Why did the programmers ruin the fun this way ???

[Firecracker]

First, I congratulate the 2 programmers on a magnificant job in creating Aquaria.  The depth of the program is amazing.  But in all it's glory, why is it coded to ramdonly switch my character mode back to 1?  A good example is when I'm trying to defeat the giant octopus in it's cave.  I have enouigh on my hands keeping the light on, shooting the squid, and getting close enough to lure the red pearl (or whatever that is) to come out so I can shoot at it.  Then, I press 2 or 8 to get a character that I can shoot with and the program auto switches me back to the base character!  Sometimes it does it right after I press 2 and am trying to lure the red thing out so I can shoot at it.  This is not fun, this is insane frustration.   This is not adding to the difficulty in a good way, this is just frustrating me to death.  I haven't beaten this creature yet as I keep getting frustrated to the max at getting switched off my character that can shoot.  I just quit the game and come back later (sometimes serveral days later) when I'm calm to try again, only to have this auto character mode switching me right at the critical time I want to shoot.  Major pain in the you know what ....  What the ? is that needed for?

[silverflagon]

That wasn't happening to me at the time I was trying to beat him but it did happen to me in the Ice caves, it was very strange? The strangest part is my hands were no where near the shortcut keys and sh wasn't in the natural form so perhaps this is a bug?

[inkblob]

I think that I was able to beat the octopus the first time switching form with mouse singing. it's kind of fun in the fever of battle switching out quickly like that, and the octopus is really hard, you just have to plow through it with lots of food. it will take a slice out of you. stock up your larder as much as you think is needed, try again and if it dosn't work out see if you need to stock up more. octopus prime is an optional boss but that is little consolation for completists.  

from my experience with keyboard switching I didn't run into your particular bug, what vs. of Aquaria are you running? but with silverflagon experiencing it as well it possibly widespread?

[Zam]

When you press both mouse buttons together, you revert back to your normal form.

[Glamador]

Good catch Zam.   That's got to be what happened.  He was trying to swim and shoot frantically at the same time and it reverted him.  Don't forget X also reverts you so if you're finger slips off the S key for movement and hits the X key it will revert as well.

[silverflagon]

The X key! That must be what's happening to me then, damn it cost me the best fight I've had with that monster yet! But why couldn't I turn back into the Energy form for at least a minute afterwards?

[Hiro]

Thats not an issue with the programer. Thats either a bug or what Glam/Zam said.
Don't think for a moment that Alec doesn't know what is fun.

[silverflagon]

Thats not an issue with the programer. Thats either a bug or what Glam/Zam said.
Don't think for a moment that Alec doesn't know what is fun.

Yes it must be a bug or my keyboard's fault, it's just so maddening!