Suggestions after playing the original game

[splinter3d]

Hello. SDYR is one of my favorite games. I didn't play the director's cut yet but before doing it I want to make some suggestion that came into my mind when I played the original game. So maybe you will even implement them in some patches or already did.
The list is ordered arbitrary

1) Daniel adds a comment about Eleonora jumping from the cliff into his journal before it even happens.
2) I played the game several times but couldn't get the achievement "Of Stela and Alexander" and couldn't find 1 guitar song. Aren't they hidden to much?
3) A bug with the climbing tool. It stays there even if you pull it out.
4) Herb kit is ordered weird. It would me much more convenient if the left column had all full parts of herbs and the right one had all the crushed ones.
5) The guy in the cave made an impression that I have to search for his book he dropped. I couldn't do it. Also the existence of this plot in general is nonsensical and immersion breaking because of that.
6) I used the radio in these "noisy" locations and still have no idea what I should have find and heard.
7) Playing as a doll in the beginning also affected my immersion. To feel a stronger connection to the main character this shouldn't exist at all.
8) I want to be able to hide all the interface from the screen. I don't need a small or big point in the middle of the screen, hints like "press A" and that annoying spark of light around everything I can interact with, especially around herbs which are everywhere. It should be an option of course, I guess majority of gamers will want to keep it.
9) The map behind the schedule board at the camp entrance doesn't make any sense and doesn't "map" to any location. At least for me. It should be more obvious. I couldn't find that secret meeting place regardless how much I tried.
10) It is hard to understand if I should be able to find the key for the locker or not.
11) Lurks achievement works as all or nothing. It is better if it worked like budges and songs achievements.
12) A slow contemplation of the forest which I like the most about the game and which the game promote itself with achievements at least doesn't mix well with the plot of "find the daughter as fast as possible". It affected the experience in a pretty bad way for me. I wish you could get rid of this urgency feeling.
13) Can you do a support for the steam controller as native one like in Portal 2, not just as an xBox emulator.
14) You shouldn't be able to play a guitar song without a guitar in the menu if you didn't play it with a guitar at least once. Again for the sake of immersion.
15) The story feels messy when Stella's journal is descripted not in the order of the events.

For now I can't remember anything else. I would appreciate a lot if you could implement as much of my suggestions as possible at least as optional. And please reply something even if you can't.

[JanKavan]

EDIT: I just now understood, that the bugs reported are from original game and not from the Dir Cut! I fixed over 1000 bugs in Dir Cut, so I believe the bugs are no longer in the game. :)

Thank you for your kind comments! I finally gathered some courage to come here after the insane crunch.

1 - this is a bug. I will fix it
2 - they are definitely well-hidden, but they are there. Keep looking!
3 - where exactly this happens? I'll fix it when I reproduce it.
4 - that's something that I am not able to change at this point
5 - it's something that requires you to look outside of the game; the whole quest is a giant easter egg.
6 - you'd find it - if you tune it right, the songs start playing in the world.
7 - there is a meaning in this, but I won't reveal it.
8 - sadly, our playtests repeatedly show that it's a must
9 - Do you mean the inquisition map?
10 - I am not sure what you mean. Still the inquisition quest?
11 - Lerks are the ultimate achievement - sort of dark souls among achievements. Right now, you can use the power of profile saves, so you don't have to get all of them in one run.
12 - If you think more about the story, it's very soon obvious it's not about finding Stela but rather dealing with yourself
13 - I am not sure what you mean, but I am not using a Steam controller, so I don't understand the intricacies.
14 - Not sure what you mean by that. Could you please clarify?
15 - Many players love this; instead of being spoonfed by a story, you are challenged to use your creativity to fill in the dots and see how much you managed to get right. It's one of the design decisions I firmly stand behind, as this world has enough games with "instant" stories without any need for players' involvement.

[splinter3d]

1-4 - OK
5 - I hate such things. A game should be self-sufficient thing. For immersion and just as respect to those who payed for it.
6 - I tuned it pretty slow the entire range. I did find some songs, but they never played in the world and it was hard to understand if I already heard them or not. I will try it more careful next time I play it.
7) It can be the answer to everything)
8) Play-testers of Silent Hill 1-4, Ico and likes were fine without "press A to open the door". Modern gamers make me very sad. Anyway as I said I asked it only as an option, not default one. Actually it is one of the most important issues for me. In DC you made it even worse by adding colors to xBox buttons.
9) Unfortunately I can't make a screenshot, so I will try to explain again. When you enter the first camp there is a black board with a schedule There is a hidden map behind it.
10) I guess so. It is the locker stolen stolen by some boys. And I read somewhere that Stella stole from them and hid the key.
11) Won't die on that hill)
12) I think everybody understand it in the end, but there's a huge chunk of the game that plays weird because of that. It is mentioned in another thread also.
13) It is hard to explain that. I also can say it this way. A touchpad on the gamepad isn't very precise when it is used as xbox analogue stick emulator, but it works much better as the mouse emulator. So the way I play it is like playing with a gamepad and mouse in the same time. Because of that the hints constant change from "push A" to "press Left mouse button"
14) I probably confused it with some other game, can't find it right now. I remembered that I didn't need the guitar to play songs. I could do it in the menu. I guess I am wrong. Btw, I found all the songs and played all of them from the start to the end and yet didn't get the achievement Guitarist.
15) The same players who need "push A to open the door"? ))) I don't mind your way. It has its pros.

I would gladly give a positive review for screen interface settings and all other of my points are not so important.

[Caster]

6) at least in the director's cut, it now starts playing in the world and marked as collected
9) ah so the map was in the original game too, after all? I'm also unsure what location it refers to, but maybe I did actually find it, just didn't realize it's the one on the map
10) I know where the key is, if you need. I think it was hidden by somebody else than Stella though.
15) I'm with the author on this one :) It's great this way!

[splinter3d]

Originally posted by Caster:

6) at least in the director's cut, it now starts playing in the world and marked as collected
9) ah so the map was in the original game too, after all? I'm also unsure what location it refers to, but maybe I did actually find it, just didn't realize it's the one on the map
10) I know where the key is, if you need. I think it was hidden by somebody else than Stella though.
15) I'm with the author on this one :) It's great this way!

Thanks, but I would prefer to look for the key by myself. Becasue of Loiza's part I wasn't sure what can be done at all. I don't mind looking for the things I miss. It is interesting. But I can't stand when I don't even know if I am missing something at all.

[splinter3d]

JanKavan, and I forgor to mention another serious point. I would prefer all the achievments to be transfered from the original to th dc. Can you do it? It is kinda dissapointing if they don't count anymore..

[JanKavan]

This is sadly not possible. Those are different games with different App Id. Steam was even unable to transfer community over here. :(

[splinter3d]

Originally posted by JanKavan:

This is sadly not possible. Those are different games with different App Id. Steam was even unable to transfer community over here. :(

Not like this of course. But the new game can read saves from the original one and gave you all the achievements programmatically. Like some games can give you achievements from the actions you made offline after you go to the online mode again.

[Caster]

Regarding "But I can't stand when I don't even know if I am missing something at all." One thing I noticed even in the original version was various clues in and around the camp about who shared which tents. Almost like if it was important for some puzzle, but didn't find such. Wonder if it's one of the things that was cut even from the original, or I'm missing something ;)

[splinter3d]

Originally posted by Caster:

Regarding "But I can't stand when I don't even know if I am missing something at all." One thing I noticed even in the original version was various clues in and around the camp about who shared which tents. Almost like if it was important for some puzzle, but didn't find such. Wonder if it's one of the things that was cut even from the original, or I'm missing something ;)

No more hints, please. And I don't exclude the possibility that it is my inaccuracy. It is just I played it 3 times and at least 2 of them with a snail's speed to study every corner.

[Caster]

That was no hint, that was my own wondering. If somebody has a hint regarding that, please use spoiler tags appropriately :)

[oku]

Originally posted by Caster:

That was no hint, that was my own wondering. If somebody has a hint regarding that, please use spoiler tags appropriately :)

there is a note from the two bad boys that want to disturb the campers for stealing their book. It lists all the punishments that they will do on the campers. Using that you can inspect the different tent for clues. Also the food allergy board might have clues too. I'm not sure. It is fun to figure out for background information and more immersion