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Lady Kestrel

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AG Community Playthrough #65 - Keepsake

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Total Posts: 506

Joined 2014-08-01

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Whaaaat? Are we near the end? I thought we were just approaching the halfway point and we’d see some evolution of Lydia and/or her motives and I’m talking about something far beyond her overcoming her fear as happened in the third trial.Or some revelation in the middle that would make us question what we originally assumed. But apparently everything is going to be revealed in the end.  Although to be fair… there was a little revelation, I know that Lydia thought Nathaniel was one way and now she’s starting to realise that he wasn’t that way or at least there was an aspect of his personality that she didn’t know about. But I was hoping or expecting a little bit more about her. But I’d better not jump to conclusions. The fish dies by the mouth, they say.  In Zak’s case it is evident that there has been a change in him, and I’m not talking about his physical appearance. In any case it is time to know the truth.

I’m going to throw out a guess about what happened with Celeste, something tells me that maybe she is dead? It’s not a wild guess at all either, Zak said at one point that Celeste was ill.

Pegbiter - 08 April 2021 04:11 PM

I’ve finished Section 4 by collecting four balls and four tapestries from the library. I thought I would have to use the last ball to reach a final room, but I didn’t see any door where all balls were needed. Did I miss something?

I think that I’ve taken care of all puzzles that could be solved without the objects from the library. Zak is now a dragon.

Lady K confirmed that I am at the stopping point, based on that you only need the four tapestries in the library and nothing else.

About Zak..In his dreams and mine I imagined him of gigantic proportions capable of reducing small villages to ashes and tearing down walls with his mighty tail, but in the end he only managed to turn into a cute little dragon.

     

” I remember. Somebody died. It was me.”
~

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Total Posts: 645

Joined 2017-08-27

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Just finished playing previous section and, like Tenebra, I’m also surprised that we’re nearing the end. I have a pretty big list of puzzles left, so I was expecting another few weeks, at least Smile

I loved the views Lydia got to enjoy while working on the oracle. I WISH I’d be there looking at all of that… I also was pleasantly challenged by the dragon game. Honestly, puzzles in “Keepsake” are very enjoyable! Although one of the tapestries was a riddle - great, after the second trial I just can’t wait for more Grin

Zak’s transformation was extremely anticlimactic for, what seems like, everyone involved , but I adore Lydia’s clapping animation - there’s something very childlike and genuinely sincere in it.

I think they couldn’t make Nathaniel more sinister-looking good guy gone bad even if they tried, laying it on thick with all those dramatic intermissions, so if they end up turning around and NOT making him “father-turned-villain because he couldn’t handle grief” I’ll give this game immediate bonus points and just overall will be even more positively surprised . So far, I’d say the strengths are the setting and the puzzles. The story… it has an interesting beginning, sure, but it seems a bit heavy-handed, although I’d like to reserve final judgement until the very end.

     
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Total Posts: 1239

Joined 2016-04-08

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Hi!

I passed the first trial and made the transformation potion. I am really proud of myself for solving the Minotaur’s game and the water pump gears puzzle on my own Smile I keep thinking the Academy is gorgeous and I like the cinematics (the growing tree, the water running…)

I think it wasn’t necessary all the moving the cauldron situation.

Anyway, I’ll keep catching up!

     

Currently translating Strangeland into Spanish. Wish me luck, or send me money to my Paypal haha

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Total Posts: 5569

Joined 2008-01-09

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There’s still a lot to do before you reach the end, but having just finished it myself last night, I think it’s important to go at your own pace with this part.

I agree with you about the cauldron, Walas.  It was a bit clunky to do it that way. Smile

     

Carpe chocolate.

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Total Posts: 421

Joined 2007-08-13

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I’m currently working on the tedious puzzle in the observatory. I’ve generally liked the puzzles in this game, but this one isn’t enjoyable for me. The one in the solarium wasn’t much fun either, since I ran back and forth to the season changing mechanism in the observatory many times before solving it.

     

Total Posts: 175

Joined 2021-03-21

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Just finished the observatory puzzle and i just have to say one thing. What were they thinking when they designed this? This is like impossible to solve without hints. Even with all 3 hints it becomes a very hard and tedious puzzle, that would take many hours of guessing and executing to solve.

I m very curious if anyone manages to solve this alone.

Just this puzzle alone raises the difficulty of the game to super hard in my opinion.

     
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Total Posts: 1239

Joined 2016-04-08

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I think everybody agrees in the comments I have read about the game that the observatory puzzle is impossible, so when I get there I won’t waste much time trying to solve it on my own.

     

Currently translating Strangeland into Spanish. Wish me luck, or send me money to my Paypal haha

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Total Posts: 401

Joined 2003-09-16

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I used hints for the observatory puzzle, too. Not only was the riddle obscure, the rotation of the rings was so complex that it was hard to follow a pattern. It wasn’t even clear that you needed 4 solves, so I thought the gold ball did something to the rings (rather than select the numbers) I have finished the Art room, done the boat, found Nathaniel’s secret room, and finished off todays gaming session by talking to Nightingale’s ghost.

     
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Total Posts: 1239

Joined 2016-04-08

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Well, I passed second and third trial. I didn’t have much trouble with the second trial, probably because I am playing the game in Spanish and the translator managed to correct/improve the original English riddles…

I had the spiritual encounter so I will play section 4 tomorrow. I am playing Steam version and suffered several crashes. Luckily I am saving often.

Teleporting is so cool! Camera movements are impressive, and what can I say about the crooked stairway? Awesome!

     

Currently translating Strangeland into Spanish. Wish me luck, or send me money to my Paypal haha

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Total Posts: 2454

Joined 2019-12-22

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walas74 - 10 April 2021 02:28 AM

Teleporting is so cool! Camera movements are impressive, and what can I say about the crooked stairway? Awesome!

These things do make the game feel magical, don’t they?

edit: is this a hug for dragons?

     
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Total Posts: 5569

Joined 2008-01-09

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You’re making nice progress, Walas.  I love the Escher-like feeling of the portal staircase.

The observatory puzzle was a tough one.  It took me a long time to figure out how the numbers moved when I clicked each of the rings, and I finally drew myself a picture to show the directions.  I tried arranging the top row of numbers from the grid in the order and position they were shown and was getting more and more frustrated.  The thought of having to do this eight times to find the four constellations in the riddle was daunting, so I quit for a while to have a snack and look at a walkthrough.  My guesses for the riddles were correct, but it turns out the sets of four numbers didn’t have to be in the order or position shown on the grid.  That was a relief, and it made the rest of the puzzle easier, although it took me another hour to solve it. 

It would have been so much easier if they had connected the constellation images from the pedestal to the grid by the telescope instead of having to set the rings blindly in the hope you’d find the ones you needed.

     

Carpe chocolate.

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Total Posts: 5569

Joined 2008-01-09

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I just thought of something that I never checked.  The grid at the top of the north tower, revealed after we solved the celestial suduko puzzle, has what looks like blue lights around it.  Do you think they light up when a correct constellation image from the observatory pedestal is chosen?  If you haven’t done that yet, please check it for me when you get to it.

     

Carpe chocolate.

Total Posts: 175

Joined 2021-03-21

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My guessing for the riddles for observatory puzzle were wrong and if i hadnt checked internet i m not sure how many hours i had to spend until i get the right ones and try them on the discs.

I guessed right only about the bird and the feathery reference. For the rest of the riddles i was looking for mind and heart reference when they needed strength and poison. But even if you look for poison why would you choose the manticore and not the medusa snakes. And if you go for strength you could choose two stars in the same constellations because there are two arms if you make the connection between strength and arms, because you could as well go for the dragon or manticore.

Also the third hint gives you the mermaid belly but it is little misleading for the rest, because you are looking for a body part like heart or mind. That was my logic anyway. If you combine all those with trying to get the numbers on the discs and guess about the stars then we are talking about a puzzle that could take you many hours, or even days to trial and error.

And ofcourse all that only if you had allready figured which tapestry is hinting at this puzzle, how the discs and ball works and what you need to do with telescope.

Anyone who would solve this alone is an adventure god Smile

     
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Total Posts: 421

Joined 2007-08-13

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I’ve finished the game.

The ending didn’t do anything for me, just like the visions earlier. I did however like the game better than I had expected. The fantastic visuals is the main thing I’ll remember, but I also enjoyed most of the puzzles. Definitely not the one in the observatory though.

The game crashed for me during the credits. Was there anything more that I missed?

     
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Total Posts: 645

Joined 2017-08-27

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Also finished.

Went through the same motions Lady K did on observatory puzzle. Judging by the overall reception of this puzzle, I feel entirely justified in my earlier admission to disliking astronomy-related puzzles the most Grin

I have also found another puzzle (or rather category) that I’m not really fond of - those that waste player’s time in a very obvious manner. And that’s where the herbalism one comes in. Felt about it the same way Pegbiter did. One thing is spending time trying to decipher/solve something, and another - having a pretty good idea what to do, yet needing to run across the entire game map to make it happen several times. Didn’t particularly enjoy that one either.

Puzzles aside, the game played out the way I anticipated, so I’ll stick with my “heavy-handed storytelling” conclusion. Again, agreeing with Pegbiter, but the ending with its dialogues and cut-scenes that, in the vein of best soap operas, couldn’t have been any more cringeworthy (and I can’t believe they had me replaying all the ones from before again) did nothing for me.
I could totally do without Zak in this game and just add puzzles related to his story into overall mystery (which would made more logical sense to me anyway - surely, personal transformation can wait until… I don’t know… we learn where THE ENTIRETY OF SCHOOL STAFF AND STUDENT BODY disappeared?  Not to mention, that people who are actually proficient in magic would potentially be back and around to help), however, I can at least see him as being needed for the story, bring in some variety, even if it’s annoyance/irritation… The rest of the characters, though,  could really use some nuance.

I suppose the story wrapped up just alright. Could have been something epic, but also could have been much worse, so it ended up being “meh”

With that being said - I still really liked “Keepsake”! The setting is absolutely spectacular. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the views I came across in this game.
The puzzle element was, for the most part, very enjoyable. There were a few that didn’t turn out quite as great, but overall - I had fun solving them and was pleasantly challenged by many.

Also, I really liked the musical element. Several tracks will go straight into my “Game Music” playlist Nerd  Good job with the soundscape.

I’m glad I got to play “Keepsake” and certainly ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Also - thanks Lady K for volunteering to lead a playthrough on such a short notice. I had a blast

Thumbs Up

P.S. My game crashed during credits as well, so no idea if I missed some bonus stuff…

     

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