[Open Assets] Oceanic Cove Zone (v2.1) [scr_oceaniccove.wad]

This content may be freely modified and/or maintained by anyone.

Sapheros

Member
Oh look another port, when will I make something original now a days?!

Jokes aside, I welcome you to Seraphic Skylands 2.0. You thought that level is big? This level is BIGGER. You thought that level was laggy? This level is LAGGIER!

Oceanic Cove Zone is a specially unique experience as this level is endlessly expansive. Its difficulty- You know what I'll let 123 Runite explain it.
Code:
# This level is long and massive, some areas may lag, so be forewarned (depends on system)!  This level will require
#  skill, endurance, and determination to get through with Sonic, especially.  This was created with Sonic, or any other 
#  skin that behaves like Sonic (see HINOTE [Er, lets say Shadow in this case :P ~Sapheros]), in mind.  Tails, Knuckles, or any other character that behaves like them 
#  have been disregarded in the initial release of the level.  Thus, Tails or Knuckles may not have a hard time getting
#  through the level.  On the contrary, although it was made for Sonic only, Tails and Knuckles have their own small
#  secrets to find.

---CREDITS---
# Credit goes to Soundboard.com for ocean, cave, and seagull sound effects
# Crappy seagull sprites by Senku Niola
This level was made to have its amazing legacy passed on. As long as I'm still alive in the SRB2 community, I will continue to preserve this level on. However you can also do whatever you want with the level yourself! Maybe even actually fix it. You're free to do what you want with it to your own leisure, but if you want this to be integrated into this version, please contact me as soon as you can.
 

Attachments

  • srb20207.png
    srb20207.png
    1.1 MB · Views: 1,428
  • scr_oceaniccove.zip
    5.5 MB · Views: 1,064
Last edited by a moderator:
Welcome to Releases!

Some technical issues prevented all the screenshots from going up right away, that'll be handled in a bit.
 
First of all I want to thank you for your porting work on this map, which in my opinion is still the best available for this game, as well as my favourite. This means a lot to me and a group of close friends of mine.

That said, I was sad to see that nothing apparent changed from the previous ported version of this map (also by you I'm guessing) that we came across on some other, unofficial site. By that I mean no apparent bugfixes to the visual issues this map clearly has (I play in OpenGL), especially in the second main area of map B2.

There are a couple more very minor visual glitches too, along with something that bugged me since the release of the original level and that might or might not be an unintentional mistake by the creator himself, and that makes collecting one of the emeralds a bit trickier than what I think the creator meant for. Since it's probably spoilers I'd be happy to PM you these issues I found, if you'd like.
 
Since my old PC died and following my father's passing I recieved a glorified craptop, it's very hard for me to play this level in software, there is no way in hell i'd play this in OpenGL. That doesn't stop the fact that it can be fixed. You're welcome to try and fix these issues yourself, but for me, I'll make a more in-depth look into the issues once I get a better PC in the very far and distant future.
 
Since my old PC died and following my father's passing I recieved a glorified craptop, it's very hard for me to play this level in software, there is no way in hell i'd play this in OpenGL. That doesn't stop the fact that it can be fixed. You're welcome to try and fix these issues yourself, but for me, I'll make a more in-depth look into the issues once I get a better PC in the very far and distant future.
Damn, 2 deaths at once? That sucks :(
My condolences to your family and your electronics ;_;
 
This level didn't lag for me at all, I want my money back

But man, from just one playthrough I could see so many paths I could have taken. I wonder how long it'd take to see them all.
 
This is one of the few SRB2 levels that completely blew me away when I first played it. It's a masterpiece in every sense of the word, and I'm glad to see that it's being preserved. I wish 123 Runite was still around to see that his work is still making a mark on the community, and more than that, I wish he was still making levels!

Back when this thing was new, I remember much of the discussion being about the lack of gimmicks. Spiritcrusher, now MascaraSnake, described it as "15 minutes of jumping over slippery and/or crumbling platforms" and it's hard to deny that this level is like that. But it's so much more.

Let me quote Prime 2.0 because his post (http://mb.srb2.org/showthread.php?t=33444&page=2#35) sums my feelings better than even I could:

"For as long as I can remember, there have been levels that, even in the absence of notable gimmicks, manage to thrive on simple platforming and immersion; they presents the player with a vast world to trek through, filled with small details and secrets that are highly involved, often hidden in plain sight... this immersion, and the way they encouraged exploration was their primary appeal. For many, the first thing to come to mind as such is Mystic Realm, though some would remember such standalones as Egg Palace and Metal Flower as well. Long, difficult, but of wonderful detail, Oceanic Cove embraces this style and excels with it, enough so that many here have recognized 123 Runite's creation as one of the best levels currently on the message board.

So can anyone honestly be surprised that it's now in the hall of fame?"


(What happened to that hall of fame btw? Ah well.)

As Prime says, the level thrives on immersion, and that's the part that always captures me with this level. This is in no small part due to the music. Tidal Tempest has been used in a few levels, but two other levels in particular stick out in my memory:

-Undersea Palace Zone by Callum, which also made me awestruck and was the first SRB2 level to use it (I think). It doesn't hold up as well as Oceanic Cove, but I still draw inspiration from it today. If someone still has that guy sitting around, send me it in a PM will ya? :)
-Waterway Ruin by Chrome (right?), which also gave me a good amount of the feels while I ran through it, and I think is still in progress and will hopefully inspire awe as well.
-Probably others.

This song can inject so much sheer life and wonder into a level. It manages to be happy, sad, energetic, and inspiring all at once. I like to call it tragically inspiring.
Each time I open up Zone Builder to make a new level that I'll never finish, I have to physically stop myself from using this song! When a good level is paired with Tidal Tempest's music, the probability that my jaw will hit the floor is about 100%, and it makes Oceanic Cove that much stronger.

Anyway, aside from the music, the atmosphere is still really strong in the visuals, which comes more from the layout than the textures. Honestly the texturing can be a mess most of the time. It's a wonder that the level feels as cohesive as it does, since the textures vary so much per room. The layout is incredible, though, 123 Runite managed to make the level feel well paced despite its gigantic length. Each area feels unique enough for the level not to blur together, and the final room is one of my favorite locations ever designed in SRB2. I don't even know how mappers like 123 Runite and Kuja have enough ideas and motivation in their heads to fill these mega-maps. I peter out after a certain length and basically just call it quits and plop down an end level sign when that happens.
 
Last edited:
I'm glad that this level is back and I had a blast playing through it again. I haven't played it in years and in fact I had almost forgotten about it. It's especially nice to be able to play it in 2.1 with the age-old strafing bug fixed, which makes player handling so much better.

Back when this thing was new, I remember much of the discussion being about the lack of gimmicks. Spiritcrusher, now MascaraSnake, described it as "15 minutes of jumping over slippery and/or crumbling platforms" and it's hard to deny that this level is like that. But it's so much more.
Ha! It's interesting to look back on my opinions on the level back then and compare it to how I feel now. Back in 2010 when this was first released, 2.0 had just come out and had blown the doors of SRB2 mapping wide open. At the time, I was mainly looking for the next flashy gimmick, so something like this seemed quaint and outdated in comparison. I'm sure a lot of people felt that way. Nowadays, with the thirst for new gimmicks long satisfied by countless maps, the "fundamentals", like a solid layout and good flow, have become much more important to me - a lot of the maps I admired back then now seem clumsy and inconsistent, while this still holds up wonderfully. In the end, actual substance always wins out over flash.

Nice to see that somebody else remembers Undersea Palace Zone. While it was obviously very flawed, I've always had a soft spot for it because it's so immersive. I remember that back in the OLDC it was released in, one of the devs commented that it was nothing like Deep Sea Zone, which it was obviously trying to ape. It's true - I wish DSZ felt more like this! It's apt that Prime referenced some guy's Egg Palace and Metal Flower in his induction post. They arguably started the tradition of maps that feel more like places you can explore than Sonic levels, and both Undersea Palace and Oceanic Cove are clearly in that tradition. In my opinion, the level that managed to perfect that style of mapping is Seraphic Skylands Zone, which is my favorite SRB2 level ever.
 
Yeah, reading about those zones mentioned makes me wish we had more ports of "the classics". Maybe even a hall of fame sort of thing? :)
I don't see the harm in it, as long as credit is given. Especially since the original mappers are probably long long gone.
 
I have just finished this and Man I have to say it was a blast, this is possibly the longest SRB2 Level I ever played, I Like how the two acts are connected so there's no End Sign between acts, visually it's not the best looking but it offers plenty of platforming and exploration, the Music choice is also great, I love Sonic CD JP Soundtrack, and the use of ambient sounds, really great level.
 
I want to thank you soo much for porting this classic level.
It was (and still is) my favorite level since I began playing this game.
 
Ok, I'm pretty new to the community here...

Who is 123 Runite, I get he made an, apparently legendary level. I had a blast with it.
But, why is he gone? Dead? Just left the community? Got a job/wife/life? Imprisoned?
The last one not probable, but still.
 
They just left, as many of this board’s older members have, unless they’re still around and keeping in touch under a different calling.
 

Who is viewing this thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Back
Top