Latest News Article

[rsmalec]

Mars Mission is now updated for Minecraft 1.5.1!!!

1.5.1 Changelog:

Spoiler:

• mobSpawning false = Play on ANY difficulty!!
  
• keepInventory option at spawn (off by default)
  
• Eternal night
  
• Beds at checkpoints replaced with /spawnpoint command blocks
  
• Ender Chests added at checkpoints
  
• Introduced spawners on Mars
  
• Updates some textures
  
• Minor easter eggs added
  
• Updated final room of the super secret challenge
  
• Slight extension to the final dungeon
  
• Replaced the final effect to eliminate lag (thanks to Faume)
  
• Other, miscellaneous fixes

Mars Mission v1.5.1
A custom adventure map, by rsmalec
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/rsmalec
Follow me on Twitter: @rsmalec

WATCH THE TRAILER! (contains mild spoilers)

News archive
Spotlight Playthrough by The Shaft Podcast!

Easter Egg Mini Challenge!   Can you find all 74 "shout outs" to Minecraft community members?

Spoiler:

• Abbeyaltman
  
• Albarel
  
• Astragali
  
• Barthuc
  
• Bebopvox
  
• Belboz
  
• BlameTheController
  
• Blitzscrank
  
• CaptainSparklez
  
• Carl
  
• CDOP
  
• Chick
  
• ChimenySwift
  
• ChronoBasher
  
• CodeWarrior
  
• Copeland
  
• Daniel
  
• DrZhark
  
• ExtraFun
  
• extremel
  
• Fellonius
  
• Fullerton
  
• GizmoDude
  
• Honeydew
  
• HuskyMudKipz
  
• Icepak00
  
• iHasCupQuake
  
• iKonaKona
  
• IronManRD
  
• Jeb
  
• KodaichiZero
  
• Krimnox
  
• Leotekk
  
• Lizzyhill
  
• Lukeys
  
• marglyph
  
• MineKraphte
  
• Minotaur93
  
• Misconduct
  
• Niea
  
• Notch
  
• Paiged6
  
• PiperBunny
  
• Pixelbits
  
• PMin00
  
• Prof_Snape
  
• Puppery83
  
• Risugami
  
• Robertx32
  
• rsmalec
  
• SeaNanners
  
• shroom_girl
  
• Silvarana
  
• Simo_415
  
• Smenx
  
• ssankoo
  
• The_Forgotten
  
• Utenan
  
• WelshPixie
  
• Wilson
  
• Wyldwulf
  
• Xephos
  
• xxSlyFoxHoundxx
  
• New in 1.01 - Kalchik
  
• New in 1.01 - SVM
  
• New in 1.01 - SteveyG101
  
• New in 1.01 - DadsRFunny
  
• New in 1.01 - Mac123
  
• New in 1.9 - Jigarbov
  
• Renamed in 1.9 - Criswell
  
• New in 1.5.1 - Thadiwyn
  
• New in 1.5.1 - jGazMom
  
• New in 1.5.1 - Goodey
  
• New in 1.5.1 - Faume

If you make a video, please consider adding a link to this forum post and then coming back here and add a link to your channel!

Background

The Earth is overpopulated, and natural resources are scarce.  The Moon Colonies have been ravaged by war.  Humanity looks to the stars as our last hope.  YOU have been selected to pilot the first manned mission to the Red Planet.  You will touch down in Victoria Crater, where an automated rover has detected a new form of power emanating from strange GREEN CRYSTALS.
The fate of the Earth depends on your ability to establish a base, harvest GREEN CRYSTALS, and to begin terraforming the surface before colonists arrive.
GOOD LUCK, Clone!

Features

• Unique SciFi theme, intricately detailed environment
  
• Custom Texture Pack (required)
  
• 2 Custom Skins
  
• Unique approach to over 70 NPCs, each with roles and 'attitudes' toward the player
  
• 100% in-game signs, no external notes files
  
• Main storyline takes you to the Moon and Mars
  
• ~365,000 square block playable area
  
• 6 major encounters, 4 minor encounters for extra loot
  
• Green Power Crystals (Redstone Dust) are your score
  
• Checkpoints with storage, fast transport, and/or sound effects

GET THE MAP v1.5.1 !!

http://www.mediafire...eojd34a8doa3juf
PLEASE reply here with feedback and include this link in any youtube videos.

http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/514791-marsmission

Rules and Guidelines

• Use the MARS MISSION texture pack, included with the map download!!  The game will be unrecognizable without it - NO PATCHER is needed.
  
• Play on any difficulty!
  
• DO NOT leave the map boundaries - there is no reason to explore beyond the artificial walls
  
• PORTALS are "Out of Character" entrances to major encounters (think 'dungeons' or 'instances' in MMOs).
  
• You CAN CRAFT, but do not craft; buttons, pressure plates, levers, or redstone torches.
  
• You CAN recharge your laser pistol (bow) with energy bolts (arrows) looted from mobs and laser turrets (dispensers).
  
• DO NOT BREAK or PLACE blocks, except as noted below.
  
• GREEN CRYSTAL ORE (redstone ore) can be MINED for GREEN CRYSTALS (redstone).
  
• You can ONLY PLACE flares/keys (redstone torches) on top of fenceposts.  DO NOT BREAK, once placed.
  
• You can BREAK and PLACE normal torches.
  
• Alien SPAWNERS can be broken.
  
• STANDING SIGNS are dialogue or "Out of Character" notes.  They can be broken.
  
• WALL SIGNS are computer screens and should not be broken.
  
• Try not to break paintings from the walls (there are a lot of them).
  
• DO NOT PLACE BEDS in the Nether!
  
• GREEN CRYSTALS (redstone) will be your score (I believe you can get 200 - 215 depending on how many drop from mining redstone ore).

Screenshots (expand spoiler tag)

Spoiler:

Credits
Special thanks to LUKEYS for an awesome idea regarding paintings.
Special thanks to ALPHA and BETA testers: CDOP, Fellonius The Wizard, Lukeys, Prof_Snape, The_Forgotten, Criswell
Single Player Commands by Simo_45
MCEdit by David Vierra
The following skins were modified;

• Space Man Dave by acdc
  
• Sectoid by nick dablin
  
• Xenomorph by cerberus10

Images were borrowed/modified (with permission) from the following 16x texture packs;

• Mine Wars by yokoolio, http://www.planetmin...pack/mine-wars/
  
• Halo SigmaE1.6 by camo7, http://www.minecraft...t/topic/166873-
  
• Strange Worlds 2.0.1 by JaytheRobot, http://www.minecraft...t/topic/102056-

This map is released under Creative Commons license: Attribution CC BY http://creativecommo...icenses/by/3.0/

Some images from the texture pack were re-used/edited with permission from those authors.

-= If you enjoy my maps, tips, and ratings (click image in my signature); please consider donating so that I can keep improving.  Donators will get advance copies of ALL my future maps, skins, texture packs, and mods.=-

[Fellonius the Wizard]

Solid as usual.

You're also using the word "instances". In my dictionary it's equivalent to "examples" or "demands". What do you mean? (Has the internet yet again change the meaning of words, (I'm so tired of it)).

[rsmalec]

Fellonius the Wizard, on 31 July 2011 - 07:48 AM, said:

You're also using the word "instances". In my dictionary it's equivalent to "examples" or "demands". What do you mean?

I did wonder about that term myself.  It's a term from Massively Multiplayer Online games, most notably World of Warcraft.  It's not 100% applicable to what I am building, actually.
I will change it when I share screenshots, but for now I'm going to leave it vague.

In World of Warcraft, you can run around the world with thousands of other people.  As you can imagine, this would create crowded conditions in dungeons and competition for the final boss and his treasure.  So what they do is create an 'instance' which basically means a private copy of the dungeon.  You and your party go through a 'portal' into you private copy of the dungeon so you don't have to worry about others ruining the experience.
Now, in Minecraft there's no such mechanism, so the term is definitely misleading.  But I'm not creating 'dungeons' so I will come up with a better word.

[Fellonius the Wizard]

rsmalec, on 31 July 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

So what they do is create an 'instance' which basically means a private copy of the dungeon.

So it is an example, but a private one. It actually make sence then. In WoW.

Still, call it whatever, I'm just being grumpy today....  

[The_Forgotten]

It surely seems impressive to say the least. One map I won't want to miss! Although the texture pack might make my game even slower than it already is... How game-breaking would it be if the pack wasn't used? Would it horribly detract from the intended immersion? Or simply make it a tad more confusing?

[rsmalec]

The_Forgotten, on 01 August 2011 - 01:28 AM, said:

It surely seems impressive to say the least. One map I won't want to miss! Although the texture pack might make my game even slower than it already is... How game-breaking would it be if the pack wasn't used? Would it horribly detract from the intended immersion? Or simply make it a tad more confusing?

It will be required.  I'm afraid most of the map will look very confusing without the texture pack, as I've completely overriden almost every block.  Not just changed the texture, but changed what the block represents.

It's a standard 16x resolution texture pack, so it doesn't need a patcher.  I don't think texture packs should impact your computer's performance.  It's a very small .png file after all.  But I could be wrong?

[rsmalec]

Revealed name and teaser screenshot 2.

[pixelbits]

amazing! I can't wait

[Scix]

Hmmmm....

[rsmalec]

Added another spoiler.

Got to 45% complete, but I've hit a snag that is bugging me.

Apparently I have either;
a) too many redstone, pistons, and repeaters
or
too long of chains of redstone/repeaters

I have redstone/repeater chains crossing a huge area when location 1 unlocks location 2, location 3 unlocks location 4, etc...   Everything was working fine, but now that I've got my 10th chain in place they're starting to bug out.  The redstone signal will travel 100 or so blocks and then one of the repeaters will just get 'stuck' in its on or off state.  If I change one of the adjacent blocks (place, break, etc...) then the current recalculates and resumes.

I hope hope hope this is because of too many chains.  That can be easily fixed by taking out functionality (even though it slightly breaks my heart).  But I'm slightly worried that even when I remove some chains this will still happen.  For example, if the chain crosses too far into chunks that haven't been 'loaded' yet by the client.  Anyone seen any issues like this before?

[Fellonius the Wizard]

rsmalec said:

Anyone seen any issues like this before?

The closest I've had was with my Model Railway, when Power rails stop to be in a "on" position, depending how far away I was with my avatar.

I hope you'll get out of the snag!

[rsmalec]

Fellonius the Wizard, on 02 August 2011 - 02:57 PM, said:

The closest I've had was with my Model Railway, when Power rails stop to be in a "on" position, depending how far away I was with my avatar.

I hope you'll get out of the snag!

Ok - I don't think it's distance (per se) because if I wipe out some of the chains, the longest ones work.  (~500 blocks for the current to travel).
I think I just had too many repeaters.  So I have to figure out how to be more efficient... or remove a little of the functionality.

[rsmalec]

HUGE THANKS to LUKEYS!!!

He inspired me to change the way I was handling NPCs to go from 3 'types' to 12!
And they look awesome!

[rsmalec]

Spoiler image 4 is up.

I fixed my main "too many redstone repeaters", but I still think I may need to cut out some for the sake of lower-end computers.

[rsmalec]

Further refined my use of redstone repeaters.

I also gave up on a situation where; A button is connected to pistons 600 blocks away via redstone and repeaters.  The signal was getting 'stuck' somewhere in between.  So I revamped the way that you 'unlock' sequential things.

So NOW I can finally get back to building new encounters (after about 3 days loss of progress).

[The_Forgotten]

rsmalec, on 01 August 2011 - 03:29 AM, said:

It will be required.  I'm afraid most of the map will look very confusing without the texture pack, as I've completely overriden almost every block.  Not just changed the texture, but changed what the block represents.

It's a standard 16x resolution texture pack, so it doesn't need a patcher.  I don't think texture packs should impact your computer's performance.  It's a very small .png file after all.  But I could be wrong?

We'll have to wait and see! If it's required then, I guess I won't have the choice. I'll give it a chance, and unless it's too slow to do anything, I'll get to the end!

[rsmalec]

Teaser screenshot 5 is up.  Got a special one planned for tomorrow

On a sad note, I had to remove my plans for storage carts at checkpoints.

The idea (improving upon the Sidekick's lounge from Superheroes) was ...  
As you reach a checkpoint (before or after an encounter area) you would place your scoring items in a storage minecart.  You would press a button and the storage cart would take your score items safely to the final room, so that you don't have to carry them around or keep track of where you left them.
The problem is, most of the checkpoints are simply too far away from the end location (~1,800 blocks).  This often causes the minecarts to simply stop in their track once they've gone out of range of what your computer memory is keeping track of.
If I can think of a practical way to put them back in, I'd realy love to offer this feature, but it's not game breaking for me to take them out.
I'm fairly sure this is the last thing that will have to be left on the cutting floor.

And I'm extremely happy something I created today.

[Fellonius the Wizard]

rsmalec said:

The idea (improving upon the Sidekick's lounge from Superheroes) was ...  
As you reach a checkpoint (before or after an encounter area) you would place your scoring items in a storage minecart.  You would press a button and the storage cart would take your score items safely to the final room, so that you don't have to carry them around or keep track of where you left them.
The problem is, most of the checkpoints are simply too far away from the end location (~1,800 blocks).  This often causes the minecarts to simply stop in their track once they've gone out of range of what your computer memory is keeping track of.
If I can think of a practical way to put them back in, I'd realy love to offer this feature, but it's not game breaking for me to take them out.

Hmm, why do you have to send the minecart to the final room every time? What if you just send it to a checkpoint along the way, the player restock the cart and send it ahead of him to the next checkpoint? It would require plenty of checkpoints, but they don't have to be that big. And they can have the look of a loading bay, for example.

Of course, if the checkpoints also is too far apart, it fails...
Well, you'll solve it, you usually do. And besides, it can always be entered in an update.

[rsmalec]

Fellonius the Wizard, on 05 August 2011 - 08:43 AM, said:

Hmm, why do you have to send the minecart to the final room every time? What if you just send it to a checkpoint along the way, the player restock the cart and send it ahead of him to the next checkpoint? It would require plenty of checkpoints, but they don't have to be that big. And they can have the look of a loading bay, for example.

Definitely considering this, but i think it may add more risk to confusion and forgetting to unload your score, because now you have additional points to remember.

[rsmalec]

Going to take a little break today while my alpha testers run this through its paces.

I find that my mind often 'processes' things in the background and my best ideas suddenly pop out when I'm doing other things, without my nose buried in the map's details.