2 things:
1. How far along is everyone? I keep getting comments about the great graphics but the nifty stuff is after the first "sunrise".

2. Stop asking to use the graphics, JUST DO IT! We'd appreciate a comment somewhere that some of the graphics were by us.

Have fun!!

MJ

I am at the third (I think) saving point in room #9108.  Missing a green key  >:(

Gosh, I've only made it to the 1st saving point... Yeah, I'm just that bad.

Third saving point? You're a little past 2/3 thru. Cool. Sorry for all the little gotchas.

joeb

Well, before the release I played the whole area above the starting room and some rooms below.

It was my purpose to continue play today. But as so often something came in between. During the night I received an other mansion for approval: omega's first one. So I have to to some admin-things first.

Joe, you did it again.... as usual !
Great graphics, almost unlimited number of rooms to explore and countless innovations. Thx !

The only "downside" in my book is:  there are really too many spiders for my taste, and it tends to get a bit repetitive....
Also some creatures really can't be avoided, although only very few.

I'm behind the 2nd saving point.... and the only real issue I encountered is in room # 8501: The long rope at the left apparently has no correct "top ending (stop)" which can result in Jack climbing upwards into the lava (of the room above) where - of course - he dies.

All in all, Radeka is a really great mansion, muich fun to explore !

(And what a nice surprise the quick release was......)

brell wrote on 03.01.2008 at 06:43:54:

I am at the third (I think) saving point in room #9108.  Missing a green key  >:(

Me, too!

I'm curious about the mansion name. How do you pronounce it, and what does it mean?

Great mansion, as usual, Joe & Matt. Thank you!
:o

First. This mansion had been laying around at about 50 rooms. I started adding more rooms and that might have accounted for the repetitiveness (also some of the gotchas that brell found all of which I think I've fixed). I kind of got out of touch with the mansion concept from being idle for so long.
Second. The name.
Rad (as in the slang rad) e (eh) ka (as in khan)
I had wanted to use Search For Jack but that would have meant I had to finish Jill (about halfway there right now) and I wanted a mansion to have for my return. So I thought about Frankie's Funhouse where the mansion starts. Matt got kind of upset and told me I never let him pick the names or I change what he suggest. So I said OK, pick a name. He picked Radeka. Evidently it has something to do with Pokemon or the Picaju (spelling???) games.
Last. It has been a while since I've put anything together and most of that work was with the beta XP so retrograding to the standard MM has come with a few hiccups on my part.
I'm happy to hear that Radeka is getting played and that you all are enjoying the mansion. Sorry for all the spiders though. I can however guarantee this:
In the new MJ mansion you won't see a SINGLE spider! Promise.....
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
NOW what are they up to?

MJ

ps I sent brell a fixed R with the 8501 and 8502 rope issues, the 8503 JS and the restored green key (you haven't gotten there yet). Also a few cosmetic tweaks. So I'd download the latest version.

mj

Quote:

It was my purpose to continue play today. But as so often something came in between.

Freddy,

I can't believe how much you do for this user group. So the last thing you need to do is apologize for not over extending yourself once again. The admins do a fabulous job (and I'm not including me in that group even though I have the forum status) with a complex operation and keeping the peace among a wide range of users. Being a member of at least 2 dozen other forums I'd rate our admins in the top 2.

Nuff said.....

Joe B

Hi

I wondered where the green key was - thought I had missed it somewhere.  

Am really enjoying it - like the graphics and the 'invisible snakes' are cool...

Echo comments about Freddy and the admins - I also am a member of other forums, but this one is so friendly and responsive - it feels like a proper community.
;D

Joe,

I just doenloaded your update to Radeka, but haven't played it yet. (That was super-fast BTW !!).

So maybe some of the things I experienced are already fixed now...?!

I encountered a few unaligned room floors (resulting in death) in the "underworld" beyond the 4 (3) green doors....(the fourth door of which I had to "climb over" since that key you mentioned was missing (good to hear it isn't any longer...  ;)), but unfortunately I didn't write down the room numbers.

Also, there was one room (further "upstairs" somewhere) where I simply didn't find any hidden ladder or other means to get from the top floor onto the middle floor...so I had to do a squirrel jump to be able to continue (although I doubt that's what you intended). AM I missing something ?

I'll be reporting the resp. room numbers later.....

Those brown snakes are often so hard to see that I keep running into them....but that's basically because I didn't take your advice to stop after entering a room and have a look first. (To eager to keep on exploring  :) !!)

I'm well beyond the third save now, although I'm sure I took one turn somewhere after save 1 which I thought would lead to a short hidden extra route to explore, so I left what looked like the "main route" but never got back there, as that turn (a more or less hidden ladder) took me further and further down...... so I'm sure that I have at least one unfinished section somewhere up above and I'll probably never get back up there....  8-)   ;)    :-/

aquaMat,


Near the end is a snow mountain. If you haven't hit that you're not close to the end. PLEASE get back to me with room numbers as I want to make sure that everything is aligned.
I did warn about the snakes and spiders but I'm glad to hear you see my point. Our idea was to put something together that was explorable but engaging and I think we succeeded as your comment about being too excited to keep on exploring points out.

Keep having fun all!!

MJ

Hi Guys,  

Excellent mansion, love the colors, graphics, design, and yes, lots of hard parts, but it is manageable.

I am past the fourth save pedestal, and have come to what I think is a dead end. :'(

I am in room #8295, entered from the lower left, but there is no where else to go.  Am I missing something? :-[ :-/ :o

Also, could not get to the snowy rooftops in #8695, I think the lever on the mid right is supposed to help, but it did not activate anything.  So my Jack cannot retrieve the purple key or the shields next door :'(

If anyone can help, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!!!

No, you picked up a couple more. I've fixed them and more little graphic tweaks. As you can see I like to be detailed. The fixes were sent off to Freddy and Brell.
Good news is that you're the furthest along and you should have clear sailing to the end IF you make it past 8095. And congratulations I think I just added you to my beta test list?

Joe B

joeb wrote on 04.01.2008 at 09:23:00:

aquaMat, Near the end is a snow mountain. If you haven't hit that you're not close to the end. PLEASE get back to me with room numbers as I want to make sure that everything is aligned. I did warn about the snakes and spiders but I'm glad to hear you see my point. Our idea was to put something together that was explorable but engaging and I think we succeeded as your comment about being too excited to keep on exploring points out. Keep having fun all!! MJ

Definitely!  I have a LOT of fun playing this mansion....
And the few minor issues can not diminuish the fun-factor of the mansion !

BTW, I never assumed I was already close to the end.

As far as room numbers are concerned, I again forget to write down most of them, but here are two examples of unaligned room floors:

When walking on the ground floor of room # 9102 into room # 9101 Jack always dies because there's something wrong with the floor.

A similar thing happens in one or two other occasions, I'll post those room-numbers a.s.a.p.

Another similar thing happens when coming into room # 9503 from 9504, but there I'm not sure if the reason is an unaligned floor.... the bottom right door in room # 9503 is closed (when I try it) and somehow Jack always dies when trying to walk into 9503.....

At the moment I can not get beyond one espescially "vicious" room (# 9501), that has two rows of irregular moving platforms with critters on them.
I'm simply losing all my Jacks (=lives) while trying to get past those platforms..... sometimes I lose more than 10 lives there !  :(   :-/   :'(

That's one of only very few spots in Radeka that I really find too hard. Most others are hard, but manageable after a while..... especially since you're very generous with coins and shields as compensation.

aquaMat wrote on 06.01.2008 at 00:09:30:

At the moment I can not get beyond one espescially "vicious" room (# 9501), that has two rows of irregular moving platforms with critters on them. I'm simply losing all my Jacks (=lives) while trying to get past those platforms..... sometimes I lose more than 10 lives there !  :(   :-/   :'(

The snakes are "easily" manageable once you know how but the scorpions !?  I have yet to find out how to dodge them.  Lost 5 lives  :-[

OK I'm past the 4. saving point now.  I must say that sometimes there is more than meets the eye in this mansion.

OK,  I am in the 1.3 update, back in room # 8295, with a yellow, red, and three purple keys, and NO WHERE to go !!!  I have entered from the lower left, and for the life of Jack, he cannot find where to go from here. :o  What are we doing wrong???

Any Help???

Thanks,

SandyBean

PS: Brell,  how are the snakes in #9501 'easily' managed??? :-? (My Jack has lost at least 6 lives in this room!)

Matt and I just want to thank everyone with their patience on Radeka. We're glad everyone seems to be enjoying the mansion and will continue to comment on where they think it's too easy, too hard, too many ____, whatever comments you'd like to make. It will help us create better mansions in the future. And please feel free to use any of the tiles. I think we've created some usable additions to the already rich MM tile set.

And of course, thanks for the WARM welcome back by everyone!!!

Joe B

I have just sent off 1.5 which has ALL the issues noted fixed AND an easier version (not EASY....easier) version of 9501. The key to the room (as in most of life) is patience and timing.

Phew, been a long road but we hope it's been worth it. Of course Matt is already laying out a new mansion which is going to be yet another departure. I mentioned an idea to him and he ran with it and the basics are pretty spiffy but the graphic implementation is going to be quite involved. When we're ready to beta test I think I'll offer to the highest score and fastest time on Radeka.

Super Bowl meeting tomorrow so I won't be around. Have fun folks!!

Joe B

Am I missing something in 9101? I opened the red door to get to the top lever, which activated the up-down platform from the middle. But I can't get to the middle lever without being zapped to death. And what's the purpose of that platform? I went down below and died a thousand deaths in 9501 trying to get past the spiders and scorpions, made it to the bottom of 9101 finally. Now what? It doesn't seem like Jack has anywhere new to go.
:'(

SandyBean wrote on 06.01.2008 at 08:37:03:

PS: Brell,  how are the snakes in #9501 'easily' managed??? :-? (My Jack has lost at least 6 lives in this room!)

As Joe has come up with an easier version of this room this question is propably irrevelant now (I haven't played the newest version of R yet).

But, yes, there IS a trick to it.  Jack can stand on the same moving tile as a snake and thus jump over it to the next tile with a very precise timing.  The scorpions are harder, though, since they are the reverse of the snakes.

Semi-Native wrote on 06.01.2008 at 20:14:24:

Am I missing something in 9101? I opened the red door to get to the top lever, which activated the up-down platform from the middle. But I can't get to the middle lever without being zapped to death. And what's the purpose of that platform? I went down below and died a thousand deaths in 9501 trying to get past the spiders and scorpions, made it to the bottom of 9101 finally. Now what? It doesn't seem like Jack has anywhere new to go. :'(

There is a trick to this room.  As I said in another post there is more than meets the eye in this mansion.  You have already activated the upper platform by pulling the uppermost lever.  Now you need to pull the other lever.  How can you get there WITHOUT having to jump through ALL the zappers?

Well.........we made it through, sacrificing a lot of lives, and Jack was very Pleased to find a way up through #8295 available!!! :D ;D :) ;)

Loved the design of #8095, good timing made it fun, but found a half JS when he went to the lower right corner to get the backpack, could not get back up, so had to jump to his death! :'(

As #9101 layout was changed and I didn't realize it, my Jack tried his old method and after dying a few times, we figured out we had to do it in a new fashion. ::)

We didn't find all the secrets, and will be having another go at it once we have recovered !!!  (may take months!)

All in all, I loved the mansion, and enjoyed the challenge!!!

thanks,

SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

---

Phew, I managed to get through! I missed the screenshot - I had about 15 lives left, 60% secrets and it took me more than 100 minutes. And I had an extra red and yellow (or green) key.

It is quite difficult indeed, it made me raise an eyebrow at times. Especially that trick where you have to jump above snakes on moving platforms, then above scorpions!

The graphics are getting better and better - some stony walls are just fantastic, and the zapper beams look much friendlier now (I even liked going through them :o - not through the beam, mark you). I didn't think that any death was actually cheap, Joeb's warning notwithstanding - you could always see through the spiderweb's veils (if you remembered to look before getting eaten ::)), or notice the little glowing eyes, etc.

And for the reckless, there is a great amount of shields and money providing enough lives to allow for some, er, creative playing  ;)

And the exploration feeling was amazing!

But where are the missing 40%, I wonder?

And the trick I finally found for Room #9501: sacrifice two Jacks to get rid of the middle critter; then, jumping above the first and third ones is not a huge problem.

Not extremely elegant, but I had only 3 Jacks left before taking this extreme measure.

I had some trouble in a room just prior to 9501 (but didn't note down the number; it had 3 floors of 'grey' doors and, to the right, a very foggy room): I managed to get the top floors' doors open and the bottom one's closed, but then I was sort of stuck. Trying to open the lower doors would close all top ones, and I couldn't reach the foggy room anymore. Finally I jumped on a snake (and lost a shield) to use its moving platform to get down. Is there a better trick?

Toybox,

Since it seems that a couple of the "tricks" have been discovered here is the 9503/9504 hint. Don't use the 9504 bottom floor to get thru 9503. In this thread someone has posted THE trick which can be used in a few places 9503 being one of them. This room can be traversed WITHOUT losing a life.
Sounds like you all are having fun though and we thank you for the comments on the graphics. If it's OK with Vern I'm going to be putting together a "composite" empty mansion with what I consider are my best bricks, matching platforms, the new zappers, the single pole and metal ladders, the ropes and vines, the slime snake and some of the backgrounds. Let me know if you're interested.

Joe B

That would be nice. These little rooms in the Empty mansion are so useful, as I discovered once when I had deleted them too early.

And something I wanted to add: in that place near the, er, third saving point (with the green doors), I think you can avoid using the keys by going on the floor above the doors. Of course, extra green keys means less space in the backpack, so it may also be considered as a very subtle trap  ;)

Mmmh, 20% missing, and I still have those two extra keys  >:( I wonder if these facts could be related  ;)

---

Nope. I just pulled out (or forgot) to put in the doors for those 2 keys. Matt had wanted those keys and doors so they were kind of off my radar i.e. you can wind up with 2 keys and they have nothing to do with the secrets.

Joe B

Joe,

what strikes me as extremely odd in Radeka is: once you made it through that especially-lethal section (ca. the rooms around / between 9302 - 9504 etc.) you finally arrive back up where you started from (rooms 9101 / 9102) and have gained nothing at all, just lost a LOT of lives.
If you wanted, you could bypass the entire lower section and just go from 9102 into 9101 (as you already have all the red keys needed) and simply spare yourself a lot of trouble.  ;)

Considering how hard that lower section is and how many lives I keep losing there (especially in room 9501) I can't help feeling it's a little pointless....   :-/   ;)

There should be some reward of some sort, like a key needed later (there is money there of course...but that's counterbalanced by the amount of lives lost) .... 'cause as a simple "fun-to-explore - extra-route" it's just too frustratingly lethal !

AHA!!!
That's where the extra doors were supposed to go. See I should have listened to Matt. Good point though! I could go back and retro fit the mansion with the doors and new path that requires going thru the bottom section but I'll just leave it as an explorable part of the mansion. Not like I haven't seen similar instances in other mansions and since so many people have already played and completed it I don't really want to change it plus I promised Freddy that I'd fix some minor issues with some of the old MJ mansions.
Again, there was also a 6-8 month lag in the start to completion of this mansion so all in all I'm surprised it did come out as well as it did. I do appreciate the comment because that has been one of the design issues that I have tried to work into our mansions.
Just as an FYI Matt has already come up with a new mansion that will be a radical departure from the norm in the vein of Dominator, so there will be a lull in MJ mansions for a couple of months as I prepare the new artwork. During that time I may go back and add some more to Radeka, there was a whole other section that Matt wanted to add that I nixed.

Thanks again for the comments!

Joe B

Wow, that sounds very interesting !!

Oh, by the way, it's terrestrial not space based
;)

jb

Thanks for another intriquing mansion, Joe and Matt! It's been great fun (although your ears may have been burning at a few points). Please let Matt know how much I like the name, too.
I only got 30% secrets, so it's back to the beginning for me, I think.
And yikes - some of those spiders are particularly agile...Great fun though, thanks so much.

Fourth save pedestal here. I got all the way to the snowy mountain with the three purple doors, only to realize, oh crap! I missed a purple key! So, back down I went, and as I went, I lost my last life. :(

In general it's been great. A nice challenge in spots, but always with plenty of lives (provided you don't have to backtrack through a quarter of the mansion...:( I feel like this is something that, in general, should be designed around whenever possible. A technique that I've seen that I like is designing in "blocks", where you have nonlinear sections of moderate size that must be completed before moving on to the next section, thus minimizing backtracking if you happen to miss a key. That, or just always putting the keys a bit closer to the doors.)

I really liked the background effects, with "time" passing. Backgrounds are generally what I like least in MM (why do they always look so awful?), but yours here are generally quite good.

I was going to report a bunch of stuff, but none of my screenshots took (???) so I can't remember any of it! Sorry. :(

Can't wait to finish this one. It's been a long time since I really played MM, and it took me a bit to get back into the groove, but this mansion is reminding me of why I love this game.

P.S. The name "Radeka" reminds me of the Spanish word "radica", which is a conjugated form of the verb "radicar", meaning "to base in/on", generally in reference to ideas or ideologies. So, if I were to build a mansion using Radeka's graphics, I could say, "La mansión se radica en Radeka." :D

Hmm? I only found/used three save points, and finished with 80% secrets and the red and yellow keys you mentioned.

Is that good?

x

Aaaand I finished it. I was too slow with the screenshot (this MBP is faster than my G4, even running the game in Rosetta), but I got 80% secrets, 60K-ish gold, and took over 70 minutes.

Turns out that the place I thought the purple key I missed was really just a huge pointless detour. It was also the most difficult part of the mansion.  >:(

But, I found the key that I'd missed (embarrassingly close to the top), and finished in short order.

@Lara: The save pedestal that you missed was likely near the the beginning, at the start of a vertical dead end. There's not much point in visiting it, unless you want to get all of the gold. ;)

Another nice mansion from M&J!

ryos wrote on 30.01.2008 at 12:53:34:

@Lara: The save pedestal that you missed was likely near the the beginning, at the start of a vertical dead end. There's not much point in visiting it, unless you want to get all of the gold. ;)

Hey Ryos,

I think that was a room with a rising brick that has a hidden wall in the top right corner, I found that and got the gold. I just don't remember the save pedestal.

Currently playing 'Questing for the Rainbow Key'.  :)