Atroxian Realm

GameBird · Post by **GameBird** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 0:50

Hey guys! Here's a small sample of the music for The Atroxian Realm!
Now, bear in mind that these are full MP3s of the themes from the game, and as you are aware, a mod of Commander Keen cannot play MP3s. These are simply to showcase the main themes from the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7uFuN9cKs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5eqp5RaR6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2L-L1t8lvo

Enjoy!

EDIT: Oops!

The third link is working now.
EDIT2: removed and re-uploaded 'Krisle' due to my brilliance in remembering to change the text between vids.

Gridlock · Post by **Gridlock** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:36

Great to see these up on Youtube now. I guess I ought to update again now.

There has been a fair amount of progress on the soundtrack, patching, and level design. About 16 songs have already been completed in the soundtrack thanks to Gamebird (these are different than the MP3's above). These songs are really amazing and fit perfectly with a slightly darker take on Keen (which I've sort of dubbed Keentroid due to the Metroid influence). Lemm has gotten several patches done in recent weeks, some of which I didn't even think would be possible.

I can pretty much confirm that there will be a final boss. Although the actual behavior patches haven't been finished yet, the setup stuff for the boss is working now. Obviously I won't reveal much about the boss, but I can say that the battle will be very different from Mortimer in Battle of the Brains.

I'm slowly making progress on the levels. Currently there are about 12 levels done and 2-3 levels partially finished. I've been making good progress on one of those levels and hope to have it finished in a week or two.

Edit: 13 levels are now done.
Edit again!: pretty much have 14 levels done now

Unfortunately, I just don't have a lot of time to devote to the project at the moment. I'm doing the best I can, but schoolwork and other things don't leave a lot of extra time.

Rest assured, this project is far from dead. I'm really hoping I'll have it done by the end of next summer, but that will depend of lots of factors. I'm still looking for help in a lot of different areas. If you want to see this project done sooner your help would be really appreciated. I'm in need of graphic artists capabe of doing good sprites, complex backgrounds, and pictures for things like the scrolling story, help section, and ending.

As I said, once I have an image for the scrolling story I will upload that to Youtube. If you want to see that soon, then please help out.

Deltamatic · Post by **Deltamatic** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 23:54

I love the music--it really compliments the tone set by the title screen.

Eros · Post by **Eros** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:21

it feels like what krodacian music should've been.

awesome.

ALMN · Post by **ALMN** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 17:56

i don't listen to music because these days everything sounds like lady gaga to me

GameBird · Post by **GameBird** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 18:37

Haha, I've never even listened to a lady gaga song, but I highly doubt my music sounds like hers

I actually took some inspiration from the Metroid Prime series. Kinda hard not to, considering they're my favorite games of all time.

Gridlock · Post by **Gridlock** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 18:09

Update! I bet you all thought this was dead, but I have a surprise. I am releasing the scrolling story video as another preview (with music from Gamebird). Thanks to him for recording and uploading the video to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=impCrJz6 ... e=youtu.be

(Note: I am aware of the typo â€œCommander Keens stumbles,â€ but I am waiting to change it just in case someone else finds any other typos or mistakes. The problem is, Startext (the program I used to get this text in the game) forces me to delete all the text back to that error and then retype all of it, which is a real pain.)

I canâ€™t say progress has been great, but there has been some. I did a big revamp of the world map, and things are looking ten times better now. A couple level designs progressed a bit along with some level revisions. The soundtrack is coming together nicely, but Iâ€™ve spent a lot of time attempting to optimize certain levels for such huge songs. Iâ€™ve spent hours battling level memory, but there is still a lot more work to be done. Additionally, Ceilick helped out with a couple sprites.

A quick progress report:
Levels- about 14 completely done. One level needs some serious revision, though.
Music- about 16 songs done. A few minor revisions are still needed along with the rest of the songs.

I apologize if I havenâ€™t been around much lately. Iâ€™ve just been so busy that I rarely find time to devote to working on this.

I have a question for everyone. What do you think of tree-type levels where you have climb lots of branches and work your way through a fairly non-linear level? Iâ€™m really thinking of including a level like this, but I have heard mixed responses to this idea. I would like to hear any ideas you all might have.

szemi · Post by **szemi** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 19:20

good job!

btw, how many levels will be in the game?

Nospike · Post by **Nospike** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 9:07

Gridlock wrote:I have a question for everyone. What do you think of tree-type levels where you have climb lots of branches and work your way through a fairly non-linear level? Iâ€™m really thinking of including a level like this, but I have heard mixed responses to this idea. I would like to hear any ideas you all might have.

Good luck - implementing a level like this is fairly hard. I have tried it too for my Keen 3 levelpack (using modified graphics of course) but it... simply wasn't fun at all. Anyways, you could theoretically do it, as long as there aren't any blind jumps. (That was a pain in the ass in the Prehistorik 2 treejumping level.)

Eros · Post by **Eros** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 18:25

well, unless you can make the treetops level have large honking signs that say "SAVE HERE", or find a way to make it obvious where to jump, i wouldn't do it.

GameBird · Post by **GameBird** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 0:13

Maybe if you only went up? Maybe if there were only 1 or 2 horizontal length of screen and you made it a totally vertical level with the exit at the top? Or is that even possible?

The Keen Commander · Post by **The Keen Commander** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:31

Personally, I think it'd be cool to see something like that, and for the most part I'd second GameBird's suggestion. If that isn't possible however, what about mixing in some ancient ruin-type structures with the trees (or even IN the trees)? I don't know how this fits in with story elements, but that'd be something that'd be cool to see.

Post by **Ceilick** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:42

Really like how you worked out the wording for the story sequence, it's well paced and I'm excited to learn more.

I don't like levels that are too non-linear in Keen, and tree levels especially.

IMKO, tree levels only work when distinct zones are created (rather than just branch after branch of the same stuff), where there are sizable branches and room-sized areas to walk around on. The player should not be constantly worrying about jumping from branch to branch, worrying about dropping out of the trees altogether, or wonder where in the heck they are in respect to the ground and other tree zones. Instances of branch hopping should be isolated and linear. The level can branch into non-linearity through the room-sized areas. Worth experimenting with if you have the tiles to make it as detailed as other level locations.

Not a tree level but structured in many ways similar to a 'good' one,
Crystalus is an example of balancing rooms and platform hopping in a manner that can be easily, I think, imagined or skinned as a tree level. This level's structure and pacing might be good inspiration.

Syllypryde · Post by **Syllypryde** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 16:02

Ceilick wrote:.........I don't like levels that are too non-linear in Keen, and tree levels especially.

IMKO, tree levels only work when distinct zones are created (rather than just branch after branch of the same stuff), where there are sizable branches and room-sized areas to walk around on. The player should not be constantly worrying about jumping from branch to branch, worrying about dropping out of the trees altogether, or wonder where in the heck they are in respect to the ground and other tree zones. Instances of branch hopping should be isolated and linear. The level can branch into non-linearity through the room-sized areas. Worth experimenting with if you have the tiles to make it as detailed as other level locations.........

Two non-official Keen game tree levels I can think of off the top of my head are Blog Tree Wall in AAMBA and Sandwich Guard Outpost in The Rapid Pack. In BTW, it is mostly a tree level, but there is a solid ground at the very top and a corridor underneath. The branches are all variations of sizes and there is also one goplat along with a few random ledges to stand on. In SGO, you use to trees to make it up to the Outpost at the top. There are a few goplats that allow a path upwards. What did you think of those levels?

Post by **tulip** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 21:02

Sandwich Guard Outpost is great, because shikadi has always been an outstanding level designer, if Atroxian Realm comes near that level quality, it'll be legendary.