🚀 go-pugleaf

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    The Three Featured in this review are:

    Mainshock, Cathedral Of The Damned and Shining Standards
    (This week separated into three parts for easy handling)


 (1)  Mainshock
      ~~~~~~~~~
    By JLS jls_...@hotmail.com

    (The quick summation: Lots of promise and quality atmosphere
     hampered only by an extensively sprawling and convoluted layout)
    ((no text or story included that some players require))

    Objectives:

     "Mask Precursor Toiu Ouigonno Kamenwo Nusumidase Dashsushidro!"

     Which I assume means something like "The mask is in there
    (somewhere) Steal it!"

    Overall Impression - Huge, gothic, darkly imposing and in-
  triguing with some excellent indoor and outdoor environments that
  unfortunately don't mesh together well to give you a sense of the
  actual structure - and seeming as if they were cut and pasted to-
  gether in a somewhat haphazard fashion.

   Details - (and some suggested game play)
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    This one is unique in that you start with absolutely no weapons
  or items except for one lockpick and about ten mines. - This can
  be a drag or a blast depending on your playing style. - Don't
  waste them on any of the start or ground floor guards, just look
  for a way *UP* and there the mission begins.

    Immense, sprawling and beautiful in it's dark moody atmosphere,
  but plagued by it's convoluted and structurally nonsensical pas-
  sagways that you may have to recross several times over. An aspect
  that detracts from its initial immersion and impressiveness.

  - Beautiful the first time through - not the fourth. - This is the
  first mission that I wished for a pedometer - not for miles counted
  but for miles wasted. - Though to it's merit there is enough here to
  keep you interested and keep you moving.

    Get wet!
    ~~~~~~~~
  - Get VERY wet to locate the key to the locked sewer entrance.

    SAVE your ONE gas mine for the ONE white clad guard!!! - He can't
  be killed! (and remember, you have no weapons or blackjack) - He's
  in a small brightly lit room, and there's no way to sneak up on him
  to pickpocket the key. The only way to get it is to use your gas mine.

   Save ALL your mines! - There are few guards here, and with proper
 timing you can get by most of them undetected. - You will need at
 least two mines to get through the passageways (in easy mode)
 leading to the mask where you will also find a very useful object.

   Four hours of total travel time led me to a locked gate guarded
 by a tree beast that seemed unaffected by my (remaining 6) mines.
 I was able to lure him away from the gate only to find that the
 lock wasn't pickable, and that I was missing the key. Determined
 to complete the mission I covered the entire map again and located
 only a health potion (I think) for my efforts - but no key.

   I would have liked to have finished just to give this mission the
 fair marks I believe it deserves. Unfortunately the sheer massiveness
 of the place inhibited making a fair and complete resolve for this map.  

  Summation:
  ~~~~~~~~~
     A full 9 of 10 for quality in atmosphere and uniquely intriguing
  originality. - Unfortunately suffering a minus 8 for it's extensive
  convolutions in the maps layout. - One that severely hampers the
  players appreciation in it's overall character and beauty.

     I'm compelled to add a PLUS 5 for effort as this map was a massive
  undertaking in it's construction, adding the details to give a finished
  quality in structure and lighting and including enough to maintain
  interest for the player. - Were the areas assembled in a more cohesive
  manner this would have been a great map.

     Still worth the play for it's unique qualities alone - if you're
  willing to do the excessive legwork necessary to complete the map.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best Wishes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


-Praise The Builder

-Third Keeper
-(At Large)

                                                            - Max -
.  ................................................................