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[Limebeer]

That's right, Level 3 is officially completed! All I need to do now is to play test it, look for bugs and make sure that it is fully playable, make sure that the enemies won't ruin everyone due to being too difficult, then the demo shall be released!
Yes, that's right, months after teasing it, the demo shall soon be here for all to enjoy, and by christmas to boot!

But seriously, this was not a fun level to make. I also learnt alot while making it, which will be of use for the next dungeons, but still, not fun.
For those following my updates, you will know that for my next quest there will be some levels reincarnated into it, but this will not be one of them.

As I'm playing through the content that I have sofar, I'll be posting some screenshots and give you an ETA for releasing the demo. I'll only post a few screenshots here (the ones that I see as the "best" ones) but the majority of them shall be posted on my Imgur account. (Link is on my signature)

Now, I'll get more into details and such for the official release of the Demo update, but some things to note (as I'm thinking of it):

1) between the demo releases and the final release, I may will change some aspects and even certain parts of the layouts to dungeons. So yes, that means even though they are finished now, it does not mean they won't go into another incarnation in the final release, especially for secrets. I like secrets, the feeling of finding particularly hard ones, so as the secrets become known for the demo, I'll probably change them later on.

2) The overworld is not absolutely complete. Even the areas that I have as available to expore, I still have yet to add in all the secrets I want to have in it. Most of these won't be added in until close to the final release. Mostly because I am a mean, mean man, they will not be obvious no matter what!

3) The three levels that I have available will be the Sanctuary, Cerulean Waters, and the Magician's Crown. Each one is unique in their own way, as well as the designs being quite different (in my opinion atleast), showing me slowly come into my own style as I experiment. A warning, though, that only the first dungeon is in the freeform NES style dungeon format, all others are not. This is because, as it was my first dungeon ever, I didn't know there was another way of doing so until I was done it and would have been wayy too much work to go back and fix it for what is supposed to be my practice expirimental quest before my official full length quest.

4) I am not good with balancing curves, especially when there are so little amount of dungeons. The next game I know I willl be able to balance more naturally as it will be such a larger game in general. Bare that in mind and, as people play more and more, I'll get it to a reasonable enemy level for the point in the game that you'll be in. But bare in mind, upgrades will be available early on in the game.

That is all I can think of right now, so yeah! I'll let you all know how it's going. If there's any questions I'll be happy to try to answer it.

[Limebeer]

I added in some new screenshots to my quest. Even added in a sneak peak at the level 2 Boss. Who is a bastard to fight the first time or two, but I was able to defeat him in two goes after not playing for a few months, so there shouldn't be too much difficulty with it. It's those Zora's in the room that's quite annoying... I also added in two screens from Level 3 for you all to see.

Speaking of Level 3, I'm sure alot of you know by now I'm having difficulties with it. I have run across a serious bug in it, that being that a certain secret will not trigger and thus is preventing progression. It is a game-halting bug, one that will not be tolerated. However, despair not! I do have some alternative plans that I can use in place of what I currently have that won't take away from the playing experience that I want to convey for this level. You'll still need to progress how I want the players to, going through the dungeon as intended, it'll just be how one element is changed that I'll need to do. All in all it will be a relatively easy fix not taking too much time if I have to resort to it. However, I really like the element that I have implemented and hope that I can fix it. Luckily, this is all just in the very last stages of content which I have for doing my test playthrough, so everything up to that point is working fine and dandy. Remember though, I have to do more than one playthrough before releasing the demo, as I want atleast three simultaneous start to finish with nothing game-stopping or major for bugs, and one to find what area's I need to block off due to lack of insufficient/incomplete content.
So really, I am just a few days at the most from releasing a stable suitable demo, and working on what I hope will be an amazing next few levels...which I will be working out of order on, or perhaps simultaneously with concentration being on level 5 (I already have some of the enemies made and set up).

I think that is all for now, as always, any questions and I am happy to try to answer them!

[Limebeer]

Finally! I got the progress ending bug resolved! now, All that's left is a few play throughs and the fixing of miscellaneous bugs, as well as the fixing the areas to prevent unwanted trespassers from entering the construction sites!
I also noticed a few monsters that need to be reworked for difficulty, as well as changing the area locations of a few. Few other things that I need to change but those changes can wait after the demo release.
All in all, once people get to level 3, I apologize for the back tracking you'll need to do as the fixes I had to make made it a bit more longer of a level than I wanted and originally had. This level I know for certain will be one that I revisit and fix up between the demo and final release. Also a few more overworld screens apparently . Totally spaced on having those still to do...

Anyways, what the fix was, by the way, was changing a multiple trigger secret where the triggers where posted across 4 screens to having those triggers change different things on different screens, opening the way to different triggers or pathways. It actually worked out very well (once I figured out how to get it to happen) and, if i went into making this level with the intention of doing it this way I could have done alot better than what I did.
All in all, with all these frustrations, I think that I grew quite a bit with this level and gave me alot to think about and new possibilities and potentials to work with for anything else upcoming in my quest/quests.
I have one or two more playthroughs left until I set up and release a demo, which will be in the next upcoming days.
Thankyou for all the help and support that you all have given and I hope that I do not disappoint! I will see you all, barring any other major problems, at the demo release!

[Limebeer]

Production Resumes...today! I will first be working on some new tiles for the ground which will be featured (may take a while to get them to run how I want them to as one is a colour shifting type the other kind will be featured alot in my next dungeon)
I will also, in the next two or so days, finish off the left uppermost top part of the overworld, which will include the second village as well as the entrance to dungeon 4 and the forest area. I am still going to work on dungeon's 4 and 5 in concert with eachother, I already have it planned on how I will approach both of them. Dungeon 4 will basically be a large forest area, mainly because it is the only way to include a forest area in the way that I want that wouldn't just be a few small screens. (I went overboard with designing my screens and ran out of room) I'm thinking it'll only be one floor, though more extensive and maze-like with a few caves systems.
The 5th dungeon is going to be the Tower, which will be quite large. I'll contain myself on making it so it doesn't become a giant dungeon crawl and keep it relatively decent in size so it doesn't get away from me... like the second floor of my 3rd dungeon which became nearly twice the size i wanted it to be in layout alone, let alone playtime. I may not do everything I want to in this dungeon, due to the fact that I like the concept of it so much that I want to use it in the next quest I'm planning which will be a full length quest, which means i want to hold some things back in order to keep things fresh on the next incarnation of it. However, what I'm panning for it in the first place is deviously fun enough that it should be enjoyable all the same

Anyways, that's it from me for now. You now know what my current future plans will be.

[Limebeer]

Currently, for progress, it is a bit halted as I decided to do a bit of a revamp on the overworld sections that I have made sofar. The mountains have already been touched up, but the open parts are a bit too open. So I'll be working on filling it in for the next little while. I originally was going to do this closer to the end of making the quest, however, I realise the longer I put it off the harder it will be to make it look right and not forced, as well as have the drive to do it in the first place. It'll also help me on thinking on how I'll do the second town, and give me more time to plan and add in some other secrety stuff that I want added in .

I'll update the demo after tuning up the overworld to get people's ideas as I work on the quest beyond that.

[Limebeer]

Spoiler

 

As you see, progress is being done! Slowly though, due to me having to heavily edit tiles and such, but it will be worth it in the end! There is alot more that I've done than I am showing in this screenshot, mainly adding in trees... (I really need to set up those aliases to make things go faster...) and other such things.

[Limebeer]

It's been a while since I've updated here and had any new material to show... Bad me, I know.
But! I have been working on this and will be working on it more tonight, as well as, hopefully. Release version 1.1 of my demo, which will include the updated overworld, and the fixed enemies in the dungeons. I'm probably going to remove access to the mountains outright due to me finding a cave bug that makes it impossible to properly traverse, so I have to add in a new cave to fix it, despite me not knowing where to put it. I'll keep the first original area that I had open, but all in all the caves will be blocked.

I'll also start levels 4 and 5 today, so I'll post the opening screens to them as screenshots once done.
I'm also going to put some identification on screens which holds the dungeons on it as it may not be easy to find the third one... Plus add in a guy or something in town which will mention where the dungeons are located.

That is all for now, I'll update later on as well once everything is all set and ready.

[Limebeer]

I haven't updated this in a while... bad me as this is supposed to be the update thread for what I've been doing... Anyways, here's the latest and greatest on what's been going on!

Most of the major issues from Demo 1.1have been fixed for Demo 1.2, so I can finally continue on working on new screens.
I'm looking at trying to fix the mountains, and I have come to the realization that most of it (mainly the back sections) will have to be completely redone in order to make it look less... well weird. I do have some thoughts on what to do, but all in all, it's going to be annoying and alot of work, mainly because I have to redo alot of entrances and exits...

I've also *finally* started the second village. I'm going to be having it enclosed by a wall which meets up to where the new mountain edges will be (potentially) along the top of the map. Or perhaps I'll just make it a bit hilly... we'll see. I can't finalize anything until I"m done with the village and mountains.
The mountains themselves I'm thinking on, instead of going across like it does, goes more for upwards to the top of the map. Means different paths and cave locations and such, which will be annoying, but all in all it should mean that it loses it's weird perspective.

I'm also working on the forest area, which will be a bit more maze-like which leads to the 4th level. I'll mostly be working on that as the village and such can wait.

I also finally upgraded the version of Zelda Classic I'm using so there shouldn't be too many more issues in regards to that (I found out that some frame rates for animations where different between the older version I was using and the newer one, which I've been re-adjusting. It also made my Landmola boss in the first dungeon completely messed in the segment spacing somehow )

But yeah, I'm going to continue on in the forest section now as I decide more on the mountain area. Chances are though I won't do any more major upgrades to the overworld area (such as the mountains) for release in any more demos but have it all done for the full version release (in order to give the demo players a new and different experience). This is excluding the Forest area, ofcourse, due to it being needed for the 4th dungeon. I'll also make a pathway to level 5 too, but the 6th and final dungeons, outside of private testers, won't be available for public play until the final release as that is when I'll be doing the most work in recreating secret locations and applying the major overworld changes, as well as level redesign and fixes. I'll be moving the entrances to some dungeons as well, and will be adding in the final shops, item secret locations, and other misc stuff too.

Don't get too used to the dungeon bosses as well, as they are, shall we say, placeholder bosses? Except level 2's... though I'll change his death stuff and the Zora's who fight along side him. It may be a bit more difficult than is needed so soon (he's already been nerfed twice, and that was before any demo's where made...)

I also want to note that, for the dungeons, any item you find is used for some reason in the dungeon. For instance, in level 2 you can get two items. One for getting to the boss room, and another for a secret.

And finally, (I'll add this to the next ReadMe in the next Demo Release) I have Bait as a consumable item in my quest, and it is an Item Drop (for certain monsters) There are two types. A Blue bait and a Red bait. The blue is a single use, whereas the Red Bait is a double use. It should be that when you pick up two blues it turns Red... but I keep forgetting to properly test that out :/ So when you get it, use it sparingly. Alot of enemies are attracted to Bait. I may add it to a shop to buy, but sofar I'll keep it as purely just an item drop.

 

The official plan is, now, to finish the forest area which leads to level 4, and to finish level 4&5 for the next demo (which will most likely not be the complete level 5, but more of a concept showcase).
After doing that and finding a place for the 6th and final dungeons, I'll finish the upgrades on the overworld as well as some additions and changes to the current dungeons. The mountains will be changed as well, and a few other things too. I'll also upgrade the bosses and such, as well as place the secrets that I have in their final places, and make sure that the items you can get are available at a time which makes sense, rather than the ones that are... *ahem*... right now quite strong for early on... when you find them... which no one really has because I am an evil tricky man who doesn't mark places where secrets are.

So really, what you'll be looking at is the current map + forest area, and the 4th dungeon and 5th intro dungeon for the next demo, followed by the official release which will have a reworked overworld, reworked dungeons (I'm looking at you level 1...) and various other fixes/changes that I see fit to include.
Oh, I'll probably add in the second village for the next demo as well (atleast a few houses and perhaps a shop or two). It all depends if i have to cannibalize the mountains that I'll be reworking or not to make it fit right on whether you get the full village or some houses with notices that it's under construction until the full release.

 

if there's any questions, let me know and I'll be happy to answer them!

[Limebeer]

Well, school is getting to be more time consuming than I expected for this term... as well as me getting some other distractions... but that doesn't mean that there's been no progress... just a lot less than I would have wanted.

I have started Level 5... though the amount done would be called minimal at best. And I have also created a few screens in the forest section of my overworld. All that's really stopping me from finishing it is deciding on how the path will be. There will be a Maze path in it, as well as a few other hidden things, and I do mean to have it atleast somewhat confusing to progress through.

I also created my Hint tiles, mostly to be used in some dungeon areas, and depending on how successful they are, they may be used in the overworld as well! (Atleast for less obvious ones that I would want found... or ones that would have no other indication that they exist in less obvious places...)

Throughout this next little while I will be working haphazardly on the forest part of the overworld, Level 4, and Level 5. This will all be worked on at the same time, so what gets work done on it at what time will all depend on my mood. I also am thinking on making some enemies as well as I'm starting to get a better idea on what I'm doing in spriting... we'll see though as I've already made one or two custom enemies for Level 5 already.

All in all though, some progress is being made, even if it's not as much as I would have wanted.

[Limebeer]

As people have seen in the Concept Screen update, I've made some progress (not too much, but some) for my next level. It's quite a large level in all honesty, very ambitious, and will really let my creativity flourish I think. It will also challenge me as a quest builder in new and exciting ways.

Anyways,as of this point I have 4 screens done in way of layout, which went through alot of renditions. Mainly for the colour scheme:
Went from this:

To This:


I also introduced some hint glinting tiles, which will be retroactively added to past dungeons and some other parts of the overworld to convey secrets, though as I will be having the Stone of Agony hidden somewhere, I won't be incredibly liberal with them.

After a few more screens that I'll be making, I won't post too many other ones for this dungeon (which is technically Dungeon 5. Hookshot is found in dungeon 4) mainly as this one is a concept I like so much that I want it to be a surprise for people playing through, hence why you will only be able to access part of it in the next demo as a taste before the final release.

I also learnt while making these screens for this level that, if you are having an unwalkable combo as a negative layer, it has to be layer 3 apparently if you want to make a walkable combo overtop of it.

Anyways, for this level in this quest, it will be atleast 3 floors, possibly 4, where you are trying to get into the very inner core of the tower to get to the final part of the level. In fact, in the screen above, you are technically not outside, but not inside either...more in between two walls really. The true outside will be on the upper floors.

I've mentioned many times, but there won't be alot of enemies in this level, for the most part atleast. There'll be a few bats, and some other miscellaneous creatures, maybe a room or two that has to be cleared, but all in all not enemy heavy but more exploritory and yes, puzzle solving. I may even add in some riddles. Or not, as I seem to make hard enough clues as it is...

Anyways, I still have to make some new hookshot grabs for along the walls due to there not being any good ones in this tileset that I like which won't look out of place, then plan out what puzzles go where, what switches trigger what, and what screens affect what screens... shall be a joy. Might be taking alot of breaks from this when frusterated and working on level 4, but meh, we'll see how it goes.

Now, here's the map of screens sofar for you all to enjoy!