[Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

A weekly event where a random games is played and discussed.
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Auro-Cyanide
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[Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#1 Post by Auro-Cyanide »

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Group Play is a weekly event in which one game is selected to be promoted within the forums to be played by us as a group. It provides an opportunity to promote some smaller games that would otherwise get lost, promote discussion and promote creativity. This isn't just about the creators of the games, but also us as a community. It acts as a way for us to analyse work as creative people and for us to develop the necessary critical language to develop and pursue our work.

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This week's game is "Enemy of the Solid State" by Bentosmile!

You can find links to the game here: Enemy of the Solid State

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There are some rules to follow in the following discussion about the game.

- In your primary comment on the game, please try to mention one thing you liked and one thing you think could be improved. This is in the spirit of giving both encouraging and helpful comments to the creators. You may of course go beyond this with praise or critique. I can't enforce this rule, I'll just silently judge you.

- Please try to do one play-through or enough of the game to develop a solid opinion. Some things can be commented on early on, but things like plot might be best left until you finish the game.

- There is no rule as to whether you post here only or in the completed game topic. Feel free to do as you like. This is just a space to discuss this game while playing it at the same time as others.

- Please try to think about the game play as a whole, as well as the different parts that make up the game.

- Please be respectful to the game and creator. You don't have to like a game, but you should be respectful to the effort.

- Please follow the forum rules.

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If you would like to make your own suggestions and haven't already, please feel free to PM them to me.

These are the current guidelines for suggestions:

- Anyone can send me 3 games (VN, KN Sim, whatever, just from these forums or related to) that they think are worth playing by PM.
- There can only be three suggestions per person and if a game gets suggested multiple times, they still only get one draw.
- You may suggest your own games.
- For now they must not be 18+, just because we want to encourage everyone to join first up. If it goes well, maybe something can be arranged for the big kids.
- Please try to make sure the game is short (around a max of 30,000 words). It isn't a hard and fast rule, but it's easier to make time for smaller games and it will give this a greater chance of success.
- They must be free and preferably available on all 3 platforms, again for easy access.

And with that, let the games begin!

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#2 Post by CheeryMoya »

I'll be Livestreaming this at 9 AM in my timezone (UTC-08:00 Pacific Time). Channel's here, drop in and enjoy the show?

Edit: And thus concludes my stream. About 30 minutes to get all the endings, though you can easily save before the last choice to get them. Still, all the characters are quirky and fun, like the entire VN itself. I'll be typing more of my thoughts once I check out the recording, there seemed to be some static in the first run.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#3 Post by Applegate »

This was easily one of my favourite short VNs, even though there's no real substance. It's just fun to play.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#4 Post by Taleweaver »

Really nice retro graphics, and the set of weird characters you meet in this game is really something. Everybody has so much personality, even though you meet them for not even five minutes each. Of course, there wasn't a real story, and the endings could have been... well, not so out-of-the-blue, but all in all, a fun experience. Impressive for a Ludum Dare.
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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#5 Post by CheeryMoya »

Hey wow I got Youtube to work for me O: Here's three vids, each with the three endings. Didn't meet some people though, so I recommend you DL and play it yourself.
This ending is when you ask Isabella to hand back the floppy disk and photos.
This ending is when you ask Isabella to be with you.
This ending is when you ask Isabella for money.
Last edited by CheeryMoya on Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#6 Post by Applegate »

Note: This game doesn't have any audio in it, so do whatever.
HOLD IT!

My version does have music. It's a very 8-bit track. Can you confirm you don't just have audio disabled?

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#7 Post by CheeryMoya »

Applegate wrote:HOLD IT!

My version does have music. It's a very 8-bit track. Can you confirm you don't just have audio disabled?
OBJECTION! Yay Phoenix Wright joke.

I looked in the game folder and there are no music files in sight. bentosmile didn't hide her image files, so if there is music then she must of archived it, which wouldn't make sense. Why hide audio files if you're leaving images out in the open? :C I'll turn the game on again to look for it though.

Edit: Booted up game, checked the Preferences, sound was on and I still didn't hear anything. What's happeningggggg

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#8 Post by Applegate »

So... for anyone else who finds their copy of EotSS doesn't have music, I have uploaded the version I have here. It contains two tracks and I think it truly enriches the experience.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#9 Post by CheeryMoya »

Welp, thoughts.

Since it's a Ludum Dare game, corners had to be cut in order for it to be finished in time. However, that doesn't stop ESS from being an enjoyable game. While the story is a bit unclear, what shines though are the characters. They're alive, quirky, and every line of dialogue is crafted in such a way that you get to know them despite such a short screentime. Each of them are very unique and memorable, both in personality and design.
The art is pixel-y, but that's not a bad thing. It actually gives off a nostalgic retro feel, which is what sakebento was probably going for looking at the textbox and font used. Me likey.
In the download I got, there wasn't any music; strangely enough, Applegate's version does have music. 8-bit is always a favorite of mine, so more about this game to love.

All in all, a short game worth playing yourself. It's even more impressive when you consider this was made under a strict time limit. It doesn't matter which people you talk to in order to get the data out of the disk, but the journey's fun. Would totally recommend this to others for when they need a light game to brighten up their day.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#10 Post by Reikun »

Whoa!!! I didn't recognize the title for a second but this was actually one of the first renpy games I ever played and I still love it! *U*

But yeah! I love this game for the really awesome graphics and the cute storyline ;uu; I really love the
"I want you"
ending. GAAHH /suckerforthatkindofthing I'm going to have to stash this gem away in the never delete folder on my computer... xD;;;
This game is indeed super impressive for a Ludum Dare entry! Does anyone know of other games bentosmile has done?
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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#11 Post by Auro-Cyanide »

Reikun wrote:Whoa!!! I didn't recognize the title for a second but this was actually one of the first renpy games I ever played and I still love it! *U*

But yeah! I love this game for the really awesome graphics and the cute storyline ;uu; I really love the
"I want you"
ending. GAAHH /suckerforthatkindofthing I'm going to have to stash this gem away in the never delete folder on my computer... xD;;;
This game is indeed super impressive for a Ludum Dare entry! Does anyone know of other games bentosmile has done?
According to the game topic, the have also done Air Pressure and The Life of a Pacifist :) I don't know if they have done newer ones since then.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#12 Post by Arelune »

I'm guessing Applegate's version is the remake he talked about. The backgrounds seem to also have changed in this version. Where did you get it?

So, as everyone has already said, a fun game, great that it's made in such a short time.
I love some of the character designs, and the retro look of everything. It also has some fun choices. :D
But I like story over quirkiness, so it's not really something for me.
Who would have thought the correct answer for that Yon Chan person was kittens lol? I just clicked for the hell of it. :P
And those who think that Pink Cat is the most normal person out of the game, should look at the pictures. He's dining with a goose in one of them. O_O
BTW, how do you save? Right-click says that I'm quitting the game, hmm. Am I missing an obscure button?

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#13 Post by Applegate »

I'm guessing Applegate's version is the remake he talked about. The backgrounds seem to also have changed in this version. Where did you get it?
Huh, you're right. The backgrounds changed, too. Weird.

A friend passed it to me saying it was really cool, but I don't remember where I downloaded it from. It was some site or another...

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#14 Post by saguaro »

Applegate, thanks for uploading the remade version. I played through the original first, and my main criticism was that there was no sound, but the remake solves this with very complimentary retro-style music.

This is my favorite Group Play pick so far. The spirit of it is so fun.

"WHAT DOES LOVE FEEL LIKE?" made me LOL a bit. (And really, really want a LD-0018 spin-off. Seriously, why does it not exist?) The romance ending is awesome. Funny spy romances are awesome cause they always bamboozle each other you know what I mean.

I discovered bentosmile when freeindiegam.es posted something... I think it was the Life of a Pacifist. Check out http://www.bentosmile.com for other short games.

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Re: [Group Play 7] Enemy of the Solid State

#15 Post by Applegate »

http://bentosmile.com/gameslist/enemy-o ... lid-state/

Looks like the updated version is here as well, so I'll be pulling it from my server soon.

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