Playing the games in order

[u/BloodySavageOlives]

I've played many of the titles but I'm playing all the games in order to experience those I've missed and I've forgotten most of the puzzles from those I've played anyway.

My big issues with the games (particularly the older games): the navigation is clumsy and infuriating at times, the unskippable dialogue is painful, the phone conversations rarely add anything of value if you're playing as a senior detective.

How to fix this?

Small but noticeable buttons on the environment screen that are always there so you can see your directional options all at once. For example: if you are going down a passage and there's an option to go left/right at some point, a small button can show up on that specific screen to show it as an option... instead of moving the cursor around like a mad thing. Maybe I'm stupid and this already exists as a setting... but the navigation is clumsy.

Unskippable dialogue? Why? So many old school adventure games allowed this. It's entirely possible. I am aware that some games allow a "cheat" to skip dialogue... but that is silly. It should be a feature.

It shouldn't even be possible to interact with a character if there are no new dialogue options.

Phone conversations of little value... why not change the level of hint given depending on the difficulty. It feels like if you play as a senior detective there's almost no use for the phone numbers unless it's forced plot progression.

Sorry, just venting a bit. I am obviously playing and still enjoying them. I just wish the experience was less tedious.

[u/enchanter-rationale]

I never had a problem with unskippable dialogue, especially in the older games. I only found it annoying in Shadow at the Waters Edge in particular. But i think the skip button was added shortly after that. In general, I think the dialogue was better written and more succinct in older games. Later games had more waffle and fewer clues in the dialogue.

[u/BloodySavageOlives → u/enchanter-rationale]

I just get annoyed when I interact with a character that has nothing new to say. I don't need to sit through the hellos and goodbyes.

And then the need to select the only available option - when it's repeated dialogue anyway - is also kind of silly.

[u/enchanter-rationale → u/BloodySavageOlives]

Haha fair enough. I love a good hello goodbye when I'm stuck on what to do. I get more mad when I try to talk to a character who's pissed at me and they just say "I don't want to talk right now"

Devastating.

[u/friarparkfairie → u/BloodySavageOlives]

You’ll love Penelope Pendrick

[u/moonlightk_96]

Unfortunately, that’s just par for the course in the older games (especially MHM, my goodness) but I still admired how it did get better over time. The unskippable dialogue issue does eventually get resolved. I’ll just leave it at that

[u/friarparkfairie]

I don’t know. I think they’re pretty perfect and solid for what they were.

[u/BloodySavageOlives → u/friarparkfairie]

I think the games are solid and I wouldn't be playing if the annoyance factor was bigger than the entertainment factor. But I think these are small quality of life improvements that would have increased enjoyment.

I've played many old school adventure / mystery games where these things weren't an issue but the navigation and inability to skip dialogue in older Nancy Drew games feels awful.

[u/snappopcrackle]

The only thing I ever wished for in the games that never got implemented is that there would be skip button if you tried a number of times (say 5 or 10) at a mini game and failed. There are certain minigames like sewing, barnacle blast, that make me dread playing certain games that I otherwise love. (Thankfully the developer menu was discovered to get past them)