[Kroms]

Originally Posted by Remolay

Seriously, LeChucks Revenge has Walt the dog, Where you actually have to get the KEY from the dog! If you can't figure out that you have to use the plank with the bone and give the bone to the dog you are out

That's a "locked room" puzzle. Those are usually so easy. They're important to the story (or semi-important, as Phatt's jail was), but because of their non-linearty are mostly designed to be quick affairs. They don't really affect pacing.

Originally Posted by Hassat Hunter

Superhero gets sued for saving somebody that doesn't want to be saved, property damage during an apprehension etc. and has to quite being "super" and lead a normal life, which he can't cope.
How exactly is that not what you mentioned?

Oh man, I'd totally forgotten about that part. You're right. Never mind.

Though I wish I saw a movie that concentrated on that more. I like The Incredibles, but it falls back on the by-now tiring "Pixar story".

SMI: Okay, can't really remember this one.
LCR: Don't realize the meaning of the song? Sorry kiddo, no proceeding in the game (well, unless you use easy mode)
CMI: Don't realise that you have to have a banjo fight? Sorry, no crew of 3, no sailing to Blood Island.
Hit the Road: Can't find out how to disguish as Bigfoot? No proceeding in the game for you.
Season 1, Episode 5: Don't figure out how to get into your office in cyberspace? No way for you to finish the game.
Season 2, Episode 4: Don't go back in time to fix a leak, no flyer for you, no game proceeding for you...
Day of the Tentacle: Oh man, the amount of times I had to seek up a walkthrough for this one. Okay; 2 words: Hamster, and... freezer.

Most of these puzzles are story-related, though. I'm not talking about their difficulty - maybe actually bringing the game to a halt because of story-related puzzles isn't a bad thing. My entire point is that you can't baffle the player completely over something that isn't completely intertwined with the story. ("Reality 2.0" gets a pass because that was the first somewhat difficult puzzle in Sam and Max).

As such, Nipperkin isn't completely integrated into the story. The story flows, tastes and feels the same without him. I'm just saying that his puzzles should have been part of something else, maybe related to the Narwhal, the pox and DeSinge.

For example the Nipperkin situation you critize, it's the only puzzle in ToMI I had to use a walkthrough. Got the treasure and the fight, got stuck on the ship. And I couldn't proceed until I solved it. No more sidetracking available. Turned out that I had to climb the anchor *again* to set fire to some grease (I would have never thought of that).

No, you just have to run up the plank, and then climb the anchor. Guybrush slides-down the plank, smearing it and the dock with grease, which lights Winslow's coal.

I think you can visit DeSinge at that point, by the way.

That's because there are a whole 2 screens. Things tend to get more complicated if 100 screens, 40 items, 3 characters over 3 timelines and stuff get involved (Think: Day of the Tentacle). And you bet you are stuck if not solving EVERY single puzzle in the game.

And that's my exact point. There is always only 1 way forward (masked with a puzzle). Don't solve it... no continuation of game, or storyline.

The five minutes refers to the part with the treasure hold. There's plenty to do in the room with Wally. I love that part. It teaches you every mechanic in the game, is easy, and makes sure you use everything you pick-up.

Yet, it's all story-related (with the exception of Murray, who's there to keep you company). When there is nothing to do, they give you a ridiculously easy puzzle to work - and one that directly relates to the story. You're in a locked room, but escape quickly. SMI's under-water puzzle was similar, MI2's phatt jail, and TMI04's barfight.

I can say the same about Tales. Except replace ship with "ships".

What's your point? I didn't say Tales didn't do the exact thing. Tales does it even funnier, since the whole thing could've been avoided had Guybrush not been showing-off.