We're back

[joeb]

After receiving multiple requests to return to the board and Matt's desire to start building mansions again we've decided to return. There were things that were said and done that were regrettable. That is water under the bridge and we would like to start anew. Our first new release will be a TOTAL modification of the MM environment. New critters, new bricks, new backgrounds, new music. With all the money Jack picked up in the mansions he started a technology company and no longer runs around in the mansions. His new company has built the JAC 2006 who has taken Jacks place in the quest for adventure.
His first assignment will be Attack on the Dominator. A fairly challenging romp through a space station ala the Death Star. After navigating his way thru the Dominator he will beam down to the dilithium rich moon of Vaxxis 5 and obtain the fortune in power crystals guarded by many new foes.
The project is about 75% done with sound and music being the last items to be completed. I will try to get some screen shots up. I noticed some posts about a space scenario which this is and give free use of any of the graphics to anyone in the community to use. I've also picked up considerable expertise in modifying sprites and graphics and will be glad to share that knowledge with the forum. By the way, you can indeed go outside the limits of platforms and still have them work correctly. Dominator has a platform 3 bricks high and several platforms 3 bricks wide.

Joe B

[brell]

Nice to have you back. I'm looking forward to your new mansions

[joeb]

JAC 2000 is in the top center, dark pink and blue robot. Sphere droids. Ships are static background objects.

[joeb]

Control room with; static stormtroopers, new style levers, hover droids, cheap battery pack (lite gray batteries top center), better batteries (copper and black), changing status panels, gray doors

[joeb]

Probe droid lower left in space, mouse droids, batteries (silver spinning cylinders replacing coins), pulsating keycards (replacing keys), odd sized platforms (green blocks and silver anti-gravity sled)

[joeb]

Top left quadrant of Dominator in editor. In the previous screen shots you may have noticed the vertical yellow lines. Those are the doors.

[Wingy]

Wow, thats pretty cool! A space theme! Those are really cool. That's why I made my StarCraft theme!
Any ideas when it will be out? Is jack looking different?

[joeb]

Couple of weeks. I'm trying to avoid a trip to Minneapolis (I'm a Wells Fargo system engineer). I live in Arizona and it'll probably take me a week or so to thaw out when I get back.
We're trying to have as few issues as possible when we do release it. Taking Vern's advice I've tried to do a multiple path to goal scenario in places and it takes a little while to make sure I haven't missed any paths.
This will probably be a

hard

mansion. In several places I've used ladder jumps (thank you Freddy) and a technique that I don't know if anyone else has used. There is a rope/chain/cable hanging down from under the brick you're on. You walk off and immediately press the arrow key to move under where you were standing and grab the climbing object. I also have

blind faith

platforms where the only apparent move is to walk into a hole but the room underneath has a falling platform. I know these are outside of the standards but they do add a need to think and act quick.
The toughest thing to get used to is JAC. He acts and reacts to objects a little differently than Jack because of the different collision edges of his graphics and the fact that he doesn't jump but uses rockets in his feet so he's wider in jumps than the original Jack.
The piece that's taking the most time right now is the sound. This is my first effort into modifying the sound and getting all the levels to work together is a challenge. Plus we're also writing the new music clips from scratch using Garageband, Soundtrack Pro and Audacity.
I'll keep everyone posted on status

joeb

[Toybox]

Welcome back! 8-)

[joeb]

Whoops. Yes, human Jack is gone, probably vacationing with a Victoria Secrets model off St. Thomas. Take a look at the flight deck (red and tan ships, red and black striped platforms). JAC is on the upper floor next to the support beams.
In the control room screen shot he's on the bottom floor doing the Roboto, instead of playing with a yo-yo.

joeb