Tim
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File: Simplicity.hold (3.9 KB)
Downloaded 60 times.
License: Other
From: Unspecified

Here's a small hold for you to play.

Rooms: 10
Monsters: 44 roaches
Difficulty: Normal (some rooms are hard, but those are optional.)

This is my first hold, so all feedback is welcome.

This hold has been submitted to the hold section.

Have fun!

[Edited by Tim on 08-14-2004 at 11:24 PM GMT: Updated the hold. Changed the exits in 1N, added an X, changed 2N2E, changed the description, and changed the ending.]

[Edited by Tim on 08-21-2004 at 12:49 AM GMT: New version put in hold section.]

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agaricus5
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Oh dear! - more minimalistic puzzles (I'm not very good at them).

However, I've had a look at the hold, and found that what appears to be "simple" is actually more tricky than it looks, which is something that is not common to find in holds.

I'm stuck in 1N, however. Due to the positioning of the orb, at least one roach must enter the force arrow area, but because of the green doors covering the diagonal force arrows, you must enter the central section to kill the roaches. This central area, however, cannot be left once entered. What am I missing here?

Edit: See - I told you that I always seem to overlook things in minimalistic rooms. Perhaps it's because I think I can find the room's solution quickly, and when I can't, I assume the room is not solvable.



A smaller, more cosmetic thing is that Beethro will end up on a green door if he enters 1N from 1N 1E, which looks a bit ugly. Perhaps you could move it forward by one square and place walls to the north and south of it.

It's an interesting concept so far. I'm curious to see what the next 6 rooms have within them.

[Edited by agaricus5 on 08-08-2004 at 10:16 PM GMT]

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Tim
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agaricus5 wrote:

A smaller, more cosmetic thing is that Beethro will end up on a green door if he enters 1N from 1N 1E, which looks a bit ugly. Perhaps you could move it forward by one square and place walls to the north and south of it.

I had that in my first version. But I think this is much better.

It's an interesting concept so far. I'm curious to see what the next 6 rooms have within them.

Good luck then.

(I'm off to bed now, back to this forum in 20 hours or something...)


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RoboBob3000
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2N1E has me beat right now. I can't make a plan that allows all eight roaches to get out. As it stands, I don't see how it is possible because at least two will have to stand on an open yellow door before you flip the opposite switch...

Please convince me this is possible.

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Scott
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I have done that room it is possible.

Scott
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I have solved all 10 rooms but didn't get an exit level message and was unable to go north across the force arrow in 3N3E.

vAmpir
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Perfect small hold These are my favorite puzzles. I finished the hold for an hour but some of the rooms were tricky! I recomend

DiMono
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2N1E had me for a second until I figured out the pattern I had to use. Now it's 2N2E that's getting to me. So far, I can take out a grand total of 2 roaches in that room, and only in the obvious way.

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Tim
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Lets reply to everyone:

RoboBob3000: Hint for 2N1E:



Scott: Hint:

1. There are no required rooms. So you won't see an "exit level" thing. (it's a feature!)

2. 4N3E:

3. Exit?

vAmpir:

Thanks for liking this hold. About your suggestion, I have to think about it. I will release a new version some times later. So any suggestions are welcome, and I have to think of a way to incorporate it without destroying the simplicity...

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Tim
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2N2E: There are several tricks to be used in that room. You really have to elaborate before I can help you. (Or try the room a few more times)

Have fun!


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agaricus5
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DiMono, for 2N 2E...



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DiMono
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agaricus5 wrote:

Click here to view the secret text

×...Try hitting the orb in the NW corner before doing absolutely anything else. Do you notice anything interesting?

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agaricus5
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DiMono
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Ah yes. I noticed that, but never put it together until just now. Thanks

Edit: I just finished the hold, very nicely done. A few unintuitive tricks required throughout, which was really quite refreshing. It needs a better ending though...

[Edited by DiMono on 08-10-2004 at 01:49 AM GMT]

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Stuwy
Level: Master Delver

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Great hold, I'm enjoying this alot. So far I have 1 room left and that's 3N 2E, so far I have a strategy to solve this but I have come pretty close..

[EDIT] heh, I just solved it.



[Edited by Stuwy on 08-10-2004 at 03:58 AM GMT]

Tim
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DiMono wrote:It needs a better ending though...

Do you mean I should change the last screen, or do you want to see some text as ending?

By the way, I have some problems with my editor. It seems like that half of my scroll does not show on the text editor properly, and I can't seem to use quotes. Do I need to upgrade, and will it affect my savefiles?

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Stuwy
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There's a new patch that came out a couple day's ago that will fix the bugs you have encountered in the game. you can find it here. The patch will not destroy your saved files.

gamer_extreme_101
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Tim wrote:
...Do I need to upgrade, and will it affect my savefiles?

Probably yes, and probably no. If you are concerned about it altering your savefiles, export your player and your hold and save them to a floppy or a spot on your hard drive. Head over here, follow the instructions to upgrade, and see if that helps.

-Patrick
Edit: Argh. 2nd time today. Need to learn how to type faster.

[Edited by gamer_extreme_101 on 08-10-2004 at 10:34 PM GMT]

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DiMono
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I just mean it could use some ending text. The last room is fine.

1N2E could use a checkpoint though, it's the only room that doesn't have one, and the other rooms up that side of the hold all have them as well.

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bandit1200
Level: Master Delver
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DiMono wrote:1N2E could use a checkpoint though, it's the only room that doesn't have one, and the other rooms up that side of the hold all have them as well.

Got to agree with that. I made that long walk to the centre of the room a couple of dozen times before it struck me how to complete the room.

Still stuck on 2N2E though.

Tim
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*********************

I still want some opinions for all of you, so if anyone could answer them I can try to improve my hold:

1N1E

1N2E

2N2E

Thank you all for your input.

****************************

DiMono wrote:
I just mean it could use some ending text. The last room is fine.

1N2E could use a checkpoint though, it's the only room that doesn't have one, and the other rooms up that side of the hold all have them as well.

Great ideas! I will include them in the next version this weekend.


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Tim
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bandit1200 wrote:
Got to agree with that. I made that long walk to the centre of the room a couple of dozen times before it struck me how to complete the room.

About 1N2E. I thought it was really simple. I'm very sorry. That's probably the reason why I forgot to put an X on it.

Still stuck on 2N2E though.

There are already a lot of spoilers of 2N2E on this page. You might try them first, although it is much more enjoyable if you find it out yourself. ;-)

*****************

Another question (just for my info):

Is there any one of the room you particulary enjoy/hate/getting frustrated/use swear words, and why?

I personally liked 1N1E because of the sequence.

*****************

I also think I will not include any required rooms in there. It is very hard to test blue doors, and it takes too much time solving the rooms... To tell you the truth, I still haven't got any demos for 2N1E and 3N2E. (I tested them in stages, but I never had the patience to solve it at once .)

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agaricus5
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Tim wrote:
1N1E

Click here to view the secret text

×Is it fun enough? Or is it just boring?

It's not boring, I think. It's just very easy once you've figured out the exact correct set of movements to make.

1N2E

Click here to view the secret text

×I am a very lousy swordsman, so are those diagonals really required?

You can remove the middle doors of the diagonals, just not the ones at the edges, which are the vital ones. In fact, you only need one diagonal, but making the doors asymmetric might give away the solution.

2N2E

Click here to view the secret text

×Should I remove that other orb and door?

If you want to. It's not really necessary, I believe.

Not to offend you, but, as an overall theme, minimalistic rooms like yours with very specific solutions are only really difficult when first encountered, since once you have memorized the solution, completing the rooms becomes much easier afterwards.

It's not a bad thing, but instead just an observation I'd like to make about your hold.

You did a good job on it. I look forward to seeing more of your holds.

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bandit1200
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Tim wrote:There are already a lot of spoilers of 2N2E on this page. You might try them first, although it is much more enjoyable if you find it out yourself. ;-)

I think we might differ on the definition of 'a lot' and 'spoilers'. Two hints doesn't seem to be a lot, and a spoiler tends to be a hint that gives you the answer. OK, I'm being pedantic. Anyways, the first hint I didn't need, and the second is immaterial - to myself - as the conversation between Agaricus and DiMono implies 3 roaches have been killed at that point, whereas I have only managed to kill one so far.

bandit1200 wrote:Got to agree with that. I made that long walk to the centre of the room a couple of dozen times before it struck me how to complete the room.

Tim wroteAbout 1N2E. I thought it was really simple. I'm very sorry. That's probably the reason why I forgot to put an X on it.

Ah, my apologies. That was a weak attempt at - possibly a little too sarcastic - humour. Humour, just like hints/spoilers, only works if the recipient understands it. Yes, 1N2E was simple.

DiMono
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Spoiler for bandit... everyone else look away

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swann_88
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I think I did 2n2e in an unintended manner since I killed all 4 roaches at once



still haven't done 1n2e

1n1e not long enough to get boring

DiMono
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swann_88 wrote:
I think I did 2n2e in an unintended manner since I killed all 4 roaches at once

Click here to view the secret text

×if you don't drop all the red doors all 4 roaches come marching out

Hmm... except how do you deal with the force arrows? Personally, I'd love to see a demo of this.

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

Tim
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swann_88 wrote:
I think I did 2n2e in an unintended manner since I killed all 4 roaches at once

Click here to view the secret text

×if you don't drop all the red doors all 4 roaches come marching out

Can I see a demo of this as well? PM me if you want to.
I don't want to see demos all over here, because I'm still making changes that can change the rooms.
(Personally, I am all for unintended solutions, because it shows that someone is smarter than I am. )

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agaricus5
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Tim wrote:

swann_88 wrote:
I think I did 2n2e in an unintended manner since I killed all 4 roaches at once

Click here to view the secret text

×if you don't drop all the red doors all 4 roaches come marching out

Can I see a demo of this as well? PM me if you want to.
I don't want to see demos all over here, because I'm still making changes that can change the rooms.
(Personally, I am all for unintended solutions, because it shows that someone is smarter than I am. )

You can do it by...



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Tim
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I have uploaded a new version of this hold.
I will wait another week.
If nothing else will come up, can I move this to the hold section then?

Grrrr. I just saw that the download counter has just been returned to zero. It feels terrible.

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