> > Possible. Even so, he could have deleted the inventory while leaving my top question, which was as vague as I could possibly make it.
> >
> > And the board DOES say to post your inventory when asking for help.
>
> Don't misunderstand. Me deleting a thread shouldn't be construed as a silent reprimand for posting in the first place.
>
> I/we obviously have some logistical details to figure out. The basic rule on here -- which people have generally been FANTASTIC about following with "Game of the Ages" -- is not to give away anything related to the secret area.
>
> The construction of this game is such that stuff related to the secret area isn't at first obviously connected to the secret area. So you probably didn't realize it, but that inventory post of yours gave away more than you think.
>
> I'll have to figure out what will make a good policy to accommodate this new game. In the meantime, I suggest that anything that *seems* optional should not be discussed here. If you don't know, obviously you can't be faulted for it.

I sorta assumed that any secret area would by design be much harder to find than the "normal" solution, so if I cannot even figure out how to win normally, I am unlikely to have made any headway into the secret area. Also, the multiple entangled subplots get so complicated that it's hard to tell what is optional and what will turn out to be vital later.

Apparantly, I was wrong. So I have no idea where I am or what parts of my inventory are safe to post, but I can be consoled by the fact that I might actually find the secret area. Yay!