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 One hundred detectives have entered a mysterious competition, in which they solve crimes created by the world's smartest criminals, with a prize of one million dollars and the opportunity of a lifetime at stake... however, if a criminal should be the one to win the competition, then in addition to winning the million dollars for themselves, they also receive a full pardon and parole, no matter the severity of their crimes. As the rounds continue and the number of detectives keeps dwindling, more and more questions begin to pile up, especially regarding the purpose for such a contest... and the identity of the person capable of running such a thing. Who will win the final prize: criminal, or crime-solver? *** Methods: The Detective Competition is a visual novel game created and released by a solo developer with the moniker of LockedIn. Originally a novel that they started work on all the way back in 2014, eventually the creator decided the story would work better in a visual, interactive medium, and thus changed to the game this LP will be covering. It released originally in June 2020, and is the first game in a planned trilogy, with a prequel game, 'The Canada Files', releasing episodically at the time this LP began, and a sequel, 'Motives', planned for the future. This game is functionally a kinetic story- there's no routes or branching paths or anything like that, so there won't be any kind of thread participation this time around. There are investigations and puzzles where you try to solve crimes, but these are closer to interactive experiences and will also be relatively straightforward. As always, if you have played this game previously, please avoid spoilers for anything the LP has not gotten to without make sure to tag and censor it so others can avoid it! If you wish to buy the game yourself to support the dev, or to experience any of the bonus content this LP won't be covering, like the making-of commentary, you can find it here! Do be aware there may be spoilers or content the LP has not gotten to, especially if you go to Canada Files' page!                       
Mix. fucked around with this message at 22:26 on May 17, 2024 |
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Apr 20, 2024 23:21
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 Listed in alphabetical order. DETECTIVES: [Detective 775] [Detective Asper] [Detective Coles] [Detective Eastman] [Detective Ether] [Detective George] [Detective Hackett] [Detective Honor] [Detective Honor (Undisguised)] [Detective Lucha] [Detective Mellie] [Detective Mouse] [Detective Nell] [Detective Red July] [Detective Roel] [Detective Sess] [Detective Slakes] [Detective Swinger] MASTERMINDS: [Mastermind Garden] [Mastermind Killersoul] [Mastermind Rows] [Mastermind Sekals] [Mastermind Sparks] STAFF/MISC: [Game-Master Clark] [Game-Master Conver/"The Fifth"] [Game-Master Greg] [Game-Master Kane] [Game-Master Mellie] [Larika Downs/Haney (The Greeter)] [Lord Loomy] [Mira Onion] [Mr. Onion] [Voice-master Lewis] Mix. fucked around with this message at 00:58 on May 17, 2024 |
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Apr 20, 2024 23:21
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 A mysterious call. A mysterious contest. A mysterious beginning. [BGM: Silence]  A tall apartment building blocked my view of the sky. It was a giant, and suddenly I felt like a small and pitiful man, despite my vast experience, huge accomplishments, and, excuse my honesty, dashing good looks. [BGM: Sauntering Around]  I'm Detective Hackett, and despite feeling dwarfed by the complex in front of me, I had a job to do. [NEW BIO: Detective Hackett] Every character in this game has a bio page, which will be linked every time a new character is introduced to us.   In this building resided the most diabolical criminals alive. There was a chance one of them would be walking free, according to the note in my hand. I wasn't about to let that happen. I twisted the doorknob and stepped inside.   I opened the door to a small antechamber. A young woman in an official looking suit with a nametag that read '#greeter' waited. I wondered if she was trying to be hip or something, but now wasn't the time for griping and feeling old.   Do you have the note? I think so.[NEW BIO: Greeter]  I took my papery friend out of my pocket. She took it and glanced it over quickly before shining a flashlight on it. Good. It's legit.She ripped the note in half. Here's your 'name-hash-tag'. Please wait for the first announcement of the day.I looked at the nametag. It read, '#thinkswithfists'. I like this job already.I began to saunter over to the comfy-looking couches when the greeter grabbed me by the shoulder. Wait. I've been warned about you, Mr. Thinks with Fists... The Game-master asks that you dispose of all weapons on your person before you take part in the contest. ..Fine.I dropped my Steed '46 and my Mare'll. ...And my Colt '45. It was a shame because I really needed them for this. I didn't want to be in a building with a bunch of murderous criminals unarmed.  I wrestled internally for a few minutes. There was so much wrestling going on. Euugghghghghg!! Yes? Wait, there's one more.I handed over the hidden gun, and blew it a kiss goodbye as the greeter stuffed it into a bag marked 'Confiscation'. Hey, thanks for giving that up. Honesty goes a long way in this contest.I gave her a half-smile I didn't really mean... and trudged through the doors onto the main floor.  What seemed to be hundreds of detectives milled to and fro. The collective body heat was staggering. In fact, I staggered, briefly. I edged over to a couch, trying to avoid anyone smelly or overly loquacious. Another detective appeared to be attempting the same thing: a tall, dark haired, bespectacled man.   It's way more crowded than I thought it would be. Cut to the chase, what do you want?I'd left tact at the altar long ago.  Ah yes, the 'chase'. If I had to guess, that's what you're all about. Judging from your 'name-hash-tag' anyway. Heh heh! You know it! I hate these codenames. They're pointless. Knowing that my real name is Coles doesn't change anything.[NEW BIO: Detective Coles]  It's just a bland way to be funny.Coles was irritating me, but I didn't really want to move. Thankfully, Coles seemed to either not know what to say next, or he didn't care. I was appropriately appreciative. I'm glad you finally shut up. I don't care what you're glad about-He was interrupted by a loud jingle. *ding dong diiiing!* [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]   Hello. You can call me 'the Game-master'. Oh boy, here we go! Shh - be quiet.What a jerk. You are now all part of a contest where we pit the greatest detectives against the greatest criminals. In each stage, criminals will construct a crime scene and then the detectives will solve it. Sounds good so far. I can't wait. Stage rankings will be determined by how quickly you complete each stage, with the fastest coming in first. Got it. Would you be quiet?! Yeah, yeah... We will eliminate detectives and criminals each stage until we are down to just one criminal and one detective, who will face off in the final stage. If the detective wins, they get one million dollars, but if the criminal wins... they will not only get one million dollars, but they are also given parole.The room suddenly got quiet as we all realized at the same moment that, because of the elimination process, the smartest, most dangerous criminal would be the one to walk free if the detective lost. This 'Game-master' must have significant pull in the judicial system. Noted for later.I was starting to suspect that Coles was secretly an idiot like me. He was just more pretentious about it. Make your way to the elevators. Further instructions await you.[BGM: Silence]  You know, you don't strike me as the right kind of person for this contest. Oh? Actually, you might as well give up now.Coles shot me a cold, steely glare. These mysteries are for more calculative types, not intuitives like you. Your nametag says it all. You're a man of action in a new mental-based world. You've got no chance.I didn't have time for his petty games. I headed towards the nearest elevator. The doors began to close... But then...   Loser... What the- What the heck was that...Coles' words had shaken me, but I couldn't let him get me down. I had a contest to win! [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]   Uh...It was the nervous-looking detective near the back of the elevator. Which floor do we get off on?*screeeeeech* Spoke too soon, Mr. Ricotta.He grimaced.  We all shambled out into a long hallway. Nice place.*ding dong diiiing!* '#thinkswithfists' and '#ricottaforlife' please enter Door 0013. The nervous detective from the elevator followed me into the room as the Game-master directed the other detectives. So what's your real name?'#ricottaforlife' looked at the floor in embarrassment. Ugh... it's... Mouse.  Detective Mouse.[NEW BIO: Detective Mouse] I'm sorry. I know it's stupid. But it's my r-real n-name.This was going to be a difficult contest to endure. *ding dong diiiing!* I welcome you to Stage One. This mystery is called... 'Eternally Checked In'. Please take a moment to look over the casefile. It contains a brief summary. [Eternally Checked In] Mr. And Ms. Turnip were checked into the Drop Dead Inn. At 6:26AM, Ms. Turnip left the hotel 'to eat breakfast', as she claimed. Mr. Turnip was found dead at 7:30AM by the cleaner. The door was locked from the inside when the crime was discovered. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: What piece of evidence is irrelevant?  Solve it in under five minutes and you'll place in the runners-up, but still make it in time to continue. Solve it in under one minute, and you'll be in the top three. You mean... T-there will be more than one detective who'll be able to solve this in under o-one minute? Mouse, it's prerecorded. He can't answer your question. Incorrect. I'm talking to you live.Well, color me surprised. You're right, Detective Mouse. There are three master detectives who we expect to hold the top rankings in this little competition, so, for the sake of fairness, if any detective other than them gets in under one minute... ...They can steal one of the top three positions. What? How is that fair to the master detectives? You wouldn't ask that if you knew just how good these detectives are. Frankly, if anyone else manages to get in under a minute, than they frankly deserve to rank with the best. Unfortunately, there's no time for further questions. The timer starts...The Game-master paused for dramatic effect. I rolled my eyes. Now.***** [Hackett's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  In addition to the bio, all of the competitors also have a pre-interview, set at some point before the start of the game. The questions asked are almost always the exact same, and they're intentionally very short- it's just meant to serve as an introduction to what that person's deal is. I'll try to spread them out so that the end of updates don't take too long if possible, so even though we met a few in this first update, we'll just stick with Hackett for now. What experience have you had as a detective? A decade of experience working for the LAPD. ...As a janitor! But then I bought this detective hat and coat, and suddenly I was solving cases instead of mopping floors! I've been doing that for two months!What is your method? Uh... I look around a bit... Then I figure stuff out! A method is the signature style of a detective. Yeah? ...Never mind.Why do you want to win this competition? Winning one million dollars will let me finally retire! How old are you? Thirty-six! ...Okay.How well do you work with others? I've always considered myself more of a 'lone wolf' kind of guy... But if someone else does all the work for me, I guess I'd be fine with that! No further questions. Sweet!
Mix. fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 20, 2024 23:22
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 Detective Hackett has just met his new detective partner, who he is expected to work with in the detective competition. Together they must solve the first in a series of locked room mysteries that make up Stage One. [BGM: Sauntering Around]  Only few seconds had elapsed since the Game-master's announcement. I was already figuring out ways to slack off and leave it up to Mouse. But Mouse didn't seem too confident either... Okay, first things first. Let's see what sort of fish we'll be frying! Um... okay..I lead Mouse into the apartment, which had been decked out to look like a hotel room. [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  Oho! There's lots to do here! Let's start the investigation! Remember to finish in under five minutes, or we'll get k-kicked out! Don't worry about it! I've got more than enough brainpower for both of us! … Let's do this! Despite what Mouse says, no, we aren't actually under any kind of time constraints as far as an actual game mechanic is concerned. For these kind of investigatory sections, generally we're required to look at everything we can before we can begin any deductions, so let's get that taken care of! The game directly shows every thing or place we investigate, so I'll be cutting out the in-between bits of clicking around for efficiency's sake. The balcony didn't lead to a view of the parking lot... Instead, there was a sad reminder that we were still in an apartment PRETENDING to be a hotel room. What's that notice say? It just says don't j-jump off the balcony. Like I'd be able to in the seconds left on this impossible countdown. Yes, so p-please stop kidding around and s-s-solve the mystery! The smoke detector's busted. Good! I hate those things! I WAS ONLY MAKING A PANCAKE!! COME ON!! T-this seems like a personal issue... Someone s-s-spilled wine on the carpet... Gross... They're letting it ferment the sophisticated way. Only true connoisseurs know that carpet-soaking wine gives it the richest flavor and the oakiest texture... I-I don't think that's right... Just having some fun, Mouse!He clearly didn't know that crime scenes were supposed to be fun.  'Mr. Turnip'... Looks like those turnips didn't agree with him! A-Are there turnips somewhere in the room? Is that the solution?! Just a joke, Mouse... I know... I-I was also trying to make a joke...Good thing he was a detective and not a stand -up comedian.  Baseball tickets... What does this have to do with anything? What does any of this evidence have to do with anything? That's what I've been wondering! W-what about those cigarettes? Never seen that brand before... guess it's just something they made up for this contest. Props to the props department! Someone just left this rain jacket lying here on the floor! This is supposed to be evidence... right? Hmm... A good detective would probably examine it for clues...… … … W-Well? Oh yeah, let's do that! AHA! A bloody handprint! W-Wait... bloody handprint? But the victim wasn't stabbed or anything... True... time for my ultimate detective technique... I call it 'Giving Things A Big Sniff'! G-great..I gave the coat a big sniff... And instantly regretted it! BLECHH! This jacket smells like cigarettes. Cigarettes and wine. S-so could that 'bloody' handprint be... W-wine? I don't want to smell it again to find out. But you could be right Mouse, you could be right...He was right.  S-someone tipped over the coatrack... Too bad! I'm not here to clean up someone else's mess! Okay, but it's probably part of the m-mystery, right...? Oh, right...Or was it? Couldn't the coatrack have fallen on its own? Maybe it isn't supposed to be lying on the floor... True... We'll have to k-keep that in mind. What's behind this door...? I don't know... J-just open it, Hackett!! It appears to be a bathroom... But looks can be deceiving! We'd better investigate! R-right behind you... I don't see anything... Other than a bathroom cleaner than my grandmother's candy bowl after she invited me over for her backgammon tournament! Did you check the sink?? Yes, Mouse. D-did you look in the tub?! ...Yes, Mouse.The bathroom seemed to be there for 'realism'. Alright, nothing to be found in here. You've been a great help, Mouse! Th-thanks!Too skittish to look in a bathroom...? That was a bit too far!  Looks like we've found all the evidence – now let's get to solving this mystery! Y-yeah... So, what are you thinking, Mouse? Maybe he'd just tell me the answer! What am I thinking...? I'm not sure... The bonus question in the casefile says 'Name the irrelevant evidence'... The p -problem is that every piece of evidence seems to be irrelevant! I don't know what any of it means! Oh.… Hey, maybe that's it! Everything is irrelevant! There's no mystery at all! Case closed, let's get out of here! I-I don't think it's that simple, Hackfish...'Hackfish'?? Mouse kept glancing about and fidgeting nervously. He was obviously thinking about the five minute time limit, which was drawing ever closer. As for me, I was getting pretty tired, and being next to a comfy-looking bed didn't help. Maybe we should figure out how the victim d-died... That seems like th-the way to start... Hey, not a bad idea! Let me get into character... What...? I'll pretend to be the victim! That way I can 'get in their head' and figure out how they died! I-is that your method? Method? What's that mean? ...O-Okay, I guess it's worth a shot... I lay down on the bed. Say you're a simple guy. You're married, you've had a tough day, and you're away on a business trip. I settled into the foam mattress. So the first thing you do is try to get some rest... And you slowly... fall... asleep...…  Um. Hello? Shh... I'm investigating... H-HADDOCK! WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME! Ugh... right. Let's think this through, okay? We know the wife is the murderer. B-But how did the victim die?While Mouse was talking, I was eyeing the cigarettes. Hey Mouse, got a lighter?I tried to sound innocent, so he wouldn't suspect my intentions. I doubted he'd approve of smoking the evidence.  Hackett, you're brilliant! Hey, you got my name right that time! The cigarettes!What was he talking about...? I reluctantly got off the bed... Mouse, I know smoking kills, but it's not a quick process. That's true... But what do you think of this? Those cigarettes ARE the method of death.. But not from long term health risks. There's another piece of evidence that could speed up the process a whole lot!!Mouse's stutter was gone... was that because he was excited? In any case, I had to figure out what he was talking about... Or I'd be revealed as the idiot I was instead of the dashing, brilliant detective everyone thought me to be!  During these kind of segments, we'll often be asked questions as part of the investigations. There's not a lot of merit to getting the questions wrong since the game pretty much immediately goes 'sorry, try again' and prompts you again, so generally for this LP we'll just stick to the right answers. Therefore, for this question, the correct answer is... The... rain jacket! He'd been wearing the rain jacket while smoking! That killed him! Exactly!Huh? Yes, exactly, because, uh, eh, uh, eh, oh, uh... Because he was smoking in bed underneath that jacket! What? But if he did that, he would've run out of oxygen and died! ...Oh. Yes, it's true... It would have been a very s-stupid th-thing to do... B-but look at the smoke detector! He was so desperate to smoke he tried breaking it... That must've been why he used the jacket... To keep the smoke from reaching the detector! Wow, good work, us! It's incredible what can happen when two studly detectives put their enormous brains to work... Th-there is one problem, though... If this murder was actually an accident... Th-then how was the 'locked room' created? We'll have to give the door another look... Sounds good!This was great! I was getting a free ride after all!  Darn... it's locked. Guess we'll have to explore the hallways another day. Hackett, please... we only have a few minutes... We have to figure out why this is a locked room mystery... Ah – don't worry! I know what I'm doing!I'm such a liar. Um, do you have any idea how this door was locked from the inside? I-I thought you said you knew!! That was more... generally speaking!! The door had been locked when the crime was discovered... But was it locked with the keycard, or had the bolt been locked...? Maybe this bolt was locked from the outside by wrapping a rubber band around it! You're thinking of the other kind of hotel lock... Ah... W-wait a second... I think... I think I've figured out how it was locked from the inside. Which means... I've solved the case! WE'VE solved the case, Mouse! Together! R-riiiiiiiiiigggghhhhhhhhht...Was he being sarcastic?! Mouse had stumbled onto something important... Or maybe he was just stumbling! Um, so usually in a locked room mystery, the k-killer creates the locked room to make the crime seem impossible... Or to create an alibi... But this time... it was something else entirely.Interesting... he was good at building up the suspense! I couldn't wait to hear the solution! ...He was glaring at me. Was I supposed to say something? Er – uh, right! I know what I'm doing, and I'm a very smart detective!If I just said it enough, it would be true! ...AGHH – it wasn't working!! I had to actually come up with a real answer!! What was Mouse saying...? There was some strange reason for why the room was locked from the inside?  You've probably picked up on it already, but the right answer is that this entire setup is, in fact, purely accidental- not just the death!  AH! The locked room was an accident – just like the murder was! This whole mystery is one big stupid accident! Yes, that's what I think too...Really?! Mr. Turnip killed himself by accident... And the door was locked from the inside by accident... The clue is in the wine print on the coat... Ms. Turnip was the one drinking wine – Mr. Turnip was busy smoking. In the morning, she was probably so hungover she didn't realize he'd died... So she tried to hang up his coat, and stumbled out of the room... But she'd put it back on the coat rack so sloppily... That it fell over as soon as she left... Hitting the door's lock on the way, knocking it into a horizontal 'locked' position. Care to do the honors, Hackett?Wow! He was actually pretty good! I was lucky to have been paired with him... Absolutely! Can't forget the bonus question now, can we? W-what are you waiting for? Uh... the bonus question! We almost forgot the bonus question! O-oh, you're right... Which piece of evidence is irrelevant..? That'd be... the baseball tickets, obviously! Even I can figure that out! Y-yeah, you're actually right, that's got to be it... Submit!'Actually right'? Who did he think he was?! [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  You are correct. Your score on this mystery is 100 percent. Your answer to the bonus question was correct. I'm surprised. I thought you would fail pretty hard at this. You even almost gave up at one point. But you didn't. You prevailed. Logic always wins. Stop blabbering! Hackett! Don't interrupt the Game-master! Thank you, Detective Mouse. It is not nice to be interrupted. *sniff, sniff* Come on, that's overdoing it. Ahem. Excuse my outburst of emotion. Anyway... You ranked higher than expected, time-wise. Unfortunately, you did not make it to the fourth floor, which means that you two will be swapping partners. The fourth floor detectives get to keep their partners in the First Stage. In subsequent stages, all detectives get to do so, provided of course that both partners actively help with deductions. I'm sure you understand. Ouch. Way to build us up and then smash us down.[BGM: Silence]  We'd gotten through the mystery. I could scarcely believe it. We make such a great team! Yes, but I was the one doing all the work. That's... fair.Even though Mouse wasn't going to be my partner next round, I was cautiously optimistic. I was excited to see who I could lean on for deductions next! ***** [Mouse's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? F-five years as a private detective. But I also read lots of mystery novels. I'm pretty good at those.What is your method? I guess my method is... To think about the many different suspects and how they would commit the crime... Motive comes first. From motive, you r-reverse engineer the method of death.Why do you want to win this competition? T-to get some legitimacy to my detective business. I never get any clients anymore.How well do you work with others? I-I usually work alone... That being said, if there was someone I got along with I would p-probably be fine. No further questions. T-thank you.
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Apr 20, 2024 23:22
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 After solving the first locked room mystery, Detective Hackett has moved on to an intermediate stage: The Waiting Room. What answers await him there, in the depths of the mysterious detective contest? [BGM: Sauntering Around]  It was five minutes after the Game-master had obliterated any hope I had of finishing the competition. I was already irritated at the last-minute switch. Mouse had been the perfect mix of stupid, yet smart. Too stupid to realize I wasn't doing any work, and smart enough to solve cases for me. Well, I didn't expect that. It's okay. I'll make it to the finals, and then there'll be a greater chance of us getting paired up again!He gave me a tentative thumbs up. Yeah, that won't happen. Oh... I guess not, y-yeah. I subtly cut our conversation short. No point in being sentimental. Besides, I was busy wondering what my new partner would be like. Suddenly, my sharp mind-trap snapped shut upon an excellent idea! Maybe I would be able to find one of those top five detectives in the 'Waiting Room'! I didn't really care if it was someone in sixth or even tenth, but if I got paired with someone really skilled the next round would be cake! Of course, the selection process was probably as random as a penguin on a Hawaiian beach, but it couldn't hurt to 'know thine rival' or whatever! I scanned the crowd of detectives for someone who looked like they knew something, when it hit me: a terrible smell. It was a... large... detective standing in the corner. His partner had somehow held out against this guy's putrid cologne and they'd solved the case in time to make it to this room. With a smell like that, I bet that he'd done nothing but watch other people and listen in, since nobody with olfactory organs would sit near enough to strike up a conversation. If all he did was listening, my incredible intuition told me he was the one with the answers. Answers were what I needed. I took a deep breath, and headed towards him... Hi, uh, so what's your name?  I'm Detective George, is there anything I can help you with?[NEW BIO: Detective George] He had a deep voice that matched his heavy -set body type. I'm Detective Hackett. EEEUUU! What?My breath had run out, forcing an awkward sound from my lips. I cleverly hid it with a short cough and continued. Ahem... I was wondering if you'd heard anything about the fabled top three detectives. Why would I tell you? Because I'm super trustworthy. See this smile? Don't you just trust it?I gave him my stunning smile.  Well, it's not like it's sensitive information or anything... okay, I'll tell you what I know. Great! The third highest is incredibly eccentric. I don't remember his name, but it's a bunch of numbers. The second highest is said to be able to tap into a criminal's mindset, solving the crime through an extreme form of empathy, or so the rumor says. ...The number one detective is no secret. Her name is Red July. She solves cases by looking at the big picture while simultaneously concentrating on the small details. Her great imagination fills in the gaps, creating causes for the effects. Hope that helped. Goodbye. Hold on a minute! Yeah? Can you point me to any of these guys so I can talk to them directly? I have a few questions I need to ask them. Couldn't even if I wanted. We're not in the right Waiting Room. There are four floors in this building, each with its own waiting room. When the first round begins, it's random, but now that the ranks have been assigned, the top fifteen detectives are on the fourth floor. We're on the second floor, remember? Wait – you're saying that, after the first round, the Game-master orders the floors from least skilled to most skilled, with the fourth floor being the most skilled? You got it. I see... Then the only way I'll talk to them is if I make it within the top fifteen- no, more like six since the cut-off list shrinks each round. At your level, six is pretty optimistic.What was that supposed to mean?! If you get stuck with good partners, I'm sure you'll do fine. See you next round.I waved him off drowsily. My brief date with the hotel bed had made me sleepy. A detective who looks at the big picture, but still sees the details...That was the top-ranked detective's method? It didn't seem deductive or calculative, it seemed... intuitive. Like MY method! Maybe there was a way to become as good as the greatest detective in the competition just by doing what I'd done my whole life. I'd had a feeling Coles was full of crap, and maybe it was true after all! It was definitely something to think about. My eyes scanned the room. Maybe, even if I couldn't talk to George, there'd be someone else I could talk to...  Maybe... one of them? Here, we're given the ability to talk to either Detective Mouse, the Greeter from before, or a new detective we haven't seen before! The game only lets you talk to one person before things proceed, but in this LP we're under no such restriction, so we'll be talking to all three! The conversations are pretty short, anyway. Let's start by checking in on our dear friend Mouse...  It's too bad you aren't my partner anymore. I'm going to be so confused!! D-don't worry, Halbot! I can pass you notes in secret! No... I'm sure that wouldn't be allowed, they would put me in handcuffs, and then into a parked van, and off I would go to who knows where. Well, let's try to make sure that doesn't happen! Thanks, Mouse! So, what's up with these casefiles and the ridiculous names? I wasn't going to mention it, but you're right. Also, don't you think it was strange the Game-master let us be so vague about the solution? Yeah, no idea what that's about...Our conversation was dying fast. And I didn't know first aid!! Next, let's talk to this mysterious woman standing to our right!  Hey, aren't you Spidermouth, the famous luchadora? Shh! Nobody calls me that here. Here I am known as Detective Lucha![NEW BIO: Detective Lucha] If you're trying to hide your identity, wouldn't you- Nope. -take off your mask- Nope. If I took off this mask, then people would know my real face! But... nobody knows your real face, so why would they recognize you to begin with? Don't be silly! Hey, can I get an autograph? NO! Listen... if the Game-master saw me giving out autographs, then they'd know who I am.I decided to let that one go. And lastly, let's talk to the Greeter.  How's it going? We're not really supposed to talk to detectives. Whaaaaat? But you can talk to me, right? I'm trying to be polite, Mr. Thinks with Fists.Our amazing romantic comedy was off to a great start! I have a question about the names. Are we allowed to give out our real names? No. Absolutely not. If you did that, you would be expelled from the contest immediately.… … … I'm just kidding. So does that mean you can tell me your real name? Ha ha. No.Well, this was getting awkward. *ding dong diiiing!* Without warning, the Game-master's musical tune chimed out. As always, it was as lovely as an opera singer with throat cancer. This announcement is not to announce the next round, but rather to celebrate the previous one. I introduce to you... the criminal duo that created 'Eternally Checked-In', Mastermind Rows and Mastermind Sparks. A door opened in the back of the room, and two sleep-deprived criminals approached. Their beady eyes stared into my soul like a working pair of X-Ray Specs. There was an awkward silence as the detectives in the room wondered if they were expected to clap for them. Finally, an older detective stood from his place on a particularly cushy couch. ???: How exactly does the other side of this competition work? Rows cleared her throat.   It's fairly complex, but I'll try to explain it in a plebian manner...[NEW BIO: Mastermind Rows] Already I hated her. For us, there are two phases in every round: 'Invention' and 'Replication'. In the Invention phase, we create the crime using props provided by the Game-master. The Invention phase is ranked by skill, not time. Then, in the Replication phase, the criminals race against the clock to replicate the crime the winner invented, to place in the rankings. Like you, we also rotate partners in-between rounds. Being good at Replication helps you stay in the contest... but winning Invention means you become a celebrity of sorts and rise to the top of the ranking. That's right. I'm famous now. Me – Mastermind Rows!It looked like Rows had more to say, but the usual dirgeful melody coming from the speakers cut her off as she began her next sentence. *ding dong diiiing!* I'm sorry, but the question period will have to be discontinued, as the second round of the First Stage is ready. What? I had more to explain. Please make your way down the hallway to your assigned number.  That's not fair, I didn't even get to answer a question...[NEW BIO: Mastermind Sparks]  Mastermind Sparks drifted out of earshot as I was forcefully pushed by the crowd into the hallway. Doors were slamming all around me! I had no idea where to go! ...Hackett, you're in Room 0012. Oh, thank you.I hurried inside the room as fast as I could. Turns out, it wasn't worth it. Three guesses who my new partner was. ***** [George's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? I've had three years experience as a private investigator. ...But most of the time I seem to be explaining extremely obvious things to people.What is your method? My method is to look at a situation, and think to myself... What limits can I apply to this situation that make it more understandable? Occam's razor. Hanlon's razor. There are many other razors that I use. I guess, to be brief, my method is 'razors'.Why do you want to win this competition? Well, obviously, to win a million dollars... I have no fancy motive. Financial security is essential, especially when operating a detective business.How well do you work with others? I've always had an essential role on a task force. Though I'm usually not the lead investigator, I'm an excellent right-hand man. No further questions. Good.***** [Lucha's Interview]  What experience have you had as a detective? When I'm not wrestling, I'm solving mysteries! I have been doing so for seven years! But nobody knows about it... Please keep my secret!What is your method? I tackle crime head on! You've just got to pick the most likely suspect, then put them in a choke hold! Then flip them on their back! Perfection!Why do you want to win this competition? I have already won a wrestling competition... Now, I will win a mystery competition! I will win all the competitions and be the very best luchadora slash detective in the world!How well do you work with others? I do great work in a team... But make no mistake: I am the star player! No further questions. No autograph? … Maybe.***** [Rows's Interview]  How long have you been incarcerated? Three years. In a pretty standard prison.What is your modus? My modus...? I like to leave a pair of baseball cards at my crime scenes. That was the game that ruined my life... Baseball has ruined many lives...Why do you want to win this competition? The same as everyone else, I imagine. I'm sick of being stuck in prison.How well do you work with others? I'm used to being on a team. Yeah, it was a baseball team. Goddamn baseballllll... No further questions. I have a question for you. I won't answer it. Goodbye.***** [Sparks's Interview]  How long have you been incarcerated? Eleven years. I've spent that time practicing mindfulness meditation. It sure is good for the soul.What is your modus? I'm an electrical engineer... But I like to use my knowledge of malfunctioning electronics to create fires. It's surprisingly easy.Why do you want to win this competition? Because I'm not the worst guy out there. If I win, maybe some axe murderer won't. Nobody would want that. I'm just an innocent little arsonist.How well do you work with others? As an engineer, you have to work well with others. I think I do a pretty good job. I like people. But I like them even better on fire. No further questions. Keep in touch!
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Apr 20, 2024 23:23
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 Detective Hackett has just learned more about the mysterious detective contest he has entered, and now it's on to round two. Time to meet his new partner. [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  You're late. I find tardiness remarkably annoying.It was my new partner... Coles. Oh yeah? Sue me.I'd already suffered through some elitist crap while hearing Rows talk. I was about to make a few more insulting remarks, but before I could that grating assortment of notes was heard once again. *ding dong diiiing!*  Detective Hackett and Detective Coles, I welcome you to Stage One... Round Two! This mystery has been titled... 'How You See Me'. Please take a look at the casefile to understand the context of the crime. [How You See Me] Mr. Ant was found dead in his manor at 6:30AM. Only one suspect was arrested - “Mr. Disco”. However, Mr. Disco claims it must be a suicide, since there was no way for him to enter the locked room where Mr. Ant was found. You do not have access to the autopsy report. The door was locked with a complex mechanism that can only be opened from the inside of the room. SPECIAL BONUS: How did Mr. Ant know Mr. Disco? He paused, probably waiting for questions, but neither I nor the Thinking Man had any. The investigation begins... Now.Apparently, the Game-master hadn't yet given up his dream of being a melodramatic cornball.  Just to be clear... I'm not going to help you solve this case. What? You're my partner, we work together! You weren't planning on working together. You were just going to pretend to be trying and let me solve it for you. Yeah. I was. But I guess you're not smart enough. What? Why else would you still be on the second floor? Only the stupid people stick around here. If you were smart enough you'd be up there on the fourth floor, right? Actually, I've developed a strategy. You see, I solved the last case in under a minute. Good enough to challenge the Top Three. I've solved this one already as well. However, I don't want to be stuck with a stupid partner, so I'm waiting for a good one before I challenge the master detectives. Wait a minute, don't the partners rotate every round? What's the point of waiting for a good partner if you're going to lose them right away? Actually, when you're in the Top Three, your partner doesn't change anymore. It doesn't surprise me that you don't know that, since they don't tell you anything unless you ask.He walked over to a corner and lay down. What are you doing? I promised myself that if he started snoring, I'd kick him. I'm waiting. Did you think I was going to challenge the Top Three with a partner like you? When the timer's almost out I'll call out the solution and then I'll wait for the next mystery. I'll continue this process until I find someone who isn't a complete simpleton.Out of all the people I could've been partnered with, I got an uncooperative jerk who refused to carry the workload himself! Kind of like me, but less handsome and modest. If I wanted to move up in the rankings, I'd have to convince him to solve the case right away... and fast!! We'd already wasted more time than a do-it-yourself car wash. Okay, you got me. ...Or do you? What if... I've already solved it as well? All I'd need to do is shout out the answer, right now. You're an idiot. I've already imagined every possible scenario. If you did know the answer, there would be no disadvantage to me, since you would prove that you're smart enough to move on to the top three. What if I shout out a wrong answer and I disqualify both of us? Every wrong answer is ignored. The only answer that matters is the right one. So I'll just randomly guess until I find the right answer!I was grasping at straws, but maybe he'd buy it! Doubt you'd figure it out in time to do any damage. The minute's past, so we'd only get in a runner-up spot at most, and I'd be able to change partners instantly, since the rotation only locks if you make the Top Three. Nice try. I, too, sat on the floor, out of ideas. I glanced over at the dummy. Suddenly it all seemed a little... sad. Coles was ignoring the competition and playing with the rules. It reminded me more of a criminal than a detective. More minutes slipped by. It felt really unproductive, to just sit there. And frustrating. The whole time, there was a slight smile on Coles' face. He really ticked me off. But what ticked me off the most was that there was nothing I could do. After seven minutes had gone by, Coles stood up carefully, taking his sweet time. He cleared his throat. Then a few more times for good measu re to spite me. The door was locked from the inside wh en the crime was committed because there was no killer, it was suicide. The man stabbed himself with glass from the picture frame, which was broken, as you can see from the evidence provided.He smirked in my direction. The jingle was heard again. *ding dong diiiing!* Detective Coles. There is a reason you are not on the fourth floor, and it isn't because you're attempting to manipulate the system. It's because... You're wrong. There was no stab wound on the dummy, therefore he was not killed by a shard of glass.Coles' jaw dropped to the floor. If you want to stay in this competition, you'll need to submit a correct deduction within the next minute and fifty seconds. Coles clutched at his face in a panic. Ha ha, it served him right for being such a conceited jerk! Then I remembered that if he didn't solve the mystery, we'd both get the boot. Suddenly, my panic mode was activated as well. I thought you said you'd solved it before I even walked in! That was a lie, you fool! It took me four minutes to come up with that answer! I did all the mental work when I was lying on the floor! And you forgot to check the body? Is this amateur hour??Coles hung his head in shame. There was barely any time left. There was only one thing left to do... Solve the mystery. [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  Well, there's not a lot to look at this time around, so might as well get started.  There was something very suspicious next to the dummy... A wooden picture frame with a few glass shards still sticking to the wood. Curses!! Maybe there was a clue on the dummy?  Mr. Ant had a roughed up look... Like he'd fallen in coal... Or had been burned! Smoke asphyxiation!! Try again, Hackett.There had to be other clues in the room that I wasn't considering... Time for a more thorough search!  And now, we can examine both the wall and the window.  There was a strange patch on the wall. Maybe there had been a painting of Mr. Ant... Maybe there could be a painting of me! Who wouldn't love that??  This case was already tougher then the last one, what with practically no evidence. There was one difference, though. Was there a window in the last room? No, or rather, it wasn't as large. It's part of the mystery- I'm sure of it. Think, Coles!Coles stumbled backwards until his back rested against the wall. It's just... Now I can't think of anything else... Well don't just give up! I can't do it. We only have a minute left.Well, he was useless.  It was hopeless!! Hopeless!  I fell to my knees, clutching the broken picture frame. My face was reflected in the broken glass, which had been polished so much I could see every scowl line in full detail. At least I'd go out looking at an incredibly handsome man. Ah...!! Ah ah ah! I solved it! Awesome job, me! If you've solved it, then spit out the answer before we lose. Go on. I'll follow your lead. Make your deduction.I couldn't believe it, but Coles was actually trusting me to figure it out! ...Or was he just being lazy? There wasn't really any time to get annoyed about it. It was time to make a deduction. I added the evidence I'd discovered to the casefile... Go ahead, Hackett. There's very little time left. Make your deduction. This case is actually pretty simple! It clicked into place as soon as I realized... This isn't glass at all! It's polished glass! Wow. So what? That means that this piece of glass is actually... Well, it's obviously a mirror. A mirror! Hm. That does change things... I was sure it was glass... Me too, at first. It's so weird that I thought that! But anyway! From the victim's state I think it's safe to say he caught on fire. What?? You can't be sure! Well, what else would it be? I don't know, but you're making a lot of assumptions. If you don't, you'll never solve the mystery! Moving on... What's a good way to light someone on fire? The answer is obvious! Well, it can't be a match or a flamethrower, we would've found something like that while examining the crime scene. Therefore... A magnifying glass! The killer, Mr. Disco, focused sunlight through a magnifying glass. Mr. Ant was fried! Hah! ...That was a congratulatory “Hah”, not a derisive “Hah”. Thank you! I accept tips. Hurry it up, Hackett. So, that brings us back to the mirror... The mirror, uh, the mirror... Uh, here's how the mirror was used!!Oh crap! I hadn't figured out what the mirror was used for yet!! I would have to rely on my patented “wing it” style!  I imagine the right answer on this one is pretty obvious. The mirror reflected the sunbeam, which hit Mr. Ant while he was by the bookshelf! Wow, that... ...actually made sense. Didn't expect that. He caught on fire, and died because he couldn't undo the lock in time! I think that wraps up everything! Hmm. Don't think I'm impressed, Hackett. This was an easy mystery. It's only the First Stage. I smile to think of the terrors that await you... If it was so easy, why couldn't you solve it?Coles' eye twitched. It was time to put a big red bow on this gift of a mystery. I felt pretty good about it!  Can't forget the bonus question! Hmm... there's something else we need to do... But I don't know what... I believe you're thinking of the “Bonus”. It's not really necessary, but I will do it anyway. The extra challenge is to figure out how Mr. Ant knew Mr. Disco. If we look at your solution to the mystery... Mr. Disco was probably near the window. So he could've been the gardener. However, the window is high off the outside window... I think we can assume the same is true for the house in the mystery. So he used a ladder! No. Shut up. If we assume that Mr. Disco was in a house next door... What seems to be suggested by the nature of the mystery is... Mr. Disco was Mr. Ant's neighbor. I wonder if you're right! We'll find out soon enough.[BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Congratulations. You solved the case. Your final score on this mystery: 100 percent. I'm very impressed. But who cares? My opinion doesn't matter. However, there is some bad news... You're dead last, in 45th place. Stop waffling about with your deductions, and Coles, maybe stop lying on the floor instead of solving the mystery. It's a terrible idea.Coles looked like he'd stepped in a mountain of roadkill. You're going to need to improve quickly, or you will be eliminated. Please keep that in mind going into Round Three. Now please, make your way to the elevators. You've both been demoted to the first floor. Guess my chance to meet the top tier detectives was all but gone. All because of Coles. What a jerk. Thanks for demoting me with your long-winded deductions. Not. Excuse you?! Who was it who laid on the floor for seven minutes again? Oh, you were counting? Why weren't you solving the mystery instead?I admit I didn't have an answer for that one. I'm looking forward to switching partners. So am I.Good thing this nightmare was over.  Partner switching may be random, but that doesn't mean you won't end up with the same partner. It's a 22 to 1 chance, but it's not nothing. WHAT? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT? Heh. Well, if it annoys you so much, maybe it won't be so bad. I must admit... you weren't ENTIRELY useless.It was begrudging, but it was something! Was something something? Maybe I'd find out... ...in the next round!  … Hello? Testing? Testing? *cough* I'm getting too old for this crap.***** [Coles's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? I have six years of experience working under Detective Swills. Who is Detective Swills? You don't know? No. Then you'd better go find out.What is your method? Strategy is my method. I dare myself to see more than others see, and think of things others do not think of. In other words... Method is itself my method. Oh wow, how pret- cool. Very cool.Why do you want to win this competition? I don't just want to win. I will win. Because I'm always the smartest guy in the room. Sounds like something a smart person would say. I know.How well do you work with others? More like, how well do they work with me? I don't want any losers dragging me down. No further questions. Good. What a waste of time.
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Apr 20, 2024 23:23
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 The mysterious contest for detectives is still in its early rounds. But who's pulling the strings behind this competition? Now for a look into the office of the elusive Game-master... [BGM: Office Games]  In a large monitor, with its screen nearly covered in Post-It notes, I could just barely see the last few contestants on the second floor heading into the Waiting Room.   Who's that one?[NEW BIO: Game-Master Greg] I pointed to a generic-looking detective in a stereotypical fedora and trench coat get-up. The only way he could be more cliché was if he wore a deerstalker over the fedora.   Uh... Detective Hackett.[NEW BIO: Game-Master Clark] He's on your floor, right? Yeah, but he's moving to your floor next round. He's a bit of a drongo. You got that right! Who shows up to a detective competition in a trenchcoat? It's so unprofessional!  We try so hard to be professional around here... Eh, it's a detective thing. Whatever.He turned back to his desk. We were in the Watching Room, a hidden room on the fifth floor, which was restricted to contest runners only. Great. That floor's clear.I pushed a large button on the desk in front of me that read, “Clear Floor 02”. Hey, Greg? I don't mean to step out of line, but... you just pushed the button for MY floor. Ha ha, my bad. Guess you were too slow to stop me. He made a halfhearted fist and shook it at me lazily. Don't make me angry...I slid back over to my desk, which was for floor one. It was a boring desk, because everybody always took so long to solve the cases. At least I'd only have to hold out until the third round ended. That's when we shut down floor one, because by then the cut-off line is short enough.  Hey guys... you've got to come over here.She ran the fourth floor desk, which I was really jealous of. At least I got to announce the opening contest rules. [NEW BIO: Game-Master Mellie]  Me, Clark, and Kane, who ran floor three, crowded around Mellie's desk, gazing at the monitor. Unlike our desks, Mellie's was more organized and she didn't use Post-It notes. Instead, she wrote all over her arms, which were currently covered in names of detectives with strings of numbers next to them. Nell. That's the one to watch. Why? She doesn't look special to me.[NEW BIO: Game-Master Kane] Are you just saying that because her name sounds like yours? Whaaat? No. I'm just saying, look at the huge jump she took. She made it to the third floor after 'Eternally Checked-In', and actually moved up to fourth during 'How You See Me'. Wow, and it wasn't just her partners? The videos show her doing more work than the partners she's been paired with. Oh, thanks for reminding me, I need to announce the partner pairs. Sure thing!She flipped a few switches on her desk. On the fourth floor, contestants know their partners when they enter the Waiting Room, gi ving them a slight advantage over the other floors, where the contestants don't know who they're paired with until they enter the mystery room. That gives them a little time to prepare. How did Detective Honor do this time?Honor had been paired with Red July the last round. It seemed to go well. Honor's method is pretty useless in this contest. I hope they don't drag Red July down. Red July's held that first place spot the whole competition. She'll be fine. I know. It's weird how those top three spots have been stuck with the same detectives from the start – it's always like this. Three is a magic number. People see those 1st 2nd and 3rd spots and a gap naturally occurs because they're intimidated. So it isn't that the top three detectives are necessarily the most skilled. Right, Clark?He was the oldest and had helped run two of the previous detective competitions as a Game-master. That's right. Okay guys, back off, I'm going to make the announcement. She pressed a button that said “announcement jingle”, and flipped a switch. A countdown started on an LED display. When it was finished, a light turned on that read 'Live'. She started reading off a prepared list of paired detectives, when someone caught my eye on the screen of the monitor.  I caught Clark's attention with my coffee mug skills, and whispered quietly to him. Hey, who's that? Detective 772. It's no wonder you don't recognize him... He always manages to hide from the cameras until the last minute. It's weird how he knows where they all are. Ah. Detective 772...She was finishing the announcement. ...is paired with Detective Nell.The 'Live' light went dark.  That'll be interesting. The lucky rookie and the intelligent eccentric. Does Nell even have a method? Don't know... She won't last long if she doesn't! Everyone in this contest needs the star power of a special gimmick to make them stand out. By the way Clark, I'm going to need you to write up the agenda notes for the conference on that quadruple murder scheme. Sure, but why can't you do it? Your floor's more mellow than mine. Turns out, losers aren't happy campers.It was always a good thing to plan ahead. If being a Game-master had taught me anything, it was that.
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Apr 20, 2024 23:24
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The main character detective is such a dork and I want nothing bad to happen to him ever. He has never done anything wrong in his life. I didn't really jive with the last LP but I'm already in with this one. The art style somehow is rough and feels off but also likable, and the premise is interesting! Dragongem fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Apr 21, 2024 |
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Apr 21, 2024 01:21
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Haven't even started reading (at a wedding reception) but I've really enjoyed your LPs, so bookmarking it for now.
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Apr 21, 2024 01:26
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Well this looks interesting. Always happy to see a Mix LP.
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Apr 21, 2024 01:36
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Hackett's interview seems to be missing the last two questions?
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Apr 21, 2024 01:46
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Zyxyz posted:Hackett's interview seems to be missing the last two questions? Weird, don't know what happened there. Fixed!
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Apr 21, 2024 01:49
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It’s an interesting setup but the first 2 locked rooms were pretty meh. Just from the description of the first one I immediately thought “So, suicide?” which wasn’t exactly correct but was almost correct. He did kill himself, just accidentally rather than deliberately. For the second one Detective Coles could have been correct, there wasn’t any information we had at the time that disproved it (we only got that immediately afterwards) and “burned to death with giant magnifying glass” is going deeper into moon logic than a humble “stabbed self with glass”. I sort of assume later puzzles will be more satisfying though.
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Apr 21, 2024 08:10
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Elite posted:
Tbh, they did say his name was Mr. Ant, which is a pretty on the nose hint
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Apr 21, 2024 08:21
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This is another one of those games that has no concept of the passage of time huh. If the skill to assess is detective, then clearly it would take more than a minute just to make sure you've looked at all the evidence. It's not like in an actual case you can blurt out a theory and get it YES/NO checked immediately, based of just whatever you saw by looking at the room.
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Apr 21, 2024 09:38
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This game looks interesting. I'll put it on my wishlist and in a few weeks I'll decide if I follow the LP or just play it myself. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
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Apr 21, 2024 10:22
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AFancyQuestionMark posted:Tbh, they did say his name was Mr. Ant, which is a pretty on the nose hint Mr Ant is a clue nudging you in the right direction, but my criticism wasn’t that it was impossible to figure out. More that the answer didn’t really make sense. You probably could build a targeted sunlight weapon to kill someone. But you’d probably need a parabolic array of ~50 mirrors to do it, so you couldn’t do it stealthily. And the target would probably need to be either unconscious or restrained to stop them moving out of the way or putting themselves out. And the room would be full of soot and smoke after someone burned to death in it. At that point shooting someone through the window with a sci-fi laser gun is arguably a more sensible explanation.
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Apr 21, 2024 12:48
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 The mysterious competition for detectives is about to start its third round. But what's going on where the top ranking detectives are – the fourth floor? [BGM: Silence]   Hi, my name is Nell, and it's my first day![NEW BIO: Detective Nell]  I shook hands with the weirdo in front of me, who was now apparently my partner. I wasn't lying, it really WAS my first day, both as a detective and in the competition, and so far I'd been doing ridiculously well. It was probably just luck, since I'd been paired with Detective Sally for Round Two, whose method matched perfectly with mine. What's your name?[BGM: Trickster]   Don't have one. But I'm 772.[NEW BIO: Detective ???] What, is that your code number? No, it's the number of cases I've solved in my lifetime. Wow! It's not as impressive when you realize I'm counting the times I figured out where I lost my keys.  I called that one 'The Adventure of the Missing Keys'.This was the detective in third place, out of a hundred different detectives? Was this really Detective 772, or an imposter? Could he really be this embarrassing?  As I was thinking, 772 started to pretend to play a saxophone.  You're not very popular, are you? It's like an Oreo. Sometimes the frosting of resentment gets in the way of the cookies of fame. Seems like the frosting of sense was blocked by the cookies of nonsense to me.*ding dong diiiing!*  Suddenly, a delightful jingle was heard. Fourth floor occupants, it's almost time for the third mystery. Oh, good! This is so cool.772's eyes twitched, probably in delighted anticipation for what the next mystery would bring. This competition doesn't taste very good to me. There's no suspense... How so? It's like an Oreo.What was up with this stupid simile and why did he keep using it?!  The frosting of tension is being blocked by the cookies of cliché. What? Why?I don't know why I bothered to ask. Only god knows why this guy got to third place. I've practically figured out all the mysteries they could throw my way!  As he said this, he hopped from one foot to foot while simultaneously doing the wave. As he did this, I wondered... Could I be in the presence of... a true genius?! The first mystery's locked door gimmick relied on an accident. The second's murder was committed through a window, so that the killer didn't need to enter the room at all. And? So what? Since they didn't repeat the same locked room trick twice, my guess is that the next three mysteries will use completely different locked room tricks each time. There are many such tricks. Keep in mind TOD, POD, and MOD, or Time of Death, Place of Death, and Method of Death respectively. I like to shorten it down to the TPM Rule. That's cute, but what if you don't know any information about the TOD and MOD and whatever? Well then it's totally useless. Uh...He started doing the hopping dance again. It was a good thing nobody was looking at us. I was saved by the joyful melody playing from the intercom. *ding dong diiiing!* Time's up, the rooms are ready for you. Jenter and Captain, Room 0011... Flake and Day, Room 0010... … … … 772 and Nell, Room 0003. I'm excited. Emotions are illusions. Life is a crime. Then go ahead and lock me up, I guess.He didn't respond. I was still learning how to deal with 772's nonsense. What was the right approach for dealing with these eccentric types? It seemed to be a big trait with detectives, so I had to figure it out soon. I didn't want to rain on his parade, but he wasn't giving me many options.  This seems like a cool mystery... Detective 772 immediately did a handstand. Uh... Yeah, that's great. Sometimes to see a crime scene a different way, you need to... see it a different way. Sure.The chime sounded. *ding dong diiiing!*  Detective Nell and Detective 772. Welcome to the third round of Stage One. The mystery you'll be solving this time is called.. 'The Invisible Weapon'. Please take a look at the casefile to understand the context of the crime. [The Invisible Weapon] Businessman Mr. Stash was found dead in his office at 3:00PM, an hour after firing the reportedly furious Mrs. Fired. The door was locked and could not be opened from the outside when the crime was discovered. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: What is the invisible weapon?  Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I entered the wrong room on purpose. We would kill you. Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! Ho ho ho! Ho ho ho!I guess they had built up some sort of camaraderie. I hope you're serious! I can't wait for my own death, I've already ordered the party favors! One of them is a bobblehead of Bob L. Head, my neurologist. Okay, cut it out!! Stop your stupid random dancing and word games and headstands!! I tried to be nice, but you know what? We need to concentrate on the mystery!!I thought I had more patience than I did. His non-stop wacky antics had already exhausted me past my tolerance threshold and it had only been a few minutes since I'd met him. Oh fine! Serious time. Great. You can dance all you want after we solve it. Serious time, then dance time. Murder isn't all serious, you know. There's plenty of fun to be had! Oh boy. Can we start now? I've already started. Maybe you should get on that. I will! I can do this!![BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  I wasn't making it very public, but I had a natural ability that had helped me a great deal in the contest. Even though I'm nearsighted, within close range of an object, I can see immense amounts of detail. Even more detail than a magnifying glass. This ability helps me distinguish between various similar substances, like sugar and salt... But I can even see fingerprints and other prints left by skin oils. Looking at the crime scene, there was an obvious candidate for this kind of close examination... It should be obvious what the game wants us to look at, but let's look at the other stuff first...  I wondered if this was a good use for my method... but it seemed to be just a simple bloodstain, nothing more.  The office definitely belonged to “Mr. Stash”. Glad that was cleared up.  “Mr. Stash”...? What was up with these names? Did the fact that he was blue have any significance?  This seemed like a good use for my method... Time to get to work.  Almost every detective in the competition has a unique Method (some of whom we've already heard about in the interviews from before) that they take advantage of, and now that we're following Nell, we get to have her use it while investigating! As you've probably already noticed, the puzzles in this game aren't particularly difficult- think of it more like an interactive experience versus the kind of investigation you'd get in something like Ace Attorney- but going forward this will be a tool to keep an eye () out for![BGM: Magnify]  Nell already explained how her method works, but mechanically we're meant to figure out what part of the object might have something worth focusing on. Since this is also our first time using Magnfiy, what we're meant to be looking closely at should be obvious...  ...the coffee itself. Hmm... this was something...I could see the coffee interacting with a foreign liquid... The way they collided... cyanide. A classic. Death would've been within minutes. [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  I'd finished examining all the evidence... The solution seemed pretty straightforward to me. Detective 772 was busy goofing off. He ran around the room twice, knocking into the walls and generally being a nuisance. What is this all about? Oh, the running? That's what I call 'accelerated pacing'.His eyes glazed over. Who needed him anyway? He was about as helpful as a pop-up ad and twice as annoying. Uh, so this mystery seems pretty cut and dry... I examined the coffee cup and discovered traces of poison... Let's test that!! He grabbed the coffee mug off the desk and sipped it, then spat out the coffee immediately. Yup, poisoned. WHY...? Just, WHY? Please continue. It was very interesting. Okay...I tried to remember the million dollars I would be receiving to cheer myself up. It helped... a little. Okay. So, that's all there is to it, right?  Mrs. Fired seems to be the only possible suspect, so we can assume she poisoned the coffee... He locks the door to his office, sips the coffee, coughs up some blood, dies. Simple! What about the bonus? What's the invisible weapon? The poison, obviously. He couldn't see it, could he?772 gave me a lifeless look. What? That's an extremely boring solution. Sometimes the solution is boring! No. What? A mystery is always interesting... Always. But what about when it isn't? Sometimes someone shoots someone else... and that's it. Sometimes someone poisons someone else... and that's it. Just because a mystery doesn't entertain you, that's no reason to...I trailed off because 772 didn't appear to be listening. No, you completely misunderstood me... Ah, it's because you linked the idea of those two sentences... What are you muttering about? What I meant is: mysteries are interesting, generally speaking. What I meant is: Your solution to this specific mystery is boring, and wrong. What??He jumped up on the desk. *kthump* What the heck?![BGM: Trickster]   When I'm at a higher altitude, my brain operates at a higher level. Yeah, right. Your solution was wrong. I'm proving my point right now. … How? What did you notice about when I jumped up...? Him getting on the desk shouldn't have produced that loud thud sound, therefore... That loud thud when you jumped up?Honestly, I hadn't noticed much that was unusual about it. Yes. Using my keen observational skills... I heard something strange when I jumped up.He stomped hard on the desk. To my horror... *kthud* [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  Oh my god!! This changes everything! Whoa. Everything? Am I still a human? Oh, shut up! 772 didn't seem to care that my entire solution to the mystery had been completely demolished. I guess I should've been thankful that he hadn't let me submit my false deduction... What could this mean??   Mrs. Fired... So, was she still the murderer? Or just another victim? Or both? I was so confused...  A gun. Did she shoot it...? What the heck happened here!? I'd finished examining the evidence that 772 had uncovered...  I'm all ready, so whenever you want, Nell. What? Uh, sure... Why wait for me? Eh, I know everything in this contest is based on time...[BGM: Trickster]  But honestly, who cares? If nobody gets the time to appreciate the mystery, what does it matter that you came in third, second, or even first? Don't worry, I've appreciated the mystery, and I'm ready.I still hadn't figured it out yet... He turned to a corner of the wall. If I stared hard enough at the corner, I could just barely see a hidden speaker. Here's my deduction...! We'll do a fun call and response thing, okay, Nell? What?? After being fired, Mrs. Fired...He pointed at me like I knew the answer. Think, Nell, think!!  Poisoned Mr. Stash's coffee! ...She left and waited for him to die, but when she came back he was still alive – and he'd realized she'd tried to poison him! Huh, I guess that makes sense...He was doing a lot of the work for me. I had to step up my game! What happened after Mr. Stash realized his coffee had been poisoned?  He shot Mrs. Fired...As I said it, I realized what must come next... He locked the door... stuffed her in the desk with the gun... And then...! He died. ...Can't forget the bonus question! Even though 772 was already dancing... I knew there was still something missing... What was it...? Oh yeah, the invisible weapon was actually the gun.Ah. Submit!!*ding dong diiiing!*  Your deduction was correct. You took only three minutes and 40 seconds. However, you are still in third place. Oh yeah!He threw the case file in the air. Stop that!Through my irritation at his antics I couldn't help feeling happy that we solved the case, and in record time too. [BGM: Sauntering Around]  The door unlocked by itself, which was a nice touch, and we both stepped out into the hall. He started to walk off, but I moved to block him. Wait. If I'm going to continue to be your partner, we have to get one thing straight... Cut out the silly gimmicks. Please. I really, really want to win this contest. They take too much time. Just look at how long you took on the last mystery... Every second counts! Everything I do, no matter how silly, is filled with PURPOSE. Wow. Do you have a PURPOSE, Nell? Yeah, I guess it'd be... to be the greatest detective. ...And win a million dollars. Why stop at a million? You could conquer the world! Because it's the prize for winning the contest? Well, your PURPOSE must extend beyond the contest... That's what makes it an all-caps “PURPOSE”, not a lowercase “purpose”. I didn't realize I would be trying to find the purpose of my life by signing up for this contest. Why not? Isn't life about figuring out what life's about? It's the ultimate mystery. Is that why you said “life's a crime”?  Who committed the crime? What's the motive for the crime? Who's the victim of the crime? Who wrote that message on the mirror? ...What? What?We stood in silence for a solid minute. They lived happily ever after. The end. He bowed, and walked away. The circus...That's what he reminded me of, for some reason... [BGM: Silence]  He turned slowly and looked at me with an expression on his face that I'd never seen there before.  My parents were clowns.For some reason I didn't laugh, even though the statement felt out of context. Suddenly, everything that he'd done so far made complete sense. I stood in the hallway puzzling over it for too long. When I got back to the Waiting Room, he was nowhere to be seen. ***** [Nell's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? None yet! But I took an online course from the 'Mystery Solving University', and I want to try being a detective! Can I still be in the contest? Yes. Great!What is your method?  A method? What's that mean? A method is the signature style of a detective. Oh, is that really a thing? I do have an ability to see things in perfect focus even from super close-up. My friends call me the Human Magnifying Glass. Is that the sort of thing you mean? Sure.Why do you want to win this competition? Well, to win a million dollars! I have to pay off my student debt somehow!How well do you work with others? I'm always at my best when I'm working on an assignment with someone else! I guess I just like interesting people... No further questions. Cool!
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Apr 21, 2024 20:16
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Well, that solves the mystery of where the thread title came from. I like Oreo guy already.
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Apr 21, 2024 20:48
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He seems like... a lot.
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Apr 22, 2024 05:58
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So the gimmick is everyone has a gimmick.
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Apr 22, 2024 20:21
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You gotta getta gimmick if you wanna get ahead.
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Apr 22, 2024 21:01
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So, obvious question - can you gently caress up the explanation of the crime and what happens if you do? Is it one of the "But thou must" scenarios or does it just game over your rear end?
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Apr 22, 2024 21:08
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If everyone has a gimmick then not having a gimmick is it’s own gimmick.
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Apr 22, 2024 21:27
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Regallion posted:So, obvious question - can you gently caress up the explanation of the crime and what happens if you do? Is it one of the "But thou must" scenarios or does it just game over your rear end? If you get the wrong answer whoever you're partnered with is like 'no, i dont think thats right, it's actually X' and then it continues. But on some of these if you get more than one wrong it game over's your rear end The LP won't be showing that since really its not particularly interesting (and is pretty brisk about it too)
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Apr 22, 2024 23:22
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Cloacamazing! posted:Well, that solves the mystery of where the thread title came from. I like Oreo guy already. And how bout that tragic backstory drop right at the end there!
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Apr 23, 2024 03:57
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 After meeting her new partner, an eccentric detective who's currently ranked in third in the mysterious detective competition, Detective Nell heads back to the Waiting Room as the detectives prepare for the fourth round. [BGM: Thinking Thoughts]  I stared at the pale, cold colored ceiling, lost in thought. There were cracks in the paint, and through them I could just barely see the glint of a camera lens poking through. They sure knew how to hide them. I'd greeted nearly everyone on the fourth floor by now, though I never talked to the top three detectives unless I had to. Detective 772 had been the first one I'd actually met, but seeing as he was way more impressive than I'd thought at first, I was sort of scared to talk to a detective with an actual reputation like Red July. I'd heard somewhere that she slows down when she's solving a crime, trying to take as long as possible, and yet still comes in under a minute. Ever since I'd heard that, I'd tried it myself, but of course that ended in miserable failure. But it was my first day after all. The new partners were announced, but it didn't matter, since I was still with Detective 772. ...Actually, his name had changed to 773, since he'd just solved a new case. Though the Game-master had told me the top three spots were locked with the partners they got from the start, it wasn't entirely true. There was a condition.  If the partner didn't contribute to the solving of the case, they got swapped out. I remembered how in command of the crime scene Detective 773 had been, and I got a bit worried that I'd be given the boot. But this time, I was determined to do more, and not just yell at him to stop messing around. I didn't want to get switched out when I had just gotten to third. There was a certain gambling aspect, though, because you could also not do anything on purpose, to see if you'd get partnered with an even higher spot. So the question was: Were you willing to risk a good spot for a better one?  Hello. Lost in thought? Want to take a bit of a risk? ...Maybe? What would you say if I could get you... into contact with Red July?My heart flipped and flopped with sudden nervousness. Into contact with Red July? That'd be cool... Great, sure. I will introduce you so that you don't feel intimidated! No thanks, that'd probably make it even more awkward. You don't even know what she looks like, do you?I realized I didn't actually know; however, I'd talked with as many people as I could, and everyone had thought the same thing. Isn't that her? No. That's the 'quiet detective', who solves cases in silence. She doesn't ever speak, but when she does, it's always one word. The one word that's the key to the mystery. It probably takes her longer to think of which word to say then it does to solve the case! So who's Red July, then? Her. The one on the right. Wow, I didn't know she was a twin! She isn't. Her current partner is the master of disguise, Detective Honor. The detective is pretending to be Red July. What?? That's incredible! I actually talked to both of them before and I never would've guessed! But how'd you know?He gave me an irritating wink. Three things:  The eyes. The actions. And the name tag.I glanced over to the twins. The nametag on the left one read “#nomyself” and the name tag on the right one read “#knowmyself”. Obviously, “#nomyself” refers to how Detective Honor is never themselves, and “#knowmyself” refers to Red July's reputation, which is the largest of any of the detectives here. I doubt that their match-up was a random coincidence, given how their name tags have a similar play on words. Oh, now that you say that, it is pretty obvious. It's like an Oreo- No, not really. I'd had enough of his cheesy shtick. The announcement jingle was heard. *ding dong diiiing!* It's almost time for the fourth round. Get ready, detectives.[BGM: Red]  I felt a push from behind and suddenly I was standing right in front of Red July. I angrily glanced back to Detective 773, who was waving cheerfully. The jerk! Now it was going to be even harder to ease the awkwardness! Uh... Hi.NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'd ruined the chance for a cool introduction like 'I see from your name tag that you are not who you appear to be' or 'My name's Nell and your name's Red July... isn't it?'   Hello, Nell. Sorry about the trickery. I'm Red July. So pleased to meet you, Detective Honor. And you, Detective Red July.  Good call. But one made by Detective 773.[NEW BIO: Detective Honor] Note: Honor is nonbinary, please be respectful, they/them only, etc. [NEW BIO: Detective Red July] How'd you know?“How'd you know?” was becoming my catchphrase. When you talked to us earlier you didn't know, and after you talked to 773 you did. The way you were glancing over here was exceedingly obvious. Oh. Yeah, it was obvious, huh...Apparently lots of obvious things needed to be pointed out to me by smarter detectives. Sure made me feel like a dope!  Listen, Nell... Your future is a light trunked tree, but its branches are as dark as the night... Ooh... Don't deviate. Stay a detective. And if you start to lean into other lines of work, correct yourself immediately. Are they dark as in unknown or dark as in bad? I'm not very good with metaphors, even when they're not about Oreos. They're dark as in mysterious, and they will be mysterious as long as you can't solve the mystery. Oooh!I was making a fool of myself. But I had so many questions! There wasn't enough time to ask them all!  There is enough time to ask them all, though! Because this is an LP! -About your method... Um, so about your method... Can anyone do it? Yes, anyone can do it. But most people won't. It took a very long time to perfect... ...but feel free to watch my MasterClass on it. You have a MasterClass?!How could I not have known?! I'm very open about my techniques, but like I said, it takes years. I'll be sure to watch it!-Detective Honor Is it weird to be working with... yourself? Not at all. Detective Honor's ability actually protects me. How so? Red is a famous detective, so you never know what might happen. Having two of herself around can't hurt. Do you enjoy... being other people? Yes, of course. It's nice to have the chance to be famous for a little while...I felt a bit bad for Detective Honor. -Detective 773 So, what do you think of Detective 773? Does he annoy you? Annoyance is a failure of understanding. And I'm not attempting to understand those things. I don't know how he got to be that way... But he doesn't annoy me, no. Help him understand you... and you will understand him.That was certainly a different perspective. He annoys you less if you ignore him. Thanks for translating. No problem.-Other Tips Any other tips for surviving the contest? The mysteries don't matter. What do you mean they don't matter? Isn't that the whole point of the contest? I'm not so sure.Hmm... Find good partners and stick with them. I don't know if me and 773 are such a great team... He needs you more than you need him. Really??That was very flattering to hear... *ding dong diiiing!*  Detectives. Detectives, detectives, detectives. So many detectives. Well, the fourth round is ready for you, so no need to keep pretending you like talking to each other.I was still puzzling over Red July's tree metaphor. I guess top three detectives love metaphors, because it makes them sound more intelligent. I remembered 773's Oreo metaphor, and suddenly I realized that he was parodying Red July. The longer I spent with him, the more sense he made. Or maybe I was just deluding myself, thinking I could figure him out. ...Or maybe the real delusion was that there was anything to solve at all. ***** [Red July's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What experience have you had as a detective? Twenty-six years as an international consulting detective.What is your method? My brain is different from everyone else's on the planet... I have a very small sense of consciousness. Most of my thoughts are entirely unknowable to me. The ones that slip out from my unconscious delight me. In order to solve a crime, everything has to be in my periphery... I can't allow myself to directly take in any thing. Through pure osmosis... my unconscious mind solves the crime. That is my method.Why do you want to win this competition? This contest is ultimately about defeating a smart, dangerous criminal. I am entering the competition because I believe I am the only detective in America that has a 100 percent chance of defeating the criminal. I will donate the money to charity.How well do you work with others? I am not interested in working with other detectives. It's not my ideal, but unfortunately they tend to get in my way. That's just how my method works... I am unable to answer any more questions, as my time is up. I understand.
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Apr 24, 2024 01:24
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this is weird in a good fun way so far
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Apr 24, 2024 02:33
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I was really disappointed that we shifted away from following my boy, but then we got detective oreo on the case and all became well again. I do hope that detective thinks with Fists isn't gone for good, though. He's going all the way to the top!
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Apr 25, 2024 02:19
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I can't wait to see what the criminal half of the contest is like. I still have a hard time grasping how it works.
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Apr 25, 2024 03:21
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Maigius posted:I can't wait to see what the criminal half of the contest is like. I still have a hard time grasping how it works. Yeah, I haven't seen many 'crimes' yet, just 'mysteries'. With dummies. The question is: when is it going off the rails?
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Apr 25, 2024 06:11
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 After some advice from her idol and top-ranked detective Red July, Detective Nell and her partner detective 773 are ready to solve the fourth round of Stage One in the mysterious detective competition. [BGM: Silence]    The case was called 'A Singular Key'. 773 didn't seem concerned, but I was having trouble. I decided to give everything another look, just to be sure I wasn't missing something... Could this really be a mystery with only one piece of evidence?! I took a look at the casefile again, just to be sure I wasn't crazy...  [The Singular Key] Mr. Paranoido, a small-time crook wanted by police, was found dead in a walk in closet at 10:20AM. Mr. Gunhappy, a police officer, was the only one on the scene. The closet was locked, and the only key was found inside with Mr. Paranoido. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: Why was Mr. Paranoido hiding in the closet? Sure seemed like it... I couldn't think of any thing to do except check all the evidence again... [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]   'Mr. Paranoido'... There was a strange symbol on his chest... It looked like a broken heart. Does this mean he died from a bad breakup? Love kills. I try not to do it myself... it'd be pretty ironic for a detective to kill someone! …I think we can rule it out. If you say so. To me it looks like heart failure of some kind. Epic fail!!I tried not to cringe. What's that expression you're making, Nell? My cringing expression.Too bad we weren't given the autopsy report. There was no way to know what it meant for sure. A heart attack...? Could be. We'll say that's what it is for now, and we can come up with something better later. The key was the only piece of evidence. I hadn't tried using my method on it yet...Maybe that would turn up something?  [BGM: Magnify]   Pretty standard design for a key... Nothing interesting there.  The neck of the key was entirely unremarkable. I was really struggling to come up with something to say about it.  Nothing out of the ordinary that I could see...  My method had proven to be completely useless at drumming up anything new... Which happened more often than not. Now what?? [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  Looked like the key really was the only evidence... Time to get creative! Was the key... maybe... the murder weapon somehow? Hey, what if the key was charged with electricity? He got a jolt when he touched it and died! Not unless the key was touching a live wire or something... Metal is just a conductor, it can't store electricity like a battery.Crap, now he knew I'd failed science class hard. How could I possibly recover? Maybe he threw the key up in the air and it clonked him on the head! ...And that broke his heart? Uh, well, uh, well, uh, well...!! I was full of intelligent remarks, as usual. I think we can safely rule that out. Yeah...I was dying for some fresh air. Every room smelled like chemical cleaner and paint, and this one didn't even have a fake window. I have some advice for you... Stand on your head! Works for me. One time I had an entire police department stand on their heads... We solved so many crimes. Ugh!!Still at it with the annoying gimmicks... ...But it was worth a shot. I was willing to try anything. I rolled my eyes and pushed off from the ground, steadying my legs against the wall.  The world was upside-down. Now the dummy was on the ceiling. I almost expected the large key in his hand to fall. ...Wait a minute... There was something else in the room to examine... Something I'd been taking for granted... Something I'd been taking for granted in every mystery in this contest. I got up from my headstand. My brain hurt and my face was flushed. But I had a new idea. The –! Keyhole. I was going to say the door, but yes.I don't know if I should have been annoyed that he cut me off or glad that we were finally syncing up as partners.  Told you standing on your head would work! You laughed, you scoffed, but now you've choked on your own hubris! How does the crow taste?Yup, 'annoyed' was definitely the reaction to go with. Excuse me? You knew we had to examine the keyhole this whole time and said nothing? I think we're even, buddy. Oh, but, um, it was a test and stuff, blah blah blah! ...Alright, fair enough. I think your ability will help a great deal in solving this mystery... It's pretty simple, but it would be difficult to solve without you. How do you know about my ability? You were holding the key ten millimeters from your eye. Oh.What an obvious deduction! I tried my best to just be flattered and get over my feelings of irritation at myself. There was no time for distractions. There was only room for the present moment... and the mystery at hand.  Could the keyhole unlock the whole mystery?! Seemed like a good use for my method... [BGM: Magnify]   Hmm... Something caught my eye. A thin, black stripe on the edge of the keyhole... Was this the extra evidence I'd been looking for?! [BGM: Silence]  I'd found the clue that would solve the whole mystery! ...Maybe? I noticed something interesting on the keyhole... [BGM: Trickster]  A black mark. Could it have been a burn mark? A burn mark...? Well... maybe. It's vitally important. Yeah, I guess so. Don't be upset, Nell! Do you see what I'm getting at? This is actually a really simple mystery... And it all falls into place once you realize who the suspects are... Why don't you take a look at the casefile again and tell me what you notice?Oh boy. More tests... Um...Drat... I didn't really notice anything. But I had to say something!  We have to consider the other person in this mystery besides the victim. The casefile says Mr. Gunhappy is a police officer! So... So...... Yes, it does! And we know Mr. Gunhappy is probably the murderer. He has the motive. He has the means. And he has the method. What weapons do police officers typically carry?I hated how he would always try to guide me to solutions instead of just saying the answers! It made me look so stupid! Or... did it make me look smarter for actually figuring it out? I couldn't decide.  Cops can carry all three of these things, but here we have to consider the state of the victim... Police officers carry tasers! Oh, and tasers are known to sometimes cause cardiac arrest! There we go! See now why I was so insistent on the burn mark on the keyhole? What? Wait... Are you saying that... Mr. Gunhappy shot a taser line through the keyhole?!It sounded strange at first, but it kind of made sense! Yes. Exactly. But... how? Keyholes are small! Not this one!  A big key means a big keyhole. Wow, is that it? That's all there is to it? Yup!I couldn't believe it... How simple the mystery really was... Hadn't 773 said it was simple at the very beginning...? Had he solved it all the way back then? Was he slowing himself down... just for me? I tried not to think about it too much.  ...and as always, the bonus question. Oops, we almost forgot the bonus. Oh right! Why was Mr. Paranoido hiding in the closet...?Oh, crap... that was hard! I thought back to everything we knew about this case... A singular key... a singular corpse... A small-time crook, hunted by police... He was obviously hiding from Mr. Gunhappy. Simple as that! Submit!! What?! What if the solution was something super complicated?! And what would that be? Uh... I don't know!!Yet again, I was making myself look like a fool... which was pretty ironic, considering my partner was a clown. *ding dong diiiing!* [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Correct. Your score on this mystery is 100 percent. Please make your way back to the Waiting Room for the Fifth Round... The final round of Stage One. Stage One's almost over already? How many stages are there? One hundred stages. ONE HUNDRED STAGES?!That couldn't be right!  There are six stages. Technically, five stages plus one. You will see what I mean if you get there. Intriguing... Can I keep this key as a souvenir? …No. What if I did? What would happen? Would you pop out of the speaker and snatch it back from me? You are not allowed to leave this location if you want to stay in the contest. So we would not let you leave until you put it back or gave it to one of the staff, on penalty of elimination. What would happen if I had a medical emergency and had to leave? Would I be eliminated? That seems unfair. There is a protocol. Now please, return to the Waiting Room.I was shocked that 774 had managed to squeeze any answers out of the Game-master... But it seemed like that was all the information we would get. Don't have a heart attack, Nell! Why would I? It was just some advice. Uh, I'll do my best to follow it... We walked back into the hall. He kept tripping and rolling on purpose. I guess he took after his parents. Since he said they 'were' clowns I assumed the past tense meant they were dead. I wondered when they had died, and if he had ever been a clown himself, or just watched from the wings. Seemed improper to ask. As I watched him rolling, I understood. It was like a duck and cover. He thought somebody might snipe him, so instead of just walking he moved in an unpredictable pattern! I smiled to myself, thinking that I'd solved another part of the puzzle. He wasn't so mysterious after all! That's when he tripped and face-planted. Nose-crunchingly hard. I rushed over to where he lay. [BGM: Danger]  Hey! What was that?? I broke my nose...I resisted the urge to say 'Serves you right!' *ding dong diiiing!* Don't panic. There's a protocol for this.A loud buzzing filled the entire hallway, and the elevator lit up.  The floor buttons lit up in quick succession, and I heard the compartment screech as the brakes were applied way too quickly.  The greeter from downstairs rushed out with a hospital gurney, and wheeled it to where we were. We picked up Detective 774 and placed him on the gurney.  He'll be fine... Where are you taking him?! That's privileged information. Uh, why does he need a gurney? Are you going to keep asking me questions or are you going to let me help him? We're using a gurney because it's fun. We never get to use the gurney. Oh... okay? Off we go.She wheeled the gurney away. She pushed it into the elevator with a look that said 'Don't follow me'. The doors started to close.  Just before they closed completely, I saw 774 wink in my direction.  I expected them to go down, but instead, I saw that the elevator was actually going up to the fifth floor. The fifth floor... Was that where the Game-master lived? Was 774 trying to meet the Game-Master? I didn't understand anything!! What could he be up to?! ***** [764's Interview] [BGM: Interviews]  What are you doing? Waiting for you to ask me a question!What experience have you had as a detective? I have solved 764 mysteries. That's why they call me Detective 764! It took me maybe twelve years to solve all of those mysteries. My hardest case was 'The Mystery of the Dead Fish'. Took me three years to figure out who ate that fish. That was a very unpleasant experience!What is your method?  What most people don't realize about mysteries... is that they just want to laugh and have a good time, just like any human! So I try to make my mysteries laugh, and then they always tell me their secrets!Why do you want to win this competition? Hmm... I can't say that I particularly care if I win or not... I just want a receptive audience.How well do you work with others? I always need someone else there... Otherwise, I have to pretend my hand is the audience. My hand loves my witty jokes, and never fails to laugh. Thank you, hand. No further questions. No further answers.
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Apr 25, 2024 23:15
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also lmao gently caress me the game posted an update today in celebration of the 4th anni of the game that's going to change the UI a little and also changes at least one character's sprites so expect things to look a little different randomly in a few weeks
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Apr 25, 2024 23:16
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Love the attention to detail, 773 became 774 after the guess was confirmed correct. I wonder when he managed to solve 6 cases between the interview and the game starting though (we met him at stage 3 and he was 772 by then)
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Apr 25, 2024 23:55
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Regallion posted:Love the attention to detail, 773 became 774 after the guess was confirmed correct. The Mystery Of What To Wear The Mystery Of The Suitable Departure Time The Rest Stop Mystery The Mystery Of The Right Highway Off Ramp The Mystery Of Finding The Venue The Mystery Of Finding A Parking Spot
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Apr 26, 2024 13:49
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 Detective 774 faked an injury to get into the Game-master's office, to try to meet the people behind the mysterious detective competition. Now his partner Detective Nell waits anxiously for his return in the appropriately named Waiting Room... [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  Waiting for Detective 774 was like waiting for the mail. It seemed to take forever. When I entered the Waiting Room, I'd looked around for Red July but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. 774 had given me a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I probably would never talk to her again, though the odds weren't too bad, seeing as there were still five stages left to go through before the end. The elevator opened, and in danced Detective 774. I jumped up, the couch still left with a memory of me in its foam. Did you see the Game-master?I brushed aside my anger for the moment – I wanted to know who the Game-master was! [BGM: Trickster]  Nooo... Haney knocked me unconscious before the doors opened. Haney? That's what I named the greeter. Because her name tag didn't say her real name. Okay... I get that you needed a realistic reaction from me... But how did you know they wouldn't just call an ambulance or kick you out of the contest? Seems like a stupid way to try to visit the fifth floor. It's the only way. In fact, if I had really been injured, I'll bet I would've made it there! I knew they wouldn't call an ambulance because every last detail of this operation's been in-house. Did you notice how the greeter's clothes had no designer labels on them? That's because they were handmade here. Did you smell the paint smell? It's not the smell of a brand, it's the smell of milk and lime- homemade white paint. And I knew they wouldn't kick me out because if they took me up in their elevator it would be their own fault if I saw the fifth floor. So I thought it was worth the risk. I see.After that explanation, how could I stay mad? Besides, we'd still stayed in third, in spite of my amateurish sleuthing. I owed him a lot. Do you know what else I've deduced? Of course I don't. After the fifth round, we'll be switching buildings. How do you know? Because the next stage won't be about locked room mysteries. The same kind of mystery twice in a row? That'd be really boring. And these rooms are set up for them. Also, I suspect that this competition is a little... dodgy. I didn't see any endorsement from police or advertising in a newspaper. So they'll want to keep moving from facility to facility. But then why are we here? Let's go before they convert us to drug smugglers or something! No... We'll win the contest... And we'll figure out what they're keeping from us. It's what a detective at heart would do – and should do. In fact, it's like an Oreo.I grimaced but motioned for him to continue with his stupid metaphor, since he obviously couldn't help himself The frosting of – *ding dong diiiing!* He was cut off by the announcement jingle, thankfully. [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Detectives. You now number thirty-five pairs in total. It's time for the last round of Stage One... The fifth round.The Game-master paused, for dramatic purposes. We waited for the Game-master to call out the door numbers. Instead, the elevator opened. Please enter the elevator.We shuffled in, and the elevator descended until it got to the first floor. The doors opened with a quiet swoosh and a ding.  We were in the same room we' d all entered when we first came in, although now that I saw it again I noticed a door next to the elevator. I assumed it lead to the hallway where the first floor detectives solved the crimes. By now, there were only ten of them left, thanks to the cut-off. The sound of the crowd was intense, too, though not as bad as when there'd been one hundred detectives in the room. Still, I could just barely hear the Game-master's mangled voice.  Once again, we'll be eliminating five pairs this round. I'm happy to say that only the first stage is this vicious. The elimination process will slow down once the dawdling-inclined have been booted. The final round is not designed by the criminals. That's so they have a chance to catch their breath. The final round in each stage is designed by me, except for the final final round. Another thing about the final rounds is that the ranking system is different. This time, there's no time limit. This time... you'll be ranking each other.[BGM: Sauntering Around]  A collective murmur was heard around the room. This was going to be even more difficult. If the other detectives didn't like the way 774 solved the next mystery, he and I would lose our third place rank. It changes less than you'd think. The top three rankings will probably stay the same. The other detectives won't know who to vote for based on performance alone. They're inexperienced that way. They'll just pick the detectives they've been told are good. After all, who else would they vote for? Their former partners? They didn't get to know them enough to care, and the ones who did will be in the minority.He had a point. After hearing that, I relaxed a little. The door that I'd been puzzling over before opened with a heavy click.  Please go through this door and walk until you reach the final room. You'll be entering the room one pair at a time, so keep the line orderly.The detectives quietly formed a line in front of the door. Detective 774 dragged his feet as he was made to wait for the line to move slowly along. Since he couldn't do his trip and roll thing, he had to settle for doing the robot. The wait was long, and unfortunately I started to notice how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten since I arrived, which had been in the morning. The mysteries had been flying by so fast, I hadn't even noticed it had become the afternoon. I wished I'd packed a lunch or something, but I hadn't thought this thing through enough. But, as I should've expected, Detective 774 had. He brought out a paper bag from a sleeve. He had a soup canteen and a sandwich box inside. ...Of course, when he opened them, I saw that he'd stuffed the sandwich in the canteen and poured the soup in the box. Oh well, result over method and all that. While he was drinking his sandwich, I decided to try to get to know the other detectives waiting around. Couldn't hurt to build some connections.  Hey, we recognize that guy! Good to see he's still around, and has somehow managed to avoid elimination. Like before, the game only lets you talk to one of the three, but we'll be seeing all three! Let's see how our buddy Hackett's doing. A detective wearing a fedora and an ugly tan trench-coat. If I ever needed a real life trope, I'd found one. Hello there, I'm Detective Hackett! Though my nametag says 'thinks with fists'. The point of the name tags... is to conceal your real name.I realized at that moment that I hadn't even read his yet. Wait a minute, where was it? I couldn't see it anywhere on him. 774 made a twirling motion with his hands, and then pointed up at the sky with a sudden jerk. Something white flew out of his sleeve, and it fluttered down. He grabbed it and shoved it towards Detective Hackett. I squinted and could just barely read '#dancemaster'. Ha ha, accurate as usual. What's wrong with your real name? Are you embarrassed? My name is currently... … …774 held the moment in suspense, then did a little shimmy or whatever and bowed, twirled, and then tripped and fell on his face.  Detective 774.I tried not to look at him. Hackett didn't seem to notice 774's acrobatic fail. His face had sobered up. 774? You mean, you're the top ranked detective? Yeah, it's pretty surprising, isn't it? I'm Detective Nell, 774's current partner! Wow, the third highest ranked detective! Yes, so am I. We're a team. That's so cool! Your quirky method keeps you on top! Hello? Have you retained that spot for long? Since the first mystery. Whoa, you're so good it hurts! I'm just plain hurt, myself. I've barely managed to stay in! Good luck! Thanks, pal! It's like I don't exist.And now, for the two new detectives we haven't seen before! Let's start with the man on the right.   Stop walking. It's all off. Terrible.[NEW BIO: Detective Swinger] What's all off? Your rhythm. I keep telling Nell her rhythm is off. She doesn't even like to dance. Yes I do! Just not the wave, it's horribly outdated! Don't diss what's outdated. What's new today is old tomorrow. History must be kept alive. I feel attacked. No need to feel attacked. Listen to your heartbeat. The heartbeat is the rhythm of the soul. Couldn't agree more! Each mystery is made up of intricate rhythms. The Rhythms of Killing. This is the truth. This is the feeling. This is the vibe.What the heck did that mean?! Will you be standing on your head in this mystery? It's a very real possibility. I try to avoid it, but... it's an unfortunate necessity. Excellent. I'll be looking out for that...Had I accidentally taken the bus to crazy-town again?! And lastly, the woman in the middle.  Hey, you're Detective Ether, right?I'd seen her in the first round's Waiting Room.  Yeah, that's me, pretty much. Right now I'm trying to picture several soft fluffy things. Visualization helps me fall asleep.[NEW BIO: Detective Ether] Oh right, she had to fall asleep to solve crimes... Uh, yeah, how does that work? Sigh... Uh, it has to do with the unconscious recognition of patterns when you're in a state of deep thinking... The way I see it, everything in the universe has various unconscious associations and parameters that we are only partially aware of while awake... Think of them like labels. I'm able to tap into these labels to make connections that would be unavailable otherwise. You know Red July's method, right? In many ways, she is able to tap into the same network consciously... Whereas I have to be asleep to activate it. You can read more in my book 'Activating the Sleep Self: Betterment of Deeper Unconscious Associative Thinking and Data Observation, Absorption, and Retention'. Only $18.99. I would probably buy it for $7.74. Sometimes it is on sale and then you can buy it for that price. Sounds good!Ether's method was pretty high-level... I would've asked her why she wasn't ranked higher, but it would have been pretty rude. Your partner is Detective Swinger, right? Doesn't the noise keep you awake? No... Swinger's rhythms help me fall asleep, actually. Wow, imagine, a partner you get along with!… Yeah, it's pretty great.I glared at 774. Hopefully my subtle message would get across!  We're up after this. Have you thought over the next case? How could I, I don't even know what it is!He smiled like I was joking, but didn't say anything, probably thinking to himself that I wanted to keep my deductions a secret or something. He was totally wrong, I really had no clue whatsoever. The door to the mystery room was opened, and the last detective pair walked out. After a few moments, the door was unlocked for us. 774 waltzed in, with me close behind. [BGM: Silence]  The room was completely dark. We stood still in the darkness, afraid to take another step. *ding dong diiiing!* Welcome. To the final round of Stage One. This mystery is called, 'A Crazy, Messy Death'.A light turned on suddenly. [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  My eyes soon adjusted... Revealing the strange, impossible crime. As before, please take a look at the casefile for the details. [A Crazy, Messy Death] Mrs. Bashknee, a stunt-person, was readying herself for a scene late one night. She was found dead in the morning. The most likely suspect is Mrs. Starpower, a movie star who wanted to do her own stunts. The room was found locked from the inside when the crime was discovered. You do not have access to the autopsy report. SPECIAL BONUS: What kind of scene was Mrs. Bashknee preparing for? Well, time to get started...   Looks like a camera in the wall. Is this to record video for the contest? They do like to listen in on us... What a nice upgrade.He made a bunch of faces at the camera. Even I stuck my tongue out, just to spite the Game-master. Hopefully our ridicule was noted.  'Mrs. Bashknee'... Looks like more than just her knee was bashed. If I had to guess what the weapon was, a baseball bat seems likely... One stick of lipstick? Not a lot of makeup here for a dressing room. Or costumes, for that matter. Game-master's budget running low, no doubt.[BGM: Magnify]   There was glue on the bottom of the lipstick... Was that part of the mystery, or part of the meta mystery – the mystery in the context of the contest...? [BGM: Investigatory Conjecture]  Was that really all the evidence...? I was still totally lost! I'll be the first to admit I have no idea what's going on here...Hopefully 774 knew what was going on... He usually had everything figured out already... Hum hum hum...[BGM: Trickster]  Super helpful.  Wonderful. This again. You know, Nell... This is really giving me a whole new perspective on the mystery. In fact, I believe it's solving itself for me! All it takes is standing on your head! Doctors recommend it highly. No way! I'm not doing that again. Especially since I know there are fifty-eight other detectives who will be watching this!! But Nell... Don't you want to give them a big show?! Look, I know YOU'RE a clown... But that's your life, okay?! I don't have to be a clown with you! I have my own unique style!! Oh. I see. You don't want to clown with me. It's such a shame, because... ...A clown nose is the height of fashion. Nobody thinks that! Stop joking around! Clown with me, Nell. Clown with me.He was creeping me out. One of us! One of us!! Stop it, you freak!! Oh my. That's not very productive. ...You're right. I'm sorry.I really did feel bad about calling him a freak.  Your apology is going right in the trash, you clown-hater! K.O.! Can we refocus please?! Right. Back to what I was saying: Nell, solving this mystery is entirely dependent on you standing on your head. It's the only way you'll be able to see the solution. I beg you to stand on your head. Please. I'm serious.He really did sound serious about it. I guess it wasn't the worst thing in the world... but why did he have to be so forceful about it?! I reluctantly stood on my head once again... [BGM: Upside Down]  To my shock, almost immediately something clicked into place... had discount Patch Adams actually helped me figure something out?!  Well, we only investigated one of these, so... The lipstick was glued to the table... Why is that? At first I thought it was something the Game-master did for the contest... But the props have never been glued down before. Could it be that... Could it really be that...My mind was racing. Was this explanation too impossible... Too stupid to be the truth?! It seemed incredibly hard to believe. Whoa Nellie. Let's calm down for a second!I wondered how long he had been waiting to say that.  First of all, the lipstick isn't the only thing glued down... These seats are also bolted to the floor. That hasn't been the case for any other mystery. Really? Then you really think that... Yes. And it's the reason why standing on my head was the key to solving this mystery. Take it away!For this to be the case... The real case... I had to turn my entire thinking on its head... Which, I realized, was what 774 had really been asking me to do... The shocking truth of this mystery was...  Standing on my head did lead to somewhat of a revelation... As it often does! Usually, looking at things upside down is a way to show things in a fresh new way... You're seeing them in a new circumstance, in a way which they weren't meant to be seen... But in this case... Upside down is the way they are meant to be seen! The lipstick was glued to the table in order to keep it from falling down... When the entire room is turned upside down!! Precisely, Nell! This dressing room can be turned 360 degrees... The only question is: Why is this the case? Once you figure that out, everything becomes as obvious as a Wilhelm Scream in an action adventure movie! There's one piece of evidence that makes everything completely click together!! And it is...?Again with expecting me to finish the sentence?! I felt like I was back in high school!  The camera in the wall! The key to solving this mystery is... This is a film set.As soon as he said it... The room rumbled slightly... What's going on?! Simple... This dressing room is really a movie set that can rotate. Late one night, Mrs. Bashknee, the stunt double for Mrs. Starpower, was rehearsing for a scene. The scene involved a special effect where the room rotated, yet the camera remained perpendicular to the room... This kind of effect has been seen in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Nightmare on Elm Street, Royal Wedding, and many more... I haven't seen any of those. Probably why it took you so long to figure it out... While Mrs. Bashknee was rehearsing, Mrs. Starpower came in and turned on the mechanism that rotates the room... Since the casefile says Mrs. Bashknee was discovered in the morning... she was probably tossing and turning all night. Nobody, even a stunt person, would likely survive that. I give the murderer the benefit of the doubt, however... Perhaps Mrs. Starpower thought it would just be enough to scare Mrs. Bashknee into no longer doing her stunts.It was all laid out so easily... How much of that did you have figured out before you made me stand on my head? My clown contract prevents unnecessary disclosures. Oh come on!! WAS there one more thing to do? Whoops, we almost forgot the bonus question... Oh, right. 'What kind of scene was Mrs. Bashknee preparing for...?' Well, you figured out that this dressing room is actually a set... So the scene must take place in a dressing room. Good job, Nell! I can't believe I completely lost faith in you! Thanks?It wasn't great, but I'd take any compliment slung my way...  The ways this effect is usually used have to do with supernatural forces of some kind... On screen, characters can climb or walk on walls and ceilings. So, at the very least, we know Mrs. Bashknee was probably supposed to be doing that in the scene. I think this scene is a little too vague to guess at everything going on in it, though... Maybe it's some kind of inner fantasy or hallucination? Not a bad idea... I say we just submit it and see what happens. Wait!! Submit!Great, what if we were wrong about the answer?! There was no going back... [BGM: A Matter of Simple Deduction]  Correct. Your score on this mystery is 100 percent. Your answer to the bonus question was acceptable. Whew! You will now be ranking the other detectives. Please make your way back to the first floor. Oh good! I can't wait to see how the other detectives solve this one... I strongly suspect that head standing will be involved. For sure, yeah, for sure...Should I have been more grateful to get to work with such a successful detective? Maybe, maybe not. The best way to see if he was as overrated as I thought he was... could very well be the detective ranking! I couldn't wait.
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Apr 27, 2024 22:48
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My boy is still in it!
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Apr 28, 2024 00:12
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This feels like a parody of tournament arcs, where every fighter has a unique gimmick to overcome.
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Apr 28, 2024 00:24
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Bought this game today and sunk 10 hours into it. Pretty cool so far. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
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Apr 28, 2024 22:57
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| # ? May 18, 2024 15:51 |
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 Detective 775 and his partner Detective Nell successfully completed the final round of the mysterious detective competition's First Stage. Now the detectives must rank each other instead of the usual time-based ranking. What is happening behind the scenes in the Game-master's office? [BGM: Office Games]  Check. Check. Check.I flipped the many switches in front of me. Some of them didn't do anything, but it looked cool. Every Game-master was working on editing the footage from the fifth round to make it more interesting for the detectives to watch. Attention spans these days... Stop it, Greg, they're just switches. No need to say 'check' over and over. Mellie, are you editing or sleeping?I'd heard from Clark that Mellie was actually asleep all the time, and was just really good at sleep walking and talking. A common rumor, apparently. There were thirty detective pairs to scrub through and splice, so we got ten each, which left Kane the opportunity to boss us around. It's not like she ever does anything else, but it wasn't a bad job, so I didn't complain.  Okay, looks great. I've never liked the whole detective-based ranking method though. Nothing really changes. It's important to give them the illusion of control over the rankings, even if it's for a short time.She was probably quoting 'The Game-master's Guide to the Galaxy' or whatever the manual was called. That way they're less likely to complain about the time-based rankings, or say they're unfair somehow. Ha haaa.She almost fell out of her chair. She probably kept the sandman in business. What's funny? The rankings. Time-based? They really believe that they're time-based? Are these people detectives or not? They just accept what we tell them? Never underestimate the power of a disembodied authoritative voice.When I had first become a Game-master, I thought the fact that we tweaked the rankings was a bit unfair. But the more I thought about it, the odder it seemed that a big organization would just leave whoever won up to time. For instance, what if certain detectives didn't work well within the time limits but were good enough to face off against the best criminal in the contest anyway? The way the rankings were set up, they wouldn't even make the second floor. But that begged the question: Hey, why not just judge the detectives based on quality?It was worth bringing up for the fourteenth time. That's not worth bringing up for the fourteenth time, Greg. If the detectives questioned our method of choosing, that could disrupt the mood of the competition. Time is universally acknowledged as an objective metric. Besides, it's generally the best detectives who come in first anyway. Anyone else we know is good we slip in at the back of the rankings, even if they didn't do well time-wise.By obscuring that with the cut-off list eliminations, we can make it seem like they just barely made it.My head started hurting, so I held up a hand for her to stop. Okay, got it. Play the tapes![BGM: Ticks and Tocks]  Watching 774 make his partner stand on her head was pretty amusing, but he'd done that before. Make her jump up and down like a kangaroo... That would be more creative. Now that there is a good team.He nodded at the screen, coffee mug in one hand, a pen and pad in the other. He handed the mug to Mellie as he noted something down. I agree.She was furiously scribbling on her notepad. I'd marked my own pad in my usual, block letter handwriting. I gave 774 a '7/10'. Good thing Nell didn't seem to be dragging him down too much... His time on the last two mysteries had definitely suffered.  We proceeded to see Detective Swinger hum and whistle his way around the crime scene. Of course, his partner Detective Ether went right to sleep. Now that there is a good team. Swinger's a good musician, but is that really a good method? Seems to work for him. I don't see the point in questioning it. But how does drumming on the victim tell him anything? Tells me he's one good drummer! Red July had the answer in seconds. It was a little hard to tell if Honor was really helping, even though they did solve the bonus question... Can you really solve these types of crimes if your method is 'disguises'? Even though they're good at disguises, Honor's pretty smart, and they get along with Red July, which almost nobody does. That's just because Red July has a massive ego. She's not getting along with Honor, she's getting along with herself. Good thing we paired them up, then. Now that there is a good team. They're always so fun to watch.She abruptly slumped in her chair and dropped the coffee mug, spilling coffee all over the carpet. A quiet snore was heard. Clark, I told you – don't ever hand Mellie anything hot, active, liquid, on fire, or sharp. And a coffee mug violates two of those rules.She gave Clark the evil eye, and a towel. Alright, let's compare notes.I glanced at the others' pads. Mellie's was indiscernible, of course. Kane screamed at her until she woke up, so that she could tell us what she'd written.  What's the average on Red?Red was our nickname for Red July. 10, as usual. Can I get the averages for the other two in the top three? Slakes and Asper are at a 9.7 – 774? 5? and Detective Nell got an 8.5. That's kind of low for them. It was me. I gave him a 7. How dare you. Uh, but I gave Slakes a 10! Thank you.Slakes was her favorite, for some reason. It's too bad Slakes'll be switching partners next stage. As usual, nobody but the top three cracked an 8... We need to give them more competition, or they'll start slacking off. These were the Game-master Earlies, as we called them. The only scorecards we looked at were our four cards. The score the detectives gave each other didn't matter at all. Illusion of choice, and all that. Even so, on average, it was a safe bet that the detective scorecards would mirror our own. Sometimes, we even made those bets, if we were really bored. Guys, why is Coles still in this contest? I don't like him. I don't know. I don't like him either. Do you like him, Clark? Well, he doesn't make a good team, that's for sure. So no, I don't really like him. Greg? Yeah, let's stop his reign of terror, why not?Generally, it was a bad idea to try to game the system. Those types of detectives needed to be weeded out... Ready for the announcement? Sometimes our announcements were pre-recorded. Things like instructions, that didn't need to be live. Then we kept a feed open to answer questions afterwards. It was convenient that the voice was altered, because we could out-source the rooms to a separate HQ, with over a hundred Game-master Voices ready to answer questions. We made sure to pay them below minimum wage, because it was a really difficult job. If you make a lot of money, you don't work as hard. That's just the truth. The First Stage was always the trickiest because of the sheer volume of detectives, but by the time the announcement was over ten detectives would be eliminated, leaving sixty in total. Much more manageable. Then let's “poll” the detectives!Numbers came quickly. [BGM: Mysteries Everywhere]  Even though we didn't use the detectives' input for the actual rankings, it was still interesting. It took roughly a minute for the rankings to finish sorting themselves out. When it stopped, we all looked in shock at the monitor.  Refresh it or something. Run it again. This can't be right. It's right.The detectives had done the unexpected: our treasured top three were gone. Instead of Red July, Slakes, and 775, the detectives had chosen Tronen and Jenter, Ens and Walter, and Ashdown and Woes as the top three pairs. Yuck, what is this? Only one of these pairs is even in the top ten. I'm getting over my surprise... this is actually fairly typical. Detectives tend to prioritize the pairs that schmoozed the most, not the best ones. ...Still, Red July should be higher than 5th.This ranking was just insulting! Alright, I'm making the announcement...Unbelievable. These detectives had no taste at all.
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Apr 29, 2024 23:23
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