Stuck in server area

[Delta2501]

I'm on the mission to capture the Shadow AI and have shut down the servers so that the current objective is to download the AI to Treskon's brain, but I'm stuck in the area past a door marked server six, just past an area loading point. The area is a green-lit shaft with electronic panels on all four sides, and a similar level below, also with 4 panels, and the panels seem to drop a central elevator platform. There seems nothing but electric death below and no means to climb the shaft (the central pillar has a ladder effect, but not all the way up). What am I missing to help get me through? Much obliged for any help.

On a side note, this game is pretty fantastic, I really like the way they nailed the sinister moments where a creepy HUD voice or e-mail creeps you out. This happened when I found the empty satellite lab with "all emails erased" on four previously occupied PCs, and when my borrowing items from local shops was reported as a chain of burglaries on a message board. Made me feel pretty guilty.

[Jonas]

Whoops wrong forum - moving it to the spoiler forum

There are three levels in the shaft, and you seem to be missing the existence of the upper level. Climb to the top of the ladder in the center and then jump off it to the top level.

Very glad to hear that you liked the CORONA lab, it's such a simple idea but I think it works pretty well. Always love to get feedback on specific parts that work well (since positive feedback tends to be so vague while negative feedback tends to be crushingly specific ).

[Delta2501]

Sorry, I sorta assumed spoilers would be okay on a help board and assumed those who hadn't reached the area in the topic title wouldn't read it. I'll be careful in future.

I tend to think that minor suggestions can really have a profound effect on the player, much moreso than the player being told directly they're an evil bastard (which makes them defensive. For example that burglaries board post I mentioned, and Icarus's comment that your tendency for breaking and entering makes you suited to joining the bad team if you break into the Paris hostel in DX can really cause any insecurities and guilt the player feels to flare up. A similar example I remember is from Portal where GLaDOS's voice simply says "You aren't a good person, you know that right? Good people don't end up here." This is particularly effective as it works not only on a personal level (if the player is a mass of insecurity like me) and because we know nothing of the silent protagonist apart from their status as a test subject. A thoughtful player may well step back and wonder just what sort of person they've been guiding all this time.

[Delta2501]

Another good element that I remembered was the importance of genuine moral choices. While most games who talk about moral choice boil down to being fantastically evil or a sunshine hippy with little middle ground whereas the choices here are more real. I particularly liked the option whether to buy the rail pass legitimately or to help a hacker who's not exactly evil, but a way which involves assaulting an old friend. Likewise the frighteningly attractive option of mugging the poor deranged guy outside Sol's in exchange for cash and cheap upgrades. Such options, the decision whether to perform a minor evil without significant repurcussions or story relevance to gain or simply ignore the opportunity, are much more real and can make the player feel unclean if they are a more reflective type. The lack of immediate major consequences means they can nag at the player, who is not so preoccupied with defending or escaping that they forget their act, and veiled suggestions they are in some way lacking (like the burglary post) stop them from getting defensive in the way that being told they are a bastard would.

I quite liked this little article about moral choice in games, may be worth a look if people are interested.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/article ... od-vs-Evil

[Jonas]

Sorry, I sorta assumed spoilers would be okay on a help board and assumed those who hadn't reached the area in the topic title wouldn't read it. I'll be careful in future.

Oh it's not so much that spoilers aren't permitted in the help forum (though generally they should be avoided if possible), it's just that it wasn't a technical issue, so your question belongs in this forum

[JeniSkunk]

veiled suggestions they are in some way lacking (like the burglary post) stop them from getting defensive in the way that being told they are a bastard would.

Actually, whenI was doing my WC/Ryan playthrough, I killed the PDXer that I got the security clearance from. I loved hearing the comment from TG about me not being a nice person.

Jenifur Charne