In the offices of the building I left off at last time there is a “shining silver disc”. This is an audio disc, which you can place in a “drawer” in one of the offices:
-> push red
The shallow drawer slides out from the wall.
-> put disc in drawer
Done.
-> push green
The shallow drawer slides back into the wall.
There a brief squeaky noise from within the wall, followed by the emission of a
metallic sounding voice of outstanding quality and clarity.
-> listen
You can hear a metallic voice constantly repeating:
Greetings from Ferrivan Incorporated. We are delighted to be able to introduce you, the discerning Business user, to the world of advanced aeronautical transportation. In a world of ever shortening communication links and travel times, Ferrivan Incorporated are proud to announce the Ferricopter, the latest addition to our line of vehicles for the Business person.
Based on the traditional, and now obsolete, helicopter of the twentieth century, the Ferricopter is a highly automated, safety-conscious, vehicle for the modern Business user and up-market commuter. The Ferricopter has used the latest computer-aided techniques to overcome the requirement for any advanced flying licenses, in order that you may experience the joy and incredible convenience of self-drive airborne conveyance.
We most strongly recommend that you, or your company, invest in this extremely cost-effective method of transportation. Fly-drive a Ferricopter today and experience for yourself the true Business economy of the latest developments in high-tech conveyance.
The Ferricopter – your passport to true Business economy in today’s cost-conscious transport arena.
This message has been brought to you by Ferrivan Incorporated, the Business transport managers friend.
At least it wasn’t repeating for 50 years?
CIO Magazine, July 1989.
My major breakthrough had been unlocking a computer, with a long list of commands.
Select, Activate, Direction, Open, Close, Display, Status, Help, Autostatus, Autodisplay
This is, curiously, much simpler than many of the button-based mechanisms from the game; there’s no mystery in working out what red and green do and how orange is a special button that works to activate something entirely different than the red and green buttons.
-> type status
Typed.
The screen displays:
Unit Status:
Unit 3 Brake Fault.
Unit selected = 1.
Unit Direction: Reverse.
-> type display
Typed.
The screen displays:
Local Circuit:
O__
\
\
O____\___+______O
The Os represent subway cars, 1 is in the upper left, 2 the lower left, and 3 the lower right. You can switch between them by typing Select, then cause them to move by typing Activate. Direction can switch from forward to reverse, Open/Close can mess with their doors. There are a number of wrong sequences where you can get the cars into an amusing jam, but the right move is to start with Unit 3 which (due to the brake fault, I suppose) jumps the track, which is what we want.
O__
\
\
O___*\___+______
Then Unit 1 can be moved forward and will arrive at the Subway Station below the building (marked + on the map above), where it can be boarded. (Make sure you Open the doors as well!)
Subway Station
You are standing on a long subway platform. There is a subway train standing on the railway tracks to the west of the room.
The train doors are open.
The subway has a keyhole (where a silver key you find elsewhere works, you need to TURN it after inserting the key) as well as red, orange, and green buttons and a lever. Yes, we are back to mystical button presses, and I’m not actually totally sure what’s going on with the sequence, I just kept hitting buttons until something useful happened. The upshot is there are two accessible subway stations from here
-> pull lever
The train moves off and starts to gather speed before the brakes are applied automatically by the train’s control circuitry. The train grinds to a halt and the lever springs back to its original position.
-> push green
Click.
There is a brief rumbling noise from somewhere behind you, followed by the sound of a short emission of compressed air.
-> s
In a Train
You are aboard a gutted subway train. All of the normal fittings and fixtures appear to have been removed.
The train doors are open.
The first is short and mysterious. There’s a series of five rooms with letters on the floor spelling POINT, then two “triangle” rooms which cap either end. I’d almost suspect it was another riddle. The only useful (?) thing I’ve found is a bronze bullet (and no gun).
The other station is long and mysterious. It is one long corridor I have broken up in the map below into four chunks.
The four marked rooms have a broken exit, where going “north” jumps to the slanted room on the other side of the corridor.
Starting with the stuff I’m stuck on first, there’s a glass wall…
Subway Corridor
You are in a long corridor.
Exits: –EW ——– —
The north wall of the room is made from armoured glass.
-> look through glass
You can vaguely discern a room through the thick armoured glass.
…and a locked door (and while I have unused gold key, the key doesn’t work).
Subway Corridor
You are in a long corridor with a door in the north wall.
Exits: –EW ——– —
-> unlock door with gold key
“Shan’t” returned Algy, teasingly.
Possibly representing a puzzle and possibly representing Ferret just being its usual confusing self, there’s a whole series of seven rooms with “tilted” rooms on either side.
Slanting Room
You are in a rectangular room. The floor slants from west to east.
Exits: N— ——– —
-> n
Slanting Room
You are in a rectangular room. The floor slants from east to west.
Exits: -S– ——– —
(This is the “geography bug” from the map — going north from the first slanting room should go to the corridor, but it instead jumps a step.)
At the very end of the corridor is an “orbital environment” with a “pretty envelope” containing a letter.
I have yet to find the map being referenced, but I have to stop to say I love the moment of humanity here. For the most part, any textual expression we’ve seen in the game has been written in corporate language, not by humans for humans; this is the first evidence in the game of such a thing existing.
I’ve wrangled one actual puzzle in the corridor. Close to the subway station there’s a “waiting room”.
Waiting Room
You are in a small room. Set in the wall near the exit is a circular pressure
pad. There is something stuck to the ceiling.
Exits: -S– ——– —
Doing PRESS PAD (not PUSH!) causes anti-gravity to activate and for you to fly to the ceiling, where there is aviator passcard.
Floating back down is a problem (especially for those struggling with the parser) but there’s a “long rod” from back in the office building; PRESS PAD WITH ROD does the trick of making a landing.
-> press pad with rod
You are suddenly overcome by a most weird sensation. You momentarily feel totally disoriented.
Waiting Room
You can hop between subway stations, so there might be some jockeying between the three places (office building, POINT corridor, long corridor). Just to be complete on what I’m stuck with, there’s also the drongoid at the office building I mentioned last time.
-> look at drongoid
The drongoid is truly a most awesome creature. It has the build of a brick shithouse, is coloured a disgusting shade of putrid green, has two heads and eight beady little eyes. Most probably the product of some horrible radioactive mutation the creature oozes slime and smegma over its molten skin. Of its many limbs some appear to have been derived from traditional arms and legs, but their uses are apparently interchangeable as it occasionally shifts its weight from one combination of appendages to another. As the saying goes, ‘I would steer well clear of that one’.
-> kick drongoid
You must understand that the drongoid is a highly developed killing machine, with an armoury of deadly tactics at its disposal. The strategy employed to remove a minor irritation (i.e. you) is both swift and deadly. A punch with the force of a flying sledgehammer is delivered to your solar-plexus, both winding you and causing acute muscle failure in your heart.
You are in urgent need of an organ donor.
You can give the drongoid items that it “toys with for a short time” before discarding, so it is possible you could hand something that it would be distracted by (or is weaponized to blow up) but no luck so far. I’d put 50%+ odds on the drongoid being a red herring (like so much of Ferret) except that all the Ferricopter material suggests our next destination is on the roof.
(Next post will be another one-shot, but I’ll keep doing Ferret updates in the comments here if there’s anything to update.)
Renga in Blue 
I guess you’ve already figured it out, but the green and red buttons open and close the train doors, respectively. The orange button alternates between forward and reverse direction, and the train tracks follow the path in the computer. There is even the intermediate train stop before taking the detour to the upper left.
That said, I’d guess we need to either get through the drongoid or open the locked door, but this game has had so many red herrings so far that I just can’t feel confident about anything…! (I didn’t ROT because it’s all basically in your post anyway.)
Just noting that I have had zero time to dig into this phase yet but am hoping to do so this weekend and will report back (rot13’d as necessary) with any breakthroughs, headaches, new amusing deaths, wooden doors, etc.
If you like amusing deaths, try finding all the ways to get killed by a drongoid.
I have solved the drongoid. Progressive hints below.
1. Gur fbyhgvba erdhverf svaqvat n ybpngvba abg ivfvgrq va gur cbfg.
2. Ubj znal fgbcf qbrf gur genva unir?
3. Qba’g yvzvg lbhe nafjre gb whfg fgbcf jvgu cyngsbezf.
4. Gur nafjre vf 4, juvpu vapyhqrf gur vagrezrqvngr fgbc orgjrra gur znva cyngsbez naq gur “CBVAG” ghaary.
5. Abj, gur genva jba’g yrg lbh bcra gur qbbef jvgu gur terra ohggba jura lbh’er ng gur vagrezrqvngr fgbc, fvapr gurer’f ab cyngsbez.
6. Naq gur genva jba’g zbir vs vg guvaxf gur qbbef ner bcra.
7. Ubj pna jr “pybfr” gur qbbef (jvgu gur erq ohggba) haqre pvephzfgnaprf gung jvyy xrrc gurz cnegvnyyl bcra?
8. Yrnir gur pbeerpg vgrz va gur genva jura lbh pybfr gur qbbef, naq gurl’yy or jrqtrq bcra.
9. Fbzrguvat ovt.
10. Gur cynax. (Vs lbh pna’g pneel gur cynax, rira jvgu na bgurejvfr rzcgl vairagbel, lbh’ir gnxra gbb zhpu qnzntr naq arrq gb er-bcgvzvmr lbhe nccebnpu gb Cunfr IVV.)
11. Abj lbh pna trg bss ng gur vagrezrqvngr fgbc naq svaq fbzrguvat gung tbrf jryy jvgu gur oebamr ohyyrg.
12. Znlor gbb jryy, nf lbh zvtug enaqbzyl qvfpbire nsgre ybnqvat vg.
13. Nyfb, gelvat SVER THA NG QEBATBVQ jvyy fgvyy whfg trg lbh xvyyrq.
14. N cerivbhfyl bofreirq orunivbe bs gur qebatbvq’f vf gur nafjre urer.
15. Tb gb gur qebatbvq’f ybpngvba, YBNQ THA, gura TVIR THA GB QEBATBVQ.
Nice, I came here to report I made some progress too. I haven’t read your hints, but for me the important in-game clue was: Jura lbh qebc gur cynax naq/be ebq vafvqr gur genva orsber lbh zbir gb gur sebag (gb chyy gur yrire), fbzrguvat unccraf. Gnxr n ybbx.
Yup, that helped me onto the right track as well.
Bonus post-drongoid tip: If you’re struggling to get things going, the verb phrases you probably need are [GJVFG PYBPXJVFR naq GJVFG NAGVPYBPXJVFR].
Huh, other than pushing the button, the only way I could get anything to happen is [chfu fgvpx sbejneq]. Trying to do your command on the button, the stick, or the section doesn’t work. Am I missing a control?
ADD: that’s odd, [gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr] works now. Dunno what happened.
Wow. I’ll never complain about guessing the verb in any other game, ever!
Any idea how to ghea gur uryvpbcgre gb n qvssrerag qverpgvba, vs gung vf rira arprffnel?
Ah, nevermind. I remembered that the authors gave a list of verbs a few posts ago! I can now:
ghea gur uryvpbcgre naq punatr nygvghqr. Ohg CHFU FGVPX SBEJNEQ frrzf gb or npgvat jrveq?
Juvyr gur uryvpbcgre vf zbivat, CHFU FGVPX YRSG be CHFU FGVPX EVTUG gb punatr qverpgvba ol 45 qrterrf. Gur uryvpbcgre nyfb xrrcf zbivat nf lbh’er qbvat guvf. Fb gb “erirefr” qverpgvba, sebz tbvat rnfg gb tbvat jrfg, gnxrf 4 pbafrphgvir gheaf bs chfuvat gur fgvpx naq jvyy pheir lbh guebhtu 4 ybpngvbaf juvyr lbh’er ng vg (nffhzvat lbh ner sylvat ng fcrrq 1).
And yes, CHFU FGVPX SBEJNEQ frrzf gb abg jbex evtug vs lbh’er fcrrq 2 be uvture.
I’ve also noticed if you try to land near the building at the start, even though the game explicitly says the helicopter is flying over land (and I have speed set to 0 so it doesn’t move forward any more) it still thinks you’re landing in water and you die.
Anyone get something useful from the ladder?
er: gur “znc” gung gur yrggre gnyxf nobhg, vf vg fgvyy uvqvat fbzrjurer, cbffvoyl? be qb gur jrveq gvygrq sybbef npghnyyl pbafgvghgr n znc naq gryy lbh juvpu qverpgvba gb gvyg gur uryvpbcgre?
I have a feeling I have another brute force program in my future, though.
If we assume a task where we are just flying east as far as possible, and that the speeds are increasing linearly with the number, cranking to these various speeds get these distances:
1: 59 distance
2: 76 distance
3: 81 distance
4: 88 distance
5: 80 distance
6: 78 distance
There’s some turns in each one revving up to the right level, and to land safely you need to rev down, but this at least suggests that we have farther range than what we can get just leaving speed at 1. Also more speed burns enough extra fuel to eventually be counterproductive.
btw, tentatively doing some brute force with speed at 2. It looks like you can be within 2 spaces of a landmark and still see it so no farther, so going faster risks missing things and the big jump is from speed 1 to speed 2 anyway.
Probably going to switch back to my one-shot in an hour or so, though, I’d like to finish that write-up this weekend.
I think that you need to be fairly close to the floor in order to land, maybe 10 feet. That’s the altitude change you get when you first start the helicopter, and I managed to land safely back at the helipad after circling around it.
Ah, ok, I guess you did go down to 10 feet; I just tried it and yeah, it doesn’t work. That’s strange indeed.
haven’t successfully landed yet, but this is my best result so far
chfu ohggba; gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr; gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr
jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg
jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg
jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg
jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg;jnvg
chfu fgvpx yrsg
ybbx
Va gur Uryvpbcgre
Lbh ner frngrq va gur uryvpbcgre juvpu nccrnef gb or bs n engure fvzcyr qrfvta,
cbffvoyl vagraqrq sbe genvavat hfr bayl. Gur bayl boivbhf pbagebyf pbafvfg bs n
pbageby fgvpx, ngbc juvpu, vf n lryybj ohggba. Gur hccre frpgvba bs gur pbageby
fgvpx vf tebbirq gb snpvyvgngr n tbbq chepunfr bs gur fgvpx. Zbhagrq va sebag
bs lbh ner fbzr vaqvpngbef naq n fybg.
Gur fcrrq vaqvpngbe qvfcynlf 2
Gur urvtug vaqvpngbe qvfcynlf 110
Gur uryvpbcgre vf cbvagvat abegurnfg.
Gur uryvpbcgre vf sylvat bire qel ynaq.
Va gur arne qvfgnapr lbh pna frr n ohvyqvat jvgu n uryvcnq ba gur ebbs.
Gur fybg pbagnvaf:
na nivngbef cnffpneq
Gur uryvpbcgre zbgbe rzvgf n fgenathyngrq pbhtu naq svanyyl qvrf qhr gb ynpx bs
shry. Vg jbhyq nccrne gung uryvpbcgref ner abg qrfvtarq gb or nveobear jvgubhg
fbzr zrnaf bs cebchyfvba nf gur erfhygnag nggrzcg ng n tyvqre vzcerffvba vf
gubebhtuyl hafhpprffshy. Lbh cyhzzrg gbjneqf irel svezn green naq fhssre n
engure qrnqyl vzcnpg.
V’z sbphfvat ba gur AR pbeare gbb onfrq ba gur vafgehpgvbaf sebz Pbybary B. “Rnfg”, naq gur snpg gung ur bayl zragvbaf abegu naq rnfg. Nyfb, V’z thrffvat gung gur qrfgvangvba jvyy or zber gb gur rnfg guna abegu, orpnhfr bs gur fpnyrf, r.t. 1A 1R jbhyq orpbzr 8A 2R naq gura erirefrq gb 8R 2A…?
I was thinking along those lines. I did manage to get into a hover over the pad but the height must be wrong. Changing altitude seems to be buggy though? I’ve had it “wrap around” before.
erfgber uryv
chfu ohggba; gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr; gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr
gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr; chfu fgvpx yrsg; chfu fgvpx evtug
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
gjvfg fgvpx pbhagrepybpxjvfr;gjvfg fgvpx pbhagrepybpxjvfr
ybbx;ybbx;gjvfg fgvpx pbhagrepybpxjvfr
got it!
Phase 8 (Conversion)
Mode: Expert
You have scored 775 (out of 1670) points in 2350 moves.
Rooms visited: 380. Rank achieved: Ferret Master (Class 1).
chfu ohggba; gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr; gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr
gjvfg fgvpx pybpxjvfr; chfu fgvpx yrsg; chfu fgvpx evtug
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
ybbx;ybbx;ybbx
gjvfg fgvpx pbhagrepybpxjvfr;gjvfg fgvpx pbhagrepybpxjvfr
chfu fgvpx sbejneq;ybbx;gjvfg fgvpx pbhagrepybpxjvfr
Me too! Landed and… erected myself…
Isn’t it weird that we’re near the end (I think there are only 9 phases) and only got half the points?
Sometimes endgames have disproportionate points?
at 8.10 it had 8 phases, as of 8.5 it adds Phase 9, and then after that is the “final phase”, which may or may not be numbered.
Nice helicoptering, everyone!
Since INCANT is a verb, I have to wonder whether the “final phase” is going to be a mainframe-Zork-style endgame that completely resets score.
Regarding the start of Phase 8… I’m fairly certain the set-up here is [n pynffvp “svsgrra” fyvqvat gvyrf chmmyr] but I haven’t managed to meaningfully interact with any of the elements yet.
You have seen the very slightly scrambled words in the tiles, no?
The words (ROT13):
jul
gnxr
sbhe
cvaf
Yes, although how exactly to utilize that information has escaped me so far. I’ve tried various [trg gur “Zngevk” ebbzf, juvpu pyrneyl zngpu gur 15 chmmyr gvyr frghc, gb zbir nebhaq; naq/be gb cbfvgvba 4 cvaf va ybpngvbaf gb trg fbzrguvat gb unccra (creuncf nccylvat gur evccrq-va-gjb pneq svanyyl – oebja “va gur tnc” fgebatyl fhttrfgf gb zr gur “rzcgl fcbg” ybpngvba] – but so far haven’t progressed further. I’ll happily take a hint.
What tiles? :)
“Tiles?”
Progressive hint system:
1. Unir lbh orra gb gur ahefrel?
2. Jung vf gurer?
3. Unir lbh ybbxrq guebhtu vg?
4. Unir lbh rknzvarq gur guvat lbh frr?
Nice, thanks, I didn’t actually think to [RKNZVAR vg…]
One crazy thought would be to [chyy gur yriref va gur beqre gung gurl jbhyq fbyir gur chmmyr, rira vs gur tnzr tvirf ab srrqonpx. Fbhaqf n ovg birepbzcyvpngrq, gubhtu. Sbe nyy V xabj gur 15-cvrpr chmmyr pbhyq or ragveryl n erq ureevat…]
Breakthrough – minor spoilers!
I managed to land the helicopter at another place, and have found a lot more to explore with many new interesting rooms and promising puzzles. 820 points and Phase 8 (Conversion).
I did a lot of trial-and-erroring to learn how the flying works. Then I started out on “mapping the ocean” with FCF scripting. My initial script just explored one side of the starting position, and since I found this interesting place now I haven’t bothered with completing the mapping yet.
Flying at speed 3 is good for mapping since you cover a 5×5 “tile”. The speed number easily converts into how many positions you cover in a turn. The fuel consumption is not as straight forward but I have a good idea about how that works too.
Ah, so I see that am not the only one! I didn’t want to read comments here until I got stuck or made some notable breakthrough.
I was really tired when I wrote this :D it should be speed 5 of course (to even make any sense).
No worries! It was pretty clear you were posting based on avoiding spoilers.
Anyone tried: EBGNGR be GHEA gur gehpx naq gura rvgure K vg be CERFF TERRA? Gur tnzr penfurf, naq rkvgf.
Yes, I ran into the same problem. I have posted a bug report to the authors.
I managed to make it work with CBVAG GEHPX GB QVERPGVBA.
The potential use of this item in this way is more-or-less obvious, but I could not identify any changes anywhere after doing it.
Another bug regarding the gehpx. Vs vg tbrf guebhtu gur bcra qbbe gb Znva Fgerrg, vg qvfnccrnef.
I’m wondering what you guys visualize with the description below; I’m having a hard time to map it to something concrete?
Gur fznyy oenff cyngsbez vf fdhner naq svkrq gb gur onfr bs gur phcobneq jvgu
vgf erne rqtr cnenyyry gb gur onpx bs gur phcobneq. Gur cyngsbez unf n funyybj
urzvfcurevpny tebbir ehaavat sebz vgf onpx gb vgf sebag, cnenyyry gb gur fvqr
bs gur cyngsbez.
V cvpgher n oenff cyngr jvgu n tebbir be punaary ehaavat sebz gur onpx jnyy bs gur phcobneq bhg gur qbbef vagb gur ebbz. N tebbir gung zvtug avpryl ubyq n plyvaqevpny bowrpg naq jbhyq cbvag qverpgyl ng gur pnivgl va gur bccbfvgr jnyy.
Vs bayl jr pbhyq trg onpx gubhtu gung qbbe.
I will gladly take a hint on how to get meaningfully started in Phase 8. Right now all I can access is [gur Ahefrel naq sbyybjvat Zngevk] and [gur Tnyyrel jvgu n ebbz orybj V pna’g ernpu] but haven’t done anything meaningful in either – I [sbhaq naq ernq gur gvyrf] but nothing I’ve done to try to use that information has had an effect. How are folks reaching the [gehpx naq phcobneq] mentioned upthread? Thanks!
Something happens when you go under the box. (It seems to reverse every time you pass north from landing to nursery.) Check thoroughly in the gallery. It is very simple.
Thank you! I figured I was missing something simple.
I’m guessing nobody has gotten a lever to do anything yet?
Also, I’m surprised I haven’t seen any conversation about the area to the east of the Lobby (which is a one-way trip). Anyone with luck there? The only thing I discovered so far is [Vs lbh hfr gur synfutha juvyr ubyqvat gur ehol ebq, vg jvyy nyfb pnhfr gur ehol ebq gb synfu.]
It feels weird to be skipping the other part for now, but this is Ferret after all. (Would they make that elaborate a setup with the tiles to then have it all be a red herring? Any other game, of course not. This one?….)
About the ruby rod:
Lbh ner znxvat f pynffvp ehol ynfre. Zbfg cebonoyl irel hfrshy sbe fbzrguvat V unira’g svtherq bhg lrg.
I haven’t made the levers work yet, I think they need to be powered/enabled in some way.
I haven’t made any progress with the locked doors or understood how to make use of the room below the gallery.
I have no idea of any use for the mannequin, the robot, the kitchen or the chemist’s.
Some other random thoughts/observations that may be considered very mild spoilers:
V guvax gung gurer jvyy vagrezvggragyl or n yrire va gur AR pbeare ebbz nyfb, jura jr trg jbexvat ba gur zngevk.
Gur crefcrk ebq jvgu gur she raunaprq lbh gbb punetr gur ebq naq she artngviryl naq cbfvgviryl erfcrpgviryl.
Gur tebbir va gur phcobneq frrzf svggvat sbe bar bs gur ebqf. Oenff vf fbzrjung pbaqhpgvir. Jung vf gur pnivgl?
Gur vpr oybpx pbhyq or hfrq gb oevat (rincbengrq?) jngre fbzrjurer, znlor jvgu gur uryc bs gur cvpavp obk.
Gur gehpx pna or hfrq gb ybpx bhefryirf bhg bs gur abegurea frpgvba, ohg pbhyq gung or hfrshy?
Gur cngu – n jnl gb qvfgnapr bhefryirf sebz fbzrguvat, jvgu n fgenvtug jnl gung znlor gur gehpx pbhyq hfr?
Also, you might want to consider reporting your progress to the Ferret Honours page for an invitation to a forum, as indicated on the web site.
Just a quick one that might be useful: gur vpr qbrf abg zryg juvyr vafvqr gur cvpavp obk.
Seems like gur phcobneq vf gur cresrpg cynpr gb svg gur ynfre ebq. Fb V thrff gur arkg vzcbegnag guvat vf gb svaq n jnl onpx vafvqr.
Did anyone check exactly what can be carried in the helicopter?
Ah, also one thing that was not obvious to me: gur ergvphyr vf n pbagnvare naq unf n cvrpr bs yvara vafvqr. I had to google that word.
And let’s not forget the: pnfxrg naq gur pneq, juvpu cebonoyl tbrf vagb gur gryyre znpuvar. Znlor gur ynfre pna or hfrq gb bcra gur pnfxrg?
About what can be carried in the helicopter – I have found some things that can not be brought into the helicopter even with nothing else carried: long carbon-fibre rod, crude hand-gun
Other than those I haven’t found anything that gets past the hole between Decontamination Chamber to Outbuilding which is impossible to bring into the helicopter.
However, you can’t bring *everything* else though. If you carry too much minor items you will get the same “The bulk of your possessions prevents your passage through the hole.” message when trying to board the helicopter. This can be circumvented by bringing some on, dropping them inside, disembarking, getting more items, boarding again and finally picking up what you dropped.
You can then fly, land and even disembark with all of the items, but the next bottleneck is the hole down from the destination helipad – “The bulk of your possessions prevents your passage through the hole.” – and I haven’t found a way to drop things down the hole.
This definitely limits the total of items that you can bring, unless there is a way around the bottleneck.
I’ve noticed you can bring both keys if you dump the pins. Alternately, you can keep the pins but bring one key. I haven’t experimented with the exact numbers.
I was thinking that maybe the plank might be used to keep the silver door from closing, or anything else similar to that. But I guess they wouldn’t repeat a puzzle solution…?
Are you referring to the plank from Maintenance Level in the office building? I think that it is not possible to bring it into the helicopter – I have tried that but I forgot about it in my comment above about what certainly can not go into the helicopter.
I’m assuming (perhaps foolishly) that there is some way to return to the Lobby. Otherwise one of those entire areas are a Red Herring and I just cannot accept that.
Gurer’f n ybg bs fghss ba Znva Fgerrg. Gur Ehol Ebq naq Synfutha boivbhfyl ner pbzcbaragf bs n Ynfre ohg pnaabg trg vg gb rssrpg nalguvat, ohg V fhfcrpg fbzr pbaarpgvba gb gur phcobneq. Nyfb Ehoovat gur Crefcrpk Ebq naq She gbtrgure trarengrf n fgngvp punetr, juvpu znxrf zr guvax bs gur qbzr va gur bgure nern. V nyfb abgvprq gung gur srapr va gur FJ pbeare zngpurf gur srapr va gur cngvb, znl or eryrinag.
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Hmm, the name of the colonel who gets his directions confused seems like a clear reference to Oliver North, of Iran-Contra fame, though that’s anachronistic for 1982. Was the game still in active development as late as 1987?
It technically has been in development until 2022, although that is only the endgame. I will check w the authors sometime on when this phase would have been written; big burst of work is more common than elongated work time, but this game is pretty unusual overall.