From: Joe.Francis@dartmouth.edu (Joe Francis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Mission Thunderbolt Questions and Bugs
Date: 8 Sep 92 22:26:20 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0a4@newshost.dartmouth.edu

In article <Bu9zI5.JpG@cs.psu.edu>
plambert@sml.cs.psu.edu (Paul  Lambert) writes:

> OK, that's my sob story.  Now, here're a few questions...

My sob story is similar.  My version of MT is very buggy, and C&G won't
even send me a bug fix version unless I send them a disk.  Two thumbs
down for C&G support.  When I pay $40 for a piece of software I expect
the bug fixes to be free.

> What's the deal with the jail?  what's the deal with the robots: i've noticed
> the Mech's playing with things, but then they break.  Can they fix things?
> HOW DO I FIGURE OUT WHAT A "Strange Device" IS???????  I have about 3 dozen,
> of which there seem to be 5 or 6 distinct things.  How can I identify them?

Spoilers:

The deal with the jail is a raw deal (though it is possible to escape,
and it's possible to recover your possessions).  

The deal with the Mechs is a raw deal.  Mechs can fix things, but the
vast majority of the time they just break them.  If anyone knows of a
way to improve the Mechs, please let me know - I've been wondering
about this for quite a while.  

There are two ways to figure out what a strange device is.  One is to
take it to a library (the dark green buildings - make sure you have
funds in your ReadyCash account).  The other is to inspect the item and
try to figure out how to use it.  If you successfully use the device,
you have a chance to know what it is.  This chance depends on your
Intelligence, Wisdom, and (I suspect) the device.  Hints on figuring
out devices: if they can be charged, do so.  If they can be activated,
try activating them and see what happens.  Try doing things with
activated devices.  See if the the device can be worn.

I'm currently playing a "no-die" game on expert level, ie., a game
where I do not allow myself to die.  If I do, I throw away the
character and start over.  Unfortunately, my MT is so buggy that I must
save incessantly, so my penalty points are not small, as they would be
if I only had to save once for each gaming session.  If anyone wants
advice on how to succeed in MT without dying, I'll be happy to share my
experiences.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
MT tip for the day: always carry a crowbar.  This item can do triple
(or even quadruple) duty.  First, in the very early stages of the game,
it may be your best hand to hand weapon.  Second, you can carry it
instead of all those crazy keycards and use it to open locked doors and
boxes.  Third, you can use it to deactivate traps on boxes.  And
finally, you can use it to tear down walls (albeit slowly) - don't use
your main weapon to do this, as tearing down walls dulls weapons
quickly.

I would like to see the MT game engine used on a more "moria" type
game: one with different character types that had different strengths. 
Of course, I won't be buying such a thing until C&G starts to offer
legitimate support.
Xref: sparky comp.sys.mac.games:9072 comp.sys.mac.wanted:8323