The episode is overall solid. It is like a remaster of the original SML done well with the themes, kingdom bosses, and locations. It is a great transition between Beta 4 and Beta 5 with new assets used. I liked the visuals a lot, such as the use of the world map representing the levels and a majority of parallax backgrounds that were proven incredible. There are a lot of good-level ideas, and I see you are a great fan of sine-moving platforms. The Sarasium locations could use better spots instead of relying on the last jump to the bonus sections, but most of fine the way it is. Amongst the worlds, the Chai Kingdom is the most diverse one.
It took quite some passion and effort to build Luigi's adventure in this episode. Next to Delightful Adventure Remade, you are the second one to use voice lines for the characters, which adds to the already vibrant world.
DRA did a fine job with the bosses, the compatibility with the original ones worked pretty well. The newly added Blarggazilla boss is probably the best with the number of attacks. I think the 4 Kingdom boss and Tatanga are pretty underwhelming considering how much the cutscene hyped them. I thought of that during the all-bosses recording session. The cumulative time for the 5 bosses on the video is probably the same as the 2 midbosses in the Muda kingdom. The latter just took way too long with essentially the same attacks over and over.
I think the biggest flaw comes not from the gameplay but from the management. Counting the boss rush video, I have played through the episode 3.5 times. The first is a 3-hour long session in v1.00 while the thread is still fresh with the 3 softlocks. The gameplay for the videos is at v1.03 to v1.08 in Beta 4, and now v1.1 in Beta 5. The number of day-one patches and hotfixes to softlocks goes without saying, and more remain in v1.1 currently:
Vine warp visible before hitting the block
Elevator activating with controls locked in the Mine level despite spawning at the checkpoint
Hidden friendly Waluigi layer in Ambush 2
Final cutscene not loading due to the SMW orb not being win type 5
Unnecessary savedata for intros when gamedata is suffice
It is concerning how many of those slipped past the testing and it seemed to be rushed. My edits in the video have some funny bits and problems in it. Take a couple of days and you might find yourself going for a Beta5-based episode in the first place. Again, this came from someone who played the episode 100% 3 times, especially on different versions.
That's my impression of the episode. Maybe if I waited straight for the Beta 5 fixed version I would have a better perspective on the overall impression. Even then, there are only a few quality projects nowadays due to inactivity. With this, it opened a new era of dedicated projects and works (on Beta 5).
The episode is overall solid. It is like a remaster of the original SML done well with the themes, kingdom bosses, and locations. It is a great transition between Beta 4 and Beta 5 with new assets used. I liked the visuals a lot, such as the use of the world map representing the levels and a majority of parallax backgrounds that were proven incredible. There are a lot of good-level ideas, and I see you are a great fan of sine-moving platforms. The Sarasium locations could use better spots instead of relying on the last jump to the bonus sections, but most of fine the way it is. Amongst the worlds, the Chai Kingdom is the most diverse one.
It took quite some passion and effort to build Luigi's adventure in this episode. Next to Delightful Adventure Remade, you are the second one to use voice lines for the characters, which adds to the already vibrant world.
Thanks for saying that! Me and my team of people working on the project really had to make sure this project ended up being very well and enjoyable to play, especially with a good chunk of people testing during the development procedure. I'll come back to this later.
DRA did a fine job with the bosses, the compatibility with the original ones worked pretty well. The newly added Blarggazilla boss is probably the best with the number of attacks. I think the 4 Kingdom boss and Tatanga are pretty underwhelming considering how much the cutscene hyped them. I thought of that during the all-bosses recording session. The cumulative time for the 5 bosses on the video is probably the same as the 2 midbosses in the Muda kingdom. The latter just took way too long with essentially the same attacks over and over.
Yeah, I can see where you are coming from. The reason behind SML bosses being so underwhelming compared to the original ones is... Well the SML bosses are 1:1 recreations of the original bosses with some new additions added. Meanwhile the original bosses are concepts I have conjured up, thus having a seasoned boss designer like DraCalgar did a great job with them overall. Since I didn't want to change the main bosses too much, I instead added multiple phases to them to make them more challenging. (SHMUP levels having generators of enemies as new attacks is for that reason; adding more new attacks with changing the boss would take more time for development.)
I think the biggest flaw comes not from the gameplay but from the management. Counting the boss rush video, I have played through the episode 3.5 times. The first is a 3-hour long session in v1.00 while the thread is still fresh with the 3 softlocks. The gameplay for the videos is at v1.03 to v1.08 in Beta 4, and now v1.1 in Beta 5. The number of day-one patches and hotfixes to softlocks goes without saying, and more remain in v1.1 currently:
Vine warp visible before hitting the block
Elevator activating with controls locked in the Mine level despite spawning at the checkpoint
Hidden friendly Waluigi layer in Ambush 2
Final cutscene not loading due to the SMW orb not being win type 5
Unnecessary savedata for intros when gamedata is suffice
It is concerning how many of those slipped past the testing and it seemed to be rushed. My edits in the video have some funny bits and problems in it. Take a couple of days and you might find yourself going for a Beta5-based episode in the first place. Again, this came from someone who played the episode 100% 3 times, especially on different versions.
That's my impression of the episode. Maybe if I waited straight for the Beta 5 fixed version I would have a better perspective on the overall impression. Even then, there are only a few quality projects nowadays due to inactivity. With this, it opened a new era of dedicated projects and works (on Beta 5).
Yeah, the other testers have pretty much only gathered so we can make sure the episode would work well upon release. (We all went in our own projects after it was over so it was just me for the patches) But most of the issues that rose after release and patched up is all my overlookings. I tend up forgetting so many things due to outside pressure and just wanting to release the episode ASAP before real life things take me away and delay the release for the next 6 months.
I had always planned to update the episode when Beta 5 dropped, so the opportunity presented itself very well with the bugs thankfully. At least this kind of things gave me a better lesson on actually being more responsible with self-testing more and more without too much pressure.
Also yeah, I guess playing it early really wasn't a good idea. If I was told you were playing the episode in advance, I could have acted quicker on fixes but alas, I get news a bit too late on who plays the episode when...
But TLDR, I'll take a look at the issues you pointed out (Hopefully HOPEFULLY these are the LAST of it ISTFG ) and release the final FINAL patch update for good, and just move on from it and see people enjoy the episode without bugs.
(EDIT: I fixed all of the bugs you mentioned. And I'll release the version 1.1.2 which should hopefully clear everything that's with the episode in terms of bugs and other issues. As for the last issue, I still replaced SaveData with GameData; however I will still make them disabled upon defeating the boss just so the intro skips won't linger until you close the game. That's a stylistic choice I decided to make.)
Hello people! I've just updated the episode to version 1.1.2, which fixes issues pointed out by Cato Wong in the above post! (+ a few fixes I noticed myself...)
I hope this is the last patch as I believe I fixed everything this time. But if I end up forgetting something, let me know.
Anyways, before we wrap the post up; here are the fixes:
- Made the secret warp in 2-3 only accessible after hitting the vine block.
- Fixed an issue in 2-6 where you could get stuck and die by the descending elevator before the checkpoint. Now there is a GameData value that makes sure the trigger is gone after you exit that elevator.
- Changed the boss intro skips using SaveData values to GameData values.
- Fixed friendly Waluigi not appearing at the start in W Ambush II.
- Fixed a broken dialogue in 1-6.
- Fixed a broken event call in Cutscene 4.
- Removed smg-title.ogg (A remnant of nobrokensmbxkicker.lua I kept forgetting to delete.)
- Changed the music played in Funghi Village. (Decided that the new theme can fit more to the theme of "village of immigrant Toads".)
What version is this episode designed for? Because SMBX2b5 just came out, and when I run it on beta 4, I get a Lua error upon starting a level, and the piranha plants in the first level is glitched.
Also, thanks Copilot for suggesting "error" after I type "Lua"! Now if only I could make use of Edge's AI-writing features on Firefox...
Added in 4 minutes 39 seconds:
Using Edge has been quite a bit of an experience. Initially I just used Edge because Antimatter Dimensions run better on Chromium-based browsers than in Firefox, but now that I discovered Edge's AI writing features, I kinda want to try to switch to using Edge full-time.
What version is this episode designed for? Because SMBX2b5 just came out, and when I run it on beta 4, I get a Lua error upon starting a level, and the piranha plants in the first level is glitched.
Also, thanks Copilot for suggesting "error" after I type "Lua"! Now if only I could make use of Edge's AI-writing features on Firefox...
Added in 4 minutes 39 seconds:
Using Edge has been quite a bit of an experience. Initially I just used Edge because Antimatter Dimensions run better on Chromium-based browsers than in Firefox, but now that I discovered Edge's AI writing features, I kinda want to try to switch to using Edge full-time.
I'd suggest you should scroll up, since version 1.1 onwards, this episode will only work in Beta 5. (Because it uses the new basegame content)
Hello everyone! I've just updated the episode to version 1.1.3! It's a small update that features an updated version of the Sky/Marine pop mounts with some new additions to levels that use them!
Also, I added death sounds to all main bosses that previously lacked them!
So if you want to update the episode, just replace all folders and you should be fine.
Hello everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? I found out some graphical issues while watching SuperAlex's playthrough, so I decided to release a quick patch for people who already downloaded 1.1.3!
Make sure to put these fixed files into the episode folder to take effect!
So after beating the episode, here's a few suggestions for future updates:
1. Re-enable smwMap's "pick a checkpoint to restart a level at" feature. The only reason I feel like justifies the feature being disabled is causing a bug with the final stage's boss rush, but I feel like a bug in one stage isn't enough justification for disabling a very useful quality-of-life feature.
2. There's still some bugs to iron out. For example, at least in the VERY recently released SMBX2 beta 5.1, if you jump into the Sky Pop at the end of the final stage instead of walking into it so Luigi board it and begin Tatanga's second phase, Luigi zips in the opposite direction he's facing. If he's facing right, he's just deposited next to the Sky Pop so he can pilot it correctly, but if he's facing left (which is more likely due to the player having to make altitude corrections), Luigi zips straight into the bottomless pit to the right of the Sky Pop. Better hope the player isn't on their last life and have to redo the platforming section with insta-kill laser, the boss rush and Tatanga's first phase again...
So after beating the episode, here's a few suggestions for future updates:
1. Re-enable smwMap's "pick a checkpoint to restart a level at" feature. The only reason I feel like justifies the feature being disabled is causing a bug with the final stage's boss rush, but I feel like a bug in one stage isn't enough justification for disabling a very useful quality-of-life feature.
2. There's still some bugs to iron out. For example, at least in the VERY recently released SMBX2 beta 5.1, if you jump into the Sky Pop at the end of the final stage instead of walking into it so Luigi board it and begin Tatanga's second phase, Luigi zips in the opposite direction he's facing. If he's facing right, he's just deposited next to the Sky Pop so he can pilot it correctly, but if he's facing left (which is more likely due to the player having to make altitude corrections), Luigi zips straight into the bottomless pit to the right of the Sky Pop. Better hope the player isn't on their last life and have to redo the platforming section with insta-kill laser, the boss rush and Tatanga's first phase again...
1. I never disabled that feature, as it was disabled by default. And besides, the fact that it spawns you on last checkpoint is justifiable enough by any means since you get powerups after each checkpoint. Not to mention by enabling it, I have to adjust the checkpoint order for each level, since at certain points, I added some checkpoints later while designing them, so it'll be confusing. But fixing them is no issue, so I'll handle it.
2. That's a very specific bug you noticed, great job. That's an easy fix by expanding the invisible barrier zone so Luigi doesn't clip out.
As a bonus note, I was planning to update the episode anyway with a new script released that I'll use for Marine Spire, so your timing is quite on point. I'll fix these right away.
Hello everyone! I'm back with yet another patch update! But this time, it's bigger! The most notable change is the rising water gimmick of Marine Spire has been revamped completely, now using Akromaly's easyliquids.lua script!
The download link is updated, and this time, I'll be adding a small patch update file as well for people who's been playing the episode currently!
I've played the episode some time ago and decided to write a short review.
(Spoilers are included)
I believe the episode is great in its own regard with level variety and design making it a engaging journey as Luigi ventures through Sarasaland from the fungal village all the way towards the moon with a easy to follow story and a fun experience to go along with it.
The best parts about the episode:
The underwater and Chai levels were some of the best with good music choice, really great tileset and background gfx. They feel unique from start to end. The dragon level itself brought good memories from a Koopa's revenge 2 almost making it my favourite level.
The difficultly of the episode doesn't jump up a steep curve but instead gradually builds on a slope hill that is perfect to build up challenge and be inviting to players who have less experience with smbx making it a beginner friendly episode.
The boss battles being variety and a good challenge that scales as the episode progresses. My favourites were the giant Blargg and the first phase of Tatanga's fight.
The secret areas for finding the sarasan shards are well made with some needing a bit more thinking to find them. I do recommend that some of the shards shouldn't have to be found at the end of levels at the top exit as that (at least to me) discourages players exploring the level to find them.
The addition of Waluigi to the episode is one of the best parts of the episode and even has a good explanation on why he's here in the first place, as a mercenary needing some cash and to beat his rival, two in one done deal. Definitely a favourite.
The sounds made by characters like Luigi, Waluigi, Tatanga, etc. when they speak is a great touch to detail and makes the episode feel alive and engaging.
Things that weren't as cool and could be improved in the future:
Some parts of the map have a lack of interesting scenery in areas like Easton kingdom (i'm referring to the first half. other half is mostly interesting) and chai skies, despite having unique gfx can feel a little boring and empty. This is especially apparent at the last section of the episode that is inside the moonbase where it looks like a large empty room, that could've been mitigated with the possible addition of tvboards, Tatanga flags or some machinery to make the location unique.
The secret areas found on some of the moon missions feel like they were supposed to keep some sarasan shards but since they can only be found on earth and the exits take the player not far from the entrance don't feel rewarding as these areas can be difficult. It could've held a series of secret 1-ups or something special to make it worth going into these areas in the first place.
Tatanga's second phase did feel underwhelming and easier compared to the first phase but I can't say too much since it did still feel challenging to me.
Hiyoihoi boss fight can be beaten easily by just holding the block right next to them and not letting go ending the fight in seconds. It could be made better by having the boss sit on a higher area or the block breaking after hitting the boss once.
Now to wrap it up with a conclusion:
In summary I believe this episode is a very good starting point for people who want to get into smbx episodes to experience something fun without the fear of a sudden difficulty hike. It can be completed in a relatively short time and be enjoyable. Therefore I recommend playing it.
I've played the episode some time ago and decided to write a short review.
(Spoilers are included)
I believe the episode is great in its own regard with level variety and design making it a engaging journey as Luigi ventures through Sarasaland from the fungal village all the way towards the moon with a easy to follow story and a fun experience to go along with it.
The best parts about the episode:
The underwater and Chai levels were some of the best with good music choice, really great tileset and background gfx. They feel unique from start to end. The dragon level itself brought good memories from a Koopa's revenge 2 almost making it my favourite level.
The difficultly of the episode doesn't jump up a steep curve but instead gradually builds on a slope hill that is perfect to build up challenge and be inviting to players who have less experience with smbx making it a beginner friendly episode.
The boss battles being variety and a good challenge that scales as the episode progresses. My favourites were the giant Blargg and the first phase of Tatanga's fight.
The secret areas for finding the sarasan shards are well made with some needing a bit more thinking to find them. I do recommend that some of the shards shouldn't have to be found at the end of levels at the top exit as that (at least to me) discourages players exploring the level to find them.
The addition of Waluigi to the episode is one of the best parts of the episode and even has a good explanation on why he's here in the first place, as a mercenary needing some cash and to beat his rival, two in one done deal. Definitely a favourite.
The sounds made by characters like Luigi, Waluigi, Tatanga, etc. when they speak is a great touch to detail and makes the episode feel alive and engaging.
Things that weren't as cool and could be improved in the future:
Some parts of the map have a lack of interesting scenery in areas like Easton kingdom (i'm referring to the first half. other half is mostly interesting) and chai skies, despite having unique gfx can feel a little boring and empty. This is especially apparent at the last section of the episode that is inside the moonbase where it looks like a large empty room, that could've been mitigated with the possible addition of tvboards, Tatanga flags or some machinery to make the location unique.
The secret areas found on some of the moon missions feel like they were supposed to keep some sarasan shards but since they can only be found on earth and the exits take the player not far from the entrance don't feel rewarding as these areas can be difficult. It could've held a series of secret 1-ups or something special to make it worth going into these areas in the first place.
Tatanga's second phase did feel underwhelming and easier compared to the first phase but I can't say too much since it did still feel challenging to me.
Hiyoihoi boss fight can be beaten easily by just holding the block right next to them and not letting go ending the fight in seconds. It could be made better by having the boss sit on a higher area or the block breaking after hitting the boss once.
Now to wrap it up with a conclusion:
In summary I believe this episode is a very good starting point for people who want to get into smbx episodes to experience something fun without the fear of a sudden difficulty hike. It can be completed in a relatively short time and be enjoyable. Therefore I recommend playing it.
Overall: 8.5/10
I checked the review! I am glad to see more people playing the episode and leaving such reviews so I can know what to improve for my anything I make in the future!
I will not comment on the positive things, but rather the criticisms instead;
- For the first one; Easton simply lacked enough map sceneries to make use of
Same can be said for inside moonbase submap. (Especially when most aesthetics in the last few stages were added late in development, so we simply didn't add any more aesthetic additions as a result. (The stability of the map was more important)
- The secrets in last 4 stages were also added late in development, as a response for the levels to not encourage enough exploration unlike the rest of the episode. The shards were never planned for last world anyway.
Tatanga Phase 2, unlike Phase 1, which was coded from the scratch, it was based on the SML boss itself, so it needed to be recoded if we wanted to add new attacks, which would add more scope creep. In the end, I just chose to add a more cinematic fight with parallax movement and moving angry stars to make it that you and Tatanga were on a space chase.
As for the last thing, every boss has that kind of cheese with blue bricks. Hiyoihoi happened to be the victim of that consequence in this case, lol.
Overall, thanks for the review! I hope more people plays the episode and more people leave reviews/criticisms such extent instead of "it good" or "it sucks".
Hello people! It's been a while, but after the recent playthrough on this episode, started by halibabica, I decided to patch the episode once again, but this time, we have quite the major changes on it!
As always, download the patch if you already have the previous version downloaded. Otherwise, download the full episode folder.
- Added a version checker for the episode, which will notify anyone who has an older version, whenever the episode gets updated again!
- Added a section for the pause menu, where it displays the music played during the map/level/boss etc. (Also updated the metadata of the music and added fonts for music displaying)
- Made sure the player filters for 1-3's enemy gauntlets appear after the screen finished scrolling.
- Palm Tree Tops has a new music implemented to it.
- Reduced the amount of enemies in 2-2, 2-3 and 2-7.
- Added missing sound effects for some enemies in 2-4; and made the glyph door bgos darker compared to the ones act as doors.
- Added a new secret area for 2-5, accessible from the pipe located near the end of the level's first half.
- Changed the way to access the secret area in 2-7. (It also acts as a way to skip the earlier parts.) And also introduced the falling brick gimmick in a better fashion.
- Fixed the vanilla credits bug by making the game close itself after the credits end. (No longer transitions to the vanilla credits.)
I have released a hotfix for version 1.1.6. It fixes a forgotten issue in 2-5; and adds a small expansion to 2-7.
Please make sure to apply the hotfix properly.
(NOTE: In future updates; if you wish to download the full episode: Please do not copy paste everything into an older version's folder. It tends to break certain things due to changes in code, removed/unused content and so on. Instead, carry your save file to the freshly downloaded episode folder alongside your progress.json file.)
Hi! It is nice to see a new SML-themed episode, because I am always on the look out for those since the release of the SML NPC pack a while ago. I have not played much yet but I wanted to point out some observations and criticism that you may find useful:
1) In my opinion, the dialogue seems a bit too verbose. I don't think Tatanga needs to be this talkative or ambiguous in the opening, I feel like the exposition could be toned down slightly. I do like Luigi ducking out of the way of the energy beam, though.
2) This is much worse in the Toad village, where I personally think the "quest" to talk to the various village chiefs is frankly a waste of time. There is no challenge presented while doing so, it's *just* going through various houses, talking to people, going back, talking to them again, until finally you're done. I think this part could be skipped.
3) In that same level, I think you ought to remove the camera panning once you get to the burning village section, because it is a bit buggy. For one thing, the hammer bro and boomerang bro begin attacking even before the camera has finished panning (while everyone else is frozen) which looks quite a bit odd, but even worse, one of the flying blue koopas that beelines towards you can get off-screen, thus rendering the level unfinishable as you need to defeat all the enemies to proceed. Your choice here is to either improve the scripts to remove all edge cases, but I really don't think the level benefits from having these camera pans so by just getting rid of them you'd solve these bugs and the level would be no worse off.
4) One issue I have with the episode thus far is that the audio balance is a bit off. Some of the music tunes are very loud, and others very quiet. I don't think the burning village needed a bombastic metal slug theme for it, it felt a bit out of place. The worst example though is the bonus exit for each zone, which has a pretty loud SM64 theme before you pick up the sphere, only to transition into a very quiet theme (from SWMCP2 I believe?) once you pick it up. Volume balancing would do wonders here.
5) In the second castle level, there is some issue with the firebars getting behind the lava background graphics: https://i.imgur.com/g9disp0.png
6) The reserve item (the powerup you store and can retrieve with the select button) can be activated even on the world map, which is obviously a bug.
7) I would make it so that locked doors have a visible lock on them, instead of having to get near them to be able to tell whether they're locked at all and waiting for the exclamation mark to show up or message window to appear and then close if you accidentally press up. Saves time and is clearer.
This is less of a complaint and more of a general observation, but truth be told, I'm not so sure making the first few levels in a Birabuto adventure feel nothing like SML was the best call here. I mean, the custom graphics look nice, but the first four levels (that is, grassland, mine, and castle) are quite mediocre and feel like filler to be honest. The level right after the first castle felt a bit better so I'm sure quality is only going to go up from here, but still.. I don't know, the way I see it, those levels are fat that could be trimmed altogether. But hey, your mod, your choice.
I realize my tone is a bit critical here, but I am still quite intrigued by this mod and will keep playing, I don't mean to shoot down the ideas on display here or force a course correction, just sharing my observations as a long time player in case they may be of use. Keep up the good work!
EDIT: more observations. The first level of birabuto is ok, and the second level is far better than what came before... I think the design is still mostly average but you're finally getting some good mileage out of the custom enemies here. The usage of honens, gaos and bunbuns was well done. The underwater area though leaves me a bit perplexed. I don't understand the over abundance of cheep cheeps, and especially the removal blocks. https://i.imgur.com/UWC4Ojb.png here for example you can just wait for them to pass and explode, and the removal blocks even remove your superballs which feels bizarre. I would frankly rework this part by just having SML water enemies appear in it rather than these cheep cheeps and removal blocks. Additionally, it looks like honens are immune to superballs, I imagine this is unintentional?
Hi! It is nice to see a new SML-themed episode, because I am always on the look out for those since the release of the SML NPC pack a while ago. I have not played much yet but I wanted to point out some observations and criticism that you may find useful:
1) In my opinion, the dialogue seems a bit too verbose. I don't think Tatanga needs to be this talkative or ambiguous in the opening, I feel like the exposition could be toned down slightly. I do like Luigi ducking out of the way of the energy beam, though.
2) This is much worse in the Toad village, where I personally think the "quest" to talk to the various village chiefs is frankly a waste of time. There is no challenge presented while doing so, it's *just* going through various houses, talking to people, going back, talking to them again, until finally you're done. I think this part could be skipped.
3) In that same level, I think you ought to remove the camera panning once you get to the burning village section, because it is a bit buggy. For one thing, the hammer bro and boomerang bro begin attacking even before the camera has finished panning (while everyone else is frozen) which looks quite a bit odd, but even worse, one of the flying blue koopas that beelines towards you can get off-screen, thus rendering the level unfinishable as you need to defeat all the enemies to proceed. Your choice here is to either improve the scripts to remove all edge cases, but I really don't think the level benefits from having these camera pans so by just getting rid of them you'd solve these bugs and the level would be no worse off.
4) One issue I have with the episode thus far is that the audio balance is a bit off. Some of the music tunes are very loud, and others very quiet. I don't think the burning village needed a bombastic metal slug theme for it, it felt a bit out of place. The worst example though is the bonus exit for each zone, which has a pretty loud SM64 theme before you pick up the sphere, only to transition into a very quiet theme (from SWMCP2 I believe?) once you pick it up. Volume balancing would do wonders here.
5) In the second castle level, there is some issue with the firebars getting behind the lava background graphics: https://i.imgur.com/g9disp0.png
6) The reserve item (the powerup you store and can retrieve with the select button) can be activated even on the world map, which is obviously a bug.
7) I would make it so that locked doors have a visible lock on them, instead of having to get near them to be able to tell whether they're locked at all and waiting for the exclamation mark to show up or message window to appear and then close if you accidentally press up. Saves time and is clearer.
This is less of a complaint and more of a general observation, but truth be told, I'm not so sure making the first few levels in a Birabuto adventure feel nothing like SML was the best call here. I mean, the custom graphics look nice, but the first four levels (that is, grassland, mine, and castle) are quite mediocre and feel like filler to be honest. The level right after the first castle felt a bit better so I'm sure quality is only going to go up from here, but still.. I don't know, the way I see it, those levels are fat that could be trimmed altogether. But hey, your mod, your choice.
I realize my tone is a bit critical here, but I am still quite intrigued by this mod and will keep playing, I don't mean to shoot down the ideas on display here or force a course correction, just sharing my observations as a long time player in case they may be of use. Keep up the good work!
EDIT: more observations. The first level of birabuto is ok, and the second level is far better than what came before... I think the design is still mostly average but you're finally getting some good mileage out of the custom enemies here. The usage of honens, gaos and bunbuns was well done. The underwater area though leaves me a bit perplexed. I don't understand the over abundance of cheep cheeps, and especially the removal blocks. https://i.imgur.com/UWC4Ojb.png here for example you can just wait for them to pass and explode, and the removal blocks even remove your superballs which feels bizarre. I would frankly rework this part by just having SML water enemies appear in it rather than these cheep cheeps and removal blocks. Additionally, it looks like honens are immune to superballs, I imagine this is unintentional?
Thanks for the feedback! I'll be going over your criticisms right away:
1) Tatanga's personality is something I had to make up since he doesn't have one in the original game besides alien who kidnaps princess and takes over kingdom. I made him more of an observant scientist archetype who plans and calculates his moves before acting. He has a contingency plan for many things; but Luigi avoiding the petrification ray is the first in line of his many failures coming in the episode...
2) Funghi Village's 1st half is meant to represent that there's a threat going on; and you need to prove yourself to be able to continue on your journey. It's also a "calm before the storm" type of level; lulling you into a false sense of security, not even the Toads know the path ahead is ravaged by the enemies until you see it firsthand.
3) There should be player filters that prevent the enemies from going off-screen; unless I forgot to make them appear, it's my fault and I should fix that. Also, the camera panning, despite being unnecessary, would otherwise make the whole gauntlet thing look weird with the filters on the edges. Also the bro thing is something I cannot fix since it's most likely a hardcoded thing for them.
4) SNES music files work differently from the OGG music files, so it's not easy to settle on equal quality... Also, the victory jingle's sounds cannot be boosted because of how they are coded. (I tried, it gave me errors. :/)
5) I kept that in because I thought it wouldn't be that big of a deal; but I guess a simple render tweaking will do.
6) Huh weird, normally that shouldn't be possible since SMWMap has that feature turned off. Weird.
7) And that would require putting a lock bgo in front of every door that is "locked". Normally they'd be blank but giving them interactability like in RPG games sat right to me in my mind.
And speaking of the existence of Sarasaland Meadows... The idea came when the other level designer I had at the time came to me with the cave level and the gorge level. I was going to shoot them away; but then I realized it'd be interesting if Sarasaland had an actual grassland world; and gave it some story as well (A shared territory in between Sarasaland and Mushroom Kingdom) Normally, if I had the resources, I planned to give the world more of a homage to Wonder's Flower Kingdom (the village was going to be inhabited by Poplins instead) but that didn't happen. (Also the grassland world was done in another Sarasaland-oriented episode in the past; so thought it'd be cool to execute the concept myself as well)
And as for 2-2's underwater section, it's been one of the parts that left me completely unsatisfied multiple times, and it was reworked around 4-5 times during the development phase. It was generic and short at first, then I wanted to add bomb blasting to it; but bomb blasting and underwater was so janky; then I reworked it yet again to focus more on the Cheep Cheeps. Also, the SML water enemies do appear in Muda (Except Honens who are just more global) The NPC removers exist to prevent any form of overcrowding since the vanilla despawning mechanic is generally flawed. Honens being immune to superballs, I guess it is not intentional. Nothing a small tweak cannot fix.
Hello people! I'm back with another patch update to LQTS! As always, make sure to update your episode properly!
Please do note that Honens (The jumping bonefish enemies) have become global in this patch onwards; so please remove all ini and lua files as well as the sprites associated with Honens in the level folders. (Except the Honen sprite in Digestive Dilemma, ofc)
- Added more player filters to the final wave of 1-3's gauntlet to prevent chasing koopas from getting out.
- Fixed an issue relating to Toge Bro's arena in 3-3.
- Removed some water enemies in 3-4.
- Lowered the blocks with snakes on them in 4-1's second half so players can easily reach those. (Plus made the snakes spew flames less often so they won't snipe the players when they try to climb to those blocks.)
- Tried to fix an issue related to SMWMap.
- Added a new music for the pre-boss section of the final level.
EDIT: Added a hotfix download to the main post, which adds a slight graphical addition to 4-2 and fixes something I thought I did in 5-4.
) and release the final FINAL patch update for good, and just move on from it and see people enjoy the episode without bugs.
