PATCH QUESTION: Using the teleporter

Request patches for Keens 1-3.
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Matze82
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PATCH QUESTION: Using the teleporter

Post by Matze82 »

Hello all,

would it be possible to use a teleporter to jump to an other place in one of the normal levels? For example that Keen enters a leleporter on the bottom of the level and then appears on the right top of the same level.

Matze82
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adurdin
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Post by adurdin »

You know, I have a problem when people ask me, "is so-and-so possible", because my pedantism forces me to say "yes". Because usually they are possible. But they may be exceedingly difficult.

Take this for example; while it may be possible to create blocks that would act as teleporters, taking Keen to a different part of the level, it would probably not be very easy. On the other hand, it might well turn out to be easier than I expect. The real question is, is it useful enough for me to turn my attention to it, or will it end up mostly as a gimmick, rather than being used creatively in levels?
KeenRush
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Post by KeenRush »

I've heard people asking about that before, including myself, and I'm sure it would be used in level design a lot. :) Definitely you should take a look at it.
Yowza
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Post by Yowza »

Doorways (which are pretty much the same thing as teleporters) were used effectively in Keen 4-6, so I see no reason why it wouldn't it 1-3.
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XkyRauh
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re: doors

Post by XkyRauh »

doorways are used reasonably well in the early levels of Keen4, because of the houses in the background. going into and out of dead-end houses is a neat way to add depth to the pseudo-3d game. but compare that to Keen6's Bloog Control Center... i can't say that's one of the most creative levels i've ever seen. rather than being a difficult level, it comes down to mere memorization of some door mazes. la-dee-dah.

i vote that this is little more than a gimmick lazy level designers could use to get themselves out of trouble if they paint themselves into a corner. :-P

--Xky
Yowza
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Post by Yowza »

I admit, that 'door maze' in Keen 6 was a bit excessive.. However, doors/teleporters were used well in most levels in K4-6.
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Post by JosephBurke »

If you decide to look into this what could happen is several better features, which are easier to implement could be passed by like the thirty level patch. You're in the best position to know what features are easiest and best to implement because you understand better than the rest of us what things are possible. We can only rant about feature x without knowing feature y can be done.
You know, I have a problem when people ask me, "is so-and-so possible", because my pedantism forces me to say "yes". Because usually they are possible. But they may be exceedingly difficult.
Kind of a curse then, :|
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adurdin
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Post by adurdin »

Notwithstanding that, it is a fact that every new patch puts me in a better position to make further patches, as I end up understanding the code better.

At the moment I'm consolidating my notes on the end-of-game sequence in Keen 1, so that someone will be able to make a utility to write patch files to change that (probably Xtraverse will add it to the Patch-o-Tron).

Obviously some patches (like the 30-level, or new background tiles) have very broad uses; others may have very limited use, but be very easy to work out. I basically work on them in the order that they most interest me, but if anyone wants something implemented more promptly for a mod they're working on, I'll put that before less urgent patches.
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

If you decide to look into this what could happen is several better features, which are easier to implement could be passed by like the thirty level patch.
The doorway patch would certainly be useful, and definitely allow a lot more to be done in each level. I think, though, that the patches that allow more levels and hopefully interactive level components will give us a lot more to play around with, and allow us to offer the player choices on their journey. Keen4-6ish things like the doors on the Omegamatic and the purple dude on Xax could be done, adding a lot more to the plot.

But certainly, if more people want to see doors and teleporters within the level, by all means go ahead. There's still a whole lot that can be done with such things.
At the moment I'm consolidating my notes on the end-of-game sequence in Keen 1, so that someone will be able to make a utility to write patch files to change that (probably Xtraverse will add it to the Patch-o-Tron).
Can't wait to see this in action...

>Commander Spleen
Matze82
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Post by Matze82 »

I would like this feature a lot, because with this patch it would be possible to create more interesting levels which won't be that monodirectional. :D This might be worth a look.
As I've posted my question above I didn't want to sound as if I'm ordering for some code, but I wanted to give some new ideas.

Cheers, Matze82
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