Questions for those who finished. (spoiler)

[xoham]

This entire thread should be considered a SPOILER for anone who would read it. This relates to the game as patched to 1.21 final.

I have a number of questions about how other players arrived at solutions, and some other general questions for those that completed the game, maybe before there were walkthroughs available.

1) Serpent Temple - how did you determine to strike the metal wall? The riddle does not mention a wall but a sword and a scepter, but there is no scepter nor anything like one.

2) Crypt - did you find the statue that you have to manipulate in order to open the portcullis right away?

3) Serpent Temple - the last corridor with the two secret walls, how did you find the switch up on the wall around the bend? I tried numerous things to get past the forcefield including tossing items to the other side to hit a floor switch, trying to levitate over, and other useless things.

4) How did you determine you need to talk to the prisoner after the king threw him in the dungeon? I only found him after I found the secret tunnels in the keep and got close enough to hear his voice. I was otherwise wandering around trying to advance the quest hopelessly.

5) How did you find the Dragon Egg area? The only way I would have found it, and I'm not sure this was right, but maybe it was the only unexposed map area?

6) Did you guess to use the candle on the skull in Iserbius' (spelling) room? And when you did, did you see the key right away?

7) How did you kill the monster in the dwarven tunnels? I got him stuck on the grating covering the lava (seemed like a glitch) and then opened the grating, burning him. However, it looks like maybe you could squash him if you could bait him under the squasher.

8) How did you arrive at the idea to break up the ore under the squasher? I don't recall the book telling you to do it. I figured I would need to find another piece of ore somewhere to have two pieces.

9) Did you expect to be able to make a gold sword in the foundry / forge area? I was able to make an ingot of gold from pieces I found earlier but that was the end of it. I figured it would be interesting to make another sword for general combat though there is, of course, no reason to given the power of the meteor sword.

10) Crypt - did you find the switch to open the last tomb (the one that seemed too heavy or something)?

11) Ice area - did the stalactite make any sense to you? I levitated for the whole area. Had to back up a little on the side wall of the stairs to get the needed altitude but the stalactite didn't seem to help matters at all.

Thanks for your comments.

[Stingm]

1. In that area is a sign that hints about a secret and in the secret area is the hint for that. The sword and staff are on the snake you have to shoot with an arrow. Not sure what you mean by plate. Sorry!

2. Yeah found it pretty quick as I recall!

3. I have the Arx Guide by this point and knew what to look for..lol

4. I think I stumbled on it like you did and with a bit of help from the guide.

5. I knew there had to be something over there..to much open space when I looked across the chasm.

6. I think I found the candle okay but yeah took a bit to find the key.

7. I used the guide after getting frustrated..lol Yeah you run down the other tunnel and get a couple hunks of meat and trap him there. Then you goto the next area and flip the switch to open the lava pit. When you walk back he shows up and you run and jump over the pit and he falls in.

8. Again I cheated and consulted the guide.

9. No I didn't expect that...but the mention of other enchantments got me thinking. But then as you said why bother when you only needed the meteor sword.

10. Yes! I think I know where you mean!

11. Again I consulted the guide when I got stumped.

The unofficial guide is still available if you want it. It's linked in another thread.

[xoham]

The point of my thread is to see if other players had to refer to the walkthroughs/guides/or whatever on the internet. I found it frustrating that the puzzles did not make sense and often I did not know how to proceed.

In my version of Arx, you have to strike a large metal wall that has no scepter and no image of a scepter. The clue clearly calls out out a scepter though. I did not shoot anything with an arrow. Don't think I ever carried a bow in the game. So while I really like a game mechanics, location, graphics, and everything that was emulated from Underworld 2, I think the puzzles were no good.

[Stingm]

So then how did you get the stalagtite to fall in order to enter the dragon area? I do agree some of the puzzles were kinda tuff. But I still think it's an excellent game even with a few flaws.

[xoham]

I got the stalactite to fall by fireballing it. However, it didn't look like it would help me do anything so I levitated to the whole area.

There's a lot to like about the game, but a good number of bad design choices.

[Nanoc]

Yeah I had to use the guide sometimes. The game has some frustrating riddles so...it was that or just leaving/quiting the game. And I do not regret it.
Finished it and loved it.
I encountered some of the same problems you have described in the earlier post, but some of them were easier for me to understand and others were just about exploring. I found the dragon egg area quite easily by just exploring the area.
And I got all the eggs without killing the dragon. I gave him the money and then I just jumped (at the entrance of the dragon area) immediately before casting levitate, so I just levitated (higher than normal because of the jump) to the eggs.