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 What is this? The Gene Machine is a point-and-click adventure game set in England during the Victorian era and it was released in 1996. We follow Piers Featherstonehaugh and his faithful servant, Mossop, as they arrive back in London after a long stay in the United States Of America. They're ready to return home and relax, that is until they receive a knock on their front door. The plot of the game shares many common elements with Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and From the Earth to the Moon, as well as many other literary and historical references to Victorian England. This is a game that I haven't played in a very long time and I'm looking forward to revisiting it. LP Details This is going to be a VLP and I'll be recording commentary as I play along. I don't have a schedule, it all depends on when I have free time around work and child care. I aim to have at least one video up a week but usually, I upload at least a couple of videos each week. Lets Play: The Gene Machine:          
Rocket Baby Dolls fucked around with this message at 11:35 on Mar 16, 2023 |
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Feb 18, 2023 20:50
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 00:58 |
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Oh hey, I remember a previous LP attempt of this and some of those puzzles are rather bizarre. Looking forward to seeing how it develops.
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Feb 18, 2023 23:50
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anilEhilated posted:Oh hey, I remember a previous LP attempt of this and some of those puzzles are rather bizarre. Looking forward to seeing how it develops. I couldn't find it in the search but the link was still available in one of the new LP announcement threads. Contains spoilers for future updates: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3736952
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Feb 19, 2023 00:04
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PAPER!!! ... PAPER!!!
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Feb 19, 2023 09:20
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"Fun" fact: The subtitles on the default setting were so slow it delayed the gameplay by seven minutes compared to what you see in this video. The next highest setting keeps about half of the subtitles on the screen for about a blink of the eye.
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Feb 19, 2023 09:38
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Hoorah - very glad to see this! One thing I did notice was that the sound channels seemed to be swapped - it was very noticeable in the first scene where the paperboy could be heard on the left speaker, but he ended up to the right of the screen.
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Feb 19, 2023 14:53
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Kind of amazing of how intent the game seems to be on defeating itself. You really don't want to do character close-ups when they look like they've been made in MSPaint. Also, Fanshawe seems to be a complete rear end in a top hat, but that's about per course for an adventure protagonist.
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Feb 19, 2023 19:10
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anilEhilated posted:Also, Fanshawe seems to be a complete rear end in a top hat, but that's about per course for an adventure protagonist. Yeah, but occasionally adventure protagonists are charming.
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Feb 20, 2023 07:48
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There's quite a lot happening in this video. We explore Featherstonehaugh's house, examine our ever-increasing inventory, speak to Seventy-Three, return to the station and then pay a visit to our betrothed. Zaroff posted:Hoorah - very glad to see this! Yeah, I noticed that too. It seems to be an issue with the game itself though as I'm playing it straight from a CD-Rom via the use of Dosbox. anilEhilated posted:Kind of amazing of how intent the game seems to be on defeating itself. You really don't want to do character close-ups when they look like they've been made in MSPaint. Samovar posted:Yeah, but occasionally adventure protagonists are charming. Nice adventure game protagonists are few and far between. And they couldn't be further away from this game even if they tried.
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Feb 20, 2023 11:55
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I had to look this up on Mobygames since I was convinced I'd heard some extremely similar composing in another adventure game, but was surprised the one credited music artist, Ian McCue, hadn't worked on anything else I'd played.
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Feb 21, 2023 16:00
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PurpleXVI posted:I had to look this up on Mobygames since I was convinced I'd heard some extremely similar composing in another adventure game, but was surprised the one credited music artist, Ian McCue, hadn't worked on anything else I'd played. Not even Thomas & Friends: Adventures?
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Feb 21, 2023 21:29
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Rocket Baby Dolls posted:Not even Thomas & Friends: Adventures? I know, shame on me for missing out on such a legendary work of art, but I just haven't gotten around to it. You know how it is with Steam backlogs.
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Feb 21, 2023 22:23
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PurpleXVI posted:I know, shame on me for missing out on such a legendary work of art, but I just haven't gotten around to it. You know how it is with Steam backlogs. Someone pull me out of this pile, I'm having trouble breathing! *cilcks on shopping cart icon* And quick!
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Feb 22, 2023 10:29
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In this video, Piers takes Mossop to a brothel and afterwards takes him to the docks to meet some sailors. We're in full exploration mode right now with visiting each location and getting to know the locals. The video does end up with a return to the house as I forgot to pick something up in the last video. I thought that one of the voice actors in this game was Tony Robinson but after investigating further it turns out that I was wrong in my assumption. But I did find out that one of the voice actors in this game is Sean Pertwee is the voice of Piers Featherstonehaugh. Sean is the son of Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who, Worzel Gummidge, etc...) and a well-respected actor in his own right.
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Feb 23, 2023 23:59
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Goddamn, I think that's the most racistly portrayed Chinese person in any game.
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Feb 25, 2023 01:31
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In this video, Featherstonehaugh and Mossop visit the Royal Scientific Institute and the Highborn Club. I decided to speed up the subtitles one more notch and there's quite a difference. We started off three notches faster than the default settings and you can see for yourself the vast difference one more step makes. The default setting made my initial test recording seven minutes slower than the first video that I actually uploaded. I recorded this update with the settings from the last update and then decided to rerecord it with the new speed and I ended up getting through everything five minutes faster. There are a few minor mistakes caused by human error but after recording this update twice and having numerous restarts in between I'm ready for this session to be over. A half-hour session has turned into two hours, but that also included making these gifs:   PurpleXVI posted:Goddamn, I think that's the most racistly portrayed Chinese person in any game. Probably top five for me. Duckman was the last game that I played that topped this one. Jack Orlando is probably one of the worst of them all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_3o9Wj7aKw&t=2666s
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Feb 26, 2023 17:16
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P. G. Wodehouse the writers of this game were not... ... although, to be frank, he was also quite goddamn guilty of being racist as the rest of them.
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Feb 27, 2023 07:04
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Samovar posted:P. G. Wodehouse the writers of this game were not... The rest of the writers of his era or of this game?
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Feb 27, 2023 09:50
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Rocket Baby Dolls posted:The rest of the writers of his era or of this game? If I wanted to be flippant I would say: 'Good point' ...but in truth, of the era. Though I don't think he was bad as Agatha Christie. He certainly wasn't as bad as Sax Rohmer, the man who has written the most racist screeds I have ever read, and I have read Gone with the Wind, Tarzan of the Apes and Mein Kampf.
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Feb 27, 2023 12:39
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Samovar posted:If I wanted to be flippant I would say: 'Good point' It's hard to find a prolific writer from a century or longer ago who didn't have questionable views that were fairly commonplace at the time. H.G. Wells was brought up in the last video. War Of The Worlds is one of my all time favorite books, one that I've read countless times. I bought a collection a few years ago so I could read more of his works and they definitely raised my eyebrows a few times. Even Sherlock Holmes didn't quite escape this either, Doyle's description of any person of colour in his books certainly painted quite the picture. I recently started to read through Lovecrafts works and despite his reputation, he has behaved himself for the most part apart from the odd comment. There were definitely people of that age who wrote some truly abhorrently racist things back then. But there were a lot of writers whose views were clearly product of it's time. It doesn't change the fact that their views are still horribly racist though. Rocket Baby Dolls fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Feb 27, 2023 |
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Feb 27, 2023 13:47
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In this video, Featherstonehaugh and Mossop pay a visit to Buckingham Palace and then return to several places in order to tie up some loose ends.
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Feb 28, 2023 14:55
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I seem to remember hearing that Vic liked a laugh too, despite the typical representation of her otherwise. One reason for that is actually something that is not represented in this game - after her husband died, she pretty much only ever went around in mourning black clothing (so I have heard).
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Feb 28, 2023 17:00
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Samovar posted:I seem to remember hearing that Vic liked a laugh too, despite the typical representation of her otherwise. One reason for that is actually something that is not represented in this game - after her husband died, she pretty much only ever went around in mourning black clothing (so I have heard). That's what I've read as well, she was never the same after his death. She fell into a deep depression and isolated herself from the public eye unless it was absolutely necessary.
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Feb 28, 2023 17:53
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anilEhilated posted:Also, Fanshawe seems to be a complete rear end in a top hat, but that's about per course for an adventure protagonist. Just caught up on the lp and I'm quite enjoying this game.
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Mar 1, 2023 16:39
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I'm pretty sure the walking animation in the photographer's room was so slow was because it was specifically the walking animation for going up/down stairs.
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Mar 2, 2023 06:16
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I've noticed that every time that I load a game it resets the subtitles to a slower setting. The save/load function is bugged as well, you can't even click on the icon most of the time. You have to hover over the icon then click on the middle of the screen to access the menu. I'm using the last known patch for the game as well. The whole subtitle speed thing has completely thrown of the pacing of the game but it's not a major problem in the grand scheme of things. It wouldn't feel like an LP of mine if there wasn't a technical problem of some sort. Tiggum posted:He's funnier than most, though. I don't mind him, he's a caricature of a rich Victorian nob and designed to be obnoxious. It probably helps that anyone other than Mossop doesn't take any poo poo from him. It's hard to find any adventure game protagonist who isn't a dick, but this guy is being one upfront and on an outrageous level. Samovar posted:I'm pretty sure the walking animation in the photographer's room was so slow was because it was specifically the walking animation for going up/down stairs. You are right, I can see it now that you've mentioned it.
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Mar 2, 2023 12:13
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I was planning to record another update tonight but it may now be delayed until Sunday. I picked up a bug a couple of days ago and even though I'm over the worst of it, it's still making its presence known. I was training twenty new starters at work today and my voice became more hoarse as the day went on and by the end of my shift, I could barely speak. My voice has improved since I returned home but it's still hoarse and it's probably better if I give it some rest. I'm busy before and after work tomorrow as well as Saturday morning. There is never a timetable for recording and updating but I'm usually pretty consistent regardless.
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Mar 2, 2023 23:36
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Catching up, I do genuinely appreciate how the writers take the piss out of everything about Victorian England, including the nobles. There's absolutely zero nostalgia for the "good old days" or respect for the Empire in any way. Every bit of conversation with Mossop is also consistently entertaining. By the standards of adventure games, most of the puzzles have also been... reasonably logical? Cartoon logic sometimes, but still identifiable logic.
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Mar 3, 2023 00:55
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PurpleXVI posted:Catching up, I do genuinely appreciate how the writers take the piss out of everything about Victorian England, including the nobles. There's absolutely zero nostalgia for the "good old days" or respect for the Empire in any way. Every bit of conversation with Mossop is also consistently entertaining. They have been pretty straightforward so far, especially for games of this era. The next section of the game will contain the games first logic puzzle and it isn't too complicated. There is one puzzle that I'm having an issue with that involves combining two items, but that's mainly with finding the logic behind doing it in the first place. The description of one of the objects gives a slight hint but the other doesn't. I haven't found any hints elsewhere in the game but i haven't checked everywhere. It is possibly that I've missed something in an off-hand comment when I picked them up. It is also possible that this is a case of random inventory management but I'd like to apply some sort of logic if I can. I'll put the two items in spoiler tags as someone may be able to help me out with this: Whisky + Snuff Box.
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Mar 3, 2023 10:52
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PurpleXVI posted:Catching up, I do genuinely appreciate how the writers take the piss out of everything about Victorian England, including the nobles. There's absolutely zero nostalgia for the "good old days" or respect for the Empire in any way. Every bit of conversation with Mossop is also consistently entertaining. ...yeah, the game has grown on me a bit due to this. The fact that it threw us in the deep end to begin with was a bit... Much.
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Mar 3, 2023 21:30
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Piers and Mossop visit Professor Tipple to help him prepare for their trip to the moon. There are a lot of nice visuals in this game but I decided to go with this image for the update, you're welcome! My voice still isn't back to normal but it's a lot better than what it was, at the very least I could go half an hour without coughing or worse.
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Mar 5, 2023 11:46
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Yeah, the solution for the flash powder is... I certainly wouldn't have gotten it.
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Mar 5, 2023 14:23
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I'm pleasantly surprised they recorded some, even if not always much, new dialogue for Mossop for literally every location. It also took me this long to realize that the taxi carriage is a weird 3D model while everything else is 2D. How strange.
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Mar 6, 2023 00:26
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It turns out that I completely missed out on the opportunity to make a stake while I was still inside of the Highborn Club, I just walked out after Captain Codpiece had his say. It's a little annoying on my own behalf as I'm trying to be as efficient as possible with this llaythrough. It won't take long to do but it's going to be a little messy as it's pretty much the last thing to do before the end of the first chapter. At the very least it's going to be a brief interlude between the moom segment and the start of the second chapter.
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Mar 6, 2023 19:53
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In this video, Featherstonehaugh and Mossop return from their mission to the moon and try to secure a ship for their passage to Dinsey Island.
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Mar 8, 2023 11:49
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This video made me lookup if there are caves on the Moon, turns out there are lava tubes to potentially build colonies in. there's a lot of talk recently of near future exploration. quora found me this short explanation: quote:Conc H2SO4 is a strong oxidising agent, so you’ll get the phosphorus being oxidised to phosphoric acid (H3PO4), whilst the acid is reduced to sulphur dioxide & water
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Mar 8, 2023 12:12
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Oh yeah, the old adage about the moon being made of green cheese? The colour of green cheese IS approximately the colour of the moon. It's green in that it is immature cheese, see also greenhorn.
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Mar 8, 2023 12:29
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The moon adventure feels like such an odd bit. I wonder if it was originally meant to be a longer part of the game.
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Mar 8, 2023 13:16
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By popular demand posted:This video made me lookup if there are caves on the Moon, turns out there are lava tubes to potentially build colonies in. there's a lot of talk recently of near future exploration. I was really dubious about the whole thing as the first thing that came to mind was phosphoric acid. I also found this on wikipedia: quote:Hyperphosphatemia, or a high blood level of phosphates, is associated with elevated mortality in the general population. PurpleXVI posted:The moon adventure feels like such an odd bit. I wonder if it was originally meant to be a longer part of the game. It's a very self contained area and our only aim was to get a map of the area to give to the Harbour master. I'm not sure what else we could have done up there.
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Mar 9, 2023 18:30
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 00:58 |
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I decided to take a day's holiday from work today so I had plenty of free time to record another update in fairly quick succession. In this video, Piers and Mossop board the SS Farragut in an endeavour to track down Captain Nematode. We see a variety of new locations in this update and we're almost done with them completely. The game is saying that I've only completed 60% of the game but we're about two more updates until the end of the game. This section of the game is very linear. There were a couple of moments in London where we had to use things in a specific order even though using them in any order would achieve the same goal, this part of the game is rampant for it: You can't collect the flag until you've fixed the gauge AND examined it. You can't turn the winch until you've made the sailor spit. You can't use the spit on the valve until you've fixed the issue with the gauge AND examined it afterwards, even though you identified the issue beforehand. You can't use the bagpipes on the boiler until the other two issues are sorted. I haven't explored the issue with the letters but I believe Piers doesn't actually read them properly until Mossop has recovered. I have read that he doesn't read them until after examining the poster, but that would be unlikely as Mossop provides insight into their contents. This recording session went about an hour over the usual time as the game kept crashing after the cutscenes around the twenty-two-minute mark. Everything ran smoothly during my test run as I had several save files after that point. I believe the issue was with the save file that I made beforehand, or the actual save slot to be exact as I replayed up until that point and saved there again after the first crash. The original recording was several minutes longer as I wasn't sure about the timings due to all of the crashes and extra time wasted during the actual recordings.
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Mar 11, 2023 00:07
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