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The Witness |OT|

Wensih

Member
I realized that my problem from last night is that I never went to the swamp to learn how tetromino puzzles work. I saw the wall of panels in the town, typically that layout is for introduction into puzzle types, and I thought that was the introduction into tetrominos.... I just moved into the swamp area.... 9 hours and 175 puzzles in, making steady progress, I think.
 

x Maiku x

Member
How important or noticeable is frame rate in this game? The XO version (30 FPS) is on sale, but I could get it on PS4 Pro (60 FPS) for more.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
How important or noticeable is frame rate in this game? The XO version (30 FPS) is on sale, but I could get it on PS4 Pro (60 FPS) for more.

I've recently booted up the game again on PS4 Pro to check out the update and the 60 fps is definitely an improvement. Maybe hold out til there's a sale again on PSN? Shouldn't take long, there are discounts all the time
 
Ummmm ... did I miss something?

https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow/status/812023939954135040

"Also, it is a little-discussed fact that The Witness is actually a Christmas game (SPOILERS!!), so now is a good time to play it!" - Jonathan Blow

The secret ending has a christmas tree in the room. What I assume he is referring to. So essentially the game 'takes place during Christmas.'

edit: sorry, didn't think about new players coming in from holiday sales and what not. Will be more considerate with spoilers.
 
I can't stop thinking about this game. Been playing relentlessly for the last month or so. I got 8 of the laser boxes around the island but now I'm crazy stuck at the top of the mountain haha. Plus the few puzzles I haven't figured out are driving me nuts...wtf at that fourth maze in the castle (yellow one).

I'm sure I'll figure them out eventually (hopefully). I'm super tempted to look up solutions but I'm trying to resist ...it just feels so good when you figure it out on your own.
 
"Beat" the game but I only have 423 puzzles completed. the messed up thing is I don't even know where the other 100 or so puzzles are lol

If you want a hint:

At the
bottom of the mountain
you might have noticed a
deactivated puzzle with a unique cable connected to it. Find the other end of that cable
and you will see what you need to do next.
 
If you want a hint:

At the
bottom of the mountain
you might have noticed a
deactivated puzzle with a unique cable connected to it. Find the other end of that cable
and you will see what you need to do next.
Awesome thanks just what I needed! I semi accidentally spoiled the orange triangle puzzle solution unfortunately though. Feeling pretty guilty about it hahah
 
Glad I got this. Very interesting and addictive game.

I got the symmetry laser and haven't had too much trouble so far. Are there any big difficulty spikes later?
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Glad I got this. Very interesting and addictive game.

I got the symmetry laser and haven't had too much trouble so far. Are there any big difficulty spikes later?

This really depends. There are a few areas that are considered 'hard' but if you get the ruleset of the area down, it could be easy for you. Some consider the treetops hard (I do), others breeze through it. Every area works up to the final panels, and in some cases these are a true test.
 

Mindlog

Member
Glad I got this. Very interesting and addictive game.

I got the symmetry laser and haven't had too much trouble so far. Are there any big difficulty spikes later?
There's one puzzle in a certain area that consistently draws a lot of ire that makes me laugh.
I hated that puzzle too!

Even hated the very obvious answer -_-

Great puzzle! One of my favorites and most memorable.
 
Glad I got this. Very interesting and addictive game.

I got the symmetry laser and haven't had too much trouble so far. Are there any big difficulty spikes later?

There are two kinds of difficulty spikes in this game, mainly:

- If you find a symbol that you haven't found the tutorial for yet, you'll have lots of problems. You'll want to find and finish the basic tutorial areas for each symbol type.
- A few types of puzzles are consistently considered hard by many. You will need to master one of these to get through the game.
 
I may be wayyy late with this question but has the motion sickness issue with this game been fixed? I remember loving the game but having to put it down for that reason and then just completely forgot about it until I saw a LTTP thread about it today.
 
D

Deleted member 465307

Unconfirmed Member
I was thinking of picking up this game on PS4 because of the sale, but I ultimately decided against it. Then the LTTP thread popped up and I'm reconsidering it.

My main concern is that this game seems like it's staring at a bunch of grids and drawing lines the entire time. I like puzzles, but I'm not sure I like pure puzzle games. I like puzzle-platformers, Zelda puzzles, and very methodical, logical games like Picross. Games like Pushmo held my attention until it got too hard; same goes for a game like Human Resource Machine. I also like feeling that the puzzles I solve make a visible difference in the world (like unlocking new areas, changing the environment, building something with my solutions i.e. Picross) or reward me with a strong story or interesting themes. Basically, completing a puzzle for completion's sake isn't always enough for me.

Can anyone advise me on if this game would be worth the purchase for me?
 
I may be wayyy late with this question but has the motion sickness issue with this game been fixed? I remember loving the game but having to put it down for that reason and then just completely forgot about it until I saw a LTTP thread about it today.

A number of patches have been released for that over the last year, but your mileage may vary. Probably the most effective addition is the option to put a cursor in the middle of the screen.

Can anyone advise me on if this game would be worth the purchase for me?

I can say the following with respect to your preferences:

- This game's puzzles are very methodical and logical. Unlike Macross, though, first you have to figure out the puzzle rules for yourself.
- I do not think it ever gets too hard if you like methodical and logical puzzles. The best way I can put it is that it could have been much harder based on the rulesets, but the game chooses not to escalate the difficulty that much.
- You will unlock new areas, but you will mainly find more puzzles and pleasant scenery, and you won't ever change the environment too much. However, you will discover many new hidden things in areas you thought you had already thoroughly explored.
- There is basically no story. There are semi-hidden things that are mostly meant to make you think rather than answer any questions. The main theme of the game is, really, about contemplating the mysteries of the world for the sake of doing so.
 
I was thinking of picking up this game on PS4 because of the sale, but I ultimately decided against it. Then the LTTP thread popped up and I'm reconsidering it.

My main concern is that this game seems like it's staring at a bunch of grids and drawing lines the entire time. I like puzzles, but I'm not sure I like pure puzzle games. I like puzzle-platformers, Zelda puzzles, and very methodical, logical games like Picross. Games like Pushmo held my attention until it got too hard; same goes for a game like Human Resource Machine. I also like feeling that the puzzles I solve make a visible difference in the world (like unlocking new areas, changing the environment, building something with my solutions i.e. Picross) or reward me with a strong story or interesting themes. Basically, completing a puzzle for completion's sake isn't always enough for me.

Can anyone advise me on if this game would be worth the purchase for me?
The reward for most puzzles is unlocking more puzzles nearby: like turning screens on that have their own puzzles. That is on top of the reward being a greater understanding of the game design that many puzzles impart. But many puzzles also open doors or manipulate machines in different ways. There are rewards with story and themes, but not a narrative story. There is a strong sense of discovery.

The grid puzzles have a lot of variety and lots of twists, and as great as they are, half (or more) of what makes the game special is a lot of the discovery in the rest of the world.
 

Freeman76

Member
Just finished it. Very sad that I had to use a guide for some of the last parts due to being colour blind, it spoilt the game for me because up to then I sweated over many of the puzzles until I solved them. Amazing game 10/10 even with that issue
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
Got it during the sale and doing couch coop with my roommate. Solved five worlds. Kind of amazing!
 

GlamFM

Banned
Got it during the sale and doing couch coop with my roommate. Solved five worlds. Kind of amazing!

It´s a fantastic co-op game! Played it all the way through with my girlfriend.

Including the challenge (you´ll know what this means soon enough)

My GOTY.
 
GAF please help. I for the life of me can't figure out how the yellow block puzzles work. I thought I might have to draw the shape they present around it but apparently that's not the case. I had to look up the solution to get into the Quarry and even then I have no idea how I'm supposed to come to that conclusion. I'm really enjoying the game so far and I don't want to quit but I'm at my wits end with these.
 

Mindlog

Member
GAF please help. I for the life of me can't figure out how the yellow block puzzles work. I thought I might have to draw the shape they present around it but apparently that's not the case. I had to look up the solution to get into the Quarry and even then I have no idea how I'm supposed to come to that conclusion. I'm really enjoying the game so far and I don't want to quit but I'm at my wits end with these.
Have you found the swamp?
If not go there.
If so then more hints to come :]
 

deleted

Member
I don't get why the game is switching of panels even though I made the right moves...
Is that a way to gate me to somewhere else or did I miss something?

Talking about
The puzzles where yellow is fading out and after that you have to copy the moves from the previous puzzles that are behind you... Behind the Asian looking red gate
Did the first, worked, the second shut down the entire remaining pieces of puzzles.
 
I don't get why the game is switching of panels even though I made the right moves...
Is that a way to gate me to somewhere else or did I miss something?

Talking about
The puzzles where yellow is fading out and after that you have to copy the moves from the previous puzzles that are behind you... Behind the Asian looking red gate
Did the first, worked, the second shut down the entire remaining pieces of puzzles.

There's an important thing you're missing for this area.

Did you notice that some of the branches
have broken off
?

Did you notice that
the broken-off pieces landed on the floor
?
 

Vorheez

Member
Man... The first tetris floor panel puzzle is really stumping me. I spent almost an hour on it last night. I felt like I understood the logic of the puzzles because I was able to do the tutorial just fine, and when I go back to it my answers still make sense applying the same logic pattern, but when I apply it to the floor panel one it's a no go. I might just go find something else to do though because I'm trying to avoid looking up solutions.

The sense of defeat does not feel good though brehs
 
Man... The first tetris floor panel puzzle is really stumping me. I spent almost an hour on it last night. I felt like I understood the logic of the puzzles because I was able to do the tutorial just fine, and when I go back to it my answers still make sense applying the same logic pattern, but when I apply it to the floor panel one it's a no go. I might just go find something else to do though because I'm trying to avoid looking up solutions.

The sense of defeat does not feel good though brehs

Is this endgame or somewhere else?
 
There's an important thing you're missing for this area.

Did you notice that some of the branches
have broken off
?

Did you notice that
the broken-off pieces landed on the floor
?
They are referring to the Symmetry area, not that place.

I don't get why the game is switching of panels even though I made the right moves...
Is that a way to gate me to somewhere else or did I miss something?

Talking about
The puzzles where yellow is fading out and after that you have to copy the moves from the previous puzzles that are behind you... Behind the Asian looking red gate
Did the first, worked, the second shut down the entire remaining pieces of puzzles.
Take some more time to observe the differences between the panels.

Oh, are there other floor panel puzzles? I am still fairly new to the game. I'm at the same location as the pictures posted above, but it's the one just before those two puzzles.
The swamp area will help you understand tetris puzzles. Though you could look elsewhere in the area you are in for a different kind of puzzle.
 

deleted

Member
There's an important thing you're missing for this area.

Did you notice that some of the branches
have broken off
?

Did you notice that
the broken-off pieces landed on the floor
?

They are referring to the Symmetry area, not that place.


Take some more time to observe the differences between the panels.


The swamp area will help you understand tetris puzzles. Though you could look elsewhere in the area you are in for a different kind of puzzle.

Thanks. Still wrapping my head around the tetris puzzles. I can't really get into the area.. Tried to get in from the island, got trough the tutorial, but then my way is cut off... Tried from the sea
by boat
- same thing...

The other thing is still not solved yet, but I guess it's because I put it in wrong. Just now discovered that I have to re-input the previous puzzle, if I want to try again. That's the first thing I don't really like about the game.

About Giant Bomb talking about the game in their GOTY stuff - skipped most of it, since I didn't want to get spoiled, but I caught Dan saying
he never did an environmental puzzle - HOW? The game hands one to you in the first 5-10 minutes of the game! Shortly before the world opens up... I'm becoming more and more frustrated because I see them, but can't find the right angle to solve them. It's getting up there in numbers, so I can't really remember where they all are...
 

Vorheez

Member
Well, I figured out the floor panels in the same area as the pictures posted above...but now I can't solve the puzzle at the top which faces them when looking down. I can identify that it's a combination of all four puzzles, but even when I try to enter the solutions in the same way i did them on the ground it rejects them. I already reorganized then for the E puzzle solutions. Was that a mistake? Do I need the original solutions to solve the puzzle? Any hints would be great.
 
Well, I figured out the floor panels in the same area as the pictures posted above...but now I can't solve the puzzle at the top which faces them when looking down. I can identify that it's a combination of all four puzzles, but even when I try to enter the solutions in the same way i did them on the ground it rejects them. I already reorganized then for the E puzzle solutions. Was that a mistake? Do I need the original solutions to solve the puzzle? Any hints would be great.

When they're combined like that, the solution has to change. All the rules have to be obeyed for the whole grid.
 
Inside the windmill
during the video with the dude carrying a candle there appears to be an environmental puzzle at the end when he is sitting with the dog but I can't seem to fine a way to connect the white lines. Is this actually a puzzle or is the game fucking with me?
 
Inside the windmill
during the video with the dude carrying a candle there appears to be an environmental puzzle at the end when he is sitting with the dog but I can't seem to fine a way to connect the white lines. Is this actually a puzzle or is the game fucking with me?

It is, and there is a way. You have to get a different perspective.

Spoiler:
Behind the screen.
 

deleted

Member
Oh GOD! Just realized that I can
'hold' for environmental puzzles while perspective changes... Why didn't I try this earlier?! I somehow thought, something had to 'happen' so that I can reach somewhere, where perspective fits the puzzle.

Edit: The Windmill
won't take my approach for the almost full cycle - I start on one wing and move onto the windmill - then I wanna stay there, move up slightly to cross the next wing and the plan is to let the NEXT wing pass at the bottom, because it's broken.. But I can't because the second wing always takes me one place further.. I can't stay on the same spot on the windmill despite all signs pointing to that I should be able to just do that. It even glitched me there on my first try, when I tried the half cycle
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
Oh GOD! Just realized that I can
'hold' for environmental puzzles while perspective changes... Why didn't I try this earlier?! I somehow thought, something had to 'happen' so that I can reach somewhere, where perspective fits the puzzle.

Edit: The Windmill
won't take my approach for the almost full cycle - I start on one wing and move onto the windmill - then I wanna stay there, move up slightly to cross the next wing and the plan is to let the NEXT wing pass at the bottom, because it's broken.. But I can't because the second wing always takes me one place further.. I can't stay on the same spot on the windmill despite all signs pointing to that I should be able to just do that. It even glitched me there on my first try, when I tried the half cycle
do not highlight
like with all puzzles, you can't draw a line back on itself. Common problem for this puzzle, though :p
 

deleted

Member
Fuck, I have some serious problems with the logic behind the tetrimos. How is this not a viable solution for the puzzle?

2017-01-0322.27.18c5upu.jpg

It hinders me to do this simple puzzle right. I can't figure out where my head goes wrong...

2017-01-0322.35.40vzu8b.jpg

I can't rotate the right tetrimo? But I also have to include the symbol in the shape?

But my head also told me to take screenshots with my cellphone, so there's that.
 

Chris R

Member
For your first image, the issue is the tetrimos in the upper left, it isn't tilted.

For your second, yes, you need to include the symbol in the shape, just like always.
 
Fuck, I have some serious problems with the logic behind the tetrimos. How is this not a viable solution for the puzzle?

Super Vague Hint #1:
You have not worked out all the rules around the tetriminos.

Hint #2:
Notice that some tetriminos are angled and some are not.

Just give me the answer hint #3:
Only angled tetriminos can be rotated.

edit: oh I missed the bottom line of your post, and Chris R pointed it out anyway. Don't mind me.
 

deleted

Member
For your first image, the issue is the tetrimos in the upper left, it isn't tilted.

For your second, yes, you need to include the symbol in the shape, just like always.

Okay, that's what I'm thinking, but how can I, if I am not allowed to turn the right block, the bottom right area is impossible to include into the shape.
The shape would start one block to the left since rotating is not allowed.

Super Vague Hint #1:
You have not worked out all the rules around the tetriminos.

Hint #2:
Notice that some tetriminos are angled and some are not.

Just give me the answer hint #3:
Only angled tetriminos can be rotated.

edit: oh I missed the bottom line of your post, and Chris R pointed it out anyway. Don't mind me.

Thanks either way. I had to look it up. I looked at a tetrimo explanation and that led me to believe I could do that:


Turns out I completely misread the image. The shape doesn't have to correlate with the tetrimo included?
Edit: Yep, that was my problem. Didn't get that :p
 
Thanks either way. I had to look it up. I looked at a tetrimo explanation and that led me to believe I could do that:

Turns out I completely misread the image. The shape doesn't have to correlate with the tetrimo included?

Yeah, this is one of the things I think the game needed to do a better job teaching in the tutorial panels since it is the leading cause of confusion, imo.

The trick is
that the tetriminos can be moved around anywhere in the 'shape' that you draw around them. But they can only be rotated if they are angled. Trips up loads of people.

So for example in that image you posted the two vertical lines are on the sides, and the horizontal is on the bottom.
 

Brashnir

Member
Turns out I completely misread the image. The shape doesn't have to correlate with the tetrimo included?
When combining multiple shapes into a bigger shape, it is not a requirement that each shape touches the square that represents it.
 
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