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At the turn of the 19th century, Oswald Mandus wakes on the floor of his bedroom, unable to remember what has happened, but hearing the voices of his children calling him. Please tag all spoilers and avoid talking about stuff that comes up later, but feel free to speculate if you haven't played this game yet.  The somewhat bluntly titled a Machine for Pigs is a 1st person horror game released in 2013. Unlike its predecessor, Amnesia: the Dark Descent, this game was developed by the Chinese Room, a studio known mainly for the slightly experimental walk-through story-game Dear Esther. This game, however, is a lot more interactive than that.  A Machine for Pigs is not a direct sequel to the Dark Descent, but it shares the same universe and some of its gameplay elements. Where the Dark Descent was set in an ancient castle, a Machine for Pigs takes place in a Poe-esque mansion full of hidden corridors and secret doors, and mixes in the horrors of mass industrialization. The inventory system has been removed; if you want to carry an item, you will have to do so by holding it out in front of you. The only exception to this is the lantern, which you constantly carry with you, though you will no longer need to find fuel for it. The sanity effect, where you would become wobbly if in the dark or if seen by monsters, is also gone, though being cautious with light and hiding in darkness is still important. Puzzles and dangerous situations are less present, and the Chinese Room clearly intended to focus more on keeping the narrative flowing than making things difficult for the player. Unfortunately, that same narrative is as sloppy as it is fragmented, and poorly tied together. Aside from that, the main character realizes things much slower than the player will, making a Machine for Pigs a bit less of a thrill ride, but still a fun spooky story to venture through.  One of my all-time favorite LPs is Penumbra by Crackle. Like that one, this LP will be subtitled to try and preserve the atmosphere as much as possible. Since the diary pages and journal entries provide important backstory, I've chosen to narrate those within the game. For those who prefer to read those at their own convenience, I'm including alternate videos where the text stays on screen for a second or two, so you can pause if you wish to read them. I highly recommend you do, as they are pretty essential to keeping up with the story. Be aware that this game is dark as hell (as in lack of light), with an oft-present colored fog to make things even more difficult to see. I'd recommend watching fullscreen in high quality to get a sense of what's going on most of the time.                       Throughout the game, you have a journal that updates when you encounter new things or situations. Whenever this icon appears in the lower right, you receive a new journal entry to read: 
 Aside from that, you find scattered pages (“found documents”), usually old diary entries from Mandus himself, but some written by others. Unfortunately it seems like the writers messed up their dates, as a number of found diary pages don't make sense timewise. Mostly the problem appears to be that the years don't match up. I'll try to list them in a logical order.
Not dated
The Wizard of Oz did some modding to make Machine for Pigs's lighting moodier: The Wizard of Oz posted:I've been goofing off with making Some Mods for Pigs, and collected a few I've got stable: davidspackage fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Sep 4, 2014 |
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Jun 3, 2014 14:01
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| # ? Apr 16, 2024 21:11 |
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I never did finish Amnesia, and didn't get Machine as a result. I'll be following this, I think. Do you think removing sanity was a result of a smaller studio lacking the background to implement new effects into the (licensed) engine? They're kind of a key aspect of the Penumbra and Dark Descent games, so it's weird they just flat removed them.
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Jun 3, 2014 22:53
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Huh. I loved the hell out of The Dark Descent, so I was naturally curious about this game, but the reviews always kept me from paying full price. So I'll be following this with interest.
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Jun 4, 2014 00:26
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Oh hell, I knew I remembered your username! I loved your LP of Hopkins FBI and I'm ecstatic you're doing something new. I'll definitely be following this- this style of LP is the exact sort of thing I like.
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Jun 4, 2014 01:38
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I remember seeing your test post on this game a while back and really liking how you handled the subtitles. I'll be following along. 
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Jun 4, 2014 01:39
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Does this game pick up? You could consider taking a page from System Shock and so on for the notes, where instead of freezing on text while you read it aloud, you'd just briefly show it and then resume gameplay while continuing narration. A video this slow didn't need these extended breaks.
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Jun 4, 2014 04:19
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Oh geez, I missed this being posted! Glad to see this getting started; loved the test post you made a few months back 
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Jun 4, 2014 04:26
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OG17 posted:Does this game pick up? Please don't listen to this guy.
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Jun 5, 2014 01:36
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Hah, the menu is out of focus. I love it.
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Jun 5, 2014 01:39
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Five posted:Please don't listen to this guy. Seconded. Just my personal preference, but I really like the narration breaks. Makes it easier to take in the narrative in the slow, methodical way it so likes.
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Jun 5, 2014 02:03
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A game like this is slow and methodical anyhow. No need to aim for a speed run.
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Jun 5, 2014 02:09
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Velius posted:I never did finish Amnesia, and didn't get Machine as a result. I'll be following this, I think. Do you think removing sanity was a result of a smaller studio lacking the background to implement new effects into the (licensed) engine? They're kind of a key aspect of the Penumbra and Dark Descent games, so it's weird they just flat removed them. I don't know much about the Chinese Room, but all they seem to have released is extremely story-driven games that guide you along a linear path. You get to decide your own tempo, but there's not a lot of freedom otherwise. I can't tell if they removed the traditional sanity effects because they were unexperienced with it, or because they just felt it got in the way of storytelling. I only played the demo of the Dark Descent (and watched the whole thing in LP form), but I do think AMFP is less interesting for it. OG17 posted:Does this game pick up? This is a legit complaint, and I realized that once I've put a whole video together, it's fairly little work to render a second version with the narration removed and the documents limited to a second or two of screentime. I'll upload two versions of each episode so people can pick whichever they prefer.
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Jun 5, 2014 23:00
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davidspackage posted:This is a legit complaint, and I realized that once I've put a whole video together, it's fairly little work to render a second version with the narration removed and the documents limited to a second or two of screentime. I'll upload two versions of each episode so people can pick whichever they prefer.
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Jun 6, 2014 04:00
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So, here's an alternate video with subtitles only.  I would've had the second video ready because I left it rendering when I left for work this morning, but as these things go, I found a mistake in one of the subtitles afterwards and felt so annoyed I'm re-rendering them now. I'll probably be able to put it up tomorrow. Journal pages this update: Found documents this update:
davidspackage fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Jun 7, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 21:09
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You're a swell guy, you know that?
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Jun 6, 2014 21:29
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Let's have us an update. If it needed emphasizing, Mandus is clearly not alone in his house.  Journal pages this update: Found documents this update:
davidspackage fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Jun 11, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 19:45
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Your pacing and tone is spot-on. Your subtitles almost seem like an organic part of Mandus' progression. Can't wait for the next update! I really like how A Machine for Pigs does its best to make you actively feel like you're taking on the role of a madman. It may be more linear and segregated from gameplay than Dark Descent's sanity system, but reading your character's unhinged notes as you progress helps remove any sense of stability or strength you might hold onto. It helps that I always found this game pretty well-written.
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Jun 8, 2014 03:46
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This is fantastic. I'm checking this thread far too often for updates, too. I absolutely love how creepy the house is made by all those locks, and doubly so with the secret passages. So far I'm actually preferring this setting over the original. Looking forward to the next update, buddy!
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Jun 8, 2014 11:58
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Love what you're doing with this! Despite a lot of the internet apparently thinking it's Gaming Satan, I absolutely love Dear Esther and I'm excited to watch this playthrough.
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Jun 8, 2014 16:29
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Thanks for playing this game. Horror games aren't anything I would ever play myself, being a big baby, but the stories that go along with them are a guilty pleasure. Narration and subtitles just make it even more movie-like.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:07
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I really enjoyed the first couple of videos and the way you've implemented the subtitles is spot on. I think there's the right balance between commentary and silence. It lets you focus on the game without getting too distracted by reading the subtitles. Also they are written very well and feel very much like they're coming from Mandus himself. Will be following this for sure.
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Jun 9, 2014 01:10
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Mandus tumbles into the cellar. By the way, it's really worth it to play this game with headphones, to appreciate the sound design. I didn't while recording this material, which is why I don't give any reaction when you hear a woman crying on the other side of the wall, about three minutes in.  Journal pages this update: Found documents this update:
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Jun 11, 2014 19:47
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Oh my... seems somebody was tweakin' around with things no man was meant to wot of. Hope whatever resulted from that was secured down here well. (A vain hope, probably, given that... whatever it is stomping around...)
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Jun 12, 2014 00:40
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Okay, is the game even trying to pretend it's not reusing its twist from the first game? Mandus built this thing, that much is obvious, and it's probably doing something really nasty. Speaking of which, the Brenneburg concoction? Oh, Mandus you fool.
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Jun 12, 2014 00:50
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Ooh, that document mentioning a concoction made things a lot more interesting from a narrative standpoint. I also like that it's taking us longer to get a good look at the monster, or at least it feels like it's taking longer. It helps that it doesn't seem to shamble like the ones in the previous game as well.
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Jun 12, 2014 01:19
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I love this game. One of my favourite things it does is shown off in the very first video, though it took me a while to notice it when I first played it. I don't know if I should point out what and when it happens because it freaks you out the first time you notice it and I know if davidspackage would want me to.
coleman francis fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Jun 12, 2014 |
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Jun 12, 2014 15:17
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Iceclaw posted:Okay, is the game even trying to pretend it's not reusing its twist from the first game? Mandus built this thing, that much is obvious, and it's probably doing something really nasty. That's one thing that started to annoy me a little when I first played the game - reading Mandus's journal entries (meaning the ones he writes as he goes, not the old diary pages you find), he maintains this mystified attitude even though the documents he finds, and especially the phonograph recordings, spell out the fact that he built this machinery. Amnesia doesn't really cover the bases when you literally hear your own voice say "yes, I built all of this." But in time, you'll get a bit more context for that, plus an explanation for just why Mandus has lost his memory in the first place. Also, avoiding plot spoilers on The Dark Descent, I think it's probably worth explaining to people who haven't played it that Brennenburg is the name of the castle where that game takes place. coleman francis posted:I love this game. One of my favourite things it does is shown off in the very first video, though it took me a while to notice it when I first played it. I don't know if I should point out what and when it happens because it freaks you out the first time you notice it and I know if davidspackage would want me to. If we're thinking of the same thing, it's something I only noticed when I re-played that section after recording. A certain disappearance act? For some reason it didn't properly trigger in the recording I used. I'll make a short bonus video to properly show it off.
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Jun 12, 2014 19:02
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This is pretty drat brilliant and uncannily suitable to the point that a GOTY or something of this game should add your speech, davidspackage. The producers didn't realize what they were missing.
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Jun 12, 2014 21:12
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Pyrogenesis posted:This is pretty drat brilliant and uncannily suitable to the point that a GOTY or something of this game should add your speech, davidspackage. The producers didn't realize what they were missing. Absolutely. I'm a chicken when it comes to scary games, so I started watching the narrative videos because usually player narration breaks the tension. Your reading voice and the echo effect (I think?) you added match the game so perfectly that I watched the whole first video without realizing they were coming from you. Awesome job. I think your narration is also helping humanize Mandus a lot more. It's harder for me to care about a character I'm playing as when they're faceless and voiceless, especially in a game like this where there are no real interactions with other characters that help flesh things out. The narration and subtitles add a touch of personality.
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Jun 12, 2014 22:48
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Count me among the people who legit thought the narration was an ingame thing until I got confused about why there were two versions of the videos and read the OP.
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Jun 13, 2014 00:35
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davidspackage posted:
It happens more than once, the first time I noticed one was waaay later in the game. I'm excited to see if I can spot more times chinese room messed with our heads.
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Jun 13, 2014 02:30
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Sindai posted:Count me among the people who legit thought the narration was an ingame thing until I got confused about why there were two versions of the videos and read the OP. Wait, wait, seriously? The narration of the diaries isn't part of the game? Holy balls, color me impressed, you've got a hell of a voice for this kind of thing.
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Jun 13, 2014 06:54
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Same here. That's impressive, mate.
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Jun 13, 2014 11:44
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Count me as one of the people who thought the voice was a part of the game. That poo poo is excellent, buddy. Well done! I can't wait for the next video, I'm checking this thread twice a day at this point.
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Jun 13, 2014 12:32
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W-wait... that narration is you?  I am a slow muggins who skims posts, so I'm late to this party, but drat that's... Wow. Good job.
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Jun 13, 2014 13:33
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drat, I thought that was actually original for the game too.  Regarding the talk about the mindfuck on episode one, could someone maybe hint (spoilerd or PM'd or whatever) at what to look at? I want to review the first vid to see if I can spot it, but I'm also dense as hell.
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Jun 13, 2014 14:18
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Well you guys are just too kind! Good to know you're enjoying it. edit July 10th: swapped this video out for a longer one. So, here's a very short video showing what I assumed coleman francis meant. Like I said, when I was recording the first video for the LP, I didn't actually know this can happen, but reviewing my first video, I don't think it triggers there. There's a similar instance in either the first or second area, where one of the Native American busts on the mantelpieces suddenly has a pig mask put on it when you return. I've only had it happen to me in my first playthrough, and have been unable to reproduce it for this LP. I'll probably have more occasional bonus videos as we go, but mostly I try to include everything I can into the main videos. davidspackage fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Jul 10, 2014 |
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Jun 13, 2014 18:40
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If anyone's interested, the folks over at GOG are selling Machine For Pigs for US$6.79, sale lasts for the next hour and a half from this posting. Looks like what they're doing with their summer sale is revolving games into short, but constant sales, so it might revolve back into sale again in the future if you miss it. Kinda wish they didn't do it like this, gotta keep a constant vigil on the site if you have your eye on anything, but oh well. edit: Oh hey, it's still on regular sale for US$10, still cheaper than usual! tlarn fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jun 14, 2014 |
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Jun 13, 2014 22:49
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Out of the curious airlock, Mandus finds himself wandering the silent offices of a factory.  Journal pages this update: Found documents this update:
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Jun 14, 2014 21:13
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Really enjoying this LP, your narration really adds to the game. I feel that the setting of late Victorian industry really adds to horror for some reason. Also as a note for those who don't know the "Debussy" the narrator mentions as being used to sooth the beasts is the late 19th century French Composer Claude Debussy. He is known for his soothing musical pieces. Here is his most famous piece "Clair de lune:"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvUepMa31o Another famous piece of his is "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn" written in 1894: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YazhxBA7oo
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Jun 15, 2014 00:25
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