[Fien]

I finished the IF adventure Timequest today. Brilliant game! I loved the graphics too, the animations and the always unexpected sound effects. Smooth interface. No dead ends -- quite exceptional really, because in those days (1991) the overwhelming majority of IF games were extremely unforgiving. Nonlinearity, both in exploring and in solving puzzles. Of course the lovely freedom of nonlinearity comes with a price: the tradeoff storywise. But you're far too busy having fun jumping from one interesting historical event to another to be bothered by that. And isn't it wonderful to be recognized as a benefactor years later when you've changed something in the past. It's also a very clever game with an unexpected timetravel twist at the end. Which brings me to my questions about the ending...

I find the possible theories about the implications of time travel mind-boggling. Just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.

Spoiler:

- My future self and my past/current self have this wonderful non-verbal understanding that is way over my head. How can I yell the number between 1-100 (to my future self) that Vettenmeyer is thinking of when V. never tells me what it is?? He just says "not even close" and then kills me.

- Vettenmyer kills the old man in the park, the idea being that time travel will never be passed on by him, and V. and I will both disappear into thin air. So why don't we? It's true that time travel is no longer possible, but V. is still lying in the park as a dead body and I still have my wristlet. (If I take it off, I do indeed disintegrate into nothingness.)

- Okay, so I get the cloak and the location of the box, I teach the next young man wanting to learn. That's how the game ends. And then what? I'd say it's logical to assume that time travel will again be possible, so I can go back to my own time and report to Drexler...?

Anybody? Perhaps ArielType, who recommended TQ?

[Fien]

Forty-three views but no replies...? Sniff.

I've been thinking about this some more, and as my current self to my past self, so to speak, I'll give one of the questions my best shot:

Spoiler:

Fienepien, time travel exists in 2090 and you are sent back in time to repair the damage Vettenmyer has done. When it turns out that you are meant to found the Temporal Corps, you are in fact recreating a past which is identical to the past which led to Vettenmyer's betrayal. So you're caught in an eternal loop... once you've founded the Corps and travel back to 2090, you will again be sent back to repair V's damage.

Yes?
No?
My brain hurts again.

[Marian]

This is one of the few Legend games that I haven't played and I'm really looking forward to playing it.

I'm sorry I can't contribute to your ponderings and questions about it--just wanted to let you know that I appreciate the reminder that I MUST play this game this year!

[eriq]

I love ALL the Legend games. They're really special. And I haven't played TimeQuest yet! I have a handful to get to still... very excited to play TimeQuest at some point.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Marian

This is one of the few Legend games that I haven't played and I'm really looking forward to playing it.

I'm sorry I can't contribute to your ponderings and questions about it--just wanted to let you know that I appreciate the reminder that I MUST play this game this year!

Have fun! I hope you didn't read the spoilers, Marian. (I have now put them in spoiler tags.) Be sure to come back and answer my questions.

[Phod]

I'm actually starting this tonight as well.

Did you make any maps or notes or just winged it?

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Phod

I'm actually starting this tonight as well.

Did you make any maps or notes or just winged it?

No need to draw maps, all the locations are very simple and the game provides maps anyway. But it's a good idea to take notes about the various timezones to avoid confusion. There are 6 locations and you can visit most of them in 8 or even 10 different time zones. To solve a miniquest in, say, Rome 800 AC, you may have to visit other locations in different timezones.

Enjoy! Save often. I don't remember any real deadends, but I died a lot.

PS: Maybe I did notice one or two dead ends... they were pretty obvious and I managed to avoid them, but even so.

[Phod]

Ah cool, thanks. One more question, do you recall how long it took you to finish it?

[Phod]

whew, forgot how tough these older games were. Enjoying it though.

[Fien]

Hmm... not sure... at least 25 hours. And I'm an experienced touch-typist! But I took my time exploring all the locations/time periods and taking notes before I actually started solving anything. I also asked lots of questions, that's one of the fun things for me in text adventures. Who wouldn't if you get to meet Caesar and Cleopatra.

Most quests are not hard, it's the non-linearity which makes it complicated. Some quests can only be completed after you have done other stuff. I was seriously stuck a couple of times and needed hints.

BTW, this is one of those games where you need the manual to learn more about your quests.

[Fien]

Like all the great classic IF adventures, Timequest passed the basic kiss-and-kill test with flying colors.

> kill Caesar

Spoiler:

Caesar whips out an appointment book and says: "Oh no. I simply can't fit in another assassination attempt until the Ides of July."

Okay, I'll shut up about Timequest. I'm going to replay my favorite time-travel adventure: Trinity. Not as funny, but much deeper.

[Phod]

Ah ha.. Trinity is another I'm hoping to play soon.

You seem fairly versed on the text adventures. Not to totally change the subject of this thread (though I am), which is your favorite storyline of the ones you've played? (or stories).

[Tramboi]

Oh reminds me it is on my (huge) to-play-list!
Is it easier than the Spellcasting series?
(ie Should I get a walkthrough right first? )

I definitely need playing a game lighter than Trinity.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Phod

Ah ha.. Trinity is another I'm hoping to play soon.

You seem fairly versed on the text adventures.

I'm not well versed. Really. I used to play lots of IF games back in the old days. Not anymore. Now it's just one or two a year... I should play more though, cause I still enjoy them. But I haven't kept in touch with the latest developments.

Not to totally change the subject of this thread (though I am), which is your favorite storyline of the ones you've played? (or stories).

Most of the older ones had good puzzles and a sense of humor, but their stories were not much to write home about. And too many were extremely unforgiving. All the Magnetic Scrolls games, for instance. At the time I didn't know any better but their adventures have far too many dead ends. I would not recommend them, unless you don't mind starting over and over again.

I didn't care much for Level9, don't remember why. The Telarium games (Perry Mason, Fahrenheit 452) did have a storyline, but their parser is primitive. That leaves good old Infocom. My favorite storyteller is Brian Moriarty (Wishbringer, Trinity). A Mind Forevery Voyaging also has a great story.

I know there are great indy text adventures out there, they keep the genre alive. I've played only a few. If you're looking for intriguing stories, do yourself a favor and dowload Photopia by Adam Cadre. No puzzles, it's more like an interactive story, but a damned good one and it's just one or two hours long.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Tramboi

Oh reminds me it is on my (huge) to-play-list!
Is it easier than the Spellcasting series?
(ie Should I get a walkthrough right first? )

I haven't played the Spellcasting series yet. Next on my Legend list is Gateway. Looks good! But I don't think you need a WT for Timequest. I'm not the smartest player aroudn, so if I could do it with only a couple of hints, you most certainly can.

I definitely need playing a game lighter than Trinity.

Well, I don't agree. There are loads and loads of good, humorous, light games around, but games that make you think are quite rare. Trinity is a serious game of a rare quality.

Imo, imo, imo.


"All prams lead to Kensington Gardens."

[Tramboi]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

I haven't played the Spellcasting series yet. Next on my Legend list is Gateway. Looks good! But I don't think you need a WT for Timequest. I'm not the smartest player aroudn, so if I could do it with only a couple of hints, you most certainly can.

Well Spellcasting have a hardcore old school difficulty my poor deliquescent brain can't apprehend

Thus I just started TimeQuest and I didn't figure timing was so important, and that waiting at different places triggered events
And I had a bit of trouble with word-guessing with the first puzzle I encountered (fixing the chariot in Rome).
Anyway I agree with you it is a great game, and messing with History is really nice!
Definitely need to spare time (a scarce resource!) to go on with this game.
(I haven't looked your spoilers since I'm so early in it but I sure will).

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Well, I don't agree. There are loads and loads of good, humorous, light games around, but games that make you think are quite rare. Trinity is a serious game of a rare quality.

Imo, imo, imo.

Oh I loved Trinity (with Invisiclues abuse, I must admit)
But "All thinking and no play makes Tramb a dull boy:".
Could be another thread here though : serious, mind-provoking adventure games.
In restrospect I didn't encountered many of these, though.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Tramboi

Well Spellcasting have a hardcore old school difficulty my poor deliquescent brain can't apprehend

Lovely new word, your deliquescent.

Thus I just started TimeQuest and I didn't figure timing was so important, and that waiting at different places triggered events

Ah, if my deliquescent brain is stuck, I always try the time-honored command z, short for "wait". I think it was already available in Zork.

And I had a bit of trouble with word-guessing with the first puzzle I encountered (fixing the chariot in Rome).

Me too! I entertained the spectators with my clumsy efforts. Wasn't it great to meet Caesar and his women? You've only got a few turns with Caesar before the incident happens, so I restored endlessly, just to ask everybody many questions. Did you notice that -- I'll put it in spoiler tags but you can safely read it if you have finished Rome 44...

Spoiler:

Caesar will grant you literally anything you ask for as a reward for winning the race? I tried many things: Rome, Calpurnia, Cleopatra, Caesar himself, the guard, his sword, the bracelet, money, the lion... and got for all of them a unique response.

Anyway I agree with you it is a great game, and messing with History is really nice!
Definitely need to spare time (a scarce resource!) to go on with this game.
(I haven't looked your spoilers since I'm so early in it but I sure will).


Oh I loved Trinity (with Invisiclues abuse, I must admit)
But "All thinking and no play makes Tramb a dull boy:".
Could be another thread here though : serious, mind-provoking adventure games.
In restrospect I didn't encountered many of these, though.

PS: I'm reading background info about Trinity. I didn't know the line all prams lead to Kensington Gardens is a quote. Apparently, the game is littered with references to children's books.

[Tramboi]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Lovely new word, your deliquescent.

Dang! It's copyrighted so use it wisely (i.e. just to impress your mundane friends with your oversized intellect).

Originally Posted by Fienepien

PS: I'm reading background info about Trinity. I didn't know the line all prams lead to Kensington Gardens is a quote. Apparently, the game is littered with references to children's books.

Wow I just checked the web, I suspected Trinity was litterate but I don't know much of the references (except the obvious : Lewis Carroll and Mary Poppins through Walt Disney).
Anyway even in French I don't know many children books (yet Bart, Ernest and the Cookie Monster would deserve their own book, or even IF.)
Definitely makes me wonder the last time a game titillated our literacy fibers.
Either it was too subtle, too anglo-saxon, or was I too ignorant
Anyway playing the history side of things just like in TimeQuest is the right way to do a clever game. You learn stuff, or stuff is reminded to you, and it it is not pedantic like some modern IF can be when focusing too much on the style. (I would call it "Literacy consanguinity for the sake of self-reference". Not much better than Paris Hilton meeting the same old pals in some club every week and telling them how cool they are, to get told how cool she is).

For french-speaking forumites (who am I kidding? ), "Les portes du temps" does it quite well either, but you can die and get stuck.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Tramboi

Definitely makes me wonder the last time a game titillated our literacy fibers.

It's one reason I like Graham Nelson's IF games so much.

Either it was too subtle, too anglo-saxon, or was I too ignorant

Yeah, me too. I have resigned myself to the fact that as a non-native I'm bound to miss some subtle or even not so subtle references and jokes.

I'll have to goooogle Paris Hilton... terrible, isn't it.