Rubble Buggity-Boo (Spoilers)

[Dang]

I've been doing a LoTR party on Ironman Baby and after 2 false starts (1: killed in Mtn Wilderness by a combination of Scorchers, Acid Wings, and Mountain Sprites; 2: drunkenly danced on the bar in He'li's, then fell behind it and couldn't get out), I've finally trained myself not to do suicidal things and in fact have only 2 deaths (1 Myles, Crushed by a Sprite, 1 Legolas, instant killed by a Deathsting Apus after we incapacitated and killed his 3 buddies without taking any damage--I ran up to the 4th DA, he missed a couple times, I continue to run, then bounced off--I wouldv'e gotten in some hits if not for that--ran back up, then Legolas took 10 pts and then got Instakilled--arrgH! sorry ranting).

I've gotten to the point where Rubble is supposed to give you a rocket launcher on the firing range before training you for the obstacle course, but he starts talking for a bit and then an error comes up, something like NPC Rubble Not Located, and the game crashes. Come to think of it, I don't believe he does the part where he nearly blows himself up with the launcher.

Anyway, two questions. Has anyone else run into this bug, and if so did you find anyway around it. And, if I don't complete the obstacle course, will I still be able to do the Alliance. I remember in another game I never went to see Rubble for UTU training, and I still complete the Rescue Glumph Mission, but I wonder if the Alliance is possible if you haven't completed all the missions for both sides (barring the final, sabotage missions). Seeing as this is the fellowship (minus all the extra hobbits), I would like to be a good guy and complete the Alliance. On the other hand, I've never sabotaged the Umpani flight deck, whereas I've done both the T'rang Ship Sabotage and the Alliance, so it might be fun for a change.

[Scatter]

Heh. I've had Rubble disappear, but never crash completely. I haven't done many extra missions lately; i've just done the two missions for the T'rang to get the Mook letter. (and Bushido) I think the only solution to Rubble is to load again wherever your (or auto) save was before you walk into the training area.

[Dang]

Oh well. Death to the Demoness Private Sparkle!

Nah, I'll see if I can still do the alliance first.

[Ziggurat]

You may be able to get to the next Umpani quests without training by doing one of the last T'Rang quests (where you can get a fake lev 6 pass). That's my theory, never tried it.

[SecretMaster]

I.U.F. soldiers never use the lvl 6 security pass. Well, this is an odd bug. I guess it crashes at the part where there is a "weapon malfunction" with hilarious consequences. I believe you don't have to this quest to advance on, just go right ahead and get glumph, and then your set.

[Dang]

I'll try it! Do you ever go to "In the Hall of Ma'at?"

[SecretMaster]

Lol no i don't.

[Dang]

I think Rubble says the same dialogue he does when you come to the first obstacle course (after you get IUF pass #1). That's why he doesn't do the rocket launcher dialogue. He's still stuck in the past. I took a younger party (the companions from Ultima) to the obstacle course, and I noticed the dialogue was the same as what I was getting right before the crash. Weird. I wonder why this happened.

[Wereboar]

You may be able to get to the next Umpani quests without training by doing one of the last T'Rang quests (where you can get a fake lev 6 pass). That's my theory, never tried it.

At least you can deliver Sgt. Glump and get the experience without getting the quest before. You'll get a level 5 pass in the umpani base if you show up with glump.

[Dang]

Thanks!