Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

The MaGDL contest was a success, and we've got 9 hopefully good levels ready and waiting to be rated and ranked. I've anonymized the entries and will post the compilation hold to download and play through in my first reply to this topic, so go on and get playing (and then voting)!

I am setting the poll closure an extra day or two past 2 weeks from now just to be absolutely sure there is a full 2 weeks of time in which to vote, as there have been some weird issues with that in the past.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

File: Make a Good Drod Level Voting - Anonymized.hold (317.1 KB)
Downloaded 58 times.
License: Public Domain

Here we have the hold, with all of the entry authors temporarily changed to "Anonymous". I had to download a portable version of Chrome to do it (boo), but I was still able to do this myself thanks to skell's extremely helpful DROD hold tools, yay!

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

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[Last edited by Xindaris at 09-05-2021 03:25 AM]

disoriented
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2424
Registered: 08-07-2007
IP: Logged

In MaGDL hub, the tunnel directions for 1W are wrong, making the entry at 2W unreachable.

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34th Skywatcher

Best to PM me, since I might miss your message on CaravelNet chat.

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[Last edited by disoriented at 09-01-2021 01:34 AM]

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

Bah, I really thought I'd double-checked all of the tunnels. Uploaded a fix to the first reply. Sorry!

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

disoriented
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2424
Registered: 08-07-2007
IP: Logged

It looks like there are two files attached to your first post. Are they the same?

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34th Skywatcher

Best to PM me, since I might miss your message on CaravelNet chat.

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

I didn't even think it was possible to attach two files to the same post....????

Weird. Well, I tried removing both and re-attaching the latest version of the compilation, hopefully that fixed it.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

disoriented
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2424
Registered: 08-07-2007
IP: Logged

Yeah I don't think I've seen that before. Good job breaking the forum

Note to players: Kaboom Castle seems to require completing the entry before you can return to the hub, so be warned.

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34th Skywatcher

Best to PM me, since I might miss your message on CaravelNet chat.

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

Oh, it only requires completing 1E actually. There are stairs in 2E.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

disoriented
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2424
Registered: 08-07-2007
IP: Logged

I wonder if anyone will be Let's Playing these entries.

EDIT: Oh, and the hub needs checkpoints.

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34th Skywatcher

Best to PM me, since I might miss your message on CaravelNet chat.

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[Last edited by disoriented at 09-04-2021 12:28 AM]

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

Well, it was just intended as a placeholder so I didn't really think about that. I've added an update to the anonymized version in the second post with a checkpoint in each room.

I've already spoiled myself poking at a bunch of the entries, unfortunately, so I can't do a blind playthrough. I guess in theory I'd be able to give a "video tour" still if there's demand.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

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[Last edited by Xindaris at 09-05-2021 02:19 AM]

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

Further change: A minor alteration to 1N1W of Version Check was requested by the architect, replacing water at (18, 6) with floor. I went ahead and made said change since the room otherwise appears to be unsolvable, and I want the voting compilation to be completable. Just bear the original error in mind when voting if it really matters to you, I guess. Update is again in the second post.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

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[Last edited by Xindaris at 09-05-2021 03:28 AM]

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

We are now into the final week of time in which to vote for this contest's entries! I still need to cast mine, actually.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

And now, just over a day left. I'm eagerly waiting to post the results, uh..probably day after tomorrow!

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

Punf
Level: Goblin
Rank Points: 21
Registered: 10-06-2020
IP: Logged

Comments!


10 minutes rooms: I solved 1N2W, 1N, 1N1E and 1E, and had a go at 1N1W. They were okay, but I'm sort of not even sure my solutions were intended? 1E had a cute trick at the end. I feel like it's sort of caught between being easy and relaxing vs. hard and satisfying, and doesn't really do well at either.

Bubbly Spirits: The premise is cute. The execution... eh, it does end up feeling guess-the-magic-solution. I respect the architect for trying something new, but it just doesn't work that well.

A good portrait: Cute. What's up with the spear token in 1S? It seems like it's to break the mud, but it's already breakable... And then you can pass through black doors and get to a few new places but nothing really happens. It feels like the leadup to a cool secret, except without the cool secret. Unless I'm missing something? It's also pretty easy to get stuck and have to restore.

Halloween 2021: Pretty fun! I enjoyed both sections. Well, except 5E, which is really a briar room that just happens to use the new element as the enforcement mechanism. But still: nice.

Kaboom Castle: I'm not really a fan of the element, and honestly, this level didn't do a lot to change my mind. 1E is okay, and I respect how it works as both an introduction to the element and a decent room in its own right. 3E and 1S2E are nice. 1N2E involves a snake and is therefore bad.

The Orthogonal Road...?: Ehhhhh... Okay, to be honest, I couldn't be bothered solving 1S. It just looked really annoying and unpleasant. It's sort of just... inelegant? There's so many different elements doing who knows what, and the actual puzzle section might not be that hard but I don't want to have to figure out what each of the 20 different things do. It's just not worth it. And progression is gated behind it, so... well, sorry.

Spiders' Domain: This one was actually very fun. A bunch of new (but familiar) elements, working together in simple yet satisfying rooms. It's like KDD (the good parts, not the giant maze part). My only complaint is that the progression locks make backtracking annoying - if you want to leave the level and come back, you have to travel through a bunch of rooms again.

Version Check: Cool idea, cool execution. I like how the changes start off reasonable and get progressively more absurd. The AE nod is also cool. The entrance is a particularly nice design: it's a feat to make the change that hurts the player (conquer tokens are AND) into one that helps. I didn't solve half the rooms because I'm lazy, but I liked what I saw.

war2101: BEST LEVEL EVER! Okay, some regrets: I forgot to put stairs in the entrance, and I sort of wish I gave the entrance a challenge to line up with the rest. Also I sort of wish the difficulty ended up a bit easier, but having made the rooms it was hard to take things away.

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3684
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

Alright, I managed to slide my vote in right on the last day.

I did record video commentary of me playing through each of the entries, but I have plenty of editing to do before it's going to be fully ready. So, to tide you over, here's my guesses as to who made each level; I look forward to being either surprisingly accurate or tremendously wrong





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

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

Okay, the vote has closed, so here are the rankings as well as the architects of each entry:

1st place is Spiders' Domain, by Xindaris (me!). Since I'm running the contest, I will not receive a prize.
2nd place, and the contest prize for 1st, goes to Version Check, by Dragon Fogel!
3rd place, and the contest prize for 2nd, goes to Halloween 2021, by disoriented!
4th place, and the contest prize for 3rd, goes to 10 minutes rooms, by komachi!

The remaining placements and architects are as follows:
5th: The Orthogonal Road...?, also by Xindaris (me).
6th: Kaboom Castle, by Nuntar.
7th: Bubbly Spirits, by Rabscuttle.
8th: war2101, by Punf. If I'm not mistaken, this'll be their first contest entry! Welcome, Punf!
9th: A good portrait, also by komachi.

Other statistics: The "least controversial" (lowest standard deviation) entry was Spiders' Domain, and the "most controversial" was Bubbly Spirits.

Congratulations to all the winners, and in fact to all participants! I'll hopefully post the de-anonymized version of the compilation in the architecture board later today, and some comments on my entries in a separate reply.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

As far as my entries go...(secreted for length)



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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

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[Last edited by Xindaris at 09-16-2021 07:28 PM]

Dragon Fogel
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2558
Registered: 06-21-2014
IP: Logged

Oh, huh. Wasn't expecting to come out of this with a first prize. And I still have an unclaimed prize from Mix and Match. Guess it might be good to pick something?

Anyhow, I'm glad people liked my wacky entry. I had almost given up on entering, but then the idea struck me and I liked it enough to whip something up quickly.

Thanks for running this, it was fun and I enjoyed seeing what people came up with on such an open-ended prompt.

And congratulations to Chaco for correctly guessing the architects for three entries!

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[Last edited by Dragon Fogel at 09-16-2021 07:30 PM]

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

Here's the architecture thread for the compilation!

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

komachi
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 177
Registered: 07-30-2012
IP: Logged

Congrats to the winners (also to myself I guess)
I will give some thoughs about all the entries.

Dragon Fogel
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2558
Registered: 06-21-2014
IP: Logged

So some quick comments about my entry.

Kalin
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 233
Registered: 01-25-2016
IP: Logged

Comments from someone who hasn't finished the official holds yet:


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he/him
~170th Skywatcher

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1605
Registered: 06-13-2015
IP: Logged

While it doesn't matter very much, I feel like I should mention to Punf and Kalin that The Orthogonal Road...? 1S does not need to be solved to explore the rest of the level. You can literally just walk south through the unsolved room go anywhere else, and return to solve it later. It's designed in such an odd way just to ensure the puzzle is solved starting from the north entrance of the room, but I still find it a little surprising that people didn't try just walking straight south.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3684
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged

First episode of video commentary is up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmEgrUjdtbM&list=PLPJnHh-qd0aAsVH5HDzI8ZMNSElAfU6qI&index=1

I started with war2101 and played the entries in reverse alphabetical order.

I still have more editing work to do on other videos, so they'll arrive only as soon as they're ready. In fact I have to confirm some plans for this weekend to see whether I'll be busy or not.

Enjoy!

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

Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2513
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRY4M8TMwO9a9eYL1dWEOMkUts8ZT-od-

west side holds with mumbly commentary and half-finished thoughts

east side holds with no commentary (due to time/noise constraints)

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[Last edited by Rabscuttle at 09-18-2021 03:10 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5195
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the top entrants!

I've provided rank point awards to the winners. Dragon Fogel, yes, please select a prize from the Prize Pile.

Xindaris, though you ran the contest, I'd like to also gift you with a prize as a token of appreciation for taking this on. Thank you!

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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2796
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Let's Play from Alex Diener - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boOWYHEe9fA

-Erik

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The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
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