[HandsFree]

The game has not established yet that the thing in the water is a body, but it just can't be the boy with the bike, because he was still alive when that thing was already in the water. Again, unless there's also some micro time distortion involved.
But his disappearence is clearly connected to the dangerous currents (because it is triggered by the warning sign).

BTW I think the 'growth' on the ship are those cushion type things that protect it from getting damaged when the ship is tied to the shore.

[mgeorge]

Do some people think that the boy with the bike is

Spoiler:

Tawney?

I never thought of that, and just assumed he was a boy from the town playing, and left on his own. I suppose it could be though. As to the shape in the water, I figured that may be him, however I don't recall any explanation of this.

As to the birds, I believe there are both pigeons and sea gulls in the game. By the shore there are sea gulls, however if you go to the musuem, those sure do look like pigeons.

As to Nigels age, that one has me completely baffled. He would be 50 wouldn't he? However in the game, he's always refered to as a "young lad" by almost everyone he meets.

Either Mr. Boakes is a very clever person or he's just messing with out minds and I can't figure out which. There's an obvious reference to Nigel in Dark Fall (which I'm also playing right now), and I've heard that some of his other games tie in with this one, as well as his upcoming game, Dark Fall 3. I wonder if he deliberately makes things as cryptic as he does because there's a grand central theme to all these games that will be explained in a later game? Or maybe he doesn't know himself right now, and is trying to fit the pieces together as we speak? Maybe even with a little help from his fans??

I guess we'll never know, but either way it's a brilliant way to keep people interested in whatever he puts out in the future.

[sennebec]

drat... missed the boat on this playthrough

a friend loaned me a novel, and there i was, gone...

[Fien]

drat... missed the boat on this playthrough
a friend loaned me a novel, and there i was, gone...

Hey Senne! The playthrough has just started, we're in Day One, join us!
And it will be nice for those who know you to see you post on an adventure forum again...

[Fien]

Originally Posted by mgeorge

As to Nigels age, that one has me completely baffled. He would be 50 wouldn't he? However in the game, he's always refered to as a "young lad" by almost everyone he meets.

In later chapters there will be more dates to confuse you... and me.
I don't have any answers, only a few pet theories. But I also "blame" Mr. Boakes for not providing a good frame of reference.

[seagul]

Back in Saxton again!!!
Here my thoughts and questions about the game so far:
Do the tarot cards have a special meaning? Something like destiny?

During the modem-sounds at the beginning the picture is distorted by some strips – like in a starting transmission? The picture ist not clear till we see Hadden in his room. When Nigel dials the number of Hadden Industries we hear the modem-sound again. In Nigels dream we hear the modem again. I believe the different sounds in teh game give big hints. We should pay attention to them.

Did someone understand the words which are spoken during the train passes the gravestone? Was it english?

When Station Master speaks about „treasure“ Nigel is immidiatly intrigued. This is repeated when Nigels reads about the treasure seekers. And as soon as he speaks with the Lady on the beach, he claims to be a treasure hunter – as if it was his intention from the start! Is the search for the crown his destiny? His duty?
But perhaps he only wants some adventure in his life - as he says towards Hadden later.

Nigel was expected, says the Lady – so everything was set up before?

The persons gliding through the scenery like in an dream? Like ghosts?

Why is Dr. Hardacre ghostlike in the first night? He isn't before and he isn't after.

Nigels strange way of speaking: is it deliberated? I have the impression Dr. Hardacre doesn’t speak that way.

Landlady Morgans brother was injured while repairing the harbour cottage – does this mean something?

Why do we hear the sound of typewriting while Nigel speaks the first time with Lucy? And what are the other sound we hear during the conversation – they are strange.

[Fien]

Did someone understand the words which are spoken during the train passes the gravestone? Was it english?

I only heard "all change". I don't think there's any mystery here. All passengers should get off the train at Sedgemarsh. Unless Boakes wanted us to see a double meaning...?

[mgeorge]

I always found it a bit odd that Nigel became so interested in treasure hunting so quickly. He's on the run from his employers, ends up in Saxton, and immediately his main goal in life is to find the Lost Crown?

Doesn't make a lot of sense but would support some theorys that are floating around. Nigel is a quircky kind of guy. At times he appears quite rude, others very nice, and as we find out later in the game,

Spoiler:

isn't adverse to outright stealing which I also found kind of strange.

Personally I find him quite funny in some of his responses to people he meets, and I actually grew to like the odd pauses in his speech that others found so annoying.

[therabidfrog]

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

Handsfree- We're not sure what that means. He doesn't look like he's 50...maybe there's a time distortion, but we don't know.

And with the boy on the bike, yeah, he could have jsut went abck home, but what significance would that have? You don't think the boy and the thing in the water is connected?

Spoiler:

There's no connection. It's just there to block your path until you put the sign back together.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by mgeorge

and as we find out later in the game,

Spoiler:

isn't adverse to outright stealing which I also found kind of strange.

I don't find that strange at all. After all,

Spoiler:

at the very beginning of the game Mr. Danvers steals from his employer!

In fact, it supports my pet theory.

Personally I find him quite funny in some of his responses to people he meets, and I actually grew to like the odd pauses in his speech that others found so annoying.

I read somewhere that Jonathan Boakes did that on purpose. Don't remember why, Fantasy might know.

[seagul]

Thanks, Fienepien. So no secrets hidden there ...

Shall we talk about the wonderfull traces in connection with the lost crown who can be found at the internet - for example:
http://www.thelostcrown.co.uk/
http://www.thelostcrown.co.uk/realsaxton
http://www.haddenindustries.co.uk/
http://www.saxtonmuseum.co.uk/
http://www.awarningtothecurious.co.uk/

Are there some more i didn't find?
I love the idea of exploring more interesting bits of the game through the internet.
Attention! There may be spoiler for the first-time-players!

[Fantasysci5]

Originally Posted by mgeorge

Do some people think that the boy with the bike is

Spoiler:

Tawney?

I never thought of that, and just assumed he was a boy from the town playing, and left on his own. I suppose it could be though. As to the shape in the water, I figured that may be him, however I don't recall any explanation of this.

I believed it was, some foreshadowing for what we learn later. That's why I think it's so powerful that

Spoiler:

Nanny Noah was the one speculating on the body being out there...

Originally Posted by sennebec

drat... missed the boat on this playthrough

No!!!! Please join, sennebec!!! We've just started!!!

Originally Posted by seagul

Do the tarot cards have a special meaning? Something like destiny?

During the modem-sounds

Did someone understand the words which are spoken during the train passes the gravestone? Was it english?

The persons gliding through the scenery like in an dream? Like ghosts?

Why is Dr. Hardacre ghostlike in the first night? He isn't before and he isn't after.

Nigels strange way of speaking: is it deliberated? I have the impression Dr. Hardacre doesn’t speak that way.

Landlord Morgans brother was injured while repairing the harbour cottage – does this mean something?

Why do we hear the sound of typewriting while Nigel speaks the first time with Lucy? And what are the other sound we hear during the conversation – they are strange.

I've always wondered about the terot cards. I think they're just there to say "fate".

The modem sounds...what do you think they're for? I never really thought about that.

Station Master is just saying, "Last stop; Sedgemarsh. All change, please."

Maybe the way the characters are moving are implying soemthing, like you said.

For the rest of your message, we have not played that far yet. We start the night scene on Monday, so I'll talk about it then. Could you possibly put that in spoilers, or repost that part, so people playing this for the first time won't be spoiled. I think this would be a spoiler.

Oh, and I did hear that Jonathan made Nigel talk like that, because he kind of wanted it to sound like the funny B movies. I don't know where that quote is, though, sorry.

Originally Posted by therabidfrog

Spoiler:

There's no connection. It's just there to block your path until you put the sign back together.

I understand that the kid was there just to block the path and not let you through yet. But he wouldn't have been there unless it made sense in the story. Jonathan would have a *reason* to put him there, so please don't think he's just some random kid that doesn't have any say in the story.

Originally Posted by seagul

Shall we talk about the wonderfull traces in connection with the lost crown who can be found at the internet - for example:
http://www.thelostcrown.co.uk/
http://www.thelostcrown.co.uk/realsaxton
http://www.haddenindustries.co.uk/
http://www.saxtonmuseum.co.uk/
http://www.awarningtothecurious.co.uk/

Are there some more i didn't find?
I love the idea of exploring more interesting bits of the game through the internet.

Yes, I LOVE the fact that he made websites for the game! Not that it comes directly from "The Lost Crown", but there are also websites for "Barrow Hill radio", at www.barrowhillradio.co.uk and for the lighthouse in Dark Fall: Lights Out" at http://www.fetch-rock.co.uk/

[HandsFree]

Just a question. I have no idea what a lot of the posts are about because they contain many spoilers that I obviously don't read.
I suppose you are linking things we saw in this chapter to game elements still to come.
Of course I don't need to be involved in the discussions you experienced players are having, but when the playthrough is over this thread must be huge. I don't think I will be able to reread everything said at that point, and it would be less interesting.

So for instance, if there's a point in the game that gives more insight in what happened to the boy with the bike, or what's on with the dates, could we discuss that then too (instead of having the discussion now in spoilers)? If we don't, all us first timers will be missing out on a lot.

Sorry if I'm way off here, I haven't read the spoilers so maybe they're about other things. I was just wondering. And don't let me stop you posting whatever you want.

[seagul]

Sorry for the spoilers - i thought we play till the second entry in the night - am i wrong?

The modem sounds...what do you think they're for? I never really thought about that.

I think it's a hint that there may be some computer involved. And that there must be a connection via computer to something/someone.

[HandsFree]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

There's one fragment I'm not sure about [...], please fill it in, you native English speakers.
C: Shall I give up [....] Mr. Hadden?

I replayed this bit many times and I still can't decipher it either, but my best guess is "Shall I get after him, Mr. hadden?"
But I'm Dutch also, so we still need help from the native speakers.

And ehm, I also played till the second entry that night. Weren't we supposed to do that?

And the modem sounds; are those noisy modems still in use? Or is this another hint to the time distortion thing? Were they already available in 1978?

[therabidfrog]

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

I understand that the kid was there just to block the path and not let you through yet. But he wouldn't have been there unless it made sense in the story. Jonathan would have a *reason* to put him there, so please don't think he's just some random kid that doesn't have any say in the story.

I got half way through the game and so far the

Spoiler:

kid does not play into the plot at all

Spoiler:

You just see him walking around snapping pictures in different places at different times for the Saxton Snappers contest. In fact they mention him in the brochure for the contest

[therabidfrog]

That growth I was talking about is on the boat in the foreground where the guy is walking around with the metal detector. It looks kind of like two tenticals wrapped around the front of the ship.

[therabidfrog]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

I only heard "all change". I don't think there's any mystery here. All passengers should get off the train at Sedgemarsh. Unless Boakes wanted us to see a double meaning...?

I don't know about that. I think he throws things like that in to make it seem like there's more going on than there is. Probably for his own amusement

Technically Nigel didn't really steal from his employers. He just printed some files he shouldn't have. And since we are getting around to it the one thing that always took me out of the game was the fact that Nigel never seems frightened about anything that happens even during some of the more obviously threatening encounters.

It's like "Gosh that was strange!" and then he's back to zero.

[seagul]

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

Jonathan, I believe, gave advice somewhere that the biggest clue to Mr. Hadden was in the very beginning. Some think it might be the title screen where you can choose to start, etc. But I was thinking of that logo.

Nice hint.
The Logo, apart from the figure, shows these horizontal stripes and a sound that indicates a bad transmission.
The same stripes are shown at the beginning, when Mr. Hadden beginns to talk, and in Nigels dream(s). Do they have the same reason: transmission-problems?
As said before, at the beginning these „transmission-problems“ are accompanied by the sounds of a modem connecting.
Mr. Haddens technology has something to do with computers. So have these transmission-elements something to do with the Hadden-technology??
Another thought in this direction:
We know about a kind of transmission that is beeing made by Hadden: the chasm showed some forms that seemingly wanted to come from there world, the otherside, to our (as Mr. Hare reports).
Can we connect this event with the flooded graveyard and the deads floating out of their coffins? No resting in peace here!
So: are Mr. Haddens experiments and the flooting deads somehow connected?
If they are connected, then Saxton and the experiments are connected, too.

Another thought about Mr. Hadden: at the beginning we see him in his computer-room. Everything is coloured (in differents shades of blue), only Mr. Hadden and his chair seem to be black-and-white. Mr. Hadden clearly isn’t what he seems to be. Which the Logo stated from start on.

Speaking about fearless Nigel: there never could be a game about my ghost hunting adventures: i would flee after the first supernatural encounter. You need an exploring and fearless person. So Nigel is quite the right one.

[cwapitm]

Even though this is my second time playing and I know what happens, this game still manages to scare me. They really nailed the atmosphere and music.

I spotted the Dark Fall reference in the Hadden papers. I didn't catch that before. Unfortunately, I never played that game so I think a lot of the references would be lost on me.

Spoiler:

I think following Hardacre on the first night and watching him vanish and reappear is a likely sign that the townsfolk are ghosts. In fact, I don't know why Nigel never commented on Hardacre disappearing. He acts pretty nonchalant about it.