Just a note on "Non Serviam", my extremely large KS level

Hi, I'm Sendy, a long while ago I posted some screenshots and a bit of blurb for my KS level "Non Serviam", a story of enslavement, escape, and conveniently placed powerups spanning a ridiculously vast playing area with fully polished screen design, sound effects, custom puzzles and unique little tricks.

This could be considered a cautionary tale; the game (and it is really more of a game than a level) became so vast, and so logistically complex, that after working solidly on it for several months, I just couldn't bring myself to look at it.

I don't know if it's been 2 years now, but I'm feeling like I MAY be able to finish this. Most of the map is done, and recently, I added sound FX to about half of the map, which was a huge undertaking as I had left the ambience settings till later.

I MAY need help getting this playtested and off the ground. Cutscenes and loose ends need tying up. Not impossible by a long shot, but it will take a fair bit of work. I have no inclination to add music; I am a musician, but I simply don't posess the psychic energy to go on to soundtrack this project after the insane amount of time I already have put in. Which really is ridiculous by the way. 

So anyway... I doubt anyone here really remembers me or my game, but a few people seemed very interested a while ago, when I had a false start in trying to get back into this. Part of me just wants to get on and make a new Story, something smaller and more controlled than this sprawling nightmare/dreamscape! Screenshots to be added later if there's interest.

So anyway... I doubt anyone here really remembers me or my game, but a few people seemed very interested a while ago, when I had a false start in trying to get back into this. Part of me just wants to get on and make a new Story, something smaller and more controlled than this sprawling nightmare/dreamscape! Screenshots to be added later if there's interest.

I remember this level and the screens, but I don't know why. Maybe cause the level name is nice. I hope you will finnish it. Sounds good.

Good luck man. I would really like to see this level.

Sounds cool. I recently started a thread in the main KS forum for talking about the joys and woes of longterm projects. Feel free to come there to share and vent. :-)

Glad at least someone remembers . I remember one stage Nifflas played a bit of it, and gave his approval for using some of his tilesets, he did suggest I remove some of the spike traps, which I've done... A few other people were fans, but I'm not sure if they're regular here anymore.

I've made a screenshot map of the editor minimap, there are well over 500 screens I'd say, though some areas are copied with different switch settings.

Since I don't have any screenies on my laptop, however, I'll list some of the features that may make this level unique.

- Screens are designed such that there's complete continuity of terrain, edges and background/gradients, if you were to build a screenshot map of the game. This was a real pain to pull off and in a couple of areas I cheated a teeny bit, but I had a vision of this huge screenshot map of awesomeness and doom.

- Environmental yet challenging. I may have to make an easy edition. I am however ironing out difficulty spikes.

- You can lose powerups, though not often. At one point you have to start over with no powers, and reclaim new ones in a strange land.

- You're forced to play a familiar area late in the game, with reduced powers.

- Side quests and areas such as find the kitty in the sewer, and exploring the library.

- Completely superfluous areas and beautiful dead-ends, and many places with hardly any enemies.

- It's own training area that you find in the city, teaching you about special trick jumps, laser timing, etc. Also a labyrinth (a maze with no junctions) that you can walk for relaxation.

- NPC's which give you hints and say different things, sometimes not always the same thing, and often humerous.

- Three toggle-able switch blocks, a la Super Mario World, which are mainly found in the desert area.

- Nifflas complimented on my use of sound effects when he played a very early demo, I really think this adds to the immersion.

- All of the graphics are either from the tilesets that come with the game, or ones from A Strange Dream, though I did quite a bit of editing and touching up here and there for my specific needs. (Incidentally my next level will be the opposite, all drawn by me)

- A demonic evil minecart who demands your respect and can vapourise you on a whim.

Screenshots to come probably tomorrow!

Woooo, this sounds AWESOME.

Sounds like this is going to be an awesome level, good luck!

I remember it since when you first announced you were making it on the old Metanet forums!
Really hope you finish this!

I joined the community much later than this was announced, I guess, but all the same, it would be great to see another large and complex level. Good luck if you decide to finish it

Yay, someone else remembers

Thanks all for the encouragement!

Anyway, I have the minimap montage, and 10 screenshots, but it seems the filesize is too big, and I can only post 5 things at once, so for now, 5 screenshots...

You're using tilesets from A Strange Dream, something that you are most definitely prohibited from doing, unless you specifically got permission from Nifflas first - which I doubt.

So what is it about me that you doubt? That my level would be good enough for permission, or that I'm lacking the moral fibre to ask for it in the first place?

Thse screens look wonderful. This looks like it will be a good level.