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File: Christmas Tower.hold (22.8 KB)
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Beethro was doing some last-minute shopping for Halph and Vonifa in a nice little town called Cirrhin. He had been to Cirrhin before; it was a normal town except for the tower. The bells in Cirrhin Tower were always ringing, not just on the hour, they rang every minute of the day. When Beethro asked people about who was up in the tower, they just mumbled a bit and tried to change the subject.

Anyway, Beethro was looking over a rack of Kids' Safe Smiting Swords(TM) for Halph when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Reflexively turning around, he saw a shadow moving in one of the windows near the top of the tower.

It was time to investigate.

As you can see from the title, Christmas Tower is a Christmas-themed hold. Please don't get mad or anything if you don't celebrate Christmas, I don't want to spark some kind of argument over whose holiday is better or anything. I tried to make this hold fairly easy, I don't want anyone getting frustrated at all on this hold. The secret rooms are still pretty hard though, so the really good players out there will still have a challenge!

I hope you enjoy this hold, and a merry Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/Decemberween to you!

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

Finally!

This is an exellent piece of work. It contains three puzzle-levels. Its' puzzles are easy and quite evil at the same time. Also, it has some art created with doors, relay statiopns etc., so its' design is also beautiful.

The only thing that keeps me from voting 10 is that loong cutscene in the end. I thought that it won't end first time, but then I've realised that character waits 143(!) turn before ending the cutscene.
EDIT: Nvm, I was wrong about cutscene. However, that mimic chamber in level2 1S is really annoyning, so I leave my 9 fun vote.

Anyway...

5,5 brains and...

9 for fun.

Exellent work, lopsidation!

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[Last edited by mxvladi at 01-05-2009 12:25 PM]

lopsidation
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 176
Registered: 05-30-2008
IP: Logged

Hurrah, it's out! I hope you have a great Christmas everyone!

About the long cutscene at the end- it's a Cutscene 200 with Wait 143 turn(s), right? I tried it twice just now and Beethro says his final line just before the cutscene (and hold) ends... did something get mixed up in uploading, or is there a difference with the version of DROD I'm using? It's version 3.2 build 83.

____________________________
"Happiness is like a cat. If you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you'll find it rubbing against your legs and jumping into your lap."

mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

lopsidation wrote:
About the long cutscene at the end- it's a Cutscene 200 with Wait 143 turn(s), right? I tried it twice just now and Beethro says his final line just before the cutscene (and hold) ends... did something get mixed up in uploading, or is there a difference with the version of DROD I'm using? It's version 3.2 build 83.

Oops, sorry. I was completely wrong about it. Don't know why, but first time I watched it it was terribly long...

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[Last edited by mxvladi at 01-05-2009 12:24 PM]

Tim
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1979
Registered: 08-07-2004
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Hmmm... I have mixed feelings about this one...

On the one hand, this is a good hold. Good looking decorations, some dialogues, difficult but not too hard, most rooms based on some strange DROD quirks (not always good), and good puzzles.

On the other hand, something is missing. I can't exactly explain what it is. Is it that the entrance level is a bit empty? Is it the quirks that has been used? Is it sometimes too tedious? Is it the "many puzzle in a room" syndrome?

Would I give this hold a 8? (i.e. would I want to work with this person for a SmS hold next?)
No, not yet, but he's very close.

Difficulty: 5
Fun: 7.5

(and 1 karma point)

____________________________
The best way to lose customers is to let little kids running loose on a forum with too many mod points.

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[Last edited by Tim at 12-24-2008 07:16 PM]

Syntax
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1218
Registered: 05-12-2005
IP: Logged

Haven't played DROD for quite a while, and this hold is a great way to return. I'll vote when I'm done (level 2 at the moment), but enjoying my Christmas eve with this one

I agree with Tim though that certain rooms seem to use DROD quirks (which may make the hold impossible/needing to upgraded later if they're deemed bugs). Level 2 entrance *should* be impossible in my mind but I've surely just missed a trick. The presence of the new monsters is a fun addition, but I'm slightly worried there's something about them which I'm not understanding which the solution relies on - a few "tutorial rooms" explaining their basics would have been great.

Anyways, great fun so far overall... Good work

Briareos
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3516
Registered: 08-07-2005
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Syntax wrote:
Level 2 entrance *should* be impossible in my mind

I can assure you it isn't - well, outside of your mind at least...

but I've surely just missed a trick.

Yep.

np: Tocotronic - Verschwör Dich Gegen Dich (Kapitulation)

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

disoriented
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2401
Registered: 08-07-2007
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Briareos wrote:

Syntax wrote:
Level 2 entrance *should* be impossible in my mind

I can assure you it isn't - well, outside of your mind at least...

but I've surely just missed a trick.

Yep.

np: Tocotronic - Verschwör Dich Gegen Dich (Kapitulation)

Same question, but for level 2 1E. Is it possible to kill the tar mother without getting trapped?

____________________________
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mxvladi
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2505
Registered: 02-11-2008
IP: Logged

disoriented wrote:

Briareos wrote:

Syntax wrote:
Level 2 entrance *should* be impossible in my mind

I can assure you it isn't - well, outside of your mind at least...

but I've surely just missed a trick.

Yep.

np: Tocotronic - Verschwör Dich Gegen Dich (Kapitulation)

Same question, but for level 2 1E. Is it possible to kill the tar mother without getting trapped?

Yes, it is.

Briareos
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3516
Registered: 08-07-2005
IP: Logged

mxvladi wrote:

Click here to view the secret text

×It must be toggled to mud mother

np: Morgan Geist - Detroit (Double Night Time)

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

lopsidation
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 176
Registered: 05-30-2008
IP: Logged

What do you mean by arbitrary exception? You still can't cut any tarstuff, right? Or do you mean the arbitrary exception that cutting mud mothers, and only mud mothers, doesn't necessarily destroy the mud underneath?

____________________________
"Happiness is like a cat. If you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you'll find it rubbing against your legs and jumping into your lap."

Jatopian
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1842
Registered: 07-31-2005
IP: Logged

It's a very very nitpicky and possibly false argument that tarstuff mothers don't count as "tarstuff".

____________________________
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DROD architecture idea generator

CuriousShyRabbit
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3170
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

It was a pleasant, relaxing break to just play through a hold without testing it. As in lopsidation's first hold, there are plenty of fresh, interesting uses of the TCB game elements here. My favorite rooms were First Level 1N1W, Second Level 1N1W, and Third Level 1E.

The "skitter" is an cool custom monster. It switches between invulnerable obstacle and flexible beelining killable monster whenever the player hits an orb. It seems that this hold just scratches the surface of its puzzle potential. Will we be seeing it again in another hold?

I didn't have a problem with Second Level 1E. The NPC talks about how long it took her to get the tarstuff into those special shapes. You have to kill the mother to conquer the room, and indeed a mud mother is the only mother you can possibly kill without messing with the shape of the tarstuff.

On the downside, while the other tarstuff rooms First Level 1N1E and Second Level 1S1W were clever, I found them rather tedious to actually solve. And a few unintended solutions were left in:
I liked the friendly ending. Thanks for a fun evening, lopsidation.

lopsidation
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 176
Registered: 05-30-2008
IP: Logged

CSR: Thanks for the comments! As for the skitter, yes, it's definitely going to show up in antoher hold.
Sorry about L1: 1N 1W, in retrospect that was a pretty tedious and not puzzly room. And L2: 1S 1W, I should have put some bombs near the top of the right chamber to make the last step less tedious. Oh well, I'm glad you had fun playing the hold!

____________________________
"Happiness is like a cat. If you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you'll find it rubbing against your legs and jumping into your lap."

larrymurk
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1917
Registered: 12-09-2004
IP: Logged

I really like this hold!!

Almost every room had an interesting concept.

Unfortunately, there are unintended solutions to about half the rooms I think which is too bad.

I'm pretty sure at least these have unintended solutions.


I doubt there's anything to be done now unless you really care and the HAs want to make a huge exception and everyone with high scores agreed.......

So, I guess we just leave it as... great hold (that I think might've been even better)!!

I should add that I also like the story and decorating

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[Last edited by larrymurk at 12-31-2008 12:47 PM]

Neather2
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 406
Registered: 07-18-2006
IP: Logged

Nice hold! I have really like the custom monster and some puzzles. Very nice job.

____________________________
Nothing to say. I just play the game. And you, sir, should play it too.

Conspiracy, my new hold, has just been released.