admin
Level: Legendary Smitemaster
Rank Points: 8
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File: Curiosity.hold (62.5 KB)
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License: Other
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A hold with thematic levels that focus primarily on a few features at a time. While this hold is for TSS, the only TSS element it uses is scripted bonus challenges, so those still to beat TSS need not worry about encountering a game mechanic they've yet to see.

The length is small-to-medium and there are a variety of room types.

I hope you enjoy this hold. A big thank you to all those who tested or provided comments during beta, without whom this hold would be much worse than the final result you see before you. These are:
blorx1, bomber50, Elfstone, Nuntar, Red-XIII.

Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 4590
Registered: 02-20-2007
IP: Logged

This is an extremely impressive debut hold from Kieran. Each level focuses on a particular element or group of elements, and each has a consistent design style, these being impressively varied throughout the hold. There are some very nice linchpins, manipulation rooms and timing rooms, and very few rooms are tedious or frustrating. (The second level, Flooded Cellar, seems to have ended up with most of the rooms I disliked, but don't let that put you off. Tastes differ )

Overall verdict:
5 Difficulty
10 Fun

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50th Skywatcher

Red-XIII
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 623
Registered: 08-05-2012
IP: Logged

I agree with Nuntar, this is an amazing first hold and it's definitely worth to play.
I enjoyed it a lot during testing, I liked almost every room, mainly because some of them had more than one solution, and some of them are now challenges, which are also very well done.
About difficulty, I'd say that overall is around 5.5 - 6 but the final level is pretty challenging, so this hold is pure gold for someone who wants to try easy-medium puzzles but also be stucked (and then realize the linchpin) on harder rooms, it's really satisfying!

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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

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[Last edited by Red-XIII at 09-17-2014 10:02 AM]

larrymurk
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1911
Registered: 12-09-2004
IP: Logged

Nice hold, I like!

Fun, medium level puzzles.

Rheb
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1211
Registered: 08-04-2006
IP: Logged

Very much a "back to basics" kind of hold. The puzzles are nice and simple. Simple not necessarily meaning easy, but it is always clear how the puzzle elements in any given room will interact, and there are no convoluted setups. I also like how each level only uses a strictly limited set of monsters and objects that can interact. This creates fun and easy to get into themes for each level.

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

adS
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 214
Registered: 05-02-2010
IP: Logged

Somehow I missed this hold last year.

Anyway, I agree this is an excellent hold and it is hard to believe that it is the architect's first hold.

Very impressive.

Most rooms are of medium difficulty but some are rather tricky.

My favorites

The Chasm 1N
The Vault 1S

Awaiting your next hold,

adS



____________________________
pauca sed matura

OneMoreNameless
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 131
Registered: 07-31-2010
IP: Logged

Curiosity is a very clean hold. By this I mean that each level uses a limited selection of elements and each room's objective is always easy to understand. There's a lot of care taken to make this hold friendly to play - levels start with quick demonstrations of any mechanical quirks you'll need to know later on, plate-heavy puzzles use lights to quickly indicate 'bad' ones to avoid, spare force arrows clue you where clones need to start etc.

I found the difficulty fairly breezy overall but the quality is such that you could easily mistake these for mid-game official levels. At worst, a few rooms might feel derivative if you are a veteran but there's enough variety that it's not a problem.

Highly recommended if you just want more DROD without the headache of really nasty rooms.