CalicoJack wrote:

I've tried twice to track the first guy, and failed by 3 points each time. Though I'm *really* excited to get the map and be on my merry way, I'm really hating the process of getting it.

Failbetter, I hope you're reading this post because I want to say something. I really, really love the game and you guys, but I absolutely hate the way you're padding the recent stories. I get that you need some way to stop us top-level, endgame players from blasting through it in one sitting, but chance based mechanics I can't affect, sometimes without the option to use Fate or rare resources to ensure success? No thanks.

I've not been able to get past the 5th storylet in the Fidgeting Writer story because since it's been released, I've used up ALL my resources to unlock the higher tiers in constant retries of it. And now that I've been so frustrated by it, I have no interest in buying and changing the resources needed to keep playing it. Unless the mechanics for it change to something I have more control over winning or a simple Fate option, I'm probably not gonna touch it again. And I've completed pretty much every other piece of content you have to offer, simply because I love the game that much.

But I do not want a story thread where I'm forced to rely on luck to get by. Please, if you want to pad it out, find a different method.

I don't really think it's too bad... you have a "cheap" option that needs a bit of luck, a more expensive but "safe" one, and the Fate. Contrary to the Fidgeting Writer which was just a luck chain.

I actually think the fact the system HAS the possibility to track down multiple timers to be the reason it's impossible to look for a map fragment while waiting for another one: with three available characters, it would theoretically be possible to find three or more pieces, while the map is supposed to be cut in half.

Delay.

It's to build interest and more importantly, stop us running through all the new content within 24 hours of initial release. A lot of new content seems to have some kind of delay involved, whether that be luck checks, items that can't be farmed directly or delay timers. We get through content far, far faster than it's released, so by introducing a delay mechanism of some kind, it takes us longer. We may not always like the artificial delays, but their presence means that we possess content for longer before finishing it, which in turn leads to less sitting around complaining that there's nothing new to do.

Doh. I entirely missed that in the initial description. I thought it was in three pieces, and was already agonizing over the possibility of having to swap my beloved Scruffy Kitten for something more Bizarre...

Huh. I got to the end of the Masked Clay Man option for the right-hand side of the map, and the Finding the Screaming Map storylet duly disappeared (as others have reported). Now it seems to be back again. ((In fact, I appear to have the option to chase the Masked Clay Man again, should I for some reason desire to)) I tell to you a lie - actually, that option is still locked, even though all the pre-reqs are shown as met.

Anyone else encountering this? Did our delicious hosts patch something in the dark of the night...?

Hmm. The story let has reappeared (I am in the wait time for my first half as so man others are) but all the options appear locked although the requirements are met and I'm not engaging in any cat and mouse activities. If there is some kind of secret requirement, I hope we can figure out what it is.