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Let's Play Rise of the Dragon

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
ghostdog said:
What, no Huba-Huba screenshot ? I am disappoint.
If it doesn't happen in the game then I can't make a screenshot of it :rpgcodex:

This game will provide some awesome avatars.
I have all of the ones I'm using for dialog in 85x85 format, if that's the one the 'dex uses I'll zip them and upload them for DU.

Anyway, great job so far :thumbsup:
Breaking Axe said:
I had some laughs and will be following this. Please keep going!
Thanks bro :love: next update probably tomorrow.
 

ghostdog

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
11,079
Sceptic said:
ghostdog said:
What, no Huba-Huba screenshot ? I am disappoint.
If it doesn't happen in the game then I can't make a screenshot of it :rpgcodex:

lqq6o.png


:rpgcodex:
 

Kz3r0

Arcane
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
27,012
dragon_114.png

This is a Victor Victoria reference.

And .png?WTF?
USE jpeg goddammit. :rpgcodex:

Great LP BTW. :thumbsup:
 

RK47

collides like two planets pulled by gravity
Patron
Joined
Feb 23, 2006
Messages
28,396
Location
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Dead State Divinity: Original Sin
or Willy Beamish? Heheh. Dynamix makes some interesting games.
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
Great job indeed.

And stick to PNGs since they're small enough in this case.

:thumbsup:
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
ghostdog said:
While in the dome you can actually go to the "main stage".
:rage:

As soon as I made my last post I started the game and, on going into the Dome, immediately found the exit on the left. An exit I had NEVER seen in all of twenty years of replaying this! I can't believe I missed it all this time.

Goes to show what a great game it is, I'm still finding new things in it, 20 years and as many replays later...

Kz3r0 said:
This is a Victor Victoria reference.
Yep. IIRC "Victoria" tells her manager/friend something like "you want me to be a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman?"

Kz3r0 said:
And .png?WTF?
spekkio said:
And stick to PNGs since they're small enough in this case.
AAAAAAAAAAH CONFLICTING OPINIONS WHAT SHALL I DO!!!!!

Crooked Bee said:
And stick to whatever image format you want.
bee to the rescue once again :love: I converted to JPG and they ended up being larger, which is why I decided to stick to PNG (better quality too I think)

leonwaterloo said:
Are you going to LP Heart of China too, someday?
Yep, it's the next one on the list.

RK47 said:
or Willy Beamish? Heheh. Dynamix makes some interesting games.
This one I'll skip. I don't like it as much as the other two, and it lacks the multiple paths, multiple solutions and light C&C that make Rise and Heart fun to play and to LP.

Kz3r0 said:
Great LP BTW.
leonwaterloo said:
Thanks you for LPing this great game!
spekkio said:
Great job indeed.
mister_matt said:
This looks great. I am definitely going to play along.
Thanks everyone :love: update incoming.
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
DAY TWO: THE INVESTIGATION
(with apologies to Satislaw Lem)

A new day opens with Blade standing outside his apartment.

dragon_176.png


Wait, it's past noon already? Talk about getting an "early start" on the case :roll:

dragon_179.png


Anyway we head to Chen Lu's, where things are (of course) about to become more complicated...

dragon_180.png


dragon_181.png


dragon_182.png


"Buddies"... yeah that's likely.

dragon_183.png


dragon_184.png


dragon_185.png


dragon_186.png


dragon_187.png


The door is open, and there's someone in there who looks in a rut... not a good sign.

dragon_188.png


Walking in, Blade finds a man tied up on the floor...

dragon_189.png


... and covered in drug patches!

dragon_190.png


dragon_191.png


dragon_192.png


dragon_193.png


... fuck that's nasty stuff.

dragon_194.png


Anyway there's nothing we can do for the poor sod, so let's look around and figure out who he was, who did this to him and why, and how this all fits in with Chandra. The first likely target is his VidPhone.

dragon_195.png


dragon_196.png


dragon_197.png


dragon_198.png


Uh-oh. The cops are on their way, which of course means they're going to find the corpse and only Blade there. You can imagine where this will go. However, since Blade isn't aware of this, let's just keep looking around and see what evidence we can find.

dragon_199.png


Well, it's Chen Lu alright. Let's see whether any messages he received can shed light on his murder.

dragon_200.png


Well what do you know, there is one, and he saw it before he died.

NOTE: major plot inconsistency ahead.

dragon_201.png


Tvoice.png
Your irresponsible actions have brought unwarranted attention to our production operation.

Tvoice.png
The girl you killed was the daughter of a powerful man.

Tvoice.png
He will seek to avenge himself upon us!

Tvoice.png
I am sending my personal representative to discuss the matter with you.

Tvoice.png
Goodbye, Brother Lu!

Now here's one of the game's two plot problems, and IMO the most serious: a good deal of this update and the next will be spent trying to figure out who this "voice of Bahumat" is. However... just LOOK at the VidPhone screen; we already know who it is! Worse, Blade already knows as well! Unfortunately the game will make us jump through strange hoops to get the name "Deng Hwang", even though it's on there, right in front of you.

dragon_202.png


Anyway, remember how I said earlier to always have your ID card with you? Obivously, it doesn't have to just apply to Blade's...

dragon_203.png


dragon_204.png


dragon_205.png


Now let's look around the apartment and see if we can find any clues.

dragon_206.png


Hello, what's this?

dragon_207.png


Well, we just saw Chen die with a huge amount of such patches all over his body, and we know this was done in retaliation for killing the mayor's daughter. Does this mean he killed her in the same way? Maybe the patch contains the secret to what killed both him and Chandra.

dragon_208.png


dragon_209.png


Chen's bedroom. Can't see anything intere-

dragon_211.png


... did that dragon just wink at me?

Mmm, I wonder what'll happen if I press the shiny eye...

dragon_212.png


Bingo!

dragon_213.png


Mmm, I wonder how to get this safe open. Maybe the combination is tied to-

dragon_214.png


:rage:

dragon_215.png


dragon_216.png


Tofficer2.png
Better get homicide down here. We got us another mutant.

Tofficer1.png
My God!!! Look what he's done to that poor slob on the floor over there!

Tofficer1.png
Alright, buster. We're going to take a little ride to the greybar hotel.

:rage:

dragon_217.png


dragon_094.png


dragon_095.png


dragon_218.png


Tqwong.png
WHAT??!

Tqwong.png
You pathetic fool! That still leaves us almost six days behind schedule!

Ttech.png
But we've already begun to exceed the safety margins!

dragon_219.png


Tqwong.png
Push the reactors to the redline!

Ttech.png
But the reactors could blow us all to hell if they become overheated!

Tqwong.png
There are many ways to die...

Tqwong.png
Some of which are more painful and drawn out than others.

Tqwong.png
I suggest you think about that.

dragon_220.png


Tqwong.png
You're right. You have 32 hours to meet the production quota.

Without Blade being aware, things are quickly moving towards a nasty point, while he helplessly sits rotting in prison...

dragon_221.png


dragon_222.png


dragon_223.png


dragon_224.png


Now here's where my nice organization got thrown out the window. If you look at the date, you'll notice we're now in day 3. When I let to cops catch, it was mostly to go along with ghostdog's request of showing as many game overs as possible... except I had forgotten this particular situation does not result in a game over, just in making you waste a day (remember, the game is on a timer). But that's not a problem, since I have plenty more time than I need anyway. So I decided to roll with it and continue without reloading. However, I will still carry on under the heading of day 2, and will only shift to day 3 at the point I had initially planned.

dragon_225.png


Anyway, let's go back to Chen Lu's and check that safe. On the way, we stop to chat with the drunk.

dragon_226.png


dragon_227.png


Tbum.png
THE prophecy - It foretells the titanic conflict between the evil Bahumat and a great hero!

Tblade2.png
What happens to this "hero"?

Tbum.png
He gets torn into thousands of itty-bitty pieces by the Evil one!

Tbum.png
But he saves the universe!

Tblade2.png
That's really encouraging.

Tbum.png
You must leave. His eyes are everywhere!

Fascinating. Let's carry on.

dragon_228.png


dragon_229.png


This time there's a police tape, and the door is obviously locked. Now there's two ways of going about: the first is to use one of the explosives to blow up the lock, but this will once again alert the cops. You can get around them by immediately leaving, then coming back later, and the lock will still be in pieces. However...

dragon_230.png


... we have Chen's ID card, so why not just waltz in?

dragon_231.png


Remember what I keep hammering about "don't forget to take the card back"? Well I did, and had to reload to get it. So, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TAKE THE CARD!

dragon_232.png


dragon_233.png


We make it back to the safe. But we still don't know what the combination is.

Again, two ways. First, blow it up, which will yet again alert the police. The best solution is to figure out the combination. Are there any clues around?

dragon_199.png


Mmm, maybe one of these numbers is the key... or... maybe ALL of them? Do I see a common pattern there?

dragon_234.png


dragon_235.png


Tblade.png
Damn I'm good :smug:

The first item is just another chocolate bar. The other is a mysterious manuscript.

dragon_236.png


That's all there is in Chen Lu's apartment. First thing, let's go inform The Jake of what we found, and see if he knows anything about Chen's murder.

dragon_237.png


dragon_238.png


But first... let's go home and get rid of the gun again, so we don't lose it at the Pleasure Dome.

dragon_239.png


dragon_240.png


dragon_241.png


Now we can go.

Note: I actually didn't need to do this, but I'm saving the alternative for a future update.

dragon_242.png


Tjake.png
In my booth... we gotta talk!

dragon_243.png


Tjakeangry.png
Same thing that happened to Chandi...

dragon_244.png


dragon_245.png


Tjakehappy.png
I hope he went out in pain...

Tjakehappy.png
lots of pain for what he did to Chandi...

OK, weirdo... let's steer the conversation towards something a little more useful to our investigation.

dragon_246.png


Tjakehappy.png
Seems he was tied up with some kind of drug production operation run by the Chinese Mafia.

Tjakehappy.png
Word is, they're gearing up for something big.

Tjakehappy.png
They're operating out of an old warehouse, right under the nose of City Hall! Man, somebody should take those bastards out!

Yep, that was totally subtle :roll:

Anyway, this bit of information will be useful later on. For now, let's show him some of our items, especially the ones we found at Chen's.

dragon_247.png


Tjakehappy.png
Sure, watcha got?

dragon_248.png


dragon_249.png


Tjake.png
So what?

Not an ID stupid, Chen's. Tell me something useful about him :rpgcodex:

Tjake.png
Anything else?

dragon_250.png


dragon_251.png


Tjake.png
What the hell is this?

Tjakehappy.png
One of those tags that says, "Do not remove under penalty of law"?

Tjakehappy.png
Looks like Chinese or something.

Tjakehappy.png
Check with one of the tombstoners over in Chinatown.

Tjakehappy.png
Someone there might be able to read it.

Tjake.png
Anything else?

Tblade.png
Yeah. What can you tell me about this?

dragon_252.png


Tjake.png
Whoa! This explosive capsule part of your private dick crime fightin' gear?

Tjake.png
Impressive hardware!

Tjake.png
Anything else?

Tblade.png
Yeah. What can you tell me about this?

dragon_253.png


Tjake.png
A wiretap system! I've used these... I mean... I've read about these.

Yeah.

Tjake.png
More crime fightin' gear?

Tjake.png
Anything else?

Tblade.png
Yeah. What can you tell me about this?

dragon_254.png


Now that should get his attention :smug:

dragon_255.png


Tjakeshock.png
What the hell are you doin' with this stuff?!!

Tjakeshock.png
It's major bad news... as in nuclear! You sky once or twice and you don't come down... ever!!

Tjakeshock.png
I've heard that you can get hooked if just one DROP hits your skin!

Tjakeshock.png
You'd be doin' yourself a favor, you just flushed it!

Obivously, this is telling you that patch is pretty important and worth investigating. The line about the manuscript was also a hint on where to take it and who to show it to.

Tjake.png
Anything else?

dragon_256.png


Tjake.png
I'll let you know if I hear anything more.

Tjake.png
Now, I gotta go...

Tjake.png
I've got a, um, business meeting to attend to.

dragon_257.png


Right, so The Jake wasn't terribly useful, but at least we know we really should get this patch analyzed. Maybe Karyn can help with this?

dragon_258.png


dragon_259.png


On the way in we get assaulted by the harpy again.

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Tjenni.png
Well, go see HER and quit bothering ME!

Fuck off, you're the one who keeps coming onto me bitch :rpgcodex:

dragon_262.png


You bet!

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Tkaryn.png
here it comes now...

dragon_266.png


Now let's see if we can get anything on his accomplices.

dragon_267.png


This guy looks suspiciously like the one we met on our way into Chen Lu's. Unfortunately there's no information whatsoever about him.

dragon_268.png


Aha! This one, on the other hand, has an address. Maybe we should go pay him a little visit.

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything else you'd like me to take a look at, Blade?

Tblade.png
Yes, there is.

dragon_269.png


dragon_270.png


Tkaryn.png
It looks like an archaic dialect of Mandarin Chinese.

Tkaryn.png
Why don't you take it to one of the old scholars down in Chinatown?

Tkaryn.png
I'm sure someone will be able to decipher it.

Same hint as The Jake, in case you never showed him the thing.

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything else you'd like me to take a look at, Blade?

Tblade.png
Yes, there is.

dragon_271.png


dragon_272.png


Tkaryn.png
It won't be ready until tomorrow, though.

Tblade.png
That'll be fine. I'll come and get the report when it's ready.

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything else you'd like me to take a look at, Blade?

dragon_273.png


Tkaryn.png
Come back later if you need me to check out anything else for you.

Tkaryn.png
See you later.

So, this is where we're at. A drug patch that Chandra was taking, her supplier dead by administration of similar drug patches, his presumed murderer on the run, another accomplice is somehow involved, and a mysterious manuscript found in his safe. The patch analyzis we won't have to worry about for now, so we've got two leads: Johnny Qwong, whose address we have, and the chinese calligraph, for which we need a translator.

dragon_274.png


Let's find a translator first... in the next update.
 

ghostdog

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
11,079
Since you've somehow manged to produce png images with very small file size, keep it that way.

ALso :

Tbum.png
 

mister_matt

Educated
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
99
This wire tester is difficult to use. I keep getting fried after I put one in the right place.
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
The phone tap is the most glorious troll ever inflicted by an adventure game. I wouldn't be surprised if it made many players ragequit.
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
DAY THREE: PROPHECIES AND OMENS

We resume our game mid-day, on our way to find a Chinese scholar. I didn't explore the warehouse area fully last time I was there, but that's where we'll find him.

dragon_275.png


Remember when in the first update I said to keep an eye out for the fence, which was then open? Well, now it's closed, which makes the warehouse behind it inaccessible. Keep this in mind.

dragon_276.png


dragon_277.png


Anyway we go through an alley and find this old man.

dragon_278.png


... who seems to already know us.

Tchangli.png
I am called Chang Li.

Tchangli.png
It is most gratifying to finally make your acquaintance.

Tblade2.png
How do you know who I am?

Tchangli.png
A man can learn a great many things if he knows how to listen.

Tblade2.png
What else have you heard?

Tchangli.png
Many things, William Hunter...

Tchangli.png
I have learned about the tragic death of a young girl who was the daughter of a powerful man in the government.

He's certainly got good sources.

Tchangli.png
It is also known by my humble self, and others, that you are investigating this affair.

Tblade2.png
What others?

Tchangli.png
Those who wish you ill.

That's ominous...

Tchangli.png
Celestial signs indicate a time of great change in this world, William Hunter!

Tchangli.png
Saturn in retrograde will soon be occluded by the moon in the constellation of Draco, the Dragon! Events of great pitch and moment are afoot!

Tchangli.png
The old order shall be destroyed, and the new shall take its place!

Tchangli.png
You alone can challenge the evil Bahumat and prevent ascendency of the Dark One. YOU are the Chosen One.

Tblade2.png
Chosen? By whom? What for? Old man, just what in the HELL are you running off at the mouth about?!

Tchangli.png
Please to stop asking so many silly questions and let me finish.

Tchangli.png
Signs, portents, omens, sheep entrails, and fortune cookies have all foretold of the coming battle with the Dark One.

Tchangli.png
They also predict that a hero will arise to combat him.

Remember THE prophecy that the drunk mentioned? Well, Blade does, which slightly affects the following couple of lines.

Tblade2.png
Is this the 'hero' who gets chopped into thousands of itty-bitty pieces?

Tchangli.png
Yes, but that's only half of it.

Tblade2.png
There's more?!

Tchangli.png
Yes, but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

At this point, you can manipulate the conversation into a couple of directions. Telling him to fuck off will get you nowhere, the other options just give more or less information before funneling back to the main branch.

dragon_279.png


Tchangli.png
Process of elimination.

Tblade2.png
What do you mean?

Tchangli.png
The minions of the Dark One have eliminated all my other candidates.

Tchangli.png
But please to let me offer you my humble assistance to aid you.

dragon_280.png


Well, this is what we came for isn't it?

dragon_281.png


Tchangli.png
Hmmm... Intriguing!

dragon_282.png


Note the time and place..

Tblade2.png
Fine, but what the hell does it mean?

dragon_283.png


Tchangli.png
The ancient scrolls say he used the power of evil to transform himself into a Dragon to terrorize and destroy his enemies. His ultimate goal was to restore chaos and rule the world in darkness!

Tchangli.png
Bahumat and his minions destroyed many cities and killed and enslaved thousands of people!

Tblade2.png
What happened to him?

Tchangli.png
Not to interrupt, please. I'm coming to it!

Tchangli.png
According to legend, he was finally overcome by the power of a white magician named "Gin-Su", which means "knife" in your language.

Blade... Knife... get it? :roll:

dragon_284.png


Tchangli.png
The date on the piece of paper translates to August 3, 2053, on your calendar. As for the name "Hollywood", it is completely unfamiliar to me.

Tblade2.png
So Bahumat is gone forever, right?

Tchangli.png
Not precisely. There is a prophecy foretelling his return:

dragon_285.png


Tchangli.png
"His evil shall become an addiction in the soul of mankind, and death shall be a blessing to those he has touched.

dragon_286.png


Tblade2.png
Sounds like a lot of baloney to me!

Tchangli.png
Please not to judge things you do not understand.

Tchangli.png
What you believe at this juncture is irrelevant. Time will prove the truth of what I have spoken to you.

Tchangli.png
Now I must render you what aid I can.

Tchangli.png
Here are ancient talismans of protection and good fortune to carry on your person at all times.

Tchangli.png
First: Tome of Ancient Wisdom, given to me by most aged and honorable father.

Tchangli.png
Second: Stone of Life, blessed by Lama.

Tchangli.png
And third: If all else fail, bullet-proof vest, Kevlar, made by DuPont.

Spot the odd one out...

Tchangli.png
Also, please to have this fortune cookie!

Tblade.png
Thanks for all your help, Chang Li.

dragon_287.png


And that's it for what amounts to this game's infodump. It's a typical Chosen One scenario, but I like it better than most, thanks to a couple of nice subversions.

Now, let's have a look at all the items Chang Li gave us.

dragon_288.png


Some kind of code maybe? Nothing we can do much with for now.

dragon_289.png


Note the joke with the guarantee.

dragon_290.png


The animation for the object flips each page, and they all have this and nothing else on them.

dragon_291.png


Now I'll go ahead and spoil things a bit: two of the items are useless, and none of them is actually required. That's right, the entire sequence, starting with finding the safe at Chen Lu's, is purely optional. However, since we've gone this far, who could resist using that bullet-proof vest!

dragon_292.png


So we go into the inventory, take the coat off, put the vest on, then put the coat back.

dragon_293.png


And just as we leave Chang Li...

dragon_094.png


dragon_095.png


dragon_294.png


Tqwong.png
I am pleased. You have done well.

Ttech.png
Thank you, sir.

Tqwong.png
Soon the whole world shall hear the dragon's roar!

Tqwong.png
Victory is nearly ours!! Long live Bahumat!

Oops. Not good.

Remember Chang Li's translation? August 3, the date when Bahumat returns? That's tomorrow.

dragon_295.png


Anyway let's return to Karyn for a bit of lulz.

dragon_296.png


Tkaryn.png
Not much, Will. That lab report you wanted isn't ready yet, so you'll have to come back later.

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything you'd like me to take a look at?

Tblade.png
Yes, there is.

dragon_297.png


Tkaryn.png
It's a book, Blade. People used to read them a long time ago.

dragon_298.png


Tblade.png
I know it's a book! I was hoping you could tell me something about it.

Tkaryn.png
What can I tell you, Blade? Have you read it? It looks like a kid's book.

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything else you'd like me to take a look at, Blade?

Tblade.png
Yes, there is.

dragon_299.png


Tkaryn.png
Are you getting soft in the head, Blade? It's just a fortune cookie.

Tblade.png
What's the message mean?

Tkaryn.png
I can't make any sense out of it. It looks like some type of code.

But what does it mean?

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything else you'd like me to take a look at, Blade?

Tblade.png
Yes, there is.

dragon_300.png


Tkarynhappy.png
Oh Blade, it's beautiful! Thank you!

Tblade.png
Uh.. Err... Yeah, I knew you'd like it.

dragon_301.png


Thankfully for Blade (and us), as far as I know there is no other use for the stone anywhere in the game.

Tkaryn.png
Is there anything else you'd like me to take a look at, Blade?

dragon_302.png


Tkaryn.png
Come back if you need me to make another computer run for you later.

Tkaryn.png
See you later, Blade.

Alright, translation's done, lab results for tomorrow... this leaves us with only one lead to pursue.

dragon_303.png


Johnny Qwong, the mysterious associate of the late Chen Lu (and, if you haven't noticed, the guy in the "meanwhile" segments).

Notice that the Reservoir location has now appeared, thanks to Chang Li's translation. We will deal with it later.

dragon_304.png


The place is pretty heavily guarded. There's no way in and no way to meet Johnny Qwong in person. But there is an entry to the sewers... maybe they'll lead us into the mansion?

dragon_305.png


dragon_306.png


They don't actually, but they do lead us to something even more interesting...

dragon_307.png


Johnny Qwong's VidPhone terminal.

dragon_308.png


The schematic on the panel gives you an idea of where to place the connections in order to tap into the line. Of course it doesn't tell you exactly what to do - that would be way too easy!

Now, there's the small matter of the lock. Fortunately, Blade's got what it takes.

dragon_309.png


dragon_310.png


dragon_311.png


dragon_312.png


Easy :smug:

dragon_313.png


And here's the inside of the panel. Using the wire tester on it...

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Welcome to one of the most FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU inducing puzzles of the 90's! The goal is simple enough: you need to connect the three leads to the appropriate slot. The "guide to being a PI" has some hints on what should go where, and the diagram on the front of the panel also helps. The game even lets you place the leads in any order!

That's about the only concession it gives you.

See, there's two things you need to get right. The lead you're placing needs to go EXACTLY where it should, but you also have a succession of very narrow windows in which to place the leads. Get the location OR the timing wrong and you're rewarded with this:

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The music that plays while you get the short-circuit animation is absolutely guaranteed to erode your nerves, if constantly dying and reloading doesn't.

Hey, no problem right? Just relax, take it slow, take it easy, one lead at a time, breathe deep... I mean it's not as if we're in a hurry or anything!

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Did I mention this sequence is on a timer?

Remember the giant rats the bum above-ground mentioned? Well, this is what happens if you spend too long (read: a few minutes, game time) trying to work out how the puzzle works:

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So, what's the trick? There are a couple. The most important one is timing. See those two gauges at the top? There's even an electric sound effect you hear when they go into the read. YOU NEVER, EVER DO ANYTHING WHEN THE GAUGES ARE IN THE RED. Touching any of the leads (whether to put it or remove it) results in an instant, no-warning death. Once you figure this out, the puzzle becomes much easier.

The other trick is actually spelled out in the guide (and is possibly the only really useful information in it). See the two LEDs on the bottom right? If you place a lead in the incorrect spot, the red light will start flashing and you should IMMEDIATELY remove that lead. The reason this is trickier than it sounds is because of the above caveat: if you notice the LED is flashing while the gauges are going into red, you need to wait for them to go back to green before you touch the lead, otherwise you'll get fried. But by the time the gauges go back to green, you'll have been fried anyway because of the incorrect placement. It's a cruel game.

Fortunately, I've already played through this a zillion times, and the front diagram pretty much tells you where to place the red lead: on the red wire, as close to the battery as possible. The blue one is a little trickier, because the arrow points to two locations, but placing it on the black wire again near the battery gives us a flashing red light, while placing it at the other end of the wire gives the soothing green light. As for the yellow lead, the diagram only gives you the general location: one of the eight yellow connectors on the right-hand side. Trial and error is the only way to go here, but soon we have all leads placed in the right spot.

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Success! We have defeated the most cunning puzzle in the game.

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Now let's head back to Blade's and listen in on our new friend's friends.

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And this was the purpose of all this: get the real identity of the "voice of Bahumat", a.k.a. Deng Hwang... except both us AND Blade already knew this from seeing his name on Chen Lu's VidPhone... but we'll let that slide.

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I have received some unsettling news concerning a possible disruption in our production schedule.

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There must be no further delays, Brother Qwong!

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I want you to personally continue checking on progress down at our warehouse.

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You will resolve this situation quickly. Good day.

Note: Deng Hwang almost always ends his calls with "good day". A rather interesting quirk, considering he's in the business of making people's days as far from good as possible.

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Notice that, now that Blade knows about Deng Hwang, a location shows up on the travel screen.

Anyway, this brings us to the game's other plot inconsistency. Hwang just mentioned the warehouse. Fine and good... except once again both us AND Blade already knew about the warehouse from The Jake, who even told us where it was. However, that wasn't enough to be able to do anything about it. BUT, now that Hwang's mentioned it...

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Look! the fence is open again! for no reason whatsoever...

Here's how it works: the fence is initially closed. Then, once you open the cabinet in your apartment (after getting the keys), it seals off, and only unseals after you wiretap Qwong's VidPhone. It's worth noting because this entire business with the warehouse is the only situation that really feels like an adventure game puzzle. You'll have noticed that everything else is so well thought out that it always makes sense in-universe. It's one of the game's major strengths as an adventure game, IMO.

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Anyway, let's have a closer look at what's going on in there...

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Remember this scene? Well, The Jake did mention that "somebody should take those bastards out!"

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If you noticed, there's a bunch of power thingies on the side of the warehouse, in the previous screen. I wonder what'd happen if these were short-circuited... after all, there were all these mentions about safety margins and the reactor blowing up.

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TAKE COVER!

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No shit, Sherlock.

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Well, let's go home and see if this has had the desired effect.

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Well well well...

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I have just learned that our downtown warehouse was destroyed by the former police officier William Hunter.

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Your security precautions were clearly inadequate, Brother.

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Please come to our factory headquarters on the northern outskirts of the city to discuss this matter immediately.

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Good day.

Yep, someone's definitely pissed.

On the plus side... remember that the fulfillment of The Prophecy was for tomorrow? Well guess what? it's not anymore :smug:

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That's enough for one day. Before we let Blade go to bed, I'll show you what happens if you wander around town too late until Blade just falls asleep:

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Upon waking up, you'd find most of Blade's possessions gone. I think that only non-essential items vanish, but since some non-essentials are only that because of multiple paths, it is possible if you've closed off one path to find yourself in a permanent dead end. So it's just safer to make sure you go home as soon as you get Blade's bubble about being tired.

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Notice the small detail in the picture. It is not just a fancy.

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To be continued...
 

Radisshu

Prophet
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
5,623
Sceptic said:
Radisshu said:
This was 17 years before Fallout 3, so don't get any ideas.

Very well, sir or madam. Now, please assume the position.

Great LP BTW, despite the protagonists silly pony tail.
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
Radisshu said:
Very well, sir or madam. Now, please assume the position.
Oh you mean that fisto. You dirty pervert you.

Great LP BTW, despite the protagonists silly pony tail.
Thanks! :D

But... what ponytail? You mean the antagonist's? Because Blade doesn't have one as far as I can see...
 

ghostdog

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
11,079
Oh man, that fucking phone-tapping sequence... :x :x :x


Also, Snake = Obvious reference to Snake Plissken, with the eye-patch and all.

And : "Blade" ~ "knife" ~ "Gin-Su".

This whole Chosen One story reminds me a lot of the humorous way similar plots were handled in "Big trouble in Little China" and "The Golden Child".
 

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