Custom Map: Quagmire Quest 1: The Golden Maze

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This topic is for discussion of map: Quagmire Quest 1: The Golden Maze


Author: UpperKEES

Desc:
This is part 1 of the Quagmire Quest: a series of Expert Only maps that will all feature a combination of new game mechanics, tough battles and a puzzle element. Only suitable for all-rounders!

The Minotaur of this crazoniumless maze was replaced by the Creeper. And worse: you can only build SAMs!

[UpperKEES]

Title:	Quagmire Quest 1: The Golden Maze
Difficulty:	Expert Only
Creeper type:	Land & air
Remarks:	This is part 1 of the Quagmire Quest: a series of Expert Only maps that will all feature a combination of new game mechanics, tough battles and a puzzle element. Only suitable for all-rounders! The Minotaur of this crazoniumless maze was replaced by the Creeper. And worse: you can only build SAMs!
Description:	The Quagmire Quest will lead you through various Creeper invested wetlands to the sacred grounds where your final task will await. The golden maze gives and the golden maze takes. It will give you enough blasters to reach every corner, but it will take them back just as easily when you fail. Losing more than one blaster will probably mean the end of your mission, so save them quickly when something goes wrong. Some advise: - Deep is deeper; high is higher. - Too far or too close; both are just as bad. - Have a look at the map comments for more tips and don't hesitate to ask for one yourself.
Download page:	Quagmire Quest 1: The Golden Maze
Full size screen shot:
More maps:	See here for all Nice Jobs, Hard Art and Quagmire Quests 8)

[Miss Melissa]

Very interesting.. id ask u how u did it.. but im sure i wouldnt be able to do it myself. good stuff..  :)

[UpperKEES]

Very interesting.. id ask u how u did it.. but im sure i wouldnt be able to do it myself. good stuff..  :)

Thanks. :) You could do it yourself if you would like to, see here. Mopa42 did some nice research for us.

I found some more interesting features and will demonstrate their use in my other Quagmire Quest maps, so keep your eye on them. 8)

[mszegedy]

The first thing I'd do here is move Odin City to around the bend... right or wrong?

[UpperKEES]

You could, if it fits there....

Not giving tips for this one yet though, as I think it's not too hard.

[mszegedy]

Well, it's different because the number of blasters you have can only decrease, for one thing.

[burguertime]

KEES, take this as it is: an honest opinion on this map.

I was expecting some kind of surprise mid-game. but after you get estabilished and protected from the spores, its just a matter of moving forward an inch at a time to get the goal.

Surely it takes M4D 5|<1LL22 to finish under 25 minutes like you and MM did. But the puzzle element was ruined because there were plenty of blasters to juggle around.

Also lotsa rooms to build.

It is between hard to experts.

But congrats and here's hoping for another series of cool looking and fun to play maps.

[UpperKEES]

Got this far, just more and more of the same from here on I imaginge, so I'm not going to go any further.

As you can tell from the limited number of blasters connecting to the last totems is obviously a lot harder than connecting to the first ones. Same goes for your energy consumption. Too bad you'll never know....

I'm sorry, but I don't see how this map is any different from the multitude of brute force maps out there. Admittedly a nicer background and custom heights, but otherwise just another "Berman Post"-type map.

Well, this clearly shows you haven't played those maps till the end as well, which I do understand by the way. Because there are major differences.

Spoiler

First of all blasters are very strong in confined spaces, so you can easily hold off lots of creeper with just 2 of them (just look at your own screeny). No mortars or drones required to deal with that.

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Spoiler

Furthermore you would be able to notice some differences in energy consumption when you pay close attention. Just think of some recent forum discussions....

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The emitters are only 6 intensity, how can you compare that to the 100 intensity emitters of Berman that keep you sealed in crazonium for half an hour? It was clearly my intention to fill up the maze with creeper without overflowing the walls, thus avoiding the need for crazonium. As it only takes a few blaster shots to clear the corridors you can't call this a brute force map (you seem to call anything above an intensity of 4 brute force).

Spoiler

The amount of energy you spend on 'capping' is entirely up to you....

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Well, it's different because the number of blasters you have can only decrease, for one thing.

Yep, the limited amount makes it different and the order in which you pick them up as well.

KEES, take this as it is: an honest opinion on this map.

That's all I can ask for! :)

I was expecting some kind of surprise mid-game. but after you get estabilished and protected from the spores, its just a matter of moving forward an inch at a time to get the goal.

Nah, no big surprises this time, I've saved that for some future maps. ;)

Surely it takes M4D 5|<1LL22 to finish under 25 minutes like you and MM did. But the puzzle element was ruined because there were plenty of blasters to juggle around.

Also lotsa rooms to build.

It is between hard to experts.

It's hard to finish, but it takes Expert skills to finish fast. The advises in the opening text give you a few clues why. Some interesting game mechanics apply here....

I could have given 1 blaster less, but then I would have had 10 complaints from people who lost a blaster after 45 minutes with only 5 minutes to go. They would rate with 1 star and never replay again. Obviously no fun, not for me and not for them.

But congrats and here's hoping for another series of cool looking and fun to play maps.

Thanks, I'll do my best. The next one will be a real puzzle (so maybe a map for you to skip ;)), but maps 3 & 4 will introduce something never seen before....

[Sqaz]

I didn't play it yet, but at the looks of this map it looks like a whole lot more than a simple brute force map, I think that with some careful moving and placement you can finish it faster than normally would be the case.

[SPIFFEN]

Looks really nice =)

And i have done some starts now ,
but i dont know how good it is .
atleast i survived the first spore attack =P
And i hope there is'nt any stacked Emitters that suprice me , i hate them =P
but there is'nt if i got the other posts right =)

Spoiler

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( hope this one works =P )

  Let me know if i should delete this post !  

[SPIFFEN]

Oh my start was okey , but i messed up later =P
Drinking beer and moved slowly againts the creepers =)

And heres an pic of how it is right now ,
but  i wount be able to finnish the map ,
because i think i lost 5 Blasters already here =P

And if i only can lose 1 Blaster to finnish it , i'm screwed =D

[burguertime]

And if i only can lose 1 Blaster to finnish it , i'm screwed =D

SPIFFEN, i think the margin for the full upgraded blasters and very good collector placement would be like 3 lost blasters to be unwinnable.

Thanks, I'll do my best. The next one will be a real puzzle (so maybe a map for you to skip ;)), but maps 3 & 4 will introduce something never seen before....

Oh well, sorry about that mess the other day. Promise I will behave.

[SPIFFEN]

Yeah collector and Blaster placement matters to save energy ,
and i'm thinking that some Blasters should be used as connection to make an nice score =P

I got an so far 2 pic of the same gameplay ,
but loseing 5 blasters sucks =P

[UpperKEES]

I didn't play it yet, but at the looks of this map it looks like a whole lot more than a simple brute force map, I think that with some careful moving and placement you can finish it faster than normally would be the case.

Yes, that's the point, although I even didn't execute this perfectly myself when setting the current time during testing, because I applied a certain upgrade too soon. It also doesn't make the difference between winning and losing. Maybe I should have thought of a construction with limited energy, so it would be. Could be a nice idea for a future map.

Looks really nice =)

Thanks Spiff! :) The tiles you see are not an existing texture, but have been generated by myself.

And i hope there is'nt any stacked Emitters that suprice me , i hate them =P

Nope, no stacked emitters; I would warn for that, but the maps in this series will use much less of those kind of things. New series, so emphasis on different mechanics.

Let me know if i should delete this post !

No, it's fine Spiff. I'm fine when people like to lose 5 blasters as well! Hahaha! :D

And if i only can lose 1 Blaster to finnish it , i'm screwed =D

I'm afraid you are....

SPIFFEN, i think the margin for the full upgraded blasters and very good collector placement would be like 3 lost blasters to be unwinnable.

I think you can lose 1 without too much trouble (for a reason stated above) and maybe you are able to finish with 2 less, but then you have to be very good. When you lost 3 or more blasters you can only complete the map by bridging, but as you all know I never require that to solve one of my maps. It was impossible to prevent it from being used (because I wanted the player to be able to move OC through the aisles), but I didn't care this time. If people like to solve it doing so that's fine with me. I didn't use it myself by the way....

If anyone can finish with just 25 of the 28 blasters without bridging I'm very much interested in a screenshot! I'm actually already interested in someone who finishes with just 26 (without bridging OC or destroying the blaster after connecting to the last totem; just leave it in its tower ;)).

Oh well, sorry about that mess the other day. Promise I will behave.

I know you will; I liked the picture you posted in the comments for Kap's map! ;)

Yeah collector and Blaster placement matters to save energy

Yep!

and i'm thinking that some Blasters should be used as connection to make an nice score =P

I think most people will need at least 27 of them, so keeping 1 blaster in a tower to let it 'bridge' won't gain you that much.

Spoiler

If you want to bridge anyway, better use Odin City.

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