Cliche Puzzles

[GarageGothic]

In response to beomoud, I agree with what your saying. But instead of the bottomless inventory (which will quite quickly get cluttered unless you allow the player to drop things), I prefer the implementation in Dreamweb where pretty much anything can be picked up - from ashtrays to guitar plectrums and old microwave dinners. BUT you have limited room in your inventory, so you must actually consider whether the items will be of any use to you before dragging them along.
This of course means that all puzzles must employ real world logic - a screwdriver is a reasonable useful item whereas a green pea is not. Despite the huge amounts of potential inventory items, I personally never found myself missing anything that was necessary to proceed in the game (though there is a pretty huge walking dead situation if you forget to pick up a certain item at the very beginning, its location is strongly hinted at in the game's intro).

I also agree with previous posters on the case of multiple items that would do the same job, but only one works - that's just lazy design. Allowing multiple items to be used for the same task (as well as multiple solution puzzles) was actually one of the strong points of Zak McKracken, which remains the only LucasArts title among my favorite adventure games. Though I must admit that Ben There, Dan That did make me laugh with its rationalization for why you couldn't melt the lamp post with the lava  .

If there's anything we can conclude from this discussion it must be this: Every non-alien, non-desert island adventure game should have at least one street corner with a dollar store. It would make things so much easier for us players.

[Vince Twelve]

If there's anything we can conclude from this discussion it must be this: Every non-alien, non-desert island adventure game should have at least one street corner with a dollar store. It would make things so much easier for us players.

Ok, but to get a dollar, you have to deliver this letter to the baker across town, then take the cake he gives you to the flower store.  The girl there will give you a bouquet, which you can use to make the museum security guard sneeze so that you can steal the painting, which I'll buy for a dollar.  Then you can use the dollar to buy a screwdriver.

[GarageGothic]

LOL, Vince. I forgot to add that there should also be a shoplifting mini game 

[Vince Twelve]

Oh... kleptomania... how cliché!

[MrColossal]

If there's anything we can conclude from this discussion it must be this: Every non-alien, non-desert island adventure game should have at least one street corner with a dollar store. It would make things so much easier for us players.

Ok, but to get a dollar, you have to deliver this letter to the baker across town, then take the cake he gives you to the flower store.  The girl there will give you a bouquet, which you can use to make the museum security guard sneeze so that you can steal the painting, which I'll buy for a dollar.  Then you can use the dollar to buy a screwdriver.

See, getting all your inventory items from a dollar store makes sense! That way, when they break after their first use it's because you got it from a dollar store!

[LUniqueDan]

I do believe on the rewards-per-click ratio.

Having common puzzles, cliche puzzles and very easy puzzles once in a while is the best way to make your player feel that the game is logical, trustable and realistic. It's also a good alternative for extra-long cutscenes who end up to be as cliche as the above puzzles.

USE blue cardkey ON blue door.
- This is not a real puzzle anyway, it's just a cool way to make the player understand that his faith is above the blue door and make him/her feel intelligent.

[Jakerpot]

you got a chainsaw. You must break a door. you can`t use the chainsaw. because you must use a hammer. why? because the chainsaw you will use later. why cant i use the hammer later and the chainsaw now?

[MoodyBlues]

you got a chainsaw. You must break a door. you can`t use the chainsaw. because you must use a hammer. why? because the chainsaw you will use later. why cant i use the hammer later and the chainsaw now?

Now, I think this is fair if the game says, "You could use the chainsaw, but [insert valid reason here].  Maybe you should try [insert hint here]."  Otherwise, I agree that game designers should consider all the possible uses a player might have for certain items.

[mkennedy]

Zork 2 had the mat under the door to get the key puzzle.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Because the chainsaw has no fuel, obviously!


...You find some in the sequel, though.

[Jakerpot]

no, you have fuel! Is not like in maniac mansion, but ok, like, if you are in a hospital, this would make much noise, the hammer too, soo you have to find another way to open the damn door, a key wouldn`t do it, because the key and all the copies where thrown on acid. Maybe you could remove the screws and bring down the door?

[jiro]

Every time I finish an adventure game that doesn't have a maze/labyrinth in it I crack a beer and toast the designer.

Have you tried the "lava maze" puzzle in a Tex Murphy adventure, 'The Pandora Directive'?

This time, though, it's in a Mayan room of lava running through the maze with some swinging things above your head.

Spoiler

You're supposed to crawl on a level of maze from one side of the room to another side. Make a misstep or get knocked by one of those swinging things, you fall into a lava bank. When you do, you see a rising gravestone while Tex sarcastically informs you that he's died. 

After you completed this maze puzzle, you get to do ANOTHER MAZE! A GARDEN MAZE! WHOO HOO!  I think when I saw the second maze, I almost wept.

[close]

God, I made so many missteps in the lava room that my hatred for mazes (and Tex's sarcastic tone) still burns today.