Keyword Won't Become an Investigation File — TSUMIMI TIME
A keyword in Red Chat Ritual TSUMIMI TIME only becomes an investigation file after it is actively searched and the reply thread is read. Here is the five-step check when nothing appears in the archive.
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Reading is not investigating. That one sentence is the whole problem. A keyword that appears during a stream sits in your notes; the file only exists after you search that keyword somewhere and open what comes back. Players who read the post and move on arrive at the chapter gate with an archive that is shorter than they think.
Source note: The keyword-to-file pipeline was confirmed on Version 1.0.1 against every surface we could access. Which surface produces which field is Observed, not documented by the developer. Any claim about specific keywords is limited to what we actually ran.
Short answer
Something in the chain did not happen. The chain has four links — see it on stream, search it, open the result, read the replies — and the file is created at the end of the fourth, not the second. If nothing appeared in the archive, the chain broke at link two, three or four, and each break looks identical from the outside.
Check these in order
| # | Symptom | Most likely cause | How to verify | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keyword noted, nothing in archive | It was never searched | Search history — has this term been entered anywhere? | Search it on SNS, the map, or a fan board |
| 2 | Searched, still nothing | Wrong surface for the keyword type | Does the keyword name a person, or a place? | People go to SNS, places go to the map |
| 3 | Search returned results, still no file | The result was opened but not read to the end | Open the file — does it end on a question? | Read the replies; the detail lives there |
| 4 | File appears, then disappears | It was in the live view, not the archive | Check the archive tab rather than the stream overlay | The archive is the permanent copy |
| 5 | Nothing works for one specific keyword | It may not be a keyword at all | Did it appear highlighted, or was it ordinary dialogue? | Not every noun is investigable — expected behaviour |
Row 5 matters more than it sounds. Dialogue is full of proper nouns that are never meant to be searched, and there is no visual difference between "this name matters" and "this name is scenery" beyond the highlight. Chasing a non-keyword costs a day.
The four links in the chain, and what breaks each
| Link | What happens | What breaks it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. See it on stream | The keyword is surfaced during dialogue or a paid Mega Chat | Fast-forwarding past the moment, or not paying for the Mega Chat that surfaces it |
| 2. Search it | You enter the term on a surface | Using the wrong surface, or assuming reading the post counts |
| 3. Open the result | The result detail view opens | Stopping at the list of results |
| 4. Read the replies | The file is assembled | Stopping at the top reply |
Fast-forward is the newest of these. Version 1.0.1 added Ctrl fast-forward, and holding it through an unseen scene is the fastest way to create a gap you cannot attribute afterwards — the keyword was highlighted for half a second and you were already past it.
Which surface actually has your keyword
Link two of the chain fails silently when you search the wrong surface, so the type of noun tells you where to go. This mapping is Observed rather than documented, which means the rows are what we actually found rather than a rule the game states.
| The keyword is a | Go to | What the result gives you | The mistake that looks like a bug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person's name | SNS | Identity and their posts, which carry the detail | Searching the map, getting no result, concluding the keyword is fake |
| Place name | Map | The location, sometimes with a document attached | Searching SNS, getting unrelated chatter, building a subject-only file |
| Event or rumour | SNS first, fan board second | Timeline context, then interpretation | Stopping after SNS, which usually has the subject but not the detail |
| Document or concept | Fan board | Discussion, and the detail that closes a blank | Treating it as scenery because it is not a person or a place |
The last row is the one that sends people to the file troubleshooting page by mistake. Concept keywords produce the least obvious results, so the search looks like it failed when it actually worked and only the third link broke.
What a complete file looks like
Three fields, and all three have to be present:
- Subject — what the keyword refers to. Comes from the search result.
- Detail — the specific fact the blank needs. Comes from the reply thread, almost always.
- Source — where it came from. Comes from the surface you used.
A file with subject and source but no detail is the state that makes a deduction blank refuse a file you are sure about. The two symptoms are the same failure seen from opposite ends: one from the archive, one from the blank.
If none of that worked
Consider that the keyword came from a Mega Chat you did not pay for. Some terms only surface through a paid option, which means the keyword was never available to you in that run rather than lost. The Mega Chat guidance covers which tone surfaces which type of information.
Consider that you are past the chapter boundary. Files are scoped to a chapter. If the gate has closed, the surface may still be searchable while the file no longer counts.
Consider a report. If you can name the keyword, the day, the surface you used and the number of replies you read, that is actionable. The community section covers where to post it.
Related
- File won't appear — the same failure seen from the deduction blank
- 15-day walkthrough — when each keyword window opens
- Beginner guide — the loop explained once, without spoilers
- Troubleshooting index — the other four symptoms
Why is my keyword not showing up as a file?
Because a keyword only becomes a file after it is searched on the right surface and the reply thread behind the result is read to the end. Reading the post itself does not create anything.
Is every noun in the dialogue a keyword?
No. Only highlighted terms are investigable, and there is no other visual difference. Chasing ordinary nouns costs a day and produces nothing.
Did fast-forward break my run?
It can skip the moment a keyword is highlighted. It does not corrupt the save, but it can create a gap you can no longer fill in that chapter.
Which surface should I use?
People and events belong to SNS, places belong to the map, and interpretation tends to live on the fan-board surface. Using the wrong one returns results that look right but build an incomplete file.
Can a missed keyword be recovered later?
Usually not in the same chapter if the gate has already closed. Within the chapter, the surfaces stay open, so it is worth going back before you end the day.
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