Orb lamp inconsistency QoL

[Mtcheeeew]

On my first play through of the sewers I didn't notice that the wall lamps we're interactable and could be turned on. This is due to two reasons,one being the switches are very similar color with the environment especially; when using the night vision helmet, and they are quite small in size.

The 2nd and I think the bigger issue is that on previous levels none of the lamps we're interactable, they were usually just on and in rare cases off. I believe the sewer lamp functionality came later but I think the lvl 1-3 lamps should also be changed to work similarly allowing new players to learn that they can interact with the lamps. Finding the lamps in the sewers would then be like "oh yes there are orbs here", rather than currently not even realizing you can interact with them till you see mention of it in the forums.

I'm currently watching a play through by neco and on multiple occasions he is standing in clear view of the switch but doesn't notice it.

It's kind of funny the game introducing the concept of a small light switch (obscured by the light bulb in most cases) while in pitch darkness.

[Not Anonymous]

You know i discover that by chance and I was going to post about how useful they were to not get lost, but hard to notice at the start. I found out that you discover a bunch of interesting things by zooming in.

[Bullwark]

Oh! You can turn those on??

Now I remember a conversation between the main char and Derrin. He asked several questions about this "metaphysical connection" between things (I'm sure I don't remember that correctly) which had something to do with thaumaturgy and the activation of lamp-orbs. They conversed about the "same energy" pointing out somehow that "mana" can be harvested by the player. Or at least manipulated. That's how I understood it.

Now reading the OP I think I understand that this maybe an early light on/off hint? There maybe it's possible to switch them on/off in the early stages?

I'm sure I don't remember all of that correctly! So please correct me if you know what I mean! I insist ;) because I would like to get those facts straightened out!

[Not Anonymous]

Oh yeah! you are right. But he said that much earlier, looking at an orb that didnt had any switches. I think the conversation went something like, what are those things and how do they work, I think derrin mentioned they pulled one off and it stoped working, then player (unknow character) sugested they were connected to a bigger system that keep them on.

Player also knew about the necromancer, suggesting he actually knows why he is there. I was wondering if he actually IS the necromancer or he at least involved with whatever the hell happened.

[White ⁧⁧Wolf]

I always tend to inspect anything new and knew immediately they were interactable as they had levers. I don't think the dev(s) should add any sort of hand-holding where it wasn't meant to be. I'm sure there's a good reason for the earlier lamps not being interactable. That being said...few years back I made a suggestion to be able to light torches and put them in wall holders all over the (at least)early levels. It's not any kind of hand-holding and would fit well with the game and improve orientation for everyone.

[Mtcheeeew]

I like the non hand holding as well but I think a better way to introduce this feature would benefit the player experience more. It's not impossible to notice as long as you do go close intending to possibly find something. Like you mentioned you inspect anything new but most players likely wouldn't, I'm a very thorough player but I didn't notice the lever. But in most cases I feel it would be missed by majority of players. Derrin could even hint about them e.g. "It's dark as el's bunghole in here,I wonder if we could turn on those orbs" or "there seems to be some sort of lever over there".

You could even have one of them turned on in a room in the sewers but I don't know if that would help players realise the others can be turned on.

I still see no reason why the levers couldn't be introduced to earlier orbs, even if not all of them. There could even be some sort of central lever that controls multiple lights.

[White ⁧⁧Wolf]

Originally posted by afroVoodoo:

I like the non hand holding as well but I think a better way to introduce this feature would benefit the player experience more. It's not impossible to notice as long as you do go close intending to possibly find something. But in most cases I feel it would be missed by majority of players. Derrin could even hint about them e.g. "It's dark as el's butthole I here,I wonder if we could turn on those orbs" or "there seems to be some sort of lever over there".

You could even have one of them turned on in a room in the sewers but I don't know if that would help players realise the others can be turned on.

I still see no reason why the levers couldn't be introduced to earlier orbs, even if not all of them. There could even be some sort of central lever that controls multiple lights.

That's a good idea about Derrin(or maybe some lore) hinting at their interactability, possibly if the player has been roaming the area for a while in darkness. Though the game should first and foremost let the player discover things themselves. Honestly at least for me discovery is one of my favourite things in games. I can imagine casual players don't care for it but then again why would they be playing Exanima in the first place? One idea is to have a skeleton somewhere just lying against the wall or something reaching for a lever, possibly in a room full of those growths/tentacles etc and that he(or she) died(maybe poisoned and grabbed by a tentacle) while trying to turn on the light. Perhaps they had to run from something into the sewers and could not find their way due to darkness, but then in a sufficiently dimly-lit room they noticed the lever, or had previous knowledge of it and went to turn it on due to all the growths etc in the darkness. That'd definitely be a more lore-friendly hint, though the lore-friendly part is of course relative to what the dev(s) have in mind. Maybe it doesn't fit at all in all that has happened in the sewers.

[David Whitefang]

As I was reading this topic I started thinking of mentioning the skeleton idea, and I see that Diabetus Maximus beat me to it. I like this idea very much and I think it would work for players that are exploring with there cam zoomed all the way out. Surely they would zoom in to see what the skeleton has a hold of.

Off the top of my head the only other thing I can think of, is to have a couple lighting units lying on a work bench somewhere, with the lever mechanisms in plain sight. Maybe a lore note about someone needing to order more levers, or checking on a shipment, as they are getting low.

[White ⁧⁧Wolf]

Originally posted by David Whitefang:

Off the top of my head the only other thing I can think of, is to have a couple lighting units lying on a work bench somewhere, with the lever mechanisms in plain sight. Maybe a lore note about someone needing to order more levers, or checking on a shipment, as they are getting low.

Also a very nice idea! Sounds very lore-friendly as well. Still I imagine even with one of these implemented there remain multiple entrances to the sewer area(s) so players could easily miss them, especially in the darkness without activating the lights first. It's a tough one. Even with the lights on, the only real way to explore everywhere is to get the map and mark off rooms 1 by 1.

[Konrax]

I didn't find that out until recently to be honest, and I think having a few examples scattered around levels 1-4 couldn't be a bad thing so you can at least spot it under better lighting conditions.

The first few play throughs I had I inspected many of the lights but these were before the sewers even existed. I just assumed after trying so many times all lights would behave in this way and didn't even think to inspect the ones in the sewers.