I have not yet bought the game because I'm unsure of how well it will function on my computer. I have a few questions about nodes.

I remember reading months ago that there would be two ways to play Obduction: nodes (traditional Myst/Riven movement from spot to spot) and free roam (a la Real Myst, Myst V, Uru, etc.). For those of you who play using the nodes option, do you find that the game operates smoother/at a better framerate/etc. than the free roam? In addition, would the nodes option work on my computer, based on your humble opinion(s)?

My specs are below. I should note that I have been able to play (at reduced quality) The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, SOMA, and Ether One (all newer, graphically demanding games), even though systemrequirementslab seems to think otherwise.

Operating System
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
AMD A4-3300M
Llano 32nm Technology
RAM
8.00GB DDR3 @ 665MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 3568 (Socket FS1)
Graphics
Generic PnP Monitor (1600x900@60Hz)
512MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 6480G (HP)
Hard Drives
466GB Hitachi HTS547550A9E384 SATA Disk Device (SATA)

Hi DinosaurAct86,

regarding your query about nodes, it is a personal preference. you can switch back and forth while playing the game.

regarding your hardware specs; you will not be able to launch the game on that system, much less be able to play it. You'll need to get a 6Gig VRam card, and twice the CPU ram would be nice. I am unfamiliar with AMD CPU's so I can't say.

Check out the recommended specs for the game (ignore the minimum specs), and build a rig from that as a starting point. Recommendations by the Cyan tech guy - http://obduction.com/468-2/

A note about SSD's vs HDD's; My rig is a Mac Pro loaded 32G ram, a 12 gig Titan X card and 8 Xeon cores. But I am running the game from a 7200 hard drive and even with my other specs, the game will stutter a bit on a major scene load. I need to install an SSD to run the game with no "load-lag". I run the game in free-roam at maximum settings, and it's gorgeous.

So running the game in free-roam or point-and-click would make little difference. It's all about hardware horsepower.

I feared as much. I was planning to get a new computer in the coming months, anyway. I'm able to run fewer and fewer games. Thanks for all of your input.

Your current rig is below minimum spec. It requires a video card with at least 1 GB of video ram (and recommended is 4GB). I would just wait to upgrade your PC before starting the game. It's a very "visual" game and you won't enjoy it nearly as much with everything on a low setting.