Happy Halloween, everyone! This year, I decided to go as someone who just finished his level.
Deep Freeze
(http://i.imgur.com/3mbXQvi.png) (https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvbtknkob3uiyev/Ultigonio%20-%20Deep%20Freeze%20%28version%201.0.5%29.knytt.bin?dl=0)
(...Can be downloaded by clicking here (https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvbtknkob3uiyev/Ultigonio%20-%20Deep%20Freeze%20%28version%201.0.5%29.knytt.bin?dl=0). You'll also need Knytt Stories Plus (http://egomassive.com/ks/) to play this one. If you already have KS+, be absolutely certain that the build you have is relatively recent!)
Two years ago, on this date, I started work on what may be the single most ambitious project I've ever worked on. Deep Freeze is a huge, difficult, and wholly unique Knytt Stories experience that pushes KS and KS+ to their limits in order to produce a wild variety of challenges and puzzles. All these puzzles are based around one distinct idea that gets changed up constantly, keeping the focus tight while making every bit of gameplay feel fresh. I'm hoping that it pushes players just hard enough to be totally engaging, but gives them plenty of time and space to cool down, with the help of a simple, muted aesthetic, and a relaxing soundtrack composed by yours truly.
I've spent hundreds of hours designing, playtesting, and creating assets (custom objects, music, tileset adjustments, the works) for this level, and I've spoken at length in the preview thread about all the thought that's gone into designing it. At the end of it all, I had two goals: finish something big, and create something that my friends on and away from the forum would enjoy. I've already completed one of those goals, and for the other, well... here's to that. Enjoy.
Wow. I'm amazed at how... well... amazing this level is. "Will be remembered as one of the best" is a massive understatement in my opinion; the level design, visuals, and music were all much better than those in any other level i can think of.
...there were a few screw-ups that probably need to be fixed, though.
(http://i.imgur.com/lw1TvYY.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/gCiGZbZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/PGk3NN5.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/AXoEOKN.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/tDUghNB.png)
At last!
I have no doubt in my mind this level will be remembered as one of the best. The lot of you are in for a real treat with this'n.
Oh yeah, and this guy helped out with some of the visual stuff, too! Mostly making varied gradients and adding light details to some of the areas. He also did some playtesting, which is really important because I sincerely don't think this level would be as polished as it is without the input of every single playtester who ran through parts of the level.
@StraightFlame: Holy moly, you really blitzed through the thing, didn't you? Most people took breaks when they played this level! :P
Nevertheless, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. As for those small mistakes on my part...
#1: Whoops! This happens because the screen just above this was added at the last minute.
#2: Intentional. I've been aware of this for a long, long time, and I haven't wanted to get rid of it. Part of me thinks I still should, but I just don't have enough confidence in that thought to do so.
#3: How on earth did that get past me
#4&5: Hoowwww did that get past meeeeeee
also I don't really want players returning to that area
#6: NO, WRONG, I FIXED THAT CEILING. GRRR.
Also, I don't understand why the warp didn't work for you on that screen, I just tested it myself with the warp and all flags enabled and it seemed just fine. Can you show the screen that it did take you to (or maybe I don't quite understand the issue)?
I'll see if I can get away with a quick swap between this new version and the last (I'm hoping that no one else has downloaded the level, yet).
here's a list of things.
Waaaah
This is what I get for bein' rusty and making such a horrendously complex level. Everything should be fixed, now, including one issue you didn't catch. Also, I've updated the aforementioned "feature" to better reward skill and cleverness.
By the way, i noticed that there's a thing at approximately x1010y998 that looks like some kind of unused test area or something like that. Is it some kind of unused test area or something like that?
Not exactly. Much like Lost Vessel was created to allow players to stretch their legs and get used to the Double Jump, this small area was intended to allow players to get a feel for how the Climb powerup functions. Deep Freeze, while pretty hard, is designed to be completely understandable and playable to people who've played only the tutorial area of Knytt Stories. For, I think, three of my playtesters, it was the first KS level they'd ever played, and for another two or three, it was the first KS level they'd played in an incredibly long time. The only KS veterans I had playtest the level were Sergio and Fubaka, whose reactions I used to gauge when something really was too frustrating. Anyway, point is, that brief section was made to help give a bit of freedom for the player to mess around with climbing.
Ultimately, I ended up scrapping any sort of connection to the area because Exit Plan is a fairly easy area anyway (relative to The Trench), and getting the flag work for artifacts to be fully functional can be a major hassle if you haven't planned well in advance for it. Look seven screens in any direction from the start of Exit Plan, and you'll see why.
However, I am stuck on Lost Vessel. I only have 28 coins Is there something obvious I'm missing on where to find the code to unlock the barrier? I've gone through every puzzle twice and I've yet to see anything. Was it earlier in the level?
Look a little more carefully at the background of three specific screens!
x1004y1003 Beamed into top row of wall and lived
x996y1001 x4y6 SGE
x1005y995 x5y7, x6y7 SGEs
x999y993 x6y4 SGE
x997y987 x15y9 SGE
x995y961 Can warp into wall of screen below and live
x1002y966 The missing ground is below the button is too cruel with all the other things that have to be moved and avoided.
x996y965 Wall above the left laser is non-lethal
x999y957 Block isn't accompanied by Arabic numerals which is inconsistent.
x1003y1010 Beamed into x1004y1010 at the top and lived in wall.
I can't find a solution, any hints?
Sure.
The tan-colored blocks will teleport you to the glowing beacon in a given screen. In order to get past the pink guy in the left region of the screen, you're going to want to take the left shift into that little "shelf" just under the higher tan block (being sure to hold left against the wall so you don't slip into the spot with the pink guy). If the issue you're having is that you're not able to get the left shift into the aforementioned alcove, then what you'll want to do is pull the pink guy in the middle of the screen over to the left. To do so, you'll need to turn invisible use the left shift, jump just before it fires off so you can get over the big purple guy, then throw down a hologram and fall into the tan block off to the left.
It's a bit hard to explain through words, so this might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXMilAGllVk
I note that it is possible to improve the game in my opinion:
- Musical accompaniment is generally true, but the music irritated after a long game.
- Many areas of confusing and featureless (eg when there are red disappearing blocks).
- Graphics walls and empty fields merge, it creates a bad impression.
- From the ending you expect something more.
P.S. I apologize in advance if the message is not clear. It has been translated by Google Translator.
Incredible level!!! I didn't feel any bumps in difficulty, everything felt very polished. The only gripe I had sometimes is that I had to turn off the music to hear the teleports ticking and was forgetting to turn it back on. Speaking of which, the music is also great!
Save spot needed at x997y992 (especially after you return from the teleporter).
x997y998 - if you climb (or teleport) up on the left side of the screen, you get into a wall-swim and various voids.
Bugs after you activate the secret that makes you invisible:
1) Void if you climb right wall of x989y1004.
2) You get stuck if you go back to that room that made you invisible and use the teleporter back into the level, because you don't have a single artifact or key. The toast way is blocked with a block, because flag 0 is also reset when this 'restart' happens.
3) I don't like the idea of recollecting everything. Why not only make the player invisible? By that time I already had all red artifacts.
Incredible level!!! I didn't feel any bumps in difficulty, everything felt very polished. The only gripe I had sometimes is that I had to turn off the music to hear the teleports ticking and was forgetting to turn it back on. Speaking of which, the music is also great!
Save spot needed at x997y992 (especially after you return from the teleporter).
x997y998 - if you climb (or teleport) up on the left side of the screen, you get into a wall-swim and various voids.
Bugs after you activate the secret that makes you invisible:
1) Void if you climb right wall of x989y1004.
2) You get stuck if you go back to that room that made you invisible and use the teleporter back into the level, because you don't have a single artifact or key. The toast way is blocked with a block, because flag 0 is also reset when this 'restart' happens.
3) I don't like the idea of recollecting everything. Why not only make the player invisible? By that time I already had all red artifacts.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Part of me wants to turn the music down, but then it ends up being too quiet for general listening. It's a shame there's not a way to duck the music while the ticks play.
Re:save point: Fair. I'll add one there.
Re: x997y998: Wow, that's a nice find! Unfortunately, I have absolutely no clue on how to fix it. Any ideas?
1) Oops!
2) ?????? I'll look into that.
3) Understandable. My only issue with that is that there isn't much point to just being invisible if you've already collected everything.
Good job on finding this secret, by the way!
Trading in the cyan artifacts wouldn't be a bad idea. At this point, it's a bit of a struggle for me to even open up Deep Freeze, so I'm not sure I'll bother, but it's good food for thought.