[Spoiler] Questline in Lab feels unfinished

[CombatWombat]

While I had a blast in Office and Manufacturing, Lab leaves me wondering. First time I actually had to look up where to go. Now I'm arriving at it for the third time and it still doesn't make much sense.

1. The whole lowest area is completely pointless besides Janet and the guy with the electro pest which give you the plans for the hacking tool tier 3.

2. There are a few hints but they are in no way pointing in any direction. You should get into the containment area but afaik the middle of the containment is the big elevator, so you are already in it, no? There is no quest marker. There are some hints about yellow paint and you can get the plans for the Antethermite. What most people do after unsuccessfully exploring the lowest level (at least you can get capacitors the next CPU and milk) they go one level higher, adjustment. Here you can get all the ingredients for the hacking tool T3 and you seem to be on the right track, but once you get it the direction gets foggy. The T3 door most will know and remember is the one at the wildlife pens, But if you have explored the level you have already opened that from the inside. So you go up a level which leads you to the side leading to the Tarasque.

Which is a whole level which you explore without purpose because you have no idea what you are looking for. Imo the next location is likely the mushroom lab with the T3 door where you would encounter the missing Tarasque ichor which should lead you to the yellow paint and to the level you are currently exploring without purpose.

Then when I first arrived at the Tarasque I had no idea I had to kill him. The scientiest there talks about them releasing energy when they mate, so for the longest time I was searching for a way to unite the two Tarasque. Assuming you kill him and get the Tarasque ichor the first time, you now have no idea where to put it. IF you don't get it the first time you have no idea what that whole level was about.


Eventually you will stumble upon the mushroom lab, likely after exploring everything else, since it is really so extremely well put away. Now you can finally see how it all fits together, make the Antethermite and open the door.

But you could still be sidetracked by the laser lab.

For an area that big and a quest line so all over the place, there is WAY to little hints where to go. The map and the journal tell you nothing, the people are not helping and the questmarker is missing through most of it.

Compared to the other areas the lab is really a step back and this regard.

[Ykronix]

Have to agree, the Lab took me ages to explore, first trying to find some direction in the lower area (assuming it was like Manufacturing where I needed to open keypads. There's a specific keypad in front of a tree that never works), before giving up and branching out. Was exploring the floors of uninteractable doors, hanging around the lens epicenter, then got lost again trying to make heads or tails of the upper lab area. Hey putting those random interdimensional bubbles in the hallway only to find out you get tossed into a void and die- ♥♥♥♥ move. I got just as lost there before giving up and going higher, eventually finding the security door I was probably supposed to go. Made little progression and frustratingly hit a wall again. Had to look up someone's walk through to realize there was a very easily missable button to progress. Hit a wall again cause I didn't know the game wanted me to cross a chasm. I read people literally building a bridge there and I wasn't certain jumping I would make it even with the gravity cube despite literally getting it before this area. Then I missed that there was a panel to put Leyak Essences when the xray gate wouldn't respond to the keypads cause if it didnt work where the keypad was why would I think there was an additional control panel elsewhere outside the room

[Necroscourge]

Here's a dirty little secret: If you abstract the layout of these area's it's not as complicated as it seems. For instance the office is essentially the center of the facility. I remember being flabberghasted when I got Manufacturing only to learn that it's laid out on a "flat grid"; and the Labs really intimidated me until I figured it out.

Think of two, big toy blocks with a large elevator between them and that is more or less the abstract shape of the Labs. You start by exploring the first block (Assessment Ward) to get Refined Carbon and Gems for Hackerpad 3, then you go to the second block (Containment) to lift the lockdown and get the mcguffin for the portal, and finally you do the two portals for the final pieces.

If you really think about it, there's a similar pacing in the other zones as well where you have to periodically craft or do something in order to widen the game world for yourself. I think where the Labs gets overwhelming is that the game really "Takes off" here. All of the more alien elements of the story all kinda leap out at once.

[Yaridovich]

Not every area in the game needs to be connected to story progress. Even though ABF is more linear than most other games of the genre, it's still somewhat open-world with optional areas to explore. In Manufacturing, for instance, you can completely skip the Mapping Center and you also don't have to explore the entirety of Shipping or the mines.

Dr. Peters does suggest that you should kill the Tarasque for its ichor since it's a very strong source of energy.

In any case, strong disagree. I think you missed or misunderstood the hints the game gives you, as it was when you said that you didn't know you needed to kill the Tarasque even though the game does tell you that you have to. The first time I was in Labs, I was a little bit lost, but not in the sense of not knowing where I had to go, but in the sense of not knowing where to go to first. As I explored each area, I found out where to go and collected all the resources that I needed to progress. Manufacturing was actually harder to figure out the first time I was there than Labs.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Necroscourge:

Here's a dirty little secret: If you abstract the layout of these area's it's not as complicated as it seems. For instance the office is essentially the center of the facility. I remember being flabberghasted when I got Manufacturing only to learn that it's laid out on a "flat grid"; and the Labs really intimidated me until I figured it out.

Think of two, big toy blocks with a large elevator between them and that is more or less the abstract shape of the Labs. You start by exploring the first block (Assessment Ward) to get Refined Carbon and Gems for Hackerpad 3, then you go to the second block (Containment) to lift the lockdown and get the mcguffin for the portal, and finally you do the two portals for the final pieces.

If you really think about it, there's a similar pacing in the other zones as well where you have to periodically craft or do something in order to widen the game world for yourself. I think where the Labs gets overwhelming is that the game really "Takes off" here. All of the more alien elements of the story all kinda leap out at once.

Everything is easy in hindsight. When you go in, you don't have a layout of the place, don't you?

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Yaridovich:

Not every area in the game needs to be connected to story progress. Even though ABF is more linear than most other games of the genre, it's still somewhat open-world with optional areas to explore. In Manufacturing, for instance, you can completely skip the Mapping Center and you also don't have to explore the entirety of Shipping or the mines.

Dr. Peters does suggest that you should kill the Tarasque for its ichor since it's a very strong source of energy.

In any case, strong disagree. I think you missed or misunderstood the hints the game gives you, as it was when you said that you didn't know you needed to kill the Tarasque even though the game does tell you that you have to. The first time I was in Labs, I was a little bit lost, but not in the sense of not knowing where I had to go, but in the sense of not knowing where to go to first. As I explored each area, I found out where to go and collected all the resources that I needed to progress. Manufacturing was actually harder to figure out the first time I was there than Labs.

Who is peters and when does he suggest to kill it?

I agree, that not everything needs to be connected to the story, yet Office and Manufacturing manage the path much better. Lab is a giant place and there are no hints where to go. The only thing marked at all is "Adjustment" and "Control Center" But you can only see the last one once you are already through it.

I just went and checked, the "Containment Center DIRAC" entrance is marked, but is just a normal sized door indicating absolutely not what massive area hides behind it. And for some reason I completely forgot that it was marked at all after 2 paythroughs and had to go look.

The Mushroom lab is called portal room 4 which I don't remember being mentioned at all.

I'm not going to tell them how to do it. But I think the evidence is pretty clear, that this area lags behind compared tp the other two.

[Necroscourge]

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

Everything is easy in hindsight. When you go in, you don't have a layout of the place, don't you?

That's... kind of a silly argument isin't it? Of course you won't know what you are going to see until you see it.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Tasolth:

Maybe a couple signs and an extra bit of dialog from the people there might help. Nothing major though.

Likely, yes.

[Yaridovich]

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

Originally posted by Yaridovich:

Not every area in the game needs to be connected to story progress. Even though ABF is more linear than most other games of the genre, it's still somewhat open-world with optional areas to explore. In Manufacturing, for instance, you can completely skip the Mapping Center and you also don't have to explore the entirety of Shipping or the mines.

Dr. Peters does suggest that you should kill the Tarasque for its ichor since it's a very strong source of energy.

In any case, strong disagree. I think you missed or misunderstood the hints the game gives you, as it was when you said that you didn't know you needed to kill the Tarasque even though the game does tell you that you have to. The first time I was in Labs, I was a little bit lost, but not in the sense of not knowing where I had to go, but in the sense of not knowing where to go to first. As I explored each area, I found out where to go and collected all the resources that I needed to progress. Manufacturing was actually harder to figure out the first time I was there than Labs.

Who is peters and when does he suggest to kill it?

I agree, that not everything needs to be connected to the story, yet Office and Manufacturing manage the path much better. Lab is a giant place and there are no hints where to go. The only thing marked at all is "Adjustment" and "Control Center" But you can only see the last one once you are already through it.

I just went and checked, the "Containment Center DIRAC" entrance is marked, but is just a normal sized door indicating absolutely not what massive area hides behind it. And for some reason I completely forgot that it was marked at all after 2 paythroughs and had to go look.

The Mushroom lab is called portal room 4 which I don't remember being mentioned at all.

I'm not going to tell them how to do it. But I think the evidence is pretty clear, that this area lags behind compared tp the other two.

Dr. Peters, the woman you meet right before you fight the Tarasque?

And what evidence is this? One thread is hardly evidence, specially when there is no consensus here.

I still think Labs is less confusing than Manufacturing, for one.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Yaridovich:

Dr. Peters, the woman you meet right before you fight the Tarasque?

And what evidence is this? One thread is hardly evidence, specially when there is no consensus here.

I still think Labs is less confusing than Manufacturing, for one.

She almost certainly does not tell you to kill it but goes on and on about how a lot of energy is released when the two Tarasque meet. But I will check soon, I'm almost at that point again.

The evidence is in the forum, just search for containment or lab or laser lab. There are dozens of threads where people ask for direction.

Noted, and I have seen one other thread about manufactoring. But imo the only quest where you have no direction in Manufacturing is where you have to find frake.

[Yaridovich]

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

Originally posted by Yaridovich:

Dr. Peters, the woman you meet right before you fight the Tarasque?

And what evidence is this? One thread is hardly evidence, specially when there is no consensus here.

I still think Labs is less confusing than Manufacturing, for one.

She almost certainly does not tell you to kill it but goes on and on about how a lot of energy is released when the two Tarasque meet. But I will check soon, I'm almost at that point again.

The evidence is in the forum, just search for containment or lab or laser lab. There are dozens of threads where people ask for direction.

Noted, and I have seen one other thread about manufactoring. But imo the only quest where you have no direction in Manufacturing is where you have to find frake.

She doesn't outright tell you "hey, go kill it" but she does tell you about the ichor's properties and basically telling you that it's needed. And there is no other way to get it other than facing the Tarasque. So, yeah, she is basically telling you to kill it.

[Monokuma]

Sometimes I'm concerned that modern AAA gaming has wiped most people's curiosity and exploratory natures in their quest for clear markers and outright-stated objectives. Between this and the posts about how bridging the gap wasn't obvious enough I feel like people aren't nearly as inquisitive and experimental as they used to be.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Monokuma:

Sometimes I'm concerned that modern AAA gaming has wiped most people's curiosity and exploratory natures in their quest for clear markers and outright-stated objectives. Between this and the posts about how bridging the gap wasn't obvious enough I feel like people aren't nearly as inquisitive and experimental as they used to be.

I do not miss the days where you were stuck for weeks because you didn't have internet and didn't have the walkthrough in a magazine.

While office and manufacturing completely immersed me, lab/containment threw me off. And while the first two didn't hold your hand completely and still let you explore lab's hints are just bad imo and can be improved.

[Deagle Trainee]

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

Originally posted by Yaridovich:

Dr. Peters, the woman you meet right before you fight the Tarasque?

And what evidence is this? One thread is hardly evidence, specially when there is no consensus here.

I still think Labs is less confusing than Manufacturing, for one.

She almost certainly does not tell you to kill it but goes on and on about how a lot of energy is released when the two Tarasque meet. But I will check soon, I'm almost at that point again.

There's also an email that talks about the energy they give off.

I didn't find walking through labs difficult, until I got to the point of trying to get passed the turrets. I could tell where I needed to be in order to progress the story. Just didn't understand what to do to avoid dying. Things like bridges and stuff aren't used much before the point, so it's easy to forget they exist.

[CombatWombat]

Originally posted by Deagle Trainee:

Originally posted by CombatWombat:

She almost certainly does not tell you to kill it but goes on and on about how a lot of energy is released when the two Tarasque meet. But I will check soon, I'm almost at that point again.

There's also an email that talks about the energy they give off.

I didn't find walking through labs difficult, until I got to the point of trying to get passed the turrets. I could tell where I needed to be in order to progress the story. Just didn't understand what to do to avoid dying. Things like bridges and stuff aren't used much before the point, so it's easy to forget they exist.

Funny enough, I got that point instant. Gravity cube, big chasm. Just jump it.

[BIӨMΣCHΛПӨID69]

The only thing that makes the labs difficult is the massive frame drops and lack of optimisation on the 2nd level.