Quake 2, Mission Pack 2, Ground Zero

http://users.bart.nl/~jamin

Quake II, Ground Zero

FINALLY Quake II fanatics have a real single player challenge. On hard things are real tough, but if you feel like a real challenge try playing on the hidden Nightmare level by pulling down the console and typing Skill 3 <return> map rmine1 <return>. You are now on hard plus level, or Nightmare for us old timers and, boy, does it get hard.
    This mission pack introduces Strogg turrets which are a real pain in the ass. So if they want to play dirty, I suggest you do too. Using a sniper zoom bind you can add a zoom mode to all your weapons, but particularly to your railgun. To do this make a new text file called autoexec.cfg in the rouge found in your Quake 2 folder and insert these lines. Adjust the key, field of view (FOV) level and mouse sensitivities to suit your good self.

Bind Z zoomin Alias zoomin "fov 35; sensitivity 3; bind z zoomout" Alias zoomout "fov 90; sensitivity 8; bind z zoomin"

    So here we go, as most of the levels are pretty straightforward I've taken more time over describing where the secrets are. If part of the level is a little complex or I used a specific tactic I've told you about it, but on the whole it's just a matter of battling your way through.

Lower Mines
Even the start of this mission pack is not straightforward; ammo is tight so make your shots count and use the basic blaster to shoot crystals and basic grunts. From the start wait for the shaking to stop and in the room with the two flyers shoot the crystal over the lava to your left, to find secret one.
***SECRET1 - 01
    Make your way through the two lower rooms and up the first lift. Be careful not to blow up the large far crystal, after you clear this room go up the far ladder get the machine gun and press the switch. When the transport stops moving shoot it to get secret two.
***SECRET2 - 01
    After finding the next switch make you way across the water-logged room and go past the lift, spot secret five out of the two windows. Carry on round and down the lift. If you go in a room full of explosive crates leave the one in the crane untouched.
    Opposite this is a room with two large gears, grenade them for secret three. You may want to leave this for later, watch your head collecting it though.
***SECRET3 - 01
    You can now exit the level or head left to collect the last two secrets. Get secret four by going up the ladders you come across and activate the switch, when the crane stop, blow the crate you left to open the grate below.
***SECRET4 - 01
    The final secret you can find by jumping out of the Window onto the moving carts, just follow the tracks to find some red armour.
***SECRET5 - 01

Thaelite Mines
The start is a rather duck and dive affair and, once into the mines, don't miss the chain gun around the right path. A second path around is hidden behind a large outcrop of Thaelite crystals, there is a reception committee and a digger further down the path tries to run you over. Watch for a Gunner blocking the next room by shooting a large overhanging rock from the top outcrop of rocks.
    The room at the top starts with a bit of a trap so watch your back and take these out first. Once in use the chain gun to take out the flyers and kill the commander with grenades.
***SECRET1 - 02
    In this room on the side of one of the pillars is secret one, shoot this switch to get the most rubbish pickups ever. Grenade the left of the broken door for a short cut.
    Through here opposite the broken door is secret two, so shoot the crystals in the wall to claim your backpack
***SECRET2 - 02
    Head down the passage and find the switch to open the large doors below. A third secret lies halfway up the slow lift that you can find past the large exit door. Shoot the crack where the flyers come out.
***SECRET3 - 02
    For secret four you have two choices either follow the walk through that takes you here anyway via the extra secret level or find the cart track to claim it now. Walk along and drop down the deep cart shaft, at the bottom you'll find a spare quad power up.
***SECRET4 - 02

Tectonic Stabiliser
Clear the first room and then collect the rocket launcher off to the right, before going on. To get secret one as you enter the main pumping station area there are two large storage containers with a pipe full of flowing water connecting them. Behind the one on the left is a secret button, shoot this to reveal the secret room where the gladiator is placed in the corner.
***SECRET1 - 03
    You need to make your way through the pumping station where you can deactivate the shields round the blue lit strips. When you do, make your way back around the level, shooting them all and head back to the pumping station.
    Do the level switch on the upper level in the pumping station but leave the lower one for later, then head to the water tank. Don't miss the red armour in the water for secret two.
***SECRET2 - 03
    When exiting the far tank checkout the left side of the tank for secret three in the form of another quad. If you have problems run up the ladder and jump off to the right.
***SECRET3 - 03
    When exiting the far water tank I suggest you make a run up the stairs round to the left. Take care of all the monsters before activating the third switch. You have left the third switch to give you some extra time, when you trigger it you have 45 seconds.
    Exit the pumping station head up the ramp and go through the first exit you see. Follow the path to a lift down and the exit, or...
    For an alternative exit, secret four is a secret level, when passing through the lava room with the blue column watch the pipe down the right side of the room, it explodes revealing an alternative exit to a secret level.
***SECRET4 - 03

Secret Level - Mine Engineering
No secrets here, just keep going as the lava is, wait for it, hot on your heels. Drop down at the first machine-gunning Enforcer to get some red armour, and check behind the glass panel later on in the level but before the first lift for the chain fist. The falling panel breaks the glass.
***SECRET1 - 04

Lower Mines - The return
Once you survive the Tectonic Stabiliser head back to the start of the Thaelite Mines so you can re-enter the Lower Mines. There is light resistance just head back to where you entered to get the main lift up. A good few grunts guard the exit lift room.

Eastern Warehouse
I hope you've got good and warmed up because things are about to get difficult. Make your way up to the train area.
    Find secret one under the train in lower part of this area, but you need to turn the power off before you can collect. Do this by going through the purgatory of the left exit. Take your time and get the gladiator on the floor before going in.
***SECRET1 - 05
    After take the right exit and go up the moving ramp. After battling past a locked door and glass window you come to a flooded area. Jump from box to box and deactivate the power. Secret two is under a large slab and hides an adrenaline power up; you may want to save this until your are desperate for health.
***SECRET2 - 05
    Secret three appears far into the level. After you get the red pass card and go up the lift a flyer appears. Where it appeared is secret three, a mega health, chances are you need it too. You can now access outside, watch out for the gladiator below and the two turrets above. Before finishing get secret four by the pool of water under the ramp, for some red armour.
***SECRET3 - 05

Waterfront Storage
Once you make it to the warehouse section with all the high stacked crates before you jump over from the entrance section to the back section jump the other way to find a secret with the BFG.
***SECRET1 - 06
    The second secret is to be found after you hop over to the other side of the same warehouse section. At one point a crate is moved by a transport, if you jump on top you will pass a mega health jump up to get this and collect secret two. If you want to try a rocket rump make it a reverse one, to increase your chances.
***SECRET2 - 06
    Secret three is right at the end of this first part of the level. As you walk up the final ramp, before heading round to the right to exit the level, take a very careful look at the bottom sloping panel. It is in fact a button, shoot it to get a defender sphere and secret three.
***SECRET3 - 06

Logistics Complex
Bit of a nightmare level in terms of the number of Stroggs and turret traps. The first turret appears as you leave the entrance area. It pops out behind you, hindering any retreat you may make.
    The next area has a medic and a gladiator, I suggest you get their attention and then run back to the entrance area. Pick them off as they stumble round the corner. As you climb under the broken door a turret is directly to the left as is another just through the doorway.
    At the bottom of the lift a turret will appear directly above you if you move past the door to the right. A final rocket turret lives at the far end of the corridor. You can stand directly below it as it cannot angle down enough to shoot you.
    Re-enter this building but in the top half, the alarm button activates security lasers that will kill everything in the room below. This saves you killing everyone but means you have to time your entrance to avoid dying, there is room at the back to hide from the lasers. You then exit through the nearest cell. In this water filled area watch out for the rocket turret on the final pillar you come to. Waterfront Storage - The Return
From now on it is worth disposing of dead bodies, just in case a medical Strogg comes along and reincarnates it. Use your basic blaster to do this. Watch out for secret four, a hard to spot lit alternate texture type. As you pass through the blue scanner, a grid style lit texture in the corner guards a quad power up.
***SECRET4 - 06

Tactical Command
Secret one is very near the start position, from the train go down the ramp. In this little corridor area a secret button can be found in the ceiling, shoot this for a Quad.
***SECRET1 - 08
    When you come to the plasma beam a major trap lies through the next doorway. Two laser turrets will appear and a little down the corridor behind you two medic Stroggs will jump out creating all sorts of havoc.
    I suggest you lace the corridor where they appear with prox mines, as soon as the turrets burst out head back rocket launcher in hand and teach the Stroggs a lesson. Along the next corridor there is the same sort of situation, chuck grenades up to take most of the resistance out. Watch out for the rocket turret guarding the security button. Also watch the turret half way up the stairs.

Logistics Complex - The Return
The one and only secret for this level is claimed in the largish room where you deposit the data disc. Check out the left side of the cabinet for a secret switch shoot it to reveal some tasty red armour.
***SECRET1 - 07

Tactical Command - Level 2 Security
Watch for the magically appearing rocket turret awaiting your return in the middle of the room's roof. Check out secret two in the water filled floor to the right of the overflow exit pipe. In this corner is a gap you can drop into the water. While you are down here look for a crack in the wall, while under water, to get a backpack bonus.
***SECRET2 - 08

Research Hanger
After passing around the initial start ditch, the next large room has a pit with some ammo in the bottom plus red armour behind a red laser. To get this secret look towards the top of the pipes that reach to the ceiling, spot the secret button. Shoot this to flood the pit and get the armour. Check out the other side of the pool for an adrenaline power up as well.
***SECRET1 - 09
    Jump in the blue water filled area for some extra armour, watch the next room for spiders on the ceiling and make your way through the remainder of this large level. To finish after the anti-aircraft gun is destroyed you need to jump onto the, now broken, pipe that is outside over the huge lava lake.

Waste Processing
A hard and long start section leads to a green laser switch and secret one which is easily spotted as an adrenaline power sitting up on two high up girders just before you enter the security lasers switch room.
***SECRET1 - 10
    Shoot the broken girder to collect your prize. Watch for all the nastily placed security lasers on this level, all can be picked off fairly easily but this does not stop you from running into them.
    Secret two is a little harder to spot but when you finally get to reactor control room before doing the switch, there is a control panel you can jump on in the corner of the room. Near the roof is a green strip hit this to get a mega health from below.
***SECRET2 - 10
    When you do the reactor switch just run for the exit doors as they shut after about 20 seconds. There are a few gladiators wandering about so you may want to run to a quiet area and fight your way back in. Don't miss the red armour that uncovers itself. Watch for the new rocket turrets that have appeared. Once you have done the three valves you need to head back to the start, again watch for the new laser turrets. Shoot them with the plasma beam from the level above.

Waste Disposal
Seeing as this is just a waste disposal plant, they really don't like visitors. At the start watch for the two rocket launchers either side of the door. When you have cleared the room, dive behind the pipes to get a mega health and secret one.
***SECRET1 - 11
    Find secret two in the same room, a crack in the left corner takes you to a quad power up. As you leave this first room watch for the flyer trap in the following corridor.
***SECRET2 - 11
    After you have made your way through the cavern section, in the next large room shoot the explosive box to the right. This traps a medic Strogg to the section above. You can concentrate on taking him out and then the gladiator further along the room. Don't miss the back pack behind the large box at the end of the room.
    When you come to a large room at the bottom of a fairly deep lift take your time, pick off the flyers where you start and walk under the central gantry. Stay there until the medic Strogg is dead. Take out both sets of end rocket turrets, you can take out the higher ones by jumping up so they come into sight and letting loose with the rail gun.

Maintenance Hangars
Neil's tip for taking out gladiators; Strafe left and right, preferably changing direction just after they have fired, firing your gun, the ETF Rifle is good at dispatching them. Once you have dealt with the gladiators, head through the lower doorway.
    Kill everything you find down there and shoot the barrel next to the red wall, push the other barrel next to the armour to jump off and collect secret one.
***SECRET1 - 12
    Watch out for all the turrets placed in the corridors. When you come to the bridge with glass windows, it is quite handy to jump across as you avoid a very nastily placed turret at its exit.

Waste Disposal -The Return
Your only job here is to make your way back up the level to where you released the large cargo box. There is a medic Strogg who makes lots of grunts, I suggest you take the gladiator out first on the left and stay outside the entrance and pick as many as you can off with your rocket launcher until numbers fall low enough to go in and take the medic out. Watch for the two spiders on the ceiling of either ramp. Make sure bodies are disposed of.

Maintenance Hangars - From the rear
Secret two is a little odd. The machine that puts the lids on the toxic containers has a shootable button at the back of it. Shoot this and apparently something is dropped into a crate (a protection power up), the second one that is not in the open yet, so you have to wait.
***SECRET2 - 12
    The final secret is found outside at the original start position for the level. Shoot the corner of the cliff.
***SECRET3 - 12
    Upstairs an unavoidable trap is set around the red armour. You are best chucking a grenade at the guy high above and, when you nab the armour, stand between the pillars so the turrets cannot get you and then rocket the Gunner that walks in. Wait for the Gladiator to break through and make a dash. An adrenaline power up waits, so health is not so important.
    The next room up is tricky take out the first medic Strogg and take then out the laser turrets that drop down in the middle of the room straight away. Keep rocketing and you will wear them down, eventually.

Research Hanger - The Return
Before facing the mid stage boss make sure you collect the second and final secret. As you enter the first room you need to jump on top of the end cabinet that is in front of you. Hop on the middle one and use the other side one as a stepping stone. Once on top, shoot the top of the end cabinet to claim a bandoleer and the final secret. To take the boss out - I suggest Quad BFG and a couple of Railgun hits. That should do the trick.
***SECRET2 - 09

Munitions Plant
Now this is getting silly. Take your time leaving the train and picking off the two main rocket turrets. After you manage to leave this area keep an eye out for secret one that is tricky to spot. When you come to the area with the yellow security beams, look at the panel above and to the right, it is slightly cracked. Shoot this to reveal a button, shoot this to claim your brand spanking new red armour.
***SECRET1 - 13

Ammo Depot: Secrets 2/2
Follow the route round to the computer terminal on the way back take a look at secret one that is the blue tube you pass on the way to the first anti matter switch, on the way back you can step in. This makes you look like a Strogg and you can proceed all the way to the Munitions Plant exit, on the ground floor, without firing a shot.
***SECRET1 - 14

Munitions Plant - Part Two
Find the explosive block to reveal the power cord, blow this to deactivate the security beams. Go up and find the computer panel at the end of the route, wait for the security pass to become available before running off to the exit, above where you entered.

Ammo Depot - The Return
Off you go back through, heading for the laser blocked room via the warehouse section. As you do, secret two is right above your head. When you are making your way through the lower section of the warehouse, where you can activate the bridge above, the opposite crane is holding a crate. Look at its bottom to see a crack, shoot this to claim a double damage power up, and the penultimate secret.
***SECRET2 - 14
    Make your way and find the switch in the next room round on the central column. Go through the now unprotected door and get to the core, to collect your anti-matter pod. Once you have it go back to the Munitions planet and on to the end.

Munitions Plant - Final Visit
Once down through the gravity well entrance all you need do is open the power core, add the power thing (<I>Ooh you're getting a bit too technical for me - Ed<D>) and start the gondola (<I>Shouldn't that be Gondola thing? - Ed<D>) to finish the level and avoid a big fight below. If you want to collect secret two you will have to clear the area below. In the opposite wall to where the stairs are you can shoot the wall away to get some red armour.
***SECRET2 - 13

Widow's Lair
Well you had better have saved a Quad, dual and protection to get you through this ordeal. You can choose to take either the first boss down with the quad in a short time and then the second with protection and dual damage. Either way once you have found the switch in the weird dark room, go up the lift to complete Quake II: Mission Pack Two, Ground Zero.