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Originally Posted by Kurufinwe
Once again, I don't see the problem with backtracking. ... it hardly takes more the a minute, anyway.
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And this is okay? Why should it be acceptable for a game designer to waste our time? Sure, it's just a minute, but that's a minute that could be spent telling a story, or fleshing out characters. As it is, we're just watching Foster walk. Is this supposed to be entertaining? And even if you accept that we should be forced to waste a minute for no good reason, we're forced to do this over and over. It adds up to a
lot of wasted time and a very bored player.
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I think it's very satisfying, as well as very elegant puzzle design. Of course, people who don't like puzzles can't appreciate that. 
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It is not the puzzle that I am criticizing. The puzzle itself was very good. What I am criticizing is the time it takes to get from one part of the puzzle to the next. There are many ways to do this puzzle without all the walking which cheapens the experience. When you come up with a solution to a puzzle, you should always be allowed to implement it immediately (or close to it). Then you are satisfied with your victory. Drag the time out too much from the point at which the little light bulb goes on, and by the time you pull it off you've lost all enthusiasm. Bad design.
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Originally Posted by Jeysie
I like having some backtracking because it lessens the feeling of being led through the game by the nose. Being put in a setting where all I could do is move forward would make things feel really artificial to me. As long as there are reasons to backtrack (as in, why you can't do something the first time you enter a location) it doesn't bother me. I'm not sure how you could make an adventure game have no backtracking without making it feel completely railroading linear...
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I don't understand- what's wrong with a linear story? Isn't that, um, the
good kind of story?
Obviously the player should have some control over the direction taken, since figuring out where the next scene is set can be part of a good puzzle. But you shouldn't have to walk through lots of insignificant areas to get there. I say, pick the location, and let the game get there for you.
