I don't like it anymore

[Shenmue]

I just want to say one thing, and since I haven't read all these long posts it probably has been said before.

Reading NonHominus posts seem to indicate that the sheer amount of time it takes to complete it is a bad thing. It's like you do it all for the end, not for the journey. I promise you, it's the journey that is fun, certainly not the boring end-page. I wish I still had some levels left to do, cause I don't care at all about that stupid end and not much about the certificate.

[NonHominus]

It is not about the end. Is it not a fact that you cannot journey through a level if you cannot reach it? If you cannot continue forward in a reasonable amount of time, there is a possibility that you will never finish it (and it is not only empty words, even the unimaginable can happen and you never will know in advance). Here surfaces a valuable aspect of using a walkthrough: if stuck on a level for days, use a solution to release yourself, then continue on your own. It somewhat resembles an automobile immobilized by a mud puddle: either you push the pedal and try all your skills to get out by the ordinary way, or you tug the car out. Think what would you do if you have limited amout of fuel .

[jooly]

Well, you have limited fuel for your brain, then? There's no rush to complete this or move on - there's nothing wrong with taking your time over the riddle. It's not as though there's nothing else you can occupy your time with when you're stuck - the internet, let alone the real world, is a big place.

[Jay2k1]

I also read, "If you know the answer, what fun is it?". if your progress is halted by annoying system failures (What if the browser cannot display the source code?), lack of speed (Have you seen Google lag?), or drastic differencers in thinking patterns, this can really terminate your enjoyment. And when it is clear that the fault is not in you, but in an obstruction you have encountered, "fun" is all but rellevant.

But the worst I encountered was the need to download and configure various (more than one counts as "various") software applications. None of you knows what the player's system well include, how it will be configured, what software/hardware issues it willhave, etc. Systems can have uncountable problems which can be triggered by a wide range of software, or even no software at all (for example, I have struggled with IE internal errors triggered by mouse movement, GUI failures, crashes with no event present and self-restart, many invoked through certain softwares or software combination; each of the above has contributed to information loss at least once - and what about "no sound device", "no integrated sound", "no speakers/headsets/microphones"?). So, this game requires the player to alter his PC condition in a way, which may prove disastrous. If he is aware of this, he will not install the software, thus he will not finish the game. If not, he will probably proceed and install it, which will eminently, in some machines, call an unfamiliar bug or error. In short: you can not make people install software if they do not want to, and some of them have solid reasons to deny.

Notpron consists of normal web pages, of .wav and .mp3, of .psd and .zip.
Every computer, be it Windows, MacOS, linux or whatever, that is at least a LITTLE BIT up to date, should be able to display web sites, play mp3 files, handle zip files (hey wait, these things are what many people do with their computers every day?), and Photoshop shouldn't be a problem as well (you could also use GIMP).
The things above are examples of typical basic usage of a computer.
If your computer cannot handle these things or crashes as often as you say, you should consider reinstalling your system, as it seems horribly unstable.

And by the way, every game of the last few years i know of has much much bigger system requirements than notpron has, so you shouldn't mourn about notpron, you should rather send emails to CryTek, EA Games and all the others.

And concerning the time needed: If you go into a shop and buy a "normal" game, you pay 50 dollars and have one week of fun with it. Maybe two.
Notpron is free and you can have fun with it for months. You think that's bad? Well, noone forces you to play it

[Sam_Atoms]

I wish I still had some levels left to do, cause I don't care at all about that stupid end and not much about the certificate.

LOL, tell me about it, I never even requested the certificate...

[Shenmue]

Non Hominus: Not only does cheating ruin the fun of the level you are currently on, it will also spread like a virus and make you want to cheat more and more, and after a while you will probably end up cheating on every level and the fun is totally gone. Cheating isn't like pushing on your car if it is stuck in a puddle, no, using your similie I would rather say that cheating is like pusing your car constantly cause the engine has died.

[JodiRae]

Need to put my $.02 in on this one.

A game like this is 100% about the jouney, not the destination! I love this game! I don't want to finish it! I want to progress, but by the time I get to the last level I hope there are more! I think there are 3 kinds of people when it comes to riddles. Non riddle people who look at a game like this, roll their eyes with a "well how stupid is that" look in on their faces and walk away (my husband); people who think they're riddle people who dive in loving this but start searching for help as soon as their stuck for more than a few minutes and become desperate for a spoiler if they don't get through a level in a short time (my 16 year old son); then there are true riddle people who love the quest! For them it's not about knowing what the answer is, but about the act of discovering the answer. A true puzzler can't feel satisfied if the answer is spoon fed. A true riddle person will keep digging. Even if someone tells them the answer they won't be satisfied until they know why it's the answer.

[frkyjenn]

Very well said JodiRae.. i'm in the "third" group of people.

I want to know why the answer is what it is. I learned so many cool things doing not pron. I will admit when I first started there was one level that I thought about cheating on (level 18) because I didn't know how to find the answer. I was lucky enough to have a 16 year old son who is a music genius (well he's actually a genius in all areas--but in this case his music abilities came into play) and he was able to help me. But.. I found out later that knowing the answer wasn't enough. I had to find a way to get the answer myself. I felt I had cheated on 18.. even though I hadn't ever used a walkthrough.
I went back to level 18.. and spent about a week or so using google to help me find something to help me get the answer myself. I felt so much better learning how to do it for myself.

[bribieboy]

I will first say that this riddle is every bit as hard as i was told....various statements about hints ...no hints...spoilers...and cheats...and the decision to stop giving hints at a certain level...i think has left many people a bit upset... happy...clueless or just dumbfounded...I believe the game was devised to rack peoples brains and not one that could be clocked in a day...let alone months. On this note THIS IS NOT A GAME for everybody(can i call it a game?) Some people like soccer...some people like chess....some people like neither. I was curious enough in it to get to level 6...Pitiful i know....but time was an issue for me sorry. i really enjoyed the minute fraction of the game i played until the degree of difficulty considerably increased the time taken to crack each level....I can honestly say that i referred to this forum for hints on most levels(yes im a bit slow) but not once did i cheat. And like everyone knows wheres the self satisfaction in that. But one might ask... if there are hints in this forum is that classed as cheating? In answering that question i would be certain that some will say yes and some will say no... Anyways....im trying to get to my point as slow as it seems....That this games creator(s) can ultimately decide when, where ,what, who ,why and how when it comes down to it.....And ultimately if u dont like it then i suggest that this game is not for u...go play soccer or chess.... My interest in this game and my perception of how others have remarked on it have givin me an idea of which i would like to share with its creators. I believe a future version of notpron should be made cause i liked it (from what little i achieved ) And i believe the degree of difficulty should definitely remain the same. But an inclusion of it to which cheaters and non cheaters would really enjoy would be to setup a statistical page that could incorproate a hints and or full cheats page that could be accessed for us not so smart people and include a level by level statistic for the braniacs to compete against each other(good for friends too) .....Obviously each person who plays the game must log on and their movements recorded...Records could show how long each person spent on a level and entire game ....and records could show whether or not that person has needed a hint or cheat for each level...I understand that there are sites showing full cheats for notpron( dont ask me where i dont know) ... And givin that there are people who will cheat , as i previously said they are cheating themselves so good on em....I know i wouldnt feel proud having my name high up in the statistics if it wasnt legit....I really think that a little competition in regards to showing how others are progressing and whether or not they used hints and how long it took them , and the fact that the not so smart people who like playing this type of game can progress if stuck or are on a time restraint like myself, would make a new notpron an absolute cracker and more enjoyable for everybody .I will be keen to hear what people think about my idea.......Kind Regards.....