New Game: Ramble Planet

Okay, I'm just about tempted to break into the spoilers above here, as I've gotten to a point where I'm running out of ideas.

But first:

My stats so far (without the use of spoilers) is Level: 16 (with fighter robot), Experience: 108, Equipment: 5, and Parts: 56, with 4 hours and 59 minutes on the clock. The only enemies I have left are the Level 20s (including the super-powered Bearlaw), and the puzzles I'm still trying to figure out involve those locked mausoleums (or whatever they are) in the northeast desert (actually, not anymore--I solved it while composing this message, so scratch that one), the fused gates in those houses underground, that dang shadow creature that disappears after twenty seconds, the lonely island with the teleporter, and those blocks with the number 2 on them.

I'm sure I've got a few others to solve that have yet to surface, as it seems new puzzles unlock after I've solved others. But I admit I'm running out of ideas, as I've got two robots following me and I've searched just about everything I have access to.

I do think the two blocks, each with the number 2, are related somehow. The one up top knocks me away, while the one below always races for the center. I tried trapping the one underground, but I can't get above or below it to push it behind a sign (or into the river current). I also have no idea how the 0s and 1s play into the puzzle, as none of them are designed for interaction.

Also, I thought I've been to the island with the teleporter and locked treasure once before, but I don't recall how, or if I actually have been there. Now that I have the robot, I know getting that treasure should be easy. Just don't know or remember how to get there.

EDIT: I figured this one out. Teleportation there appears to be random. (I also tried getting there with the shadow, wondering if it increased my chances.)

As far as the shadow that follows me goes, I'm stumped. I tried running it to the battleground and into those houses with the cannibal holograms, but it always vanishes before I can cover that distance. I really don't know where else to take it. That's probably the toughest one to figure out in the whole bunch.

So, that's what I'm still stuck with. As far as I know I've solved most everything else.

I'll probably give it one more go, but I'm inches close to checking the spoilers above for answers. I don't know what more to do.

Now, for a few minor suggestions:

The roulette machines that spit out tickets and cards should "run out" of supplies when the maximum number of each item necessary is distributed. If there is no more need for tickets, then there shouldn't be anymore need for the machines to spit them out. A message stating that they're out of tickets would be a good idea. Also, in the same note, the broken dispenser close to that location should officially "die" when it's spat out the last possible item it can give.

I found another broken wallmap underground, this time by the cult shrine (southeast tile).

I have mixed feelings about the laser tripwires down in the brick maze. On the one hand I like that they randomly switch between passable and teleporters. On the other, I don't like that the game gives you no indication when they're likely to switch. I realize that the secret walls of the maze are designed to help you bypass them completely, but it still would be nice to have some kind of visual informing the player what state it's in. But this is purely subjective, and I understand why showing its state may be undesirable for the sake of the puzzle. That one's truly just a suggestion, and not much of an actual recommendation.

But all in all, I think this is a great game. I'm in awe at how complex it plays in spite of such a simple design on the surface. One of the best games of 2014 so far.

(And in a completely unrelated note, it reminds me that we should really do something about figuring out the best games for 2012 and 2013, even though we don't have a magazine around to publish the list. It was such a great tradition we had there.)

I'll post again when I either figure the rest of the game out or when I read the spoilers above and then figure the rest of the game out.

EDIT: I caught one hint when I read through the non-spoilers in this thread and consequently figured out how to handle a couple of the Level 20 enemies when I remembered that one of them had been affected by something I've done, but wasn't sure what. This brought my experience to 109 and my parts to 59. Also, I had forgotten to mention that I already found 4 metals and 1 nuke, as they seem to be important somehow.

EDIT 2: I should note that I had missed a Level 7 surprise enemy (I forget the name, but they lurk underground and look like butterflies), so that's what gave me my 109th experience point. Also, I didn't realize the NPCs in Capitol Town were holding items. I haven't gotten jack from them (literally in the case of the Holdbox). Have to figure those out, but I'm honestly tempted to read the spoilers now, as I really can't think of anything else to do.

EDIT 3a: Okay, so I peeked at the spoilers, found the brain and the button thanks to the hints, somehow stumbled across the lens without hints, and that's it. So now I'm up to 62 parts. I still can't get any of those NPCs in Capitol Town to drop any of their stuff. I tried switching identities at the orb; I tried talking to them in specific orders; I tried talking to them with a different robot in the party. Don't know what gives. (I'm playing as the Palsink if that helps.) Am I supposed to have 110 experience? If so, I can't find the last enemy. I've checked every crevice in Capitol Town and I've scoured the dark room, and I'm pretty sure I've traveled the entire invisible wall labyrinth in the desert. Problem is I don't remember how many enemies I've encountered in each section. Once I hit Level 6, I went on a killing spree and took out every enemy I could find one after another after another. So, I don't know what else is out there.

EDIT 3b: In regard to what I've been reading about the red herrings, which explains the trouble I've been having with solving them, I must say that this is a bad idea. A game like this shouldn't have red herrings. The problem with a red herring in a game where everything looks like a puzzle is that players are going to want to solve them. If it turns out a puzzle can't be solved, that will discourage your player, as it's done to me. Hard puzzles are great. Unsolvable puzzles suck. I'd recommend you turn the red herrings into legitimate puzzles for 1.1. It really would make everything perfect.

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I just want to say that I second the idea of turning the red herrings into more puzzles. A few extra parts to find would only make the game better :)

Regarding you last enemy: You mention level 20's in the plural, but the only one I can remember is the level 20 Bearlaw in the desert who is unbeatable. What is the other level 20?

The two power plant enemies that you don't actually have to fight. At the time that I wrote the initial post (unedited), I was still trying to find the last solutions and assumed I'd have at least four more pieces of equipment to find. When I checked the spoilers, I realized I was never gonna hit Level 20.

But yeah, I know of three total, and only two that can be beaten, and none directly.

Of course...if Willy likes the idea of turning the red herrings into puzzles, then he has to figure out a way to get us to Level 20, which I would be much in favor of. (I wouldn't mind finding a creature that can allow us to walk on that underground sludge west of Capitol Town, since there are a number of icons that look like dead bird carcasses and hilly shrines in the middle of it that look very searchable. Maybe we'd have to defeat a Level 16 creature to get its service? But I may or may not be alone in that thinking.)

Oh, the suggestions we weave. Maybe we should just demand a second underground world beneath the first for 1.2 and convince Willy that we can never have too many new places to explore (even if he's probably ready to move on to the next game). :p Or, maybe we can ask for Ramble Planet 2.

Dangit, Willy, why did you have to make such a cool game?

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Haha! Yeah, for a while I was really hoping that the shrine of the core cultists would turn out to be a gateway to another map even deeper in the core

And I was also really wishing that completing the game with all possible parts would unlock a bonus level inside the ship where you have to solve more puzzles to put all the parts back where they belong

But I shouldn't be greedy. I *am* happy with the game as it currently is :)

Yep, greed is what forced the developers of Towns to change hands, so we wouldn't want to burn Willy out with demand after demand after demand.

So, about those demands...

Just kidding, but one thing I did for my game that I think is extremely helpful for the "item hunt" element, that I think would benefit Ramble Planet and any other game like it, is to have a master list of items as a menu selection. This could either list (but gray out) every available item in the game and gradually highlight them as they're found, or keep them invisible until they're found (not recommended), but the idea is to give the player a more organized display of what he's found and has yet to find. Menus, of course, would be divided between parts, equipment, and junk. As a bonus, which my game does, each menu item could trigger a textbox that explains what that piece is and what it's used for. And if you really wanted to get crazy, you could even list in the textbox where that item was found (which would only work after the selection has been activated), in case you just stumbled across it and didn't know how you found it. But I think knowing what's still out there would make the scavenger hunt more satisfying in the long run.

If you wanted to make the item list part of the tour guide's suite of paraphernalia, that would be cool, too.

Okay, I'm pretty sure that's the last of my suggestions.

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The idea behind the red herrings wasn't to confuse the player, but instead to make the world seem like it had something in it besides puzzles and Parts. It was an attempt to make the world more fun to explore, and not just a landscape of puzzles. I plan to attach some significance to some of them.



This idea is good. I'm not going to make a new map, but I am going to use part of this idea.



There is an easter egg item hidden inside the ship...



I think I am going to implement something like this. I like your suggestion to attach it to the Tour Guide somehow. When I start on this, I'll probably ask you for advice on how to actually do it.

Pepsi Ranger wrote:

EDIT 2: I should note that I had missed a Level 7 surprise enemy (I forget the name, but they lurk underground and look like butterflies), so that's what gave me my 109th experience point. Also, I didn't realize the NPCs in Capitol Town were holding items. I haven't gotten jack from them (literally in the case of the Holdbox). Have to figure those out, but I'm honestly tempted to read the spoilers now, as I really can't think of anything else to do.

EDIT 3a: Okay, so I peeked at the spoilers, found the brain and the button thanks to the hints, somehow stumbled across the lens without hints, and that's it. So now I'm up to 62 parts. I still can't get any of those NPCs in Capitol Town to drop any of their stuff. I tried switching identities at the orb; I tried talking to them in specific orders; I tried talking to them with a different robot in the party. Don't know what gives. (I'm playing as the Palsink if that helps.) Am I supposed to have 110 experience? If so, I can't find the last enemy. I've checked every crevice in Capitol Town and I've scoured the dark room, and I'm pretty sure I've traveled the entire invisible wall labyrinth in the desert. Problem is I don't remember how many enemies I've encountered in each section. Once I hit Level 6, I went on a killing spree and took out every enemy I could find one after another after another. So, I don't know what else is out there.

Spoilers below:

Concerning the last enemy: Did you kill the robo-mummy that jumps out of a sarcophagus? Did you kill the 16th level enemy in the Cave of Monsters? Did you kill the enemy shaped like a rock in the northwest desert? Did you kill the submerged monster inside the circular lake ruins? Did you kill both of the smack-talking "rogues" underground?

Concerning any parts you may be missing: There is a list of parts back on page 2 of this thread. Take a look and tell me which ones you are missing. I know, I know, if I make a parts list in-game, no one will have to mess with that tedious process anymore. Your point has been made.

Concerning the level 20 enemies: All but the Bearlaw can be killed in various ways. There are 3 others. The two robots are killed by being denied power. The other is killed by bad music.

It's easy. If you attach it to the tour guide, just set a tag that activates the main menu item for "Item List" or whatever you're gonna call it once the player talks to him. You should ideally hide this one until the tag is turned on. Then, highlighting the menu would take the player to a submenu with the three categories. Each category would open up yet another menu filled with items devoted to its type. Each item would again be controlled by tags. You could just attach each menu item to the "own item" tags on the item definitions to simplify this process.



Okay, it was the one in the desert that I was missing. Thanks. I've got 110 experience now.



I can't get the NPCs in Capitol Town to drop any of their items. So, I have none of those. The other one I'm missing is the very first one on the list (the coupler). I was also missing the tube, but I read the spoiler above and found it through that.



Yeah, the music one was the first one I beat. I had forgotten about that one.

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Getting the Coupler is rather silly. If you would like a hint:

It's in the surface forest and takes some perseverance to get. Let me know if you still can't figure it out.

Here's the scoop on the items in Capital Town:

You can only get 1 of the 3 items from the NPCs in Capital Town. The NPC that shares your race will give you his part (unless you are transformed). The other NPCs will never give you their parts. However, the 2 parts you cannot get do not count toward the part total of 65.

Stupid me. I had the chart in my inventory this whole time. So, it had nothing to do with Capital Town. I'd clearly forgotten that I'd gotten anything from them. Reason #10 for the in-game list.

So, what I'm actually missing is the prism.

Still looking for the coupler, but I have a feeling I know how to get it (unless it involves that blasted two block). I've checked every tile in that area, so I imagine it's a time-sensitive thing, which I know is the case with a few other objects.

Anyway, once I have those two things, I think I'm ready to board the ship.

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I remember the coupler. It was one of the last parts that I found without help, and I laughed out loud when I got it.


The coupler's location was the very first thing I search when I first started playing. The next 3 or 4 times I went past there I searched it again because I had forgotten it. Eventually I learned it was "that dang treasure box that won't go away" and I searched it various times just out of frustration. It wasn't until I saw the message that the bin was "half empty" that it clicked in my mind and I dug the rest of the way to the filthy bottom :)

Okay, I just gave it one more go (without reading James's spoiler) and figured out how to find the coupler. You're right; it's silly. Don't know why I didn't find it much earlier.

So, that just leaves me with the prism.

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Prism:

Try listening harder to a certain Tourist Advisor. He really just wants a friend.

And done.

Great game, Willy. The fact that we have to have some things spoiled makes it even better.

If you add anything to 1.1, let us know. Looking forward to seeing what else you might do with it.

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This is a neat idea!

I think one way it could be implemented so there'd be less referring to the list the entire game and more focus on exploring would be to have the actual item names (and possibly hints as to their whereabouts) not appear fully in the list until an event happens that'd only happen later in the game, for example an NPC could fill in the ???s or blanks in the parts list after beating a high level enemy. e.g. Your Government could do it after ridding Capitol Town of enemies.

That way it'd be really handy for completing the game towards the end, and honestly the last 3 hours of my playthrough was me wandering around trying to find about 7 or so parts and get 5 or so experience, so I imagine it would help close out the game more smoothly.