Tavis Ormandy
2021-01-11 19:50:44 UTC
The infocom games were before my time, but I have an open
mind about this stuff, so I tried playing the HHGTTG game
this weekend.
There were some lines that felt like DNA had written them
(maybe he did, I know he was involved). That was cool.
The main problem for me was that what soft-locking
(getting the game into a state where you cannot make
progress) seems to be part of the game, which is super
frustrating.
Don't get me wrong, I've played old Sierra games, but I
think they would still have considered soft-locking
progress a bug?
Here's an example, early on, Ford offers you a towel - if
you accept it, the game continues but you can't actually
There are still some fun lines, e.g.
concentrating on developing a good firm rigor
mortis.
Here's another example in the Vogon hold, there's a puzzle
where you have to build a rube goldberg machine to get a
babel fish. The flavor text wasn't from the book but does
sound like it was written by DNA, the kind of content I
was hoping for!
The problem is, if you didn't get all the items you needed
to build it, too bad you're dead. The game never tells you
you can't progress though, so you have to have played it
enough to get frustrated and lookup the solution.
Honestly, it spoiled what could have been a fun puzzle.
across the room and hits the dressing gown.
The fish slides down the sleeve of the gown and falls to
the floor, landing on the towel. A split
second later, a tiny cleaning robot whizzes across the
floor, grabs the fish, and continues its
breakneck pace toward a tiny robot panel at the base of
the wall. The robot zips through the
panel, and is gone.
I don't know if I have the patience to finish the game,
which is a shame because I there is some content I would
have really enjoyed!
mind about this stuff, so I tried playing the HHGTTG game
this weekend.
There were some lines that felt like DNA had written them
(maybe he did, I know he was involved). That was cool.
The main problem for me was that what soft-locking
(getting the game into a state where you cannot make
progress) seems to be part of the game, which is super
frustrating.
Don't get me wrong, I've played old Sierra games, but I
think they would still have considered soft-locking
progress a bug?
Here's an example, early on, Ford offers you a towel - if
you accept it, the game continues but you can't actually
Moments later, your friend Ford Prefect arrives. He
hardly seems to notice your predicament, but
keeps glancing nervously at the sky. He says, "Hello,
Arthur," takes a towel from his battered
leather satchel, and offers it to you.
....Silly me, I guess???hardly seems to notice your predicament, but
keeps glancing nervously at the sky. He says, "Hello,
Arthur," takes a towel from his battered
leather satchel, and offers it to you.
take towel
There are still some fun lines, e.g.
look around
You keep out of this, you're dead and should beconcentrating on developing a good firm rigor
mortis.
where you have to build a rube goldberg machine to get a
babel fish. The flavor text wasn't from the book but does
sound like it was written by DNA, the kind of content I
was hoping for!
The problem is, if you didn't get all the items you needed
to build it, too bad you're dead. The game never tells you
you can't progress though, so you have to have played it
enough to get frustrated and lookup the solution.
Honestly, it spoiled what could have been a fun puzzle.
press dispenser button
A single babel fish shoots out of the slot. It sailsacross the room and hits the dressing gown.
The fish slides down the sleeve of the gown and falls to
the floor, landing on the towel. A split
second later, a tiny cleaning robot whizzes across the
floor, grabs the fish, and continues its
breakneck pace toward a tiny robot panel at the base of
the wall. The robot zips through the
panel, and is gone.
which is a shame because I there is some content I would
have really enjoyed!
--
_o)
/\\ _o) _o)
_\_V _( ) _( ) :wq!
_o)
/\\ _o) _o)
_\_V _( ) _( ) :wq!