Timed Puzzle Help

[Darklord]

Hey Guys,

Timed puzzles are something that many of us struggle with, but there are several things that can you help you get past them, below is a list of the most common.


1, Reduce your graphics settings, especially for those with less powerful systems this helps a lot, if you still struggle remove nearby light sources to.


2, Movement tips, Try and move slightly in advance, for example move at the same time you press a switch or move as a projectile is hitting you but before it disappears. Try to avoid turning your party if you don't need to, turning takes time so sometimes it's quicker to strafe or move backwards. Press the movement keys multiple times instead of holding down the key, as this is faster and more precise. Learn and count your moves.


3, Mouse position, When you need to press a button or several in a row, try to get your mouse in the correct position on the screen beforehand, then do not move your mouse! This will save a critical seconds, that can easily make the difference.


4, Ensure you aren't encumbered! Being encumbered will slow you down, (shown by a snail) if in doubt throw some heavy stuff you were carrying on the floor/take your armour off.


5, Adjust the game speed, If all those options fail you can adjust the game speed, Note this is not recommended by the Team, but it is something you could try, and many people have been able to complete the puzzles after doing this.

This can be done in game using the console, for console help see,

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1982

The command you need is,

gameMode.timeMultiplier = 0.7

Or using these external programs

Cheat Engine (use at own risk!)

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1688&hilit=speed&start=40#p18696

Fan made timer patch,(adjusting speed may cause other issues so only do this is you feel you must)

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1688&hilit=speed&start=40#p18684


6, Videos, here are some fan made videos for the times puzzles in the game.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1572&p=15574#p15574


Also note that some of the hardest timed puzzles (Level 7 iron door for example) are not required for continuing the game, so you could always leave it and possibly come back later.

If anyone else has any ideas that may help others please post them here and I will update this post.

PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS THREAD FOR COMPLAINTS, it is merely here as a resource to help others.

Thank you and good luck!

Daniel.

[Eobersig]

In addition to what Darklord already said:

2b. Try to avoid to turn your party if possible. Turning costs time too, thus use strafe when you can avoid a turn that way.

[Darklord]

Cheers, point added.

Daniel.

[carpii]

If you're struggling with a timed puzzle, try moving by pressing a movement key once per dungeon square
I cant verify this entirely, but it does seem to allow you to move a tiny bit faster than just holding down the movement key
It may even be dependant on your keyboard repeat rate if you just hold it down (anyone know for sure?)

[Darklord]

Ah good catch, added, looks like were getting a good selection of tips here.

Daniel.

[Crashbanito]

As carpii said, you don't want to hold the keys when trying to move quickly. It's best if you can get in the habit of tapping the keys every time you want to move as it offers the most precision and speed in general.

[Asmodan]

When you must Press several Buttons in the right Time then it helps me a Lot to put the Mouse cursor on the right place to Press the first Button and dont move it, its now in the right position. So if you run to the next button you just have to press the Mousebutton and dont have to aim.

[Darklord]

Good call, added.

Daniel.

[Imarion]

I have not reached a timed puzzle yet, so I did not have a chance to try out my theory, but ...

If you have a programmable keyboard, like a Logitech G-series, what about programming the sequence of the moves ?

Imarion

[jfunk]

Just FYI, a friend tested on his old laptop and we did confirm that playing on slow hardware does indeed impact the timing. The game clock keeps running while you are left waiting for the animations. This can make even simple puzzles like the level 2 "step back quickly" very difficult. I would think more complicated puzzles might be impossible.

I suspect many are playing on hardware below the minimum requirements, but because the animations actually appear smooth they are under the false impression that "everything is running fine" when in fact it is not. If you haven't had the opportunity to observe the game running properly, it might not be immediately obvious.