Kwakstur
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 385
Registered: 05-05-2006
IP: Logged

File: Small Brain Academy.hold (837.4 KB)
Downloaded 74 times.
License: Public Domain

I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew. This isn't the first hold I tried to make; I have some unfinished holds that I stopped working on after room 2 because I couldn't get my NPCs to work.
So I fooled around with the game elements and NPCs. Not really. I just decided to force myself to lower my expectations and I ended up with a 37 room hold.


Since I don't like using roaches for everything, you will see some tar, some snakes (mostly rattlesnakes), and lots of seeps and eyes. Tons of seeps.
Roaches, too, but I like seeps better.


So here's the statistics of my hold.

4 levels
34 non-secret rooms
3 secrets
0 secrets worth seeing

There used to be 14 more secret rooms, but I took them all out because they were just harder copies of the rooms in level 4, and I didn't want 80% of my secrets all in one place!

Constructive criticism would be appreciated. I'm new to making holds . . . I don't know what's wrong, so tell me, then give me negative 10 hold karma.


Here's two things that I know people will comment on:
-The one-way staircases (except those 2-ways in northern L4).
-The difficulty jumps all over. See L4 2E. Look at the goblins. Now compare it to the other rooms.

Some stuff I can point out that I want help with making better.
-L4 2N,2E: I put the trees there so that, in comparison, it was easier than the secret room copy. Now that I deleted the secret room, the trees make the room too easy. How can I remove the trees without making it too hard?
-L4 3N: A little too much influence from Magic Show (by larrymurk). Just too much.
-L3 1N,1E: Not only is this the worst hiding spot for a secret room, but it's too boring! That's why I took away the save spots, but now it's a pain in the wubba.
-L3 1S,1W: More save points are needed, but where?


By the way, if you're wondering about the name of the hold, it's because I originally was going to have the theme of the hold be brains. A title-change isn't needed, but it would get rid of that misleading title.


If the hold description mentions my inspiration instead of the pointless background story, then something wasn't updated upon export, so tell me.
Same with if you see a scroll in 2S, 1E. It shouldn't be there.


Now that I'm done talking and you're done ignoring me, let's get on with the hold.

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Also known as ExpHP everywhere else.

Sergenth
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 296
Registered: 05-04-2005
IP: Logged

I like the hold title reference! Downloading!

Kevin_P86
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 535
Registered: 06-28-2005
IP: Logged

A few comments:

Ground Floor:

In general, try not to use Secret Walls except to hide secrets or other similar things. In this case, the paths these secret walls made were rather predictable, however it'd probably be better to use crumbly walls (or no walls at all).

3S1E : You realize it is not necessary to drop all the trapdoors? (which is certainly a good thing, by the way...!)

Lower Mound:

1N1E : TOTALLY overkill. A rattlesnake that fills the entire room less the room edges is just tedious and nothing more. If nothing else, make the rectangle which the rattlesnake fills MUCH smaller. The rest of the room can just be filled with walls.

1N : After killing the mothers it was just a pain to try and figure out which tarbabies were real and which were not. Perhaps this was intended, but I found it annoying.

Ground Floor, Western Side:

1S1W : You realize it is not necessary to drop all the trapdoors? (You can get to the mother through the left-most of the three paths leading to it from the bottom).

1S3W : Again, a little overkill. The point of the room can be made with MUCH fewer seeps.

Outisde, Southwest of Entrance:

2N2E : I thought this was plenty hard enough as it is. Likely the hardest room, even with the trees.

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Other than that, there's really nothing wrong with it. Nothing overly challenging; just a bit tedious in places.

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+++++[>+++++<-]>[>+++>++++>+++++<<<-]>.>+.>-------.<++++.+++++.

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[Last edited by Kevin_P86 at 11-08-2006 11:44 PM]

bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 290
Registered: 10-29-2003
IP: Logged

Not much to add to what Kevin said really. I'm no architect, but you have the basics there, and though there's an untentional solution to one room, you've made sure it's playable all the way through. If you put some work into the rooms and give the player more to do, you could end up with a decent hold.

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[Last edited by bandit1200 at 11-09-2006 12:32 AM]

Kwakstur
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 385
Registered: 05-05-2006
IP: Logged

Gob it all! Every time I press Back to see if there's a new post, it gets rid of the text I typed!
I have to remember to copy and paste . . . I'm not on GameFAQs anymore . . .
Onto typing it over again.

Anyways, the solution you found in 3S1E of L1 was intended; the red door was intended to fool people into thinking they had to get all the traps. The one in L3 was unintended and fixed.
Strange how I put that arrow facing to the left . . . why'd I do that?

I also replaced the secret wall, got rid of some seeps, and other stuff in thier respective rooms.

But I don't think I'll try and get this on the Holds page. It just isn't long enough, so I'm trashing this. It's old, anyways; I started another hold a week ago, so I'm bored with this one. I just felt like getting some feedback for this one.

If I'm able to pull through with my next hold, I bet that'll get on. The only problem with my next one is that it involves a free-movement system; you can start from different areas and explore how they're connected, and that takes a lot of stairs/entrances on my part.
Exactly what this hold lacks.

____________________________
Also known as ExpHP everywhere else.