I've finished the first fully functional (according to my tester) rough draft of my new mansion 'Triad.' It still needs a lot of cosmetic work, so don't expect it this week, but I promise not to keep you hanging too long.  ;)

Here's a preview to whet your appetite!

Arevn

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It's an official mansion, so you can't make the mansion here in talk. You must then that say freddy or brell to post the mansion at the download thread 8-)

Chippy wrote on 25.02.2008 at 18:56:32:

It's an official mansion, so you can't make the mansion here in talk. You must then that say freddy or brell to post the mansion at the download thread 8-)

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The instructions for uploading a new mansion clearly invite designers to create a new thread in the 'talk' forum for their mansion when it's still in the design stage.

Arevn

arevn wrote on 25.02.2008 at 22:09:01:

Chippy wrote on 25.02.2008 at 18:56:32: It's an official mansion, so you can't make the mansion here in talk. You must then that say freddy or brell to post the mansion at the download thread 8-) ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The instructions for uploading a new mansion clearly invite designers to create a new thread in the 'talk' forum for their mansion when it's still in the design stage. Arevn

First of all:
Mikee:  Arevn is NOT making the mansion here in Talk.

Second:  Arevn is advertising her new mansion in Talk as designers are encouraged to do.

Looking forward to it, Arevn!
8-)

Semi-Native wrote on 26.02.2008 at 00:21:26:

Looking forward to it, Arevn! 8-)

Thanks, Semi-Native! I've been working on it for a while since it's the most ambitious mansion I've made yet (only the third I'll be publishing, but the twelfth I've attempted). It has about 20 rooms and I'd rate it 'normal.' Some rooms are easy, some are hard, so I figure that averages out to 'normal.' :)

Arevn

I'm very curious to see your new one, arevn....!!

I'm sure it's gonna be great !!

Yippee.... a new mansion....  :D   ;D   ;)

aquaMat wrote on 26.02.2008 at 02:14:23:

Yippee.... a new mansion....  :D   ;D   ;)

That's exactly why I decided to make it; there hasn't been much new stuff lately!

Arevn

brell wrote on 26.02.2008 at 00:00:33:

arevn wrote on 25.02.2008 at 22:09:01: Chippy wrote on 25.02.2008 at 18:56:32: It's an official mansion, so you can't make the mansion here in talk. You must then that say freddy or brell to post the mansion at the download thread 8-) ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The instructions for uploading a new mansion clearly invite designers to create a new thread in the 'talk' forum for their mansion when it's still in the design stage. Arevn First of all: Mikee:  Arevn is NOT making the mansion here in Talk. Second:  Arevn is advertising her new mansion in Talk as designers are encouraged to do.

nononononononnNONONO! You don't understand me! >:(

I know that's only a picture of this mansion but when you make the mansion in the download thread, is it a official mansion?

Chippy wrote on 26.02.2008 at 04:57:20:

brell wrote on 26.02.2008 at 00:00:33: arevn wrote on 25.02.2008 at 22:09:01: Chippy wrote on 25.02.2008 at 18:56:32: It's an official mansion, so you can't make the mansion here in talk. You must then that say freddy or brell to post the mansion at the download thread 8-) ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The instructions for uploading a new mansion clearly invite designers to create a new thread in the 'talk' forum for their mansion when it's still in the design stage. Arevn First of all: Mikee:  Arevn is NOT making the mansion here in Talk. Second:  Arevn is advertising her new mansion in Talk as designers are encouraged to do. nononononononnNONONO! You don't understand me! >:( I know that's only a picture of this mansion but when you make the mansion in the download thread, is it a official mansion?

Mikee, what do you mean by "download thread"?  Do you mean "Talk", "Free up- and downloading" or "List of completed mansions"?  An official mansion is a tested mansion accepted by one of the admins and goes to the "List of completed mansions".  Arevn is going to send her mansion to me or Freddy to be put in the "List of completed mansions" for an official release when it is ready.  She is not going to put it in the "Free up- and downloading" forum.

Here's another preview.  Don't know about you guys, but I hate ladder puzzles!;)

Arevn

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hehe a nice one, so you can also see on bedlam i think. :)

Ohmygawd, arevn....

I hate ladder puzzles too..... and this one just about beats all previous ladder puzzles in insanity factor, doesn't it ??   ;)   :D

aquaMat wrote on 27.02.2008 at 18:36:49:

Ohmygawd, arevn.... I hate ladder puzzles too..... and this one just about beats all previous ladder puzzles in insanity factor, doesn't it ??   ;)   :D

Hmm...  I thought the ladder puzzle in the red section in ARfRG was the craziest of them all  8-)

aquaMat wrote on 27.02.2008 at 18:36:49:

Ohmygawd, arevn.... I hate ladder puzzles too..... and this one just about beats all previous ladder puzzles in insanity factor, doesn't it ??   ;)   :D

*snorts* You're going to be soooo disappointed.  ;D

Arevn

I've just sent Triad to the admins for uploading! TYK to my beta testers!

Arevn

Triad is downloadable now at the usual places.

Finished with 66% secrets.  Not sure whether I would call it easy although there are plenty of lives - if the player starts as advised  ;)

brell wrote on 29.02.2008 at 04:39:18:

Finished with 66% secrets.  Not sure whether I would call it easy although there are plenty of lives - if the player starts as advised  ;)

I considered it 'normal' level. Some rooms are easy, some are hard, so that averages out to 'normal.'  ;)

Thanks for playing!

Arevn

Couldn't sleep so played..... TRIAD!  Really liked it... not so hard as to be frustrating... just enough puzzles and secrets to keep trying. Lost a lot of Jacks first time around, but kept at it.  Last time:  finished in 14:20 with 48,850 points, 100% secrets and 40 Jacks left - all ready to play again another day!

Do another, PLEASE?

suztours wrote on 29.02.2008 at 09:45:32:

Couldn't sleep so played..... TRIAD!  Really liked it... not so hard as to be frustrating... just enough puzzles and secrets to keep trying. Lost a lot of Jacks first time around, but kept at it.  Last time:  finished in 14:20 with 48,850 points, 100% secrets and 40 Jacks left - all ready to play again another day! Do another, PLEASE?

Suztours, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for playing! 'Not so hard as to be frustrating', huh? 14698 gave me grey hairs when I was testing! It knew it was doable, but I'd always end up losing a kazillion Jacks. That's why I ended up creating a safety net of sorts two rooms down.  ;D

My next project is to build a room for Catacombs. If I have time after I might try my hand at another, especially since you asked so nicely.  ;)

Cheers,

Arevn

Arevn,

I really enjoyed TRIAD so far (haven't finished it yet).... Lots of wild ideas....
Although I really wouldn't call any of it EASY, really, as someone else has said above.... in fact, some rooms were downright vicious !  8-)

A few things give me a bit of headache, e.g. room # 14301 (if I remember correctly), which you enter by jumping from a sinking platform in the room before, which in itself is hard enough.
Then you're supposed to land on a tiny bit of wall and/or a fast moving platform leading to a conveyor belt about to drop a green key into lava.
This is a potential JS situation, I'm afraid....since if you don't manage to claim the key in your first try and instead happen to die there, you are reborn on that tiny bit of wall, while that green key again is about to be dropped into the lava. So you realise in order to get to the key in time you must leave the room (=jump back onto the sinking platform) and jump right back in and do the "fast platform + conveyor belt manoevre" very quickly.

However there are 2 problems:
1. Jumping back into the room before is virtually impossible, as every time you do that you're killed by the zapper beam (above the sinking platform). Walking back is impossible as there is no floor (=death).
2. This results in repeated deaths and everytime you're reborn on that green wall bit with not enough time to claim that key.

I lost all my lives there (12 or more !!) and still was stuck !!  :'(  :o

The whole affair could easily be solved with a tiny bit of floor in the room to the right (next to the sinking platform) so that it's possible to shortly walk out of the room and back in without getting zapped or falling to your death !!

I'm surprised that none of the testers commented on that ?!   :-/

Apart from that I really have much fun with Triad...!!

Aquamat

Room # 14301

Someone needs to do a bit more exploring. ;)

Arevn

Oh, all right, I'll give you a hint (just highlight below this):

A careful observation of the room reveals a slidey pole and a lever. Hmm...

Arevn

And Secret #17 nearby... which helps with the whole problem!

suztours wrote on 02.03.2008 at 01:26:05:

And Secret #17 nearby... which helps with the whole problem!

Ssh, don't spoil it all!  ;D

Arevn

Why do I have so fewer points than Suztours without missing any secret?  :-?

(Maybe I rushed trough one room without bothering about the money?)

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Toybox wrote on 02.03.2008 at 20:56:08:

Why do I have so fewer points than Suztours without missing any secret?  :-? (Maybe I rushed trough one room without bothering about the money?)

Congrats at making it through, Toybox!

I'm not sure why you have less money. Did you get all extra 18 lives in the blue section?

Arevn

Um, I don't think so. How odd :-?

EDIT: Found it  8-)

Oooh thanks, arevn & Suzours....

I didn't know that there was more to it..... probably I died too fast to notice anything else....   ;D   :D

Hi Arevn,

Great mansion, didn't realize till the end that there wasn't even one save pedestal in the whole thing!

Liked the way you build it so rooms from different paths intersected, that was intriguing.

Found room ?14302 (the one with all the levers and changing silver/gold blocks) much harder than 14698 until I found the easy way through!!! ;D

I was puzzled at the need for a lever or any reason to even pull it in room ?14301 (the ladder room that you did a preview shot of) there was nothing else to discover in this room.

All in all a great little mansion, with lots of good secrets and some challenging spots.  Keep up the great work,

Thanks,
SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

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Thanks for playing, SandyBean!

I have a question for you about room 14301: How did you get past it without pulling the lever????

Arevn

Toybox wrote on 02.03.2008 at 23:02:30:

Um, I don't think so. How odd :-? EDIT: Found it  8-)

I'm sneaky, aren't ?  ;)

Arevn

aquaMat wrote on 03.03.2008 at 01:06:49:

Oooh thanks, arevn & Suzours.... I didn't know that there was more to it..... probably I died too fast to notice anything else....   ;D   :D

Aren't I clever designer; I thought of eveeeeeerything!  ;D

Arevn

I am not sure, as I did go through the room and explore, but I left the silver brick empty when I left, so the room was as I found it.

Maybe that was the catch that I missed inadvertently.

Good stuff,

SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

arevn wrote on 03.03.2008 at 03:29:34:

aquaMat wrote on 03.03.2008 at 01:06:49: Oooh thanks, arevn & Suzours.... I didn't know that there was more to it..... probably I died too fast to notice anything else....   ;D   :D Aren't I clever designer; I thought of eveeeeeerything!  ;D Arevn

Ah, that famous room with the key falling into the lava?

I solved it very easily by failing to achieve the wrong solution  :D

Toybox wrote on 03.03.2008 at 04:18:36:

Ah, that famous room with the key falling into the lava? I solved it very easily by failing to achieve the wrong solution  :D

How, praytell, did you solve it? Do you mean failing to achieve the correct solution?

Arevn

After your tip I played again, and this time finished Triad in a (for me) record time of 14 mins. (See below...)

Although I had the feeling I had found really many secrets it turned out to be only 66 %..... strange ??!

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aquaMat wrote on 03.03.2008 at 06:13:03:

Although I had the feeling I had found really many secrets it turned out to be only 66 %..... strange ??!

Someone needs to slow down and explore a bit more.  ;)

Arevn
PS I know where everything is and the quickest way through the whole mansion and I can't do it in under 11 minutes. So, 14 minutes isn't too bad, other than the fact that you're missing 34% of the secrets. :)

After a bunch of deaths and messing around, I did it in 14:20 with all secrets and all points... but the next time through, it took longer, 'cause I kept falling off the gold & silver blocks and couldn't quite manage to get to the tiny brick area in the next room from the falling platform!  I don't think I can beat my own time of 14:20... :-/

Now that is quite an achievment, Suz !!!

@ Arevn:

Yeah, I know....  but once I finished a mansion (even with only two third of the secrets found) I usually wait at least 2 weeks before I play it again....so it doesn't get overly familiar !

[quote author=aquaMat link=1203907159/30#40 date=1204556907]Now that is quite an achievment, Suz !!!

@ Arevn:

Thanks - but the thing is, I've been very sick for more than two weeks and taking medication that makes me feel like I'm speeding, very restless, even when I should be resting!  :o  So, instead, I push little Jack to hurry up and get through those mansions!  :P

I finish the meds by Wednesday and have lots of touring work coming up, so hopefully, at least Jack can take an actual rest for a bit!  Well, until the Tubes comes out, anyway!  ::)

suzanne

arevn wrote on 03.03.2008 at 05:27:41:

Toybox wrote on 03.03.2008 at 04:18:36: Ah, that famous room with the key falling into the lava? I solved it very easily by failing to achieve the wrong solution  :D How, praytell, did you solve it? Do you mean failing to achieve the correct solution? Arevn

No no, I meant failing to achieve the wrong one: I tried something which would have not led to success, but failed. This made me discover by chance the proper way to go on  ;D

And by the way, I had managed just under 12min (and missed the screenshot  ::)) I think there are one or two rooms where you can waste quite some time - I got lucky and managed to pass them quickly I guess.

Toybox wrote on 04.03.2008 at 02:05:40:

No no, I meant failing to achieve the wrong one: I tried something which would have not led to success, but failed. This made me discover by chance the proper way to go on  ;D And by the way, I had managed just under 12min (and missed the screenshot  ::)) I think there are one or two rooms where you can waste quite some time - I got lucky and managed to pass them quickly I guess.

LOL Whatever works, I guess!

Your time is excellent! The room that slows me down every time is 14698 ('Folie'). Those jumps just seem impossible to me. I would eat up a kazillion lives trying to pass it until I put in the 'safety net' two rooms down.

Arevn

arevn wrote on 04.03.2008 at 02:11:57:

Your time is excellent! The room that slows me down every time is 14698 ('Folie'). Those jumps just seem impossible to me. I would eat up a kazillion lives trying to pass it until I put in the 'safety net' two rooms down.

Yes, I had that room in mind when mentioning the harder ones. When I played last time I managed to lose just one Jack there (I missed the safety nets. I guess that won me some time too  ;)). The previous time it had claimed a much heavier Jack toll!

Terrific mansion, Arevn. A little easy, a little normal, a little hard, a good bit of trickery and some humor - great balance (although my keyboard may not recover from the Folie jumps!). BTW, how much money was it possible to earn? I had 48,850.

sherryl199 wrote on 04.03.2008 at 04:15:58:

Terrific mansion, Arevn. A little easy, a little normal, a little hard, a good bit of trickery and some humor - great balance (although my keyboard may not recover from the Folie jumps!). BTW, how much money was it possible to earn? I had 48,850.

Sherry, thanks for playing and taking the time to comment!

My keyboard had the same issue with Folie.  ;D

Total money: 48850 You got it all, congrats!

Arevn

It was exactly that room which drove me crazy as well.... first time I lost a zillion lives there.....but during the second play I was lucky and went thru it pretty fast !

It's definitly harder than "normal" there....   ;)

aquaMat wrote on 04.03.2008 at 07:02:37:

It's definitly harder than "normal" there....   ;)

This room is what makes the mansion normal, I think. Most of the rest of it is easy. Easy and hard averages out to normal, right?  ;)

Arevn

Well, arevn.....

I'm not sure if I'd call the rest of your mansion EASY either (apart from a few really easy rooms)..... but you're definitely right, when you say the whole thing is "normal"....

BTW....I usually have the same tendency....to "underestimate" the difficulty of my own creations (I remember I wanted to call The Void "normal-to-hard" first ;-) !!). As a builder you're so familiar with what you've created so of course it seems a bit easier to yourself than anyone else.

A big part of underestimating your own puzzles is that you always know in advance how you're supposed to solve it (even when there is no technical difficulty like finely tuned zapper beams).

The innocent player sees the room and at first has no clue as to how to get through it. It may be obvious once you have the solution (Freddy is a big expert on that  ;)) but while you don't have it you may try sometimes very silly things (like jumping in a hole just to see if there's no secret passage to the room below  ::))

Toybox wrote on 05.03.2008 at 01:04:43:

A big part of underestimating your own puzzles is that you always know in advance how you're supposed to solve it

Exactly. I did a ton of testing with room 14304 to make sure it works whether or not you hit the 'activation' rock under the door first or not.

Incidentally, I love the design of that room, the way it plays if you go through it correctly. Activate the rock, go around the lava by way of the skulls, activate the lever, and, voila!, the key floats down to pick up level. Beautiful.  ;D

Arevn