Public Commander Keen Forum

Gridlock wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 31, 2017 22:25

Nope. There are indeed secret lives there (and some more you probably didn't find near there), but that's not what I'm referring to. It just might take... unconventional means to discover.

Is the secret an alternate ending? Where instead of the real ending, Keens friends make fun of the player for cheating to see the ending?

Yep. I was starting to wonder if nobody would ever find it.

Gridlock wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 27, 2019 19:40

Yep. I was starting to wonder if nobody would ever find it.

Like most Galaxy mods I start on easy and play the game on all skill levels, complete every level, grab every point, extra life, rayguns, and look to find every secret area and passage. I do not want to just win the game, I want to conquer every aspect of it, and do it without in-level saving.

With that being said, when I first played The Alphamatic, I surprisingly found it quite difficult, even on easy. I did beat it on easy over a year ago, tried a few levels on normal and gave up. I didn't play it for over a year. I started playing again this weekend. I was making slow progress and completely forgot what the ending was, so I cheated to see it. Sure enough, Lindsey, Barker, the Janitor, and Keen all made fun of me for cheating! I thought it was really cool. It would not be the first time in video games where the creator of the game either penalized and/or trolled the player for cheating or playing on the easiest skill level.

I beat the game again, this time on normal early this afternoon and caught the real ending. I might be reading too much into it, but seems that this new threat might have done battle with Mortimer before Keen went to Krisle and defeated him, and believed he would be pathetic as Mortimer supposedly was.

Who knows what will happen, assuming the Atroxian story will be concluded.

With that being said, when I first played The Alphamatic, I surprisingly found it quite difficult, even on easy. I did beat it on easy over a year ago, tried a few levels on normal and gave up. I didn't play it for over a year.

It does seem to me that, in general, the difficulty balance is a bit off. I have, for a while, thought about releasing a version 2 with things toned down, at least with regard to sprite-based enemies. I did recently start combing through levels and making some changes, though I'd want to do extensive testing myself on those changes before I'd feel comfortable with another release. I've also been hesitant about wanting to make another release since there's nothing I can really do to fix the QED bug at the end of the final level.

I might be reading too much into it, but seems that this new threat might have done battle with Mortimer before Keen went to Krisle and defeated him, and believed he would be pathetic as Mortimer supposedly was.

I won't reveal or confirm anything, but you definitely aren't reading into it too much.

Who knows what will happen, assuming the Atroxian story will be concluded.

Yes, that's a big if. I have been spending a lot of time working on the story recently, but as massive as it is, I don't know if I'll be able to follow through on it (or if people will even accept some of the story decisions). That being said, if it really comes to the point that I have to abandon the game, I'd like for people to be able to at least read what's been planned.