Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
I played Mother 3 recently, and one lesson that I learned from it is this: if I am going to use save points in NeoFirst, then I will need a lot of save points. And in order to have lots of save points, I will need to make the save points small and easily insertable into various different locations. So, I began a search for a standard save point design - one that would fit in cramped tunnels, gloomy forests, elegant dungeons and pristine wilderness.
In Mother 3, the save points are frogs. Thus, they are small, innoculous, and are quickly recognisable without being visually dominating. I wanted something less arbitrary than frogs, though. Instead of an animal or device, I wanted some sort of abstract symbol that would come to represent 'saving' to the player.
Then, I thought of Super Mario World. As you know, the level goals of this game resemble football goalposts, and this motif is carried over to the Chargin' Chuck enemy. The use of a sports analogy makes a lot of sense for a save point, as both are purely mechanical elements of their respective games. This led me to deciding NeoFirst's save point:
In Cricket, the wicket is functionally similar to Baseball's bases. It is, however, much more visually distinct. While I'm not all that familiar with the laws of Cricket, my appropriation of the wicket into NeoFirst represents a place where Link is 'safe'. When Link is near a wicket, he's safe, but when he's running between wickets, he's in danger of losing his progress. The game of NeoFirst can thus be thought of as a long chain of wickets, with the space between each forming an 'atom' of gameplay.
But you're arching your brow and thinking, "This doesn't seem very fantasylike! Where's the sparkly ring of unexplained magical energies that 'normal' games use for save spots? Shouldn't there be some half-baked explanation about 'recording your memories' or something? And how does it make sense that these wickets are installed all over Hyrule?"
My rationale is that these wicket savepoints do not alter the mood of a screen or area in the same way that a ring of sparkles would when placed in a dusty, faded cavern or somesuch. Furthermore, a wicket is only an anachronism when we interpret it as a Cricket element - it is, after all, just 3 two-foot wood poles, with two sticks resting on them. For all we know, there could be an entirely different significance to wickets in NeoFirst's Hyrule - but, so as not to draw attention to them, no explicit explanation shall be given.
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
(3 days later)
That's excellent. I'm really liking the graphic you chose for the save points. And, yes, I'd have to agree that more save points is desirable.
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
Quote:
_L_ you do know that in Links Awakening there is a "a piece of heart" puzzle that requires the bomb arrow?
It has come to my attention after watching a video of this game, that there is a wall you can blow up to access a way to blow up the block without the use of bomb arrows >.>
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
Yes, I have noticed that all of the images I've posted in this thread have died. Please rely on your memories until this is rectified.
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
Quote:
Originally Posted by
_L_
Yes, I have noticed that all of the images I've posted in this thread have died. Please rely on your memories until this is rectified.
It's not just the images that are broken. It seems the download link I can find for this quest is dead as well.
Looking forward to taking a look at it.
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
As you might be aware, these extravagant self-illuminated engravings appear in a few places in Hyrule. But what do they do? What is their purpose?
The answer is that they are Warp Rings - magical teleporters created many years ago to transport goods, arms and people to and from Hyrule's towns and strongholds.
In order to make use of these devices, one needs to carry on their person a Warp Coin!
These are the Temple Warp Coin (leading to the Temple of Light), the Castle Warp Coin (leading to southwest of Hyrule Castle), the Abbey Warp Coin (leading to the Forest Abbey) and the Palace Warp Coin (leading to the Eastern Palace).
Link receives two Warp Coins when he begins his quest: the Castle Warp Coin, and the Temple Warp Coin. However, he loses the Temple Warp Coin soon after using it. Tsk! I hope he can get it back somehow.
Step into the Warp Ring's inner circle to transport your molecules to the next Ring. The order of the Rings is this: Castle -> Abbey -> Palace -> Temple -> Castle. If you lack a Coin for a destination, then you will skip over it and proceed to the next.
But be warned... these teleporters were not designed for children, and even a very healthy child is likely to suffer transitory dizziness after using a Warp Ring.
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
So THAT'S what those odd circles are for! Never would've guessed! I'm guessing you find each Warp Coin in their respective place, right? Well, except for the Temple Coin.
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
Awesome. How long do the dizziness last after you step out of it?
Re: NeoFirst Development Diary
Hey _L_ hows that super duper secret weapon coming along =)