IF Game-Slouching Towards Bedlam
Slouching Towards Bedlam
Even in the first couple of minutes of play, there are so many choices over what to do. There were so many thing to examine that I had to make a list:
in examining the blotter, I discovered that a possible "key" to the game rests on finding "the mechanical assistant left by my predecessor". But these words are coming from the phonograph.
Instead of a standard response that says "drawer cannot be opened", I got a response that was as if I was hearing the character's thoughts-which happen to be narrating the entire story. Turns out that that voice is still from the phonograph.
It took me a while to figure out that the tin cylinders in the box were to be played on a phonograph. I was picturing three tin canisters for storing small items.
So from what I gathered from playing the cylinders, the previous superintendent was murdered (implied). The man speaking on the recordings is not sure if promoted is the right word to describe his new position. Perhaps doomed is a better one.
So from listening to the cylinders in order, I think a patient has gone crazy or the man has gone crazy himself. Maybe "her work is everywhere" refers to Bedlam as a whole; maybe the phrase refers to what being in the asylum does to people.
The conversation with the man at the desk, James, is weird because he speaks in a series of broken phrases meant to me a response to what I, the character, am saying. Here is a sample conversation.
"The dim light glinting off the small badge he wears-James-assistant
/(livinggrowthfrictionfurtherspreadingouttowardsstretchingyestouchingyes)\"
excuse me for using an AIM phrase, but WTF???
so I have no what the point of that conversation was supposed to be. Next I went west towards one of the sets of gates and west again into the circular chamber. Nothing too eventful happened here.
I went back to the lobby to see if talking with James was more coherent. Evidently, I was in some sort of accident, because James thinks I'm disoriented and haven't quite recovered yet
Now I go into the archives, but there's not much to do here except examine. I'm now losing interest, since all that has happened is some fragmented background information and exposition
The cab in the courtyard frustrated me. I could not seem to word a phrase correctly. He couldn't understand what I was saying.
So I went southeast, and I'm in some place called Moorsfield (town Bedlam is in?). The weird speaking from my initial conversation with James has returned. Perhaps me/the doctor is crazy himself.
/(yesbackhideyesnowonlyhide)\-I think the doctor may be a schizo. I guess I'm not well enough yet to go out into the public, because Reggie the driver pulls me back into the Bedlam courtyard.
And now I'm back where I started, because I've examined all the other places (I think). I kept hitting a button above my browser that keeps re-setting the game. Now I see where I missed something. I had to lift the blotter up to reveal a key underneath.
There is a manual in the desk drawer on how to operate the Triage machine (what I assume is the black box on wheels). The device is extremely intricate and complicated.
I guess that obtaining the rod allowed me to turn on the box, which I think is in the "analyze" mode. However, I don't know how to use it, and the manual isn't really helping me. I don't know where to go from here.
I am assuming that this game takes hours to complete, because I'm at the hour and a half mark. I don't even know how close I am to the end.
Even in the first couple of minutes of play, there are so many choices over what to do. There were so many thing to examine that I had to make a list:
- -desk blotter
- -sandlewood box
- -desk drawer
- -phonograph
- -black box on wheels
in examining the blotter, I discovered that a possible "key" to the game rests on finding "the mechanical assistant left by my predecessor". But these words are coming from the phonograph.
Instead of a standard response that says "drawer cannot be opened", I got a response that was as if I was hearing the character's thoughts-which happen to be narrating the entire story. Turns out that that voice is still from the phonograph.
It took me a while to figure out that the tin cylinders in the box were to be played on a phonograph. I was picturing three tin canisters for storing small items.
So from what I gathered from playing the cylinders, the previous superintendent was murdered (implied). The man speaking on the recordings is not sure if promoted is the right word to describe his new position. Perhaps doomed is a better one.
So from listening to the cylinders in order, I think a patient has gone crazy or the man has gone crazy himself. Maybe "her work is everywhere" refers to Bedlam as a whole; maybe the phrase refers to what being in the asylum does to people.
The conversation with the man at the desk, James, is weird because he speaks in a series of broken phrases meant to me a response to what I, the character, am saying. Here is a sample conversation.
"The dim light glinting off the small badge he wears-James-assistant
/(livinggrowthfrictionfurtherspreadingouttowardsstretchingyestouchingyes)\"
excuse me for using an AIM phrase, but WTF???
so I have no what the point of that conversation was supposed to be. Next I went west towards one of the sets of gates and west again into the circular chamber. Nothing too eventful happened here.
I went back to the lobby to see if talking with James was more coherent. Evidently, I was in some sort of accident, because James thinks I'm disoriented and haven't quite recovered yet
Now I go into the archives, but there's not much to do here except examine. I'm now losing interest, since all that has happened is some fragmented background information and exposition
The cab in the courtyard frustrated me. I could not seem to word a phrase correctly. He couldn't understand what I was saying.
So I went southeast, and I'm in some place called Moorsfield (town Bedlam is in?). The weird speaking from my initial conversation with James has returned. Perhaps me/the doctor is crazy himself.
/(yesbackhideyesnowonlyhide)\-I think the doctor may be a schizo. I guess I'm not well enough yet to go out into the public, because Reggie the driver pulls me back into the Bedlam courtyard.
And now I'm back where I started, because I've examined all the other places (I think). I kept hitting a button above my browser that keeps re-setting the game. Now I see where I missed something. I had to lift the blotter up to reveal a key underneath.
There is a manual in the desk drawer on how to operate the Triage machine (what I assume is the black box on wheels). The device is extremely intricate and complicated.
I guess that obtaining the rod allowed me to turn on the box, which I think is in the "analyze" mode. However, I don't know how to use it, and the manual isn't really helping me. I don't know where to go from here.
I am assuming that this game takes hours to complete, because I'm at the hour and a half mark. I don't even know how close I am to the end.
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Danni, I think this game takes a very long time to complete, especially if you're doing it all on your own, like you. I started out the same way and got completely confused, so I found a walk-through. The one I used is at: http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/solutions/slouch.sol
Maybe it will help! I know I couldn't have gotten too far without it, probably just past the office and down to bumbling James.
You also made a good point about the character that we play in the game. I think he must have gone crazy, and maybe that's our own voice we're hearing on the phonograph in the beginning. I'm not sure though, it didn't occur to me until now!