I recently played through the old Infocom adventure game Stationfall, as part of one of my periodic adventure game binges, and I found I lost a couple times due to running out of time. I think that was basically just due to me triggering some events which could've been delayed, but nevertheless I decided to map out the puzzle tree of the game to find a semi-optimal path. That way I wouldn't be wasting time running from one end of the station to the other all the time.
Once I did beat the game, I figured I'd fix up the tree slightly to include the whole game, rather than just the main safe-breaking bit (though of course that ends up consuming the most of it anyway). So, here it is! I doubt this'll be of much interest to anyone else, but I always enjoy this kind of visualization, so I figured I'd give it a home regardless.
(Click through for full-sized version)
The original graphviz .dot file is here: stationfall.dot
And for the record, here's the path that I ended up taking. Works well, is actually far quicker than you have to be, though, and misses various flavor text (doesn't actually "show" many of the clues you'd actually need to puzzle it out - skips the alien ship, diaries, mayor's office, for instance).
Okay, this does seem to do the trick. Note that it misses out on quite a bit
of flavor - you've theoretically got until Day 4 to solve the game, and this
will get you there during day 2.
- Head into science area
Grab fromitz board from astro lab
- Go to level 7
Get crumpled form from trash can
Get drill from recycling plant
Drop small drill bit
- Go to level 3
You'll be hungry - open the thermos and drink soup
Press crumpled form in laundry room
- Go to level 5
Get drill bit from robot shop, put it in drill
Drop board and drill in commander's quarters
Get stamp, validate form, drop stamp
- Unlock Village to the East
Get headlamp from field office
Get platinum foil from barbershop
Grab plastic bag on the way through, just for convenience
Put the foil in the bag
Upgrade ID Card in Shady Dan's
- Head to south village
Get can from pawn shop
- Head to east village
Get ostrich nip
Lure the balloon creature with can
- Go to level 5
(should be extremely tired by this point)
Leave the balloon creature in East Junction
Get Jammer and Fromtiz board, combine 'em, set to 710
(turn off headlamp!)
Head to commander's quarters to sleep! (should be time)
Leave bag+jammer in quarters
Get your kit, nip, and can (and id card, if you were holding it
directly)
Resume luring the balloon creature, @ South Junction
- Go to level 3
Turn off flame in Chapel
Lure balloon creature into chapel, get the star and thingy
drop star and can
- Go to level 2
Get the detonator, replace its thingy
- Go to level 6
Get the zapgun from the armory
- Go to level 5
Drop detonator+idcard in a South Connection
(could probably just keep detonator, honestly)
- Go to south village
Get coin from loan shark (keep your zapgun for endgame!)
Lure ostrich (from Doc's)
- Go to level 5
(you'll need to eat a goo by now)
Use coin+ostrich to get timer from PX (type 6, put nip in hole)
(Plato is likely to show up at some point, starting now)
- Back to east village
spin wheel in Casino, get the spacesuit
get the magnetic boots
(get thermos, close kit, to save goo)
head out to space, put the explosive in the thermos
Remember to turn off your headlamp on the way out!
- Back to level 5
(collect detonator from south connection)
Blow the safe
Drop drill and thermos
Collect bag + jammer + key
- Up to level one
Unlock+Open the bin
pick up your kit, bag, jammer, and zapgun
Head down the shaft
- Level 9
Activate the Jammer!
Then Deactivate the Jammer! omg!
- Level 8
Gotta zap floyd
Then cover the pyramid
Changelog
- Initial Post