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Aussie, the Induráin-Real Madrid fan, is also invited, but he'll have to pose in a photo with the Official FC Barcelona t-shirt, sorry.

Ok, but right next to Farlander wearing Figo's Real Madrid shirt. I'll bring it along.

And I can bring the bike too.

[MITTENS 2006 WILL BE IN SPAIN]

Yes, Farlander has kindly offered to host Mittens 2006 in Spain.

So presuming that this goes ahead, MITTENS 2006 WILL BE IN SPAIN.

That'd be great actually.

Hey That Guy!

A lot of those comments you make are very fair. It's just that we have different views on certain things.

Anyway, I gather that you enjoyed the game, which is what it was made for. 

This is the best looking demo I've seen in a very long time.

Good luck with the project.

Hey pete!

Spoiler

Did you get the airplane point? 

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That Guy,

Thanks for that feedback, it's always appreciated.

I'm going to take issue with a few things because I disagree with you. This does not mean I'm right and you're wrong, it's only my way of justifying certain things that you have seemingly found a bit annoying.

But one thing. I suggest you may use spoiler tags a bit more, like Scummbuddy did a few posts back. There are giveaways all over your post that belong in the hints and tips forum, not here.Ã, 

1) One of the first and most crucial puzzles (the magazine) was a serious pixel hunt.Ã,  Those are real stumpers and can block a player for quite some time, so to have one right off the bat kept me from advancing the plot at all until I came here for some hints.Ã,  If you're going to do a pixel-hunt puzzle, IMHO, you should bury it in with other stuff the player is doing at the same time to give him a little more help in stumbling over it, since his eyes are open for other things.

I disagree. The magazine thingy is by no means a stumper. It does not stop you from doing anything at all and you can get to the end of the game without it.

It is, as you say it should be, buried in a hell of a lot of other stuff you have to do.

Spoiler

In fact, the mag is only needed in the second last dialog option of the very last dialog, during the very last sequence of the game.

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Pixel hunt? I think the hotspot is large enough in comparison with others in the same room (it's larger than the drawers, the coat, the pennant or even the poster). Perhaps the word is "unexpected" or "difficult to find", but I honestly don't think it's a pixelhunt. I fact, I was trying very hard to avoid those in this game.

But maybe, as other people have pointed out, the mag should be sticking out a bit. I agree that would be fairer.

2) The Top Ten Books hotspot is right next to a Noteboard hotspot, and visually, the books list is a part of the noteboard.Ã,  I couldn't solve the puzzle related to it because I'd moused over the Noteboard, read it, got nothing related to my quests, and moved on.Ã,  It would have been better to either have Andy read the noteboard and say "hey, there's a list here" or not have the noteboard at all and just have the list.Ã,  Otherwise the player risks missing it entirely.

But...

Spoiler

The list is not there the first time you go. So you might notice a large (in comparison), bright green poster that takes up half the noticeboard later on. In fact, all other notes were drawn in dim colors (light grey, pink, yellow) so that the poster really stands out.

And Carmen gives you a very explicit comment about the green poster she put up in the faculty. I think that's hinted enough.

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3) Speaking of not seeing stuff related to your quests, the fact that objects change useability status based on whether you need them or not is, to put it bluntly, infuriating.Ã,  For example;

Spoiler

The ladder outside the Geology building, when you first try to use it.Ã,  The main character says "I'll get in trouble if I try to climb that", so you figure you can't use it.Ã,  So later when Theresa gives you the exam quest, I was saying to myself "well, the ladder is a logical choice but Andy already said he won't use it, so there's gotta be another way."

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How many times, playing an adventure game, have you found you had nothing important to say to a particular character until you realised he has something you need?

To me that's a classic adventure game puzzle. At some points in the game, there's no actual reason for the player to do certain stuff. It is not until the player finds out that he has to go to a specific location or that he has to interact with a particular item that he can actually do it. Before that, you usually get a "I can't think what I would do with that / nah, better not / why?" answer.

Spoiler

As you said, the ladder is the logical choice. But is it logical for the player to get into trouble for no reason at all? It's not until the player realises he has to risk it that he'll actually climb it.

On a different note, I believe there are plenty of hints scattered all around the place for that. You have the faculty windows, the examination sign where Theresa is, the examination room where Theresa is, and the message when you look at the ladder itself. As you said, I think it soon becomes pretty obvious that you have to get the paper getting to the window.

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4) Some of the more obscure puzzles have no hints at all.Ã,  I never would have thought to

Spoiler

put the thumbtack on the board to make a harpoon.

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Yeah, I dig that...

Spoiler

...but how many of those wacky solutions to puzzles have you seen in adventure games? I would have never thought of "picking up dog" or using "dodo on valve" (dodo being a monkey - I can't remember his actual name) i.e. using a monkey as a "monkey wrench" in MI2?

Admittedly, I could have done that in some other way. It was just the first thing that came into my head.

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I'm a firm believer in the solutions for puzzles at least somehow being hinted at in-game so I don't have to play mind-reader and guess what the designer was thinking.Ã,  That puzzle was one of those times.Ã,  Guessing the alarm code was another.

To me...

Spoiler

... guessing the alarm code was hinted enough. How many times does the headmaster say the word "moron", "moronic" or "morons" every time you walk past the alarm. In fact, sometimes he yells "MORONS!!!" in capital block letters.

As much as I'd do other things differently if I had to make the game again, I must say I have no regrets about that particular puzzle.

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Anyway, despite these issues I'm enjoying the game a lot.Ã,  Would definitely enjoy seeing more of your work in the future.Ã, 

Cheers to thatÃ, 

Spoiler

Try the box inside the cabinet.

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aussie,
Kudos for a beautiful game, with original, solvable puzzles (...) at least you didn't have a paper under the door to get a key puzzle.Ã,  ;P

but I did have one of those... 

Righto, if I can get some time in the next couple of days to fix that stuff, I'll PM you about it.

Back to big brother's sprite, I personally find it flawless (as usual).

I don't know Mats, maybe this is a bit more along the lines you're aiming for?





I've only touched up the face a little. He no longer has dot eyes, he certainly looks a bit dumber, dreamy and good-natured.

In fact, if you play a little bit with his mouth and his eyebrows, you can achieve a wide variety of expressions (I guess that's the advantage of good sprites).

Hi Scummbuddy!

Thanks for pointing all that stuff out, mate. You're correct all the way. I'll keep it all in mind for the next version of the game.

That's gonna take a little while to implement, though. Steve McCrea is hosting the game and I feel it's unfair to keep asking him to update the mirror for me (I have already asked him once).Ã, 

For the moment just try to enjoy it with its little glitches!Ã, 


Ã, 

Maybe...

I just don't want to spoil the fun for everybody else! 

Ok, ok...

It's got to do with the brace, you're right.

But that's all I'm saying.

How about you keep playing a liiiiittle longer...Ã, 

I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone found it.

Spoiler

Just so you all know: it IS possible to get over 178 at the closing stages of the game, but not at the very end.

Both people getting 178 (or 177/179/183 rather - I managed 184) got unhappy endings because they took the cash. Their score in the "dead" screen was probably 147/149/153 (you get 30 points off for the cash), but they probably didn't notice.

The only way I can tell you for sure you've found the hidden puzzle is if you get 178 and a happy ending.

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Sorry for double posting, I was a bit lazy to log in before.

I've fixed it, so now it becomes obvious that you lose those points.

Also, you should no longer be able to exceed the 178 mark.

This is awesome. I really admire your ability to keep improving a seemingly flawless background. I'm with anarcho, you should make a tute.

I must say if I ever managed to do something half as good, I'd be cracking down on the next bg without ever looking back.

My first playthru I got a score of 179!? and a bad ending because:

How the hell did you manage that?Ã,  Ã, 

I thought all point-related bugs had been fixed... Did you get points out of doing something twice?

Thanks Steve!

I'll link to your mirror from the main page for the moment.

You can lock this one now, Darth. 

I've already posted it on the completed games forum.