The Stew Boy
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 247
Registered: 05-10-2005
IP: Logged

File: Stews Hold.drh (20.1 KB)
Downloaded 133 times.
License: Public Domain

Here's a hold that I've been working on for a while now. It's got 5 levels.
I haven't used any custom monsters/weapons or scripting (except checkpoints), and haven't created any story or level descriptions yet.
My best score after defeating the final 'boss' is 3221 (stats are 6873-397-335-3/0/1).

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
IP: Logged

I really, really don't like that the first level is so dark. Is it possible to change that?

The Stew Boy
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 247
Registered: 05-10-2005
IP: Logged

File: Stews Hold.drh (20 KB)
Downloaded 82 times.
License: Public Domain

I guess my monitor must be unusually bright. Here's a brightened version.

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[Last edited by The Stew Boy at 05-01-2009 10:04 AM]

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
IP: Logged

I guess so Unfortunatly you uploaded the same file. Or else it is some kind of bug, that makes DROD RPG unable to realize that the darkness was changed.

Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 4592
Registered: 02-20-2007
IP: Logged

Nice hold!

The start of Level 1 was a very good optimisation puzzle once you worked out which of the sword and shield you had to get first. (My only complaint was that going for the wrong one first meant you had to start the entire level again.) Nice feeling of exploration, as well. It became very easy once you got the short sword -- I think it's even possible (though obviously suboptimal) to get the blue key without it.

Level 2, also good. I liked the way you handled the 68 threshold, always a problem for desginers. Except there was one room with spiders and antlions on trapdoors that you were pretty much guaranteed to only see after reaching 68. (Can't remember the coordinates -- please make holds Anyone Edit while they're still in Architecture, it makes it much easier for testers to comment)!

Next two levels were okay, nice feeling of exploration but too many DROD puzzles for my liking. I got as far as the beginning of Level 5 before giving up -- I think I would need to get the green key from the mimic/bombs room to progress, and that's the sort of room that makes me want to scream and hit things just looking at it. And I didn't find out how you get the longsword.

End of Level 4 level entrance (i.e. when you return from Level 5) hasn't been set to not display entrance text.

____________________________
50th Skywatcher

Dex Stewart
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 355
Registered: 01-19-2007
IP: Logged

Wait, is there any other sword you can get first besides the one behind a yellow, a green and a blue door immediately next to each other?

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
IP: Logged

Is it intentional that you don't have to use a blue key by the first Goblin King you encounter? And I think a holds replay value lessens considerably by loads of trap-door puzzles. A tradoor puzzle is most fun the first time you encounter it, since there is absolutely no room for optimization.

Other than that I like the hold (Maybe not the hot-tiles, though...)

Lamkin
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 606
Registered: 08-17-2008
IP: Logged

Dex Stewart wrote:
Wait, is there any other sword you can get first besides the one behind a yellow, a green and a blue door immediately next to each other?

I couldn't even get that sword, as I'm always short one yellow key. (Yes, even if I ignore the wooden shield entirely.)

Edit: Er...well, I'd known how to get the sword, but the evil eye in 3W—which had been guarding one of those yellow keys—had been giving me problems. However, I was eventually able to lower the expected damage enough so I could snag that particular key.

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[Last edited by Lamkin at 05-01-2009 08:13 PM]

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
IP: Logged

Done! Quite easy, but enjoyable. I have no idea were I should use the Wall Walk. And I never really felt a need for an invisibility potion, especially not since I had to gice up either the flippers or wall hacker (what's it's name, now again?). Any hint as to were the Wall Walk is supposed to be used? I guess it's conected to the really big sword...

slimm tom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1228
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

Blondbeard wrote:
wall hacker (what's it's name, now again?).

I assume you mean the Pickaxe?

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
IP: Logged

Yep. Pickaxe.

Lamkin
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 606
Registered: 08-17-2008
IP: Logged

File: trapdoor.png (492.3 KB)
Downloaded 616 times.
License: Public Domain

Stew,
It's possible to get the trapdoor "stuck" in this location so you can't possibly use it again.

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[Last edited by Lamkin at 05-01-2009 08:24 PM]

Lamkin
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 606
Registered: 08-17-2008
IP: Logged

File: trapdoor.png (483.5 KB)
Downloaded 597 times.
License: Public Domain

Nuntar wrote:
But you have no reason to want to use it again once you've solved that room.

Ah, but what if you haven't "solved that room"?
What if you'd still not discovered the...

adjoining secret room in 3N4W? You'd be SOL in regards to obtaining the portable orb.

(Highlight the secret text above.)

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[Last edited by Lamkin at 05-02-2009 11:12 PM]

deftriver
Level: Delver

Rank Points: 75
Registered: 07-11-2007
IP: Logged

I really enjoy it, I'm stuck on the door puzzle on level three right now but this is really well thought out!

And I got that door puzzle when I remembered the portable orb I've been carrying around.

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[Last edited by deftriver at 05-01-2009 09:39 PM]

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

You might want to hold onto that for later...

The door puzzle is possible without the orb.

____________________________

Lamkin
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 606
Registered: 08-17-2008
IP: Logged

zex20913 wrote:
You might want to hold onto [the portable orb] for later...

I used that orb in order to...

obtain the oremite shield.

(Highlight the secret text above.)

But then it was way too easy to conquer the hold.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3626
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

In Level Four: Thrice South, Twice East, it's possible to diagonally sidestep the red door and skip the entire bridge-dropping puzzle. Is that intentional or an error that needs to be fixed?

Other than this, this is a good hold so far, of appropriate difficulty, with some interesting challenges and exploration elements in it. So far it's looking good, although I haven't seen a single score checkpoint yet. Perhaps there's one at the end of the fifth level.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):

zex20913
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1723
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I was playing through this again. Your secrets could use some tightening--It is possible to get the oremite shield, and later get the flippers as well. Plus, the shield makes everything else (except for hot tiles) quite trivial. You probably were going for the flippers first.

I'm still short 2 secret rooms, though. I'm terrible at finding them.

____________________________

Midootje
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 109
Registered: 03-05-2011
IP: Logged

This hold gave me the most disappointing, yet most hilarious anti-climax ever.

After spending playthrough after playthrough trying to find that last secret room, I found it at last. It's in theHowever, after my euphoria had faded a little and made room for the burning desire to unfold the great secret of the last secret room, what I found wasNo matter how disappointing this was, I laughed out loud. This is what I had spent around ten hours on.

____________________________
Don't worry, be happy, and slice monsters. You'll probably do better than me at all three.

The Stew Boy
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 247
Registered: 05-10-2005
IP: Logged

Thanks for playing my hold!

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2670
Registered: 07-11-2014
IP: Logged

I wanted to find a hold I'd not played before to play through, and picked this one for no reason in particular. Enjoy the 2009-era RPG goodness.

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[Last edited by kieranmillar at 05-29-2023 09:02 PM]

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2670
Registered: 07-11-2014
IP: Logged

Part 2. This hasn't finished processing yet but I'm off to bed.