[Custom dungeon] Escape! - III - Zombie-Master [RTC] [Stuart "Mon Ful Ir" Marshall ]

[Mon Ful Ir]

Version: V3.0 for RTC V0.49
Platform: RTC
Author: Stuart "Mon Ful Ir" Marshall
Email address: stuart.marshall@yahoo.co.uk
Date published: 2009, May 26
Date last updated: 2009, June 19

Notes:
I decided to spend less time talking about Escape 3 and just share it with you instead.

If you've played Escape 2.0, then some of this content will be familiar. There's a new level, and each existing level is about 50% larger with lots of new content, but it's still definitely a mini-dungeon. (The non-demo, i.e. release version, of Escape 3.0, is big enough to be called a small dungeon rather than a mini-dungeon, but there are several levels missing from this demo. There is also only one ending included as yet.)

Thanks for reading and I hope you get a chance to take a look.

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

[Jan]

Wow! Great!

I hope to take a look at it this weekend. However, I've bought a new computer (it arrived yesterday) at home, so I'll probably spent this weekend installing all the programs and other stuff on it (boring job). Hope to find some time to play it as soon as possible.

[Jan]

I've just downloaded it and spent a few minutes there, and must say - wow! Looks impressive! It seems much more complex than the previous Escape (I've got lost somehow on level 0 already...), and the graphics and music feels great (although it's probably mostly "canibalised" from elsewhere).

Unfortunately, I don't have time to venture deeper, I've spent all day installing software on my new laptop (and unistalling all the "useful" things Toshiba put there... the first thing I did was that I down-graded back to XP), and I'm not finished yet. But I hope I'll get to this soon!

[Mon Ful Ir]

Please! I'll have you know it was a lot of hard work, converting all those graphics ripped from other games into RTC format.

Actually it looks fairly Conflux-y, because I used a lot of the same sources and nicked some of the graphics directly from Conflux itself, but there's a lot of stuff from Dungeon Hack as well.

It only feels complex cos you don't know what things are for yet.

Once you figure out the Altar of Reanimation, remember not to use it unless you decide to be evil. There's an item fairly early on that lets you check your alignment.

[Trego]

Very cool game. Just finished it, I didn't break any speed records and had many deaths along the way. My fav weapon was the assassins blade. Got stuck in a few areas, and others I just had to keep trying to see what I got at the end of it, those teleporters. The use of pits in your puzzles were used innovatively, to me anyway. I haven't played many custom dungeons so I can't offer much of a review. I thought there might have been more bones about the place though, I didn't end up being evil, so I'll try have to try again and see if it is any easier/harder.

You may want to add to the Dungeon Master Wiki your method of converting those graphics, you had some cool Monsters.

[Gambit37]

I've played a small part of this and I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet. It looks like it might be good but one thing that's putting me off is the lack of decoration in the early part and nonsensical rooms. I'm not a fan of arbitrary dungeon layouts (you know, just lots of random spaces linked together), I prefer some sense and order to things and there doesn't appear to be much sense behind the initial parts I've played. My understanding is that this tower is some kind of jail -- I think that the reason I feel at odds here is that it doesn't feel very much like a jail OR a tower. Maybe consider reviewing the architectiure to be a bit more meaningful?

I've only got to an area with spiders and watery cubes and keep getting killed by re-spawning critters. I thought my hero was supposed to be all powerful but since he's actually very low in all skills, it seems a bit odd that he can't do more damage?

[vexirk356]

I'm still stuck in the maze on the first level!!!

[Gambit37]

The doors and floorpads maze? Yes, that's a bit nasty -- put objects on the floor to help navigate...

[vexirk356]

the four rectangular switches near a steel door. Do you have to press these in a certain order to open that particular door. What am I actually looking for in the maze?

[Jan]

@Gambit: I'm there right now too. Actually, I've abandoned the game there for a while. I call these cubes "pillows". They're annoying. But the game itself is good, I don't want to be negative about it, cause there's a lot of labour in it, just the first level seems a bit confused for me... actually, the whole structure of the dungeon is a bit unclear to me, but it's probably because I've played it in 5-minute pieces when thinking about something else...

@Vexirk: As far as I remember, some of the switches must be off and some on - just try some combinations for a while randomly, and you'll succeed sooner or later. "What am I actually looking for in the maze?" You mean the whole game? I don't know! I'm all lost and confused. If you mean this particular spot... you'll see once you get the right combination...

@Mr. Fireball: I'm sorry if I sounded negative. I like this game! I'm just lost a bit, and I need some time to get back to it. I think I'll love it at the end.

[Mon Ful Ir]

I've played a small part of this and I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet. It looks like it might be good but one thing that's putting me off is the lack of decoration in the early part and nonsensical rooms. I'm not a fan of arbitrary dungeon layouts (you know, just lots of random spaces linked together), I prefer some sense and order to things and there doesn't appear to be much sense behind the initial parts I've played.

One of the criticisms of Escape 2 that I took to heart was that it was a bit too linear and predictable. Escape 3 is deliberately more chaotic in style with more differences between areas.

My understanding is that this tower is some kind of jail -- I think that the reason I feel at odds here is that it doesn't feel very much like a jail OR a tower. Maybe consider reviewing the architectiure to be a bit more meaningful?

The levels are actually quite small (about 2/3 the size of a DM vanilla level), though that may not be apparent when you're playing it. On a plan view, it does look like a tower, with the exit at the top (it conceptually leads onto battlements).

I've only got to an area with spiders and watery cubes and keep getting killed by re-spawning critters. I thought my hero was supposed to be all powerful but since he's actually very low in all skills, it seems a bit odd that he can't do more damage?

Another of the criticisms of Escape 2 was that the fights were a bit easy. These are deliberately more challenging.

Having said that, if the consensus is that they're too hard, I'll tone them down for the release.

[Mon Ful Ir]

the four rectangular switches near a steel door. Do you have to press these in a certain order to open that particular door.

Not exactly, no. There's something else going on with those rather than pressing them in the right order.

What am I actually looking for in the maze?

If you mean the maze on the first level, there's a very useful thing, a route to the exit, a route down a level, and a couple of secrets to find.

[beowuuf]

Started playing it just now - random unrelated computer crashes have forced me to restart and I've taken other paths, so seen a little bit of the start.

Fun so far, I think the decorations are fine, and the chaotic lay-out is a little bewildering, but everything seems to connect back to itself to like CSB and Surgical Strike, it is a matter of mapping it in your head or in paper.

Those creepy grasping undead seeming guys freak me out a little when I mistakenly let them attack! With their big hands!

[Mon Ful Ir]

If you're on the first level, their touch isn't too bad.

Later on you might find things you really don't want to let touch you. Heh, heh, heh.

[beowuuf]

I've actually not noticed anything the two times I've been hit - no damage nor stat reduction. IS it food/drink? The fun of discovery later on I guess!

[Trego]

Those pillow things do give you a fare kick, and you do feel a little weak especially when you get surrounded, but that could be like most dungeons when you get surrounded or block by monsters.

With those switches: use Chaos Theorem just keep trying and you will get it eventually I'm sure thats Chaos Theorem...well its a law of something.

The dungeon does seem larger than it is, it took me a while to find out where I kept ending up.

[vexirk356]

I have a Topaz Key and a Winged Key. I need a second gold key for the port cullis type door near the large area of moving pits (just after you come out of the bit where it says "mind your back" but have run out of places to look. I have been across the maze of pits and got to the place where it says Rust in Peace. There were 2 levers there which I pulled - don't know what they did though I think one actually created a monster. There were also 2 pressure plates in this area which didn't seem to do anything either. I think I may have missed something in the area where you have to put coins in slots, I opened up a lot of doors with faces inside - do I have to do anything here? I have got into the bit by the maze where you need to press the rectangular switches in order and have put the daggers in the slots - trouble is I have now run out of daggers. Is there anything very important revealed when I eventually get enough daggers.

[Mon Ful Ir]

Near Rust in Peace, did you miss a door?

[vexirk356]

No, I went through into another room apart from Rust In Peace. It had a fire in and I used a torch on it and it opened another passageway. Don't think I found much in this room - was I supposed to??

[Trego]

...trouble is I have now run out of daggers. Is there anything very important revealed when I eventually get enough daggers.

Did you get the one from the place with all the scrolls? And no, but I found it useful against one of the monsters later as I didn't use those coins until afterwards.

The one place I really got stuck was when I meat the Manticore, and the keys I had didn't work or most likely they were the wrong ones.

[Jan]

Is there anything very important revealed when I eventually get enough daggers.

There is just... err...

Spoiler

another dagger

... *chuckles* (a bit disappointing, isn't it? )

[vexirk356]

Come on guys help me out. I have a winged key. I have been all around the hive area. Through the maze. Down where the lion type creatures who spit fire and picked up Yvonne. I have been through the worm area and arrived at the big hall with all the pits and then have travelled through to the Rust in Peace area. I have gone downstairs from the hall of pits and opened up all the doors gone down the hole in one of the small rooms which took me to a room of mazes. I am now looking for a gold key to open up the portcullis type doors at the entrance to the pit area. I think I have missed something vital somewhere as I am going around in circles. Any small clues would be appreciated.

[beowuuf]

Barely played it yet, can't help I'm afraid!

[vexirk356]

Come on Beowuuf get going on this one - we (I) need your expert help!!!

[Jan]

Sorry, I've abandoned the game in the "pillow" area - I'll get back to it on Saturday, maybe, so you're actually much deeper than me, I can't help you. Others will help you, I believe. Moreover, you're much better in playing DM, I know it, because I still haven't finished Dark Reign, and I've abandoned Reactor, and so on...

[Mon Ful Ir]

No, I went through into another room apart from Rust In Peace. It had a fire in and I used a torch on it and it opened another passageway. Don't think I found much in this room - was I supposed to??

Yes, you were.

[vexirk356]

Mon Ful Ir

Thanks, found the missing link. Problem was I kept on killing the thing that I never noticed

Spoiler

the wall opening

[vexirk356]

Has anyone worked out an easy solution for the racetrack. I know that there is a lever you have to pull - trouble is trying to do it as you wizz by at 90mph.

[Mon Ful Ir]

There shouldn't be one, mate. Just got to get the timing right.

[Trego]

The games does have some repeatability, I must have missed out sections...I've found another prisoner that doesn't want to kill me, I hope there is more.