Strategies for D1 level 20...

[Xfing]

This level's kicking my ass. BIG TIME. I'm talking about Insane, of course. It's a freaking death trap! Anyone has any idea how to minimize the number of deaths on this level?

[DarkFlameWolf]

Don't suck.
But seriously, I really don't know, play cat and mouse and be safe?

[Avder]

This level's kicking my ass. BIG TIME. I'm talking about Insane, of course. It's a freaking death trap! Anyone has any idea how to minimize the number of deaths on this level?

In the first section, after you take out the lifters who charge you right away, dont get caught up chasing down gophers. In fact dont go after them at all. Look around until you find the one that is colored blue, indicating he has the key. If you are far enough away from a gopher, you can shoot it without it running. Use that to get a clean shot at the gopher with the key. There's a quad laser in this section of the map. I highly recommend you get it as you will need its damage/energy efficiency. Also learn what triggers the matcens so you can avoid spawning in any new bots entirely.

The next section is by far the hardest, and this is because there are a number of platform missile bots roaming around who can and will ruin your day. The best strategy I have found so far is to make a break for the fusion cannon in a little isolated alcove, and then get into the area right by the energy center, where you have a little room to maneuver. Fusion blast everything. THEN you can worry about finding the yellow key. Same strategy applies here as with the gophers. Just find him, and if you are far enough away, you can take him out without him running away.

The third section is not nearly as hard. Just be sure to have fusion adequately charged going around corners with nasty bots so you can one shot them. The red key is easily found.

The reactor room is very tricky. There are a couple platform missile bots sitting near the matcens. Deal with them, but stay as near to the floor as you can. After they are done, switch to lasers and do your best to snipe the red hulk guarding the reactor through the grate. Once that's cleared out, take out the reactor and run like hell. If you can trichord fast enough, you can try to grab the hostages on your way out.

[Xfing]

Ok, thanks a bunch. I'll give it my best to obey this advice, heh heh.

Damn, level 20 is just too hard. Descent 1 overall is quite frustrating. Guess that's part of what made retro games so good, completing them alone was quite an achievement. Unlike today.

[Avder]

Level 20 gets substantially easier if you have the patience of a saint. The first section is really cake once you've figured out the right distance to be at in order to shoot the gophers with ease.

The second section is all about making sure you are not in a position to be ambushed by those platform bots. If you come out of the first section with the quads and a substantial energy reserve, you are in very good shape.

In the little foyer between sections one and two, take the left door and dispatch the drones there. Once the door closes, you have a decent position to lie in wait for the platform bots to hunt you. You should have a decent supply of missiles at this point, be ready to use them when the drones and platform bots start appearing in the tunnel ahead. Be warned that it could take a very long time, if at all, for all four platform bots to come to you, as their starting points are a lot closer to the energy center. But if you are patient, it helps to wait until youve gotten at least a couple of them.

[Alter-Fox]

So, essentially, be sure you're not the mouse.

[Avder]

So, essentially, be sure you're not the mouse.

No actually, you want to be the mouse. Specifically you want to be Jerry, and the platform bots are all Tom. The platform bots chase you, and you lure them into a position where you have an advantage.

[Xfing]

Luring platformers... Hell yeah, that's what I gotta try.

The first area is frustrating as hell, though. It really does take immense patience.

[Alter-Fox]

No actually, you want to be the mouse. Specifically you want to be Jerry, and the platform bots are all Tom. The platform bots chase you, and you lure them into a position where you have an advantage.

But that's one way I've seen cats hunt... I think.
We must now derail this thread with a huge irrelevant argument where if you look closely you'll see both sides are right! The entire board will join in this cat vs mouse debate and there will be bad feelings all over MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA eep!

[Avder]

Luring platformers... Hell yeah, that's what I gotta try.

The first area is frustrating as hell, though. It really does take immense patience.

It's not as hard once you know the best places to stop and look around. Once you take out the lifters coming at you, stop and look around. If you can see the blue gopher bot and he's not moving, tilt your pyro so you can shoot him with both laser beams and take him out then and there.

If he is not immediately visible, head for the quad laser powerup and grab it. Take care because there is a door in the area that opens and reveals a vulcan bot. Once you know where it is and what triggers it, you can destroy him with minimal loss of shields.

There are two really good spots for being able to shoot gophers without them moving: the area right by the quad laser/vulcan trap, and the area around the start point.

A third area is the tunnel right past the two matcens nearest the blue door. You can safely enter this tunnel if you do not cross its midpoint, which triggers the matcen on the lower level, and if you only leave the area by way of the branch that does not trigger the upper matcen. I should really make a map.

Anyway, once you have the distance down, and you know what cube boundaries trigger matcens, you should be able to track the blue gopher bot down, herd him into an area thats visible from one of the three I mentioned, and blow him up without too much trouble, and with plenty of energy to take with you into the 2nd area.

Trust me, the first area is cake compared to the 2nd area. You'll wish the 2nd area was as easy as the first area.