Post by hxka in Type Help comments

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I don't understand why there're acts you have to switch between. This is very annoying and entirely unhelpful.

Incidentally, if you type "find <something>" and then hit enter twice, it would search for an empty string and display all of the files. Which makes this a better list command. It visually separates the scenes from each other, too! Unfortunately, I've only found this after finishing the game.

I've mostly enjoyed the game, but I found most of it very underwhelming. The mystery becomes obvious after the 3rd death, and the rest is just dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Uncovering the scenes becomes rote. I was hoping to discover a resolution, an explanation, or, you know, something. But it's just, who's been where. What they said to each other.

Rob7 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

I agree regarding the acts. They don't seem to serve any purpose and are just an obstacle when trying to look at all the files. Judging from comments here, it's also a source of confusion when players can't find the files when they reach 07...

An easy fix is to have the list command by default display all the files you have found, and if you want to show only a specific act you could supply that as a parameter.

TheFriendlyEnemy6 days ago (2 edits) (+1)

The act system is how the game ~~prevents you~~ from progressing too far with the incorrect assumption that rot13(gurer vf bayl bar svyr cre gvzr-pbqr). [EDIT: it only slows you down, my bad!] If you make that assumption and don't read 06-ST closely, you'll never find the file that tells you about the act command.

The real problem, in my opinion, is that the agent implies that 07-ED contains nothing of value; that comment should encourage the player to look at it.

Also, I could not disagree more with your final paragraph. The two most rewarding files (you know the ones) can only be solved after figuring out the mystery. The agent's final note may not be much of explanation about the curse, but surely the fact that rot13(gur ntrag vf gur svany crefba va gur punva) counts as a resolution to the story.

Rob6 days ago (2 edits) (+1)

How does the act system prevent you from progressing like you say? The "list" command is mainly for convenience. It's there to remind you what scenes you have found. You could do the same thing by writing down the filenames on paper.

You can re-visit a scene by typing in the name again. The list command just makes it more convenient by allowing you to click on the name instead.

By only showing the files from one act at a time, it just causes unnecessary annoyance and confusion.

btw, the "act" command is pretty much useless, it only allows you to rename an act. I never used it. ("title" on the other hand was more helpful by allowing you to remember what happened in each timeslot.)

TheFriendlyEnemy6 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Oops, you're right. I remembered needing to find 07-ED as the entry point to Act 2, and for some reason I forgot you could just... remember the files you've typed.

I still think it's good to force people to fill in a bit more of Act 1 before letting them access the Act that gives you the tools to solve the mystery, but even with that in mind, I can't really find a good reason to defend hiding the "list 2" command.

100% with you on the act command. I never used it; the agent's names for them are fine.

Rob5 days ago

I watched a play-through and remembered another annoyance with the list command caused by the act divisions: in the very first file (00-readme) there's a reference to 26-EN-1 and when that file is accessed it says "NEW FILE RETRIEVED -- ADDED TO FILE LIST" but when you try "list" it's not there (because it belongs to act 4).

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