I'm with you, Gandalf! I tried the "shooting at the apex thing" and it never worked for me - not even once. I found I had to do the opposite. I waited until the stationary cannon was down and then I could time my landing into the rotating cannon. Took a few times, but got me through. 
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Dian wrote:
**I'm with you, Gandalf! I tried the "shooting at the apex thing" and it never worked for me - not even once. I found I had to do the opposite. I waited until the stationary cannon was down and then I could time my landing into the rotating cannon. Took a few times, but got me through.:)
**
I think you may be mistaken on the strategy of 'shooting from the apex'. The whole purpose of shooting from the apex is to skip the spinning cannons altogether, not to make it easier to get into them.
Hope that helps! (the apex shooting really does work well...as long as you're aiming for the right cannons 
)
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-- Jeff
Jeff - I know what you're talking about, but it never worked for me. I would hold the left key when at the apex and shoot and never once could I reach the other stationary cannon - I think that Gandalf's having that same problem. Don't know why it works for some and not for others. (Didn't work even if I used the Shift key also). Finally gave up and tried another strategy.
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For the record, logged about 50 more tries over the last two days, and I actually made it through in about 10 minutes or so, and in this practice run discovered the "cannon" route for the final dash to bypass the orange blobs and spikes.
Another run got me to the three quarters point when 5 minutes were up, the closest I have ever been. Maybe after a hundred (or two) more tries I might make it through in the allowed time.
What an absurd level! It is totally out of proportion to the earlier levels.
Oh, well, back to the finger-numbing exercises. :frown:
-Grandalf
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Grandalf wrote:
**
What an absurd level! It is totally out of proportion to the earlier levels.
Oh, well, back to the finger-numbing exercises. :frown:
-Grandalf
**
I have to admit, sounds as if you've had a more difficult time of it than even me. :redface: Compared to some other levels, yes it's extremely difficult, but not compared to some others. Have you tried Flash Freeze yet? Ugh! And I don't even want to talk about the fire wall levels.
Anyhow, let's see if we can get you through...
First, go back to an earlier save point, if you can, and don't save at the beginning of Parched Earth yet. Now, get set to go through a few times while simply ignoring the clock. You're not even going to try getting through fast. Play with the cannons a while. Get very used to the "physics" of them, so to speak. When you get to the place right before the red mace balls, jump out and back up as quick as possible, and go get your goodies. Take transporter back to more health.
Now, get back to the red mace balls, practice getting through those without being hurt...when you get to the place where you have to go under sand, don't go under. climb up the wall and blast out the top. You do this by pressing the up key and blasting fire ball (use fire ball and not any other spell)....leave this whole in the top, and leave the power-ups for now. Make your way to the next transporter very carefully. Fill up on health, then go save your game at the start of Parched Earth. Now you're ready to practice going through fast. You have at least two short cuts...climbing the wall rather than going under the sand, and the cannons down below which you've found already.
Go to another level and fiddle around there a while...take a break from parched earth. Let your fingers uncramp.
Now, make your way through using all the advice from these boards. On those last cannons that are very difficult: Jump at the apex when the rotating cannons are pointing up. I think that's what worked for me. If you find you're out of time, just take transporter back and go through again. You'll get the timing down eventually.
Good luck and, most of all, have fun! 
I made it. I recommend just going thru each little section and perfecting it. Until the end of course.
The most difficult section is probably the rotating cannons. Just make sure to enter them a little after they are facing down(as then they will trun up so you can fly to the next cannon.) and in all other areas RUN. RUN. I made it with like 45 seconds to a minute to spare so it definatly is possible. If a xirchon looks tasty, skip it. Just come back and get it some other time.
The only problem with this level is that it takes you closer to into the frying pan. (ack!)
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If the man with the knife is after his wife, someones probably making...
Thanks for all the good advice! Actually, I found the last row of cannons fairly easy. It is the next to last that is always the big time waster. Too many times I hop down the line of cannons, only to have the last one shoot me down to the ground. I'm getting closer, as I made it through last night in about 7 minutes. Another time I was just starting the last section when my 5 minutes were up. And no, I haven't bothered with any xichrons or goodies, other than the welcome health pots and crystals that happen to be in my path. I am ignoring Flash Freeze until the tooth-gritting Parched Earth phase is over and saved! My experience to date hasn't been very promising, as I always run out of invincibility shield just before the final jump to safety, or fall into the death pit. And that is at the first big pit! I foresee a lot more finger-numbing practice waiting for me in Flash Freeze, if I ever get back there.
The Ferazel obsession continues...
-Grandalf
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Ereid wrote:
For anyone who has made it through Parched Earth:
Do you have any hints for those of us who are still trying?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
(/B)
If you fall down, just run all the way left and climb up the wall.
Then jump from the wall and into the nearest cannon.
This works at least 2 or 3 places in this level, and can save lots of time.
Try the level first, to find out which places this works.
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paul
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Paolo wrote:
**If you fall down, just run all the way left and climb up the wall.
Then jump from the wall and into the nearest cannon.
This works at least 2 or 3 places in this level, and can save lots of time.
Try the level first, to find out which places this works.
**
Another suggestion that sounds great, and obviously must work for some, but not for me. I tried all of the left walls, and not once found even one that was climbable or that allowed jumping into a cannon.
-Grandalf
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Grandalf wrote:
**Thanks for all the good advice! Actually, I found the last row of cannons fairly easy. It is the next to last that is always the big time waster. Too many times I hop down the line of cannons, only to have the last one shoot me down to the ground. I'm getting closer, as I made it through last night in about 7 minutes. Another time I was just starting the last section when my 5 minutes were up. And no, I haven't bothered with any xichrons or goodies, other than the welcome health pots and crystals that happen to be in my path. I am ignoring Flash Freeze until the tooth-gritting Parched Earth phase is over and saved! My experience to date hasn't been very promising, as I always run out of invincibility shield just before the final jump to safety, or fall into the death pit. And that is at the first big pit! I foresee a lot more finger-numbing practice waiting for me in Flash Freeze, if I ever get back there.
The Ferazel obsession continues...
-Grandalf
**
Grandalf, I feel your pain! I haven't bothered trying to complete this level in quite some time just because I hate it so darn much. But as for Flash Freeze..I'm getting rather good at jumping the spiked balls. I can usually do it now without losing any health, or very little. There is some luck involved here, but remember that you only have to actually "jump" to the first spiked ball. From there you just walk. Maybe you figured this out already, but when I FINALLY did it saved me a whooole lot of time.
---Zelda
Actually, sometimes when you climb a left wall, you have to wait for a cannon to drop down low enough to jump into. I really don't understand why everybody's having so much trouble. I traveled through a few times to learn the layout, and then I was able to make it through relatively easily. At the point where there are cannons that rotate interspersed with cannons that don't rotate, I also used the "skip the rotating cannons" strategy. I can't fathom why it wouldn't work for you. Oh well, just keep trying.
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Zelda wrote:
**Grandalf, I feel your pain! I haven't bothered trying to complete this level in quite some time just because I hate it so darn much. But as for Flash Freeze..I'm getting rather good at jumping the spiked balls. I can usually do it now without losing any health, or very little. There is some luck involved here, but remember that you only have to actually "jump" to the first spiked ball. From there you just walk. Maybe you figured this out already, but when I FINALLY did it saved me a whooole lot of time.
---Zelda**
Well, now! I'll have to try those spikes again, first chance I get. Yes, I noticed that the gang of spiked balls all go up and down in unison. But there are spaces in between, so I usually fall off long before arriving at the end. Maybe a run will do it, somehow skipping over the spaces? Hmmmmm.
-Grandalf
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Grandalf wrote:
**Well, now! I'll have to try those spikes again, first chance I get. Yes, I noticed that the gang of spiked balls all go up and down in unison. But there are spaces in between, so I usually fall off long before arriving at the end. Maybe a run will do it, somehow skipping over the spaces? Hmmmmm.
-Grandalf
**
Thanks Zelda! Took about 8 tries, but finally made it over that first big pit, and made lots of progress thereafter, in fact all the way to a speed powerup and some huge pits. So now it looks like Parched Earth will have to wait a while in the background until I get all the way through FF.
-Grandalf
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
To get past the rotating cannons in Parched Earth, shoot yourself out of the regular cannons at their apex. But do NOT hold down your 'left' key before you shoot yourself out. Hold it down AFTER you shoot yourself out otherwise you won't go as far (a good example of this is in the first level. Try going into the last cannon..you know, the one with the three Xichrons below it that you gain access to via teleport...and not hitting anything. It will shoot you up and you will hit the ceiling of the cave. Now, go back into it and before it shoots you out, hold your right direction key and you'll see you barely even clear the cannon itself before falling back down and grabbing onto the wall....that's why if you hold down the left key before you shoot out of the cannons, the timing will not work for you.) So, if you hold down the key after you shoot at the apex, you will land in the next regular cannon skipping the spinning cannons altogether. I think I left out the info about not holding down the left key before shooting before and that may be why some of you haven't had success doing so
Enjoy!
And anothing thing, I vote that this thread be put to rest...it's 54 posts long! I think it deserves some peach and quiet
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-- Jeff
(This message has been edited by Merciless (edited 03-20-2000).)
Yea!!! I finished Parched Earth - it was a total pain. Ambrosia / Ben - this is a great game but lets not have levels like that any more. They're not fun - they're irratating.
I got stuck there about 1 month ago and literally de-installed the game becuase I was so frustrated and could not get any further.
After reading posts here _ thanks elizabeth - i was able to clear it pretty easily. I kept getting stuck at the cannons - the trick was to ride to the top of each stationary cannon and shift left over to the next. That got me thru with time to spare. My thanks to all.
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Merciless wrote:
**I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
To get past the rotating cannons (etc)
(big snip)
And anothing thing, I vote that this thread be put to rest...it's 54 posts long! I think it deserves some peach and quiet
**
Dear Jeff:
Yeah, I know, you got yours, so everyone else should just shut up.
Yes, the thread is long, for a very good reason: PE has been driving lots of people nuts! I won't add any more posts, as I have already vented enough already! 
Grandalf
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I did it! With 36 seconds to spare even. Woohoo and all that. I NEVER could have done it without the tips in the message thread. I saved a ton of time thanks to them. And thanks to those who gave them. And yeah, one of the most valuable ones was the tip on how to avoid the rotating cannons and just hit the stationary ones. I know that some people have been unable to do this, and I'll just tell you that what worked with me was to hit the jump, shift and left key all at the same time at the very top of the cannon's movement, and then hold the keys down until I landed in the next cannon. It just worked like a charm for me every time.
Oh..there were other time savers...too numerous to list. Thanks to all who did. I'm off to The Dig.
---Zelda
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Zelda wrote:
**I did it! With 36 seconds to spare even. Woohoo and all that.:) I NEVER could have done it without the tips in the message thread. I saved a ton of time thanks to them. And thanks to those who gave them. And yeah, one of the most valuable ones was the tip on how to avoid the rotating cannons and just hit the stationary ones. I know that some people have been unable to do this, and I'll just tell you that what worked with me was to hit the jump, shift and left key all at the same time at the very top of the cannon's movement, and then hold the keys down until I landed in the next cannon. It just worked like a charm for me every time.
Oh..there were other time savers...too numerous to list. Thanks to all who did. I'm off to The Dig.
---Zelda**
Congratulations Zelda!
-Elizabeth
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Find Hints, Tips, and Tricks for Helpers of Habnabits in the (url="http://"http://employees.3gi.com/~ereid/ferazel")Ferazel's Wand Player's Guide(/url) (http://employees.3gi.../~ereid/ferazel)
