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A bug in the "twist" scene.
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Sir Kittithaj
Sir Kittithaj

May-5-2005 09:27

Yesterday I was solving a case: The Baffling Hunt for the Forgotten Shenanigan.

I started by searching the crime scene, as usual, and found a threatening note from a left handed person and a footprint from a slim one.

After I had left the crime scene, there was a twist. I ran into my acquaintance, Miss Pansy Dew. She told me that she saw the cops hauling Mildred Emry off in handcuffs. And while I had to admit that I didn't fully trust Mildred myself, I was fairly sure she wasn't the murderer.

There was one problem: I had never heard about Mildred Emry before. The twist scene, however, told me otherwise.

Some time later, I talked to one suspect and learnt about Mildred Emry. I went to her house and found that she was right handed and heavy. So she was obviously innocent (how the police suspected her was a mystery.) Later, I caught the real murderer and Mildred was very grateful for that.

Still, the fact that I knew well about Mildred before I had ever talked to her or any suspects irritated me to no end.

And it wasn't the first time something like this happened. In fact, it was the THIRD time such event happened to me. One event was exactly like this. In another event I had a nightmare about a suspect whom I had never seen before, whose picture was covered in blood.

Everytime I encountered this bug I sent a report using available form. However, it has never been fixed. That's why I'm posting about it here.

A twist should give a suspense or immerse the player into the story. However, this bug does the opposite; it destroys the immersion. It makes the player to believe less in the story, and thus having less fun.

"Suspension of disbelief is hard to achieve and hard to maintain... One reference to anything outside the imaginary world you've created is enough to destroy that world." - Brian Moriarty, game designer.

Replies

Sir Kittithaj
Sir Kittithaj

May-5-2005 09:33

In addition, I have 2 solutions for this:

One way is to check the player's suspect list and take the name of the mentioned suspect from the list only. This way the twist scene would never tell the player about the suspect he never knows.

Another way is to make sure that such twist scene (Pansy Dew, nightmare) only appear after the player have completed his suspect list. Other twist scene (assassination, ghost, cult, factions, etc.) can still appear any time during the story.

Ophelia Jones
Ophelia Jones
Huntsman

May-5-2005 10:50

Just a little tip, the twists are only there for entertainment value. Don't let them throw you off your case. (Unless it's + or - a faction of course) Hope this helps.

Makensie Brewer
Makensie Brewer
Super Steeper

May-5-2005 12:31

I hardly pay attention to them twist scenes. When it comes up, I just scroll down to continue investigation and move on with the case,not worrying about it. Hasnt hurt me yet :) lol

MarcusAndrew
MarcusAndrew

May-5-2005 15:49

I do that too! I don't even bother to read it. They doesn't give any useful information about the case, and once you've read them a few time, it gets a little tedious!

ral315
ral315

May-5-2005 15:49

Though it did help him with his case, and probably shouldn't have happened.

I think the twist scenes should carry more weight. Possibly, add a second twist scene every once in a while where the stakes are bigger (i.e. an innocent suspect or two killed in a ritualistic murder, a suspect kidnapped, etc.)

Remington Steel
Remington Steel
Con Artist

May-6-2005 00:02

What I love most about the site is the flavor of the world, because I drifted in out of a love of the books and films.

When this place becomes a number-crunching list of virtual bragging rights, I'll be so out of here...

Sir Kittithaj
Sir Kittithaj

May-6-2005 03:59

But, if no experienced player reads the twist anymore, shouldn't it lose its purpose? Call me strange, but I read the twist every time. I think if the game designer (Ben) take time to write it, I should take time to read it too, shouldn't I?

Yes, Ophelia, I know the twist is only there for entertainment value. But if it does the opposite, by reducing your immersion into the story, shouldn't that be fixed?

And no, I never quit a case because of a twist. I never care about what lies ahead, I just want to finish my case.

I still remember the first time I got the "cult" and "nightmare" twist. The "cult" twist left me filled with guilt; should I not finish the case so the mother might find her son? The "nightmare" one gave me the creeps and for once I was shocked when the person appeared in my nightmare was really killed (later I learnt that it was just a coincidence.) That's immersion, and it's entertaining.

I LOVE this game, and I think fixing a minor (really minor) bug would make story more believable, and ultimately make the game more entertaining.

P.S. I'm sorry if you don't like my style, Remington. It's my style to write a long story to make the reader know how I feel in the situation. I have no intention to brag. Heck, I don't think any newbie who only has less than 5000 experience has any bragging rights anyway. I was just telling my stories and tried to be entertaining (which was probably failed miserably, again.) If you don't like them, please pass it. Okay?

MarcusAndrew
MarcusAndrew

May-6-2005 07:07

Sir Kittithaj, I don't think Remington was criticising you, but complimenting how the message boards are used for discussing the game with respect to improving it. I agree with him, as soon as the message boards resort to bragging and negative criticism , the whole sense of community will be lost!

cfm
cfm
Nomad

May-6-2005 08:10

I also think Remington was referring to the feeling of being part of a story book when you are here at Sleuth. If the case load and point races become more important than the story, it loses it's appeal.

I would love for the twists to have more bearing on the cases, as well as the details from the eyewitness accounts.



Remington Steel
Remington Steel
Con Artist

May-6-2005 09:07

Exactly, cfm.

I remember when my friend got the first Nintendo system, and was playing Castlevania. The graphics were so much more detailed than what we were used to that, when he got stuck on a level and asked for advice, I was peering at each and every torch on the wall or stone as if it were a solution.

Since they were just background decoration, then technically they didn't need to be there, right?

I got used to the more intricate details, and the games would be stacks of binary code without them.

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