Postmastered! (Except for three of the four unrequired rooms because no. 2S was great though.)
Right off the bat, this is an incredible hold! If you're familiar with how the pre-4.0 elements work, you should try this out right now. Most rooms take a known concept and either iterate on it (like Dank Corridors 2S 2E, or Plaster Passages 1S 1W), or introduce little twists in the form of unique element interactions (like the Sabers Chambers secret room, or my favorite, Plaster Passages 3N and its harder version in the Hall of Mastery). And then there are singularly brilliant gems like Repulsive Emulsions 2W that are simply a
treat to tease the solution out of.
That's not to say every room is glorious. Criticisms are secreted because they're kinda long and nit-picky.
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There's a few oddities, like
• Sabers 1S 3E (what's the point of the bombs?)
• Mud Tanks 2N (it's a clever trick, but dropping the trapdoors already wasn't fun the first time)
• Dank Corridors 1S 1E (what's the point of the diagonal mimics?)
• and worst of all, Plaster Passages 1N 1W (the solution is appropriately clever, but there's no indication you shouldn't hope to brute-force a solution out the random chaos of citizen movement)
None of these rooms fall flat on their face, but they're stumbles in an otherwise phenomenal hold. There's a few other rooms, like Repulsive Emulsions 1S 2W, Plaster Passages 2N 2W, and Dank Corridors 2S where the solution is clear but the execution is more tedious than engaging. They're not bad by any means -- I wouldn't even call them filler -- but if they were axed during testing, I don't think the experience would be any worse.
Finally, there's a few rooms that are more "mechanics flair" than anything else. One example is Mud Tanks 1N 1E: the puzzle is fun and interesting, but the mechanism for preserving the intended solution is enormous, complicated, and it makes the room hard to parse. Yes, you need to keep as many mud babies alive as possible, but there's gotta be a simpler way to enforce it. Another example is Repulsive Emulsions 2S 1W: that's a lot of moving parts for a "don't let the gel grow here" puzzle. To be absolutely fair, I wasn't a tester. It's possible this was the only way, and the architect is just as unhappy with it than I am. But I just can't help but think this hold is overwrought in some places.
The visual style is great. Every level feels distinct -- not just in terms of room styles, but also lighting and space. Case Study is full of rooms that are cold and open and bright, perfect for an experimental environment. Dank Corridors is dark and cramped and features the movement-limiting aumtlich: a chilling cherry on this claustrophobic sundae. Mud Tanks is (ironically) clean and official. Plaster Passages looks like it's been hewn from the Beneath very recently. It's all appropriate. My only problem with the visuals is the
voids style used in Repulsive Emulsions. I didn't download the style until after I conquered the level, thank goodness for that. I don't recommend using the voids style for anything -- including this level. (Sorry, man. I appreciate the effort though.)
Last, the story: it's fun and interesting and simple. It ties the hold together in a good way. I wouldn't mind seeing the adventures of Mr. Pernle down the line, or maybe the Empire's attempts to bring him back. Maybe he'll become a proper smitemaster? Maybe he's Gadhan's source for Imperial gossip? Who knows!
In conclusion, this is a good, good hold. If you have a few hours to spare, go play it. It's the archetypal DROD hold. In my opinion, this is what most DROD holds aspire to be.
6.5 brains
9 fun
(It looks like Chaco has built other holds. Guess what I'm checking out next?)
[Last edited by Kaelyn at 02-28-2019 08:40 PM]