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File: Beethros Search for Home.hold (24.1 KB)
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Beethro...is back...

Tim
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1979
Registered: 08-07-2004
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I've been playing this hold for some time, and I must admit that this version is so much better than the first version I've played in Architecture.

As a hold, this is not bad. I think if this hold is entered in the annual Al Dente competition, it would score okay. It's an good size bite hold that you can play for about half an hour, and the difficulty is easy if you've finished TCB.

There are a couple of spellings that can be improved, but overall it's a good bitesize hold that can be solved in an hour. It's also one of the okay holds in the 'very easy' category.

Since this is his first hold, I'd give a 3 for difficulty, and 5 for fun. (and +2 if you like Al Dente holds).

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larrymurk
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1917
Registered: 12-09-2004
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Well, just not a lot of fun. Often there were a lot of roach queens or mud and tar that didn't really require any strategy. Also many misspellings.

Parse
Level: Delver

Rank Points: 57
Registered: 12-15-2006
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I would classify this as a good first hold. Not the best hold I've ever played, but far from the worst. I'm quite grateful they've read (or been told) about principles of good hold design - backtracking always possible, never getting you stuck in a room. Relatively easy, though somewhat high on the mindless choppery.
All in all, a good hold for beginners or lunch breaks.
Six for fun, three for brains.

usbdriver
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 13
Registered: 11-23-2008
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Honestly I look back on my own hold with some embarresment. Even if it was my first hold, it could have been much better. I am currentyl planning 2 new holds which shall run on TCB, hopefully much better than Beethro's Search for Home. And for the spelling mistakes, I think I was around 12 when I created that hold

EDIT: I just finished my hold, could have been way better, but I was desperate to get one hold on the board

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[Last edited by usbdriver at 03-22-2010 05:32 PM]

jbluestein
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1670
Registered: 12-23-2005
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usbdriver wrote:
Honestly I look back on my own hold with some embarresment. Even if it was my first hold, it could have been much better. I am currentyl planning 2 new holds which shall run on TCB, hopefully much better than Beethro's Search for Home. And for the spelling mistakes, I think I was around 12 when I created that hold

I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Plenty of people have produced not-so-great first holds and have gone on to produce some pretty good stuff.

Most notably, I would call your attention to 'An Event #1', which is Jeff_Ray's first hold and is barely playable. He then went on to produce 'Tardustrial Park' and 'Mysteries of the Deep', among others.

I think that use of playtesters is pretty important, as is just having a hold out there for a while to let people try it out before trying to publish it.

Josh

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west.logan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 608
Registered: 03-09-2011
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I don't think it's bad at all. Quite enjoyable actually. The puzzles aren't too brain-teasing for a nice quiet afternoon and the story actually makes some sort of sense as you go along. For a "first hold" this definitely is one of the better ones I've played so far.

There were some clever puzzles and the slayer re-appearing lent a bit of urgency to the whole thing. I say well-done and thank you!

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-Logan

cbemom
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 36
Registered: 10-11-2004
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Just finished this hold and enjoyed it. Not too difficult, though some of the long pointless passages were boring. I give it a 4 difficulty and a 6 for fun.

bomber50
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 872
Registered: 09-18-2006
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I don't know about the rest of the comments here, but most of the issues people have complained about did not seem apparent in this hold.

I did not find it mindless at all, despite it being mostly hack and slash. Looking at the first level, the only room I would feel came even close to "mindless" was 1S1W, and that's because it's a lynchpin that was pretty obvious to a rather experienced delver.

I also didn't notice any "long pointless passages". The only room I can see that comes even close to that is Off Track: 1S, and even that I feel is pushing it.

As well, I didn't notice any grammar/spelling mistakes. Looking at some of it now, there are a few, but none of it particularly bad.

I found it a fun, well-constructed hack and slash hold of easy difficulty with an okay story. My only real complaints were the checkpoint placement, which was sometimes not perfect, and the use of force arrows on entrance squares in two of the rooms, which can be painful for optimization.

7 Overall, 3.5 Brains