I scored on 4 factors then divided them by 4 to get an average. The factors were: Fun, Theme, Puzzles and Percent Complete.
I noticed that others are just posting there comments so I decided to remove my unhidetime.
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A particularly wormy apple: 9pts 8+10+8+10=36/40
by Someone Else
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×Well only 1 more room to go to lower the blue doors on the first level. 80% [8] I don't have a problem that an apple is not pasta so [10] for theme. As to fun it was nice. [8] Some of the puzzles were challenging for me so they were at the end of the medium spectrum. [10].
Green Is the Color: 8pts 8+6+6+7=27/40
by blueboy
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×Well I only got 60% done, 3 out of 5 puzzles finished but I could try them all, and see the whole layout [8]. The first 3 puzzles were medium while the last 2 were too hard I think. None but the empty rooms were easy which is O.K., but it was just a repeat on a theme [6]. As to the look it was nice but nothing about the Al Dente theme. [6] As to fun, I didn't want to give up but I don't think I will go back and try to finish the hold. [6]. I changed my mind about going back and trying those rooms, they are just haunting me. So, changed the fun factor to [7]
Holds Al Dente 2008 Entry: 5pts 5+5+2+5=17/40
by Noah Tenney
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×Played 20min Hard puzzles so far, then got to 1S1W and it was so easy it was like crossing a room, what was the point? Searched around some more and tried somemore puzzles. I think some elements of the puzzles were great but mixed with bad elements that spoiled the room. [5] I only finished 2 out of 10 puzzle.[2] I did look around when I saw I would never finish in time, just to see if there was any room that made me want to come back, only the bomb maze intriged me. As to fun, not that much fun [5]. The layout was fine, but nothing about the theme. [5]
Palschkeep Thwettlebep: 8pts 9+10+7+9= 29/40
by Charo
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×Nice story line, lots of use of shadow and lights to color things, and some attention to the theme but too big.[9] I liked the story going from level to level or room to room. I should have done that instead of sticking big chuncks of my storyline in single rooms. I may plagerize this idea but don't tell Charo.
The puzzles had me confused. I think you should be able to stand in a room with an easy to medium puzzle, and know what to do. I think it moves it to hard when you don't know what to do. Maybe it was the lighting but often I didn't know where to start. Then again Charo made this hold. I solved 2S1W, but it seemed unusually easy. I think I figured out this hold because I was able to find 3 rooms easy enough for me to finish the hold, not that they were easy mind you. In the end, I also liked how you could look around even if you had to solve one room in a section to move forward. I may be wrong but I think the idea was an easy, a medium and a hard room per sections.
Once again Charo and I have a difference of opinion as to exactly what an easy, medium, hard, expert and near impossible room is. ( Ha! Ha! ) I have to say it was just because of this dispute that in my hold I made my rooms just as hard as I could and still be able to solve them. I didn't want Charo and his "ilk" to think my hold was too easy.... So because you only had to do 3 rooms to get out, (and I used the same idea of coming back to finish) I guess the puzzles are within the rules [10].
I did have some fun but with the clock ticking it was more stressful than I like. [7] There was too much for the hour, I just ran out of time. [9] The ending section was nice but I was past the ending time so I won't count it. I don't know if I will go back and try any of the harder rooms, I argue that they were not medium. The only other mediums were the other two I did ( 2W and 3W ) besides 2S1W and maybe 2S3W which because of time I didn't really try.
The Guardians Treasure : 3pts 2+2+2+5= 11/20
by Dischorran
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×Well I was impressed with the new monster idea, but after getting out of the entrance into 1N I just got frustrated and quit. I don't think if I gave it the whole hour I would get out of this room. [2] I hate puzzles were if you must have exact movements or else. I thinks of them as hard to expert, rather than medium. [2] Others may disagree. As there was not way to get to the other rooms I only saw 2 rooms of the hold. [2] The design was nice but no mention of the theme. [5]
I really wish you had taken your new monster idea and really developed it. You could have turned it into a gradual learning curve, the entrance was OK for me, and others with more experince but a really easy entrance would have been better, just enough to get the idea. Then a room just a little easier than the entrance, then one the same as the entrance and so on. Either save 1N for last or make it a Secret Room so it was optional. You also could have used a frozen pizza theme or some reference to 1 hour to keep to keep to the theme. Maybe 1 hour of training for this new monster, before you go down into the ice cave.
While I scored you low for this contest I did think it was a good idea for a hold just not for this contest. I really do hope you develope this new monster into a full blown hold. Just keep us moderate players in mind. I will be first in line to beta test it.
The Middle Plane: 6pts 10+4+8+5=23/40
by Rasmus Bjorling
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×Well I was having so much fun I lost track of the time. [10] I have not seen more than 6 rooms, beat 3 of them. The last two seem harder then medium. For me these were study and plan type puzzles so they took me awhile to do, that limited how far I got. I would say for this contest the hold was too big, but for a regular hold it would have been fine. Without looking at the build I have no idea how much more there is, and I want to finish before I do that. I will guess 30% to 40% [4].
Yes, I want to go back. I may have to ask for hints because the remaining two I have tried were hard, too hard for this contest. [8] The layout was great but had nothing to do with the theme and in fact I think it encouraged having too big a hold. [5] Oh, and I choose to go the blue way because blue is my favorite color.
The Void: 4pts 5+10+3+4=22/40 also -1level
by Mr. Slice
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×East Side done nice easy puzzles. West Side also easy puzzles but at 3N I can't go back. Now what. Testing your hold was required so I have doc't you a level for this problem. Well you need an arrow token or maybe an alternate route to get back. Did both side in under a half hour. With such easy puzzles you could have more rooms and made it more interesting, it just needed more [5]. So while the puzzles get [10] for meeting the easy to medium rule, the fun factor was very low [3]. The hold does nothing with the theme. [4]
VIPCOOL - 2008 Al Dente 1: 3pts 4+2+4+2=12/40
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×I got thru the entrance, that was easy enough then got stuck in 1E. VIPCOOL what were you thinking? I give up. I have no idea how to get the goblin out. I can't go any further without solving this room. I would not consider this easy [4]. So very little done [2]. The hold looks simular to your 'No Doors' entry and not much about the theme [4]. As to fun not much [2].
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I have been continually playing contest on the forum since Dec 2004. Having often been addressed as a he my new avatar shows that I am a "
Lady"
. And one with a very sharp sword, too.
I love the monthly contests but it took me a long while before I even placed. 21 contests in fact.
Virtual Burning Man was the first contest I took any place in and I got 1st, wow!. Yes, I have received my prize, a sweatshirt from the DROD store, and I love it.
It took 14 more contest but next I took 1st prize in Media of the Eighth Nov07, followed by a win in the Secret Santa 2007. Check out my entry:
http://www.gailswebplace.com/NightSky/index.html
Suddenly I was a winner but, still the goal of a winning hold based contest eludes me....
I keep trying so come and join me.
http://forum.caravelgames.com/viewboard.php?BoardID=83
Of course it's just a matter of perspective. Most of the holds took me about half an hour to complete. I liked your entry, even though it was a bit buggy sometimes. I also thought Mr.Slice's entry was an excelent, mindless Al Dente experience, right up til the point where I realized that it was impossible to complete.
. Also, the hold was anyone edit.