[Map for CFD2012 ] "The Descent" -File and discussion thread

[JohnWordsworth]

That's a good point actually - if you weren't tied to the idea of destroying the skull, then you could simply make it so that the exit is open (and trap reset) if either the bracers or the skull are on the alcove. Easy. Makes sense. Gives you a way out too.

[SpiderFighter]

Hmm...I don't know why either, but this acted exactly the same as my other script: Remove the bracer and the ogre doors open, put it back and ogre doors close, but then you can pick up the bracer again and nothing happens.

I just tried it and it worked fine. How is your alcove connected to the script? It should have a single connector with Event any and Action orbcove9aaCheck, and Activate Always should be enabled. And do you have any other scripts affecting any of these entities?

Everything's connected properly, and nothing else affects these. But then, knowing the funky things that have been happening with this map, I'm not surprised.

I appreciate the help, though.

[SpiderFighter]

Some kind wizard with extra Power Weapons has left them near the entrance for others to use, should they so desire.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x03qf89vjsc0n ... nt_09k.dat
In this version (0.9k):

• - Moved (toward the pit trap) the plate that spawns the first ogre, and added sound effects so it now sounds like he is opening and closing the portcullis (he actually is, but the player is too far away to hear the real thing going on)
  - Tweaked the first spider room so that it doesn't feel like an afterthought, and also to minimize the chance of a spider being killed directly over the pit (which can cause the spider to become invulnerable).
  - Some poor fellow has gotten himself killed in the first spider room. He leaves behind a rather hefty tavern tab and a note about the teleporter in the pit.
  -...and the Telemaze is outtahere!!!! Yay!!
  - Moved the access point to the secret area with the anti-venom potion
  - Removed the secret room with the Tome of Health and placed it somewhere else (and it is no longer marked as a secret).
  - Added levers in the Serpent Bracer room in case higher level players want to try their hand at defeating the Mighty Ogres (so they can exit the room after).
  - Removed the gobelin from the illusory wall.
  - Moved corpse with "it's so important to see the path before you" note so that it's easier to make the connection to the puzzle it references.
  - Reworded the skeleton/torch puzzle so it's (hopefully) a bit more obvious now what to do.
  - Replaced the secret wall with a portcullis in the same room as the skelly/torch puzzle, for the same reason as above.
  - Took the key away from the other catacomb skeleton in the same room, for the same reason as above (now a critter has stolen it).
  - Tweaked lighting placement throughout the map (again, but this time with all settings on high - what a difference that makes!) A bit of light seepage remains in a couple of spots, but I'm not sure I can fix them (having tried different light sources and locations). If there's something glaringly obvious however, please let me know, and I'll revisit it.
  - Replaced the lights in the Crowern Room (level 2) with torches. This was the best possible lighting I could get down there (due to all the secret doors) without making the player use a torch or spell. Now light streams into the main room through the cracks of the walls, an effect which actually doesn't look bad, imo.
  - Added invisible teleporter to teleporter/plate puzzle room so that it returns thrown items
  - One of the Skeleton Archers now drops his short bow when he dies.
  - A couple more shuriken have been tossed away onto the dungeon floor.
  - Killed all pillars next to portcullises (a nasty habit of mine)
  - Fixed a couple of wall buttons so that they toggle (instead of merely opening) their respective doors
  - Fixed nasty crash at end of map that occurred when walking into the Patrol Cage.

KNOWN ISSUES (due, I'm certain, to my ignorance of lua scripting):

• - The 4-Alcove "Rainbow" Puzzle: Solving it correctly and then removing a shiny thing and replacing it in the correct alcove will cause a crash. I have tried removing all shiny things once the puzzle is solved (as I do with the skull in the Serpent Bracer room), but have (as of yet) been unsuccessful (keeps crashing and saying known entities are nil).
  
  - Serpent Bracer Room (not really a bug, but might be seen as too harsh:) The current script does not allow the player to return the Serpent Bracer to the alcove to reset the puzzle; once it's picked up (without placing the skull either prior or after), the player is pretty much doomed.

SPOILER ABOUT THE NEW TOME OF HEALTH PUZZLE (please don't read if you haven't played yet):

SpoilerShow

I used the skull again for a few different reasons (I have removed the puzzkle entirely to test the serpent bracer issue, but this had no effect).
First, there are already a few alcove puzzles in the level, so it provides continuity, while using it in a slightly different way.
Second, This puzzle occcurs early into the level. When the player finds the skull, chances are the serpent bracer will be on their mind.
Third, there is some element of risk here. The early puzzle will not take the skull, while the other will (and clearly states that).

[SpiderFighter]

That's a good point actually - if you weren't tied to the idea of destroying the skull, then you could simply make it so that the exit is open (and trap reset) if either the bracers or the skull are on the alcove. Easy. Makes sense. Gives you a way out too.

Sorry John, I hadn't seen this post until now.
There's no way to destroy the skull and have the bracer reset the puzzle? The reason I don't want to leave the exit door open is because to let the player out might make them think that they can kill these ogres (by giving them freedom to maneuver). They can't (well, they could, but it would take hours).

[Xanathar]

Yay!
Now I know what to do this evening. I already know I will be stressed and angered and a well known dungeon full of things waiting to be beaten to death is what I need.

Edit: plus, this is my 256th post! Now I require 9 bits

[SpiderFighter]

Yay!
Now I know what to do this evening. I already know I will be stressed and angered and a well known dungeon full of things waiting to be beaten to death is what I need.

Edit: plus, this is my 256th post! Now I require 9 bits

Suh-WHEET! This is for you.

[EDIT: Just added an actual destination at the end teleporter and re-uploaded it]

[Ancylus]

Went through the new version. I don't have much to comment this time, but noted two things:

First, if I place the serpent bracer back into the alcove after putting the skull there, the trap gets triggered. Once again, I have absolutely no idea how this can be possible if you're using the kind of scripts we've been discussing.

Second, I just realized that you may be a bit too generous with all the shurikens. They're an SL 5 weapon and yours is a Tier 3 dungeon, after all. Perhaps they could be replaced with throwing knives?

The 4-Alcove "Rainbow" Puzzle: Solving it correctly and then removing a shiny thing and replacing it in the correct alcove will cause a crash. I have tried removing all shiny things once the puzzle is solved (as I do with the skull in the Serpent Bracer room), but have (as of yet) been unsuccessful (keeps crashing and saying known entities are nil).

Destroying the items doesn't seem necessary to me. Couldn't you just make the script do nothing if the puzzle has already been solved?

[JohnWordsworth]

I was thinking similar to @Ancylus, a simple...

Code: Select all

if ( puzzleSolved ~= true ) then
  -- Puzzle Handling
  if ( rainbowAlcoveCheck() and puzzleSolved ~= true ) then
    -- Do stuff when puzzle ends
    puzzleSolved = true
  end
end

Would basically allow you to completely 'turn off' this script as soon as the puzzle is completed (you would probably want to initialize puzzleSolved=false at the start of the script / outside of any functions to be tidy).

[Komag]

yeah I use stuff like all the time, very useful, setting flags left and right

[SpiderFighter]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I guess those things would be considered simple, if I knew they existed.
I can only do what I've learned so far, which is not a lot in terms of scripting. Even a "simple" plugging in of a piece of code most often takes me an hour or more of trial and error. But I guess that's how we learn. Consider that the last mapping I did was for Quake. The first one.

I'll see what I can do with these. Thanks again!