[Custom dungeon] Dark Abyss [RTC] [Zed5Duke]

[Zed5Duke]

Version: 1.0 for RTC V0.49
Platform: RTC
Author: Zed5Duke
Date published: 2009, May 8
Date last updated: 2009, May 14

Story:
Info: My idea was to made very classic dungeon in DM1 style. There is not much new graphic (beside new portraits) I found that gfx is not important and most of time i spend on puzzles and testing.

Size: several levels. Items: many new, but with old DM1 gfx. Difficulty medium (at begining it was hard but gameplay was too stressfull, now is more balanced)

Its ancient place which many adventurers tryed to explore but nobody return, legends say that deep inside lay treasure room full of gold.

Download:
Download this dungeon from this Shared OneDrive (in the 'Custom Dungeons' folder)

[ian_scho]

Ohhhhh, you beat me to it. I have a DMJava dungeon called "The Abyss".... I'll finish it one day, too!

Good luck - I actually like the idea of a balanced dungeon, in classic DM1 style.

[Jan]

Wow, now that looks interesting! But also a bit difficult - as usually, I started with one character only, and I spent about 15 minutes trying

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to kill these two or three mummies

at the beginning. I wish I had more time to continue playing today... maybe in the evening. But it looks great! Thanks, Zed! Every next dungeon of yours looks better than the previous one!

[Jan]

I've advanced a bit and must say this is really an addictive dungeon! I love it. The hints on the scrolls are a good idea. The monsters are a bit too tough with one character only, but it's doable.

I am now at the

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four stairways

- I'll definitely get lost, I know it, I know it. Had almost a heart-attack when I was doing something at an alcove in an obviously empty chamber, I turned to go away

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and was facing the flying eye

! Yuck!

[Jan]

@Zed: I've got a question: I found a chest with two gold coins and a ruby key (and a crown). Bellow, there's a room with three coin slots for the gold coins. I can't survive the fireball blasts, but I managed to avoid them after inserting a gold coin into the left slot (shoes) and central slot (sword). However, I can't avoid them after inserting a coin into the right slot. I've been trying this for about 10 minutes with no success. So - is there any chance avoiding the blast after inserting a coin into this right slot? Should I step back and then left or first left and then back? And if there is a chance, what do I get from this slot? Is that anything important for finishing the game or just some useless piece of equipment? Thanks.

I've got permanent problems with low stamina, but it's doable.

I like the "new language" you invented. Good idea! I've enjoyed the game very much so far!

[Zed5Duke]

Two coins and two items to get, thrid is trap (no chances to survive)
Most puzzle lead to next level, few give equipment

[Jan]

Thanks, that's exactly what I thought. I'm now much deeper.

Another question: I've just done the "dark" chamber (

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where the light goes out and spells do not work

). I don't know if this was intended, but if the light goes out totally and you manage to get out of the chamber (climb up with a rope), the light spells do not work anymore - everywhere and permanently, so you are lost and have to restore the game. Even the keyhole to the NOH passage gets lost somehow! So I found that the only way to do it is

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to climb down to the chamber, grab something in a haste and climb up as fast as possible, then do it again, and again

... I hope I got everything important -

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(1) the key, (2) the emerald ring, and (3) the scythe

. Is this correct? I took only these three items, the rest is probably useless junk. Am I correct?

Low stamina is my biggest problem.

The "new language" is a great idea, although I must admit it works a bit like in Monkey Island - you use "everything on everything" and you understand the "hint" only after you find the solution.

[Jan]

OK, FINISHED!

The final score was impressive:
- total time: 4 hours 25 min 38 sec
- stamina potions (for one person): 104
- walls bumped into: 29 (doh)
- rotten cheeses eaten: 1 (doh)
- rotten corpses eaten: 0 (thanks God I was careful this time)

Great game, ZED! Thanks. There were many interesting and innovative ideas, and most of the puzzles were well balanced. I enjoyed it a lot!

Wish it was a bit longer. The last levels were relatively short and easy. And the poor old

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dragon

at the end was a bit exhausted and thus no challenge for my hero and his (or her, to be precise) Inquisitor.

However, two questions remain from one of the lowest levels:
1) There are four alcoves with a writing on the wall "SUBORO SALGA NITRA YR SA". You are obviously asked to put some treasures in it, but what? I have no idea.
2) On the same level, there is a coin slot with a writing on the wall "IDO III FIN ELE ORO". So you are asked to put three silver *something* inside to teleport a treasure - but silver *what*? I had only a silver star, and nothing else.

I didn't solve these puzzles and I finished the game so maybe these are just red herrings or side-quests. I also didn't challenge the

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knight

on one of the lowest levels. It was a trap, wasn't it?

I'm looking forward to your next game. Make it longer!

[vexirk356]

I have just come down the stairs near to where the 3 coin slots are with the fireballs. In this room there are 2 switches (holes with green slime coming out), one releases a monster and the other opens up a wall behind a pit. I can see a pressure plate over the other side of the pit but I can't see further than that. I have tried throwing objects up the corridor but nothing seems to be happening. The message on the wall by the pit says HAD THO BRI ORO. Can anyone help me please....

[beowuuf]

In Zed's previous game, there was a two step process with the messages.

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Some messages were in a substitution code, and then hinted that certain three letter codes would be used as a shorthand for things like trap markers, secret wall markers, etc

[Jan]

Doh! I wish I was able to remember that place! And I was there only this morning or yesterday evening! Unfortunately, all my saves are from the areas bellow, and there is a closed gate not allowing me to get back.

HAD THO BRI ORO means

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"trap throw gold treasure"

. Hmmm.... no, I can't remember. I know there was one place where you actually had to CLOSE a wall behind a pressure plate and a pit, and then throw something over the pit so the thing was stopped by the wall and landed on a plate... and...

Yes, I might remember! There was one place where you had to throw MANY things over a pit on a plate and only after REALLY MANY things were piled on the plate, the pit closed. Yes, this might be that! I remember throwing almost everything there, and the pit closed when my character was all naked and possessing almost nothing (be cautious and do not throw anything INTO the pit).

[vexirk356]

Hi Jan

Worked it out. You only need to throw the

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crown of nerra

across.

[Zed5Duke]

SUBORO SALGA NITRA YRISA
Place treasure X Y Z they are names of three

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rings

you may found (see item description) in revard get coins and open teleport to secret room. Maybe its good idea that easy-medium puzzle lead to next level and hard puzzle to secret area.

In dark room magic dont work but you may find secret item to make light, its

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magic dust

I played it few times and my result usualy was also around 4 hours. Maybe i will enlarge it by build alternate ways to go into last room, new dungeons with common begining and ending.

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[Jan]

@Zed: Thanks! Now I can see that I was more lucky than skilled when finishing the game!

Ad

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Crown of Nerra

: Doh! And I threw all my equipment on the other side... the

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crown

was probably the last thing.

Ad

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The three rings

: Doh again! I was too lazy to try everything, I was just rushing down and down and down to find the chamber full of gold!

Ad

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Magic dust

: Where can it be found? I don't possess any.

[Zed5Duke]

Where can it be found? I don't possess any.

Room filled with ashes near four stairs

[Jan]

Thanks! Now, every riddle has been uncovered and understood! *discards his notes*

[vexirk356]

I am in the section where you keep on getting rotated and have found the switch which opens a door. Inside there is another door into a small room with an alcove inside. I can see a plate inside of the room and have been throwing things through the grid but nothing seems to open the door. Downstairs I have gone into a room where a pit opens up. There are two alcoves here and I have put the

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rope

in one and that has closed the pit. There is also a haze door here. How do I get through this?

[Zed5Duke]

To two alcoves place all

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ropes

you have, one close pit, second open door upstairs

[money]

Where are the 3 coins? I went left got 1, went right and through the lightningh puzzle to get another but alas no luck with number 3? Have i missed it along the way?

[vexirk356]

How do I get through the room full of hazes, the three levers and the gem slot?

[money]

right, completed - party of 4, 3hrs, 14mins, 27seconds... found it v. hard with food, had to eat the poisen food to get by.. but alas made it at then end! The new language was great, i created a dictionary that i could use to translate sentances - think that probably helped to make it quicker (little time spent trying everything in alcoves!).

Thanks Zed - enjoyed the challenge!

[Jan]

How do I get through the room full of hazes, the three levers and the gem slot?

I think that pulling two levers turns off one of the teleports ("hazes"), and pulling only one lever reveals a room and a

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daemon

in the hazes, or something like that. I don't remember exactly, you have to play somehow with the levers and try to go through the hazes (zigzag). The writing on the wall in the hazes explains it partly (if properly translated, of course).

[vexirk356]

Thanks Jan

[vexirk356]

Like Money I can't find the 3rd coin to open the door just after the hazes.. Could you also tell me what else I need for the alcove to open the door up stairs as I think that is probably where the 3rd coin actually is. I have put a weapon and some bad food but can't work out the other thing. Okay just managed to open the door going up and have come up to another 2 doors with a switch that looks like it needs something placing on it to open the doors. I think the message says Button Luck - so I think that I need something like a rabbits food which I haven't got. Does this mean I have to go all the way back or is there something else I can use.

[Jan]

I was very surprised at this eye button... I tried using everything I had on it with no result... and then I just

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pushed it with my bare hand / cursor

and it worked... but maybe you have to do something bellow, because I returned to this place after doing the level bellow. There's nothing vitally important there however, as far as I remember.

EDIT: Regarding the 3 coins... I don't remember their locations. Actually I don't remember this place at all... my memory... my poor memory... weak... You'll have to wait for Zed. As far as I can remember, this is the level with the materialisers, where the first coin can be found in a room to the right from the stairs, where a materialiser then appears, isn't it? I can't remember the rest, maybe if you described the situation a bit closer...

[vexirk356]

Hi Jan

This is the bit with the lightning room where you have to make your way across some pressure plates to 2 levers. One drops you in a pit and you die, the other puts up a teleport. You are then teleported to a room with a materialiser in and two wall switches. One of these closes a pit and the other produces yet another materialiser. As the walk out of this room to where you almost started there is an alcove with two of the coins you need to open up the door. Trouble is where is the third.

[vexirk356]

Jan

Spot on with the eye button - why don't we think of the most obvious things!!! Didn't find a lot up there really and still looking for the third coin. I do remember that on the other side of the hazes I put a blue crystal in a hole but didn't really know what it did, just wondering if that had anything to do with the 3rd coin.

[money]

haha - if you go into the room with the lightning fireing across there is some text on one of the walls - which translates into

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Gold Treasure Left

or something simlar... I got his so confused and went to the two levers and using the other text operated the correct lever to get the teleporter working... in short... there is 1 gold coin in the square room on the right with the materialiaser (and button) one in the room with the two levers (after you have teleported) and 1 in the room with the lightning!

From there it's quite straightforward - but remember to translate the text on some of the later levels as this will help lots! Let us know how you get on.

[Zed5Duke]

I was very surprised at this eye button...

Its button of luck, which bring random events, push it many times until you can get things behind doors.

[Jan]

haha - if you go into the room with the lightning fireing across there is some text on one of the walls - which translates into

Spoiler

Gold Treasure Left

or something simlar... I got his so confused and went to the two levers and using the other text operated the correct lever to get the teleporter working... in short... there is 1 gold coin in the square room on the right with the materialiaser (and button) one in the room with the two levers (after you have teleported) and 1 in the room with the lightning!

From there it's quite straightforward - but remember to translate the text on some of the later levels as this will help lots! Let us know how you get on.

I have realised this yesterday when going back home from work by tram. I don't know why it was in the tram - probably because the tram was totally overcrowded and I wanted to blast off half of the people (and especially those standing on my feet), so the fireball came on my mind, and then the fireball launcher, and then this place.

In this case, the hints on the walls were very helpful for me and directed me closely. You didn't study this ancient language, Vexirk, did you?