[Challenge/Misc.] (Large) (Small) - The Search for Silence (original builds)

Greetings, friends. I've decided to make the unfinished original builds of The Search for Silence available publicly, after years of being handed around privately. I have three levels for you to look at, as follows:

The Search for Silence (Original First Fifth)
This is the original attempt of The Search for Silence that was started back in 2015, shortly after the completion of the album Deparct. Recall that the intention was to create a cohesive epic-length level that used all 256 default tilesets in reverse order. The version I am sharing with you now is the "First Fifth" beta that was shared many moons ago, which stops at Tileset200. There are over 750 screens here for you to enjoy, and some esoteric dialogue that didn't quite manifest into a proper story.

Download link: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Fubaka%20-%20The%20Search%20for%20Silence%20Original%20First%20Fifth.knytt.bin (46.03 MB)

The Search for Silence (Last Original)
This is the "latest" version of the original attempt at The Search for Silence. I thought this one was lost for a long time, but it was in fact just hiding in my KS+ worlds folder. This version goes until the very beginning of Tileset195, and makes use of Talps' "Knyght" COs in the newer areas. It also has an additional hidden Lunatic shortcut near the beginning that is actually functional. I challenge you to find it without cheating. Hint: it can be found before you pick up the Climb powerup.

Download link: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Fubaka%20-%20The%20Search%20for%20Silence%20%28Last%20Original%29.knytt.bin (51.86 MB)

The Search for Silence: Attempt 2
This was the first real attempt at a new version of The Search for Silence, started in 2020 when I started making tracks for Music from The Search for Silence. This version didn't get too far for a few key reasons, the main one being that the areas I built for it were simply too small to let the music play out to an acceptable degree while traversing them. There was also still no real conception at this time of a proper story or structure for the level. Still, a lot of ideas in this build (particularly for area design) were recycled for the current version in the works. Just don't expect Ebert to act the same way he does here.

Download link: https://knyttlevels.com/levels/Fubaka%20-%20The%20Search%20for%20Silence%20Attempt%202.knytt.bin (31.80 MB)

I am impressed with the look of this level.

I am impressed with the look of this level.

It's nothing you couldn't do, I assure you.

I think I got a vague idea of what you're trying to do from the screenshots and the preview level you released. If I'm not mistaken, it's gonna be quite an ordeal to complete this project. If An Excerpt from Silence represents a single area and the full level is going to feature 255 of them... Dang... This is going to be, in fact, colossal

Best of luck with this!

I think I got a vague idea of what you're trying to do from the screenshots and the preview level you released. If I'm not mistaken, it's gonna be quite an ordeal to complete this project. If An Excerpt from Silence represents a single area and the full level is going to feature 255 of them... Dang... This is going to be, in fact, colossal

Best of luck with this!

Well, to be fair, the excerpt represents two areas, not just one. Also, not every area is going to be as large as that was. Just the parts I like best. 

Really digging some of these screenshots. And definitely looking forward to another major Fubaka level.

It is with regret that I must announce that I no longer have the drive to continue working on this project. In fact, I think I will have to more-or-less retire from the designing of KS levels altogether.

My life and ideals are changing rapidly, and I can no longer afford to spend such an enormous amount of time working on this sort of project.

However, I will not be completely discarding this work. Instead, I will make it available to anyone who wants to have a look at it. They can then decide, if they wish, to continue working on it on their own, and make it into their level, or just cut pieces out that they like. Send me a PM if you wish to receive a folder containing the level's data.

I will not rule out the remote possibility that I may return to this one day. Unless that day comes, I will bow out with a somewhat major update to my newest release, The Column. I will also continue to curate the EPIC KS level competition that I started in January.

See you all on the flip-side.

This is disheartening. I hope you'll continue to play and comment on levels here from time to time at least. Are you still open to level testing requests? Am I overreacting and this only means an end to 'epic' levels from you?

As for The Search for Silence itself, I'm glad to here you are open to others taking over the reins. While I'd be surprised if someone else was able to finish it on their own, I could see it reaching completion as a community project to spread its ludicrous burden a little more evenly. I admit some interest in this, and if I'm not alone, maybe work on this level isn't quite at an end... maybe it could even continue under your supervision?

P.S. What percentage completion did you reach in the end?

This is disheartening. I hope you'll continue to play and comment on levels here from time to time at least. Are you still open to level testing requests? Am I overreacting and this only means an end to 'epic' levels from you?

As for The Search for Silence itself, I'm glad to here you are open to others taking over the reins. While I'd be surprised if someone else was able to finish it on their own, I could see it reaching completion as a community project to spread its ludicrous burden a little more evenly. I admit some interest in this, and if I'm not alone, maybe work on this level isn't quite at an end... maybe it could even continue under your supervision?

P.S. What percentage completion did you reach in the end?

Yeah I'll be sticking around. I just don't think I'll have time for this thing anymore.

Honestly it didn't get too much further than the first fifth. I last left off at the beginning of tileset195, aka the Misc. Mine Filler tileset. Other changes I made were adjustments to the first fifth after the beta testing session for that concluded.

I have updated this thread with download links for the unfinished older builds of The Search for Silence. Please check the original post for details.

Awesome, Fubaka. I might try them out on stream soon, along with The Column for sure