Kallor
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 277
Registered: 04-02-2007
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Hello!

I made a tiny little hold based around "carrion beetles", custom monsters that can only be stabbed (can't be sliced that is). It is quite easy and very short: it has only 7 puzzle rooms and 2 tutorial rooms plus a story.

It is possible to conquer this hold, I just did. If someone is willing to playtest it for bugs/unintended solutions and for grammar, I would be very pleased.

-Kallor

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Kallor

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

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Okay, that is really fun.

But I don't know what you mean by 'easy'.

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[Last edited by Someone Else at 12-10-2012 04:20 PM]

Suwako
Level: Master Delver
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As far as i noticed, they only move if you are in one of the direct direction that the roach is facing and it can move to that direction.

Though, even this easy hold is making me think, damn, i'm too bad :p.

Great method to make a custom monster.

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A moment last forever, an eternity passes in an instant, the time I spent here was inevitable...

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[Last edited by Suwako at 12-10-2012 04:20 PM]

Red-XIII
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Someone Else wrote:
But I don't know what you mean by 'easy'.

Thank god, I thought I was the the only one to think that xD

I found the hold funny and pretty challenging, expecially the only south orientation room. Overall this is an interesting monster and it really has some great puzzle potential like you showed.
About his movements it looked like he's a brained golem, am I correct?

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There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay.
There's just this one, just this rock.
-33th Skywatcher

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2357
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No. It moves horizontally towards the nearest diagonal to you, and diagonally ONLY when you're in a direct line with it.

Kallor
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 277
Registered: 04-02-2007
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Hello!

Both descriptions are correct: brained monsters (at least roaches and golems and babies) also move horisontally or vertically towards diagonals, and then diagonally. Carrion beetles have direct beelining in addition, so they behave exactly like brained golems do on open ground. But unlike brained golems, they can't go around obstacles. I actually wanted to have them step diagonally when desired vertical or horizontal movement was impossible, just like roaches step vertically or horizontally when desired diagonal movement is blocked, but I couldn't program it (detecting whether a room tile can be stepped or not is too hard).

-Kallor

____________________________
Kallor

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[Last edited by Kallor at 12-10-2012 07:47 PM]

Red-XIII
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I see, thanks for the explanation. That's a really neat movement choice.

____________________________
There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay.
There's just this one, just this rock.
-33th Skywatcher

Lucky Luc
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1215
Registered: 08-19-2012
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These monsters have so much more potential than I expected! Especially in combination with their very unusual movement behaviour, they seem to be a pretty tough enemy.

I totally agree with the other testers about that 'easy' thing, though . I'm currently stuck at the second part of 2N1W, as I can't seem to survive longer than 5 turns before the beetles get me. Still, I wanted to say that I'm really enjoying this so far .

EDIT: Ah, so now I know that "get it immediately after posting"-effect. Very nice! Off to the next room...

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[Last edited by Lucky Luc at 12-10-2012 10:36 PM]

Lucky Luc
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Aaaand conquered (and mastered) . I'm not a native speaker, so I can't say too much about the text, but I think I've found one grammar mistake (or typo) in the final room; it should be "I promise not to kill anymore". Haven't found any other

A great monster and a brillant hold if you ask me. The story was pretty amusing, too. My only complaint might be that it was too short (but definitely not too easy!).

Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 4862
Registered: 02-20-2007
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Very nice monster idea and puzzles. I've enjoyed it up to 2N1W, where I'm stuck as well -- it would be really nice to have a checkpoint before the pressure plate so I don't have to do the last part of the first puzzle again if I want to try the second part with a different sword orientation.

Spelling, grammar and word choice edits I've spotted:

Intro, Entrance: "escaped the lair of the carrion beetles"
Intro, 1E: "One rainy night", "not any more", "he had good reason"
"Rumoured to be dead" is weak, since it raises the question -- why are those spreading the rumour claiming to be sure the missing people are dead; what exactly are they saying?

Lair, Entrance: comma after "stabbed the monster", "behind the disappearances"
Lair, 1E: "preying on him" isn't what you mean. Perhaps "spying on him"?
Lair, 1N1E: "valiantly faced them all at once" makes no sense, since the puzzle is to lure them out one at a time.
Lair, 2N1W: commas before and after "sorry"
Lair, 1N2W (I looked ahead in the editor): comma after "initial shock", Duncan spelled "Duncand", comma after "Now"
Lair, 2W: "He'd have to watch his step"
Lair, 1W: "Well, maybe they lived", "disappearances" again, "I promise not to kill any more"
Lair, 1S1W: comma after "hello there", "go back to minding your own business"

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50th Skywatcher

Rheb
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1211
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Hi.

I really like this hold. Have gotten up to the ortho square room so far.

I would appreciate if you didn't place force arrows directly at the start of each room, or used oremites as you do in 1N. This makes it more convenient and fun to try to optimize your hold, for those who enjoy optimizing.

I'd really like to see a checkpoint just before the pressure plate in 2N1W as well. This allows you to try out different sword configurations without having to restore back to a place where the first sub puzzle isn't fully solved.

____________________________
Voligner is my very own DROD-like game. Please check it out!

Kallor
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 277
Registered: 04-02-2007
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Hello!

Thanks for comments everyone. New version attached.
I didn't realize my english sucked that bad

- Now "preying on him" is "lurking for him" (as for being ready to ambush).
- Missing people are now rumoured to be eaten by ghosts.
- In 1N1E the text "But he valiantly faced them all at once and defeated them." now appears only if the player kills the beetles without leaving the chamber (it's possible, could be added as a challenge perhaps). If the player lures the beetles out one at a time, the brain mocks him.
- In 2N1W the save spot is no longer on the pressure plate, good point indeed.
- Force arrows directly at the start of each room can't be helped; carrion beetles are special characters and will respawn when the room is re-entered, even if the room was conquered. Since a dead character can't check for clear room, I don't see an easy way to fix this without the arrows (having the player see respawned beetles would feel extremely stupid). This is of course bad news for optimizers, who now have to conquer many rooms at least partially twice

-Kallor

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Kallor

Doom
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Kallor wrote:

- Force arrows directly at the start of each room can't be helped; carrion beetles are special characters and will respawn when the room is re-entered, even if the room was conquered. Since a dead character can't check for clear room, I don't see an easy way to fix this without the arrows (having the player see respawned beetles would feel extremely stupid).

This isn't a problem. The characters can check for clear room when you re-enter. Then you can make them disappear on turn one if that's the case (or appear on turn one if they're initially invisible, that works too).

I got stuck at 2N1W as well. Don't see any approach other than brute force sadly. (edit: Ok I did it, but..yeah, it was just trial and error. Liked the rest of the rooms so far though)

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[Last edited by Doom at 12-12-2012 04:53 PM]

Rheb
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1211
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1N2N only took me 2000 moves to solve. And that was using the proper lights out technique, if somewhat inefficiently...

EDIT: Mastered. I'm not sure about the lights out room, its basically just a normal lights out with messier mechanics, or did I miss anything?

I like the rest!

____________________________
Voligner is my very own DROD-like game. Please check it out!

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[Last edited by Rheb at 12-12-2012 05:37 PM]

Kallor
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 277
Registered: 04-02-2007
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Thanks Doom (and man do I feel stupid )!

Room 2N1W was actually the first one I made, didn't think people would find that one difficult compared to the final room for example...

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Kallor

Pearls
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I played this while taking a break from GJL.

Sweet zombie Gunthro, the talent you posses as an architect is staggering. Best take a break hold I've played in awhile. The new monster you created had all sorts of quirky behaviors that took awhile to get used to, but was a blast doing so. Made me rethink how I handled them almost constantly. It's little excursions like these that make me constantly re-appreciate how awesome a game DROD is. The scripting engine shines so well, and it's intuitive enough that we get delightful treats on a fairly regular basis.

Made my day.

Really, really well done.



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Hey, w-wait, that's the guy who shamelessly promotes his own...

Kallor
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 277
Registered: 04-02-2007
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File: Duncan the Graveyard Guard.hold (19.4 KB)
Downloaded 68 times.
License: Public Domain

Hi and thanks for comments!

The force arrows are removed as Rheb suggested, thanks to Doom. (Couldn't find a completely satisfying way to do it though: a pressure plate with a beetle on it still starts as pressed down which is a little stupid.)

-Kallor

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Kallor