Mill Citadel Zone, Act 1, 2 and 3 (scr_millcitadel.wad...)

[Ezer'Arch]

Welcome to the Mill Citadel Zone, a single player map and Contest Winner of March/April 2009 OLDC.

I think Sonic never visited a flour mill factory. Why not to do one?

This level uses as theme a Middle Age atmosphere. Here you'll find crushers, flour conveyors, warehouses, silos, traps... and flour everywhere. There are 2 hidden rooms with tokens, let's see if you can find them by playing the map.

The new version (upcoming)

Once SRBME release is near, I need ideas for new version of Mill Citadel Zone. Tell me what needs to be changed, improved, added or removed. You are welcome.

Some intended changes:

• Wider corridors and more vertical variation;
• Wider rooms after courtyard;
• Open-air gardens near start and end level may be removed;
• "Fairer" traps;
• Fixing blind corner death pits;
• Flour conveyors/channels will be prolonged;
• More rings near end level;
• Music will be replaced.

Screenshots:

Videos, images and comments: Mill Citadel Zone - Album

YouTube video: SRB2 - Mill Citadel Zone

Download:

Mill Citadel Zone (257 KB, zip file)
Mill Citadel Zone, Act 2 - V1 for OLDC (276 KB, zip file)
Mill Citadel Zone, Act 2 - V2 beta 03 (338 KB, zip file)
Mill Citadel Zone, Act 3 (14 KB, zip file)

Additional info:

Level: MAP01, MAP02, MAP03
Type of level: Single player, Co-op and Race
Skill levels: Easy, Normal and Hard

~Ezer'Arch

 

[Little Djermy]

My rating: 9/10

This is a great level with an original theme taste to it. I like the middle age aesthetic style and the level was built very well. I actually like the crushers, but I do think that they should be spread out a little but more in the room where you first encounter them.

PROS: great aesthetic, balanced design, constant and consistent theme, fair enemy placement

CONS: somewhat sketchy crusher placement early in the level, feels shorter than I'd want it to (though that's more of an opinion).

All in all, keep up the good work.

 

[JEV3]

For one thing, I'd like to see the proverbial millstone make an appearance, perhaps with the possibility of Sonic being crushed between them. I'd also like to see water extended quite a bit for some alternate paths. Regardless of whether or not you make the level longer, I'd like to see better integration of alternate paths.

 

[clairebun]

CONS: somewhat sketchy crusher placement early in the level

I'd second this, personally. Although this might be out of my own lameness, I did die from a crusher right when I first started out the level, because it came too suddenly for me to expect and prepare for it.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

I could replace or change the order of rooms. I realized the level starts hard and ends easier, too.

I have seriously to think about it. o.O

I'd like to see the proverbial millstone make an appearance, perhaps with the possibility of Sonic being crushed between them.

You meant... two stone wheels that grind grains between them? Seems an interesting thing.

Although this might be out of my own lameness

BW, run like hell. NOW!

 

[Ice]

You're gonna remove the open air gardens? If anything, then I felt that you needed more of those. But to get this completely clear, what kind of mood are you aiming at here? I'm sure not getting a hostile vibe from the level as it is now. Removing the open air garden parts will push the level toward a more unwelcoming atmosphere, which I fear is a turn in the wrong direction.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

You're gonna remove the open air gardens?

Completely no. I was intending to remove the gardens that are at start and end level.... Frankly Ice, I started to think of removing them after you suggested me a calm and paradisaic (?) tunes to replace the current one. :-/

(Actually, I loved the garden at end level. I won't feel good if I remove it without a better destination. Also, it's in my plans, a level in a paradisaic place or something similar)

If you open the map in DB, you'll see big holes (empty areas) between rooms and corridors. I could take advantage of it and create some explorable areas.

what kind of mood are you aiming at here?

If the problem is mood, I could place a happy millstone at start level.

Anyway, I have to sit and make some sketches before doing anything. Nothing is definitive at the moment.

EDIT:

I think this is enough.

Happy millstone

(Sorry. I'm in LOL mode today)

 

[Ezer'Arch]

For one thing, I'd like to see the proverbial millstone make an appearance, perhaps with the possibility of Sonic being crushed between them.

On request...

... this thing is really heavy and HUGE. It'd need 300 Sonics to fulfill it.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

Mill Citadel Zone Act 2 is receiving some improvements:

- Rooms and parts that weren't added in 1st version will be added now.
- More scenic details
- More hidden items
- More enemies
- New music (let's see if Ice is right)
- And fixes.

This version is unfinished and will receive more things and fixes.

(well, you'll realize there are some unfinished and "weird" parts anyway)

Later I'll take Mill Citadel Zone Act 1 to do something, such as:

- removing the garden near end level (I'm transferring it to the Act 2)
- more explorable areas
- better dimensioning
- new music (let's see if Ice is right, again)
- ... and something else....

 

[Agent Hack]

Did you align your textures like I said you should do?

 

[Ezer'Arch]

Erm... dunno. This level has 6,500 linedefs. Where are you talking about?

(Did you at least play my level, sir?)

BTW, I'm testing boss level. :D

EDIT: Boss level is out.

(screenshot taken in hard mode)

Go to 1st post for downloads, including MCZ2 v2 beta.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

"Isn't it beautiful?"



Plus, MCZ2-v2 Beta03 is out and AFALL1 free. :D

(see 1st post)

 

[Gemini Spark]

That looks... big.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

Because I think BIG.

Just kidding.

I could bet you'll find that central platform a tad small when you start hitting Eggman. It has almost same size as Flame Rift Zone Act 3 of Mystic Realm. It's wide because there are some "obstacles" around. If it doesn't have any hazard/obstacle, I could cut off a half of the its size.

Frankly, MCZ3 was for me the best well made level I made for MCZ. Try to play it in hard mode and use the windows to hit Egg.

 

[Little Djermy]

Wow, I didn't see this. Awesome, more acts. Downloading...

EDIT: I finished playing all of the acts and...

Act I - 9/10
-I still love this level. The flow is fantastic and I still think that the aesthetic works well. I gave it the same score as the first time because I didn't notice any changes.

Act II - 10/10
-Let me just say, there is love in the air. I absolutely loved this act and that ending part with the slides into the red springs was pretty cool; I was close to coming out of that with a spindash into the exit sector. The earlier part with the slides and spike balls made me laugh as I thought, "the creator must have loved this gimmick so much in the first act, they couldn't resist."

Act III - 10/10
-Really, there isn't much you need to do with a boss stage except make the boss function correctly. Nothing more to say here.

All in all, I still love your stage. Although, I think it would be cool if you put an intangible floor in that fountain in the first act?

Offtopic (maybe): when I downloaded every act, I actually combined the stages into one wad; I figured that would be more convenient.

 

[Ezer'Arch]

"the creator must have loved this gimmick so much in the first act, they couldn't resist."

I thought consistency theme was good, but I got the joke. :)

Considering we're playing 3 levels of same zone, I try to repeat the same gimmicks in every act in a new form or in enhanced way.

Mill Citadel uses:
- Theme/Identity: Middle Age grain mill.
- Main scenery element: grain
- Scenery: stone walls and wood
- Hazards: spikes, spikeballs, crushers and isolated deathpits.
- Effects: moving FOFs and currents

In fact, this part you're talking about, it's going to be improved: I want player make a little trip through warehouses and open-air rooms to make the grainslide more interesting. Currently it's just a repetition of MCZ1.

Offtopic (maybe): when I downloaded every act, I actually combined the stages into one wad; I figured that would be more convenient.

I'll be packing all my maps in a mod that will have CTF, Match, Race and Coop maps (total 7 maps). But firstly, I need to see what's in ME; so I stopped editing MCZ. I don't want to lose something interesting that I could use in MCZ, specially Act 2.