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Temporary => Knytt Stories Level Releases => Topic started by: Vegetal Gibber on January 03, 2020, 17:06:43

Title: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on January 03, 2020, 17:06:43
(http://vegetal.eb-creativos.com/ksstuff/sshot/forgotten_realms_banner.png)

[ Download the level (http://vegetal.eb-creativos.com/ksstuff/levels/Vegetal Gibber - Forgotten Realms.knytt.bin) ] (file size: ~50MB, KS mods not required)

[ Mirror (Dropbox) (https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugt3i8bwzphuab3/Vegetal%20Gibber%20-%20Forgotten%20Realms.knytt.bin?dl=0) ]



Forgotten Realms is a sort-of-open-world playground level with a big focus on exploration. This project was mostly an attempt to string together many of my discarded/abandoned KS levels as I could, although it also features a pretty big number of brand new tilesets and assets.

It is a rather big world composed of several areas, each of them with its own distinct theme and gameplay mechanics. Some of them are merely for you to roam while you enjoy the scenery and music, whereas others will present you with classic KS challenges (traps and enemies), light mazes and even puzzles involving hidden passages and collectibles. There's a little bit of everything here!



Knytt Stories + is supported but not required. This level runs in vanilla KS without any mods. However, playing it in KS+ will enable the following extra features:


As usual, feel free to post here asking for hints or just sharing your thoughts on the level. Hope you enjoy this adventure through these once forgotten lands! Also... happy new year!

PLEASE NOTE: This will be the final version of the level and it contains all the stuff I originally planned to make for it. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that forced my hand, I wasn't able to spend as much time as I'd have wanted on testing and polishing this final release. Hopefully this only means you might spot very minor graphical issues here and there, but if you run into any serious game-breaking problems, please let me know and I'll try to address them and release a fixed version when I can.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Mitorun on January 03, 2020, 20:09:15
Thanks so much for your work. It is a real pleasure to play a new good level.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Wibi on January 04, 2020, 01:02:54
VG surprise release?! :whoa: Already downloaded!
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Wibi on January 04, 2020, 04:20:26
So far this is amazing... though getting every powerup and
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
and then finding that I don't have enough crystals to progress is kind of frustrating, so I might stop there. Still: extremely good level.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on January 04, 2020, 21:25:57
I'm happy to hear you guys are enjoying the level! :D  I've uploaded a new version with a couple fixes (thanks for the bug report, canteven!) and a few very minor additions. Feel free to update your copy if you want, although you won't be missing anything important if you don't.

@canteven: There are some (quite vague) hints for the location of each crystal in the area where you're supposed to use them, in the form of...

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Also:

Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: ixMarcel on January 07, 2020, 20:48:03
Lovely level. I'm playing through it and enjoying myself a lot. Was the intro cutscene inspired by The Waiting Room in any way? :P2
The golden jumpy creature hidden in the spike floor... was an insane idea. I love it.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on January 11, 2020, 19:04:54
Thanks! Since the golden creatures are intended to be harder to find/collect than the other stuff (they're just a bonus challenge and not required to unlock anything), I got a bit creative/sadistic with some of them  :nuts:

Was the intro cutscene inspired by The Waiting Room in any way? :P2

No, but now that you mention it, I can see why you're asking. Still, as they usually say in movies, all resemblance is purely coincidental  :P2
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: GrayFace on January 15, 2020, 15:14:59
Incredible level! I did look in the editor to find one code I missed and 2 crystals.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
On 1st playthrough I ran short of 3 creatures and 1 coin, on 2nd I missed 4 creatures and 2 coins. After I release the new KS Ex version I'll upload a modification of the level with added KS Ex support for golden creatures, coins and tint+attach (all done via a Lua script). My 2nd playthrough was in KS Ex with a ball with a few switches back to Juni in places inaccessible to the ball due to its bigger width.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: sergiocornaga on January 16, 2020, 11:39:37
Really enjoying this so far. The "open world" vibe works quite well, and I think I will play this a little bit each day, exploring semi-aimlessly, rather than powering through to the end.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Purple Ink on February 22, 2020, 12:54:52
I want to play this so bad. But I told myself that I wouldn't play any levels until Reditus is finished. Kind of an extra incentive to get it done sooner.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: pfrangip on March 24, 2020, 19:02:23
Hello Vegetal! Thanks for releasing this level! I am playing it (and jumping back into KS) and it's really helping Quarantine go by smoother. Looks like I've got a lot to look forward to.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on April 09, 2020, 21:22:02
Thanks a lot for the kind words, everyone!

Incredible level! I did look in the editor to find one code I missed and 2 crystals.
After I release the new KS Ex version I'll upload a modification of the level with added KS Ex support for golden creatures, coins and tint+attach (all done via a Lua script). My 2nd playthrough was in KS Ex with a ball with a few switches back to Juni in places inaccessible to the ball due to its bigger width.

Let me know if I can assist somehow so we can make it an official release :P  I imagine this would have to be a separate release since this probably involves changing the layout in quite a few screens so you can navigate the entire level as a ball.

Really enjoying this so far. The "open world" vibe works quite well, and I think I will play this a little bit each day, exploring semi-aimlessly, rather than powering through to the end.

That's actually how I usually play this kind of level, so it's great to hear that it's working out fine for you :)

I want to play this so bad. But I told myself that I wouldn't play any levels until Reditus is finished. Kind of an extra incentive to get it done sooner.

Well... it seems to have worked as a motivation tool C)p

Hello Vegetal! Thanks for releasing this level! I am playing it (and jumping back into KS) and it's really helping Quarantine go by smoother. Looks like I've got a lot to look forward to.

Hey man, it's been a while! It's great to see you again here in the forums :D  Glad you're enjoying the level!

I'd like to make one last update to this level before I upload it to the level archive. I might or might not be adding one new extra area and one new small secret. If I do, I'll post a hint here so people that have already completed the level can access the new area directly if they want to.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: SC on April 11, 2020, 02:15:06
Okay, I was going to save this level until after I streamed it, but considering I postponed that stream months ago and I'm currently at a place that has... less-than-stellar internet, I just said "oh HECK with it" and decided to play this one for myself. And I gotta say, this is definitely worthy of the Juniverse levels page. What an excellent collection of vignettes and areas!

I got to all the areas (including bonus and hidden ones), and I have about 80% of the coins and 40% of the golden creatures. I think the only major thing I would have added would be some sort of fast-travel system (and maybe an ending cutscene?), but it would probably have taken more effort than it was worth. :P

Good job, VG! Glad to see you back in action.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: bernd on May 04, 2020, 19:12:23
I have to agree, this is some really awesome level!
However I would be glad for a hint:
I found everyone important except the moon part.
can some one please give me a hint in which area I have to search, or rather where I ahve to seach for the entrance? :-)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: JanSun on November 18, 2020, 20:17:28
A gorgeous level, but I am stuck. I just can't find high jump or hologram, what am I failing to notice?
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on November 19, 2020, 19:59:13
Wow, I didn't realize there were new replies after all this time! I hadn't checked for so long...  Thanks for the feedback and kind words, guys :D

Spoiler: @bernd (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: @JanSun (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: JanSun on November 20, 2020, 08:34:01
Oh, thank you. I had gotten
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on November 30, 2020, 21:21:31
The level has been updated to version 1.1!


[ Download Forgotten Realms v1.1 (http://vegetal.eb-creativos.com/ksstuff/levels/Vegetal%20Gibber%20-%20Forgotten%20Realms.knytt.bin) ]

If you're curious about the new stuff but don't want to explore the entire level again just to see it, feel free to refer to the hints below!

Spoiler: Access to the new area (click to show/hide)

This will likely be the final version of the level that will be (finally!) uploaded to the level archive, unless any new issues are detected (fingers crossed).
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: SC on December 03, 2020, 01:10:34
Man, this level still rules. Glad you're still updating this.

Also, unless something drastic happens, I think I might do a review on this level soon...
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: kilicool64 on December 24, 2020, 00:46:59
Just finished this level with nearly everything it has to offer. The only thing I could find in the editor that I have yet to get is
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
I tried doing that for about half an hour to no avail. How exactly are you supposed to get there? I tried multiple approaches, but nothing seems to work no matter how well I time it.

I also found three minor level design errors, two of which lead to void screens. I can explain how they work if you're interested in fixing them.

Aside from those complaints, this was a great level, though. It has a really impressive amount of exploration and variety. This is exactly the kind of content I look for in KS.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on December 24, 2020, 19:49:24
Thank you for playing, glad you enjoyed the level! :D


I was planning on releasing one last update in the next days (which includes fixes for a couple void screens and wallswims that were recently discovered), so I'd certainly be interested in hearing about the bugs you found. Feel free to either post the details here in spoiler blocks or by sending me a PM.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: kilicool64 on December 26, 2020, 16:29:08
I looked it up and gave it another shot, but that secret seems to be beyond my ability to get.
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
So I think I'll just have to give up on this and hope that I never run into a level that actually requires this technique for anything more substantial. Thanks for trying to help me anyway.

I did however manage to reproduce the design errors I found and take screenshots of them. For the first one, let the wind take you to the screen above the first screenshot and take advantage of its wrapping nature to let yourself fall to the position where I took the screenshot. Then quickly glide to the screen to the left and jump. If you're high enough to cross the top end of the screen, you'll end up in a void screen above it.

The screen from the second screenshot has a ceiling with weird collision that allows it to be partially entered. Not sure how it works, but you can actually go through a hole in the middle of it, which will send you to the screen above it and cause you to start wall-swimming. Head to the left to enter a void screen.

The third screenshot shows another ceiling with weird collision, but I haven't managed to exploit this for anything.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on December 27, 2020, 16:16:08
Yeah, it's very hard to pull off and it's only for a screen that doesn't contain any items/codes (not even good aesthetics). I'm certainly not planning on making any mandatory or even optional challenges like this unless it's for a Lunatic level or something.

Thank you very much for the bug report!  I was already aware of issues #1 and #3, but I hadn't noticed those non-solid tiles in #2 (how in blazes did I miss an entire ceiling??). I'll release an update after New Year that will patch most of these except for maybe one of them, which will be turned into another pointless easter egg instead :P2
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: kilicool64 on February 07, 2021, 00:07:51
Done playing through the new version. Still a very memorable level overall with lots of attention to detail. And I appreciate receiving my own pointless Easter egg :P2

What I don't appreciate as much is a certain other Easter egg. I don't know if it's actually a new addition or if I just overlooked it the first time, but it really freaked me out, mainly because of how unexpectedly creepy it was. I only managed to find and test it in the editor, but I believe the intended way to trigger it is by
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

I'm not even gonna try to do that, as it sounds like another one of those advanced techniques that only hardcore players can pull off. And random jump scares like this really aren't my thing.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on February 07, 2021, 13:51:48
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: kilicool64 on February 07, 2021, 14:40:43
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Probably shouldn't have done that near midnight O_o And yeah, I realize that this is just a joke aimed at the 1% of hardcore players who like to break levels using engine exploits. (And at the other 1% who spend too much time scavenging levels for secrets in the editor :P2)

Also, in case you were wondering, yes, I also found
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

I see you still haven't put this level on knyttlevels.com. In case you're still open to fixes,
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Polana on March 06, 2021, 00:25:28
Great level, beautiful graphics, but I'm kinda stuck because I can't find hologram. I've already got all other power ups, all keys except purple one and more than half of coins and golden creatures. I can't find any place that I¨m missing, so can someone pleas give me some hints where to look for it (area, etc.)?

Edit: I already found it. Also, have I mentioned how great is this level?

Little hint for others who may get stuck:
Spoiler: (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Vegetal Gibber on October 11, 2021, 12:02:18
Thank you for playing, glad you enjoyed the level! :D  Really sorry for the late reply (this is becoming a recurring pattern for me, at this point... :S )
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: cman on March 23, 2022, 13:33:41
What is the most up to date file for this level? the one on the first post, or the one that says version 1.1? thank you in advance
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: kilicool64 on March 26, 2022, 15:21:37
What is the most up to date file for this level? the one on the first post, or the one that says version 1.1? thank you in advance
You didn't actually check the URLs for both links, did you? If you did, you would've noticed they're the same. So there's no difference. Vegetal Gibber simply replaced his old upload and posted the same URL again.

That reminds me, this level still isn't available on knyttlevels.com.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: cman on March 26, 2022, 17:03:07
You didn't actually check the URLs for both links, did you? If you did, you would've noticed they're the same. So there's no difference. Vegetal Gibber simply replaced his old upload and posted the same URL again.

Thanks! You are right, I could have checked the links and it would have been clear.
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: cman on March 29, 2022, 16:12:15
I suspect that there is something more to do in this screen or the one on top of this, but I can't find what or how?

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

EDIT: nevermind, just watched this longplay and understood that there is actually nothing there https://youtu.be/hqrYCzfZyjE?t=11249 :)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: cman on April 02, 2022, 01:54:17
I really had a blast with this level and it helped me keeping my mind busy during some bad days. It is my kind of level, full of exploration, collectibles, with a constant sense of discovery and beautiful landscapes. Big thank you to Vegetal Gibber for this wonderful level and all the collaborators and to egomassive for all the features that brings the Plus mod. The music is also amazing!

The only thing that I missed is that maybe some of the knytts that are found in some areas could have some dialogs and give a bit of depth to what's going on in that realm.

I also liked that is challenging but not lunatic, although there was a very difficult jump and I still have trouble with a couple of areas. I would be very thankful if someone helps me with these two at least:

Spoiler: (click to show/hide)

Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Fubaka on December 23, 2023, 01:37:42
Man, I should have played this a long time ago. I guess I've been a bit aloof from things here for a while.

This was a really fun level, though I have to admit I spent a bit longer than I should have trying to get past the rising spike wall section without the high jump or hologram. :p I ended up needing to look in this thread for a hint on how to reach the area where the high jump was. After that, it was more or less smooth sailing to get to all the secret areas and to what I believe is the end of the level.

I think you made great use of my music here, as well as certain pieces of extraneous graphics. Your tilesets are and always have been on another level, and yet they still feel just at home in KS.

Overall, great work. Have a star from me.  :hiddenstar:
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: Alen13ASC on February 13, 2024, 19:08:11
(https://i.imgur.com/2eC91WE.png)
Title: Re: [Challenge/Playground] [Normal] [Large] Forgotten Realms
Post by: fabiche on February 20, 2024, 13:26:48
My first level and ...what a level !
I was touched by its beauty, motivated by the intelligence of its design, and excited by its challenge.
Marking! the level which brought me into your universe, so creative for me who am only a player... superb, it remains engraved in my memory.
THANK YOU ;-)