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Lady Kestrel

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Casual Playthrough—Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek

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TimovieMan - 25 November 2014 12:29 PM
rtrooney - 25 November 2014 12:06 PM

The old man was definitely in your room, but he didn’t take the knife. I’m thinking he was simply using your room as a shortcut to his house.

When you first enter your room, he pops up all indoctrinated (scaring the crap out of you), and takes a plastic evidence bag from the desk before he disappears.
Our detective mentions that bag contained some sort of knife. I take it this is it.

We then find it again in the church, on top of that trap door, so that’s where he took it (undoubtedly to be found by the Preacher).

Once we recover it, we put it on the evidence board where Hamilton later steals it.

You are absolutely correct. Sometimes I just forget stuff.

     

For whom the games toll,
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As I see it, what we have accomplished is that we have weakened the preacher.
We have severed or at least weakened the bond that he had with the demon Asmodai, and thereby also weakened the power he gained from being a disciple of Asmodai.

But I don’t think our actions have had any impact on Asmodai himself. In order to actually defeat a demon like Asmodai, I think you would need some kind of divine intervention, like an archangel with a big flaming sword Wink

Also if we take this line of thought a bit further, then it seem like this story is only a smaller part of the eternal battle between between heaven and hell, good and evil. So just like the Preacher got his powers from being a disciple of the demon Asmodai, then UH (Unnamed Heroine™) might have some kind of divine connection herself! It is quite possible that there is an equally strong power of good like an archangel, that is protecting and guiding UH.

I haven’t really found anything in the game that supports this hypothesis, but it is a good story that makes the game more interesting, and it would explain why UH was able to take down the Preacher in just a few days, while Hamilton was only able to accomplish very little in all those years that he had been chasing the Preacher.

And if we push this a bit further into the realm of far-fetched-fiction, then I can’t help but to wonder why UH is unnamed? Perhaps the developers are planning a surprise revelation down the line, that she was actually dead all along is actually some kind of angel and not a mere mortal like the rest of us?!?




And why do I always think of the novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, whenever I hear the phrase “eternal battle between between heaven and hell”

     

You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ

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Lady Kestrel - 25 November 2014 01:55 PM

I think this will answer the question about why only women were sacrificed:

It does, but also women is traditionally the victims of serial killers, so there might not be more to this than a standard serial-killer meme.

     

You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ

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rtrooney - 24 November 2014 07:05 PM

I think we said the exact same thing. Smile

Yeah, about Angelica Weaver. I was disagreeing that this was also the case with Enigmatis…

On the contrary. Instead of believing Hamilton was an honorable man who wouldn’t seek vengeance against the preacher because he needed absolute proof which would be supplied by our protagonist,

I never bought that.
If he was so honourable, he would have talked to us, give us all his info, instead of just “checking up on us” and tearing off posters before we can inspect them.
He may not have been a bad guy, but he sure as heck isn’t helpful either.

we find out that he knew the preacher killed Emily and did nothing about it for 30 years. Not even a phone call to the police. Which either makes him incredibly incompetent or a coward. To me that changes the storyline dramatically.

We don’t need the CE for this - it’s implied in the SE. It’s probably even heavily implied or maybe even outright stated (?) because it’s what I thought had happened and I don’t usually notice subtle hints…

I’m not buying it. Hamilton appears to be as immune to the bell as our protagonist.

I’m not buying it either, since he’s not really “part of the flock” (then again, neither was Kate’s boyfriend and he DID get entranced), but his character and especially his 30 years of non-action are so jarring that any explanation is better than none…

But simply having this CE information changes the whole raison d’être of the SE game.

That’s the main point I’m disagreeing with here: I don’t think that the CE adds new information, it’s all in the SE already, imo (see my previous answers).

Then let me ask two questions. If information contained in the CE dramatically changes or confuses issues explored and “solved” in the main game, (e.g. both here and in Angelica,) should it be part of the discussion? Or if information contained in a CE is of so little value, (e.g. Phantasmat,) that it adds nothing to the main game, should it be part of the discussion?

My answer is no, which should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Again, this is where we disagree. My answer is yes on both accounts. Any additional information should absolutely be part of the discussion, no matter how little it adds.
If the CE adds nothing, then simply knowing that it adds nothing adds something. Wink
And if the CE only serves to confuse or weaken the SE, then knowing that is interesting as well (and we can always disregard it afterwards anyway).

To compare with movies, I own both the regular version of Donnie Darko as the (20 minutes longer) Director’s Cut on DVD. The regular version has a very ambiguous ending that’s open to interpretation. The Director’s Cut makes it unambiguous by explaining in detail what the director had in mind for the entire thing.
I prefer the regular version (I consider it more powerful, and I could come up with an adequate theory that I like better than the director’s take on it), but knowing what the director’s stance is is not only something that I consider interesting, but it’s also something that has enhanced my enjoyment of the original work.
In fact, I can’t think of a single situation where knowing additional info has lessened my view of the original work. In most cases, it’s only strengthened it. It’s part of why I love reading TV Tropes after watching a film or series or playing a game…

Iznogood - 25 November 2014 01:11 AM

Fast forward through all the HO and puzzle solving and you can get the whole story in about 15-30 minutes.

^ This.

The amnesia could still have worked if they stopped it halfway through, like UH (Unnamed Heroine) had gotten her full memory back when we destroyed the bell

Interesting take. It could also enforce the idea that the amnesia is one of the effects of the Preacher’s / the bell’s influence over us…

furgotten - 25 November 2014 01:30 PM

I concur with the opinions of Hamilton but it is somewhat common in casual games for the nonplayable partners and investigators to be foils rather than fully contributing.

Unfortunately, that easily comes off as lazy writing because those characters then make little sense… Meh

rtrooney - 25 November 2014 11:10 PM

You are absolutely correct. Sometimes I just forget stuff.

Meh, I do too. Had to browse the strategy guide to find the location where we recover the knife. Innocent

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Warning Again—Spoilers from this Point On in the Playthrough/Thread

Some of these images (and comments as well) will be spoilers. If you haven’t finished the game, go no further.

TimovieMan - 26 November 2014 06:39 AM

...he’s not really “part of the flock” (then again, neither was Kate’s boyfriend and he DID get entranced)...

I was under the impression that Kate’s boyfriend was a local boy—that he lived on the farm. That’s why his truck was there.

Iznogood - 26 November 2014 02:29 AM

UH (Unnamed Heroine™)

That’ll save some typing!

As for why Hamilton captured Kate’s boyfriend—he had been collaborating with the UH, putting himself in danger. I’m assuming Hamilton found him lying in the road—he had not only been struck by lightning, but had a wound in his side. Hamilton carried him home, tended to the wound, and thought it was best to keep him from being drawn back to the church by the bell, where the Preacher would punish or kill him, so Hamilton locked him in the basement.

 

     
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I have just officially started the playthrough of the next game.

However feel free to continue the discussions on the first game here.

     

You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ

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Thank you Becky for leading the playthrough & all of your interesting & thoughtful comments but not to forget those of other members which I found very thought-provoking too! It was a very enjoyable game but I think my tolerance on HO screens took a dive & I found that they detracted from the story, but very typical of CGs I guess!

     
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Thanks everyone for joining in the playthrough!


I’m posting a handful of screenshots that are a bit outside the discussion, because they intrigued me and provide a bit of local color.


New England is famous for its covered bridges, so I was glad to see one included in this game. These unusual bridges appear in various places throughout the northeastern US (including Vermont, where this game takes place).

Nobody knows why the original settlers built them this way (one theory: since the bridges look like barns, animals could be fooled into thinking they were heading for the comforts of home, rather than being herded across a river). Local historical societies have taken on the task of helping to maintain the bridges as they age (for the US, these structures are practically ancient).


Both of the Enigmatis games take place in a forest—Maple Creek shows the gorgeous foliage that occurs in the autumn in New England. Of course, once the leaves fall, it’s a huge clean-up task in the nearby towns. Below is one of my favorite screenshots from the game, with the crooked tree and decaying farmyard.


This is a screenshot from the bonus chapter. I’ve been puzzling over what the item on the desk to the right is—at first I thought it must be a paper cutter, but the handle looks more like a narwhal tusk. Any ideas?



The screenshot below is, to me, one of the eeriest in the game. Having spent time in rural churches, I’m startled by the complete lack of ornamentation, and the bizarre attention of the congregation. (Of course, if we’d seen them from the front, we’d notice their eyes weirdly glowing.) From now on I will celebrate the feet shuffling, coughing, crying babies, and slouching postures that make a congregation, well, normal.

I suspect that the large crack in the wall is emblematic of other parts of the Preacher’s domain—the bell support and the altar—where cracks in his power are becoming apparent.

     
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Yes, thank you, Becky, for keeping it lively and fun.

Chrissie,
The HO screens did become tedious in this game, but many casual game companies who have been in business for a while have put much more variety into their puzzles, including the HOPs.

     

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Maple Creek was released in September of 2011, and the sequel, Ravenwood, which we’re about to play, was released in September 2013. So we’ll see the way the genre developed over two years.

Once we’ve finished with Ravenwood, I’ll be extremely curious as to everyone’s opinion about playing the earlier game despite its many HOs, in order to get a better introduction to the second game.

     
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Great job with the playthrough, Becky. Be careful though. An old army adage goes something like, don’t be too good at anything or you will end up doing it forever.

     

For whom the games toll,
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Thanks for running a great playthrough, Becky, and for the in-depth discussions about the story aspects! Thumbs Up

rtrooney - 26 November 2014 06:43 PM

Great job with the playthrough, Becky. Be careful though. An old army adage goes something like, don’t be too good at anything or you will end up doing it forever.

That’s one of Scott Adams’ Dilbert Principles: “Don’t be irreplaceable - if you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.” Cool

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Iznogood - 26 November 2014 02:29 AM

But I don’t think our actions have had any impact on Asmodai himself. In order to actually defeat a demon like Asmodai, I think you would need some kind of divine intervention, like an archangel with a big flaming sword Wink

I’m sure this topic will come up again in the next playthrough. But, the number of named archangels varies widely depending on source material. In newer Christian source material the number is three. If using Talmudic source material the number is either seven or nine. The one thing they have in common is that there was another archangel, who we know as Lucifer, who challenged God, and was sent to his fate as ruler of hell. So there is another level to consider. If the preacher serves Asmodai, and Asmodai serves Lucifer, it is only an equal of Lucifer that can slay Asmodai.

We shall see what happens.

     

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Thank you, both Tims, for your kind words. I’ve enjoyed leading the playthrough and hope to get better at doing this.

Because I’m basically overly conscientious (that’s a nice euphemism for it, anyway), I’ve written up a timeline of what occurred in this game and its bonus chapter to refer back to as we play Ravenwood. I’ve considered posting it here, but it almost seems too detailed and is wildly, brutally spoilerish if anyone happens across it who hasn’t finished Maple Wood.

But at least it’s on paper if we have any questions while in the middle of Ravenwood.

     
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Let me also thank you for leading this playthrough Becky, once again an excellent job Thumbs Up

And why not post that timeline anyway, you can use spoiler tags if you are afraid it might spoil it for someone. Personally I would be very interested in it, as I tend not to pay too much attention to that myself.

     

You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ

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