X3 Mission 16 (Asteroid tunnel) in main plot woe, woe and thrice woe!

[cogvos]

Dear all,

PLease excuse double post (I've just added this to the end of a thread on the scripts forum)

Like many I am stuck at mission 16. Like many I have tried various ships and like many I have got no-where.

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I did try the 'turn around and leave' idea
Which once and only once resulted in me flying in space outside a demented sausage, which is I guess what the inside of the tunnel looks like from the outside (!). All other times I can fly outside, but then get dumped at the cut scene where I get blown up (again!) On the only time that this did not happen Nothing else did, so I flew back in and ran into the Kha'ak that normally chase and blow me up which they duly did (again!)

The script appears corrupted and will not unzip. Winzip states it's not a valid archive.

So I need help, and probably Vallium. Please can someone point me to a version of the script that works. Preferably an unzipped version.

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Or explain exactly what I have to do in order to, no not cheat - survive, by flying out of the tunnel. How long do I have to wait?

And now a general whinge. This mission is frustarting for 3 reasons.
1. It's impossible if you're hand/eye co-ordination isn't very good
2. It's imposible unless you ahve a top spec pc and a very good monitor (its just too damn darkl)
3. It takes ages to try again as you have to sit through the end game and the start mission cut scene each time!

In short it should not have been put in the game without a heck of a lot more testing, better still there should be a 'clever' way around it. After all the game is open ended, why present people doing the plot with so many brick walls? (Oh yes and Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............)

J

[Rapier]

2. It's imposible unless you have a top spec pc and a very good monitor (its just too damn darkl)

The real trick is to fiddle with the contrast and brightness on you monitor so you can see the way. Then it's quite easy.

[cogvos]

Many thanks for the tip. Tried it and still failed. I just don't have the hand ey co-ordination. However nil desperandum here is the solution. Its a cheat so don't read the spoiler unless, Like I was, you are totally stuck!

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Its a computer game. Therefore odd things happen if you can get 'outside the box' as it were.

The box in question is that blasted tunnel. If you turn around at the very start you'll see a blank wall. fly through this and keep flying. You're now in space. Fly around a bit and then stop your engines. You need to be quick. Too slow and you get an end game.

Turn around. See the nobbly sausage? This is the outside of the tunnel.

Now if you do the mission properly there are various points you have to pass within a certain time else the Khaak blow you up. You still have to fly past these points, however now the Khaak are in front of us, and we're armed. (You are armed arn't you?)

Fly slowly back into the tunnel. At a point just before the first rock bridge you will see 3 khaak ships in front. stop and then blast each one. If you get too close it's end game.

Once you have killed all 3 fly through the rest of the tunnel. The ship you pass shooting backwards is your characters Dad. He isn't moving but don't worry just fly to the end of the tunnel.

You'll then get a cut scene and can continue with the plot.

J

[Deleted User]

And in X3 you can set gamma to maximum, too. Of course you need a fast and small ship. If I were you I would try it with the argon starburst.

Greetings, Beli

[humility925]

Hmm, I forget about this mission, last time your ship need to be 200m/s but someone calm they can be done plot all the way in normal Busters, so Normal Buster has 175m/s, Did anyone try mission less then 175? I wonld love to try out in Argon M6 with overspeed turing.

[humility925]

I dont know about Mission 16 (Asteroid tunnel) but I think you need full upgrade speed of buster.

[Gareth_P]

The speed thing may explain why it took me several goes to do the level in an Argon Nova then... Top speed 113 M/S (I think) D'Oh

Couldn't remember it being that hard before...

[Dragon90101]

i did that mission first try in a PNR, so there cant be a "minimum" speed.

[avicenna]

cogvos wrote:

In short it should not have been put in the game without a heck of a lot more testing, better still there should be a 'clever' way around it. After all the game is open ended,

There is. If your flying skills are limited in enclosed spaces, try using your brains instead. The solution:

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Fly to the first major chamber as quickly as possible and then duck to the bottom of the chamber and stop (it may take a couple of goes to find a safe position). Then wait until the khaak following you have gone past (There are 2 options here, you can just wait five or ten minutes or you can turn the ship around and watch for the khaak to pass). You can now continue at a leisurely pace until the mission is completed. Do not catch up to the khaak that you let pass, this will result in you failing the mission.

[byluk]

I ran thru with Argon Buster, max speed 175 and full steering. The initial burst of speed gave some distance on the Khaak so I was able to slow down at times to make some of the corners.

I had to adjust my contrast when I tried the mission during daylight. At night the room got dark enough to see all. I suggest keeping the grey part of the tunnel on the top of your screen as you fly. Gives a better reference point. After corners always look at the center of your screen for the 'most distance' grey spot. Loose track of this and it easy to become disorientated.



This was after about 30 fails and concluding whoever designed this tunnel is a sadist.

[Carl Sumner]

People try to do this at full speed, or shoot up the Kha'ak ships. That's not what it is about.

It does need a fast, manuverable ship. Don't try to do it in an M6!

But the real secret is the Throttle, speed up and slow down. Go fast on the straights and slow down on the tight curves. If you are going so fast that you bang around it slows you way down.

Also, lead the turns. Remember that you skid in the curves.

[Syndrome]

The first time I did this mission In X3 1.2 I did it after only one or two tries and in my buster.

[Altarotw]

ALWAYS TURN AUTOPILLOT OFF BEFORE ENTERING THIS ****** UP MISSION. While the mission starts your ship is changing course directly to a target you had autopilot on peviously, and of course it dos not show that the autopilot is onf, that's why i've been ending more than 10 times outside the tunel.

[Rapier]

Please don't dig up year old threads.