The "hidden" mission

[PZ]

Remember that we once were looking for an additional buddy mission in Bowa (southern map).  I think that we once organized a concerted effort to find this mission called Black Mamba.

In perusing the .xml, I came upon this line that is commented out:

Code Select Expand

<Item act="2" id="A2BU05" name="BlackMamba"      faction="Blue" />  <!-- discover to unlock -->

Naturally I un-commented it to see what would happen.

[mandru]

 :o

If we can find out what the trigger is for players not using modding...  That would be cool.

Nice find PZ.   :-X

Edit additional:  I did a bit of Google w%&k and Black Mambas F. C. is a Zimbabwean football club based in Harare, Zimbabwe sponsored by the national police force.

I know that in back of the first GP S.E. of Mokuba there is a soccer ball and goal that the netting has rotted off of.

Hmm.   ????

[TheStranger]

How did you know that there is a hidden mission and that it is called Black Mamba?

[JRD]

Yeah I remember the task force to find that last buddy mission. It was on the extinct farcry2world site and that `s what gave birth to OWG!  8)  :-X

But TheStranger have a point there... how do you know there`s a hidden mission called Black Mamba? I remember the search for the last buddy was on simply because the count of buddies didn`t match the number of missions, but that was all!  ????

[TheStranger]

But it does match. On my last playthrough there were exactly 12 buddy missions, you get the last call when you pick up the dynamite in the TaeMoco mine and not when you go out of the (in my case) APR HQ.

[PZ]

But it does match. On my last playthrough there were exactly 12 buddy missions, you get the last call when you pick up the dynamite in the TaeMoco mine and not when you go out of the (in my case) APR HQ.

I originally found the reference on the ubisoft forums, with this quote of interest:

There have been eight missions defined to unlock buddies, 5 in Acti I and another three in Act II, but only six have made it to the retail version, the other two are commented out. The first four unlock missions (A1BU01/Prison, A1BU02/Arena, A1BU03/DunkCage and A1BU04/Slaughterhouse) are part of the tutorial. One is always completed implicitly during the tutorial (that's the buddy that just shows up at Mike's Bar) and another one is assigned to you during the tutorial. The remaining two can still be completed optionally on your own. The fifth buddy unlock mission of Act I is the buddy at the downed Cessna, and although this mission is commented out, we already know that it still works. This gives hope, that the same could be true for the sixth unlock mission, now on Act II, where you have to give first aid to a buddy bitten by a snake. This mission (A2BU05/BlackMamba) is also commented out, just as the downed Cessna mission and carries the remark "discover to unlock", so you might want to go and look for that buddy somewhere on the south map (see also next paragraph). The remaining two unlock missions, are the 'doorman' missions from either APR or UFLL, which send you to the Brewery or Dogon village.

It seems the A2BU05/BlackMamba unlock mission is still out there to be found. I can't remember that I ever had it assigned, nor have I ever read about this mission, but there is a mission message and objective defined for it:

A2BU05:
Message: ASSIGNED_A2BU05 is hurting bad from a snake bite... Can't even handle injecting the antidote. I guess it's up to me now.
Objective: Revive ASSIGNED_A2BU05 with a syrette.

I have not done any real research into the original post, nor what might be possible, but I've loaded a modded game and am now in Bowa (Act II)  :-()

[TheStranger]

Thanks :)

Hmm I read the thread and there is nothing useful considering this hidden mission. When started my modded game I was already in Act 2 and searched for all diamonds, so I came a bit around in Bowa, but didn't find anything. Although there could be still very well hidden places, I doubt no one of us stumbled upon them. And which buddy should that be? He must be at least listed somewhere in the files.

On my last playthrough I even had 44/40 side missions, don't know how exactly that worked out, but I remember there was a restarting convoy mission (Art mentions it in the funny tips thread). Nonetheless I found all buddies, and it would be very unlikely if there was a hidden one, although this would be really amazing.

[PZ]

I agree - unlikely.  This might be just another example of the junk that simply was never deleted from the .xml files, but it will be kind of fun to see what might happen.

I'm trying to recall if there was any place that I thought should have something but ended up not.  Will just have to play it through and see - tough job but somebodys got to do it.  :-()

[TheStranger]

Oh I'll help you if I get to Act 2. :)

But what speaks for it are such things like the little cave with the deadman's mask, which was posted in the detail gallery thread. I read were it is and searched about half an hour and one time I was standing right there, but didn't see it. And that was a very small area and I knew what to look for and found it eventually by accident. When I think about the new places which I find with every playthrough maybe there is really such a mission? Guess I first start looking in the player.xml, maybe there is some hint.

[PZ]

... Guess I first start looking in the player.xml, maybe there is some hint.

Good idea  :-X

[fragger]

Very intriguing possibility 8) But if there is a 12th buddy out there, it seems unlikely that the FC2 sleuths of OWG would have missed him for so long :-()

[Art Blade]

I too had stumbled upon that Black Mamba code earlier when I started to look into the files for possible modifications.

If you read on there you'll also see that there are several unknown missions labelled "merged with" (other missions we know) so I didn't even bother to look deeper into it as I discarded the thought because of all the code junk left behind in many locations and files.

[PZ]

Very intriguing possibility 8) But if there is a 12th buddy out there, it seems unlikely that the FC2 sleuths of OWG would have missed him for so long :-()

True, but if the code to initiate the behavior was commented out, then there is no way to discover anything.  On the other hand, it is unlikely that the developers would have left anything out of the game that would add to the experience, unless that experience was "buggy".  Like Art mentioned, it is improbable that we will discover anything new, but you never know.  :-()

[Stryker7]

I agree - unlikely.  This might be just another example of the junk that simply was never deleted from the .xml files, but it will be kind of fun to see what might happen.

I'm trying to recall if there was any place that I thought should have something but ended up not.  Will just have to play it through and see - tough job but somebodys got to do it.  :-()

I dont know if this has anything to do with the "lost" BlackMamba missions, but I did have an experience with " recall if there was any place that I thought should have something but ended up not."        

On a mission up to Sepoko, I was making my way along the northern route, from the NorthEastern most Safe House, to retrieve the diamond at the wrecked truck. and then to the north eastern corner of Sepoko to recon before making my attack. 

Just before I reached the diamond location, a shot rang out, a sniper round I would bet. But instead of coming from  the south or south east, it came from the north. I took cover and then one more shot, from the same direction. It was coming from the hill (moutain) that looking at the map, looks kind of like a closed fist with a hitch-hiking thumb extended.

I attempted to locate whoever it was taking shots at me. As a matter of fact, I spend quite some time scoping the ridge, but never saw anything, and when I attempted to move in that direction, I kept getting that Malaria attaack, when you start leaving the map.

This event stuck in my mind so vividly, that EVERYTIME, I have ever ventured into that area, I have been wary of the unknown sniper.

Now if there is no one out there, then maybe it was one of those glitches, that allows bullets to travel in strange directions, (see the mercs pointing their guns one way but bullets coming out in a different direction ) maybe it was the sniper from Sepoko taking a shot at me, and it coming around the mountain and hittiing close to where I was. But he seemed nice and calm when I sniped him just a few minutes later.

I dont know if it has ever happened to anyone else, but I know that I was recieving incoming from north of my position. Dont know it that helps, but I know that your statement about  "recall if there was any place that I thought should have something but ended up not."   instantly reminded me of that place. 

[fragger]

That is an oddie, Stryker7. I can't say I've ever had that experience, but now I want to poke around up there and see if anything happens.

I don't see how that shot could have come from the guy at Sepoko as a: he can't possibly see you from there, and b: you say the shot came from the north.

Very interesting...

[Stryker7]

That is an oddie, Stryker7. I can't say I've ever had that experience, but now I want to poke around up there and see if anything happens.

I don't see how that shot could have come from the guy at Sepoko as a: he can't possibly see you from there, and b: you say the shot came from the north.

Very interesting...

Yeah, I checked and there was NO WAY that anyone from Sepoko could see me there, I thought maybe I had been spotted when passing the opening between the 2 hills there, but didnt see how that happened either. And if it was a glitch of some sort, I have seen worse. Those mercs pointing their guns in some other totally different direction than me, and still hitting me with shots was REALLY un-nerving.

And like I said, I have never been able to approach that area of the map, without keeping an eye to the north.

[PZ]

This is new to me - sounds like another event I would like to experience.  :-X

[TheStranger]

Hmm interesting although I can't confirm it. The funny thing is I can remember exactly the region you describe from my last playthrough when I was diamond hunting. I scouted every possible place there (at least I think so) and even got too far north sometimes and nearly died. But I didn't remember that anyone shot at me, although I had situations when mercs where chasing me a long way and I didn't notice.

[PZ]

It is definitely worth a trip to that area - I recall a couple of mercs near some kind of shack in that area, but neither were a sniper.

[Stryker7]

The funny thing is I can remember exactly the region you describe from my last playthrough when I was diamond hunting. I scouted every possible place there (at least I think so) and even got too far north sometimes and nearly died.

[smg id=3754]

Again, I am not sure exactly what occured as far as the game goes, but this is exactly what happened. I left the Safe House after dark, Traveling east (green dots). Cant exactly remember, but I do usually, stop on the eastern side of the hill, remaining low, to scope towards Sepeko for anyone lingering in the area between myself and Sepeko. I may not have, but that is my SOP. Then I headed for the Diamond, at the wrecked car,

I was walking east, when a report rang out (red X) , to my left (north). I know, because the sound was not in my right ear at all, just to the north (red V). I ran and took cover behine the wrecked vehicle and started scanning the ridge to the north (purple dots). That is when the second report rang out. I did not see the shot (muzzle flash), and I spent several minutes attempting to locate the sniper. Including going north far enough that the malaria attack brought on by going off the map, kept kicking in. Never located the sniper.

PZ's "I'm trying to recall if there was any place that I thought should have something but ended up not"   stirred my memory, and that incident came to mind instantly. As I said earlier, the event stuck in my mind so intensely, that I have never gone into that area since, that I am not keeping a keen eye towards the north. Sort of like remembering for the rest of your life that little fly looking thing with the yellow and black stripes on it's tail that you picked up as a child. :(

[PZ]

Good idea to post the screencap - I've activated the Black Mamba code in the .xml and am planning to go into that area in a short while just to see what might be up.  In reality I don't expect to find anything because there is a comment in the code that indicates a couple of elements being combined together.  I suspect that the Black mamba code is commented out because that combination has occurred.

[PZ]

Well, I wandered all around the area, but did not encounter any sniper attacks.  However, I did find a new sniper hide from which to attack Sepoko  :-()

[smg id=3756]
[smg id=3757]
[smg id=3758]

[Dweller_Benthos]

Interesting, I would be cool to find out if this mission can be activated somehow. It seems it's the same as the plane crash victim in the north, you aren't assigned it, you just stumble upon it. Since it's supposed to be a black mamba bite victim, I looked up where they live and that didn't help, since they are found in eastern Africa and live in all sorts of climates. Maybe not the pure desert areas as much, more likely the savanna areas or jungle. There's lots of land to explore in FC2, who knows, there might be a spot where it could have been set up to occur, but if no one has come across it by now, I don't think it will naturally occur in the game. Curious to see what the modded game does.

The cause of Stryker7's mystery sniper might be a wandering merc who just got lost. I have run into foot patrols just to the north of Sepoko, south of those two hills, in the general area that you find some pottery. Isn't that also an area where you do a buddy mission about pottery? One of those guys could have wandered farther north than usual, or even be like the merc at the guard post south of the bus station, and be stuck in a rock.

[PZ]

... Isn't that also an area where you do a buddy mission about pottery? One of those guys could have wandered farther north than usual, or even be like the merc at the guard post south of the bus station, and be stuck in a rock.

Yes, you are to retrieve it for (forgot the name of the buddy), and yes, I too have seen mercs wandering north of Sepoko on occasion, but never a sniper.

[fragger]

@PZ, that's a cool spot :-X Did you use modified jumping to get up there?