He Cannot Escape!

[Zu]

I had to resort to pencil and paper to solve the bomber and the BOTS puzzlez. Taking a blind approach to them just didn't seem like a good idea (as I proved to myself trying to do the BOTSz maze via some clever save slot guess and check )

Yeah, I knew that the bomberz' area will require the usage of pencil and paper. And at timez, I still need to look at my map to remember the sequence of buttonz in BOTS area.

I've been working my through it, currently at the thief area.

So you've managed to get the first area and the area with enemy Shovel Grunt done, with all the moundz turned into holez and all pyramidz raised? Well done! Just a question, how long it took to you? The Shovel Grunt's area especially seems to be very complex in what needs to be done there (Bomberz' area, though difficult, requires only a set of actionz repeated multiple timez).

It's turned out to be a great level!

Great thankz! And it certainly wouldn't be so great without your sub-puzzlez.

[BattlezM]

Jan 1, 2011 15:18:10 GMT -8 Zu said:

So you've managed to get the first area and the area with enemy Shovel Grunt done, with all the moundz turned into holez and all pyramidz raised? Well done! Just a question, how long it took to you? The Shovel Grunt's area especially seems to be very complex in what needs to be done there (Bomberz' area, though difficult, requires only a set of actionz repeated multiple timez).

I can't remember but it took longer than figuring out anything else so far. I was particularly unsure what exactly to use the freeze for, and how to use the yo-yos. But I managed to pull through it.

Jan 1, 2011 15:18:10 GMT -8 Zu said:

It's turned out to be a great level!

Great thankz! And it certainly wouldn't be so great without your sub-puzzlez.

Glad to be of use! Though my personal favorite is the bomber puzzle.
I also think it allowz for tonz of variation, as 2 of my pathz where very short, 1 was middle length, and the last was absurdly long.

[Zu]

I also think it allowz for tonz of variation, as 2 of my pathz where very short, 1 was middle length, and the last was absurdly long.

So it was the last (fourth) bomber who had the longest path? And you still managed to clear all of the bridgez and press all switchez? That's interesting, I thought that there's only one correct solution! (In my version, it is the first bomber who has the longest path.)

[BattlezM]

For me the second bomber had the longest path. The first one took about 3 stopz, the third also took 3 stopz. The 4th took none. That leavez the second bomber with...11 stopz!

[Zu]

Has anyone beaten this level or tried to do so, aside BattlezM? I'm really wondering about the difficulty, as this level contains the hardest puzzlez I ever created, and some additional feedback about that matter would be appreciated...

Plus, I'm thinking that this level is not so agility-less than I intended. It's notable in shovel-related puzzlez, as they involve a bit of tight timing when performing some actionz. Not much of it, but still...

[twiggy]

Hi Zu, I've just started this level and came here to read about it. After reading the discussion and seeing that it is rated Very Hard and maybe Frustrating, I'm beginning to wonder. I think that I have to lure the 3 swordz onto the purple switches and then my gruntz goes to where the bridges and all of the green warps are. Don't know where to go first or what to do? I have completed a lot of hard and even frustrating levelz to a perfect, but think that I will need a walkthrough in order to do this one. Sorry!! Loved your other levelz, but this one might be out of my league.

[Zu]

Well, there is a walktrough I have created long ago, but GooRoo hasn't turned it into HTML walktrough yet (he suggested that perhaps it's better to wait until someone actually asks for it). If you wish to check the raw version (txt file and 8 imagez), then here it is: www.mediafire.com/?ahgaee4iqiw7gng

Note that it most likely contains some grammar mistakez and may be hard to understand at timez, but I hope you will be able to finish the level with it.

[GooRoo]

I obviously mis-filed it ... since when I searched for it (after reading your reply), I found I did not even have a folder for the Custom Level! I have created one now, and will capture the text file and go to work on it. (That would be more important that re-working (in HTML) the one for a nine year old CL of mine.)

I have un-ZIPped it into the folder for the CL, and find eight imagez (JPEGz) and a TXT file. So now I will be able to do what I promised to do weekz ago. But I do not think I will be able to take the time to create a multi-page document (complete inventory of the Statz Page objectz, in separate HTML memberz), so will start out with simply a one page walk-through referencing the imagez you have provided, and perhapz adding imagez for Gruntz, Toolz, Toyz, et cetera in support of the wordz.

[GooRoo]

I have a start on the HTML walk-through uploaded to the web host. I only have the partz where the Grunt is 'packing' and the end, where he is somewhat magical just before entering the King's Fortress. I need to locate where the Grunt exchangez Toolz, in order to finish the walk-through with the correct imagez.

There are linkz to screen imagez in the form of "Area 1", and in some placez linkz to the current sub-puzzle image for refreshing one's memory.

[rohit]

I am currently playing this level and find it to be very interesting and well thought out. I do not mind hard puzzles but some just cannot be done without a WT; and if you do try to solve without a WT there is a lot of trial and error.

Also i was not able to understand the logic or reason for certain actions:

In Area 1 why do the enemy green gruntz have to occupy the PMGS?

I did Area 2 completely differently and did not use all the toys; in fact i have 8 of them left!

There is no clue as to what to do in Areas 3 and 5. It is such a clever puzzle but the player should get some idea of how to proceed. Without a WT it was impossible for me.

Area 4 was my best puzzle and i solved with pencil/paper without a WT.

I do not understand the sequence of pressing the Green switches in Area 6? How do we know the correct sequence?

Area 7 is done very well as by pressing the YHS i get the overview and the SS is great! But then again why the Green switch prior to exit?

I am currently in Area 8.

[Zu]

In Area 1 why do the enemy green gruntz have to occupy the PMGS?

To keep purple pyramidz raised so the pink grunt cannot be randomly teleported there.

I did Area 2 completely differently and did not use all the toys; in fact i have 8 of them left!

Now how you were able to accomplish that?

Unless you simply did not cleared all of the crumbling bridgez, which is a fatal error in this case...

There is no clue as to what to do in Areas 3 and 5. It is such a clever puzzle but the player should get some idea of how to proceed. Without a WT it was impossible for me.

I'm sorry about that. I have no idea how I could possibly make it more clear without completely redesigning these areas and replacing puzzlez with easier ones.

I do not understand the sequence of pressing the Green switches in Area 6? How do we know the correct sequence?

To be honest, this one part was copied directly from Spyro 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHVmnLXj7a8 (go to 0:54)

why the Green switch prior to exit?

It changes almost entire area into green pyramidz so the pink grunt cannot be randomly teleported there.

[rohit]

I reached the endgame and realise that no space had to be left for the Pink gruntz to escape!!!! I did not uncover all the Holez with spades and also left portions of crumbling bridge.

A note in beginning of level by designer about this objective would make the level more interesting and challenging.

[Zu]

A note in beginning of level by designer about this objective would make the level more interesting and challenging.

The idea of the level is already explained in the first post, the only thing I could do was to add some HUGE WARNING telling to read the text below. There's no possible way to include a note in-game. I tried to do that by placing the area with the King right above the start and generally arranging it in a way that SHOULD give the solver some basic idea about what he's supposed to do... but apparently, it didn't work.

It's probably worth of note that I attempted to make a video walktrough for this level, and I shown how to deal with the first two areaz (I made only the first part so far) as well as explaining very carefully what you're supposed to do on the level... though the result is pretty weird, due to the fact that I wasn't too serious here and there and was forced to speak in VERY SPECIFIC VOICE in order to possibly eliminate the noises. You're watching at your own risk.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qero2jUsMr4&feature=channel_video_title

[rohit]

Zu, i believe you can put a note icon wherein Gruntz stops and reads the note. I am not a designer so am unsure of this but I think this is there in the Training levels.

[Zu]

This is impossible to create notes with custom text. One can only create notes reusing the texts found on standard levelz.