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FineTune.z8
For all systems. To play, you'll need a Z-Machine Interpreter - visit Brass Lantern for download links.
FineTune.exe
MS-DOS Application
finetune.z8
original competition entry
For all systems. To play, you'll need a Z-Machine Interpreter - visit Brass Lantern for download links.
FineTune.sol
solution
readme.txt
documentation
finetune.sol
solution

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Fine Tuned

by Dennis Jerz profile

Historical
2001

(based on 10 ratings)
1 member review

About the Story

"Can Troy, the handsome daredevil autoist, live up to his "sterling" reputation? What secret threatens the career of the talented singer, Miss Melody Sweet? With the help of the mechanical genius Aloysius Pratt, can Troy and Melody thwart a madman's evil plan?" [--blurb from Competition Aught-One]

Game Details

Language: English (en)
Current Version: 8
License: Freeware
Development System: Inform 6
Baf's Guide ID: 1669
IFIDs:  ZCODE-8-020520-4C8E
ZCODE-1-010928-5B4E
TUID: 39pi00x5dls5z2l2

Awards

Nominee, Best Setting; Nominee, Best Individual PC - 2001 XYZZY Awards

18th Place - 7th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition (2001)

Editorial Reviews

Baf's Guide


A light-hearted melodrama set ca. 1910 about a heroic manly autoist, his sidekick, and a beautiful young opera singer. It features fairly easy and accessible puzzles and a good deal of humor.

The version of the game as originally released in the competition was beset by some unfortunate bugs, but the author has put in a lot of work and rendered out something that is now, as far as I could tell, more or less bug-free -- at least, I didn't run into any in the course of playing. On the other hand, there are still a few ways in which its implementation seems to let it down, most notably in that the plot does not reach a full conclusion (and it is not entirely clear whether the promised 'continuation' will ever appear).

All the same, the setting is fresh and entertaining; several puzzles have multiple solutions, and many of the possible points are optional; and the NPCs are amusingly characterized and have quite a lot to say.

-- Emily Short

>VERBOSE -- Paul O'Brian's Interactive Fiction Page

[Note: This review was in response to version 1 of the game.]

Dammit, people, stop this! I played Fine-Tuned for an hour, and loved it. Aside from a few spelling mistakes and stray bugs, it was a delightful game with terrific writing, fun characters, and a great plot. But the further we get into that plot, the more broken the game becomes, until it finally implodes with a fiery crash that can even bring down the whole interpreter. Naturally, this happens at a climactic point in the story.

This experience SUCKS. It makes me wish I could give negative ratings. It's much worse playing a game that would be great except for how horribly broken it is than it is playing a game that's weak but bug-free. It's IF interruptus.
See the full review

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Member Reviews

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3 star:
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Average Rating:
Number of Reviews: 1
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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Turn of the Century, October 24, 2007
by AmberShards (The Gothic South)
Fine-Tuned evokes the feeling of an early radio drama that doesn't take itself completely seriously. Narrative, puzzle, and the right amount of prose drive the game. It proves to be an evocative and engaging, but the author wasn't satisfied with that achievement alone. He also throws multiple perspectives into the mix, alternating main characters with each episode. A few bugs remain unsquashed but none of them prevent you from reaching the final (and very difficult) puzzle. In short, memorable characters, uncommon atmosphere, and medium-difficulty puzzles add up to unfading fun. (I would rate it 4.5 stars had the rating system allowed.)

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This is version 7 of this page, edited by Dave Chapeskie on 29 April 2009 at 5:37pm. - View Update History - Edit This Page - Add a News Item