Keen: Modding

A lot of my mods have a maximum possible score, but I don't think that anyone pays enough attention to the high scores to do much with them. This is an important point. Part of the problem I think is that it is ostensibly the case that mod authors don't pay enough attention to high scores or the ma...

Firstly, since this is a 10 year necro, let me summarize a few thoughts from the past. In addittion, this thread can be referenced for hinostrical purposes as well: http://publiccommanderkeenforum.yuku.com/topic/848/Points-a-discussion#.UxI1T1iYbs0 -What purpose, if any, do points and score serve? -...

A penalty mechanic that relies on the player's willingness to accept/use it is dysfunctional. Modders can ignore this issue if they wish, it's not as if it makes the entire mod dysfunctional. So, there goes the cheats then? What about the difficulty levels? Cheating is not penalty mechanic. Cheatin...

On the other hand if a mod captures the player's attention, gets them absorbed into its atmosphere and story then they are going to enjoy the act of playing itself; the repetition will take long to become a chore since simply playing through the level it itself a reward. This is also likely to make...

It was just a carryover from the arcade machines This seems the case, it can be easily seen that these were included in the original games because that's what other games did at the time. Keen, ultimately, does not play like an arcade game in which these mechanics are successful (many short, relati...

This is very nearly the same as good mod design. Nothing about 'good mod design' as you list it: bright colors, large levels, and tilework, suggests to me wanting to replay a level from the start after dying at some point within it, merely having enjoyed playing an instance of what's there so far a...

I feel it's necessary to revise the goal to clarify things: The goal: Create a system in which extra lives are actually utilized and 'fun'. Because of the default function of extra lives, their purpose is defeated by "save scumming". If extra lives are fixed in such a way that they retain ...

Discussing things with Lemm over at #KeenModding: (6:54:46 PM) lm: If you make save scumming cost lives, then it's like saying you get so many "convenience tokens" (6:55:34 PM) Ceilick: but that's as opposed to unlimited tokens (6:55:47 PM) lm: But since you can just (in theory) play the g...

I in fact have a patch that resets ammo along with score on death so ammo conservation is less of a problem. This really isn't a fix. It removes the ONE potential reward players had for restarting a level rather than loading a save game and swaps in a significantly less useful potential reward. pla...

The problem: Extra lives are virtually useless in Keen Galaxy due to the ability to save anywhere, any time. The goal: Create a system in which extra lives are actually utilized and 'fun'. To cut "save scumming" without motivating the average player to cheat. Cheating includes: codes (god...

Some good stuff here; deffo want to use Bernie's idea with the BwB as a sprite, and Lass' idea for the slime hazard is really worth looking into and experimenting with. Regarding templates: I love templates. It has never been worth it, for me, to not position tiles in template pieces. That said, the...

10 years feels insane. Those early days when mods felt more frequent, a somewhat competitive atomsphere trying to up each other graphically and in terms of level design (since patching was relatively limited and/or rarely gameplay changing). Modding neck and neck with Levellord, Benvolio, Grelphy, a...

I'm changing the topic here as a catch-all for Szemi's patch requests. Szemi, please stop creating a new topic for every individual patch you need.

Deactivation doesn't really follow ban procedure, and as obnoxious as you were, no one mentioned banning you that I'm aware of. I've reactivated your account. I guess take that as a warning?

Check animating foreground tiles, particularly the vanishing ice platforms. Too many will cause this problem.