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Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 05 2008, 03:59 Here we go, Ladies and Gentlemen. (Thanks to Olivier for setting this up) When we made the Tr3s Lunas Guide, a separate discussion thread was the best way I found to prevent everything descending into chaos, so I suggest we have a similar thread here for the Maestro Guide. The idea is that we use this thread to swap ideas while we're building up the Guide to avoid confusion. If you want to make a post (or posts), and it's not completely clear where or how to make it, float the idea here in this thread and we'll pool our collective wisdoms to find an answer. The danger is for everything to get scattered about so that as the guide gets bigger, it becomes harder and harder to use. Basically, carefully chosen thread titles are going to be the things that hold it all together I think. So as with the TL Guide, we need to think carefully about each new thread that we start, and we shouldn't start new ones needlessly. One thing to bear in mind that my moderating powers are limited. I can edit posts and delete them, but I can't transfer posts from one thread to another (except by starting a new post myself, pasting the old one into it, then deleting the old one). I think to maintain the clarity, individual posts would be best just tackling one thing at a time - in general, a post shouldn't be a long article but a digestible mouthful. Extra posts can be added to make additional points. WARNING FOR THE UNWARY! In the course of these discussions many things will be revealed that you may not wish to know if you're new to the game. Please stop reading now if you don't want to spoil the game for yourself. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 05 2008, 04:02 Before we do anything at all, I think we need a map we can refer to in our posts. I'll find my old map and upload it to the gallery, with a link here when I've done it. (Later: There seems to be a problem uploading images to that new section at the moment. Watch this space.) Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 05 2008, 12:34 OK, all is now well. (Thanks Olivier.) There's a Maestro map here, which is the one I've always used, based on a design found somewhere online (thank you, whoever you are), with text additions of my own. My feeling is that we may decide to include several separate maps eventually in the maps thread, but I don't think we can get started without at first having a basic map of the spaceship, like this one. The question is: what information should be given on it? Is this enough? Too much? Too little? Back to top

olracUK Group: Members Posts: 1683 Joined: June 2003 Posted: Feb. 05 2008, 17:47 For a dedicated gamer, working out how many medals are required for each area may be part of the fun. But seeing as how the original game came with instructions telling you how many, I guess it doesn't matter. The only other area that will need a map is the Dino World/Terrain if I remember correctly. Are we going to have a complete spoiler thread, with images of each medal and it's location? I understand we need to keep to a maximum of 20 threads so as to keep it on one page, so should we start by deciding on which threads to use? -------------- The answer is 42 - but what is the question? Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 06 2008, 03:44 Quote (olracUK @ Feb. 05 2008, 22:47) For a dedicated gamer, working out how many medals are required for each area may be part of the fun. But seeing as how the original game came with instructions telling you how many, I guess it doesn't matter. I think we have to adopt the same approach as we did with the TL Guide Andy, and just plough on - there's a health warning attached to the Guide index page explaining that a lot is going to be given away. I don't think we can avoid that. Quote The only other area that will need a map is the Dino World/Terrain if I remember correctly. I think you're probably right, though we might add other diagrams/screenshots and label them as maps - maybe of the castle? - and details of those portals near the castle, for instance? Quote Are we going to have a complete spoiler thread, with images of each medal and it's location? I'd be in favour of that, myself - at least in principle. We can put an extra large warning on the title of that thread in the index page and at the start of the thread. Quote I understand we need to keep to a maximum of 20 threads so as to keep it on one page, so should we start by deciding on which threads to use? Sure. I don't think we need to have a complete list to get started, but we do need to know at least roughly where we're going. Here's my preliminary list so far: a) Temporary discussion thread (that was essential for the TL guide, and we're in it now! ) b) FAQ c) A map thread d) Completing the gravitar (Maestro) quest e) Completing the 24-medal quest f) A guide to each of the 'worlds' (including how to get into them). Question: can this all be done in a single thread? It could get very unwieldy if we do. Maybe we should group the worlds in some way, with a thread for each group? g) The 'books' and where to find them (with links to an image of each one) h) The avatars and where to find them (with a link to an image of each) i) The light switches and what they do I think the very first thing, though, has to be to agree on a basic map so that we're all referring to the same places in the same way, so I really would welcome comment on the map I posted here. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 06 2008, 12:45 I thought it might be helpful to have the medal sequence easily available for us all while were thinking, so I've uploaded the medal sequence book to the gallery, here. We can collect all the medal images together in that thread (see here). Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 08 2008, 04:06 I've now added the thread for the 24 medal quest, with a suitable warning of spoilers, and an introductory post that gives the nominal sequence of the medals. Now that we have that sequence, and with each medal numbered, it seems to me that we can now add a post for each medal, decribing where it is, how to get it, and giving an image or images. And it doesn't much matter, I'd say, in what sequence we write those posts. In other words, if you fancy writing the post for any particular medal, I don't see any reason why you can't just do it (regardless of the order) as long as you make it clear which medal you're writing about (giving its number from the master list). Does this seem OK? Back to top

a_r_schulz Group: Members Posts: 425 Joined: Sep. 2001 Posted: Feb. 09 2008, 17:41 First addition to DesertWhite: - The colored plate on the medal's platform will also take you back, as well as the red jet.    DONE - with more than four medals, you can still enter through one of the gates at the castle.    DONE P.S.: I'm not sure if I can support this guide systematically as it is built up, but I surely can post occasional hints and discoveries, which may later be sorted into place. Since they probably will contain spoilers, is this discussion thread OK to post them? Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 09 2008, 17:55 Quote (a_r_schulz @ Feb. 09 2008, 22:41) First addition to DesertWhite: - The colored plate on the medal's platform will also take you back, as well as the red jet. Great! Thanks Andreas. I didn't know you can use the red jet! Quote - with more than four medals, you can still enter through one of the gates at the castle And although I knew about the portal at the castle, I hadn't realised the number of medals didn't matter. I'll add those points. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 09 2008, 17:57 Quote (a_r_schulz @ Feb. 09 2008, 22:41) I surely can post occasional hints and discoveries, which may later be sorted into place. Since they probably will contain spoilers, is this discussion thread OK to post them? Yes, definitely. Any points you raise can be copied into the appropriate post and I'll make sure they're credited to you. Back to top

a_r_schulz Group: Members Posts: 425 Joined: Sep. 2001 Posted: Feb. 09 2008, 18:05 One more about Desert White: should you get tired of hunting jets, you will find somewhere a metal tube sticking out of the ground, which will take you back to the main hall with the spiral stairs.   DONE About the castle gates: Number of medals in fact does matter, if I'm not mistaken: They only work if you don't have the right number of medals for the corresponding target. i.e. usually when you got too many medals. Orientation inside the Voyager spaceship (i.e. the environment where you will find yourself when you enter the game): Once you have seen it from the outside, you should find it obvious to call the direction from the central hall with the spiral stairs towards the next room with the castle pyramid and lots of tunnels going out 'forward'. So, 'aft', 'left' and 'right' (or 'port' and 'starboard' for ye sailors) follow naturally. Note on avatars and 'locking' to objects: without an avatar, you will occasionally get 'locked' to certain 'interesting' objects, like e.g. the jet planes in Desert White. Once you have grabbed an avatar, you will not get locked. Not being locked makes some tasks, especially collecting some medals, easier, but some also harder. You definitely should avoid to enter the 'house of doors' (aka Maze) with an avatar, or you will get stuck in the walls (unless the avatar is really small). First hint: Inside the Voyager, you will find some hints at the entries of the connecting hallways: - a jet for DeserWhite - a tubular bell for Cave - a car for Inviz - a toothwheel for Gears - a book for Crater - a DNA molecule segment for Terrain The Light switches: - well, can we make up a short, common name for those circular, coloured things? any suggestion welcome. They serve as light switches in the main hall, but as gateways to other scenes of Maestro everywhere else... You find one of these on top of both left and right forward exits of the stairs hall. The game knows the states of red, white and blue light. You will only see avatars that exist in the same light, e.g. only in red light, you will find the cometars in their parking area, and the snail shell and the glider at the bottom of the stairs. Once you grabbed an avatar, you can take it to any other light, but will still only see avatars in the same light. The lights are also important for the Maestro quest, but that's another story... At the beginning of the game, you are in red light. Firing once at the left light switch will change to white light (and return you to the starting position in the main hall). The next hit on the left switch will change back to red light. In red light, persistent firing at the right switch will take you to blue light, where you e.g. will find a medal appearing on the fourth step of the spiral stairs. Hit the left switch again, and you're back to red light. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 10 2008, 04:47 Quote (a_r_schulz @ Feb. 09 2008, 23:05) Orientation inside the Voyager spaceship (i.e. the environment where you will find yourself when you enter the game): Once you have seen it from the outside, you should find it obvious to call the direction from the central hall with the spiral stairs towards the next room with the castle pyramid and lots of tunnels going out 'forward'. So, 'aft', 'left' and 'right' (or 'port' and 'starboard' for ye sailors) follow naturally. I'd prefer north, south, east and west, myself (we can add compass directions to the map, with north at the top, to help). What do others think about this? Quote The Light switches: - well, can we make up a short, common name for those circular, coloured things? any suggestion welcome. They serve as light switches in the main hall, but as gateways to other scenes of Maestro everywhere else... So far, I've referred to them as 'multicoloured circular windows', because I can't think of a shorter term that adequately describes what they look like. Anyone? Andreas, thanks for all the extra details here. I'll gradually feed them into appropriate posts as the Guide takes shape, and mark each one as 'DONE' as I go along - as I've done already for the first few. Back to top

The Thin Man Group: Members Posts: 151 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Feb. 10 2008, 11:30 I've always thought of them as "stained glass windows", ever since some eagle-eyed person had noticed they were the same design as in the Cathedral in Palma, Majorca (someone had better check this before it becomes a fact, my memory ain't what it once was! I tend to agree with Andreas on fore and aft for the internal spaceship directions, and use N-E-S-W for land-based worlds such as Dino-world and Crater world. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 11 2008, 14:25 I've added a heap of illustrations to Andreas's two posts for medals 2 and 5, see here. Back to top

a_r_schulz Group: Members Posts: 425 Joined: Sep. 2001 Posted: Feb. 12 2008, 05:50 At that rate, the medals pictures it's going to become a hell of a thread... I'll be back with more in a few days, hopefully.. Andreas Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 12 2008, 06:09 Quote (a_r_schulz @ Feb. 12 2008, 10:50) At that rate, the medals pictures it's going to become a hell of a thread... You mean the thread of images in the gallery? No matter. If it gets too long we can start a new one, and if necessary number the threads of medal images 1,2,3 etc. I'm not too worried about the layout for the gallery images section. Obviously they can be browsed among independently, but their chief purpose is to illustrate the main posts in the Guide. That's the structure that needs to be clear and easy to use. Back to top

olracUK Group: Members Posts: 1683 Joined: June 2003 Posted: Feb. 12 2008, 16:24 Getting back to maps, I realised that I was very wrong. A map of Terrain is an obvious one, but what of the bird cage cave? And of the castle and all it's links? Personally I'm no good at drawing in paint or whatever, so I might have a go with an overhead screen shot and captions. If any one has some graphical skills, get to work!   -------------- The answer is 42 - but what is the question? Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Feb. 12 2008, 16:55 I think the only urgent map issue is the main map, Andy. I'll give it another week or so to see if there are any comments about my old map, and then I'll try to 'improve' it with forwards, backwards labels etc, and maybe add a little more info - and then post it again so we can start to link to it. I like that outside view of the ship you posted Andy - it will help people to make sense of the basic map. The labels are a bit crude, but I could easily replace them with some prettier ones and repost it. Shall I do that? There's no urgency about a map for Terrain - at some point I'll post a screenshot of that big diagram in the wall in the spaceship, which shows the relationship between the mountain ranges etc. The bird cavern would be tricky to map, I think, because it's so 3-dimensional. Castle might be easier. Back to top

3Wheeler Group: Members Posts: 828 Joined: Aug. 2007 Posted: Feb. 13 2008, 04:43 Ive just started replaying the Game now this thread has started up        Just figured out the Light Switches now.. One thing I got sorted was getting the Medal off the SCORPION....  Not sure if its possible without a Avatar.. I Failed anyway.. But if you pick up the tubular shell one off the bottom staircase as you enter the game.. Then take that into the Scorpions Room ... Well Its easy to Knock it off his Back    The Same Avatar seems to work well in the JETS game as well... It makes a Big target for the red jet to Fly into....  Getting somewhere now  Tks for the Effort guys. -------------- We're Flying Aeroflot, We've Got Reservations. Back to top

The Thin Man Group: Members Posts: 151 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Feb. 13 2008, 14:25 It is possible to obtain the medal from the scorpion without having an avatar, but it takes a little practice.  However, once the knack has been learned it works 9 times out of 10. Once you have found the scorpion and locked on to it, position yourself so that the scorpion is moving directly towards you.  Do this in the open parts of the chamber and not near the corners where the scorpion changes directions.  Now that you are in front of the scorpion, position yourself slightly above it, not too high and not too low.  A press of the mouse and, with luck, you will pass right through the medal and collect the medal. There's a bit of trial and eror to get the positioning right, but once you have learned where the sweet spot is you can do it more often than not.  Give it a go ! The same technique works for collecting the medal on the back of the horse that gallops around the outside of the castle.  In that case, it is possible to get much closer to the medal before you release yourself and let the medal pass through you.  The horse medal would be good practice for the scorpion medal. I've now added all this information to the medal thread, for medal 20 - AD. Back to top

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