Here's the deal: whenever I work on a particularly interesting section of NeoFirst, I'll post a description here. That way, nobody will think this quest's development is just slacking.
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Here's the deal: whenever I work on a particularly interesting section of NeoFirst, I'll post a description here. That way, nobody will think this quest's development is just slacking.
Our hero, Link, lives in a treehouse in a dark forest with his mother. I'm sure you can all relate to his situation.
Who is his mother? Her name is Elena, and the reason she lives in a dark forest is because she's a sorceress soothsayer. And that's just what sorceress soothsayers do. Elena is named after a character in The Illearth War, by Stephen R. Donaldson, who was also a sorceress of sorts. Of course, that particular Elena was a daughter, not a mother. O well.
Link's father, like many video game heroes' fathers, is a Disappeared Dad. An outlandish rumour has it that the reason he never appears is because he's not human, but a faerie prince who had a brief mortal tryst.
(Well, it does explain the pointy ears...)
As the son of a sorceress, Link has access to a magical item right from the start of the game. That item is the Cross.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst012.png
You'd better not lose it!
Just like in the games Phantom Hourglass and La-Mulana, Link can listen to the recently deceased. But not if you don't have this item - so remember to take it!
And also, Link owns a Bottle. It lets him carry water and sand that he finds in the game world... among other things.
But, one substance that Link is too polite to scoop up is his mother's Elixir Soup - his favourite meal.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst013.png
No matter what you've done or where you've gone, she's always got a piping hot bowl waiting for you on every visit.
The forest that Link lives in is the Mystic Forest, also known as the Cursed Forest. It was originally a small forest in the north, but a great crime by Princess Zelda's father offended the mightiest forest spirit so much that it made trees sprout forth all along the west edge of the map. Furthermore, anybody who cuts down these trees will be transformed into a Deku Scrub.
I... guess that's why they call it the Cursed Forest?
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst014.png
Nevertheless, some youngsters like to venture in to look at mushrooms and look for Minish.
What kinds of treasures are hidden deep in this forest? What secrets were buried under its spreading canopy when the trees rose up, all those years ago?
Well...
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A question.
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Nobody's home.
I wonder... would it be immoral to wish for an intact weapon shop?
Placolyte!
Ah, Placolyte. This marvellous item is distilled from magical flowers, and assists Link when he drinks it from his bottle. It may call forth memories of Picolyte, but Placolyte is a slightly different wonder.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst017.png
The price is just right for something as nice as Placolyte!
Placolyte comes in two varieties: red and blue. As the red variety is more expensive, its effects are much more powerful than those of the blue variety. But that's not to say that the blue variety still isn't worthwhile.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst018.png
You can tell that it's in effect because Link is surrounded by coloured sparkles.
What exactly does Placolyte do? Well, um, it is a secret. But rest assured that it is quite marvellous, and that I have completely implemented it. The only way to experience it is to use it yourself and see how it helps you.
This is very nice _L_. Can't wait to see what the end result looks like.
Recently this week I had an accident where two of the boss scripts I was working on recently were disturbingly deleted from all existence. It was a heart-wrenching situation that required my full attention, So, in lieu of a more tangible and elucidating update, I present the following exhibit: some dumb enemies that you'll have to reduce to ribbons.
Stalfos KnightI wonder whether these piles of bones can be powderised with a hammer hit or a bomb blast.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/stalfosknight.png
Speaking of which, if you break their shields with your hammer, then they'll rise again with new shields. Clearly, the magic that animates them is quite capricious.
It is my commitment that each non-scripted variety of Patra appears but once.
Yes, it was that hooded fiend!
This final enemy's special ability may be obscure if you don't have the Hero's Charm.
There are some kinds of Zelda Classic players who are willing to follow the immediate plot, perhaps even to the ends of the earth, without being given even a scrap of equipment. But many people are quite miffed if they don't get their hands on a sword within four screens of starting out. And that's quite understandable - a sword appears on the title screen, after all. It's advertised content.
But, it is a part of the prelude that Link pursues and confronts his first sword's absconders, and in doing so becomes involved in the greater conflict against the approaching chaos.
Fortunately, if one chooses, they can exclude the prelude altogether. I have provided a way to get a sword within four screens of the start!
Of course, if they could just walk up and take it, then nobody would bother following the plot at all.
Ah... but surely in order to get 45 rupees you need to hunt assorted vermin for three-quarters of an hour? I want that sword now!
Fortunately, I have also provided a way to get 45 rupees within four screens of the start! And I didn't just hide it under the 23rd bush, either.
Such wealth! But is it really worth starting the adventure with only... two hearts?! And can you even trust this fellow?
But, with this much money, you could afford everything in that shop! You'd be able to start your adventure with a shield and a fishing line, not to mention a genuine sword that fires genuine sword beams. It's quite a temptation.
Sweet. The HC exchange thing sounds awesome, and can add some nonlinearity.
Speaking of which, is the game going to take a linear path in terms of levels, or do you have to to the levels in a certain order?
Why should the sword fire sword beams if it costs 45 rupees?
Also, what profit does the guy receive from loaning people rupees for collateral? Wouldn't there be a certain interest factor in it? Perhaps it should increase with each time the player saves the game? :p
Because it's the Wooden Sword! Also, money is much rarer in this quest than in others. Don't think you can just find it lying in the tall grass!
Indeed, I have in fact implemented a certain "interest factor". But for now can I slyly remind you about that time when I mentioned that the starting town is a hotbed for organised crime?
A little back in posts, but for the talk of the Minish in the Mystic Forest, will the children call them "Minish," as they perfer to call themselves, or "Picori," as races from Hylian to Gerudo call them?
You know, I've never really understood why each of those words were preferred by each race. Simply by looking at the prominent phonemes of the Minish's language (sample: "Pico riki poko ti po!") one would immediately assume that "Picori" was their native word for themselves. "Minish", on the other hand, is almost certainly rooted in the 'English' spoken by Hyruleans ('mini', 'diminished' etc).
So, to answer your question: they'll probably just call them "the tiny people" or something.
Or the pleasant gnomes.
Neofirst is looking good so far, keep up the good work. But for the disappeared dad thing, can't we break away from the typical story and just say that he has a job elsewhere in the world and he seldom comes home? It seems a lot more interesting that way. Othre than that, I like it.
Yay. This is post numbre 400.
wow...this is lookin' pretty sweet so far...
I'm hyped.
Today, allow me to present some minor enemy sprites that I have recently produced.
It makes much more sense that a water-coated skull should cure the curse laid by a fire-coated skull, don't you agree? ...Well, a bit more sense than that burning eye Moa thing that most of the popular tilesets currently use.
The Armos now has as many facings as First Quest's Armos. The fastest Armos is now blue rather than red. Remember that rule from First Quest: the toughest enemies are blue.
That verminous thief from the first dungeon of Zelda 2! But now his knife and armor are gone - replaced with the Goriya's tunic. Personally, I think it makes more sense considering his minimal HP and offensive power. But it'll be quite probable that this foe will appear in large quantities and move at high speed.
I'll call him Keaton, after a near-identical enemy in The Minish Cap.
A simple proposition: affix that crow's head to a Wizzrobe's robe, and apply an extra band of colour. Hopefully it will be sufficient to remind you of that fellow in the Wind Temple of The Wind Waker.
Those summoners look a lot like the ones I made for Majora (from PureZC) -- except I used the BS Wizzrobe's body.
The summoner sprites need a little bit of work, but otherwise, they're good.
I'm hyped on this quest's features, but the overworld detail variety and design both look a little amateurish. Particularly in your post that begins with "Placolyte!"
Those grass tiles shouldn't repeat so much. I am of the opinion that old DoR is pretty ugly to begin with, but that's just me.
The Lakeside Labyrinth is a 5th level dungeon designed by Phoenix. It only requires the Hookshot and one Bomb (or just the Flippers), and offers a slightly longer Hookshot in return. According to this fellow, it is "old, and apparently hasn't seen permanant inhabitants in a long time. ... Many areas of floor have given way, making liberal use of the hookshot required."
Moreover, Phoenix mandated a specific hookshot switch combo. What kind of switch, I thought, would be activated by a hook and chain, but obviously not by a wood boomerang or an arrow? What I designed was a simple metal cogwheel.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst024.png
Hit the cogwheel to make the spikes begin their cycling.
And, from there, I decided to add several moving gear and chain decorations to the dungeon. These are presumably the mechanisms, formerly hidden under the tiles, that move the perpetually active spike traps that thwart Link in this labyrinth.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst025.png
These small parts are quite noticable when animated.
The dungeon is already completed, though, and there isn't much room for gear-themed scripted traps to be added. But, I wonder...
Wow, that looks really neat. I love all those gears.
And on a side note, POST 2500!
I don't mind if you change up one of the more plainer rooms (as in, with just the spike trap things) to have a gear trap or something. I won't mind.
Lately, I've been concerned with two things: making the Mystic Forest overworld area more interesting and challenging, and increasing the diversity of the enemy roster. And so, in meeting both of these concerns at a fork in the path, I constructed some quite simple scripted enemies to populate the leafy gloom.
This fearsome flora is still in need of some garnishes, though. And, perhaps, a means to cut its stalk rather than attack its head? We'll see.
The classic Deeler, which attacks quickly from above, isn't like the more recent Skulltula, which seeks solely to block the player's path.
Also, just today I fulfilled an idea I had when out walking a few months ago. It concerned fields of tall grass, and their propensity for hiding lurking serpents. Now, Ropes that move into tall grass will conceal themselves - only a moving disturbance of the grass reveals their location.
They are, of course, easier to spot when animated.
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst026.png
Look sharp! There are two Ropes near Link in this picture.
I am falling in love with this quest. You are amazing _L_.
The Ocean Labyrinth is a slightly hard dungeon whose entrance looks out to a placid ocean. It's one of the 'nostalgia dungeons' I added to the quest. When you step inside, you gradually notice something: it's a recreation of the first level from Third Quest!
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst027.png
The inner entrance room is a bit more oceanic, though.
As you can see, the main theme of this dungeon is skeletal. Salt-encrusted skeletons and flaming skulls grind along its halls. Maybe it was a pirate's hideout? Well, I can't say. And, since Stalfos have a habit of rising again from their battered bones, I've reduced their numbers somewhat. Fortunately for them, their sword beams still sting as much as always.
Continuing the theme: instead of a large emissary of red and blue Goriyas, you will instead encounter trios of skeleton Goriyas. Skeleton Goriyas?
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst028.pngWhen you bash these bony badgers down, they bounce back up before you know it! This may cause a calamity for little boys who don't have sharp metal swords just yet.
They don't throw bone-merangs, if you're wondering.
Incidentally, this dungeon also contains an opportunity to make use of the Bottle that Link's mother insisted he take. You can use it in conjunction with something in the environment to defeat a long-hated, nigh-invincible foe.
I suppose you wish that this trick was available in the remaining dungeons of Third Quest.
And, on a different note, I also suppose you're wondering who the dark lord of this dark hole is, hmm?
http://l.j-factor.com/zeldaclassic/neofirst009.pngNow isn't the time to hope that they'll imprint upon you as their mother. Those nearby bones support the hypothesis that it won't work. But look hopeful: you know what they say about dragons and treasure...
The dungeon boss is... a neglectful parent.
Seriously, you are doing a great job with this project. I can't wait to play this thing. Wow.
Sometimes, life just isn't fair and decent on a small child. Consider, for instance, what might befall you out in the sunny outdoors, through no fault of your own. Just skipping down an empty road through our wild kingdom, with a purse full of green rocks and a song in your heart containers.
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Then, like a crack of a whip, a voice!
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Bandits rush in from offscreen!
W-where's the police? ...They died. It's up to you alone to save your bacon!
I think poor old Link deserves an explanation. You see, one of the great plagues afflicting Hyrule are the many thieves and bandits traveling its roads and hiding in its dungeons, directed by an ominous figure called the King of Thieves. Some such criminals have even infiltrated our dear Hyle Town!
Of course, it won't do to just describe the vileness that these creatures perpetrate on innocent swordsboys and postmen. To really feel for the threat, the players themselves must also be victimised. And so: occasional random ambushes along the roads and meadows!
These strikes aren't entirely random, though. Would it not be sensible to assume that you'd be more likely to be attacked if your hearts were low? And if you had a large stash of rupees on your person? Mm-hmm. I'd think so too.
The King of Thieves, from the "plan," (I have no idea how much it's been changed by now.) is really just a merchant who sells you lockpicks. They're the equivalent of keys, but can be used in any dungeon.
Actually, various ordinary thieves are lockpick merchants. The King of Thieves, conversely, has a perchant for fighting, and supposedly holds a most Magical Key. (But maybe he has something else... something more important.) He also might or might not have an underling called the Prince of Thieves, who furthermore may or may not just be a palette-swap. But more on him later!
EDIT: Oh! You were thinking of Blind the Thief. That sounds a tad fitting. Maybe he will be vaguely reminiscent of that boss.
I like the idea of ambushes! Once you defeat the King of Theives, will the ambushes stop?
Hello. I'd like to apologise for the break in diary entries. I've been working on several aspects simultaneously (that is to say: adding plot-related signposts to Level 1, scripting some bottle interactions, customising enemies) but have brought none to a state where I can display them with vigor. Please remain steadfast until another week passes.
And, to answer your question: yes! Good idea.
Nice! And once you finish the touches on the first level, I really want to play it to see what and how it changed. Either way, this quest is sounding very good. :)
When Link acquires the Red Candle, he gains the ability to produce fire. Such a power should not be wielded idly! Certainly, it is necessary to check many suspiciously coloured shrubs for secret passages. But do be careful when you're in that tall grass!
As you may remember from a certain multiplayer Zelda game, tall grass is surprisingly flammable, especially when whipped up by a spring breeze. If a flame weapon of either Link's or a monster's should land on those stalks, they'll be set ablaze before you can say "Joan of Arc".
And what's worse is that the fire will spread to any adjacent tall grass combos as well! O my!
(The "burnt grass" combos aren't quite finalised yet.)
The flames hurt both enemies and boys, as it is equivalent to Link's candlefire. ...! Maybe there's a puzzle somewhere in the world that requires a blaze spreading along a line of grass?
In closing: only you can prevent, um, this sort of thing.
L...I...need....that...script. 0_o *stares*
Artisticly, the only thing I'd change would be the grass around the trees. Far too blocky, in my opinion.
good gravy, L! You've outdone yourself!
....oh gosh, this reminds me of that one time in D&D when I cast a fireball in a forest... >_< My friend never let me forget it.
Wow, I've been checking out some of the new stuff on here and other places and I must say that the capabilities of this program has grown by leaps and bounds since it began. And you are showing off some really impressive stuff here _L_. I really like the inclusion of some of the Z2 enemies, nice to see more stuff being used from the black sheep of the Zelda series; could a version of the Daira, the axe weilding lizardman, be made that could slash with its axe? Using ZScript or otherwise? That could make for a really dangerous melee foe.
Keep up the good work, sir, I look forward to seeing more!
Holly crud that's amazing! How on earth do you manage to do all this stuff?
Why, Link? WHY?
This script looks intriguing. It would be interesting to just burn things with the Red Candle. I have a question, however. Will this be applied to "Bush" combos as well?
Now this quest is getting even more interesting... speaking of which, I almost didn't find that hidden level in "Mystic Forest" with the candle in the last demo. So that's where Roc's Feather is... in the level I still have nightmares about.