Hiding lethal traps

[Freddy]

Toybox wrote: ... I didn't get actually stuck in Immortal Ruins, I just lost all my Jacks and didn't really get to start again from the last saving post. I was a little bit put off by Layer 6 hiding potentially lethal traps

:-? It may be interesting to know some more details about those traps. I did the beta-testing of this very first mansion of SandyBean and thought that everything was reasonable. But I am pretty sure that she would like to fix things that are felt as (far) over the edge.

[Toybox]

I don't know if they were over the edge, really. It could well have been me having a sloppy day. I'll have to re-explore the mansion, really (difficult parts tend to get easier in time, too!)

To tell you a secret: any hidden place where you can potentially lose a Jack means I will lose several That and red birds, of course. No matter how safely far away they are flying I'm almost bound to jump into them or into some lava pit trying to avoid them :

EDIT: 'lethal traps' was really a poor choice of words. I meant any place where potentially you might lose a Jack, even it it means playing very clumsily (I've been known to jump into red birds without apparent reason!). I didn't mean they were cheap, nor, indeed, that they were meant as traps at all.

[aquaMat]

Hah, Toybox....

that instantly gives me the idea of making a Hitchcockian Birds-mansion, just for you....      8-)

Like, Toybox Headren in  

The (Red) Birds

[Toybox]

You little [smiley=evil.gif]

[rose]

I have also lost lives in Immortal ruins and stopped playing the mansion. Too much was hidden in the same rooms. I am usually very persistent playing. I have conquered MMM but in mansions where there isn't enough lives or shields I give up.

[SandyBean]

Hi Rose and Toybox,  

As IR is my first Mansion I did expect it to have areas that could be improved or helped to be better.  

I would really be interested in knowing what rooms/sections you found with problematic traps, or too much hidden.   :-?

As I do plan on making more mansions in the future, this type of feedback would be very helpful, so I can build more player-friendly mansions.  

Thanks in advance,

SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

PS: Any other feedback from other players would be appreciated also!

PS2: Toybox:  Sometimes with the birds and a few other sprites, it is best for Jack to wait a bit, and let them settle down.

[Toybox]

Indeed, it is very difficult to judge the difficulty of dark (in a loose sense) room when you build it. Well, I'll replay it soon and tell you more details (Also, let me add that I liked very much playing the rest of the mansion).

And thank you for the red bird hint... Although I don't think it will prevent any irrational behaviour on my side when I see them next time ;D

(Actually, I also have trouble with fish... Maybe I'm just bad at dodging creatures?)

[rose]

I will try again later too but it might be until next year!

[Toybox]

There we go. I tried playing Immortal Ruins again yesterday, and I found what I had been referring to.

I think it was the Old Warehouse. On the good side, it really looks terrific 8-) But on the other hand, what a killer!

There are lots of hidden parts behind which Jack has to walk around. Of course, the ways being hidden, you have no idea where you should go - left, right, up, down, should you jump and grab a vine, is there a lever etc. Fair enough. The difficulty is that if you make the wrong guess you may well fall to Jack's doom, which is a bit unfair. (Also, some monsters feel a bit too difficult to avoid - I'm thinking of pairs of scorpions here - but this might just be me not being careful enough).

Hidden bits should be either fool-proof, or a bit less hidden so you can keep track of where Jack is, or just have any sort of clue which may help you around (mirror image for example , or having passed the exact same room, but visible, just before, etc.).

This is not easy to do and the difficulty of such an area is very hard to assess for the designer.

Actually the mines inside the mountains (above the Warehouse section) were also a difficult hidden part, but for some reason I felt it a bit less hard. Maybe it was shorter, maybe it was easier to keep track of Jack (maybe there were fewer pitfalls).

[smiley=beer.gif]

[SandyBean]

Ok, Toybox,  I really appreciate the description you gave of where it might be too hidden, or too hard.  

I will play that section later tomorrow, and see how my Jack does, after so much time away from the mansion.  I will also discuss with my wonderful beta-tester as to possibilities. [smiley=smiley.gif]

thanks so much,

SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]