it's possible to trigger an endless series of junkies of which there is no apparant hope of ever getting out of; I don't know why this exists. When you fight a junkie, if you finish the fight quickly then you get an instant death. If you finish the fight after 6 or 7 turns, another junkie starts combat with you (Also gives you the text "This won't be over until you finish off all the opponents you are facing convincingly enough to intimidate the remainder of the junkie pack.". Yeah well, finishing them off quickly and brutally results in an instant death. This seems to go on infinitely. Out of curiousity I started scumming just to see how many junkies I could go through, I think I killed off 5 (I'm at "deranged junkie") before it started giving me instant deaths no matter how fast or slow I killed the junkie.
For anybody wondering, I had an Energy Whip equipped so I'm able to vary the time combat takes, because of how the energy whip deals damage. There is no opportunity to change weapons or use items in between these fights.
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Unlucky Thu Nov 7 07:49:33 2013
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On starting a new attempt at this, I somehow made it impossible to get a curry wrap. So I couldn't get the box and could never proceed past the receptionists desk. I don't know what triggers the curry wrap vendor from becoming unavailble.
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Unlucky Thu Nov 7 08:07:19 2013
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On starting a new attempt at this, I somehow made it impossible to get a curry wrap. So I couldn't get the box and could never proceed past the receptionists desk. I don't know what triggers the curry wrap vendor from becoming unavailble.
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Unlucky Thu Nov 7 08:08:27 2013
I dunno.
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This is three times now that I've met an instant game over from junkies when I try to end the day. What's triggering this? I can't find any connection between my actions and this seemingly unavoidable death.
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Ulysses Thu Nov 7 08:53:39 2013
@Unlucky
Interesting.
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The curry wrap being unavailable might be a bug. If this happens again, I suggest you copy the URL and email it to the webmaster with a description of what has happened. He can then confirm if it is a bug and fix it; or explain why it isn't. Regarding the junkie fight, if you are encountering this so much and getting instant death you must be doing something wrong as this is a feature that will kill a character if you get stuck in an infinite loop. As long as there are no bugs present, I suggest you just try again and do things differently. In particular note that
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You only get ONE mail package ONCE. If you open it you can't get another.
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Unlucky Thu Nov 7 17:08:33 2013
SPOILER
Re: Junkies, is there more than one trigger? The thing that is annoying me the most is that I feel like I'm encountering it under different circumstances each time. As far as I know it's something done while still in GDC that triggers it, but the length of time between actually seeing the consequences of that action (especially because I can wander around all I want after triggering it, or I assume so because it happened when I exited the building voluntarily a few times) plus the complete lack of correlation makes it hard to connect the dots.
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D-L-T Thu Nov 7 23:17:39 2013
@Unlucky What's your skill score...?
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I did find it very difficult to complete the book with a skill score of 10. The best way to address this is probably to have played through the previous books starting with Wrong way Go back.
Also if you didn't know, you can "save" your progress by copying the URL...
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I found the best weapon to fight junkies with was the Laser Sword. Encountering them always seemed random to me. From memory I think they stop spawning at 6 or so.
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IIRC you can get the laser sword from the passenger ship at the start.
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Also, as far as 'random' encounters goes, I found that I sometimes encounter a mini-death-bot (skill 12) in the Manufacturing area which has killed me sometimes.
And finally, the carnivorous plant, which you see in the gardens and also sometimes on level 3 in the GDC building is another random insta-death if you get unlucky on the combat rolls.
Finally - I've seen the "can't get the curry wrap" bug, but I always just started again when it occurred. Perhaps something for the admins to investigate...?
D-L-T Thu Nov 7 23:35:58 2013
oh, a couple of other things for you, unlucky
SPOILER
You need to be able enter the BM office without getting harmonised on sight. in order to achieve the "best" ending to the book. In fact, I'm pretty sure that it's possible to go through without being harmonised at all (except for the very first harmonisation right at the beginning).
The item you need to make you 'fit in' to do this... is obtainable elsewhere within the GDC building. The item in question is only obtainable by "use"ing another item which you find at the correct moment.
The item which makes you 'fit in' also lets you go more places than just the BM office without being harmonised on sight. Some of these places also give you information / items necessary to achieve the "best" ending.
Finally... you don't actually need to assemble the watch to achieve the "best" ending. But you do need the watch casing, the watch face and the watch mechanism. The winding key, which assembles the watch, is not strictly necessary.
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if you want more direct hints than above, perhaps email me? That way you can ask for more direct information that goes beyond what is fair for a spoiler on this site.
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david - DOT - L - DOT - the - AT - gmail - DOT - com I'm assuming you're not a robot ;-)
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Unlucky Thu Nov 7 23:49:55 2013
My skill score at the beginning of the book is 16 (I've been using a character who has been through the entire series, and I usually pick Skill bonuses when possible).
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When I encountered the junkie chain/instadeath, my skill was 17 because of a combination of the Robot Arm offsetting the early harmonization, plus an extra point from beating Tinypus in the Chess scene. It's not that I can't kill them fast enough; One of the junkies with Stamina 12 I tried killing in two turns just to see what happened (And I used copying the URL to "save" the game to engineer this scenario; I'm at the point of frustration where I'm starting to use some hardcore cheating just to figure out what is going on). It's that whether I do or don't, I'm directed to the same game over screen.
Speaking of Lasersword though, is it necassary to finish the game? I've noticed it's impossible to interact with Mumpus without one, even if you don't kill it. I've never found a use for Calamari, although the calamari vendor seems to disappear for me before I can take it there.
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Unlucky Fri Nov 8 00:03:58 2013
I actually just did a test.
SPOILER
I started a fresh attempt, using my character from the previous books, and I set out with the goal to get calamari to the calamari vendor as soon as possible. I got the lasersword from the chef in the passenger ship, as soon as I got to town for the first time I bought a curry wrap and immediately went home. At the end of the shift the next day, I took Gary's package and went straight to the penthouse floor (I had the mutation gene from Hypertrout so the underwater apparatus wasn't necassary), killed Mumpus, went back down to 2nd floor (Because it forced me to use the elevator), back to the penthouse and cut some calamari. Went straight back to ground floor, exited the building, and went to the junk shop. When leaving the junk shop, there was no option to visit the calamari vendor. So what in this chain of events is stopping me from going there? I know it's not buying the curry wrap.
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Unlucky Fri Nov 8 00:18:48 2013
SPOILER
As it turns out, killing the Mumpus and going back for some calamari instantly sets your GR count to 5000. You don't even sell the calamari, you just suddenly get this money as soon as you visit the Mumpus corpse a second time.
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This is the result of an attempt on my part to remove the possibility of acquiring unlimited money. What is supposed to happen is that if you are too rich already, there is no calamari to be collected, but I made a mistake. I've fixed it now though.
Unlucky Fri Nov 8 00:22:37 2013
Another test...
SPOILER
I actually repeated the old "test" but attempted to visit the calamari vendor as soon as I bought the curry wrap. I was unable to. However, I loaded up an older URL that was a pretty decent way into the book already (2 pieces of watch or something), and the calamari vendor appeared for me that time. On this URL I went for the deathbot ship at the beginning though, so no lasersword and no calamari.
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If you are too rich (possibly as a result of the bug I mentioned above), or if you already have the curry wrap, then you don't get to visit either vendor. Otherwise, the calamari vendor at least should always be accessible.
Ulysses Fri Nov 8 01:17:40 2013
@Unlucky
Here's a bit hint for you that may be the cause of your problems
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For everyone else, don't read this unless you really want to know
SPOILER
I mean it
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One of the triggers for killing your character is
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killing the Mumpus. If you know she's the Mumpus and not just
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some random giant octopus
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why would you kill her? Don't be so unkind...
Although doing the above prevents you from reaching the best ending, it is not one of the three things that cause the junkies to kill you.
Unlucky Fri Nov 8 01:30:56 2013
SPOILER
I guess that confirms that there's multiple triggers then. I've also (I think) triggered the junkie end by
SPOILER
Pulling the fire alarm without having a way to get inside the safes on the first floor.
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I also didn't really want to kill Mumpus, but like I said, I'm getting a little frustrated and I'm trying out any options it gives me
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Plus, going into that room blind, it's a lot easier to kill Mumpus than it is to start a conversation. Especially since it doesn't let you interact at all unless you're holding a lethal weapon
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D-L-T Fri Nov 8 02:41:57 2013
@unlucky
I don't think I'm giving too much away if I say that there's something else you need before you go visit the mumpus.
And it's not the laser sword.
I have managed to get back to the calamari vendor with calamari.
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All that happens is that he gives you some credits. It doesn't help you finish the game.
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SPOILER
And just in case Ulysses' spoiler didn't make it abundantly clear: mumpus needs to stay alive to achieve the "best" ending". I'll also give even more away by saying that you need to have visited mumpus without killing her to achieve the "best" ending.
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Unlucky Fri Nov 8 03:30:25 2013
I think I'm really just running in circles at this point. All I can do at this point is start using random items in random places, or start asking/looking for big spoilers. (Not that I haven't already spoiled plenty, but that junkie thing was seriously getting on my nerves)
It's commonplace in gamebooks for early decisions to cause failure at a later stage. Most gamebooks however do not have the circular structure of Return To G15-275, and so if you make a mistake you will inevitably be put out of your misery before long. The instant death associated with the junkies was necessary to stop players wasting too much time in a game in which their choices have condemned them to be unable to make further progress.
Unlucky Fri Nov 8 04:51:46 2013
Okay, I need one more spoiler.
SPOILER
If I use the blue or the green keycard too early, can I make the book unfinishable?
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No I don't think so, but you can certainly make the task a lot more difficult.
Volden Katanar Sat Nov 9 12:18:20 2013
@Ulysses
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So I've managed to get a bit further with Return to G15-275 and am still flummoxed. I know about the Mumpus - I presume that is the important piece of information from the restaurant - and have even managed to see her in the penthouse (with the help of the curry wrap and mail package) but the character just talks to her and swims away, and then I'm stuck with 3 floors of security guards (plus a worm ^_^). What am I supposed to do now?
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D-L-T Sun Nov 10 11:37:51 2013
@Volden:
have you...
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* Discovered an amber data cube? * discovered any security cards (IIRC there is red, blue, green and yellow). * found a severed thumb (and worked out where to use it)?
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Volden Katanar Sun Nov 10 20:06:58 2013
@DLT:
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1. No, but I'd know where to use one if I did. 2. A green security card rings a bell, plus a golden one from the mail package, but no others. 3. Severed thumb ditto, I might have found one but I'm not sure where. I assume it's for a fingerprint reader.
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I'll keep playing and try to find the 6 items you mentioned.
