Cool list.
Are you planning on going through all these games?

You haven't read anything about what these threads are actually about, eh?
(Or is this just spam?)

All that stretch of map before me, but a single area I can attack, when before I had up to four. Guess it really wants me to tackle that place.
And on this continent losses are very hard to avoid, high level units are expensive, and I went too far with research and now after this last battle can't afford to replace the lost cannon or upgrade my light cavalry (all I could do was replace my cloud ship, after accepting the loss though I could have reloaded, had a save a turn or two earlier, forgot exactly), and after the one before it couldn't afford replacing the lost druid (or the giant, but didn't care to replace that one anyway). And in said previous battle also accepted the loss of a troop of baloon riders with a magical bow. Or I guess of the magical bow, as I took the opportunity to replace them with a cloud ship, albeit an inexperienced one vs. their full experience... which cloud ship I promptly lost in the next battle as I said. Ah well. I am finishing research though, finished skirmishers first quite some time ago, then spellcasters, then the magical sky hunters and bombers, so for practical purposes those can also count as finished, and now also light cavalry, so boosted amount to spend to 40%, hoping to be able to replace more. And upgrade that light cavalry!

Hello everyone!

And first, thank you for the recovery wishes, really appreciated!
I am getting better and my mobility and fine motoric is returning slowly.

Let us get to business. ;-)

(Sorry, the caption text from the PS1 intro video did not got captured in my screenshots!)

[picture 01]
"Fade to Black" starts more or less where the original "Flashback" left off: in space...
Our hero, Conrad, barely managed to get off the Morph's homeplanet before it gets destroyed by a potent bomb that he had planted himself. In the last cut scene of "Flashback", we see him entering a cryogenic tube, because he has no idea about his current location nor his way home back to Earth.
The opening video of the sequel "Fade to Black" depicts his vessel in space being found by an alien spaceship.
(Interesting fun fact: the planet surface texture from the European PS1 box front cover and from the introduction video is almost identical to the one used in the original "Flashback". Later, I am going to take a screenshot of it.)

[picture 02]
The wobbly alien spaceship brings Conrad's vessel onboard and the first thing that our poor hero can see when awakening from cryogenic sleep is his worst enemy... the Morphs, which he thought he had defeated in his last adventure!
'They' greet him really kindly--considering that he is responsible for destroying their homeworld--and put him to prison in the penitentiary facility "New-Alcatraz" on Earth's moon. Yes, indeed, while our hero was taking care of their homeplanet the Morphs overtook Earth and it's colonies. Later on, we find out that there is only a small resistance left...
Oh, by the way, that game designer's name seem familiar!
It is the creator of "Flashback" himself!

From what I gathered, the designer himself did not have any clue on where to go with the success of the original game "Flashback":
- He started the development of a 2D sequel on the Nintendo Gameboy Advance, which got canceled and left unfinished--there is a 'beta'-version of a rom floating the interwebbs, but it is more of an alpha!
- Then he produced this storywise direct sequel initially for MS-DOS later ported and enhanced for the PS1.
- Two decades later he remade his own original game for the XBox and miserably failed to capture the essence and flavour of the original's gameplay and appeal.
- Recently, he re-released the original packed as a so-called 'remaster' in the "Flashback 25th Anniversary Edition" (for the Nintendo Switch also ported to PC and available here).
- And last what I heard, he is developing another 2.5D sequel, but not to "Fade to Black" instead again for the original "Flashback"???
We will see how this is going to turn out. And, in the meantime, we take a closer look at the actual story sequel (as long as it still remains canonic).

[picture 03]
After a titular 'fade to black' during the intro (yeah, sorry, I had to include this pun!) we see our pityful hero in a scarce but cosy cell with two beds. Hey, it does not seem to be too bad to be imprisoned for warcrimes such as destroying the others' homeland: He has a huge flatscreen TV on the wall across the tiny space!
Although, I would not want to have this program all day long (nor a guard watching me sleep, or calling me on screen with video chat/conference to get up)...
The guard can not even finish his tounting, before a strangers arm appears, holding and firing a gun in his head.

[picture 04]
The stranger briefly introduces himself as "John" (just as in 'John Doe'), wants to help us to flee and has left some very soon useful items in our cell's locker, before he fires a second shot killing the camera or computer on his side of the connection.
Next, we see the starting screen and the main options menu with our new gun rotating as a 3D object rendered in realtime in its backround. Yes, this is 1996! The Playstation with its CD-Rom drive introduces us to the new world of 3D games! (Let us forget for a while, that the game was released a year eralier on MS-DOS. We compare the two different versions in another report.)

[picture 05]
Besides the hype around everything 3D in the early 90's, "Fade to Black" actually had some terrific (for the time) new ideas and mechanics incorporated both in its original DOS and later enhanced PS1 version!
On the PS1 we have to choose the 'Expert 1' or 'Expert 2' control configuration to have access to all gameplay features of the player's controls--in the next update we will see those in action!
Next, the language selection in the European PAL version: Both original French and English are with complete voiceovers! The other language options just let you choose one of these and simply apply translated subtitles automatically activated.
And finally, a first for the PS1--the game's save system not only allows to use level passwords or freely save your actual gamestate at any given moment (outside of a cut or loading scene) to a PS1 memory card (a little external cartridge with 15 memory blocks--the game needs four for each save file), but also provides up to four temporary save slots!
I do not have any other (neither PAL nor NTSC) PS1 game in my library that let the player save temporarily even without a memory card inserted!!!
However, the save system is kind of counterintuitive and cumbersome to use:
1.) First, you have to create at least one temporary savegame. (not so unusual)
But now the confusing parts:
2.) Secondly, you have to press START and QUIT the game, which also includes the common warning message of loosing any unsaved progress! (yeah, but how to save without quitting!)
3.) Choose RESUME in the main menu of the start screen.
4.) Here you select SAVE from the three options (password, load, save)
5.) Now, it lets you choose on of your four temporary game slots at a time to be copied over to the PS1 memory card (occupying 4 of 15 memory blocks each).
6.) Then, you can name your save file with eight characters and can finally save your game for real!
(illustration in upcoming updates)

Ok, see you in a moment for more on "Fade to Black".

Kind regards,
foxgog

Hello again, dear time travellers!

Shall we continue with our look back at "Fade to Black"?

[pictures: save 1 & save 2]
Here are the screenshots illustrating the saving procedure for both using a temporary save slot and for creating a permanent save file (the latter on a PS1 memory card).
Saving temporarily is straight forward: pressing START (on top we can observe our current level 1 password in PS1 joypad key symbols) to open the menu and following typical steps, selecting save, then choosing one of four slots and so on.
The permanent save file is created then on the basis of having at least one temporary slot saved. For a detailed description on the procedure see my former post, please. In the screenshots we are using our position at the beginning of level 2 as an example. Hence, there is a different level password shown.
(By the way, I am playing on 'Normal' difficulty, because 'Easy' is really to simple. The enemies are barely a threat and go down in merely a few hits. 'Normal' poses a real challenge without being totally unfair.)

[picture: DOS-PS1 comparison 1]
As promised, a brief look into the two different game versions. The one for MS-DOS came out in 1995 and was the original, which had a meager reception at its time, to say the least. The PS1 version got beafed up significantly in some areas but suffers on another one or two.
First, we can easily determine the increase of polygons in the main character (compare the head, for instance) and enemy 3D models. Furthermore, the PS1 version received a welcome facelift with way more detailed textures on the characters and objects (e.g. handgun), but less visible on environment background structure(s). The PS1 game also has improved lighting due to its (in the past) advanced transparency effects--remember that on PC DirectX was not a thing, yet!
Gameplaywise, the overhauled HUD interface and control options are most notably! The interface is simply more readable and accessible because of a higher resolution text font (including shadow offset), better composition and colour coding. The Health / Shield energy bar has a color gradient, different colors are used for interface categories (green) and content (white messages, items, etc.), current ammunition in magazine (yellow), and no confusing 'flow-diagram-lines'.
They added an aiming rectangle on targeted enemies and most importantly, a realtime automap displayed (constantly) on screen--although, you have to keep the corresponding item (topmost) equipped!

Now, to the disadvantages of the PS1 port:

Visible on the lower half of the first image are the drastically reduced and replaced particle effects!
In the original DOS version an enemy bursts into a cloud of small particles flying all around in addition to the transformation of the enemy model into a pool of goo (or collapsing trash parts for machines and robots).
The PS1 does not have the raw power of the processor, thus the particle effects are non-existent. They only expanded a little the 'goo-transformation', which I tried to depict a little bit in sequence.

Secondly, the PS1 version runs kind of slow! (I did not play "Fade to Black" on real PC-DOS hardware when it came out, but only emulated in dosbox. But I guess the original ust have been running with a much better, smoothier performance than on PS1!
The port was actual so slow, especially with regard to turning or rotating the view, that they introduced two things as an industry novum (as far as I could find out):
1.) a circular threat indicator on screen (the green circle with the triangle towards the attacker).
2.) instant quick over-the-shoulder leaning viewpoints 90 degrees to the left or to the right, and even backwards (see further images in the next update)

As some have guessed by now, "Fade to Black" seem to be the first 3D Action game with over-the-shoulder (actually 'over-the-head') view for shooting and an animated leaning camera view, ideal for looking around the corners!
Both of which are nowadays so common or standard (or tropes) in third person shooters, since "Resident Evil 4" / "Cold Fear" introduced this kind of view, and cover-based third person shooters made such mechanics/elements seemingly mandatory.

[picture: DOS-PS1 comparison 2]
On picture two of my brief comparison, are not only the improved textures, HUD interface, on screen map, and transparency effects depicted, but also a curious difference between the two versions: compare the robots!
Originally, I thought that the PS1 version also dumbed down a bit at least some of the 3D enemy models, such as from this robot which is the second enemy encounter in the game!
The PS1 version has a simpler chassy, for primitive wheels instead of a chain drive and overall reduced details, plus a different color.
But later on I found the almost exact same model of the DOS version's robot in just two other sections of the game.
Maybe, there was already a too high polygon count in the first level section or it has to do with the BSD structure of the engine on PS1. Because all three appearences of this original type of robot in level 1 of the DOS version are replaced by the simpler red robot. (While Conrad's and the Morphs' models are significantly improved!)


Anyway, someone who played the first adventure of Conrad can recognize the main protagonist, he is using almost the same outfit--only worn out a bit, e.g. visible on the hole in the jeans on his left knee.

"But what happened to the Morphs???"
"Are they not supposed to be BLUE?" (see: picture 'surprise')
"Did you not told us that this sequel is from the same developer who made the first game ('Flashback')?"

Let me disclose this in my following update, because this troubled me for as long as I did know and played the PS1 version back in 1996!!!

Kind regards,
foxgog

Hello again!

Well, let me get right to the point:

[picture: 'green_ps1'?]
> Why are the Morphs GREEN in the sequel "Fade to Black", instead of BLUE as in the first game "Flashback"?

The answer is simple:

"Fade to Black" (DOS & PS1) is an advertised direct sequel to "Flashback" (see the PS1 cover 'ftb_ps1_us).

The majority of us player and fans of the original "Flashback" knew the game either from the port to Sega's Genesis (Megadrive), or to Nintendo's SNES, or to MS-DOS, where the Morphs are depicted as BLUE shapeshifting enemies!
All three initial versions have been released throughout the year 1993 and saw re-releases later on.

Genesis was the first one and formed the bases for the other ports (SNES & initial DOS).
The SNES port suffered censoring from Nintendo's strict policy, both violence (gore, bleeding wounds on Conrad) and alcohol references were removed or covered up (Conrad's white shirt got painted entirely red to disguise the wounds), which even carried on to the "25th Anniversary Edition".
The initial DOS port is also based on the Genesis version and did not had the censoring, which was only introduced in later re-releases (partly in the "enhaced CD" version).

Compare the (admittedly) tiny pictures and illustrations on their respective backside box cover ('fb_genesis' & 'fb_snes', images taken from mobygames.com).


So, if all three main versions were just ports, which one was the original platform release?

=> "Flashback" saw its premier release on the AMIGA in 1992.
And guess what...

...there the Morphs were indeed depicted GREEN (see: attached screenshot 'fb_amiga' from mobygames.com)--you could say, that with its sequel "Fade to Black" the developer returned to its roots!

(I am curious to see, how the developer is going to handle this and the overall canon in its currently developped 'sequel 2' to "Flashback", epecially, after he based all new 25th Anniversary editions on the censored SNES port.)


So, with this question finally out of the way, let us dive back into "Fade to Black" on the PS1 and see some gameplay in my next report.

Kind regards,
foxgog

Hello once more for tonight!

[picture 06]
As soon as we start a new game, we see the stranger 'John' in a standing pose as the loading screen for Level 1 (each level has its own loading screen with a different character from the game) and find our poor hero in his cell of the 'New-Alcatraz' penitentiary facility. The cell interior matches quite well the depiction from the intro video.
Conrad's new gun and multifunctional tool are already equipped (and can not be unequipped).

'John' said something about the locker and additional stuff for me, so let us have a look inside!

[picture 07]
Great, I got a 'Bouncing Mine' (the displayed '1 Object' means that there is only one item to be found inside the locker, multiple objects would then be listed individually one at a time).
But it seems that I caused an alarm either by opening the locker or by opening the cell door--doors slide open automatically on approximation, if we have the key or they are unlocked.
For now, let me take care of this 'security drone' first...

[picture 08]
Here we see the quick camera movement when I am 'pulling' or aiming the gun. The perspective is kind of similar to modern third person and cover-based shooters (since the success of Resident Evil 4 [& Cold Fear]).
I already mentioned the introduction of the threat indicator in an earlier post of mine. Here we see it in action.
Depending on the chosen difficulty level, the drone goes down usually quite fast.

[picture 09]
It is time to reload and to get accustomed to the additional 'Expert' controls, e.g. the leaning (corner) view angles.
Other than the later "Metal Gear Solid" (from 1998) we can use these additional viewpoints at any moment on a press of a button (actually, we need to press two buttons at the same time--see controls image in a former post) and do not need to press Conrad's body against a wall before. Honestly though, it looks kind of weird in open spaces.

(Notice also the authentic depiction of our cell interior including the huge flatscreen monitor from the intro sequence.)

[picture 10]
With the alarm and the security drone dealt with we can take a look what 'John' wants to tell us!
The game often uses those types of messages, either like the alarm or similar information on incoming threats or dangers, or like these prerecorded communicator messages, which are all completely voiced, as well.
When 'John' or the later allies have new intel or mission orders for us, the lowest item on our HUD display in the lower left corner changes to the new message number or type and keeps flashing to remind us of the new unread message.
The text display can be moved forward and backward between multiple pages without interfering with the recorded audio. But the first line on an additional page always repeats the last line of text from the former page--after a while I got used to this.

In his first message we get to know the name of the resistance group, "Mandragore", and that we will need a device from Level 2 to help us on our attempt to flee from this prison facility controlled by the Morphs.

So, I am leaving the cosy cell behind, only checking beforehand if the corridor outside the cell is clear!
Freedom awaits us...

See you in my upcoming reports!

Kind regards,
foxgog

And this makes four. One reload during the battle because I rushed to the attack and lost a named hero, but ah well, had one reload in the previous battle two, or two battles ago, not sure anymore. Little enough.
Lost multiple generic hero units at the end now though, and items they had. Annoying when they leave like that. I mean, all right, the volunteers leave after a continent, but these make it worse... And they could at least leave the items I gave them! Sergeant with wand of sickness, lieutenant with amulet of resistance and captain, at least with nothing.

Hello again!

Let us continue with Conrad's attempt to break out of the 'New-Alcatraz' penitentiary facility!

[picture 11]
After confirming that the corridor is empty, we head towards the exit of our cell block. The pressure plate (see picture 10 from my last post) opened the door, but required to be running in order to reach it before it closes itself again.
Next we are introduced of a little more complex (its still super simple to be honest) puzzle in "Fade to Black". Yes, the game does quite a good job of introducing new gameplay elements, mechanics or traps step-by-step!
See, both corridors are blocked off by lasers (conveniently colored in the same manner as their corresponding switch / pressure sensitive plates on each other end of the floor). We need to let the robot free in order for him to pass over the other plate, thus opening the way for us.

[picture 12]
Then, an automatic gun turret and afterwards a morph attack me in the next room (corridor), showing us that some turrets can be disabled when destroying their external sensors (or cameras) on the other side of the wall. We continue by using a futuristic elevator to another floor (still pertencing to the same level 1), and are happy to find an energy recharge station to replenish our shield strength. (Conrad's 'health' bar got a significant hit during the last encounter in the open corridor!)
Almost every game level has one of those, often hidden and not immediately accessible from the beginning of a level. It is a good strategy to save at the start of a level, doing a test run until you know the major layout, traps, and recharge station location, before actually attempting to finish the new level.

[picture 13]
The game's levels are flat mazes that can use up to four different floors per level. They are always structured in a labyrinthian way but often loop around certain key structures or rooms / halls. Level 1 loops around this hall with multiple elevators and the recharge station. on one end of the hall we see signs indicating the way towards the infirmary or the canteen & kitchen. There are many forms of 'sign posts': sign plates using symbols or iconography as these two, written labels on walls, on door frames or signs from the ceiling. In general they give a good idea of where we are heading to, even within the alien structures later on in the game.
On the way to the infirmary, we encounter a mechanical spider which is marching fearlessly towards us. It is one of the enemies that kills you instantaneously if it reaches you!
The red or orange bowls on the side of the corridor can be shot, and the explosions do harm what is nearby.
Any type of switch, button or terminal (even on the walls) always have a special floor tile underneath or in front of it so that the player easily recognises with what to interact with--only exceptions are the different types of 'lockers'.
At certain locations or upon pickup of certain items we receive radio messages from our 'allies' or 'hint' messages. See the 'message 1' (from John O'Connor while we were still in our cell) and now 'hint 1'.

[picture 14]
Let us take a closer look at what the white items column in our HUD mean:
- 'DEV' (devices) currently includes our regular floor MAP (scanner) or an INFO scanner. The latter displays the remaining health of our current target.
Then there are the different SHIELD types. We start out with the normal one which stands for Conrad's actual health.
- 'WEP' (weapons) lists the available ammunition type. The yellow number underneath represents the remaining bullets in the current clip. Each ammunition type has its own characteristics, of which the unlimited clips is the most interesting one besides the damage value per shot. Soon we get a replacement for the standard normal clip--luckily also with unlimited clips!
The game features a couple of MINES, as well. The standard model of which we found one already does bounce off of walls. Others are sticky or proximity activated or needs to be shot at.
- 'USE' (items & keys) this category collects all usable or consumeable items and key items for the puzzles and interactions in the game. Later on we can also refer to certain codes here. In the beginning we only have a watch displaying ongoing time on each level.
- 'MSG' (messages) is our incoming radio message and hints indicator. It also keeps track of past messages within one level.

[picture 15]
Remember the 'hint #1'! Later, it becomes useful. For the time being, forget the infirmary. We return to the main hall and head to the canteen and kitchen, because we are getting hungry. On our way, another morph spawns in an area we had visited before. (Except for three locations there are no infinite respawns, they are all scripted events!)
The canteen seems empty...

Kind regards,
foxgog

Hello again!

[picture 16]
The game developer wants us to use the left and right corner view angles to identify many a trap before running straight into a new room!
(But why then are the default controls the simpler ones without these options?! I do not know.)
For those of you readers who did not play neither of the various versions of "Flashback" here is the answer to a lingering question:
"Why are the morphs called 'morph'?"
=> Because they are shape shifters that can morph into different forms or appearences! (Think, for instance, of 'Odo' in "Star Trek Deep Space Nine" or the liquid 'Terminator' in the second "Terminator" movie.)

[picture 17]
Upon entering the kitchen, the cook pleas for mercy and offers help. His storage room is supposed to be 'safe'!
Whether Conrad shoots him immediately or waits to enter the storage first, the cook is a morph in disguise--another example of their shape shifting ability and a reminder for the lack of confidence in any potential 'ally' on Conrad's way!
Tip: When in doubt, shoot it--if it is an actual morph it always gets reduced to goo.

[picture 18]
Of course the storage was not 'save'. Two more morphs are awaiting Conrad! But lucky for us, the storage was not empty either. We found a mobile energy ('health') recharger and a switch to open a secret passageway in the cafeteria that leads to a weapon upgrade.

[picture 19]
Within the passageway (a secret location--not accessible if we shoot the cook before entering at least the door steps to his storage) we are introduced to electric floor panels and a minor jumping puzzle. If we miss this hidden area there is another one of these on our way to the infirmary. At the end of the passageway we find an unlimited clip of exploding bullets (a permanent weapon upgrade which fires a bit slower but carries out a bigger punch) and a loop back to the entrance of the passageway. (Indeed, looping structures / layouts are a thing from level 1 on!)

[picture 20]
If Conrad decides to salvage the content of both lockers in the canteen, in particular of the one next to the door, he sets up an alarm and gets attacked by a gun turret on his way back to the main hall.
Let us recharge his energy afterwards and return to the corridor where we fought the mechanical spider on his way in the direction of the infirmary. From this corridor we have access to a maintenance room with two tubes going down from the ceiling from which an endless amount of morphs is respawning. It is still introduction or 'tutorial' stuff, hence, we have a coule of barrels and boxes allowing us to take cover behind them. The morphs can shoot over those barrels and boxes, but can not hit Conrad when he is ducking behind them!

How to proceed from here?

Do you remember picture 13? We were granted access to a 'south corridor passageway'.
Now, we know what such kind of a passageway is and how it looks like, so we pass by the south wall until we find the small passageway opening with Conrad nearby which leads to a hidden elevator to a second floor of this maintenance area...

Kind regards,
foxgog

Hello once more for today (tonight)!

[picture 21]
The upper floor of the maintenance area contains a long corridor with two morphs ready to shoot and a couple of explosive barrels (here yellow ones).
Shooting the barrels on both sides destroys the tubes from which the respawns originate on the lower floor (nice, it actually deforms the tube's 3D model in the corridor).
Returning 'downstairs' we only have to deal with the two remaining morphs and then can proceed further in the direction towards the infirmary!

[picture 22]
Still part of the maintenance are in general, the game introduces in a relative safe environment huge stationary mines with a large explosion radius--keep distance Conrad! The red button looks so convenient. (It actually is useful but there is no way in reaching it without setting off the mine!)
Behind the pillar is an exit door blocked off by lasers and a moving crane mechanism.
Did we read a hint about force fields and explosions? Yes, we can get rid of these lasers either by pressing the aforementioned red button or by causing an explosion near the laser grid in front of the door. Lucky for Conrad, we do not need to waste our bouncing mine for the moving crane arm carries an explosive barrel through the room and even passes by the side of the door on the press of the nearby terminal at the wall.

[picture 23]
Finally, reaching the infirmary where we find another key and more importantly the 'medikit' whith the distraction device hidden inside of it, as the stranger 'John O'Connor' had told us earlier!
The patient on the hovering table / bed wakes up and initiates an alarm, calling morph guards to appear, if we did not shoot him before opening the locker with the 'medikit'.
As ecpected, or advised, the stranger 'John O'Connor', who helped us getting out of our cell in the first place, sends us a second message detailing the escape plan: Conrad (we) needs to open the hangar doors, and for soing so retrieve the access code from the 'warden' or chief guard.

[pictures 24 & 25]
But first we have to continue through the other areas of the infirmary, including the cryo room and find a terminal to activate the corresponding elevator to reach the warden's office.
On our way the game gives us a glimpse of the surface on which 'New-Alcatraz' is built--a nice panoramic view using something similar to a 'skybox' for the 2D background with a little bit of distance to the 'window', thus providing a parallax effect.

Furthermore, this room introduces something relatively unique (especially for its time) for science-fiction action games or shooters that play in space: if we shoot the robot drone in this room, but miss and accidently hit the 'window' glass, then it shatters and gives in to the vacuum in outer space--our poor hero gets sucked out into space and dies.

This reminds me of something!

What is one of the hallmarks of the so-called 'cinematic platformers'?

=> You might have guessed it by now, the individual and unique death scenes--originally animated only ingame in the original "Prince of Persia", then further established as rotoscope animated 'video' sequences in games such as "Another World" (also known as "Out of this World") and "Flashback".

Next time we going to see if Conrad's attempt to flee from the penitentiary facility 'New-Alcatraz' is successful (the end of level 1), and get to see the variety of special death animations in "Fade to Black".

Kind regards,
foxgog

Well, didn't expect this. Thought that part four was what I was seeing, and was about to finish, so also allowed some kills (healer with staff of winds, skirmisher with amulet of blessings, lieutenant with wand of sickness) at the end... Only to find that you move on after that and that's the actual continent, part five, part four having been island hopping to reach it. And the captain I had (with a magical sword) also stayed behind, along with the volunteers. But I'll continue as it is, not redoing that. And about to finish the research, a little more to phoenix knights (mortal cavalry), sure want some of those, still researching rank four light infantry, but no use for that anyway, and just got rank four and starting on five for mortal heavy infantry, but no use for those either. I want those knights though. Lots of money now though, with just these three left to research, and soon enough will be down to two.

I know, I'm now more than one full month overdue, and continuing to post here is starting to feel like necroing, but still, finally seeing this felt nice, everything researched. And heh, typo in an area name, somebody ate an s in the middle.

Well, finally, defeated the Shadowlord. Now on to Challenge Isle. Won the first scenario, but will likely be way harder from here on.

Hello fellow time travellers!

It's already overdue to continue my report on "Fade to Black". (But hey, we are using a time machine--we can go back and forth whenever we wish to!)
Many things have happened in the meantime, both good and some less fortunate things. Anyway, after being very well again, I could finally finish "Fade to Black".
The later levels and tasks stretched my endurance and patience with the game close to my limits more than once, but more on that in another update (propably on another day).

Do you remember the panoramic view on moon's surface outside of the penitentiary facility 'New-Alcatraz' through huge glass walls in picture number 25 (ftb_25_l1_panora.jpg)?

[picture 'gameover 7']
Well, shooting carelessly in such hallways or rooms ends in a relentless quick death in the vacuum of outer space!
Using the explosive ammunition found on the other floor of level 1, and the glass shatters with the third impact of our bullets.

All distinct (instant) death scenes are animated by individual very short (sometimes only a few seconds long) pre-rendered cut scenes. Here are more examples caused either by enemies or environmental hazards:

[picture 'gameover 1']
Being cut into pieces by laser grids / barriers.

[pictures 'gameover 2 & 3']
Death by turret or gun fire or by rocket projectiles respectively.

[picture 'gameover 4']
Death by mechanical robot spider(s).

Two more sets of such animated scenes are incoming...

Kind regards,
foxgog