Favourite Death from SQ3

[Te Rangi]

[OmerMor]

I'm ashamed to admit, but I don't remember the death sequences... maybe it's time to play SQ3 again soon..  

[Nick Sonneveld]

take metal?  I don't remember that one.. perhaps an explanation is in order.

- Nick

[Te Rangi]

Go to the screen with the TIE Fighter, Acme Rocket, and the Jupiter. Leaning on the Jupiter is a piece of riveted steel. Walk over to the steel, and (TAKE METAL)  

[Nick Sonneveld]

heh.. ok yes.. that one is pretty good.  I'll nominate that one simply because I've never seen it before.

- Nick

[Chris Cromer]

I like the nukem dukem death scene where Roger has fallen out of the nukem dukem robot and is dead.

I also like the take metal one as well, I found that one just recently when I was playing SQ3 about a month or so ago.

[CapTAmerik@]

"TAKE METAL" - definitely.

Coming back on another question: HOW important are dead sequences to adventurers. I know they can get quite frustrating, but I really liked to explore them all. (Jump in the polluted lagoon on purpose in LL3 and all...)..

So what are we favouring? The Sierra idea (of dying on every possible occassion and corner) or the LucasArts principle of never being able to die --accept when walking in Nazi castles or drinking out of the wrong Holy Grail....

CaptAmerik@

[Cosmic R]

I must say, I like the possibility of dying at every turn.  To me, it keeps the game more 'Sierra' like.  But from what I've found, people dont like dying in the game, and if they do, they want it to be for a good reason(ie like the wrong holy grail).  But personally, I prefer dying more often, it keeps the player on more of an edge and they dont get complacent(sp?), thefore saving their game more often too.

[Nick Sonneveld]

Lucasarts really screwed me up with Maniac mansion (1) and Indiana Jones.. I've played other games and I expected not to die!  So obviously I died in Fate of Atlantis without saving for hours.

Death is just a more obvious form of one type of poor adventure game design: dead ends.  If use an item before you're meant to and you can't get another one to continue on in the game, that's just as bad as death.. if not worse because you don't know that you've reached a dead end.

Dead ends in the form of poor puzzle design should be removed altogether.  death should only be temporary.  Like in SQ6, you should be able to undo your last move(s).

in theory, you shouldn't need savegames at all to finish
the game.  (try finishing kings quest 5 without save games or walkthrough)

so in conclusion, I don't mind dying, as long as you can backup without savegames.  deadends can be worse though.

- Nick

[Brian Provinciano]

I usually save often enough that death doesn't really bother me. The sequences, especially in Larry can be hilarious! However, dead ends really get me. The ability to use an inventory item that can't be obtained again on the wrong thing can really become frustrating. However, the ability also makes the game more open and realistic, the aspect that most draws me to adventure games, so it goes both ways for me.

[Nick Sonneveld]

I may have to disagree here.  realistic?  The only way you can solve some puzzles in real life is by looking at the outcome, restoring and trying again?

For instance, in kings quest 5, there's LOTS of puzzles where you need a savegame.  Like the desert and trying to find the next oasis.  You go off in one direction, die, restore and try another direction.  There's the dependancy on save games.

Or feeding the food to the wolf.  If you use the pie, you can't solve a later puzzle.  but if you don't have the meat, what else are you supposed to use?  Of course, they don't have any hints that you did the wrong thing  and who goes "of course, I need to use the pie to get rid of this yeti"

Of course, there are some games designed around savegames and I believe Max Payne was one of them.  saving/restoring doesn't take much time at all and you can spend ages restoring to the same section over and over, trying to lose less health and look cooler by diving everywhere.

- Nick

[Allen]

Mine has not been listed, its being killed when you don't put the shields up before firing at the wall.

"Sudden decompression sucks!"

Another thing, death is a wonderful thing. Such as in LSL2, if you die when you go past the KGB agents on the resort island, it gives you a hint in the death message.
I can't stand early SCUMM games like 'Maniac Mansion' as you get stuck in prison, and can't get out. The one game I found most frustrating was 'Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders' as you can die but if you do the game's not over. Also, the scripting is c*** as sometimes you just 'lose' stuff.

[HWM]

People who don't like Sierra games, mostly say: "I don't like 'em because you always 'die'..." A reason I find hard to believe, since I think it's a fun addition to the games, especially those which support the "TRY AGAIN" option...

You can't get stuck in Maniac Mansion by getting thrown in prison... There are several ways to get out of it (loose bricks, keys)... Probably the only way to get stuck is to kill off one of your characters or spill objects (I guess that's "just 'lose' stuff")...

I found out about that TAKE METAL thing, on that "The Many Deaths of Roger Wilco" site... Which is unique in it's kind, strangly enough...

[CapTAmerik@]

"...if you die when you go past the KGB agents on the resort island, it gives you a hint in the death message..."

EXACTLY! That's the way adventuring was meant to be!

CaptAmerik@

[Allen]

OMG!!!
I didn't know that you could escape!!!
Well, i did, but i thought it was through the 'Sekrit door'