Here are my observations:
First, I think you're improving on colour choices, but you may want to work a bit on transitions, and colour compatibility.
Notable problems with colour/combos, are the water tiles in front of the dungeon, and the somewhat lack-lustre uses in the dungeon, which I think would improve is you had a colour other than tan for floors.
That typeof thing though, isn't my main focus, nor why I am giving a negative rating. Here is my list of problems:
Ship Area: The text in this area is essentially impossible to read (black text, no backdrop). I seem to get an idea that this is Link's crew, and his ship, but they seem to be blocking of a door. I'd keelhaul them; and I'd also add a backdrop to the text.
You can set that in the string editor, by selecting a frame tile. PM me if you need instructions. Black text, needs a light backdrop. - 1/4 for that.
I also suggest using the RealNPC script, to give each something unique to say, and allowing Link to talk to his crew, one at a time. Some sailor sprites, may also be better, than soldier sprites. You can rip those from Final Fantasy, if you like. (+/-0)
Towne Area: I expect this is for future expansion, I know this is an early demo, so I didn't expect much, but I would have like to be able to reach one of the two shoppes. Again, I suggest the RealNPC script: i you need it, PM me.
The water in this area is also quite garish: I suggest using shore tiles, to make it less block-y. (Overall -1/4 star)
The Dungeon:This is where the game starts to break down, quickly!
First fault: Tedium... The navigation, on the moving sand tiles, is tedious, and when you couple that with very powerful enemies, and low HP, Link is a duck.
I died several times, due to Gibdos, and bats. If you want to include Gibdos, that's fine, but you need to make the arena of safe spots a bit more obvious. The room with the rail tracks is acceptable, because you have a clear safe zone, but other rooms with them, and the room with the bats & pegs that awards five rupees, is absurd.
The (upper) path to the boss key is also un-necessarily long, and tedious.Once you see that it's there, I don;t think it's necessary to make the player navigate four screens on the upper deck, to reach it.
(-1/2 Star for tedium, -1/2 star for unacceptible difficulty)
(ST -1.5 Stars)
Bosses: The Aquamentus boss can get a cheaphit in, when you enter the room, that the player can;t avoid. if theat section of wall was shielded, it would be better.
The real problem, is the Dodongo: if you run out of bombs exploring, you're done. There's no way to buy bombs, and grinding for a random bomb drop isn't fun. Managing to time the bombs to hit him is difficult, so I would say, either remove the conveyor sand, or add a bomb shoppe somewhere. (-1/2 star for a potential game-ending situation; st -2 stars.)
Doors: you have this set up to push the player two tiles into a room. This breaks many of your combos, and in fact, makes it impossible to leave the dungeon, as when you try to go back, you're forced onto the area with the heart container, and, while you can walk over the spikes on that screen, the screen beneath it is instant death. (-1/2 star, ST -2.5 stars)
I had to end the game, because I was stuck there, and an F6->Continue sent me back to another point, to the right, so there was literally no way out.
You definitely need to change DMAP type, or something, so that Link doesn't take those extra steps into a room
Warp Destinations: The warp transition, and warp destinations is a bit off. I think you;re using Direct Warps, which feels un-natural, especially with dungeon entrances. The entrance to the level, as an example, sends the player to the middle of the room, rather than depositing Link by the door out. (-1/4 star, ST -2 3/4 Stars)
There is also a cave door on the second floor, that instead of moving the player to the next room, sends the player back up a floor. If that's the intent, it should probably be a staircase, or different to the other openings.
Triforce Room: It's impossible to touch the TF piece. Moving the player two steps into the room, positions the player on a cloud, that isn't walkable. It's a semi--game ending bug, as the player must F6->Continue to get back into the dungeon. (-1/2 star, ST -3.1/4 stars)
The majority of dungeon problems are the result of your DMAP type, moving link two-tiles into every room.
In essence, once you enter that dungeon, the game is over. The tile errors/solidity problems, make it impossible to leave, either by touching the TF, or by manually exiting.
The slow, multi-screen climb to reach the TF room, is also tedious, and pointless.
(-1/2 star;' ST 3 3/4 Stars)
On the flip-side, the idea of Link having a ship, that I hope means you will be able to navigate the seas, is appealing. If you add NPc interaction, and make the ship a gimmick in the game, it would be rather posh. (+ 1/4 star, for potential; St -3.5 Stars).
I strongly advise toning down the level of tedium--which is the 'Lesson' of the first area in 'Kusoge'--and that you remove the troll bat room, or make it necessary for something. the pegs there do nothing, and it's not worth five rupees. I killed the bats, and hammered every peg, looking for a secret.
You may want to try the enemy editor, to customise enemy HP, and enemy damage, to create some new enemy types that are more balanced to the player at this point. Even getting the blue ring, after the aquamentus, the enemies are unfair.
There are also errors that allow the player to break out of the dungeon, onto screens on the DMAP that are not part of it, again, due to the two-tile problem.
Note: The main quest screenshot, with a violet screen, does not seem to be accessible in the demo itself. If I missed something, please let me know.
Conclusion
Overall, at this point in time, my final rating is 1 1/2 stars (or, 3/10). Most of these flaws are something that you can fix, and I expect you shall, in a future version, make this more play-able.
Main Problems: Tile/combo solidity errors; forced two-step room entrances, unfair enemy difficulty; game-ending bugs.
Total Play Time: 0:19:01
Play to Completion?: yes; to the extent possible, due to game-ending bugs.
Virtues
Satisfaction: n/a
Story Rating: 0/10
Puzzle Rating: 0/10
Music & SFX: 6/10
Graphical Appeal: 5/10
Item Use: 2/10
Script Use: n/a
Originality: 2/10
Sins (Higher numbers here, are bad.)
Rage: 3/10
Unfair Predicaments: 7/10
Tedium: 6/10
Bugs: 9/10
Bad Item Placements: 3/10
Troll Items: 5/10
Incomprehensible Story: 1/10
Broken Scripts: n/a
Difficulty Rating: 6/10 (0, being absurdly easy, and 10 being impossibly difficult)
Final Rating: 3/10.(overall; higher numbers are good)
The Legend of Zelda: Sword of Souls
Created by
Haylee
,
Demonlink
,
Parsnip
