Planet Cloudius IX

[Roobar]

If you haven't played it yet, then lucky you! I'll definitely be keening an eye for your playthrough

Update patch:
Sorry, but if anyone has downloaded v1.2.0, please re-download it again. A new version v1.2.1 is out. Due to some tile changes, some poles were not working as they were supposed to work in some Darmondian levels (especially in Mushroom Village). Also, I've fixed a few tiles in the new level as well.

[Lower IQ than 314]

I'll be downloading this new version shortly. I'll let you know if I find that secret level. In the meantime, I think it's time for an update to this game's KeenWiki page--Escape the Cave's map is unfinished, and it sounds like there's some new content in this version. The page is also missing those ice bubble-type things under the creatures heading.

And yes, everybody wash your hands, stay healthy, and don't make irrational decisions. There are other people out there who need emergency supplies more than you do.

[Roobar]

K1n9_Duk3, working diligently in his backyard clubhouse, has created a new version of the engine that allows old saves from the old versions to work with the newest version (v1.2.2 at this point). Now all you have to do is just load your save (if you have one in the beach world - the better) and you'll be able to reach the new level.

I've also updated the creators level pack as well. What's new is that the editor now displays the size of the selection frame in the status line, fixed tiles etc..

[K1n9_Duk3]

I'm also starting a programming contest. [...] If you manage to make a game using the Lua scripting language that looks like in the screenshot and plays like space invaders, you'll win

This won't be much of a contest. I noticed that ever since I started compiling KEENGINE with the final official version of BlitzMax (version 1.50), any errors in the Lua script cause the entire program to crash with an "UNHANDLED MEMORY EXCEPTION" error. I don't think anybody would want to write any code where any error causes the program to crash without telling you what caused the crash.

In any case, here's what I've come up with. I changed some of your graphics (combined the two frames of each enemy sprites into one image) and I decided not to put the "score:" image in front of the score number because I don't think it's necessary, it doesn't match the menu font in PCIX (which I had to use for the score numbers) and it makes the top of the playfield too cramped. I also added a bunch of placeholder sounds vor various events.

[Roobar]

Yeah, you may be right. But wow! You've made this surprisingly fast! And you added sound effects as well. It's fun, it's really challenging and it plays well and it feels like a complete mini game. Really cool! I think you nailed it! I'll send you pm. And I've updated.

@Lower IQ than 314: I didn't upload the finished version of the map because the whole shikade thing is.. I'm tired of this 1mb garg upload limit for images on shikadi.net. After a few tries though, I've now uploaded it for you. I won't even bother uploading the new pirate level because the map is too big to be able to compress it under 1 mb. It's not that it's not possible. It's that it would look like crap.
Those "ice-bubble" things are called Orblobs (or Bouncing Balls where they bounce like the Mad Shrooms) and are more of an obstacles (or hazards as they're called in the Keen7-9 pages) than enemies. I consider them obstacles, not enemies/creatures. That's why I didn't add them under that category. I might add obstacles category, but I'm not a fan of the way you need to upload and format things there. It's not intuitive and it's more of a frustration to me and I don't like it. If anyone else wants though, now you can do that.
On a side note, not to mention that the main shikadi page also needs some overhaul to better redirect to the modern mods page and fan games. And the fan games page needs a more modern overhaul. Currently it's just a very long list of games that's pretty basic to a point it's almost useless, unless you really know what game you're looking for. Fan games section needs an additional tab next to the | Other | tab and that tab in general needs to look like this: http://www.shikadi.net/keenwiki/Keen_4_mods but with the released fan games.

[Lower IQ than 314]

I understand. I've never worked on a Wiki before, but I know there are limitations that make them a little rough to work with--one of them being image compression.

I guess I considered the Orblobs to be enemies on the grounds that they could be destroyed and flashed white upon being shot like other enemies do. I guess they're similar to Slicestars, just not as damage-spongy. Speaking of damage-spongy, I successfully took down the fish in the first Secret Agent level. I counted the amount of hits it took...nice touch, but that was a lot of ammo!

And yeah, the fan game page needs some work. There are way too many dead links, and a lot of those games are pretty lousy, too. I remember playing Commander Keen 2000 back in the day, and thinking how cool it was; little did I know how much further we would come! That one hasn't aged well at all. I'd have to say that PCIX is my favorite completed fan-game, while Mystery of Isis II is my favorite unfinished fan-game.

...and then there are games like Bloog Dunking Booth and Discontinued Keen Games Anthology, which are just

[Roobar]

Lower IQ than 314: "I counted the amount of hits it took...nice touch" - wow. Maybe you're the first one to notice this, I think! I could only imagine how much time it took you to figure that out. Congratulations!

Planet Cloudius IX is now in GLORIOUS 16 COLORS!!!

Play EGA game now!
Limited time only!
Edit: it's over now.





PS. Some places may not look good. I didn't have time to change or fix all the graphics.

PS. Don't overwrite your existing game, if you want to keep your existing game graphics intact. This release does not allow you to switch between two modes.

[Tormentor667]

Much better

[Lower IQ than 314]

Lower IQ than 314: "I counted the amount of hits it took...nice touch" - wow. Maybe you're the first one to notice this, I think! I could only imagine how much time it took you to figure that out. Congratulations!

Turns out when the world has ground to a halt, you get a lot more free time than you would care to admit! Thank God for the quicksave/quickload combo.

Some other questions: is there any way to reach the "RUN" chamber at the bottom of Ninja Run, or is it just a gag for when one opens the level in an editor? And is there a way to reach the underwater portion of Sunny Beach? I've managed to find most of the secrets for just about every level, but those two secrets elude me. Shootable blocks, maybe? I've never been good with those.

And yes, I'm still hopelessly lost on finding secret level 5. I have an idea where the level is located on the world map, but no idea how to reach it. I just downloaded v1.2, so maybe I'll have better luck there.

[Roobar]

The other way in Ninja (Jungle) Run was actually meant as an alternative start route that would be determined by a random chance at the beginning of the level. Later I thought of making it just a beginning for the hard difficulty. The idea of two paths all the way was also considered. But that level already took me a lot of time to build and in the end, I just wanted it finished and both ideas were abandoned. The game also become too big and I've forgot about these ideas. Maybe I should've used the hard alternate course approach, since now I know that some of you tend to replay the game on different difficulties.

Sunny Beach: There are some things that didn't end up in the final game. One of them is the ability to swim under water. Originally, this part was meant with swimming (diving underwater) in mind, but that never happened. I was thinking of a similar mechanic that was used in Isis 2. I guess implementing that is a lot of work or something that needs change in the core gameplay mechanics that K1n9_Duk3 was not a fan at all of doing. So that idea drowned.

Another mechanic in that level was going to be rollerblades rail grinding, but it was not implemented as well.

As for a hint: maybe there's one place on the world map that allows you to go beyond the ordinary borders.

[Lower IQ than 314]

The other way in Ninja (Jungle) Run was actually meant as an alternative start route that would be determined by a random chance at the beginning of the level. Later I thought of making it just a beginning for the hard difficulty. The idea of two paths all the way was also considered. But that level already took me a lot of time to build and in the end, I just wanted it finished and both ideas were abandoned. The game also become too big and I've forgot about these ideas. Maybe I should've used the hard alternate course approach, since now I know that some of you tend to replay the game on different difficulties.

Ah, I see. That would've been, as they say, neat, but it probably would've taken more time than it was worth, especially since the level's optional.

Sunny Beach: There are some things that didn't end up in the final game. One of them is the ability to swim under water. Originally, this part was meant with swimming (diving underwater) in mind, but that never happened. I was thinking of a similar mechanic that was used in Isis 2. I guess implementing that is a lot of work or something that needs change in the core gameplay mechanics that K1n9_Duk3 was not a fan at all of doing. So that idea drowned.

Another mechanic in that level was going to be rollerblades rail grinding, but it was not implemented as well.

Okay, thanks! It was going to bug me wondering how on earth I was supposed to get down there. There were underwater 1-ups on the Golden Beach level which I reached, so I knew it was possible to go underwater and was wondering if there was something I was missing on Sunny Beach. You kinda got the rail grinding idea at the very beginning of Surf'n'Slide, so that's something.

As for a hint: maybe there's one place on the world map that allows you to go beyond the ordinary borders.

And this location is in the Golden Beach area, right? Because I've combed it up and down. I'm starting to wonder if my game is bugged.

[Syllypryde]

......Sunny Beach: There are some things that didn't end up in the final game. One of them is the ability to swim under water. Originally, this part was meant with swimming (diving underwater) in mind, but that never happened. I was thinking of a similar mechanic that was used in Isis 2. I guess implementing that is a lot of work or something that needs change in the core gameplay mechanics that K1n9_Duk3 was not a fan at all of doing. So that idea drowned......

In Golden Beaches I can go underwater and obtain extra lives via a secret passage. If it can be done here, then there is no reason a secret passage or another secret couldn't be created to obtain the points underwater on Sunny Beach. However, is it absolutely necessary for everything in a level to be reachable? No.

[Lower IQ than 314]

However, is it absolutely necessary for everything in a level to be reachable? No.

Yeah, I guess that's true...I just find a certain comfort in being able to 100% the games I play, and in this series, that rule goes out the window as early as the very first game. Normally, I would just chalk it up to sloppy level design (see Hal's Kitchen from Keen 3), but this game is free, and does it much better than most of the official games do, so who am I to complain? I just wish KEENGINE had an analogue to the F10+Y cheat in it, but that's another can of worms.

[K1n9_Duk3]

I just wish KEENGINE had an analogue to the F10+Y cheat in it, but that's another can of worms.

Actually, it does:


I guess nobody found the secret key combination yet. I know it, but I'm not gonna tell.

[Lower IQ than 314]

Well...I'll be darned. I wasn't aware PCIX even had cheats of any kind implemented. I won't ask how to access them, because that would require me to use the begging Keen emoji, and I have too much self-respect to use that one!