Keen Dreams Plus

Post by **Ceilick** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:50

This is an 'ehanced' verison of Keen Dreams which started out as a levelpack and turned into a short project to add to and liven up the original Keen Dreams.

The story and setting is the same as Keen Dreams, but the existing levels have been modified and added to, some new graphics have been added, some new levels have been added, and there are a couple of modified enemies.

Download: http://files.commanderkeen.org/users/ce ... 20Plus.zip

Thanks Levellass for the patching and thanks to everyone on the irc channel who helped out with testing.

Hope you enjoy!

Edit: The game crashes sometimes when entering/exiting a level or when saving. Please let me know what levels this occurs in so I can look into fixing the problems. No level should do this on a consistent basis, so if the game crashes once when you enter/exit a level for instance, it doesn't mean it will next time you enter/exit that same level.

The Keen Commander · Post by **The Keen Commander** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:15

This is fantastic! Found a problem though...when I entered the Melon Mines, the game crashed...

Gridlock · Post by **Gridlock** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:20

Really like the new stuff you've done. I'll give a full report when I have more time. The game crashed with a No Free Blocks error in the new level on the bottom right.

Edit: It seems to be crashing randomly on different levels with that bug.

Post by **Ceilick** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:24

This is a thing I forgot to mention: The game crashes from time to time, particularly when entering/exiting a level,or when saving. I think this because I'm pushing the memory limits with the added content.

Thanks for letting me know which levels are causing problems, I'll take a look and see if I can cut back in some areas.

The Keen Commander · Post by **The Keen Commander** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:24

That's the same crash I got on Melon Mines, but the new level worked fine for me...

Paramultart · Post by **Paramultart** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:39

I think it's a great mod, but will never take the place in my heart reserved for the original Keen Dreams.

StupidBunny · Post by **StupidBunny** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:55

I love what you've done with this! The new levels are great, and you've spiced up some others that I always thought were lacking while keeping true to their original spirit (though some, like Spud City, are virtually unrecognizable, I think in a good kind of way.) Excellent work!

Gridlock · Post by **Gridlock** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:00

I kind of have to agree with Parumulart. Still, you've done an excellent job Ceilick. The new graphics are nice, and a few levels have awesome new designs, especially Spud City.

Two things: The exit sign for Brussel Sprouts Bay got messed up for me. In addition, you didn't fix the one thing in Rhubarb Rapids that is possibly the very worst design in K Dreams to me. At the bottom left towards the keydoor and the exit, the player must blindly perform a down-jump. If they pick the plaform on the left, they land next to the keydoor. If they pick the platform on the right, they unfairly die in the water.

These memory bugs seem to prove that Keen Dreams is simply not very moddable. Yes we saw the amazing Christmas mod by Szemgi, but still, I kind of think we should give up Keen Dreams modding. I think K4-6 mods tend to be better due to their better engine and more flexibility. This was a still a great project with important intentions, Ceilick, but I don't really see any more potential in Dreams after this.

Post by **Ceilick** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:01

The download link has been updated as of this post. I've modified the world map slightly, decreased it's size, number of sprites, and number of unique tiles; hopefully this will help with memory issues.

The new levels are great, and you've spiced up some others that I always thought were lacking while keeping true to their original spirit (though some, like Spud City, are virtually unrecognizable, I think in a good kind of way.)

Thanks! This is exactly what I was aiming for

The exit sign for Brussel Sprouts Bay got messed up for me. In addition, you didn't fix the one thing in Rhubarb Rapids that is possibly the very worst design in K Dreams to me. At the bottom left towards the keydoor and the exit, the player must blindly perform a down-jump. If they pick the plaform on the left, they land next to the keydoor. If they pick the platform on the right, they unfairly die in the water.

I'm not sure what the issue in Brussel Spouts Bay is, haven't been able to reproduce this. However, areas like that one in Rhubarb Rapids is something I definitely wanted to 'fix', so I've updated the link again to address this spot.

This was a still a great project with important intentions, Ceilick, but I don't really see any more potential in Dreams after this.

Indeed, this is why I approached Keen Dreams this way rather than with a mind to fully mod it; it is, at the moment anyway, extremely difficult to work with on a modding scale.

Hagel · Post by **Hagel** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 18:35

I enjoyed this great levelpack. First I thought one of the aditional levels would be the mysterious "Kumquat Chasm" I read about in the keen wiki.

Playing through the game I furhtermore wondered why you never encounter any of those kids enslaved by the vedgetables...

Roobar · Post by **Roobar** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 19:43

Wow! Just... can't express how awesome is this! First Keen 9, now this... Sweet!

I, too, was wondering what's below the broken bridge. That's thrilling!

Btw, found a funny glitch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyP1aXEh2TE

Post by **Ceilick** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 20:48

I...have never heard of the Kumquat Chasm

Can you direct me to the page where that info is?

Haha at that bug, wiivn, seems I introduced that when I made the map a bit smaller. I'll update the link to fix that. Glad you like it so far

RivaStyle · Post by **RivaStyle** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 20:59

Ceilick, did you have some traps left from Keen 9 and no idea about where to put them?

When I tried to plummet down the pole in Horseradish Hill and got killed in the water, I said... WTF?!?!

BTW... beautiful levelpack, I especially liked the Frenchy replacement...

Hagel · Post by **Hagel** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 21:02

@ Ceilick: Here you go

http://www.shikadi.net/keenwiki/Keen_Dreams_Development

HavenÂ´t seen the original box on my own tough.

Is there any possibility to add background music to a keen Dreams e.g. via an external Patch?

StupidBunny · Post by **StupidBunny** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 21:09

^I had never seen any of that before! I can see why they changed the sprites for the broccolash and squasher...those old ones are really disturbing...