Too dumb for adventure games?
#119201
01/29/04 05:06 PM
01/29/04 05:06 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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I have not played many adventure games and for those few I needed a lot of help like hints & walkthroughs. Now I started "Secret at Loch Ness" and have again the suspicion that I'm missing a lot. I even have trouble finding my way arround in the manor. Has this something to do with practice or am I just too daft? How do you all get through a game without cheating? Please tell me that there is still hope!
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119202
01/29/04 05:17 PM
01/29/04 05:17 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,446 the desert foothills
Liz
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the desert foothills
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I've been playing adventure games since the "beginning of adventure gaming" and I STILL use a walkthrough for every game.....though only as a last resort. I don't know if i've ever played any game without one at some point. I will tell you though that somewhere down the line you will get smarter and more crafty and be able to figure more things out on your own.....i guess that just comes with years of practice and playing. And of course......getting help here at Gameboomers is a MUST!!! I would be hopelessly lost without my Gameboomer buddies. And no.....you're not dumb or daft.......a lot of adventure gaming involves convoluted thinking and doing crazy things that a normal person would never think to do!! But of course that's half the fun!!!!!!
Beeba
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119203
01/29/04 05:21 PM
01/29/04 05:21 PM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,764 Kentwood, Left my heart in New...
JohnBoy
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Kentwood, Left my heart in New...
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I second everything Liz has said. I too need a wt for every adv. game. IMHO a lot of puzzles are unsolvable without one. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />
I Baag, Therefore I Am. Update: I Don't Baag Anymore, Therefore I Ain't! Update: I'm baaging again but just a little. JohnBoy ----------------
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119204
01/29/04 05:40 PM
01/29/04 05:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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Thanks guys, you made my day! Guess I'll just persevere and keep looking in the most unlikely places. I get a real buzz everytime I can pick something up, haha.
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119205
01/29/04 05:50 PM
01/29/04 05:50 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,638 The Garden State
LadyKestrel
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The Garden State
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Ingrid, Always take time to explore as much as you can because anything can be a clue. Remember to take lots of notes and save often. If you're exploring a place with many areas, draw yourself a rough sketch of the place to help you orient yourself or your character. Turn around a lot to see where you've been, and look from side to side and up and down, if the game allows it. If you've done all you could in an area but still think you're missing something, check a walkthrough or hints page. Ditto with tough puzzles. Usually just the smallest hint will get you going again, but sometimes you need a fuller explanation, expecially when it's a quirky one. The game designer's logic may not be yours, and sometimes just figuring out what you are expected do is half the battle. Remember, adventure games are supposed to be fun. Anything you do to make them more enjoyable for yourself is what counts.
Lady K.
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119206
01/29/04 07:52 PM
01/29/04 07:52 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,289 Beaverton,OR
LorLor
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Ingrid, As Lady K can definitely tell you, EVERYONE needs help. She just helped me with my latest game. Thanks Lady K! You're the best. I can get really frustrated and feel very stupid when I play. There is such a buzz when things do go right and I can move on to the next puzzle. It all comes down to enjoying yourself, so remember you are definitely not alone. Lorlor
Oh pity the poor addicted fool whom has no time to play. wimper wimper whine
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119207
01/29/04 08:16 PM
01/29/04 08:16 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,339 Ohio,USA
Gamer
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Ohio,USA
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I almost always have to check a walkthru at sometime during a game, but I DO remember when I first started playing adventures and there were no walkthrus, ( that I could find anyway ) it could take me months to finish a game, the only games that I can say that I didnt have SOME kind of help from a walkthru were GK 1, and Shivers, I WAS able to get a few hints from some other gamers that had already played them at a prodigy board I used to belong to,but that was about it, I LOVE the fact that now you can just get online and easily get help or a walkthru, because as Johnboy said some things are just unsolvable without some kind of help. And for the gaming snobs who say they NEVER use a walkthru, well... personally, I dont believe it.
Helen
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119208
01/29/04 08:25 PM
01/29/04 08:25 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,382 Santa Maria CA USA
dogpenny
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Ingrid just click on Walkthroughs at top of this page then C for Cameron Files Secret at Loch Ness and print out your walkthrough
Dutch
May happiness come on secret winds and surround you forever in the ways of beauty. An American Indian Blessing.
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119209
01/29/04 10:14 PM
01/29/04 10:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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Thanks for all your advice! I made a rough map of the manor house, this safes me a lot of time finding my way from one room to another. I always read a WT before I start the game just to have an idea when it gets hairy - don't like nasty surprises jumping out of cupboards! This time though I will only refer to the WT when I'm absolutely stuck. You people are terrific, always willing to give a novice like me a helping hand!
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119210
01/29/04 10:39 PM
01/29/04 10:39 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,638 The Garden State
LadyKestrel
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The Garden State
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But nasty things jumping out of cupboards are what makes these games fun! Lady K.
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119213
01/30/04 12:24 AM
01/30/04 12:24 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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Maybe I'm getting too old for this kind of excitement LOL. I remember that nerve wrecking scene in Tex Murphy Overseer where I had to break into some cabin and hide in the wardrobe and then behind a shower curtain. When I finally made it out of there alive (after 20 attempts!!) I was a nervous wreck. Maybe not the best game to start with, now I'm playing the more sedate ones to practice before I tackle another "blood & gutser".
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119217
01/30/04 12:52 AM
01/30/04 12:52 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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Thanks for warning me, Glynn. I'm really looking forward to that (not)! Now talk about daft: I started that game yesterday and did everything as prescribed. When I took up today where I left yesterday I still couldn't get out of the manor. It took me ages to discover that I hadn't saved my game yesterday!There you have it, maybe I should be doing crossword puzzles instead.
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119221
01/30/04 01:21 AM
01/30/04 01:21 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,289 Beaverton,OR
LorLor
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Oh! I just had an idea for Rusty's next nosey question of the week. What was the most personally embarrassing stupid thing you've ever done in a game? How many times have you had to re-do a level because you forgot to save? AND it was a simple answer! How about letting some simple little monster kill you while you're not paying enough attention? I'm not even sure I would answer these! <img border="0" alt=" " title="" src="graemlins/woozy.gif" /> Lorlor
Oh pity the poor addicted fool whom has no time to play. wimper wimper whine
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119222
01/30/04 02:27 AM
01/30/04 02:27 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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Well, there's one for starters. It wasn't playing the game but getting it. There was this game on Ebay that I badly wanted so I decided to snipe it. I kept watching it like a hawk, heart racing, palms sweating.... Then I pounced - my personal best with 3 sec to spare - and I was the only bidder!!
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119223
01/30/04 03:37 AM
01/30/04 03:37 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 15,679 England
tigger
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England
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Ingrid, thats priceless!!! Good practise for bidding on other games though!! I often have Duh moments when gaming, at least one per game!!! One thing which has made me turn more to walkthroughs is the fact that in some games you can have done Everything right, but have to wait for a specific time slot before you can move on (a couple of instances of this in Black Mirror) so you start to wonder if you have missed something important. The more games I play, the better I become but there are some puzzles which floor me.... Schizm springs to mind immediately!! Oh have you tried any of the Nancy Drew games?? Theres an easy mode or hard mode (for puzzle difficulty) Hugs Tig
A bounce a day keeps the doctor away!! Playing Sims2, Sherlock, Phantom of Venice Reading Storm Breaking
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119224
01/30/04 07:53 AM
01/30/04 07:53 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 904 Philly
kwbridge
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Philly
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In graduate school I took a course called Cognition and Information Retrieval that dealt with "cognitive processing and concept formation to the case of humans interacting with information storage and retrieval systems." This basically means the way we think will determine a search term that we come up with that may or may not match up with the search term the creator of the database or storage system implemented. In this course we also discussed how poorly designed objects (or puzzles) can make us feel stupid when we can't figure them out. An example is the stove top - on most of them the four buttons for each burner don't make logical sense as to which one they turn on. Even after using my stove for two years I still have to look at the diagram. And I think this would apply to game puzzles as well - you aren't stupid - the puzzle is either poorly designed or you aren't thinking like the designer of it.
Anyway whenever I get stumped with a puzzle or object that makes me feel stupid I remember this course and what I got of it - "You're not stupid, it's designed poorly." :-)
(Anti) Social Development
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119227
01/30/04 09:56 AM
01/30/04 09:56 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 15,679 England
tigger
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England
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my stove has pretty shapes indicating which ring is which... and they are set in a square so you know exactly which one is which!! Now the only thing I have a prob with is that I press on the shape to get a red active light on the particular burner then have to use either + or - keys to set the temperature... I have to do this quick or the stove deselects the ring, at the same time remembering that if I am using a pan with fat in, I MUST use the - to set it or it goes into autoheat mode and burns the pan!!! Tig
A bounce a day keeps the doctor away!! Playing Sims2, Sherlock, Phantom of Venice Reading Storm Breaking
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119230
01/30/04 10:55 AM
01/30/04 10:55 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 15,679 England
tigger
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England
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Hi Glynn, my hubby thought it would be a wonderful present for me.. I do like it but cringe every time he goes anywhere near it Just waiting for the matching double oven to be installed then I'm away.... (I don't do electrics so can't do it myself!) Oh and BTW, if you type your :-) without the - you get one of these Hugs Tig
A bounce a day keeps the doctor away!! Playing Sims2, Sherlock, Phantom of Venice Reading Storm Breaking
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119232
01/30/04 01:55 PM
01/30/04 01:55 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,638 The Garden State
LadyKestrel
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Lorlor, A while back we had a "Duh Moments" thread here, but I think it has been shuffled to the archives. Many of us had the same ones in common.
Lady K.
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119233
01/30/04 02:00 PM
01/30/04 02:00 PM
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Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,323
gatorlaw
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I have already had a major duh moment in the new Jack the Ripper game. Details will have to wait Uhmm I often run past things and forget to check areas if I am advancing in the game rapidly. Not saving before opening a creepy door, going into a dark room or rounding a spooky corner.
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119234
01/30/04 03:37 PM
01/30/04 03:37 PM
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,663 Massachusetts
friedmonky
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Massachusetts
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing to use a walk-through for a game, IMHO. I use them all of the time! However, there will always be the "purist" types who think it is a sin to use walk-through to play a game. I call these types of people "game snobs". Long live walk-throughs!!!!!!!! Rusty
Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes.
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119235
01/30/04 03:38 PM
01/30/04 03:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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OP
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Australia
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Yes, I have just installed a Nancy Drew game and thought "ha, thats for kids, I wont need a walkthrough for this". Guess what I'm just printing this minute?
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119239
01/31/04 12:52 AM
01/31/04 12:52 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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OP
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I just started "Treasure in the Royal Tower" and all I've been doing so far is go around in circles - that is I can't find the staircase even though I can see it on the other side :-). Finding the elevator will be a major victory. Think I'll take a break with another 64piece jigsaw puzzle!
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119240
01/31/04 01:02 AM
01/31/04 01:02 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,143 Virginia
Glynn
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Hey Ingrid...where are you finding jigsaw puzzles that small??? Glynn Liz..been meaning to ask..where Is Cave Creek, Az? My daughter is in Queen Creek, outside of Phoenix...and where the heck is a "creek" around there?? I never saw anything other than "sand" when I went to visit...LOL Glynn
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119243
01/31/04 08:56 AM
01/31/04 08:56 AM
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Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,887 Battle Creek, Michigan
MacDee
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Battle Creek, Michigan
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Welcome to GameBoomers Strawberry. I'm from Battle Creek. The only game I have played without a WT was Riven, only because I didn't know WT's existed nor sites like GB. I've found the more you play adventure games the better you get at it. Everyone gets stuck though and needs a nudge using a WT or going to the Hints Forum. I couldn't imagine wrting a WT, that takes a special kind of person. ~Dee
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119246
01/31/04 01:50 PM
01/31/04 01:50 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,446 the desert foothills
Liz
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Yep......the whole Phoenix area is expanding by the minute.....i've only been out here about 5 years.....but people who've been out here 15-20 years have seen TONS of development going on......i'm sure a lot of the area is unrecognizable from what it was just a few years ago. It's sad in a way......all the development is just eating away at the gorgeous desert.
Beeba
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119248
01/31/04 05:03 PM
01/31/04 05:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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OP
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When I have to give my brain cells a rest from adventure games I play these litte free online games. The other day I came across this little gem: Think of a letter between A & W. Repeat it out loud as you scroll down... Think of a animal that begins with this letter. Repeat it out loud as you scroll down... Think of a man's/woman's name that begins with the last letter in that animal. Say it out loud as you scroll down.... Now count out the letters in that name on the fingers of the hand you are not using to scroll down.... Take the hand you counted with, smack yourself in the head, get a life and quit playing stupid games!!!
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119249
01/31/04 08:23 PM
01/31/04 08:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,041 Bay Area, CA
Melanie1
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Bay Area, CA
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I'm glad I'm not the only one forced to use a walkthrough at least once in most games! I was beginning to feel stupid also. The math puzzles always get me.
I play computer jigsaw puzzles in between when I get stuck, though not the little ones. I usually do between 500 & 1000 pcs. I found this really cool little 16 bit puzzle maker as a free download and it plays just fine on my xp and allows me to turn any image into a puzzle. I'll look for the link if anyone wants it.
Melanie
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119251
01/31/04 11:28 PM
01/31/04 11:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
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OP
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Aha! I've heard about right/left brain before and that there are exercises to train both sides. But beware, you know what happens when you exercise certain parts of your body - they shrink!
Ingrid
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119253
02/01/04 01:35 AM
02/01/04 01:35 AM
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Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,027 USA
Advpuzlov
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Originally posted by Becky: When you think how hard it is just for all different kinds of people to communicate with each other and understand what everybody is trying to say---Think how hard it is to construct a puzzle that gives out clues in just the right way so that everybody can figure out how to solve it.
Some puzzles that are easy for one person are very difficult for another because people think differently, notice different things that may or may not be clues, and have different experiences that help them with the puzzle logic (or lack of logic!)
When you think about it, it's a kind of miracle to make it through a game without a walkthrough. I'm not one for using walkthroughs. Sometimes in solving a "puzzle" I find it useful to try to "psych out" the puzzle designer. When all else fails, try that. The fact that different people see things from a slightly different point of view makes it useful to play in parallel with another player. What one misses, the other often sees. That enables them both to avoid walkthroughs. Try playing with someone else. It's more fun that way, anyway! Oh, and it is not a miracle to get through a game without a walkthrough, but it takes a lot of time and patience, and, sometimes, just plain dogged determination. Let's face it, it generally takes me a long time to finish a game. I probably only average a game a month, if that. And I wind up with a large 3-ring notebook full of notes on the game. Most players don't have that patience, and I don't blame them. They are in it for the fun! I am, too, but I suffer from a weird sort of curiosity and the sin of pride and, perhaps, a bit of masochism.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -- Aristotle
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119254
02/01/04 02:01 PM
02/01/04 02:01 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,638 The Garden State
LadyKestrel
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The Garden State
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Advpuzluv, I have enjoyed playing a few games with a friend, and it does help to have another point of view. Of course, for those who play alone, Game Boomers serves the same purpose. There are lots of helpful friends here. One thing about using a walkthrough is that a player often gets a case of tunnel vision and misses seeing other parts of the game. The person writing the walkthrough has experienced the pitfalls and wrong turns and is giving the best path to avoid mishaps. However, it can often lead a player to solving a puzzle before the need for solving it is apparent. For this reason, I like to take my time and explore thoroughly first in order to get the "feel" of a place. I have found by doing this and saving often, of course, that I can get through most (and often all) of a game without "peeking." That being said, I've found that I will use a walkthrough more often when mistakes lead to the premature end of the game, either by death or capture. In Traitors Gate I was getting captured every time I turned around, so I relied heavily on a walkthrough to get through that one. Syd, How did you manage to exercize them? On second thought, don't tell me! Lady K.
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Too dumb for adventure games?
#119255
02/01/04 03:56 PM
02/01/04 03:56 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 354 Australia
Ingrid
OP
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OP
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With this Nancy Drew game I'm determined to get through without cheats and WT or at least keep them to a minimum. I've noticed that with a WT I get very lazy and impatient, i.e. why listen carefully to dialogues and look at everything closely when I have all the answers right in front of me. This has lead to game endings where I had no idea what the story was about and an overall feeling of dissatifaction and let-down. So I'm really missing the point of the game and wasted time and money. I think its a great idea to play with a partner and compare progress in the game.
Ingrid
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