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* SecretPolice: [[UsefulNotes/TheGestapo The Gestapo]] are still active in the alternate 1985 timeline, complete with dark suits, steel rimmed glasses and swastikka badges. The player must destroy an incriminating note (and hide stolen identity papers beforehand), otherwise a nasty end awaits.
to:
* SecretPolice: [[UsefulNotes/TheGestapo The Gestapo]] are still active in the alternate 1985 timeline, complete with dark suits, steel rimmed glasses and swastikka swastika badges. The player must destroy an incriminating note (and hide stolen identity papers beforehand), otherwise beforehand); otherwise, a nasty end awaits.
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''Time: All Things Come to an End'' is an InteractiveFiction (text adventure) game written by Andy Phillips (his debut title) and published in 1996. The primary genre is ScienceFiction (as the name implies, TimeTravel is a central theme), and involves an unnamed MadScientist protagonist visiting several time periods - a mix of past, present and future - to battle a mysterious villainess intent on ending time itself.
The game is ultra-linear - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult, even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games.
Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
The game is ultra-linear - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult, even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games.
Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
to:
''Time: All Things Come to an End'' is an InteractiveFiction (text adventure) game written by Andy Phillips (his debut title) and published in 1996. The story's primary genre is ScienceFiction (as the name implies, TimeTravel is a central theme), ScienceFiction, and involves it centers around an unnamed MadScientist protagonist visiting several time periods - a mix of past, present and future - to battle a mysterious villainess intent on ending time itself.
The game isultra-linear - ultra-linear, to the point that the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult, even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games.
Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZYawards: awards; Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
The game is
Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY
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* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle involves [[ShoutOut charging the time machine's power source with lightning]]. Note; you '''will''' get killed by lightning if you do it wrong! [[spoiler: simply attaching the power source to the cable and the cable to the lightning conductor will still mean that you hold the power source in your hands, and thus get shocked to death by lightning; you need to connect the cable to the power source, put it on the floor, and only then attach the cable to the lightning conductor.]]
to:
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle involves [[ShoutOut charging the time machine's power source with lightning]]. Note; you '''will''' get killed by lightning if you do it wrong! [[spoiler: simply attaching the power source to the cable and the cable to the lightning conductor will still mean that you hold the power source in your hands, and thus get shocked to death by lightning; you need to connect the cable to the power source, put it on the floor, and only then attach the cable to the lightning conductor.]]
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Lost Forever was renamed.
Deleted line(s) 55 (click to see context) :
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly (i.e. you have to literally type in "search", as "look" or "read" is not good enough). Many areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save (provided they ''did'' save the game).
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* PermanentlyMissableContent: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly (i.e. you have to literally type in "search", as "look" or "read" is not good enough). Many areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save (provided they ''did'' save the game).
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Removed several examples that are not accurate. Explanations: simply typing "up" or just "u" to go up flights of stairs or ladders is standard behavior for all text adventures, so this is not a valid example of this trope. "Use" is also avoided by virtually every text adventure game (except really old ones) because of its vagueness; you could blow through any game just typing "use" for everything without thinking about what the items actually do. So Ignoring "use" and needing a specific verb is also standard. "Unscrew panel with screwdriver" is normal. Picking a direction ("up" again) to exit the bin is, again, also standard; text games will only ask you to enter or exit for vehicles or the like, for clarity of navigation. So this is also not valid. No text game in the entire would respond to a command like "walk up to the car". Text adventures use compass directions as well as commands like "up" or "down" for clarity; if you had to type long sentences to move, you'd never guess the right one and it would be tedious to move anywhere. Waking the driver is simple; "Knock on window" or "tap window" work just fine. Text adventures, like any video game, have to be interacted with in a way the engine understands, and these examples are not reasonable. It would be like me complaining that a First-Person Shooter makes me aim at enemies manually instead of auto-locking so I can just shoot; that's not standard behavior, and not a fair thing to criticize the game for. For reference, here's a card showing standard commands and abbreviations that most text adventures understand: https://pr-if.org/doc/play-if-card/play-if-card.pdf
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* YouCantGetYeFlask: Occurs fairly often. At the start, for instance, it tells you that the way to the rooftop is up the steps. However, it'll then fail to recognise commands like "walk up the stairs", and only respond to "go up". Then, "apply screwdriver to the panel" or "use screwdriver on the panel" leads to "that's not the verb I recognise", as you are supposed to "unscrew the panel" first, and then specify a screwdriver.
** Then, after you make the first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish bin, and you are told there's an alley outside. The game won't recognise instructions like "go to alley" or "exit the bin". Instead, you must pick a direction again. Same happens when you encounter the stairs again. Then, instructions like "walk up to the car/vehicle/taxi" will also be ignored, and instructing to "shout at the driver/man" will result in "you can only do that to something animate" - you need to choose "wake the driver" instead, though it's fruitless too.
** Got a "tiny object" from the vending machine? Good, now figure out the right way to refer to it so that you can pick it up! Neither "tiny object" nor "the object" will work; instead, you have to figure out it's actually a wad of chewing gum; the most reliable way of ascertaining it is to walk out and then walk back in.
** Then, after you make the first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish bin, and you are told there's an alley outside. The game won't recognise instructions like "go to alley" or "exit the bin". Instead, you must pick a direction again. Same happens when you encounter the stairs again. Then, instructions like "walk up to the car/vehicle/taxi" will also be ignored, and instructing to "shout at the driver/man" will result in "you can only do that to something animate" - you need to choose "wake the driver" instead, though it's fruitless too.
** Got a "tiny object" from the vending machine? Good, now figure out the right way to refer to it so that you can pick it up! Neither "tiny object" nor "the object" will work; instead, you have to figure out it's actually a wad of chewing gum; the most reliable way of ascertaining it is to walk out and then walk back in.
to:
* YouCantGetYeFlask: Occurs fairly often. At the start, for instance, it tells you that the way to the rooftop is up the steps. However, it'll then fail to recognise commands like "walk up the stairs", and only respond to "go up". Then, "apply screwdriver to the panel" or "use screwdriver on the panel" leads to "that's not the verb I recognise", as you are supposed to "unscrew the panel" first, and then specify a screwdriver.
** Then, after you make the first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish bin, and you are told there's an alley outside. The game won't recognise instructions like "go to alley" or "exit the bin". Instead, you must pick a direction again. Same happens when you encounter the stairs again. Then, instructions like "walk up to the car/vehicle/taxi" will also be ignored, and instructing to "shout at the driver/man" will result in "you can only do that to something animate" - you need to choose "wake the driver" instead, though it's fruitless too.
YouCantGetYeFlask:
** Got a "tiny object" from the vending machine? Good, now figure out the right way to refer to it so that you can pick it up! Neither "tiny object" nor "the object" will work; instead, you have to figure out it's actually a wad of chewinggum; gum. Fortunately, simply refreshing the most reliable way of ascertaining it is to walk out and then walk back in.scene will reveal what the object is.
** Then, after you make the first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish bin, and you are told there's an alley outside. The game won't recognise instructions like "go to alley" or "exit the bin". Instead, you must pick a direction again. Same happens when you encounter the stairs again. Then, instructions like "walk up to the car/vehicle/taxi" will also be ignored, and instructing to "shout at the driver/man" will result in "you can only do that to something animate" - you need to choose "wake the driver" instead, though it's fruitless too.
** Got a "tiny object" from the vending machine? Good, now figure out the right way to refer to it so that you can pick it up! Neither "tiny object" nor "the object" will work; instead, you have to figure out it's actually a wad of chewing
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Trope Additions
* BeepingComputers: Lampshaded in the [[spoiler: interactive memory sequence]] when you must distract a physics teacher by setting a digital wristwatch. Doing so will cause all the watch alarms in the room to start beeping. Arguably TruthInTelevision as this feature was quite common for 1980s wristwatches.
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* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key information about the enemy's plan. Despite being a memory this is an interactive sequence - and yes, you can die.
to:
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key information about the enemy's plan. Despite being a memory this is an interactive sequence - sequence, and yes, you can die.die during it.
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* SamusIsAGirl: You can't see the person who kills Carpenter as their face is concealed behind a helmet, and the only clue to their identity is a steel button found in a gutter near the murder scene. It's not until the interrogation at the police station when you encounter a mysterious woman wearing similar buttons, revealing the killer to be female.
to:
* SamusIsAGirl: You can't see the person who kills Carpenter as their face is concealed behind a helmet, and the only clue to their identity is a steel button found in a gutter near the murder scene. It's not until the interrogation at the police station when you encounter a mysterious woman wearing similar buttons, buttons on her clothing, revealing the killer to be female.
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* SecretUndergroundPassage: A secret tunnel in the Austrian Schloss leads from the chapel to a secret Nazi research lab and torture chamber. Opening it requires the player to operate a hidden mechanism, naturally.
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* TemporalParadox:
** An object loop paradox occurs in chapters three and four. In the alternate 1985 the player acquires an aged note and iron sphere (containing a recorded message) from a mysterious man. When you travel back to 1940 you meet a younger version of the man in a Nazi dungeon. To allow your future meeting to occur you must return the sphere to the man and write the note from memory (as you no longer have the original).
** Arguably a subversion of the Grandfather paradox when you [[spoiler: relive your childhood]]. You're not there to alter history, just gain important information.
** An object loop paradox occurs in chapters three and four. In the alternate 1985 the player acquires an aged note and iron sphere (containing a recorded message) from a mysterious man. When you travel back to 1940 you meet a younger version of the man in a Nazi dungeon. To allow your future meeting to occur you must return the sphere to the man and write the note from memory (as you no longer have the original).
** Arguably a subversion of the Grandfather paradox when you [[spoiler: relive your childhood]]. You're not there to alter history, just gain important information.
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The game is ultra-linear - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games.
to:
The game is ultra-linear - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult - difficult, even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games.
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* SamusIsAGirl: You can't see the person who kills Carpenter as their face is concealed behind a helmet, and the only clue to their identity is a steel button found in a gutter near the murder scene. It's not until the interrogation at the police station when you encounter a mysterious woman wearing similar buttons, revealing the killer to be female.
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* BigBad: Time's enemy is a mysterious six foot tall woman with blue eyes. It's hinted she may be from another world or dimension.
** Her opposite number is [[BigGood the timekeeper]], a bearded man in white with a golden clock. At the end of the game [[spoiler: the player character takes on the timekeeper's role]].
** Her opposite number is [[BigGood the timekeeper]], a bearded man in white with a golden clock. At the end of the game [[spoiler: the player character takes on the timekeeper's role]].
* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Escaping from a prison cell requires moving a bed to expose a grate. Unfortunately the vent is stuck so you must bang it. Doing so will attract the attention of a guard, but it you move the bed back to its original position he will assume nothing is wrong.
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* MarathonLevel: The first chapter - set in the year 2065 - is 2-3 times longer than those which follow, including sections on the streets of London, an apartment, police station and research facility.
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key information.
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key information.
to:
* TheManyDeathsOfYou: Literally dozens of ways to die, covering every section from the prologue to endgame.
* MarathonLevel: The first chapter - set in the year 2065 - is 2-3 times longer than those which follow,including sections on incorporating the streets of London, an apartment, apartment building, police station and a research facility.
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain keyinformation.information about the enemy's plan. Despite being a memory this is an interactive sequence - and yes, you can die.
* MarathonLevel: The first chapter - set in the year 2065 - is 2-3 times longer than those which follow,
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key
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* PurpleProse: Some of the textual descriptions - especially the many corpses your enemy leaves behind - definitely qualify.
to:
* PurpleProse: Some of the textual descriptions - especially the many corpses your enemy leaves behind over the course of the game - definitely qualify.
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** At the Trion Institute there's a security door with an optical scanner. A short time afterward - provided you survive an encounter with the villainess - you'll discover a mask of another person's face in her possession. However, taking it is fatal, so a different means of bypassing the door must be found.
to:
** At the Trion Institute there's a security door with an optical scanner. A short time afterward - provided you survive an encounter with the villainess - you'll discover a mask of another person's face in her possession. However, taking Taking it is fatal, so a different means of bypassing the door must be found.
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* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Escaping from a prison cell requires moving a bed to expose a grate. Unfortunately the vent is stuck so you must bang it. Doing so will attract the attention of a guard, but it you move the bed back to its original position he will assume nothing is wrong.
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* TimedMission: Quite often the player must not only have the required equipment to solve a puzzle, but has to do so within a time limit.
to:
* TimedMission: Quite often the player must not only have the required equipment to solve a puzzle, but has to also do so within a time limit.
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Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
The game is ultra-linear - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
to:
The game is ultra-linear - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. games.
Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
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** When the woman ambushes the player [[spoiler: in the Atlantean ruins]] she foolishly leaves them alive with no apparent means of escape. Naturally this proves her undoing.
to:
** When the woman ambushes the player [[spoiler: in the Atlantean ruins]] she foolishly leaves them to be buried alive with no apparent means of escape. Naturally this proves her undoing.
* FakeDifficulty: Knowledge of future events (or learning through death) is required to solve some puzzles.
Changed line(s) 39 (click to see context) from:
** Ultimately subverted in that the player will ''eventually'' discover a rucksack with unlimited storage capacity, which makes inventory management ''much'' easier. However it's roughly 15-20% into the game before this happens.
to:
** Ultimately subverted in that the player will you ''eventually'' discover a rucksack with unlimited storage capacity, which makes inventory management ''much'' easier. However it's roughly 15-20% into the game before this happens.
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* MineralMacGuffin: The keystones of time - which the player spends most of the game searching for - are tetrahedral shaped precious jewels.
to:
* MineralMacGuffin: The keystones of time - which the player spends most of the game searching for - are tetrahedral shaped precious jewels.
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* PsychoticSmirk: The villainess typically smiles when confronting you face to face. One piece of text refers to her as a "smiling sadist".
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* TimedMission: Quite often the player must not only have the required equipment to solve a puzzle, but has to do so within a time limit.
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* MarathonLevel: The first chapter - set in the year 2065 - is 2-3 times longer than those which follow, including sections on the streets of London, an apartment, police station and research facility.
* PercussiveMaintenance: After repairing an ancient machine - by adopting a {{MacGyvering}} approach with a wire garotte and power cell - it still refuses to function and there are no obvious buttons or switches. A simple thump does the trick.
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* PercussiveMaintenance: After repairing an ancient machine - by adopting a {{MacGyvering}} approach with a wire garotte and power cell - it still refuses to function and there's no obvious buttons or switches. A simple thump does the trick.
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* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Escaping from a prison cell requires moving a bed to expose a grate. Unfortunately the vent is stuck so you must bang it. Doing so will attract the attention of a guard, but it you move the bed back to its original position he will assume nothing is wrong.
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* UnderWaterBossBattle: In chapter five you travel to a secret location using a submarine. Cue a battle with your enemy who dons an diving suit, then attempts to blow up your vessel with a missile and drill her way through the hull. Survival requires button mashing on the sub's controls to utilise your own defences.
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Changed line(s) 24,25 (click to see context) from:
* GuideDangIt: There are ''many' potential sticky points. Particularly notable ones include:
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. Some are hinted at, such as removing the rope you used to climb in from the platform outside. Covering the front window to hide your presence fromm the police is more obscure. Not to mention keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. Some are hinted at, such as removing the rope you used to climb in from the platform outside. Covering the front window to hide your presence fromm the police is more obscure. Not to mention keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
to:
* GuideDangIt: There are ''many' ''many'' potential sticky points. Particularly notable ones include:
are:
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. Some are hinted at, such as removing the rope you used to climb in from the platform outside. Covering the front window to hide your presencefromm from the police is more obscure. Not to mention keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. Some are hinted at, such as removing the rope you used to climb in from the platform outside. Covering the front window to hide your presence
Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
** Not only are certain items of equipment difficult to find, but there is often no clue as to their purpose or means or operation. In particular there are two rods (a sleep inducer and a sonic vibrator) that must be aimed at an object and then pressed or turned respectively.
to:
** Not only are certain items of equipment difficult to find, but there is often no clue as to their purpose or means or of operation. In particular there are two rods (a sleep inducer and a sonic vibrator) that must be aimed at an object and then pressed or turned respectively.
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** At the end of the fourth chapter the player enters a "dream" sequence in a headmaster's study. Death will quickly follow if the correct timeline was not restored. The only hints as to what went wrong are out-of-place items in the room.
*** In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear. Given the player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and the player is guaranteed to have the means to do destroy it by solving an earlier puzzle), it's relatively straightforward to correct these anomalies without a walkthrough.
*** The third aspect is much trickier to solve from the vague hints (antique items). The player must interact with a prisoner by writing a note and handing it to him along with an iron sphere. This is to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur (history from your perspective since it's where you first read the note and obtain the sphere), and then send him to an alternate dimension since the timeline has now been corrected and the alternate 1985 in which you met the man no longer exists.
*** In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear. Given the player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and the player is guaranteed to have the means to do destroy it by solving an earlier puzzle), it's relatively straightforward to correct these anomalies without a walkthrough.
*** The third aspect is much trickier to solve from the vague hints (antique items). The player must interact with a prisoner by writing a note and handing it to him along with an iron sphere. This is to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur (history from your perspective since it's where you first read the note and obtain the sphere), and then send him to an alternate dimension since the timeline has now been corrected and the alternate 1985 in which you met the man no longer exists.
to:
** At the end of the fourth chapter the player enters a "dream" sequence in a headmaster's study. Death will quickly follow if the correct timeline was not restored.unless three tasks were accomplished. The only hints as to what went wrong are out-of-place items in the room.
*** In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear.Given the The player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, events, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and - and the player is guaranteed to have the means to do destroy it by solving an earlier puzzle), puzzle). So it's relatively straightforward to correct these anomalies without a walkthrough.
*** The third aspect is much trickier to solve from the vague hints (antique items). The player must interact with a prisoner by writing a note and handing it to him along with an iron sphere. This is to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur in 1985 (history from your perspective sinceit's where you first read it happened in the note and obtain the sphere), previous chapter, but his future), and then send him to an alternate dimension since the timeline has is now been corrected restored and the alternate 1985 in which you met the man no longer exists.
*** In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear.
*** The third aspect is much trickier to solve from the vague hints (antique items). The player must interact with a prisoner by writing a note and handing it to him along with an iron sphere. This is to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur in 1985 (history from your perspective since
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*** The communications room has a radio with an adjustable dial. However, none of the settings work. The player must ''turn the radio itself'' to reveal a microchip. And pushing / pulling doesn't work here.
*** Having gained access to the armoury (itself a far from easy feat) the player discovers a crate. Opening this results in a concealed explosive detonating. To disarm the device the player must ''knock on the crate'' to reveal a concealed panel. Good luck figuring that out without a walkthrough.
*** Having gained access to the armoury (itself a far from easy feat) the player discovers a crate. Opening this results in a concealed explosive detonating. To disarm the device the player must ''knock on the crate'' to reveal a concealed panel. Good luck figuring that out without a walkthrough.
to:
*** The communications room has a radio with an adjustable dial. However, none of the settings work. The player must ''turn the radio itself'' to reveal a microchip. And pushing / pulling doesn't work here.
reveal anything amiss.
*** Having gained access to the armoury (itself a far from easy feat) the player discovers a crate. Opening this results ina concealed an explosive detonating. To disarm the device bomb the player must ''knock on the crate'' to reveal a concealed panel. Good luck figuring that out without a walkthrough.
*** Having gained access to the armoury (itself a far from easy feat) the player discovers a crate. Opening this results in
Changed line(s) 39 (click to see context) from:
** Ultimately subverted in that the player will ''eventually'' discover a rucksack with unlimited storage capacity, which makes inventory management ''much'' easier. However it's approximately 15-20% into the game before this happens.
to:
** Ultimately subverted in that the player will ''eventually'' discover a rucksack with unlimited storage capacity, which makes inventory management ''much'' easier. However it's approximately roughly 15-20% into the game before this happens.
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* LivingStatue: To escape from [[spoiler: Atlantis]] the player must use a statis field device. Do this successfully and you'll wake up on display in a museum.
to:
* LivingStatue: To escape from [[spoiler: Atlantis]] the player must use a statis stasis field device. Do this successfully and you'll wake up on display in a museum.
* MineralMacGuffin: The keystones of time - which the player spends most of the game searching for - are tetrahedral shaped precious jewels.
* PercussiveMaintenance: After repairing an ancient machine - by adopting a {{MacGyvering}} approach with a wire garotte and power cell - it still refuses to function and there's no obvious buttons or switches. A simple thump does the trick.
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
** A similar thing happens later on with the German chauffeur in 1940. It's possible to knock him out straight away, but this will make an essential item impossible to obtain. Instead you must [[spoiler: scare him with a rifle you hopefully collected in the last chapter, then show the man a key (an apparent single use item you hopefully kept) to get the man to point out a different key.]]
to:
** A similar thing happens later on with the German chauffeur in 1940. It's possible to knock him out straight away, but this will make an essential item impossible to obtain. Instead you must [[spoiler: scare him with a rifle you hopefully collected in the last chapter, then show the man a key (an apparent single use item you hopefully kept) to get the man him to point out a different key.key on the ground.]]
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Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
** At the end of the fourth chapter the player enters a "dream" sequence in a headmaster's study. Death will quickly follow if the correct timeline was not restored. The only hints as to what's gone wrong are items in the room. In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear. Given the player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and the player is guaranteed to have the means to do so), it's relatively straightforward to correct these without a walkthrough. However it's also necessary to write a note and hand it and an iron sphere to a prisoner so as to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur, and then send him to an alternate dimension since the timeline has now been corrected and the alternate 1985 in which you met him no longer exists.
to:
** At the end of the fourth chapter the player enters a "dream" sequence in a headmaster's study. Death will quickly follow if the correct timeline was not restored. The only hints as to what's gone what went wrong are out-of-place items in the room. room.
*** In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear. Given the player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and the player is guaranteed to have the means to doso), destroy it by solving an earlier puzzle), it's relatively straightforward to correct these anomalies without a walkthrough. However it's also necessary walkthrough.
*** The third aspect is much trickier towrite solve from the vague hints (antique items). The player must interact with a prisoner by writing a note and hand handing it and to him along with an iron sphere to a prisoner so as sphere. This is to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur, occur (history from your perspective since it's where you first read the note and obtain the sphere), and then send him to an alternate dimension since the timeline has now been corrected and the alternate 1985 in which you met him the man no longer exists.
*** In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the hints are reasonably clear. Given the player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and the player is guaranteed to have the means to do
*** The third aspect is much trickier to
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* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The game's prologue takes place during the year 1997 - a year into the future at the time of release.
Changed line(s) 27,28 (click to see context) from:
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine disguised behind a hologram. The only vague hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the surface. And th
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only "clue" you're given is the symmetry of the exits.
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only "clue" you're given is the symmetry of the exits.
to:
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine disguised behind a hologram. The only vague hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the surface. And th
surface.
**Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires At the end of the fourth chapter the player to use enters a "dream" sequence in a headmaster's study. Death will quickly follow if the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. correct timeline was not restored. The only "clue" you're given is hints as to what's gone wrong are items in the symmetry of room. In two cases (a moustached man painting and futuristic tech) the exits.hints are reasonably clear. Given the player knew they had to recorrect historical events before arrival, and it's fairly obvious that leaving a mind control machine in Nazi hands would be a bad idea (and the player is guaranteed to have the means to do so), it's relatively straightforward to correct these without a walkthrough. However it's also necessary to write a note and hand it and an iron sphere to a prisoner so as to allow a future meeting with the same man to occur, and then send him to an alternate dimension since the timeline has now been corrected and the alternate 1985 in which you met him no longer exists.
**
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*** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only "clue" you're given is the symmetry of the exits.
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** When the woman ambushes the player [[spoiler: in the Atlantean ruins]] she foolishly leaves them alive with no apparent means of escape. Naturally this proves her undoing.
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* EverythingTryingToKillYou: There are many ways to meet a sticky end, but the 2065 period (the ''very first'' you visit after the prologue) is a dystopian future where pretty much every NPC is lethal: a knife-wielding female thug, a ''taxi driver'' that shoots you should you not pay his fare (or not be able to), trigger-happy police officers, lethal automated security defences. The list goes on.
to:
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: There are many ways to meet a sticky end, but the 2065 period (the ''very first'' you visit after the prologue) is a dystopian future where pretty much every NPC encounter is potentially lethal: a knife-wielding female thug, a ''taxi driver'' that shoots you should you not pay his fare (or not be able to), trigger-happy police officers, lethal automated security defences. The list goes on.
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* MagicTool: The plastic rod found in the third chapter - which vibrates targeted objects - is the most-used item in the game. Essentially a primitive variant of the [[Series/DoctorWho sonic screwdriver]].
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* SlidingScaleOfLinearityVsOpenness: A Level 2 example of this trope. Limited exploration is allowed within small areas, but not backtracking to previously visited regions.
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Changed line(s) 21 (click to see context) from:
* FeaturelessProtagonist: Later Andy Phillips games have better defined player characters, but the protagonist here is an unnamed scientist. Certain dialogue from NPCs implies the character is male, but no other details are given.
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* FeaturelessProtagonist: Later Andy Phillips games have better defined player characters, but the protagonist here is an unnamed scientist. Certain dialogue from NPCs [=NPCs=] implies the character is male, but no other details are given.
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** Ultimately subverted in that the player will ''eventually'' discover a rucksack with unlimited storage capacity, which makes inventory management ''much'' easier. However it's approximately 15-20% into the game before this happens.
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* AttackItsWeakPoint: The villainess wears armour that protects most of her body. On two occasions the player must find a weak spot to survive the encounter. The first - in the Trion Institute - requires the player to [[spoiler: target her exposed head with a sleep inducer]]. The other occurs during the climatic battle, and the solution is [[spoiler: to remove the woman's helmet and punch her in the eye]].
* FeaturelessProtagonist: Later Andy Phillips games have better defined player characters, but the protagonist here is an unnamed scientist. Certain dialogue from NPCs implies the character is male, but no other details are given.
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** Two puzzles in the fifth chapter require the player to do more than look and examine the environment. The player must [[spoiler: listen and smell]] in certain places to solve them.
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** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by a hologram. There's little indication of this. The only hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the surface.
to:
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by disguised behind a hologram. There's little indication of this. The only vague hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the surface.surface. And th
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** The fifth chapter - set on a cargo ship in 2008 - is especially tricky.
*** Two puzzles require the player to do more than look and search objects in the environment (a given in this game). The player must listen and smell in certain locations to progress.
*** The communications room has a radio with an adjustable dial. However, none of the settings work. The player must ''turn the radio itself'' to reveal a microchip. And pushing / pulling doesn't work here.
*** Having gained access to the armoury (itself a far from easy feat) the player discovers a crate. Opening this results in a concealed explosive detonating. To disarm the device the player must ''knock on the crate'' to reveal a concealed panel. Good luck figuring that out without a walkthrough.
*** Surviving the trip to [[spoiler: the ruins of Atlantis]] is a matter of trial and error, requiring the player to push seven coloured buttons on a submarine control panel to discover their purpose.
*** Two puzzles require the player to do more than look and search objects in the environment (a given in this game). The player must listen and smell in certain locations to progress.
*** The communications room has a radio with an adjustable dial. However, none of the settings work. The player must ''turn the radio itself'' to reveal a microchip. And pushing / pulling doesn't work here.
*** Having gained access to the armoury (itself a far from easy feat) the player discovers a crate. Opening this results in a concealed explosive detonating. To disarm the device the player must ''knock on the crate'' to reveal a concealed panel. Good luck figuring that out without a walkthrough.
*** Surviving the trip to [[spoiler: the ruins of Atlantis]] is a matter of trial and error, requiring the player to push seven coloured buttons on a submarine control panel to discover their purpose.
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** Lampshaded in the endgame when the player is awarded ten points (far more than any other task) for "finally disposing of your enemy".
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* SecretPolice: [[UsefulNotes/TheGestapo The Gestapo]] are still active in the alternate 1985 timeline, complete with dark suits, steel rimmed glasses and swastikka badges. The player must destroy an incriminating note (and hide stolen identity papers beforehand), otherwise a nasty end awaits.
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Trope Additions
Changed line(s) 51 (click to see context) from:
* TimeMachine: The prototype Xeron device is one of the TimeAndRelativeDimensionsInSpace variety, able to move in time and space but retaining the same appearance. Your enemy has a more advanced version [[spoiler: with a holographic disguise]].
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* ShoutOut:
** Several to ''Series/DoctorWho'':
*** The time machine operates similarly to the TARDIS.
*** The vibrator rod is similar in function to the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver.
*** Time has a guardian in the form of a man wearing a white toga and golden clock, and the female enemy often wears black. This is similar to the ''Key to Time'' season - featuring the White and Black Guardians - from the Tom Baker era.
** When undergoing interrogation by the mysterious female enemy in 2065, she asks you where you're from. London isn't an acceptable answer as she wants a specific borough / place. The player can answer Chelsea (the area in which the prologue takes place). There are also a number of other possible answers including Kensington - a possible reference to Infocom's ''{{VideoGame/Trinity}}''.
** In the prologue there's a triangular picture frame showing a man with an electronic eye and a quote from Gustav Ernst. The character does not appear in this game, but would eventually feature - over ten years later - in another Andy Phillips game, ''Inside Woman''.
* TimeMachine: The prototype Xeron device is one of theTimeAndRelativeDimensionsInSpace [[TimeAndRelativeDimensionsInSpace TARDIS]] variety, able to move in time and space but retaining the same appearance. Your enemy has a more advanced version [[spoiler: with a holographic disguise]].
** Several to ''Series/DoctorWho'':
*** The time machine operates similarly to the TARDIS.
*** The vibrator rod is similar in function to the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver.
*** Time has a guardian in the form of a man wearing a white toga and golden clock, and the female enemy often wears black. This is similar to the ''Key to Time'' season - featuring the White and Black Guardians - from the Tom Baker era.
** When undergoing interrogation by the mysterious female enemy in 2065, she asks you where you're from. London isn't an acceptable answer as she wants a specific borough / place. The player can answer Chelsea (the area in which the prologue takes place). There are also a number of other possible answers including Kensington - a possible reference to Infocom's ''{{VideoGame/Trinity}}''.
** In the prologue there's a triangular picture frame showing a man with an electronic eye and a quote from Gustav Ernst. The character does not appear in this game, but would eventually feature - over ten years later - in another Andy Phillips game, ''Inside Woman''.
* TimeMachine: The prototype Xeron device is one of the
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Changed line(s) 16 (click to see context) from:
** At the Trion Institute she paralyses the player. There would be no chance of escape had she not talked so long the paralysis wears off.
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** At the Trion Institute she paralyses the player. There would be no chance of escape had if she not talked didn't talk so long the paralysis wears off.
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** In the Austrian Schloss the player must wait several turns in the courtyard for the solution to present itself.
to:
** In the Austrian Schloss the player must wait several turns in the courtyard chapel for the solution to present itself.itself. Missed it? Better reload an earlier save because it's only mentioned once.
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* HauntedCastle: There are no ghosts in the Austrian Schloss, but plenty of human monsters. Random atmospheric comments include loud screams and clanging noises, and there's a fridge full of body parts to find.
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* MindControlDevice: The Nazis build one, making use of mysterious techonology to alter the course of history.
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* TimeMachine: The prototype Xeron device is one of the TimeAndRelativeDimensionsInSpace variety, able to move in time and space but retaining the same appearance. Your enemy has a more advanced version [[spoiler: with a holographic disguise]].
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** Later in the chapter the player must correct the course of history by controlling [[spoiler: Adolf Hitler]] in the command bunker. The only item available is a piece of paper containing military orders. Attacking the paper generates the default response "Violence isn't the answer to this one". Somewhat misleading, as the solution is to TEAR the paper up and discard the confetti.
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Changed line(s) 51 (click to see context) from:
* WeaponForIntimidation: The gun you can pick up at rubbish bin in the first chapter is this at first, as your character has no idea how to actually use it. In fact, [[spoiler: responding to a knife-wielding girl with "shoot" will lead to a GameOver as you'll fumble with a gun, and give her enough time to stab you. "Pointing" the gun for several turns is actually the way to go.]]
to:
* WeaponForIntimidation: WeaponForIntimidation:
** The gun you can pick up at rubbish bin in the first chapter is this at first, as your character has no idea how to actually use it. In fact, [[spoiler: responding to a knife-wielding girl with "shoot" will lead to a GameOver as you'll fumble with a gun, and give her enough time to stab you. "Pointing" the gun for several turns is actually the way to go.]]
** A similar thing happens later on with the German chauffeur in 1940. It's possible to knock him out straight away, but this will make an essential item impossible to obtain. Instead you must [[spoiler: scare him with a rifle you hopefully collected in the last chapter, then show the man a key (an apparent single use item you hopefully kept) to get the man to point out a different key.]]
** The gun you can pick up at rubbish bin in the first chapter is this at first, as your character has no idea how to actually use it. In fact, [[spoiler: responding to a knife-wielding girl with "shoot" will lead to a GameOver as you'll fumble with a gun, and give her enough time to stab you. "Pointing" the gun for several turns is actually the way to go.]]
** A similar thing happens later on with the German chauffeur in 1940. It's possible to knock him out straight away, but this will make an essential item impossible to obtain. Instead you must [[spoiler: scare him with a rifle you hopefully collected in the last chapter, then show the man a key (an apparent single use item you hopefully kept) to get the man to point out a different key.]]
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Changed line(s) 21 (click to see context) from:
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. And keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
to:
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. And Some are hinted at, such as removing the rope you used to climb in from the platform outside. Covering the front window to hide your presence fromm the police is more obscure. Not to mention keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
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** Not only are certain items of equipment difficult to find, but there is often no clue as to the purpose or means or operation. In particular there are two rods (a sleep inducer and a sonic vibrator) that must be aimed at an object and then pressed or turned respectively.
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by a holagram. There's little indication of this. The only hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the statue.
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only clue - the symmetry of the exits.
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by a holagram. There's little indication of this. The only hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the statue.
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only clue - the symmetry of the exits.
to:
** Not only are certain items of equipment difficult to find, but there is often no clue as to the their purpose or means or operation. In particular there are two rods (a sleep inducer and a sonic vibrator) that must be aimed at an object and then pressed or turned respectively.
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by aholagram.hologram. There's little indication of this. The only hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the statue.
surface.
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The onlyclue - "clue" you're given is the symmetry of the exits.
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by a
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only
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Added DiffLines:
** Not only are certain items of equipment difficult to find, but there is often no clue as to the purpose or means or operation. In particular there are two rods (a sleep inducer and a sonic vibrator) that must be aimed at an object and then pressed or turned respectively.
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by a holagram. There's little indication of this. The only hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the statue.
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only clue - the symmetry of the exits.
** The statue at the exhibition in 1985 is in fact another time machine protected by a holagram. There's little indication of this. The only hints are a brief note in the Xeron project document - which you're forced to discard quite a bit earlier in the game - and a vibration you feel on touching the statue.
** Revealing a hidden room in [[spoiler: Atlantis]] requires the player to use the sonic vibrator to destroy a seemingly unremarkable wall. The only clue - the symmetry of the exits.
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** The lowest rank - when fewer than five points have been scored - is "crazy scientist with no brain whatsoever".
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Trope Additions
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* DarkActionGirl: All Andy Phillips' games have at least one. The villainess here is a murderous, armour-clad time traveller who shoots and strangles her way through history.
to:
* BondVillainStupidity: The villainess enjoys talking, and has numerous opportunities to kill the player. Often this allows the player to escape.
** Lampshaded in one encounter when she ''actually says'' she talked too much on the previous occasion. Not that it stops her doing so again.
** At the Trion Institute she paralyses the player. There would be no chance of escape had she not talked so long the paralysis wears off.
** In the alternate 1980s you encounter your enemy in her office. After a monologue she lifts her veil which gives an opportunity [[spoiler: to throw pepper in her face and flee]].
* DarkActionGirl: All Andy Phillips' games have at least one. The villainess here is a murderous, armour-clad time traveller who shoots and strangles her way throughhistory. history.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: There are many ways to meet a sticky end, but the 2065 period (the ''very first'' you visit after the prologue) is a dystopian future where pretty much every NPC is lethal: a knife-wielding female thug, a ''taxi driver'' that shoots you should you not pay his fare (or not be able to), trigger-happy police officers, lethal automated security defences. The list goes on.
** Lampshaded in one encounter when she ''actually says'' she talked too much on the previous occasion. Not that it stops her doing so again.
** At the Trion Institute she paralyses the player. There would be no chance of escape had she not talked so long the paralysis wears off.
** In the alternate 1980s you encounter your enemy in her office. After a monologue she lifts her veil which gives an opportunity [[spoiler: to throw pepper in her face and flee]].
* DarkActionGirl: All Andy Phillips' games have at least one. The villainess here is a murderous, armour-clad time traveller who shoots and strangles her way through
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: There are many ways to meet a sticky end, but the 2065 period (the ''very first'' you visit after the prologue) is a dystopian future where pretty much every NPC is lethal: a knife-wielding female thug, a ''taxi driver'' that shoots you should you not pay his fare (or not be able to), trigger-happy police officers, lethal automated security defences. The list goes on.
* {{Hologram}}: One of the key items the player aquires early on (if they search the apartment thoroughly) is a pendant which projects audiovisual holograms from tiny spheres which act as recording devices.
* LaResistance: In the alternate timeline - with England under occupation by Nazis - the player meets up with several resistance members following some CloakAndDagger antics. Subverted in that you don't need to go along with their plan, simply gain their services to alter an identity document.
* PreMortemOneLiner: The villainess is particularly fond of these.
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* SchmuckBait: As soon as you make your first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish heap. Searching it states that the only item of interest is a newspaper. Trying to take it immediately, however, results in so much noise that you attract the attention of a villain whom you can only hear at that point, and get blown up by their grenade. You need to wait for them to shoot the unfortunate Carpenter and leave before reading it.
to:
* SchmuckBait: RecurringBoss: The protagonist encounters the enemy multiple times over the course of the game. Should the player become violent and attempt to finish her off before the endgame, this usually results in death from a self defence mechanism.
* SchmuckBait:
** As soon as you make your first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish heap. Searching it states that the only item of interest is a newspaper. Trying to take it immediately, however, results in so much noise that you attract the attention of a villain whom you can only hear at that point, and get blown up by their grenade. You need to wait for them to shoot the unfortunate Carpenter and leave before readingit.it.
** At the Trion Institute there's a security door with an optical scanner. A short time afterward - provided you survive an encounter with the villainess - you'll discover a mask of another person's face in her possession. However, taking it is fatal, so a different means of bypassing the door must be found.
* SchmuckBait:
** As soon as you make your first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish heap. Searching it states that the only item of interest is a newspaper. Trying to take it immediately, however, results in so much noise that you attract the attention of a villain whom you can only hear at that point, and get blown up by their grenade. You need to wait for them to shoot the unfortunate Carpenter and leave before reading
** At the Trion Institute there's a security door with an optical scanner. A short time afterward - provided you survive an encounter with the villainess - you'll discover a mask of another person's face in her possession. However, taking it is fatal, so a different means of bypassing the door must be found.
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Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Chapter four has the player use a mysterious machine to control the mind of [[spoiler: Adolf Hitler during the Axis attack on Dunkirk during World War II]].
to:
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Chapter four has the player use a mysterious machine to control the mind of [[spoiler: Adolf Hitler during the Axis attack on Dunkirk during in World War II]].
* ImprovisedWeapon: Escaping from your murderous enemy often involves the use of a commonplace item. Encounters with her include [[spoiler: throwing a glass of water to survive the interrogation, chucking a sachet of pepper in her face and finally using a necklace to choke her to death]].
Changed line(s) 23 (click to see context) from:
* LivingStatue: To escape from [[spoiler: Atlantis]] the player must use a statis field device. Do this successfully and you'll end wake up on display in a museum.
to:
* LivingStatue: To escape from [[spoiler: Atlantis]] the player must use a statis field device. Do this successfully and you'll end wake up on display in a museum.
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* UnwinnableByDesign: Essentially the textual equivalent of a {{Creator/Sierra}} adventure. The game can be summed up as guess, die, replay, reload earlier save. Repeat ad infinitum.
to:
* UnwinnableByDesign: Essentially the textual equivalent of a {{Creator/Sierra}} adventure. The game can be summed up as guess, guess wrong, die, replay, reload earlier save. Repeat ad infinitum.
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** In chapter four the player must interact with a silver candle holder to open a secret passage. There must be a bug here as the game does not recognise the word 'holder'. Instead the player must enter the command TURN SILVER.
to:
** In chapter four the player must interact with a silver candle holder to open a secret passage. There must be There's likely a bug here as the game does not recognise the word 'holder'. Instead the player must enter the command TURN SILVER.
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* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Chapter four has the player use a mysterious machine to control the mind of [[spoiler: Adolf Hitler during the Axis attack on Dunkirk during World War II]].
* DarkActionGirl: All Andy Phillips' games have at least one. The villainess here is a murderous, armour-clad time traveller who shoots and strangles her way through history.
* GuideDangIt: There are ''many' potential sticky points. Particularly notable ones include:
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. And keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
** In the Austrian Schloss the player must wait several turns in the courtyard for the solution to present itself.
** Two puzzles in the fifth chapter require the player to do more than look and examine the environment. The player must [[spoiler: listen and smell]] in certain places to solve them.
* DarkActionGirl: All Andy Phillips' games have at least one. The villainess here is a murderous, armour-clad time traveller who shoots and strangles her way through history.
* GuideDangIt: There are ''many' potential sticky points. Particularly notable ones include:
** Early on the player visits Carpenter's apartment. This requires numerous actions to be taken to prevent the police arriving before you can search the place. And keeping certain items in your possession will kill you later on (with no indication what these are in advance).
** In the Austrian Schloss the player must wait several turns in the courtyard for the solution to present itself.
** Two puzzles in the fifth chapter require the player to do more than look and examine the environment. The player must [[spoiler: listen and smell]] in certain places to solve them.
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* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The villainess strangles numerous people throughout the game (including the player given the chance), so it's only fitting she [[spoiler: ends up hung by a necklace following the climatic confrontation]].
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* LivingStatue: To escape from [[spoiler: Atlantis]] the player must use a statis field device. Do this successfully and you'll end wake up on display in a museum.
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** In chapter four the player must interact with a silver candle holder to open a secret passage. There must be a bug here as the game does not recognise the word 'holder'. Instead the player must enter the command TURN SILVER.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/time_all_things.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Prologue and opening.]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Prologue and opening.]]
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The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
to:
The game is ultra-linear and - to the point the first live [=NPC=] you meet cannot be interacted with at all. It is also infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles.
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* AlmostDeadGuy: When you make your very first jump, to the year of 2065, you arrive just in time to witness a man named Carpenter getting shot for interfering with the mysterious Xeron Project. (Attempting to interfere will only get you killed as well.) However, if you try to search his body, he'll come to life for long enough to tell you to stop the Xeron project, and mention keystones and a key to the apartment, yet die right before saying where the key was hidden.
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* HaveANiceDeath: Many of the death descriptions are somewhat humourous. And there are ''a lot'' of ways to die in this game.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly. Many areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save (provided they ''did'' save the game).
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle involves [[ShoutOut charging the time machine's power source with lightning]].
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly. Many areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save (provided they ''did'' save the game).
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle involves [[ShoutOut charging the time machine's power source with lightning]].
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* {{Hammerspace}}: Averted. Your character can only carry about five items with them before getting "you are carrying too many things already!" response. Notably, it doesn't mean that there are no more plot-critical items to take; often you'll need to drop some of them, or at least put them inside a container like a plastic bag (which are not infinite in size themselves.)
* HaveANiceDeath: Many of the death descriptions are somewhathumourous.humorous. And there are ''a lot'' of ways to die in this game.
* LaserBlade / HotBlade: The "glowing knife" wielded by [[spoiler: the girl at the disused train station]] is either of those.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areasthoroughly.thoroughly (i.e. you have to literally type in "search", as "look" or "read" is not good enough). Many areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save (provided they ''did'' save the game).
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle involves [[ShoutOut charging the time machine's power source with lightning]]. Note; you '''will''' get killed by lightning if you do it wrong! [[spoiler: simply attaching the power source to the cable and the cable to the lightning conductor will still mean that you hold the power source in your hands, and thus get shocked to death by lightning; you need to connect the cable to the power source, put it on the floor, and only then attach the cable to the lightning conductor.]]
** Choosing "look at the notes" at the start will say that some are valuable notes, and others are "useless pictures and scribbles". Choosing "look at the scribbles" then says "Just various meaningless diagrams that were drawn on a Tuesday afternoon in the lab. Even crazy scientists can get bored!"
* HaveANiceDeath: Many of the death descriptions are somewhat
* LaserBlade / HotBlade: The "glowing knife" wielded by [[spoiler: the girl at the disused train station]] is either of those.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle involves [[ShoutOut charging the time machine's power source with lightning]]. Note; you '''will''' get killed by lightning if you do it wrong! [[spoiler: simply attaching the power source to the cable and the cable to the lightning conductor will still mean that you hold the power source in your hands, and thus get shocked to death by lightning; you need to connect the cable to the power source, put it on the floor, and only then attach the cable to the lightning conductor.]]
** Choosing "look at the notes" at the start will say that some are valuable notes, and others are "useless pictures and scribbles". Choosing "look at the scribbles" then says "Just various meaningless diagrams that were drawn on a Tuesday afternoon in the lab. Even crazy scientists can get bored!"
* PressStartToGameOver: You start the game in your laboratory, and can either go north to the storeroom, up the stairs to the roof, or south to exit the building. The latter option will be refused "until you give the machine one last try" at first. If you fail to fix it within a couple dozen turns, however, then choosing this option will in fact result in your frustrated character leaving the lab to hand it over to the corporation, and spending the rest of his life wondering where he went wrong.
* SchmuckBait: As soon as you make your first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish heap. Searching it states that the only item of interest is a newspaper. Trying to take it immediately, however, results in so much noise that you attract the attention of a villain whom you can only hear at that point, and get blown up by their grenade. You need to wait for them to shoot the unfortunate Carpenter and leave before reading it.
* ScoringPoints: The game is very linear, yet also often obtuse about what needs to be done. Thus, the actions that actually advance the plotline are accompanied with "[Your score has just gone up by one point]" message.
* ScoringPoints: The game is very linear, yet also often obtuse about what needs to be done. Thus, the actions that actually advance the plotline are accompanied with "[Your score has just gone up by one point]" message.
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* WeaponForIntimidation: The gun you can pick up at rubbish bin in the first chapter is this at first, as your character has no idea how to actually use it. In fact, [[spoiler: responding to a knife-wielding girl with "shoot" will lead to a GameOver as you'll fumble with a gun, and give her enough time to stab you. "Pointing" the gun for several turns is actually the way to go.]]
* YouCantGetYeFlask: Occurs fairly often. At the start, for instance, it tells you that the way to the rooftop is up the steps. However, it'll then fail to recognise commands like "walk up the stairs", and only respond to "go up". Then, "apply screwdriver to the panel" or "use screwdriver on the panel" leads to "that's not the verb I recognise", as you are supposed to "unscrew the panel" first, and then specify a screwdriver.
** Then, after you make the first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish bin, and you are told there's an alley outside. The game won't recognise instructions like "go to alley" or "exit the bin". Instead, you must pick a direction again. Same happens when you encounter the stairs again. Then, instructions like "walk up to the car/vehicle/taxi" will also be ignored, and instructing to "shout at the driver/man" will result in "you can only do that to something animate" - you need to choose "wake the driver" instead, though it's fruitless too.
** Got a "tiny object" from the vending machine? Good, now figure out the right way to refer to it so that you can pick it up! Neither "tiny object" nor "the object" will work; instead, you have to figure out it's actually a wad of chewing gum; the most reliable way of ascertaining it is to walk out and then walk back in.
* YouCantGetYeFlask: Occurs fairly often. At the start, for instance, it tells you that the way to the rooftop is up the steps. However, it'll then fail to recognise commands like "walk up the stairs", and only respond to "go up". Then, "apply screwdriver to the panel" or "use screwdriver on the panel" leads to "that's not the verb I recognise", as you are supposed to "unscrew the panel" first, and then specify a screwdriver.
** Then, after you make the first temporal jump, you end up in a rubbish bin, and you are told there's an alley outside. The game won't recognise instructions like "go to alley" or "exit the bin". Instead, you must pick a direction again. Same happens when you encounter the stairs again. Then, instructions like "walk up to the car/vehicle/taxi" will also be ignored, and instructing to "shout at the driver/man" will result in "you can only do that to something animate" - you need to choose "wake the driver" instead, though it's fruitless too.
** Got a "tiny object" from the vending machine? Good, now figure out the right way to refer to it so that you can pick it up! Neither "tiny object" nor "the object" will work; instead, you have to figure out it's actually a wad of chewing gum; the most reliable way of ascertaining it is to walk out and then walk back in.
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''Time: All Things Come to an End'' is an InteractiveFiction (text adventure) game written by Andy Phillips (his debut title) and published in 1996. The primary genre is ScienceFiction (as the name implies, TimeTravel is a central theme), and involves an unnamed MadScientist protagonist visiting several time periods - a mix of past, present and future - to battle a mysterious villainess.
The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles. More information on the game is available at [[https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=eu3ed84ww7n1dryf Interactive Fiction Database]].
The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles. More information on the game is available at [[https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=eu3ed84ww7n1dryf Interactive Fiction Database]].
to:
''Time: All Things Come to an End'' is an InteractiveFiction (text adventure) game written by Andy Phillips (his debut title) and published in 1996. The primary genre is ScienceFiction (as the name implies, TimeTravel is a central theme), and involves an unnamed MadScientist protagonist visiting several time periods - a mix of past, present and future - to battle a mysterious villainess.
villainess intent on ending time itself.
The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and BestPuzzles. Puzzles.
More information on the game is available at [[https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=eu3ed84ww7n1dryf Interactive Fiction Database]].
The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the extreme challenge level (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best
More information on the game is available at [[https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=eu3ed84ww7n1dryf Interactive Fiction Database]].
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* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly. Often areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save.
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle - possibly a ShoutOut - involves charging a power source with lightning.
* NintendoHard: So difficult very few - if any - people have completed the game without a walkthrough.
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle - possibly a ShoutOut - involves charging a power source with lightning.
* NintendoHard: So difficult very few - if any - people have completed the game without a walkthrough.
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* AncientTomb: The second chapter involves the protagonist travelling to an archaeological dig site in 1920s Cairo - and a monument containing mysterious artifacts and symbols.
* HaveANiceDeath: Many of the death descriptions are somewhat humourous. And there are ''a lot'' of ways to die in this game.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly.Often Many areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save.
save (provided they ''did'' save the game).
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle- possibly a ShoutOut - involves [[ShoutOut charging a the time machine's power source with lightning.
lightning]].
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key information.
* NintendoHard: So difficult very few - if any - peoplehave completed will be able to complete the game without a walkthrough.walkthrough.
* PurpleProse: Some of the textual descriptions - especially the many corpses your enemy leaves behind - definitely qualify.
* HaveANiceDeath: Many of the death descriptions are somewhat humourous. And there are ''a lot'' of ways to die in this game.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly.
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle
* MentalTimeTravel: Late in the game the player relives their past (specifically [[spoiler: time at school]]) to obtain key information.
* NintendoHard: So difficult very few - if any - people
* PurpleProse: Some of the textual descriptions - especially the many corpses your enemy leaves behind - definitely qualify.
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* AlternateHistoryNaziVictory: The third chapter of the game is set in an alternate 1980s where Germany won World War II, and the main goal in the subsequent chapter is to discover the cause and restore the timeline.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly. Often areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save.
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle - possibly a ShoutOut - involves charging a power source with lightning.
* NintendoHard: So difficult very few - if any - people have completed the game without a walkthrough.
* TimeTravel: The central theme of the game.
* UnwinnableByDesign: Essentially the textual equivalent of a {{Creator/Sierra}} adventure. The game can be summed up as guess, die, replay, reload earlier save. Repeat ad infinitum.
* LostForever: Important objects are often 'hidden' in the environment, requiring the player to search areas thoroughly. Often areas can't be revisited once left, so if an item is missed the player has no choice but to reload an earlier save.
* MadScientist: The player character is one, very much in the [[Film/BackToTheFuture Doc Brown]] mould. One early puzzle - possibly a ShoutOut - involves charging a power source with lightning.
* NintendoHard: So difficult very few - if any - people have completed the game without a walkthrough.
* TimeTravel: The central theme of the game.
* UnwinnableByDesign: Essentially the textual equivalent of a {{Creator/Sierra}} adventure. The game can be summed up as guess, die, replay, reload earlier save. Repeat ad infinitum.
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''Time: All Things Come to an End'' is an InteractiveFiction (text adventure) game written by Andy Phillips (his debut title) and published in 1996. The primary genre is ScienceFiction (as the name implies, TimeTravel is a central theme), and involves an unnamed MadScientist protagonist visiting several time periods - a mix of past, present and future - to battle a mysterious villainess.
The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles. More information on the game is available at [[https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=eu3ed84ww7n1dryf Interactive Fiction Database]].
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!''Time: All Things Come to an End'' provides examples of:
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The game is ultra-linear and infamously difficult - even by the standards of an author with a long history of authoring NintendoHard games. Despite the (definitely cruel on the [[https://ifdb.tads.org/help-forgiveness Zarfian forgiveness scale]]), the game was nominated for three 1996 XYZZY awards: Best Game, Best Story and Best Puzzles. More information on the game is available at [[https://ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=eu3ed84ww7n1dryf Interactive Fiction Database]].
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!''Time: All Things Come to an End'' provides examples of:
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