[Normal-Very Hard] [Massive Challenge/Playground] [KS+] Azure Serenity (2014)

This was a level I had started in 2008 and posted an unfinished version of on the old forums and just abandoned it for years.  I eventually saw KS+ by Egomassive and was inspired to go back and redo it and complete it!

It has all the collectables KS+ has to find, though not all of them are required to finish the level. (No rewards for collecting the colored cats.)  The level doesn't have any new original tilesets, but I tried to give every area a unique vibe and there are over 100 of them. There is a lot of music/gradients, also think of this as a tribute to all the great tileset artists and Nifflas who let me use his music.

It is one of the biggest Knytt Stories levels (even bigger than Gaia!). I have play tested through it several times now and my last 100% run was just under 5 hours, but I still find SGE's and stuff that needs fixing every time.  Go ahead and post any errors or wrongly credited things or parts you find unfairly difficult and I will fix them.  I don't think there are any parts where you can get stuck but if you do or don't know where to go then ask.



I made a map and a short text walkthrough to help people find their way. There are also warp points that unlock as you collect golden creatures and a 'museum' type showcase area accessible from the main hub later in the game that will show you credits and missed items for each area.

My main regret with the level is that there isn't more story and dialogue.  Azure Serenity is more of just exploring a world that opens over time, although there are some recurring characters and some of the areas have their own little histories.  It's nowhere near the best KS level but I think it turned out decent, so let me know what you like and don't like about it.

Also I would love to see any videos or let's plays of the level (even if they don't get finished since it's pretty long) so if anyone wants to record a playthrough feel free to.


The map and walkthrough are spoilers (though it probably won't hurt to take a quick look at the map ) and the screenshots and credits could even possibly spoil some of what to expect in the level so use them at your own pace/risk/leisure.

9/16/2014: Added an open world version with most powerups and warps accessible from the start.

Screenshots

World Map (Locations of Collectables)
Abridged Walkthrough
Credits
100% Youtube Playthrough 


DOWNLOAD (156 MB)
https://mega.nz/file/sOFGSQKA#rLgw_I4fE0Mi7tiWPsx7Bu5-FOcIz0fGX7tUT8C4rKE

DOWNLOAD Open World Version:
https://mega.nz/file/9DVTiTjC#WHJQO0AVVPRTLTGxnrSyyWQe-4djr1Y1xy91mCY7tcs

DOWNLOAD High Quality Music Pack by Kilicool64
https://mega.nz/folder/tDMHwZKZ#iwv6EarHdF15wNrCaXTKhA

This was enough to get me to download KS+ so I could play it.

Starting from the first screen, never having used a KS mod before: wow this is pretty.

If I find bugs I guess I'll tell you. Did you intend for the first two warps (that take you in and out of the house) to be visible? Like a savepoint, but purple?

Thanks for making this. It looks good.

My main problem with this  is the sheer quantity of screens. I've been running around this level now maybe 40 minutes and still feel like I have so much left to see which is overwhelming in a bad way. Some of the environments are in my opinion just bad and inconsiderately rushed like you really were going for the massive 'gaia' kind of level. Some of the environments were very nice and it makes the level uneven in quality.
The custom music and gradients is definitely a good touch and adds more lust for exploration but it kind of wears of after a few areas. Much of the custom music doesn't fit (like what is this music even doing in the level?) and some gradient choices are just wrong.

I'd say you have a formula here that isn't working but I'm not the person who much appreciated the bigger sandbox levels like gaia and trek. I don't like your map-layout which is just a nonsensical maze (I stand under a clear sky and I go into a cave and then fall into the next area which ooh what the hell another clear sky, but I'm underground or.. what??). There's also many places which I get to choose my path and after a while it starts becoming frustrating for me. Since I miss out on the path I didn't take and so after doing that multiple times it feels like I've skipped huge chunks of the level and if I were to truly try and see all of it I would be forced to backtrack and I'm not going to run around for 5 hours.

in white garden (or what's it called) most of the enemies shot white projectiles, which are practically invisible due to the white background.
In the city area (the one with the tileset from a walk at night) the gradient is just wrong since you ruin the transparent background buildings and hills.

Thanks for the feedback so far, I chose to leave the shifts visible by doors you can enter and exit since most doors you can't actually enter.  The map layout isn't the best and its not for everyone but I wanted it to at least be unpredictable what kind of area you can encounter next. (I promise it's not rushed I mainly just used tilesets I liked though)

I updated it and removed the enemies that shoot unseeable white projectiles.  I also changed some of the city background, I agree it doesn't look good with the photo gradient but I still like the way the darker middle with the colored buildings turned out.

Using the in-game map and the one I posted (I hope no one feels forced to use it though) and the warps should help alleviate exploring the same areas over and over, also I made one change that lets you access the warp in Vigilant City that takes you back to the house after you get the climb power up so that should take out the biggest potential section of backtracking early on.  

Anyone who gets the level now has these changes so hopefully that will save people some time/frustration.

It makes me happy to see my mod inspired someone to finish an old project. *downloads level*

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Edit: This is exactly the kind of level I thought could benefit most from the map power and collectibles. I'm enjoying it. *gives star*

I suggest replacing the artifact icon in the Item Bar with a custom icon, a colored cat. Since the golden creature counter is also a cat, it could be confusing. You may want to choose a different golden creature for the golden creature icon while you're at it. Look at Customnibus for an example of this.

Found an error (see image.) For those who want to make error reports I suggest using the F12 key. It displays the screen coordinates.

Bigger than Gaia? Now that's something I feel like sinking my teeth into! I'm gonna try this really soon, especially if every area has as much work put into it as the ones in the screenshots.
Also, it's good to see a level using KS+! It doesn't get enough love, I feel.

I like your level although it's way too big and inconsistent. It would be impossible to play it without map.
I found a bug. Also, there are many places where is possible to reach the void, especially from roofs in vigilant city and from the pirate ship.

Still enjoying it. You seem to use the same enemies over and over, but maybe I only notice the hard ones. I like the recolored creatures. It's a simple customization, but a really nice touch.

More errors...

Fixed these new errors, and I changed the icons and might change the cat icon again.

The warp to Languished Forest and the underwater area isn't meant to be accessed until you get the eye (which lets you get through that solid part) so I'm guessing you sequence broke through the magical coast with a tricky jump that requires you to be right next to the spikes that I found.

Anyway in the update I changed it to just a wall with a message to come back with the eye and I put the creature door on the Languished Forest side.  I added more screen warps and a few empty screens to help take care of the voids too.

I'm guessing you sequence broke through the magical coast with a tricky jump that requires you to be right next to the spikes that I found.

I have no idea. I haven't been cheating to get places I shouldn't be, and I'm pretty good at jumping.

sooo am i missing some sort of ks+ cheat that i am not aware of? or am i being dense?  

Interesting, I found the map cheat (the original cheat was mentioned in an old LPChip level I think), also I had put the the room in the house with all the power-ups to see let people see what they are missing (or quick access whatever they wanted if you wallswim cheat up from the first screen.) So newcomers might just want to grab those if they wanna play a more open world style and just look for collectables.

There are a few gold creatures you need to hologram and walk through them.  The guy that drops down that you are talking about would never damage me, but I figured out I was testing it in an older version of KS+!! (Pretty dumb of me)  I just moved him to a tile to the left.  As for ground chomp guy in the library I am not so sure about because he still doesn't hurt when I touch him whether or not I have the hologram he just pops up and is collected.

Sorry about the logic change for the Self-dropper. I didn't think it would break any existing level, but I hadn't considered levels under development. I thought it would be more fun if it could kill you like a normal Self-dropper. The Chomper doesn't hurt you, it just surprises you.

I have noticed several KS+ bugs thanks to this level. One of the golden creatures is misplaced in the inventory. Several creatures can be collected after death, if they walk into where you were.

Hey, thanks for playing it all the way through and glad I could help you find some errors too! I prefer the dropper being able to kill you .

If you feel like going in the house here:


It might help you find out where the last coin is or if you just want to enjoy the extended credits.

One of the best levels I played. Very good work!