I thought it would be fun to create a list of item/puzzle combinations, that Dizzy relies so much on. These are objects that cause an event to occur when combined with another object or location. So far I have compiled a list of sixty, but there are many many more. Please reply with any that you can think of! Let's create a great list that might act as inspiration for Dizzy fan-game designers.
- Key unlocks Locked Door - Cheese attracts Mouse - Mouse scares Elephant (...) - Magnet attracts Metal Object - Fire burns Rope - Fire burns Wood - Scissors cuts Rope - Bomb breaks Weak Wall - Spanner fixes Machine - Oil fixes Machine - Batteries/Fuel fixes Machine - Water stops Fire - Pick-axe smashes Rock - Torch/Lamp stops Dark Areas - Metal Weight holds down Pressure Switches. - Round peg fits round hole - Square peg fits square hole - Mirror reflects lazer (or anyother light) - Cockroaches move away from light - Electricity powers light bulb - cat chases mouse - dog chases cats - toy calms baby - pin pops balloon - Water grows Plant - Brick breaks Glass - Hammer breaks Glass - Crowbar pulls Nails out - Wrench unscrews Bolts - Bandages fix even the most fatal wounds - Use water on fire. - Scare beasts away using fire - Plug holes in barrels/boats/containers using: corks, clay, gum, appendages. - Use dutch boy on leaky dam wall - Duster removes Dust - Stick makes you reach Hard To Get Object - Gear/Cog completes Mechanism - Bird Seed attracts Birds (works with most creatures + food type) - Pliers bend Small Metal - Matches/Lighter lights Candle/Fire - Screwdriver removes Screws (or puts them in) - Code on Paper unlocks Safe Door - Shovel removes Soil - Snow Shovel removes Snow - Fire/Heat turns ice into Water (including hair dryer, etc) - Petrol/Whisky/Oil + Object + Flame = Destroyed Object. - Bucket can transport water, sand, etc. - Jar/Bottle same, but also insects/bees/fairies - Watering Pistol can shoot and transport liquids (water, milk, urine, uh... mild acid?) - Drill creates hole in objects - Musical instrument transforms creature - Musical instrument pacifies creature - high-frequency noise scares away creatures - Food pacifies unfriendly creature - Crowbar bends up stuck gap - Hammer hammers plugs - Temperature suit blocks extreme temperatures - skates change movement on ice - spike shoes/snow shoes change movement on ice - Air/Helium inflates Balloon/Dinghy/Dutch Wife
So, any more that you can think of? Feel free to list combinations from your own games, or more specific item combinations.
Haha! Not necessarily a complete list, and a lot of puzzle combinations can be grouped into the same basic relationship. It's more about examples than real instances.
Any item involving a person or character can be effective as a puzzle too, and a clever way of confusing the player with extra information. For example, is a mirror a device for reflecting light, or merely a gift to delight or destract an NPC?
I thought it might be fun and I thought there was an interest in such subjects around here.
The list is a very good idea and it will inspire people to create puzzles in the right spirit of the Dizzy games.
Of course anyone could come with something original or different, but sometimes the classic puzzles are a good starting point. And not necessarily to duplicate them in your game, but to study what was done before (you don't want to come up with exactly the same puzzles as other 10 games before).
When I created DizzyAGE I had to review the original games walkthroughs, to see what the engine should should support. Such a list with puzzles would've been very helpful back then.
If you're going to work on this, it might be a good idea to have some categories. For example, in what game(s) a combination was used - and this could include fan made games too. And other categories too: open doors/access, lost items (that must be returned to certain characters), etc.
It is a hard job, but it could be of great help for Dizzy developers. And when it's ready, maybe we can have an article about it on the DizzyAGE website.
Well, hopefully people would be willing to contribute to an extent. :smile: Even in an informal state, a large list could serve to be useful for trying to come up with puzzles, and trying to avoid things that have been over-used. I don't think we specifically need to list everything from every Dizzy game, but I'm sure the mechanics of most item puzzle combinations can be analysed.
Sometimes a nice puzzle can be from taking a classic puzzle and turning it on its head, or tricking the player. For example, if you give the player a pair of metal scissors, and show them a rope that can't be reached, you would immediately make the association. However, it could be that the metal scissors are needed only to short-circuit an electric machine. By playing on the less obvious properties of an item you can create a more challenging puzzle.
In terms of categories, off the top of my head, here are some circumstances:
- Aggressive enemy blocks the way. Needs distracting or pacifying. - Aggressive enemy can be tricked into performing task (such as knocking down an out of reach item, or breaking through a door) - Machine needs to be disabled, activated or manipulated in order to allow a new path. This could be a drawbridge, an electric floor, elevator or water pump. - Obsticle blocks path physically, such as wood, vines, jelly or stone!. Needs destroying with a specific item. It is usually made clear that this can be destroyed. - Obsticle requires manipulation in another location to cause a result. For example, a rope is cut/burned in the attic causes the chandelier to fall in the room below. - Obsticle is out of reach and items are needed to be used in order to move the visible item. - Unsafe area, and items are needed to allow safe passage (such as heatproof or waterproof), or to remove the unsafe material (drain the water and put out the flames). - NPC blocks the path, and requests a specific item. - NPC withholds an item, and requests an object for trade. The item is sometimes disclosed, sometimes it is a surprise.
Hmm, I don't think I'm making myself clear. I wasn't saying I would compile a list of all cases, I just thought this might be the sort of discussion that would have been relevant here. Never mind.
I think this is a great forum idea. I think it could be useful to give us an insight into the crazy minds of the game developers. Some of the puzzles/combinations/objects ive come across are bordering on the insane. Especially some of the crazy stuff Jamie puts in his games. But thats what makes it so much fun..
Some of the most interesting items ive come across have no real purpose - such as 'the red herring' or 'the endangered species of plant' that are just bits of background scenery which hides coins/stars behind them. Or theres the fun of toilet humour like being able to pick up manure or donkey poo.
Would it be fun to start a list of the puzzles/objects that would probably never appear in a Dizzy game? Maybe think of things that are just outright crazy, outrageous or even naughty...
Or could we issue a challenge to dizzy developers - to produce a game with the wackiest items/puzzles?
For ideas to kick this off- how about:
Item: Premier league trophy Solution - Dizzy gives to: Tottenham captain
or
from character: George Bush Dizzy receives Item: 1 small brain cell, hardly been used
or
Dizzys adventures find him stumbling across: The key to the playboy mansion...
i will share my thoughts on what i think makes a good puzzle:
an easy puzzle is one where the player instantly knows what to do with an item when they find it, or instantly knows what they need to solve a puzzle when they come across it.
a medium puzzle is one that that player has to think for a bit, thinking about what is available, or what puzzles are there to solve, before getting a hunch, trying it, and it working. I think these can be the most satisfying kind of puzzle, however would make the game rather easy if there were no....
hard puzzles. these are the ones that you have an inkling may work, after a while trying to find different uses for the item/different items for the puzzle. but you don't really think they will work until you try them, and they do.
mega hard puzzles should be very rare. they are the kind of puzzle that you may not think of at all, and the average player will only stumble across by trial and error. HOWEVER once used, the link should be blindingly obvious, making the player think 'now WHY didn't i think of THAT?'
i try to use a mix of these kinds of puzzles in my games. a few easy ones to start with, to entice beginners into the game, and get all players off to a flying start so that they get into it and want to continue. i also sprinkle a few easy ones around through the game to break up the rest, and occasionally give the player a nice jump forward so that they don't get fed up. Most of the puzzles in my games i try to make a lopsided split between medium and hard, leaning more towards medium. you want the player to be able to progress, but occasionally put a few hard ones in there to slow them down a bit and stop them working through the game too quickly. I try to only have one or two Mega hard puzzles per game, as the player really will be stuck for a while scratching their heads.
Can anyone think of status items in dizzy games? These are ones that you don't use but rather change how things react to you - usually preventing an item from killing Dizzy. For example, the umbrella makes dizzy rainproof whilst holding it.
Raincoat in TUCA to protect against drips (i think) miners helmet in DMD to protect against falling rocks Snorkel and aqualung to explore underwater boulders in Spellbound to fall down the shaft cat in RRD to remove the rats flyspray in RRD to remove the flies (altho both of these could be classed as 'uses', rather than protecting him)
and the goggles? aha you'll have to wait for IID to find that out! :wink:
Raincoat in TUCA to protect against drips (i think)
[/quote]
You could get quite a few more in TUCA. Miners helmet to protect against apples, garlic to protect against bats, bird seed against birds, insecticide against spiders & ghost hunter's laser against ghosts.
Also: torch to explore underground in level 3 of Crystal Kingdom, skyboots to walk on clouds in Dizzy 3 1/2, and a fireproof suit to protect from flames in 16-bit versions of TID.
This discussion is read-only.Browse the replies or return to the forum category.Back to forum