it really is
December 28, 2012 9:06 AM Subscribe
This is a yuletide offering, the writer hasn't been revealed yet.
One of the things that wasn't all that obvious at the beginning (or at least not to me) is that you can use any item you pick up without prompting. Just type it in (or click on it at the top). Also, visit the cities as soon as you find them.
I love the entire concept of this, and have been treating it more like an artwork than anything else. I'm frustrated by the fact that there's no back button, but that must be on purpose. So what's that mean? Well, it forces you to restart more often, to head back to the beginning of the narrative, with newfound information. The story changes slightly every time because of this. It folds in on itself. You begin again.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:26 AM on December 28, 2012
One of the things that wasn't all that obvious at the beginning (or at least not to me) is that you can use any item you pick up without prompting. Just type it in (or click on it at the top). Also, visit the cities as soon as you find them.
I love the entire concept of this, and have been treating it more like an artwork than anything else. I'm frustrated by the fact that there's no back button, but that must be on purpose. So what's that mean? Well, it forces you to restart more often, to head back to the beginning of the narrative, with newfound information. The story changes slightly every time because of this. It folds in on itself. You begin again.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:26 AM on December 28, 2012
It took me half a forever to figure out where to use the egg.
posted by solotoro at 9:31 AM on December 28, 2012
posted by solotoro at 9:31 AM on December 28, 2012
*glances around nervously*
posted by humboldt32 at 9:42 AM on December 28, 2012
posted by humboldt32 at 9:42 AM on December 28, 2012
Is there anything to do once you get the THIS IS THE END message? The presence of the UNDO command is tantalizing.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:18 AM on December 28, 2012
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:18 AM on December 28, 2012
That was fun!
Elementary penguin: the game ends many, many times. Keep exploring different paths, and pay attention to anything that seems different than the last time you played. Undo can be handy, but don't use that when the story ends, use "start".
If you ever get to the point where it gives you 'restart' as an option, as opposed to just 'start', that's the actual end of the game.
Note: the game claims it won't take typed input, but the 'undo' command always works, and it can save you a fair bit of time. But it's important to end branches with the 'start' command. Too much undoing will probably get you stuck.
posted by Malor at 10:50 AM on December 28, 2012
Elementary penguin: the game ends many, many times. Keep exploring different paths, and pay attention to anything that seems different than the last time you played. Undo can be handy, but don't use that when the story ends, use "start".
If you ever get to the point where it gives you 'restart' as an option, as opposed to just 'start', that's the actual end of the game.
Note: the game claims it won't take typed input, but the 'undo' command always works, and it can save you a fair bit of time. But it's important to end branches with the 'start' command. Too much undoing will probably get you stuck.
posted by Malor at 10:50 AM on December 28, 2012
Let me rephrase: I used the crystal appropriately. Is there anything else? (was sort of vague the way I put it before :-))
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:55 AM on December 28, 2012
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:55 AM on December 28, 2012
That's too bad; I was really enjoying it.
It took me forever to figure out how to use the umbrella for which I am ashamed.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 11:22 AM on December 28, 2012
It took me forever to figure out how to use the umbrella for which I am ashamed.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 11:22 AM on December 28, 2012
Really neat game, but I'm stuck. I don't know what to do with the water or the panel rooms. Hints?
posted by Garm at 12:56 PM on December 28, 2012
posted by Garm at 12:56 PM on December 28, 2012
Hints for Garm:
[obviously, look out for SPOILERS!!]
Try using the egg in the water room. (This really is a hint, not the solution.)
When you touch the panel, you're spoken to in a different language. Being able to read another language won't help.
posted by solotoro at 1:24 PM on December 28, 2012
[obviously, look out for SPOILERS!!]
Try using the egg in the water room. (This really is a hint, not the solution.)
When you touch the panel, you're spoken to in a different language. Being able to read another language won't help.
posted by solotoro at 1:24 PM on December 28, 2012
I confess that I took to just using the egg in every room I hadn't already "solved" until I got it right - which then gave me the solution to the water room and the panel room pretty easily... maybe there was a clue I missed with the egg? Everything else seemed fairly logical...
posted by running order squabble fest at 2:45 PM on December 28, 2012
posted by running order squabble fest at 2:45 PM on December 28, 2012
The best hint is try doing things after the game tells you to restart. It's not over till it's over.
posted by capricorn at 8:07 PM on December 28, 2012
posted by capricorn at 8:07 PM on December 28, 2012
running order squabble fest, the clue you missed is [SPOILER] 'green light'.
posted by capricorn at 8:08 PM on December 28, 2012
posted by capricorn at 8:08 PM on December 28, 2012
It reminds me of Andrew Plotkin's stuff, except that it isn't parser-based. The solution to the fall reminds me of the solution to the dark passage in The Dreamhold, the caving reminds me of Hunter, In Darkness, the restarting mechanic reminds me of Spider and Web, and the whole setting of the Monk's stories reminds me of some of the worlds in So Far.
(they are all awesome)
posted by Elementary Penguin at 6:20 AM on December 29, 2012
(they are all awesome)
posted by Elementary Penguin at 6:20 AM on December 29, 2012
Capricorn: Gah! Of course...
posted by running order squabble fest at 6:24 AM on December 29, 2012
posted by running order squabble fest at 6:24 AM on December 29, 2012
I am stuck. I have not found an egg. My remaining items are the umbrella and crystal, and I have used them in every room, unless I forgot one. Could it be that I have found a bug?
posted by JHarris at 7:26 AM on December 29, 2012
posted by JHarris at 7:26 AM on December 29, 2012
The umbrella obeys cartoon logic, like in Trinity.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:29 AM on December 29, 2012
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:29 AM on December 29, 2012
If you're supposed to use the umbrella to descend the central chamber, I get a death message when I go down, and the umbrella doesn't do anything when used in the screen before.
Oh. Unless I'm supposed to use it from the death message. That's what I hate about these games, sheesh.
posted by JHarris at 7:33 AM on December 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh. Unless I'm supposed to use it from the death message. That's what I hate about these games, sheesh.
posted by JHarris at 7:33 AM on December 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
But it isn't a death message, if you think about it :-)
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:43 AM on December 29, 2012
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:43 AM on December 29, 2012
That was quite fun. The interaction style reminded me a little of Plotkin's "The Space Under the Window", although that had a very different overall feel of course.
A+ would play more from this author.
posted by pharm at 1:37 PM on December 30, 2012
A+ would play more from this author.
posted by pharm at 1:37 PM on December 30, 2012
« Older IS SID VICIOUS? WHO CARES? CALL 473-5386 TO SPEAK... | "One can tell if one is happy by listening to the... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by leotrotsky at 9:09 AM on December 28, 2012