Feedback plz (I need volunteer testers)

[Shazza Dani]

So, I'm working on a classic style quest (with the Demo EX tileset). I just finished the first dungeon, and honestly I'm dissatisfied with it. I'm about ready to start over from the beginning, but I thought I'd get some opinions first. So if anyone would care to take the time to play through one short dungeon and let me know what you think, here's the link: EDIT: Link removed

* The difficulty level is between 1st Quest and 2nd Quest , I'd say...
*Uses Zelda Classic version 1.92, beta 183

[SpacemanDan]

I'll give this a try, and give you my report tommorrow. Sound good?

[Shazza Dani]

I'll give this a try, and give you my report tommorrow. Sound good?

Great. ;]

[Wolfman2000]

I just gave it a run through...here are my quick thoughts.
Good map design overall. I also liked the idea how the map can reveal secret rooms you don't think of trying. There were a few too many fireball statue shooters for my taste. Also, some rooms had the statues shooting, and others didn't. I didn't like the use of unmapped rooms for required progress. There are some cases where it can be warranted for story purposes, but there seems to be no valid reason for it here.
Overall, good start.

[Shazza Dani]

I just gave it a run through...here are my quick thoughts.
Good map design overall. I also liked the idea how the map can reveal secret rooms you don't think of trying. There were a few too many fireball statue shooters for my taste. Also, some rooms had the statues shooting, and others didn't. I didn't like the use of unmapped rooms for required progress. There are some cases where it can be warranted for story purposes, but there seems to be no valid reason for it here.
Overall, good start.

Thanks for trying it.

I know some statues didn't shoot fire; they're just decorations. If I remember correctly LoZ did the same thing. If I'm wrong, I might just replace them with blocks.
I thought the fireballs were kind of tough too, but in the finished game you'll probably be able to get 1 or 2 Heart Containers plus a Shield before you do the first dungeon.
The only reason I made the player go through unmapped rooms is because the rest of that map is basically a straight line (actually a curvy line), and I didn't want it to be too linear.

I didn't really succeed in making the dungeon non-linear though. That's why I don't like it. The only way to fix that would be to change the shape of the map. =\

[SpacemanDan]

I finished playing through, and I didn't think it was bad at all.
I enjoyed playing through it. It felt much longer than it acutally was, which is good. It felt like a solid first dungeon in a classic-style enviroment. It definately gave a good, classic feel. My only complaint really is that it felt a little linear. Essentially, if you ran into a locked door, you just had to go back a few screens, and take the other route to find it, but since it's the first level, it's fine.

[Shazza Dani]

Thanks for the feedback. I think what I'm going to do is change the shape of the dungeon, but re-use some of the same rooms, just to make it a little bigger and less linear.