UPDATED T2 FM: Finals at the Academy - v2.0 May 6 2012

[LarryG]

Thank you for the PM, but why can't we be specific in this thread? What happens when you're not around and someone is at their wits end? They can't read someone else's PMs ... The true path through the FM needs to be documented publicly.. If not by the author, then by the fans.

I'm with Elkston, I would welcome explicit spoilers on this forum, one which others can read if they wish.

1. I have already said that I will post a complete set of hints and spoilers and loot list, but I want to give people a chance to try the mission on their own without the temptation of spoilers first. Until then I will respond to PMs for explicit spoilers. I just do not want to make them public at this time.

2. In the event that I get hit by a bus and am unable to respond, I have a whole horde / herd / host of Beta Testers who are monitoring this thread too and who also can respond privately to those in utmost distress.

3. There is no single "true path" through the FM. I worked very hard to allow for multiple paths and approaches to this mission. However if someone wants to write a complete walk-through for the mission I would be willing to include it with my complete spoiler posting when I do that. And I would be willing to work with any such persons to ensure the walk-through was complete. Believe it or not, this mission can be ghosted with all the loot collected. It would be nice to have that documented by someone skilled enough to do so.

Bottom line: as the mission author I ask that you respect my request and not publish explicit spoilers at this time. I can't stop you if you do, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn't. Thank you.

[LarryG]

I'm stuck. I can't figure out the glyph puzzle, even though I think I have accessed every readable there is.

Hint # 1.
I assume that you know what the mnemonic is, but are having trouble translating it into glyphs. If you have read everything in the classroom with all the glyph posters, you should have read the poster with a picture of a clock face. Look in your map notes and see if you can find it there. If not, you didn't read it.

Hint #2.
You should also have read Coleman's note to Bursar where he writes "As long as you remember how to tell the time, you should have no troubles ..."

Hint #3.
Marry up the nouns in the mnemonic with the glyphs on the clock face.

[ffox]

I have a whole herd of Beta Testers who are monitoring this thread too and who also can respond privately to those in utmost distress.

Herd? So I'm a member of a group of grazing ungulates? Happy days!

[nickie]

I'm with Elkston, I would welcome explicit spoilers on this forum, one which others can read if they wish.

I'd just like to say that the whole herd all agreed that hints in the thread and outright spoilers by pm was the way to go.

[Marbrien]

The latest hints about the glyphs have, I think, been provided before, so don't really add anything.

I don't agree with this approach to sharing information, but as I seem to be in a minority, I will give up and bow out.

[elkston]

LarryG writes:

2. In the event that I get hit by a bus and am unable to respond,

Hey man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in this way. I meant that for whatever reason (not interested in Thief anymore, working on new FM, new life focus, etc) you just don't visit the forum as often anymore.

[jardakrupka]

Good morning where's sprout to window on staircase?Seek through I'm room and office headteacher,inclusive roads.Shall I sprout since its room(stone translation above his door),found I'm and secret hall near staircase(two imagery below staircase),but ain't capable find key to window on staircase,I know it is about ring,one already Shall I from librarian but that malfunctions.I don't know English,so they for me according to of a large number of text enough exacting.I don't know where find broken arrow?Counsel tip search alternative way etc don't take.I'm playing hush up part already more how 9 o'clock creep through lie what,and notation in attic I'm solved with small help here from fora(85764).A lastly for author mission,I don't know how this will translate use translator.Author would had inform as though though is mission really happy don't play she only people master totally English.Thief plaies all the world over.A don't play him only teen - ager.Thank for counsel

[urgrue]

I would like to express my great admiration for and appreciation to the author LarryG and others like him (her? them?). I have been privileged to enjoy many fine additions to the Thief FM canon for over 10 years, and this one for me stands up there, unique, but certainly one of the best. The amount of time, inventive thought and skill that went into the creation of this mission is clearly seen everywhere you look. The scale of it, the exploration (which I love,) the puzzles, the sense of foreboding, the immersive plot, elements of danger, little details, visual style, ... (Garrett skips a few lines), hollow voices, twisty little passages, ladders, it's got it all. And the ending screams out ... sequel!

I've had huge fun trying to figure out all the spells. I'm still not finished.

I wondered a while back whether the FM community would slowly fade as established authors got older or got frobbed by the real world. This year has dismissed that view as unduly pessimistic. May this mission serve as an exemplar. I live to play FMs like this.

[baeuchlein]

The Southquarter link to a german version apparently yields a damaged zip file. However, the link directly above the Southquarter links leads to a functional german version.

[JonesCrusher]

as betatesters we are respecting LarryG's wishes not to divulge outright spoilers....

This is a thinking man/womans FM and sometimes it helps to sleep on things for a while and think about them...its not meant to be a "smash and grab",and a "demanding stamp your feet" till you get the spoiler type of FM.

our first blind run though took about 8 hours there was so much to read and remember etc...and we didnt have outright spoilers...we were referred to texts and think how they would weave into the story...it was much more fun to work things out for yourself and not just get the answer immediately...and I think that is the best way for this story.It can get very frustrating and especially if its not in your particular language yet...but this is a sweet for sucking and pondering.

I wont even mention the easter egg yet

I am still in awe of this FM and cant wait to see what unfolds for the next part in the story...Larry,YOU ROCK!

[kittykat]

The only thing that bothers my about the no direct answer and very hard to decipher hints approach is that sometimes nobody bothers to answer when you ask. So in hopes of getting a straight answer How do I get up the endless stairs (already tried the robe arrow and it didn't work) and where is the baby thing.

[MrMunkeepants]

first of all, let me say I love the arrow crafting mechanic! I had wondered if it was possible to do such a thing, glad to see a clever taffer made it work

now my problem:

Exhibits: Did you see the keylock under the window on the stairs one flight down from the attic? When you open it a whole new exhibition part will open on the opposite wall. You'll find the keyring in one of the upper rooms.

About the book Gremoria Necromantica: Check out the attick, use the glyphs on a part of the walll where the engine is ..... did you read the "glyph clock" already? in one of the lesson rooms?

EXTRA 1 = nevcromancer, 2 = archer, 3 = banker, 4 = sailor and 5 is undead!

having trouble here:
1- found the lock, but the neither the ring nor the exhibits key will open it.
2- looked around the generators in the attic, but didn't find any glyphs

[Dawggon]

kittykat, look for pm.

Sorry not to help answer questions sooner, but have been out of town.

My words exactly urgrue. Many thanks to LarryG for such a fine work of art, and congratulations on the release!

MrMunkeepants: 1. Have you checked Coleman's office very carefully?
2. Look at the No. wall in front of the generator.

[kittykat]

Thank you Dawggon I have that object but what about the poor crying baby?

[LarryG]

Herd? So I'm a member of a group of grazing ungulates? Happy days!

I kept misspelling "horde" and really meant "host" or perhaps "flock" or ... I'm not making this any better am I?

[LarryG]

Good morning where's sprout to window on staircase?Seek through I'm room and office headteacher,inclusive roads.Shall I sprout since its room(stone translation above his door),found I'm and secret hall near staircase(two imagery below staircase),but ain't capable find key to window on staircase,I know it is about ring,one already Shall I from librarian but that malfunctions.I don't know English,so they for me according to of a large number of text enough exacting.I don't know where find broken arrow?Counsel tip search alternative way etc don't take.I'm playing hush up part already more how 9 o'clock creep through lie what,and notation in attic I'm solved with small help here from fora(85764).A lastly for author mission,I don't know how this will translate use translator.Author would had inform as though though is mission really happy don't play she only people master totally English.Thief plaies all the world over.A don't play him only teen - ager.Thank for counsel

OK. I can clearly see that there is a bit of a common language problem here. I'll do the best that I can, but this may not be pretty.

Good morning where's sprout to window on staircase?Seek through I'm room and office headteacher,inclusive roads.Shall I sprout since its room(stone translation above his door),found I'm and secret hall near staircase(two imagery below staircase),but ain't capable find key to window on staircase,I know it is about ring,one already Shall I from librarian but that malfunctions.

I think you want to know how to unlock the lock found on the stairway between the residential / chamber floor and the principle floor, just underneath a window sill. The Librarian's ring does not work on this lock. You need to find another. Earlier in this thread are hints to search the Headmaster's rooms diligently. You really need to explore everywhere in those rooms. A switch is really well hidden. If you need a spoiler on this PM me.

I don't know where find broken arrow?

You haven't found the area where they are yet. But you will.

Counsel tip search alternative way etc don't take.

You need to really search the principle floor and staircases for places you can climb.

I'm playing hush up part already more how 9 o'clock creep through lie what,and notation in attic I'm solved with small help here from fora(85764).A lastly for author mission,I don't know how this will translate use translator.Author would had inform as though though is mission really happy don't play she only people master totally English.Thief plaies all the world over.A don't play him only teen - ager.Thank for counsel

Just as you are having trouble reading the mission in English, I am having trouble understanding what you mean here. I wanted to release the mission in multiple languages, and I still have an ongoing Beta Test in Russian which I will release as soon as it is ready, but beyond German and Russian I was unable to find interested translators. Unfortunately not all all missions can be wholly language independent. This one clearly is not. Sorry. But it couldn't be and still be the mission I wanted to build.

[LarryG]

The latest hints about the glyphs have, I think, been provided before, so don't really add anything.

I don't agree with this approach to sharing information, but as I seem to be in a minority, I will give up and bow out.

Are you still stuck? I'll PM you.

[LarryG]

The only thing that bothers my about the no direct answer and very hard to decipher hints approach is that sometimes nobody bothers to answer when you ask. So in hopes of getting a straight answer How do I get up the endless stairs (already tried the robe arrow and it didn't work) and where is the baby thing.

Rope arrow will work at the right location. Were you inside or outside of the tower? Look up all around on the outside.
As to the baby ...
did you find both texts referred to in earlier hints?
did you find an area with a happy baby?
Again PM me if you need an explicit spoiler.

[LarryG]

now my problem:

having trouble here:
1- found the lock, but the neither the ring nor the exhibits key will open it.
2- looked around the generators in the attic, but didn't find any glyphs

Let's start with 1. Yes, you are right. Neither of those will open it. You have two choices: (a) find what does open it, or (b) find an alternative path to where you can get should you open it. For (a) Think about who should have access to all places in the Academy building. One candidate is the Headmaster. So, search really, really hard wherever he goes. If you have done that and still didn't find anything, focus on the study off of his bedroom. For (b), this is the time to look for places to climb. The are you are looking for is in between floors. There are a couple of ways to get there, but both dead end in a wall. You then need to find a hidden switch.

Now for 2. Look at your map of the attic. Do you see a void in the center? Try walking all around that void. You'll know when you are at the right spot!

[Dawggon]

Quote: "I kept misspelling "horde" and really meant "host" or perhaps "flock" or ... I'm not making this any better am I? "

...or, assemblage, party, commonalty, aggregation, cluster, or just plain group. You're fun!

[jardakrupka]

Good morning,I unfortunately I don't know what it is PM,therefore I'm you sent email .greet.Jk

[shadows]

Good morning,I unfortunately I don't know what it is PM,therefore I'm you sent email .greet.Jk

PM = Private Message, a message sent to your account on this forum, accessible when you've logged in, it's on the menu bar.

[jardakrupka]

PM = Private Message, a message sent to your account on this forum, accessible when you've logged in, it's on the menu bar.

Thank for counsel,perhaps I'm it turned on.Dispatched private report from someone I have to always search about?: D

[shadows]

Thank for counsel,perhaps I'm it turned on.Dispatched private report from someone I have to always search about?: D

Don't quite understand you, do you mean how to access your PMs? You log in and at the top of the forum page, the menu bar will have a link labeled Private Messages, click on that and then you can see the PMs you have been sent.

[Marbrien]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before (I can't get the 'search within this thread' to complete), but whenever I try to save after completing the "quiten the baby" objective, the game crashes to desktop. Playing on Hard.