What are Secrets?

[ryos]

Would you consider plot exposition a secret? Because I do. Hmm...

Don't mind me, nothing to see here. Please move along.

[Alanfalcon]

I think MM should have a

Secret

sound, as in Zelda, that tells you

Yes, you found something secret!

-- the only issue I'd have with this is that it adds more

pressure

for the Designer to choose the best spot for the S since players would then know exactly when they earned it.  I personally like the idea of the S being in an area where you enter a room, but I often end up placing it on the coin reward in the secret room/area just to be absolutely sure players aren't able to jump over it on accident or anything.   :o  This would change if there was a sound because then I could test it and easily know when I hit the S, and I'd want players to have the

Zelda

-like experience of hearing the Secret sound as they passed through the hidden wall or emerged in a secret room.

Personally, I like secrets to have coins in them.  Just a map, or just a backback, or just a shield are okay I guess, but then it is possible to get 100% score and NOT 100% secrets, and I honestly don't like seeing that on the High Scores list.   :'(  Here's looking at you, Packman302, Shandi, and Unhuman.  I wish I knew how you did it so I could fix it.  :-[  Seeing that makes me think you found a secret area and got the coins and managed to *not* get the S which would be entirely my fault.  

Anyhow, there are some thoughts of mine on the subject.  Now it is definitely time for a nice warm [smiley=bath.gif].

[Alanfalcon]

Alanfalcon wrote: Personally, I like secrets to have coins in them.  Just a map, or just a backback, or just a shield are okay I guess, but then it is possible to get 100% score and NOT 100% secrets

So I followed my own advice here as I've been going back over Falcon Manor and updating some things.  I think now it would be impossible to get 100% score without also finding 100% secrets.  I could be wrong though.  I found also, going back, that I have been fairly inconsistent about what I marked as a secret and what I did not mark.  I tried to fix some of that, but I found that certain areas that I marked as

secret

in the Normal version of the mansion just didn't feel like they should be marked in the Hard version.  I wonder if anyone else feels the same way -- are the very obvious and easy

walk through walls to get this

secrets worth putting an S?  What about in the

Hard

version of a mansion?

[Mikee]

It's not easy to make a good secret that the player not can easy find it... You must make already a hint that there can be a secret

[Alanfalcon]

Mikee wrote: It's not easy to make a good secret that the player not can easy find it... You must make already a hint that there can be a secret  

That's a good point, Mikee.  I think my favorite kind of secret is one that you can see in one room, but have to access from another room -- and there are no obvious hints in the other room.  You have to remember that there *should* be a passage there, because of what you originally saw, and then try to get to it.  This way there is still a clue, but it isn't overly obvious.  

That said, I actually like secrets that are fairly obvious.  As a player, it is a lot of fun to see a wall that is shaped differently and think

huh, I wonder if...

and then go walk right through it into a secret room.  It may be obvious and everyone may find that particular secret, but I still get to feel smart for finding it.   8-)

[Mikee]

Find a Secret = NORMAL :
Make a Secret = HARD

[Toybox]

I globally agree on Alan's analysis, except on one point which I will explain later. Specifically, I like a lot Secrets which are visible but not accessible from another room, and then not hinted again (but accessible) from somewhere else - and obvious secrets, just to make those who miss it feel guilty


But I still think Secrets might need not have any money in them. I might change on the subject, though - but if 100% money => 100% Secrets, then it is a bit frustrating for some reason: I like both scores to be independent.

Oh, and I'm still no better at locating Secrets - hidden rooms or in general hidden places you might not stumble upon by chance are likely to be branded with the blue S, hidden money (or whatever else) which you could reach by chance are likely not to. Then again, that's just guidelines rather than rules.

[Mikee]

For Secrets its better you make money there 8-)

So, you must give the player a chance to become more money when he did find a secret. But you can make too a shield or something...

But for me is only a good secret, when i find in the secret money, so i have then mor fun! 8-)

[Wingy]

~~~Example~~~

Best idea to put cracked walls or something that could harm jack (like a pit of lava, or a zapper beam, or a monster) that is put beside an ordinary looking wall, so it gives the play a hint on secrets. If you want secrets to be SECRET, then don't do this, just make players try to climb down floors or jump against walls all the time hoping to jump into one.

Heh, that would be cool. If you're looking for a secret, but you jump into a wall, and fall down into a snake pit.

Look at this: Cracked walls covering the secret. You could add normal blue brick (layer 6 though) and some cracks to give a little hint. Make sure you put the blue

S

where Jack is going to walk to get the first secret money bag he finds. Players have to walk over the Blue

S

to make the secret effect in your overall % at the end.

[Mikee]

ehm wingy, i can't see the

S

in the picture, where's the secret hmmm??  :