Orecraft is a very difficult, short puzzle map which tests the player’s skills in various ways, including for instance parkour, fighting and ladder climbing. The story of the map is a typical “you’re trapped by X, escape”, the puzzles are rather unoriginal and few and the overall world design and architecture are below average. The difficulty of the puzzles is really hard, especially in the third and the last puzzles which I myself couldn’t beat without cheating a little as I wanted to complete the map eventually without fighting over a single puzzle for an hour in a map that has only five major puzzles.
Out of the few puzzles only one was something I’ve not seen before. On most of the puzzles the map maker seems to have tried to add something original to them, but has mostly failed, occasionally making the puzzles even worse. Even though the puzzles were hard and unoriginal I enjoyed the challenge most of the time. But eventually, after failing dozens of times and raging over design flaws which in the worst case scenario got me trapped, unable to progress without cheating and/or bypassing some parts, it became too overwhelming. When also considered how short the map is the time consumed on a single puzzle is way over the top.
The design and the visuals of the map are at their best low-mediocre and at their worst just plain sloppy. Redstone and TNT visible, chunk error walls and broken redstone contraptions are something that cannot be forgiven to any map maker. The story of the map is an unoriginal “ur trapped man, escape” and it gives a feel that of being just thrown in when all the puzzles were finished to make the map look more “professional.”
Difficulty isn’t always a bad thing. But when it is accompanied with unoriginality, sloppiness, bad story and overall bad execution it does only harm. Overall this map had very few good things in it, one of them being that for some unknown reason I enjoyed (at least in the beginning) the difficulty and the puzzles. If you want hard map to play you are free to try this one out. Otherwise I can’t recommend it to anyone with a good conscience.
Bugs/tips
-Hide the redstone.
-In the first puzzle (parkour over lava) at the second tip room there is no button to press, trapping the player there leaving them no choice but cheat their way out.
-Also in the first puzzle down to the TNT mine I kept dying from the fall, not sure why.
-Fix the piston elevator.
-Scale down the difficulty and/or add more puzzles and variety.
You know, you can try to improve if your map is further down on the list. It'll be another month or two before the review comes out, so if you notice a communal flaw that these maps share try to change yours up.
Actually I just did! I improved my map by fixing all the bugs, so now it's bug free! But seriously, I can't wait til I get a review. SO far, I've been getting decent reviews, but I think this place is for the hardcore-no-holding back reviews, so I'm prepared for that
Actually I just did! I improved my map by fixing all the bugs, so now it's bug free! But seriously, I can't wait til I get a review. SO far, I've been getting decent reviews, but I think this place is for the hardcore-no-holding back reviews, so I'm prepared for that
I would call the reviews "honest" rather than brutal, but make sure you pay attention to the flaws addressed, not just the bugs. If you think your story might not measure up, then expand on it, or if you don't like the way something looks, then change it. The flaws are more than just bugs, so keep your map together! Good luck!
Thanks, but I've edited my map enough. I put lots of hardwork in it, like the redstone mechanism. Before I even made my map, I was a noob at redstone. But then I started learning them and began to work with them. And the way my map looks are pretty good to me, it's not all cobblestone like the other maps, only in some parts. And all the mechanisms I did there were hard, but it was worth it, so yeah, I think I'm prepared. Thanks!
I am mostly trying to include builds to make the place feel nicer. I also try to eliminate every grammar error (I have read every review and I can see that typos were a big flaw in alot of them.)
Well, typos are a little hard to completely eradicate because of the way the signs in Minecraft work, what with the limited space and all. I've softened up a lot on grammar, and I do mention it often because it decreases the professionalism of the map itself, but as long as it is understandable, you're fine. Also, English is not the first language to every Minecraft map maker, so they may not communicate as well. None the less, they can always use help to change up those errors.
Again, do whatever you feel is right to keep your map at a high standard, whether that be bug-fixing or elimating grammatical errors.
It's been a while since I've played a map as classic as this one. Spellbindingly magical, well thought-out, and certainly flawed, Quest for the Egg is so strikingly thorough when it comes to outlining characters. It successfully brought a hilariously awkward new professor to the world of Minecraft, much in the same way that ChronoBasher did when concocting Professor Grizwald one year previous to this. The inspiration is clear, the similarities are minimal, and yet Writr routinely whips up an enjoyable adventure that brings a plentiful amount of good content to the table.
Unfortunately, while there's a lot to like in Quest for the Egg, there sadly isn't much to love, save for its main hero, Professor Gandy. Gandy is equal-parts funny, silly, stupid (in a comical way) and just as much fun to be enthralled by as Grizwold, if not even more-so. He is, sadly, the only refreshing element to an otherwise dull tale. You have no recollection of your past (Hmm... does this sound familiar?) and through a series of ill-communicated theories Gandy decides you ought to seek out eight keys in order to assist him in sending you pack to where you belong. While the premise is somewhat engrossing and preps you for the adventure, the hunt for each key feels jarringly separate from the others. There is no interrconnecting plot to glue the separate pieces together, and for this one reason the entire plot feels disjointed. Additionally, the storytelling element of the map is severely flawed, as you are only sent to find four of the eight keys. And while I understand that Writr has abandoned this map and left it unfinished, the plot needs some closure. How hard would it have been to devise a short ending and conclude the story with only the need for four keys, not eight? I would assume not so much so, and as was the case with Boulefield, the story needn't be cut short because a temporary fix is beyond the capabilities of the map creator.
Meanwhile, the gameplay is a refreshing change from simply combat and puzzles. It, unsurprisingly, focuses upon exploration-based conquest in order to steadily achieve goals, but it isn't meaningless. The exploration Quest for the Egg sports progresses perfectly and through some relatively simple redstone keeps up just enough momentum without becoming overdone or breathtaking. I will admit I was not a large fan of the plot, but the amusing visual appeal suits the gameplay enough to propel you forward further into the world of Quest for the Egg. It is for this reason that the gameplay mechanics work, even if they do so on uneven footing.
As I stated previously, Quest for the Egg has some mild visual appeal. I found that the labaratory in Quest 1 was thoroughly elevating, and the same can be said for many examples throughout the following quests. But I feel like Writr only succeeded with his builds when he was attempting to enhance the atmosphere on a less-than grand scale. When he attempted to create large buildings like Gandy's castle they came off as flat, dull, and too squared for my liking. They were, frankly, unappealing. I know Writr has cast this map away in favour of more important ideals in his life, but should he return to improve it, I would recommend he begin fixing it to bring out further aesthetical pleasure.
But Quest for the Egg doesn't lean upon any of these aspects to succeed. The plot is crucial but would not be devastating if removed. Neither would the gameplay mechanics if altered. And I've addressed that there are more suitable routes to take in regards to the architecture present. Instead, Quest for the Egg's success boils down to the atmosphere.
Does the atmosphere succeed on any levels what so ever? I say yes. I found Quest for the Egg had me on the edge of my toes for Quest 1, and while it seemed to falter in light of the second and third quests, Quest 4 garnered my attention like no other and truly pulled me into its enthralling daliance without hesitation. I had almost lost hope by the end of the third quest, but the atmosphere in the final quest was enriched by a stronger plot, its serious nature, and a heartwarming conclusion.
Quest for the Egg is not a perfect map. It doesn't even approach such a designation. But to me, it at least reaches the standard of enjoyable. It certainly isn't the best adventure you will find out there, and it isn't the worst either, but if you are looking for an adventure reminiscent of the old adventures of early '11, give this one a try. You won't love it, but you'll surely find a ton to enjoy.
Bugs/tips -architecture needs some work. Fix up the towers in Quest 2 and Gandy's primary tower accordingly to make them less square. Refer to the review for how to accomplish this.
-Gandy is the only shining light in an otherwise murky plot. Bring him further into the spotlight to flesh out the character further. You can add easter eggs, a small secret backstory among them that details who Gandy is and his motivations, and a more outlined nemesis, his apprentice.
-make the multiple plots of the separate quests more connected. I have a feeling you were attempting to accomplish this while finishing the later quests, but as of now, they are too distant from one another.
-conclude the plot with four keys. Just leaving us hanging to ponder what happened doesn't cut it. Even if temporary, provide some closure to at least partially satisfy the player.
In 2098 a company was created by two brothers called Telvik Laboratories. They company was extremely popular as they were the leaders in technology for all things futuristic. In 2110 one of the brothers decided that he should earn more than his sibling because he believed he worked harder. The other brother did not agree, they had arguments and finally split the company in two. One was called White Mesa, and the other, Mineachure Laboratories. Ever since, the two companies have been arch rivals in the world of technology always one upping each other.
Fast forward 24 years, and the world is corrupted by a virus that turns normal people into Zombies! Civilizations have been crushed and the world's population has gone down 99%. You're one of the lucky ones, You were born with a special gene that blocks the virus from taking effect. The downside is, you are still a host, spreading the infection wherever you go. One day, you find an abandoned facility. You can't make out the company name but it looks safe enough. You wander inside. You are not alone though. A tap on your shoulder sends you spinning around and ready for a fight, but there is just a frail old man, with a story. He tells you that he used to work here, and he knows about a cure. You're no hero, but if this is a chance to take back the life you once had, you would do anything to take it. The old man says the you must venture into this forsaken place, deep below the surface, to where the testing began, and that you would find the cure. This is your task, make the most of it.
From the Creators of Zombie Castle Defenders, Hello and welcome to Kino Der Minecraft! A Zombie Survival game like none other. Join our hero(s) as they fight to take back the world they once knew. Survive wave upon wave of ruthless attacks. Unlock weapons, new rooms, and even a Mystery Box! As you journey into the forsaken laboratory you will find journals that once belonged to a Doctor in the lab. Search for clues and even the Cure!
I want to post a map, but I am afraid that It will get bashed on due to the fact that it was the first adventure map that I made...
If your map sucks, we will tell you. That might not be a bad thing, as we will point out many ways for you to improve it. We will definitely not rate your map down just because it is your first map.
Username(creator): mnopjh
Map Name: Kino Der Minecraft
Forum Link: http://www.minecraft...es-in-redstone/
Genre: Game
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.):texturepack
Estimated Completion Time: depends when you die (mabye 1-2 hours)
Additional Info(optional):
In 2098 a company was created by two brothers called Telvik Laboratories. They company was extremely popular as they were the leaders in technology for all things futuristic. In 2110 one of the brothers decided that he should earn more than his sibling because he believed he worked harder. The other brother did not agree, they had arguments and finally split the company in two. One was called White Mesa, and the other, Mineachure Laboratories. Ever since, the two companies have been arch rivals in the world of technology always one upping each other.
Fast forward 24 years, and the world is corrupted by a virus that turns normal people into Zombies! Civilizations have been crushed and the world's population has gone down 99%. You're one of the lucky ones, You were born with a special gene that blocks the virus from taking effect. The downside is, you are still a host, spreading the infection wherever you go. One day, you find an abandoned facility. You can't make out the company name but it looks safe enough. You wander inside. You are not alone though. A tap on your shoulder sends you spinning around and ready for a fight, but there is just a frail old man, with a story. He tells you that he used to work here, and he knows about a cure. You're no hero, but if this is a chance to take back the life you once had, you would do anything to take it. The old man says the you must venture into this forsaken place, deep below the surface, to where the testing began, and that you would find the cure. This is your task, make the most of it.
From the Creators of Zombie Castle Defenders, Hello and welcome to Kino Der Minecraft! A Zombie Survival game like none other. Join our hero(s) as they fight to take back the world they once knew. Survive wave upon wave of ruthless attacks. Unlock weapons, new rooms, and even a Mystery Box! As you journey into the forsaken laboratory you will find journals that once belonged to a Doctor in the lab. Search for clues and even the Cure!
Well, here's to puzzle maps! I'd really begun to lose hope for them before seeing this one, which has seen great success critically and in terms of downloads. There are just simply too many "escape the facility/prison/pschotic-idiot-who-captured-you-and-convieniently-left-repetitive-puzzles-to-help-you-escape's lair" in the mapping community to be truly satisfied with any of them. But something seemed a little different about Accept Your Own Adventure. It didn't try to be much. It wasn't very good, or incredibly bad. It seemed to be Gregolas42's attempt to inform the mapping community about exactly the damage these maps were doing to the once-great reputation of the puzzler. I myself don't even bother with most puzzle maps anymore out of the fear that they'll just be another waste of my time. Gregolas realises this. He crafts a puzzler that is intelligently sloppy and contains enough refreshing content to keep you somewhat engaged, but is still remiscent of the terrible escape-esque maps that overcrowd the fray of incoming creations. Unfortunately, it is just a little to close to those god-awful puzzle messes to be completely enjoyable.
The premise of the map is an interesting one, and I think I've conveyed my views on it clearly prior to this. Nonetheless, I feel the need to prove exactly why it works. We all know that escape maps can be well done (the Escapecraft series, Escape the Puzzlemaster, etc.), but a substantial portion, most likely a majority of these maps are just so bad. I've seen so many people attempt to refresh the escape sub-genre by flaunting originality, but unfortunately many of these efforts are in vain. So Accept Your Own Adventure analyses why this is, and presents it to the player in a new light. Those who frequent escape maps will notice the way Gregolas presents these flaws very evidently. It's clever.
The sad fact is, the message that Gregolas42 tries so hard to convey is often missed, and there are a number of reasons that contribute to this. Firstly, it contains many possible endings, whose quality ranges from great to somewhere far below terrible. If you happen to choose a path through the map that sends you on a path to one of the better endings, then you'll have fun and realize what Gregolas42 was going for all along, and perhaps even be interested in revisiting the map again to replay and get another ending. But if you get one of the less-than-stellar endings, chances are you'll curse and never want to glance at the adventure again, regardless of whether there are supposedly better endings down the road. All in all, the message is sloppily portrayed, for one, because it isn't always clear amidst certain endings. As I hope you can guess from now, Accept Your Own Adventure's gameplay aspect is not the strongest I've ever seen.
The storyline of Accept Your Own Adventure is another reason why you don't always get the point of the message the map creator is trying to send. The plot is actually fairly decent, mainly because the Glados-like character is a thrill once you get past the droning anonymous-style voice. He torments you thoroughly if you misbehave, maliciously kills you in at least one ending, and is a real comedian in others. He also is presented as the "map maker" who, as it turns out, is also the main way Gregolas42 proves his point about escape maps in general. He realizes you don't like a certain map because it is horribly dull, but gives you another chance by replacing that flaw with another. If you get fed up with him simply because you want to and disobey, then *poof*! You're dead. But as it turns out, if you choose a completely "good" path where you obey at least three quarters of what the "map maker" tells you to do, you'll miss the point, and instead carry on through a messy adventure. You'll recognize the flaws of the adventure for sure, but because the Glados character likes you so much, he won't get mad or show you another great path, which in turn doesn't give you the message. I have mixed feelings toward the story, and while I have quite a few positive mentions on its originality, I think its flaws outweigh its successes.
Which brings me to Accept Your Own Adventure's final major aspect, its progression. On an everyday occassion, I'd critique a map's success in this department in the same way I would its gameplay, but progressing through this map is different. It is a "Choose Your Own Adventure"-themed map (a series I loved as a kid, and so I smiled upon seeing this) in the sense that there are moral choices to be made, consequences, and of course, multiple endings. Now, this is all great, but it gets a little cluttered. It is yet another reason why Accept Your Own Adventure's moral pretentions are beyond its less-than-vast capabilties, and you ofter misunderstand what the whole point of "Accept Your Own Adventure" is. Progressing through certain paths is thrilling, while others are less so. There is often little to motivate you to progress through the adventure, and therefore a less-than-useless atmosphere. Simply put, you don't want to progress through Accept Your Own Adventure unless/until you realize what it is trying to communicate to you.
When you finish Accept Your Own Adventure, you may not truly understand what it was trying to tell you. I'd say there's a 50/50 chance this will be the case for you, and if you take a peek at the score the map received, you'll realize it is about close to that. You may get the message, and you may not. One way or another, you'll have mixed feelings about the map. You probably won't call it great or terrible, unless you got one of those freaking awful endings or one of the incredible endings and didn't come back to find the others. Analysing this map was a real pain in the **** because there were so many factors that contributed to its successes and failures, but I knew what was going to come my way when I sign up for the job of reviewing. In a nutshell, Accept Your Own Adventure has its own take on the puzzle crisis the mapping community has been in for the past year or so. It is a little too sloppy to fully present this at the moment, but it may get there eventually. Only time will tell. Hopefully this review will accelerate that change.
Bugs/tips
-improve the endings of the strictly "good" paths. This could mean a slightly more epic ending or some more interactive content, but whatever the case might be, keep in mind that you are trying to inform the community of what it is doing wrong. No matter where you take this, make sure you present the flaws of escape maps prominently.
-is there anyone you know capable of doing a computer voice that doesn't sound like anonymous and isn't as annoyingly repellant as the automated voice you chose? It would help the first impression, even if you do get used to the voice about halfway into the adventure
-include more endings on the "bad" side of the chart. They are the most fun and the most intuitive, and I recommend getting started on them right away!
-I personally wouldn't mind a deeper story. You've got the flawed aspect down perfectly, and you can keep that, but something more to motivate you would be nice
Username(creator): HoneyBadger2013, Zdward2 Map Name: Adventure of the Ancient Maya Forum Link: Click Me Genre: Adventure, Parkour, Puzzle Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.):None(Recommended: Void Fog Remover To See Easier, TooManyItems For Checkpoints) Estimated Completion Time:Varies; 20-30min
What does one expect to find when one downloads a parkour map in Minecraft? The parkour in Minecraft is very flimsy at best, as all one has to do in such a map is jump around to get from point A to point B. It's not enough; there has to be more for anyone to have fun in a parkour map. There has to be something interesting amongst the jumps and random ledges. The Parkour Thief manages this to a certain degree.
The map has a simple premise: the player is a thief tasked with stealing a diamond and bringing it back to his or her hideout. Along the way, the player has to navigate through and over buildings and similar obstacles. I enjoyed how this map felt and looked; the towns and cities are definitely a sight for sore eyes, considering that most parkour maps nowadays consist of random floating blocks. This map felt natural to move in, to jump and climb around. It is very important to have the player feel immersed inside the world the map creator makes, and The Parkour Thief does this fairly well. However, despite all of this, there is something I need to bring to attention:
The map felt very short and did not give off the feeling of any real substance. This, I feel, is due to the map's story. With the map being nothing more than the player trying to reach a certain location, the map's creator seemed to struggle with a good progression and pacing of the map. The various cities and towns in the map, while interesting in their own rights, looked to be nothing more than filler and an excuse to have more parkour before the map ended. They were ultimately very arbitrary, having nothing to do with the map's overall experience or story. There wasn't much in this map to tie the world into the player's quest other than the cities being mere obstacles to give the player something to do. The ending felt very abrupt to me because I trekked across a handful of cities only to remember that the story was extremely simple. In reality, I had only accomplished stealing a single diamond despite going through all sorts of random jumping courses that seemed to be building up to something, but actually weren't. This was disappointing. With all of the content in this map, it was still uneventful and plain.
I mentioned before how I enjoyed the map's aesthetics being believable instead of being floating blocks. This is wonderful and shows the mapper's realization of the importance of creating interestingly designed levels for players. My concern here is that even though the map looks the part, the gameplay is still the bare-basics of parkour. With real-life landscapes, there are many opportunities to make traversing the world a very fun and engaging experience. But I was still essentially climbing ledges, jumping over gaps, and just trying to find the next place to go. It's one thing to make a nice visual design such as this map's, and it's one thing to make it fun to play. It's ANOTHER thing to carefully weave the two together. The Parkour Thief did not seem to incorporate game and atmosphere together very well. I noticed elements of this map that really looked like the mapper viewed level and overall game design differently from one another. The entire map experience looks like a mess of different processes of thought that the creator went through as he was mapping, or rather, the map's experience has every single element that a good game needs, but fails to mesh it together into a solid, consistent mix.
All in all, I cannot recommend this map. On the other hand, I can't call it bad. The map looks and feels interesting, and I enjoyed jumping in and around actual buildings for a change, but in the end it was nothing more than a pretty parkour obstacle course. Story, visuals, and gameplay were very separated in regards to the overall experience and the map would have been so much more fun to play if those things were tied together nicely.
Bugs/tips
-Didn't see any bugs. Nice.
-As mentioned throughout the entire review, make a tangible connection between story and gameplay. Games are often considered to be the ultimate form of media because it combines video, audio, writing, and ties it all in with player interaction. Consider the entire map as a whole, rather than looking at elements of your map separately.
-There are many creative things you can do with a realistic world. I liked jumping the rooftops, but the potion and mining buildings looked like they were built based on generic parkour jumps. Try basing the jumps around your buildings, or, following the previous tip, find a balance where you can design and build them together.
-When making a story or narrative, just about everything needs to have a reason to exist. It's cool that you made realistic scenery, but why was there an old abandoned tunnel that led to a random tribe of vicious warriors? Make it significant, or don't have it at all.
@Kmilley What do you look for in a reviewer..? And don't take this personally or to offence but I always think your female, even though I know your male(might be your name or profile picture?).
@Kmilley What do you look for in a reviewer..? And don't take this personally or to offence but I always think your female, even though I know your male(might be your name or profile picture?).
Lol you spelled "offence" wrongly. Its spelt "offense".
Username(creator): Wout12345
Map Name: The learning (Durn prerelease)
Forum Link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1400283-advwip131-the-learning-durn-prerelease-25h-gameplay/
Genre: Peaceful adventure and puzzle, with basic parkour required, optional intermediate parkour.
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.): None
Estimated Completion Time: 2.5 hours
Additional Info(optional): I just want to get an idea of my adventure-map-building style so improve it in the further parts of the map.
@Kmilley What do you look for in a reviewer..? And don't take this personally or to offence but I always think your female, even though I know your male(might be your name or profile picture?).
This is why: Miley Cirus. You are not the first one to think that. On my minecraft server I have been mistaken as a she many times before they get to know me. The sad truth is, there is 2 l's in Kmilley. everyone just sees it as kmiley and thinks I am a girl .
As for your question: I want people who know how to write well. No spelling errors, grammatical issues, ect. I also want people to be able to give a solid, thorough review. They must be able to highlight the negatives and the positives without bias. They should also throw their own personality into the reviews. The last thing, is they must keep the same formatting when writing the reviews. They can't stray from the format I have set up for us at Review Central.
Hope this helps. I have to go right now, but I will put the map requests up soon.
Out of the few puzzles only one was something I’ve not seen before. On most of the puzzles the map maker seems to have tried to add something original to them, but has mostly failed, occasionally making the puzzles even worse. Even though the puzzles were hard and unoriginal I enjoyed the challenge most of the time. But eventually, after failing dozens of times and raging over design flaws which in the worst case scenario got me trapped, unable to progress without cheating and/or bypassing some parts, it became too overwhelming. When also considered how short the map is the time consumed on a single puzzle is way over the top.
The design and the visuals of the map are at their best low-mediocre and at their worst just plain sloppy. Redstone and TNT visible, chunk error walls and broken redstone contraptions are something that cannot be forgiven to any map maker. The story of the map is an unoriginal “ur trapped man, escape” and it gives a feel that of being just thrown in when all the puzzles were finished to make the map look more “professional.”
Difficulty isn’t always a bad thing. But when it is accompanied with unoriginality, sloppiness, bad story and overall bad execution it does only harm. Overall this map had very few good things in it, one of them being that for some unknown reason I enjoyed (at least in the beginning) the difficulty and the puzzles. If you want hard map to play you are free to try this one out. Otherwise I can’t recommend it to anyone with a good conscience.
Bugs/tips
-Hide the redstone.
-In the first puzzle (parkour over lava) at the second tip room there is no button to press, trapping the player there leaving them no choice but cheat their way out.
-Also in the first puzzle down to the TNT mine I kept dying from the fall, not sure why.
-Fix the piston elevator.
-Scale down the difficulty and/or add more puzzles and variety.
same here! lol
I would call the reviews "honest" rather than brutal, but make sure you pay attention to the flaws addressed, not just the bugs. If you think your story might not measure up, then expand on it, or if you don't like the way something looks, then change it. The flaws are more than just bugs, so keep your map together! Good luck!
Well, typos are a little hard to completely eradicate because of the way the signs in Minecraft work, what with the limited space and all. I've softened up a lot on grammar, and I do mention it often because it decreases the professionalism of the map itself, but as long as it is understandable, you're fine. Also, English is not the first language to every Minecraft map maker, so they may not communicate as well. None the less, they can always use help to change up those errors.
Again, do whatever you feel is right to keep your map at a high standard, whether that be bug-fixing or elimating grammatical errors.
Unfortunately, while there's a lot to like in Quest for the Egg, there sadly isn't much to love, save for its main hero, Professor Gandy. Gandy is equal-parts funny, silly, stupid (in a comical way) and just as much fun to be enthralled by as Grizwold, if not even more-so. He is, sadly, the only refreshing element to an otherwise dull tale. You have no recollection of your past (Hmm... does this sound familiar?) and through a series of ill-communicated theories Gandy decides you ought to seek out eight keys in order to assist him in sending you pack to where you belong. While the premise is somewhat engrossing and preps you for the adventure, the hunt for each key feels jarringly separate from the others. There is no interrconnecting plot to glue the separate pieces together, and for this one reason the entire plot feels disjointed. Additionally, the storytelling element of the map is severely flawed, as you are only sent to find four of the eight keys. And while I understand that Writr has abandoned this map and left it unfinished, the plot needs some closure. How hard would it have been to devise a short ending and conclude the story with only the need for four keys, not eight? I would assume not so much so, and as was the case with Boulefield, the story needn't be cut short because a temporary fix is beyond the capabilities of the map creator.
Meanwhile, the gameplay is a refreshing change from simply combat and puzzles. It, unsurprisingly, focuses upon exploration-based conquest in order to steadily achieve goals, but it isn't meaningless. The exploration Quest for the Egg sports progresses perfectly and through some relatively simple redstone keeps up just enough momentum without becoming overdone or breathtaking. I will admit I was not a large fan of the plot, but the amusing visual appeal suits the gameplay enough to propel you forward further into the world of Quest for the Egg. It is for this reason that the gameplay mechanics work, even if they do so on uneven footing.
As I stated previously, Quest for the Egg has some mild visual appeal. I found that the labaratory in Quest 1 was thoroughly elevating, and the same can be said for many examples throughout the following quests. But I feel like Writr only succeeded with his builds when he was attempting to enhance the atmosphere on a less-than grand scale. When he attempted to create large buildings like Gandy's castle they came off as flat, dull, and too squared for my liking. They were, frankly, unappealing. I know Writr has cast this map away in favour of more important ideals in his life, but should he return to improve it, I would recommend he begin fixing it to bring out further aesthetical pleasure.
But Quest for the Egg doesn't lean upon any of these aspects to succeed. The plot is crucial but would not be devastating if removed. Neither would the gameplay mechanics if altered. And I've addressed that there are more suitable routes to take in regards to the architecture present. Instead, Quest for the Egg's success boils down to the atmosphere.
Does the atmosphere succeed on any levels what so ever? I say yes. I found Quest for the Egg had me on the edge of my toes for Quest 1, and while it seemed to falter in light of the second and third quests, Quest 4 garnered my attention like no other and truly pulled me into its enthralling daliance without hesitation. I had almost lost hope by the end of the third quest, but the atmosphere in the final quest was enriched by a stronger plot, its serious nature, and a heartwarming conclusion.
Quest for the Egg is not a perfect map. It doesn't even approach such a designation. But to me, it at least reaches the standard of enjoyable. It certainly isn't the best adventure you will find out there, and it isn't the worst either, but if you are looking for an adventure reminiscent of the old adventures of early '11, give this one a try. You won't love it, but you'll surely find a ton to enjoy.
Bugs/tips
-architecture needs some work. Fix up the towers in Quest 2 and Gandy's primary tower accordingly to make them less square. Refer to the review for how to accomplish this.
-Gandy is the only shining light in an otherwise murky plot. Bring him further into the spotlight to flesh out the character further. You can add easter eggs, a small secret backstory among them that details who Gandy is and his motivations, and a more outlined nemesis, his apprentice.
-make the multiple plots of the separate quests more connected. I have a feeling you were attempting to accomplish this while finishing the later quests, but as of now, they are too distant from one another.
-conclude the plot with four keys. Just leaving us hanging to ponder what happened doesn't cut it. Even if temporary, provide some closure to at least partially satisfy the player.
Username(creator): mnopjh
Map Name: Kino Der Minecraft
Forum Link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1396718-game131kino-der-minecraft-nazi-zombies-in-redstone/
Genre: Game
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.):texturepack
Estimated Completion Time: depends when you die (mabye 1-2 hours)
Additional Info(optional):
In 2098 a company was created by two brothers called Telvik Laboratories. They company was extremely popular as they were the leaders in technology for all things futuristic. In 2110 one of the brothers decided that he should earn more than his sibling because he believed he worked harder. The other brother did not agree, they had arguments and finally split the company in two. One was called White Mesa, and the other, Mineachure Laboratories. Ever since, the two companies have been arch rivals in the world of technology always one upping each other.
Fast forward 24 years, and the world is corrupted by a virus that turns normal people into Zombies! Civilizations have been crushed and the world's population has gone down 99%. You're one of the lucky ones, You were born with a special gene that blocks the virus from taking effect. The downside is, you are still a host, spreading the infection wherever you go. One day, you find an abandoned facility. You can't make out the company name but it looks safe enough. You wander inside. You are not alone though. A tap on your shoulder sends you spinning around and ready for a fight, but there is just a frail old man, with a story. He tells you that he used to work here, and he knows about a cure. You're no hero, but if this is a chance to take back the life you once had, you would do anything to take it. The old man says the you must venture into this forsaken place, deep below the surface, to where the testing began, and that you would find the cure. This is your task, make the most of it.
From the Creators of Zombie Castle Defenders, Hello and welcome to Kino Der Minecraft! A Zombie Survival game like none other. Join our hero(s) as they fight to take back the world they once knew. Survive wave upon wave of ruthless attacks. Unlock weapons, new rooms, and even a Mystery Box! As you journey into the forsaken laboratory you will find journals that once belonged to a Doctor in the lab. Search for clues and even the Cure!
If your map sucks, we will tell you. That might not be a bad thing, as we will point out many ways for you to improve it. We will definitely not rate your map down just because it is your first map.
No game genre
The premise of the map is an interesting one, and I think I've conveyed my views on it clearly prior to this. Nonetheless, I feel the need to prove exactly why it works. We all know that escape maps can be well done (the Escapecraft series, Escape the Puzzlemaster, etc.), but a substantial portion, most likely a majority of these maps are just so bad. I've seen so many people attempt to refresh the escape sub-genre by flaunting originality, but unfortunately many of these efforts are in vain. So Accept Your Own Adventure analyses why this is, and presents it to the player in a new light. Those who frequent escape maps will notice the way Gregolas presents these flaws very evidently. It's clever.
The sad fact is, the message that Gregolas42 tries so hard to convey is often missed, and there are a number of reasons that contribute to this. Firstly, it contains many possible endings, whose quality ranges from great to somewhere far below terrible. If you happen to choose a path through the map that sends you on a path to one of the better endings, then you'll have fun and realize what Gregolas42 was going for all along, and perhaps even be interested in revisiting the map again to replay and get another ending. But if you get one of the less-than-stellar endings, chances are you'll curse and never want to glance at the adventure again, regardless of whether there are supposedly better endings down the road. All in all, the message is sloppily portrayed, for one, because it isn't always clear amidst certain endings. As I hope you can guess from now, Accept Your Own Adventure's gameplay aspect is not the strongest I've ever seen.
The storyline of Accept Your Own Adventure is another reason why you don't always get the point of the message the map creator is trying to send. The plot is actually fairly decent, mainly because the Glados-like character is a thrill once you get past the droning anonymous-style voice. He torments you thoroughly if you misbehave, maliciously kills you in at least one ending, and is a real comedian in others. He also is presented as the "map maker" who, as it turns out, is also the main way Gregolas42 proves his point about escape maps in general. He realizes you don't like a certain map because it is horribly dull, but gives you another chance by replacing that flaw with another. If you get fed up with him simply because you want to and disobey, then *poof*! You're dead. But as it turns out, if you choose a completely "good" path where you obey at least three quarters of what the "map maker" tells you to do, you'll miss the point, and instead carry on through a messy adventure. You'll recognize the flaws of the adventure for sure, but because the Glados character likes you so much, he won't get mad or show you another great path, which in turn doesn't give you the message. I have mixed feelings toward the story, and while I have quite a few positive mentions on its originality, I think its flaws outweigh its successes.
Which brings me to Accept Your Own Adventure's final major aspect, its progression. On an everyday occassion, I'd critique a map's success in this department in the same way I would its gameplay, but progressing through this map is different. It is a "Choose Your Own Adventure"-themed map (a series I loved as a kid, and so I smiled upon seeing this) in the sense that there are moral choices to be made, consequences, and of course, multiple endings. Now, this is all great, but it gets a little cluttered. It is yet another reason why Accept Your Own Adventure's moral pretentions are beyond its less-than-vast capabilties, and you ofter misunderstand what the whole point of "Accept Your Own Adventure" is. Progressing through certain paths is thrilling, while others are less so. There is often little to motivate you to progress through the adventure, and therefore a less-than-useless atmosphere. Simply put, you don't want to progress through Accept Your Own Adventure unless/until you realize what it is trying to communicate to you.
When you finish Accept Your Own Adventure, you may not truly understand what it was trying to tell you. I'd say there's a 50/50 chance this will be the case for you, and if you take a peek at the score the map received, you'll realize it is about close to that. You may get the message, and you may not. One way or another, you'll have mixed feelings about the map. You probably won't call it great or terrible, unless you got one of those freaking awful endings or one of the incredible endings and didn't come back to find the others. Analysing this map was a real pain in the **** because there were so many factors that contributed to its successes and failures, but I knew what was going to come my way when I sign up for the job of reviewing. In a nutshell, Accept Your Own Adventure has its own take on the puzzle crisis the mapping community has been in for the past year or so. It is a little too sloppy to fully present this at the moment, but it may get there eventually. Only time will tell. Hopefully this review will accelerate that change.
Bugs/tips
-improve the endings of the strictly "good" paths. This could mean a slightly more epic ending or some more interactive content, but whatever the case might be, keep in mind that you are trying to inform the community of what it is doing wrong. No matter where you take this, make sure you present the flaws of escape maps prominently.
-is there anyone you know capable of doing a computer voice that doesn't sound like anonymous and isn't as annoyingly repellant as the automated voice you chose? It would help the first impression, even if you do get used to the voice about halfway into the adventure
-include more endings on the "bad" side of the chart. They are the most fun and the most intuitive, and I recommend getting started on them right away!
-I personally wouldn't mind a deeper story. You've got the flawed aspect down perfectly, and you can keep that, but something more to motivate you would be nice
Username: CrazyShadowDude (Me)
Map name: Lost Demon Lucas
Link: Click on my sig
Genre: Adv, Parkour, Puzzle
Estimated completion time: 30-45m
Hope you enjoy and thanks in advance!
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1251882-puz-park-1718-test-madman-revamped
Map Name: Adventure of the Ancient Maya
Forum Link: Click Me
Genre: Adventure, Parkour, Puzzle
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.):None(Recommended: Void Fog Remover To See Easier, TooManyItems For Checkpoints)
Estimated Completion Time:Varies; 20-30min
The map has a simple premise: the player is a thief tasked with stealing a diamond and bringing it back to his or her hideout. Along the way, the player has to navigate through and over buildings and similar obstacles. I enjoyed how this map felt and looked; the towns and cities are definitely a sight for sore eyes, considering that most parkour maps nowadays consist of random floating blocks. This map felt natural to move in, to jump and climb around. It is very important to have the player feel immersed inside the world the map creator makes, and The Parkour Thief does this fairly well. However, despite all of this, there is something I need to bring to attention:
The map felt very short and did not give off the feeling of any real substance. This, I feel, is due to the map's story. With the map being nothing more than the player trying to reach a certain location, the map's creator seemed to struggle with a good progression and pacing of the map. The various cities and towns in the map, while interesting in their own rights, looked to be nothing more than filler and an excuse to have more parkour before the map ended. They were ultimately very arbitrary, having nothing to do with the map's overall experience or story. There wasn't much in this map to tie the world into the player's quest other than the cities being mere obstacles to give the player something to do. The ending felt very abrupt to me because I trekked across a handful of cities only to remember that the story was extremely simple. In reality, I had only accomplished stealing a single diamond despite going through all sorts of random jumping courses that seemed to be building up to something, but actually weren't. This was disappointing. With all of the content in this map, it was still uneventful and plain.
I mentioned before how I enjoyed the map's aesthetics being believable instead of being floating blocks. This is wonderful and shows the mapper's realization of the importance of creating interestingly designed levels for players. My concern here is that even though the map looks the part, the gameplay is still the bare-basics of parkour. With real-life landscapes, there are many opportunities to make traversing the world a very fun and engaging experience. But I was still essentially climbing ledges, jumping over gaps, and just trying to find the next place to go. It's one thing to make a nice visual design such as this map's, and it's one thing to make it fun to play. It's ANOTHER thing to carefully weave the two together. The Parkour Thief did not seem to incorporate game and atmosphere together very well. I noticed elements of this map that really looked like the mapper viewed level and overall game design differently from one another. The entire map experience looks like a mess of different processes of thought that the creator went through as he was mapping, or rather, the map's experience has every single element that a good game needs, but fails to mesh it together into a solid, consistent mix.
All in all, I cannot recommend this map. On the other hand, I can't call it bad. The map looks and feels interesting, and I enjoyed jumping in and around actual buildings for a change, but in the end it was nothing more than a pretty parkour obstacle course. Story, visuals, and gameplay were very separated in regards to the overall experience and the map would have been so much more fun to play if those things were tied together nicely.
Bugs/tips
-Didn't see any bugs. Nice.
-As mentioned throughout the entire review, make a tangible connection between story and gameplay. Games are often considered to be the ultimate form of media because it combines video, audio, writing, and ties it all in with player interaction. Consider the entire map as a whole, rather than looking at elements of your map separately.
-There are many creative things you can do with a realistic world. I liked jumping the rooftops, but the potion and mining buildings looked like they were built based on generic parkour jumps. Try basing the jumps around your buildings, or, following the previous tip, find a balance where you can design and build them together.
-When making a story or narrative, just about everything needs to have a reason to exist. It's cool that you made realistic scenery, but why was there an old abandoned tunnel that led to a random tribe of vicious warriors? Make it significant, or don't have it at all.
-It may just be me, but make your map harder
LOL WTF? That's interesting.
(Just correcting you thats all
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1251882-puz-park-1718-test-madman-revamped
Map Name: The learning (Durn prerelease)
Forum Link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1400283-advwip131-the-learning-durn-prerelease-25h-gameplay/
Genre: Peaceful adventure and puzzle, with basic parkour required, optional intermediate parkour.
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.): None
Estimated Completion Time: 2.5 hours
Additional Info(optional): I just want to get an idea of my adventure-map-building style so improve it in the further parts of the map.
This is why: Miley Cirus. You are not the first one to think that. On my minecraft server I have been mistaken as a she many times before they get to know me. The sad truth is, there is 2 l's in Kmilley. everyone just sees it as kmiley and thinks I am a girl
As for your question: I want people who know how to write well. No spelling errors, grammatical issues, ect. I also want people to be able to give a solid, thorough review. They must be able to highlight the negatives and the positives without bias. They should also throw their own personality into the reviews. The last thing, is they must keep the same formatting when writing the reviews. They can't stray from the format I have set up for us at Review Central.
Hope this helps. I have to go right now, but I will put the map requests up soon.
Former Lead Modeler of Pixelmon