Issue with Black Pharaoh's tomb

[Ninth Hour]

This is regarding the second stage, third chapter of thief's storyline:

1) After entering Nephren Ka's chamber, the entrance remains blocked even if you have eliminated all the enemies within (to be sure no one was left alive, I used the Yeast of Ubbo-Sathla and scoured the room for survivors). Hence, if you happen to enter without the ceremonial headdress, you are unable to go back for it and have to restart the level. I assume that this is not intended.

2) A video posted by another player shows him fighting the Black Pharaoh, which led to a quest item dropping- it looked like a piece of cloth embroidered with the symbol of an ankh. He later used this item in one of the rooms of Nyarlathotep's domain. I talked to the Black Pharaoh (using the Egyptian language book) and received information on Dagon and Nyarlathotep but not this item. Is it necessary, under the current version, to obtain this? I had not realized that there was a way to trigger combat with the Black Pharaoh or that it would be required.

[Blini games]

Hey Ninth,

1) I will check that one out.

2) That item is meant to drop, even if you use the Egyptian language book, as it is needed for the event against Nyarlathotep. It seems that, right now, it drops only if you fight the pharaoh. We will fix that.

Thanks a lot for your support!

[Stallker]

Originally posted by Ninth Hour:

2) A video posted by another player shows him fighting the Black Pharaoh, which led to a quest item dropping- it looked like a piece of cloth embroidered with the symbol of an ankh. He later used this item in one of the rooms of Nyarlathotep's domain. I talked to the Black Pharaoh (using the Egyptian language book) and received information on Dagon and Nyarlathotep but not this item. Is it necessary, under the current version, to obtain this? I had not realized that there was a way to trigger combat with the Black Pharaoh or that it would be required.

This item drops only if you beat the Black Pharaoh - you need to choose battle in the dialog with him, even if you use language book.

[Ninth Hour]

Originally posted by Stallker:

This item drops only if you beat the Black Pharaoh - you need to choose battle in the dialog with him, even if you use language book.

If that's the case, why not design the combat to be automatic regardless of the dialogue option you choose? Because, right now, there is no clue that you MUST fight him. In fact, the option to use the book gives one the impression that a "peaceful" resolution is the best one. I suspect that most people will choose the first dialogue option because of this and miss out on the critical quest item. Having to replay the entire two levels of the chapter just to fight him is kind of frustrating and, in my opinion, sends the wrong message- that combat is the solution to absolutely every quest. I was pleasantly surprised when the book allowed you to avoid fighting because it suggested that investigation and wits were more important than brute force. Making combat the only successful solution to this encounter reinforces the idea that the dialogue choices don't matter, as you have to kill everyone anyway. It also undermines the conceit that you are "investigators", not murderhobos.