azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

To everyone:

I also completed Round 7.2 and 7.3, since they were basically rehash levels of previous levels and were easy to make, but round 7.4 above I will explicitly save for later, because they will introduce elements that are very foreign/new to the series, like Dart Cannons or Engineers, as highlighted in the plans above.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have any comments on the levels I mentioned previously still needed testing? I finished the design for Round 7.4, 7.5 and 8.1 just today, but I will still stick the plan mentioned in the previous post about not posting Round 7.4 and beyond until I have received feedback about the previous levels.

The reason I did them was because besides round 7.4, which introduced Engineers, an entirely new mechanic, the other two levels were basically retellings/revisions of existing levels with more difficulty.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

bbb
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 201
Registered: 10-07-2013
IP: Logged

I think 2.5 1N1W is broken, since there is no way to destroy the nests. In addition, Killing the eye drops the green door before the nests turn into real monsters, and then leaving the room and coming back puts the room in an unsolved state, but with no nests and with the counter not working.

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Okay, I revised the room so that A: You had a way to access the nests after the timer counted down (a bridge on one tile adjacent), and B: So the nests would turn into monsters sooner, so that they would be registered as monsters by the green door.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Hello everyone,

I still would feedback per usual up to Round 7.3 before I release Round 7.4 thru 8.1,

But does anyone know if they would be interested in voice acting for the extra-hard bosses in Round 10.5, the final round (11), and bonus/post-conquer challenge levels, or do you guys think it would be better to take it one step at a time and wait until those levels are actually complete before I start the voice acting, so that we can see how the levels actually turn out before starting?

If anyone wants to do it, I would like:

A young adult voice for you-know-who from the last end of TCB, although I want it to be a true young adult (like 18 or 20) instead of a seedy teenager voice like it is in TCB

An authoriatitve yelling voice, like a military sergeant, for the laser guy in Round 11.1, cause he's gonna be literally an Army of One

A haughty corrupt king voice for King Azb in Round 11.5, like King Dugan from TCB or TSS

A mystical wispy quiet voice, like a meditation or magic teacher, for the Necromancer bonus challenge

A thundering, deep, booming voice, like an evil unfathomable entity, for the terrain-changing ultimate badguy in the final challenge level

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

---

[Last edited by azb at 02-07-2023 06:38 PM : Specified voice styles of characters]

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I also can't for the life of me figure out where exactly it was, but there was a level in I think a custom Architecture hold that used purple orbs and guardians that were invincible to sword, but died as soon as all their orbs were removed... I think it was in a custom elements compilation like the net and bazooka, but I can't find it in the official custom elements compilation holds.

I want to re-use the monsters but with a slight twist for Round 10.2, does anybody know the hold in question?

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I am thinking that for the graphic, I could use the Weeping Angels from the Blackout hold instead of a purple Construct bot. Does anybody know if they think it is a good idea or not?

If no, does anybody know how to make a two or three-frame animation like the default monsters have for custom NPC's? Is it as simple as placing new spritesheets, one row for each frame, beneath the normal eight-frame one for the first frame?

I also don't think I need to know the hold from the last post anymore, because I can always just make my own version of it from the ground up using a similar script to the Goblin Knight.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

---

[Last edited by azb at 02-08-2023 09:25 PM : Specified I could make the bots myself]

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I am also thinking of custom portraits and tilesets for the bosses in Round 11 and the bonus rounds, in particular:

* A buzz-cut military sergeant with large eye-obscuring sunglasses (cause Ray-bans, get it?) for the laser boss in 11.1, and in the tileset he will be shown carrying a bazooka in his arms but in the portrait he won't, cause the bazooka will be heavy and he'll carry it in his lower torso near his waist

* For the king avatar, a portrait of me, but wearing a red-jeweled king crown covering all my hair and blue robes with a dalmation-print lining. For the king tileset, an 8-direction military green hover-cannon which looks like a compass, with a transparent bubble in the middle where you can see me from the birds-eye perspective.

* For the necromancer/monster summoner challenge, an old bald man with a long white beard that drapes to his waist. He should also be wearing the stereotypical navy blue robes with yellow stars and crescents, except these could be blood red robes with skulls and ghosts on them instead. In the tileset he will also be carrying a staff with an orb on top, but in his portrait there will be no room for it as it will be him from the neck up.

* For the entity, it could be a simple black silihouette of maybe a Citizen or just a generic stick man that doesn't look like a Citizen, with the only color is intensely saturated, bright, red eyes that convey ultimate evil power.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I also revised some of the rooms in earlier levels in Rounds 2 and 3, especially the wraithwingy ones and the entrance room to Gobbin' Goblins, so please feel free to let me know if it still feels to trail-and-error/magic-sequence/guess-y or if it feels like it is clear strategy and combat as I intended.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

File: gladiator-voicelines.zip (863.1 KB)
Downloaded 20 times.
License: Public Domain

Hello everyone,

I did the voice myself for the player soldier character, who won't speak until Round 10.5 when other characters start speaking. I wanted to make it sound like a simple no-nonsense swordsman/gladiator type personality, almost like Beethro's attitude in the main canon. Does it sound A: good voice/audio quality wise, and B: matching a "just want to get the job done and won't take any nonsense" attitude?

I also didn't post this in the first post about voice acting cause I didn't think of it, but I think we could also do lines for the Slayers in Round 11.4, and make them sound like the slayers from TCB unless there are other assassin type voices we could base them on, like from other video games.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

---

[Last edited by azb at 02-09-2023 02:53 PM : Specified slayer voice acting]

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

If we (meaning here as a general community, anyone at all besides me) want to do voice acting for the other roles, I have the lines pre-planned:

For Halph:

"I have been sent here on a special mission from King Azb to protect his layer of the arena from raving madmen like you."

"Nonsense! You must be a madman if you killed literally thousands of helpless creatures in the above levels to get down this deep!"

"My team of builders will ensure that you do not perform the same violent actions on the king or the creatures he keeps in his domain."

"Build!"

"Stop him from getting that creature!"

"Don't let him go there!"

"Destroy that bridge!"

"*Sigh* I tried to stop you from getting this far but these builders aren't as smart as I hoped. Nevertheless, I ordered as many as I can take in this special final room to make totally sure you never reach the next level!"

"No! Don't go down the stairs! You'll get yourself killed! You have no idea what the king keeps in his part of the arena, and it's certainly not going to be as easy as the stuff you've faced up to this point."

For the Army of One:

"Halt, soldier! You may have come this far, but do you have the strength and discipline to face Leutenant Major General Army-of-One? With this military grade laser bazooka, anyone who gets in the way is vaporized instantly!"

"This can't be! I told those peasants specifically not to have any bridges on this level for this very reason!"

For the Slayers:

"Aaah... did you think the King would not have his own personal army to protect his quarters? We are the most deadliest assassins you could possibly conceive of, created from birth to eternity to exterminate any who oppose the king as efficiently as possible."

"Enough of your back talk! It's time we showed you our ingenious fighting and killing skills first-hand!"

"You may have outwitted us, man from above, but just you wait until you face the king himself... then you'll be sorry you ever came!"

For the king:

"Ha ha ha ha! You thought it would be easy to defeat the king of the arena himself? I built this special 8 laser-cannon hovertank myself, made of industry grade stainless steel that would never get a dent from your low-class sword. If I were you, I would forfeit immediately lest I get zapped by the mighty champion!"

"How dare you insult my fighting tactics! For that you shall be vaporized immediately and my reign will stay forever."

"What? No! This wasn't supposed to happen... how could my precious tank be destroyed with me in it!?... Urk."

For the Necromancer:

"A simpleton like you approaches me?! With my magic staff and mighty knowledge of arcane dark magic, I can summon hundreds of monsters all at once to destroy all who oppose me. I would not get any closer if I were you."

"Some people never learn, do they?"

"You thought I was there, but now I'm here!"

"The dead shall awake!"

"After him, my loyal minions!"

"What? Why isn't the stupid teleport spell not working anymore?"

"Uuh... don't come closer to me with that sword please!"

"Ugggh... and so the champion of the dead returns to his natural domain..."

For the ultimate evil entity:

"Alas, ye mortal! You may have proven yourself against all other foes, such as a laser tank driving king, a magician who summons from the beyond, or unkillable chain monsters, but there shall be no hope against the nameless and formless ultimate evil, beyond any living being's comprehension."

"As I am not bound by the rules of reality as known to any of you others, I can alter it as I see fit. The only reason I don't drop you into an endless pit or turn you into a brainless wubba right now is because of my generosity and your sheer dumb luck, and at that mostly your sheer dumb luck."

"If you are to approach me the experience will be most unpleasant, unlike any you've encountered in this silly arena."

"The mothingness embraces you!"

"You think going that way will save you? It's blocked now!"

"The fires of the inferno shall consume you!"

"What if you lost your sword? You poor, poor thing... can't fight properly without a simple toy."

"Here's a special gift for you from the beyond... an extra deadly gift!"

"Argh! How did you figure out how to get me in the checkmate position where my defeat is inevitable?"

"You may have won this round, lesser being, but just you wait... the entities from the realm of eternity do not give up that easily in their mission to rule the universe."

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Regarding the difficulty thing mentioned in an earlier post, more specifically/detail wise I wanted it to be easy/2 to 3 brains in the first three rounds, intermediate/ 4 to 5 brains in the next three, challenging in the next three like 6 to 7 brains, then finally master level like 8 to 9 brains for the last two rounds and challenge levels.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I didn't post it in the most recent update, but definitely will in my next one:

When I tested it myself the first couple of times, I found 1.3 harder than 1.1, but now that I test it again I found 1.3 much easier than 1.1 as well. I decided to fix it by having more walls in 1.1 rooms, and no walls in 1.3 so you use the wubbas as walls instead.

I think some testers were saying 1.4 was easier than 1.1 or 1.3 as well, but I think after that fix it should be no longer true.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

File: Round11Portraits.zip (130.3 KB)
Downloaded 21 times.
License: Public Domain

Hello everyone,

I have finished a first draft of the portraits for the moving pulse cannon boss/Army of One, as well as for 8 lasers-at-once King Azb. Note that although the Army of One has only one portrait like any custom NPC supports right now, I made three seperate characters for three seperate portraits of King Azb's (AKA my) moods: neutral/normal, angry, and scared.

I believe the crown does not look realistic right now because I used a clipart crown after the fact rather than an actual crown in the photo of my face, but do you think when I do a more polished version I should wear the robes and crown on my actual physical body before taking the photo, so it doesn't look awkwardly Photoshopped afterward?

The Army of One however I believe turned out great the first try.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

File: laserzap.ogg (40.8 KB)
Downloaded 18 times.
License: Public Domain

I also did some testing around on the regular/old pulse cannons and the pulse cannon that I scripted to move toward and face you constantly who will be the Army of One, and realized it doesn't actually play a sound for firing the ray the way the raygun weapon script does. I fixed that with this laser sound effect.

I also figure for special monster summoners like generators, I could have a gears in a factory clinking sound, and for the unknowable entity who changes reality at a moment's notice I could make a "hex/evil spell" sound. If I also implement the summoner/Necromancer, it wouldn't make sense to use a mechanical noise for his monster generation, so maybe instead a mystical noise like chimes?

The only reason I use a neutral sound for the Necromancer and not the same as the entity is because the necromancer is more casting passive/neutral spells to defend himself, whereas the entity is placing a curse that directly attacks the player in some way.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Okay, after doing the research I found what sounds like someone speaking in an ancient/alien or snakelike language for the attacking curse of the unknowable entity, and decided to use a gumball machine type clinking instead of just a simple gear click, like a click and something falls out sound, because the generators dispense the monsters like a gumball machine.

I also remembered afterward that the plants that generate multiple monsters at once need a notification sound too, so I used a plant rustling/shaking sound like a wild animal is running through and out of it.

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Maybe, like the voice acting, this is more thinking way too ahead of myself cause I haven't even started Round 8 yet, but I am serious about finishing the rest of the hold and making sure it is a high quality arena instead of rushing the testing process: anyway, I was thinking to plan out the specifics of the ultimate secret badguy boss:

His main attacks should be done randomly or psuedo-randomly, so that it does not become a predictable pattern that is easy to avoid ahead of time, and I am thinking there should be 5 but I am not sure if it would be enough to be a ultra-mega ultimate evil, or if that would be too easy even if done randomly:

* Generate a hot tile directly under the player for a random number of turns, and is only under the player at any given moment and follows them when they move to a new tile, so that no enemies can be killed cheaply.

* Generate and blow up a random number of bombs at a random location within range of the player, although make sure to give them one turn so that the player isn't killed no matter what and
it makes the round impossible. Although this will lead to killing monsters for the player, the bomb explosions are big and bad enough to be a serious enough threat for the player that cheap kills won't matter - the player will most likely die as the algorithm will decide on random spaces close to the player instead of just any random space.

* Generate a random number of spike traps at random locations on every turn they pop up normally, then delete them immediately afterward. Obviously the algorithm will not actively generate it directly under the player as they will have no way to avoid the attack and die immediately, but there is a possibility it will end up under the player as their space counts in the random algorithm. So that there are no cheap deaths there will be a highlight or build marker beforehand indicating where they will appear the next turn.

* Do the same thing as the spike traps idea, but use pits instead so that it kills different types of monsters than spike traps.

* Summon a guard, slayer, or laser cannon directly behind and pointing toward the player.

There will also be special actions for when he defends himself, namely:

* Generate walls to prevent the player from accessing something, like a monster or object of interest. This is like the builders in TCB and Round 10.5, except it is all done instantly instead of waiting for the builders to build the wall slowly.

* Generate an ocean of different types of monsters to defend himself, just like the Necromancer, although he will use deadlier and harder monsters than the Necromancer

* Drop trapdoors remotely to either kill/fall something, or prevent the player from reaching something just like why he builds walls.

* Force the player to lose his sword under specific conditions, like attacking a crucial monster or himself. Note that there are other ways to kill monsters without a sword though, so this wouldn't make the fight impossible.

* Teleport to another location, just like the Necromancer.

One of the last actions he will do is summon briar plants, which you then must use to your advantage to manipulate him so that they trap and kill him, as like the Necromancer he can only teleport to specific locations and so will not be able to teleport out if you do it properly.

Does anybody have any feedback on this idea, if they think the secret ultra boss sounds too hard, too easy or appropriate for a 9 to 10 brain challenge boss?

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I also posted my revised version of Round 1 as mentioned earlier, just now.

On top of it, I fixed one room in Round 4.2 about serpents to make it more difficult as it was too trivial (entrance room), as well as the invisibility room in Gobbin' Goblins for the same reason (way too easy).

Obviously I did not post any of the levels past 7.3 like usual, only fix the existing levels, because I would like feedback on not only if the revisions are appropriate for their levels and intended difficulty, but also because I still need feedback about Round 5.2 thru 5.5, all of Round 6, and Round 7.1 thru 7.3 regarding either rooms that are too tedious/hard, trivial/not challenging at all, or have unintended solutions or other bugs that were not pointed out already (like the behavior of the allies in 5.5 was noted in a previous post and is unfixable at the moment).

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

I also think I should add challenges to some of the rounds before the post-conquer challenge levels, so that way the challenges aren't all just packed into the very end of the hold. Does anyone know of any good suggestions for any rooms?

I don't think I will add secret rooms, however, cause I want the rooms in each level to have the same theme and a secret bonus will break the given pattern of the level. In addition, I already have post-conquer levels which I will count as "postmastery", so I don't think it would be a good idea to have a postmastery set of challenge rounds as I intend the post-conquer levels to have the most difficulty.

Maybe I could make the final room of each post-conquer level a secret instead, and then make a fun postmastery level like TCB Undercity for those who complete all 5 challenge levels?

I am also pre-planning the names of each challenge completed award, so for the fegundo challenge call it "All Fired Up", for the puff challenge it could be "Chill Out", for the ultra-hard garden it could be "Baneful Botanist", for the Necromancer it could be "Un-undead", and for the ultra-mega fight challenge with the ultra-mega ultimate entity, it could be "Universal Champion". Do these sound like appropriate titles for their respective challenges?

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

---

[Last edited by azb at 02-11-2023 02:48 PM : Specified challenge names]

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Does anybody have any feedback on

A: the revised rooms in the earlier rounds,

B: any rooms in Round 5.2 onward, about being too hard or tedious, too easy/no challenge, or having bugs or unintended solutions not noticed earlier,

C: Ideas about voice acting for Round 10.5 onward

D: Ideas about how the ultra-mega secret boss should behave

E: Ideas about the levels after Round 7.3 onward discussed in the last page

F: Ideas about the portraits and sound clips, including what you think about the portraits I submitted in an above post, even though they're just rough drafts and are not intended to be the final version that gets published?

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Hello everyone,

I have drafts done for Rounds 7.4 all the way up thru 10.4, even though I make sure not to make or publish anything until up to Round 7.3 is tested thoroughly, so as not to overwhelm testers with too much levels/puzzles.

Does anybody have any comments on either the existing levels, or the ideas I submitted for the later levels, either about how I will design them, the custom sound clips and portraits mentioned above, the ideas for the bosses, or anything else mentioned?

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 432
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Hello everyone,

Does anyone know if anyone would like to volunteer to voice act now for any of the roles in the final main and challenge levels, or not until the published levels get closer to Round 10.5, llke not until Round 9.5 or part of Round 10 is published?

____________________________
Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!