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Phoenix Online Studios => Cognition => General => Topic started by: KatieHal on January 30, 2013, 11:49:27 AM

Title: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on January 30, 2013, 11:49:27 AM
Episode 2: The Wise Monkey is out, and we want to hear your thoughts on it! What was new & improved? What could still use some work? Who were you glad to see again, or meet for the first time? What were your favorite (or least favorite) parts?

Spoilers ahead, you've been warned!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: jen on January 31, 2013, 11:55:05 AM
I played The Wise Monkey all the way through last night and although I found it to be a little tougher than The Hangman (specially the quiz part at the end) I loved it.  ABSOLUTELY loved it.  Sometimes in games, like TV Shows & Movies, I adore the personal connections, and Erica/Sully's connection is one I love


Was I crazy to see Suffer?
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on January 31, 2013, 02:29:47 PM
Quote from: jen on January 31, 2013, 11:55:05 AM
Was I crazy to see Suffer?
:suffer: :P

No, you're not crazy. :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on January 31, 2013, 03:14:14 PM
He HAD to be in the game somewhere! :)  :suffer:

And thanks Jen! Glad you liked it. :) I love the Quiz, I'm particularly proud of coming up with that one, and the execution of it between art, programming, animation, and music, came out perfectly.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: jen on January 31, 2013, 07:51:14 PM
You're welcome :D  I didn't notice Suffer the first time I played (last night)  I played again this afternoon prior/during my post here, I noticed him and I was all "HEY, it's Suffer"
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Göran on February 01, 2013, 05:10:36 PM
Hi, I finished the episode tonight! I loved it and it was an improvement over episode 1 overall. Some feedback:

+ Very good plot! You kept me guessing and it all wrapped up nicely.
+ Loved the conversations with Cordelia and Erica's dad (hope we get to see more of him in future episodes!)
+ Clever puzzles, especially the final one! It was deep and challenging in a good way.
+ The new synergy power was a fun puzzle mechanic to play around with.
+ Much improved pacing! The game never slowed down and I always wanted to see what happenend next.
+ I liked how you mixed up comic book art with 3d when Erica shot at the car in the beginning.
+ Funny Ouija board scene! Its nice with a light hearted moment like that sometimes.
+ Music and voice acting is still amazing!

- I saved my game during the final puzzle and when I reloaded I wasn't able to proceed past the "smoking cigarette" question. I couldn't select an answer and had to load a very early save.
- No autosave. Usually I don't care but now I got frustrated when I had to replay almost the whole game due to the bug mentioned. As a Sierra vet I probably should have saved more often but I've become lazy since then!
- Some plot holes: [spoiler]This might be explained in later episodes but how can the killer know what Erica will see with her powers, like the words on the jars? And can you really go to jail for referring students to bad loans in the US? Or was Erica just scaring him?[/spoiler]
- When Erica jumped behind the counter in the morgue she became a midget! ;) That morgue puzzle was silly but as a whole the puzzles improved in quality.
- No way to skip credits. That Kickstarter list is loooong!
- Unintentionally funny sometimes. I find John lovable but he must be the most useless partner in history :)

Keep up the good work and I hope you get on Steam soon <3
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: HitBattousai on February 01, 2013, 09:39:32 PM
Finished the episode just now.  It was better than the first one in my opinion overall as well.

+ Plot was better on this one, mostly because I feel it built things up better to the ending. 
+ The biggest weakness of the first game in my opinion was the Regression power puzzles, specifically that you usually had to leave and comeback to them to get the answers making them too long and some of the finer details were hard to confirm.  This is handled perfectly in The Wise Monkey, allowing for good use of the power without the headache.
+ The new synergy power was done well.
+ Art style is very good again.
+ The puzzles are clever without being too frustrating.
+ Music is excellent again, and the voice acting is generally good, with Holmes being the standout.

-  A few plot holes, it's a game so you have to accept that, but given their bond in the first episode, it's hard to see why Erica would not have back up from at least one person in particular(John) at the end of the game.  There are ways that he could have been "in there" and then forced to not participate in the end game if necessary.
- Erica's fist pump o' anger comes off a bit silly to me.  That might have been the idea though.
- I do agree there should be a way to skip past the credits to get to the next episode preview quickly, even though I do like the end song.

Favorite and Least Favorite Part: The Ouija board scene.  It adds some needed levity, but also hurts your ears as much as Erica's.

Thanks for making the game, very much looking forward to Episode 3: The Oracle! ;D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 01, 2013, 10:41:22 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys! Glad you enjoyed the puzzles and storyline in this one. :) Hehe, yeah, Melissa's singing is kind of awful, but I also love it so much. And the reaction the animators did for that one from Erica is priceless!

Quote from: Göran on February 01, 2013, 05:10:36 PM
- Some plot holes: This might be explained in later episodes but how can the killer know what Erica will see with her powers, like the words on the jars? And can you really go to jail for referring students to bad loans in the US? Or was Erica just scaring him?

Oh fun! I finally get to use the Suffer!!  :suffer:

Beyond that, sounds like you run into some unusual bugs there, Goran, especially that one in the last puzzle.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Göran on February 02, 2013, 03:22:41 AM
Quote from: KatieHal on February 01, 2013, 10:41:22 PM
Oh fun! I finally get to use the Suffer!!  :suffer:

Haha, good to hear that me being confused is all part of your grand plan! Oh, and sorry for not using the spoiler box earlier, just discovered it!

Quote from: KatieHal on February 01, 2013, 10:41:22 PM
Beyond that, sounds like you run into some unusual bugs there, Goran, especially that one in the last puzzle.

Yeah, was not able to reproduce that one from the last puzzle, so I must have done something really weird. Other than that I'm happy to report that I found no bugs. Erica jumping behind the counter was more of a scaling issue to me. In that frame the counter suddenly felt very big.

Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: LordBT on February 02, 2013, 10:27:54 AM
A good episode! My first thoughts:

+ Exciting plot with good twists.
+ Synergy was a cool power.
+ In general good voice acting and music.

- Setting of a fire alarm to get an old tape recorder. That just felt unnecessary stupid.
- An agent is captured right after Davies has been killed, and yet seemingly only Erica is put on the case.
- After all she's been through Erica enters the Wise Monkey's lair alone.
- I thought that McAdams was a bad character during the first conversation with him. Just seemed really out of place, like a whiny manager in a suit with a bad pose, not an FBI-director.
- One Rose-visit per episode is enough for me. Don't know why.
- The episode felt a bit railroady. Like "Okay, now I have done this, now i just need to go here and do that."
- Not being able to skip credits


For future episodes i hope to be able to search for old crime cases in the database, and a larger regression puzzle.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 02, 2013, 10:34:25 AM
thank you for your sugestions lord BT!

And fear not, they will be read by the designers  :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Cez on February 02, 2013, 01:01:00 PM
Quote from: LordBT on February 02, 2013, 10:27:54 AM


For future episodes i hope to be able to search for old crime cases in the database, and a larger regression puzzle.

Your wishes shall come true in ep4 with regression.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 02, 2013, 01:11:26 PM
great, now I want to play episode 4 :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 02, 2013, 02:10:22 PM
Thanks LordBT!

Ohh, yes, the EP 4 puzzles...they're gonna be really interesting & intense.  :suffer:
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Mr_Nabby on February 02, 2013, 05:46:49 PM
Alright, I haven't played the game yet, but I just downloaded the game, and when I unzipped it, I could see all the files unpack. And, unfortunately, I noticed 2 files called "Saving Sully" A and B. And I can only assume that these are cutscenes from the end of episode 2.

So now I know Sully is in danger, and he will live. Try to keep the files spoilerfree next time...
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 02, 2013, 07:11:55 PM
Yeah, that was something we didn't think of until it was too late. Sorry! But that particular fact is clear early on, if it helps.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: GrahamRocks! on February 02, 2013, 07:26:24 PM
Phew! Thank goodness for that!  :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: br305893 on February 02, 2013, 08:31:31 PM
I personally thought this was overall better than the first episode. The episode did feel somewhat shorter though, and seemed to have a lack of puzzles compared to the first episode. However, I really liked the final puzzle, which was insanely intense and very well done. I also didn't really like McAdams as a character. Also, McCoy seemed to have almost no role whatsoever in this episode. That said, the storyline was excellent and I can't wait for episode 3!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 03, 2013, 05:41:59 AM
haven't played Episode 2 yet, though I am wondering: Do we finally get to see McCoy stuff his face with Donuts?  :suffer:
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 03, 2013, 09:31:48 AM
It remains a sight too glorious (or horrifying) for the human eye to behold.  :o
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: tessspoon on February 03, 2013, 11:13:33 AM
Loved it as always! :)

Favorite parts: me (thanks, so awesome! :D), seeing Kelsey also in, suffer :suffer:, the take everything not nailed down line, ending puzzle.

The thing that trips me up the most is I'm dumb and keep forgetting about the cognition powers. [spoiler]"How am I supposed to know the name of the song?" *kills Sully repeatedly* "Oooh, I forgot again" :P[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 03, 2013, 11:41:53 AM
Yay! Glad you liked your character, Tess :)

LOL, well, at least you got to see that Death sequence. It was awesomely put together, I love how that one came out!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 03, 2013, 11:59:52 AM
Quote from: KatieHal on February 03, 2013, 09:31:48 AM
It remains a sight too glorious (or horrifying) for the human eye to behold.  :o
yeah it'd probably require an 18+ rating  :rofl:
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: FuzzyPuffin on February 03, 2013, 12:15:29 PM
I think I'm going to go against the grain here and say that overall, I think I liked episode one better than two, although it was close. They were better at different things.

+ The pacing of this episode was far improved, but..
–...that came at the expense of exploration. I agree with the previous poster that it had an "on rails" feeling.
+Character relationships are getting better/more interesting (especially w/ the Dad), but...
–...to echo a few others, the new director is just awful. He's just a stereotypical hardass who had me rolling my eyes whenever he opened his mouth. We are told that he's more complex (he was close with Davies) but we never actually see it. He just yells at Erica the entire time. Boring.
–The puzzles were not as interesting. I actually enjoyed piecing together the memory in Episode 1, if not the gallivanting everywhere to get the clues. Simply putting events in order was not as satisfying. The secret box could have been a neat opportunity to have a The Room-style (go play that game if you have an iOS device, it's fantastic) puzzle, but Erica just solves it for you. The voice-activated door was pretty ridiculous, and I know that ridiculous logic comes with the territory for these kinds of games...I just thought that one stood out in its riduculousness for some reason. :) And the quiz...sorry, I thought it was silly, and a very direct and lazy way of getting some puzzles in the game. It would have been far more satisfying and immersive to have to rely on that knowledge in a more natural way with the environment.
–A minor thing, some really awkward animations made me laugh out loud, especially Erica's fist. The way the dean sat at his desk made his left arm look enormous.
–Why did John just sit at his desk the entire game, especially during a time when one of their own has been captured?

Sorry if this sounds overly negative. The plot was definitely less predictable this time around and had me guessing (except for maybe the dean character) and I'm excited to see where this goes. And the art/music is still  as amazing as ever.


Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 03, 2013, 12:52:26 PM
Quote from: FuzzyPuffin on February 03, 2013, 12:15:29 PM


Sorry if his sounds overly negative.
don't worry about it, negative feedback is as important as positive feedback, it tells the creators where the game needs improvement :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 03, 2013, 02:19:16 PM
As Stika said--it helps for us to hear what didn't work for people in addition to what did work. Thanks for the feedback!

Poor John. We never meant him to look lazy, lol. He actually mentions earlier on in the episode that he's still assigned to Davies' case, that's why he's not working with Erica in this episode.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: dougieboi on February 04, 2013, 03:26:22 PM
My favorite part was the Into The Woods reference... I'm a huge Sondheim fan!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 04, 2013, 04:17:26 PM
Glad you enjoyed it! :) And welcome to the forums.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: jen on February 04, 2013, 11:37:07 PM
I will say, one of my favorite lines is Sully's Sam Adams/Sam McAdams line at the beginning.  Every time I play, it makes me chuckle
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on February 05, 2013, 08:09:46 AM
Quote from: jen on February 04, 2013, 11:37:07 PM
Sam Adams/Sam McAdams
This is the first thing I thought when I heard the character's name. :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: jen on February 05, 2013, 11:36:48 AM
Me too!  In ep one, when Erica just referred to him as McAdams, I was like, 'what, is his first name Sam, so needless to say, I was super amused to learn it is.  The way he's designed, he reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place who
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Big C from Cauney island on February 05, 2013, 01:50:08 PM
All I have to say is well done! Good pace, logical puzzles. Enjoyable.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 05, 2013, 02:58:08 PM
Thanks guys!

Haha, yeah, as soon as McAdams name became Samuel McAdams, I knew I had to get in a joke about the beer in there :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: grin on February 05, 2013, 06:43:56 PM
Great story and thanks for all those animations in-game where larger companies wouldn't bother.

So imagine one big plus sign here and let's have a look at the things that could have been better:
[spoiler]Also I wondered why the heck you need to find a screwdriver in a p.o. box. I felt stupid knowing  that I needed to open something with a screwdriver and there was simply no basic tools available. I mean, I would even go to a shop and buy one in that case.  ::)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 05, 2013, 07:13:21 PM
Quote from: grin on February 05, 2013, 06:43:56 PM
Great story and thanks for all those animations in-game where larger companies wouldn't bother.

So imagine one big plus sign here and let's have a look at the things that could have been better:

  • make the cursor disappear during cutscenes, it's distracting since ep 1.
  • introduce left/right click in the inventory to examine/use/combine. Just anything to reduce unwanted inventory manipulation.
  • Make cutscenes skipable for replay
[spoiler]Also I wondered why the heck you need to find a screwdriver in a p.o. box. I felt stupid knowing  that I needed to open something with a screwdriver and there was simply no basic tools available. I mean, I would even go to a shop and buy one in that case.  ::)[/spoiler]
I believe the reason for the current setup has to do with the Mac version as not all macs use  a two-buttoned mouse

Also, welcome to the forums, I hope you'll enjoy it here :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Oldbushie on February 05, 2013, 09:37:53 PM
It's also because we designed the interface to work in (mostly) the same way on tablets as for desktops. You don't have right-click on tablets.

It's strange that the cursor is still showing up in some cutscenes, I thought I fixed all of that. For the most part the busy cursor should only show up for fade events or walking events.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Mr_Nabby on February 06, 2013, 12:01:55 AM
Strange as it may sound, one of the biggest mysteries in this episode that I wanted an answer to was why the clock at Melissa's place has been reset to 12:00. Do we ever find out!?  :D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 06, 2013, 05:42:36 AM
glitch or on purpose? place your bets now!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 06, 2013, 06:35:48 AM
Melissa will not be held up by such concepts as time!

Turns out she prefers the blinking clock. Finds it soothing. When she saw someone else had set the time, she unplugged it to reset the thing in a fit of pique.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on February 06, 2013, 12:31:11 PM
Her power went out shortly before Erica got there. :P

Something I found odd:
[spoiler]
At the crime scene, Erica says "Wow, that's a lot of blood." She had just been there a day or two earlier - wouldn't it have been noticed then? This murder took place months earlier. ???[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 06, 2013, 01:15:01 PM
[spoiler]She's talking about what she's seeing the vision of what happened there months earlier, in the immediate aftermath of Kelsey's death. Joey obviously cleaned it up, or the original crime would've been reported. [/spoiler]
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on February 06, 2013, 06:47:21 PM
Ah. I must have been confused about the timing. I was thinking it was before the vision.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Jack Stryker on February 06, 2013, 08:26:45 PM
My thought on episode 2, to quote one Dr. Gallagher: "This is an interesting one."

Such a well-designed plot with some clever twists and an awesome new feature to go with Erica's powers.  ...Regrettably, that's all I can think of to say, without going into spoilers.  So...

[spoiler]There was also a bit of a twist for me, in regards to my feelings for the people involved in the crime.  In episode 1, I initially felt bad for the man who was hanged, until I found out the reason for his murder.  Then my pity turned into hatred.  In Kelsey's case, it was the other way around.  I felt hatred for her when I saw what was done to the victims, until I learned that she didn't kill them and was in fact, the first victim.  Not to mention the things she was going through up until then.

One scene in the game that I particularly enjoyed was Erica grilling the dean about his involvement in the crime.  Now there's something I never got to do in Police Quest!  (though I never did play more than the first two in that series)  And boy, was she good at it!  I was literally cheering her on before she finished with him.  It's just too bad we didn't get to actually see the Cops take him away in the end.

I actually kinda liked Melissa too.  In fact, she almost seemed like the kind of woman that I wouldn't mind dating in real life.  Although I do agree with Erica that her singing skill... could use some work.  (meaning no offense to the actress who played her)

There's just one little thing I don't get though.  Between rescuing Tess and looking up information on the case, when did Erica find time to have her tires fixed?
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 06, 2013, 09:01:26 PM
Thank you Jack! No worries, Melissa's singing was supposed to not be very good :)

Yeah, I love twisty stories where nothing's really what it seems. I'm glad people are enjoying the story of Episode 2 and how it unfolds!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Mr_Nabby on February 07, 2013, 12:49:34 AM
One thing that bothered me a little after a while now is how useless the Cellphone is. I started to think this after I tried to look at the texts that "Oracle" sent. And then I realised- I couldn't. There's no Inbox.

"Well, bummer" I thought. But then I remembered that the phone has a lot of stuff you can't use. Sure, there's "Hint" and "Note" that are quite useful, but there is a lack of things to play around with.

- "Web Search" has some categories that can't find anything. (Would have been nice with some content)
- "Calendar" was used for a puzzle in Episode 1, but now I can't even open it in order to see which year or month Cognition is supposed to take place in.
- "Music" was used to set the ringtone in a puzzle. What if you still could do that, and when Erica got a phonecall, your selected ringtone played.

And then my original point. An Inbox so you could see the texts "Oracle" sent. And hey, why not put some old texts in there to. Like from Scott! We knew next to nothing about him. This could be a way to get a feel of his character.

It's mostly nitpicky and useless stuff. Just throwing it out there!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Guyra on February 14, 2013, 12:06:06 PM
I played through Episode 2 a couple of days ago, and wow! I loved the first episode, but this was quite the step up!

I wish the polish in this episode would also be in Episode 1 - and I hope you'll actually go back to polish it after all episodes are out, and release a nice, so that the first episode will be on par with the later ones. Eye movements, animations, etc. were really great, and I thought the story was superb!

[spoiler]I also loved seeing Erica in action with the Dean. I felt that played a really important part, as it really reassured me that she was an FBI agent: She's got authority, and she will use it when necessary. Very important! I think many games(and other story telling mediums as well) forget about this. FBI(and similar agencies) agents are authoritative figures, and they will use their authority if they deem it necessary. I don't really think "pushovers" would ever have the chance of becoming field agents like this, so it was really nice to be reassured of Erica's position, as well as seeing a somewhat new side of her.[/spoiler]

... I guess I also could've just written, "this girl ain't gonna take no s*** from nobody!" ;D

There's not much critique to give on this episode, I think. There were a couple of smaller things, like when Erica walks up the stairs to Joey's place, it looks a bit unnatural. She looks a bit stiff, and the angle she's walking at makes it look like her balance would be off a bit, so I was almost waiting for her to fall down the stairs every time. :P

[spoiler]Other than that, I also noticed that she could use the SD card on her phone this time, yet last time she couldn't. I remember Sully mentioning the memory card reader being an uncommon model or something, but the memory looks like it is the same. Or am I mistaken?

And I thought Sully's ear and the blood was lying there for a bit too long, while Erica had no trouble walking about, working at her desk, etc. You'd think that they'd get that ear in with some ice straight away, so that they might be able to get it put back on later. And I thought it was really weird having Erica just doing her job, seemingly unaffected by the blood splatter and body part of her missing love interest and colleague half a meter away from where she sits.[/spoiler]

And last of all, I thought the dialogue between the two policemen at the end felt a bit too unnatural. A bit forced, kind of.

But that's all, and half of it's nitpicking. ;)

I loved the last puzzle, by the way! It really made sense, plot wise, and I felt it was quite intense as well as perfectly gruesome! [spoiler]Someone's really watching her, and checking up on how well she's developing her powers.[/spoiler] And that makes me really interested in knowing what comes next!

Great work! :D


Edit: I did miss her biting her lip, though. She did that a lot in episode 1. I found it to be a nice quirk. xD
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: dpolsrod on February 15, 2013, 12:08:24 AM
Just finished episode 2 myself and I really agree with Guyra on this.
Everything looks better, yet some animation still looks weird, like the stairs outside Joey's place and the animation when Erica exits Davies' office.
That's just my personal opinion, though.

I really enjoyed the last puzzle, although I must admit:
[spoiler]At first I didn't think of to use the Synergy power during the first questions of the quiz, so I just took some wild guesses which actually turned out to be correct! :P[/spoiler]

I also encountered a bug:

[spoiler]This made it impossible for me to answer the final question:
During the quiz I am able to save and load the game as normal, and when I load a save I made during the quiz, the quiz starts from the beginning. I'm assuming this is normal. However, when I get to the final question, none of the alternatives nor the "Enter" text activate the cursor. I can click on basically everything else, but not "Enter" or any of the alternatives. Luckily, I had saved just outside Joey's apartment so I didn't have to go far back at all.[/spoiler]

All in all, this was a great episode and it was fun seeing this new side to Erica.
I'm really looking forward to the next one. :D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Guyra on February 15, 2013, 01:11:49 AM
Quote from: dpolsrod on February 15, 2013, 12:08:24 AMand the animation when Erica exits Davies' office.
Oh yes, that one ertainly caught my attention, as well.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: MikPal on February 15, 2013, 07:06:00 AM
Quote from: Guyra on February 14, 2013, 12:06:06 PM
And last of all, I thought the dialogue between the two policemen at the end felt a bit too unnatural. A bit forced, kind of.

You can only imagine what was suggested at one point. NE-E-E-E-E-E-EEIGH!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on February 15, 2013, 08:16:39 AM
Guyra: your new avatar is AMAZING.

dpolsrod: Thank you! Yeah, that glitch during the quiz is one that snuck past us. Saving is supposed to be disabled for the entire quiz section, but after release and a number of people reporting this issue, we found that it becomes re-enabled if you look at the Wise Monkey folder, and then that problem with the final question occurs. Glad you didn't have to go too far back!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Guyra on February 15, 2013, 06:24:26 PM
Quote from: KatieHal on February 15, 2013, 08:16:39 AM
Guyra: your new avatar is AMAZING.
Haha, thank you! xD
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 20, 2013, 02:09:36 PM
I second that, love the Avatar :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Guyra on February 21, 2013, 03:24:02 AM
Haha, I'm glad! xD

This is now my avatar on all forums I'm on. :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on February 21, 2013, 09:20:38 AM
Quote from: Guyra on February 21, 2013, 03:24:02 AM
Haha, I'm glad! xD

This is now my avatar on all forums I'm on. :P

so I'm guessing that means no has any idea just what that avatar is about? :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Guyra on February 21, 2013, 09:28:47 AM
Well, over at AdventureGamers they probably know, but otherwise, not so much. :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: CriticalDamage on March 07, 2013, 12:54:18 PM
I have a thing against pointy objects aiming to eyes (that should be enough explanation ha ha) but it turned it into a really intense and unexpected puzzle for me!    9/10

McAdams...he is, of course, unsmokable! (as we say in my country). At the same time, he reminds me of my boss. The only difference is that if he sees someone laying on the floor, he would just say "get up and bring me some coffee". So, for realism    8.5/10      I really want to see more of him in the next episodes. I think it has potential to make it 10/10!    Besides, if there is an option to push him down a stairwell it becomes a 11/10  :P

The pace never slowed down! even when there were moments we could calm down and think things through, it felt like you were wasting time..(Melissa..shut up.. :rofl:)    9/10

It felt strange without a partner. John has been out of everything through most of the game so far..I really want to see more of him..but I know that he is going to step up sooner rather than latter so I'm not troubled by that

Can't wait for the next episode!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on March 07, 2013, 01:24:50 PM
thank you for your awesome support :D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: CriticalDamage on March 07, 2013, 04:17:27 PM
You are all more than welcomed and besides, you all deserve it.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on March 07, 2013, 05:50:00 PM
Thanks so much!! :D

Hehe. I liked making McAdams unlikeable but still having good points to make to Erica. :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: CriticalDamage on March 07, 2013, 06:52:14 PM
Totally! is the kind of relationship where everything goes back and forth. It creates consistency within the story and in terms of character progression. It already did to some extent! after all..he is the first one there if you drink the coffee (I really need to try that with my boss now that I think about it..). McAdams = the grinch  ;D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: GrahamRocks! on March 12, 2013, 05:38:47 PM
Is Erica's "F***in' A!" line a reference to something? Because although I laughed at it, I have no idea what that even means.

...Wait, how come that didn't get censored but my COUNTERSONG! f***ing COUNTERSONG! did?

((MOD EDIT: Censor fail fixed by hand!))
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on March 12, 2013, 06:07:18 PM
I don't think it was, but I could be wrong.

Also, your magics have no power here  8)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on March 12, 2013, 08:32:55 PM
LOL, I'm not sure either about the censor bug failing there.

Not in particular, it's just her getting fed up with the voice lock not working. :) "F***in' A" is an exclamatory saying, around where I live at least. :)

(I self censored!)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Oldbushie on March 20, 2013, 11:03:57 PM
Censorbot currently only censors whole words, not partials, because it was censoring too many innocent words. XD I added that variation though. :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: jfrisby on April 12, 2013, 10:44:51 AM
Finally finished Episode 2! :D

I liked it better than the first episode -- but mostly because the dialogue/room-descriptions had more life in them.  Particularly starting in Melissa's apartment - making fun of hippies is a bit tired, but the item descriptions there seemed to suddenly bring the writers, Raleigh, and Erica to life - I wish Erica was a bit more obviously skeptical and sarcastic towards her powers, and Rose (inb4 Cain Killer).

Raleigh's accent is much improved (except for a few words), and I enjoyed the campy-ness of the fist-pumps.

There's piles more I could say, like "why does Erica act like a bad child, and never call for backup" or "screwdriver-type logic this" and "graphics/interface that"stuff -- but on the whole, an improvement.  Don't know if I'm actually invested in any of the characters, but I do want to see how it ends.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on April 12, 2013, 12:03:05 PM
We're glad you liked it.

And welcome to the forums by the way, hope to see you more often :D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Cognition1234 on May 03, 2013, 02:33:17 PM
"no more of everyone telling me the way it's got to be"

I really liked the song of Kelesy!
This is a real song or it was writtend especially for the game?
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 03, 2013, 02:36:44 PM
I'm not sure but I think it was written specifically for the game :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on May 03, 2013, 06:57:44 PM
It was written specifically for the game. But is also real, in that, you know, it exists :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: GrahamRocks! on May 03, 2013, 08:05:15 PM
Is there a full version? Will it be on the soundtrack?
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on May 03, 2013, 10:41:35 PM
Oh! Hahaha...I got totally mixed up and thought that question was about The Taking. Derp!

Sorry--THAT song, no, it was only a snippet of song done for the episode. But the woman signing is Amy K Browne (voice of Cordelia and Cassima), who has a WONDERFUL voice. :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on May 03, 2013, 10:57:25 PM
No... there is no full version? :(
Also, it would have been awesome if the real Kelsey (a.k.a. Rosella) had sung it. She has an amazing voice, too!
Quote from: KatieHal on May 03, 2013, 10:41:35 PM
But the woman signing is Amy K Browne (voice of Cordelia and Cassima), who has a WONDERFUL voice. :)
Aha! I had been wondering who voiced Cordelia (but hadn't bothered to look it up). I love Cordelia's voice!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 04, 2013, 06:40:41 AM
Aye, I remember I actually IMDB'd and googled Cordellia's voice actress after finishing Episode 2.

She's really good :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Cognition1234 on May 04, 2013, 01:42:57 PM
 I really like her voice!



The song is in the first minute. what is the lyrics?  :D
What I understand:
" No more of everyone telling me the way it's got to be
I've got a path........... that's gonna set me free "
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 04, 2013, 03:20:43 PM
I wonder if someone illegally uploaded that song onto a pirate website?  :rofl:
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on May 04, 2013, 04:55:03 PM
The second line is "I've got a path I'll take, a road that's gonna set me free." :)
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Rosella on May 04, 2013, 06:57:12 PM
Quote from: snabbott on May 03, 2013, 10:57:25 PM
Also, it would have been awesome if the real Kelsey (a.k.a. Rosella) had sung it. She has an amazing voice, too!

Snabbott, you're my favorite. :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 05, 2013, 06:53:10 AM
Oooh now I want to hear a karaoke version sung by Rosella :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Cognition1234 on May 05, 2013, 01:30:49 PM
Quote from: KatieHal on May 04, 2013, 04:55:03 PM
The second line is "I've got a path I'll take, a road that's gonna set me free." :)
Beautiful lyrics :)

And I agree with snabbott, I really like the voice acting for Kelesy :) I also like her character, in the beginning she seemed scary and psycho, and then we found out that she is only a victim.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on May 05, 2013, 03:54:59 PM
I'm so happy people enjoyed that twist. :) I really enjoyed building her story!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: MikPal on May 05, 2013, 05:11:29 PM
Quote from: KatieHal on May 03, 2013, 10:41:35 PM
THAT song, no, it was only a snippet of song done for the episode.

If only people would know what was there as a temp (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0) before the final one arrived...
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 05, 2013, 05:18:14 PM
Oh great! Now everyone knows Rebeca Black is part of the Phoenix Online staff :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: Oldbushie on May 05, 2013, 05:23:05 PM
Hahaha, oh man the memories. :D
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on May 06, 2013, 12:43:09 PM
Quote from: Rosella on May 04, 2013, 06:57:12 PM
Quote from: snabbott on May 03, 2013, 10:57:25 PM
Also, it would have been awesome if the real Kelsey (a.k.a. Rosella) had sung it. She has an amazing voice, too!

Snabbott, you're my favorite. :P
:D

Quote from: Cognition1234 on May 05, 2013, 01:30:49 PM
Quote from: KatieHal on May 04, 2013, 04:55:03 PM
The second line is "I've got a path I'll take, a road that's gonna set me free." :)
Beautiful lyrics :)

And I agree with snabbott, I really like the voice acting for Kelesy :) I also like her character, in the beginning she seemed scary and psycho, and then we found out that she is only a victim.
I was really disturbed at the beginning of Ep2. Noooooo! Kelsey can't be the murderer! :o Of course, it's a bit disturbing that she was the murderee. :P I'm glad that wasn't the real Kelsey!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 06, 2013, 02:03:00 PM
what if she was? Maybe she's an accomplice
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on May 06, 2013, 03:07:47 PM
Hmm... I'm thinking not.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 07, 2013, 08:41:14 AM
Okay, so just to be sure... everyone here is pretty certain Cordelia is the Oracle, possibly the killer as well, right?
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: GrahamRocks! on May 07, 2013, 09:05:48 AM
Watch- episode three is going to prove us all wrong with someone we'd never have expected.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 07, 2013, 09:09:25 AM
Is it the butler? It's always the butler! :P
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on May 07, 2013, 11:48:02 AM
:suffer:
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: drusain on May 11, 2013, 11:11:49 AM
Quote from: MikPal on May 05, 2013, 05:11:29 PM
Quote from: KatieHal on May 03, 2013, 10:41:35 PM
THAT song, no, it was only a snippet of song done for the episode.

If only people would know what was there as a temp (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0) before the final one arrived...

It did make Erica's comment "Creepy..." right afterward make a lot of sense though.
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 11, 2013, 11:35:02 AM
what's so creepy about saying that today is friday over and over again, mmmm? That yesterday was thursday, tomorrow is saturday and sunday comes after that?

There's so much wisdom buried under that song!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: snabbott on May 11, 2013, 01:31:30 PM
The logic is irrefutable!
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: stika on May 12, 2013, 05:46:05 AM
Might as well spoil it for them, Episode 3's main theme will be sung by Justin Bieber
Title: Re: Episode 2: Feedback and Thoughts
Post by: KatieHal on May 12, 2013, 09:37:31 AM
Yep. That's exactly what we spent all our budget on!