Serflord April 1st ARG!

[Theyflower]

Put the sound files into "Cogmind/data/audio/" and rename it to game.x MAKE SURE TO NOT DELETE THE OLD game.x

Beta 12
Seed: DispersionFusionClaw
game.x sounds: https://files.catbox.moe/z8lhhv.x_serflord

Beta 14
Seed: FlightTrackerGuard
game.x sounds: https://files.catbox.moe/s3iyh6.x_beta_14_serflord

Here's your plot hook:
Imprinter has imprisoned the soul of the Data Chimer. You must release Data Chimer and then follow the story given to you in order to win.
You know you will win when someone in particular tells you "cogmind gaming" during the end sequence of the game.

[Kyzrati]

This seems awesome, thanks for putting together... a different ARG--now I'm curious about how it's done, although even without explanation or testing yet I think I have some clues based on what you'd been working on in the past

I didn't see it advertised on most Cogmind communities though so I wonder how many people have tried it out yet! Maybe should've dropped a notice on r/Cogmind and Steam forums etc for more exposure, unless you were mainly targeting just the Discord community. Also directly mentioning it in some Discord channels rather than just pinging, which I think was what you tried?

Could take a little while for people to pick it up in that case.

[Luigi]

I played the Serflord ARG and so can you!


It was so much fun: I laughed, I cried, I even sneezed once


Play this, you won't regret it

[Kyzrati]

Hey Luigi, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing! I imagine I'll have to try this later, but I might want to stream it and still can't do that after my injury, so I guess I should wait for now...

I saw you had streamed it with the community, and that at least one other player has been enjoying it as well. Good to see it finally getting some love

[Theyflower]

Fixed dead link, hopefully catbox will keep it around for a long time. You are encouraged to keep your own copy to help prevent this from becoming lost media!

[Kyzrati]

Ah so it still requires Beta 12, eh? Was hoping it was updated or at least compatible with at least 13 so I could stream it with the new UI...

[Theyflower]

Ah so it still requires Beta 12, eh? Was hoping it was updated or at least compatible with at least 13 so I could stream it with the new UI...

I'm not sure if the seed still works. I'd have to find a new seed for a B13 version.

[Kyzrati]

Oh right, forgot it was seed-based. That would be important.

[Theyflower]

Thanks to aoemica for checking the previous seed to find it doesn't work and then locating a new seed. I've made an updated version of the soundpack required for the ARG to work.
https://files.catbox.moe/19gxi9.x_beta_14_serflord

[Theyflower]

Oops the seed doesn't work. The pack is still updated to b14 we just need to find a seed.

[Theyflower]

Seed found! Thanks to aoemica.

[Kyzrati]

Awesome! To be honest as I was thinking of what to stream this week Serflord topped the list, but decided against it since I couldn't do it in Beta 14... ended up playtesting a different roguelike instead. Maybe there'll be another opportunity before too long.

[CaptainWinky]

Nice, I missed the original version so I should give this a shot.

[R-26 Lightspeed]

I'll try it too, after my current run.
Should i turn off score uploading, though?
Since this seems to be a purely audio mod, i wouldn't think so, but just to make sure.

[Kyzrati]

Just an audio-based mod, so uploading should be fine.

[R-26 Lightspeed]

Alright, thanks!

[R-26 Lightspeed]

I finally started a run, and almost reached the "plot hook", but i noticed something that feels weird :

Spoiler

When i reached zion, i realized i didn't bring anything capable of breaking through the Sealed Doors or Reinforced Barriers to the Deep Caves.
(The best impact weapon i have available has a maximum damage of 63, but i'd need 65 + full momentum bonus to break the Sealed Doors.)

Given the "plot hook", the Deep Caves seem to be my target, so i'd imagine there would be some guaranteed way within zion or at least the previous cave maps to reach the Deep Caves.
There are none, though; So my only options now are to either ram the Sealed Doors at full speed and have my flight units survive at least two of the rams, or go on a murder spree.

The latter is the only option that the player is guaranteed to have, which seems a bit "heavy-handed" as the first thing i need to do for this ARG.
(Also there is a hammer in zion, but it can't break the Reinforced Barriers because they have a bunch of 50% type resistances as of Beta 14.)

[close]

Or am i just overanalysing? I feel like i might be.

[Theyflower]

I finally started a run, and almost reached the "plot hook", but i noticed something that feels weird :

Spoiler

When i reached zion, i realized i didn't bring anything capable of breaking through the Sealed Doors or Reinforced Barriers to the Deep Caves.
(The best impact weapon i have available has a maximum damage of 63, but i'd need 65 + full momentum bonus to break the Sealed Doors.)

Given the "plot hook", the Deep Caves seem to be my target, so i'd imagine there would be some guaranteed way within zion or at least the previous cave maps to reach the Deep Caves.
There are none, though; So my only options now are to either ram the Sealed Doors at full speed and have my flight units survive at least two of the rams, or go on a murder spree.

The latter is the only option that the player is guaranteed to have, which seems a bit "heavy-handed" as the first thing i need to do for this ARG.
(Also there is a hammer in zion, but it can't break the Reinforced Barriers because they have a bunch of 50% type resistances as of Beta 14.)

[close]

Or am i just overanalysing? I feel like i might be.

Spoiler

If you want to enter the Deep Caves you can always get the codes from Imprinter's Corpse.

[close]

[R-26 Lightspeed]

Spoiler

If you want to enter the Deep Caves you can always get the codes from Imprinter's Corpse.

[close]

[/quote]

Spoiler

That's what i ended up doing, and what i was referring to as feeling a bit "heavy-handed". I was probably just overanalysing, then.

[close]

[Theyflower]

Updated the B14 Serflord to restore an easter egg which originally existed in the B12 version but I forgot to include when I made the B14 version. All gameplay is the same but for the fully authentic experience fresh installs should use the new one.

[Kyzrati]

Awesome, good to hear and I will finally be trying this out tomorrow for the first time on stream

[Kyzrati]

Did the first stream today! It's archived below, and will be continuing next week.

Comments from the video description since relevant:

It's finally time to play "Serflord," a Cogmind mod by Theyflower! I had little idea what to expect, so my decision to take a convenient early shortcut to Zion meant I was not prepared for the requirements, and just barely didn't survive a return trip from deep in the caves... So I actually had to restart this run half way through, and you can find the beginning of the safer approach from 01:58:00.

That said, there were definitely some interesting times in the first run, plus it includes the main intro to the mod, and a bit more discussion about the process. The second run is not disappointing, either, and it was additionally interesting to be re-running a manual seed, which I've never done before. By the end we've reached beyond the overlapping segments for next time, where there's already a specific goal laid out for us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUb8mlR9oWw

[R-26 Lightspeed]

I reached a late-game point where i heard some modified audio, but i'm not sure what it said. I recorded it, but even re-listening to it i'm not sure that i'm hearing everything :

Spoiler

The SCP's dialogue, of which i basically understood "let's get out of here". Did i miss any instructions, or was that the entire thing?

[close]

[CaptainWinky]

I reached a late-game point where i heard some modified audio, but i'm not sure what it said. I recorded it, but even re-listening to it i'm not sure that i'm hearing everything :

Spoiler

The SCP's dialogue, of which i basically understood "let's get out of here". Did i miss any instructions, or was that the entire thing?

[close]

Basically that's it.

Spoiler

"They're coming!  The exit is that way!  (something) We must escape right now, do not miss this chance!"

[close]

[R-26 Lightspeed]

Thanks!