Announcement: To see an overview of all the holds in this forum, see this page. You cannot directly add your hold by attaching it here - you must get your hold approved by Hold Administrators. Check this thread for details.


Caravel Forum : DROD Boards : Holds : The Descent of King Hesper (Progression from beginner to expert)
New Topic New Poll Post Reply
Your Rating
Average User Rating
Difficulty:
Overall:


9.3/10 (10 votes)
σ 2.10
Author Name:Team Eclipsical
Submitted By:Nuntar
Hold Name:The Descent of King Hesper
Theme:Progression from beginner to expert
Author's Difficulty:
Number of Levels:146
Number of Rooms:2480
Number of Monsters:19547
Version:DROD: The Second Sky (5.0.2)
High Scores:View High Scores
Hold Karma:26 (+26 / -0)
Poster Message
admin
Level: Legendary Smitemaster
Rank Points: 8
IP: Logged

File: The Descent of King Hesper.hold (10.2 MB)
Downloaded 203 times.
License: Other
From: Unspecified
icon The Descent of King Hesper  
Welcome to The Descent of King Hesper!

This hold is the culmination of ten years of work by a team of 45 architects, testers, writers, spriters and programmers. It grew from the "Entry Point" forum topic, in which it was suggested that a new hold should be made that would allow DROD newcomers to learn about all the elements in the game. This is what we came up with.

This is not a "tutorial hold". It is a puzzle hold in a similar style to the official holds, introducing (usually) one game element per level, in tiers similar to GatEB so the player usually has some choice about where to go, and can leave a level and go elsewhere if they get stuck. (And because DROD has a lot of elements, this means the hold ended up with quite a lot of levels!) It starts out at a beginner level, but the design assumes the player will develop their skills as they progress through the tiers, and will be ready to tackle quite advanced puzzles by the end. As is traditional, even harder content is available in secret rooms and optional areas throughout.

This hold uses the following custom room styles: Basalt, BlueBricks, Garden, InFlamesRock, Mosaic Frost, Sandstone. If you have CaravelNet, these will automatically be installed when you download the hold. If not, get them here to enjoy the full experience!

We are enormously grateful to everyone who contributed to this project throughout the long development process, and to the DROD community as a whole for waiting patiently and cheering us on. We wouldn't have made it without all of you.
12-26-2024 at 09:21 AM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts Quote Reply
Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster
Avatar
Rank Points: 4868
Registered: 02-20-2007
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+6)  
We hope everyone is enjoying our hold! :thumbsup In case anyone is curious about who made your favourite (and least favourite) rooms... well, you've probably noticed that the hold credits each level to its main architect. But that's not the whole story. Through the long development process, a lot of people contributed rooms to each other's levels, so I've kept a list in case you wanted to know about any specific room.

I've used the notation "by X (ed. Y)" when the version we went with was substantially edited by another architect; of course there were many small edits along the way and there was no point in attempting to track all of these.

The list will reveal the names of levels, so only look if you don't mind seeing these. Secret levels are listed in a spoiler within the spoiler.

Click here to view the secret text


____________________________
50th Skywatcher

[Last edited by Nuntar at 12-26-2024 09:38 PM]
12-26-2024 at 09:34 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts High Scores This architect's holds Quote Reply
kikuchiyo
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 118
Registered: 04-01-2012
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+1)  
When does the story happen, relative to the main holds?

Is it considered a canonical addition to Beethro's story, or rather an alternative timeline?

Or should I just keep playing to get the answers?
12-26-2024 at 10:16 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts High Scores Quote Reply
Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster
Avatar
Rank Points: 4868
Registered: 02-20-2007
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+2)  
In between KDD and JtRH, closer to the latter. That's why the Silent Woods intro text says: "Beethro Budkin was glad of the solitude. Sooner or later, he would have to return to Dugandy, sort things out with the Smitemasters' Guild, and decide on the best thing to say to Halph to dissuade him from a career as a dungeon exterminator."

____________________________
50th Skywatcher
12-26-2024 at 11:31 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts High Scores This architect's holds Quote Reply
azb
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 500
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+1)  
This is one awesome hold! I love how clever all the puzzles are without relying on too much tedious monster movement order or something similar like a lot of TSS puzzles did, just clever lynchpins JtRH or later GatEB style.
12-27-2024 at 01:00 AM
View Profile Show all user's posts This architect's holds Quote Reply
Drodroo
Level: Roachling
Rank Points: 10
Registered: 08-08-2020
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (0)  
Thanks very much!
12-27-2024 at 12:25 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts Quote Reply
Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3681
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+1)  
I can highly recommend this hold! It's very polished and pretty, and there's a good story to the hold too - plenty of neat details for players to go looking for, but keeps a good pacing too.

You should play the hold yourself if you can, but if you already got a decent way into the hold (or you're one of the hold architects), I've started a commentated series of the hold that you can watch:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPJnHh-qd0aAxii8eSUDC93BYooHwUJXx

So, you can see how a series veteran looks at rooms, analyzes them, and solves them.

This is a big hold so I expect it will take me quite a long time to finish it up! But I'm definitely looking forward to seeing all of it.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):
Click here to view the secret text

12-27-2024 at 02:16 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Send Email to User Show all user's posts High Scores This architect's holds Quote Reply
azb
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 500
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (0)  
Awesome! Not only is it helpful for people struggling, but it also helps understand the thought process behind the work, whereas asking for help on Hints and Solutions doesn't reveal what the thought process was, only the solution.
12-27-2024 at 02:39 PM
View Profile Show all user's posts This architect's holds Quote Reply
JamesBond007
Level: Delver
Avatar
Rank Points: 43
Registered: 07-26-2014
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (0)  
I always thought Entry Point will be a Smitemaster's Selection, requiring money to purchase.
12-30-2024 at 10:57 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Send Email to User Show all user's posts Quote Reply
Kalin
Level: Master Delver
Avatar
Rank Points: 224
Registered: 01-25-2016
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (0)  
Chaco wrote:
You should play the hold yourself if you can, but if you already got a decent way into the hold (or you're one of the hold architects), I've started a commentated series of the hold that you can watch
Can you put the level names in the video descriptions? I would help us tell if you're covering something we haven't done ourselves yet.

____________________________
he/him
~170th Skywatcher
12-31-2024 at 01:09 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts Quote Reply
Chaco
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3681
Registered: 10-06-2005
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+3)  
Kalin wrote:
Chaco wrote:
You should play the hold yourself if you can, but if you already got a decent way into the hold (or you're one of the hold architects), I've started a commentated series of the hold that you can watch
Can you put the level names in the video descriptions? I would help us tell if you're covering something we haven't done ourselves yet.

I'm of two minds about this kind of thing - on the one hand, it does provide this info at a glance to the user, before they even start watching the video. On the other hand sometimes it could be a spoiler as to whether I manage to solve "the tricky room" this episode, and thus start another room or level, or if it turns out I'm stumped and "the tricky room" needs to last another episode.

To contrast, when I'm reviewing contest entries it's more of a given from the very beginning that I've solved everything so depending on the situation (and particularly whether I was putting multiple entries in one episode), I might add individual room timestamps to those kinds of videos.

If YouTube supported spoiler tags in the video description then that's where I'd put room timestamps, but in lieu of that I simply don't add it.

The video thumbnail and whatever room/level I start Beethro in at the start of an episode is usually hint enough about what rooms I'll be solving today without being an outright spoiler.

I recognize that this hold is kind of a special case in terms of having both linear progression and mixtures of multiple architects' rooms in the same level, though. The format of the videos (text and para-text) is always experimental and subject to change.

Ultimately the best "spoiler protection" to be sure viewers have already seen the room/level I'm working on, is for them to have played a good distance ahead of me and be sure that they've solved all this stuff already.

____________________________
Quick links to my stuff (in case you forgot where it was):
Click here to view the secret text

12-31-2024 at 01:41 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Send Email to User Show all user's posts High Scores This architect's holds Quote Reply
Kalin
Level: Master Delver
Avatar
Rank Points: 224
Registered: 01-25-2016
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (0)  
It's ultimately your decision.

I don't consider the time it takes you to solve a room to be a spoiler... you are a very experienced smitemaster, and will frequently solve tricky rooms very quickly. And sometimes a room that I solve quickly might take you longer because you're explaining and analyzing it thoroughly.

Also, I didn't ask for room timestamps, just level names. YouTube may not have spoiler tags, but it does put in cut tags after about 1.5 lines of the description (at least when I view it on my PC).

I finished chapter 1 before watching any of your videos, but had to pause and do an optional level when I realized I missed it and you were about to start it.

This is a very nonlinear hold and, um, this might be a bit of a spoiler even for you...
** potential spoiler deleted **

____________________________
he/him
~170th Skywatcher

[Last edited by Kalin at 12-31-2024 09:05 PM]
12-31-2024 at 04:20 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts Quote Reply
kieranmillar
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 3035
Registered: 07-11-2014
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+2)  
I don't recommend putting level names in youtube titles. If people want to avoid spoilers, they can simply not watch the videos, but what you can't avoid is the Youtube algorithm deciding to serve you up a spoilery video title. The algorithm is notorious for spoiling things, especially in a world where people want to drive clicks to their video by saying the spoilery thing.

The name of a level can be a spoiler! Either because the name directly hints where it is, or merely it showing up chronologically in the video order between levels you already knew about, that's a big hint you missed something.

Wanting to watch someone's playthrough but also avoid spoilers is a fool's errand. Spoilers can show up at any time. The only thing you can do is complete the hold yourself first, then go back and watch the videos. They'll still be there, waiting for you.
12-31-2024 at 05:21 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts High Scores This architect's holds Quote Reply
mauvebutterfly
Level: Smitemaster
Avatar
Rank Points: 776
Registered: 05-03-2015
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (+2)  
Kalin wrote:
this might be a bit of a spoiler even for you...
Click here to view the secret text

Pro tip: if you think it might be a spoiler, then it's a spoiler. Why would you even post this?

____________________________
106th Skywatcher
12-31-2024 at 05:34 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts High Scores This architect's holds Quote Reply
Kalin
Level: Master Delver
Avatar
Rank Points: 224
Registered: 01-25-2016
IP: Logged
icon Re: The Descent of King Hesper (0)  
kieranmillar wrote:
Wanting to watch someone's playthrough but also avoid spoilers is a fool's errand. Spoilers can show up at any time.
True, especially for secret rooms I've missed.

The only thing you can do is complete the hold yourself first, then go back and watch the videos. They'll still be there, waiting for you.
That's good advice for tiny holds, but I like to watch videos when my own efforts are fresh in my mind, and this hold may take me a couple years to finish.

____________________________
he/him
~170th Skywatcher
12-31-2024 at 09:17 PM
View Profile Send Private Message to User Show all user's posts Quote Reply
New Topic New Poll Post Reply
Caravel Forum : DROD Boards : Holds : The Descent of King Hesper (Progression from beginner to expert) Surf To:


Forum Rules:
Can I post a new topic? No
Can I reply? No
Can I read? Yes
HTML Enabled? No
UBBC Enabled? Yes
Words Filter Enable? No

Contact Us | CaravelGames.com

Powered by: tForum tForumHacks Edition b0.98.8
Originally created by Toan Huynh (Copyright © 2000)
Enhanced by the tForumHacks team and the Caravel team.