Messages

@ grydwrd:

Try adjusting the color-balance of your monitor. It's a pixel-hunt.

Spoiler

It's yellow and in Kate's house, just below dad.

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There are a few things that are not suggested but you still have to do. On the other hand... there are a few things suggested that you don't need to do... 
This one is not suggested but hey... it's an adventure. Try the things that are not obvious just for fun. Or to get further in the game.

There's another one coming up in the game. Not suggested but needed to get further.

So here it is: the walkthrough.

Just a few final notes:

- Try a little variation in the music. I can't hear any Bernstein for the next few weeks!

- It's possible to end the game without going to the wall. That leaves a remark by the character in the end of: pitty of that person... If I didn't know any better I'd say: what the ^#@& is he talking about? Either try to make the end impossible without visiting the wall or leave the message and end the game.

I've a feeling there are some loose ends here.. Did you intend more that we can see now?
Was there a intention to keep score? If so, what would be the maximum I'd be able to get? That way at least I know I missed something.

For instance:

Spoiler

What's with the soil and the underwear? It don't get it at all. I get a point but it's not functional in the game at all. Same goes for the little rock... I can pick it up, get a point but don't use it...

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Like said before, nothing I pointed out here is to criticise in any way. It's just what I noticed about the game as a player. It's _my_ opinion. Blame me for that. In the end, the game has something ... but for me just not it.

Keep up the good work and I'll be playing your next game!

Playing this game as I write. I must say, indeed not my cuppa tea but I'll keep trying. I had a go at 7 Doors as well and stopped halfway. Just a few notes on these games:

- Pixelhunting is hunting for something you actualy _can_ see. In your case I have to move my mouse to a position and click on something that isn't there because my character is behind a wall. DON'T.

- Make objects more visible or at least interactively. It's not real life where you can pick up everything and look at it and think of your use with it. I have to click on every tree because there _might_ be a branch that I can take. I have to click on _every_ rock on my screen to see if I can pick it up. It's not a crime to make at least your cursor change or a statuspanel change to indicate I can use it or do something.

- The adventure genre is about visibility. Make passages, entrances and exits visible. I now have to move my character to the top of the screen on the left, click with my mouse on the right to make him walk behind a wall that has (or hasn't) a passage behind it. If there's a passage or exit, I want to be able to click on it.

- Try suggestions. People like hints once in a while or suggestive texts. I've seen the text "This is a rock" too many times and wasn't aware at first of the fact that I had to do something with it. A text like "A rock. There's some space, but I can't get through" would have been more appropriate.

- When making games, keep the player in mind. What's obvious to you as writer, isn't always obvious to the player. Again, some additional texts or objects you actually can distinguish from the background would make the gameplay much more enjoyable.

Don't get me wrong. I never made any game so I'm the last to judge any writer. But I've played a lot (and I mean a lot) to know what works and what doesn't.

I hope you're not offended by this criticism. It's not meant that way.
As soon as I've finished the game I'll write a walkthrough (as I do with all games I play) and publish it. I'll let you know when that is 'cause at the moment I'm Lost In The Woods...   

Hope to see more of your work in the future.

[edit] I just died... In your game that is .. . I can now float around on my back as corpse and look at things, use thing etc. The only thing I can't do is walk. In addition to the points above: when you're dead, you're dead. Game Over. Restart/Load/Quit.  Nothing more, nothing less. [/edit]

Try one of the caves....

I'm confused about the end.... When I see THE END in white I played correct, if in red I failed? The difference between being together and being alone?

Cute graphics. Was getting stuck while walking in and out sometimes, but it didn't bother the gameplay. Was looking very long for some items. It helps to adjust the contrast of your screen. To start with Kate had me puzzled for a while. I used to think: when it doesn't work... it doesn't work .. ;-) Well... it does!

A little bug:

Spoiler

When we're both in the spaceship and Kate uses her helmet again, the dialog between the two starts again. She tells Mike to use the remote (he's standing next to her....) Then Mike disappears. I can't switch over to Mike 'cause he's outside while the application thinks he's inside.

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I tried this but my adventure consists of a lot of corrupted files. Not only music.vox:

!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in readme.rtf. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.001. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.002. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.003. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.004. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.005. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.006. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.007. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.008. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.009. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.010. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.011. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.012. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.013. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.014. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.015. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.016. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.017. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.018. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.019. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.020. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.021. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.022. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.023. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in litn.exe. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in music.vox. The file is corrupt
!   C:\litn_sos(3).zip: CRC failed in speech.vox. The file is corrupt

Downloaded it 4 times (137Mb each), all with this result. Maybe splitting the archive?

What a great fun. The humour in this game! Brilliant! One remark though:

Spoiler

When looking at the flame I get two messages right after each other. Shouldn't the second one be there only after I put out the fire?

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I've also made a walkthrough (as I do with all games I play). You can find it here.
Curious if this will be the first of more or just this one.

@ LindaB & Terri

Spoiler

While with the saxplayer, let Joey talk to him. Try to grab the sax. This will give you the name of a pub.

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I've made a walkthrough. You can find it here. It's case #1.

Just downloaded and played the game. Great grafix. Nice story. Not too hard though. More the point to point to point and click. The interface confused me at start so I ended up more than often in the inventory to talk to someone. The translation could be polished but didn't bother the gameplay.

I saw that the walkthrough was in the zip but I made another one, a bit more storylike instead of just a list of necessary actions. You can find it here

Minor issue found: after restarting the game without closing the application I can go throught the intro again but when arriving on the beach with Peter (your second screenshot here) , all he can say: get me out of here and all I can ask is: where did you leave the gloves. So Peter is still in prison and I can't go anywhere. The inventory is also strangely reset 'cause I have a scroll, a mattock and the last potion the witch made me. No menu visible here so all I can do is crash the game.

Curious about your next game!

Well, what can I say that hasn't been said already? Great art... nope. Too short? Nope. Ah! A walkthrough! Just 'cause I like to document everything. Not that it's needed for a game like this but then again.... maybe a newbie might get stuck in the basement?

Taking great advantage of the possibilities of AGS!

Great job. Looking forward to the next release.

Oh... the walkthrough can be found at http://gamesolutions.efzeven.nl/unbound-walkthrough-limping-fish2007/
And because is a sequel, I played the first part first of course ;-) You can find it at http://gamesolutions.efzeven.nl/heartland-walkthrough-limping-fish2007/

Just downloaded, played and finished the game. Great stuff. Very funny. Wrote a walkthrough: see gamesolutions for details.

Just a few notes:
There are some typo's in the dialogs.
There's also a continuity error being able to say things you're not supposed to know.
If you want them pointed out, send me an email.

Keep up the great work and promotion of the adventure genre. If this was your first, I can't wait to see what's next!