04-21-2010, 07:15 AM
All right Anthony, I finished the Easy version of the Leofani Manor, and haven't even opened the Normal or Hard versions yet. Do you have an updated version of the Hard version that includes changes you've made from various comments so far? I'd be interested in testing that version.
I haven't been spending a whole lot of time reading many of the comments. I did that for Castle Basano, and I think it influenced some of my own comments. I think I read the first post for this mansion and stopped there. I apologize in advance for any dupes.
General thoughts: Well, it was a beautifully designed mansion, and I thought you did a pretty good job keeping it easy, up to a point. For me that point was up until I left the mansion and headed up to the Sky Platforms. I think at that point you veered into Normal mode - at least for me, and at that point I stopped making as many notes, because I felt like it was all too much for Easy.
I'll go ahead and get some controversial comments out of the way:
For the Easy level, I think you probably could have
Do I realize how big a change this is? Yes. It drastically shortens the mansion, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing for Easy. It would mean creating some new mechanism (more elevators or bat mobiles) to reach the higher level floor(s), and that's just for starters. Like I mentioned for Castle Basano, I think that each level should progressively get Larger and more complex, in addition to having more and faster creatures, and insanely precise jumps.
Anyway, I don't really expect you to take any of these radical suggestions, or even some subset of them. I was tempted to take a quick stab at it myself in the MMB. Since I haven't seen Normal or Hard, but I'm guessing that much of the basic layout is the same with faster and larger numbers of obstacles.
You might even want to wait until I finish Normal and Hard, before giving this much thought, to give me a chance to compare this version to those. Moving on...
I didn't find what I considered to be cheap deaths. I wasn't able to get Jack Stuck.
On to my running notes on the various rooms:
16097 - Yeah.. the money is slightly annoying. If that's the way Jack came, he sure wouldn't have left that money behind
. I think using a hidden silver/gold wall is a bit much. For Easy, I think there should be unrestricted access. For Normal this would have been fine.
General comment: No music?
16101 Message:
How about: You look around for a way past the water, and ultimately decide to find a dryer entrance elsewhere.
16300 Kind of a weird block covering Jack's face in that little alcove on the bottom level all the way on the left side.
16296 Message: Poll = Pole. I saw that someone else commented on it too.
16496 Message: Maybe you should say
16495 Message - How about:
It's amazing that Legbert built such an advanced plumbing system considering it was built in the late 1800's...
...and it's still functioning!
16497 [How does one get to ladder? MMB]
I realized after going back to it in MMB, that I *had* been down the ladder (and got all the loot), but I didn't recognize it because it was completely dark the first time I
16699 - You might consider losing some of the screens where they hide or slightly obscure things (for the Easy level only)
Also... I think you should go very sparingly with hidden areas in the Easy level. Don't entirely lose them, because they give the level replay value for when players are going for the 100% secrets. I definitely think there shouldn't be any hidden keys on Easy level, at least none that will prevent you from completing a game.
16697 - I think you should lose the conveyor belt in this screen.
16500 - Message: Huh? Early 1700's in this message, but late 1800's in message in room 16495. How long did this guy live? ;-)
16299 - Looks like small layering issue in cave at the top of the
16104 - Message - Is it my imagination or is time moving backward for Legbert? 1800s, 1700s, yet died in 1672?
16105 - Try riding the left elevator up, then taking the right elevator down. I would have expected to be able to just repeat the loop, but I can't, because when coming down (back to 16105), the left elevator went up. I have to leave the screen to reset the elevators to go back up. Seems broken to me.
15905 - Looks like a minor layer issue when jumping up just to the left of the left elevator, at the end of the overhang.
Another minor issue with the moving platform, on the top portion (above the bookshelves), as it moves into a book shelf. Probably should float over that layer.
15904 - Minor layer issue on overhang in left doorway.
15902 [revisit this one. Too hard?]
(Came back to this in MMB after I finished level)
There are tougher screens in retrospect, but I still think that in general these blocks should hang around a bit longer. I played with the Time On value in MMB, 200 wasn't bad, could possibly be less time. Or replace them with falling platforms.
16704 Mixed feelings about the key popping out of the air on Easy. It's easy enough to get to, but if I hadn't been deliberately trying to get everything I might have missed the key, by skipping the money bag.
16703 - I think you need to either lose the bird, or replace the three lower disappearing blocks with something like the falling platforms. When you're using the disappearing block on Easy, I think you should use longer intervals.
16902 - Best inclusion of goblin and explanation on an Easy level I've seen so far. Nice. Maybe you should also point out that he is immune to the zapper.
16305 - Reconsider this room for Easy. It's not too bad. I'll reserve judgement until after I see the Normal version.
Also, I think the ladder that forces you to jump at the top to avoid falling doesn't belong on an easy level. I think it would be better having a moving platform from the level below it, and a cover over the hole to prevent players from falling in.
16705 - Consider losing the spider or replacing with a snake.
16505 - I thought all the back-and-forth because of the upper right lever was pretty tedious. Perhaps you could at least add a pole to the room on the right (16506).
15908 Consider losing the Birds
16112 - Clever placement of map!
15912 - Pretty fast troll for Easy
16508 - Nice looking room (once lit) I really like the board
I haven't been spending a whole lot of time reading many of the comments. I did that for Castle Basano, and I think it influenced some of my own comments. I think I read the first post for this mansion and stopped there. I apologize in advance for any dupes.
General thoughts: Well, it was a beautifully designed mansion, and I thought you did a pretty good job keeping it easy, up to a point. For me that point was up until I left the mansion and headed up to the Sky Platforms. I think at that point you veered into Normal mode - at least for me, and at that point I stopped making as many notes, because I felt like it was all too much for Easy.
I'll go ahead and get some controversial comments out of the way:
For the Easy level, I think you probably could have
- omitted the Sky Platforms
- Shortened the Mansion by a few floors and have it end at the same level where the Chains were hanging from.
- omitted the Manor
Do I realize how big a change this is? Yes. It drastically shortens the mansion, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing for Easy. It would mean creating some new mechanism (more elevators or bat mobiles) to reach the higher level floor(s), and that's just for starters. Like I mentioned for Castle Basano, I think that each level should progressively get Larger and more complex, in addition to having more and faster creatures, and insanely precise jumps.
Anyway, I don't really expect you to take any of these radical suggestions, or even some subset of them. I was tempted to take a quick stab at it myself in the MMB. Since I haven't seen Normal or Hard, but I'm guessing that much of the basic layout is the same with faster and larger numbers of obstacles.
You might even want to wait until I finish Normal and Hard, before giving this much thought, to give me a chance to compare this version to those. Moving on...
I didn't find what I considered to be cheap deaths. I wasn't able to get Jack Stuck.
On to my running notes on the various rooms:
16097 - Yeah.. the money is slightly annoying. If that's the way Jack came, he sure wouldn't have left that money behind
. I think using a hidden silver/gold wall is a bit much. For Easy, I think there should be unrestricted access. For Normal this would have been fine.General comment: No music?
16101 Message:
How about: You look around for a way past the water, and ultimately decide to find a dryer entrance elsewhere.
16300 Kind of a weird block covering Jack's face in that little alcove on the bottom level all the way on the left side.
16296 Message: Poll = Pole. I saw that someone else commented on it too.
16496 Message: Maybe you should say
sunlightinstead of just light. After all, there is torchlight...
16495 Message - How about:
It's amazing that Legbert built such an advanced plumbing system considering it was built in the late 1800's...
...and it's still functioning!
16497 [How does one get to ladder? MMB]
I realized after going back to it in MMB, that I *had* been down the ladder (and got all the loot), but I didn't recognize it because it was completely dark the first time I
sawthe screen.
16699 - You might consider losing some of the screens where they hide or slightly obscure things (for the Easy level only)
Also... I think you should go very sparingly with hidden areas in the Easy level. Don't entirely lose them, because they give the level replay value for when players are going for the 100% secrets. I definitely think there shouldn't be any hidden keys on Easy level, at least none that will prevent you from completing a game.
16697 - I think you should lose the conveyor belt in this screen.
16500 - Message: Huh? Early 1700's in this message, but late 1800's in message in room 16495. How long did this guy live? ;-)
16299 - Looks like small layering issue in cave at the top of the
Bat Mobileshaft, in the corner.
16104 - Message - Is it my imagination or is time moving backward for Legbert? 1800s, 1700s, yet died in 1672?
16105 - Try riding the left elevator up, then taking the right elevator down. I would have expected to be able to just repeat the loop, but I can't, because when coming down (back to 16105), the left elevator went up. I have to leave the screen to reset the elevators to go back up. Seems broken to me.
15905 - Looks like a minor layer issue when jumping up just to the left of the left elevator, at the end of the overhang.
Another minor issue with the moving platform, on the top portion (above the bookshelves), as it moves into a book shelf. Probably should float over that layer.
15904 - Minor layer issue on overhang in left doorway.
15902 [revisit this one. Too hard?]
(Came back to this in MMB after I finished level)
There are tougher screens in retrospect, but I still think that in general these blocks should hang around a bit longer. I played with the Time On value in MMB, 200 wasn't bad, could possibly be less time. Or replace them with falling platforms.
16704 Mixed feelings about the key popping out of the air on Easy. It's easy enough to get to, but if I hadn't been deliberately trying to get everything I might have missed the key, by skipping the money bag.
16703 - I think you need to either lose the bird, or replace the three lower disappearing blocks with something like the falling platforms. When you're using the disappearing block on Easy, I think you should use longer intervals.
16902 - Best inclusion of goblin and explanation on an Easy level I've seen so far. Nice. Maybe you should also point out that he is immune to the zapper.
16305 - Reconsider this room for Easy. It's not too bad. I'll reserve judgement until after I see the Normal version.
Also, I think the ladder that forces you to jump at the top to avoid falling doesn't belong on an easy level. I think it would be better having a moving platform from the level below it, and a cover over the hole to prevent players from falling in.
16705 - Consider losing the spider or replacing with a snake.
16505 - I thought all the back-and-forth because of the upper right lever was pretty tedious. Perhaps you could at least add a pole to the room on the right (16506).
15908 Consider losing the Birds
16112 - Clever placement of map!
15912 - Pretty fast troll for Easy
16508 - Nice looking room (once lit) I really like the board
supportsto the cave walls. Nice touch.