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File: King Reubus' Palace.hold (51.8 KB)
Downloaded 2834 times.
License: Other
From: Unspecified

Special thanks to eytanz, Watcher, jdyer, and bandit1200 for playtesting the final version of this hold. If you guys post in this thread, I'll mod you up for your time and energy spent.

That said, the early levels of this hold are pretty easy, and then the difficulty ramps up to something really quite difficult near the end. I hope you all enjoy playing it as much as I enjoyed making it.

A note to people who played this hold while it was in the Architecture forum: There are more than 30 rooms added to this version that never saw the light in the Architecture forum, and some of them are really quite interesting. Please keep an open mind.

Mikko
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 276
Registered: 02-04-2003
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The stairs in the palace entrance lead back to the start of the level for me. It's probably that stupid bug again, that seems to affect almost all holds I play.

On the other hand, some of the scrolls suggest that there is something more to be found (I've found no use to a certain number sequence yet) and if I've counted things correctly, I've only visited 151 of the 153 rooms...

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
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Wow. Before I exported the hold, I made sure all the exits went where they were supposed to, but now that you've brought this up I went to look and the stairs actually do point to the beginning of the same level. Thank you for bringing this up, I've updated the hold with a version that works properly. The other two rooms are accessible in the editor only, and the hold is set to You and Conquerers editing rights. I'll copy the two rooms to wee little hold, and if you want to see them let me know and I'll tell you where to go to get it.

What did you think of the hold? Please, I need an ego boost, rate me well

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Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

Mikko
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 276
Registered: 02-04-2003
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First of all, I don't think the levels really increase in difficulty. The lobby and stairs are the easiest and the second level of the dungeon and the garden the most difficult. This is of course just IMO, and it doesn't make the hold any worse.

The levels had very distinctive themes, which is always a good thing. It's a bit boring to play holds that are basically just a collection of rooms, sorted only based on the colour of the floor.

The secret rooms were great, challenging to find and/or complete. The only thing I didn't like about them, is that the scrolls made the plot a bit unclear (I still have no idea what that number sequence is all about). Are you planning on making a sequel in the caverns?

All in all, most rooms were very fun to play, as you have successfully combined good puzzles and pleasant design. The garden in particular looked great. A couple of rooms were less good (3S in dungeon 2 comes to mind), but in a hold of this size it's almost inevitable. I also think you made the right decision in leaving the extra rooms inaccessible, as they are not of the same standard as the rest of the hold IMO.

Nillo
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 548
Registered: 01-04-2004
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Mikko wrote:
The levels had very distinctive themes, which is always a good thing. It's a bit boring to play holds that are basically just a collection of rooms, sorted only based on the colour of the floor.

I disagree. I would much rather play a collection of different or unique rooms than basically play the same room over and over.

____________________________
“Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the 'Ellie May,' a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.”

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
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Mikko wrote:
(I still have no idea what that number sequence is all about). Are you planning on making a sequel in the caverns?

Thanks for your kind comments. For these two notes specifically, the number sequence is relevant to something on the level. You clearly got past it, so it's not really an issue, but if you want to know what it is just send me a PM and I'll let you know.

And yes, I'm making another hold based in the Caverns. I have it here in front of me, in fact

____________________________
Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

masonjason
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 349
Registered: 12-29-2003
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The Cellars 1: 1N 1E (picture) is killing me. Any advice?

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Eighty people came to the bazaar.

Schik
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5423
Registered: 02-04-2003
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masonjason wrote:
The Cellars 1: 1N 1E (picture) is killing me. Any advice?

Not enough?

Complete spoiler:



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

masonjason
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 349
Registered: 12-29-2003
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[Edited by masonjason on 03-22-2004 at 12:31 AM GMT]

____________________________
Eighty people came to the bazaar.

krammer
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 904
Registered: 02-12-2003
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Actually Schik that's not necessary. There's not much advice to give though.



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+++ Divide by Cucumber Error +++ Please Reinstall Universe and Reboot +++

"Oook!"

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
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Either way you do it, you still need to get somewhere useful. What if you just make a run for it?

[Edited by DiMono on 03-22-2004 at 06:27 PM GMT]

____________________________
Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

masonjason
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 349
Registered: 12-29-2003
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Thanks, I've completed it now. I'm now in the Dungeon.

____________________________
Eighty people came to the bazaar.

styler
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 16
Registered: 03-29-2004
IP: Logged

Finished it last night. Very nice. It had me stumped on a few screens (some comments included, and warning: plot spoilers):


And...


A recommended piece!

Cheers

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
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Cool, thanks for the comments. I haven't quite mastered how to end a hold yet, which is why it seems to abrupt. I'm working on it

And Garden 1S is, I think, the hardest room on its level. It took me two days to prove to myself that it was possible, and then Erik didn't believe me at first when I told him so. I'm glad you enjoyed the hold.

____________________________
Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

leroy00
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 155
Registered: 09-30-2003
IP: Logged

I downloaded this hold a long time ago, but I haven't played an DROD in the last six months or so, so sorry if I am referring to an older version. I've just finished the Cellars (2nd level), pretty fun, and I liked the idea of the staggered walls which give an illusion of security while letting the roaches through. Nice touch. You wrote that the levels are in increasing hardness, the first level was really easy, the Cellars had one room that was pretty hard, I think it was 1N1E. I am anxious to see what's coming up.

So maybe this has been corrected, it's hard to tell if any version of the hold is the current one unless the creator puts a date in the file name, i.e. Bavato's Dungeon, but since I got it from the holds page, I figure it was final. (Maybe it would be a good idea to zip the holds first, then the file date can be retained instead of it being assigned the download date. But anyway....) So the guy's name is Reubus, but on the level-start-text (I forget what the real name is) you wrote "Reuben". Just a typo. More feedback later.

--leroy

____________________________
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street -- footless, dressed in red.
-Jimi Hendrix, "The Wind Cries Mary"

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
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Wow, that's a really good eye you have there. I totally missed that. +mod for you, and I'll fix the typo at some point.

____________________________
Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

TripleM
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1377
Registered: 02-05-2003
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Hmm. I can't remember when I downloaded this hold, but I have completed all the 6 rooms in the garden below the blue door but the blue door doesn't open.. and I've checked that there are no crumbly walls anywhere..

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
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I just checked in the editor, and there are indeed only six required rooms on the level. Are you sure you didn't conquer one of them, then restore to before you'd conquered it and then conquer the rest? That would leave one unconquered.

____________________________
Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

TripleM
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1377
Registered: 02-05-2003
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All 6 rooms are conquered.. I even restored and reconquered the 6th room, but it still ain't working. I suppose I can try redoing the whole level, otherwise it must be some unusual bug. Well, its some unusual bug in any case

Edit - nope, resolved the whole level and it still won't open. I suppose I have some corrupted version..

And final edit - I look in the editor - I must have a slightly older version of the game. The exit stairs were marked as required, and the layout looks slightly different to what it does now (after looking in hints and solutions.)

[Edited by TripleM at Local Time:02-24-2005 at 09:53 PM]

DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
IP: Logged

Wow. Yeah, you got a version from the Architecture boards. Um... if you export your player, delete the hold, download and import the correct version and then import your player again, you might be able to continue where you left off, but I'd back up your .dats first.

____________________________
Deploy the... I think it's a yellow button... it's usually flashing... it makes the engines go... WHOOSH!

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1670
Registered: 12-23-2005
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A good hold with some fun rooms in it. Dungeon: Level 2 was a good bit harder than anything else in the hold. Other than that, only Garden: 1 South really slowed me down for long.

I give it an overall 6.5 brains of difficulty and a 7 rating.

Deep into Caverns of Animus now, which is harder...and weirder.

Josh

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

bobkberg
Level: Goblin

Rank Points: 20
Registered: 11-27-2006
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Well, it's certainly entertaining!
I must give kudos for an interesting hold!

Bob