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

File: The Keep v3a.hold (19.3 KB)
Downloaded 97 times.
License: Other
From: Unspecified

Hello all!

This is my first hold so be gentle . It's small and a bit on the easy side, created for fun and exploring, and has a short storyline. Here are some points:

- all rooms are solvable
- some of them are not exactly the kings of originality
- you won't find any wall-under-tar hunting or one-way passages that are not clearly marked
- puzzles mostly involve fighting skill; there are some rooms that require efficiency.

I hope you have fun! Enjoy!

[Edited by styler on 04-17-2004 at 05:14 PM GMT: Updated version of the hold]

[Edited by styler on 04-19-2004 at 11:04 PM GMT: Updated version of the hold]

[Edited by styler on 04-20-2004 at 03:09 PM GMT]

gds
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 50
Registered: 02-06-2004
IP: Logged

Excellent hold, I can't fault it. it's well designed, entertaining, and has a good storyline.

A few minor things:

First floor, the entrance: there's actually no need to drop all the trapdoors as you can just exit through the breakable wall. I'm not sure it's intended.

First floor, 2E: I didn't see the need for the two orbs on the left. You can just go straight for the central orb and the tar mothers.

The garden, the entrance: if you exit through the north the first or second time through, you can't go back and thus can't complete the level.

The tower, the entrance: a checkpoint would be nice. (maybe in 1N too)

The tower, 1S1E: the exit stairs send me back to the tower.

bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 290
Registered: 10-29-2003
IP: Logged

gds wrote:
Excellent hold, I can't fault it. it's well designed, entertaining, and has a good storyline.

Got to agree, even though I haven't finished yet. I had to go back a few rooms after DROD hiccupped.

The garden, the entrance: if you exit through the north the first or second time through, you can't go back and thus can't complete the level.

I noticed that, but took the force arrows to mean, go east and south first.

The tower, the entrance: a checkpoint would be nice. (maybe in 1N too)

Agreed, in fact I made more mistakes in the entrance than I did in 1N.
Stuck with the roaches in The Tower: 1N1E. I seem to be a turn late every time.

bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 290
Registered: 10-29-2003
IP: Logged

bandit1200 wrote: Stuck with the roaches in The Tower: 1N1E. I seem to be a turn late every time.

Cancel that. As is usual, I went back and completed it immediately, and finished the hold as far as is possible. Like gds, I was taken back to the start of The Tower

Stuwy
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 212
Registered: 04-10-2003
IP: Logged

Great hold, Challenging rooms + fun = a good hold in my books

Same as everybody else after completing the tower I'm taken back to the tower again. Is this a bug? or your just in the works for the latter levels?

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

Thank you for your comments and reviews, and for pointing out the errors! The new version of the hold is updated in the original post, this time with edit permissions set to "anyone" (I forgot to do that for testing purposes first time I uploaded it). Changes in this version:

First floor, the entrance: there's actually no need to drop all the trapdoors as you can just exit through the breakable wall. I'm not sure it's intended.

It's not - that was a remnant of a previous room design. I've modified it some to reflect this.

First floor, 2E: I didn't see the need for the two orbs on the left. You can just go straight for the central orb and the tar mothers.

That, indeed, was by no means my intention. Thank you for pointing this out! The layout is different now, and slightly harder.

The garden, the entrance: if you exit through the north the first or second time through, you can't go back and thus can't complete the level.

I noticed that, but took the force arrows to mean, go east and south first.

Exactly. But to avoid any confusion I've placed a scroll and a checkpoint you can't avoid passing over right before the arrows.

The tower, the entrance: a checkpoint would be nice. (maybe in 1N too)

True, they are there now.

Also of note:

- The tower stairs indeed pointed to the same level. That's fixed now. Although I am certain that when I played the hold through it was okay. I did a reinstall of DROD in the meantime, so who knows.

- The tower now also sports servant's quarters.

Again, thank you all for your opinions and compliments!!

Cheers


[Edited by styler on 04-17-2004 at 05:22 PM GMT]

gds
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 50
Registered: 02-06-2004
IP: Logged

First floor, 2E: you fixed getting to the central orb through the bottom but forgot the top.

Apart from that everything is great.

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

All right, I think this is the release candidate. Updated file is in the originating article.

You were perfectly right about that upper passage, it's fixed now.

Two more levels now, not mandatory - i.e. you can finish the hold without them, but it's more fun if you find them. I'll give you a hint as to their whereabouts:

Try to solve the final puzzle before going to the tower (you'll see what I'm on about) without looking into the editor.

All comments and opininions are, of course, more than welcome! And then - off to the Holds section!

Cheers

bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 290
Registered: 10-29-2003
IP: Logged

I can't manage to kill the last wraithwing in 3n of The Forgotten Temple. I've gone round in circles so many times, I nearly disappeared up my own..... anyway, that's the only one I'm stuck with.

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

Updating the version of the hold to 3a, the riddle had more than one solution. I've tested it through and I think there's only the intended one now.

Cheers

gds
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 50
Registered: 02-06-2004
IP: Logged

bandit1200 wrote:
I can't manage to kill the last wraithwing in 3n of The Forgotten Temple. I've gone round in circles so many times, I nearly disappeared up my own..... anyway, that's the only one I'm stuck with.

What I don't understand is the exit riddle. I solved it by trial and error.

I think the addition of the secret level and rooms really add to the storyline. I really like it.

Scott
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 578
Registered: 02-12-2003
IP: Logged

Is the new first floor 2E solvable? I have too many tar babies to get to the second orb.

gds
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 50
Registered: 02-06-2004
IP: Logged

Scott wrote:
Is the new first floor 2E solvable? I have too many tar babies to get to the second orb.

It is, but it's very tight. Two things that may help:

bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 290
Registered: 10-29-2003
IP: Logged

gds wrote:

Click here to view the secret text

×There's only one corner of the room wher you can kill wraithwings.

Bad eyesight on my part

What I don't understand is the exit riddle. I solved it by trial and error.

I didn't understand the meaning of the scrolls either, and there isn't even much trial and error involved.

Styler, you might want to change this exit, unless it's intentional.

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

I'm glad you like the extra levels!

The exit riddle is an attempt to combine a word/simple cryptography puzzle with DROD gameplay. It may seem a bit obscure, but I assure you it's quite simple. A hint:

A near-spoiler:

Maybe some extra hint-dropping scrolls throughout the temple could make things clearer.



Thanks for all the help!

Cheers

[Edited by styler on 04-21-2004 at 11:11 AM GMT: Forgot to mark the text relevant to the exiting as secret]

gds
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 50
Registered: 02-06-2004
IP: Logged

Got it, thanks. That was all that was necessary:

styler wrote:

Click here to view the secret text

×No letters are changed to make the sequence