let's talk about 80 Days

[kate_nepveu]

With spoilers, this time. Because there's just so much to talk about.

Actually, behind the cut I'm going to skip details about the major plotlines (or even mentioning most of them), but expect that in comments, and there will be smaller-scale spoilers.

So I have done a lot, but there are still some things I can't figure out!

Here are the three things that come to mind:

I'm pretty sure you can't save the woman in Brisbane, because I've tried all the permutations; I can't get the maid to give me her letter (which would tell me that the newspaper offices are in town), and I can't keep the well-meaning bystanders from taking the notice. I suppose there might be something I could carry or show the maid to convince her (maybe Goland's family heirloom)? Anyone managed it?

There is also a mysterious woman in the bar car on some legs of the Orient Express, who vanishes (along with the whole bar car) the next day. I've met her on the way from Paris to Venice and the way from Venice to Istanbul, and I have no clue what's up with that. (Edit: wait, is she maybe one of the people you can meet in Istanbul if you go to Belgrade? The problem is I don't think you can do both of those in the same trip, I think the timing is wrong.) (Edit 2: no, you can't get to Belgrade if you go to Vienna first.)

(Edit 3: and what about Mount Elbrus?! I just went past it last night and with hints like that there has to be a way to get there and see what's going on!)

And is there a way to get to the south-eastern parts of South America? I mean, the US cities that you can't get to, you at least pass through, but I haven't been able figure out how to get to any of those (Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Asuncion, and Buenos Aires).

I have definitely not been everywhere, of course! But I've at least passed through a LOT of places, and looking at the map, the south-eastern parts of South America are the only region I definitely haven't been to.

(As an aside: doing the North Pole early gave me an entirely erroneous view of the jeopardy I could be placed in the rest of the trip, since it is the only place you can die!)

What's your favorite unexpected connection or small-scale story? (I'm assuming most people have found the big-scale stories. If not: the further off the beaten path you go, the wackier things get; which is another reason I'm wondering about those four cities in South America.) Mine was discovering that the warehouse in Antalya, where you're forced to pretend to be their employer and find Venetian glass, actually has a story behind if: if you go through Athens you can meet the actual owner and get a mission from him. And then if you rescue the woman from Alexandria, they turn out to be connected! (I really like her, probably because the science is so daft).

What's the thing you're proudest of finding out, or most interested to find out if it can be done, or favorite character? Just, gossip with me, people!

Edit: hi, anyone coming here from Meg Jayanth's retweet! If you don't usually use Dreamwidth, just know that (a) if you don't have an account, you can choose the "Anonymous" radio button, but (b) PLEASE sign a name or nickname or something so we can keep each other all straight, okay? Thanks!

PS: I totally broke the game today, I got stuck in Quetta with no Fogg and no money and no way to go anywhere, it was hilarious. (Email to the developers already sent.)

Comments

[pendrecarc]

Ooh, can you actually die at the North Pole? I've been planning to try killing Fogg off next time around, just out of curiosity--so far he's been half-frozen, had cholera, and coughed blood all over me, but he's pulled through each time.

Have you found any other endings, other than making it successfully or unsuccessfully to London?

Thanks, by the way, for recommending this. It's such an entertaining game.

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, apparently it was quite a shock because they added it as a bonus when they released the Android port! If you don't make enough friends and don't keep him in good enough health on the way he can in fact die. (You can also get him shot.)

Pretty much London is it for conclusion, though you can occasionally meet at least two people from your travels back there--I'm not entirely sure of the conditions for one of them, and one of them is so difficult that honestly I found hints online to get it, so I don't want to give spoilers unasked!

[pendrecarc]

Also, I'm curious whether the fact that you can ask people about routes away from London is a functional glitch, an oversight in the script, or a hidden storyline I just haven't accessed. I don't think you can do anything but end the game once you make it back.

[kate_nepveu]

I've only ever gotten a "return" message; I think it's probably a glitch, it seems to be functionally impossible to retrace your steps.

North Pole

[(Anonymous)]

Such a great game! I still haven't explored South America. It's next on the itinerary.

My most recent excursion (well, several) was successfully getting to the North Pole. I lost Fogg there nearly a dozen times and went nuts trying to unlock the secret of Fogg's survival. I still don't know how I made it. Perhaps Fogg's health has to remain above a certain threshold for x number of days.

Anyway, the secret of the North Pole was awesome. Heck of a trip.

-Vic

Re: North Pole

[kate_nepveu]

It's been a little while since I did the North Pole, but I'm fairly sure that his health post-crash is proportionate to his health pre-crash, and I am certain that the more friends you make before the crash, the more options you'll have to keep him alive.

And yes, I loved what I found there!