[Custom dungeon] The Trail [RTC] [Saumun]

[Saumun]

Version: 1.07
Platform: RTC
Author: Saumun
Date published: 2017, September 3
Date last updated: 2020, May 19

So I finally finished building The Trail.

Due to time constraints, it took much longer than anticipated. Couple this with a lack of ideas when the dungeon was almost complete, and running into RTC's limit for custom objects/mechanics (meaning I was having to delete stuff to make it work).
This is v1.06 and a few minor changes have been made to Part 1 to equalise it with later work on Part 2. Any save from the end of Part 1 will still be able to be imported into Part 2, despite it being a new version.

NB. Part 2 cannot be started unless you've finished Part 1 and saved the game at the end (I am aware that certain people finished Part 1 and may no longer have the save. If this is the case, let me know and I'll sort it out).

Anyway... Enjoy! (hopefully)

History:
Version 1.07 Additions/Fixes
Part 1

• Issue with Dock Clerk repeating message fixed
• Clue addea to Ku/Ros level

Part 2

• Potential dead end in tower garden fixed
• Potential dead end in return to prison fixed
• Return to prison made more intuitive
• Looking Eye Doors in lower sewer fixed (now unbreakable)
• Many clues added or rewritten throughout
• Couple of minor cosmetic changes

Version 1.03 contains graphical updates, a minor bugfix, and a couple of extras. Namely:

• New background
• New fonts
• Two new monsters
• Town level has a signpost
• Graphical changes to one existing monster
• Bugfix on “Local Teleport” spell
• Food in areas that previously had none

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

[Leslie]

Damned, I never finished it. Always got killed by... was it a knight?, on the ship, as the disease had drained my levels.
I guess I was not too far away from the end of the game.
In the meantime I got a new PC and lost my saves, also for other games as well.

[Saumun]

I remember you playing it, Leslie.
Phew! At that point you were literally minutes away from finishing Part 1.
I should still have a save from my final test that is pretty close to that.

[Leslie]

If I might use that save from you, I will try to finish part 1.
I remember the task was putting many parts of a recipe together... finally I had worked on that offline to lose not so much time to the disease
I am curious to see the end of part 1 and what comes after that in part 2!

[Leslie]

Thanks Saumun for the PM!
I just had a short look at the start of part 2 and managed to leave the cell. But down in the cave I seem too slow to bash down the brittle wall that blocks the way before something behind me kills me instantly. Did I miss something in the cell which I would need down here?

[Saumun]

Leslie,

You must be sure that...

Spoiler

the guard does not see the bed out of place at any time. If the guard appears at the door and sees the bed out of the corner, you are effectively dead. Even if you manage to get out, it will follow.

Spoiler

When the guard passes your cell, it always stops and looks. Only dig between these points and move the bed back before it returns. If you drop to the caves without it seeing you, it will not follow.

Spoiler

The initial cave part is boring, but will gain you some levels and coins. I forgot to add to the readme file that it’s advisable to open a bank account when you get out. It’s possible to do 99% without one, but it makes things easier.

[MasterWuuf]

I downloaded and unzipped The Trail (pt 1 and pt 2). Any other things I need to play the game?
My computer asks me whether I want to surf the web to find the proper program to open it.

[Saumun]

You just need to move them to RTC’s “modules” folder, then they’ll appear on the list of dungeons when you boot RTC.

[Leslie]

Due to my own stupidity, I will need to start again. I got cornered near the fountain at midnight by ghosts which I can neither defeat nor scare away.
Of course I did not create multiple saves, why should I have done that?

[Saumun]

Uh oh! Something i'll have to look at in any subsequent update. Not sure why they won't scare.
I would advise always making multiple saves (especially in a new dungeon). Though I have completed it from start to finish many, many times in testing, the occasional oversight is inevitable. Personally, I move my first eight saves to a new folder and start at SV0 again, so I can get back to any point.

If you haven't yet restarted, or if it speeds things up any, I have a save in the town not long after exiting the caves. I will llink it in a pm. You can use this if useful or discard it if not.

[m1ckey]

Cool!

After couple of house moves and thrashed HDD´s later, I luckily do have the original save files from Part 1 intact.

Looking forward to this one... Thanks man!

[Leslie]

Hey Saumun,

I did not have the time to play for a while, but now I am in the cave with the "three weights" puzzle. As fas I can tell, I placed three weights. I threw a scroill across a pit to land on a plate while a creature was stinding there, which opened a door. I threw a dagger across another pit, which closed the pit. And I threw a throwing star onto a plate after the speed test with the opening and closing pits, and... nothing happened. Did I miss anything?

[Saumun]

Hi Leslie,

The one that closes the pit is not one of the required weights. The three are all metal plates. It also closes another pit near the pad.

Spoiler

See what happens if you reopen them.

[jahmiann]

Hi All

I restarted "the trail" part 1 because previous savegame was deleted.

I reached last floor to "Guard Tower" but one "ra coin" is missing.

I guess there is 1 "ra coin" by floor.

Spoiler

i found:
- a ra coin in the sleeping quarter
- a ra coin near the reflector
- a ra coin by killing mob on the roof.
Where is the last "ra coin" ?
[/spoiler}

[Saumun]

Spoiler

Also on the roof. Look for a small button that opens an alcove.

[jahmiann]

thx i forwarded.

Now i am stuck in the temple i found 1 cross key but i don't find the second one.

There is the same game crash on the spike trap, once the tech armor piece found, RTC crash when i come back on this area.

Spoiler

I my remember i now the is the mental control scroll behind the door et i know where cast it

[Saumun]

I think a crash at the spike trap also happened to someone else, but I’ve never been able to replicate it. If it happens again, you can send me a save.

Spoiler

To get that spell scroll, you need to go back and re-enter the guard tower, and access the caves underneath via the pits to the northwest. Make sure you have the skull key.

[jahmiann]

The crash occure every time.

- If i come back to guard tower, i cannot pass the sleep quarter floor because there are a lot of unkillable guard everywhere.
is there a way to come back to gard tower without come by the roof ?
- is it normal that there no more pit in the junk yard ?

[Saumun]

If you mean the one just outside the junkyard, then no... that’s not normal.
Also, the guards in the sleeping quarter should disappear when you complete the roof.
Something is wrong.
I’ll send you a pm with an email address.
If possible, could you send me your latest save and one from before going to the spike trap?

[jahmiann]

Hi

my bad, i come back to guard tower and guards left.

i finished the quest in the blessing temple, but the tech legs are missing.

What i missed ?

[Saumun]

I don’t have it in front of me, but if I remember correctly they’re...

Spoiler

through a fake wall through the southern door of the temple, and east at the end of that passage.
If you have the magic map (or if you upgraded to the rune map), it will show on it using the ros mapping spell (or the ros button on the tune tablet).

It’s a little concerning if the pit outside the junkyard has closed. If it has closed...

Spoiler

and if you haven’t already pushed the tabletop through it, then you can’t access the west side below the graveyard, which would mean you cannot get the pal rune... and without all the runes, you cannot finish part one.

Please let me know if this is the case.

[jahmiann]

Spoiler

the fake wall hide the tech shield, not the tech legs

i moved the table, i will come back to junkyard to see if the pit is now open after get mind control scroll.

[jahmiann]

i confirm the pit at the junk yard closed see screenshot below

[Saumun]

There is no pit inside the junkyard, but there is one a few paces outside of the junkyard that goes down three levels, resulting in death.
If this is not open, there is a problem... but I cannot see how it could close. There is no mechanism to do so.

Spoiler

The shield is in a fake wall north of the temple. The legs are through the south door and east through the cave passage. There is a fake wall near the end.

[jahmiann]

Thx

i have all the tech armor pieces.

I try now to enter in the bllatne house, but

Spoiler

wearing the princess clothes does not give access...

[Saumun]

Spoiler

The prince’s clothes do nothing. You should have had a clue scroll at Naerza’s house that says only a yairra can enter Bellande House.

[DM_Player]

Saumun,

I must be missing something in the

Spoiler

guard barracks. I got the steak, cooked it, rang the dinner bell and the 4 guards were attracted to the mess hall

, but then what? I looked around but didn't see a way to open the locked door to the up stairway?

[Saumun]

It’s a tricky part here. I considered changing because it’s not wholly intuitive, but...

Spoiler

All four guards need to be in the mess room. The way it should work is by cooking four steaks and setting each on a table, then ringing the gong.
If you hide in the corner just west of the mess room with a barrel in front of you, the guards will be attracted to the room.
Once all four are in, close the door behind them to lock them in. They will start the emergency procedure, for which after a few minutes the doors in the centre of the prison will open, releasing more guards, and all other doors close... effectively killing you.

Spoiler

You need to stop the guards in the centre of the prison getting out and shutting everything down. You have plenty of time to do this. Meanwhile, the central southern door will open. The port tower key is in here.

[DM_Player]

Thanks Saumun

I wasn't doing the

Spoiler

hide behind a barrell part and so the guards always stayed outside of the mess hall.

[Gambit37]

It’s a tricky part here. I considered changing because it’s not wholly intuitive, but...

Spoiler

All four guards need to be in the mess room. The way it should work is by cooking four steaks and setting each on a table, then ringing the gong.
If you hide in the corner just west of the mess room with a barrel in front of you, the guards will be attracted to the room.
Once all four are in, close the door behind them to lock them in. They will start the emergency procedure, for which after a few minutes the doors in the centre of the prison will open, releasing more guards, and all other doors close... effectively killing you.

This seems very specific and very hard for any player to guess in the context of a real-time game. It would be pretty hard even in a point and click adventure with unlimited thinking time. I think this is one of those puzzles that makes sense to you the designer, but wouldn't be clear to most players. I'd suggest simplifying it.