My paws got enough rest so, i think i can back to wonderland and start second serious project.
Pirates of Dark Water is remarkable for its eccentric setting, utilizing the source material's melding of swashbuckling adventures, sword-and-sorcery fantasy, and Road Warrior-inspired fashion aesthetics. Drawing from the cartoon's backstory, players fight rival pirates as well as fantastic creatures sent to hinder the heroes from finding the Treasure of Rule by the evil pirate-lord Bloth. It features 9 different stages in all:
Pandawa Jungle
Port of Pandawa
Citadel
Bobo Mountain
Janda Town
Andorus
Sunken Bridge
Maelstorm
Dark Dweller’s Lair
The game features the main crew of the 1990s TV show - Ren, Ioz, and Tula - searching for the Treasures of Rule in order to rid the world of Mer of the Dark Water and return Mer and Ren's homeland, Octopon, to its former glory.
At beginning of each stage the player can chosen one of the three main characters:
Ren - medium strength/medium agility; Tula - low strength/high agility; Ioz - high strength/low agility;
Tula is quickest character so obviously she will be my Alice in most of levels.
Ioz is slowest character, however he able execute one crazy useful glitch, so Ioz (=Mad Hatter) will have cameo appearance in run too.
Captain Ren (=Dormouse) is neither fish, nor flesh, nor good ed herring so he will not be used at all.
I spent last few weeks for preparatory works, like route planning, testing various tricks and glitches and finally started slowly recording actual run.
If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
Here my first humble WIP (so far "Pandawa Jungle" only):
Link to video
Estimated time for completing full game about ~ 16 minutes and 30 seconds.
俺はアルカンフェル！海賊王になる男だ！
Upd: Final result ~14 minutes and 14 seconds :)
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Nice.
maTO had a complete TAS of this game on his page, but it is no longer available. His run might have given some insight into route planning.
If you TAS much of this game I am almost certain to agree that it looks great, sooner or later.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Never played this, but I'm guessing what happens after you pick up the red potion isn't the intended behavior. What's going on there?
It's more or less intended behavior of gravity potion. This wonderful potion allow player to make jumps at sonic speed [15 pixels per frame] during 24 frames, blank input help to maintain high speed much longer after that.
Potion's effect works 899 frames, for TAS with precise sequence of inhuman jumps it's enough to completely crack whole levels.
Even more! Beside high speed, there are also interesting side-effects of potion:
*Tula (and Ren) able to use vertical zipping in some places. [Tula will demonstrate this glitch already in next WIP].
*Ioz is even more broken, he can jump thru close doors without having key! [It will be used in the middle of game].
However such priceless game-breaking potions are enough rare, and some of them are hidden in so far places that it is cost more time to get than benefit from usage.
In my route for full game only 14 gravity potions will be collected and used. It was nightmare to test all opportunites of getting or not getting some of them.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Port of Pandawa:
Link to video
2-1
Grabbed 2 bottles and all gold coins.
2-2
Zip up inside wall to skip first key. Used OOB route to skip the second key, however get this key anyway for next stage. Get yet 3 bottles, actually it's a whole treasure, in second half of game they will became rare and then completely disappear closer to end.
2-3
Skip first dialogue with monkeys, used extra key from previous stage. Linear areas like this are very effective for application of gravity potion. Only one bad thing about super speed - it's possible jumping forward in one direction so fast that camera not able to keep player on screen... Absurd situation: incredibly fast speed lead to reduce of entertainment instead of increase.
2-4
Actually i was surprised to improve maTo's boss fight. There is strict 99 frames rule between hits, and i thought zero chances to improve this fight, however unexpectedly found glitch allow to make 2-HP strikes at specific frame during animation transitions. Not sure will this trick workable for other bosses or not.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
I wouldn't worry about being off-camera detracting from the entertainment. It sounds like it's not going to happen often, and only when the route's pretty predictable anyway. If you were going to spend the entire run offscreen, that'd be a different matter, but 2-3 was just fine.
Keep it up!
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Thanks for support! I will try to continue breaking this wonderful game to the bitter end.
In the next time - dark and scary cellars of Citadel. Tula is afraid bats, walking deads and ghosts, however crew decided that she must go there, alone...
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Link to video
Citadel completed, now the compass points toward Bobo Mountain. See you there in the next time :)
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
What’s the red potion exactly, anyway? Some kind of an energy drink I guess?
Technically it's not a drink, but kind of magical aerosol. To activate this potion you need break a bottle and make breathe in the fumes.
However for TAS possible to cancel "break a bottle" animation and to enjoy effect of potion for 44 frames longer... so i believe after all it's can be used as a drink too.
Most likely it just so disgusting taste, that most of people prefer to not drink it, but breathe, even if it less effective way.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Joined: 10/6/2011
Posts: 1690
Location: RU · ID · AM
The next stage is so beautiful, really hope to see it done soon :) I remember there were a lot of secret rooms, and you'll be flying a "plane" in the middle of the stage.
BTW, I still remember most passwords, like zerotks, alartus, radaral...
Sadly, I do not remember the names of the stages, so I cannot tell which is my favorite one. I only remember that it's underground. And it's not the final stage.
I also forgot the effects of the other energy drinks :(
S3&A [Amy amy%] improvement (with Evil_3D & kaan55) — currently in SPZ2
my TAS channel · If I ever come into your dream, I’ll be riding an eggship :)
The next stage is so beautiful, really hope to see it done soon :) I remember there were a lot of secret rooms, and you'll be flying a "plane" in the middle of the stage.
Many of levels in this stage are enough long, so worth to use gravity potions (whole 4 potions if be exact) it mean that a lot ultra-fast jumping offscreen will take place.
=> some long levels look like just a scrolling camera from start to end, it is not very impressive to watch...
Though there are some pleasant exceptions - when need to change direction or/and to restock potions, in these cases Tula is back to visible side of screen:
I will finish this stage approximately on next week. Not hurry, Quality >> Time.
WST wrote:
Sadly, I do not remember the names of the stages, so I cannot tell which is my favorite one. I only remember that it's underground. And it's not the final stage.
I bet you speak about Andorus stage [#6/9], homeland of Tula, it's my favorite stage too.
Besides zip-route in level 6-5 will blow up your mind for sure, i can't wait to TAS that level it so awesome.
WST wrote:
I also forgot the effects of the other energy drinks :(
Gravity Potion - make super jumps. *Зелье гравитации позволяет прыгать на запредельные расстояния.
Stone Elixir - freeze all enemies. *Каменный элексир парализует всех противников поблизости на некоторое время.
Shield Magic - invulnerability. *Магия щита окружает героя защитным полем, делая временно неуязвимым для атак противников.
Vortex magic - invulnerability. *Магия вихря не только делает героя неуязвимым, но еще и позволяет использовать суперприем и не терять от этого здоровье.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Bobo Mountain:
Link to video
Ufff.... finally this stage is done. A lot of blindfold jumping at crazy speed was not so easy to optimise.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Minor update: I applied small tradeoff for entertainment.
In final version of TAS level "flying a plane" will be a bit more hilarious - there is a bug allowed to fly a plane in absurdly funny body position.
Lazy to redo encode, but it will look approximately like this:
---
Now our pirate team can moving forward again - the next stop is "Janda Town".
After such frazzling jumping and awkward flying Tula deserve rest a bit. Ioz kindly agreed to replace her.
So in the next time Ioz will make his move, while Tula regain her strength after heavy overdose by gravity potion.
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Joined: 10/6/2011
Posts: 1690
Location: RU · ID · AM
Crazy! It looks like Tula has no idea on how to use that kind of thing :)
Anyway, good luck in that Juanda or Janda or something
And yes, I am going to comment all your future posts and WIPs like now, because I am so glad to see you doing a TAS of this :) your run is really adorable, almost like Pokota’s avatar. If I could, I would give your run a hug :3
S3&A [Amy amy%] improvement (with Evil_3D & kaan55) — currently in SPZ2
my TAS channel · If I ever come into your dream, I’ll be riding an eggship :)
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell)
Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Ren - medium strength/medium agility; Tula - low strength/high agility; Ioz - high strength/low agility;
Tula is quickest character so obviously she will be my Alice in most of levels.
Ioz is slowest character, however he able execute one crazy useful glitch, so Ioz (=Mad Hatter) will have cameo appearance in run too.
Captain Ren (=Dormouse) is neither fish, nor flesh, nor good ed herring so he will not be used at all.
I spent last few weeks for preparatory works, like route planning, testing various tricks and glitches and finally started slowly recording actual run.
I will finish this stage approximately on next week. Not hurry, Quality >> Time.
---
Now our pirate team can moving forward again - the next stop is "Janda Town".
After such frazzling jumping and awkward flying Tula deserve rest a bit. Ioz kindly agreed to replace her.
So in the next time Ioz will make his move, while Tula regain her strength after heavy overdose by gravity potion.
