> 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.

Very reasonable assumptions, just very wrong.

I think I hit upon an idea. I already have a bad-word-filter on this board. I could add a "secret-area-word" filter that keeps you from posting certain words. That would intercept inadvertent spoilery messages before they make it here.