Keen 6 Mini-MOD: Aliens Ate My Babysitter ...Again

[NY00123]

Thanks for your feedback, Patrick.

About skill-specific areas, I'd say that the first level (The Guard Post) was an experimental level regarding that. There are 3 totally different areas you visit, not so small, for the 3 skills.
I figured out they make the level feel like it's smaller while playing, though, and so avoided doing it in that scale later. That's why there's only a separation into 2 areas by skill, in other levels where I did it. And these aren't totally different sections either, just alternate small area to visit.
It does have, somewhere, an effect on the possible order of levels that you can play, though

There shouldn't be areas that you can't reach. I did add extra lives you can't get for some reason, though. Maybe cause originals like Keen 4 and Keen Dreams had these too. And also, I guess, cause I wanted to be a bit evil
Oh and there are a few "skill-specific" lives too, I'd say.

I don't remember I've taken advantage of the bugs. There could be a bug in the Confusion Arena, also occurring in the factory level of the original Keen 6, where you could go through a sloped ceiling/floor to the other side.
I recall I fixed this (or at least tried) in the third revision of AAMBA.

You're surely noticed the one-way tiles. I remember seeing such tiles in Keen 3 (for horizontal blocking). It was a quite recent addition.
I've originally begun by level editing, and also done a very little patch to the Gik. I'd say it's somehow inspired by the Squib in Ceilick's "Dead in the Desert" MOD
Only after getting very close to the end, I played with graphics and tile properties. Then I added one-way tiles.
The levels were surely not well planned for the usage of one-way tiles. I added them quite late as a replacement for other things, or to make it so you can fall but not go up in a few places (even with jump cheat ).
That could also explain why at least one level (Dome of Spikes) couldn't be completed on hard. It was due to a recent replacement of electrical belts (or whatever these are called) with one-way tiles.
I reverted the change after noticing that, though.[/b]

[Syllypryde]

Thanks for your feedback, Patrick.

About skill-specific areas, I'd say that the first level (The Guard Post) was an experimental level regarding that. There are 3 totally different areas you visit, not so small, for the 3 skills.
I figured out they make the level feel like it's smaller while playing, though, and so avoided doing it in that scale later. That's why there's only a separation into 2 areas by skill, in other levels where I did it. And these aren't totally different sections either, just alternate small area to visit.
It does have, somewhere, an effect on the possible order of levels that you can play, though

I noticed with the rope and grappling hook and the Stupendous Sandwich of Chungella IV that they are found in different levels depending on your skill level. I also found areas that are inacessible in easy, but most likely open for normal and hard.

There shouldn't be areas that you can't reach. I did add extra lives you can't get for some reason, though. Maybe cause originals like Keen 4 and Keen Dreams had these too. And also, I guess, cause I wanted to be a bit evil
Oh and there are a few "skill-specific" lives too, I'd say.

The only level in Keen 4 where extra lives are unreachable is the five lifewater flasks in Lifewater Oasis. The two flasks in Cave of the Descendants and one of the eight flasks in Pyramid of Shadows are reachable, but you cannot get them without committing suicide in the process. In Pyramid of the Gnosticene Ancients there is a flask just above where Keen starts the level. Below it is a dart gun and a small ledge with a switch that activates a goplat right under it. I am guessing most Keeners believe this flask is impossible to reach, but it can be done. It requires hours upon hours of practice, great patience and having great skill at the impossible pogo trick. This flask is extremely difficult to get on easy and normal and practically impossible on hard because the dart gun will kill you almost every try. All twenty-two extra lives are reachable in Keen Dreams. All twenty-four extra lives are reachable in Keen 5. Only two of the twenty-two extra lives in Keen 6 are unreachable. These two extra lives are in Bloog Aeronautics and Space Administration. I actually added this to the KeenWiki awhile ago. In Keen 6 bugs, I posted a section of the level map and circled where the two queen vivas are in the level. In Keens 7-8, Ceilick was kind enough to make all extra lives reachable in these mods.

I don't remember I've taken advantage of the bugs. There could be a bug in the Confusion Arena, also occurring in the factory level of the original Keen 6, where you could go through a sloped ceiling/floor to the other side.
I recall I fixed this (or at least tried) in the third revision of AAMBA.

There are at least a few rooms that seem impossible to reach, but with the use of the Impossible Bullet (IB) and a clipping error, I used the IB right up against a wall and was able to pass right through the wall and into the "inaccessible" room. Let me give you two examples:

1) In The Blog Factory there is a door at the top righthand corner of the level that seems to be unreachable. Stand Keen up against the left wall near the door. Shoot down and stand on the bullet. Instead of shooting up, make Keen run against the wall while still on the bullet and shoot that wall twice. This activates a clipping error and Keen will pass right through the wall and into the room where that "inaccessible door" is.

2) In the super secret level, towards the bottom of the level, there is an area where there are 3 doors in a row in three different rooms. The middle door seems unreachable. On the left of the room with the "unreachable" door there is a room with a door on each side of the room and two monsters in the room. Instead of going into the right door, stand Keen up against the right wall and repeat the steps up in example #1. Again, with the use of the IB and a clipping error, you can enter this "inaccessible" room.

There are other areas I have found like this. Unfortunately, I do not remember them off the top of my head. As for the Confusion Arena, I did not check to see if the clipping bugs were fixed for version 3.

Patrick

Edit: Please ignore what I said about needing the Impossible Bullet in The Blog Factory and the super secret level. I was completely wrong!

[NY00123]

Hmm guess that's a glitch I'm not aware of... it does take advantage of what is probably a bug and is usually considered cheating (Impossible Bullet Trick), though, so I guess it can (sort of) be ignored.

[Syllypryde]

Is there anyone else playing this game?

[Mink]

Is there anyone else playing this game?

I'm currently up to the Outer Space Secured Zone. It's quite excellent so far; my favorite levels are the Confusion Area and the Blog Lava Stream. The background recolorations are fantastic and lend a whole new atmosphere to the mod. More comments coming once I've finished.

[Keenfan]

I finished the mod on easy.
It was great!
The last level was very very hard to do for me, I had to save many times to get through it. But the puzzle with the switches was great! I had to take paper and pen to solve it!

I still have no clue how to access any of the two bonus levels. Maybe a hint could help...?

So overall, this is an awesome mod and you should not miss it!

[tulip]

I agree with Mink, I think i liked the Blog Lava Stream most. The final level is also great. And epic.

[Syllypryde]

I finished the mod on easy.
It was great!
The last level was very very hard to do for me, I had to save many times to get through it. But the puzzle with the switches was great! I had to take paper and pen to solve it!

I still have no clue how to access any of the two bonus levels. Maybe a hint could help...?

So overall, this is an awesome mod and you should not miss it!

Good job, so how many hidden areas did you find and how many extra lives were you able to obtain? I found a total of 90 extra lives throughout the game. Of course, there could be more. As far as I can tell, 41 of them are unreachable, 16 of them are reachable via the IB.

The satellite passes through a circular ground that seems unreachable. Completing a certain level will open a hidden path to this area.

The hint to reach the second secret level is hidden in a certain level.

EDIT: Ignore what I said about needing the Impossible Bullet for 16 of the extra lives. No more than 10 minutes ago I just found the secret passages that lead to these 16 extra lives, so scratch that!

I probably should stop while I am ahead. Every time I replay this game, I find new tricks, new hidden areas, etc.

Patrick

[Keenfan]

Wow, 90 lives? I found 2 reachable extra lives and I was proud of them.
Thanks for the hints, I'll try again.

[lemm]

Okay, I went down to normal difficulty.


Nice job on the level design, especially the lava one. I think these are the best designed levels I've seen out of any galaxy mod or levelpack. They aren't confusing or ridiculously hard either, but just enough of a puzzle, with a few difficult spots in between.


The only point I have is be careful when you end a slope with a wall, it can cause collision issues. (i.e. in the confusion factory, you can jump though the wall and get those queen vivas)

but yeah, nice work!

[NY00123]

The only point I have is be careful when you end a slope with a wall, it can cause collision issues. (i.e. in the confusion factory, you can jump though the wall and get those queen vivas)

but yeah, nice work!

Thank you and all others for your responses!
Regarding the slopes, I *think* it's fixed in the latest revision. I do understand you may play an earlier revision, as it can be annoying to update.

[Syllypryde]

Thank you and all others for your responses!
Regarding the slopes, I *think* it's fixed in the latest revision. I do understand you may play an earlier revision, as it can be annoying to update.

Confusion Arena is fixed in the latest revision. The only problem with playing earlier revisions is BASA and/or Dome of Spikes are unsolvable in the earlier revisions. In BASA in the original release, the f-switch that controls a retractable bridge, does not activate the bridge, therefore making BASA unsolvable. Since BASA is a required level, that makes the game impossible to complete. If I remember right, you yourself claimed that Domes of Spikes was unsolvable in the second revision for whatever reason and that is why you did a third revision.

Patrick

[VikingBoyBilly]

Any screens?

Yeah, I entered this topic pretty late

[Keenfan]

Finally I found both secret levels. And I have to say the reward for discovering the second one is just great!

This is a beautiful and challenging mod. The level design is very creative and the well placed secret areas and levels are well done, too. And I like the idea of different ways through a level.

I'd love to see more from you!

[Syllypryde]

Finally I found both secret levels. And I have to say the reward for discovering the second one is just great!

This is a beautiful and challenging mod. The level design is very creative and the well placed secret areas and levels are well done, too. And I like the idea of different ways through a level.

I'd love to see more from you!

Good for you. I have found both secret levels as well and I have completed this mod on easy. I am now playing on normal. So far on normal I have completed The Guard Post, Confusion Arena, Dome of Spikes, The Lava Cave, Blog Lava Stream, The Blog Tower, and The Blog Factory. Right Now I have over 700,000 points, 22 lives, over 60 ammo, and a handful of game overs.