Review Summary:
Finished. I don't think I've called any other map EPIC before, as that word is overused. This map is EPIC.
That was incredible. No question, the best adventure map I've ever played. I'll be compiling a highlights and commentary video and a video where I gather all of the hidden gold so the map maker can see which ones I missed. I am not sure how many episodes this will edit down to after 5.5 hours of play.
If you've read any of my other map reviews, I typically don't play for score. I play to get to the end of the story and if I happen to pick up some hidden score along the way, so be it. I typically end up with about half of the 'best available score'. But this time I was sucked into the hunt.
I played...
Minecraft Ver: 1.7.3
Mode: Single player
Difficulty: Easy
Texture Pack: default
Mods Used: none
My Total Playtime: 5.5 hours
My Final Score: 38 gold blocks plus 4 gold ingots, all 8 villagers
I really respect map makers who chose a good banner and create a youtube trailer for their maps. The forum post is well laid out.
The fact that you made video tutorials of your redstone, REALLY intrigues me!! (I won't watch them yet)
I am intrigued by the "Redstone Rules" - sounds like I may be repairing redstone circuitry...
Idle thought; Is this going to be the Maniac Mansion I've been looking for?
I noticed that the version 1.5x zip file had 2 notes in it, but the 1.61 does not - assuming they were replaced with in-game signs?
This map hits a perfect score on ALL of my rating criteria, and then goes above and beyond.
Some examples;
I was super impressed with the way you 'contained' all of this goodness in what I would consider a medium-sized map area. The minecart and redstone tracks were just the right length.
I was also very impressed with the way you captured the Zelda-like feel and paced the armor and weapon upgrades, AND the tool upgrades, which gave us the opportunity to go back through past areas and use those tools to find more hidden stuff.
Not to mention the incredible redstone and noteblock contraptions.
In this map - you don't sit back and watch this stuff happen. You are part of the story at every turn. You are not just flicking a switch, you are placing blocks in the right places and then flicking switches to make things happen. The NPCs that you "save" along the way are re-used later to brilliant effect.
The story/dialogue is genius. Two specific examples that are repeated many times throughout the map;
1 - You read NPC dialogue from a sign, then you interact with the encounter, and that sign goes away. It's not just sitting there out of sequence.
2 - After major encounters, the dialogue in the quest hub "changes"! Meaning the signs get destroyed, blocks move, and reveal NEW dialogue for the next encounters. It's very very effective.
I'll be uploading a video playthrough with all of my highlights.
Creativity: Unique theme. Utilizes Minecraft functions. Use of rules. Clever creations
1 = below average
2 = average
3 = above average
4 = astounding!
Detail: Visual decor/detail. Consistency. Realism and/or appropriate to theme.
1 = below average
2 = average
3 = above average
4 = astounding!
Story: Overall effort and duration. Engaging. Consistent. Character motivation. Dialogue/Narration.
1 = below average
2 = average
3 = above average
4 = astounding!
Difficulty (on Easy): Puzzles. Mob/risk density and variety. Lighting. Hidden items/challenges.
1 = Impossibly hard, may not be able to see the whole adventure.
2 = Too easy
3 = Challenging, puzzles -OR- mobs are well planned.
4 = Challenging, puzzles -AND- mobs are well planned.
Progression: Pacing of scenes. Pacing of score, gear, loot. Experience builds or arcs.
1 = below average; uneven or no progression
2 = average
3 = above average
4 = astounding!
This high praise means a lot. To be above so many amazing maps in your view is the icing on the cake. I've been procrastinating with updating my first post but I have wanted to add a "reviews" section for some time. I guess that time has come!
Regarding the 1.5 txt file, it was a singleplayer commands settings file I think. I didn't use notes in my adventure since I really don't like using external... well anything in them. By the way I saw that map editor and I have some GREAT ideas for it. I don't think I will use it for NPC speech since it can't be dynamic like the signs in this, but it still can have some really good uses.
Part 1 is up.
It is mainly the "starting areas" and the "tutorial dungeon".
My expectations at the beginning were low and wide open, but by the end of this episode I had a feeling there was something more than meets the eye.
Trivia:
When I first downloaded, I wondered if this was going to be the "Maniac Mansion" adaptation I've been looking for. Nope! I would go so far as to say that the word "Mansion" in your title understands the scope of this map. You probably spend the least amount of time IN the mansion.
Trivia: I drew out the "flow" of your map on paper, and was pretty startled to find it lines up almost exactly with my Mars Mission (at a high level). And many of our puzzles are similar (although your redstone far exceeds mine).
I went and looked up Fellonius' review of your 1.4 version (http://fellonius.webs.com/review.htm) and it sounds like you made a lot of positive changes. I can't say that I had any of those problems in 1.61
I have to say that without a doubt this is a contender for the best adventure map ever made. The storyline is superb, the gameplay, while lacking a bit in terms of combat, is very well made, and the choices that decide the ending are excellently laid out.
My only complaint is that the Old Man is one of the stupidest characters i have ever encountered. Now look here, kidnapping people isn't a very ordinary thing to do, so if you'd just explain that it's to save the world i won't go around trying to save everyone. AND STOP DOING EVIL LAUGHS WHEN YOU DO VAGUELY EXPLAIN, THAT'S NOT HELPING YOUR CASE!
Besides him being as unhelpful as is humanly possible, this map is brilliant. You managed to make me feel mild emotion for characters with pumpkins for heads, can i say anything else?
Well you certainly could have not saved them all, there is an ending for you!
I've followed your youtube videos and absolutely loved them and was very impressed with all your redstone work. I just found out you had made this map today and I knew I had to try it right away!
It was simply incredible! The most fun I've ever had playing minecraft! Seriously :smile.gif:
The exploration, the details, the inecredible redstone work that went in to it, the story, it was all awesome!
I really hope you make more in the future :biggrin.gif: Thanks for the map :smile.gif:
Creativity:
You really captured the feel of a RPG, and that was amazing, what bugged me is that you didn't put the redstone block thing to good use, you haven't made any epic redstone puzzles to solve or anything, cause that would make use of it alot better! 4/5
Story:
I don't understand the story
You come back to the village after searching for your parents, you find the village all sad and the old man who has the mansion kidnapps people, i have no idea why he kidnapps them! AND THEN there is a demon. LOLWUT
3/5
Redstone:
I really liked the idea of a changing dialogue and this is really revolutionary! Wow! 5/5
Architecture:
So this was really a downside D: The houses in the village were boring, nothing special, the Mechanic shop was a nice touch. The Mansion, however, makes you forget about the village and leaves you brethless (lol). I didn't like how most of your areas were only cut out in a mountain, for an example. the railway system was carved in, it would be much better if the walls on the sides and the ceeiling when you are travelling have been more architecturous, like this: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/subway-2.jpg 1 2/5
Overall:
This map for me was great fun, but i think of it as a showcase for the revolutionary tehniques you made.
14/20
Thanks for the review, sorry you didn't like the look of it though it to be honest was my biggest fear. I'm not really that great at making things look "pretty" for that reason I was thinking with my next adventure I may team up with an architect and work mainly on the mechanics. Though I think I did ok with the limited skill I have with the builds :tongue.gif:
as for the story... you must have not been reading the signs or misunderstood something. You're the first person to not understand the story. I have sent you a PM to hopefully clarify what you must have missed :tongue.gif:
As for a major redstone puzzle, I unfortunately couldn't put it in. Through a lot of testing I found players generally forgot the rules as there is so many to remember. They also got frustrated when they got to redstone areas because they didn't have enough dust and just hacked it into the game or created extra levers whenever they saw a redstone block. They started taking back the levers and leaving the buttons behind etc. So when it got time to put everything learned into something big, there is no way I could know how much a player had in the way or redstone products. For that reason I had to cut it out. I may still put something like that in a future map but I have since learned it's too easy for people to cheat in items than it is for them to look for it which is unfortunate.
lol, i thought you would hate me for my review, i like to be honest!
haha, Why would I hate you? Everyone has their own tastes. I hate parkour maps and other people love them, doesn't mean I can't appreciate what they do. In this case it looks like the story and "look" of the map let you down, but you could appreciate the redstone and contraptions which is what I spent most of the time on. Can't make 100% of the people happy. I was expecting a much worse response tbh, but I am very happy that at least the majority love the map :biggrin.gif:
Wow, Great Work Mate, this is simply THE BEST adventure map I have EVER PLAYED! (especially LOVE the ending)
this like over powers every other adventure map put together, but like X10
I caught on to how subtly you hid chests after recieving my first tool! After I entered each area, I noted down spots where there were things that might be broken later, that seemed out of place. Apperantly I missed a good few, but towards the end I did a big runthrough hoping to find more :smile.gif:
Twas alot of fun hunting them down - it's increased my belief that being a paranoid gamer is a good thing :wink.gif:
This high praise means a lot. To be above so many amazing maps in your view is the icing on the cake. I've been procrastinating with updating my first post but I have wanted to add a "reviews" section for some time. I guess that time has come!
Regarding the 1.5 txt file, it was a singleplayer commands settings file I think. I didn't use notes in my adventure since I really don't like using external... well anything in them. By the way I saw that map editor and I have some GREAT ideas for it. I don't think I will use it for NPC speech since it can't be dynamic like the signs in this, but it still can have some really good uses.
Favorited :biggrin.gif:
It is mainly the "starting areas" and the "tutorial dungeon".
My expectations at the beginning were low and wide open, but by the end of this episode I had a feeling there was something more than meets the eye.
Trivia:
When I first downloaded, I wondered if this was going to be the "Maniac Mansion" adaptation I've been looking for. Nope! I would go so far as to say that the word "Mansion" in your title understands the scope of this map. You probably spend the least amount of time IN the mansion.
Trivia: I drew out the "flow" of your map on paper, and was pretty startled to find it lines up almost exactly with my Mars Mission (at a high level). And many of our puzzles are similar (although your redstone far exceeds mine).
I thought for sure that it was all an act (like Kingdom of the Sky) and he was tricking us into doing his bidding through reverse psychology.
Well you certainly could have not saved them all, there is an ending for you!
Considering it took him 5.5 hours to get that score, you must be a speed demon to get only 1 bar less. Awesome job!
It was simply incredible! The most fun I've ever had playing minecraft! Seriously :smile.gif:
The exploration, the details, the inecredible redstone work that went in to it, the story, it was all awesome!
I really hope you make more in the future :biggrin.gif: Thanks for the map :smile.gif:
Thanks for the review, sorry you didn't like the look of it though it to be honest was my biggest fear. I'm not really that great at making things look "pretty" for that reason I was thinking with my next adventure I may team up with an architect and work mainly on the mechanics. Though I think I did ok with the limited skill I have with the builds :tongue.gif:
as for the story... you must have not been reading the signs or misunderstood something. You're the first person to not understand the story. I have sent you a PM to hopefully clarify what you must have missed :tongue.gif:
As for a major redstone puzzle, I unfortunately couldn't put it in. Through a lot of testing I found players generally forgot the rules as there is so many to remember. They also got frustrated when they got to redstone areas because they didn't have enough dust and just hacked it into the game or created extra levers whenever they saw a redstone block. They started taking back the levers and leaving the buttons behind etc. So when it got time to put everything learned into something big, there is no way I could know how much a player had in the way or redstone products. For that reason I had to cut it out. I may still put something like that in a future map but I have since learned it's too easy for people to cheat in items than it is for them to look for it which is unfortunate.
haha, Why would I hate you? Everyone has their own tastes. I hate parkour maps and other people love them, doesn't mean I can't appreciate what they do. In this case it looks like the story and "look" of the map let you down, but you could appreciate the redstone and contraptions which is what I spent most of the time on. Can't make 100% of the people happy. I was expecting a much worse response tbh, but I am very happy that at least the majority love the map :biggrin.gif:
Thanks! Check is in the mail.
this like over powers every other adventure map put together, but like X10
Great, GREAT work. =)
Really? Every house has unique shape, size, texture/colors, and detailing. And at least 4 have a storyline or hidden treasure significance.
Here's my score:
Awesome! I can't believe how many people are getting such high scores! Really nice job.
Twas alot of fun hunting them down - it's increased my belief that being a paranoid gamer is a good thing :wink.gif: