Expert: Dennis Fastenow - 1/1/2001

Question
Dennis,
Could you help me with a problem with the Opposing Force game.
I have contacted Sierra Hint Line but I a still stuck.

I have reached the Vacarious Reality chapter and have progressed through the Specimin Container Room. Seen the hologram and progressed to the Specimen Culture Room called RDRC 101.

Here I am stuck because I cannot jump over the broken gap. (which was a bridge)

Am I in the wrong place? Or is there a diferrent way to proceed.

The Hint Line said to proceed through two rooms and up stairs but I can't get there.

Thank you.

John.

Answer
this is a direct cut and past from a game guide that I purchased from the gamespot web site. excellent site by the way about 30.00/year for all the downloads you can do! they have very good gameguides and other hints tips and addons for all types of game machines.


VICARIOUS REALITY
OBJECTIVE: Make your way through several observation areas and gain the use of the
barnacle. You'll need to use the alien as a grappling hook to reach higher areas of the
facility.
Climb out of this recess by hopping onto the ledge on the right-hand wall and then over the
railing. Take out the headcrabs that crawl about. Grab the ammunition from the dead securi-
ty officer and the health pack near the deceased scientist and continue up the steps. Follow
the sign into the "Specimen Observation Area" as the corridor heads to the left. Head down
the red-lit hallway to the end; however, the door here is locked. Turn around and retrace
your steps. As you go, two pit drones and a shock trooper warp in. Eliminate them. Keep in
mind that the shock trooper's roach will now attack you, so you must eliminate it as well.
The arrival of the pit drones and shock trooper blew out the window leading into the obser-
vation area. Leap through the broken glass and prepare for battle. Another new creature, the
voltigore, emerges. This thing is gigantic and possesses devastating long-range andshort-range weapons. Use the rocks in the courtyard as cover and
continually circle the beast. Take out the creature with explosive weaponry for best
and quickest results.
When completed, locate the door on the right wall and press the button to usher yourself
through. Walk to the lift at the end of the hall. Press the button to lower the lift, hop on, and
press the button ahead to ride up. You'll enter a laboratory with all sorts of alien specimens.
Look out for the superzombie on your left as you enter.
Explore the left side of the lab and pick up the snarks from the rightmost pen on the left side
of this area. If you explore the right side of the lab, look out for the headcrabs inside the bro-
ken cage. The door out of the area is on the left side of the lab around a wall. Go through it
and use the health station on the right if needed.
Turn left at the intersection and enter each storage room for goodies. Look out for the head-
crab inside the left room. You'll find plutonium ammo as well as armor power-ups. Don't for-
get to break apart the small boxes with your wrench! Approach the elevator at the end of the
hall. The button is not working, so break apart the glass doors with your wrench. Jump
through and climb through to the top of the elevator via the open panel.Ascend the ladder here to the very top of the area and hop down onto the ledge. Look
just below your position to spot another entrance and a door jutting out. The door will
serve as a safe landing area. Jump down onto the door. You'll hear glass break, but don't
worry, you'll survive. Proceed down the hall as it winds to the left (to the right is a clutter of
debris).
Follow the corridor through two doors and then take your first left to the elevator. Press the
button to call the lift, then enter. Press the new button to activate the lift. Exit and head to
the right. Use the health station if necessary. Enter the next room and face off against a few
pit drones. Follow the ramp up in the back of the room and grab the armor power-up. Look
to the left and spot the window overlooking another observation area. Break the window with
any weapon and hop down to the first ledge overlooking the room.
Eliminate the bullsquid and houndeyes from this high position. Walk down either the right or
left walkways into the room below. Stay away from those tentacle things. If you need health,
walk into the blue water pool and your health will be regenerated at a slow rate. Locate the
exit door down here. Press the button next to the door and proceed through. Use the button
on the right wall to control the next small lift. Enter the room ahead of you and continue to
the right, picking up the spore launcher just outside the broken cage.
Follow the next hall, passing the door on the right (it leads back to a previously visited area
on this level) and heading into the next room. Eliminate the super zombie. Grab the green
ball from the cage at the end of the room (you'll need to break the glass with the wrench,
then jump inside). This is a spore, which is ammo for the launcher you just obtained. Follow
the hall into the next "Specimen Observation Area." You'll eventually arrive at a door on the
right. Walk through the doorway and down into the recessed room.
Eliminate the hyper houndeyes and locate the exit door. Head through it into a room with
barnacles on the right (safely inside cages). Approach the front of these cages and press
the button to listen to a scientist's speech about using the barnacle as a handy rope device.
When he's finished speaking, exit through the next door and locate the barnacle gun on the
last cage on the left side. Grab it and head into the next door.Pick up the armor power-up on the desk
to the right. Hug the right wall until
you spot the door. Proceed
through. There's a pit drone
ahead of you, one to
your immediate left,
and one in the pit
below. Eliminate
them all. If you
wish, drop down
into the pit and
pick up some
ammo for your
spore launcher.
To cross the gap,
you must use the
barnacle. Fire it at
the spore blob just
above the walkway on
the other side. Hold your
fire button, and the tongue
will latch on to the organic
material and pull you across. Drop
down to the ledge and exit the room.
Head up the lift into a red-tinted room with barnacles on the ceiling. Inside, you'll also find
some headcrabs. For style points, use the barnacle gun to suck the headcrabs into its jaws.
It's much easier to use a pistol though. Head to the door on the other side and up another
lift. At the top, look out for some pit drones and another shock trooper. Once they're defeat-
ed, use the health station ahead.
If you want additional armor power-ups and health and don't mind a few alien creatures,
head past the health station to the lift. Ride the lift and combat some pit drones and a shock
trooper. Follow the hall to the right into a control room with many crates and locate an adja-
cent room with a health station. Break the crates with your wrench to grab several armor
power-ups. When finished, return to the room where you encountered the shock trooper a
moment ago. Ascend the stairs and proceed through the door.
Use the
barnacle to
latch on to the
spore patches so
you can reach the
other side of this room.Head through the doors and go inside another observation room, where you'll see
those nasty tentacles from the original Half-Life! These large green meanies are distract-
ed by sound. When you move, they'll attempt to home in on you with their gigantic claw. To
confuse them, toss a grenade or other explosive device. As they search for the sound it cre-
ates, make your way past them. Spot the spore blobs up near the ceiling and over a ledge.
That's your goal.
Proceed through the observation area, confusing both tentacles with explosions, and use the
barnacle on the spores. Rise up to the top and fall down into the hole below. If you fall to the
ledge, you'll be in striking distance of the second tentacle, so be careful. Once inside the
hole, crawl through the vent shaft (using night vision if necessary) and emerge into a room
with a dead soldier and a radio. Walk down the staircase and use the radio. The officer men-
tions some battle against a worm creature. Grab the ammo located inside the room, as well
as the health pack.
To the left of the radio spot the switch box. Pull the lever to turn off the fan inside the room.
Once the power is off, the fan will stop and you can break the grate and crawl inside the
vent shaft. Follow the shaft (again, use night vision if necessary). As you approach the end,
the level concludes and you fall into a room below.

happy hunting,

Dennis