over doors than walls, for some reason...
The room with the four hexagonal structures (overlooking the main chamber from the SOUTH) should be explored completely. BIG HINT: Lower right polygon.
If you happen to land in the main chamber, stay off the central dias surrounding the Thermal Spindle unless you want to see the power of some of our modified compilers (only experienced at higher difficulties settings). HINT: The only way out of the main chamber is down.
The hfet is located at the top of the Thermal Spindle. You must not fall off once you get it. Turn around and go back into the tunnel/ledge by which you came. You can now access an elevator which will take you to the base of the thermal spindle where there is a terminal by which you can exit (best method of departure).
Here are some answers to your questions:
1) Why do I have to keep going back to that computer level named GIDEON?
Well, you have established a communications uplink to your base in the first level. From time to time, Seth's people catch on to your secret uplink and shut it down. Every time this happens, you have to the computer station (GIDEON) and re-establish your secret communications uplink. Your dead in the water without the uplink to your base.
2) Everytime I go back to the computer level (GIDEON) it's a little different, ie some doors that were open before are now closed.
This is true. Most of the time you even start in a different spot on that level. This means that you may have to go through the level in an entirely new way than you did the last time you were there. The goal is always the same however, get to the control room with the red bob. Kill him, flip the switch and read the message.
3) Sometimes a terminal that worked the last time I was there (GIDEON) doesn't work, what do I do?
This is true as well. There are a total of six terms in GIDEON. Four of them you can always get to. Usually, of those four, two will teleport you to new levels (after you have reset the computer). And usually one is broken. It depends on where you start on this level as to which one is broken.
4) How the heck was this accomplished (from an editors point of view)?
Well the secret is that there are actually _four_ GIDEON levels. Each one has new areas to explore and old ones sealed off. Each level has it's own set of terms, so essentially, everytime you go here (or at least the first four times) the terms are different and so are the monsters and puzzles. Duplicate levels are used for other levels as well to create _altered_ levels. Each time you go back, you may have been there already, or you may just think you've been there. It is important to read the terminals even if you think you've read them already. They offer hints and clues that may be different than they were before.
5) How do I get out of that hopeless loop of GIDEON - Whatever - GIDEON - Whatever...?
Well I must confess that this is a frustrating loop. Operation Tantalus' non-linear design is very complicated IMHO. This loop _was_ designed however. If you just play OT like a linear map then you'll get stuck in this loop. It's not your fault, blame it on all the 3D first person games out there that are designed for you to complete a level and continue to the next. Your mission when you are in this loop is to look for clues so that you can find a way to get to Seth's headquarters. Think of this loop as one very large level. If you read all the terms carefully, you'll soon find your way to Seth. Just remember to try different things, and write down any clues you find. There are no undocumented secrets (via terms) so don't think you'll have to search every wall to win.
There is a secret closet near where you teleport onto the surface of the moon. It is on the east building on the south side. Look for the lights on the side of the building. Here you will find an invincibility sphere and lots of ammo.
There are no secrets located in the north escape chute area. The only secret in the south escape chute area is how to get up to those ledges in the room with the smashing star thing. There are secret doors located behind the pillars in that room that lead to teleporters that take you to those ledges.
Also in the south escape chute area, don't worry about the deactivated cyborgs, they won't bother you.
If you don't want to go to GIDEON, don't use any of the escape chutes. Use one of the terms in one of the airlocks.
This level also introduces a first in Marathon technology, the destructable wall. The first secret involves blowing the wall away that is directly opposite from you in the jail cell. Behind it is a switch that opens the cell.
There is a secret door in the little room accessable via the lava. Behind this door is a blue-eye powerup and a teleporter pad. This was not placed there randomly.
There are two ways into the palace. One way is a door on the end of the southwest observation finger. It is denoted by a slight crack at the top. The other way in is to teleport from a secret location. If you go under the little stair tunnel, at the bottom to the west is a secret door. Follow the hallway under the palace untill you reach a pattern buffer. The west wall in this room is a secret door to the teleporter pad that puts you in the southeast observation finger.
In the gate control room (the room with the 2x shield generator and the two troopers), the west wall is a secret elevator. This takes you down under the palace, where amongst the a-bobs and wasps, there are lots of powerups and ammo. In the room with the powerups, the west wall is a secret door that leads to an invincibility powerup and a teleport pad that quickly takes you back to the gate control room.
In OT rockets cannot activate switches, but missles, grenades, and the HFET can. You can trigger the explosion of the dish from far away using one of these. You can also use the blast to kill the T-1000 (the red hulk that throws rockets). This is the easiest way to kill that BMF.