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Caravel Forum : DROD Boards : Holds : Granny's Secret (Simple )
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6.3/10 (15 votes)
σ 1.12
Author Name:BlueFlower
Submitted By:BlueFlower
Hold Name:Granny's Secret
Theme:Simple
Author's Difficulty:
Number of Levels:16
Number of Rooms:197
Number of Monsters:1550
Version:DROD: The Second Sky (5.0)
High Scores:View High Scores
Hold Karma:2 (+2 / -0)
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File: Grannys Secret Rev3.hold (2.7 MB)
Downloaded 601 times.
License: Other
From: Unspecified
icon Granny's Secret  
Beethro does a job for an old lady; bad things happen.
08-26-2014 at 12:00 AM
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vinheim
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 300
Registered: 05-31-2007
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (+1)  
Well the puzzles have really stepped it up in the second level, but it introduces some backtracking issues. Once you are at Level 2: 3S1W, you can't go through 2S1W if you haven't cleared it, you can't go back through 3S2W, and if you clear the room then return, the flames won't even let you go back through to 2S1W anyway.
08-26-2014 at 09:40 AM
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vinheim
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (0)  
Gave this hold a 3 for difficulty and 6 overall. The hold was ultimately fun, but had a slow start, backtracking issues and in one level, a whole load of empty rooms, and a secret room with no clues in how to get there.

On the plus, I thought the visual aspect of seeing the castle from the ledge was neat. The repetitive rooms were fun to beat each iteration, and I liked how VoL 1N3W takes advantage of preconceived notions you get from previous rooms, similar to the feeling of getting to the brain in the 6th level. Traversing the inside of the crumbly castle was cool, something about the grand scale of each loop.

Looking forward to future harder, polished holds from you BlueFlower :)
08-26-2014 at 12:07 PM
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BlueFlower
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 156
Registered: 10-27-2013
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (0)  
Thank you!

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08-27-2014 at 04:22 AM
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noma
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (+1)  
This hold shows a lot of potential for future architecture as well as being (mostly) fun to play through. There were definitely unintended solutions in more than a few rooms but overall this doesn't detract from the enjoyment of some fun quick puzzles. It's an ambitious project for a first hold: a robust size, a bit of scripting, and (mostly) non-trivial puzzles. There was also a few horde rooms that I enjoyed more than I normally would.

The main thing that lessened the enjoyment of this hold is the serious lack of checkpoints. Now most of the puzzles have short solutions so this isn't a really big deal in the rooms. Where it definitely comes into play is by exits -- stairs or scripted -- and in some rooms with access to secrets. Theses areas, IMO, should always have a convenient checkpoint, preferably where a player is likely to pass over it. It's very frustrating to have to replay rooms over and over or traverse across a large level, re-dropping traps doors and smashing broken walls looking for secrets or exits. Especially since, although this hold uses a master (is that the right word?) map, it isn't really useful for backtracking between levels in a single play through.

And while 'more' is sometimes better, I felt the post mastery levels were not up to the quality of the rest of the hold. The rooms, with a couple of exceptions, felt more like, "well, I made this and even though I've moved on to bigger and better things, I don't want to just throw that work away." I also wish Crumbling Castle had more reason to exist. The architect put a lot of work into it, but for the player, well, you just wander around, hoping you're not missing something, because damn, you really don't want to have to traverse the whole thing again. But if the level had had more (really any) puzzles in them it would be a very different story.

I don't mean to go on sounding like I'm ragging on this hold, because, as I said, I quite enjoyed it and was impressed with a lot of it. I'm nitpicking because I can see how easily the architect could be produce even better holds with just a few minor adjustments. Hope to see more soon!

Difficulty: 3
Fun/Overall: with checkpoints and no backtracking issues it would have been an 8, but as it is I have to say 6. Also: you made me break too many walls using a pickaxe. ;)
08-28-2014 at 03:03 PM
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Schik
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (0)  
If you get to First Level: 1S2E *before* the level is clear, you're stuck and have to restore.

Other than that, enjoying it so far.

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08-30-2014 at 03:56 PM
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larrymurk
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (0)  
I have conquered L2:3S2W and L2:3S1W and now am stuck with a red gate blocking me west and fire traps blocking me east.

08-30-2014 at 11:29 PM
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BlueFlower
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 156
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icon Re: Granny's Secret (+1)  
Can I fix these issues, after the hold is published?

My goal was to make a fun hold, that didn't give people migraines.

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08-31-2014 at 02:59 AM
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