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File: Rescue Operation.hold (67.5 KB)
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This is a hold I started working on a long time ago. I think somewhere around march this year, when I had almost finished building Tar Gate Stronghold. I made a few rooms, but put the hold aside when TCB was released, to build Troshian Tower. Once it was published, I converted this hold to TCB, and continued building on it. The story, I've had in mind, ever since I started building this hold... Well, actually I've had the story in mind ever since I joined this community, even if it was just a thought back then, to let Beethro go down in some sort of collapsed dungeon to rescue someone/s. I didn't write any of the story until quite recently though. Well, maybe I should stop talking about the history behind this hold now.

I hope you will enjoy it!

Big thanks to all testers: CuriousShyRabbit, captainzakku, Blondbeard, jbluestein and calamarain.

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

Downloaded now.

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

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

Well, you know the drill. This is a Rheb hold, so you can expect ingenious puzzles and a high level of difficulty.

The storyline is fun, and the puzzles are mostly excellent.

This hold is not as hard as some of Rheb's hardest, but it's still quite difficult.

I give this hold a 9 for fun and 8.5 brains of difficulty.

Josh

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

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

Pssst! It's Anyone-Edit!

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1670
Registered: 12-23-2005
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Dex Stewart wrote:
Pssst! It's Anyone-Edit!

I think you'll find that that will be a lot less help than you might imagine.

Josh

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

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

A very nice story-hold from Rheb!

This hold features a challenging to very challenging mix of classic JtRH puzzles, puzzles featuring the new TCB game elements, as well as a combination of the two. Movement order is important in the later puzzles in this hold - right clicking on monsters will reveal escapes from seemingly impossible situations.

Rheb has done a particularly good job with two types of puzzles:

* Goblin mazes. Precise manipulation of a goblin through a maze of force arrows is a classic puzzle. But what if there were also TCB elements such as hot tiles and pressure plates? And what if you had to lead two goblins at once? Even though goblins have been around for a while, we definitely haven't seen the last innovative goblin puzzle.

* Rock giant manipulation. Of the new monsters, probably rock giants have the most interesting behavior, with their smarter movements but unwieldy size. Rocky Hollow in TCB gave us some rock giant puzzles where you had to kill a crowd of them without getting trapped. Rheb's puzzles are well beyond that. Killing them without getting trapped could be the least of your worries. What if pressure plates forced you to kill each one in a specific spot? Then a speed potion, blocking giants with Beethro's sword, and blocking giants with other giants are required. Good luck! (Those puzzles were a little too hard for me, but someday, someday, I aspire to solve a room like that without help. You'll know which rooms I mean when you get there.)

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2494
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

Can I just check that the room with the master door in it is supposed to be a secret room?

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

Yes, that's correct, it is a secret room.

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2494
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

aha, I see it now, thanks

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2494
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

Postmastered etc.

A good hold with some challenging rooms. Some really nice use of speed potion with monster manipulations - the set of three-goblin rooms and the northern path on Golem Lair stand out to me.

A possible unintended solution in GL:1N . And if the master-wall room mentioned above was not originally not secret then it has some really neat red herrings.

Remlin
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 181
Registered: 04-28-2005
IP: Logged

Also finished. I really liked some parts of this hold, more than I expected to. I thought the evil eye rooms were great, and the orthosquare rooms also showed me some things I'd never seen before. The goblin manipulation rooms were excellent, and definitely the hardest bits of the hold.

On the other hand, some parts were pretty forgettable. Did we really need four copies of what was essentially the same puzzle (the three goblins)? And the golem level felt like it was out of ideas also, and just getting all its challenge from cramped spaces and lots of monsters.

Anyway, great addition to the Rheb collection, anyone who liked his past holds will like this one too.

edit: Ok, after posting, I see that the parts I just picked out as my least favorites were Rabscuttle's favorites. To each their own, I guess.

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[Last edited by Remlin at 01-03-2008 09:07 AM]

iamyum
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 64
Registered: 11-26-2006
IP: Logged

How does one go about conquering the secret room with master wall? I guess my confusions are:
1. where would I put the clone? My best bet is (6,10).
2. Does the first Beethro need to enter the force arrow? If so, how can anyone get out without going down the stairs?
3. In the end, I need to use all the pressure plates? I have a tough time finding a way to use them all, kill all eyes, and then finally exit.

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

Regarding the secret room with the master wall:

iamyum
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 64
Registered: 11-26-2006
IP: Logged

Thanks for the hint. I did notice the sister trapdoor gate for the longest time....

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

Neather2 wrote:
For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

Mod down?

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

13th Slayer
Level: Disabled

Rank Points: 27
Registered: 09-28-2007
IP: Logged

Neather2 wrote:
For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

It is a VERY hard hold, you gobbin goblin! If it is easy for you, then you're an expert... But it does'nt mean that the mine
hold is easy!!!
To gods admininstrators : Please delete Neather2's vote

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[Last edited by 13th Slayer at 02-20-2009 01:59 PM]

agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

mxvladi wrote:

13th Slayer wrote:

Neather2 wrote:
For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

It is a VERY hard hold, you gobbin goblin!

Calling person a goblin just because he gave a quite low rating for the hold isn't normal.

Seeing the hold's average dificulty I agree that Neather2 gave this hold quite... low difficulty rating. But still, its his opinion. You shouldn't call people goblins just because they give away their opinion.

Really? I don't see how Neather2's vote is particularly low. The author's difficulty is marked as 7, and the hold average appears to be 7.5. Based solely on that, 6.5 to me sounds perfectly reasonable (it's only 1 point lower then the average).

But I agree. What someone votes is up to them; everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I don't see why a 6.5 difficulty rating for a 7 brain hold should be any less legitimate than a fun rating of 1 for a hold with a rating of 9.

____________________________
Resident Medic/Mycologist

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

13th Slayer wrote:

Neather2 wrote:
For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

It is a VERY hard hold, you gobbin goblin! If it is easy for you, then you're an expert... But it does'nt mean that the mine
hold is easy!!!
To gods admininstrators : Please delete Neather2's vote

Calm down!
I just don't understand why you sayed that. First of all, this isn't your hold, and for second, i gave 7 for vote.

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3414
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

This is why the was introduced. It's just 13th Slayer. Ignoring him is more effective than spending time trying to get him to learn manners.

As for the hold itself as long as I'm here, I stalled out on it a while back when the difficulty/reward ratio got too high for my tastes (there's just something about simultaneous precise manipulation of multiple goblins or rock golems that makes my head hurt). It's well decorated, and the puzzles are good, but it doesn't quite rise to the level of DoBO or Troshian Tower. But then, what does?

____________________________

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[Last edited by Dischorran at 02-20-2009 03:47 PM]

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

Well, i know. But, stop modding he down and lose mod points, he can't go less then 1 points.

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

13th Slayer
Level: Disabled

Rank Points: 27
Registered: 09-28-2007
IP: Logged

Neather2 wrote:
Well, i know. But, stop modding he down and lose mod points, he can't go less then 1 points.

Even -666 Rankpoints is fine with me... Not less... Just 666 is my favorite number

Rheb
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1211
Registered: 08-04-2006
IP: Logged

Dischorran wrote:
As for the hold itself as long as I'm here, I stalled out on it a while back when the difficulty/reward ratio got too high for my tastes (there's just something about simultaneous precise manipulation of multiple goblins or rock golems that makes my head hurt). It's well decorated, and the puzzles are good, but it doesn't quite rise to the level of DoBO or Troshian Tower. But then, what does?

Yeah, I agree. IMO this hold has got just a bit too few interesting puzzles, I really like the start with the eye rooms, but then there isn't much fun in the Upper Mining Tunnel level... In the rest of the levels there are always some good puzzles and some puzzles with more of a filler-room fealing. (I'm not sure what to say about the difficulty. I've come to realise I can't really speak for the difficulty of any of my holds.)

____________________________
Voligner is my very own DROD-like game. Please check it out!

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

Neather2 wrote:
For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

Is this still you, Slayer? Or maybe deadman that joke me?

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
IP: Logged

Neather2 wrote:

Neather2 wrote:
For me isn't so hard.
Anyway, good hold. have enjoyed it.
I give it 8 for fun and 6.5 brains for difficulty...

Is this still you, Slayer? Or maybe deadman that joke me?

? No idea how that could not come across as confusing.

[EDIT]

Actually, I could imagine Marlon Brando talking to himself like that. Or Vincent D'Onofrio.

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[Last edited by Syntax at 05-02-2009 05:26 AM]

Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3414
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

Syntax wrote:
? No idea how that could not come across as confusing.

I think he's referring to being downmodded for pretending that the hold was easy for him.

____________________________

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

I'm not pretending anything.
I've just said that it wasn't a lot hard.
I still can't understand why people is going to mod me down each time i say that it is an easy hold.



____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
IP: Logged

Neather2 wrote:
I'm not pretending anything.
I've just said that it wasn't a lot hard.
I still can't understand why people is going to mod me down each time i say that it is an easy hold.

Apologies - I didn't know what you meant. I agree with you too. What you think of a hold should not be modded down regardless of you liking, hating it - or finding it easy or hard.

Your original post is now back to normal. Thanks for leaving a comment.

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

Can we PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE not discuss mod points on the Holds board? Feel free to start a topic in Anything, if there's a mod point issue that needs to be discussed in public.

In other news, this is a wonderful time for people to come back and enjoy Rescue Operation. It contains the seeds of some of the great ideas Rheb had for Complex Complex.

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

Allright, I've almost conquered this hold, solved some of secret rooms and archieved first place in highscores of this hold (), so I think it's time for me to comment on it.

Overall, this is the first Rheb's hold where I have a lot of(more than 10) topscores and average rank less than 2, so I enjoyed solving and optimising this hold very much. I've enjoyed almost every single puzzle in the hold except for Golem Lair: 1N and 2N(which I haven't solved yet, but will solve if anyone gives me hints how to start in 1N). Particulary enjoyed those three-goblin-manipulation rooms(maybe that's because I have topscores for all four of those rooms... ) Uper Mining Tunnel Puzzles were also fun. Collapsed Mine Bomb puzzles had me stuck for a while, but then I returned to this hold and broke them.

Oh, and it would be shame not to mention the first three puzzles: "Crack", "Gap" and "Hole". I liked them a lot. They weren't hard but were clever and fun.

Overall, I'm giving this 10 for fun and 7 for difficulty(+1 to difficulty for those northern rooms in Golem Lair which I haven't yet broken and for some evil secret rooms)

Great job.

(by the way, I've enjoyed this hold A LOT more than Troshian Tower)

EDIT: And conquered(even without using hints, only H&S magic)! Rating left, even though those northern rooms in Golem Lair turned out to be easier than they seemed at first...

Since I've conquered it, I'll return to building new hold.

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[Last edited by mxvladi at 05-03-2009 05:28 PM]