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Author Topic:   Custom level PET PEEVES!!!
Bullet ridden monkey
Moderator

Posts: 461
From:Canada, eh?
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-04-2001 06:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bullet ridden monkey   Click Here to Email Bullet ridden monkey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!! I HAVE to vent!

#1. To all you aspiring young level builders out there, a tip for building rooms: LESS IS MORE! I really don't like it when I'm playing a level, and I walk into a room 50 clicks high, 18x18 with badly stretched textures (a room supposed to look like an ancient temple!). Please, cut down on the size of your rooms. They may look great in the Level Editor, but remember that in game they look horrible!

#2. For everyone who love to edit those script files: STOP IT! If there is one thing that I can't STAND is downloading a level, having to put the wads where they are, and edit and replace the script files! It gets really annoying after a while when you go back to your game expecting to play a new level (different from the one with the altered scripts) and you only find ONE custom level!

#3: Specifically aimed at a particular website: Your EZ installer isn't that easy. I installed one of your levels, and couldn't find the bloody .tom files and .was files for the sake of me! And I DON'T appreciate it when a new directory is made in my TRLE file.

#4: NO MORE EGYPTIAN AND ROMAN LEVELS! Sheesh, I know that there are some EXCELLENT levels out there that have Roman and Egyptian themes, but it's just getting really really old now!

#5: Better puzzles! I recently just played a level where there was no objective. No puzzles, no traps! NOTHING! It was just climb on this, swim through that, switch this, slide down that....DONE! Please, put some thought into your levels!

Sorry if this message sounded harsh, I just had to vent....

(PS. Post your other pet peeves here)

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BRM
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MichaelB
Member

Posts: 217
From:
Registered: May 2000

posted 06-04-2001 06:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MichaelB   Click Here to Email MichaelB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dude...


Like, chill out. The 'beginners' out there testing their legs need some gentle encouragement! There are lots of folks out there with potential that needs only a little coaching to get them really "THERE!"

(stepping up onto the soapbox)

As for the remainder of your comments; point taken, but relax a little. Actually, I like a little creativity; The horseman's gem gets old fast; The Crystal of Lyricy or the Old Man's Blue Eye might be nice once in a while. Some work is need on 'install, play, and restor' for those out there who like their PC 'restored' after the game, but it's a large community and change takes time.

(stepping off the soapbox)

Happy raiding, dudes!

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How can I be dead already?

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Bullet ridden monkey
Moderator

Posts: 461
From:Canada, eh?
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-04-2001 06:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bullet ridden monkey   Click Here to Email Bullet ridden monkey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My little tirade was just a small outburst of frusturation, to anyone who may be offended: Sorry, but I had to say it.

Ah well

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BRM
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MichaelB
Member

Posts: 217
From:
Registered: May 2000

posted 06-04-2001 07:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MichaelB   Click Here to Email MichaelB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm sure there's no harm done; and no offense taken! We all get frustrated, my friend!

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aktrekker
Member

Posts: 222
From:WA, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-04-2001 07:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for aktrekker   Click Here to Email aktrekker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As long as the subject was brought up.....
What really bugs me about ANY level, custom or from core/eidos.

1) Flyby that is LOOOOONG or SLOOOOOW or twists and turns at wierd angles, or ends up inside a wall somewhere.

2) Levels so hard you can't finish them without cheating. In fact, if you can't get through without a walkthrough, it is probably too hard. Challenge is good, but you should be able to figure out what to do next if you snoop around awhile.

3) Fixed cameras suck!!!!!

4) Did I mention fixed cameras suck?

5) And finally, fixed cameras suck.

OK, I'm done.

As for Monkeys point #5 -- We are limited to the puzzles and traps we can use. If you go back and examine the original TR levels in all games, you are basically doing the same thing over and over. So the same things are used repeatedly, we have no choice. I agree sometimes it gets boring, but then I get out of my slump and it is fun again.

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aktrekker
Member

Posts: 222
From:WA, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-04-2001 07:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for aktrekker   Click Here to Email aktrekker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Oh, something else. About the EZ installer. I have always been able to find the files. They sometimes go under a subdirectory. Since the EXE is just a self-extracting archive, you can load it into winzip and extract it. Just tell it to ignore subdirectories.

I NEVER run an exe archive without checking it in winzip to see what it contains.

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Torry
Member

Posts: 262
From:Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-05-2001 01:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Torry     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
#1. To all you aspiring young level builders out there, a tip for building rooms: LESS IS MORE! I really don't like it when I'm playing a level, and I walk into a room 50 clicks high, 18x18 with badly stretched textures (a room supposed to look like an ancient temple!). Please, cut down on the size of your rooms. They may look great in the Level Editor, but remember that in game they look horrible!

Well, I think that is just stifling the authors creativity.

#2. For everyone who love to edit those script files: STOP IT! If there is one thing that I can't STAND is downloading a level, having to put the wads where they are, and edit and replace the script files! It gets really annoying after a while when you go back to your game expecting to play a new level (different from the one with the altered scripts) and you only find ONE custom level!

Agree. At least give us the other levels that the .dat files had as well as your new one.

#3: Specifically aimed at a particular website: Your EZ installer isn't that easy. I installed one of your levels, and couldn't find the bloody .tom files and .was files for the sake of me! And I DON'T appreciate it when a new directory is made in my TRLE file.

I don't know which installer you are referring too but I agree, give the option to download with or without the installer. Some of us really do know how to install these things, lol.

#4: NO MORE EGYPTIAN AND ROMAN LEVELS! Sheesh, I know that there are some EXCELLENT levels out there that have Roman and Egyptian themes, but it's just getting really really old now!

Right on!!!

#5: Better puzzles! I recently just played a level where there was no objective. No puzzles, no traps! NOTHING! It was just climb on this, swim through that, switch this, slide down that....DONE! Please, put some thought into your levels!

Yeah but some of 'em go overboard with their puzzles. You need a quantum physics degree to work out what you are supposed to do. So, a happy medium, eh guyz?

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Colin Grigson
Member

Posts: 776
From:LONDON, ENGLAND
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 06-05-2001 05:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Colin Grigson   Click Here to Email Colin Grigson     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hey BRM

As the guy who wrote the EZ Installer I thought I should reply.

It gives you an option to install using WinZip for those of us who find installing levels manually preferable just click on Run Winzip to open the files in the exe.

As for creating new directories, if you specify exactly where your trle folder is it will only copy the files contained the the exe into the respective folders that already exist in your folder tree...as long as you specify the path properly.

This app was done for ppl who find it hard to install levels, use the Run WinZip option if you would rather.


Col

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Torry
Member

Posts: 262
From:Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-05-2001 06:03 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Torry     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Geez, now I'm for it. Was that your installer Col??? Well, as Col said ya can simply unzip his exe file and install manually.

Col, sorry buddy, *smooch*

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Elpasodude
Member

Posts: 1090
From: *~*~MARS*~*~
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-05-2001 11:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Elpasodude   Click Here to Email Elpasodude     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Who cares if he has to vent? We don't have to listen, and he isn't singling anybody out, but, however, I tortally agree with 3 and 5!

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DOWNLOAD MY NEW LEVEL, THE ICE AGE!!!
http://www.geocities.com/tomb_raider_levels/

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*X* Kathryn *X*
Member

Posts: 117
From:*~* Malibu, California *~*
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-05-2001 02:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for *X* Kathryn *X*     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
BRM, you said ...#4: NO MORE EGYPTIAN AND ROMAN LEVELS! Sheesh

Correct me if I am wrong because I don't know alot about available downloadable objects, but arn't the majority of objects egyptian...so sure you could do other stuff, but you would have egyptian objects...

I also agree alot about the oversized rooms comment... and the thing that gets me the most is overstreched textures! ahhh.

just a couple of my commnets...

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breeze
Member

Posts: 33
From:Twinsburg, Ohio USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-05-2001 02:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for breeze     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As far as the script files...
1. Include the script.txt files.
2. What name was the original tom file.

Cameras & Flipmaps
1. Give some kind of clue what happened during a flipmap or pulling a switch.

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wgell
Member

Posts: 254
From:Lochwinnoch, Scotland
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-05-2001 02:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wgell   Click Here to Email wgell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
1. Well yes...

2. Sorry but it`s necessary. For various reasons. Back up your script.dat, english.dat and strings.h and copy them back after. Blame Core!

4. Again blame Core! Customised non Egyptian levels are a lot..A LOT..more work. Go easy!

5. Well to me the puzzle element is everything. A level has to be tough, fun and playable! Gotta be worth the player downloading!

What about peeves with the actual editor though? Like...

1. The way it crashes when you swap from one project to another!

2. Why my mouse wheel won`t scroll the menus!

3. The way textures are changed when you place a light bulb.

4. The "manual"

5. The way it opens auto save prj files unless you quit from the menu.

There must be others!!

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Will Gell

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aktrekker
Member

Posts: 222
From:WA, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-05-2001 10:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for aktrekker   Click Here to Email aktrekker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hmmm...well
1. I have switched between a dozen maps back and forth over and over, and no problem.

2. You move between mouse button and wheel while in a menu? Easier for me to move the mouse a fraction of an inch, instead of taking my finger off the button.

3. Haven't gotten that far in my map yet, so I don't know about it.

4. The manual is pretty good as a tutorial, which is what is really is. It is missing alot of little details, like developer insider knowledge, little quirks and stuff. But it was not meant to be a reference.

5. Yeah, that one really bugs me. Just delete the autosave.prj and it goes away. It only gets created again if the editor comes down abnormally for some reason.

After having used the Duke Nukem 3D map editor, this one is pretty easy to use for all the features it has. I suspect it is a DOS program, because it doesn't seem to use the Windows GUI. Like my one real peeve with the editor --

1. Typing a room name, if your fingers aren't lightning fast, you get double keystrokes.

They are obviously doing their own key management, including repeat rate. I really think this is a DOS program, no matter what it looks like.

Oh, and try deleting the room name. After all the characters are gone, hit delete a few more times, and some other name appears and gets deleted. What the **** is that?

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wgell
Member

Posts: 254
From:Lochwinnoch, Scotland
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-06-2001 11:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for wgell   Click Here to Email wgell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
1. It happens when I jump from a Core prj and back. CRASH!

2. I don`t move between button and wheel at all!! I use three fingers! Index on left button, middle on wheel and fourth on right button!! Maybe it`s the musician in me

3. You will!

4. The manual is OK as a basic tutorial but it lacks some vital info and is actually flawed in many bits.

5. Yes I always delete the auto prj.

I hate the room name thing too. I never name rooms I just leave the numbers. Plus if you want over 100 rooms you cant name them anyway. You get a CRASH!

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Will Gell

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dhama
Member

Posts: 767
From:Tibet
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-06-2001 04:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dhama   Click Here to Email dhama     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If you want something different guys....check out the screenshots on the Tower Bridge II Thread.

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All phenomena possess two natures
That which is revealed by correct perception
And that which is induced by deceptive perception.
The object of correct perception is ultimate reality.
The object of deceptive perception is conventional reality.

Please also visit:
http://www.topnote.org.uk
(Free music in aid of Tibetan Refugees)

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