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Old 01-25-2006, 08:25 AM   #37
After a brisk nap
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Day 2 should be fairly straightforward. Perform a bunch of reasonably self-evident actions, watch the scary scene, and we're on to Day 3.

This is where the game really starts to get going, though. After the (to my mind) overly slow Day 1, the story has kicked in and there's some actual gameplay. It should start to become evident why 5DAS is regarded as one of the best non-professional adventures out there.


I always enjoy exploring libraries

Incidentally, look how small the actual background is on the screen. Yahtzee is painting less than half of the 320x200 pixels available. Again, a cost-saving measure that doesn't really have any negative impact on the quality of the game. This is where experience pays off.

I finally got sick of the interface, and started using the F1-F4 shortcut buttons. That really helps. The fact that clicking using any verb on somewhere that isn't a hotspot acts as a WalkTo is also highly appreciated. I think Yahtzee has done a good job salvaging an awkward UI, and I wish more games would utilize shortcut keys and offer alternative ways to control the game.

In this chapter, the limitations of the conversation system become evident. The options remain static throughout the day. Even after I've found all the (living) people, I can still only ask them about each other's whereabouts. It would be nice if it responded to my actions and current knowledge.

The idea that you can't make out AJ at the bottom of an apparently clear pool until you empty it out (and climb down into it) is typical adventure game logic. Of course, it's a lot more dramatic this way.

There's a case of "can't take it until I know why I need it" in Day 2, which might throw some people off track in the puzzle. The game isn't consistent with this, but I think it's pretty natural in the cases where it does use this limitation.

If you compare the location of the staircase on the ground floor and first floor (another Briticism), you'll notice that most of the upper story is actually hovering over thin air. I don't mind when house layouts don't make total sense in a game, but if you're providing me with a floor plan, maybe you should make sure that it's not glaringly inconsistent.

Things to do in Day 2
  • Turn on the TV.
  • Look at the painting in the dining hall. Does it look a bit different?
  • Look at all the books in the library, and try taking them.
  • Read the history of the DeFoe family.
  • Study the map.
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