Ultima Ascension Part one of some hints and tips by Vic Horsley I have not tried to cover all situations or scenarios in this collection, only enough to get by some tricky problems, there are still plenty more to solve. Get flaming sword from maze next to castle. Don't hang on to potions, one of each will do, (they can over laden you) you will soon have light heal. Get bags, they are sometimes hard to see so click on everything (left click). You don't need ordinary swords, shields staffs, axes or bows after the first episode and it's not worth carrying them to sell as they do not bring much, better to make your money by slaying the beasties. After breaking open crates and barrels make sure you move all broken pieces to the side, if you leave just one section or do not move the barrel it is possible to leave something of importance behind i.e. a key. Battle axe or claymore most important. Save at beginning of each episode - save often and delete often but make sure to keep first save till well into next episode, I didn't and needed to restart at beginning - a long way to go. Saving is the only way to stay in an episode without returning to the start of the game. Once you obtain anything significant, (i.e. the swamp boots) keep it but not in your sacks, as they lumber you, better back in your room in the castle, until required. Discard all flasks after use. Many books can be read where they are, you don't have to take them with you, if you do, be sure to leave them somewhere (again the castle). Train and fight at every opportunity and enter into unarmed combat i.e. the fighting arena in Buccaneers Cove. Make sure you talk with everyone and more than once, as they often have something to say the second time round. Always stow your weapon before entering the water, it can't be used underwater and if in hand, you are unable to pick up items that you may require. Those nasty fishes can be killed by standing as close to the water as possible and waiting for them to approach you, then swiping them with your sword or axe, one or two blows should do. It is quite easy to swim past the fish by weaving about a little while still heading in the direction you wish to go, a bite or two may be inflicted but this you will survive. If and when you can use the spells option, use it often, if only to light things or blow things away, it is the ideal way to heal yourself but do use it all the times as your mana will shrink if you don't and by the end of the game you will not have enough mana to complete some options. After you escape from the dome make sure you get the swamp boots, they are in the first large swamp room to the left as you enter the passages, on entering this room swim to the far right hand corner making sure to drink a red potion on leaving the water. Open the chest then swim to the far side keeping close to the back wall, as soon as you leave the water click on the red potion that's laying there, now walk along to the chest in the corner, here are the Swamp Boots, put them on and you won't need any more red potions while you're wearing them in swamp water. After returning to Samhayne's house you will find yourself in a cell, go through the door in the wall, click on the spider, go back to the cell door and pass through it, open all the doors by clicking on the green buttons. Go back to the spider, click on him again you will be back to normal, on your way out be sure to pick up the skull and the rib cage, you will need these to get over the first lot of molten lava, the spider section will have to be done again which will become plain as you proceed. When doing the molten lava caves it is best to save each section, as you may need to go back several times due to mistakes, the less distance you go back the better, for this reason it is best to save each section using a different name or number. In the lava caves, it is possible to jump down from certain high platforms, don't do this if you have arrived at a platform by floating dais, there is no way back and you lose the use of that floating dais, which means you will not be able to use it again and on some sections you need to do this, to replenish yourself - so always go and come back the same way. The floor of the cave can be completed by running. Make sure when entering into combat that you back off a little as sometimes out of sight is a second enemy who will more than likely kill you before you have time to recover from the first attacker, if in this position, check your health before proceeding, it can be easy not to notice and the next strike can be fatal. When being or attacking large groups of enemies, back off pulling just one or two with you. This way you can work your way through without being killed yourself, use the Ctrl and Alt keys with the right mouse button. Not all items can be sold in every city or town, so find a safe chest in each place and stow them, it will allow you extra room in your backpack, these items will be retrievable at later visits. When you arrive at the Dungeon of Wrong you will find the gargoyle just below the bridge on the far side, after speaking with him jump in the boat, it will move off, keep still until it stops, when it does there is a little ledge to one side of you, which is at the base of a small island, directly below this is the entrance to Wrong. It is advisable to always carry a lantern with you, one will do as there are plenty along the way, if you do not carry one you will be caught out and not be able to see certain things (I tried turning up the brilliance on my computer but this doesn't work) you can use the spell light but it seemed easier with the lamp except with the lamp you cannot use two handed weapons as well but you can change back to your best weapon after you have checked the room or dungeon out, if you don't follow this procedure you will not move along. A good example is in the dungeon Wrong. There are a few times in Wrong when you will seem to be going round in circles or just going nowhere at all, if this happens just let the guard catch you again and start the sequence over again by going through the wall behind the bench in your cell, it opens new sections each time. In the caves in Minoc, there are so many skeletons you will require at least four empty slots in your belt, more if possible, so as to hold the bones you will need to take to stop them regenerating. I found that the best piece to take is the ribcage but if you leave just one they will all start regenerating one after another using the same piece and it happens so quick, it's almost impossible to survive. On the first level of Minoc caves I found the best place to take the bones was outside and leave then on the rocks, on other levels just make sure you leave them as far away as possible without being near any other skeletons. The Gringolet will kill any and every skeleton, it is on a rock in the tunnel between the lake at the gypsy encampment and the bridge in the town, just jump in the lake and swim back towards town. On the second level of the Minoc caves and quite near the beginning you will come to a cave where if you are not swift all will turn black periodically, the way to avoid this is to start jumping to the rocks and continue around the cave to the other side as you are also attacked by skeletons which you are unable to see if you stay on the cavern floor, when you first approach this cave you will here a loud swishing noise so be alert. At the Bastion in Trinsic. it is not possible to kill the ghosts, so don't try, just run past them to the top floor, to your right at the top of the stairs are double doors, you have to go through these avoiding more ghosts, on the right in this room is a ghost who will speak to you. If you go to the dungeon Shame before speaking to Dupre, it will be necessary to come back out to find him, before you can proceed further. To speak with Dupre you need to first find the urn containing his ashes, these are in a coffin in the old fort on the land, take the urn to the shrine (it is a little way to the south of the fort), speak first to the girl there then place the urn on the shrine and Dupre will appear. Shame is all about jumping about pushing buttons and levers and firing arrows, there is no specific order but make sure you go into every corner, eventually you will get above these rooms and the idea is to make the large statue move, this will reveal a teleporter. To do this you have to pass through the three colour balls one at a time and go back and touch the statue making her change colour each time, after the third one she will fly away. Before jumping down from the teleporter in Shame jump across to the cave using the platforms and do this section, then return to the cave entrance and staying on the ledge fire your arrows at the wyrmguard, it takes a lot to kill her and you do miss out on what she has to say though this is not important but you will have a tough job if you do decide to jump down first. More next issue - o -