kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
Registered: 07-11-2014
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File: Goblin Kings Forest v4.drh (52.3 KB)
Downloaded 90 times.
License: Public Domain

The sequel to Goblin King's Fortress. I wanted to get back into the swing of making RPG content, so decided to go for some speed architecture. As always, it ended up not being fast at all, and took me all day. But I'm very happy with the result.

This is made in the 1.3 Alpha, so you can only play this at the moment if you bought RPG from the Caravel site so you can access the alpha. This hold contains some new alpha functionality:

* Beach and Forest styles. I've long forgotten if these are actually included in the alpha download, so for everyone else other than me this might be Goblin King's Deep Spaces. Sorry about that.
* Custom equipment using the new really cool Each Victory scripting command.
* New stat gems and huge HP potion.
* Level full-reveal map.
* Crates.
* Single-use pressure plates.
* Custom pickup items. OK, this one's not an alpha feature.

Because it was made quickly, it may not be super balanced. It uses only the stock monsters, except in cases where custom monsters perfectly replicate the stock monsters stats without some annoying functionality, like mimics that stand still.

There are 4 score points. Can you find them all?

Very interested in any feedback from people with the means to try it out.

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[Last edited by kieranmillar at 08-03-2021 01:44 PM]

Red-XIII
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 674
Registered: 08-05-2012
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File: screens.zip (4.8 MB)
Downloaded 47 times.
License: Public Domain

I decided to give this a try, but keep in mind that I'm a bit rusty, though I didn't find this super hard, at least the first half, which I just completed.

Random notes on the RPG 1.3 aplha version.
Not sure if this is just my problem, but the main screen theme music played instead of the beach music, though I do heard it in the background (they are basically overlapped). When I entered the forest theme part, it worked fine, but If I return to the beach style part, the forest music still plays. However, once the track finishes, it does not restart.
In addition, if I minimize the window and go back to my desktop (I have windows 10) and if I press start, it opens the game again instead of the windows menu. Also, the win+D shortcut doesn't work.

About the hold, I completed only the first part, but I find it quite balanced. The crate is a neat element, same goes for the attack dispenser, which I used as early as possible to get free ATK from roaches. Not sure about the health increase since I didn't need it so far.
About the second part, I'm curious to see if the ATK dispenser will make a huge difference. Are you planning score challenges for this hold?

I attached two screens for the score I had after the ATK dispenser and the mid-way. Keep in mind that for the mid-way score I cleared everything before me, as I left some keys, health, and monsters, but I will not use them immediately in the real run for the second part.
In 4E, are the two crates intended to avoid using the blue key?

____________________________
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 08-02-2021 02:28 PM]

Red-XIII
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 674
Registered: 08-05-2012
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File: goblin_king_gored.png (2.9 MB)
Downloaded 46 times.
License: Public Domain

Second half completed.
I decided to go for an attack route and used immediately the blue key to gain 10 ATK and DEF in 2N4E. I had a shortage of both yel and green keys until the final cleanup, so I would say that they are pretty balanced. I couldn't find the other 2 scores and I have a feeling that the goblin king in 3E can be defeated, but no idea how.
Here's the score for the "goblin king gored". Again, I cleaned up almost everything, but I could have spent some keys for more health in 2N4E. Overall, there are a lot of potions, most of them not necessary (unless I'm missing something huge).

____________________________
There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay.
There's just this one, just this rock.
-33th Skywatcher

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
Registered: 07-11-2014
IP: Logged

Thanks for playing Red-XIII.

Regarding 4E, it was intended you can skip the blue door with a crate, but I realize now that the other route is far too expensive, why would you open two yellow doors and fight a goblin when you can instead open one yellow door that also gives you 4 DEF?

It is cool that you spent a blue key early to access the pre-boss trades early, that's great. I wasn't sure if this would be good or bad but as long as it's an interesting consideration then I'm happy.

Also nice that you decided to skip the rattlesnake. It was a bonus for optimising well, no scorepoint for killing it because I don't feel you would play for that scorepoint meaningfully differently than for the goblin king scorepoint.

You're right that there's loads of health potions. It was hard to know how much was needed given the variation in what stats players might have. Maybe there is too much, but it's also a reward for big score for optimising well, with all the life hearts available.

I've uploaded a new v2 with minor tweaks, a change to rebalance 4E and some other tweaks in the forest area for rebalancing some key trades.

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
Registered: 07-11-2014
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Hah, whoops. v3 uploaded to fix a major issue involving an unlinked staircase that ended the hold instead of going somewhere.

Red-XIII
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 674
Registered: 08-05-2012
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File: score_Def.zip (5.5 MB)
Downloaded 45 times.
License: Public Domain

kieranmillar wrote:
Regarding 4E, it was intended you can skip the blue door with a crate, but I realize now that the other route is far too expensive, why would you open two yellow doors and fight a goblin when you can instead open one yellow door that also gives you 4 DEF?

It is cool that you spent a blue key early to access the pre-boss trades early, that's great. I wasn't sure if this would be good or bad but as long as it's an interesting consideration then I'm happy.

Also nice that you decided to skip the rattlesnake. It was a bonus for optimising well, no scorepoint for killing it because I don't feel you would play for that scorepoint meaningfully differently than for the goblin king scorepoint.

You're right that there's loads of health potions. It was hard to know how much was needed given the variation in what stats players might have. Maybe there is too much, but it's also a reward for big score for optimising well, with all the life hearts available.

I've uploaded a new v2 with minor tweaks, a change to rebalance 4E and some other tweaks in the forest area for rebalancing some key trades.

4E seems a lot better now, indeed.
About the 10 ATK and DEF, since you have to open that blue door anyway, I decided to go for it immediately, it is a nice choice IMO.
I played the second part again, but this time I chose a defense route. I first took the 10 ATK and DEF and then went immediately for DEF dispenser using another blue key. Keep in mind that I didn't fully optimize this, but it was A LOT easier than ATK route I think. After I killed the goblin king I managed to kill the rattlesnake for free, thus arriving at 244 DEF at the end. When there were still tar babies and soulless, at one point they didn't give me any damage.
Here's the screen attached for the score and stats. I liked this hold, but I have the feeling that I only played half of it!

____________________________
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 08-03-2021 01:08 PM]

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
Registered: 07-11-2014
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Nicely done. I was confused, how did you beat the rattlesanke for free? Of course, you kill the goblin king first, then kill the brain, then come back for the rattlesnake.

Uploaded a v4 that puts the brain behind force arrows, so you cannot cheapen the rattlesnake.

Red-XIII
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 674
Registered: 08-05-2012
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File: scores.zip (5.4 MB)
Downloaded 48 times.
License: Public Domain

I finally managed to get the other two scores, and they were way harder than the regular ones. For sequence break, I had to replay again all of the first part and taking almost all potions (and the health increase as well). I attached the score I obtained; overall, pretty good challenge, though it was not that obvious that you can kill the first goblin king.

For monster soup, I am not that good in this type of layout, in fact I died twice (though I left some health in the first part of the hold; maybe an hint suggesting that you don't need to leave something behind could be useful). However, after mixing the routes (started off as an ATK route but became DEF route at around 75% of the way) I managed to complete it. Pretty hard challenge but quite satisfying!
I attached the final layout of the level before killing the slayer, I had a score of 1739.

____________________________
There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay.
There's just this one, just this rock.
-33th Skywatcher

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
Registered: 07-11-2014
IP: Logged

Well done on beating it all.

I figured a row of force arrows before the staircase was a good enough hint to imply you weren't coming back, but maybe I can add an autosave called "Point of No Return" before you reach the arrows or something.

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2357
Registered: 06-14-2005
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Fun hold! Got all the score points.

For Monster Soup, I switched to DEF as soon as I could. I agree with Red-XIII that the DEF route is easier in the main hold; that's fine.

Meta
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 106
Registered: 12-06-2016
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In 4E, when I push the crate at (3, 10) down to the heart at (3, 11), the heart starts to blink. I am not sure if this is a hold bug or a 1.3 bug.

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
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I just tried that out but don't see any issues on my end.

Meta
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 106
Registered: 12-06-2016
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File: recording.mkv (292 KB)
Downloaded 47 times.
License: Public Domain

I am using 1.3.0.415 on Windows 10, and I can trigger it about two thirds of the time.

A screen recording is attached.

kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3137
Registered: 07-11-2014
IP: Logged

Ah, I've managed to replicate it now, and also narrow it down to certain conditions. Thanks for the video.

I'll post a bug thread about it.

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[Last edited by kieranmillar at 09-15-2021 08:36 PM]