NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
IP: Logged

Well looking through the comments, it looks like this contest went rather well.

And Chaco, you are a godsend. I would really appreciate it if people could check through his list and tell me which ones you completed/mastered that he hasn't. Do it now while your memory is fresh!

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3626
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Actually, the reason I was able to make such a long list is that I made the notes as I was playing, then saved them in a text while which I updated as I completed the entries.

I'd provide a sorted list of the entries, their rankings, and their scores, too, but I don't want to take credit for what's pretty much just a half-hour or so of programming.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1670
Registered: 12-23-2005
IP: Logged

NiroZ wrote:
And Chaco, you are a godsend. I would really appreciate it if people could check through his list and tell me which ones you completed/mastered that he hasn't. Do it now while your memory is fresh!

I was able to master Elemental Showcase Fire (#7) and Tokens (#19).
Other than that we were pretty much the same. I wasn't able to finish The Beach, and wasn't able to master Steam Vents (couldn't get the secret room in time).

Josh


____________________________
"Rings and knots of joy and grief, all interlaced and locking." --William Buck

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2459
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

File: Path Path Entrance - Victory.demo (880 bytes)
Downloaded 44 times.
License: Public Domain

voyager wrote:
Hey, we should keep this party going. Somebody post a demo to The Path: The Entrance!

Attached. I can do 1E too, but 2E, you're on your own. (The general approach to the Entrance: move around a lot and hope for the best. OK, more realistically: force the stalwart to maneuver around you, so that the two of you can simultaneously kill the first two slayers; for the second two, um, to be honest, I'm really not sure why it was that one of the slayers decided to move next to my sword.)

So, is Hell's Kitchen, 1 South, solveable?

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2459
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

NiroZ wrote:
I would really appreciate it if people could check through his list and tell me which ones you completed/mastered that he hasn't. Do it now while your memory is fresh!

Like jbluestein, I was able to master "ES Fire" (though I did so in the editor, so I don't have demos saved for most of it) and "Tokens".

I finished all of "Entry" (NoahT's) except 1S. In "Plumbing", I was able to finish 1W (though it wasn't easy or pleasant), but in Deeper, 1E was the only one of the three rooms I finished. And as I've noted, I got perhaps two rooms further than most people into The Path.

voyager
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 150
Registered: 03-17-2007
IP: Logged

File: HK Contest entry 1S Victory.demo (1.2 KB)
Downloaded 41 times.
License: Public Domain

Thanks Tahnan! In return, here is my demo for Hell's Kitchen 1S, which is indeed solvable, though it's very tight. I just now got it.

Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
IP: Logged

File: The Path The Path The Entrance Victory.demo (782 bytes)
Downloaded 39 times.
License: Public Domain

Tahnan wrote:
Attached. I can do 1E too, but 2E, you're on your own. (The general approach to the Entrance: move around a lot and hope for the best. OK, more realistically: force the stalwart to maneuver around you, so that the two of you can simultaneously kill the first two slayers; for the second two, um, to be honest, I'm really not sure why it was that one of the slayers decided to move next to my sword.)

So, is Hell's Kitchen, 1 South, solveable?

Although I seem to have to congratulate you(it's much more difficult than I though) here's a solution which I find to be more elegant and effective (well, one could strike the orbs faster, but that's the only thing).

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
IP: Logged

File: Elemental Showcase.mdb (456 KB)
Downloaded 41 times.
License: All Rights Reserved

Chaco wrote:
I'd provide a sorted list of the entries, their rankings, and their scores, too, but I don't want to take credit for what's pretty much just a half-hour or so of programming.

Why program? It's 10 minutes with a database .

I've also taken the liberty of assuming that you will be in the compilation, Chaco, seeing you came 5th.

Also, I'll take this opportunity to tell all entrants that if you contact me (preferably by PM, to avoid clutter) to tell me if you mind/don't mind me using your hold in the compilation.

All the information I have is currently attached. Be aware that if you open it, Access is going to hit you with a bunch of popups warning you that opening up database folders can be dangerous.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3626
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

I'll formally allow you to use my hold in the competition.

I've decided that I'm not going to use the rooms in this hold in my slowly upcoming TCB hold, and instead will make rooms to replace those. So, no highscore duplication will take place.

Also, no, unless NiroZ asks me to do this, I will not compile this. I've done enough contest compilations to know that it takes a long time and typically just isn't as high quality as a hold that's entirely one's own work.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1670
Registered: 12-23-2005
IP: Logged

Chaco wrote:

Also, no, unless NiroZ asks me to do this, I will not compile this. I've done enough contest compilations to know that it takes a long time and typically just isn't as high quality as a hold that's entirely one's own work.

You've done contest compilations? Which ones?

____________________________
"Rings and knots of joy and grief, all interlaced and locking." --William Buck

Doom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3226
Registered: 07-05-2004
IP: Logged

Congratulations to the contestants, and to NiroZ for organising another fun contest. I'm glad people liked my entry, and third place isn't bad at all because the right hold won. It had some of the best rooms and looks. I hope we'll see more voyager in the future.

I had more detailed comments on most of the holds, but unfortunately lost them a week or so ago when a certain program messed up my computer pretty badly...

Feel free to use my hold in a compilation. The only thing I'd want to change is adding an 'end' command in the first room speech... (Thanks to Chaco for pointing that out)

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2459
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

I'd like to reiterate my request for whoever voted various holds at "1" to offer commentary on why they thought that hold or those holds deserved a 1. I'd hate to think, for instance, that it was one person who went through and rated a whole bunch of other people's holds that way to try to skew the results.

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1304
Registered: 06-14-2005
IP: Logged

Doom wrote:
I had more detailed comments on most of the holds, but unfortunately lost them a week or so ago when a certain program messed up my computer pretty badly...

Was it WindowsVista.exe (or something similar)?

Doom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3226
Registered: 07-05-2004
IP: Logged

Someone Else wrote:

Doom wrote:
I had more detailed comments on most of the holds, but unfortunately lost them a week or so ago when a certain program messed up my computer pretty badly...

Was it WindowsVista.exe (or something similar)?

No, I'm using XP. Something caused by DaemonTools. I forgot the exact error, but it was some file that didn't want to load properly at the startup. Same problem in safe mode, etc...

And I don't have a single idea what might be teasing me this time, but only a while ago my system had a "No, I don't want to boot into Windows. Safe mode is asking for too much. Error messages would make it too easy for you". I think I got lucky because CHKDSK /R from Windows installation disk fixed it! This time.

voyager
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 150
Registered: 03-17-2007
IP: Logged

Doom wrote:
I hope we'll see more voyager in the future.

Aw, thanks! I definitely plan to take a shot at building a real full-length hold, although it'll probably take a long time. I only managed to do five rooms in a month, and that was with a firm deadline. We'll see, though. I've been very encouraged and flattered by the positive responses to my contest entry.

Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
IP: Logged

voyager wrote:
Aw, thanks! I definitely plan to take a shot at building a real full-length hold, although it'll probably take a long time. I only managed to do five rooms in a month, and that was with a firm deadline. We'll see, though. I've been very encouraged and flattered by the positive responses to my contest entry.

And you've built by far the best secret room hiding place I've seen... I could only find it by right-clicking and then noticed that I can edit the hold, so played it in the editor, but I have no idea at all how to get to it.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3626
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Following is a complete spoiler on how to get to the secret room in-game:



____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

techant
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 854
Registered: 06-08-2004
IP: Logged

Thanks everyone for the comments about my hold Elemental Entry Aneport
I am always trying to improve but this time I seemed to get it wrong.

I am glad for the comments and have look over all of them. I did have two issues but they are not excuses I just wondered if I had played the full version would I have done anything different, I guess I won't know until then.

Using the build feature was the first time I saw the weather feature and darkness features so I guess I estimated them wrong. On my computer they were not that dark and I wanted the spooky graveyard theme to be there. Good to know in the future, but what do you recommend? Cancel the weather or lighten the rooms?

Also, that you needed to pick only one pressure plate to feature came up after I had most of the hold done. I PM'ed NiroZ once I suspected it and he confirmed my fears. I redesigned the hold picking just one to feature but it was better when I used all three.

Some rooms were much harder with a once-use pressure plate instead of a multi-use, but I had to pick one that worked for all the puzzles. This is almost like Lighthouse having to pick only one light color to work with.

I think I would change the room layout now to something simpler but I wanted to provide a way to see all the rooms without playing them a feature I have missed in other holds in the past.

I tried to make the rooms more interesting and difficult but at some point I can't play them to know if they are win-able, so I am stuck there. I was glad that it was not the hardest hold that won this time.

I want to do better as I said and I really liked mine but without testers there is no second opinions so you get self deceived. If there is more you can say to help me please do. If you would rather PM that is fine, I really want the feed back.

Once again congrats to the winners!!

____________________________
DROD RPG Released!! You must try it out it is Great!!

Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
IP: Logged

Chaco wrote:
Following is a complete spoiler on how to get to the secret room in-game:

Click here to view the secret text

×You need to go back to the fegundo course after you've beaten it, detonate the bomb (safely this time), then hack through the secret wall maze to the west where you can get through to the secret room.

I realized that, but

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

Dex Stewart wrote:
I realized that, but

Click here to view the secret text

×how to detonate the bomb safely?

Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
IP: Logged

D'oh! Is such a level of idiocy even accepted on these forums?

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
IP: Logged

Dex Stewart wrote:
D'oh! Is such a level of idiocy even accepted on these forums?

Don't worry, I've done worse. Much worse

NiroZ
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1302
Registered: 02-12-2006
IP: Logged

Tahnan wrote (summarised):
There's some fishy voting going on.

To be honest, I too am interested to know why one particular person chose to vote 1 to most entry's. I'd greatly appreciate it if this particular person, you know who you are, would contact me. I'm not jumping to any conclusions just yet, I know all to well how easy it is to make mistakes.

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

Can you guys PM Schik or something instead of whining about it here? You want to know why they did? Answer: they're probably an idiot.

If you want individual reasons for a one-vote on each hold, I could probably come up with some, but they would make people cry.

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2459
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

Rabscuttle wrote:
Can you guys PM Schik or something instead of whining about it here? You want to know why they did? Answer: they're probably an idiot.

If you want individual reasons for a one-vote on each hold, I could probably come up with some, but they would make people cry.

'scuse me. To be clear: (a) I don't know what you think Schik would do; (b) I did no whining, I put out a request for people to offer commentary on their voting. I'm hardly the first person to suggest on the forum that a low vote on a hold ought to come with some sort of constructive commentary.

voyager
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 150
Registered: 03-17-2007
IP: Logged

I think he means Schick could tell you who it was that voted all the 1's. Not that it would explain why they did so necessarily. It could have been a mistake, though.

Tim
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1979
Registered: 08-07-2004
IP: Logged

Tahnan wrote (emphasis mine):
I'd hate to think, for instance, that it was one person who went through and rated a whole bunch of other people's holds that way to try to skew the results.
[...]
(b) I did no whining, I put out a request for people to offer commentary on their voting. I'm hardly the first person to suggest on the forum that a low vote on a hold ought to come with some sort of constructive commentary.

To be honest, it does sound whining to me.
Personally, I think you would be more convincing if you didn't use those emotional words.

And yes, we can check indiviual votes, so if you think someone's been tampering the votes, then please tell it to Schik now. Those votes can be made invalid. It has been done before.

I think I've spent over almost 2 whole days playing all the entries, and I must say that I'm now not really in the mood translating all the comments I've used to judge back to English.

Besides, I think the good holds deserves at least the same amount of attention than the bad ones. It would also show other people what they should aim for.

-- Tim

Note: I did not vote any 1's.

____________________________
The best way to lose customers is to let little kids running loose on a forum with too many mod points.

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

a) Schik can reveal the malcontent if he deems it appropriate.
b) You asked twice. Do you really expect someone to reply with a good reason?

---

[Last edited by Rabscuttle at 06-16-2007 07:42 AM]

Schik
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5383
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I did reveal the malcontent, as Rabscuttle put it, to the contest holder NiroZ. I left it up to him how to handle the situation.

____________________________
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.
--Mahatma Gandhi

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2459
Registered: 11-14-2005
IP: Logged

Ah. I didn't realize that Schik was able to see who voted how. (I recalled--apparently incorrectly--that he couldn't.)

I'll admit that it was indeed my fear that someone had in fact voted "1" for every, or nearly every, hold but their own. But I genuinely didn't want to think that that was the case, and I don't think there's anything particularly emotionally loaded in referring to this as "skewing".

...and I'll edit this to add the following: I think that this kind of voting is such a breach of basic etiquette that I'd be quite happy to see the name of the person revealed publically. It's a violation of the trust the community puts into its members by allowing them to vote anonymously; I'd say, let the community act accordingly towards the violator.

---

[Last edited by Tahnan at 06-16-2007 07:55 AM]