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Odyseeos
06-27-2004, 05:36 AM
I read somewhere that the Hag can be killed, so I ran some extensive tests and thought I would report on the results.

The first responsibility was to find a perfectly safe and effective place:

I found that the upper ledge of the "Thieves' Highway" is safe. Her angle of trajectory wasn't quite high enough. The lower ledge is not safe. But that is awfully far away and she tends to get out of sight a lot. So, I finally settled on the building across the street from Cothron's Armory at Stonemarket Proper. I also tested the alley next to Cothron's Armory. It was fairly safe, but she can occasionally get into that alley. OTOH, she never succeeded in entering the other Building. Every area has some availability for sniping, but I chose the one given here at Stonemarket-- because it was safe, quite near the Hag, and had the advantage of many fighting Townspeople. I wanted that, because I wanted their help.

The first thing G* did was to put out all lighting that could possibly be extinguished.

The basic method used was shoot, hide, and wait until she settled again. The entire sequence of tests took perhaps twelve hours. There were also a few varying tests whose saves were erased by the main set.

At one point, G* found a place half in front of the door of that building where there was a pitched frontal battle between the two. Because of the position, I wanted to see how she would react to shooting herself. A wall prevented her shooting hand from actually hitting Garrett. Unfortunately, an occasional shot came partially through the wall with slight injury to G*

On the first full test, G* used up 5 Mines, 15 Fire Arrows, 20 Flashbombs, 5 Oil Flasks, 3 Holy Water Vials, and 30 Broadarrows. On the second full test, G* used up 10 Mines, 30 Fire Arrows, 10 Oil Flasks, and 60 Broadarrows.

The second Test required repurchasing, so G* did not deposit the Sentient.

During the first test, the streets filled with people. At the end, I had never seen so many discarded wands. They must have totaled something better than 100. The people did not cease coming.

But, on the second test, when G* returned, the Hag attacked into the juxtaposed street often, and Stonemarket Proper quickly became a Ghost Town. And no one ever came again. In fact, after G* used up his weaponry, I had him sit for 30 minutes in a far part of Stonemarket Proper to see if anyone would ever show up. No one did. Unfortunately, I didn't test an Exit and Return.

The idea of battling Groups or individuals gaining dominance in some area, so that members of an opposed group cease to appear, is an interesting phenomenon. It happens often, but I am uncertain what keys its occurrence. In the Docks area, I have seen the City Guard completely disappear, and the Pagans take over the Guardwork. Also, the Hammers have controlled some other areas, by eliminating the Keeper Enforcers or Golem-like Stonemen, while the Guard was eliminated by those same enemies. Afterwards, the Guard may not re-appear, and numerous Hammers or Pagans will patrol those streets. Also, in come areas, the Pagans and Hammers can easily themselves contest a particular street during a period of riot, with great mutual bloodshed, resulting in dominance of one or the other.

Again, I don't know what keys in a situation in which members of groups do not re-appear ad infinitum.

Anyway, the conclusion of the two tests was that the Hag, after much damage, will freeze and turn invisible for less than 30 seconds. Throughout, you can see her image. And the image is solid enough to strike with Dagger or Blackjack. After the time of "ghostliness", she will re-appear in full solidity, which return cannot be prevented by repeated strikes of Dagger during the ghostly period.

Further, if Garrett remains somewhere within her sight-perspective, even in complete darkness, when she re-appears, she will know exactly where he is and attack him with great fury and certainty. The effect is less permanent, since he can run, but is almost as terrible as when Constantine would see Garrett in the Maw. She's quick, and she's tough to get rid of.

A final test was that, when she was invisible, Garrett attacked her with, first, the BJ, and then the Dagger. When she subsequently came to full solidity, she laughed at the BJ, but did not laugh at the Dagger. She seemed to be troubled by them both, however, and only got one shot off, each time, before she was again returned to invisibility. During invisibility, she is motionless; so, it should be possible to attack and to survive, for a time.

But, in conclusion, I do not think it is possible to eliminate her from any of her areas. She is not factually killable, according to these tests, although the Ghost period seems to imply an impermanent vulnerability.

There may be a curious partial exception; but I am uncertain as to what happened. During one previous play, the Hag did not show up at all at the Docks. Whether she just Buggishly did not appear or fell into the water, I do not know.

Guineapiggy
06-27-2004, 05:39 AM
I did find on my encounter with her in the docks that on throwing oil to try and get her in the water, (which failed.) She did however oddly seem to fall and not get up or react to me.

Odyseeos
06-27-2004, 06:48 AM
That's interesting! and certainly differs from the Stonemarket experience.

I was inable to get the Oil to do much of anything, except to burn, and that only occasionally. It might have been because of the number of bodies involved.

She fell simply because of the oil? I'm going to go try that now.

Makes me wonder if she has beetle-like characteristics. Her "exoskeleton" prevents her from getting up or something...

MajorHealy
06-27-2004, 07:03 AM
I found the way to get her to fall into the water in the docks was to throw an oil flask at the end of the docks, then shoot a noisemaker at the edge of the oil slick. When she runs to investigate, she slips into the water - otherwise, I couldn't get her or the statues to fall at all...

Odyseeos
06-27-2004, 08:17 AM
Excellent thinking.

I also tested Guineapiggy's idea, and it definitely works!! In fact, I think one could classify it as a kill or KO-- of some sort. The description:

G* looked through the Western doorway to the Dock of the Inn.

(I couldn't get the Eastern doorway to work. The little wharf is perhaps too small for her to get enough motion to fall.)

Anyway, when she was crossing away from the small wharf, G* began pitching Oil Flasks at her. She turned and ran toward G*, who continued pitching Oil until he was out. As she came to the wooden wall just outside the door, she fell in a heap against the wall.

Now, for evidence of the KO or kill:

(1) She made no sound or movement thereafter.

(2) No amount of blasting, thereafter, persuaded her to go into "Ghost" mode, as described in the original letter. If the Ghost mode is a sign of near, or momentary, mortal injury from which she subsequently recovers, she did not now go into that mode.

(3) G* left the Docks Area, entirely, for the South Quarter, and later returned. Doing so made no difference in her position. She was still the same.

(4) Most significantly, she had lost her position of "dominance" on the Wharf. For, as soon as G* left the Wharf and returned, City Guardsmen were already back on the Wharf, calmly patrolling.


One other interesting item arose during this last investigation. I found that if G* is in a kneeled position with BJ, he can carry on open combat, in full yellow, against a charging Golem. Apparently, a Golem cannot injure Garrett as long as he is kneeling. It may be that, over time, it can; I didn't yet have enough nerve to let the Golem pound G* for a great length of time. But, in four trials with BJ flailing, G* had no injuries.

Later: Yes, it definitely works. Over a period of about two minutes, G* let a Golem pound while he himself keeled and carried no weapons. There was no injury to Garrett.

kitch69
06-27-2004, 08:51 AM
You can kill her in diffrent areas of the city? Where about in the game does she enter diffrent areas and you can see her. I have just entered her lair.

Odyseeos
06-27-2004, 09:11 AM
I don't know whether the wood on the Docks is special or not. G* just made two (5-bottle) attempts at the South Quarter but without success. She may have to be running toward Garrett to fall, but I'm really very uncertain on that. Again, it might be special to the South Quarter,

because G* wasn't ready for it yet.

On the second question, don't let it worry you at all. She's a rather difficult lady to miss.

The Docks situation, at any event, creates a curious interpretation puzzle. Maybe she has special routes through time-- a sort of "Hag's Highway". "I all fall down?" Just seize a different place in a slightly different time. A bit of a paradox for poor Garrett to see her flesh in two places without being strictly able to claim that it is the same time...

There's something about that Dock situation that reminds me of an old advertisement for beepers for the elderly. It had a line in it that people picked up and used comically. It went, "Help me; I've fallen, and I can't get up."

The Makers have always had a peculiar fondness for innocuous weapons. Really marvelous.

naujoks
06-27-2004, 12:50 PM
I saw a pic on here somewhere, with Garrett standing on the Hag like on some kind of trophy.... was that a fake?

xarax
06-27-2004, 04:39 PM
Without actually testing this theory, it seems that each city section will be unaware of the death of the Hag in another section. That assertion comes from a presumption of simplistic programming design of the maps (i.e., the developers never considered the possibility that the Hag could be killed).

Has anyone actually killed the Hag and then subsequently seen the Hag in full health in the next map?

getch
06-27-2004, 05:04 PM
The basic method used was shoot, hide, and wait until she settled again. The entire of tests took perhaps twelve hours.

OMG!
12 Hours ?
You should be easily able to kill her in less than a minute even et expert level.
There's no need to wait for her to re-settle.

Odyseeos
06-27-2004, 08:01 PM
The reason for this Thread is to discover a way to eliminate the danger of the Hag from each quarter of the City. And to provide a description on how it can be done.

Alternatively, within the limits of possibility, to demonstrate that it is not possible. So far, it is known that she can be eliminated from the Docks.

Since you didn't describe how you killed the Hag in Stonemarket, your helpful advice is obscure to me.