GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Apr 6, 2005 8:22:55 GMT -8
Gruntz has been 'dead' (read, unsupported and unmarketed) for over five years, by my reckoning. Yet here we are with a Forum just 16 monthz old, with almost 11,000 unique visitors! That is almost 700 unique visitorz every month, more than 22 unique visitorz daily! Our page counter is well over 128,000 ... more than 8,000 pagez visited per month, almost 270 pagez per day! (And my visits are never counted!)
We obviously owe Monolith Productions, Inc. a lot of credit for this, because without the release of the Gruntz Level Editor to the public, there would only be 37 puzzlez in the game. That is, 4 "Training Levelz", 32 Standard Levelz and 1 'Secret Level'. As it is, some 30+ individualz have created 143 Custom Levelz which have been distributed, and there are 7 more 'Secret Levelz' awaiting nothing more than for someone to figure out how to link them into the Gruntz Resource member. So over 80% of the puzzlez available for solving have come into being after the commercial product was last actively marketed! There is really no end in sight, as there are still designerz actively producing new CLz. Custom Levelz seem to have a 'slow season', followed by a flurry of new onez released. I foresee another stretch of time when there are two, three or even four new Custom Levelz released in one calendar month. (I have a number of CL 'germz' going through my head ... it is now Spring, so some of them may sprout soon.)
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 2, 2005 20:17:26 GMT -8
Less than five weekz to the second anniversary of "GooRoo's Gruntz Forum". We (the Gruntzer community faithful) should do something special for the occasion. I am not exactly the most creative person in the world, so I welcome your suggestionz. What would be fitting for a Forum dedicated to a 'dead' game that has survived for two yearz?
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Bea
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Post by Bea on Nov 3, 2005 1:42:44 GMT -8
I am absolutely amazed that Gruntz still continues to have the popularity it does. GooRoo, a lot of that has to be because of your enthusiasm and determination to create a forum that would be here for us when the "real" gruntz forum dies. I think we also have to remember those people who kept the old forum going by spending the time to keep checking and answering new questions. It would be interesting to see which level and which puzzle in that level caused the most grief. I think it is very sad that Monolith decided not to release another Gruntz as I feel we have shown that there would have been a demand for one.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 3, 2005 6:33:45 GMT -8
I am absolutely amazed that Gruntz still continues to have the popularity it does. GooRoo, a lot of that has to be because of your enthusiasm and determination to create a forum that would be here for us when the "real" gruntz forum dies. As you can probably tell, I enjoy puzzlez ... of all kindz. The original 32 Levelz merely whetted my appetite ... it was the contributionz of Gruntzerz (via MPI's release of the Gruntz Level Editor) that really 'hooked' me! I wanted a mechanism to remain available for those designerz to continue their effortz at creating new Custom Levelz. It seemz that in that goal, I have succeeded. I believe that 'honor' goez to "Eruptions" by Acid (Eli Marable). At least, in the time that I have been visiting there, that is the one that generated the most correspondence. Unfortunately, it is all a matter of numberz ... how many copiez of a game (or other product) are sold early on in its marketing determinez whether there will be a sequel, or not. The 'violent' gamez (run & gun/punch/kick/general beat-em-upz) are in; gamez that actually stimulate the mind (how do I ...) are out.
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Gaby
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Post by Gaby on Nov 3, 2005 10:20:43 GMT -8
Less than five weekz to the second anniversary of "GooRoo's Gruntz Forum". We (the Gruntzer community faithful) should do something special for the occasion. I am not exactly the most creative person in the world, so I welcome your suggestionz. What would be fitting for a Forum dedicated to a 'dead' game that has survived for two yearz? if the timing is right... maybe a super game in which every designer contributes a sub-puzzle... I think the world of 'High on Sweetz' is very suitable for such an ocation...
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 3, 2005 11:34:02 GMT -8
Merging several different sub-puzzlez from several different sourcez would be quite a task! I would be willing to take on the merge part, but doubt that I could contribute to the sub-puzzlez part as well. The 'merging' effort would be in placing the various componentz in as logical a manner as possible, and adding whatever Toolz/Toyz/Powerupz etc. that may be required in sub-puzzle 'B' that were not left over from sub-puzzle 'A' (for example). Plus, every single 'unusual' Tile and every Object from each sub-puzzle would have to be hand-entered into the 'merged' Custom Level.
In order to test each sub-puzzle, the designer would have to have a Grunt, a Warpstone and an ExitTrigger (ie, King's Fortress). There may be obstaclez (Pyramidz of some sort, etc.) that may have associated Switchez outside the sub-puzzle in the final version. That meanz both obstacle and obstacle remover must exist in each sub-puzzle ... and the designer(z) must be able to tell the coordinator whether each (or any!) of those may be deleted and still 'make sense' ... if the sub-puzzle wound up being somewhere in the middle of the overall CL.
At least a week would be required to do the merger, so a 'dead-line' for submission of sub-puzzlez should be around November 28th, 2005. Just a little thing such as determining which ExitTrigger sub-puzzle is 'best' and should be in the final version would be quite a challenge!
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Gaby
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Post by Gaby on Nov 3, 2005 12:24:10 GMT -8
... the name of such a game (if you think it's doable and if you designerz agree) might be "The Kings Birthday" or "Birthday Party"...
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Post by oldone on Nov 3, 2005 12:38:07 GMT -8
This sounds like a pretty good idea. But how many designers would be willing to contribute? It wouldn' work very well with only 2 or 3. And in the interest of ease of merging, it might go better without z and z. Edit: Very good! Such a good suggestion that I felt the need to provide the additional emphasis of imagez rather than mere wordz!
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Gamer
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Post by Gamer on Nov 3, 2005 13:13:19 GMT -8
How about you start a poll: Are you willing to participate in ___? Then we can see how many are interested.
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Gaby
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Post by Gaby on Nov 3, 2005 17:07:20 GMT -8
Gamer... you do not need a poll... just add an invitation in the newz thread ... the designer who is willing to join such a project will PM his/her puzzle/maze/area to GooRoo who is willing to do the Merging ... the 'dead-line' for submission of sub-puzzlez should be around November 28th ...
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Post by TurkeySandwich on Nov 3, 2005 17:54:25 GMT -8
I am willing to submit some sub-puzzlez, although my first one, designed for the end, took a while because the actual sub-puzzle iz small, and you need a large level for 1024x768 viewingz.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 3, 2005 18:03:55 GMT -8
You really have to trim that 'long signature' ... it's "cute" once ... annoying after that.
I have added a line to the News Fader with a link to this thread, so anyone who is interested may be more inclined to see that there is something 'afoot', and participate.
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Post by TurkeySandwich on Nov 3, 2005 18:20:43 GMT -8
You really have to trim that 'long signature' ... it's "cute" once ... annoying after that. Aww, man. I liked that signature, but okay.
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Post by oldone on Nov 3, 2005 19:07:02 GMT -8
I would be willing to contribute one sub-puzzle. What are you thinking the size (approx.) should be? Are we each going to take one topic (i.e. arrow maze, spikez, disgruntledz, brickz etc.) or will it just be whatever we want? And would it definitely be a "High on Sweetz" level? That would be fun as I haven't done one with that set yet. (I'm thinking already! )
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Gaby
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Post by Gaby on Nov 3, 2005 19:19:39 GMT -8
don't you think that "High on Sweetz" is the most suitable world for such an ocation...
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Post by oldone on Nov 3, 2005 19:29:06 GMT -8
For #birthday# to the King? Yes, I think it is.
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Gaby
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Post by Gaby on Nov 3, 2005 20:15:40 GMT -8
now it's up to GooRoo to give his OK sign and give you designerz the size of such a sub-puzzle... in my opinion... it can be something like the 'Knight'z Tour'- ... but instead of a square space for each designer it can be in a hexagon shaped room... like a honeysuckle (what is sweeter then honey?)... ... but what do I know... I'm no designer... ... my only contribution can be with ideaz... ... I hope they are doable and acceptable...
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 3, 2005 20:29:07 GMT -8
The size of the final puzzle would entirely depend upon the number of sub-puzzle submissionz, and the required (net) size of each one. A 'sub-puzzle' would not necessarily be a single puzzle, either. A set of four 'puzzlez' that cohere and allow an exit (other than the one 'built-in' would be fine. I could alwayz replace an exit mechanism with a wormhole, if it was simply not possible to connect to another part in a 'normal' way. The recently updated 'tryout' with the 'Secret' in the very first box, and a wormhole into the second box is an example of what I mean. (Of course, "Knight'z Tour" is an extreme example of that type of 'connection'. ) It would be helpful if the entriez were designed so that everything but the ExitTrigger portion were arranged in an "L" shape. Very easy to connect several of those together. And, yes, I agree that "High On Sweetz" would be an excellent choice for the graphicz set to use.
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GooRoo
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Post by GooRoo on Nov 6, 2005 8:51:14 GMT -8
I woke up this morning with a Gruntz mini-puzzle layout roaming around in my hind-brain (I guess) and brought it forward to examine it more closely. So I may be contributing a piece to the "High On Sweetz" anniversary puzzle after all. For those of you who are working on partz of the puzzle, my effort will provide a "turn-around challenge", which will have a Grunt returning 180 o from where they started, a few tilez left (or right) or up (or down) to get around a barrier. It is nothing more than an intersection, really. I drew in some Black linez to indicate possible boundariez of sub-puzzlez in all four cardinal directionz, and the four diagonalz off of them. I put the z in, in case it was necessary to change the timing/direction of the Two-Way Arrowz (it wasn't necessary).
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Post by oldone on Nov 6, 2005 16:41:44 GMT -8
I had an idea today, but I'm wondering what's wrong with my GLE (or maybe me!). Is it possible to set the plane properties to only 10 or 12 tiles high and wide? It seems to work, but then the cursor goes off the area and the original area goes into negative pixels. Then the 12 x 12 is in another area, but I can't put any tiles into it. I guess what I really want to know is what's the smallest plane we can make and still have everything work well? How did you (GooRoo) make a 10 x 10? Was it actually in a larger area?
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