Messages

You got it.  Seriously though, it's hard to come up with hints.

1. Holes at the top.
Holes at the bottom.
Holes in the middle.
But still it holds water.

2. Claws like a cat,
Crooked as a snake's hiss.
Patch together your guesses.
You won't guess this.

3. Round as an apple,
Deep as a cup,
All the Bitter Sea,
Can't fill it up.

You can navigate your way through it I'm sure.

Captain D got #3 right with his first guess.  Still waiting on #2.

#1 was answered correctly, however #3 was not.

Icicle is correct.  Crimson Wizard is the winter of this round!

1. With flashing sword and booming cry.
With darkness staining land and sky,
The army comes, prepared to die.
Soldiers fall in glistening dress.
As battles are joined without egress,
Save comfort in the earth's caress.

2. The wheel is steered,
Despite the night.
They prefer our lead,
More than the light.

3. When it is down,
it is lower than a horse's belly.
When it is up,
It is higher than a horse's back.

Well, 2 and 3 were answered correctly.  Only the first one hasn't been answered.  How about we say whoever gets it is the winter of this round.

Renodox, your reply is interesting. Although I'm having doubts regarding whether the case you're presenting actually covers my concerns. I have a hard time seeing players writing to me that I'm wrong as something negative or indeed remarkable at all. If I'm going to get anywhere close to having an audience it'd mean receiving all sorts of feedback, and getting nitpicks on spellings is a cute gift compared to the caliber of comments you so often encounter on youtube. So if I only had to go on that alone, I would do nothing. However, what I think you're also hinting at, is that people will be actually distracted by it, which is much more concerning. Is that right?

Then you talk about the area the game is in and that presents another dilemma, as I expect the absolute majority of my works not to take place on Earth at all. Which by that logic cuts me loose from any requirements of authenticity. Should I still be concerned by people getting distracted then?

Also are you saying that consistently sticking to British spelling throughout wouldn't have a similar distracting effect on American players?

What I am saying is that a mixed one will definitely catch people's eyes more than just remaining consistent all throughout.  There is no way to please every player.  I've dealt with people who were upset over the non-British spellings as well.  What it comes down to though, is that consistency is less distracting than a mix.  Think about if you have a line of red crayons then you toss in a blue one.  The first one people are going to notice is the blue one and that'll give it more attention.

So what I'm saying is that you'll get more attention to your words and spellings in the game if you mix it up, but the trade off is that you'll end up with some negative feedback because of it.  If it's easier for you to mix them up though, I'd suggest that you remain consistent with the same word at least.  So if you use "color" as opposed to "colour" in it's first appearance, then it has to remain "color" and vice-versa.  If you mess up with that, then it will be distracting to others.

As far as region goes, if you're basing the game on a ship then which one you choose to use doesn't matter.  It's best it remains consistent but if you don't mind some players being distracted by the spelling go for it.  The best way to stop the distraction: make the story, characters, and visuals GREAT.  It's how so many movie makers manage to keep people from hating their movies for the myriad of mistakes they'll inevitably make.

As a tester of various games and an English major I can tell you that, yes, it would be a big deal.  It's not just the player thinking it's "unprofessional" what you'll encounter is that a lot of players are going to be writing you saying that it's wrong.  My experience has been that it's primarily Americans that have this issue with the spellings.  Typically, the way that you can get around a percentage of people writing in about it is to indicate that a character has an accent.  So, if you have a character that has a British accent, writing for the character in British-style writing will just be taken as the character's accent and not spelling errors.  Personally, I feel that the game should be written in the style of the area that it's in.  So if your game takes place in America, using American-style spellings is the way to go.  It just gives people more of a feeling of authenticity.  The same goes for British-style, if it's in an area like Britain or Australia where that's more the style, then it just seems more authentic.  Unfortunately, a lot of players get distracted by the changing styles and people who feel like they have to correct every mistake even when they weren't asked to will harangue you over it.

The answer to #3 was "Orange" in the game.

1. You see me oft,
In woods and town.
With my roots above,
I must grow down.

2. A strange earthen house,
That brings naught but disdain
And yet those who stay there,
Never do complain.

3. Twins on either side of
A ridge that smells.
They shall never see
Each other directly.

Kconan got it.  He's up.

#2 was ashes so you got it right.
#3 Has multiple answers but coconut works out, grapes does not.  We cast the skeleton aside but not the skin (most of the time). You can keep up with this one if you want.  It wouldn't open the chest in the game with any of the answers provided.

1. Blessed are the first.
   Slow are the second.
   Playful are the third.
   Bold are the fourth.
   Brave are the fifth.

2. After the final fire,
   The winds will blow.
   And these, which are already dead
   Will cover the ones who have
   Yet to die.

3. Men seize it from its home,
   Tear apart its flesh,
   Drink the sweet blood,
   Then cast its skin aside.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

McKennedy's riddle wasn't answered yet.  I'm waiting for it to be answered.

Space Quest style but not from Sierra.

Daemonica?

Yes bridge is correct.  I'll allow the other riddle to be solved before adding new ones.

"Traps" was correct, as was "Book."  #1 has yet to be answered.

(Smacks face)

The answer to #1 is "DICE."
The answer to #2 is "LOGS."

1. When it is stout
People gladly tread.
When it is thin,
People walk in dread.

2. With these
The meat and
Bones of the dead
Can be used to trap the living.

3. It is a journey whose path
Depends on another's vision
Of where it ends.

No it's not "Life" or "Idol."  In both riddles the word is a plural word and it's only 4 letters.  I'm sure "Yahtzee" Crowshaw would get the first one.  And really, fire up that imagination and burn out that second one.