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General Custom Mansions Area (Mac and Windows) >> Original MM Talk (Mac only) >> Solving the Jack-Stucks
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Message started by Toybox on 10.04.2007 at 18:53:53

Title: Solving the Jack-Stucks
Post by Toybox on 10.04.2007 at 18:53:53
I just found a very entertaining way to get Jack out of some Jack-Stucks without having to restart everything. Say that Alice gets stuck in Bob's mansion, which can be called, say, "Forsaken Fortress".

  • Alice suspends her game and sends a detailed JS report (what room, which corner of the room, etc.) to Bob.
  • Alice renames her mansion file "Forsaken Fortress Original".
  • Bob prepares a modified version of the mansion where some additional architecture can unstuck Jack. That could be a ladder taking him out of a crevice, a new hole in a blocking wall, etc.
  • Bob sends the modified "Forsaken Fortress" file to Alice.
  • Continuing the game using the modified "Forsaken Fortress" file: Alice gets Bob out of his sorrow to a safe place (where Jack isn't stuck anymore).
  • Alice suspends the game again, deletes the "Forsaken Fortress" file and renames the "Forsaken Fortress Original" to "Forsaken Fortress".
  • Lo and behold, Alice's Jack isn't stuck anymore!


Note: keep the unstucking device straightforward! Don't add puzzles! (When you make the updated version of the mansion, without the Jack-Stuck, then you can add puzzles and make big modifications. Here the point is just to get Jack on the right track again.)

[smiley=bath.gif]

Title: Re: Solving the Jack-Stucks
Post by aquaMat on 10.04.2007 at 19:01:34
Good idea, toybox... but I don't understand the last bit:  why changing the "original" one back into "Forsaken Fortress" ??  It will still contain the wrong JS-part (in future plays).
Why not erase the old one and keep playing the modified, new one (that is JS-free) ??

Or have I misunderstood you ??? :-X

Title: Re: Solving the Jack-Stucks
Post by Toybox on 10.04.2007 at 19:14:26
Well, it isn't very clear indeed. This modified version is just supposed to get Jack out of the JS situation as quickly and efficiently as possible, to allow a player to go on playing without having to go back to a saving point, especially if it is very far away. In particular, the solution need not be elegant, or interesting, or even well-designed (for instance, just a few loose bricks instead of a ladder would do but would not look nice).

To get a proper, beautiful JS-free version, maybe the author would like to make more changes, or redesign completely the room, or fill in holes in a wall in a way that wouldn't unstuck Jack (but would prevent him getting stuck in the first place), or.... In any case this may take some time, or just be unsuitable to extract him out of the JS situation.

However, since a new JS-free version is supposed to be coming, there is indeed no point in changing the "original" back. You can just keep temporarily the modified version. Well-spotted aquaMat :)

Title: Re: Solving the Jack-Stucks
Post by Wingy on 11.04.2007 at 02:30:10
When ever I'm JSed on my mansions I'm semi-testing, when I get stuck I suspend, quit and go into the editor and edit the room that Jack (or Ted :P) is currently in. I fix it, save and go back into the game and continue that game from there! :P (This is the version before its out, version 0.x) :P

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