Beta 4: Dr. Demented's Den

[RobSeegel]

353E323A2C3D30332B30311F3C302771313A5F0 wrote: oh goodness I've done it again in 15303 I accidentally killed myself  (jack) by falling down the leftmost shaft. This shuts off the zappers allowing me to go where or when I shouldn't as in up to 15103, where I hadn't previously ventured to shut off the appropriate zappers. On trying to return from said error Jack gets trapped in a no win situation.  ........Sorry....movie attached

Jim  (do you hate me yet )

Nope... don't hate you - how else would I learn about these crazy things? 

This is something that has been circulated around the mansion maintainers/designers.  Vern was looking into whether or not Jack should be able to cause triggers to fire during accidental/incidental plunges to his death.  I'm not sure what the final action was on this, but if so the final candidate would potentially have a fix. In any case, I have an idea for fixing these cases that won't depend on that.

Thanks!

[VernJensen]

>>I've never warmed to the idea that keys can be invisible in *any* room... even if there's the music and light show. It's just the single thing I think shouldn't be invisible.<<

I would agree with you when it comes to invisible T triggers, since there's no hint that a key is there, at all. But with the music/light show, a player at least knows he needs to do something in that room. The idea comes from the Legend of Zelda, where they do the same thing.

I think that, given how the map screen now shows the sparkley lights (if you haven't completed that room yet), it's just as obvious on the map screen as a key would be. So if you're lost, wondering where to go next, and you check your map, it'll be obvious just as much.

>>If I had to say, that's the single thing in the sequel that I like least. Ghosts are a close second.<<

Yeah, I'd agree. Some things I try, and they aren't that great. For example, one thing I didn't end up liking from the original MM, is the

move torch flame

action for brick switches. You could hop on a brick switch to get a flame to move from torch to torch. It ended up feeling weird when a room was designed around this. But it's still in the game.

I think for MM3, I should take some of those things *out* to make it better. Maybe including ghosts. Thing is I like the ghost graphics, so I wonder what other movement the ghosts could have instead? Everything I can think of would end up being just like the medusa heads...

Thanks for the bug/glitch reports. I've fixed them all, both in normal and easy. Except for the crashing. I'll look into that. But you're right, it almost certainly has to do with the question mark by the sign. Thanks!

[VernJensen]

>>This is something that has been circulated around the mansion maintainers/designers.  Vern was looking into whether or not Jack should be able to cause triggers to fire during accidental/incidental plunges to his death.  I'm not sure what the final action was on this, but if so the final candidate would potentially have a fix. In any case, I have an idea for fixing these cases that won't depend on that.<<

I didn't end up adding naything to the game, because no one seemed to need it.

However, I *can* still add a checkbox to T triggers that says

Activate only if jack is on solid ground

. Which would allow you to indicate for *some* triggers that they activate only if he's currently on solid ground. Would that be helpful to add?

[RobSeegel]

I think that, given how the map screen now shows the sparkley lights (if you haven't completed that room yet), it's just as obvious on the map screen as a key would be. So if you're lost, wondering where to go next, and you check your map, it'll be obvious just as much.

I'd forgotten about that! Yeah.. that helps.

[RobSeegel]

083B2C30143B302D3B305E0 wrote: >>This is something that has been circulated around the mansion maintainers/designers.  Vern was looking into whether or not Jack should be able to cause triggers to fire during accidental/incidental plunges to his death.  I'm not sure what the final action was on this, but if so the final candidate would potentially have a fix. In any case, I have an idea for fixing these cases that won't depend on that.<<

I didn't end up adding naything to the game, because no one seemed to need it.

However, I *can* still add a checkbox to T triggers that says

Activate only if jack is on solid ground

. Which would allow you to indicate for *some* triggers that they activate only if he's currently on solid ground. Would that be helpful to add?

Would that be true for ladders as well? If so, then yes that would be useful. Otherwise, if this is where I think it is, I was considering putting a coin on the ladder towards the very top of the screen and using the existing rule you have in place for the triggers. So long as Jack hasn't just come down the final ladder, then the trigger shouldn't accidentally fire. I've used this trick other places.

[RobSeegel]

01373F3B7F1C33263B2437520 wrote: Could you just replace the falling platforms with something else?

Yep... I could and did. Good idea

Unfortunately, the way I originally intended it to work required the something else to be sprites, and something that Jack could land on. Originally I had been using floating switches, which must have looked odd (Anthony pointed it out), but I missed the detail because I was using the game in window mode. The change appears to work but I wonder about potential issues elsewhere. I first saw the problem in Basanos.

[RobSeegel]

5C575B534554595A4259587655594E185853360 wrote: oh goodness I've done it again in 15303 I accidentally killed myself  (jack) by falling down the leftmost shaft. This shuts off the zappers allowing me to go where or when I shouldn't as in up to 15103, where I hadn't previously ventured to shut off the appropriate zappers. On trying to return from said error Jack gets trapped in a no win situation. 

It looks like you're still using the older version - I'd almost forgotten how many zappers and ladders were there... but the same situation would still happen. Serves me right for putting a visual cue on my triggers.

I think I have a fix for this, but I'll have to experiment and be more careful about my shutoff triggers!

[Semi-Native]

I think if Jack accidentally triggers something by falling to his death, it's a just reward for his violent demise.

;D

[jamesbolton@cox.ne]

1F29212561022D38253A294C0 wrote: I think if Jack accidentally triggers something by falling to his death, it's a just reward for his violent demise.

;D

yeh but if it is the final reward/demise when Jack gets poking his nose in where or when he shouldn't that really sucks.  I already have a stent in my right coronary I don't need another

jim :-*

[jamesbolton@cox.ne]

[quote author=

It looks like you're still using the older version - I'd almost forgotten how many zappers and ladders were there... but the same situation would still happen. Serves me right for putting a visual cue on my triggers.

I think I have a fix for this, but I'll have to experiment and be more careful about my shutoff triggers!
sorry latest version as far as I know but i could be wrong

Regards
Jim
PS I love this mansion.......I have killed so many Jacks I feel it is my duty to continue to the end. Semper Fi