IceKeen - winter themed level pack for Keen 1 (16 levels)!

ckguy · Post by **ckguy** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 23:18

Mink wrote:And here you go: http://www.zapzot.net/levelpacks/icekeen.zip

Just when the ckguy/mink identity confusing dies down, Mink posts a link to a new upload on my site. :0 The plot thickens

I have not yet played these levels, but I am looking forward to it. I will, however, start them up in the savestate-modded dosbox the first time and not mess about with the official one. I'm pretty sure this is going to be necessary.

Post by **KeenRush** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:25

Mink wrote:Oh my gosh, and this is coming so quickly on the heels of Extinction! I'm five levels in, and, KeenRush, I'm so impressed with how you've stripped down both the graphics and the tile placement to such an intense focus on the sheer fun and excitement of platforming.

Thanks a lot!

And not only this, I'm working on a mod or two and two Keen modding tools. 2/3 of IceKeen levels were made with my own level editor. But I don't know when (or if) these tools will be released. I work on the tools while modding so they will be tested to the extreme and also have all the functionality I need.

Keep playing guys, I want to hear more comments. The best levels are near the end.

Post by **Levellass** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 1:52

By 'best' do you mean 'Instantly plunges you into a bottomless pit'?

And it figures, you make a mod just to test your tools. (Hey, I make 'em to test my patches!)

troublesomekeen · Post by **troublesomekeen** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 0:34

Just watched level 10. Cruel... I don't know if I have the heart to play this. But I must! I could learn a little from the level design.
Gridlock's Play-through videos are worth the watch.

_mr_m_ · Post by **_mr_m_** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:40

KeenRush, you're just like Tupac. Just when everyone starts to believe you really *are* dead, you release something new and blow everyone's minds.

I quite enjoyed this mod. As always, you have some devious levels that almost had me throwing my keyboard at a wall (which by the way is really neat to watch in slow-motion as all the keys explode everywhere).

But I can now tell the rest of the Keening world that I survived. And had to play it again.

Well done!

ckguy · Post by **ckguy** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 17:42

I get really worried sometimes that everyone here is better at actually playing keen than I am. Playing this without savestates is unthinkable.

BUT THAT SAID man KeenRush here are yet more very classy levels. Everything is perfectly placed, and I really like the 'less is more' aesthetic in levels. I don't really have much coherent to say now other than 'these are art'. I was alternately grinning and cursing when I got stuck for the third time in the ice launcher -> butler robot -> butler robot -> ice cannon loop in one of the levels.

Syllypryde · Post by **Syllypryde** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 21:31

ckguy wrote:I get really worried sometimes that everyone here is better at actually playing keen than I am. Playing this without savestates is unthinkable.........

I save between levels myself.

Levack · Post by **Levack** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 21:17

Oh, how dare you make such hard levels!

Well, these are not TOO hard.

Post by **KeenRush** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:44

Levellass wrote:And it figures, you make a mod just to test your tools. (Hey, I make 'em to test my patches!)

You're probably joking (difficult to say from text) but the situation is just that I really want some tools that have certain functionality and can't find what I need and thus I have to make them. The mods are something I want to make, not by-products of having tools.

ckguy wrote:I get really worried sometimes that everyone here is better at actually playing keen than I am. Playing this without savestates is unthinkable.

Haha, I start to get worried that only I and three other people can actually play this game.

But joking aside, I really thought this time I had done challenging but not too difficult levels -- I guess I just get blinded by my levels when I work on them for a long time and play them repeatedly. I still don't have a DosBox with save-states.

Oh, by the way, the butler bot and ice cannon loop you mentioned does end, you don't get permanently stuck in it.

I'm glad to see some people get my less-is-more approach, thanks! I took great effort with that stuff, placing just the tiles that were needed, where needed, it's not as easy as it sounds.

And where's Ceilick, I really wanted to hear his opinion.

HINTS

There is a hidden raygun. Raygun might be used against gargs that form otherwise impassable obstacles.

Way to the secret level just takes walking through the winter worldmap.

Post by **Levellass** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:11

KR, I pledge a level in my latest mod to you. It shall be only nearly impossible.

Levack · Post by **Levack** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 20:22

KR wrote:

And where's Ceilick, I really wanted to hear his opinion.

I asked when the level editing for netkeen Vortcons would be done and I am still waiting

He has been gone for a few weeks

Gridlock · Post by **Gridlock** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 21:30

I'm pretty sure I saw him on the irc a few days ago. I'm sure he's just busy and hasn't gotten around to it.

I get really worried sometimes that everyone here is better at actually playing keen than I am. Playing this without savestates is unthinkable.

Even though I managed to finish a lot of the first bunch of levels without savestates in my playthough, it took tons of attempts. Eventually I did resort to savestates. These levels were hard.

I'm glad to see some people get my less-is-more approach, thanks!

This is a very interesting way to make levels. I do tend to make and prefer stuff that's a little more artistic and not quite so utilitarian. I do think these levels would have benefited from a little more focus on artistic design (the final level in particular), but it's your choice of style.

Captainkeen · Post by **Captainkeen** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 17:04

I'm stuck in level 8. It seems the only way to proceed is shooting the garg thats blocking your way but I don't have a raygun. Does this mean I am supposed to find the secret raygun first before I can finish this level? I tried to open this level in a level editor to see if I've missed something but it crashes every time for some reason.

Nice level pack. like you said challenging but no too insanely difficult. however they are kind of harsh unforgiving and cruel at some points. Personally I am biased against not having a pogostick or raygun (never leave home without it). But it does open up new unexplored was to challenge the player. I normally always deal with those robots by blocking their shots by shooting. I'll probably try to finish this but now I'm kinda stuck with level 8 altough I could skip it I suppose.