Hello!
This isn’t exactly a request for hints so much as an attempt to link up hints with a game, if that makes any sense.
I was going through a bunch of files and printouts in my basement yesterday when I came across a bunch of papers that probably date to around 1995/1996. Among them, I found printouts of what I thought were posts to rec.*.int-fiction, but I can’t find them on Google Groups, so I’m not sure if I ever ended up posting them.
They reference a game called BOC, and the full walkthrough I found in the same pile is labelled “Bone of Contention”. I have absolutely no memory of the game and can’t find reference to anywhere. The printouts are stripped of headers, so I can’t even tell who I was replying to (though the posts seem to be made by my old “ravipinto@fast.net” email address, defunct for ages now).
Does anyone know the provenance of the Z5 file the original poster makes reference to, or who the author of the original work was? I’m kind of curious to (re?)play it…
[The printouts make use of spoiler space that I’ll convert to tags for the post.]
There are several more posts in the printed-out thread that I’ll probably add to see if it helps jog people’s memory. Like I said, I have the full walkthrough that I guess I eventually wrote, but I’d hate to have to type the whole thing in.
Thanks.
-d-
Subject: Help needed in BOC [SPOILERS!]
Hi. I was bored and wandering around the GMD archive when I stumbled upon a Z5 file in the incoming folder.
“Oh neat,” said I, “a new game…” Poor fool that I am I downloaded it, played it, and now am hopelessly stuck.
You’re not the only one. But I think I’ve gotten a bit further than you.
To be honest, I like it a lot. It started out slow, but it’s getting more interesting the further I get in.
Trust me, it gets even better.
[spoiler]> OK. I beat the house, which was relatively straightforward except for the death at the top of the stairs and the
inscription puzzle. I got the Bone of Copper.
But I’m stuck at a whole bunch of different points all over the game:
- What can I do in the temple? I finally figured out how to get in, but I can’t do anything. The statues, the
altar…what am I supposed to do?
Forget the temple. You won’t need to go there until you’ve finished all the other areas.
- The hut area: nice horse and pedestals, but there doesn’t seem to be anything to do here.
You could do a few things here, but you’re probably better off waiting until you’ve successfully talked to the boy near the lake. He’s over the gate to the east.
- Beyond the shack: I got past the fields, but how do I get up the staircase? Can I do anything at the altar
here? The stones move, so I assume there’s some sort of combination.
There is. You missed a location. Actually, you can solve both your problems by going to the beginning of the shack area.
First, the room you’re looking for is above the entrance. Wait there a while and try to figure out what you’re seeing.
While you’re there, leave through the portal and come back. The reason you can’t go up the stairs is you’re in the wrong form (check DIAGNOSE when you come back).
- What about the huge machine by the lake? (I think this is near the hovel). I can get it powered up so the
panel lights up, but again…what’s the combination?
The combination to your question in 4 is the same as in 3. Sort of. [/spoiler]
Now, while we’re asking questions… (Spoilers for later in the game)
[spoiler]I’ve solved the major buildings and am in the temple after being knocked out.
Does anyone know what’s up with the machine at the Central Corridor? Or how to get past the four exits? Or what the blank machine in the room above is for?
I keep dying every time I try to leave, and the blank machine is useless…[/spoiler]