Room 127 by Malcolm Pierce
Let me know if there's anything more important I could be doing.
Steve
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/27/13 10:25am
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re: Another step closer!
Ken:
So like I said, I booted up Room 127 again. I'd finished my review, and I figured what the hell... There had to be something missing. Turns out I was right, though I still haven't figured out much else.
My problem was that I assumed Room 127 was a platformer. I thought it was about running and jumping, because I could run and jump. I should have known that wasn't it. There weren't any platforms or pits. And there wasn't anywhere to go. The black hallway just continues forever off on the right of the screen.
So I was messing around with it this morning and I hit the TAB key. Suddenly there was a blinking cursor down at the bottom of the screen, below the floor of the hallway and my character's feet. It's a text input. I can type things in and try to get the game to respond.
I still haven't figured out any commands that work. I tried the basic adventure game tropes. Look around. Look at hallway. Go north, east, south, and west. Everything I've put in just gets the same response: INPUT NOT RECOGNIZED.
At least I got somewhere, right?
Steve
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/27/13, 11:30am
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re: Room 127
Yo Steve, Ken forwarded your last e-mail to me. I used to play tons of adventure games back in the day. Back when Telltale wasn't the only one making 'em.
Try typing in INVENTORY or INV or maybe just the letter “I”. Maybe you start with some object that you can interact with that will give you a clue about what to do next. Also try INFO or ABOUT. Sometimes interactive fiction writers hide a tutorial in one of those commands.
Good luck, man.
Dave
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/27/13, 1:12pm
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re: re: Room 127
Okay, so I tried everything you suggested. INFO and ABOUT got me nothing. Just the usual INPUT NOT RECOGNIZED. I and INV were the same, but when I typed in INVENTORY the screen went black. I had to press the space button to return to the main screen.
What do you think that means?
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/27/13, 1:44pm
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re: re: Room 127
I think it means that you have an inventory, it's just that there's nothing in it yet. When you pick up something in the game, it should appear on the blank page that comes up. That doesn't help you now, though, does it?
[email protected] (Brett Jackson) 5/27/13, 2:02pm
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re: What is that fucking music?
Steve, seriously, what are you playing over there? If I hear that song loop one more time I think I'm going to have to come over there and put a pen into your speakers.
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/27/13, 2:11pm
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re: re: What is that fucking music?
Brett:
Sorry about that. I guess I wasn't even thinking about it. It's this weird disk Ken gave me. I think it's an indie adventure game, but I still haven't figured it out. I tried to turn down the volume, but even muting the speakers in the task bar wouldn't work. I'll plug in my headphones.
Steve
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/27/13, 2:31pm
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re: re: Room 127
Thanks for all your help. I think I need to put it down now. I'm getting a headache again. Had to put in earbuds to keep from driving Brett crazy and now even though I've shut down the game, I think I can still hear that god damn midi loop.
Any clue why muting the computer wouldn't make it stop? Everything else goes quiet, just not Room 127. Compatibility mode? Maybe I should send Anna down in IT a message.
Steve
[email protected] (Anna Walker) 5/27/13, 3:25pm
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re: Sound Volume Issue
Steve:
I got your message. Are you sure you're muting the computer from the task bar? If you accidentally clicked into the mixer, you might be individually muting the system sounds. Either way, that sounds real weird. I'll be up to look into it soon.
Anna
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/27/13, 8:07pm
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re: WAIT
Steve:
Okay, I know there's no way you're at the office, but I just thought of this and you need to give it a try. Next time you're playing that game, try the command “WAIT”. I know that sounds crazy, but maybe you can't do anything because it's not the right time in the game. Maybe you have to wait for something. If that doesn't work, try “Z”.
In a lot of adventure and some interactive fiction games, there is a fail state if you wait too long without doing anything. At least if you get a game over, you'll know you can do something to affect the game, right?
Dave
[email protected] (THE ULTIMATE NINJA) 5/28/13, 1:09am
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re: Your “Review”
Steven, if that is your real name, I have an issue to take with your so-called review of Eventful Conflict Eternia. First, you fail to point out that the proper translation of the title should be “The Decisive Battle Eternia”, which immediately tells me that you have not done your due diligence before committing to an evaluation of the game.
Second, I quibble with your characterization of Dark Touya as an antagonist. Based on the amount of time that he spends assisting your party rather than hindering it, I believe that he would be more properly described as a “foil”. The relationship between Dark Touya and the player character is vital, and it is not surprising that you were unable to appreciate the story if it went over your head.
Third, the battle system is only simple if you are determined to exploit it. There are, in fact, limitless ways to build your party. Sure, if you go straight for characters that “exploit the systems”, as you put it, the game will become trivial. You obviously did not come into the experience with the proper mindset.
I hope you will take these criticisms into consideration the next time you review a game. If not, I hope instead that you are lobotomized.
SHINJI420xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[email protected] (Anna Walker) 5/28/13, 7:41am
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re: Your Computer Checks Out
Steve:
Nothing seems wrong with your computer. I was able to mute the whole system without any problems. I wasn't able to run the program you were talking about. It just crashed on me when I tried.
I can't imagine that a program like that is overriding the system settings, though, so you should be set.
Anna
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/28/13 9:05am
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re: re: Your Computer Checks Out
Thanks Anna! I just tried it out and the music still plays, even with everything muted. Don't worry about it, though. I guess it's just part of the experience.
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/28/13, 9:30am
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re: fwd: Your “Review”
Ken:
I think I just got my first piece of hate mail. Is this normal?
Steve
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re: re: WAIT
attachment: hallway.png; hallway2.png; hallway3.png
Dave:
We're getting closer. I did like you suggested. I'm attaching a few screen shots to show you what happened. The first one is the black hallway when I first start up Room 127. You can see the windows in the background. At least I think they're windows. They are almost pure white. After I typed in “wait” they got darker. See the second picture. I did it a few more times and then they were almost completely dark. See the third picture.
I think there's some kind of day/night cycle. Maybe the first thing I have to do happens at a certain time of day. I just need to figure that out.
Thanks again,
Steve
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/28/13, 10:42am
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re: re: WAIT
I think you attached the wrong pictures, dude. But that photo is pretty creepy.
[email protected] (Ken Greene) 5/28/13, 10:59am
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re: fwd: Your “Review”
Hey Steve, don't let it get under your skin. I had someone tell me that he wanted me to die unsuccessful, alone, and senile because I only gave Halo 3 a 9 out of 10.
Ken
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/28/13, 11:09am
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re: Another Computer Issue
attachment: wall.png
Anna:
I'm really sorry to keep bugging you about stuff like this, but something else came up with my computer. I was trying to take screenshots of a game I was playing but the pictures came out weird.
Normally if I'm trying to take a screenshot of a game I use FRAPS. But I don't think this game uses DirectX so I'm pretty sure that won't work. I didn't know what else to do, so I simply tried a standard alt print screen. The results were...unexpected.
I pasted the clipboard into photoshop and it looked fine. But when I saved it and e-mailed it to Dave, it turned into... this. I attached the photo. All three screenshots turned into this photograph. I don't even know what this picture is.
Where do you think this came from? I didn't have anything like this saved on my computer.
Steve
[email protected] (Anna Walker) 5/28/13, 12:31pm
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re: re: Another Computer Issue
Steve, that is bizarre. I'll take a look at this file but if you want my honest opinion, you probably had the picture saved to the clipboard before and you didn't take the screenshot right. That's my best guess.
Were you browsing UrbEx photos before you played? Maybe you copied one to your clipboard? It's no big deal if you were. Trust me, I've seen much worse pop up on the webfilter. Abandoned buildings aren't anything to be ashamed of.
Anna
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/28/13, 1:14pm
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re: Room 127 Disk?
Hey Steve, this whole picture thing has made me so fucking curious about this game of yours. Do you mind if I borrow the disk and install it on my computer? Like I said, I've got a history with adventure games. Maybe we can work on this together. Two heads are better than one.
Don't worry, I'll let you write the article if it comes to that.
Dave
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5//28/13, 2:50pm
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re: re: Room 127 Disk?
Dave:
No problem. I also have a USB floppy drive from the IT department. You'll probably need that, too.
Steve
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/28/13, 8:11pm
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re: re: Room 127 Disk
I'm finally on my way home for the night. Spent probably the last hour and a half trying to figure out what to do next in that game. You were right about the music. What is that song? It sounds familiar, and it's freaking me out. Where have I heard it before?
Whatever. I managed to push forward, if only a little bit. We were right. There's some kind of day/night cycle but for now it ends at night. I can keep waiting and it never gets to be day again. The game isn't any different in the middle of the night, so I restarted. However, in the middle—when the windows are gray instead of white or almost black—I think I heard the music slow down a little.
I walked forward some more, and the hallway was different from before. It wasn't just the same repeating background texture over and over again. The windows disappeared. I tried some more text commands here, but nothing happened.
Then I looked at the clock. It's way too late for me to be here. I think I'm the only one here. Not sure where the time went. We'll look at this more tomorrow.
Dave
[email protected] (Dave Ritter) 5/29/13, 7:03am
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re: Wednesday Morning
attachment: prompts.txt
Ken:
I think I'm going to stay home today. Something's up with my stomach. I got Taco Bell on the way home from work today so yeah, I know this is my own fucking fault. I have a review to work on from home and I'll try to make something of my free time.
Brett:
If it's not a big deal, could you edit the video of our review for Deathzone? I've got most of the work done. Just need to synch up the sound and cut out the bit where Jill has the sneezing fit. I know we wanted to get that out today.
Steve:
Looks like I won't be able to fuck around with Room 127 today. Too bad. I've been thinking about it a lot. Take a look at what I wrote you last night. Let me know if you get anywhere new. I think there has to be something you can do in the darkness. I've attached a list of common interactive fiction prompts. Just start throwing them into the text field. Something has to work.
Dave
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/29/13, 8:59am
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re: Music Question
attachment: room127.mp3
Hi Jane! Hope everything's going well. Did I hear right that you're doing sound work for the Custom Made Theatre? That's really awesome. Let me know how that is. I've been wanting to get down there to see a show.
I had a strange music question for you. I'm interning at GameCore.net. It's a videogame website. We have this computer game in and it's a complete mystery to us. There's only one music track, and one of our editors says its really familiar. I recorded it with my phone. I know its a little choppy, but do you mind taking a listen? Do you know it? Or do any of your friends?
Let me know if you recognize it. We're really puzzled.
Steve
[email protected] (Ken Greene) 5/29/13, 9:23am
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re: Room 127
C'mon, Steve, you let Ritter know about the Room 127 disk? He's not going to get any real work done now. You know he claims that he beat Gabriel Knight 3 without looking up any of the puzzle answers? Probably stayed home sick from school back then to do that, too. Thanks a lot, kid.
I'm just fucking with you. Glad that project is keeping you busy. Sorry we haven't had more legit work for you to get in on. With E3 coming up next week, there's just nothing being released.
Ken
[email protected] (Steve Norman) 5/29/13, 11:41am
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&n
re: The next stage
I did it! I made it out of the hallway. It took half the morning, but I finally made it somewhere in Room 127. Here's what you have to do:
You were right about waiting until dusk and walking to the windowless part of the hallway. I stayed there for a while, just randomly putting in the prompts in the list you sent me. Some of them it didn't recognize. Others just said I couldn't use them yet. But I finally hit on one. I typed in “OPEN” and I heard a noise. Thankfully, I guess, my computer still doesn't let me mute the game. If I'd managed to turn off the sound I wouldn't have even known that I accomplished something.
It was a creaking noise, like a hinge, and I figured I'd opened a door. This got me pretty excited, so I started up the movement commands again. None of them worked until I typed “ENTER”. This time, for the first time, the text prompt replied. It asked “ENTER ROOM 120?”. Of course I said YES.