| VERION 2.5/3.0 (1995/08/17) | VERSION 4.1 (1995/09/27) | Briefing
Book - Version 3.0 |
| I. INTERACTIVE ADVENTURE Since the first arcade video games emerged in the late 1970s, interactive entertainment has evolved from the traditional twitch-and-shoot video games to more sophisticated, emotionally and intellectually stimulating stories. With the rapid growth of computer technology, the capacity of interactive entertainment has expanded to the point where computer games can now integrate such traditional film conventions as live actors, CD quality sound, cinematic camera angles and compelling characters and stories. Of the many computer game genres, the genre which is best able to integrate these film techniques is the adventure game, the most narrative-oriented of the game genres. Just as arcade games reward excellent hand-eye coordination with jolts of adrenaline, the adventure game rewards the thoughtful player with intellectual and emotional stimulation as well as heart-pounding excitement. In adventure games, the protagonist is the player who becomes immersed in vivid, exciting, truly interactive worlds. |
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| II.
INFOCOM & ACTIVISION Infocom, one of the seminal names in the computer game industry, made its name in the early 1980's creating brilliant adventure games using only text. These "text adventures" enabled the player to simply type in text (such as "open the door") which would result in the computer responding accordingly For example, it might respond to the "open the door" command with "you are now in a dark room with a horrible green monster bearing down on you!". These games not only created a passionate following of gamers, but also sold millions of units. Fifteen years later, Infocom (now owned by Activision) is still pushing the boundaries of adventure games. Today's Infocom games now feature full motion video and state-of-the-art sound in addition to the great stories and gameplay which were the hallmark of the original games. Infocom's most recent release, the critically acclaimed best-selling "Return To Zork" features 23 live actors and an original studio orchestra score. By combining the most dynamic and cutting edge talent in the game industry with the vast talent pool of Hollywood, Infocom continues to redefine interactive entertainment by placing itself at the center of the fusion between Hollywood and computer games. |
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| III. THE ZORK TRADITION In the late 1970's, a team of MIT graduate students designed and developed a text adventure that was to become the benchmark of sophisticated, rich adventure games: ZORK. For the last decade, ZORK has become a name associated with among the most innovative, entertaining and successful adventure games ever created. Building upon success after success, the ZORK creators made a series of ZORK games (including ZORK ZERO, ZORK I, ZORK II, ZORK III and more) and evolving the ZORK universe. The games were wildly successful with estimated sales of over a million units and they developed a loyal, almost cult-like group of devotees. Following the tradition of the classic ZORK text adventures, Infocom created RETURN TO ZORK, an adventure game which fuses the richness of the early adventures with stunning graphics, full-frame video and a compelling story. RETURN TO ZORK sold over a million units, becoming one of the best selling CD-ROM's of all time, won numerous awards and was heralded as "a truly amazing, next-generation product, of such unparalleled quality that it must become the model for all designers" by PC Entertainment and "One of the most technically advanced and artistically satisfying computer games you'll ever have the pleasure to die in" by SPIN Magazine. The game continues to sell well. |
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| ZORK: NEMESIS As with the classic ZORK games, ZORK: NEMESIS pushes the boundaries of the computer entertainment by delivering the most immersive 3D world ever created in an adventure game. ZORK: NEMESIS expands on the early ZORK games, terrifying fantasies that took players on a trip into nightmarish worlds. ZORK: NEMESIS, transports the player into the Forbidden Lands, an unexplored part of the Zork universe. This is no ordinary world. Here the walls breathe, paintings come to life and statues whisper messages into the player's ear, daring the player to engage in the most dangerous game of all. The player soon meets the Nemesis, the evil and perverse prince of shadows that haunts and hunts the player as the player explores this fantastic realm. With a compelling story written by a talented Hollywood screenwriter and developed by game designers at the forefront of the virtual reality arena, ZORK: NEMESIS offers immersion in images and sound like no adventure game. Featuring full-frame digitized video and special effects, ZORK: NEMESIS will plunge players into a dark, sinister world. |
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| 1.01 The Zork Series The Zork series has a reputation for advancing the state-of-the-art in each new version of the game. ZORK: NEMESIS will advance the series in several significant ways. First, its story — Nemesis has a darker and richer tone than any of its predecessors. Second is its technology — Nemesis will combine several graphics and audio technologies to create a greater sense of immersion in the environment. And third, Nemesis has a more user friendly interface design — no complex inventory or object manipulation. The cursor will be the only controlling device and will give constant feedback to the player's actions and possible interactions. Further, the game is designed to have many simultaneous areas of exploration. Rarely will the user find herself at a stumbling point with no other areas to explore. The player is never trapped in one location, and all of the puzzles further the story and provide clues towards the remainder of the game. The adventure is designed for a wide range of playing styles and should be enjoyed by a novice as much as a hard core Zork fan. |
1.01 The Zork Series The Zork series has a reputation for advancing the state-of-the-art in each new version of the game. ZORK: NEMESIS will advance the series in several significant ways. First, its story — Nemesis has a darker and richer tone than any of its predecessors. Second is its technology — Nemesis will combine several graphics and audio technologies to create a greater sense of immersion in the environment. And third, Nemesis has a more user friendly interface design — no complex inventory or object manipulation. The cursor will be the only controlling device and will give constant feedback to the player's actions and possible interactions. Further, the game is designed to have many simultaneous areas of exploration. Rarely will the user find herself at a stumbling point with no other areas to explore. The player is never trapped in one location, and all of the puzzles further the story and provide clues towards the remainder of the game. The adventure is designed for a wide range of playing styles and should be enjoyed by a novice as much as a hard core Zork fan. |
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| IV. PROJECT OVERVIEW High Concept In a cursed recess of the Zork Universe, you must defeat an evil demon who threatens the empire, by becoming a master of the ancient art of alchemy and harnessing its powers. The Story Evil lurks in the heart of Zork. In a desolate corner of the Zork universe is a place called the Forbidden Lands-- a place cursed by evil . Here in a doomed temple, an evil spirit torments the world. And it is in the bowels of this temple, that the demon has trapped four souls who lie in perpetual hell. Who are these souls and why does this Nemesis torture them? The spirits need your help. You are their only hope and they reveal to you their secret: that they were the Great Alchemists of the Empire and were murdered by the demon -- the Nemesis-- who seeks the power of their knowledge. Now you must confront the Nemesis and restore peace to the Zork Empire. But to do so, you must harness the powers of magic and alchemy. By magically traveling to the home worlds of the Alchemists, you are able to search out their most precious secrets and substances that will restore the alchemists' powers and allow them to escape the creature. But in these dangerous worlds you also discover things about the creature and his victims. Things they may not want you to know. To discover the truth you must master the ancient art of alchemy. And you must decide whom to trust. Before the creature buries you with the others... for eternity. |
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| 1.02 Meta Structure of the Game Nemesis is a mystery that is unraveled by the successful navigation of its puzzle landscape. The puzzles are all interwoven with themes and correspondences of Alchemical magic. The landscape incrementally reveals each character's back story. The story and puzzles motivate the player to explore, reason, and discover. The meta structure of the game sets up a single, simple conceit — very little is as it seems. The good guys are really bad; the bad guy is truly anguished. Dead is only a physical state, and like all metals in Alchemy, may be transformed. |
1.02 Meta Structure of the Game Nemesis is a mystery that is unraveled by the successful navigation of its puzzle landscape. The puzzles are all interwoven with themes and correspondences of Alchemical magic. The landscape incrementally reveals each character's back story. The story and puzzles motivate the player to explore, reason, and discover. The meta structure of the game sets up a single, simple conceit — very little is as it seems. The good guys are really bad; the bad guy is truly anguished. Dead is only a physical state, and like all metals in Alchemy, may be transformed. |
Puzzle Landscape ZORK: NEMESIS is an interactive CD-ROM adventure that unfolds as the player successfully navigates its puzzle landscape. The puzzles use the themes and correspondences of alchemical magic, and the puzzle landscape incrementally reveals each character's backstory. Together, the story and puzzles motivate the player to explore, reason, and discover. The structure of the game sets up a single, simple conceit — very little is as it seems. The characters the player thinks are good turn out to be bad; the characters that the player believes are bad turn out to be good. Death is only a physical state, and like all metals in alchemy, may be transformed. |
| V. STORY SUMMARY Then of the Venom
handled thus a Medicine I did make; Which Venom kills, and saveth such
as Venom chance to take
The Vision of Sir
George Ripley , 1677
ACT I: Confrontation Hurtling through a jagged gash in the earth, you find yourself outside a vast ruined temple in The Forbidden Lands south of the Zork's infamous small white house and west of the Frigid River. Once inside the temple, you discover with horror that the spirits of four alchemists lay entombed in grotesque stone crypts in the temple floor. They claim to have been entombed by a vengeful half-human creature they call the Nemesis. Without your help, the four say, they will die. Each begs you to search the temple for their alchemical element — fire, air, earth and water —so that they can regain their strength. But just as you return with the four elements from hiding places deep inside the dark recesses of the temple, the Nemesis appears and tries to kill you. Fortunately, the alchemists marshal their meager power and drive him away -- but he promises that he will return. The captives beg you to travel to their worlds to recover their powerful alchemical metals which will allow them and you to escape forever from the Nemesis' clutches. ACT II: Exploration You transport yourself to their worlds through magic portals you create in the temple's gilded planetarium. Your quest for the four alchemical metals begins. During your explorations, you learn that decades ago, the handsome son of a wealthy landowner, LUCIEN KAINE fell in love with a beautiful young violinist named ALEXANDRIA WOLFE. You also learn that a secret circle of outwardly respectable citizens — the pious BISHOP FRANCOIS MALVEAUX, Lucien's father the military hero GENERAL THADDEUS KAINE, the music conservatory mistress MADAME SOPHIA HAMILTON and respected asylum chief DR. ERASMUS SARTORIUS — were members of a dark alchemical cult. This cult was in search of the goal of alchemy: the quintessence, the elixir of life, the philosopher's stone which would bring to each one immortality. But unlike traditional alchemy which teaches that it is through the distillation of metals, that the elixir can be found -- this cult practiced a twisted, deviant belief. They believed that this elixir could be created, only when the final element -a drop of the most purified, rarefied blood was distilled and spilled. But where to get this blood and how to purify it? As you explore, you learn that the alchemists created a girl, born under the perfect alignment of the spheres, raised her and purified her soul through the power of music. Her name: Alexandria Wolfe. And the plan was moving smoothly -- until Lucien intervened. Even he could not prevent her fate. ACT III: Resolution Alexandria's fate reveals itself when you return from the portal worlds with each alchemist's metal. You witness a hallucination of a strange midnight ceremony. The four alchemists gather around Alexandria, whom they have tied to a rock altar. You hear a loud, unholy chanting as one of the alchemists plunges a dagger into Alexandria's heart. This is the culmination of their dark ritual and soon they will become immortal creatures. Just at the moment when they are becoming empowered, Lucien runs up to the altar. In a blind rage, he kills each of the alchemists, then turns to weep over the dead body of Alexandria. Then it hits you. The four spirits you thought were allies are really your enemies. And Lucien, initially a young innocent, was transformed into the embittered Nemesis at the moment he watched all those whom he had trusted plunge a dagger into his lover's heart. The Circle has used you in a last ditch effort to complete the ceremony Lucien interrupted so many years ago and make another try at eternal life. In the final confrontation between you and the evil alchemists you have helped revive, you must use everything you have learned about alchemy to solve the ultimate puzzle -- hidden in an enormous subterranean world beneath the temple -- to save Lucien, Alexandria and yourself. The correct solution brings light and peace to this remote corner of Zork, the wrong one dooms you, the two lovers and Zork to disintegration and oblivion. |
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1.03 Strong Story and Simple Goals
The Nemesis design is propelled by its simple and strong story and on the reliance that the player will feel compelled to move forward through the game landscape in order to initially save the four sympathetic characters, as well as herself, from the Nemesis. In Nemesis, the player is given a clear and simple quest; retrieve the four metallic elements to complete the device on the center of the altar. As a clear goal, the player will feel motivated to achieve a specific and directed task. The player will have a sense of a strong meta-structure. The player, in this way, has a belief that the minor puzzles are leading towards the completion of identifiable larger sub-components of the meta-puzzle of the game. By fulfilling the sub-component puzzles, the player is rewarded as she moves correctly towards the final goal. She is thus motivated to continue playing. |
1.03 Strong Story and Simple Goals The Nemesis design is propelled by its simple and strong story and on the reliance that the player will feel compelled to move forward through the game landscape in order to initially save the four sympathetic characters, as well as herself, from the Nemesis. In Nemesis, the player is given a clear and simple quest-, retrieve the four metallic elements to complete the device on the center of the altar. As a clear goal, the player will feel motivated to achieve a specific and directed task. The player will have a sense of a strong meta-structure. The player, in this way, has a belief that the minor puzzles are leading towards the completion of identifiable larger sub-components of the meta-puzzle of the game. By fulfilling the sub-component puzzles, the player is rewarded as she moves correctly towards the final goal. She is thus motivated to continue playing. |
Strong Story/Simple Goals The ZORK: NEMESIS game design in Act I is propelled by its strong story and by the player's urge to move forward through the game landscape in order to save the four sympathetic characters and herself from the Nemesis. The player will naturally believe that the minor puzzles she encounters in the portal worlds will help her solve the meta-puzzle of the game. By completing the sub-component puzzles, the player is reassured that she is moving correctly towards the final goal and is thus motivated to continue playing. In Act II , the player is given a clear and simple task; retrieve the four metallic elements from each of the four portal worlds (Conservatory, Monastery, Castle, Asylum). With this clear goal in front of her, the player will have a strong internal sense of the game's meta-structure. In Act III, the player's goal is also simple: save Lucien and revive Alexandria by destroying the alchemists. |
| 1.04 Creating a Sense of Time
Pressure and Unfinished Action Addictive games have two simple constructs: Time pressure and a sense of unfinished action. Time pressure creates the urgency to advance in the game and reinforces the idea that something is at stake. Time pressure also increases the social challenges of game solution. The "ticking clock" functions as the player's judge and audience — it generates the desire to accomplish the goal of completion. A sense of unfinished action keeps the player in front of the monitor, unaware of external time passing. Nemesis has various ticking clocks. The revived Alchemists will encourage the player to hurry because the Nemesis will return. Certain other sections of the game will also have time limits of completion before the player will perish. (The game will have an Auto Save mechanism before each of these sequences to keep the player from becoming overly frustrated with restarting.) The entire endgame sequence becomes more tension filled by having a ticking clock of an eclipse forming and knowing that the four Alchemists will complete their deadly ritual — in which all, save them, will perish and be damned — when it does. Unfinished action generates the tempo of the game. If rewards come infrequently, the tempo is slow, and the player has little sense of unfinished action. When the player frequently encounters potential puzzles and is rewarded with their solutions, the player will have a stronger sense that something else always exists to do. Ultimately all these discrete components weave together into a meta puzzle construct, requiring that the player solve all its sub-components before advancing. The Nemesis design balances time pressure and unfinished action with an expansive set of worlds and an open, non-linear solution to branching. The player has a vast world to explore, but a time limit on the game's final solution. The sense of unfinished action is achieved by designing the game's puzzles to be smaller, more frequent, and relatively easier to solve than the average adventure game. The player should feel that she can solve just one more puzzle before she quits for the night; in other words, the puzzles seem solvable in minutes rather than hours. |
1.04 Creating a Sense of Time
Pressure and Unfinished Action Addictive games have two simple constructs: Time pressure and a sense of unfinished action. Time 'pressure creates the urgency to advance in the game and reinforces the idea that something is at stake. Time pressure also increases the social challenges of game solution. The "ticking clock" functions as the player's judge and audience — it generates the desire to accomplish the goal of completion. A sense of unfinished action keeps the player in front of the monitor, unaware of external time passing. Nemesis has various ticking clocks. The revived Alchemists will encourage the player to hurry because the Nemesis will return. Certain other sections of the game will also have time limits of completion before the player will perish. (The game will have an Auto Save mechanism before each of these sequences to keep the player from becoming overly frustrated with restarting.) The entire endgame sequence becomes more tension filled by having a ticking clock of an eclipse forming and knowing that the four Alchemists will complete their deadly ritual — in which all, save them, will perish and be damned — when it does. Unfinished action generates the tempo of the game. If rewards come infrequently, the tempo is slow, and the player has little sense of unfinished action. When the player frequently encounters potential puzzles and is rewarded with their solutions, the player will have a stronger sense that something else always exists to do. Ultimately all these discrete components weave together into a meta puzzle construct, requiring that the player solve all its sub-components before advancing. The Nemesis design balances time pressure and unfinished action with an expansive set of worlds land an open, non-linear solution to branching. The player has a vast world to explore, but a time limit on the game's final solution. The sense of unfinished action is achieved by designing the game's puzzles to be smaller, more frequent, and relatively easier to solve than the average adventure game. The player should feel that she can solve just one more puzzle before she quits for the night; in other words, the puzzles seem solvable in minutes rather than hours. |
Time Pressure and Unfinished
Action Addictive games have two simple constructs: time pressure and a sense of unfinished action. Time pressure creates the urgency to advance in the game and reinforces the idea that something is at stake. Time pressure also increases the social challenges of game solution. The "ticking clock" functions as your judge and audience — it generates the desire to accomplish the goal of completion. A sense of unfinished action is what keeps the player in front of the monitor, unaware of external time passing. ZORK: NEMESIS has several ticking clocks. The revived alchemists will encourage the player to hurry because the Nemesis will return. Certain other sections of the game will also have time limits of completion before the player will perish. (The game will have an Auto Save mechanism before each of these sequences to keep the player from becoming overly frustrated with restarting.) Finally, the entire Act III endgame sequence increases tension by having a ticking clock in the form of an impending eclipse. If the player does not succeed in her quest, the four alchemists will complete their deadly ritual in which all, save them, will perish and be damned. Unfinished action generates the tempo of the game. If rewards come infrequently, the tempo is slow, and the player has little sense of unfinished action. The ZORK: NEMESIS design balances time pressure and unfinished action with an expansive set of worlds and an open, non-linear structure. The player has a vast world to explore, but a time limit on the game's final solution. The game will give the player a sense of unfinished action by having smaller, more frequent, and relatively easier to solve puzzles than the average adventure game. The player should feel that she can solve just one more puzzle before she quits for the night. |
| 1.05 Sustaining The Player's
Interest Studies by the Software Publishers Association (S.P.A.) show that players spend an average of 71 hours on a CD game. Cecilia's own anecdotal analysis conducted by internet postings indicate that a player's interest in a game fluctuates over time. In the initial play setting, a player's interest is at its peak. A player is highly motivated to explore, navigate, and solve puzzles. As time progresses the player's interest wanes. The middle of a game is where it is believed many players lose interest because they see the game's solution as too difficult or too distant in terms of time required to complete the game. Their motivation does not match the perceived time investment required for completion. In the final acts, the player's interest increases. The solution is in sight, and the player is curious about what the resolution will be. |
1.05 Sustaining The Player's
Interest Studies by the Software Publishers Association (S.P.A.) show that players spend an average of 71 hours on a CD game. Cecilia's own anecdotal analysis conducted by internet postings indicate that a player's interest in a game fluctuates over time. In the initial play setting, a player's interest is at its peak. A player is highly motivated to explore, navigate, and solve puzzles. As time progresses the player's interest wanes. The middle of a game is where it is believed many players lose interest because they see the game's solution as too difficult or too distant in terms of time required to complete the game. Their motivation does not match the perceived time investment required for completion. In the final acts, the player's interest increases. The solution is in sight, and the player is curious about what the resolution will be. |
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| 1.06 Motivation, Discovery and
Reward To make the landscape more accessible, puzzles are designed to be relatively simple and solvable within a shorter time period than is common in the genre. Getting stuck for days on a single puzzle is not fun. To facilitate this construct, each puzzle has three components: motivation, discovery and reward. The puzzles in Nemesis all reinforce a player's central motivations in an adventure game: To explore environments, to navigate puzzle landscapes, and to (sometimes) manipulate objects. All of the environments are dramatic in scope and rich in detail. The puzzle landscape is based on a system of correspondences which resonate Nemesis' major themes and point towards logical paths and solutions. Further, there are numerous opportunities to "pick up and inspect" objects (through a technology similar to Quicklime VR). Discovery is provided by weaving the narrative and puzzle landscape together. Narrative is incrementally revealed by the successful completion of puzzles. Finally, every successful interaction will provide the player with a reward. These rewards are animations, digital video, and audio "fanfares" that tell the player an interaction was successfully completed. They reinforce the player's motivation to continue, thus setting up a cycle of motivation, discovery and reward. If the design is successful, this cycle will occur frequently. This frequency will keep the player hooked and sustain interest throughout the game. |
1.06 Motivation, Discovery and
Reward To make the landscape more accessible, puzzles are designed to be relatively simple and solvable within a shorter time period than is common in the genre. Getting stuck for days on a single puzzle is not fun. To facilitate this construct, each puzzle has three components: motivation, discovery and reward. The puzzles in Nemesis all reinforce a player's central motivations in an adventure game: To explore environments, to navigate puzzle landscapes, and to (sometimes) manipulate objects. All of the environments are dramatic in scope and rich in detail. The puzzle landscape is based on a system of correspondences which resonate Nemesis' major themes and point towards logical paths and solutions. Further, there are numerous opportunities to "pick up and inspect" objects (through a technology similar to QuickTime VR). Discovery is provided by weaving the narrative and puzzle landscape together. Narrative is incrementally revealed by the successful completion of puzzles. Finally, every successful interaction will provide the player with a reward. These rewards are animations, digital video, and audio "fanfares" that tell the player an interaction was successfully completed. They reinforce the player's motivation to continue, thus setting up a cycle of motivation, discovery and reward. If the design is successful, this cycle will occur frequently. This frequency will keep the player hooked and sustain interest throughout the game. |
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| 1.07 Three Act Narrative The game is divided into three acts which correlate to how we believe players allocate their time for playing a game like Nemesis. The first act — where the player's interest and motivation are high — is the largest single space. There are vast areas to explore and many small mysteries to solve. The landscape of the puzzles is non-linear. The player is free to solve any puzzle she encounters and can quit and try another one if she gets stuck. In the second act, when the player's interest is diminishing, the puzzle landscape is divided into smaller puzzle sets. The player is free to move to any of the four portal worlds in any order or combination. However, each portal land will be self-contained. Another goal of the Nemesis design is to keep repetitive traversing to a minimum. In the third act, the player sees the end in sight and is eager to watch and experience the endgame. The player enters an underground gauntlet that propels her towards the final solution. The player's motivation is high because the gauntlet provides a sense of danger. The player will perish if she does not advance and get out. If Nemesis is paced correctly, the player's motivation will increase as she strives for completion — both against the "ticking clock" and to satisfy her curiosity. The player will experience a high degree of accomplishment and sense of reward for a successful completion of the endgame. |
1.07 Three Act Narrative The game is divided into three acts which correlate to how we believe players allocate their time for playing a game like Nemesis. The first act — where the player's interest and motivation are high — is the largest single space. There are vast areas to explore and many small mysteries to solve. The landscape of the puzzles is non-linear. The player is free to solve any puzzle she encounters and can quit and try another one if she gets stuck. In the second act, when the player's interest is diminishing, the puzzle landscape is divided into smaller puzzle sets. The player is free to move to any of the four portal worlds in any order or combination. However, each portal land will be self-contained. Another goal of the Nemesis design is to keep repetitive traversing to a minimum. In the third act, the player sees the end in sight and is eager to watch and experience the endgame. The player enters an underground gauntlet that propels her towards the final solution. The player's motivation is high because the gauntlet provides a sense of danger. The player will perish if she does not advance and get out. If Nemesis is paced correctly, the player's motivation will increase as she strives for completion — both against the "ticking clock" and to satisfy her curiosity. The player will experience a high degree of accomplishment and sense of reward for a successful completion of the endgame. |
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| 1.08 Puzzle Landscapes The puzzles which populate Nemesis are developed from the story. Objects are hidden because the characters have a motivation to make them secret or, in the case of the Temple, they reflect the magic of the Nemesis. There are three puzzle themes in Nemesis:
In act two, the puzzle landscape hides each character's secrets. They hide their practice of Alchemical magic, Lucien and Alexandria's forbidden love affair, and a larger conspiracy to sacrifice Alexandria in a quest for eternal life. The player will learn how each of the characters relate to one another by navigating the puzzle landscape of the portal worlds. In act three, the player must traverse a series of physical barrier puzzles in the cistern. Each barrier must be successfully negotiated in order to advance to the next. The player is searching for the Nemesis's and Alexandria's metals so that they can be brought back to the temple for the endgame. The labyrinth leads the player into the Nemesis' inner sanctum. Here the player discovers the Nemesis's story and motivations. |
1.08 Puzzle Landscapes The puzzles which populate Nemesis are developed from the story. Objects are hidden because the characters have a motivation to make them secret or, in the case of the Temple, they reflect the magic of the Nemesis. There are three puzzle themes in Nemesis:
In act two, the puzzle landscape hides each character's secrets. They hide their practice of Alchemical magic, Lucien and Alexandria's forbidden love affair, and a larger conspiracy to sacrifice Alexandria in a quest for eternal life. The player will learn how each of the characters relate to one another by navigating the puzzle landscape of the portal worlds. In act three, the player must traverse a series of physical barrier puzzles in the cistern. Each barrier must be successfully negotiated in order to advance to the next. The player is searching for the Nemesis's and Alexandria's metals so that they can be brought back to the temple for the endgame. The labyrinth leads the player into the Nemesis' inner sanctum. Here the player discovers the Nemesis's story and motivations. |
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| 1.09 Game States As the player advances through the game and successfully completes puzzles, the game maintains the player's game state or level of completion. Because Nemesis has a non-linear construction, the players game state can contain Boolean operators [i.e. if game state is >4, then play qt_actor4; if game state is <4, then play qt_actor1]. If the player clicks on an object, the cursor passes a game state message to the object which determines the objects response. In this way, characters like the Rokeby Venus will react appropriately to attempts at interaction. The game state will also be the basis of the save mechanism so that the player may recall a previous foray into the game at the exact location and condition as when it was saved. |
11.09 Game States As the player advances through the game and successfully completes puzzles, the game maintains the player's game state or level of completion. Because Nemesis has a non-linear construction, the players game state can contain Boolean operators [i.e. if game state is >4, then play qt_actor4; if game state is <4, then play qt_actor1]. If the player clicks on an object, the cursor passes a game state message to the object which determines the objects response. In this way, characters like the Rokeby Venus will react appropriately to attempts at interaction. The game state will also be the basis of the save mechanism so that the player may recall a previous foray into the game at the exact location and condition as when it was saved. |