The Bat House by Mikee is available for download. Check it out at the list of complete mansions.

Ooo... great mansion... beat it with afew coins missing... Btw, I couldn't find the blue key for the door in the first section! Do I get it later and go back?  :-?

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Oh yeah, also made a movie on my first time.

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Ahh ... the blue doors/keys puzzle  ;)

Didn't solve it myself while testing.

What...already another Mikee mansion  ?!?!

Aaah...those young kids.... ;)

YOUNG!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!???! [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=angry.gif] [smiley=angry.gif] [smiley=angry.gif].......................

Freddy said in the old forums:

Quote:

"Being young is good because you never know what will become of you. It's more of a compliment, so don't be angry"

Something along the lines of that... don't be  >:(!

8-)

BTW: How old are you, aquamat? Can I call you "the 'ol scallywag matt?"

No Wingy I think I'm at the top of the AARP list. Got a half century+ in and look forward to completing the run to triple digits.

Joe B

Anthony wrote on 08.03.2007 at 20:53:44:

Freddy said in the old forums: Quote: "Being young is good because you never know what will become of you. It's more of a compliment, so don't be angry"

Yeah...right !   But what I basically meant was..."Oh those young kids...with all the time in the world at their disposal...."
Something along those lines...!


Anthony wrote on 08.03.2007 at 20:53:44:

BTW: How old are you, aquamat? Can I call you "the 'ol scallywag matt?"

Call me what you will, Wingman!!
(41......  but looking 10 yrs younger !!   ;D :D ;D)

"I was so much older then / I'm younger than that now"
(Bob Dylan)

Back to our topic:

A while ago we we were talking about the "sins of the mansion builders".

As far as "The Bat Hoiuse" is concerned I might add a point which is totally subjective:

In the last weeks we saw a whole string of these "rectangular mansions" which have basically all rooms looking alike, with 3 floors in each room, and the whole point (I don't even dare calling it a puzzle) is running back and forth from one corner to the opposite corner in every room, pulling levers and opening doors. Usually the lever for the door in - say - the lower right corner, is in the upper left corner etc. ...so you have to keep walking and walking back and forth....and that's basically all that is happening in those mansions.

It's just my (very) personal view....and it's probably "web-political uncorrect" to say so, but: I  don't like that.
I think it's rather boring....sometimes even to a point where one of those mansions (I'm not naming names...and it's not the Bat House, even if that belongs to that category) looks strikingly similar to a previous one in the same vein.

And I know those mansions are probably meant for beginners..... but in the BAT HOUSE I was so much running on auto-pilot that when I came to the only spot that was a bit more challenging -  the zapper beams in rooms 17103 / 17104 (which are much harder than the rest of the House) - I lost about 10 of my amassed lives .....!!   :-?

So I just throw that on the table..... open for discussion:

While one mansion in that style every now and then is great.....  I could imagine even beginners getting bored by a whole series of those !!

As I said..... just my personal view.


(BTW: I experienced a strange bug while playing Bat House: every time I opened the map, all rooms in the map appeared twice (next to each other), and sometimes whole floors appeared twice (on top of each other). Now what is that ???)

To be fair, most of the square mansions have been Mikee's. Unless I missed something, there's only one other recent mansion that had a similar layout, and I don't think Mikee is imitating it. Almost everything in Bat House is a direct evolution of one of Mikee's previous mansions. Each new mansion in the Mikee series adds a thing or two.

Right now, though, I agree there's a lot of frustrating backtracking. There's an area in the first section that you have to walk through at least six times in a row. And the rooms are very similar to each other. But I have to confess, I kind of like Mikee's mansions. I'm excited to see each new section, and I like the simple challenges. I think he's gradually evolving to the point where he'll make a really good mansion, and we get to see each step of the way. A bit of honest feedback will probably help.

Well. I needed 3 attempts to make a perfect (?) walkthrough through The Bat House. It felt like a nice, relaxing mansion and finally needed about 30 minutes with one life lost to get both 100 % secrets and all (?) money: $ 24.375. For a mansion made by a teenager, I think it did fit very well together.

When I make a mansion I always try to make it in a way that the player must be able to solve all problems without restarting. But of course I can respect that other designers produce mansions where you "learn" on your way to the exit, so you know how to play better in your next attempt. In that way I saw two items in this mansion: a floorbutton that closed a gray door that could NOT be opened again and Wingy's missing blue key.

I could appreciate the 2 not-so-easy secrets although they were hinted!


aquaMat wrote on 08.03.2007 at 23:45:05:

In the last weeks we saw a whole string of these "rectangular mansions" which have basically all rooms looking alike, with 3 floors in each room, and the whole point (I don't even dare calling it a puzzle) is running back and forth from one corner to the opposite corner in every room, pulling levers and opening doors. Usually the lever for the door in - say - the lower right corner, is in the upper left corner etc. ...so you have to keep walking and walking back and forth....and that's basically all that is happening in those mansions. It's just my (very) personal view....and it's probably "web-political uncorrect" to say so, but: I  don't like that. I think it's rather boring....sometimes even to a point where one of those mansions ... looks strikingly similar to a previous one in the same vein.

I understand what you are saying. Perfect example with that 3-floor style is A Deserted Holiday Village. When talking about the designing-style I must confess that it is pretty boring. But In this particularly mansion I am going to stick to it, because it is indeed supposed for starting players. In the last months I had the luck to see several persons playing MM for the first time. Jumping over an isolated sitting snake or a normal walking skullspider is NOT easy for them. I still remember my very first steps in Falcon Manor easy where each creature was a REAL ENEMY. So In ADHV and also in The Bat House starting players are able to learn what a pole is, how to jump at a gap, what happens when pulling a lever etc.


aquaMat wrote on 08.03.2007 at 23:45:05:

And I know those mansions are probably meant for beginners..... but in the BAT HOUSE I was so much running on auto-pilot that when I came to the only spot that was a bit more challenging -  the zapper beams in rooms 17103 / 17104 (which are much harder than the rest of the House) - I lost about 10 of my amassed lives .....!!   :-?

Having a good balance in a mansion is probably the most difficult thing. The difficulty-degree, the prizes, the saving points etc. But from what I have seen in the past, ALL designers reach a better balance after some experience. Btw, losing 10 lives ... ::) ;)


aquaMat wrote on 08.03.2007 at 23:45:05:

So I just throw that on the table..... open for discussion: While one mansion in that style every now and then is great.....  I could imagine even beginners getting bored by a whole series of those !! As I said..... just my personal view.

Right and wrong together. The more mansions we have, the better. And like with books or music, not all mansions are for all players. The mansions that Mikee made so far are perhaps nice evening strolls for experienced players, but at the same time other people are struggling to reach the first saving point.


aquaMat wrote on 08.03.2007 at 23:45:05:

(BTW: I experienced a strange bug while playing Bat House: every time I opened the map, all rooms in the map appeared twice (next to each other), and sometimes whole floors appeared twice (on top of each other). Now what is that ???)

Did NOT experience that. But ... euh ... do you use two monitors?? ;D

Psychotronic wrote on 09.03.2007 at 03:43:06:

To be fair, most of the square mansions have been Mikee's. Unless I missed something, there's only one other recent mansion that had a similar layout, and I don't think Mikee is imitating it. Almost everything in Bat House is a direct evolution of one of Mikee's previous mansions. Each new mansion in the Mikee series adds a thing or two. Right now, though, I agree there's a lot of frustrating backtracking. There's an area in the first section that you have to walk through at least six times in a row. And the rooms are very similar to each other. But I have to confess, I kind of like Mikee's mansions. I'm excited to see each new section, and I like the simple challenges. I think he's gradually evolving to the point where he'll make a really good mansion, and we get to see each step of the way. A bit of honest feedback will probably help.

I don't know if you were referring to my ADHV. If so, I don't have the feeling at all that he is imitating it. In a matter of fact, I think that HE was first with this style. So maybe, I am to blame. :-?

And about the honest feedback, the major problem for the time being is a matter of language. aquaMat was already so kind to translate a few stickies into German, so that Mikee knew better what to do with the new mansions he made.

Freddy wrote on 09.03.2007 at 03:49:45:

Right and wrong together. The more mansions we have, the better. And like with books or music, not all mansions are for all players. The mansions that Mikee made so far are perhaps nice evening strolls for experienced players, but at the same time other people are struggling to reach the first saving point.

I guess you're right, with your comparison to books and music.......  in German we have a saying that goes "You can't argue about taste" (even though I tend to belive: Yes you can.... and you have to  (taking into consideration the terribly frustrating modern pop charts music for example.....    bad taste is and remains bad taste (and I'm of course not saying this in reference to Mikee's mansions, but to the current state of pop music) !!)


Freddy wrote on 09.03.2007 at 03:49:45:

aquaMat wrote on 08.03.2007 at 23:45:05: (BTW: I experienced a strange bug while playing Bat House: every time I opened the map, all rooms in the map appeared twice (next to each other), and sometimes whole floors appeared twice (on top of each other). Now what is that ???) Did NOT experience that. But ... euh ... do you use two monitors?? ;D

Yeah I guess that was the reason.... I had my 2nd monitor connected...and even if he went black, that probably produced that strange phenomenon !!

Aaah, and BTW:  I found that foot-switch that closed a grey door (without a possibility to re-open it) quite irritable, too !

(Even if I understood what was behind it was only a pile of special bonus cash..... probably meant to reward the player who did not stumble upon the foot-switch....  BUT WHO IS TO KNOW THAT during his first play-through ??)

I saw your video to Wingy. Haste well easily however naturally does not play with the same way.  ;)

And have you the trick found out with blue doors at the start? hehe.. ;) :D

As I it built had I at the start still no notion for which I a blue door make again. But then I had a good idea... More betrayal I you however not, If I see so my built Mansion, I am surprised, because sometimes I have genuinly no more overview  :-? Then I mistake one Mansion very gladly, But otherwise everything is in the green area  ;) ;D

Here is a Video... I created it in 19 minutes and achieved a Score of 24375 with 26 lives and 100 % :D

I am as I the lives saw somewhat frightened  ;)

See the video and you know then like one it correctly play to the end  ;) :D :D

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You lost 4 lives in your own mansion? I only lost one! :P

Grrr...  I become you already still wars!  ;)

I tried evenly again new functions in the Mansion, because I did not know no more the whole Mansion by heart  :) :D

Very good mansion, Mikee. It should be the 'advanced' tutorial for MM - lots of timing/ jumping practice. I think it's a terrific beginner++ mansion. Sometimes it is just fun to play this game without dying, restarting, dying, restarting and panicing to get to a save point!

Thx sherry  :D

I make Mansion for the other players very gladly, sometimes but no more ideas occur to me, and then it will build with difficulty somewhat, but I hope it on mean Mansions your fun find.

But now I would like to again play first before I to building go...  ;)