A Return To My Bane. (Codename: Iceman)

[Tawmis]

So the one game - the only Sierra game - that's ever gotten the best of me is Codename: Iceman. Kind of like when I decided to go back and play Blue Force, I have decided I am going to take another swing at this game and see if I can beat it. (There's a couple of other Sierra games I want to replay that I have - that I realize, I may have only played once or twice, because I don't remember much from them!)

So here we are... newly into Codename: Iceman - just arrived at the Pentagon.

Let's see how long my sanity lasts before I give up... er, beat this game...

[Collector]

Good luck

[Tawmis]

Good luck

I will say this - romance was not really something to be considered in this game. Guy goes from being on the beach, to talking to a woman in a room, buying her a drink, then dancing with her, then kissing her - then sleeping with her! It almost feels like LSL1!

And I noticed that, while he's on the beach (shorts and floral shirt) he bares a striking resemblance to Larry for LSL3 in appearance (before Larry returns to his Leisure Suit!)

I am not looking forward to the sub sequences, nor that stupid game you play with the guy in the sub (where saving/loading is disabled!)

If I knew how to break the code; I'd adjust it just to remove the preventing of saving/loading.

[Tawmis]

Found what is clearly, a very poorly planned, dead-end spot.

So after the meeting in the Pentagon, you are supposed to talk to the guard to get your ID back.

Well, I had forgot - went down to the elevator to the main floor - and seeing the guard down there, made me realize I had shown him my ID to get in; and I'd probably need it. Sure enough, not in my inventory. So I was like, "The guard upstairs has it." So I go to the elevator, and the guard downstairs says, "Sorry, can't let you back up."

Seriously? You know I am on a top secret mission and you're going to stop me from going back up the elevator?

It seems that while you're there, you SHOULD be able to go back up the elevator because the guard already knows who you are. ("We've been expecting you...")

[Tawmis]

So there's no shame in my game; I hate the sub sequence, so I was using the Walk Thru here on SHP. Noticed a few typos in the walk through - also, there's a step that's missed - not mandatory, but it will make life easier. When you're in the Captain's room (the first time) - ask him for the combo to the safe. He gives it to you; this allows you to later decode the CIA stuff from the earring.

[Collector]

If you want to rewrite or make a few corrections to the walkthrough, feel free. If want to, just save it to a plain text file and I can stick it in the template.

[adeyke]

From what I've heard, the game goes out of its way to provide dead-end possibilities and game overs, even where they don't make sense with narrative. Also, significant portions of the game rely on just following the game manual, giving it one of the most intrusive forms of copy protection (the Conquest games have the same problem).

[Tawmis]

If you want to rewrite or make a few corrections to the walkthrough, feel free. If want to, just save it to a plain text file and I can stick it in the template.

I can do that! There's a lot of steps in the walk thru I'd make like, "Bang head on desk." But I will do an update and such, and try to follow your same format!

From what I've heard, the game goes out of its way to provide dead-end possibilities and game overs, even where they don't make sense with narrative. Also, significant portions of the game rely on just following the game manual, giving it one of the most intrusive forms of copy protection (the Conquest games have the same problem).

The game is absolutely brutal. The sub sequence alone; just minor errors (going a little too fast, being slightly off with the heading, etc) - all happen REAL quick when you get punished. And it ends the game. Which is why I finally just went to using the SHP Walkthru for the sub sequence (and still had an issue with some of it, because the punishment comes so fast!)

This is one of the reasons I never beat this game. I remember - WAY BACK WHEN it FIRST came out - getting absolutely frustrated with it. And I haven't even gotten to the guy in the kitchen yet, where you play the card game and can only restore a certain amount of times... who thought THAT was a good idea? Way to strip any possible enjoyment from the player who may dead end there (especially younger players who may not understand the card game entirely, and thus dead ending them...)

[Rath Darkblade]

Hey Tawm... this may help:



(A classic one, I know, but I just couldn't resist).

[Tawmis]

I was thinking more along the lines of this one: http://imagizer.imageshack.us/scaled/me ... addesk.gif

Be advised, it is a bit bloody and violent.

[Tawmis]

As a side note; I already find myself needing to restore back before the sub sequence (just before it) to get something.

So yeah, this game is ruthless.

[Tawmis]

So had some issues; now back to my favorite part of the game. /sarcasm

[Tawmis]

Actually; I guess being an adult, I understood the game better and managed to beat him after about 15 minutes.

Going to take a break before I return to driving the sub - because I think the next part is where I was stuck on forever, eons ago, if I remember correctly (diving beneath ice stuff to cloak the sub)...

[Collector]

I was thinking more along the lines of this one: http://imagizer.imageshack.us/scaled/me ... addesk.gif

Be advised, it is a bit bloody and violent.

The eyeball being flung back and forth like a yo-yo is particularly graphic.

[Tawmis]

I was thinking more along the lines of this one: http://imagizer.imageshack.us/scaled/me ... addesk.gif
Be advised, it is a bit bloody and violent.

The eyeball being flung back and forth like a yo-yo is particularly graphic.

That's why I put the warning in red, bold and italics.

That said - for the game itself, I have multiple save folders now - so, as I progress I am making little saves for everything, with the idea, that I can zip each folder and upload them (maybe to this thread), describing where each save file is from (start to first sub sequence, for example). Just in case I do manage to beat it and someone just wants to use the saves to restore a game and continue on from that point.