Roadwolf's Blog

While doing some routine custom map “shopping” on FPSBanana.com for my various TF2 (Team Fortress 2) servers, I encountered a nice little virus pack.  This virus gets into your system through a seemingly unrelated java or flash based ad, and begins to impersonate Windows Security Center.  It tells you you have an infection – usually something like trojan.Win32.agent.dcc or trojan.Win32.agent.pp or Rootkit.Win32.agent.pp or something similar.  And asks if you want to remove it.  Naturally most people will say yes, and go back to doing what they were doing.  I was suspicious but said yes anyhow.

So I watched the virus install itself and now it is trying to uninstall AVG Virus Protection.  It is also trying to get me to add my credit card information so I can purchase the ‘full version’.  This is a major virus and one which should not be left alone once it infects your computer.  I am running an AVG Scan and it is picking up the virus.  I am also watching for any uninstallers which pop up, and closing them instantly.  You want to be sure to ignore as much as you can with this virus.  Don’t click buttons,  just close the windows and let your native virus scanner complete its scan.

For me, this virus installed itself as Malware Defense in C:/Program Files/Malware Defense/mdefense.exe – Associated files are also mdefense.exe and mdext.dll and uninstall.exe —  DO NOT TRY TO UNINSTALL MALWARE DEFENSE. That will simply install the virus further.  AVG Virus Scanner or any decent virus scanner should be able to detect those virus files and delete them.  That being said, if you have let this virus uninstall your default anti-virus program, then you likely need to run a complete reformat and reinstall of your operating system.

Generic16.CFN, Downloader.Zlob.AQLT, and Generic16.BXI are all the virus file names of this virus.

This virus is very tricky and evasive.  Your best bet is to have a computer expert look at your computer, even if it seems alright.  The problem here is that this virus will also go into your contact list and send your friends links to itself so it can spread.

Simply keeping on top of it and closing windows while my default AVG virus scan scanned the whole computer and took care of the threat was enough to get rid of it.

Feel free to comment here if you have further information.

Tags: Computer Help and Advice, Computer Stuff by Roadwolf
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A lot of people are intimidated when it comes to building their own computer systems.  This article will hopefully help guide the average computer user though the process or purchasing and assembling the items needed for your personal computer system.  First thing is first, you will need to establish what you will use your computer for.

Chances are (no offense) if you are reading this article, you should not attempt to build a laptop from scratch.  Laptops require a little more experience in order to construct.  Therefore this article will cover building a desktop computer from scratch.  By ’scratch’ of course, I mean by assembling pre-made boards into a working system.  It would be possible to build a computer from scratch, component wise, these days – but that will involve a lot more work then it is worth, and likely require a lab / bench where each circuit board could be printed and assembled – plus a lot of specialized equipment.

Building a computer with parts will help reduce your overall cost, and you know exactly what parts you are getting, and what they are capable of, and what your upgrade limitations are for the future.  You will also be more confident repairing the computer if it needs repairing.

Computer Usage

The key to making the right choices for a computer, is to first decide what you want or need your computer for.  If you plan on gaming, then you want to invest in pretty much every aspect of your computer, but most importantly your graphics card.  If you need to multitask, and run several programs at once, then muti-core processors, like your Intel i7 might be a good idea.  If you are into multi-media, then ram and hard drive space would likely be your priority.

I will provide basic information at each step, giving examples of different products which are better for different applications.

Processor

Possibly one of the easiest choices is what type of processor you will be using.  The processor, or CPU is the main component of any computer system.  Without this device the computer does not function.  Traditionally, there are 2 main manufactures of CPU’s.  AMD and Intel.

These days AMD Processors are regarded as more geared more towards ‘workstation’ applications, while Intel is quickly regaining ground in the gaming industry.  AMD is also generally cheaper then Intel, which can be helpful to people on a budget.  An example of a high end AMD CPU is the AMD Phenom II 965 Black Edition.  At the time of this posting, this is one of the best AMD CPU’s available.  This CPU would indeed be very sufficient for a gaming machine.

An example of a high end Intel CPU would be the Intel® Core™ i7 CPU.  This processor has Hyper-Threading, which basically means that this processor can act like it has 8 cores.  And that means that it can handle multi-tasking and high demand tasks a lot better then a typical Quad core.  While the price tag for this processor is a tad steep, you can find Intel i7 processors for about the same price as the AMD processor mentioned above.

Keeping in mind that there are other less expensive processors out there for either brand.  But if you want a future compatable computer, these are the choices you should be considering.  The important part to keep in mind is the socket type.  Socket type is just that; the type of socket that the processor fits into on the motherboard.  For example, for the AMD pictured above, the socket type is AM3, which is a fairly common newer AMD Socket type.  This generally means that if someday youw ant to replace that processor, you have a wider range of processors to choose from.  If you choose a motherboard with the latest socket set, you will likely be able to upgrade to a much better CPU a few years down the road, without having to upgrade your whole system.

The Intel processor pictured above for example has a socket type of LGA1366.  In order to utilize this processor, you need a LGA1366 motherboard.  More common for Intel is the Socket 775, which seems to be fairly standard these days.  For gaming, the Q6800 Intel Duo Quad Core is still one of the best processors on the market.  That being said, I am thinking that Socket 775 motherboards have reached their limit, and LGA1366 motherboards will become more popular in the next few years – thusly LGA1366 processors are likely to also become more popular.

Motherboards

As I just mentioned socket type is key.  Let us look at the motherboards section on TigerDirect.com for example.  On the left you will see a listing for Sub-Categories.  This sorts the motherboards by socket type.  As we described above, you need to ensure that the motherboard has the same socket type as your CPU.  Now, just because a motherboard has the same socket, does not mean it will definately support the CPU.  In most cases it will, but it may not.  That is why when you purchase a Motherboard, ensure that the CPU you are using is listed in the motherboard’s specifications.  Another factor you should keep in mind if the Front Side Bus speed.  The Front Side Bus speed can be found in the mother board specifications, and also on the CPU Specifications.  Sometimes on CPU’s it will just be marked as Bus speed or FSB.

The motherboard sets the stage for basically every other aspect of the computer.

Most motherboards these days support the SATA interface.  Therefore decided such as optical drives, and hard drives are generally going to be SATA.  That being said, some older motherboards will still use ATA or IDE interfaces, which require the larger ribbon cables.  To simplify things, ensure your motherboard has many SATA connections.

RAM

Your memory will be the next most complex aspect of building a computer.  Now, whenever you are touching the board components of a computer, always be sure to ground yourself before touching them, and its best to keep yourself grounded while touching them too.  This is especially true with RAM.

First you want to look at your motherboard to see what type of ram is can handle.  This board says it supports Dual Channel DDR2 800.

Dual-Channel DDR2 800
DDR2 is the next generation memory technology to replace the current DDR. With the highest speed up to 800MHz, DDR2 memory provides great performance for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications.

These days, 800 is a tad low for memory, and the newest RAM style is DDR3, which everyone is upgrading to.  So you probably want a motherboard with DDR3 RAM.  But regardless,  lets find the perfect ram for that board.  So we know we need DDR2 RAM.  And it has to be (or should be) 800 MHz (it can be slower).

Alright, I found some DDR2 Dual Channel 800 MHz Ram, and look, they are 2 gig sticks (2048 mb).  So now we have 4 gigs of ram.  That is more then enough to run a modern computer for basic home use.  For gaming or heavy graphics work, you will want DDR3 RAM and upwards of 8 to 12 gigs of ram.  But 4 is still decent.

These days, I do not think it really matters what slots you put the ram in, but do try to put RAM in the first slot at least.  I know the technique used to be to place the first stick in the first slot, then the 2nd stick in the 3rd slot if it was dual channel, but I do not think it matters anymore.

Power Supplies and Cases

Cases are generally for the most part somewhat universal.  The only exception is the smaller cases, which will more obviously accomidate larger motherboards.  So generally pick a case you like.  This is my case… I like it.

Power supplies are however your most important decision.  This device takes your household 120 VAC power, and steps it down into various low voltages for your computer to use.  The power supply is often the most stressed component in a computer system, as people generally do not take wattage into account when ordering a power supply.

If you wanted to get technical,  you can add up the power draw of all your components,   add 20% to the max power draw, and figure out the minimum power rating for a power supply that you can get.  Otherwise do what I do and guess, but overestimate.  The general rule of thumb is that modern PC’s running multi core processors and 64 bit programs (windows Vista/7) will require at least 500 watts max.  Sure most PC’s run at about 200 or so when your using them…  But still…

If you plan on gaming, add another 100 watts (or even 200 watts) per video card.  If you are running a large amount of hard drives,  add 50 Watts per hard drive to the 500 Watts.

Once you have figured out the power you need,  try to find a power supply that has a lot of connections.  You do not want to use splices and adapters to multiply your power supply outputs.  Ideally everything in your computer will have a connection directly to the power supply.

Ultra is a pretty good company for power supplies,  This is similar to the supply I purchased.

Video and Audio

Audio wise, most motherboards come with on board sound which is good enough for normal everyday PC needs.  That being said, if you are an audio phile like myself, there are very expensive audio cards which will provide cleaner audio.  Most of the time however, your best bet will be in looking for an external audio device, which uses firewire or USB to connect to the computer via.  This removes the analogue portion of the audio paths from the internals of your computer, which can be electrically noisy and cause noise and static hiss on your inputs.

As for Video, well again, just like the CPU’s there are 2 main companies.  ATI and NVIDA.   I myself am a fan of the NVIDA GeForce 9800 card, only because I have one in every computer, and it is standardized.  They are good card for the money, and preform well.    I have not had any issues with mine, and my FPS (frames per second) has been quite acceptable on the latest games, with max settings.  I would not recommend anything less then a GeForce 9600 if you are buying new.  Even for a home PC.

ATI is also a good brand, and in fact for future comptability, it is likely the better choice as the latest ATI cards have DirectX 11 support.  ATI cards are also making advances in memory and GPU Technology.

The key specs for a video card depends on your uses.  If you are planning on running an HDTV then p1080 support is key.  HDMI is also nice.  Also memory size and type is good.  Quicker speed / more memory = better preformance.  Most video cards these days fit into PCI Express x 16 slots on a motherboard.  The key will be what type of connection you will need for your monitor.  DVI?  HDMI?  VGA?  Once that is figured out, you should be able to decide on a video card.

Hard Drives and Optical Drives

For any computer you will need a DVD drive at least in order to load your operating system.  Luckily they are cheap enough that you can get a fairly decent one for little money.  Ensure that it is SATA compatable assuming your motherboard has SATA support.  Otherwise, you are golden.

Same is true with hard drives really.   Ensure it is SATA, so long as your motherboard is SATA, and ensure it is 3.5 inch.  2.5 inch drives are generally for laptops and will be more expensive.   For a desktop you want a 3.5 inch drive.

That is about it really..   Any questions, feel free to comment and ask.  Sadly because of spam comments, I have had to close commenting to registered users only, so feel free to register, it does not take long.  Your first 2 comments will be held for moderation, so I will see them and read them when I check my comments pending.

I hope you enjoyed this, and it was at least semi-helpful.

Tags: Computer Help and Advice, Computer Stuff, Hobbies by Roadwolf
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It seemed, looking at comments and general reaction that the guide Roadwolf wrote was generally well liked and helpful, so I was wondering if there were any games anyone was stuck on or needed tips on.  If it’s something I have or Roadwolf has played we’d be able to help.  I’m almost embarrassed to say how many video games I’ve played through my life.

In short, anyone need some help?

-LB

Tags: Computer Help and Advice, Computer Stuff by Wh1t3R4bbi7
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When I first figured out that Operation Flashpoint 2’s mission editor was not as user friendly as the original mission editor, I was dissapointed.  However after some tinkering, I am finally starting to learn how to use this editor to create some decent missions.

Items I plan on covering in this post are:

• Mission Properties
• Player Setup
• Unit limits
• Entities
• Mission Objectives
• Scripting
• Triggers, and Spawning Entities

Mission Properties

You will find this window in the lower right of the Editor under the Mission Properties tab.

This is where you name your mission, and provide any general information for the mission.  i.e.  Time of Day, Weather, Briefing, Multiplayer Capabilities, etc…

These are the multiplayer settings.  Currently this map is set to allow Co-op Multiplayer play, with a maximum of 4 players.  As for Server Bandwidth, I have no clue what that is for?  Is it for determining how much bandwidth is needed, or how much bandwidth the mission will use?  Or how much needs to be available?   I am unsure…

That covers the basics for Mission Properties.

Player Setup

In order to place objects, we need to go into the Create window, which is located in the upper right of the editors screen.  Select USMC and then expand the Soldier’s directory.   Select a soldier, and then simply click on the map.  This will place a soldier on the map.

Place 5 soldiers on the map, and then switch to the System part of the Create window.  In there expand the AI folder, and select Echelon.  An Echelon is a small group of soldiers.  This is the only way to group soldiers together in the in game command system.  Place a Echelon beside the 5 soldiers you just created.

What you want to do now is select the 5 soldiers, and right click on them.  Select Parent Echelon and then click on the Echelon icon.  This will group them all together.  You can only have up to 5 soldiers (or units*) per Echelon.  You can also create a Echelon with 5 Echelons in it.

*Note: In terms of Vehicles, unless they are set as using a virtual crew, all vehicles will need to be staffed by soldiers in order to operate.  We will cover this later, however note that the amount of non virtual soldiers inside a vehicle, does count towards the maximum amount of Entities on the map, even if they are inside the vehicle, and not visible.

With your Echelon created, right click on one of the soldiers and select “Set Control Mode of This Character”  Then select Player.  I choose to set the Echelon commander as the player.  You can tell which one is the commander by the special icon beside him.

Unit Limits

In OFP2, we are limited to having a maximum of only 63 Entities at any specific time – anywhere on the Island.  This is mainly to improve multiplayer and online performance and help with lower end systems.  While I personally think that the developers should of let us stick in as many units as we like, I do see their reasoning behind forcing this.

Entities

In order to help with this, we have a system of Entities to help.  We can simply spawn, activate, and despawn whole groups of soldiers based on how the player is progressing through the map.

“Startup” is the default Entity which you want to use for every object and unit which has to spawn at the start of the mission.  Also, use this for objects such as ammo boxes, and sand bags as well – as they do not count towards the 63 unit limit.  Generally in terms of soldiers, you only want the players Echelon, and any other Friendly Echelon which will remain in action during the entire mission to be set under Startup.

When you “Add Entity Set”, the new Entity will likely show up as a sub-Entity set of Startup.  Simply drag it to its own location in the Explorer menu (seen above).

Create a new Entity called “Enemy”.  Set it as your active entity set.  And then create a fireteam or two of PLA Soldiers nearby – but out of visual range of your USMC Soldiers.  I chose to place my USMC Soldiers just West of the town of Aynskoye, and place my PLA Soldiers inside the town around the bridge.

Near the fireteams, place some waypoints.  I set mine up to be Aware, Standing, and Formation Controlled by AI.  I also set a 25ms delay.

You will now want to switch your active Entity Set back to Startup.  Now, go back to the Create menu, and in the mission folder (for Systems) select “Triggers events when someone enters or exits the  zone.”  Now place the trigger near your USMC Troops, between them and the town.

Also, feel free to add a mission objective.  You can find those in the Mission directory of the Create / Systems window.  I added one on the bridge.  Be sure to select it, and enable it as a primary objective.  Also, in the Scripting directory of Create / Systems, place a levelScript nearby.  This will control what is going on.

Scripting

I placed 2 Objectives in the town.  The first one to kill the PLA Units, the second one to secure the town.  The Trigger will activate the second Objective.  I also set the same trigger up to spawn a small counter attack of PLA Soldiers which will activate as Entity Enemy2.  Take a look at the script for this and it should make a little more sense…

Spawn Points and Triggers

I had some issues getting the waypoint for the Enemy2 soldiers to work.  Often they would spawn properly, they just wouldn’t walk to their waypoint.  However if I set them to spawn at Startup, they would walk to their waypoint.  So I sum this up to some random bug.

I ended up adding a 2nd fireteam under the Enemy2 spawn inside some of the buildings in the town on the East side of the bridge.

All in all, the troubleshooting involving the Enemy2 spawn took about 2 hours, and I am still not sure it is working properly.  But I wanted to get this post finished.  The Enemy spawn is working fine, as are the objectives.  I shall upload the .mssn file for those who want to check it out.

Tags: Computer Game Reviews, Computer Help and Advice, Computer Stuff by Roadwolf
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By now, I would hope that you are aware of how to build and maintain a growing city.  Ensuring you have a steady stream of income, while expanding your industries.  I will not as often be reminding you to check on your income levels, or your citizens needs, as I assume you can do this on your own now, and react accordingly.  This section will mostly be about Quests and preparing for them.

Be sure to check out my general guide and chapters 1 through 4 walk-through as well.

Chapter 5: A storm breaks out

When this chapter starts out, you will likely be in the red in terms of income.  Al Zahir asks you 3 things; Help him against the Crusader Army, Deliver Relief Supplies to him (8 Leather Jerkins), and Settle 690 Patricians in Guelphdon.

Since we are running in the red, I would suggest building some Houses in Guelphdon until you get a good healthy +100 or so income.  Soon after you start building, Marie will send her ships to attack Al Zahir’s Warehouse at Dar el Marisi.  Send your Flagship to gather his people.  Do not worry, you need not attack any of Marie’s ships just yet.  Return Al Zahir’s people to his Main Harbor (Shapur el Sheik).

If you time it right, by the time you have dropped off the rescued people from Dar el Marisi to Al Zahir, you will have enough Patricians (690) in order to manufacture Leather Jerkins.  If not, then create more houses and wait.

Al Zahir wants you to settle an Island to the North East where he says you can find a River to help with the Leather Jerkin production.  In order to settle the Island, we will need Tools and Wood.  Chances are we will have barely enough on Guelphdon to provide for a new settlement.  I recommend checking your Toolmakers Workshop in Guelphdon (it is located on the South West side of the Island).  There is a Weapons Smithy located next door which seems to be consuming all of the Iron.  We should have a decent surplus of Weapons by now, so halt production on the Weapon Smithy for now, to increase your Tools production.

Once you have 20t of Tools, and 20t of Wood, load it onto your Flagship and set sail to find the Island in the North East where you can produce Leather Jerkins.  Once you have placed your Warehouse on this new Island, Al Zahir gives you a new Quest, “The eyewitness report”.  He wants you to pick it up from his Warehouse, so let us send our now empty Flagship over to pick it up.  Once you pick it up, he asks you to deliver it to Marie d’ Artois.  I would suggest however, simply returning your Flagship to your Harbor, while we bide our time in order to develop a settlement on our new Island (Roseyard).

I built Roseyard up to a Settlement status. I also built a charcoal burners hut, a salt mine, salt works, stone quarry, a pig farm, tannery, lumber jacks hut (or a couple of them), and a fishermans hut (not nesseciarly in that order, obviously you will need lumber, stone and fish first).  Feel free to develop it even more if you have the money and resources.  Try to keep the Islands balance in the positive or atleast as close to $0 as possible.  Keep in mind that if you produce extra goods, you can set your Warehouse to sell the surplus.

I set my Warehouse on Roseyard to sell off additional Tools, Wood, Salt, and Stone – Leaving at least 10t of each in storage.  How do you do this? well just go into your Warehouse in the Trading tab, and select to sell an item (Red -) then click on the item and move the slider to how many tons of the Good you wish to keep in storage no matter what.  The Warehouse will never sell off anything less then that amount to other players trading ships.

As an additional tip, you will see in the above screenshot that I have Ships and Towns in my tool bar.  In addition to buildings and menu options, you can also drag ships and towns into any part of your interface for quick reference or to select them quickly.  Ships and Towns under attack will flash red.  You access your ships and towns by pressing F12.  I am sure you can also drag Army units on to your interface as well.

Anyhow, getting back on track…  I created a trading route for Roseyard to bring Leather Jerkins to Guelphdon.  You may also want to go over what else Guelphdon needs and cross reference with anything you have surplus in Roseyard.  Allow Guelphdon to receive a few shipments of Leather Jerkins (as your people are demanding them) and then load any surplus onto your Flagship.  Load up about 20t of Tools, and 20t of Wood as well.

Once you have your 8t of Leather Jerkins, ship them on your Flagship to Al Zahir.  Then send your Flagship to Marie’s Island to Deliver the Grand Vizier’s Report.  Once delivered, return your flagship to Kuhrang which Al Zahir will have gifted to you.  You will need to rebuild it, so drop off the Tools and Wood.  Then send your Flagship to investigate the wreckage for the Quest “A Suspicious Wreck”.  Meanwhile with Kuhrang now supplied with Tools and Wood, we can now start rebuilding it.

Down at the Wreckage site, you will find a Flotsam.  Pick it up, and send it to the Centre of Wisdom as suggested by Al Zahir.  Meanwhile, remember to re-activate your Weapons Smithy and then set off to construct 5 small Warships in Guelphdon.  Also Queue up 1 small trading ship.  Why 5?  Why not 3?  Well the extra ships will help.

Meanwhile, now you have time to build up your settlement on Kuhrang.  Remember to build more fields for your Date farms.  You likely wont need 3 full Date farms.  Remove one or 2 of them.  Also remember that you need a Small Noria to pump water for your Fields.  Build also 2 Goat Farms to produce Milk.

Once your warships are complete, send them down to the Centre of Wisdom.  Be prepared to battle against a constant onslaught of Marie’s warships.  You will likely have to produce some more small Warships in order to cycle them though repairs.  Also be sure to pick up the dropped Flotsams from the ships you destroy.  You will likely find things which will help you in battle.

Use this time to expand your settlement on Guelphdon if you need more income.  Once you get some cash coming in, Build a couple Lumberjack Huts and a Stone Quarry on Kuhrang.  Also build a Paper Mill on the River there, and an Indigo Farm.

You should now have enough Dates and Milk in Kuhrang in order to complete Al Zahir’s Quest: Support for the refugees.  Load your Flagship up with 10t Dates and 10t of Milk, as well as 5t Paper, and 5t Indigo in Kuhrang, and send it off to Al Zahir’s Harbor.  If you have enough Diplomatic Rank to build a Quartz Quarry, then build one on Kuhrang, Otherwise be sure to Purchase some Quartz from Al Zahir.  Then sail down to the Centre of Wisdom and deliver your Indigo and Paper.  Sail back up to Guelphdon and Deliver your Quartz.

Once you deliver the Dates and Milk, Ibn al Hakin will ask for 5t of Paper and 5t of Indigo.  Luckily you already have Indigo and Paper on your Flagship…  You should have a trade ship on a route between Kuhrang and Guelphdon, if you do not, you should have one sitting idle or able to be freed to preform this task.  You should now deliver Indigo and Paper from Kuhrang to Guelphdon.  Also, it is a good time to think about Expanding your Spice Farms in Kasadir.

Brother Hilarius will have already asked you to provide him with 10t of Bibles (Books).  In order to build this, we need Glass.  In order to make Glass we need  Quartz and Potash.  Build a Forest Glasworks in Guelphdon. and then build a Glass Smelter.  Once you have 10t Glass, you can Build a Printing House in Guelphdon.

Ibn al Kahim asks you to find 2 wrecks.  The wreck on the Pearl reef will be guarded by Guy Forcas.  The wreck in the desert will be unguarded,  Send a ship there to search for items.  You have to actually look for them and click on the items, which can be quite difficult in the blowing sand.  The screenshot below, happened to be the box which contained the 1 Copper Key for me.  However I believe that the location is random.

Once you have the Key, send your Flagship (with some small warships as an escort) to investigate the Pearl reef.  You will find the wreck, but you will need to scare Guy Forcas’ fleet off before you can search through it.  To prepare for this upcoming battle, Al Zahir asks you to bring him 10t of War Machines in order to build some ships.

Al Zahir will ask you to check up on his Goat Farmers on an Island in the South.  Send your fleet there to check it out.  You just need to show up and fire a few shots at Maries ships to scare her off.  Now pick up the population in the Warehouse and return them to Al Zahir’s main Harbor.

In order to make War Machines, we need to reach the next assencion level.  This means we need out Patricians to be very happy.  They will likely be fairly well off as it is right now, but they will need Beer, and maybe Security (A Debtor’s Prison).  Beer is easy, make a couple Wheat Fields, and a couple Herb Fields…  And a Brewery.  Make any other arrangements you need to advance to Noblemen.  Keep in mind that you do need 1190 Patricians in order to gain access to Noblemen.

Once you have Noblemen, Build your War Machines shop, and wait till you get 10t of them.  Then deliver the 10t of War Machines to Al Zahir’s Ship Yard.  He will give you 5 Warships.  Assemble your fleet and head back to Pearl reef to destroy Guy Forcas’ Fleet.

Return the Lockbox and Key to Al Zahir.  He will ask you to take a Corsair Treaty to Marie.  Before you do however, Brother Hilarius has a White Flag for your ship.  Activate the White Flag on your Ship and send the Ship to Marie’s Harbor.  Marie will join forces with you.

Her ships will become yours, so try to protect them as they retreat to your Harbor.  Al Zahir will also offer to build you more Warships.  Send him as many War Machines as you can.  Repair your fleet and be ready for a battle.

Hidden Quest: Distress call to the sultan.  Click on Al Zahir’s Warehouse.  He will give you an escort quest to escort his ship to safety.  You have to bring some ships to his Harbor to start the quest.  I would suggest 4 large Oriental Warships.

In return for the Hidden Quest, you receive 5 more Oriental Warships.  Now you should have no problem kicking Forcas’ ass.  Lets go kick some butt…

Once you have destroyed Guy’s fleet, the Chapter is over.

Chapter 6: Caught in a Trap

First off, you may notice that this Chapter is completely timed.  As far as I know there is no way to actually win this Chapter, you just have to try and hold out.

I played through more of this chapter in Slow Speed.  But I was also taking notes for this walk through.

I suggest placing 3 towers and a few encampments of soldiers in the general area of the screenshot shown below.  Do not place your troops any closer to the shore then your Towers are located.  You do not want to be too close to where the enemy lands.  Also build 3 Fisherman’s huts on the north shore of the Island where you will find a empty beach just North of the City.  Save room for a Warehouse (Harbor) which you will need to construct there later.  You will also want to build some (3) Cider farms and (3) Hemp farms up in the North West.

Down on the Island that Kardinal Lucias has landed on, you will find a Warehouse with a hidden quest.  Send your Flagship down to rescue the people from the Island and you will have completed one of the hidden quests.

Be sure to connect the Robber Baron Castle to a Market Building in order to access his troops.  They will be handy!  Be sure to rebuild the old city walls.  That is part of a hidden quest as well.  Also, in the North East of your Island you will find a Weapon smithy which is disabled.  Re-enable it to get more Weapons.  There is also a Tool makers shop nearby which is disabled – enable it if you wish.

Hidden Quest: In terrible distress.  To the East of your Island you will find a small cove with 2 of Kardnial Lucis’ warships guarding it.  Inside the cove is a friendly ship which is trapped.  Take on one ship at a time with your Flag ship.  You will need to repair in between battles.  Therefore build a Repair crane.  But I suggest doing it on the North side of your Island.  Build a Harbormaster’s Office near your Fisherman’s Huts just North of the City Walls.  You will get the Flagship as a reward.

Meanwhile you are likely going to be facing an attack soon.

Hidden Quest: Troop Supplies.  Produce 10t of Provisions in the Provisions Storehouse at Edenisle.  Get this quest from the Provisions Storehouse to the East of your City.  This quest is easy enough, however you may have to deprive your population of Beer for a few minutes.

Hidden Quest: Noble privileges.  Ensure 333 Noblemen move into the City.  Get this quest from the Market Building next to the Keep.

Marie wants you to build 2 War Machines workshops.  That is easy enough assuming you have the gold.

Spies show up in your City,  you have to find 3 spies in the gated part of the city.  You will find the miners camped just to the eat of your city.  They are hidden.  Send a small infantry division out to the east, just east of the East wall, in the open space.  And you should find them.

.. Honestly it will take me a few tries to get everything for this mission.  Just ride it out, hold back the enemy troops – keep building your own troops and supplying your current troops with provisions.

Eventually Marie will give you a map to find Al Zahir.  Activate it on one of your 2 Flagships and wait.  Eventually you will see that Al Zahir is sending his fleet to rescue you.  Hold out until he gets here.  When he does, he will offer you a ride off the Island.  Once you board onto his ship, the Chapter finishes.

I was able to hold the city, and prevent the enemy from coming near my walls.  And even had the luxury to wait and try to get 333 Noblemen to move in…  Honestly I saw my Noblemen population go from 300 to 700, then back down and up again a few times.  The quest did not seem to complete in the game, but at the end of the game it showed as complete.

The only quest I did not get was Escape with difficulties. I am unsure what that quest is???

Chapter 7: The Man with the Mask

Al Zahir is kind enough to harbor us in his protection while we try to prepare to strike back at Kardinal Lucious.  Our Island, Diyah is a fairly large desert Island.   Al Zahir reports that our Emperor is resting not too far away.  He also requests that we build a Date Plantation.  Might as well send your flag ship off to find the Emperor while you work on setting up a Date Plantation and some more houses.  You should also build a Lumber Mill.

Hildegard von Lewenstein (The Nun) tells you that the Emperor is very sick and is not seeing anyone except family.  But she also adds that Richard has been rumored to have been spotted being held captive nearby.

The Nun tells us to go Searching for Clues about where Lord Northburgh is located.  She sends you to speak with the Alchemist, Al Rashid, and The Witch.  The Witch will be the person you need to talk to.  Load up 5t of Milk, 2t Tools, and 3t Wood into your ship before you go however, as she will want some milk before she gives you information.  In order to get the Milk to her, you will need to build a Warehouse and a road to connect to her Tree House.

The Witch tells you that the message is encrypted.  Be sure to place the message into your ship before you leave, it will be located in your Warehouse on Sheepbridge.

Bring the Message to the Alchemest, which is located on your main island.  You will need a road connection to him in order for him to be able to help you.

Long story short, you need to create an Indigo Farm on Diyah.  Sadly it is impossible to create a Paper Farm.  You can however purchase Paper from Al Zahir.  In order to produce Indigo, you will need more population.  Now is the time to start building.  Purchase tools from Al Zahir if you run out.  Likewise now is the time to build your Rep with Al Zahir…  Funny he doesn’t remember your reputation you built up in previous campaigns.  Anyhow, you can get a ‘Princely attention’ letter from The Nun.  Get that and bring it to Al Zahir.

Plant your Indigo, and wait for 6t of it.  Once it is ready, transfer the 6t to your ship and sail out to the “Island of no return”.  Park around back (works best I think) and wait.  Your crew will draw a map.

Meanwhile, Al Zahir, wants you to build a Carpet Workshop, and Silk plantation.  You can build a Silk plantation on an Island in the West.  Load up 10t Tools, and 15t Wood and head out West to find the unclaimed Island.  Build a Noria, and a Silk Plantation.  Then assign a ship to transport the Silk back to your Main Island.

Since you already have Indigo on Diyah, you will be all set for Carpets once you start receiving Silk.  Build a Carpet Weavers hut.

Once you have the Map, bring it to The Nun.  She’ll give you another ‘Princely attention’ letter, to give to Al Zahir.  Likewise, you will need to create 120 Envoys in your city to gather enough volunteers for the next quest.

In order to do this, we need to Build a Clay Pit, and a Quartz Quarry.  Then we need a Mosaic Workshop, and finally a Mosque positioned in such a way as to cover as many Nomad houses as possible.  Note: You may also need to build another Date Farm, and Goat Farm.

While you wait for Envoys to move in, send a ship up North to Hopton with 20t Dates and 20t Milk on board and click on the Warehouse.  This will complete the Hidden Quest: News from Marie.  (Note: if your Date and Milk production are below par, add more Date Plantations and Goat Farms!)

Another Hidden Quest: Sensational!  Click on the Alchemest’s Tower and he will give you a Quest.  Deliver 10t of Iron Ore and 10t of Gold ore to him to complete it.  You can buy both from The Nun.

Another Hidden Quest: The Prophesy.  Deliver 20t Quartz to The Witch.  (Get the quest by clicking on her Tree Fort).

Pick up as many rep letters you can from The Nun to give to Al Zahir.  We will need to advance to “The Caliph’s favorite” in order to build a Coffee plantation and Roasting house for the Quest: Black Gold.  You can build Coffee Plantations on the Island directly South from your main island.  You should already have one ship running a trade route for Silk,  Why not use the same ship and run it to both the Coffee Island and Silk Island in one run, to create a sort of Tirangular trading pattern.  Make sure you bring Mosaic to your new island as well, as the Coffee Plantation will require it.  Build a Roasting House in Diyah, and you should be well on your way to completing ‘Black Gold’.

Once your Miners are ready, use the Move Command (they will be located near your main City) to move them near the Island of no return.  When they get there,  build a Tower on the Shore, and then you will have to build a tunnel under the fortress.  Be sure to Disguise your unit before they start digging.  You will have to position them close to the tower for them tobe able to dig.  Use the Attack command on the small tower beside the larger part of their Keep.  The Mission Arrow will be directly over it.  It is hard to know exactly where to click at first, but you basically have to click on the Southern most tower of the Keep.

You will have to turn your Fort into a Warehouse.  You can do this by selecting your Fort and in the Bottom Right corner, click Upgrade Castle.  Richard is located in the Strong Room.  He will want a ride to see the Emperor.  Have a ship ready to take him to see The Nun.  Meanwhile, send your Miners back to Diyah, and locate them as shown in the screenshot below.

Hidden Quest: Reparation.  Deliver 20t Mosaic, and 20t Clay to Al Rashid in payment for damaging his Keep.  (click on the Keep to activate).

Hidden Quest: The struggle continues.  Bring 20t Coffee and 20t Carpets to Hopton’s Warehouse.  (Click on Hopton’s Warehouse to Activate).  You get 20t War Machines for this Quest.

Send Richard to see the Emperor.  Then send your ship to The Witches.  Give them the package that Richard gave you.  You will have to quickly set sail after the ‘Cursed Ship’ and destroy it once The Witches figure out that they stole a secret recipe.  You will find the recipe in a Flotsam.  Return it to the Witches.

Quest: Time is running out.  Remember when I told you to return your miners to that exact spot near your city?  Well this is why.  Dig under the ruins just North of them.  Chances are 3 to 1 that you will find the Black Pearl.  Otherwise, send your miners off to one of the other Islands.  Look specifically for the large skeletons directly beside the ruins.  That is where the Pearl will be.  As for the four juices, you know where to get the Gold and Iron Ore.  Izmir supplies the Silver Bar.

Hidden Quest: Black Assassins’ drink.  Al Rashid asks you to bring him 20t Milk and 20t Coffee.

Hidden Quest: The red herring.  Build 3 Oriental Warships for Phillipe Lamour, of Hopton. – This is a semi-difficult quest, and honestly, it is not worth the effort involved unless you just want to complete the quest – or to hear a tiny bit of a teaser as to what will happen in the next chapter.

Once you deliver the Pearl and four juices, and then deliver the final potion to Richard, the chapter ends.

Chapter 8: Pillars of Justice

I want to thank a reader for suggesting this solution to Chapter 8, which is better then my own.  I have tried it this way, and it is a lot easier.

Tags: Computer Game Reviews, Computer Help and Advice, Computer Stuff, Uncategorized by Roadwolf
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