Community Project Dev Thread [DONE]

Alright well so far as I got it seemed pretty alright. There was this one spot with some tiles that probs shouldn't have been there:

Spoiler

And if you want I can give you a .tsc of Pyramid3 with fewer spikes in the alternatingspiketerrortunnel @escaping.
As well, in grit zone where you first get the machine gun the HV is right at the bottom tile and so if you get even near the bottom it'll trigger and make you fall, I can give you an edited .pxe that'll place that HV one block lower so it's just off-map.

Anyway I got as far as this

Spoiler

And decided I don't like stupid bullshit water levels that you have to redo a million times so I quit.

 

Just played through a lot of it, and I'm at the glitch zone now. A few things I noticed:

Spoiler

Safe zone
-Jack talks too much, and you can miss some of his text if you're a slow reader. I would suggest putting <NODs after every three lines. It happens with Itoh too I think.

Fall
-the new booster message is nice, but I think the booster should just get equipped automatically, like in the pyramid pack. This goes for every time the booster is received.

Pyramid
-in the map with misery in it, it is possible to go above the map via the breakable blocks and heavy presses near the middle. Maybe you could make the blocks unbreakable until the apocalypse is activated?

Zangetsu
-what nox said
-for the second map, the statue talking about beds seems a little too blatant, at least in my opinion. What about something like this?:
"Rest is very important.
It resets the mind."
-I really don't like the message at the beginning informing the player about a trap beneath them. I think the player is given enough time to realize that something's up, but I suppose it is kind of mean. I would get rid of either the message or the spike.

So yeah that should be it up until mr glitchy pack. I also tested Ketsu(ekigetsu) a few times, and the moving bridge seems to be working fine.
Looking forward to playing the rest.

 

Spoiler

Fall
-the new booster message is nice, but I think the booster should just get equipped automatically, like in the pyramid pack. This goes for every time the booster is received.

The achievement for this area being to finish the map without equipping the booster, it's not possible for that map. And since we can't change standards just like that, it's also not possible for the others.

 

Okay so after a day of feedback discussion in IRC, I've ironed out a whole new load of changes and bug fixes, most of which I had inadvertently created on my own The result is another new 'final' build with another small fix, which I pray has nothing terrible left in it and yet again shows significant improvement. Thanks to everyone who helped, I wouldn't have been able to find all of these problems on my own.

Here is another list of alterations:

Spoiler

-Added more <NODs to all lengthy dialogue [General]
-Made all tiles invisible once more, and instead gave the player a Blade to
help them feel their way [Map 12/Void]
-Added in a background tile to make the life capsule jump slightly easier [Map
29/Rest Station]
-Moved fall-checking triggers offscreen so the play does not 'die' while still
visible [Map 14, 16]
-Removed spike and alert message upon entering [Map 18/Yorugetsu]
-Fixed the moving block to the right entity number [Map 19/Mayogetsu]
-Blocked off pointless trap near top of map [Map 20/Zangetsu]
-Changed non-lethal falls to <MYBs [Map 18, 19, 20]
-Changed the red blocks in PrtHell to be solid [Map 4/Perseverence]
-Added a sign to indicate where to go [Map 7/Underground River]
-Made currents slightly more forgiving [Map 7]
-Gave an indication that the mandatory part of the mod is over [Map 24/ToT 2F
Side 1]
-Fixed minor wording error [Map 26/Stat Ponrit]
-Added extra flag and the Reset Zapper to BMMJ reset event [Map 27/Fs Caeirtv]
-Made it possible to reach the final save again [Map 27]
-Used <FOM to return the focus to Quote at the end, hopefully fixing the
glitches that were happening upon leaving the Safe House v2 door [Map 27]
-Switched escape mechanism from the Booster 2.0 in the menu to the save points
[Map 27, 28, 29]
-Changed an errant <SNP to <SMP (may fix yet more glitchery) [Map 33/Mainframe]

As I stated last time, I have not explicitly tested all of these from the start of the game, so it's up to you all to do so. Those of you who haven't played to the very end and don't want to restart should be able to copy a v1.1.0 save over without any troubles, but anyone still on v1.0.0 *coughGIRcough* should really start over because the differences are pretty severe now. Use the Trainer or change some <TRAs if you don't want to spend forever doing it again, all I'm after is feedback.

We also discovered several new things, including madness due to using the Booster 2.0 to <TRA from the menu, so it wasn't a wholly wasted experience The only major error we were not able to solve is the one involving the weapons menu when empty, as seen here; however, we were able to narrow it down to it probably happening somewhere in Noxid and Lace's Temple or the 'sleep room', based on the fact that in my old saves the menu problem was occurring after completing it but not before. This is not set in stone, so if you do play through from the start try to remember to check the weapons menu at the start of each new map and mention when/if it first happens. Same rules about editing from all earlier versions still apply. Aside from that I think I've scotched everything, so if we can keep up the momentum and fix this that would be an excellent result.

 

The Fall:
- Room 2 doesn't have the preview feature the first had. Why?
- Make the booster auto equip upon taking. To make it so people can still have the choice of not taking it, just add a little y/n into the chest dialog. (You see a booster inside. Do you really feel the need to take it?) Also have the path to the next section open so investigating the chest isn't a mustdo (annoying if you die frequently).

Grit Zone:
- Part 3 of tutorial says you fail if you go above the screen. Maybe that was just the way I wanted to go!
- I understand this is probably a pretty big part of the grit zone in the creator's eyes, but why oh why does the puppy tile maze exist? It led me to two very frustrating scenarios, in addition to being irritating in and of itself. SITUATION ONE: Took the low road, saw a small exit door, went through it to the land of green bird and white door, saw the puppy tiles, navigated my way though, and ended up back at the start point. Either this first maze should be removed entirely (because the mod is about machine gunning and being able to skip some of that is stupid) or there should be a signpost that says "WAY BACK TO START". ngah. SITUATION TWO: I got to the second maze, went after the sparkley, got it, and couldn't figure out what to do. This is because the optional sparkle was made far far more visible than the place where I actually needed to go (which I didn't see at all). That should be an easy fix.
-Wind area isn't the most fun in the world.

Pyramid:
- Intro seems out of place when meshed with the rest of everything
- When cthulhu goes through his weapon offering dialog for the second time, it should probably be shortened to "Do you want the machine gun?" or "Machine gun?" instead of the rather lengthier first time thang.
- I tried to enter the first floor and ended up in a bedroom :[

Getsus:
- Good!

And I'm bored of playing now, so I'll stop.

 

- I tried to enter the first floor and ended up in a bedroom :[

I blame you for making me test something that I already knew didn't work >:[ Fix, again. I'll have a response to the rest shortly.

Spoiler

The Fall:
-The drops aren't nearly as long and/or hard. You're supposed to use the chains as a guide for where to land.
-Ugh I don't know why everyone keeps complaining about this, it's not like they auto-equipped in the original game

Grit Zone:
-Good for you
-I'll put another signpost in, even though there's already that one near the start that explains how there are two different paths
-Well I tried my best to improve it. Did anyone like the maze area that leads to the secret? I always thought that part was really good.

Pyramid:
-I tried to tie them together while retaining your original work, so that's the way it's staying.
-No
-See above

Getsus:
-Good!

EDIT: v.1.2.1
Changes:

Spoiler

-Made item-giving event show the right item and switch the Blade with the Nemesis [Map 12/Void]
-Changed a tile at the second spike ditch to make the jump slightly easier [Map 12]
-Removed the first spike on the left wall of the falling section [Map 12]
-Made 'easy' passage block itself off at the same time as the closing wall event starts [Map 14/Grit Zone]

 

I'm in the grit zone, i have the arms barrier and the ten extra bullets. I have no idea where i'm supposed to be going. I just appear to be going round in circles.

 

Great I bet blocking the passage off made it confusing as to where the other path came out You're supposed to go to the right, past the Crows and up through the spikes. There's a heal house right after. I think they're already technically possible to avoid, but I'll go ahead and remove a couple of them anyway just so it doesn't look like it's 'meant' to do damage.

(Not just yet, I'd prefer to wait and see if I have to make more changes first.)

 

Okay so if nobody has anything else to add now I'm going to make that one change, have a final crack at trying to fix the menu error and label the project 'done' ones and for all. I'll still be willing to fix things after this, but will wait no longer for issues to be brought up.

 

I mean i saw the gap through to the new area, but as you say, it looks like damage is inevitable. I'm quite sure a few of the members of this forum can make it past 4 or 5 spikes, with the same spikes one tile above.....Using...A machine gun. But for any mortal sane individual i'm pretty sure it's ridiculous.

One comment i will make, that i noticed while playing it at some parts. We as a whole really have no idea how to make a challenge catered to just your average cave story player. That's what this is for guys, the kid who just got past hell after a billion attempts, or the kid who gave up on hell and played this instead. Whereas we're all post hell and could do it in our sleep. And considering i'm only on like the third area or soemthing, i'm sure theres much worse to come. For the intended market, much of this game is unplayable.

 

I'm pretty sure that there's at lease one more thing that I could bitch about but I have, but I still need to play the last version. I have conflicts, you know

But anyways although I haven't been following this thread so much and this might have been answered/fixed already, has anything been done to the Grit Zone teleporter? Because since the last time I've played it *cough v1.0 cough* there was absolutely no use for it rather than going back to where you first were. Shouldn't there at least be some award like some extra ammo or a life tank?

 

One comment i will make, that i noticed while playing it at some parts. We as a whole really have no idea how to make a challenge catered to just your average cave story player. That's what this is for guys, the kid who just got past hell after a billion attempts, or the kid who gave up on hell and played this instead. Whereas we're all post hell and could do it in our sleep. And considering i'm only on like the third area or soemthing, i'm sure theres much worse to come. For the intended market, much of this game is unplayable.

I can only speak for myself, but after playing Cave Story the first time and then going back to the early areas everything up to Sand Zone felt lacking in challenge. There are some harder parts, but I think for the most part Take 8 shouldn't be too difficult for anyone who was completed the original before. I've also made it easier several times already while working on it, so I'm running out of options that don't involve rebalancing the whole thing

But anyways although I haven't been following this thread so much and this might have been answered/fixed already, has anything been done to the Grit Zone teleporter? Because since the last time I've played it *cough v1.0 cough* there was absolutely no use for it rather than going back to where you first were. Shouldn't there at least be some award like some extra ammo or a life tank?

I added it in as a sort of a let-down joke because I couldn't think of anything better to do. There aren't really any more items to give that will help with Grit Zone, and rewarding the player with more items that don't actually do anything would feel like an empty gesture. Would a Life Pot be too generous?

 

Take 8 v1.2.2

Final list of changes:

Spoiler

-Added a single-use health terminal as a reward for not using the Booster 0.8 [Map 29/Rest Station]
-Removed some spikes in 'unpassable' section [Map 14/Grit Zone]
-Changed teleporter to a Life Pot [Map 16/Grit Zone Dust Storm]
-Added a 'reward' after the final scene for completing the area without healing [Map 24/ToT 2F Side 1]

I hadn't had time to work on this since Friday, but here it is. I'll attempt to contant Tyrone tomorrow morning when I can think straight, as well as maybe updating the OP and adding in some kind of readme.

 

I don't suppose you made the booster autoequip? I know you don't think it's a big deal but everyone else seems to want it.
@Miles I've never beaten hell and this wasn't too too super hard for me.