(meticulous) History of the Sherlock Holmes series from Frogwarees. Part 1. « Five Egyptian figurines ».

« The human brain is an empty attic where you can fill anything.
The fool does so: drags the right and unnecessary there.
And finally comes the moment when the most necessary thing is no longer stuffed there.
Well, the overwhelming you scored your head with your holmes?
Write at least a blog on SG, your head will be cleaner, I assure you. »

– Vasily Livanov (actor who played Sovetsky Holmes), who once came in my dream.

Enjoy reading. In the end, I prepared a small surprise. Well, plus, this is a debut blog, indicate errors or why you suddenly abandoned reading (maybe the topic is uninteresting, maybe overloaded by illustrations) I will only be glad. Otherwise try and not get the feedback – not in my style)

Sherlock Holmes – loud name. It is not surprising that based on his stories, written by Arthur Ignishovich Conan Doyle, the games will be made, and there were plenty of them from different studios. For example, the series “Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective” from ICOM Simulations (Zojoi), the “The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes” series from Mythos Software and even the シャーロック・ホームズ Japanese series from Towa Chiki (forthose who do not understand the Eastern, this is Sherlock Holmes)

The series presented above

The series presented above

The series presented above

Mostly all games of those series were launched on DOS, Sega CD, Macintoshas and other platforms of the last century. However, the largest series of games belongs to the Ukrainian Studio Frogwarees. This series was born in 2002, lives to this day and has 8 full -fledged games (plus 4 more casual and one prepared).

This series is so popular that by 2013 the first game of the series was sold in total with a million circulation. The official website says that 7 million copies were sold throughout the franchise. I would like to study all the games of the series, because:
First, I love works about Holmes.
Secondly, I like to delve into the technical and logical flaws of the game (and they, believe me, will be enough).
Thirdly, the first of these games (our guest today) I already passed. However, it was a very long time ago and all the memories of her have long since disappeared. Well, I will have a reason to remember, but you will be an occasion to become interested in. Let’s start our journey. So, the 2002 computer game “Sherlock Holmen: The Mystery of the Mummy”. Or our localized name « Sherlock Holmes: Five Egyptian Figurettes ».

Before starting, I wanted to check the information from the good aunt Vicki.

The game was released on PC, Nintendo DS, WII and iOS. True, the last platform is written only in Russian wiki, maybe a mistake? No, here in an interview for ThiSXBOX FROGWARES they say that they will soon release the game for tablets, and after 4 months they have a post on this joyful event on their blog.

And it’s really fine! The almost twenty -year -old founder of the famous series of games about the Great Detective is available on tablets! I always believed that this is the best suite that suits quests. Actually, the presence of games such as Siberia, Broken Age, Deponia and many others confirmation there. Crap! I can’t wait to run it.

No, the game is not just inaccessible in our region. She is not at all. Unfortunately, I did not find information about its deletion. Neither in the blog, nor in the news. It’s a shame. I only found that Bigfish came out on iOS, and somewhere you can even download it, but, firstly, it is somehow scary to download from an unknown source, and secondly I would not want to fuck with jailbreak.

Okay, let’s try the game on the PC, the disk is just preserved.

True, there is no CD drive. Well then let’s take Steam. Since most players will purchase a game copy there and since the game is free, why not?

We launch the game and ..

I’m sorry, what about the mouse?

Yes, here you can’t do without dancing. For brand new games you need iron, and for old – confident use PeTOArnie and knowledge of English.

I present to your attention, the leadership of how to launch Sherlock Holmes in Steam. (although I’ll tell you secretly, it’s better to drive on torrents, you will be more purpose). I will highlight it separately:

We download the archive with the DXWND version (the accelerator program for old games is by clicking on the first google link)

We unzip the folder with the version in the game folder (if you do not know where the game is installed, then click in your PKM library for the game → local files) the version installed by Steam, we can delete

In the game folder we find D3D9 files.DLL « and » DDRAW.DLL « . These are saved parameters for the game with DXWND. It is necessary to “disable” them, just add other characters to the file type. For example, I changed D3D9.DLL « on » D3D9.DLL2 « 

Press Options → Expert Mode, Edit → Add. The Main Score Open, where we add the game. In “Name:” write “Sherlock Holmes: the Mystery of the Mummy”, “Path:” and “Launch:” – the path to the launcher “Game.EXE »In the game folder

Next, add a working mouse. To do this, in the “Tweaks” panel, on this window, we find “Input: MousemoveByevent” on the left and add it to the panel on the right, clicking on a green plus.

That’s it, you can play, but for a more comfortable game in Fulskrin, make the following:

PKM for the game in DXWND → Modify. We set the necessary settings. “Main” – Galki at “Hide Desktop Background”, Keep Aspect Ratio, Desktop, W = 1280, H = 1024

Mouse panel – Mouse Clipper = ON, Galki on Correct Mouse Position, Keep Cursor Within Window, Keep Cursor Fixed, Invert X Axis, Inversion

Timing panel (so that the image does not rode quickly) – the daw is at “CPU Slow Down”, “Ratio 1:” Choose from 20 to 50, depending on your stone. On the i5-m 9 generation more or less comfortable 20

I recommend leaving DXWND shortcut on the desktop, since you need to run the game from it, Steimovsky label no longer works.

We launch the game by pressing the icon twice inside the dxwnd.

P. S. You can publish this guide in Steam, since with the interface I am not particularly friends and did not find Russian -speaking leadership in discussions, so dare.

We start the game through sweat and pain.

The case begins with a letter of a certain lady Elizabeth Montkalf. She asks to come to her mansion in order to find out the cause of the death of her Egyptologist because she does not believe in suicide according to the police version. Well, why not help the lady? Moreover, this is not any kind of, but the future cousin of Holmes. As for Watson, then he is now vacation with his wife. Okay, let him have fun, although it’s a shame not to see him here.

In the mansion we are met by a butler, transmitting another letter from Elizabeth.

(we turn on the sound)

In the letter we are warned of the dangers in this house prepared by Monkalf himself. But this does not stop us, right?

And so, we wandered along the hall, seized the sarcophagi, pushed into an insurmountable barrier in the form of a desire to go later and subsided in the nose of the Sphinx, which led to the opening of the first puzzle.

What is the solution here? We use the deductive method! You need to guess 4 numbers. The first letters coincide with the name of the eras that are presented in this room. In each number you can change 4 categories, which means there will be a minimum of one 4-digit number that you need to write here. Therefore, this is hardly the duration of the eras, since they lasted less than a thousand years. So, most likely, these are the dates of the beginning of the eras. Check ..

But I did not say the second possible option – this is the end of the end of the eras. Check ..

And that’s right! So, mind and quick wits can defeat this game … can, but only in the first location. Because then pitch horror is happening further with them. You will understand what I’m talking about.

While the court is the case, we examine the mansion further, we learn more facts about the pharaohs and begin to notice that there are more and more active items in the district, and in the inventory of empty. And comes the realization that all objects are located so that they cannot be found. “So from that? » – you ask me, – » Quests for that and quests, so that it is difficult to find a treasured object « . I will answer this: “And you tried to find at least something in this game?»We will spend a quiz.

This is the second room. There are 4 items on it for advance further by the plot.

And for the rest I ran a good 10 minutes, going to other rooms, but then I found them ..

Tell me: where is the subject for advance further on this screenshot?

Checked? But, let’s say, we write off for ingenuity. We find the remaining objects.

Here we are in position. I go back, I study the situation. See something? And I don’t. But it turns out you need to look at the feet, and absolutely.

But you just have to look at the feet

What about this situation: in front of you is a cache on the castle.

You have a hammer and a screwdriver in your inventory. What do you choose? A hammer to break, yes? But no. We must use the screwdriver.

And such. Embarrassment. Will. Full. Okay, cool. Further Bugurt will be smaller, I promise.

We find that something similar to a revived mummy wanders around the mansion, but it washed off in time. And our great detective maximum in a slight bewilderment. I will not get hung up on what needs to be done later, but to advance further we must find medallions and a description for each of them. Each such a circle depicts the ancient Egyptian gods.

And everything would be fine, just look at this medallion:

Who do you think this is, Sebek with the head of a crocodile or anubis with a jackal’s head?
Put on the second? So, you have general ideas with me, because it is not anubis, but Sebek. And almost all other medallions can be said the same.

In the office there is a wonderful (in its uselessness) door lock on thermal thrust. And after « unlocking » we fall into the second chapter.

(you can see how it works)

The second chapter begins quite vigorously, despite the fact that we start in the library. And I would like to praise the game for the music. It almost perfectly conveys the mood of the situation and I personally did not bother with dozens of repetitions. I even saved in a special place the music of the 2nd level, rummaging in the source. Something she looks like episodic music by Twin Picks.

Meanwhile, we find a clipping that a figurine from the Egyptian embassy was stolen, moreover, a murder was committed there. The accusation was given to Jonathan Parks, but to no avail, as there were witnesses who were injected.

After a simple, but dreary task with books.

(Seriously, why is the Lord to bother like that)

. We go out into the corridor.

Here we will have to motion from https://nonukcasinosites.co.uk/no-verification-betting-sites/ room to room, looking for objects for passage further, very interesting. At least tons of notes and folios do not fall out on us, and Holmes dilutes the action with his comments

(this is what can be called a normal narrative)

We walk, wandering, Kolobryat and we unexpectedly find out that the recently mentioned parks. turns out to be a relative of Montkalf, whom the lord did not like.

I feel the smell of an inheritance. Well, or in this situation – not divided mummy. And the mummy, by the way, is walking everything.

It gets out of the sarcophagus, takes bathrooms and no evidence except sand. Well, at least we know one thing. This guy’s name is Momfis XI. I would have to look for him in a file cabinet. Find out in detail about height, weight, gait. But still there is a contender whom we noticed in the window of another Montkalf cabinet.

A brilliant conclusion, given that you met « someone » near the museum.

After a while, we turn on the fan on the ceiling found by the scepter so that he will break the pot in the corner of the room with his wind.

(Yes, it sounds as absurd as it looks)

Inside the pot, we find the key to open a cache in the Montkalf table and return to his office. And inside the office, just a lot of information.

Firstly, Montkalf recently resigned all the servants, who makes a mysterious man who opened the door of the mansion.

Well, thirdly, in this matter a certain organization « Dawn of the Gods » was involved.

From letters we learn that she was a sponsor of his expeditions in Egypt. The expedition was supposed to be with the condition that read between the lines – to give this organization most of the finds. Most likely, the Lord used the false registers of his « souvenirs » under the guise of official to preserve the collection. But the organization guessed about this and began to ask for a share. Even with threats.

Our next step we need to move to the treasury. To do this, we solve the tag and find the key.

This is again, by the word of logic. The « treasury » is a locker with a second scepter. Most likely, under the “keys”, precisely these scepter were meant, but the phrase is placed in such a way that it is misleading. Nevertheless, we put scepter in the hands of the pharaoh at the end of the corridor, and he lets us into the treasury and, accordingly, in the third chapter.

Getting into the wine cellar, we notice the recent presence of someone here. Lying and table with food, burning candle. Well, at least, HERE He or her obviously did not have a problem with thirst :). Actually, on the table we find a flask of water. Man of healthy lifestyle. My respect.

Now look carefully at the illumination of the cellar. Yes, it is impossible to distinguish anything in the dark. And all objects are hidden in the darkest corners.

Here, for example, where a hammer and a rag are hidden

Here, for example, where a hammer and a rag are hidden

With the help of a hammer, we open the cache under a stream and find a figurine. Sherlock has the assumption that this is the same figurine that was stolen at the Egyptian embassy.

On one of the shelves of the cellar we find a niche where we need to put bottles.

And … we need to look for suitable bottles, among all this diversity and in this darkness. I do not know how to describe all that pain when you pass all these tasks without guides. No, these bottles do not stand out in any way, you just have to drive the mouse back and forth and, perhaps, luck will smile and you will find these bottles.

(try to guess where the necessary bottles are)

(try to guess where the necessary bottles are)

(try to guess where the necessary bottles are)

(try to guess where the necessary bottles are)

And I remind you that the area of ​​the allocation of objects is simply scanty. And the racks take 4 frames in search. 4! Despite the fact that the corridor from the last chapter from beginning to end passes for the same number of steps.

But that’s not all! The bottles must be put in a certain order. No, nowhere was a note on how to arrange. And no, no rooms are written on the bottle. Or any other identification signs. These are just bottles of various alcohol in different colors. Well, the mystery turns into a brutfort, how I love rebounds.

That’s what my miserable attempts look like

Another spot and here we came.

Where are a bunch of notes. It turns out that the lord is not such a bastard.

Apparently, he himself is shocked by the requirements of that organization, so he hid all his treasures and made traps everywhere.

Treatises on the Egyptian castes of residents, the designations of the elements of fire, water, earth, air, etc., are also given, which will be needed in the future for puzzles.

Treatises on the Egyptian castes of residents, the designations of the elements of fire, water, earth, air, etc., are also given, which will be needed in the future for puzzles.

We also learn that a person began to clown his mind, so the doctor prescribed him opium. Or not? A note about the danger of opium does not belong to Montkalf, because the fonts do not match. If the letter is from the doctor, then why does he give the patient a dangerous remedy for treatment? Although it is possible that the medicine of that time left much to be desired… okay, game, I believe. But in occultism to believe as Montkalf, I will not. Yes, there are still full of notes about reincarnation and the fact that Anubis figurines They can bestow immortality. The same includes the same figurine that we found in the cellar

. And we found one more in the laboratory table.

By the way, we have not had illogical riddles for a long time. I will briefly run them:

Vases for objects of four elements

« Vases for objects of four elements ». How in vases it is determined which thing was put inside? Water can somehow be explained. And matches? Why is the burning lamp not suitable?

Riddle about castes

Riddle about castes

« Riddle about castes ». What? Yes, the first letters coincide with the names of castes, you can guess, but why are the first two lines? Confuses! At least received a figurine

Rotating room

« Rotating room ». By what, interesting way, it moves the way? When moving to the center, the room throws it to its wall (except for one point). Okay, I don’t want to understand. And … I still have to poke in all statues here to get another figurine. Wunderbar!* (* Indescribable German delight)

And I must, obviously, through the connection with the cosmos, guess to put the seal in the fifth vase with the designation of the richest caste. (« Obviously Brahman », damn it)

Someone will explain the logic to me?

And here we fall into a small room, as it suddenly appears

« Riddle with buckets ». This task would be very interesting if We were borneled by say that we should get. To go further, you need to pour 4 liters into one bucket, using 5 and 3 liter buckets. However, no clues are given anywhere. Balance? Yes, very cool, thanks. And where are there 4 liters that I have to pour? Where will I get this number? Because I have 4 figurines? It doesn’t look like.

We finished with these tasks and opens to us ..

However, in order to justify the name of the game, to advance further we needed the 5th figurine. Which very time came to us with the « butler » from the beginning.

Only this is not a butler, but (pam-pam), Jonathan Parks, who wanted to get to the sanctuary (it seems, this is the same place where treasures are stored). Okay, the reason is understandable, but I have a couple of questions here: why did the Lord give one figurine to the Egyptian embassy, ​​if it was the key to his treasury? He did not want someone to open his wealth? Wouldn’t it be easier to pierce the treasures? Let’s say he wanted the opportunity to get there. Then the question is why he hid all the figurines so wretchedly? For some reason, he gave one to the embassy, ​​and hid the rest in his own, damn it. Maybe it was worth inventing a place for caches are more disgraceful?

Be that as it may, the « mummy » kills the parks and arranges a shake to the house. And with this brings the fourth chapter.

The explosion, obviously, formed a tunnel to South America, because I can’t explain the presence of scorpions here differently. Cover them with buckets and capture the handbag of Jonathan along the way.

Inside, we find a letter from Elizabeth, who says, they say, she saw a mummy wandering around the mansion and does not know what is happening here. How much I understand her! For example, I do not know how to continue to describe the bark that is going on. In all subsequent actions, it is necessary to have observability and resourcefulness “Over 9000”, but let’s say that we possess it, well?

We fly to the chain through the « rotating » room full of destruction to the cellar in no less deplorable state.

We take in the middle of a pile of fragments of bottles … a fragment of a bottle. But to us There is no need take anyone from all over the heap, we need one single.

Clean the « arch » of the door with a brush, where the number 3 appears. Easy We guess that we need to press every third tile on this arch. And it is right to the left. The figure prompted everything!

From this moment, we will wander along the old, but destroyed locations again, as original!

We see another standard evidence of the mummy: sand, but this time with gray hair. Everything became clear: the mummy is so Old, what is already from her sand Saws up! *Single laughter*

We find an almost burned note asking to climb the stairs and « touch the time ». But we touched a few seconds ago by the time. TO Very ancient time. *Sanding laughter*. Now we are so observant and resourceful that our observation and resourcefulness allowed to finally go up the stairs.

But on the way, do not forget to pick up Very noticeable For a detective, a tiny pin, and also, naturally, Pour on an extinct lamp because they Always suspicious! And, of course, this will reveal to us a system of levers ..

Okay, I think you understand. The absurdity of decisions and actions with this chapter only increased. And you know what? I don’t want to crucify about riddles and search for items anymore. My review, my rules. I will just let them go and continue from the end of the chapter, they had done me so. Moreover, they do not reveal the plot in any way and in some places they are generally broken ..

We launch the clock in the Montkalf office and hear someone’s voice asking for help.

We undermine the jammed door to the library.

. And we meet Lord Montkalf himself.

He stated that we activated the bomb that the mummy (from his words) put it and which will raise the mansion into the air. And only we can neutralize the bomb. Our conversation is interrupted by a shot from a gun, but the shooter decided between Holmes and the Lord to choose a space in the middle. By the way, this is the very gun that hung in one of the offices! Apparently, the lord is so rich that he allowed himself to buy a gun even from Chekhov. *Sanding laughter*

On a cheerful note, we are transferred to the last fifth chapter.

In the meantime, everything is disgusting enough. The door to the corridor is locked, the staircase is electrified, and the passage to the office.

But it doesn’t matter, because we discovered another cache where there is a car that supplies electricity to the stairs, and successfully turn it off ..

So, I will probably retreat again and make another claim. The idea with re -passing updated locations seems good to me. However, it would be much better if the game offered to look for objects and solve riddles in updated areas, and not to reduce the unchanged. The exception can be given by hours from the end of the last chapter (they hung in the second), but at least a note led us to it. You can also somehow assume a cache with levers, because the same lamp in the first chapter burned. Now the found cache with the machine can clearly be discovered because of the emerging book that appeared on the shelf (although, as the cache was opened before, it is not clear).

But please tell me how, going down to the first floor, you can guess to rearrange the stepladder to a particular shelf with books? Why we could not interact with them before, where we should now?

No identification marks are observed, and the view of the library from the second chapter has not changed (exactly in the wrong place).

In the niche found, we find a receipt of buying a component for a Nobel bomb, and a side of the instruction book on its use. Items on this shelf, indeed, can lead to some thoughts … For example, I had the idea that this phantom buyer is a ninja. Why? Yes, you guessed:

Everything, here my jokes about hidden objects are over.

We leave the library and in the destroyed office we find another riddle ..

At one time, I first learned about such crosswords through this game. This is indeed attracting a lesson, something similar to coloring, only in this case you also turn on the brain. If someone wants to get a similar relaxation, learn and try, you will not regret. I read in some reviews that this riddle is too prolonged and uninteresting, but, hey, at least we understand what the game wants from us, and this has not happened as a couple of chapters. True, in order to begin to solve this puzzle, you must again shy away in all the remaining rooms, open the boxes and collect squares for the crossword.

We solve a crossword puzzle and get a lever. Where do we apply it? Of course, on the mechanism in the hatch hidden under the carpet.

(not changing the form from the first chapter).

(not changing the form from the first chapter).

(not changing the form from the first chapter).

The mechanism opens the passage back to the basement.

And in the laboratory, behind the fallen cabinet is the ill -fated « hellish machine ». She is Golberg’s car:

Thermal machine produces steam,
Who twists the gears,
Who move the stick,
Which will shift a hanging bowl,
In which boiling oil,
Which will be spent on dynamite,
Which cannot be shifted and which will explode
In the house that Jack built. That is, Montkalf.

And all other parts cannot be moved either. Destroy the machine is the ultimate task. You need to find a weak point of this design. I see this – to block the space between the bowl and dynamite. For example, cover the dynamite of an iron or even wooden lid. But … looks Somehow Just For the last riddle, do not find? So the developers think so. And in order to solve the riddle, you need to build your Golberg car (wedge wedge, as they say):

Put the box,
On which we will put the scales,
Which are under the oil,
Whose drop will outweigh the candle,
Which set fire to the rope,
On which an ax is hanged,
Which will cut the pipe of thermal machine,
Which will stop and stop destruction
At home, which … well, you understand.

Note, you still have to think of it (how I did it – I don’t understand). Okay, this scheme was created in order for us to get out of there (in order to avoid smoke in the lungs, apparently; I’m not sure) why in this scheme the scheme and oil? The rope, as it were, also does not instantly ignite and breaks. Well, the hell with him, the mystery decided and the final katsen is going on.

Holmes and Lord Montkalf get out in the hall and meet Elizabeth and Watson, who came to the rescue (I am glad of his appearance, but, however, he is outright furniture here). Holmes, having gathered everyone in the collection, unravels this matter.

So, Elizabeth was in collusion with Jonathan and belonged to the mentioned sect « Dawn of the Gods ». Elizabeth (by the way, shot from a gun) asked about Holmes’s investigation in order to obtain the remaining four figurines (one, as we recall, was at the park). However, she did not know that her father was alive and … no, he was really not healthy. Opi and faith, by virtue of figurines, “awakened” in it the “personality of the mummy”. His attending physician noticed this tendency in him (this passage, by the way, is noticeable only in the English version of the game, in localization it is omitted). The lord loved his daughter, however, having learned that she was in the sect, he fell into despair, his mind was bifurcated and the “mummy” was ready to avenge, kill and guard until the last treasure.

Lord Montkalf and Elizabeth are taken into custody, Holmes and Watson are waiting for the following things, and the game ends on this.

Of course, after the final there were uncertain issues, such as why the police considered that Montkalf committed suicide or from where Elizabeth (head of the sect) has funds to sponsor the expedition of his father … But all these questions can be indirectly answered. And there is no longer the strength to think about it.

This was a difficult game for me. We must take a breath.

The most hated mystery to me are those bottles from the third chapter. It would seem, how could one make an incomprehensible sequence of actions from a simple solution, taking it in a strictly defined manner? And to put it mildly, it is not clear to me why this moment was not taken into account by the developers. After all, if you recall, it was a similar riddle with gears at the end of the first chapter.

There you can lay out the gears in any way and each will draw in its place. Why is the gears taken into account, but with bottles – no? For this answer (unless he is) I will have to climb into extraneous files, so get ready, it will be difficult.

Disclaimer: This is the most beloved and meticulous part of this review. I still hope that you will read it (I tried to do everything as clear as possible), however, if your brain « starts to sail », then move to the last 2 paragraphs of the section. Thank you.

Let’s play a detective. Our goal: to find out, the described shortage is a technical error or a human factor? We understood how the game works, but we would like to edit the game or at least understand the principle of work.

We find the information that the game was made on the PHEONIX VR engine (once again we say “thank you” Aunt Vick). True, it will not work to download it, since the license has expired back in 2003. And all the affordable mention of the PHEONIX VR engine on the Internet disappeared. Okay, dig on. The only place available to us is internal files.

We go to the game folder

We see that the structure is crystal understandable. The chapters are hidden in Level folders. We move to the « Level1 » folder

We will definitely inspect the files, but before that we go to the Data folder

First we find the MSGS text file and see all the remarks of Holmes that he speaks in the first chapter. And in the Voice folder we see the sound paths of these replicas.

MSGS file and « Voice » folder

MSGS file and « Voice » folder

But why are they numbered in order? First 1, then 3, 4 and suddenly 13 … The fact is that the numbers of the paths coincide with the numbers of the lines corresponding to the replicas. For example, to find the initial path of the first scene “So, this is the estate of Lord Montkalf..»I need to find a track with an appropriate line number, that is, » 13 « . I think the logic is clear.

Now we return back to the Level1 folder. For convenience, sort files by type.

First, WAV format files go. This is the music of the level, opening of the doors, the selection of objects and much more. SCRIPT file for now we will skip. Next are 5 file files 4xm. What are they? I claim that these. Because there were only 5 of them in the first chapter and are called respectively. Intro-Intro, Safe-opening a safe with a sphinx, Key-key, Mummy-Meeting with mummy and Door1 – Exit to the second chapter through the door. After the TGA files go after. What are these files? This is nothing more than images that open with photoshop

Next are TST and VR format files. If you switch back to sorting by name, you can see that they go in pairs by name. Most likely, VR is a frame and its environment, and TST describes the field of interaction in it. And it is not necessary that the frame is a panoramic area. For example, in files you can see « General_Menu » (Main Menu) and « Inventory » (Inventory). I can’t confirm or refute this, because not a single application that works with these formats opens these files, I checked. The only evidence that is here is « Warp« , Standing at the beginning of most names of these files and some letters.

Having learned all of the above, we cross the cherished script. I understand that the software is scary for an uninitiated person. I myself know programming, I see this language for the first time. However, the structure of the code is clear here. I will try to chew every moment.

Through the codium thorns, we find the human language, namely the comments “Secation a of LEVEL 1 Starts” (“The section of the first chapter begins”). And such « letter » sections as much as six pieces. Namely, there were so many rooms in this chapter. Section and this is an initial location, that is, a hall. We look further.

Each section has a “[Warp] ”C, attention, uploaded TST and VR files. It is obvious that the first such Warp found should mean a frame in the game. (Sorry for so many Englishisms, but without them nowhere. In order not to be confused, let’s say that Warp = frame) pay attention to that in every “frame” there are lines [test]:-1. He answers the action immediately after loading the « frame ». We look carefully at the actions.

Line « [ifand]: visited_a = 0 » is read as « if before that The sector was not visited, then do the following actions … « . And the actions are: a marker is put that The sector is visited, Intro is played, level music is turned on and the message is said. Moreover, mind you, there are numbers 13 and 6. I am more than sure that this means « show the 13th message for 6 seconds ». And the 13th message, as we recall, is “So, this is the estate of Lord Montkalf …” (I checked the timing for 6 seconds). Bingo! But the last 3 lines are important here. « If the status of a safe »active« , then activate the action Play_animbloc(Enigma..) « . So far, this action is not clear, but note that these three lines are present in each frame of the section A (t.e. This is every frame of the Hall).

frame AB, frame AC, frame AD.

frame AB, frame AC, frame AD.

frame AB, frame AC, frame AD.

Enigma – This means « riddle ». And the answer comes by itself: this action is nothing more than a separate drawing of the scoreboard with a mystery. After all, if we recall, then before we click on the Sphinx, we do not see any riddle. And after – we already see. But how is all this related to riddles about gear and bottles? But how: in the gears the same action is used Play_animbloc And everything is quite concise, while in bottles this is a sequential playing of animation, moreover, very bulky. You can see the code comparison on your screens.

Fuh. Fastened. Everything that was described above means this: when interacting with the environment of the frame, it does not change entirely, but adds additional elements (like transparent pictures on a transparent layer in Photoshop). In the first option, the developers would not only be tired of drawing individual states for bottles, but also scored memory (and they, for a second, would be 32 pieces), and they made a compromise solution. I thought that everything was so and was not going to hack frogwarees. I did not hold a candle, but on the basis of everything that was given, I can make a statement that they could well make this riddle playable, but they were too lazy, or they forgot that they had made the same segment and shaved it in a new way. Yes, it could be redone in different ways! Why did I get to this particular riddle? Because this example shows how most puzzles are made in this game! Because in any case, this painfully affects the gameplay, and, accordingly, on the impression of the game. Because … I’m really offended that the game is as terrible as in a technical performance. This game could be a classic of Sherlock Holmes and the brilliant start of Frogwarees. However, we got that we got.

Okay, let’s summarize and try to finish the good.

To be honest, despite all the technical and logical mistakes, I definitely liked the music and the plot. Mystical soundtrack, portending a riddle and chamber, as in Holmes’s stories. 3-4 persons, drawn in one thing, and at the same time the intrigue is preserved to the end. True, as I already said, it is necessary to understand it after a few passages, and the technical condition of the game interferes with this. Well, riddles. These riddles are just an extravaganza of illogicality. Moreover, I can’t write off the illogicality on the game convention, but “well, you can unscrew the lock” (in this case, I would write off if there was no logical option to break the castle with a hammer). But no matter how I chew the developers, firstly, they are unlikely to hear me, and secondly, they have worked on their flaws and rolled out the second part. Which we will see the next time (if this work is appreciated, of course). I cannot evaluate the series as a whole until I go through the rest.

To criticize the imperfection of the old-time games from the point of view of modern gamedeva is an ungrateful thing. You can, of course, try to compare whether there were well -made quests at that time (you don’t need to go far for an example, the first “Siberia” was created in the same year). However, there will probably be those who say that “there should be games like that: for an hour to examine the environment, try it and this and such objects, look at all possible angles. Each step taken is a huge victory for a small game « . I will not argue. Here my goal was primarily not in criticism. Criticism (albeit subjective) is just a tool for transmitting material to me and you. I also wanted to share experiences and bombing, but this is a secondary task. First of all, I want to study the development of the series, let the meticulous way (name Checked) and interest you.

And I will study the series (at least for myself for sure).

Thank you for your attention.

Since I was confused with the blog, then for the most patient mystery.
(Emoji is not printed here, so here you have Caomoji)

Sherlock and Moriarty in trouble
（⊙ｏ⊙）
They watched the 24-hour Le-Man without stopping
(˘･ _ ･˘)
They cannot distinguish the truth from reality
┗ (t﹏t) ┛
And only you can help them
（*＾-＾*）
Find 6 differences in the picture and save them
♪ (^∇^*)
Write answers in the comments \/ \/ ​​\/ ​​\//
First, Who will write ALL Differences, Get personal Medal of the best detective in the world
(o ゜▽゜) o ☆

If problems with resolution, click PKM to the picture -> « Open the image in the new tab » (although you can find everything without it). Dare.