If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the
FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to
register or
login before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
| 22 OCT 2002 at 6:50am |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline |
Technical Overview
My system configuration:
Athlon 1800xp, 512mb ram
ATI Radeon 8500
Creative Labs Soundblaster Live! Value
WinXP Pro
The installation is on disc 2. it would not install, as it kept trying to find a disc in drive G:\; trying to run the installation in compatibility mode was unsuccessful as well. Since I didn't know what exactly was installed how by the script, I simply copied the contents of the 2nd cd to my t7g directory. However, the game would still not run. Again, no luck with compatibility mode. Through a Google search, I found out that Trilobyte had made available a patch that would allow the game to run in Windows - either windowed or full-screen. I downloaded the patch, extracted the contents to my t7g directory, and was thrilled to find that it worked!
Technical glitches during the game:
- Not the game itself, but the "shell" that allowed it to work in windows would occasionally crap out on me, reporting one of two errors. I don't remember the exact verbiage, but my only option was to click on OK. I saved before and after every puzzle.
- The sound was a little out-of-synch, but did not detract substantially from my overall experience. Please note that my opinion might be different if I were playing the game for the very first time. From a strictly objective standpoint, however, this trouble does make one or two puzzles just a little bit more... puzzling (read: infuriating).
Gameplay
After a rather interesting introduction to stauf, a seemingly insane, evil toymaker, I begin my quest to solve the mystery of this house. Along the way, I encounter several puzzles, solving which unlocks new rooms for me.
I found it incredibly convenient that stauf is a toymaker. It's a wonderful premise, but it also means that I can't really say that some of the puzzles didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. OK, most of the puzzles, but I'll just chalk that up to being completely obtuse.
As this doesn't spoil anything, I will tell you one thing: the puzzle located in the laboratory does not need to be solved to advance through the game. So what, you say, since when do I solve puzzles because I have to? Half the fun is finding all the things you can do even though you don't have to. To that I say that no walkthrough can walk you through this puzzle. You're on your own.
Graphics
Impressive. Interesting use of video in pre-rendered 3d environments. I didn't experience any glitches at all, most likely because free movement is not possible.
Sound
I had great difficulty hearing the dialogue over the music in the background.
Something I will mention, however, is that cutting back on the hardware acceleration helped in synching the sound a lot...
- Control Panel >> Sounds and Audio Devices.
- Volume >> Speaker Settings >> Advanced...
- Performance >> Hardware Acceleration
It should be set to full by default; I experimented with the settings and found "basic" to work best. It didn't eliminate the problem completely, but it definitely helped.
Replay Value
I played this game again after nearly 10 years. It was fun, but I did remember some of the solutions from the first time I played. The story is extremely linear, so there's really nothing new to discover once you've solved the mystery. If I play it again, it'll probably be for its nostalgic value, in another 10 years.
.gita
|
| 25 OCT 2002 at 4:45pm |
MrLipidPrivate Detective
Posts : 666
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Solid review, justG.
Downloading The Collector trailer and hearing that wonderful music again convinced me to dig out my copy of 7th Guest and fire it up for the first time in years.
My system specs lower then yours, justG, so I didn't run into the syncing problems.
Given how many graphically glorious games have come and gone in the past decade, it's difficult to remember just what a sensation the 7th Guest was. No one had seen anything like it and it pretty much spelled the end for shipping games on diskettes.
While time has not been kind to the video compositing in 7th Guest, the level of quality achieved in the animation sequences (puzzles and transitions) continues to hold its own against anything currently on offer.
What finally makes the 7th Guest worth replaying (or playing for the first time if you've not yet played it) is its playfully creepy mood. Heck, play it just for the fabulous soundtrack!
|
| 25 OCT 2002 at 5:14pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Are you feeling... looooooonely?
I wouldn't go doooown there... Muhahahahahaha....
.gita
|
| 25 OCT 2002 at 5:39pm |
MrLipidPrivate Detective
Posts : 666
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Co-o-o-o-o-m-m-m-m-e b-a-a-a-a-a-a-c-c-k!!
|
| 7 NOV 2002 at 6:23pm |
| Deleted User | Oh! m'golly gosh -
have you started me on a nostalgia trip here!
I fouund the spider on the door puzzle took me ages - about a month - although the other puzzles were simpler.
This was way before the days of hint sites!
Once I did solve the spider puzzle on the door - I could never work out what why I'd bothered -nothing seemed to happen.
Does anyone remember the cans of food word puzzle?
That was definitely one of the more difficult -
I must see if I can re-install this one on Win ME -
I want to play it again
|
| 7 NOV 2002 at 7:33pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Yep, that pantry puzzle was a doozy. I played the game for the first time when it came out, and again just before authoring that write-up of it, like what.. 8 years or so later. Fortunately for me, I remembered the pantry puzzle solution from the first time, or I would've been stuck forever. I mean, it's not like the solution makes a whole lotta sense in everyday English. Har.
Be sure to get that patch that lets you play the game in Windows, and enjoy your trip down memory lane
gita
|
| 21 NOV 2002 at 11:37am |
| Deleted User | Any ideas where I might find such a patch?
I've been trawling the patch sites for about a week but still not found one...
|
| 21 NOV 2002 at 5:04pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Yep, certainly. I had a tough time finding it, myself. I eventually encountered it on a french gaming site that is no longer available. I'll put it up for you on my site and send you the link privately in a few minutes.
|
| 21 NOV 2002 at 6:49pm |
| Deleted User | Thanks!
I've been on about 30 patch sites today - but they either don't have it - or the link is dead.
|
| 22 NOV 2002 at 4:47am |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Did you get my message?
|
| 22 NOV 2002 at 9:29am |
| Deleted User | Indeedy I did - just downloaded the patch!
Thank you so much.
I tried 11th hour - but it won't play at all.
(I always had a problem with this one - even with my Pentium 336 Mhz. I thought I's have a problem with this machine).
I'll let you know how it goes...
|
| 22 NOV 2002 at 2:11pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | You can't use the same patch for both games; I hope I didn't imply that and cause confusion. There's a different patch for The 11th Hour - let me know if you need it.
|
| 22 NOV 2002 at 3:57pm |
| Deleted User | Ooops - sorry
The confusion was caused entirely by myself! -
I meant I'd tried loading the 11th hour just to see if it would play - I tried it last night before I got your patch.
If you have a patch for 11th hour - I'd love to try that too!
It's a game I never managed to get running. It loaded on my old machine - but then the video shots and any actions on my part seemed to run on like a movie running at ten times the speed.
I'm off to try 7th guest now..........see if I can cut that cake puzzle
|
| 22 NOV 2002 at 4:50pm |
| Deleted User |
It works an absolute TREAT!
Just G -
you are a games goddess - patron goddess of gamers!
It's great to play the old game again - it was one of the first real graphic adventures I remember playing.
Thanks again!
|
| 23 NOV 2002 at 1:27am |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | *blush* Aww shucks, I'm glad you got it to work! I had so much trouble finding the patches the first time around, that I figured I'd better keep 'em around, just in case. Now I'm certainly glad I did, as I've already sent them to a few people.
I'll send you a PM shortly with the link to the T11H patch.
|
| 17 JAN 2003 at 5:18pm |
upcIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 77
Joined: 11 JAN 2003
Status : Online | I played the game a few months ago and liked it much. Had few problems with the word related puzzles 'coz some of them were too hard for my english (I was able to pass them with a dictionary). I spent a month (NO KIDDING) on that hideous lab puzzle and finally managed to win a game in the middle of a night: my yells woke up my whole family. Indeed a good game, related to it's year of release. Do you guys suggest giving 11th hour a try?
|
| 25 JAN 2003 at 1:30pm |
judyannSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 319
Joined: 11 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I played the 7th Guest soooo many years ago, but it was one of my favorites. The one thing I really appreciated is that after the game is finished, you can still go back to any room you want and replay the puzzles. That was neat because some puzzles, like the one in the lab, are fun to play over and over again.
I tried the 11th hour and was very disappointed. The graphics were dismal and the puzzles were, well, over the top. The very first one is a chess puzzle which requires somewhere around 45 moves to complete. Neither my husband nor my son, who are much better at chess than I, could solve it. For anyone who doesn't play chess mush - or at all - there is no way without a walkthrough.
|
| 21 MAY 2003 at 3:12am |
SusanGuild Master
Posts : 5485
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: 0
Status : Offline | I remember when I first installed T7G several years ago, that it wasn't until after I had to install it in DOS that I found a Win95 version on the shelves. 'oh. Oh well, it still worked fine.
One question about 11th Hour ... you may recall that there are two modes to play it in. Color or Black/White. I could only get it to run on B/W. Something about the configuration of my computer. oes the patch fix that? Is it possible to fix it? Once I play the other 7 new games in my queue for this summer, I'm itching to give that one a try again, since I only played it once and never got to watch the entire movie when I had finished it.
I miss my Bubba: 1986 - 2006.
|
| 10 SEP 2003 at 7:24pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | *knock* *knock*...
Susan? You still around?
Err.. sorry, I sort of disappeared for several months from all the forums I [used to] frequent; I missed your message.
Did you manage to get the patch for T11H? Did you manage to play the game in colour? I had no idea it could be played in either colour or b&w. I played it (to the extent that I did) in colour, on WinXP, for whatever that's worth.
|
| 10 SEP 2003 at 7:41pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | I don't believe it! Gita is back
|
| 10 SEP 2003 at 8:54pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | *Wave* Hi there
Yeah, real life pulled me away for a long while.. slowly catching up on posts here.
|
| 11 OCT 2003 at 5:19am |
SusanGuild Master
Posts : 5485
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: 0
Status : Offline | Yeah, I'm here!
I hadn't actually looked for the patch yet. I just did a search and found something called Beta 2.42. Is that the one?
I see two patches for each game. What am I looking for?
7G - http://www.gamers.com/game/26012/resources
11H - http://www.gamers.com/game/1375/resources
If those aren't it, could you please send me the patches? PM or e-mail me.
I miss my Bubba: 1986 - 2006.
|
| 14 OCT 2003 at 6:30am |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Susan,
Yep, you want the 11th hour 2.42 beta patch. I'm pretty sure that's the same one I have.
Hope that helps..
|
| 14 OCT 2003 at 8:53am |
SusanGuild Master
Posts : 5485
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: 0
Status : Offline | Thanks!
I miss my Bubba: 1986 - 2006.
|
