[Environmental/Misc] The Empty Planet

Hey Plural, I know it's been very nearly a year since this was updated ( ) but I have been thinking about this level and wondering if things are still happening to it. Your screenshots are wonderful, it's clear you've put tons of work into it, and I'd hate for it to die unmade.

I'm still very slowly working on the level. I made a deal with myself that I'd release what I have so far as either a demo or beta or something when egomassive posts his next level as there will be a slight connection that really won't be relevant unless this level is released. As per usual I've gotten bogged down in adding secret side areas that nobody will ever see. But I'm still working on it, however slowly. If I ever did abandon it I would release what's done because there is at least one path/ending complete but I have no plans to do so. I've just devoted less time to this than I should, playing too many videogames and watching too much TV.

Hey, it's a hobby, not a duty. But I'm glad to know you're still going. I look back on how quickly I made 'Eurydice' and the first half of 'Dragon Myth' and I'm amazed by it. Aside from any questions of inspiration and motivation, I don't know how I found the time!

I made a deal with myself that I'd release what I have so far as either a demo or beta or something when egomassive posts his next level as there will be a slight connection that really won't be relevant unless this level is released.

Um. I made a reference to this level in "Endless Winter" which was released some time ago. That's right people. I make references to things that haven't happened yet. It's going to be the best Easter egg ever.

My upcoming level is packed with subtle and not so subtle references. I expect I'll find places to homage Plurals contributions to the Knytt universe.

A testament to my self-involvement and forgetfulness. Or perhaps denial in that I was hoping I would always have more time, especially if what I was waiting for would never happen. Reading the words back it came in like a flood and I feel foolish but also amazed at how much I can easily forget. I remember the level and that was part of the reason I even played it (I confess I'm not a fan of group level construction, which you all would generously bear witness to in the future, now past). Well, anyway...

Here's a splash screen of sorts that is pretty much at the very beginning of the level, so someone in the distant future may play this level or that one and go, huh and then forget about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8GGcm7PLtk

And, while I'm uploading things to youtube, here's the beginning of that level I abandoned before that I mentioned using the art in this level (it was a spinoff of this anyway). Also worth mentioning when posting this, it shows how clean you can do screen transitions with KS+ and how easily that can meld with narrative. Timed shifts, sign shifts, hiding the character, triggers on shifts and all that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZJfO5Dd4us

Don't feel bad that I either didn't remember the level you mentioned and also didn't remember even playing it. I literally forgot I made Orientation. I kept thinking about how since I started this level I've done nothing at all and I kept wondering how it was that it's been over two years and it felt like I hadn't done nearly as much as it had felt like. My brain is an iota of scattershot away from forgetting my own name. I swear.

You know, this thread getting bumped made me check out Orientation, which was, well... actually quite stunning in presentation.  And then I realized that I actually had played almost none of Trapped - so I went and played that through, and found it to be an amazing exploration of screen-wrapping in terms of level design.  Also a fantastic presentation.  And then I decided I'd try out Day 901, too, and that had a wonderfully unsettling atmosphere.  Needless to say, now I'm quite interested to see what you do with this.  

It's actually kind of intriguing to come back to this forum with a degree of consistency after being mostly absent for a while - even though it seems very, very quiet, there's always something going on.  Several people, just chipping away at their own projects.  Gives an interesting sense of motion to the community that I don't really feel elsewhere.

Don't worry, still chipping away...

That is good news!

Nice!

Still working. Though, I wouldn't say I have a good work ethic toward this, I assure you, it will be done. I'll probably wrap it up when I run out of custom objects. I'm up to about 230. Though I wouldn't take that as an indication of how close I am to finishing just how close I am to being close.

Still working on it after almost 5 years in development, that's great to hear! Keep it up and good luck.

Determination bonus: +1000
Excitement factor increase: 150%

 

Great to see a project of this magnitude still in the works. Keep it up!

Here with the annual bump. Any... luck with finishing the level, plural?

I have to say, this is probably the most elusive KS level to date. I hope we all see it being released someday. Take your time.

(You should probably set some kind of failsafe switch that will release the unfinished project if something ever happens to you. Just saying...)

I'm still working on it, not nearly as much as I should, I've had pneumonia recently so I've been ignoring things like this but I'm feeling much better and I'd hope to finish this soon. The truth is that most of the level is done but certain sequences that might be called cutscenes have represented large roadblocks because of the work involved that I just don't want to do. Though I've said to myself that when I reach the limit of custom objects then I simply have to finish the level because I'll be far too limited by that point anyway and as of now I'm up to 249 custom objects, so I've stopped adding anything but trying to finish the cutscene portions, though, admittedly, I've been resorting to playing up the glitch aspect of the level to just lazy my way around actually having to do things.

Here's a screen:


Also, this is the intro to the level that's done. So you wouldn't really be spoiling anything since it's exactly how it starts. Half the screens are things I made but I didn't find a way to include in the level or were made for a different level or you fall through the screen so you don't really get to see it, so I thought they'd be easy to include here. Youtube playback doesn't seem to work that well for me but I'm not sure how to fix it or what's wrong or if it's just me, hope it works though.
https://youtu.be/yVacxKtby8U (thanks to ixMarcel for uploading this)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Gwi_c_wE8 (this video is broken, leaving it here for posterity)

Also, I don't know if this qualifies as scope creep but there's going to be a level hidden inside of this level (or at least a way to find a link for it) because I made it and wasn't really happy with my writing on it but instead of throwing it away I thought I'd use it as an easter egg. It's a sequel to the most recent level I posted. Here's the first screen of that level, though it may be spoiler-y.