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Big-J-Q
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icon Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Alrightey, here's my very own hold. Well. The first two levels of it. I'd be happy to hear comments, bugs etc. if someone is willing to play it ;) It's not overly hard; On the contrary, I feel it's too easy. However I have a poor excuse for that; The level difficulty rises with each level, so here we have only the easiest ones ;)

Not too much hack&slash, I've been trying to concentrate on the puzzle-aspect as I don't love plain smiting. The first level has a couple of easily dispatchable hordes.

Oh yeah, this is probably needless to mention, but all the rooms are solvable (except one but it is not required). Played them myself.

[Edited by Big-J-Q on 01-06-2004 at 04:26 PM GMT: trying to attach the file]

[Edited by Big-J-Q on 01-06-2004 at 04:29 PM GMT: additional info]
01-06-2004 at 04:22 PM
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Nillo
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
I think you forgot the attachment.

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“Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the 'Ellie May,' a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.”
01-06-2004 at 04:24 PM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Yeah, I think so too :D Odd, I thought I attached it.
01-06-2004 at 04:26 PM
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Nillo
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
The first room seems impossible to me.

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“Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the 'Ellie May,' a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.”
01-06-2004 at 04:31 PM
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Schik
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Nillo wrote:
The first room seems impossible to me.
Are we looking at the same hold? The first room has 6 simple roaches to kill. I can't say I know how to collapse all the trapdoors, but I'm guessing there's another staircase somewhere else.

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01-06-2004 at 04:34 PM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
The stairs in the first room is the one you came from. "The only way out is in". It's there only for decoration. The scroll contains some info which can be viewed when you have conquered the hold and should be able to edit it.
01-06-2004 at 04:36 PM
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Nillo
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Big-J-Q wrote:
The stairs in the first room is the one you came from. "The only way out is in". It's there only for decoration. The scroll contains some info which can be viewed when you have conquered the hold and should be able to edit it.
Ah... But at first glance it looked like a bug, and that it was the entrance to level 2. Sorry.

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“Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the 'Ellie May,' a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.”
01-06-2004 at 06:39 PM
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Scott
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Overall not that hard but its not a beginners hold. Level 2 1S1E was very clever. Took me a few goes to get past it.
01-07-2004 at 02:16 AM
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bandit1200
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Scott wrote:
Overall not that hard but its not a beginners hold. Level 2 1S1E was very clever. Took me a few goes to get past it.
It has me stumped. I spent a lifetime straying from the straight and narrow, which is probably why I'm finding this one difficult. ;)
01-07-2004 at 07:58 PM
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krammer
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Bandit1200:
Click here to view the secret text

Anyway, this is a really neat hold - well tested and a good selection of puzzles of mixed difficulty with nothing too insanely difficult. As Scott says though, I don't think it's really for beginners.

Anyway, I liked 1:1N - made me think a little, but strongly recommend a checkpoint in 1W. Also,
Click here to view the secret text
Rest of level 1 simple, but still good rooms.

Level 2 was a mixture - 1S1E was very clever design and made use of a quirk I'd never seen before, the Entrance was well designed, as was 1W, but 1N1W was a bit dull..
Click here to view the secret text

Anyway, very impressive, looking forward to later levels.

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01-07-2004 at 08:23 PM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
krammer wrote:

Anyway, I liked 1:1N - made me think a little, but strongly recommend a checkpoint in 1W. Also,
Click here to view the secret text


Well, I just think checkpoint in 1W is pointless, since most of the level would be complete once you could reach it OR you would have just entered the room. But yeah, I suppose it could be put there since the intent was to include checkpoint in every room unless it was a "pace through and enjoy the view"-type room.

Click here to view the secret text


Click here to view the secret text


Click here to view the secret text


Thanks to all for comments and playing so far :)

Click here to view the secret text

01-07-2004 at 08:47 PM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Oh yes, 2:1N1W is one level I just had to fill up, but am thinking of replacing with something more entertaining. Not necessarily anything to do, but just little more beautiful and nice to walk through.
01-07-2004 at 08:52 PM
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Oneiromancer
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Big-J-Q wrote:
Well, I just think checkpoint in 1W is pointless, since most of the level would be complete once you could reach it OR you would have just entered the room. But yeah, I suppose it could be put there since the intent was to include checkpoint in every room unless it was a "pace through and enjoy the view"-type room.

If 1W is the final room with the stairs then a checkpoint should definitely be included. Bad things happen if there aren't checkpoints in stairway rooms, especially if they're empty. Well, it won't break anything, but it makes it more annoying for the player who might need to restore to a specific room, especially if they missed a secret room somewhere.

I'll have to play this hold sometime, but I have some other hold committments I need to fulfill first. I will get to Bavato's soon, Wesley, really I will...I'll work harder, I promise! :whip

Game on,

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"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams
01-07-2004 at 08:55 PM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Oops sorry, I meant to say 'Room' instead of 'level'.

However, depending on how you play, this could be the last real room. Anyway, already added checkpoint to that, you'll see it once I get at least part of level 3 complete, haven't had time for that in the last few days.
01-07-2004 at 09:01 PM
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agaricus5
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Oneiromancer wrote:
I'll have to play this hold sometime, but I have some other hold committments I need to fulfill first. I will get to Bavato's soon, Wesley, really I will...I'll work harder, I promise! :whip

Game on,
No problem.

I haven't played that many either, although some I haven't tested due to the lack of testing ease (See... I'm adopting the "Anyone Edit" strategy). I haven't even completed Treasure Hunt yet - that connected room thing on L2 has me stuck (I've just got to find some time to do it).

Don't feel too obligated to playtest my hold. I'm quite patient about it, so I won't mind huge gaps in time between release and playtest.

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01-07-2004 at 09:47 PM
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Oneiromancer
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agaricus5 wrote:
I haven't even completed Treasure Hunt yet - that connected room thing on L2 has me stuck (I've just got to find some time to do it).

I know you can do it! And you should keep going, since you never know if through some mystical and cosmic convergence we have the exact same room in our respective holds. I'll send you an Anyone Edit version if you like, although for Level 2 the puzzle is taking all those rooms as a whole, of course.

Game on,

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"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams
01-07-2004 at 10:15 PM
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bandit1200
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
krammer wrote:
Bandit1200:
Click here to view the secret text
I can't beat the roaches in the left side of the room. I'm dead long before I need to worry about the queen.
01-07-2004 at 10:26 PM
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agaricus5
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Oneiromancer wrote:
I know you can do it! And you should keep going, since you never know if through some mystical and cosmic convergence we have the exact same room in our respective holds. I'll send you an Anyone Edit version if you like, although for Level 2 the puzzle is taking all those rooms as a whole, of course.

Game on,
Oh, of course. I really want to do it. It's just 8 rooms in context was a little taxing at 11.30pm sometime last year, so I believe I just couldn't be bothered after that. I'll wait until my exams are finished at the end of next week and dig it out again.

Thanks for the encouragement.

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01-07-2004 at 10:34 PM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
To Bandit1200:

Not-too-spoily hint:

Click here to view the secret text


And when you are ready to give up, read this spoiler:

Click here to view the secret text


For the record, I'm happy someone isn't just breezing through my hold ;) But I guess it's always easier for the author than for the others.

[Edited by Big-J-Q on 01-07-2004 at 10:36 PM GMT: speeling erros galore]
01-07-2004 at 10:34 PM
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bandit1200
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
For the record, I'm happy someone isn't just breezing through my hold ;) But I guess it's always easier for the author than for the others.
I had no problem anywhere else in the hold but this one is annoying me as I know what I want to do, I just can't do it. I'd already tried your suggested way numerous times, along with other strategies, (hah!), but I am always killed two moves before turning to reach the ones coming from the east. I'll give it another go tomorrow. Bedtime for me.



01-07-2004 at 10:58 PM
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jdyer
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Big-J-Q wrote:
For the record, I'm happy someone isn't just breezing through my hold ;) But I guess it's always easier for the author than for the others.

1S1E on level 2 is so much more difficult than the other rooms I might suggest moving it lower down (even though it is the most clever room so far).

The rest of the rooms I breezed through, but I thought that was the point.
01-08-2004 at 01:22 AM
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Big-J-Q
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
jdyer wrote:

1S1E on level 2 is so much more difficult than the other rooms I might suggest moving it lower down (even though it is the most clever room so far).

I just feel that if I moved that room onto some later level, that would render level 2 too easy.

The other option is to make the rest of level 2 a little harder; In fact I already have some plans for that. Sadly, not too many plans :(
01-08-2004 at 03:32 PM
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bandit1200
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
perseverance isn't paying off here, as I'm still stuck in 2:1S1E a week later, even though I've been trying as the spoilers suggested. Any more help, even a demo of the first part of the room, would be appreciated.
01-15-2004 at 04:38 PM
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Big-J-Q
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File: BigJQ Level 2 1S1E alkuosa.demo (595 bytes)
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Here it is. Hope it works, I had to edit the warproom to go to level 2, I hope the demo still plays for you?

Oh, and btw, progress report: Nothing to report. Since holidays ended I haven't had much time to weave devious plans for my hold, but I'll let you know as soon as I have done something.

[Edited by Big-J-Q on 01-15-2004 at 05:05 PM GMT]
01-15-2004 at 04:55 PM
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bandit1200
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icon Re: Black Wizard's StrongHold v0+i (0)  
Thanks, it worked fine. I can't believe that one move has cost me so much time and frustration, but that is the way of DROD sometimes. Cheers! :)
01-15-2004 at 11:34 PM
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