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Reaper978

Getting stuck

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:|

I was playing Heretic and I got stuck. Then, I played Blood and got stuck. Then a few levels later I got stuck again. Nothing annoys me more than running around a level trying to find a key that is hidden in an obscure closet, underwater, or behind a "secret" wall. Then, when I find the key, the level is so huge that I can't find the door to use the key on. Then, after finally finding the door, I flip a switch, and I am expected to magically know what hidden chamber slid open on the other side of this titanic map.

I am all for elaborate design, but I hate obscure containers and switches that do something you can't readily see. And I hate "secret" walls that the player must find to complete the level. It just seems like sloppy design. It's not clever or nifty.

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I don't know of any required switches, keys, or anything of that nature that are overly hidden in Blood/Heretic/Doom/whatever. Usually I quit if I get stuck. Try it the next day and find out the correct path was obvious.

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The other day on the news they told of a robber who fled over rooftops and eventually hid in a chimney, where he got stuck and thus got caught by the cops who had to break a hole to get him out.

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Getting stuck is always frustrating, but I always feel unsatisfied when I play games where I never get stuck.

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Infinite Ammunition said:

you'll love this then, amigo:

I beat that for the very first time a few months ago.

I first played it over 15 years ago.

And I already forgot the ending ._.

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Reaper978 said:

:|

I was playing Heretic and I got stuck. Then, I played Blood and got stuck. Then a few levels later I got stuck again. Nothing annoys me more than running around a level trying to find a key that is hidden in an obscure closet, underwater, or behind a "secret" wall. Then, when I find the key, the level is so huge that I can't find the door to use the key on. Then, after finally finding the door, I flip a switch, and I am expected to magically know what hidden chamber slid open on the other side of this titanic map.

I am all for elaborate design, but I hate obscure containers and switches that do something you can't readily see. And I hate "secret" walls that the player must find to complete the level. It just seems like sloppy design. It's not clever or nifty.

Never play Hexen then.

"A door has opened...somewhere."

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Heretic is really quite straightforward. Though it has got some really nice secrets. And I always loved the maps in it. Hexen can be really confusing the first time through. But even if you wait years to play it again. The path seems a lot clearer. Might have been cause I had played a LOT of Myst games between the two times. But I thought the puzzels started to make sense the second time I went through it... I need to go back again.

BTW; the Seven portals can be speed ran in a few minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4u68fY_8So

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GreyGhost said:

Nothing beats a text adventure if you want to deep-fry some brain cells.




"Oh, hey. You've made it all the way here and have almost completed the game. You just need one thing, now: the code for the Star Generator self destruct sequence. What? You don't have it? You did remember to pick up the cartridge from the second room you encounter at the very beginning of the game, didn't you? And you did remember to use it in the computer console in the underground cavern before you took the sand skimmer ride, didn't you? You didn't? Best go back and play the entire game through again, from the beginning."

Alternatively:

"Way to go, you've completed the game and defeated the evil Sariens. Unfortunately, all your efforts are in vain and your planet's sun dies because you forgot to type "pick up cartridge" after reading its contents using the computer console in the underground cavern. Better go all the way back and play half the game through again. Hope you have save games!"

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Infinite Ammunition said:

you'll love this then, amigo:

Shadowgate

I just keep getting lost from rocking out the best video game soundtrack ever.

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Danarchy said:

"A door has opened...somewhere."

So?! That "somewhere" is a name of a map you probably visited. Just go there and find the open door, possibly helping yourself with the automap, which should show released areas. Duh.

Ichor: that didn't hurt me. Note that for Hexen 2 I DID need to read walkthroughs, because the puzzles were hairier, no more simple switch/key/exploration hunts and no map. So for that "puzzle" I had read so I came prepared. Then it was easy: I saved and tried all combos. On failing, I was just reloading. That became quick.

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printz said:

So?! That "somewhere" is a name of a map you probably visited. Just go there and find the open door, possibly helping yourself with the automap, which should show released areas. Duh.

No. It is NOT that easy.

For some reason, Hexen 2 was a lot easier for me, despite so many people thinking the opposite.

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BlackFish said:

Heretic for me was all about rubbing walls and finding weird looking doors.


Sounds like being really drunk and looking for a whorehouse.

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At Fraggle:

Hah! I messed around with a couple text adventures but I never actually completed one. Are there any that come to mind that are really worth playing?

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I like linear maps for this reason. If maps are entirely hallways going into courtyards that always have 2 doors, the one you came in through and the one you need to go to, then that's alright with me.

Granted it can get a little boring, but it beats the hell out of the "ive been here 3 times already, am I supposed to be here?" feeling.

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Danarchy said:

No. It is NOT that easy.

For some reason, Hexen 2 was a lot easier for me, despite so many people thinking the opposite.


Hexen 2 was easier for me as well up to THAT FUCKING PUZZLE (the one in Ichors screen)

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Reaper978 said:

At Fraggle:

Hah! I messed around with a couple text adventures but I never actually completed one. Are there any that come to mind that are really worth playing?

Well, I'm fond of adventure games, but not really a huge fan of text adventures as such. There are plenty of good adventure games; Space Quest I-IV are good, I found Kings Quest III quite fun, Simon the Sorceror I & II, Day of the Tentacle, etc. Lots of people love the Monkey Island games but I've never actually played them.

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Some good point and clickers
The Dig
Full Throttle
Hell (not sure why though, it's different)
Beneath a steel sky
Curly's Adventure (only released as a buggy publisher demo though)

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I really need to get hold of Full Throttle.

I'd recommend the first Gabriel Knight game if you like adventure games where your actions make sense as opposed to the use everything on everything type.

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Ichor said:

Most annoying thing ever:

Don't remind me. :p I don't think I can ever bring myself to replay all of HeXen 2. Sure HeXen 2 was easy but when I played (I assume pre-patch? Or was it ever patched... memory is blank) there was some broken puzzles... like the one where you bring a staff back from the past and it blows open a door. I did that whole section about 5 times before I got it to work. :/ Or did I have to use a cheat there? It's so long ago that I played it.

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Hexen was fine. You have to be in adventure mode to enjoy it, not mass-murder mode. It's esoteric and I suppose that does act as a filter to people who like to rush through things, but when you take the time to get into it and learn it over multiple plays, it's a lot more fun or rewarding, in a sort of "tee hee I figured this out and you didn't" kind of way.

I thought Hexen 2 was OK when I first played it, but I was enjoying the sights more than actually playing a game. Then it sat around for a few years until I played it again. I remembered it being somewhat boring, but destroying the entire first hub was always a fun and satisfying endeavor. Still, by the time I replayed it, it ended up being the most boring game I ever played, and I don't remember what I ever saw in it.

I started a new game again a few months ago, but after finishing hub01 I haven't even felt like loading it at my most bored moments.

More on-topic, I don't remember being stuck anywhere in Hexen except in the very start area until I realized the windows were breakable. I had been editing Doom for a while at that point, so I was thinking of what's possible in terms of the engine capabilities instead of what should make the most sense by just looking at the map setup, not realizing Raven would be adding so many features like that to the engine.

I never did figure out Ichor's Egyptian puzzle. In fact I've never beaten Hexen 2 without cheating. First to no-clip past the Egyptian puzzle, second to use invincibility to defeat Eidolon, who's apparently unbeatable otherwise.

Shivers had me calling the company hint-line at the beginning of every game though. The majority of the game is relatively obvious and simple, but the very first puzzle with the gear rearrangement was by far the hardest in the entire game.

Myst and Riven would've been a hassle, but I had strategy guides :D

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Myst is really easy once you understand what you're supposed to do in the game. Riven was the hardest of the Myst series games though. But that was partly because it was a lot more open world than any of the others. Since there weren't "ages" separating the puzzles. You had a lot bigger playing field for all the puzzles. It was awesome. :D

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fraggle said:

Well, I'm fond of adventure games, but not really a huge fan of text adventures as such. There are plenty of good adventure games; Space Quest I-IV are good, I found Kings Quest III quite fun, Simon the Sorceror I & II, Day of the Tentacle, etc. Lots of people love the Monkey Island games but I've never actually played them.

Yeah, I never really liked text-based adventure games. Those are like playing Russian Roulette repeatedly until you find a way NOT to shoot yourself in the head every move. At least Sierra-style adventure games give you visual clues. You know, I think my favorite adventure game might have been Sierra's Rainforest (Eco Quest 2). Even though it was kind of for kids and you couldn't die in it, I thought it was more fun and interesting than any other adventure game. Space Quest IV and Microprose's Return of the Phantom are pretty much tied with it, though.

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Quest for Glory 4 is easily the best adventure game ever.

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