ArchPack v2.0 (scmrtf_archpack.wad + Parts pack) [Outdated version]

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(...) instead I see a bunch of well-fleshed out ideas and brainstorming.
Yes! Brainstorming is the key word.

The reason for the common usage of seven zones is because some people want to match up the zones with the emeralds and putting one emerald per zone is the easiest way to do it.
BINGO!

You know you could make a perfectly fine mod with less than seven zones.
That's true.

The thing is that, even if I had 'created' two or three zones, I would have been forced to create lots of wad files anyway, specially considering that some of them are somewhat 'heavy' already; so, loading and reloading for testings started to become tiresome.

I think of 8 zones not as a goal (to be honest, I used to think like that before, but I gave up. Having 8 zones just for sake of having is just vanity -- fighting against vanity is stressful), but as rooms to receive ideas according to the theme. Even if I don't release a certain zone, its room is there waiting for me when I gather conditions to proceed, or I release the stuff I produced as a library; nothing will be lost.

A 3-zone mod is a good deal. I somewhat have this goal for a, say, respectable level pack. To have an idea, I've been focusing on 2 zones in these last 3 months: a water-themed and a wind-themed zone. This explains why most of my bug reports and suggestions are related to the pushers (wind and currents).

I hope your life is well!
It's well and better. Thank you :D
 
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I think of 8 zones not as a goal (to be honest, I used to think like that before, but I gave up. Having 8 zones just for sake of having is just vanity -- fighting against vanity is stressful), but as rooms to receive ideas according to the theme. Even if I don't release a certain zone, its room is there waiting for me when I gather conditions to proceed, or I release the stuff I produced as a library; nothing will be lost.
That sounds good. I didn't know if you were doing the vanity route or not. (At one point, I was thinking about it, but I never got around to it.) I no longer object.

To have an idea, I've been focusing on 2 zones in these last 3 months: a water-themed and a wind-themed zone.
When either of these two get far enough for you to want me to testplay, shoot me another email.

It's well and better. Thank you :D
That's good to hear.
 
New stuff: a wind tunnel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b3ZoWeb1xk (please read video description)

But this one is a kind of "good idea; bad execution". Not that it's badly executed. It just breaks the game easily:

- To "ungrab" the ropehang, the player must use "spin" key ONLY. If the player tries to jump, he gets stuck on the ceiling since the wind tunnel is zero-gravity. (perhaps, a kind of linedef flag could make the player "ungrab" by either ways: jump or spin key)
- If the player gets damaged, the same thing happens: stuck on the ceiling.
- The bouncy trick is a hell for keyboard-only players.

Note: this is a mock-up, not an actual map.

When either of these two get far enough for you to want me to testplay, shoot me another email.
No problem.
 
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But still, I love that idea. There must be some way to execute your idea without having those "bugs".
 
- To "ungrab" the ropehang, the player must use "spin" key ONLY. If the player tries to jump, he gets stuck on the ceiling since the wind tunnel is zero-gravity. (perhaps, a kind of linedef flag could make the player "ungrab" by either ways: jump or spin key)
- If the player gets damaged, the same thing happens: stuck on the ceiling.
- The bouncy trick is a hell for keyboard-only players.

What if the top 64 units of the wind tunnel were to have normal or strong gravity, and the bottom 64 has inverse gravity to keep from getting stuck against the floor? (Or rather, keep from touching the floor)

Alternatively you could have the top half of the tunnel flip you upside down so you'd (possibly?) walk normally against the ceiling and keep the hurt=stuck thing from occurring.

Or if vertical location in the tunnel is never a big deal, just have the upper half have normal gravity and the lower half have inverse gravity so you remain in the middle. Or similar.
 
Some stuff for Zone 5:

I've been messing around with conveyor belts and flame jets.
STZ004.png

I still have to figure out how to make them shoot straight instead of "wavely" -- just to make it more "predictable" for the player.

And now, hot blades (still need some tweaking):
STZ005.png


A multicrusher that waves (and the player needs to go under it):
STZ006.png


STZ007.png


These crushers are capable of playing a sound when they fall and when they hit the floor. Quite different from silent crushers we have in DSZ and ERZ.

To be honest, it wasn't that fun to mess these stuff. A lot of times I get some headaches with triggers (Each Time trigger for pushable objects, to be exact -- if working fine now, I'd have saved 4/5 of wasted time), and I had some fight with SLADE which, for some reason, is screwing up my resource wad :S

What if the top 64 units of the wind tunnel were to have normal or strong gravity, and the bottom 64 has inverse gravity to keep from getting stuck against the floor? (Or rather, keep from touching the floor)

(...)

Or if vertical location in the tunnel is never a big deal, just have the upper half have normal gravity and the lower half have inverse gravity so you remain in the middle. Or similar.
We have a problem here: inertia.

Even if I use strong or weak gravity to correct character's Z-position, either way would "launch" up or down the character infinitely, preserving its momentum and we'd get a sine wave. I'd tried some kind of trick before (but hey, it's still a very interesting gimmick, which could be of some use elsewhere). Download this sample.

Alternatively you could have the top half of the tunnel flip you upside down so you'd (possibly?) walk normally against the ceiling and keep the hurt=stuck thing from occurring.
Unfortunately, it's not my idea to allow the player to walk in a wind tunnel, specially if the rope-hangs are meant to avoid the hazards horizontally and are placed "half-height". I think I should kill the players if they fail.... It won't be fun to get stuck forever on the ceiling.

The ultimate solution here would be the character getting hurt with no jump-back and ungrabbing by either jump or spin-key. This case would require source code modification. :X
 
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I just tried this out, and I liked it quite a bit. These are some of the best player-made stages I've seen.

I'm glad you didn't go nuts with the Jetty-Syns. Those things can be incredibly annoying when overused.

Keep up the good work!
 
These are some of the best player-made stages I've seen. Keep up the good work!
Thank you dude.

I'll try to keep my project up. Well, below a very small tidy-bit preview of new things I was working on.

WVZ1Prev_01.png


WVZ2Prev_01.png


I can't post actual screenshots because the maps are still using a placeholder texture pack (which I don't own)... too bad, I haven't found textures that best fit my map yet. :S
 
ArchPack v1.1a is out

Considering that SuperBlitzCraig is holding a SRB2 Wad Speedrun competition, I'm releasing this as "fix" release of ArchPack, so players can play on proper maps.

If you're wondering "what with the 1.1?", it was released only in my site and on YouTube because I judged there wasn't enough new content to show.

Notice: ArchPack v1.1a can run on SRB2CB Full Color Edition, but expect missing textures. Speed-runs recorded in ArchPack 1.1 is supportable, 1.0 not!

Please check the changelog below for details about the changes.

Along with the level pack, I added three batch files that start up SRB2, SRB2CB and XSRB2 with Arch Pack. Just save the stuff in SRB2 folder and double-click the batch file.

Finally, thanks for 1201 downloads and 78 installs.

See 1st post for downloads.


ArchPack v1.1 change log (2012.08.12):


- ADDED: MCZ2 - Lots of minor tweaks and new obstacles in the second section of the map.
- ADDED: ACZ - Cascades now force the character into spin state.
- ADDED: WPZ - More springs to access the catwalk (Southern part).
- CHANGE: MCZ2 - Lots of minor tweaks and fixes, specially no climbable walls. Some monitors were replaced/relocated.
- CHANGE: MCZ3 - Some windows were replaced with platforms where the player can attack the boss if he is flying too high.
- CHANGE: ACZ - The river, before the last starpost, is a bit wider.
- CHANGE: LBZ - The air tubes are now slightly slower and their entrances slightly larger.
- CHANGE: LBZ - Sector, FOF and Thing optimization.
- CHANGE: LBZ - Minor aesthetic tweaks.
- FIX: LBZ - Fixed the speed pads in the air tubes not teleporting the player to the center of the sector, causing the player to get stuck in the tube.

ArchPack v1.1a change log (2013.01.27):

- FIX: MCZ1 - Fixed missing textures in the left side path's crusher room.

If you download and install this add-on, I'd ask you to click on Mark as Favorite (see 1st post, in Addon Information) to receive notifications regarding updates. And don't forget to rate this level by clicking on "Rating".

Short link for this topic
The short link for this add-on is bit.ly/i4AfGK or http://get.ezerarch.com/.
 
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I just played this again. I liked spectator places in the race map. You can do a lot of things with doom builder what I can´t do. Could you help me with poly objects?
 
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Thank you. I think you can do lots of things if you try as well.

Could you help me with poly objects?
*scratches head* Eh... that is justly what I haven't tried in my maps, until now... I have plans for them, anyway.

I have a slight idea of how polyobjects work. I don't think it would be a harm for me to learn and explain to you afterwards; it would be a pleasure.

Could you please send me a PM or open a topic? If it is a specific problem of your map, PM is okay. If it is a thing worth sharing with everyone, a public topic in Editing Help is welcome. :)
 
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Genesis Keep Zone Act 1 alpha release

I'm releasing Genesis Keep Zone Act 1 (MAPB0) for alpha testings. The map is not 100% done but it's completely playable.

GKZ011.png


This map is planned to be the 1st map of the 1st zone of my level pack. It's very short and easy. Almost no platforming required.

There's a hidden room with a token. It's not that hard to find it.

GKZ009.png


I know that some parts of the map lack some detail and adjustements. Due to massive apparition of Hall of Mirrors and hours wasted fighting them, I had to stop and decided to release so that I can receive some feedback and make the changes in a stable map. (EDIT: I'm afraid that my new PC seems to hate both SRB2 and SRB2DB)

GKZ013.png

^ isometric view of the map - taken from SRB2WB

Feel free to comment on it. More images.


(EDIT: BTW, Genesis Keep Zone Act 2...)


Videos
SRB2 ArchPack Dev - A safe place to rest
SRB2 ArchPack Dev - AD NAUSEUM (scrapped idea)
SRB2 ArchPack Dev - It starts green! (new map)


Download from my repository
MAPB0 - Genesis Keep Zone Act 1 - new map - alpha release
 
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Almost no platforming required.
Your problem in a nutshell. Now this is the first level of your pack, so it's perfectly fine that there's not much action on the main path and that most of the content comes from exploration. GFZ does that too. The problem is that you took it too far. As long as I stay on the main path, I can beat the entire level just by running, occasional turning and a grand total of three jumps. For any player who doesn't make the conscious decision to explore your level, it will be almost entirely devoid of content.

The keyword here is "conscious decision". Exploration in your level isn't something that happens naturally, it's a conscious choice the player has to make. Ideally, a level should encourage the player to explore it simply by making him curious. But it's hard to get curious when you're pretty much rushing through the entire level at top speed, so what you need to do is slow the player down on occasion. One way to do this is simply to add more platforming on the main path. Platforming naturally slows the player down and makes him aware of his surroundings. The same is true of vertical springs. This can be accompanied by having the path twist more sharply, so that the player is forced to turn and look at his surroundings from all angles. Another problem is that sometimes you simply hide things too well. Of course, some things - like powerful items - should remain hidden for the attentive players to find. But something like a spring that leads away from the main path and allows you to explore the room should stand out from its surroundings, so that the player has a better chance of seeing it and getting curious. Unfortunately your texturing scheme doesn't help in that regard, because it's pretty hard to make something stand out when the level is clad in so many different colors.

So, to summarize in three words: Slow things down.

On a different note, I found two spots where the path forward was not quite cleear: At the beginning of the right path, there's a staircase that leads down to the beach, but it's very hard to from where you start out, so you should place a line of rings that directs the player towards it. Also on that path, in the sourthernmost room of the level, there's a spot that looks like a path split even though it isn't one.

attachment.php

I know I said earlier that you should encourage the player to explore his surroundings by making things stand out, but this should never confuse the player. In a situation like this one, the player thinks "should I be going left or right?" when instead he should be thinking "okay, I could continue the level by going to the left, but I wonder what's to the right."
 

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Well my opinion my contrast with SpiritCrusher's because I like the fact that you get to explore the environment, the map wasn't really confusing also
SpiritCrusher said:
but this should never confuse the player. In a situation like this one, the player thinks "should I be going left or right?" when instead he should be thinking "okay, I could continue the level by going to the left, but I wonder what's to the right."
I don't think that the area your talking about is to confusing because Ezer Arch made it a short dead end therefore it isn't really a problem (after all you can see the dead end from your position if you turn the camera).
Anyway, Ezer Arch if I was giving this level a mark out of 10 it would be 9/10, it felt a little short but I loved the music as it suited the theme and I like the way you used the floor textures to make the environment feel real or natural.
 
Well my opinion my contrast with SpiritCrusher's because I like the fact that you get to explore the environment
So do I. In fact, that's by far the best thing about the map. Remember that I'm complaining on a very high standard here.

I don't think that the area your talking about is to confusing because Ezer Arch made it a short dead end therefore it isn't really a problem (after all you can see the dead end from your position if you turn the camera).
The fact that a potential confused player won't be confused for long doesn't mean it's not a problem. It's not a huge issue, but it's one that's easy to fix.
 
Correction of my sentence =
TSDude said:
Well my opinion may contrast with SpiritCrusher's because I like the fact that you get to explore the environment
I must have misunderstood your post at first,
SpiritCrusher said:
It's not a huge issue, but it's one that's easy to fix
so are you saying that this is something that should be focused on?
 
Oooh, grassy stage! <3 <3 <3
I like this level. The overall geometry and architecture is very satisfying to look at and to explore, and the texturing is varied in ways I could never have patience for. I really love the layout of some of the rooms, I only wish that sonic moved slower so I could have time to enjoy them without feeling like I'm slowing myself down. But that problem is with the game, I suppose, and not the level. All-in-all, it flows nicely, and paths tend to intertwine which lends to a more open-ended level. Very well done for a first-zone type of stage.

If I am to criticize you on anything, it's this:
-Too short :(
-Music doesn't loop. That's usually not a bother, but when it's THIS short, it should loop, dangit!
-The level flirts with a mystical/magical/enchanted vibe, but it never really achieves it beyond the music, the lovely opening area, that bit at the beginning with the moving hedges (which was a REALLY nice touch, BTW... I think I'll steal it one of these days (if I ever get back into level design)). The rest of the level feels more like Regular Nature Zone. Heck, with a beginning like THAT, I was expecting a lot more hints of habitation/enchantment from the level, but all I got was some really nice geometry, but that's nice, too.

Personally, I'd change the sky from day to night, and plop some cute little round huts here and there, but that's just me. I dunno, in my opinion, little touches like that just make the level feel so much more... alive. And I have a fetish for night time. Don't judge me.
 
Thanks for the comments, I appreciate much.

As for being short. Yes, it is. I had planned to make a short map that were slightly harder and longer than GFZ1, but not this short... When I saw that HOMs started popping up everywhere I decided it was time to stop, I had to destroy a good portion of the final part so that I could release the map for some feedback, or I'd burn out just by fixing HOMs and such.

After I release the 2nd act I will make some changes in the 1st act, for consistency. Let's see if I can add 0'05" in the run by adding more vertical variation, floors and rooms as long as I don't add HOMs along with.

The 2nd act will have more platforming, more vertical variation and less detail... I want to focus on the "shape", not much on beauty.
 
Why do we need a pitifully short and easy tutorial level when we've already played GFZ1 countless times by now?
 
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