Let's Play Sierra Games - Codename: Iceman

[Tawmis]

Also - according to a walk through I found (after beating the game, I always look to see what I missed - especially since I missed 40 points here!) -
It says that whole repair of the missile and stuff isn't mandatory. It's there for points?
Has anyone ever confirmed that?
If so it makes adding that whole drilling area kind of weird.

My first playthrough, I made the repairs, so I can't confirm. It would be cruel and bad game design to make your weapons malfunction later in the game because you failed to do this. In other words, it would be totally possible for Codename: Iceman to do just that.

It feels like exactly what Codename: Iceman would do... because you have time to walk around.

[DeadPoolX]

My first playthrough, I made the repairs, so I can't confirm. It would be cruel and bad game design to make your weapons malfunction later in the game because you failed to do this. In other words, it would be totally possible for Codename: Iceman to do just that.

Reminds of something that happens in Police Quest 2. At some point an explosion knocks your gun's alignment off, but you don't know this at the time. Despite not knowing it, you're expected to go to the police shooting range and re-adjust your gun's sights. If you don't, later in the game when the plane you're on is hijacked by terrorists, you can't shoot and hit them, so you die in a "no-win scenario" where you have no idea what went wrong.

The first time that happened to me years ago, I was incredibly annoyed, especially since I'd saved over a bunch of earlier saves. Fortunately, the save I needed to go back to hadn't been overwritten yet, but if it had, I would've needed to start the entire game over.

Yes, I know I could've set up different folders and directories for saves (I was probably 10 or so when I first played it so doing that didn't occur to me), but that's missing the point. A dead-end scenario where the player has NO IDEA he's supposed to correct or do something AND has NO IDEA what even went wrong is simply terrible game design.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm ... I haven't played LB1 and KQ7 yet (they're on my list...) so, I thought I'd ask: are there any moments like that in those games? *curious*

[notbobsmith]

My first playthrough, I made the repairs, so I can't confirm. It would be cruel and bad game design to make your weapons malfunction later in the game because you failed to do this. In other words, it would be totally possible for Codename: Iceman to do just that.

Reminds of something that happens in Police Quest 2. At some point an explosion knocks your gun's alignment off, but you don't know this at the time. Despite not knowing it, you're expected to go to the police shooting range and re-adjust your gun's sights. If you don't, later in the game when the plane you're on is hijacked by terrorists, you can't shoot and hit them, so you die in a "no-win scenario" where you have no idea what went wrong.

The first time that happened to me years ago, I was incredibly annoyed, especially since I'd saved over a bunch of earlier saves. Fortunately, the save I needed to go back to hadn't been overwritten yet, but if it had, I would've needed to start the entire game over.

Yes, I know I could've set up different folders and directories for saves (I was probably 10 or so when I first played it so doing that didn't occur to me), but that's missing the point. A dead-end scenario where the player has NO IDEA he's supposed to correct or do something AND has NO IDEA what even went wrong is simply terrible game design.

Ah yes. That is a bad bit of design. I don't think I experience this because I first played bits of the game at a friends house and was already spoiled. For me it was the bridge in KQ2. I had no idea when I made the mistake so restoring was pretty much useless. I had to start over.

Hmm ... I haven't played LB1 and KQ7 yet (they're on my list...) so, I thought I'd ask: are there any moments like that in those games? *curious*

I don't think so. By KQ7, most games had figured out not to do things like this. LB1 is... odd as far as adventure games are concerned. You technically don't even need to do anything.

[Rath Darkblade]

LB1 is... odd as far as adventure games are concerned. You technically don't even need to do anything.

You don't? But if you do nothing, the game doesn't progress, does it?

I thought that in the LB games, like in GK3, you need to do certain things within a time period. Right? That's what LB2 was like.

[Tawmis]

LB1 is... odd as far as adventure games are concerned. You technically don't even need to do anything.

You don't? But if you do nothing, the game doesn't progress, does it?

It does. All you need to see is the dead bodies; and you can keep triggering those without really doing much else, from what I remember.

I think the only thing you need to figure out is the hidden section in the garden to see the hidden bodies.

I think otherwise if you wait and wander around and see various convos - people will start dropping.

And technically, up to the secret garden part, you don't need to do much.

[Rath Darkblade]

...technically, up to the secret garden part, you don't need to do much.

What, not even pick up inventory objects? Or listen to Colonel Dijon explain the plot?

[Tawmis]

...technically, up to the secret garden part, you don't need to do much.

What, not even pick up inventory objects? Or listen to Colonel Dijon explain the plot?

You literally just need to walk around the house and pick up conversations to keep the clock moving to the end, from what I remember.

This is why in my play through sometimes I'd stumble into two people talking and the time would move forward; and I'd restore, because there might be more to see or better conversations to overhear.

[Semi-Happy Partygoer]

It’s true, The Colonel’s Bequest technically can’t be made unwinnable. At no point will Laura be in a position where she can’t view one of the necessary time-jump events. If you just have her repeatedly enter the right rooms as the proper moments, you can breeze to the end of the game very fast without having experienced any of the plot.

Of course, you’ll be punished with a very low score, and certain optional side quests can be permanently missed if the right actions aren’t performed in time.