Papers, Please

[TheLastBaron]

From what I remember you check for a discrepancy and you highlight the page where it lists the papers required.

[Gormongous]

I remember that being the one moment in the game where the otherwise excellent interface fell flat. Instead of just being able to say, "No papers? Get out," it felt like filling out a surreal government form.

 

Work Citation

Issue: Cannot process applicant

Reason: Applicant has no papers

Evidence: Papers were requested, but desk is still empty (see rule 22.1a)

Suggested Action: Kick applicant out of office

[Ucantalas]

I remember getting stuck at that point as well, and not really being sure what to do.

[shammack]

  On 5/18/2013 at 1:56 AM, JonCole said:

Can anyone enlighten me on what to do if a person has no documents at all? The game said something about inspection mode and checking the second page of my bulletin, but the second page had no relevant information and I couldn't figure out what inspection mode actually was. Is that the mode where you check for discrepancies?

 

Yeah, if they're missing documents, you have to go into the discrepancy thing and click on the counter and the rule in the rulebook that says a passport is required or whatever.

[elmuerte]

Or, you simply use the deny stamp on your counter.

[Dewar]

Except this particular person didn't have anything to stamp.

[elmuerte]

Stamp his head.

[clyde]

I hope that in the final version they have scenarios like the one I'm about to write:

Dude comes up and has a big nose (from the given set of facial features. This is not a "special" big nose) and his passport is from Kurstan or whatever. After looking at his papers, there is some questionable infraction so you ask about it and he is like "oh, here it is."

You let him pass through and the next person comes in. This guy says something like "I'm glad you are keeping an eye out for those big-nosed Kurstanians, they always think that someone owes them something." He hands you his papers and you see an obvious problem. When you point it out he's like "Oh come on, you aren't going to decline me for THAT, are you? I came through a week ago and I didn't need one of those. Look, check me for weapons or something, I got nothin to hide. I'm just trying to get to my job."

You let him through or do not.

Then the next person is a big-nosed Kurstanian.

Stuff like this happens to me all the time. Native xenophobes claim that minorities or foreigners are taking advantage of the system while they themselves attempt to do so. Then when you enforce the rules on them they act like "C'mon, you can trust me!" and I always feel like they are implying that being the same race as me is evidence of their validity. I want more of that stuff in the game. I think that one very noticeable way that systemic racism occurs is with discretional enforcement of bullshit rules.

[youmeyou]

This is great: there's a puzzle on the home page that suggests the game's release date and price.

 

http://papersplea.se/

[Dewar]

I do not like your face.

[elmuerte]

August 8th

http://papersplea.se/

[Jac]

Really looking forward to this game, i played the short beta or whatever you call it and really liked it.

 

The soundtrack is awesome and the toned down colour pallet sets the perfect mood. 

[ihavefivehat]

I really enjoyed the beta. I played through once, and my entire family died. It was a really bad feeling, so I went back and played it again with all my knowledge of how the mechanics evolved and power-gamed it, earning way more money than I needed. Kind of a hollow victory that second time, though.

[Atlantic]

This was released yesterday and I've played a bit of it. It's absolutely fascinating.

 

I made it to day eight and on that day I was in debt for just 5 credits. My family was relocated and I was thrown into prison. Arstotzka is a place with no leniency on any of its laws or policies. It felt like a very harsh punishment for such a small amount, but I get the impression that Russia and its bordering countries / the eastern bloc were harsh places in the early eighties. That message was fairly big and obvious and delivered in a cutscene, but there are other ideas which are conveyed in game. There was one man who I searched and found some contraband taped to the back of his leg. He said it was medicine and offered me 10 credits to let him through. At this point I had already been written up three times, meaning I had been docked five credits. I knew I was low on cash so I took it and let him through. Of course, I was written up again, so I lost another five credits and broke even. But gee whiz was it an interesting dilemma I was put in. I can't think of any other game I've ever played that did that.

 

I wanted to play again, but I didn't want to have to go through all of the early days' tribulations. Thankfully, there is a clever save system.  Your progress is saved at the beginning of every day, and you can start from any of the days you have previously completed. So I started again from day three or four, late enough that things are already interesting, but early enough that I'm not heading into debt again.

 

I like this game.

[elmuerte]

I obeyed the law and got arrested ... game over.

  Reveal hidden contents

I handed over the information of the suspissious group to the inspector.

[Roswell47]

  Reveal hidden contents

I cut the wrong wire

[elmuerte]

Lost again

  Reveal hidden contents

Neighbor reported my money and I wasn't fast enough to get the next agent of the group inside to fix it. Second time I was fast enough and got acquitted, but didn't get my money back.

 

This game is quite challenging, they keep adding more things to check. If you don't clear at least 10 people a day you don't earn enough money.

[toblix]

Yeah, the story mode is interesting but frustratingly hard. I don't know anything about what being an actual immigrations officer is like, but all the little aspects of the game mesh very well and matches my preconceptions at least. Having to ask people to provide the correct papers, having too little space to work on, being annoyed at how every country has to have their own passport layout, wanting to do a proper job but really feeling the pressure to skip some of the trickier steps like date calculations and looking up cities – the mechanics are so good in their own right and also fit so well with the premise. It's also interesting to me to be forced to consider how my own low tolerance for frustration both enhances and detracts from the experience.

[Nappi]

I reached day 26 and got quite an annoying ending:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Some officer got me arrested because I had accidentally detained Shau earlier despite the officer's instructions to let her through. I wasn't paying attention to names. I can't remember which day the instruction was given so I would have to re-play considerable amount of the campaign to mend things.

 

 

I like this depressing game, though.

[toblix]

Okay, so I only get paid for letting people through? Does that mean interrogation, detention, fingerprinting, etc. is just a waste of time, since it usually takes longer than just getting the next in line, or will it become a requirement at some point?

[Roswell47]

Just keep playing and you'll see.

[Roswell47]

Just finished the game

  Reveal hidden contents

Fled to Obristan alone

[Scratch]

  On 8/11/2013 at 1:10 PM, toblix said:

Okay, so I only get paid for letting people through? Does that mean interrogation, detention, fingerprinting, etc. is just a waste of time, since it usually takes longer than just getting the next in line, or will it become a requirement at some point?

You get paid based on the number of people you "process". That includes accepting, denying or detaining. So basically it is the number of people that enter your booth in a day. The most I've been able to process is 14 people on the first day.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

That said, later in the game you also get paid a bonus based on how many people you detain. You'll also be required to stamp a "reason for denial" when you deny a person, which requires you to interrogate and find discrepancies.

 

I have played the game several times so far and haven't yet been able to complete it with my job intact. I believe that is a requirement to unlock the endless mode.

[toblix]

I just discovered the branching save game structure. It looks to me like you can freely make multiple branches off any completed day, and it'll just grow without overwriting any existing "threads" you've got going ... is this right?

[elmuerte]

I think so. I haven't tried it yet.