[TimovieMan]

Originally Posted by AnneS

After many crashes I reached the end of Act I. (Fortunately the crashes were predictable - they occurred every time I traveled to a new location, so saving before they occurred was easy.)

I'm lucky so far. No crashes whatsoever, and only two instances where the sound suddenly stopped (which was easily fixed by going back to the city map).

However, I do have one problem with the game so far: it has no significant puzzles.

That's a bold statement, so let me explain what I mean. I'm not saying a game needs to have brain-bogglingly illogical inventory puzzles like the first two Discworld games in order to be a proper adventure. The issue is that I've found no meaningful challenge in any of the gameplay. So far every problem has the same solution, which is 'talk to every character about every subject.' Due to the good dialogue this is perfectly entertaining, but it's not exactly stretching my intellect. The few inventory puzzles thus far are so basic as to be meaningless. (Did anyone have trouble working out that you need to use the SPOILER on the SPOILER to get onto the ship? Or the SPOILER on the SPOILER to get into the warehouse?)

I'm not usually inclined to complain that games are too easy (I thought Grey Matter's challenge level was perfectly calibrated, for example) but I do expect it to be possible to get something wrong and have to try something else. So far that has not happened to me in Discworld Noir.

I'm having the same feeling so far. Dark and funny, sarcasm and cynicism at its best, but not difficult at all. But I hope this changes now that the plot thickens...

Originally Posted by Trunkyo

The game is divided into four acts. Because of the game's non-linearity, some people may finish Act I sooner than others. There are a few actions that can still be completed in Act II if you (i.e. Lewton) didn't complete them before triggering the cutscene that ends Act I. (I think this is my third or fourth replay of DN, and each playthrough was slightly different.)

I'm having a hard time seeing what actions I could have skipped, or may have missed so far?

AnneS, don't be concerned about the relative ease of Act I. (It just means you're a veteran adventure gamer, being thorough with the dialogue and knowing what to use where! ) Without spoiling it too much for anyone playing for the first time (or those who have not replayed in years), Lewton will also get to "connect the dots" in his investigations, and this is where DN's unique gameplay comes into effect.

I hope they make that a bit more complicated than they did in Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations, because I don't remember there ever being more than four or five options at a time to connect in that game. Most of the time only two or three. Reeeeeaaaaaal difficult...

I'll be back with comments about Act I. Can't wait to get on with Act II!

Couldn't agree more. Stopping at the end of Act I is stopping with one heck of a cliffhanger...

Originally Posted by Datadog

-The opening scroll makes a bad first impression since it moves too fast for me to read, and goes on for quite a while. Something about a sword. I'll figure it out later, I guess.

Here you go:

Everyone on the Disc knows the legend of Elenor of Tsort. Or at least everyone knows a legend of Elenor of Tsort. Or Crinix. Or Elharib.

Ask most people and they'll tell you she was the cause of the Tsortean Wars. Of course, ask most people and they'll tell you the Patrician is a kind and benevolent man. Never trust what most people tell you.

The real cause of the Tsortean Wars was a little known goddess called Errata. It was at the wedding of Pyloria and Theta (or Pyramus and Phrisby. Or Orphrey and Euripus. It depends who you talk to, really).

Suffice it to say that being the goddess of Misunderstanding she wasn't especially popular and it didn't take much to prevent her from being invited to weddings, which didn't please Errata at all, and so she devised a cunning plan to take vengeance.

She got Neoldian, Blacksmith of the gods, to make a golden falchion and told him to engrave on the blade of the sword, "For the strongest."

The resulting fight between almost eighty War gods would have ruined the wedding had Neoldian not inadvertently engraved,

LAGUNCULAE LEYDIANAE NON ACCEDUNT
(which roughly translates to "Batteries not included")

Fortunately for Errata, an argument broke out between Patina, goddess of Wisdom (who claimed the sword was a subtly observed metaphor for the hopelessness of existence), and Cephut, god of Cutlery (who claimed it was a big knife). The argument went on for so long that a passing dog managed to borrow the falchion and go on a short quest, returning as the god of Canines and Unlikely Subplots in Legends before anyone noticed.

In the end, it became so heated that Astoria, goddess of love, bribed Rhome of Tsort (or Ephebe. Or no fixed abode) to steal the falchion and hide it just to shut her sister up. In return Astoria gave Elenor to Rhome (even though she wasn't hers to give, which was typical of the gods) and the resulting extra-marital confusion blew up into the Tsortean Wars.

In the carnage that followed, the Tsortean Falchion was lost, perhaps forever...

-The music, while typical in film noire, still keeps me thinking of "Grim Fandango" as I play. It feels like I'm running around Rubacava.

Minus the mariachi.

-The Act ends on a really nasty cliffhanger, so I'm really itching to continue with the story at this point.

This is where I'd normally use a chapter title from Freddy Pharkas: "The plot sickens."

-Favorite character so far: Lewton. But out of the NPCs, Sammael. He's easy to talk to.

I'm loving Nobby so far. But then again, Wally is my favourite Dilbert character. And I'm lazy myself. It was meant to be...

Incidentally, I'd love to start reading the Discworld novels, but the library of them looks very complex and people have varying opinions about which ones to start on. Any suggestions?

I've only read the first one, but I have a friend who pesters me about them, so I know a little something about it. I'd suggest starting with The Colour of Magic. It's not the best, but it is the first and your best introduction to characters like Rincewind and Twoflower.
After that, skip to the later books, like #20 and beyond. They're apparently both darker and funnier. And you'll need your dictionary less than with The Colour of Magic. Or so I'm told. Pratchett has an amazing vocabulary...