Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - Printable Version +- Frictional Games Forum (read-only) (https://www.frictionalgames.com/forum) +-- Forum: Penumbra: Overture, Black Plague & Requiem (https://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/forum-5.html) +--- Forum: General Discussion (https://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/forum-20.html) +--- Thread: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game (/thread-1585.html) |
RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - 242 - 03-09-2008 Thomas Wrote:Below are some questions that we would like you to answer in order to make our upcoming games as good as possible: I just love hard puzzles, sadly Penumbra hadn't hard enough puzzles for my taste (except of few puzzles). I especially like puzzles that require some paper work, I mean those almost impossible to solve without writing it all down and analyzing that. It's hard to emphasize some certain puzzles in Penumbra I liked the most, they all were quite diversified, impressive, and logical, but as I mentioned, too easy (in general). That's the only thing that I didn't like about them. Quote:2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one? AFAIR, the hardest was that radio puzzle, and creation of the bomb (which required mixing of chemicals) from the first part, but I don't quite remember why Puzzles of Black Plague were considerably easier, at least it seemed so to me. Quote:3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened? I found its pacing perfectly fine. Being a fan of Thief, I like slow paced games with lots of tension and atmosphere, occasionally (but not too often) interrupted with some quick action sequences. Quote:4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay? I think - more focus on the gameplay, variation of events and elements was enough. More replayability value wouldn't hurt. -Alternative ways to get to an objective -Alternative ways to solve objective -Optional areas (should be rewarding and quite big) -Optional and hiddden objectives -Bigger maps -Bonus weapons/equipment Quote:5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst? I liked Phillip's character, I liked Red the most. Can't comment about voice acting as I don't speak English, but for me voices sounded good and pretty natural. Quote:6) How did you like the ending? 9/10. Story also is nice and what's very important - properly delivered. RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - MercenaryForHire - 03-23-2008 I'm not going to bother with spoiler tags, since the title clearly says "when you have finished the game" 1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them? I really enjoyed prying open the door in the Machine Room, simply because I am sick of not having that option in other games. "What's that? You're a hyper-buffed space marine with enough explosives to level half a city - but damn, I don't have the key to this half-inch wooden door. Better not go this way." Not in Penumbra. Grab bar, ram bar in, SNAP goes the lock. 2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one? Those God-damned laser tripmines. I'll give you the "set them off and you're dead anywhere" due to the shock wave, but they're at least a foot from the ground in-game. Evidently lying prone isn't something normal humans can do - or Philip has a really, really big head. 3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened? Pacing was perfect. Much improved on the first episode. 4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay? Similar to the above, I think you nailed it here. I would like to see multiple ways to solve the objectives - while you never get the feeling of being led around by the nose, you're definitely tunnel-visioned. Having more than one way to approach things would definitely entice me to play this again. 5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst? Clarence was quite good, and the disappearing door and end-hallucination fit perfectly with his character. Since there's only one other character, that would make the "worst" Amabel - like others have said, she's not nearly stressed enough given the situation. I understand the "stay calm" mentality she might have, but she should at least get a little excited about the prospect of rescue. Or murder, whichever comes first. 6) How did you like the ending? The final stages felt a little tacked-on, to be honest. The green-light room, the same "generic brick #451" texture on the walls of the trials ... ugh. Other comments Do you guys need an English text proofreader? You've got more than your fair share of typos, and idioms or metaphors that aren't mixed quite right. Should I just search for and post those? RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - Skandis - 04-02-2008 1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them? I enjoyed building the little heights at the construction site. Although very easy and done almost instantly, this integrated the physics of the game in a very fun way. I'd love it even more if that type of puzzles were latent in other sections (aka, you actually need to build stuff to continue, but it isn't forced). 2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one? Other than finding the book (library) and the chemicals (examination room), I had a hard time with the kennel and Frisk thingy. It was very outside the box, and thus I didn't figure it out at first. 3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened? The pacing was great. The only thing that really dragged it down a bit was the staticity of the cooridors (big map leading to sub-maps). Simply put, after a while I could just run past the infected with no fear whatsoever, because I knew my surroundings perfectly. At that point I started anti-fear actions, like throwing stuff at them for giggles. 4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay?As previously mentioned, everything was fine in terms of gameplay except for the very static cooridors. Using more of the physics engine to move around objects would be a big plus. Also, another sub character or two would've been great. Once Amabel died, my only goal was to kill Clarence. There weren't any people in the grey (like Red) which dissappointed me a bit. 5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst?Loved the cynical and satirical aspect of clarence, and the creepy happiness in Amabel. Only voice I disliked was the hive's one, it felt a bit monotone compared to it's actions. 6) How did you like the ending? Loved it RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - Cathera - 04-05-2008 1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them? I kind of liked the whole climbing thing. Building things with boxes... it was quite fun. And the whole chemistry stuff. A~and the part, where you could blow up things and set them on fire 2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one? The Kennel was pretty hard, because I ran through the hallway like an idiot, having no clue, what to do. I had some help with the boxes, because I really had no idea, what to do. Also it was pretty obvious in the end =_= A~aw, stupid me. The second part that took me like forever, was the one with the big worm, where you had to electrocute it. Solution found: pretty fast. Worm killing: half an hour. Because of being to slow =_=" 3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened? Pacing was great. Just great. 4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay? Just like Skandis said: more people. It was nice to have Red nearly till the bitter end in Episode one and Amabel just died to soon - or should have been replaced by someone new. 5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst? ... I'm still in love with Amabel. Gosh, I was so shocked, as I saw her there lying on the ground, knowing, that it was me who killed her. Her voice was awesome, and... ah. No happy moment at all. But I liked Clarence, too. He made me smile most of the time and I would still be in that damn library, if he hadn't told me, what to do. Just started hating him, after he made me kill Amabel. Stupid virus. 6) How did you like the ending? One word: perfect. RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - jamhaw - 04-08-2008 1) 1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them? I liked the puzzles in the locked room since they were the only ones I figured out before I got stuck in the vents! 2)2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one? The ones involving breaking the glass to get into the cabinet the walktrough did not tell me and I am not the sort of person to throw a box at some glass I might hit it with a hammer but not glass. In fact now that I think of it every time I was supposed to hit something with a rock I never thought of it very quickly except at the beginning in Overture. 3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened? I generally liked it though there were too many times I got stuck. 4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay? More focus on events really gameplay wise I did not really like it as I could not defend myself. 5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst? I loved the characters in the game! You should have had more. I think Clarence was probably the best but they were all good. 6) How did you like the ending? I found it suprising but still very good. RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - Carth - 05-11-2008 Thomas Wrote:1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them?I liked most puzzles except the ones I didn't like (see below). Thomas Wrote:2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one?The last one (where you sacrifice yourself). It was hard because it wasn't clear to me what the lever did. There was no eye or right click where he says what he thinks it does. I understood what I had to do, that was clear immediately, but I couldn't work out how. I tried all kinds of things, and eventually got there by trial and error. The way after walking past that corridor, hearing the running then the scream, then it resets, was so annoying. I also found the kennel bit hard, because it wasn't clear to me that I had to block those holes. It wasn't clear to me what was killing me. And at first I tried to block the holes with the barrels which didn't work, so I thought it probably wouldn't work with crates either. Why does blocking the holes work for something that I can't see anyway? I got the impression it was something non-corporeal that wouldn't be stopped by that. And since it was scared of the light, I tried the flashlight and flares and they frustratingly did nothing. I also didn't like finding the chemicals at the end. That wasn't fun to look for them. Some were very well hidden. I would have appreciated it if you made it impossible to leave the area again, give it one of those messages like he doesn't want/need to (because you don't need to after all). I went searching the whole facility for the last chemical. I didn't like the puzzles where you had to work out how to kill/trap something, for example the infected in the computer room, or your one with the crate - but I did like it when you realise it wasn't an infected at all and Clarence had made you kill your friend. Thomas Wrote:3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened?No problems, seemed natural. Thomas Wrote:4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay?I loved the parts where Clarence messes with your mind, like when he made you walk past where the door really is. I didn't like the parts where something that instantly kills you chases you, like the worm. I don't like it when I got the "Death is the final unknown" message again and again until I worked out what was required of me. Thomas Wrote:5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst?No objections. Thomas Wrote:6) How did you like the ending?I didn't like it. I felt like I would get some more solid answers after working so hard at these two games, but it felt like the ending to an episode of Lost. Overall though I liked it! Good game. RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - rescape - 05-26-2008 Thomas Wrote:Below are some questions that we would like you to answer in order to make our upcoming games as good as possible: 1. The puzzles in the beginning (or first half of the game) were much better than the ending puzzles. Logic and reason is more immersing than scavenger hunts. 2. The hardest puzzles were hard for the wrong reasons I think. It's frustrating to get all the way to the end of a good story, and have it devolve into finding Bromine behind some books. That was the frustrating part. 3. Pace was fine. There were slow parts, but that's to be expected. 4. More focus on logic and lateral thinking and less on searching drawers for crap. Also, the less linear the better. 5. The voicing was good. Amabel's voice was a bit off, and so were the infected sound bytes at times, but overall it was good. The music and atmosphere was done very well too. Best character was Clarence, worst was Amabel. 6. The ending was a bit neater than I expected, but I guess it was fitting. I was rather confused, and by the time I dredged through the boring Trials, I wanted something more. From reading posts here I gather that there is no third installment. It's a pity if it's true, but there was enough of an open ending that another game (perhaps improved parts) would be nice. Overall this is probably a 6.5/10, whereas Overture was a 8.5/10. RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - Guyra - 06-06-2008 One, big spoiler tag: Spoiler below!
RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - munno - 06-10-2008 Thomas Wrote:1) What puzzles did you like the best? Why did you like them? Spoiler below!
Thomas Wrote:2) What puzzles where the hardest to solve? Why where they so hard and what kind of solutions did you try before finding the correct one? Spoiler below!
Thomas Wrote:3) How did you find the pacing in the game? Where there any particularly slow moments or some moments where too many things happened? Spoiler below!
Thomas Wrote:4) How did you like the variation of events and gameplay elements? Could there have been more diversity or should there be more focus on the gameplay? Spoiler below!
Thomas Wrote:5) How did you like the characters in the game? Was their voices fitting? Was the voice acting good? What character did you like best / worst? Spoiler below!
Thomas Wrote:6) How did you like the ending? Spoiler below!
RE: Some quick questions. Please answer when you have finished the game - JoeKing83 - 06-20-2008 Thomas Wrote:Below are some questions that we would like you to answer in order to make our upcoming games as good as possible: I must say that I absolutely loved this game, because I like H.P. Lovecraft storys, horror movies, horror games, horror books and the like. Some part of me wishes that the sequels never stop coming and that the interaction system is constantly being improved on to bring even more real-life rules into the game to interact with. However, as I already said, it was way too short and I hope that the next episode will be a whole lot longer. The loading between the levels somewhat narrowed down on the whole being alone scaryness factor, as you knew that when an infected was following you, all you had to do was to find the next exit, but at the same time, made all the puzzles easier too, because you could find all assets needed to solve the puzzle within that specific map-part. All in all the developers, voice actors, musicians, etc. did an outstanding job and I'll continue to buy future versions of this game. Please keep up the great work you all are doing ! |