Arx Fatalis - Lava Jump Room?

[Michael Anderson]

OK, I'm a low-dex, low str mage, and I'm struggling to get across the
platforms in this room.

It took me ~25 tries to make the first jump.

The next two were easy.

The last one I am finding impossible.

I have done ~75 - 100 attempts on different days, and still can't make the
jump.

I am a long-time gamer, making challenging jumps is not generally a problem
for me (not that I'm a huge fan of jump puzzles) but it seems this is a
flawed jump, possibly de to my character build.

Any advice? I'd hate to have to leave the game behind based on one jump ...

Mike

[Michael Cecil]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Michael Anderson]

Post by Michael Cecil
Keep trying. That jump is a bitch. It always makes me want to quit.

Great, like I tell my kids ... keep trying. :(

Any tips - should I be on the right side of the platform, the center or the
left? Should I aim right or center or left?

Mike

[Josh Mayfield]

I HATED this part of the game. Here's my detailed seven-step guide for
getting through the lava pit, starting just before you enter the pit:

1. Quick save (F5) now.
2. Just walk off the cliff onto the first platform.
3. Turn to face the closest platform on your right and look down so that you
can see your feet. Walk in the direction of the next platform until your
feet are halfway off the edge. You will find that if you're very careful you
can actually walk completely off the edge without falling down!
Unfortunately, I have found that you cannot jump unless your feet are
PARTIALLY on the platform. So basically, walk as far off the edge of the
platform as you can while still being able to jump (just hit SPACE while
you're not moving to do a test vertical jump. If you can't do it, you've
walked too far).
4. In mouselook mode (where you have the little crosshairs), place your
crosshairs on the lower right corner of the target platform and use W+SPACE
to jump. If your crosshairs are not on that corner when you jump YOU WILL
NOT MAKE IT.
5. The third and fourth platforms are easy to jump onto. But jumping from
the fourth platform to the exit is tougher. Quick save once you reach the
fourth platform.
6. Look down again and you'll notice a big support bar jutting out from the
platform in the direction of the exit. This bar actually extends the useable
length of the platform. Position yourself over the bar and start walking
toward the exit. Again, find the sweet spot where you're as far off the
platform as possible but you can still jump.
7. Look up, place your crosshairs on the nearest part of the ledge, and
W+SPACE to jump.

Post by Michael Anderson

Post by Michael Cecil
Keep trying. That jump is a bitch. It always makes me want to quit.

Great, like I tell my kids ... keep trying. :(
Any tips - should I be on the right side of the platform, the center or the
left? Should I aim right or center or left?
Mike

[Michael Anderson]

Post by Josh Mayfield
5. The third and fourth platforms are easy to jump onto. But jumping from
the fourth platform to the exit is tougher. Quick save once you reach the
fourth platform.

This is where I was stuck.

Post by Josh Mayfield
6. Look down again and you'll notice a big support bar jutting out from the
platform in the direction of the exit. This bar actually extends the useable
length of the platform. Position yourself over the bar and start walking
toward the exit. Again, find the sweet spot where you're as far off the
platform as possible but you can still jump.
7. Look up, place your crosshairs on the nearest part of the ledge, and
W+SPACE to jump.

I did that 7 times and failed each time. Then I looked almost straight up
and ...

... I made it!!!

Quicksave, then Full Save, and now I can get back to enjoying the game.

Thanks again!

Mike

[Darin Johnson]

Post by Michael Anderson
Quicksave, then Full Save, and now I can get back to enjoying the game.

Be careful about the saves here. This is effectively a one-way door,
and the bad beasty is back... Ie, don't wipe away a full save from
before the jump.

It would be nice though if the levitate spell allowed you to raise
altitude slightly.

[Josh Mayfield]

One more thing, if you still have trouble with the steps I gave you, try
switching down to 640x480 resolution. I remember doing this the first time I
played the game specifically because I was having trouble in the lava room,
and I was just trying ANYTHING. I had a theory that lower screen resolution
affected the 3D coordinates in the game, possibly making jumps go a little
further in the gameworld at lower resolutions. Now that I know more about 3D
graphics, this probably doesn't make sense...

All I know is, after switching to 640x480 I was able to get across, and I
completed the game twice successfully after that.

Post by Michael Anderson

Post by Michael Cecil
Keep trying. That jump is a bitch. It always makes me want to quit.

Great, like I tell my kids ... keep trying. :(
Any tips - should I be on the right side of the platform, the center or the
left? Should I aim right or center or left?
Mike

[Michael Anderson]

Post by Josh Mayfield
All I know is, after switching to 640x480 I was able to get across, and I
completed the game twice successfully after that.

It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to work ... and we're only
talking a few pixels that we miss by. I don't know how it translates
coordinates back and forth, but it shouldn't matter ...

Mike

[Michael Cecil]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 11:13:23 -0700, "Josh Mayfield"

Post by Josh Mayfield
One more thing, if you still have trouble with the steps I gave you, try
switching down to 640x480 resolution. I remember doing this the first time I
played the game specifically because I was having trouble in the lava room,
and I was just trying ANYTHING. I had a theory that lower screen resolution
affected the 3D coordinates in the game, possibly making jumps go a little
further in the gameworld at lower resolutions. Now that I know more about 3D
graphics, this probably doesn't make sense...

It's like people eating food before casting high level spells in UO.
There must be a whole subset of mythology in computer gaming. :)

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

Post by Michael Anderson
OK, I'm a low-dex, low str mage, and I'm struggling to get across the
platforms in this room.
It took me ~25 tries to make the first jump.
The next two were easy.
The last one I am finding impossible.
I have done ~75 - 100 attempts on different days, and still can't make the
jump.
I am a long-time gamer, making challenging jumps is not generally a problem
for me (not that I'm a huge fan of jump puzzles) but it seems this is a
flawed jump, possibly de to my character build.
Any advice? I'd hate to have to leave the game behind based on one jump ...

Change the screen resolution. ISTR there is/was an interesting bug where
this just was impossible at high res, but if you switch down to 800*600
it's a snip.

[GSV Three Minds in a Can]

Post by GSV Three Minds in a Can

Post by Michael Anderson
OK, I'm a low-dex, low str mage, and I'm struggling to get across the
platforms in this room.
It took me ~25 tries to make the first jump.
The next two were easy.
The last one I am finding impossible.
I have done ~75 - 100 attempts on different days, and still can't make the
jump.
I am a long-time gamer, making challenging jumps is not generally a problem
for me (not that I'm a huge fan of jump puzzles) but it seems this is a
flawed jump, possibly de to my character build.
Any advice? I'd hate to have to leave the game behind based on one jump ...

Change the screen resolution. ISTR there is/was an interesting bug
where this just was impossible at high res, but if you switch down to
800*600 it's a snip.

Or even 640*480 - whatever the minimum is/was. I guess whoever did the
math for scaling the screen size with pixel resolution got something
wrong.