itch.io

I've finished the game!* What an amazing journey. Thanks for this, Nathan, and for anyone thinking of starting this, it's incredibly rich, something to get lost in for a while.

*I think. I have some questions to explore still. 

In case you ever come back to this, some thoughts:

What shadowdweller said below is most important. The walls can only attack you when you're next to them, so you can take them out with ranged attacks. The problem here is how you get your ammo back without walking next to them... but there's some ways to solve that. One of those involves an item that is often for sale in Divinity at least, another an item that you probably have lying around--if there's anything whose effects you haven't identified, you should! (Speaking from experience--I  finished Castle of Mirrors two months ago and only just now identified that item and realized it would have made my life easier.)

For the "stumbling into the wall monster" problem, I find the monster is much more visible in tile rather than text mode, so when I thought some were near I would toggle tile mode on to check.

Anyway, from where it sounds like you are, avoiding hallucination sounds better than trying to tough it out. I haven't found a dreamcoat myself, and the rosewood staff turned out not to be effective; you have to point it, and you can't point a staff while you're hallucinating. And if you can solve the shimmering wall issue, the Castle of Mirrors is probably less deadly than White Vertigo. 

OK, good to know! It's just an idea I've been kicking around, as with many of my projects not sure if I would find the time. I certainly wouldn't go for a whole wiki, more like the questions I've asked you here and a couple of other things and tips!

Thanks! I just succeeded in the thing I needed to do... which I think I had tried before but not long enough.

Zl creprcgvba fpber vf ernyyl ybj. Bapr V ernyvmrq V jnf univat n gba bs gebhoyr jvgu frperg qbbef V fgnegrq envfvat vg jvgu rirel yriry hc ohg V yrsg vg fb ybat gung V nz erterggvat vg. 

By the way, would you mind if sometime I made a fan page with tips for the game, mostly the questions I have been asking you and a few other things? Yvxr gur hfr bs gur purpxreobneq xrljbeq lbh pna svaq va bar bs gur inhygf, juvpu V jnf irel cyrnfrq jvgu zlfrys sbe thrffvat. Naq nyfb gur arrq gb chg cbvagf va creprcgvba! I would try to avoid duplicating the cluebook, the hope would be to get something onto search results in case someone else is looking for similar questions down the line! (I wouldn't promise to make this anytime soon, just wanted to clear it with you in case I did.)

Hello! I have another navigation problem that I cannot figure out even with help from the cluebook. This is in the Castle of Mirrors III. 

Ubj qb V ernpu gur ebbz jurer, whqtvat ol gur pyhrobbx, gur tvoorezbhguf jvyy tvir zr n punag gb hfr ba gur tnetblyrf? V unir znqr zl jnl guebhtu gur Unyyf bs Sbetrgshyyarff, ng fbzr pbfg gb zl nhgbznc, naq ernpurq gur fcbg gung gryyf zr V pna urne ibvprf gb gur abegu. Pynveiblnapr gryyf zr gung gurer vf fghss ba gur bgure fvqr bs bar guvpxarff bs tynff jnyy, ohg V'ir frnepurq naq unira'g sbhaq n frperg qbbe. Fvzvyneyl va gur abegu-jrfg zbfg bs gur unyyf jurer gurer'f bar guvpxarff bs jnyy naq fbzrguvat ba gur bgure fvqr, ohg V'ir frnepurq gurer gbb. V pna nyfb hfr pynveiblnapr gb frr n dhrfgvba znex va gur cneg V pna'g ernpu.

V trg gur vzcerffvba gung (yvxr gur fzbxr va Bexva Fgebatubyq jvgu ibvprf ba gur bgure fvqr) gur fcbg jurer lbh urne ibvprf vf na vaqvpngvba gung gurer'f fbzrguvat ba gur bgure fvqr, ohg lbh pna'g trg gurer sebz gurer, rira vs (whqtvat ol gur pyhrobbx) guvf vf ubj lbh trg onpx sebz gurer. Ohg V pna'g svther nal bcra cnguf va gur Pnfgyr. V'ir tbar gb gur sbhegu sybbe naq fznfurq gur jnyy, yvorengrq gur znqqravat zneoyrf sebz gurve nern ba gur frpbaq sybbe, ernpurq nyy gur purpxreobneq inhygf, tbar qbja frireny uvqqra puhgrf naq va zl ynfg frffvba sbhaq n frperg qbbe gung yrq gb na nern jvgu n cbby gung fbhaqrq yvxr n pybpx (naq nabgure bar gung unq abguvat ohg n synzvat tylcu). Gurer ner fgvyy frireny nernf erirnyrq ol pynveiblnapr be qrgrpg rarzvrf gung V unira'g ernpurq. Ohg V unira'g sbhaq gur "fxrva bs gjrravat ibvqf" zragvbarq va gur pyhrobbx. V pna'g qvt guebhtu gur tynff jnyyf, pna V? 

Thanks for the reply! And I should say that I really love this game and am super appreciative of you personally and promptly answering my questions! If I've gotten far it's because breaking through to a new area is exciting.

I will send a screenshot when I get a chance to play back to the relevant points, though I wouldn't be too surprised if your comment leads me to realize that I've missed something obvious.

At least while I'm trying to work this out I'm making a lot of money, because I'm cutting through drakes like Kendrick Lamar. Sorry I just wanted the excuse to say that.

OK I am stuck in another place that seems from the cluebook like it should be straightforward: How do I get past Orkin Stronghold IV? Rot13 again:

V'ir orra noyr gb trg gb gur bhgre evat bs gur abegurea unys (naq gur vaare cneg bs vg gbb) naq gb gur abegujrfg gbjre juvpu unf gur hapyvzonoyr cyngsbez. Gur evat gb gur abegurnfg gbjre frrzf gb or oybpxrq ol vzcrargennoyr fzbxr pybhq va obgu qverpgvbaf. Ba gur rnfgrea fvqr gurer'f n oenmvre jvgu n dhrfgvba znex ba gur bgure fvqr, juvpu frrzf yvxr bapr V trg gurer V'yy or noyr gb xvpx vg bire, ohg V'z abg ba gur bgure fvqr lrg. Gur jnyyf va gur nern frrz gb or haqvttnoyr (V qht bhg n ybg nebhaq gur abegujrfg gbjre.) V'ir gevrq trarengvat jvaq naq hfvat gur sbt-qvfcrefvat punag ba gur abegu fvqr, jurer lbh trg gur zrffntr nobhg punagf, ohg gurl qvqa'g qb nalguvat. Zl gjrravat fcryy nyfb snvyf gurer.

The other obvious bottleneck I have is in the Castle of Mirrors but I'm pretty sure I know what's going on there:

Gurer'f n cynpr jvgu funggrerq tynff jurer gur pyhrobbx fnlf gurer'f n frperg qbbe, naq V nz dhvgr fher jurer vg vf (fvapr V pna frr gur bgure fvqr jvgu pynveiblnapr), ohg V unira'g sbhaq vg rira jura jnyxvat cnfg gur fcbg jvgu Fpbhgvat ba. V guvax V whfg arrq gb fgneg chggvat cbvagf vagb Creprcgvba jura V yriry hc.

Anyway it feels like Orkin Stronghold is the better place to work on right now, because I've gotten a fair number of clues about ways to go forward that should open up once I finish that. (I've also done first explorations into the southern part of Divinity and the Gorge of Mists, but I'm pretty sure I can't get any farther there.)

Ah, I forgot about that command! Thank you!

I have a puzzlement that not even the cluebook has solved: How do you open the way to the magic meadows? The rest of this is in rot13:

V tbg gur fcrpxyrq narzbar sebz gur Cbbxnu Ynaqvat naq gnyxrq gb gur enatre nobhg gur fvyire evat naq gur yher. Abj V nz va jung boivbhfyl frrzf gb or gur fvyire evat, jvgu n terra dhrfgvba znex va gur zvqqyr gung ercrngrqyl fnlf V urne fpheelvat oruvaq gur ovepurf gb gur abegu. Naq V pna frr guebhtu pynveiblnapr gung gurer vf n cngu oruvaq gur ovepu gb gur abegu. Vg frrzf yvxr gur npgvba gung vf orvat uvagrq vf gb qebc gur narzbar ng gur abegurea raq bs gur evat, nobir gur terra dhrfgvba znex. Ohg gung vfa'g qbvat nalguvat (rira jura V erghea gb gur dhrfgvba znex be yrnir gur evat naq erghea be jnvg sbe n ahzore bs gheaf). V'ir nyfb gevrq gur punag sbe gnyxvat gb gerrf naq gung unfa'g jbexrq rvgure.

In case any Mac users who had a similar problem are reading this, I wound up running the game by wrapping the Windows file (.bat?) in Wineskin. There is probably a more straightforward solution but that worked!

Hey I wanted to send you this but I am not sure I have a working email address for you! https://xkcd.com/2833/

yes

(apparently there is an achievement for letting lots flee)

according to the folks on Discord, there's no trade-off

For what it's worth, I had my 1.0.3 file in Applications and when I unzipped the Beta it was automatically named "SliceAndDice 2" and wouldn't launch (even after I confirmed that I wanted to open an app from an unverified developer). I renamed the old app to "SliceAndDice 1.0.3" and the beta to "SliceAndDice" and then I could launch the beta.

lol I only got around to downloading 1.0.3 yesterday

This was great!

On the old build clicking "run in low resolution" worked for me! For others reading this, you have to "get info" and the "low resolution" box is there.

Apparently I have a retina monitor but I couldn't tell from looking at the About This Mac!

Same issue here, not on Retina I think.

I don't know about a changelog, but the Mac version now has sound at least! Also it used to start with the same seed everytime and now doesn't.

Thanks! Since I don't have a Steam key, I guess that means I have to use the itch.io app?

...or I could just unzip the file in Applications instead of Downloads! Looks like that solved the problem! Thanks so much!

I've just started playing on MacOS and it looks like all my starting weapons and armor are coming up as "invalid blueprint." There's a screenshot of my inventory below (I think I also had a robe; when I equipped it my torch unequipped).

This happened on both the beta and non-beta versions.

Is there a simple fix I can do for this?

Thanks.

secret way to access the final level????

ooh well given the one I got I owe some people a meowpology!

Meow! Is there more than one ending?

You know, I realized what would probably have helped me with the doors issue--when a door is first crafted, make it closed by default. Then you have to open it to go through it, and you know doors must be open and closed.

Just spent a nice couple hours with this game. Once I figured out a way to keep myself above water (it turns out you need to close doors for them to keep animals out) it was very relaxing--even before then. I'm glad the threat level isn't high. The sound is great, which may be the first time I've said that about a roguelike (the door opening and closing is very satisfying for some reason).

Some people have talked about the directional controls I think, and it does seems as though it's impossible to plant on some squares (I can't face them without moving on them). Also catching animals can be fiddly--maybe moving onto an animal should automatically catch it.

I haven't found much in the way of buildings--the berry forest behind a cave is my big discovery--but that's OK, I don't need a big goal in this game.

Thanks for the quick reply! I'm using Mac OS X 10.14.6. When I double-click on legerd_mac.command (in the version bundled with GRE) I get this in the Terminal window:

/Users/mcweiner/Downloads/legerd1.1.0-cd-manifest/Legerdemain/legerd_mac.command ; exit;
MacBook-Air:~ mcweiner$ /Users/mcweiner/Downloads/legerd1.1.0-cd-manifest/Legerdemain/legerd_mac.command ; exit;
Error: Could not find or load main class legerd.TheApp
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: legerd.TheApp

It's also possible that I might be able to use Wine to run the .bat file, if I can work that out.

Cheers again!

Good to see this updated--my old version has pretty much broken!

I can't seem to run this, though. It looks like it's expecting a file called legerd.TheApp that it can't find?

Aw, thank!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! (Sorry for not replying earlier but my browser decided to take focus off the comment box with each keystroke.)

As you can tell I've been working on 2d movement for a while... a lot of this depends on the implementation I started with (the underlying model in Terminator is a lot different), but hopefully I'll be able to keep using some of the things in here about keeping track of things as you move around them, and get closer and nearer. (The code for moving around them was a lot of what I was adding just before the jam, because without that it's totally impossible to keep track of where things are.)

Done, thanks! On my laptop it's a bit ooky--if you scroll to the right you can see all the text but it's ugly, and the status line gets messed up. But it's better than it was, and I guess if it doesn't work people can go fullscreen, so it's better than before when it wouldn't work for anyone without fullscreen. Thanks again!

(Maybe we should beep the itch.io people about the color scheme for fullscreen?)

Done, though it took a while to find it. (Didn't understand what it does, really; I thought, well, this isn't a Twine.... And it looks as though you have to click it after you start the game, or it'll give you the default Twine color-scheme? Ugh, that makes the source text unreadable.)