Mort 1: Doomship Dilemma

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Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

Looking forward to trying this tonight; will comment as soon as I do :)
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szemi
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Post by szemi »

And play with my Mort 2 and 3,too.
Yeah, piece of cake!
Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

This was a fun one :) Really liked the color patch and all that orange: gave it both a Keen 6 feeling while also being much 'hotter', kind of a "Mercury Xax" type thing. The purples are also really nice.

Really liked that patched guard robot, shooting vertically like that is genius.

The levels were nice; without a large cast of enemies and being unable to shoot, I was surprised by how much I liked them. Some were very hard, a few mazes I didn't like, but overall I really enjoyed the puzzles that used switches and clever tile useage (I'm not really a fan of the in-level teleport though).

Nice idea for gathering some ship parts while also collecting crystals.

The end game was a neat surprise; really liked that you used the Keen and Mort graphics in the text box (not to mention the end screen is very well drawn, as is the title screen).

All in all, I like, and think I'll replay just to look at the great color combinations again :)
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Levellass
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Post by Levellass »

From you sir, there's no higher praise.
There is one very challenging maze and at least two levels were there are dozens of teleports and switches, making a great challenge in store for those levels.
Urgh, the teleport maze is doable, I didn't have too much trouble. LL's switch-teleport maze I only did once, and I have no idea how. It's hell, but I needed the level.
Level design is also a definitely plus. The levels are designed very well, especially the more difficult levels.
*Writes down* Don't... do... own... levels. Got it. :p
I also found it amusing that when the game is over, it calls me a loser!
Dr Villain again I'm afraid. What a joker!
The new sound effects are great. I found it refreshing that you decided to change the sounds, rather then using the sounds from the original Keen.
I was getting tired of them, and hey, I'd just spent two weeks on Keen-sound program, how could I resist?
While I was playing the game, out of nowhere, random sections of the levels would all of a sudden start blinking, as if they were trying to convert back to their original tiles.
Sounds like a tileinfo error to me, but very strange, can anyone confirm this?
When I entered the teleport I got stuck. The only way to get unstuck was to start the game all over.
That'll be the teleport-only maze, can you screenshot me the offending teleport? I tried to test this level, and was assured it worked, but I suspect it has more than one bug in it.
In the same level, when I go through a few of the teleports, the entire screen turns to the orange tiles and the patches blink, just like I mentioned in #1. When Mort moves a few steps, then the level reappears. This is annoying.
The exit is too close to the level edge, the game gets confused, to change it would involve rearranging quite a bit of the level, so sadly I had to leave it in.
In the same level, there is a section that seems unreachable. There are two orange force arrows. On the right of them are 4 green soda pops, 3 (or more?) pizzas and 3 (or more?) teleports in single file. I could not find a way to reach this area. Was the bugged(?) teleport supposed to lead to the area? Is there a secret passage (I found all the others) that is supposed to lead to this area? Was this area made unreachable intentionally? Or was this one of those half finished levels you mentioned and this area was not finished accidentally?
Directly above the area there is a secret passage that makes you fall down, you can grab the pizzas before being teleported out. The green sodas are unreachable. The entrance is just to the right of the two orange teleports together below the two blue teleports together.
There is another level where at the very beginning you have to flip a switch to extend a long bridge. Once you get past the 2 orange doors, pass the book and the tank robot replacement, you get to a green lava pool with 2 donuts above it. Is it possible to get to these donuts without dying?
No, they're there to tempt you to your doom.
I beg to differ with this. On the world map there is a level shaped like a teleport. I found 2 bugs in this level. First, there is a keycard bug. When I grab the orange keycard instead of collecting it, it gives me points for it. It even makes the same sound it makes when you grab a point item. Because of this I cannot open the orange door. Since there is a purple keycard and switch behind this door, this bug makes the level unsolvable.
You're probably right, if it's the infamous 'purple level'; I totally gave up on that one.
Secondly, for some strange reason, on certain switches, when I go to flip them, it will exit the level instead of turning the switch on and off. This doesn't always happen with those switches. It happens randomly. This is another reason the level is unsolvable.
They WHAT? Good Lord!
Above your name on the world map there is a single level. The whole upper right of the level seems unreachable. Is there a secret passage I do not know about, or is this one of the half finished levels you mentioned?
Aaah, the 'bonus' level, yes almost half the right side of the level is blocked off.

This makes me wonder, do Keeners by default expect ALL the candy in a level to be get-able? Because this will impact on my level designing for Zoltan.
What you really need, not what you think you ought to want.
Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

Levellass wrote:This makes me wonder, do Keeners by default expect ALL the candy in a level to be get-able? Because this will impact on my level designing for Zoltan.
I did, and try to make this possible in all my mods. Doing otherwise for me only discourages players from collecting points. I think the only mod where I've actively pursued points is "A New Dope" only because I needed the extra lives. Other than that, I've had too many "I got the points, but I'm also dead" moments which have kept me from going after points in most mods.
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Syllypryde
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Post by Syllypryde »

Levellass wrote:Urgh, the teleport maze is doable, I didn't have too much trouble. LL's switch-teleport maze I only did once, and I have no idea how. It's hell, but I needed the level.
I liked this level. In fact, I liked all the levels.
Sounds like a tileinfo error to me, but very strange, can anyone confirm this?
Tulip has already confirmed at least two bugs on this level.
That'll be the teleport-only maze, can you screenshot me the offending teleport? I tried to test this level, and was assured it worked, but I suspect it has more than one bug in it.
If I knew how to do a screenshot I would be more than happy to, but I do not know how. I could just explain where it is as best as I can.
The exit is too close to the level edge, the game gets confused, to change it would involve rearranging quite a bit of the level, so sadly I had to leave it in.
I understand. I will just have to live with it.
Directly above the area there is a secret passage that makes you fall down, you can grab the pizzas before being teleported out. The green sodas are unreachable. The entrance is just to the right of the two orange teleports together below the two blue teleports together.
I already did find the secret passage that drops down to the 3 rows of 3 pizzas and the 3 blue teleports at the bottom. I was more interested in finding out if all the things on the right of the orange force arrows were reachable, and if I understood you correctly you just said it was not.
No, they're there to tempt you to your doom.
I am a greedy point hog, so it did tempt me, but only a few times.
You're probably right, if it's the infamous 'purple level'; I totally gave up on that one.
I like this level and I am determined to beat it, but as long as those two bugs I mentioned are still present, the level is unsolvable.
Aaah, the 'bonus' level, yes almost half the right side of the level is blocked off.

This makes me wonder, do Keeners by default expect ALL the candy in a level to be get-able? Because this will impact on my level designing for Zoltan.
I cannot speak for other Keeners, but no, I do not expect every single item to be obtainable. I also do not expect every single area in a level to be obtainable either. But at the same time, I find it quite disappointing to play a level and 50% or more of a level is unreachable. I am not a modder myself, but I would like to think that one of the many reasons to create a mod and/or create levels is to have other people play them. I am sure a lot of hard work and valuable time goes into creating levels. Wouldn't it be discouraging to a modder to spend all that time creating a level that is practically unplayable? I am not a big fan of blatantly unreachable things. But I do like the "tempt you to your doom" types of level designs.

Do not get me wrong. The "bonus level" is playable. It is still a fun level. Despite a few minor criticisms, I enjoyed this mod and intend to finish it and play it again.

Patrick
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Post by Genius314 »

I spent like an hour trying to write down what every switch did in the teleporter level.
The switch that is behind the blue door, next to the green key, doesn't always do what it's supposed to. It's supposed to activate the bridge behind the green door, but it doesn't.
And yes, the orange key is just an item, not a key.
Other than that, I think the level IS finishable, but I'm not entirely sure.
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Syllypryde
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Post by Syllypryde »

Genius314 wrote:I spent like an hour trying to write down what every switch did in the teleporter level.
The switch that is behind the blue door, next to the green key, doesn't always do what it's supposed to. It's supposed to activate the bridge behind the green door, but it doesn't.
And yes, the orange key is just an item, not a key.
Other than that, I think the level IS finishable, but I'm not entirely sure.
Quite a few switches do not do what they are supposed to do. A few of the switches when I flip them, it exits the level instead of turning on or off. How the hell am I supposed to make it to the end of the level if flipping switches continues to make me exit the level and I constanly have the start the level over?
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Roobar
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Post by Roobar »

Illegal? Keen 1 is free!...
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Grimson
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Post by Grimson »

I tried this as well (now working, yay!), and I got to say, it's quite impressive. I really liked the title and the ending screens, much like people before me ( :p ), and the levels were very well done. I did get irritated by the mazes a few times though, especially in the teleport level. It seemed impossible to me, and...it was :dead
"All those thousands upon thousands of junk foods made for me on the various planets I explored make me wonder how I'm still alive."
Genius314
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Post by Genius314 »

Syllypryde wrote:Quite a few switches do not do what they are supposed to do. A few of the switches when I flip them, it exits the level instead of turning on or off. How the hell am I supposed to make it to the end of the level if flipping switches continues to make me exit the level and I constanly have the start the level over?
All of the switches do something, although not all are necessary, and a lot have to be avoided in order to beat the level. If you can manage to flip them all without the level exiting, then you should be fine, except for the orange key.

I actually drew a map of the entire level, which switches change what bridges, and which ones to avoid. It's a bit confusing with all the arrows pointing everywhere, but if anyone wants it, I have it.
Illegal? Keen 1 is free!...
Probably sarcasm. She's just joking about the fact that she pointlessly left it out.
...or not? This is Levellass we're talking about. :p
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DaVince
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Post by DaVince »

Iv4n wrote:Illegal? Keen 1 is free!...
It's illegal to modify the Keen executables in any way and then redistribute it - if you UNLZEXE the Keen executables, effectively that's modifying them, isn't it?
Wow look at me I'm lurking
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Levellass
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Post by Levellass »

UPDATE: Replaced download with 'debugged' version (I really need some better beta testers.) Improvements are:


* Level 1: Almost (Almost!) impossible to exit level without getting pogo

* Teleport maze: Fixed a broken teleport, bottles now gettable, improved the exit

^ Switch level: Fixed card bug, added a secret 'shortcut' if you fall for it.

* Bonus level: Now mostly do-able

* Castle 'death candy' now gettable(?), if you're careful. Do not expect such kindness from me again. (Or is it?)

* Did my own level for once, do tell me how it turns out?

* Broke the law by including a Keen executable ;p


Get it at the same Keen location: http://levellord.toxicsheep.com/MORT.zip
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tulip
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Post by tulip »

Your own level turned out very well. You might be amused that I fell to my death first time I reached the red door.
Image You crack me up little buddy!
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Post by Dr. Kylstein »

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