COMPLETE: Pas De Deux
Nov. 3rd, 2019 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kjorteoIFComp continues.
This is our fifth IFComp game, so unless we feel like hitting any small nibbly ones for fun and extra credit, this satisfies the minimum for IFComp this year! More on how this year's batch turned out overall in the separate post with the number scores, to be done separately. For now, the obligatory log of browsing that led up to this selection and actual review.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:41]
" The brave companions enter the old wizard's tomb in search of wealth and adventure. Many have done so before but no-one has ever returned. Direct barbarian, cleric, mage and thief towards great wealth and survival of the trials of Arram's tomb.
Content warning: Contains some strong language and graphic violence."
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:41]
is this... is this a Fighting Fantasy book
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:41]
did someone submit a MUD to IFComp
[Cue very long withxyzzysqrl over how apparently, yes, this is a thing in IF! The original Zork had combat, it turns out. I never got far enough in that game to know that. Anyway, I learned something today, but this isn't our genre.]
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:51]
" In the future, robots cater to man’s every want and need. That is, unless you’re a lowly line cook like Irene Turnsole. After Irene travels to her late father’s home, she discovers that her sister has gone missing and nobody is coming to help find her. Turnsole suspects the cultists of The Light of the Future, her own father’s extreme futurist corporation, but proving it isn’t going to be so easy. Irene soon discovers she has just two days to track her sister down before the cultists perform an ominous-sounding ritual. To solve the mystery, Irene must dig into the secrets of her father’s corporation, a world on the edge of the Singularity, and her family's own painful past – all before precious time runs out.
Cyberpunk noir mystery • Two hours • Choice-based • Web-based "
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:51]
Mmmmmhhh probably good but long and kind of bleak, sorry.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:52]
" An interactive drama in the traditions of Soviet fiction about choosing a profession.
Mother and her teenage son live on the edge of the world amid hot springs, steam, mountains, five-story houses and rusty freight robots. Their present is routine. Their future is under the strict control of Progress-program. Which also means routine.
Making their choice they seem to be on the horns of a dilemma. But it may also be a rare chance to escape the dull grey surrounding them.
If they could only find a way to use it.
Сoming-of-age, science fiction, everyday life • Half an hour • Choice-based • Web-based "
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:53]
Celine: ... Look, I'm not against bleak games? I mean, I have an entire category for Crying Bulbasaur. I love Freebird to an almost evangelical degree. I did not suddenly become allergic to this. I just... I think IFComp has depression.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:53]
And... I dunno, I guess our first two IFComps this year burnt us out.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:54]
" Striding into the spotlight, you smile as you look out over the crowd. It's a good turnout tonight. Now it is up to the Bournebrook Rill Community Orchestra and you, maestro Nevada Elmsbee, to deliver a spectacular performance.
Keep an eye on your score—or don't!—in this multi-layered parser/choice hybrid. Casually explore the interactive scene, or tackle the full puzzle lurking underneath to reach the best ending. Available for the web (recommended) and as a traditional Z-machine story file.
An hour and a half • Parser-based • Z-code (See guide) • Download includes additional content "
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:54]
Celine: God if this were shorter I would be all over it. This sounds GOOD. Like, you have my attention.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:54]
Even at an hour and a half, I'm strongly considering.
---
And then we sat on that for a while and then decided, yeah, you know what, sure. This looks good. And so, we conclude this year's IFComp (maybe? Unless extra credit?) with Pas De Deux by Linus Åkesson.
It was really good and I'm glad the time to complete didn't scare us off. Emphatically worth it and highly recommended.
You are the conductor of an amateur symphony orchestra performing Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker. You have the ability to fuss with your score sheet (open or turn to a specific page, turn to the next page, etc.) and look around at people and things, and that's about it. Every action except saving and the like makes a turn pass. Standing around examining the audience and orchestra and concert hall, contemplating the life stories of every individual member of your orchestra, etc. are not free actions, and people will get impatient for you to start doing your job.
This is an amateur orchestra, so you need to keep everyone on the rails. For the most part, this means keeping track of where you are on the score sheet, paying attention to its notes about "On the second bar of this page, the flute section comes in" and so on, and looking in their direction the turn before their cue. There is one minor Sierra-like time bomb in the form of a sleepy tuba player who needs to be woken up sometime after he dozes off but before his actual cue, such that he'll be ready when it's time to look his way. Other than that, it's mostly about looking at everyone the exact turn you're supposed to and trying to balance when you have a safe breather moment to turn the page, remembering where you are and working a little ahead just in case you need to cue someone on the very first bar of the next page. (Just like in real life, I assume.)
This was a lot of fun. It strikes a very good balance of puzzles that require just enough thinking to make me feel clever without being so obtuse that it was ever frustrating. (I was even able to use the included feelies in a clever way to come up with the solution, and felt properly smart and proud of myself when I did. Well done!) The feeling of averting every potential disaster and pulling off a five-star performance is immensely rewarding. I came close to missing the two-hour time limit cutoff and was very nervous toward the end, because I had to follow IFComp rules but I legitimately did not want to stop playing; I was enjoying this too much. Fortunately, I completed it just in time, but that just goes to show how invested I was in the ride.
Bravo, encore, etc.
This is our fifth IFComp game, so unless we feel like hitting any small nibbly ones for fun and extra credit, this satisfies the minimum for IFComp this year! More on how this year's batch turned out overall in the separate post with the number scores, to be done separately. For now, the obligatory log of browsing that led up to this selection and actual review.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:41]
" The brave companions enter the old wizard's tomb in search of wealth and adventure. Many have done so before but no-one has ever returned. Direct barbarian, cleric, mage and thief towards great wealth and survival of the trials of Arram's tomb.
Content warning: Contains some strong language and graphic violence."
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:41]
is this... is this a Fighting Fantasy book
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:41]
did someone submit a MUD to IFComp
[Cue very long with
xyzzysqrl over how apparently, yes, this is a thing in IF! The original Zork had combat, it turns out. I never got far enough in that game to know that. Anyway, I learned something today, but this isn't our genre.]Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:51]
" In the future, robots cater to man’s every want and need. That is, unless you’re a lowly line cook like Irene Turnsole. After Irene travels to her late father’s home, she discovers that her sister has gone missing and nobody is coming to help find her. Turnsole suspects the cultists of The Light of the Future, her own father’s extreme futurist corporation, but proving it isn’t going to be so easy. Irene soon discovers she has just two days to track her sister down before the cultists perform an ominous-sounding ritual. To solve the mystery, Irene must dig into the secrets of her father’s corporation, a world on the edge of the Singularity, and her family's own painful past – all before precious time runs out.
Cyberpunk noir mystery • Two hours • Choice-based • Web-based "
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:51]
Mmmmmhhh probably good but long and kind of bleak, sorry.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:52]
" An interactive drama in the traditions of Soviet fiction about choosing a profession.
Mother and her teenage son live on the edge of the world amid hot springs, steam, mountains, five-story houses and rusty freight robots. Their present is routine. Their future is under the strict control of Progress-program. Which also means routine.
Making their choice they seem to be on the horns of a dilemma. But it may also be a rare chance to escape the dull grey surrounding them.
If they could only find a way to use it.
Сoming-of-age, science fiction, everyday life • Half an hour • Choice-based • Web-based "
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:53]
Celine: ... Look, I'm not against bleak games? I mean, I have an entire category for Crying Bulbasaur. I love Freebird to an almost evangelical degree. I did not suddenly become allergic to this. I just... I think IFComp has depression.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:53]
And... I dunno, I guess our first two IFComps this year burnt us out.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:54]
" Striding into the spotlight, you smile as you look out over the crowd. It's a good turnout tonight. Now it is up to the Bournebrook Rill Community Orchestra and you, maestro Nevada Elmsbee, to deliver a spectacular performance.
Keep an eye on your score—or don't!—in this multi-layered parser/choice hybrid. Casually explore the interactive scene, or tackle the full puzzle lurking underneath to reach the best ending. Available for the web (recommended) and as a traditional Z-machine story file.
An hour and a half • Parser-based • Z-code (See guide) • Download includes additional content "
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:54]
Celine: God if this were shorter I would be all over it. This sounds GOOD. Like, you have my attention.
Celine & Sara Kalante, [25.10.19 00:54]
Even at an hour and a half, I'm strongly considering.
---
And then we sat on that for a while and then decided, yeah, you know what, sure. This looks good. And so, we conclude this year's IFComp (maybe? Unless extra credit?) with Pas De Deux by Linus Åkesson.
It was really good and I'm glad the time to complete didn't scare us off. Emphatically worth it and highly recommended.
You are the conductor of an amateur symphony orchestra performing Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker. You have the ability to fuss with your score sheet (open or turn to a specific page, turn to the next page, etc.) and look around at people and things, and that's about it. Every action except saving and the like makes a turn pass. Standing around examining the audience and orchestra and concert hall, contemplating the life stories of every individual member of your orchestra, etc. are not free actions, and people will get impatient for you to start doing your job.
This is an amateur orchestra, so you need to keep everyone on the rails. For the most part, this means keeping track of where you are on the score sheet, paying attention to its notes about "On the second bar of this page, the flute section comes in" and so on, and looking in their direction the turn before their cue. There is one minor Sierra-like time bomb in the form of a sleepy tuba player who needs to be woken up sometime after he dozes off but before his actual cue, such that he'll be ready when it's time to look his way. Other than that, it's mostly about looking at everyone the exact turn you're supposed to and trying to balance when you have a safe breather moment to turn the page, remembering where you are and working a little ahead just in case you need to cue someone on the very first bar of the next page. (Just like in real life, I assume.)
This was a lot of fun. It strikes a very good balance of puzzles that require just enough thinking to make me feel clever without being so obtuse that it was ever frustrating. (I was even able to use the included feelies in a clever way to come up with the solution, and felt properly smart and proud of myself when I did. Well done!) The feeling of averting every potential disaster and pulling off a five-star performance is immensely rewarding. I came close to missing the two-hour time limit cutoff and was very nervous toward the end, because I had to follow IFComp rules but I legitimately did not want to stop playing; I was enjoying this too much. Fortunately, I completed it just in time, but that just goes to show how invested I was in the ride.
Bravo, encore, etc.