The can

[kaput]

I'm stuck in the can.

Now what?

Edit with further info:

Spoiler

I exhausted all dialogues, 'used' all thoughts on everything. If it is in fact timer based - how long do I have to wait?

[close]

[st.]

First, although at some point in the game a suggestion of having limited time is made, there is no real timer included. If the player feels that there is a timer, only then it is.

I have used the concept of Thought - items. You use them like you would use items. The idea is that a different mouse mode gives you a different level of information: Look-At - gives you a brief description of what you are pointing at, Think-Of - gives you a general thought of the main character that is useful only as the atmposphere of the game is concerned, and finally Use-Inventory while having a Thought-item selected allows the game to progress along with the main character psychological state.

I hoped that the players would find these Thoughts-items to be a pleasant surprise(...)

[kaput]

I am still stuck. 

I love the idea (and the cut-scenes, by the way). I really want to like this game...

I have played your game for quite a while, talked to everything, tried all 'thought items' and to no avail. It wouldn't matter if I was stuck had there been an ongoing interesting event or story taking place during which.

Instead, I see you are trying to make the experience poetic, but in quite (sorry) an annoying way. It's hard to see any adventure here.

I don't mean to insult you (seriously, I don't) but, can you see what I mean? The dialogue is good etc, but unless you point me where to go there is no game there.

[st.]

I assume that you have not seen any progress as a result of your actions. I will now proceed to justify the way that the game works in the begining and then, perhaps, your opinion of its mechanics may improve. I will also hint to the solution of what I considered to be the first puzzle in the game.

The intro of the game shows the main character staring blankly ahead and then the intro and the interaction via Thoughts-items continues to explain his situation, not as much on the outside as in his mind. And the situation is that he is inert, without purpose, without motivation. He was thrown out from the only way of living that he knew.
The experience is described poetically because this assumes a detachment from a reality defined by direct experience through action. He cannot act because he has no motivation, thus he can only loose himself in his thoughts or sink in the mental emptiness caused by his inactivity.
The story is inspired from my own inner and outer life experiences(...)

I will now explain a bit how the game mechanics work at the stage you are at.

Initially the main character has 4 Thought-items in his inventory which are related to the introduction. With only these 4 you cannot progress.
In the introduction 2 characters speak the most - the robot with no legs and the female robot to your right. This is a hint to having dialog with them mainly.
There are no hints about what to talk with them exactly, because there are only 4 options of dialog initially and I thought that speaking about something that does not give progress would still contribute to the atmosphere of the game by describing the personalities of the characters.
However, when you speak with them about "leaving this place" their replies end with the thinking-window appearing to mention that some of the things they said remained in your mind.
This is a hint to check your inventory( again ). Each of the 2 characters gives a new Thought-item after proceeding as described above.
If you combine each of these new Thought-items with one of the initial Thought-items then the contents of the inventory will change and you will get new dialog options accordingly. The game moves on from there.
The matter of how to combine the Thought-items remains of issue and whether the game hints towards this or not.
You are not ment to try all combinations. Instead you should think which of the initial Thought-items has more meaning in relation to each of the new Thought-items. Provided that you may make one or two false associations( as far as I understood things )you should be able to figure out
quickly what the game - and the main character's mind - expects from you.
When designing this stage of the first Act of the game, I made a diagram with the initial thoughts on one column and the new items on another. Then I thought which of the initial thoughts matches the meaning of the new thoughts better and I used arrows to complete this puzzle on paper. At first I knew only what the thoughts were and it took me a bit of thinking to get this right and I also started with mistakes.
The game here tries to get you involved in the main character's mental processes by letting you the task of making his mental connections. This not the only thing you will do throughout the game. As already declared, more than a half of the game involves usual adventure-style puzzles.

[st.]

Just a short note. The character to your left, the one that replies in verses - his replies are supposed to hint to deeper meanings of the main character's current situation, although in the begining not important for the evolution of the game. Having to wait for him to tell his many words may prove annoying depending on your disposition. It was a risk I had to take, while hoping that other elements of the game - in particular the personalities of the other characters - will compensate for it.
Also, I took the time to determine how long should each speech line stay on the screen in order for the player to have time to read it. Reading is important because the atmosphere in the first part of the game is based mostly on dialogues. For the player that does not feel like being in the place of the main character, much of the story will be lost.

[kaput]

But I understood from your reply that not figuring how to progress made the poetry seem annoying, and that otherwise it would have been acceptable.

Not really. I get the whole cult thing and, whilst this game is very personal for you, remember, it's a game for my enjoyment. I have more patience than probably 90% of people on the internet. Life hasn't been easy for me either but I don't know if, unless I am under the influence, I could sit and take it.

having to wait for him to tell his many words may prove annoying

I can't skip any dialogues, which gets frustrating. It doesn't need to be like that - if I read it once I know it already.

I'm going to take what you said on board (I already progressed a bit now) and try again. Just to spite myself!

Feedback is feedback. Any attention is good attention - isn't that what they say?

[st.]

Your feedback is very important. I'm not offended by your criticism - it is intelligent and not directed to harm.

I am prepared to make modifications to the game at the point when enough players have complained about the same thing. As poetry is concerned, however, I am not prepared to compromise too much. I have 2 reasons for this, besides the one previously mentioned: (2) poetry is ment to imply depth of the main character's awareness - which by contrast to his current situation plants the seeds of drama, and (3) each poem has its own rhythm - which is not always obvious from the begining, and - which has to be found( in the game's case by the player )in order to communicate the full extent of its ideas.

I acknowledge that it takes a particular disposition to let verses reach you. I also know that people usually have limited time on their hands - in particular the more mature audience that may actually get the most from this game. And I too looked many times in the past for books, movies or games that were easily approachable, without paying the price of a loss in quality.

However, and here I focus on the personal aspect of the game, the player should know that he reaches another human being through the game(...). I struggled through-out life(...) If life hasn't been easy with you then you are perhaps the perfect player(...) But all this struggle is veiled under the sweet/dull? coat of poetry, unexcitement and slow pace(...)

And perhaps after having seen the whole game and it has obtained a sort of balance in your memories, perhaps then you will feel more inclined to tolerate its initial emphasis(...)

[st.]

And another short note, concerning repetitivity: the movies at the end of the Acts I and II start similarly but you may expect a different ending

[kaput]

Hooray - I used that thing in my head (I think it's called a brain) and got to out of the containment chamber 

When:

Spoiler

Everything lights up and the character begins to see in colour, you really know the adventure is about to begin

[close]

I maybe did come down hard with what I said (although I didn't mean to) and I'm glad I didn't offend you with it. Without sounding like a complete moron - this game is really quite intellectual and, to be honest, I really wasn't expecting it to be. I guess that's the surprise.

It's a new format, I like that. This game could really benefit from sound and music, though. Then  I think you'd have quite an exceptional game.

Thanks for the help.

I too looked many times in the past for books, movies or games that were easily approachable, without paying the price of a loss in quality.

I'm really quite guilty of doing this. Can you tell? 

[st.]

Well, I'm glad that the game grew on you.
You know, initially there were so many possibilities( in thought form )because all things were more or less the same to the main character.
But once he has a goal and, a little later, a plan, the game gains a vertical dimension.

And now that we have reached some sort of agreement, perhaps I can tell you the joke that crossed my mind when I saw your initial post:
"you should try and get out fast then, before someone near you gets thirsty". It may not be a very funny joke - I am not funny. But here I
risked to offend you, so that you don't feel at a disadvantage.

Anyway, about that 'containment chamber' - in case Selma did'nt tell you: it's a cage, and the Bot Pound is a transformed Dog Pound.

[kaput]

"you should try and get out fast then, before someone near you gets thirsty"

Surely "you should try and get out fast then, before someone else needs a leak" resonates more.

in case Selma did'nt tell you

Trust me, Selma told me EVERYTHING. Many times. 

[st.]

I wasn't aware of that meaning of the word Can.
Let it be known that it was not implied in the symbolism of the game; or in this dialogue( I had "beverage/food container" in mind ).