Hints on reading the Alien Text

Some hints to help you get started on reading the alien text.

Introduction

Understanding the alien text does not lead to any hidden part of the game. It doesn't tell you anywhere new to go or open any hidden doors. It just explains a little more about what you are seeing as you play the game.

This whole guide contains SPOILERS. If you think you just read something useful, close this guide and try using it before reading the next bit of the guide.

This guide does not decode the alien text for you or provide any translations. It gives you some hints about how to do it yourself. If you actually want to read alien, expect to do some pen and paper work yourself.

You should see the ability to read the alien signs as the final part of playing the game. Your journey is not complete until you understand what happened to make the place. I hope this guide provides enough information to let you do it. Good luck.

• Finish the game before reading on.
  
• Find and use all the cubes before reading on.
  
• Make your own effort at understanding the alien text before reading on.

The basics

Two writing systems are used in the game. One is easy to identify and read, the other more difficult.
Both writing systems have logic behind them. By understanding some of the characters in each system, you can predict, precisely or vaguely, some of the others.

The best tools to help you understand both writing systems are the two orange computer displays in the game. If you haven't found both of them yet, go back and finish the game before continuing.

Take a good look at the 'start' page each one shows when you turn it on. These two pages (one on each computer) just by themselves, offer a lot of clues about the two writing systems. See if you can figure anything out from them. The screen on the left shows the simple writing system. The screen on the right shows the complicated writing system.

Once you've turned a page on a computer, you can't get back to its start page using the page buttons. If you want to get back to a start page, use a portal to leave the area, then use it again to go back again.

The simple writing system

The simple writing system is just a set of characters, one for each fo the 26 letters of the English alphabet. You can probably figure out many of the letters without help. You can completely ignore the complicated writing system until you have worked out most of the simple writing system.

Each character is composed of a three-by-three grid of nine dots. Two of the dots are always 'on'. Two of the dots are always 'off'. This lets you figure out where the characters are in the text area.

Four of the pages of one of the computer displays tell you almost everything you need to know to identify the whole alphabet of this system.

The letters of the English alphabet are encoded in binary, in normal order. If you can figure out where the dot for 1 or 4 is, you will quickly figure out the system.

If you're writing out a decoding key, draw it out using four letters to a line or eight letters to a line. So your letter grid should start

A B C D
E F G H

or

A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P

.

The complicated writing system

The complicated writing system is just another set of characters, one for each of the 26 letters of the English alphabet. You may be able to figure out some of the letters without help.

It is far easier to work out the complicated writing system if you have worked out most of the simple writing system first.

Each character is composed of one thick stroke or a small hollow shape. These are accompanied by extra dots. Try to learn to 'see' the main shape and ignore the dots.

There are occasional clashes where two characters look similar. You will make mistakes.
Don't get discouraged.

One of the pages of one of the computer systems is a very useful Rosetta Stone. Using just that one page, you can work out a lot of characters of this writing system.

The characters are arranged in groups of four. The letter grid you draw for decoding should start like this

A B C D
E F G H

.

[Pesky]

Ignore the complicated writing system. Have to found both computer displays ?

Were you able to tell the two alphabets apart ? See that some characters belonged to one alphabet but others were far harder to read ?

If so, did you get as far as understanding some characters from the simple writing system ?

[narutouzumaki999]

I think I need a better explanation.

[angouty]

I do not understand what you say about the alien alphabet .....
can you tell me a little more ......