Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders playthrough and hints

[Sushi]

@discobot fortune
Do YOU like Zak McKracken?

[discobot]

Yes

[Sushi]

@Gffp

A thing I never understood well (probably since I played it just one time) is how mazes work. I mean: there’s a precise map (like for Atlantis in Indy 4) or are they randomly generated?

It is safe to say that you can crack all the mazes regardless of your inventory.

[milanfahrnholz]

@Gffp

A thing I never understood well (probably since I played it just one time) is how mazes work. I mean: there’s a precise map (like for Atlantis in Indy 4) or are they randomly generated?

Look, there are 4 mazes in Zak.

The jungles aren´t mazes at all.

The mars labyrinth is a bit tricky but actually not too big.

The sphinx has a very easy logic to it. Just follow the symbol that has a deep meaning in ancient egypt.

The hardest is probably the Mayan pyramid. But if you light the rooms you were in already you cannot go in circles either.

It is really easier to get lost in the sewers in Thimbleweed Park than in most mazes in Zak.

[seguso]

if someone could just tell me “before you go to the mayan maze, you need to do something here” (without telling what)…

[tasse-tee]

@Sushi

@tasse-tee, you decide on the rules? Do we PM the answer?

Challenge rules:

I’ll post a blurred quote with the symbol next to it.
Send me a PM with that quote, followed by:

the line that is spoken directly after
and
who says that same line

I’ll let each of you know whether your answers are correct or not. If you give me an answer which is a few lines away (ie: not immediately after my original quote), you will have the chance to try again once more, but for less points.

Whenever I reach the end of the game, I will post the results, and announce who is the
Ultimate Zak Expert

Good luck!

[milanfahrnholz]

@seguso

if someone could just tell me “before you go to the mayan maze, you need to do something here ” (without telling what )…

If you successfully have finished the part in Seattle you already have what you need in the mayan maze. Unless you needlesly disposed of it or you fly to mexico before you´re done in seattle for whatever reason. So really there is nothing you need there.

[Frenzie]

@milanfahrnholz

In all the lands!

Earth and Mars?

[Frenzie]

@milanfahrnholz

It is really easier to get lost in the sewers in Thimbleweed Park than in most mazes in Zak.

It is? I found the sewers very easy to navigate because of the careful visual crafting. NB I’m not necessarily saying I found them fun to navigate, but they never once got on my nerves.

[Gffp]

@milanfahrnholz

The hardest is probably the Mayan pyramid. But if you light the rooms you were in already you cannot go in circles either.

Yeah I had that very maze in my mind when I asked my question, even if I meant it to be generically referred to all kind of mazes.

It is really easier to get lost in the sewers in Thimbleweed Park than in most mazes in Zak.

Hmmm, I don’t have the same experience as you. As for many other aspects of gameplay in TWP, I found the design of the sewers very coherent, and in this case also urbanistically consistent, even if the town’s design is pretty simple. The presence of road signs then made everything more consistent. I mean sewers are not easy to explore, but you can figure it out reading the shape of the town which is above.

[nihilquest]

Here’s the biggest problem with Zak. Saving won’t help you, if you switch characters and do your stuff with one, while the other is getting closer to death and you don’t know it. Or if one character is stuck and you don’t know it. I made this mistake few times over the years and gave up. Usually the problem was with the girls, but one time Zak got stuck in a scenery (??? yes, I know) near the end and it broke my heart.

(BTW I finished the game, but just once)

[Frenzie]

@nihilquest

Usually the problem was with the girls,

Do they stop telling you that the oxygen is running out? I still think that would be mostly mitigated by your saves based around whichever character you’re playing though.

[Sushi]

@milanfahrnholz

If you successfully have finished the part in Seattle you already have what you need in the mayan maze. Unless you needlesly disposed of it or you fly to mexico before you´re done in seattle for whatever reason. So really there is nothing you need there.

but how can they ever know they have finished a part anywhere?

@milanfahrnholz

So really there is nothing you need there.

I beg to differ… Now it seems as if you don’t need anything from Mexico.

the real issue is that if you spread your inventory objects in a smart (rather clearvoyant) way, you can avoid backtracking mazes and use both Zak and Annie to work together. But again, you need to know what things you might have forgotten to do in the first place. So yeah, you’ll definitely will cross those mazes a few times. Hint: create a new save game when you cross the maze, so you can have a quick peak later without having to cross the maze again.

[Sushi]

@tasse-tee

who says it

the original line or the line directly after? or both?

[milanfahrnholz]

You´re right. The appearance of the blue crystal is rather serendipitous isn´t it. Even if it´s part of the games major McGuffin.

[tasse-tee]

@Sushi

the original line or the line directly after? or both?

The line directly after. Edited the wording in my post.

[nihilquest]

Yeah, at least once I was in a place where I couldn’t get to the oxygen on time. I’m bit hazy on the details as it was years ago.

[Frenzie]

I’m currently in the water, waiting to die. I can’t seem to find a way to stop the water from leaking in. (Not reloading my save 'cause I’m curious and also doing other things.)

[Sushi]

@seguso

“before you go to the mayan maze, you need to do something here ” (without telling what )…

before you go to the mayan maze you need to do something in Kinshasha

[Sushi]

you can die in other ways before reaching the water
alternatively you have to wait for 24 hours until Zak dehydrates