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AoMH SD Adventure contest 2020: Nickonhawk
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Author |
File Description |
Nickonhawk |
Posted on 07/30/20 @ 11:29 AM (updated 08/14/20)
File Details |
Version: |
AoM:EE |
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Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Lewonas |
Posted on 08/14/20 @ 02:05 PM
This unofficial review was written for the Mini Adventure competition.
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Adventure (10/10)
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You nailed it. I really liked how you started off the scenario where you were emulating designing a new world in real-time. It was a great idea and it was a shame that part ended so fast - although I must say that the way how you ended it was really cool. But I thought you could have expanded on that real-time world design idea a bit more because it had so much potential.
But after that cool intro part, oh boy do things go wild. I had an absolute blast exploring the unique and bizarre worlds you created. This kind of exploration aspect is the part I enjoy most about adventures. But then unfortunately the same thing happened where you ended this amazing idea a bit too soon again. I had hoped to see and explore some more creative worlds similar to that awesome world with the waves. The final world did not have the same exciting impactful feeling which, among other things, brought the scenario to a somewhat disappointing ending (more on that in the Immersive section).
But despite that, I honestly feel like this scenario delivered the best overall adventurous feeling. 10 points from me.
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Immersive storyline and experience (7/10)
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As I mentioned in the Adventure section, I really liked how you started off the scenario and the direction you took with the story. But I felt like you could have expanded on that real-time world design idea a bit more because I really liked where it was going. Then the transition to the “bizarre worlds section” wouldn’t have felt as being too sudden.
And like I said, I really liked exploring the bizarre worlds. I was feeling very immersed until the final world. In that world it felt like you were walking aimlessly from dialog to dialog which quickly became repetitive.
You unfortunately broke the immersion even more with the way you ended the scenario. Saying things like ‘The map has ended. I did not have enough time to add more content’ and sending the player to his desktop is not the ideal way to end your scenario. If you had accepted and owned the fact that you had too little time to add more quality content and then focussed on trying to create the best possible ending you could still potentially pull off, then that would have been much better than ending with an unfinished boss fight and the rushed closing dialogs.
To summarize, I loved the first half of your scenario, I did not like the second half. But the first half was so good that I’ll still score you high here.
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Atmosphere (8/10)
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I think you did a very good job here. The worlds had some incredible use of lighting and good sound design. But the scenario really begged for some nice custom music to get the player to be even more immersed in the world. The game’s default music just does not do your creations enough justice.
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Balance (4/10)
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Well, exploration was the primary gameplay aspect in this scenario. There was one section that did require some skillful movement, but other than that there were not really any real challenges. But that’s totally fine because you were not going for that kind of gameplay. But it’s a shame you didn’t get to finish the boss fight because that could have scored you some more points here.
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Map design (8/10)
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Man, I’ve got to say you tricked me real good. When I first glanced over the map in the editor I thought “Wow, I really cannot believe he did not put any effort into his map design at all...” because the whole map looked so empty. But then I played the scenario and all sorts of trigger wizardry created the levels out of nothing. That’s nothing short of amazing and it’s a real testament to how much the world of scenario design has progressed. And what a great way it is to overcome the map space limitations.
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Eyecandy (7/10)
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First of all, it’s impressive how detailed you could make the worlds with only using triggers. It must have taken a fair bit of playtesting to achieve some good looking results. But I was only really impressed with the level of eyecandy from the world with the waves which looked incredible, the others were pretty basic (but still nice to look at) in comparison.
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Features (8/10)
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You’re using the latest trigger command additions to its fullest potential. You’ve used the art of trigger wizardry to create some of the coolest shit I’ve ever seen in a scenario. The waves, the floating platforms, the dynamic world design, a very intriguing fetch quest, and more.
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Final score: 52/70
----------------------[Edited on 08/14/20 @ 05:15 PM]
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nottud
Staff |
Posted on 08/14/20 @ 05:02 PM
Playability: 4
The map was a very wacky ride from start to finish with no real idea what to expect. You take on what feels to be a normal adventure only to find yourself thrown into total chaos with insane dynamic world manipulation. You stumble through trying to make sense of your surroundings trying to figure out how to proceed next.
With that regard it felt a little like Myst - thrown into an unknown world with no explanation what to do next. I liked the concept - I wish the journey was a lot longer!
Gameplay wise a couple of minor things:
(1)The game does not make it clear that you have control and when you don't due to it being always full screen. Would be nice to have some sort of indication. You managed that with the typing sections by having the blinking underscore which was effective.
(2)The silence was effective in many areas but would have been nice to have some more ambience - E.g. dreamthing.mp3 sound effect. I feel it could add a bit more life to the game.
(3)Note that due to the interface being hidden good luck quitting the game without force closing it. Thankfully it is quite short to play through.
Balance: 4
As there is not really a fail state that I know of, I would judge this more on the ability to progress within reasonable time. I felt I made decent progress and only really got a bit stuck/lost on the wave section collecting the final spark. Perhaps make more opportunities to collect it and perhaps make it easier to see if you are under it so you miss it less often.
Creativity: 5
I don't want to say too much here as I don't want to spoil it but I will say there is definitely no shortage of it! It was great to see lots of use of the new triggers of patch 2.8 hopefully inspiring many designers about what is now possible.
Map Design: 4
The map in most areas was outstanding to look at, the highlight is definitely the wave section visually just wow. Some of the other areas a little plainer like the area with the "train" and the maze (Although the terrain alterations there impressed me) although they were fitting to what they represent.
Story/Instructions: 5
There was a lack of instructions but in this case it was an artistic choice - the focus is on discovering and solving. The story itself was entertaining and kept me amused and interested throughout. I wish there was more - I was disappointed when it came to an end quite suddenly as I was awaiting the next big wow factor!
Additional Comments:
RIP my PC at once section with the Osiris Births... :p |
phdorogers4 |
Posted on 08/15/20 @ 08:58 AM
Playability: 4
(This map was very unique and engaging from start to finish. The different worlds you created and crazy triggers made it a very fun experience. It makes me want to jump in the editor and make something crazy as well.)
Balance: 4
(Although no real combat, the map still is challenging in a puzzle-sense. The stealth section had me on edge throughout. Thankfully the tartarian didn't catch me.)
Creativity: 5
(This adventure is very whacky and unpredictable. Humor and dialog was spot-on throughout. The worlds you created were very unique and fun to explore. Nothing about this map was traditional and I loved it. The boss fight at the end was very funny, although I'm not sure why the implode spheres were necessary, albeit very cool to look at.)
Map Design: 5
(This map was stunning to look at at times. It's very impressive what you pulled off with your triggers, my favorite part in particular was the elevator shot. How you shrunk the oxen I am not sure haha.)
Story/Instructions: 4
(Checking the spotlight for the password and figuring out the goal as you went along was really cool. Although no hand-holding in the scenario, I still felt like I knew what to do. The only part that was difficult for me personally was getting the 4th floating light.)
Additional Comments: I think this and Fuergeson are probably your best maps to date, keep up the fantastic work, Nick. I'm always excited to try new maps of yours. :)
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Zenophobia |
Posted on 08/15/20 @ 02:35 PM
Playability: 5
The scenario was bug-free for the most part, and there were no weird terrain obstacles blocking my path in unusual ways. The puzzles were very clever, albeit rather obscure. Piecing together the different hints was a treat in itself, although having more clues might be beneficial, especially for non-scenario designers who might not understand certain interactions.
Balance: 5
If completing the game is all you want to do, then there will be no troubles here. If you want to find the secret ending, however, well then good luck, because I was only able to do so with the help of nickonhawk sitting in chat giving me hints. Overall, I think the scenario is really well balanced and rewards you appropriately for paying attention to every little detail.
Creativity: 5
I absolutely loved the care and effort put into every little interaction here. Pretty much everything has hidden dialogs, and exploring the full extent of the scenario was an incredible experience. The jokes were hilarious, and I had absolutely no idea what to expect at every twist and turn.
Map Design: 5
The surreal atmosphere was captured perfectly in this scenario. I loved all the wacky mind-bending weirdness that pervaded the entire scenario, and it was realized with some incredible trigger work. I think one thing you don't get enough credit for is how effectively you've conveyed what can and can't be interacted with. If something was clickable, it was placed out in the open in a visible spot. If something was just decoration, it was moved out of the way in an appropriate manner.
Story/Instructions: 5
The story was very wacky and interesting and you took us on a really wild ride. I've seen your previous works that had weird, nonsensical stories, and this fits right in with the rest, but what sets it apart is that the story is given much more structure and sense of progression. I think I may be a little biased here because I'm a sucker for stories that just don't give a shit about what their audience thinks and takes them on a magical journey whether they want to or not, and lets the quality of the story speak for itself.
Additional Comments:
Wow, all 5's! I think this is the first 5 I've ever given you, but it's because this truly is a fantastic work of art. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.4 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 4.3 | Balance | 4.0 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 4.5 | Story/Instructions | 4.3 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 193 |
Favorites: [] | 1 |
Size: | 195.24 KB |
Added: | 07/30/20 |
Updated: | 08/14/20 |
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