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File: Kolbys Challenge.hold (44.6 KB)
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Kolby, an accomplished Smitemaster, decided to challenge himself, and he came up with the idea that he would only draw his sword when he felt threatened. This, oddly enough, caused the fabric of the universe to change, and made the hold look as if it were specifically designed for him.

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
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This is an interesting little hold. We've had several recent projects that introduce custom monsters. This hold introduces a custom player (Kolby) who behaves a little differently from Beethro.

There are two levels. First, an easy level, where you get used to playing as Kolby. Then there's a more challenging level where you apply what you've learned in more complex puzzles.

It's a very cool idea! The downsides for me are that this hold is so short. It was over just as I finally warmed up to playing as Kolby. And there were a couple rooms with trivial solutions. I'd love to see another Kolby hold from Someone Else when the inspiration strikes him.

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
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I looked here to see how everyone was doing with this hold and noticed that the spider seems to be rejecting everyone's demos. I'll notify Schik.

EDIT: Schik has fixed the problem.

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[Last edited by CuriousShyRabbit at 03-24-2008 01:30 AM]

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1670
Registered: 12-23-2005
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For the most part, these puzzles aren't too complicated. But it does take some effort to reset your thinking.

I give this hold an 8 for fun with 5 brains.

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

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
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Registered: 10-06-2005
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mxvladi wrote:
Espesially I like that Kolby's sword appears only when the monster is close. How did you do it, I wonder?

When you conquer this hold you can look at the rooms in the editor. You can then look at the scripting for the characters that take away and give back Kolby's sword.

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

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2460
Registered: 11-14-2005
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This was a fascinating hold; I love seeing how people use scripting to develop entirely new kinds of challenge. This one is very nicely done.

The one bit of strangeness is the ordering imposed by scripting; it's a little strange to have monsters react to a sword that's no longer actually on the screen by the time you see their reaction. In a few cases--the goblin room, I think, in particular--it ends up feeling almost unpredictable; that room, at any rate, involved a lot more trial and error (plus a little nudging from CSR) than planning.

OK, the other bit of strangeness is that Kolby is apparently what you get when you cross an orc with my friend Steve.

Briareos
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Tahnan wrote:
OK, the other bit of strangeness is that Kolby is apparently what you get when you cross an orc with my friend Steve.

Somehow I suspect less involvement of your friend Steve and more of calamarain...

np: 2 Bit Pie - After Hours (2 Pie Island)

____________________________
"I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole
R.I.P. Robert Feldhoff (1962-2009)

Tahnan
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Briareos wrote:

Tahnan wrote:
OK, the other bit of strangeness is that Kolby is apparently what you get when you cross an orc with my friend Steve.

Somehow I suspect less involvement of your friend Steve and more of calamarain...

I don't remember what Calamarain looks like, but I think he's Steve's type. Maybe Kolby is what you get when you cross Calamarain with my friend Steve.

NoahT
Level: Smitemaster

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Linky.

-Noah

____________________________
And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

My stuff:

Briareos
Level: Smitemaster

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Tahnan wrote:

Briareos wrote:
Somehow I suspect less involvement of your friend Steve and more of calamarain...

I don't remember what Calamarain looks like, but I think he's Steve's type. Maybe Kolby is what you get when you cross Calamarain with my friend Steve.

Ummm... actually, I was talking about this...

____________________________
"I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole
R.I.P. Robert Feldhoff (1962-2009)

Tahnan
Level: Smitemaster

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Registered: 11-14-2005
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Briareos wrote:

Tahnan wrote:

Briareos wrote:
Somehow I suspect less involvement of your friend Steve and more of calamarain...

I don't remember what Calamarain looks like, but I think he's Steve's type. Maybe Kolby is what you get when you cross Calamarain with my friend Steve.

Ummm... actually, I was talking about this...

Oh, yes, I knew that he had drawn Kolby. I knew that that was Calamarian's involvement. All the same, it looks like he was involved with Steve, too...

The spitemaster
Level: Smiter
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Registered: 06-09-2005
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I know that I can't speak for my brother in this, but I think that the process of making the idea, of a guy that only pulled his sword in times of trouble, entertained him greatly. I think that he found this more enjoyable than making the rooms to fit it, and that would explain the shortness of the hold.

____________________________
Last night upon a stair
I met a man that wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish that man would stay away

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
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This is great! I especially liked the goblin room. Highly recomendible to everyone who wants to try something original, which still carries the spirit of DROD. I can only agree with CSR. I hope we´ll see more of Kolby in the future. Maybe as an SMS

larrymurk
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1917
Registered: 12-09-2004
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Great job creating a new character!

The puzzles were well thought out though I'm pretty sure there were unintended solutions in 3 of the 7 rooms in the actual dungeon. I found the unpredictability of how Kolby's becoming sworded and unsworded affected things to be a negative.

Overall, super job.

talund
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 95
Registered: 05-17-2005
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This was a very interesting but too short diversion. Hope to see more adventures from Kolby soon.

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[Last edited by talund at 03-31-2008 05:02 PM]

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
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Great little hold. Nice break from all the "standard" DROD puzzles

martz
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 416
Registered: 08-19-2005
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This is a neat little hold with a scripted forced handicap.

I actually struggled with the first room and had to resort to h&s for help figuring it out, but once I'd grasped the concept it wasn't too hard.

The swording did feel a bit unintuitive on a few occasions, and as stated above, there were a few rooms that seemed much easier than others due to potential unintended solutions.

The last room caught me out as well - if I was being harsh I'd describe it as a cheap trick but it was more that I didn't pay enough attention to it originally.

I think the shortness of this hold is about right - I'm not sure how much value you'd get out of further puzzles from this, and it looks like the potential sequel didn't end up progressing anywhere.

Difficulty: 6
Fun: 7

____________________________
Without struggle, there is no progress, so get up, get out, and go make the rest of your life the best of your life; you deserve to live the life that YOU want to live...

Progress - Gavin G

Someone Else
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The sequel is Keep at Kisantury. I don't think it's my finest work - I think I pushed myself to complete it when I should have just fiddled around and let inspiration strike. But if you enjoyed this, I still think it's still a solid hold!

martz
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 416
Registered: 08-19-2005
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Indeed! That's actually the hold I'm currently playing (when I say currently, it's about a year since I played it due to my self-imposed "fully clear one hold at a time", and getting stuck on the final secret room with the clones/mirrors/briar). I shall try and review it when I eventually come back and finish it off.

____________________________
Without struggle, there is no progress, so get up, get out, and go make the rest of your life the best of your life; you deserve to live the life that YOU want to live...

Progress - Gavin G