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Post by swietymiki on Jan 25, 2024 16:05:21 GMT -8
Creating a more extensive remake of the level sounds like a good idea. There is still quite a bit of unused space in the original, maybe you could add some more content there.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Jan 25, 2024 18:59:25 GMT -8
Creating a more extensive remake of the level sounds like a good idea. There is still quite a bit of unused space in the original, maybe you could add some more content there.
I may have updated the Announcement with a more recent "View the map!" than what you viewed.
Some of the major changes in the Gruntziclez version from the Rocky Roadz version is swapping a Red Warp for a Secret Switch at the very beginning, along with moving the Warp Letter to be acquired via the other Red Warp ... and removing all of the Coinz from that sub-puzzle. Right now there are multiple Red Toggle Switches, which I am using for timing purposes. Most of them will not exist in any future distribution.
I have learned my lesson; further test plays will have a SAVE slot, usable for Quick Saves ... since my failure came in the pool ... and my Grunt drowned.  |
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Jan 25, 2024 20:25:06 GMT -8
Well, I discovered something new with this Quest: a Red Warp in water does not work, if what is below it is a Death Tile! So I will make a minor adjustment to the map, so that the Grunt will not drown. And declare that the puzzle is available for BETA testing now.
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Post by grosserfluss on Jan 25, 2024 20:46:34 GMT -8
I'm available for beta testing!
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Post by swietymiki on Jan 27, 2024 10:29:50 GMT -8
I like the new version, especially the addition of red pyramids and the secret switch interactions throughout the level. However, I totally do not understand why this one received the Easy rating! It's definitely not easier than the original; if Gruntz Land 1 remains Medium, this version should not get a lower rating.
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Post by GooRoo on Jan 27, 2024 12:55:42 GMT -8
I like the new version, especially the addition of red pyramids and the secret switch interactions throughout the level. However, I totally do not understand why this one received the Easy rating! It's definitely not easier than the original; if Gruntz Land 1 remains Medium, this version should not get a lower rating. My primary goal in making this one was to more closely adhere to the usual Monolith Productions, Inc. practice of Red Warp only there to get the Warp Letter. And that there be exactly ONE Secret Switch and ONE Red Warp. I realize that MOST of my Questz fail to adhere to those 'standards', probably because the first Custom Level Quest that made me think was "A World Of Sweetz" ... which violated just about every 'rule' of the Standard Questz; all 4 Warp Letterz, FIVE Red Warps and FIVE Secret Switches, "Magic Shovel" and (the one 'legal' special thing) multiple CoveredPowerUps on a single tile. So I picked up some bad habits by following "The Leader" (at that time), Paul. As grosserfluss mentioned to me, "everything is in plain sight" ... so the solver has an excellent idea of what is to be done ... and when. Gruntz Land (1) probably should have been down-rated to "Easy" ... perhaps with a (single) '+' for the Toy passing part. In this one, since I could make to the far northeast corner with time to spare (in the original), and the (second) Red Warp having nothing at all dangerous (so made collecting so many Coins easy) even my change adding Switchable and Toggling Bridge Tiles did not significantly add to the difficulty.[/b] |
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Post by grosserfluss on Jan 29, 2024 11:02:02 GMT -8
Finally made the video after procrastinating it for days.
My reasoning for the Easy difficulty was because of my experience with the levels that I have (and playing) so far. I believe that as the frequency of new levels being made is now seldom, the "competition" of making difficult levels has become scarce, and for this reason the criterias of what makes a level Medium difficult has been forgotten.
I'm also playing some Medium difficulty levels seperate from the Easy level video series and some of them are really distinctive that other in terms of difficulty. Some levels in the Medium difficulty can easily be moved to Easy (and even Very Easy) meanwhile most of them really deserve the place they are in. I told GooRoo that both Gruntz Land levels don't seem to deserve the Medium spot when compared to other Medium levels.
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Post by swietymiki on Jan 31, 2024 9:34:07 GMT -8
Let's elaborate cause I think there's quite a few interesting points to discuss there! My primary goal in making this one was to more closely adhere to the usual Monolith Productions, Inc. practice of Red Warp only there to get the Warp Letter. And that there be exactly ONE Secret Switch and ONE Red Warp. I realize that MOST of my Questz fail to adhere to those 'standards', probably because the first Custom Level Quest that made me think was "A World Of Sweetz" ... which violated just about every 'rule' of the Standard Questz; all 4 Warp Letterz, FIVE Red Warps and FIVE Secret Switches, "Magic Shovel" and (the one 'legal' special thing) multiple CoveredPowerUps on a single tile. So I picked up some bad habits by following "The Leader" (at that time), Paul. I can't help but notice how contradictory this paragraph is. You say you picked up so many bad habits from "A World Of Sweetz", yet Paul's level is one of the most widely acclaimed Custom Levels. Clearly, those 'illegal' things as you call them are not a problem and do not downgrade the quality of "A World Of Sweetz". It does not only matter if it's done, but how it's done. I agree, the tasks to do in "Gruntz Land 2" are very straightforward. But I think we should still keep in mind the timed part. That is not an element of most Easy levels either. Easy+ seems like a reasonable compromise to me, to indicate that there are some elements of the level that are more difficult. But the current situation, with the original being Medium and this one being Easy, just seems off to me, because both are about the same difficulty. |
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Post by GooRoo on Jan 31, 2024 10:19:06 GMT -8
I am certainly open to re-doing the difficulty of two (of my) Questz; the question is "What should be the difficulty ratings of the 'Rocky Roadz' (area 1) and the 'Gruntziclez' (area 2) Questz be, as swietymiki and grosserfluss see them?" |
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Post by GooRoo on Jan 31, 2024 10:51:35 GMT -8
I am prepared to distribute this one today, once the ratings question has been answered and I have had a chance to update the necessary indices.
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Post by grosserfluss on Jan 31, 2024 11:37:55 GMT -8
I am prepared to distribute this one today, once the ratings question has been answered and I have had a chance to update the necessary indices.
Me and swietymiki have agreed to make the difficulty for Gruntz Land 1 "Easy+" and Gruntz Land 2 "Medium"
Edit: (GooRoo) I am in the process of updating the several indices to "make it so" (Jean-Luc Picard, ST/TNG). |
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View the map!
My memory fails me, causing (me) extra work ... if I did it correctly, the thread # would have remained unchanged.