Arden's Vale - v1.1 Released!

antipus · Sat 20/08/2011 18:07:46

Quote from: sauyadav on Sat 20/08/2011 08:15:11
Stuck:

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I have to take hat, and spectacles for disguise , but thread is too short
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First off, there are two completely different ways to solve this puzzle. The following hints are for the way you're thinking of.

Little hint:

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You need to attach something to the string.

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Big hint:

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Pretend you're going fishing.

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If you want to try the other way, think a little further outside the box.

antipus · Sat 20/08/2011 18:30:29

For those of you who have played already, what was your favorite easter egg or in-game gag? Was there anything that made you chuckle? :

Personally, I made myself laugh when I put in what happens when you talk to the curtains on the enchanter's bed.

Saurabh · Sat 20/08/2011 18:36:21

Quote from: antipus on Sat 20/08/2011 18:30:29
For those of you who have played already, what was your favorite easter egg or in-game gag? Was there anything that made you chuckle? :

Personally, I made myself laugh when I put in what happens when you talk to the enchanter's bed.

My favorite gag was when I talk to spectacles

I have slightly bigger problem now

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I made my disguise using tassles for beard, floppy cap for cap and bent wire for spectacles. I used it to fool the gargoyle who opened the gate to treasury. I went in there and when I pick the stone from cabinet, the guard starts shouting. Now when I tried to hide in the tapestry in the corridor, enchanter immedietely sees me and I die. In this death there is a hint that I shouldn't hide in plain sight from someone with 20/20 eyesight. So I thought why not, either try to break his spectacles, or put glass shard in his slipper (which will delay him). So I crossed the gate again wearing the disguise, and entered in the enchanter's room. I tried both of above plans, but none of them worked. I saved here and I am not using multiple saves. Now when I try to go outside the room, gargoyle alerts the enchanter because I am not wearing the disguise, but Riel refuse to put it on inside the enchanter's room. Now is there any solution which will help me here or I am stuck for good?

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Anian · Sat 20/08/2011 18:43:31

You are way too mean for this game, sauyadav, why don't you blind the poor old man while you're at it.

But here's a slight help:

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everything you need, after you trip the alarm, is in the treasury room

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Saurabh · Sat 20/08/2011 18:46:52

Quote from: anian on Sat 20/08/2011 18:43:31
You are way too mean for this game, sauyadav, why don't you blind the poor old man while you're at it.

But here's a slight help:
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everything you need, after you trip the alarm, is in the treasury room
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I can't go back now

,

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gargoyle won't let me. I usually use one save file, which is saved in the enchanter's room.

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antipus · Sat 20/08/2011 18:54:57

Quote from: sauyadav on Sat 20/08/2011 18:46:52
I can't go back now ,
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gargoyle won't let me. I usually use one save file, which is saved in the enchanter's room.
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I'm so sorry about that! I'm pretty sure that's the only dead-end in the game, unless you save right before you run out of time during the end-game.

That dead end is there...

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because I didn't want to reanimate getting turned to stone while wearing the disguise.

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Obviously I should have just manned up and done the extra work.

Saurabh · Sat 20/08/2011 18:58:59

Quote from: antipus on Sat 20/08/2011 18:54:57
Quote from: sauyadav on Sat 20/08/2011 18:46:52
I can't go back now ,
Spoiler
gargoyle won't let me. I usually use one save file, which is saved in the enchanter's room.
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I'm so sorry about that! I'm pretty sure that's the only dead-end in the game, unless you save right before you run out of time during the end-game.

That dead end is there...
Spoiler
because I didn't want to reanimate getting turned to stone while wearing the disguise.
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Obviously I should have just manned up and done the extra work.

Please add putting shard in his slippers option in future updates, and option to break his spectacles too

. I will restart, I guess.

antipus · Sat 20/08/2011 19:04:30

Quote from: sauyadav on Sat 20/08/2011 18:58:59
Please add putting shard in his slippers option in future updates, and option to break his spectacles too . I will restart, I guess.

I really tried to put in all the logical things people would try...

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like blindfolding the first gargoyle, for instance

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I've got to say those never even crossed my mind. You should have been a tester.

Tabata · Sat 20/08/2011 19:10:14

Quote from: antipus on Sat 20/08/2011 18:30:29
For those of you who have played already, what was your favorite easter egg or in-game gag? Was there anything that made you chuckle? :

I giggled about Edgar Alan Poe's Raven singing his Nevermore, but also have had a lot of fun with most of the other well done dialogs.

Prozail · Sun 21/08/2011 00:48:06

Hi, just wanted to say i enjoyed your game.

Slight graphics glitch:

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There is a baseline glitch if you go outside the castle through the door after breaking in through the window.

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Treasure Room:

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Got a bit confused and died a couple of times in the treasure-room because i didn't realize i could walk out to the hallway again after triggering the alarm. (Riel says something about being locked in, so i thought that meant i couldn't leave the room)

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And I really didn't get how the puzzle worked.. at all... even on "Wimpy" difficulty.. very happy i could cheat through it.

Akril15 · Sun 21/08/2011 07:18:16

This was a very nice game! The great amount of in-jokes and references more than made up for its brevity and I also liked the soft, artsy look of the intro and outro. Excellent job!

Saurabh · Sun 21/08/2011 07:36:00

Finally completed, still got only 42 points.

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I had a feeling there was something more with doctor.

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That is one clever game you made

FrancoFranchi · Sun 21/08/2011 12:00:32

Considering this game features two of my pet peeves (silly fantasy character names & Myst-style 'figure out this machine' puzzles), I wasn't expecting much but this turned out to be hugely enjoyable from start to finish

The retro feel worked, the writing was funny without being too smug or knowing and the interface was very polished (despite using the stock Sierra GUI options, it made for a very fluid game - compared to the likes of KQ5).

There were a few puzzle solutions I was sad to see missing:

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I thought the best way to get protected from the glass cutting the heroine's hand would be to use one of the gauntlets from the armour but that didn't seem to be an option. Then I tried using the glass on the rug as that would be thicker material, which didn't work but produced my favourite 'wrong answer' response of the game

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I only have two minor criticisms and they both concern the story:

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a) The tone-shift is crazy extreme. It starts with an incredibly po-faced earnest heroine vowing to save her sister, then shifts into goofy wisecracking mode as soon as she gets to the dangerous fortress. As the real game story was just "get this Macguffin", it was pretty jarring.
b) You don't learn anything about the story beyond the intro/ending - you get told everything you need to know in the opening scene and that's that. None of the books tell you anything about the land, nothing in the enchanter's possessions gives you any idea about his motivations etc - you don't even get to confront him at the end, which is a bit anti-climactic.

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Still very keen to play any future games (or a sequel) as I know they'll be quality works!

ZapZap · Mon 22/08/2011 22:39:14

Great game, it's a pity it's that short. Now i'm waiting for someone to write a full walkthrough so i can get the last 3 points that keep me from understanding the whole thing

antipus · Tue 23/08/2011 00:13:58

Quote from: Cleanic on Mon 22/08/2011 22:39:14
Great game, it's a pity it's that short. Now i'm waiting for someone to write a full walkthrough so i can get the last 3 points that keep me from understanding the whole thing

I'm curious myself if anyone has found the last three points yet. For your information, the lock puzzle gives you a different amount of points depending on the difficulty level, with the maximum being 5 points on the hardest setting, then 3, 2, 1, or 0 if you cheat. So if you cheat, an otherwise perfect score would be 45.

Quote from: FrancoFranchi on Sun 21/08/2011 12:00:32
Considering this game features two of my pet peeves (silly fantasy character names & Myst-style 'figure out this machine' puzzles), I wasn't expecting much but this turned out to be hugely enjoyable from start to finish

That's about the best compliment I've gotten about the game. I realize that you can't please everyone, and everyone has pet peeves that usually turn them off right away.

For me, I always hated the pockets of unlimited size and the accidental solving of puzzles by clicking enough random items in enough places. I decided to never give Riel an item she couldn't fit in the satchel, and made all sorts of puzzle adjustments to prevent accidental solving.

Quote from: FrancoFranchi on Sun 21/08/2011 12:00:32
I only have two minor criticisms and they both concern the story:

Spoiler

a) The tone-shift is crazy extreme. It starts with an incredibly po-faced earnest heroine vowing to save her sister, then shifts into goofy wisecracking mode as soon as she gets to the dangerous fortress. As the real game story was just "get this Macguffin", it was pretty jarring.
b) You don't learn anything about the story beyond the intro/ending - you get told everything you need to know in the opening scene and that's that. None of the books tell you anything about the land, nothing in the enchanter's possessions gives you any idea about his motivations etc - you don't even get to confront him at the end, which is a bit anti-climactic.
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Those criticisms are completely valid, and I wish I'd had the ability to build a richer environment with deeper characters. Part of the problem is that this is only part of a much larger story I initially wanted to tell, but realized I'd never be able to finish if I tried to make the whole game.

For those who want a bit more the full story, here are a few nudges in the right direction:

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How does the doctor know so much about the enchanter and what is in his possession?

The doctor told a lie in the introduction. What did he lie about? (The 50 point question...)

Duke Silvius is the Duke of Brynthe. Why would the enchanter have his portrait?

Why does the enchanter have a model of Arden's Vale in his bedroom?

When you escaped the castle, why didn't the enchanter chase you?

If you watch carefully, there is no ring in the introduction. What does that mean?

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For added cheesiness, try talking to your reflection.

CaptainD · Tue 23/08/2011 13:28:35

Really nice game, the little comments your character makes when you try to do things were very good in particular.

Not sure if anyone's noticed, I think I found a bug:

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After you've picked up the piece of cloth from the window, you can still see it, at least from inside

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Also there appear to be no interactions for the stool the enchanter's glasses are on.

Niggles aside though, a lovely little game.

srnickolas · Wed 24/08/2011 12:51:08

hello. i run into a peculiar bug playing the game and cannot finish it:

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So after i left the treasure room with the stone and i escaped the wizard hanging on the tapistry...i go into his room,so i hide in the scenery,leaving a reflection of me on the mirror and wait for the wizard to hop in and fall for the old baba-yaga trick, but the game crashes every time and i have this message: in "room5.asc" , line 141 Error: Character.loop: invalid loop number for this view"

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antipus · Wed 24/08/2011 13:01:14

Quote from: srnickolas on Wed 24/08/2011 12:51:08
hello. i run into a peculiar bug playing the game and cannot finish it:

Spoiler
So after i left the treasure room with the stone and i escaped the wizard hanging on the tapistry...i go into his room,so i hide in the scenery,leaving a reflection of me on the mirror and wait for the wizard to hop in and fall for the old baba-yaga trick, but the game crashes every time and i have this message: in "room5.asc" , line 141 Error: Character.loop: invalid loop number for this view"
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srnikolas,

Someone else reported the bug, too, and I'm working on it. I never thought of going to that particular place at that particular time, but you've got really clever reasoning. You can still finish the game, though. In two ways, actually. The easiest is:

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Don't go back in the enchanter's room; find another place to hide instead.

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Additionally, there's a very different route...

ZapZap · Wed 24/08/2011 13:21:09

Quote from: antipus on Wed 24/08/2011 13:01:14

Additionally, there's a very different route...

I've tried everything i could think of at that point, that route is the one that gives 3 extra points right? PM me or something please!

srnickolas · Wed 24/08/2011 13:23:30

Ok thanks for the hint,finished the game with 42/50:

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I hided in the tapestry

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Pretty cool game actually,it reminded me old sierra games especially the king's and hero's quest series.Hope you make more of these,i could be addicted