Don't feel bad, I often die in the process of trying to test my stuff. I never use the vitality augments though, just to make sure it's possible to those people who try to do the no augment challenge .

Yeah, about the plot, I'm sorry for the similarities, but if you manage to make it through the full version when it's here, you will see the individual aspects shine brighter as the plot progresses.

p.s. I seriously need some feedback about the flags puzzle ><

Looks cool......................but WHY YOUR LAST MAP!!!?

Well you know, I've been trying to quit mapping for a while now, but meh. I'll tell you more after you give feedback about the demo.

EDIT: Whooo started work on a pretty complex switch puzzle that should prove pretty tricky to people on their first run through. Also, I found a perfect spot for player's first encounter with a new enemy type: Virtual Terror. His special abilities are a projectile which can shoot out and paralyze you, and a disorienting move that can manipulate your movements.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 21 2009, 10:22 pm by Norm.

Can anyone help me out and Test the latest progress? I need comments on Level 2's so far difficulty, and the puzzles involving the flags and the switches linked to a shield.

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Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 23 2009, 1:18 am by Norm.

Okay, really hard game.
It might just be me being horrible at micro, but I can't seem to get very far at all.
I've gotten up to the first guard sentry. Then I got pwnt....

Yeah I definitely tried to avoid making this a hack n slash... I know the first level is possible without using the medical chamber, and I've gotten past the part with the timed locks without the use of vitality augments, so I know up to that point is definitely not impossible... I guess it just takes practice, I couldn't even get past the mutants in Chapter 2 for ten or so tries until i finally changed up my strategy by getting armor instead of attack/ability damage. There are 2 vitality augments hidden in what I got so far, so if you're having a difficult time, definitely try to pick those up.

OH, and anyone who hasn't tried the latest update (RPG9) please do so, because I need help testing the last puzzle of chapter 2 (one involving multiple switches and a shield generator)

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 23 2009, 2:07 am by Norm.

I got it my first try...and I didn't even know how to do it. Are there supposed to be clues somewhere?

Yeah... there are clues lol. A lot of people seem to guess it on their first try though (well, 2 people have said they did this.)

Have you gotten any further than that playing the RPG9 filename?

so thats why the mutants left me with 2 hp even after i used the healing shrine.
stupid me didn't upgrade lol

How far did you manage to get into the RPG9 mapfile?? I thought that you'd be the first to complete it, or at least get to the puzzle with the protoss fleet building.

thats what i thought too but im on vacation, so i can only go on sen. didn't bring sc with me

This sounds rather similar with "Eagle Eye", to be honest.
(Guy ordered around by computer voice, dies if he does not obey it's will)

yea, when you look at it, the only similarity to portal is the computerized voice.
in portal they just trap you in a room

Well I tried the latest demo, and it seems pretty promising.
I checked out the flag puzzle especially and it works fine as far as I can see.


-------stuff

- idea: the concept of the leading AI can be very interesting, especially later in development if there's some twists or role reversals
- tileset: Installation is pretty original for an RPG I think

- The entrance highlighted in this pic is really hard to spot when it's in the fog of war and you're moving around looking for it http://j.photos.cx/high-1bb.jpg

- the cutscenes: good but the movement-freeze slows you down a lot, could be disabled maybe

- too much stuff explodes and dies a horrible death, doors could be actual doors, as in "Right Pit Door" and then they can open just fine (set doodad state)
- using the medical chamber feels more like killing some horrible creature and then bathing in its blood for rejuvenation, it can hurt the atmosphere

- the voice notes that 'emotions are trivial' at some point, but obviously takes extreme pleasure in the player's predicament and in the control it has over him, just a bit grating (unless you're hiding something, in which i've already said too much)

- the switches that disable the shield generator shouldn't really be invincible in a sequence because it's already a pretty long walk to shoot them all, and having to turn back a few times doesn't quite make it a puzzle (also the switches probably shouldn't scream and bleed to death either)

- could use a bit of proofreading! I can actually help directly with this if you want, just give me a pm or something and i'll shape up your strings in no time



Way too much criticism maybe, but only because I actually want this to be good.

But you aren't taking into account the actual storyline!!!!


I got some plot twists and unique takes on the idea in mind =)


Perhaps, but I've never heard anyone say they got stuck on this before. I actually liked the shadow with the hound in the next room over waiting for you to rush in without being cautious.

@Everyone: has anyone else had issues with this pathway shown in the Screenshot? If it's a big deal, I can probably switch things up.


Unfortunately, this is not an option. You might be glad to know that as the game progresses, there are less frequent cutscenes though.


Leave my Nexus doors alone >< You're the second person to be putting them down, but I like them. I'm not planning on busting out actual doors until later in the game. Also, lol I never thought of the medical chambers like that - but I guess




=)


Ohh, I haven't actually lived long enough to test that part myself, so It's still subject to change. Thanks for your input on it though, and I will definitely consider it when i make revisions. About the screaming/bleeding: lol I don't play SC with sounds on, so I didn't know eggs screamed when killed.


Oh? Did you find misspellings? I wouldn't mind having them pointed out at all, I want to have good spelling in the map. I know of one grammatical incorrect piece of dialog, but have you notice a lot of others? Definitely point some out to me if you have the time, thanks.

Oh, and there's no such thing as too much criticism =). I appreciate it, trust me.

oh by the way, you should make the map possible for people(points to self) who wants to play it without using and vit augments/overheating things/upgrades

It will for sure be possible without getting any vitality augments, completing the game without getting any will give you a much higher chance of getting the best rank and ending. Unfortunately, Overheating things are going to be pretty hard to go without, because they unlock abilities when used in certain combinations. Finally, if you want to restrict the amount of upgrades you can use, Go for the challenge by all means, but it'd be impossible to make the game beatable without upgrades while still making it challenging on a normal play through.

But just so you know, I do all my testing without picking up any vit augments, so It's for sure going to be possible without getting any.

if it possible to include a hard mode kinda thing, like in spellswords?
hard mode being you dont get any vit augments, and you stick with your basic skills, and you get really little/no upgrades?

Ahh, I'll see about it after I get everything 'normal' set up. My goal is to make the end-game so hard that a hard mode would be unneeded.

Update on progress: Currently laying out the terrain and game play for Chapter 3. It's coming along nicely, but I'm kinda brainfarting for puzzles.

what kind of puzzles are you looking for?