35 replies to this topic

[Red Phazon]

To make a dungeon more interesting, there should be some kind of larger, global, puzzle that effects the dungeon as a whole, which I'm going to call a "gimmick." Some examples are "Season Isle" in Hero of Dreams, or a water dungeon where the water level must be drained or flooded to advance.

I am beginning a water level for my "basic quest" and am looking for some gimmick ideas besides the water level thing. My mind is stuck and I can't think of anything. Any ideas? It shouldn't be anything too complicated.

[Russ]

Well, I have one really good idea, but I'm not telling it until after the release of my quest. Here is one though, have a dungeon that has ice, and water. The ice melts into water, and the water freezes into ice.

[CastChaos]

First of all, don't use water level changing in main dungeons as main gimmick. It started to be plagiar (overused). The only exception is if you pull it off with the same queality like OoT, so even better than HoD or Lost Isle. However, it's still nice for little side caves/cellars...

A water dungeon gimmick could be the use of currents. Water flowing through the whole dungeon (conveyor) and it can push the player down to areas from where they can't go back as simply as they came.

OR, use water level changing, but don't apply it for the whole dungeon, each part should have its own water levels, completely varietied.

It also can be that there are multiple kind of waters in your dungeon... dirty, soaped, cold, hot, mineral, electric, radioactive...


And of course, the above ideas can be kinda combined. It's a pity that my water control dungeon is kinda gimmickless.

[Red Phazon]

Well, I have one really good idea, but I'm not telling it until after the release of my quest. Here is one though, have a dungeon that has ice, and water. The ice melts into water, and the water freezes into ice.

Yes, I was planning to have a dungeon with this involved, but the level I'm working on doesn't involve ice.

First of all, don't use water level changing in main dungeons as main gimmick. It started to be plagiar (overused). The only exception is if you pull it off with the same queality like OoT, so even better than HoD or Lost Isle. However, it's still nice for little side caves/cellars...

Yeah, that's why I'm desperate for some ideas.

A water dungeon gimmick could be the use of currents. Water flowing through the whole dungeon (conveyor) and it can push the player down to areas from where they can't go back as simply as they came.

I've been wanting to do this for a long time but didn't think it was possible to simulate water currents. I've also wanted "poison water." Any idea on how to simulate these on 2.10?

OR, use water level changing, but don't apply it for the whole dungeon, each part should have its own water levels, completely varietied.

That's a good idea. Maybe I'll do this.

It also can be that there are multiple kind of waters in your dungeon... dirty, soaped, cold, hot, mineral, electric, radioactive...
And of course, the above ideas can be kinda combined. It's a pity that my water control dungeon is kinda gimmickless.

Good ideas also, though most of it wouldn't fit the scheme of the level.

Thanks for the replies.

[CastChaos]

The "current" can be done in 2.10 with drawing flowing shallow water and making it conveyor combo. So, small water flows from the wall through part of the floor to a lower elevated area with shallow (or deep) water. An insta warp/zap effects/ do the "fall lower" thing. Of course, this way the water is so shallow that the "shallow water" ripples aren't triggered. However, if the water is dirty, then it doesn't look strange.

Poisoned water is the same, make shallow water and make it a damage combo. But it's also not possible with deep water. However, you can do that there's poisoned deep water which is in fact stairs combo, which takes the player to an identical screen where Link is invisible and is standing on a damage combo and there's an animation showing Link drowning in poisoned water. I did the same a few days ago, just not with water...

[Twilight Knight]

The most fantastic "Gimmick" I've seen so far is the ghost dungeon(LVL6?) one in Origin. But of course, that one is already taken, and I'm not so sure if it's actually a gimmick...

O, I forget adding my idea.
Well you could use stuff with electricity barriers or something like that, which can be turned off. And for example that yellow and blue electricity, and they switch with each other all the time...

Edited by Twilight_Knight, 08 March 2008 - 04:19 PM.

[Red Phazon]

I didn't even think of using shallow water currents, which is a good idea too, but I'd rather have deep water. I had the Great Bay Temple in mind. What about in 2.11? (or whatever its called now)

[Alestance]

I'd love to see water that automatically rises and sinks, without use of switches, it just happens in a pattern

[CastChaos]

The most fantastic "Gimmick" I've seen so far is the ghost dungeon(LVL6?) one in Origin. But of course, that one is already taken, and I'm not so sure if it's actually a gimmick...

Yes, that's a gimmick, but it's not the best I have seen or could think of. And don't consider that idea taken, changing between material and ghost plane exists in at least one other quest and is not THAT unique idea.


Link75: In 2.11? Well, there aren't dual combo types there, either... But in the latest 2.5 betas/alphas, you might be able to script it... might be this script already exists... But I don't recommend 2.5 until it gets 100% stable...


Alestance: Oh yes, that would be wonderful... and the setting up of the combo cycling would take a year... unless there would be some clever warp combo cycling, but that would take a year to rid all of the bugs...

[Evile]

Maybe you could electrify the water in some areas. Rising tides would also be awesome as Alestance said.

[Master Maniac]

i got one for a "fire" themed dungeon.

so its a giant meteor crator. there are however many extra branches of the temple. you have to go to each branch and fight a mini-boss and release a river of lave, filling the basin a little and granting access to the next branch. at the last one, give him the lv.2 flippers and use matthew's water level 2 script to get to the boss.

[Russ]

Or, do the exact opposite and have the lava recede a little bit each time.

[Master Maniac]

yeah that could work too...

ooh how about another?

one for a quest without an overworld =)

ok so youre in this really really big temple right? well there is one place (about 5 screens) in the center.

its set up like so:

O
OOO
O

in the center is the entrance to the final "dungeon" (meaning dungeon branch as the wole quest is a dungeon.)

now each one beyond the center has a tile warp to another sub-dungeon.

so...

A
BOC
D

and when you take the side warp, it puts you at the entrance of a new dungeon, and if you try to follow it back, it just pushes you farther into the dungeon instead of returning you where you were. =)

[Purplemandown]

Here's my best gimmic-

In each room, there is a floor where link walks on, right?

Well, In my GS dungeon 7, there are warps that switch the gravity, sending link to the ceiling. Not like in LI where it would be F1 floor to B1F Ceiling, i mean F1 floor to F1 Ceiling. And, It could be used as an elevator. Like so:
___________________

__________ .....______

___________^________
(many spaces don't work. The dots are spaces instead.)

In this case, F1 Floor to F2 Ceiling.

Just a thought...

Edited by Purplemandown, 06 June 2008 - 11:00 PM.

[Russ]

That sounds a lot like the Stone Tower from Majora's Mask.