STAR TRAIL HINTS & TIPS. From Brian Burke @~Brian's walkthrough for Star Trail will start next issue. I'm heavy into Star Trail at present which is pretty tough after the relative easiness of Realms of Arkania 1 - 'Blades of Destiny' which I played on the Amiga and have now replayed on the PC. Herewith a few Star Trail tips - Should you be playing 'Blades of Destiny' prior to Star Trail then before you go through the end game nip off to Thorwell or Phexdor and load up each character with Boots x 2, Winter Coat, Sleeping Bag, Food (say about 10 apiece), Whirlweeds (invaluable - carry all you can), Water Skins, Donf Sprigs, Magic and Poison potions. You'll have loads of money from 'Blades' and it'll save you initial cash outlay in 'Star Trail'. It's certainly worth replaying 'Blades' as your magic characters will have a head start on spell points as well as all the other various attributes. I'd also recommend playing in the Advanced Mode as you can assign your own points. Boots wear out on long marches so that's why you need two pairs. Characters get Frostbite (I haven't found a cure yet) if not wrapped up in Winter and in possession of a Sleeping Bag. You need a good stock of curing Herbs for Numbskull (Donf sprigs), Yellow Fever and Rabies. The Healers in towns cannot be depended on to cure you, they often fail but still charge! If you're unfortunate enough to have a character Petrified then there's a Healer in Tjolmar who can fix you up for a fee. There appears to be no penalty for saving outside Temples in Star Trail, unlike 'Blades'. This is just as well as you are blocked in when you first enter the Temple of Phex and again in the Finsterkopp Pit. It's also aggravating to see illnesses getting worse as you try to find a town with a Herb Shop or a Healer therefore remember to save often to avoid going back too far when one of your characters is wiped out in a battle or has a disease that you haven't the right herbs to cure. You must also rest often in Dungeons to avoid Battlefield Fever and Numbskull (a frequent adventurers' malady!). This means you must have good water supplies and be topped up with food before entering such areas. Be sure to have a valid 'Banish Spirits' spell before entering the Temple of Phex dungeon. Also have 'Oceans Floor' spell to find the Swamp Rantzy and the Wizards Tower in the Swamp. 'Paralyse' is also useful to beat the Witch in the Swamp. 'Penetrating' is also very useful to spot passages outside your immediate area. Finally have 'Melt the Solid' for the end game dungeon. At the Altar in the Temple of Phex dungeon, first donate around 100 Silver to open a door in the north west, then take the money. When you teleport you need to fight your way out. Walk backwards up (north) in the westernmost passage to avoid being teleported back into the maze. Approach the Blood Peaks from the south east to sneak in. Entering from the direct south, north or east gets you captured and you lose all your equipment. In Lowagan my game locked up if I used magic or selected computer based fights. You'll have to slug it out manually. In the Swamp area DON'T kill the Swamp Rantzy. Use a net in the left hand to capture him and return him to Lowangan. I also had a problem in the Blood Peaks on level 2 and 3 - again my game locked (this is playing the disc version on DOS 7, I think DOS 6.22 is OK?). Fortunately It's not essential to complete this area in order to finish the game. I weep for the missing experience points though. As a general rule - DON'T poke your hand in holes in the wall. Save first so you can restore if you get bitten, there's only one hole that produces anything worthwhile. Open Chests by force. This seems to avoid being poisoned by traps. If at first you DON'T open a door by 'Picklock' then just keep trying. After three or four tries then you need to try something else. It's a pain to use the 'Foreman' spell to open doors when you need the Astral Points for battles or recovery spells. Always post guards when you rest or you'll be disturbed. Not every time but enough. Bad news if your lifepoints are low. Save after successful Pickpocket or Cheat sessions. If you're caught no-one will trade with you. I suggest a restore if this happens. - o -