-Welp, i know you made the sub-maps before the campaign, but the transition from the starglade to solemn's sanctuary or bonechillers barrow are very noncredible. I mean, that ice trolls go that deep into ashenvale to the foot of the world tree? Or that big desert came out from one day to the next one. This one is a bit nitpicky, since you gave an explanjation within the campain why this is the case. It was a bit offsetting for me, at least.
Good point, but also hard to fix properly. i could add a "transitioning area" to each submap, so that the forest ctually changes into desert slowly, but that might just be a waste of time. at the same time, I don't see this as a large issue, but it might be something to think of when polishing the map sometime in the future.
-This could go into the bug section, but the music sometimes stop working or the wrong one is played (Frorest temple for the later). That most time happens after either deaths or room transitions. Could be an enter/leave area-issue.
I've had lots of issues with the music. Which maps did this happen in?
~I can't say if it is a good or bad thing, but the lost woods-theme in the forest temple, while making a nicely puzzle, is somehow unfitting, while it enables the puzzle. In Okarina of time, it was Saria's song which lead you to her place. In this setting, this isn't the case. It is much less a contrast in the campaign setting, because a likely theme was played in starglade, but the contrast to the temple itself if huge (more so if, like said above, does sometimes get played in the temple itself)
Good point. Perhaps I should move this to be a side puzzle in the map instead of a main event, and add something new instead of the music labyrinth in the beginning.
~Well, this isn't your fault, but a Wc3-Engine one, but it has to be said that this aren't responsive controls. You did your best to fiddle it out as much as possible, but the limitations are sometimes taking their toll (Even more so when you haven't much space for mistakes)
Yeah, I hate this. The 0.25 second delay can't be fixed. :/
That's also played a part in me creating the cursor movement, as that has no delay.
~You could add the Catapult controls to the ESC-Key, like you did in bonechiller burrow. It makes handling the mechanic easier
Good idea! I will do something like this.
+If i would pick a mechanic that is my favorite, i would say its the codeword one. It was one of theses riddles which kept you guessing till you pay attention to the right piece, congrats on that one!
Thanks! I'm really proud of it too, but you are the first one that seems to appreciate it as much as I.
-On this one the enemies felt quite underwhelming. Between the inv. shade and the soldiers/skeletons, there were only 1 or 2 variations. I would recomment throwing the ghost from solemn's simulacrum into a fight with some other skeletal enemies, since that could pice a fight up a bit.
Understandable. I'm currently working on loads of enemies that was planned for future maps, but this shows that some more variations are needed in this one too.
~Some of the edges of the slipperly ledge feld more sensitive than others. it felt like you used regions to determinate whenever you fell in or not, because on some corners you had more room for mistakes than on the other. That discrepancy caused me with my more risky playstyle to fall abit, since i tried to cut the corners and felt it was possible. consistency is always valueable, since it let players count onj what is possible and what not (e.g. Everyone will be suprised when they find a very fast, big baddy when all before that are somehow slow.)
I actually didn't use regions, but maybe I should. Then I could adjust them a bit.
Right now, the game detects when you are no longer on cliff level 2 in that room, and then defeats you.
~While i liked the malfurion guard the most, he was, compared to the other ones, quite a difficulty spike, mainly because of the 90 damage all three birds could do on a dircet hit, with the possibility of a double attack. See my comment on consistency above. I could see a buff to the archer one, which hasn't really done much.
I like the malfurion boss, but yeah I might at least nerf the damage a tiny bit. I hadn't thought of the archer, but I'll see if I should buff her.
-I told you about the bug, but it is possible to kill the tree of eternity. This softlocks you, since you cannot accept the quest to go to the forest temple anymore.
-After I came back from Bonechiller's burrow, i hadn't taken my stat progress with me. It seemed like i reverted to the state i had when coming back from solemn's sanctuary. (My 220HP, 18dmg 120% dmg warden
)
-if you go to the upper left edge of the first big room of the burrow (Where the thrones are), you can see through the wall. This is nothing too serious, but could hamper the immersion.
-When you enter the Lich fight, 3 soul gems spawn. I believe thats a forgotten part of the former implementation as single map.
-When the shadow ancient builds up, i can attack it and deal damage to it, wlthough it says that it is invulnerable. This made the fight a matter of 10 seconds.
Will be fixed!
-In the Lich fight, under some circumstances, you are not imprisonement in ice, but you still take damage over time.
The boss might be redone from scratch, with the same abilities, but new more safe triggering.
-When you solve the second part of the color-puzzle, the special effect and the "well done" are played in loop until the end of the level
That's embarrasing, thought I fixed this already...
-For me, this is a big one. Where the map iself features good fights with normal mobs and nice puzzles, it falls really dissapointing considering its bosses. You really need to keep in mind that the player will use any recource on that battle, and while you gave them nice features, many of them felt meaningless because the bosses are not punishing at all (The Boss in dark depths is an exeption but just because of its tentacle-trap with the exclamation mark, but this one isn't in the campaign now). It is no problem to run straight into their face and beat the crap out of them, just running away at the occositional spell or death zone they throw at you. And having 5 deaths left to death par to tank it doesn't help at all. Mobility, invulnerable states (All bosses in Legend of zelda relies on this), faster death zones (like the illidan guardian in forest temple) or just more brute force to their attack (like with the malfurion guardian in forest temple). In fact, it went so far that i saw me taking more damage when i try to play conservative than to go straight face-rush mode with utilizing stun duration.
This is a thing that have bathered many before you, and I absolutely agree with you.
I think I will revisit all bosses after I finish my current update.
Things I will aim for to include in a boss:
-Flashy and the feeling of powerful abilities.
-Feeling like you can deal a bunch of damage, and really slash down the boss, but not as it currently is now. Perhaps invulnerability on some bosses while they are not stunned is the answer.
-Punish immobile players, and those who just ignore avoiding abilities and goes straight into the bosses face to get it down.
Thanks a lot for this in-depth review! This really helped me a lot, and gave me inspirtaion to continue and pointed out good things to fix.
Awesome review!
Approved
