Lights Out 8: From Time to Time

Aha! I don't know if I've made much progress (although the storm in 2004 seems closer), but I've sure been getting around!

Storm getting closer

First, I did the haunted radio puzzle again with the dials set according to the photo in Andrew Verney's puzzle box. That got me some numbers that I haven't been able to use yet. Wandered around and finally realized that there were more of those numbered cards to find, even though the puzzle box uses them. I got the number two card from the puzzle box, and found several more, one labeled "L", which I think is going to translate into "5."

Andrew Verney's Puzzle Box

But so far, no further puzzle calling for these things has appeared.

Polly is still hiding in Drake's room, so I did more exploring. Now that I have the ghost glasses I'm getting all kinds of encounters. I've talked with both James and Robert. Drake, apparently, lurks. I swear I don't remember those conversations in the earlier version, but it's been so long since I've played the game that I can't be sure. 

All this exploring has led me to both of the other time zones, although I didn't explore them. I've now found easy ways to bounce back and forth to any of the times I want. (Yes, that means I solved the puzzle in Drake's 1912 closet.)

Drake's Closet

So now, I guess, I should do more exploring in one of the two new time zones. I seem to have just about exhausted the possibilities in 2004. Think I'll pick the past, and see if I can pick up a useful item or two there. I know that period is the least extensive of the four (although still a bitch to navigate).

But! That was fun! Exploring and finding things is my most favorite thing to do in adventures!

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Lights Out 7: Climbing Stairs

A little bit more play tonight. Still having a bit of trouble navigating the stairs in the lighthouse, but had some fun anyway. Solved a couple of puzzles!


Lots of reading to do in this segment, plenty of nice stuff to look at, especially this mannequin:

When playing, be sure to look at this guy several times. Odd things, which appear to be random, might happen. Makes for more creepiness, if the echoing footsteps and the "over here" whispers don't do enough of that for ya!


I recognize both Jonathan and Matt Clark as the voices of the little show in the former dining room. This time I wasn't terrified, as I was the first time, on entering the dark little cafe. I do recall trembling a bit at that point the first time I played.


Made it to the top of the lighthouse to see Matt's very nice paintings, and solved the puzzle box. I only really needed the two clues I found last night to do it. Once you have those you don't really need a third clue, although another is available quite close by. (Good adventuring: click everywhere you can click.)


That allowed me to do the radio puzzle down in the history shed. Stupid me, I didn't scrutinize the photo clue to get the proper dial settings when I had the chance, but I was able to bulldog my way through that too, and got a nice effect. 


Also, I ran across dear old Andrew Verney's name, from Darkfall 1. He made the puzzle box, it seems. Yup, that's what he did in the earlier game too, as I recall.


I found the ghosthunter glasses. I remembered their location, having hunted like a demon for 'em the first time I played. However, I've climbed back up the stairs to Drake's room, where Polly is hiding. I remember she puts her eye to the keyhole, but apparently I've missed something, because she isn't doing that yet.


Well, next time I'll pop back up to the top and look at that photo again, just to be sure I got everything from that radio.


So! Another short session, but fun!


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Lights Out 6: I'm in! Again!

Making so much progress on my Kirkus books that I decided I'd get back to my game. And I had fun! 


Didn't play very long, but long enough to take a peek around the outside of the 2004 lighthouse. Found a puzzle in the--what is it--a history shed?--that I can't do yet involving a radio. I also was able to play my floppy disc that I found in the original kitchen when the game started. It has an EVP that I can't understand. Found coins that let me look through the coin-operated telescope and got a clue for an upcoming puzzle. Also found another clue to that, so I now have numbers one and three for that puzzle. 


Then there was breaking into the lighthouse gift shop, and the lighthouse itself! Had to get through the security system. I found the first clue with the first two numbers on the pin code that you have to plug into the door. Tried to bulldog my way through the rest, but then realized that the other half of the code had to be somewhere I could get to. In fact, I remembered a place where it really might be, went back to that and found it! Ding! I'm in.


I'm still having trouble navigating here, but I think I figured out the trick to it.


Anyway, I have read the books in the bookstore--one written by "Timothy Pike," the little boy ghost from Darkfall 1. I love it that Jonathan keeps re-using names in all his games. Kinda like little easter eggs for fans. Also found the clue to Drake's closet puzzle, which proves that I'll be going back to 1912--well I knew that anyway. Can't solve it in this time period because the whole thing has been removed.


Poked around the gift shop and found a ghostly message that I can't understand in one of the CDs on sale. Polly White is here (as I recall we only see her eyes--she's in Drake's room, which is another reason we can't solve that puzzle in this time period). I wonder who's stealing 200 pounds from the till? Don't remember anything about that.


I left it just before going through the red curtain.


But I found some stuff and solved a real puzzle! So I'm quite pleased.


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Lights Out 5: New Times!

Ashamed as I am to admit it, yes, I had to look up a walkthrough. Now that is embarrassing. I mean, it isn't as though I haven't played this game before. Sheesh.


Still, I was quite right that the next move was to follow the map--assuming you can figure the dratted thing out! The map is not all that revealing. You really have to study the thing to realize that you can't go the way you went before (as confusing as that was anyway).


But when frustration reaches a certain point, the game becomes no longer fun. Look up the WT.


Even with that I had to do lots and lots of exploring. However, I have emerged from my wandering into the 2004 segment of the game, as I was sure I would. As I recall, navigation is almost as damnable in this segment as it is in 1912. 

Entering 2004

2004, of course, was intended to be the present when the game was made. I recall some interesting things here, and also where to find some glasses I'll need. That memory ought to save me some frustration.


So I left it there. I've done quite enough wandering in this game for the evening. Now that I've finished with my stuckness, I ought to be able to make some progress.


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Lights Out 4: :Looking for the Tunnel

Well I wish I could find it. 


I'm back outside, trying to navigate to the tunnel. I know it's blocked off, but I know it's there. There was a photo of it in the cottage kitchen. It's a little tunnel with a wine bottle lying in it.


I cannot find it.


I did manage to get into that locked drawer in Drake's room. Just did some basic adventuring. There really aren't all that many things to click on in that room, so I hunted about it bit and found the trigger.


But alas, in the drawer I found a great clue to the endgame, and copied that down. There was also a map showing a path around the lighthouse. I'm just making a complete hash of following it (probably because I didn't copy it down). 


So next time, I'll go back to Drake's room, copy the map and follow it. I'm pretty sure that ought to be the next move, as I've pretty much exhausted the possibilities here in the lighthouse. I've been up to the light and poked around, and now the game won't let me go back up. So I must have done something right up there.


When you find a clue like that map, though, it's a pretty good guess that following it ought to be the next move. I'll also check behind the boiler again, but I'm pretty sure I can't get through there until much later in the game.


I do keep getting some nice disembodied sounds of taunting laughter and "over here," "no, over here" as I stumble around in the dark. Interestingly, these are a man's voice. The little "here" voice clues in all Jonathan's other games are a woman's voice. So there's that.


I think I'm pretty well done here in 1912. I need to find that tunnel, and then somehow I get up to 2004. Cannot remember how that happens. Then there are two other time zones after that. I don't think I can get into Drake's closet puzzle yet, because that sends us to the endgame.


So I'm frustrated, but only because I did not do due diligence with the map.


Hmph.


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Lights Out 3: Puzzled

Just a little bit of play tonight. I managed to get into Drake's room. There's a door puzzle, but if you've found the clue it's a cinch.


I do recall that it wasn't a cinch the first time, but I remember the meaning of the numbers you find in the clue. Actually I hadn't found the clue when I first got to the door, but there really could only be one place for it, so I went back and there it was.


Now, that was easy because I've played before.


However, Drake's closet puzzle is more daunting. I know where part of the clue is, and easily found that. But I can't remember what to do with it. Plus, there's a drawer that I can't open. I'd bet that the last part of the clue is in there, but I can't remember how to get the blasted thing open. Yet.

Drake's Room

Still noticing fun sound effects from other games. The violin is from Darkfall 1, the coughing shows up again in Lost Crown, quite prominently.


Also, there was a fun little poem that is said to you by a ghostly voice in the speakerphone. If I hadn't once been married to a Brit I wouldn't have been able to understand it, but it goes:


As I was walking up the stairs
I saw a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish that he would go away.


I've heard that little rhyme often, but few Americans know it.


And the Story of Fetch Rock continues in the books in Drake's room!  I know that's different from the original release of the game.


Went up to the actual light in the lighthouse. Remembered how to get out onto the balcony and in again, but I can't remember if I'm supposed to turn on the light. I sorta tried, but couldn't. Alas, the outside fog is completely pixellated, and the creepy atmosphere mostly lost because of that. Well, I can't fault the game for being old.


It may be that I'll have to find my way into the next time zone in the game to get the clues I'm looking for. I'm pretty sure that the item I'll eventually find behind the closet puzzle takes me to the last phase of the game.


Knowing how this thing ends, I must say that I'm surprised to find so many references to it. Of course they make no sense to a new player, but if you know what's gonna happen, it fits nicely.


I'll see how I feel about that later on. I hope it helps me to like the last part of the game better.


Tonight I just didn't give things enough thought.


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Lights Out 2: I'm In!

Aha, I made it up the path to the lighthouse! The only way I've ever been able to get there is by just clicking all over until I finally found the path, and that's what I did this time too.


So I'm in. Of course the spooky stuff starts right away. We see a shadow flit by when we first enter. Footsteps run from us. I think some of that has been added, although not all.


But now I'm seeing real differences in the director's cut from the original game. The turn-on-the-light puzzle is much, much easier now. In the original, you had to find a paper in a completely dark corner. If you didn't see the icon telling you to shine your lamp there, you would not have been able to do the puzzle, because it told you how to work the boiler. Then outside on a balcony was another paper, much easier to find, but it had drawings of different ships that you had to decipher in order to learn the order to press some levers that connected to the boiler inside. This time there were no ships. It was exactly the same clue as the other paper, so if you missed one you would find the other pretty easily. Both clues spell absolutely everything out about how to turn on the boiler. Easy peasy. I know that's different, because I suffered over that puzzle when I first played the game.


Also, there are more spooky sounds, and this time we even get to have a conversation with a ghost. If that had happened in the original, I think I would have remembered it. We even get dialogue options in 1912 script. I'm really darned sure this stuff is new.


Which is great! It's exactly why I bought the director's cut.


I saved in James' bedroom. There, the story in the bookcase of "The Bride of Bodwin Moor" has been replaced--in every book--with a part of story explaining what "Fetch" means (it's the Fetch Rock Lighthouse). Much shorter. When I first played I actually read the entire story about the bride, which turned out to have absolutely nothing whatever to do with this story. So this choice is better.

James' Bedroom

My only complaint is that there are no subtitles, and some of the ghostly voices are difficult to understand.


But I am having fun! Till tomorrow!


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Darkfall 2: Lights Out (Director's Cut)

Bought this game as an Amazon download* long ago, and finally I'm getting around to playing it! I played the original version at least twice when it came out (once for me and once with Dad), and I will admit that although I loved the first two-thirds, I really didn't like the last third or the resolution, such as it was. 


Anyway, perhaps the director's cut will make things more clear and the final third of the game will make more sense. At any rate, it's sure to have extra scenes, and I don't want to miss any of that. I adore virtually all of Jonathan's work, despite the last third of the original version of this game, and I don't want to miss any of it.


OK. After getting halfway through a very good Kirkus book, I stopped to play just to get the game started. We read how our character, Benjamin Parker, from whose eyes we will experience the game, reluctantly arrived in Cornwall to map the coastline. Jonathan starts setting up the atmosphere right away. We've already had warnings about the lighthouse. First, it isn't on any map. Second, it has a bad reputation, and the townsfolk want those three good lighthouse keepers off that island. One has a girlfriend who's worried about him. Of course, the nighttime scenes outside of our door help to set up a spooky atmosphere as well.


Already I've noticed a couple of different things in this director's cut, although I can't be sure because I haven't played the original in several years. First, there are many, many more photographs in the stereoscope that you find in the cottage kitchen. One of them looks suspiciously like the "original" drawings of Harbour Cottage from Lost Crown, when it was still a fisherman's depot of sorts. Second, I don't remember hearing the sounds of the townsfolk having a cheery evening in the pub as I move around the town. I recall silence in the town at night in the original game. Aside from that everything is the same so far.

The Cottage Kitchen

(click to embiggen)

Alas, the screen pixels are too low for my computer (a one-year old Mac running this game under Fusion, with XP), at least in the nighttime outdoor shots, and there doesn't appear to be a way to change that. Pity, as I always like seeing moon shots in games. Indoor shots are just fine (as above), and as most of the game takes place indoors it shouldn't bother me too much. We'll see how daytime outdoor shots go. I'm betting those will be OK. Well, you have to expect it. The original game is from 2004. Technology has moved on. So far it's running perfectly.

The pixellated night sky

(click to embiggen)

Already I've spotted several well-known names from Jonathan's other games: Reubans, Spivey, and of course, the ever-present Hadden. I know more are coming. And again, Jonathan's favorite date, April 29th, is when the game starts, as do all of his games except for Lost Souls. It also turns up in one of the stereoscope photographs, if you're really looking. Voice acting is the same. Dear Prof. Oogle from Lost Crown narrates the poem from which Jonathan got the concept for the game as we enjoy our boat ride to the island.


I've only done the preliminary stuff: read the always required diary to set up the story (at least it's short), looked at some maps and pictures, hunted around the cottage kitchen, found an inventory item. Poked around outside and set up the mystery, then met secretly with the man in charge who has sent me out on a surreptitious mission to the lighthouse. The boat ride was nice. However, I was told to gather stuff from my room then go to the boat. Never did get back to the room, but got in the boat and off it went.


Navigation in this game, at least outside, is a true bitch. You never know where in rotten hell you're freaking going. Every time I've played this I've had trouble reaching the lighthouse, and tonight is no exception. Click click click--where am I headed and where is the verdammten path? So I saved there, as it's already too late to be playing anyway.


As with Darkfall 1, the save system is more than primitive. You actually save to a document file. Also, you can't get back to the menu from anywhere in the game--but then there aren't any settings there that you can tweak anyway so you really don't need to do that. You can only choose to save, load, or quit.


I did want to get started, though. Fun times ahead!


*(I'd be happy to buy all my games as Amazon downloads. I trust that Amazon will be there for the next several decades, so I won't lose my content. It's usually cheaper and the discs don't get scratched or lost.)

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Avernum Escape 18: Done!

Well, I have done it. I have finished Avernum: Escape from the Pit. Wonderful effort from Jeff, as usual.


I chose to do the route to the surface as my last quest. Good thing too, because you get a choice of escaping or going back to Avernum to help your new friends. Of course I saved just before I stepped out onto the grass, so I got to try both endings. Actually, they're both pretty much the same.


Really nice artwork on these big screens. I'm not going to post the endgame shots here though. Work for 'em yourself! They're a nice reward.


I was unable to get all 36 level-three spells. The first time in a Spiderweb game that I haven't done that. In the earlier games, once you bought a spell, and then found the level-three spellbook, you were at level three! This time you have to buy 'em twice, then find the spellbook. Finding the spellbook with only one purchase only gets you to level two. If you buy the spell again later, you'll get level three, but I think that's seriously chintzy. We have to earn those hidden spellbooks. We ought to get our full reward from finding them, and that ought to include saving money. Anyway, there is far less money in this game than usual, and the damned spells are really expensive. I never even spent any money on training.


Also, I never got the negotiator skill, which may have had something to do with it. I guess it shows up sometimes, and sometimes not. I got not.


I chose to do the easiest great quest last, of course. Had I done it earlier I would have been stronger for the other fights, because you get some nifty spells, but I wanted that choice at the end. As it turned out I did go back and get the rewards for finding the surface, then went back up. On the second trip you have to fight all the endgame enemies again, but at least you don't have to do it in the dark, the way it is the first time. 


So that was fun! I'm glad I took the time to finish the game. After ten Kirkus books for two months straight (20 books) I decided that I had earned the time to at least finish. And indeed, it took me two days (mostly because I had to backtrack so much).


Stuff I liked:


The open area. My favorite scenario. You can wander wherever you want to go. Don't like the little restricted playing areas that Geneforge and Avadon have. The open area seems more realistic (if you want realism in a fantasy cartoon game).


My characters are still Avernum characters. I want them to be the same as before, and they are. Yay!


The script is essentially the same. Great great great script. Has humor! Put Spiderweb on the map in the first place, and this redesign makes it available for many more up-to-date platforms.


The fighting system is essentially the same. Good. I'm used to it.


Just the whole feel of playing Avernum!


Stuff I didn't like:


The new skills system. First, this will be easier for new players because it prevents you from making major mistakes. But it only gives you two points to spend on each level. Earlier we had five points, so we had more freedom. It seriously sucks to mostly stop at level 30. After that you get skill points only after gaining five more levels. But we don't get the ten points we've earned then, we only get two. I found ingredients for just enough wisdom crystals to get Mycroft to level 35, and still only got those two lousy skill points. If it had been ten I could have increased his priest skills enough to get Return Life. It was OK, though, because he wouldn't have needed the spell as it turned out--although only because I did the easiest quest last. Still. Damn. Chintzy.


The spells system (see above). This really sucked. Makes it very very tough to get all the level-three spells. I used to like to make whole shamans, with both spellcasters having full priest and mage spells by the endgame. Tough to do that here.


At first I liked the new buffs you found, such as Arcane Cloak. However, I've changed my mind about that. Because I found that buff early, I got away from the normal path of development in the game. I got strong too fast. I should have gone to Mertis and tackled the spiral pit, but by the time I got there all I had to do was breathe on the baddies and they fell before me. Jeff has always been good at steering the players on the right path so they develop more and more strength, then face stronger and stronger enemies. Also, you find spell books you can read along the way. This time I missed lots of stuff that I had to return for, because I didn't have the arcane lore skills necessary to read the books when I found them. I shouldn't have been able to get to those places that soon. The bonus buffs didn't make the game easier. It made it more difficult and more frustrating in the long run because it took you off the proper path through the game.


I will admit though, that the closed areas in Geneforge and Avadon really do force the player to level up before getting to the more difficult areas. Avernum's freedom lets you make that mistake (and I made it). But eliminating those free buffs would have pretty much kept players on the right path as has always been the case before.


HOWEVER! Indeed it was my Avernum! I love these games! They just give you a "feel" that you can't find many other places. I'll play it again, but I think I'll try it on the "hard" setting for once. And I'll follow the right path, and not use the free buffs. I'll wait till I've earned 'em.


But first, I've got Jonathan Boake's Director's Cut of Darkfall: Lights Out, so I want to see that!


I am just going to carve time out for myself to play these games. I don't need to surf the web as much as I've been doing. Timewaster, that. Gaming, however, is entertainment, and that is a much more positive activity.


Till Darkfall!


Major Update: Just because it was sitting here on my desktop, I decided to start a game on the "Hard" setting. I have found my level! This is super fun! That was my problem--although I'm really a lousy player, I have improved enough to play on Hard. Either that, or this game has been dumbed down quite a bit for players new to the series. But I'm having much more fun by having to think my way through battles. I'm finally using the items I collect. Normally they just go to waste and clutter up the inventory. I won't be concentrating on a replay, but golly, I have found my game again. This is Avernum! Yay!

Avernum Escape 17: Gettin' the Baddies

So I am a bit miffed to learn that although I've reached Level 30, and plus, even though I'm earning levels, I won't get my skill points until I hit level 35. Sheesh. What a thing to spring on an unsuspecting player right at the endgame. I've pumped Mycroft, my mage, as full of wisdom crystals as I can. I hope I can get him up to the priest Return Life spell. He's on level 34, so when we get Hawthorne, or maybe during the fight, he should level up and I might be able to get that spell going in both my spellcasters. Next playthrough I'll know to concentrate on wisdom crystals. It seems you indeed can get to level 61, but that's only achievable with wisdom crystals. 


I succumbed to one of Jeff's moral dilemmas: I tried wiping out the Kyass Freehold. This is a new town to this game (it was in Avernum 6) of people who just wanna be free from the Empire and from Avernum. It's a quest from our commander in the Castle though. Also, the Empire spy under Formello wants us to help Kyass. Now, maybe she only wants to keep a thorn in the side of Avernum (although it really isn't hurting Avernum at all), or maybe Kyass also is an Empire spy, I dunno. Kyass does have us recruit two veeerrrry dubious mages to join him. But the people there are just innocent folks. So I tried wiping them out just to see what happened, and I'd put it right if it turned out to be a bad thing. But I got 1,000 coins, and a Hero's Necklace as a reward! That is a huge reward. I kept it, and I'll bet I was able to slay the demon more easily because of it.


But wow. I had forgotten stuff. I had forgotten to always hit my Protection, and War Blessing, and Haste spells along with the cloaks and wards. And those things were right there in my quick spell slots. That's what comes from not playing for two months.


Anyway, I managed to slay Grah-Hoth, the great demon. This is one of the three major endgame quests. Also, it was quite funny. You meet these little imps who help you get in to kill the demon. He's enslaved them and they don't like him. Best dialogue in the game.


At first, of course, I ran all my flock into a nest of demons and got slaughtered. However, picking these guys off one by one is a cinch if you just hide behind the wall. You are, of course, meant to do exactly that--that's why Jeff gave us that nice wall.


Once you get in with the actual demon boss, however, there is no place to hide. He summons lots of helpers, but these go down with ranged spells pretty quickly.


Still, it got down to Aldous, my tank, and Cordelia, my priest, both with invulnerability potions. I let the other fighter and my mage go at the very last, once I'd slain the actual demon. Problem is, you have to get rid of all the little helpers he's summoned. Once I found that the eyebeasts went down with Divine Fire, I was able to finish.


Nice treasure too.


Now I'm after Emperor Hawthorne. I have reached Hawthorne himself, but am having trouble keeping my spellcasters alive. I have to keep the priest alive because she's the only one who can do Return Life. So she gets invulnerability elixir. (On my second try, I gave her the elixir and everybody else got killed, but she did too, even though she was still "invulnerable," because she got stunned so I couldn't get to her return life spell before they swarmed her completely.) I think I'm gonna back Cordelia and Mycroft into a corner, shield them with my fighters, and just go after the golems with ranged weapons and spells. I've got a buncha rods of succor. I'll distribute those amongst the whole party so I can keep everybody alive. From reading the Spiderweb Forum, apparently I only have to get the golems, and then I can get Hawthorne. I'll take care of the dervishes and mere sorcerers later.


Anyway, I'm off for another try!


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Avernum 16: Where am I?

Hard to believe that I've been away from my beloved Avernum for two months! Blame it all on Kirkus, which (thankfully) has been burying me in books. I am making $$$, but had to abandon my gaming for awhile.


So now I've carved a few hours of time to play. Good thing I have this blog! I'd have no idea what I did recently in the game without it. 


Fortunately, because it took me so long to get the level three Dispel Barrier spell, I have to go over the whole gaming area to find barriers to dispel that I missed. I've found several, but most interestingly, I found a whole buncha spell books that I either missed or couldn't read when I first found them.


So this excursion has been well worth it. I've been pretty well everywhere except the northern reaches and part of the Great Cave. Will certainly do those before trying too much more in the game. Also, it's helping me remember how to play the game!


However, I'm in the Tower of Magi now, and I know the Blessed Athame (or did I already get that--I think I did) is here somewhere, and the Onyx Scepter. Can't figure out how to get into a restricted area, even though it looks as though I've been there before. Ergo, there is a way in. But not tonight.


One bad thing: I appear to have reached the top levels and can't level up any more. Got a couple of "dings" that mean I've earned more points to spend, but can't spend 'em. I really don't like that. There are plenty more goodies I could get--traits especially--and I can't. 


Phooey.


[Edit: I learned on the Spiderweb Forum that the level 30 problem is normal, intended in the game design. After level 30 you only get skill points every five levels--and then you only get two lousy points!]


But now that I'm back into the game again, I really hope to finish it.


Also, I found that the old Four Fat Chicks Forum is still alive, and have been chatting with a few of the folks I used to know online when we were all adventurers. 


Maybe this blog will get a visitor or two? Maybe even a comment?


Hmmm.


Until tomorrow!


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