Ready

[Cerulean]

Presenting READY (3.78 MB download, 9.54 MB unzipped), a game designed entirely around the near-nonsensical instructional pictures of ready.gov. Can you help Eddie safely purchase duct tape during a Vermilion Alert?

I thought of this way back when ready.gov was the latest thing, and set it aside for a long time. Then I realized I had a pretty tight plot and the time of relevance for this game is (hopefully) soon running out. I hoped to have it done in September because Tom Ridge had declared it National Preparedness Month, but instead it's an October Surprise.

Let me know what you think, and if you find any problems. And I would very much appreciate any pointers to public places I might freely upload the file, so that when I let all my friends and readers of my comic strip know about the game, my website doesn't get hammered and put my hosting bill through the roof.

EDIT: Now there is an alternative download site, and I have written a complete hints page.

[Al_Ninio]

I played the demo thing, great to see it's finished.
Downloading now

[Barbarian]

Hey Cerulean. Looks interesting, but when I try to download the game, I get redirected to some page at "Warped.com" ? first with an error message of:

"OOPS!
There's no such page or file here! Hit your back arrow to go back.

THIS MAY BE DUE TO MAINTENENCE. PLEASE CHECK http://status.warped.com

Account holders: This may also be due to billing issues. Check your billing page at http://www.warped.com/usage with your VIP login.  "


then after a few seconds it beets me in da head with a bunch of thier ads.
:o   Any other way to check out your game?

[Cerulean]

Ah, right click and save. If you just try to go to the zip file it will understandably not resolve as a web page.

[Barbarian]

It's still a no go. I'll try it from time to time and see if I can connect to your file. But in the meantime, Maybe ya should yell at "Warped" and ask 'em what the problem is with your site.

[Cerulean]

My fault! Somewhere along the way the file got capitalized, and it's case-sensitive. I renamed it so that the existing link should now work.

[Puanx]

I love the game so far, especially the graphic style. I need help thoughÃ, 

Spoiler

I searched duct tape on the internet so my guy knows where to get duct tape. Now whenever I try to use the car he says he's not sure if he knows how to get there. How to I make him know how to get there?

[close]

[Cerulean]

Spoiler

Take a critical look at the stuff in the basement as if it were real. Is it all really so inaccessible?

[close]

[Barbarian]

Okay, finally got a download of the game and played it through to the end.

Some Impressions: Funny. Politically "Incorrect". Paranoia. Strange but interesting use of cut-out-style graphics and "Homeland Security" propoganda. 

One main problem I had: Towards end of the game, when my inventory started filling up, newly picked/acquired up items became impossible to interact with, as there was no apparent way for me to "scroll" through the items on the inventory list. So, I ended up redoing the game in order to "juggle" around in what order I picked things up or used things, as well as fooling around with trying to get rid of some item(s) that was no longer required for the latter part of the game so I could make room to pick up more items in the viewable inventory area.

Still, overall, an interesting and amusing little game (even if some of the puzzles did not always appear logical, but then again, perhaps as your game seems more of a "parody" of sorts, perhaps it wasn't meant to always be logical )

PS: If the "Feds" catch onto your game, you might soon be getting a knock on your door by them... hehehe...

[Cerulean]

Thanks. I'd like to know how you got more items than you could see in your inventory; I was pretty sure I had worked it out so that you should never be carrying more than six things at once.

[Barbarian]

Thanks. I'd like to know how you got more items than you could see in your inventory; I was pretty sure I had worked it out so that you should never be carrying more than six things at once.

Well, I forget the exact order I picked things up or what I did to get more items than I was able to access, but I think it happened after

Spoiler

I open the fridge. I pack a lunch, like was it an apple and can or orange sodapop or something like that. I eat the lunch. Then, there's still a can of orange soda pop with some left. If I go back to use the fridge again, I can pack a new, full lunch, again with the apple and can of orange soda-pop and still have the other can of orange soda pop. Maybe I'm not meant to be able to pack more than 1 lunch? When I get to the part that I can get water from the duct-tape store, he says go ahead, fountain in back, then he says something like "Where did you get the bottles for the water". So, I assumed I now had bottles of water in my inventory, but at this point I can not see them. If I drink the rest of my orange-pop, then I can see the bottles of water. If I use the drug in the water, then it supposed to have a bottle of water with drug in it, but I can't see it either. Had to play around at end of game with drinking orange pop, using duct-tape, etc... before I finally could access it.

[close]

Ã, 

Something like that. If you needed me to go through the game again and remember what I did step by step, I suppose I could do that.

[Pet Terry]

Holy crap! Just few days ago I remembered that someone was working on a game with instructional pictures and weird stuff like that. I thought the project was abandoned. I'm going to download it now!

[Cerulean]

Thanks for your help, Barbarian; I knew I would overlook something. I was only checking to see if you have the lunch already to keep you from getting another from the fridge, but when you've eaten it, that check fails. Similarly...

Spoiler

The water was meant to be solely for preventing a walking dead situation. You're only supposed to be able to ask for it if you have no soda and your house is toast (because it's possible to leave home without taking it). I didn't thoroughly check for all the items it could be part of.

[close]

I've fixed those bugs and uploaded it again.

[Snarky]

That was pretty awesome, Cerulean.

I particularly liked how Eddie found out about the duct tape store. That's exactly what I would do, yet when you put it in an adventure game it's suddenly a puzzle!

[splat44]

Thanks. I'd like to know how you got more items than you could see in your inventory; I was pretty sure I had worked it out so that you should never be carrying more than six things at once.

Well, I forget the exact order I picked things up or what I did to get more items than I was able to access, but I think it happened after

Spoiler

I open the fridge. I pack a lunch, like was it an apple and can or orange sodapop or something like that. I eat the lunch. Then, there's still a can of orange soda pop with some left. If I go back to use the fridge again, I can pack a new, full lunch, again with the apple and can of orange soda-pop and still have the other can of orange soda pop. Maybe I'm not meant to be able to pack more than 1 lunch? When I get to the part that I can get water from the duct-tape store, he says go ahead, fountain in back, then he says something like "Where did you get the bottles for the water". So, I assumed I now had bottles of water in my inventory, but at this point I can not see them. If I drink the rest of my orange-pop, then I can see the bottles of water. If I use the drug in the water, then it supposed to have a bottle of water with drug in it, but I can't see it either. Had to play around at end of game with drinking orange pop, using duct-tape, etc... before I finally could access it.

[close]

Ã, 

Something like that. If you needed me to go through the game again and remember what I did step by step, I suppose I could do that.

Hi,

So far, I managed in getting to Duct tape store with the following items:
1) Spray (very clever in get into store)
2) Ball
3) Apple with can of pop
4) Glove (from store)

I eat the apple and pop (still some left)

How can we to fountain?
I know is at the right but I cannot get to in.

What next?

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Spoiler

Don't worry about it yet. For now concentrate in getting the tape. WHere is it, you ask? Look around CAREFULLY!

[close]

Spoiler

Like, what's holding the poster up?

[close]

Concentrate on that puzzle for now.

And, Cerulean, congratulations. It was refreshingly innovative.

[Gilbert]

Very funny game (and of course, even more funny if you'd seen the silliness of the original source of the graphics), indeed. Give it two thrumbs up.
My only complaint is that it's too short, hope there'll be a sequel or someone would make another game with those graphics.

[splat44]

Spoiler

Don't worry about it yet. For now concentrate in getting the tape. WHere is it, you ask? Look around CAREFULLY!

[close]

Spoiler

Like, what's holding the poster up?

[close]

Concentrate on that puzzle for now.

And, Cerulean, congratulations. It was refreshingly innovative.

Hi and thank you.

I though the sign did have something to with with tape. I just finish the game.

Is was short and hope there will another sequel (longer of course!)

[James Kay]

Didn't finish it yet, but I just want to give some props: excellent stuff! The whole graphical style is excellent, especially the "walking animation".

Reminds me of a bank telly commercial in the UK ages ago about small business loans, all about escaping your job and starting up yourself. It was done in this style (or rather airline safety guide style) and it was fantastic. Would have been cool to see some animated arrows and stuff in this game, but that is just extra fluff.
It is prety damn cool as it is!Ã, 

[Gilbert]

Hehe don't you know about the origin of the graphics ? It's  one of the main reasons that make the game so funny.