ENDGAME STATS:
Kills: 1362
Deaths: 9
Rank: Bringer of the Cure
All right, I will admit: the moment I saw the words "Competitive Television Show" up on this thread's title, I was both interested and skeptical of the Exodus map in question. But of course, nearly every single doubt of mine was blown completely out of the water the moment I started playing the map itself. Of course, although the premise of a dystopian future society risking the lives of human beings for the sake of entertainment isn't exactly novel, I was surprised at how smooth the transition between episodes was. (I would have preferred a sort of "safe house" in between levels, a la Left 4 Dead, rather than a central hub from which we can access levels, but this is a minor gripe of mine and holds little sway over my opinion of the map as a whole.)
Each level is deceptively tricky, with an abundance of easter eggs and loot to be found within each and every single nook and cranny. This map happens to be one of the rare instances where wandering feet can actually prove advantageous, as there are a variety of hidden weapons that far outclass the arsenal available to the player, and can prove useful in dire situations. Combat doesn't deviate too far from the standard "player v.s horde" hacking and slashing that most players are accustomed to, but with clever use of the terrain available, it becomes exceedingly easy to flank and destroy undead foes. Bosses, while possessing health considerably higher than that of their lackeys, are still fairly nerfed and easy to pick off with the right arsenal. All in all, the action spread throughout the map is stern, but fair, with the zombie hordes possessing an adequate degree of menace without being too overwhelming.
One of the map's failing points, in my opinion, is that the entire "television" aspect of the map seems to fall flat at certain points of the game's storyline. It's true that we are constantly aware of the Host's presence thanks to his constant on-screen announcements, but I feel as if the entire "crowd reputation" bit could have been executed better.
(Perhaps giving players the option to make game-changing decisions in the middle of levels would have remedied this somewhat. For example: A player encounters a group of villagers barricaded in an apartment complex. Players can opt to either rescue, or abandon the villagers, and will get different rewards dependant upon the outcome of their decision. So if the player successfully rescues the villagers, he gets a bonus in reputation and becomes the crowd favorite. If he fails to rescue or completely ignores the villager family, then his reputation amongst the crowd will diminish. Just a suggestion, of course!)
Overall, I found the map to be an extremely refreshing and invigorating experience, regardless of the number of players involved. The combat and premise may not be entirely new, but they are executed well and with a bravura flourish that bolstered me with the willpower to push through the map in its entirety. I dislike the usage of numerical rating systems, as I consider them far too concise and clinical for a task as nebulous as the critiquing of a creative endeavor, so I will convey my final thoughts with a simple phrase.
Exodus Season I: The Zombie Apocalypse is superb.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"I will not flee though you foretell my death. I was never called a coward."
ENDGAME STATS:
Kills: 1362
Deaths: 9
Rank: Bringer of the Cure
All right, I will admit: the moment I saw the words "Competitive Television Show" up on this thread's title, I was both interested and skeptical of the Exodus map in question. But of course, nearly every single doubt of mine was blown completely out of the water the moment I started playing the map itself. Of course, although the premise of a dystopian future society risking the lives of human beings for the sake of entertainment isn't exactly novel, I was surprised at how smooth the transition between episodes was. (I would have preferred a sort of "safe house" in between levels, a la Left 4 Dead, rather than a central hub from which we can access levels, but this is a minor gripe of mine and holds little sway over my opinion of the map as a whole.)
Each level is deceptively tricky, with an abundance of easter eggs and loot to be found within each and every single nook and cranny. This map happens to be one of the rare instances where wandering feet can actually prove advantageous, as there are a variety of hidden weapons that far outclass the arsenal available to the player, and can prove useful in dire situations. Combat doesn't deviate too far from the standard "player v.s horde" hacking and slashing that most players are accustomed to, but with clever use of the terrain available, it becomes exceedingly easy to flank and destroy undead foes. Bosses, while possessing health considerably higher than that of their lackeys, are still fairly nerfed and easy to pick off with the right arsenal. All in all, the action spread throughout the map is stern, but fair, with the zombie hordes possessing an adequate degree of menace without being too overwhelming.
One of the map's failing points, in my opinion, is that the entire "television" aspect of the map seems to fall flat at certain points of the game's storyline. It's true that we are constantly aware of the Host's presence thanks to his constant on-screen announcements, but I feel as if the entire "crowd reputation" bit could have been executed better.
(Perhaps giving players the option to make game-changing decisions in the middle of levels would have remedied this somewhat. For example: A player encounters a group of villagers barricaded in an apartment complex. Players can opt to either rescue, or abandon the villagers, and will get different rewards dependant upon the outcome of their decision. So if the player successfully rescues the villagers, he gets a bonus in reputation and becomes the crowd favorite. If he fails to rescue or completely ignores the villager family, then his reputation amongst the crowd will diminish. Just a suggestion, of course!)
Overall, I found the map to be an extremely refreshing and invigorating experience, regardless of the number of players involved. The combat and premise may not be entirely new, but they are executed well and with a bravura flourish that bolstered me with the willpower to push through the map in its entirety. I dislike the usage of numerical rating systems, as I consider them far too concise and clinical for a task as nebulous as the critiquing of a creative endeavor, so I will convey my final thoughts with a simple phrase.
Exodus Season I: The Zombie Apocalypse is superb.
Thanks for the review! I agree with you on all points!
I will definitely be using your suggestions in Exodus season 2. In it I have already tossed the central hub in favor of "safe houses." Also I am radically changing how the combat will feel for Season 2 compared to Season 1. In Season 2 players won't be dealing with overwhelming hordes but will instead be thrust into deadly combat against stronger opponents while in low gravity combat. Season 2 will also be much more story focused.
I was unable to do what I originally wanted for the popularity votes/crowd reputation. It used to be another score that appeared with your kills and deaths that was used to teleport you to a certain area depending on how you stacked up against others. But as it turned out command blocks didn't support what I wanted to do so I had to change it to a less innovative process. Currently it just teleports a random player. If I can ever figure out how to do what I originally wanted I will definitely come back and add it in. (I am not the best with redstone but I am getting better.)
I like the idea about giving the players a choice to different things. I have a few ideas of how to incorporate it into the second season. Some of these ideas may prove to be quite panic inducing. In the future I may go back in and edit season 1 to have these things too.
Thank you for the review! It brought to light several things that could be better and hopefully will be in the future. Thanks for playing!
There is a hole in the map in the black mart right next to the bounce pad!
Oh! Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'll fix that and make a slight update change for 1.3 in a day or two in case anymore bugs appear! Thanks for notifying me of that small bug! Thanks for playing!
Hey don't worry, I assumed you meant you had braces/retainers or were recovering from some dental surgery. Thanks for the play through! I've added it to the multiplayer let's play list.
You alerted me to a few bugs concerning the security pistons for the bookstore and the bank. The map isn't wired to deal with multiple areas being activated at once. I'll go back through and fix the issue for V 1.3.1
Thanks for playing! Looking forward to future episodes!
I'm mad. Very mad. Ok, I loved the second episode in this. My screen recorder crashed halfway through, I didn't even know. xP Great map though.
Hey it's okay! Things happen! Just let the viewers know what happened and everything will be fine. If they want to see what was missed they can always see it from the other player's perspectives! (Assuming those didn't mess up either) Thanks for playing!
In other news, I plan to release version 1.3.1 tomorrow morning. I have only a few more things that need to be fixed and it should be complete. This update will mainly be very, very minor bug fixes that only occur if you accidentally trigger a few episodes by pressing the button multiple times. Also a few items and aesthetics have been added for balancing. (The hole in Block Mart will also be fixed)
Thanks everyone for the support! It truly has inspired me to make Season 2 so much more awesome than Season 1! Some of the things I have planned will just blow your minds! I can already see it!
I added it to the main post! Thanks for playing! Looking forward to future episodes!
Hey it's okay! Things happen! Just let the viewers know what happened and everything will be fine. If they want to see what was missed they can always see it from the other player's perspectives! (Assuming those didn't mess up either) Thanks for playing!
Thanks everyone for the support! It truly has inspired me to make Season 2 so much more awesome than Season 1! Some of the things I have planned will just blow your minds! I can already see it!
===========================
Security pistons for certain areas in Episode 1 fixed.
Other redstone bugs fixed
Hole sealed in Block Mart
Signs added at certain points.
Moving Parkour tinkered with slightly
Added some loot
Made Final Boss for Episode 1 easier. (Now does less damage)
Fixed some text dialogue
Improved performance of areas by simplifying down some redstone.
Added barriers to prevent players from accessing a certain area.
Many other bugs fixed!
Hopefully this will resolve any troublesome issues that appear in the future. However I am unsure how to prevent players from activating the bookstore and the bank at the same time. But I will try to find a way. (This is a minor issue) So for now please don't send people into the bank and the bookstore at the same time.
Thanks everyone for the support! It truly means a lot!
Here's a picture to show some of the progress on season 2! This was taken in one of the early areas for Episode 1. It shows some of the new textures that I've done as well as a bit of the current building style. When players are fighting in this area they have a low gravity effect allowing them to jump higher to get to higher platforms.
Season 2 is making great progress and I have recently figured out how to do transparent textures for the resource pack. I am now able to mess with items and mobs.
I added it to the main post! Thanks for playing! Looking forward to future episodes!
Hey it's okay! Things happen! Just let the viewers know what happened and everything will be fine. If they want to see what was missed they can always see it from the other player's perspectives! (Assuming those didn't mess up either) Thanks for playing!
In other news, I plan to release version 1.3.1 tomorrow morning. I have only a few more things that need to be fixed and it should be complete. This update will mainly be very, very minor bug fixes that only occur if you accidentally trigger a few episodes by pressing the button multiple times. Also a few items and aesthetics have been added for balancing. (The hole in Block Mart will also be fixed)
Thanks everyone for the support! It truly has inspired me to make Season 2 so much more awesome than Season 1! Some of the things I have planned will just blow your minds! I can already see it!
Well at least mine didn't mess up. My upload didn't work so its up a bit late, but at least my screen recorder didn't crash.
Here's a picture to show some of the progress on season 2! This was taken in one of the early areas for Episode 1. It shows some of the new textures that I've done as well as a bit of the current building style. When players are fighting in this area they have a low gravity effect allowing them to jump higher to get to higher platforms.Season 2 is making great progress and I have recently figured out how to do transparent textures for the resource pack. I am now able to mess with items and mobs.Looking forward to the future!
Wow, that looks truly amazing. I can't wait to play it.Also, here is my episode 2
Wow, that looks truly amazing. I can't wait to play it.Also, here is my episode 2
Thanks! Great video! It appears you were hit with the least favorite player penalty!
I was surprised your buddies didn't fork over any loot until after Blockmart. Looking forward to seeing how you guys struggle with the puzzles in Episode 3!
I really love this minigame and it's presentation.
But I actually think you coudl have done a better job on the thumbnail and the art in the post.
Other than that, great game ;D
Thanks! Well I'm not the best at doing art stuff and I know the screenshots could be better with shaders or something but I think they're fine for a general audience. Besides these show how the map will look in game without the fancy graphics and such. But I get what you're saying. I'll probably update them in the future!
It's only been a little over three weeks since the official release! The amount of support I have received is amazing! Couldn't have done it without you guys! Thank you so much for playing!
If you haven't played yet, be sure to give the map a try! I promise it will be a great experience!
The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Join Date:
11/27/2013
Posts:
53
Minecraft:
1027magicman
Member Details
Hey Dude YOUR MAP WAS SO EPIC!!! I did a Let's Play on your map OMG I loved the idea of being on tv. I think you should make the next season like a tv show hosted by you on a server competing against your chosen let's plays to compete for the title of EXODUS!!!
Hey Dude YOUR MAP WAS SO EPIC!!! I did a Let's Play on your map OMG I loved the idea of being on tv. I think you should make the next season like a tv show hosted by you on a server competing against your chosen let's plays to compete for the title of EXODUS!!!
Well here is my video:
Thanks for playing! Glad you enjoyed! Loved the video even though the gameplay was a bit laggy. You're not too far off what the actual plot for Season 2 is. You(The Player) are in fact one of the people hosting the show. But due to a series of (Insert Top Secret Dramatic Event Here) find yourself in a new deadly situation! Looking forward to releasing it even though it is months from now!
Keep up the great work! I've added your video to the main post!
Okay thanks for an awesome map! I don't usually comment on maps but I this was to amazing to skip. The TV-Show concept worked great, the map looked nice ascetically(maybe not the lab) and the balancing was good. I skipped the second part of the parkour and the trivia and completed it at 958 kills and 23 deaths. I really recommend it .
For episode 2, please have easier puzzles (The zombies where much easier), more variety in mobs and less health on the bosses. Other than that, its great Thanks
Hey! Thanks for taking the time to comment! It really means a lot!
I will definitely go back in for the next map update and make the lab look nicer. (I agree it is a little flat in front) Because Season 1's theme was Zombie Apocalypse I was slightly restricted to what mobs you would fight. So I had to put zombies in practically every stage. But because Season 2 takes place in space, I can use many new variations of mobs. Coupled with Season 2 having a custom resource pack, the whole experience should be even better. (Oh and the puzzles, for Season 2 those are going to be for side area stuff for the most part)
Kills: 1362
Deaths: 9
Rank: Bringer of the Cure
All right, I will admit: the moment I saw the words "Competitive Television Show" up on this thread's title, I was both interested and skeptical of the Exodus map in question. But of course, nearly every single doubt of mine was blown completely out of the water the moment I started playing the map itself. Of course, although the premise of a dystopian future society risking the lives of human beings for the sake of entertainment isn't exactly novel, I was surprised at how smooth the transition between episodes was. (I would have preferred a sort of "safe house" in between levels, a la Left 4 Dead, rather than a central hub from which we can access levels, but this is a minor gripe of mine and holds little sway over my opinion of the map as a whole.)
Each level is deceptively tricky, with an abundance of easter eggs and loot to be found within each and every single nook and cranny. This map happens to be one of the rare instances where wandering feet can actually prove advantageous, as there are a variety of hidden weapons that far outclass the arsenal available to the player, and can prove useful in dire situations. Combat doesn't deviate too far from the standard "player v.s horde" hacking and slashing that most players are accustomed to, but with clever use of the terrain available, it becomes exceedingly easy to flank and destroy undead foes. Bosses, while possessing health considerably higher than that of their lackeys, are still fairly nerfed and easy to pick off with the right arsenal. All in all, the action spread throughout the map is stern, but fair, with the zombie hordes possessing an adequate degree of menace without being too overwhelming.
One of the map's failing points, in my opinion, is that the entire "television" aspect of the map seems to fall flat at certain points of the game's storyline. It's true that we are constantly aware of the Host's presence thanks to his constant on-screen announcements, but I feel as if the entire "crowd reputation" bit could have been executed better.
(Perhaps giving players the option to make game-changing decisions in the middle of levels would have remedied this somewhat. For example: A player encounters a group of villagers barricaded in an apartment complex. Players can opt to either rescue, or abandon the villagers, and will get different rewards dependant upon the outcome of their decision. So if the player successfully rescues the villagers, he gets a bonus in reputation and becomes the crowd favorite. If he fails to rescue or completely ignores the villager family, then his reputation amongst the crowd will diminish. Just a suggestion, of course!)
Overall, I found the map to be an extremely refreshing and invigorating experience, regardless of the number of players involved. The combat and premise may not be entirely new, but they are executed well and with a bravura flourish that bolstered me with the willpower to push through the map in its entirety. I dislike the usage of numerical rating systems, as I consider them far too concise and clinical for a task as nebulous as the critiquing of a creative endeavor, so I will convey my final thoughts with a simple phrase.
Exodus Season I: The Zombie Apocalypse is superb.
Thanks for the review! I agree with you on all points!
I will definitely be using your suggestions in Exodus season 2. In it I have already tossed the central hub in favor of "safe houses." Also I am radically changing how the combat will feel for Season 2 compared to Season 1. In Season 2 players won't be dealing with overwhelming hordes but will instead be thrust into deadly combat against stronger opponents while in low gravity combat. Season 2 will also be much more story focused.
I was unable to do what I originally wanted for the popularity votes/crowd reputation. It used to be another score that appeared with your kills and deaths that was used to teleport you to a certain area depending on how you stacked up against others. But as it turned out command blocks didn't support what I wanted to do so I had to change it to a less innovative process. Currently it just teleports a random player. If I can ever figure out how to do what I originally wanted I will definitely come back and add it in. (I am not the best with redstone but I am getting better.)
I like the idea about giving the players a choice to different things. I have a few ideas of how to incorporate it into the second season. Some of these ideas may prove to be quite panic inducing. In the future I may go back in and edit season 1 to have these things too.
Thank you for the review! It brought to light several things that could be better and hopefully will be in the future. Thanks for playing!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Oh! Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'll fix that and make a slight update change for 1.3 in a day or two in case anymore bugs appear! Thanks for notifying me of that small bug! Thanks for playing!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Hey don't worry, I assumed you meant you had braces/retainers or were recovering from some dental surgery. Thanks for the play through! I've added it to the multiplayer let's play list.
You alerted me to a few bugs concerning the security pistons for the bookstore and the bank. The map isn't wired to deal with multiple areas being activated at once. I'll go back through and fix the issue for V 1.3.1
Thanks for playing! Looking forward to future episodes!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
I added it to the main post! Thanks for playing! Looking forward to future episodes!
Hey it's okay! Things happen! Just let the viewers know what happened and everything will be fine. If they want to see what was missed they can always see it from the other player's perspectives! (Assuming those didn't mess up either) Thanks for playing!
===========================================================
In other news, I plan to release version 1.3.1 tomorrow morning. I have only a few more things that need to be fixed and it should be complete. This update will mainly be very, very minor bug fixes that only occur if you accidentally trigger a few episodes by pressing the button multiple times. Also a few items and aesthetics have been added for balancing. (The hole in Block Mart will also be fixed)
Thanks everyone for the support! It truly has inspired me to make Season 2 so much more awesome than Season 1! Some of the things I have planned will just blow your minds! I can already see it!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Can't wait!
This update does the following:
===========================
Security pistons for certain areas in Episode 1 fixed.
Other redstone bugs fixed
Hole sealed in Block Mart
Signs added at certain points.
Moving Parkour tinkered with slightly
Added some loot
Made Final Boss for Episode 1 easier. (Now does less damage)
Fixed some text dialogue
Improved performance of areas by simplifying down some redstone.
Added barriers to prevent players from accessing a certain area.
Many other bugs fixed!
Hopefully this will resolve any troublesome issues that appear in the future. However I am unsure how to prevent players from activating the bookstore and the bank at the same time. But I will try to find a way. (This is a minor issue) So for now please don't send people into the bank and the bookstore at the same time.
Thanks everyone for the support! It truly means a lot!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Season 2 is making great progress and I have recently figured out how to do transparent textures for the resource pack. I am now able to mess with items and mobs.
Looking forward to the future!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Well at least mine didn't mess up. My upload didn't work so its up a bit late, but at least my screen recorder didn't crash.
Thanks! Great video! It appears you were hit with the least favorite player penalty!
I was surprised your buddies didn't fork over any loot until after Blockmart. Looking forward to seeing how you guys struggle with the puzzles in Episode 3!
Thanks! Well I'm not the best at doing art stuff and I know the screenshots could be better with shaders or something but I think they're fine for a general audience. Besides these show how the map will look in game without the fancy graphics and such. But I get what you're saying. I'll probably update them in the future!
Thanks for playing!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
It's only been a little over three weeks since the official release! The amount of support I have received is amazing! Couldn't have done it without you guys! Thank you so much for playing!
If you haven't played yet, be sure to give the map a try! I promise it will be a great experience!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Well here is my video:
[removed]
Thanks for playing! Glad you enjoyed! Loved the video even though the gameplay was a bit laggy. You're not too far off what the actual plot for Season 2 is. You(The Player) are in fact one of the people hosting the show. But due to a series of (Insert Top Secret Dramatic Event Here) find yourself in a new deadly situation! Looking forward to releasing it even though it is months from now!
Keep up the great work! I've added your video to the main post!
Good Luck! You'll need it!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom
Hey! Thanks for taking the time to comment! It really means a lot!
I will definitely go back in for the next map update and make the lab look nicer. (I agree it is a little flat in front) Because Season 1's theme was Zombie Apocalypse I was slightly restricted to what mobs you would fight. So I had to put zombies in practically every stage. But because Season 2 takes place in space, I can use many new variations of mobs. Coupled with Season 2 having a custom resource pack, the whole experience should be even better. (Oh and the puzzles, for Season 2 those are going to be for side area stuff for the most part)
Thanks for playing!
Check out my YouTube Channel!
R3D's Kingdom