Custom Map #612: [Easier] DA P3.5 Simulation. By: Dark Ambition

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This topic is for discussion of map #612: [Easier] DA P3.5 Simulation


Author: Dark Ambition
Size: 300x300

Desc:
The crew develops a simulation to predict what occured before thier arrival. Map Making and Story: Dark Ambition PRPL and Additional Map Ideas: Stickman So this map was clearly too difficult/tedious for some. I see a few scores that took nearly an hour of in-game time to complete. I lowered the particle limit to 2300, rather than the 3000 it was prior. Remember: The goal is the archive, killing everything is not required, just get that Archive as fast as you can. Hint, if you're having trouble: The Archi

[GoodMorning]

[I'll extrapolate the end of the description:]
...ve is in the middle, rushing with Omnis can help.

[reddwarf12]

Lol. OK, I finally figured out how to get into the middle section, and after that I won pretty quickly even though I don't really have any idea how or what was happening.

[Dark Ambition]

Lol. OK, I finally figured out how to get into the middle section, and after that I won pretty quickly even though I don't really have any idea how or what was happening.

If anyone else has such trouble getting to the middle: The previous map had a tunnel dug out, to act as a hint telling you to directly dig to the core with rock burner.

What was happening: The Legislator arriving at the archives gave away his position to Progenitor Locus, the mind of the particulate, so he ambushed them by rifting particles to the location.
Progenitor Locus was introduced in one of Keeper Decagons maps (the stories are tied together and his maps come first in the continuity, if you haven't played them yet, you should). It was never directly stated, but Legislator Trevor was the commanding officer of the fleet that was temporarily in control of the Great Sphere, even if he wasn't in direct control. Progenitor Locus has been hunting the Legislator a while now for revenge, as the Crystalids are his last surviving friends from the last era.

My side of the story may be fairly confusing up until the GalTech Station (the very next map after this), that was that map that marked the official cooperation of Keeper Decagon and I. Prior to that, I hadn't had the story entirely thought out, but now I do.

Some things were retconned, some things were added, but here is the basics for Adalar's side of the story:

Adalar's corporation called Frontline Corporation is sort of in the middle of a civil war with GalCorp. Adalar used to work closely with the CEO, but splintered into his own company when the Particulate was revealed. His side of the conflict wasn't going well, so Adalar chose to go into Redacted Space in the hopes of finding the Master Archive, an archive rumored to hold all of the data the particulate has ever collected. When Adalar learned that the Legislator is in the sector he is now in, Adalar make killing him his new primary objective

Here is the story so far if you want a summary of the backstory in its whole: http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=29016.msg172093#msg172093

[Johnny Haywire]

Hey, I know this is an old map and thread but I just wanted to say "thanks" for a cool (so far) storyline.

The biggest drawback of storyline-based missions in this game is the game itself. The text scolls sooooo slowly for no practical reason. Even if someone is a slow reader, they can just wait before clicking "next" - really don't understand why no one noticed that in beta testing.

Well, because of that I usually just skip the storyline but I'll make a point of clicking "next" then "back" (so all the text shows up immediately). Kinda annoying but at least that way you can see all the words at once.

Thanks for the maps!  ;D

[Dark Ambition]

Hey, I know this is an old map and thread but I just wanted to say "thanks" for a cool (so far) storyline.

The biggest drawback of storyline-based missions in this game is the game itself. The text scolls sooooo slowly for no practical reason. Even if someone is a slow reader, they can just wait before clicking "next" - really don't understand why no one noticed that in beta testing.

Well, because of that I usually just skip the storyline but I'll make a point of clicking "next" then "back" (so all the text shows up immediately). Kinda annoying but at least that way you can see all the words at once.

Thanks for the maps!  ;D

Thanks for the compliment :)

Though I've always thought the text scrolling speed was perfect, seeing it as the speed at which people talk and it seems very fitting in that context, to me at least. I don't consider myself a slow reader in any way, and I have a hard time thinking one can ascribe personality to characters while reading any faster. Though I know that's just my inner voice actor talking - reading everything out loud, assigning accents and dialects and stuff, including different talking speeds, to whichever character I feel it fits.

The problem I've had with dialogue is, well... mostly from the writers perspective, and - especially now - knowing better ways to handle dialogue. Back when I was making and releasing these maps, I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't even have the story planned beyond the map I was making at the time, and an extremely vague idea of what the ending would be (which kept changing). This was my first attempt at storytelling, and I think that's readily apparent. My biggest issue is the quantity. There's a lot of talking, and little information. And the way the game pauses every time new dialogue is presented can really mess with pacing if not done right. I had a rule - A RULE - around the time I made map 4 that I would force-start a conversation between characters at the six minute mark on every map. What was I thinking?

With the maps I currently have on standby, I have taken 'less is more' into account, and used the 'ShowConversationAutoMode' function where applicable, which displays dialogue the way it's done in the Emergence prologue. Fluff dialogue that conveys no necessary information no longer hogs attention.

[Johnny Haywire]

Lol, yeah that's a good point. I guess if you're acting it out in your head it would definitely take longer. I often just see the words and don't hear them... much like when you see a long word, you don't actively "hear" each letter - you see it as a collective. I kinda do that with a block of words. But good dialogue is worth reading verbally in one's mind so I totally get your point. Feel free to keep doing that if you like.

I'll try to remember to hit "forum" before I play each map so I can comment on it without having to go back and look at already-played maps. I think it kinda killed that aspect of the game to not have the ability to hit the forum button right after playing a map, as in CW3.

Glad you're still around and actively doing stuff!  ;D