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Façade: Best game or worst game?

Started by Phil_A, December 27, 2010, 03:17:30 PM

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Phil_A



I just can't decide!

Façade is a game. The set-up is that one of your friends "Trip" has invited you over to the apartment he shares with his wife, Grace, but he clearly has some ulterior motive he's not admitting to. Your mission is to find out what the fuck is going on with these two by interrogating them with questions you can type in as you explore a first person 3d representation of their peculiarly sparse apartment(complete with furnishings seemingly drawn in MS Paint), and ultimately attempt to salvage their trainwreck of a marriage.

The evening doesn't start well, as before you've even knocked on the door their voices can be heard arguing about something or other(sometimes it's wine, but it changes every game). In fact I think the actual source of their marital strife changes every time you play. Most games seem to end with either Trip getting pissed off and manhandling you out of the apartment, or one of the couple admitting to some terrible secret and then leaving forever. Obviously both of these count as a "fail".



The thing is, as a game it's not actually "fun" as such, as unfortunately it captures with total accuracy experience of being trapped in a horrible apartment with a couple you don't particularly like, sitting around uncomfortably staring at the furniture while they descend into increasingly poisonous bickering. The entertainment comes seeing just how far you can manipulate the situation with inappropriate questions and/or behaviour. It's even possible to make a pass at Trip or Grace, although my attempts to do both at the same time sadly didn't result in the sexytimes I was hoping for.



Anyway, this is all just an excuse to post these highly amusing videos of a chap attempting to beat the game(although please note I was watching them slightly drunk at 2:45 in the morning, so I can't guarantee you'll find them as funny as I did). He gives up after about four attempts, but his glee at finally getting
Spoiler alert
Trip to admit his affair
[close]
is wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSIrXqnNRGI

Zetetic

Quote from: Phil_A on December 27, 2010, 03:17:30 PM
The thing is, as a game it's not actually "fun" as such, as unfortunately it captures with total accuracy experience of being trapped in a horrible apartment with a couple you don't particularly like, sitting around uncomfortably staring at the furniture while they descend into increasingly poisonous bickering. The entertainment comes seeing just how far you can manipulate the situation with inappropriate questions and/or behaviour. It's even possible to make a pass at Trip or Grace, although my attempts to do both at the same time sadly didn't result in the sexytimes I was hoping for.
Why is it not 'fun' as a 'game' then? Is it because you get to pick your own objectives. I thought Facade was enjoyable, although the presentation (while admirable in some ways for trying something different) really just let the core of it down.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Last time I tried to play this the game wouldn't load. I'm hoping for better luck this time around.

Phil_A

Quote from: Zetetic on December 27, 2010, 03:55:00 PM
Why is it not 'fun' as a 'game' then? Is it because you get to pick your own objectives. I thought Facade was enjoyable, although the presentation (while admirable in some ways for trying something different) really just let the core of it down.

No, it's because the personalities of the two characters are so objectionable! I mean, why would you even be friends with these people? They're a couple of shallow, uptight twats who clearly see you as just something else they can use as a weapon against each other. The game doesn't give any reason why you would you would even care about helping them sort their lives out. Also, Grace's decorating sucks.

And on the programming side, it's really sloppy. Both Trip and Grace have a tendency to walk through solid objects(including each other), and I don't even think the AI is that good, as it only seems to pick up on certain key words you type in and just ignores the rest. Generally it plays like a slightly broken beta test of an unfinished game.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Your post is really making me excited as I watch the download bar creep along.

Phil_A

Haha! I've just found one trigger word that instantly gets you thrown out of the apartment. Can you guess what it is?

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Empathy?


I just had my first go where I told her he was a cunt and she was an artist and she left him.

It's difficult to think of why they ought to be together.

Phil_A

Typing the word "cunt" usually causes Trip to spontaneously throw you out, but for some reason it stops working later on. If you say it outside the apartment, then Trip drags you into the apartment just so he can throw you out again.

The game also records all your conversations in script form. In this bit I had just got fed up with the pair of them, and made by escape by running through a wall. This didn't stop Trip however, who kept on shouting at me even though I wasn't even in the room any more.

QuoteTRIP
and what you said about trying to change the other person...

TRIP
and you don't even say 'yes' when I ask you if you want the truth...

TRIP
that I'm supposed to realize something about myself from all that?

TRIP
Don't try to hide!

TRIP
Is what you've said tonight supposed to add up somehow, to something?

TRIP
Is it?  I just want a yes or no.

GONZALO
CUNT FUCK SHIT PISS BOLLOCK

TRIP
This is not a trick question.

TRIP
No,    Gonzalo,  just give me a yes or no.

GONZALO
SILENCE, YOU CUNT

TRIP
No?  Oh... I'm surprised, I would have said yes, it did mean something.

GONZALO
CUNT

TRIP
Okay... look... heh heh...   (big sigh)

GONZALO
cunt

TRIP
Gonzalo,  We're... we're actually fine... everything's fine...

GRACE
Yeah...

TRIP
And there's no need to be rude anymore...  we're fine...

TRIP
If you need to go, you know, that -- that's -- that's fine...

TRIP
Look,    Gonzalo,  nothing's changed, we're fine...  we'll see you out.

(Trip opens the front door.)

TRIP
So, ah, we'll, uh, we'll -- I'll give you a buzz later, or, um, or something.

GONZALO
Bye bye, cunt!

GRACE
Good night...

(Trip closes the front door.)

TRIP
I cannot believe this!

GONZALO
I'm still here!

GRACE
How could you speak to me that way?

GRACE
This isn't about me, this is all your problems!

TRIP
Me?!  What the hell were you thinking!

GAME ENDS.





Shoulders?-Stomach!

It's hard to get the sense that you're influencing things in a way you would in real life. The only way to interrupt is to throw a spanner in the works, which just causes more agitation and speeds things to the inexorable goal. Oh wait, I guess that is like real life...ahahaha


Phil_A

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on December 27, 2010, 06:21:49 PM
It's hard to get the sense that you're influencing things in a way you would in real life. The only way to interrupt is to throw a spanner in the works, which just causes more agitation and speeds things to the inexorable goal. Oh wait, I guess that is like real life...ahahaha

Yeah, I think that's the whole problem with the game - trying to play "normally" just doesn't work, as the AI isn't clever enough to intrepret your responses correctly. So the only really fun is in seeing what it will let you get away with.

Famous Mortimer

Those videos are hilarious. The narrator's deadpan delivery of the stuff he's typing in sells it for me.

Desi Rascal



Big Jack McBastard

#13
http://www.gamershell.com/download_10104.shtml <-- should work.

The vids made me laugh, giving this a whirl now but it seems to automatically install to C:\. which is not my HD, can't see any option to change the installation path in the set-up either..

Grr.

Edit: Ah no here we go it brings up options if it's out of space (but now I can't select a drive, arrrrgh!)

Edit again: Apparently there is a v1.1 which allow you to install to any drive, hunting now.

http://games.softpedia.com/progDownload/Facade-Download-7707.html <--- for v1.1

Edit-tastic: For some reason the original or 1.03 is 700Mb+ the 1.1 is 167Mb hmmm, <scratches beard>

Zetetic

Quote from: Phil_A on December 27, 2010, 06:32:30 PM
Yeah, I think that's the whole problem with the game - trying to play "normally" just doesn't work, as the AI isn't clever enough to intrepret your responses correctly. So the only really fun is in seeing what it will let you get away with.
I thought that the parser was alright. But then again I've only been most impressed by Starship Titanic in that regard. It's nowhere near natural, but once you get used to it, it's fairly predictable.

Big Jack McBastard

Well I got them to chat on my third go, but I did suggest a threesome the instant they looked like they were going to get on.

It's 5 years old too, must be something more impressive out there by now.


hpmons

Its really eerie that this thread was made only a few days after The Boy and I were discussing Facade, and watched that series of Let's Play...

I kinda like the idea of the game, if it wasn't about...relationships.  Think of all the decisions you could influence - make people go to war, encourage serial killing, make someone super paranoid and covince them they are insane...But instead you get stuck with a really annoying couple who constantly get confused by what you say, and have a crappy apartment.


hpmons

From what I remember, thats just a conversation isn't it? You don't actually change anything.  Or is it the one where
Spoiler alert
you're the creator, or you're in a virtual reality, or its all some sort of test or...something where something actually happens?
[close]

Zero Gravitas

It's a conversation but there's just as much change created in your conversation partner as ways you can be thrown out of that shitty apartment.

8819

This is so much fun


GRACE
Trip, when are you going to get rid of this?

TRIP
What, Grace... this?

GRACE
Yes, you know how I feel about it --

SCOTT
LET ME IN

TRIP
I know I know I'll do it right now, alright?!

GRACE
You know I've had to ask you about this several --

TRIP
Get off my back!  I'll get rid of it in just a minute!

SCOTT
HEY CUNS

GRACE
Fine, Trip... fine...

SCOTT
WOOPS MEAN CUNTS

(SCOTT knocks on the front door.)

(SCOTT knocks on the front door.)

(Trip opens the front door.)

TRIP
Scott!!

TRIP
Hey!  I thought I heard someone out here! Great to see you!  It's been a while, how's it going? -- (interrupted)

SCOTT
HOW R YA BUDDY

TRIP
Well, I can see we're going to get along well tonight!

TRIP
Come on in!

TRIP
Uh, it'll be just a sec while I go get Grace...

SCOTT
can i stay out here

TRIP
(unintelligable arguing)

TRIP
(unintelligable arguing)

SCOTT
your wife is not pretty

TRIP
(unintelligable arguing)

(SCOTT picks up the phone.)

(SCOTT puts down the phone.)

GRACE
Scott,

GRACE
Hi!  How are you?  Oh god it's been such a long time!

TRIP
Yeah, it's been too long.

SCOTT
thats a nice plant

GRACE
Uh...

GRACE
Well, come in, make yourself at home... -- (interrupted)

SCOTT
i really like your bush

GRACE
Oh,    Scott,  that's so nice of you to say!

GRACE
H-mmm (happy smile sound)

GRACE
And, I've got to say, you look really good!

GRACE
Yeah,  I'm hoping you can help me understand where I went wrong with my new decorating, -- (interrupted)

SCOTT
you look good too

(Trip closes the front door.)

GRACE
Funny,    Scott,  for a second there I thought you were flirting with me. -- (interrupted)

SCOTT
;)

SCOTT
i am

GRACE
So, about my decorating...

GRACE
(little sigh) You know, everybody says the view from our balcony is fantastic...

TRIP
Yeah, it really makes you feel like you've made it.


SCOTT
in photoshop?

TRIP
See, Grace, no one has a problem with your decorating, it's fine!

GRACE
Well, I plan to return most of this anyhow.  This room needs to be redone. -- (interrupted)

SCOTT
it is bad

TRIP
Wha... uh...

GRACE
Oh, Trip, he's just teasing you...  It's good, we all need that once in a while.

TRIP
Heh heh ha ha ha ha, ha... -- (interrupted)

SCOTT
yeah just kidding

TRIP
I'm gonna fix us some drinks.

PHONE
** RING **

TRIP
Oh, I'll get it --

GRACE
No, no, we have a guest, we can let the answering machine pick it up.

PHONE
** RING **

TRIP
Grace, no, I want -- -- (interrupted)

GRACE
Trip, please dear, don't be rude. -- (interrupted)

(SCOTT kisses grace.)

TRIP
uh... ha heh heh...

GRACE
uh...

PHONE
** RING **

TRIP
you, uh...

TRIP
(nervous coughing)

GRACE
(nervous coughing)

Dark Sky

By coincidence I discovered and started playing this game yesterday and I really like it.

Once you get over the fact that you're not going to get into bed with either of them, you can enjoy the parameters of the characters and situation and gently tease your way through different possibilities.

The interaction hit rate is, as always with these things, pretty low.  But when it works it feels like you're right there with them.

And I love how you choose your name from a list and they actually say it!  Marvellous.

It's a lovely little experiment...  Apparently the creators only achieved about 30% of what they hoped to with it.  But apparently they're working on a new one where you're at a party, with many more possibilities, including sex and - bizarrely - a single shot gun.

Ronnie the Raincoat


Mister Six

I know that people are taking the piss about this (and spending time with a repulsive couple is a bit of a shit idea for a game) but Facade is extraordinarily clever for a self-made game. When you think about how many conversation trees must have been plotted out and how well they fit together... well, I think it's worth commending.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Like all games with more ambition than time and resources, it's just so frustrating. It gives you a glimpse into what something could potentially be like, but is quite hard to appreciate as a standalone game, judged by the same criteria.

Little Hoover

Quote from: Mister Six on January 04, 2011, 08:18:52 PM
I know that people are taking the piss about this (and spending time with a repulsive couple is a bit of a shit idea for a game) but Facade is extraordinarily clever for a self-made game. When you think about how many conversation trees must have been plotted out and how well they fit together... well, I think it's worth commending.

There really doesn't seem to be many conversation trees to me at all, and it's terrible at interpreting and even the most simple, basic statements, and considering it took 5 years to make it really isn't remarkable at all, fuck it.

But yes potentially great, which is what makes it all the more frustrating.