[Hol]

The first time i used a walkthrough was the one that shipped in the booklet of granny's garden on the bbc computer. I cried for ages I felt so bad.
I still get a bit upset with myself sometimes these days but I've come across so many occasions where the puzzle is simply so obtuse that I can forgive myself for looking up the answer.

[Adventurere No.1]

just to make myself feel better! for a certain title (Still Life 2) ... REALLY is there anyone in anyways in the world can finish without peeking (and maybe hell much) into it's walkthrough?!

[tsampikos]

I see the walkthrough as a "friend" and not as an "enemy". It's there to help, not to spoil the fun. It is a "tool" for adventure gamers. It can enlighten you if there are bugs in the games and you can't proceed because of that. Also when a riddle is "sick" just because it's designer had an argument with his wife last night, the walkthrough might be the solution to that.

[skeeter_93]

I used to only use UHS, but I found sometimes none of the links helped me because of the particular place i was stuck... I had to open several to work out where I was...

[tsa]

And I often find UHS spoils things because the questions you see reveal parts of the story you haven't played yet.

[cwapitm]

I feel little guilt about using a walkthrough. I just want to see what happens next in the story. That's the main reason I play adventure games. I do feel stupid sometimes when the solution ends up being so obvious. I don't feel stupid when the puzzles are illogical to begin with. I try to use UHS when I can though.

[Fantasysci5]

Yes, I'd say that's one problem that UHS has. I hate when trying to look for an answer or hint to a specific puzzle, and it has headings for other parts that give the next part away. xD Thanks UHS, I didn't know I would get to go to Australia, thanks for ruining it for me.

[Jelena]

That can happen in 'ordinary' w/ts as well. Specially if there's a non linear story. The writer of the w/t has played the game, thus written the w/t in a different order than from what you've played it. And when reading the w/t you get information you don't want.

[zobraks]

The best way to use a walkthrough (I personally prefer the UHS hints) is to type Ctrl + F and then type the word you're looking for (the name of the object/thing/location you're stuck with) in Find box. In that way you don't have to read too many lines full of spoilers.

[skeeter_93]

Originally Posted by tsa

And I often find UHS spoils things because the questions you see reveal parts of the story you haven't played yet.

Exactly...

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

Yes, I'd say that's one problem that UHS has. I hate when trying to look for an answer or hint to a specific puzzle, and it has headings for other parts that give the next part away. xD Thanks UHS, I didn't know I would get to go to Australia, thanks for ruining it for me.

Going to Australia is good though! I'll buy you a lamington But I know exactly what you mean...

Originally Posted by zobraks

The best way to use a walkthrough (I personally prefer the UHS hints) is to type Ctrl + F and then type the word you're looking for (the name of the object/thing/location you're stuck with) in Find box. In that way you don't have to read too many lines full of spoilers.

I scroll very quickly with my eyes scrunched up til I come to the first thing that seems unfamiliar and then hit close quickly...

[aries323]

I had to use a walkthrough for the Sirre Games, partly because of their very inventive way of killing your character, partly because I'm colorblind and donot have that great an ear when it comes to music. And in nearly all of Sierra's games, there are musical and color puzzles.

Also, some games have ridicilous puzzles like some in Broken Sword 1 and 2 and some other games. I also am not that good with puzzles that requires mathematichal thinking like the one in the garden in Black Mirror 1. Here you need to work out how the pressure work etc. - I use a walkthrough for this.

Other puzzles seems logical enough and I can get by by thinking logically about them or use my intuition or trial and error.

The puzzles in Secret Files: Tunguska makes sense as does the puzzles in Rihanna: Curse of the four branches.

In Shivers 2, I had gotten rather far in the game, but couldn't litterally crack the safe open. I just couldn't figure out which way to move the dial on the safe.
I looked and looked at the walk-through, but it couldn't help me either....

[WitchOfDoubt]

I think that a UHS-style system is an excellent move, ESPECIALLY when there are fake questions included to reduce the spoiler risk.

That said, the very best possibility is when a game includes gradual, contextual hints. Some modern text adventures have UHS-style hint menus that only show topics that are currently relevant, and I know that the Telltale games also have some hinting built in.

[Balderduck]

For me if I look in the walkthourgh once, then it's over! I always say "this time I won't look" and for the most part I don't, but if I am tempted and do it once, then it's over! I can't stop using it!

[marshal99]

No guilt about using walkthroughs for me.

As has been mentioned , it is a help , not a hinderance. Adventure games are meant to be fun , not frustrating if you get stuck. The point of a game is to advance and see what it offers along the way.

Use it sparingly if you can but a walkthrough is there to help.

[lewuz]

I use walkthrough only when I'm really stuck. I'm quite new in adv genre, but I'm already noticing how experience is building up and I need to use those less every time.
When I use wt, i dont feel its cheating. Games for me are fun and if some puzzle is rather maddening (not logical, not explained what to do etc), then wt (or preferably some kind of hint system) can save the experience by allowing me to continue.

All that said, I just started to do something I never thought I would - playing an adventure with walkthrough. The game is "The Moment of Silence"! The reason is not puzzles (although I've already encountered stupid pixel huntings of finding accessible areas and objects) but the speed of game! Really - getting from point to another takes so much time that I can't afford myself to visit places 5 times looking the next "click".
Maybe I'm spoiled. Maybe I'm too impatient. But i really cant understand why gamemakers wanted players to waste so much time just watching mediocre running animation. For crying out loud - just from the edge of the park to own floor takes 40 seconds!!!
The inclusion on hotspot viewer and character "teleporting" would have improved that game for me sooo much.

[Adventurere No.1]

Originally Posted by lewuz

I use walkthrough only when I'm really stuck. I'm quite new in adv genre, but I'm already noticing how experience is building up and I need to use those less every time.
When I use wt, i dont feel its cheating. Games for me are fun and if some puzzle is rather maddening (not logical, not explained what to do etc), then wt (or preferably some kind of hint system) can save the experience by allowing me to continue.

All that said, I just started to do something I never thought I would - playing an adventure with walkthrough. The game is "The Moment of Silence"! The reason is not puzzles (although I've already encountered stupid pixel huntings of finding accessible areas and objects) but the speed of game! Really - getting from point to another takes so much time that I can't afford myself to visit places 5 times looking the next "click".

i agree big time with the case of "The Moment of Silence" this game seemed for me like Riven in rd person perspective ... but i tried as much as i can through the whole game to kill my temptations and give a peek into the walkthrough, but with no doubt and with no regrets, later ,i did ...! the code interpretation for the elevators , and setting of the parabolic dishes at end ...