Many adventurers enter the tomb of the sun, but none of them ever make it out...
In this insanely difficult 16 Objective CTM challenge, you'll have to make your way through all sorts of different areas to complete the Victory Monument. Be prepared for a beating!
Feedback is always much appreciated, and feel free to let us know if you make any videos or other content-- we'd love to watch!
*I would just update the main post, but I have lost access to that account, as it got merged with this one and then disappeared. Not entirely sure why.
First off, this comment isn't constructive criticism and is pretty useless. Plus your statement of 'bland areas' and 'complaints about the late monument', while may be valid complaints, it doesn't define the map as 'bad'. If you want to play a bad CTM map, have a go at making your own, before making an account to shun people who try.
Secondly, the map overall isn't bad. While the builds aren't refined and a lot of areas have boxy or redundant design choices, fundamentally, the map is pretty good. The monument being late is NOT a bad thing, as it adds an aspect to the map in making sure that not only are you getting out of the areas with the wools, but you are also transporting them safely between intersections. As a very first CTM map, I'm excited that they finished a 16-wool map complete with genuine challenge.
First off, this comment isn't constructive criticism and is pretty useless. Plus your statement of 'bland areas' and 'complaints about the late monument', while may be valid complaints, it doesn't define the map as 'bad'. If you want to play a bad CTM map, have a go at making your own, before making an account to shun people who try.
Secondly, the map overall isn't bad. While the builds aren't refined and a lot of areas have boxy or redundant design choices, fundamentally, the map is pretty good. The monument being late is NOT a bad thing, as it adds an aspect to the map in making sure that not only are you getting out of the areas with the wools, but you are also transporting them safely between intersections. As a very first CTM map, I'm excited that they finished a 16-wool map complete with genuine challenge.
Thanks man! I appreciate that you can recognize both the things we did wrong and the things we got right. In the end, we're not experts at making beautiful builds but I think we made an experience that's both fun and challenging. Means a lot to hear some positive feedback!
All right, time to actually review this map because I never did. I'll be updating this as I go
TL;DR:
The entire map is a mob gauntlet with childish humor scattered about.
Actual review:
So, first first and foremost, I remember that I quit this map initially because of its stupid humor and it being obnoxious in some way or another, so I'm going back into the map with that in mind. That being said, I decided to give myself strength, speed, regen, haste and resistance throughout so I can get through this just a little bit faster than before. I'm also playing in 1.12.2 because I can't be bothered to change to an older version. I know that this breaks some balance, but it's something I'm willing to deal with when it comes to skeletons.
Spawn: Really sets the tone with the amount of traps right off the bat. There are probably a few too many spawners for a start. Like, I had to stop repeatedly to deal with the piles of mobs getting in the way. You may also want to update all that dirt chilling out of bounds so it isn't just growing all the while, but that's a minor nitpick at worst. The big no-no is the stupid amount of blazes and ghasts around the joke box. I get what you were going for, but it's stupid and annoying.
Froggy Keep: Put it in peaceful or dig straight down into the room. That's just an unnecessary amount of spawners in the barn. One per pillar might still be too much; four per just makes it impossible without ignoring the entire area altogether and digging through the walls. Same with the central castle--there's just too much crap to do anything the "right" way. Woo...
Sandy Spires: Too many ghasts, back to peaceful. The area is a giant, bland, and ugly box. This area is just a waste of time.
The Hollow Chambers: Run in, torches, run out, kill the mob spam, repeat. Abusing the skeleton skull mechanic introduced...probably sometime after 1.8.9 made this almost tolerable. I can imagine how insufferably obnoxious the creeper room would be without a shield. Thanks for the iron, zombie. Otherwise, it's just a series of boxes without any real aesthetics aside the plants out front.
Nesting Grounds: May as well just bridge over everything because yet again, way too many spawners to deal with it any other way unless peace is an option. Of course, there's so many spiders on the way up the tree that you may as well be in peaceful.
Zombie Beach: Forgot the name. It was more run, torch, repeat. There wasn't much to say about the area as a whole. It was...okay visually.
Scorching Titans: Well, the knockback X stick from the bland desert does wonders. Still overkill with the ghasts. The second half is just running straight forward and ignoring literally everything until you burrow into the wall.
Foundry: It starts off good, then devolves into yet another running session. I threw on a creeper head and just went. This would be virtually impossible the "right" way otherwise.
Ooh Hoo Shoe: Well, it's something, and by that I mean a bunch of circles for one half and a bunch of blazes and ghasts for the entire part. At least there are enough places to go to, granted I don't care about wasting seven minutes for ten useless TNT when I've thrown away piles and piles of gunpowder at this point.
Lone Peak: The peak really has nothing to do with this area at all except being a minor obstacle in the way of another cavern just filled with spawner and spawner. There's really nothing else to say about the design--it's just a generic stone/snow/ice cave.
Nether Fortress: Yeah, because 46 spawners in a single room is fair. Mm-hmm. That's all I have to say about that entire place.
Corrupt cavern: An absolutely dreadful slog through a hideous cavern followed by the same thing again.
Elden Land: The one clever thing in this area is ruined by how childishly stupid it becomes. Water is such an amazing tool, it really is.
Block World: This is what I think of when I think of a map a 7-year-old would make. I didn't even bothering playing this again because I started getting flashbacks.
The Path: What a freaking slog, even if you torch run the whole bloody thing, which you can't. At least it had some variety, so you have that going for you.
The Tower: Holy freaking lag, Batman. There are so many spawners in this stupid thing that I was getting frame drops. At that point I threw it into peaceful and enjoyed a twitching stroll through my PTSD from half a year ago.
The Monument: I hate maps that put the monument at the end while also having teleporters between intersections. All it does is force the player to have a chest for all the wools for the entire map. There's just no point.
So how'd it do?
Difficulty: I've played kaizo maps more fair than this / 10.
Story: None / 0
Lore: 1 / 10. There was an attempt, but it would've been better had there not been.
Aesthetic: 3 / 10. There was variety to the areas, but there are shapes everywhere, some areas are really bland, and others are hideous.
Custom assets: 2 / 10. There were like...some zombies with pickaxes and a few named items, but that's it. No armored mobs, no custom potions, no custom weapon/armor stats save for two unbreakable weapons.
Overall rating: 12% on Squawking Tomatoes.
What I would do differently:
I'm aware this was made for 1.8.9, but it could be brought all the way to 1.15 with very few command block issues since there really aren't any.
1.) Really cut back on the spawners. There are far too many for the map's own good. Halve them in every area except the tower. Cut them to a third or less there.
2.) Add some custom items and mobs instead. It doesn't take much to find a tool that lets you spawn them right in using a command. Having three armored zombies named "Stronghold guard" beats thirty regular ones and having some
3.) Remove the childish humor. There don't need to be "gotem" signs and LIGMAs in the sky. They aren't funny and just look stupid. Having a sign that calls someone out for breaking out of bounds is fine; using profanity and memes that will dare the map isn't.
4.) Move the teleporter locations. They're hidden as is. There's no need to require players to have to build that far up or down.
5.) Completely remake Block World from the void up. I've heard others on the official CTM Discord call that the "bottom of the barrel" in a map pretty much everyone agreed is bad.
6.) If it's ever ported forward, consider some aesthetic updates as well using all the new toys introduced. Some of the areas actually looked good; others looked like mob gauntlets.
Sorry you didn’t like it, but these sound like a lot of personal preference problems rather than actual problems with the map.
I think people are giving block world a really bad rep; it’s actually really really fun if you give it a chance! It’s definitely simple in design, but the constant frenzy of using the speed and jump boost spawned to avoid the ghasts is really intense.
As with the amount of spawners, it’s much easier to play this map with the goal in mind of avoiding rather than pacifying. It’s much harder when you try to kill everything rather than trying to simply avoid mobs.
Also, you played it in the wrong version and played areas in peaceful mode! However, you’re definitely right about the aesthetics, we just kinda suck at building— which is why areas like Block World and The Path exist. They’re areas that are very technically challenging with very simple aesthetic design.
It’s true though, this is definitely a map that I think me and my friend find more fun than anyone else lol. We set out to create a really technically challenging map that was fun for us to play, and in the process I think we alienated a big part of the CTM audience. Something to learn from if we ever make another map.
If the goal is to avoid the mobs, then the entire map turns into nothing but bridging and tunneling, which makes it very, very boring and tedious. Like...all you'd be doing is digging out a ton of blocks, then pillaring to the ceiling, then all the way over. That being said, block world would also be completely invalid because you said the goal is to avoid, therefore I'd never get near any* enemies or use jump boost.
And I'm aware I played in the wrong version, but it really didn't change the core of the map outside of skeletons shifting stats and behaviors.
You’re exaggerating. Of course you kill things, just not everything. Also the combat is significantly different between the two versions.
And there’s no jump boosted enemies! You should try the area at least before judging it man! If you wanna see a good run through of it you can check it out on my channel, cause I don’t think you’ve really seen it in action!
I've seen the whole map in action twice. I don't need to see it again. It's little more than a ridiculous amount of mobs to the point of bridging, peaceful, or not moving.
I've seen the whole map in action twice. I don't need to see it again. It's little more than a ridiculous amount of mobs to the point of bridging, peaceful, or not moving.
I really really hate using this argument, but I think this map is just too difficult for you-- which is totally fine. If you watch TJ the Obscure's playthrough, he gets through the map blind with like 3 deaths and none of the struggle that you're describing. If I actually felt like the map was as insanely difficult as you're describing then I'd obviously agree with you. I just don't personally see it, which I guess makes sense since I created it lol.
Download: Tomb of the Sun for 1.8.9
More Screenshots:
Tomb of the Sun has received an update!
V1.5: T.O.T.S. V1.5
Older Versions:
V1.1 Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lmrq3g8k5wc4icq/Tomb%20of%20the%20Sun%20V1.1.zip?dl=0
V1.2 Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2yv7gdvnaqif6sx/Tomb%20of%20the%20Sun%20V1.2.zip?dl=0
V1.3 Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nwjfh89aygncf67/Tomb%20of%20the%20Sun%20V1.3.zip?dl=0
V1.4 Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vxbrd4fugxv51lz/Tomb%20of%20the%20Sun%20V1.4.zip?dl=0
Changelog:
Updated Sandy Spires
+jump pads
+detailing
+updated loot
Updated Hollow Chambers
+detailing
+new dungeon
Updated Intersection 3
+detailing
+extra lighting
Updated Hellfire Fortress
+complete area overhaul
+new dank castle
+new loot
+new everything
Screenshots:
*I would just update the main post, but I have lost access to that account, as it got merged with this one and then disappeared. Not entirely sure why.
First couple episodes of our developer commentary is out. (They're all done, will be releasing daily.)
What Minecraft version is this map for?
It's in the post, 1.8.9
Ah, I remember this map. I wasn't a fan of it or its dumb humor at time, but I did eventually return to it and force myself into beating it.
Stay fluffy~
Tomb of the Sun Developer Commentary full playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzBzYJu9yQI&list=PLTd0hXue2gho70d1QTjZ9t-mGtQSxpbHO
Map has been patched to version 1.2!
This has actually been done for a while but I just forgot to upload it I guess.
Please see the second post in the thread for download!
Map has been patched to version 1.3!
Please see the second post in the thread for
download!
or you know what look it's here too:
Tomb of the Sun V1.3
but like there's patchnotes and stuff too if
you're interested in that you know you know
bad map
Why?
Stay fluffy~
those bland areas and red area, the map is joked by the ctmc and they complain about the late monument
First off, this comment isn't constructive criticism and is pretty useless. Plus your statement of 'bland areas' and 'complaints about the late monument', while may be valid complaints, it doesn't define the map as 'bad'. If you want to play a bad CTM map, have a go at making your own, before making an account to shun people who try.
Secondly, the map overall isn't bad. While the builds aren't refined and a lot of areas have boxy or redundant design choices, fundamentally, the map is pretty good. The monument being late is NOT a bad thing, as it adds an aspect to the map in making sure that not only are you getting out of the areas with the wools, but you are also transporting them safely between intersections. As a very first CTM map, I'm excited that they finished a 16-wool map complete with genuine challenge.
Check me out on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@Xenocorpse
Thanks man! I appreciate that you can recognize both the things we did wrong and the things we got right. In the end, we're not experts at making beautiful builds but I think we made an experience that's both fun and challenging. Means a lot to hear some positive feedback!
All right, time to actually review this map because I never did. I'll be updating this as I go
TL;DR:
The entire map is a mob gauntlet with childish humor scattered about.
Actual review:
So, first first and foremost, I remember that I quit this map initially because of its stupid humor and it being obnoxious in some way or another, so I'm going back into the map with that in mind. That being said, I decided to give myself strength, speed, regen, haste and resistance throughout so I can get through this just a little bit faster than before. I'm also playing in 1.12.2 because I can't be bothered to change to an older version. I know that this breaks some balance, but it's something I'm willing to deal with when it comes to skeletons.
Spawn: Really sets the tone with the amount of traps right off the bat. There are probably a few too many spawners for a start. Like, I had to stop repeatedly to deal with the piles of mobs getting in the way. You may also want to update all that dirt chilling out of bounds so it isn't just growing all the while, but that's a minor nitpick at worst. The big no-no is the stupid amount of blazes and ghasts around the joke box. I get what you were going for, but it's stupid and annoying.
Froggy Keep: Put it in peaceful or dig straight down into the room. That's just an unnecessary amount of spawners in the barn. One per pillar might still be too much; four per just makes it impossible without ignoring the entire area altogether and digging through the walls. Same with the central castle--there's just too much crap to do anything the "right" way. Woo...
Sandy Spires: Too many ghasts, back to peaceful. The area is a giant, bland, and ugly box. This area is just a waste of time.
The Hollow Chambers: Run in, torches, run out, kill the mob spam, repeat. Abusing the skeleton skull mechanic introduced...probably sometime after 1.8.9 made this almost tolerable. I can imagine how insufferably obnoxious the creeper room would be without a shield. Thanks for the iron, zombie. Otherwise, it's just a series of boxes without any real aesthetics aside the plants out front.
Nesting Grounds: May as well just bridge over everything because yet again, way too many spawners to deal with it any other way unless peace is an option. Of course, there's so many spiders on the way up the tree that you may as well be in peaceful.
Zombie Beach: Forgot the name. It was more run, torch, repeat. There wasn't much to say about the area as a whole. It was...okay visually.
Scorching Titans: Well, the knockback X stick from the bland desert does wonders. Still overkill with the ghasts. The second half is just running straight forward and ignoring literally everything until you burrow into the wall.
Foundry: It starts off good, then devolves into yet another running session. I threw on a creeper head and just went. This would be virtually impossible the "right" way otherwise.
Ooh Hoo Shoe: Well, it's something, and by that I mean a bunch of circles for one half and a bunch of blazes and ghasts for the entire part. At least there are enough places to go to, granted I don't care about wasting seven minutes for ten useless TNT when I've thrown away piles and piles of gunpowder at this point.
Lone Peak: The peak really has nothing to do with this area at all except being a minor obstacle in the way of another cavern just filled with spawner and spawner. There's really nothing else to say about the design--it's just a generic stone/snow/ice cave.
Nether Fortress: Yeah, because 46 spawners in a single room is fair. Mm-hmm. That's all I have to say about that entire place.
Corrupt cavern: An absolutely dreadful slog through a hideous cavern followed by the same thing again.
Elden Land: The one clever thing in this area is ruined by how childishly stupid it becomes. Water is such an amazing tool, it really is.
Block World: This is what I think of when I think of a map a 7-year-old would make. I didn't even bothering playing this again because I started getting flashbacks.
The Path: What a freaking slog, even if you torch run the whole bloody thing, which you can't. At least it had some variety, so you have that going for you.
The Tower: Holy freaking lag, Batman. There are so many spawners in this stupid thing that I was getting frame drops. At that point I threw it into peaceful and enjoyed a twitching stroll through my PTSD from half a year ago.
The Monument: I hate maps that put the monument at the end while also having teleporters between intersections. All it does is force the player to have a chest for all the wools for the entire map. There's just no point.
So how'd it do?
Difficulty: I've played kaizo maps more fair than this / 10.
Story: None / 0
Lore: 1 / 10. There was an attempt, but it would've been better had there not been.
Aesthetic: 3 / 10. There was variety to the areas, but there are shapes everywhere, some areas are really bland, and others are hideous.
Custom assets: 2 / 10. There were like...some zombies with pickaxes and a few named items, but that's it. No armored mobs, no custom potions, no custom weapon/armor stats save for two unbreakable weapons.
Overall rating: 12% on Squawking Tomatoes.
What I would do differently:
I'm aware this was made for 1.8.9, but it could be brought all the way to 1.15 with very few command block issues since there really aren't any.
1.) Really cut back on the spawners. There are far too many for the map's own good. Halve them in every area except the tower. Cut them to a third or less there.
2.) Add some custom items and mobs instead. It doesn't take much to find a tool that lets you spawn them right in using a command. Having three armored zombies named "Stronghold guard" beats thirty regular ones and having some
3.) Remove the childish humor. There don't need to be "gotem" signs and LIGMAs in the sky. They aren't funny and just look stupid. Having a sign that calls someone out for breaking out of bounds is fine; using profanity and memes that will dare the map isn't.
4.) Move the teleporter locations. They're hidden as is. There's no need to require players to have to build that far up or down.
5.) Completely remake Block World from the void up. I've heard others on the official CTM Discord call that the "bottom of the barrel" in a map pretty much everyone agreed is bad.
6.) If it's ever ported forward, consider some aesthetic updates as well using all the new toys introduced. Some of the areas actually looked good; others looked like mob gauntlets.
Stay fluffy~
Sorry you didn’t like it, but these sound like a lot of personal preference problems rather than actual problems with the map.
I think people are giving block world a really bad rep; it’s actually really really fun if you give it a chance! It’s definitely simple in design, but the constant frenzy of using the speed and jump boost spawned to avoid the ghasts is really intense.
As with the amount of spawners, it’s much easier to play this map with the goal in mind of avoiding rather than pacifying. It’s much harder when you try to kill everything rather than trying to simply avoid mobs.
Also, you played it in the wrong version and played areas in peaceful mode! However, you’re definitely right about the aesthetics, we just kinda suck at building— which is why areas like Block World and The Path exist. They’re areas that are very technically challenging with very simple aesthetic design.
It’s true though, this is definitely a map that I think me and my friend find more fun than anyone else lol. We set out to create a really technically challenging map that was fun for us to play, and in the process I think we alienated a big part of the CTM audience. Something to learn from if we ever make another map.
If the goal is to avoid the mobs, then the entire map turns into nothing but bridging and tunneling, which makes it very, very boring and tedious. Like...all you'd be doing is digging out a ton of blocks, then pillaring to the ceiling, then all the way over. That being said, block world would also be completely invalid because you said the goal is to avoid, therefore I'd never get near any* enemies or use jump boost.
And I'm aware I played in the wrong version, but it really didn't change the core of the map outside of skeletons shifting stats and behaviors.
Stay fluffy~
You’re exaggerating. Of course you kill things, just not everything. Also the combat is significantly different between the two versions.
And there’s no jump boosted enemies! You should try the area at least before judging it man! If you wanna see a good run through of it you can check it out on my channel, cause I don’t think you’ve really seen it in action!
I've seen the whole map in action twice. I don't need to see it again. It's little more than a ridiculous amount of mobs to the point of bridging, peaceful, or not moving.
Stay fluffy~
I really really hate using this argument, but I think this map is just too difficult for you-- which is totally fine. If you watch TJ the Obscure's playthrough, he gets through the map blind with like 3 deaths and none of the struggle that you're describing. If I actually felt like the map was as insanely difficult as you're describing then I'd obviously agree with you. I just don't personally see it, which I guess makes sense since I created it lol.