IFComp 2009: Trap Cave
5 Oct 2009 00:01![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cobaltnine
Title: Trap Cave
Author: Herr Emilian Kowalewski
I use the Comp.z5 to randomize the games. I don't see why not, you know? But not next year. The first thing I open is Trap Cave. The homebrew interpreter. There's always at least one homebrew. But this is the same homebrew I started with last year! Oh, and it's 11pm, which isn't the best time to start a new game anyway.
Partially translated. Okay, I pop open the German one, because, of all things, that is my second language. However, after a few screens I realize I'm just not comfortable enough in my 23:00 German to actually play a full game in it. And at Game #1, my carefully adjusted formula for judging is thrown into disarray. So I reset into English.
For one turn. Not even one turn! Okay, fine, me and my dictionary, and dict.leo.org, and some Rammstein albums are gonna get through this. Aber du will viele, viele Punkte vergessen.
Some minutes later, I've had several 'cruel' deaths (per the 'cruelty' concept from the IFwiki) and a slight improvement in my confidence about German-the-language.
C9-HFS-19 Scores
1. Technical: 0-3
Very technically, I suppose it's a 2, since it's kludgy and an exe. Realistically, for most players of the comp, a 0. We're going to split the difference and give this a 1.
2. Writing: Grammar 0-2, Story 0-6, Setting 0-2
Grammar: 1. This is more than it should get, but it's getting that because I've been inspired to practise my German. Keep in mind that if you do not speak German, the end score for this game isn't going to be much different than if I gave it a zero.
Story: There's almost no story, and no names, so again, there's a 0.
Setting: Overused and sparse, leading to a generous 1.
3. Puzzles: 0-5
Okay, I thought maybe the unsolvability of this puzzle was due to crap implementation of the English game. So, with my newfound confidence, I reloaded into the German version. Nope! Puzzle's still unsolvable due to the technical issues of the homebrew system - CYOA will work only if you retain all the options the player has. Not letting me take any action but one I know will kill me, even knowing exactly what I need to do, is absolutely shitty design.
I don't even know what to put here for a score. Zero, I guess.
Before bonus points: 2
4. Bonuses: -2-1
-1 for cruelty and incompleteness.
Submitted Score: 1
Summary: Barely a better effort than last year's. I'm sorry, Herr Kowalewski, but you really, really need some beta testers. I don't care what language it's in, but it's got to be playable. This is just getting embarassing for all of us.
Edit after reading other blog posts: Okay, so apparently it is winnable - assuming you don't make certain moves and poke the game in stupid ways. My score stands.
Author: Herr Emilian Kowalewski
I use the Comp.z5 to randomize the games. I don't see why not, you know? But not next year. The first thing I open is Trap Cave. The homebrew interpreter. There's always at least one homebrew. But this is the same homebrew I started with last year! Oh, and it's 11pm, which isn't the best time to start a new game anyway.
Partially translated. Okay, I pop open the German one, because, of all things, that is my second language. However, after a few screens I realize I'm just not comfortable enough in my 23:00 German to actually play a full game in it. And at Game #1, my carefully adjusted formula for judging is thrown into disarray. So I reset into English.
For one turn. Not even one turn! Okay, fine, me and my dictionary, and dict.leo.org, and some Rammstein albums are gonna get through this. Aber du will viele, viele Punkte vergessen.
Some minutes later, I've had several 'cruel' deaths (per the 'cruelty' concept from the IFwiki) and a slight improvement in my confidence about German-the-language.
C9-HFS-19 Scores
1. Technical: 0-3
Very technically, I suppose it's a 2, since it's kludgy and an exe. Realistically, for most players of the comp, a 0. We're going to split the difference and give this a 1.
2. Writing: Grammar 0-2, Story 0-6, Setting 0-2
Grammar: 1. This is more than it should get, but it's getting that because I've been inspired to practise my German. Keep in mind that if you do not speak German, the end score for this game isn't going to be much different than if I gave it a zero.
Story: There's almost no story, and no names, so again, there's a 0.
Setting: Overused and sparse, leading to a generous 1.
3. Puzzles: 0-5
Okay, I thought maybe the unsolvability of this puzzle was due to crap implementation of the English game. So, with my newfound confidence, I reloaded into the German version. Nope! Puzzle's still unsolvable due to the technical issues of the homebrew system - CYOA will work only if you retain all the options the player has. Not letting me take any action but one I know will kill me, even knowing exactly what I need to do, is absolutely shitty design.
I don't even know what to put here for a score. Zero, I guess.
Before bonus points: 2
4. Bonuses: -2-1
-1 for cruelty and incompleteness.
Submitted Score: 1
Summary: Barely a better effort than last year's. I'm sorry, Herr Kowalewski, but you really, really need some beta testers. I don't care what language it's in, but it's got to be playable. This is just getting embarassing for all of us.
Edit after reading other blog posts: Okay, so apparently it is winnable - assuming you don't make certain moves and poke the game in stupid ways. My score stands.
