[Challenge/Epic] I Dreamed of the Sky

This level will probably be awesome. Looking forward to it.

Me too!

I hope it will not be so hard as Do not pick up the key. But I enjoyed Petals or Coldmist mountain, so I am looking forward to this level a lot.

Thanks guys, it's very encouraging to hear that people are excited about this.

Man, making tilesets takes aaaages...

The final area has had a complete renovation and will no longer share any tiles with 'Do Not Pick Up The Key'. But it does mean I'm spending hours designing quite a complicated tileset, and procrastinating over the aforementioned activity. Once the tileset-making is done, hopefully designing the area itself won't be too great a trial and I'll finally get this done.

I have been trying some more complex gradients. One of the earlier areas that I've posted a screenshot of before has had a revamp and the edited screen is posted below.

For purely logical reasons, this level is divided into... levels, which count backwards. So you start in Level 8 and head to Level 1. This, as I say, is purely logical, as it's explained quite early on in the story that the upper levels were abandoned long before the lower levels were explored, so it'd make no sense if they counted from the depths and up. But it's fun turning that little gaming gimmick on its head, and I find it builds anticipation because you always know exactly how much further you have to go.
A lot about this level has worked better than I'd anticipated; you keep feeling rewarded as you complete the challenged the game places in your way. There are recurring objectives in different levels - finding an upgrade, turning on power and so on - and every time you complete one of the regular objectives you get a little jump of glee.
And then, every so often, something doesn't go as you've learnt to expect. 

Oh, and one final thing. In some levels I've played, people have made a sound come on part way through a cutscene instead of right at the beginning. I assume this is done via the world file, but can anyone explain to me how? Also, does anyone know where I can get some ocean ambiance?

Screenshots:
1. Re-vamped screen from an early level (original version can be seen as part of the poster in the first post).
2. Console screen from a cutscene.
3. WIP screen from the final level.

In some levels I've played, people have made a sound come on part way through a cutscene instead of right at the beginning. I assume this is done via the world file, but can anyone explain to me how?

You simply place a file in the cut scene directory named SoundX.ogg, where X is the index of the screen you want it to play on.

And the level looks fantastic, by the way. The new gradient is good, though I confess I miss the hint of red in the previous one. It made it appear that you were looking out on some grim sunset, though that's probably not what you were going for. So perhaps it is for the best.

You've really stepped up the quality of the art!

Agreed. The screens look so awesome, I'm giving you a for it.

Me too 

Oh wow, thanks guys

Ah, so can that be used to make the music or ambience track start playing part way through a cutscene and play through the rest of the scenes to the end?

Got the tileset done today and, optimistically speaking, I'm about half-way through completing the last level, which is to say I've made about half the screens, have the rest planned out (yay!) and have scripts for the cutscenes. Gotta copy, paste and repaint those screens for when the lights get turned on, make the rest of the screens and get the cutscenes made and in place. Once that's all done, there'll be a few bits of plot to wrap up at the end and then it'll be ready for testing.

I'm still gonna hold off being optimistic about the release but at the moment I'm working well and have a good supply of inspiration, and there isn't a vast amount still to do; making screens will be no trial as long as I maintain my current creativity streak, and I'm pretty well done for planning designs and making tilesets and those are the things that most often hold me up and cause the long delays in production for me.

So all being well, I might even have this ready for testing before the end of March, which would be brilliant (though I make no promises). I'm so eager to get this released and to hear what people have to say!

(Also, I'm squeeing over having an admin's interest )

Ah, so can that be used to make the music or ambience track start playing part way through a cutscene and play through the rest of the scenes to the end?

Unfortunately, it will only play on the assigned scene. If it's not vital that it be cued to a particular scene, you could put a length of silence at the beginning of the background track, though that's hardly a robust solution. Have you considered making it an in-game cut scene instead?

You could break it into 2 cutscenes if you don't mind a flash of white in between. For the first scene move Juni to an all white screen containing an auto-shift that starts the second scene. Make sure there's no music playing in the first scene to expedite the transition. Cover Juni with white water tiles to ensure she doesn't appear in the flash. I used this in A Knytt in Time to transition from any of the ending scenes to the credits scene.

Really like the background in the last of the latest screenshots. Keep up the good work!

edit:typo

Yesterday I considered making the first few frames of the scene in-game and seeing how that works, but since there's a white flash queued part-way through the cutscene anyway, I might try Ego's solution.

EDIT: The challenge of finishing up a long Hard level with a climax that doesn't peak into Super-Hard...

To do:

Design two tiles and a CO.
Make ending scene.
Play through the level a few times.
Do not pick up the key.

That's good news.

REally looking forward to this... oh the epic-ness!