[Hard-Very Hard][Challenge/Playground][KS+] Azure Serenity: The Salty Seas

Nice to hear that I inspired someone else to revisit this level. Although I should note that the update at the end of last year actually added a lot more than just Chapter 1.

You may remember some of this from your previous playthrough, but the level's structure basically works like this. You start off in the main hub and gradually obtain all the movement powerups and keys. With all of those, you can get to Vigilant Port. In theory, this place can send you to Chapters 1-3. All three of these chapters then strip you of your powerups and make you collect them all anew, in addition to the eye and the spell card (which I'll get to in a moment). And so upon finishing one of these chapters, you also have both of these powerups in the main hub. With the eye, a ton of new areas are now open, some of which also feature new chapters.

In practice, the only finished chapter is the first one, so you don't actually have a choice how to unlock the rest of the main hub at the moment. But there is still a lot more fully implemented content to experience there afterwards, in addition to some other pieces of content that were newly added to the old areas (most of it is accessible through Shreep's house).

As for the mechanic you didn't understand, that has to do with the spell card. It's a reskinned detector that gives you access to your current repertoire of magic spells. The idea is that you'll be learning at least one of them per chapter and can then cast it at specific locations. Newly learned spells are sometimes required to proceed, but there are also various locations where you can optionally cast a spell you may have learned in an already finished chapter to make a challenge easier. Also, some locations will instead offer you to cast a stronger version of a spell that requires a certain number of golden creatures. Basically, this means that you're supposed to have increasingly more opportunities to make the level easier as you progress. In practice however, you can only learn the one spell taught in Chapter 1 so far. It's needed maybe once or twice there and can help you with a handful of optional challenges in the main hub. I don't know if the other spells are even functional at this stage, but they do have description images among the level's data. It sounds like this could become an interesting mechanic if the level is ever finished.

Although I should note that the update at the end of last year actually added a lot more than just Chapter 1.

Good to know! My first playthrough a while back was the story-mode option. It looks like I'm still missing the eye, spell, holo, and purple key in that save, so it doesn't sound like I reached the Vigilant Port yet.

I (re)downloaded the .bin from this post "Newest Version (The Salty Seas) (Dec 31 2022)" for my second playthrough which overwrote the Tranquil Dreams file, though I'm unsure if that means it updated the save I already had with the new content.

The idea is that you'll be learning at least one of them per chapter and can then cast it at specific locations. [...] Also, some locations will instead offer you to cast a stronger version of a spell that requires a certain number of golden creatures.

Sounds cool!

Was your first playthrough before Shreeps updated the level at the end of last year? I never played it before that update, but prior to it, Chapter 1 wasn't finished either. So there should have been no way to get the eye at all. I believe the whole post-eye part of the hub was only fully implemented with the update.

Was your first playthrough before Shreeps updated the level at the end of last year?

I don't remember ever leaving the hub and losing all of my powerups (i.e. starting a new chapter) back then so you're probably right.

That's not enough to guarantee it though. You also lacked the purple key, so you couldn't have managed to reach Vigilant Port and start Chapter 1 even if you were using a version that already had it. Although if the spell stuff was completely new to you, that's indeed a sign you played an older version. I believe that got added in that update. Prior to that, it seems the detector had no special purpose and was just handed to you in Shreep's house. Though I guess it's not that important to figure this out.

Just completed a massive playthrough series of this level: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPY6G2hmt_KrmJEse-la30Cyn0ftquqNF

It covers what appears to be everything it has to offer in normal mode at the moment, including the entirely of A Midnight's Wander, which I finally managed to figure out. And there's an extra part at the end where I abuse open world mode and the cheat code to showcase the absolutely massive amount of currently available previews for unfinished parts of the level.

hi Shreeps ;-)

First of all I want to tell you that I am a big fan of your levels. I'm currently playing Salty Seas, great although the bosses are very difficult to beat but with perseverance you can get there. I'm an average player but I still managed to beat the pirate leader
on the other hand I am totally stuck on the next level, the one in the fog.
I understand that you wanted to transcribe the impression of fog, but even by touching the different settings on my screen, nothing can be done. It's a bit of a shame to be stuck for this reason...
apart from that everything is excellent and you manage to perfectly make us want to go further. I'm just angry not being able to continue and finish the level...
Whatever, thank you because I can imagine that creating all that is a mountain of work. Congratulations Shreeps ;-)

hi Shreeps ;-)

First of all I want to tell you that I am a big fan of your levels. I'm currently playing Salty Seas, great although the bosses are very difficult to beat but with perseverance you can get there. I'm an average player but I still managed to beat the pirate leader
on the other hand I am totally stuck on the next level, the one in the fog.
I understand that you wanted to transcribe the impression of fog, but even by touching the different settings on my screen, nothing can be done. It's a bit of a shame to be stuck for this reason...
apart from that everything is excellent and you manage to perfectly make us want to go further. I'm just angry not being able to continue and finish the level...
Whatever, thank you because I can imagine that creating all that is a mountain of work. Congratulations Shreeps ;-)

Did you try increasing your screen's contrast? Perhaps my playthrough could also help. Note that you don't have to do the long climb in that really dark area, if that's what's giving you trouble. It is indeed very hard, but all that's up there is a golden creature. You can return there later once the fog is gone. Do note however that the thing that comes next is insanely difficult for entirely different reasons.

thank you for helping me, so I have progressed since the last time, but hey I'm moving forward like a snail lol
I am currently in the fight against the Silver Priestess and she still has 4 lives left (4 pink boxes in the boss bar). I must admit that sometimes I don't really know where to go...go up to the screen above, go to the one on the right...I'm going to continue slowly but surely
I didn't think I would get this far! Shreeps forces me to surpass myself :-D

Hello guys,

After struggling for at least 2 weeks, I finally managed to beat the silver princess (I never thought I would get there, I was ready to give up and then finally I succeeded).
I then returned to where the fog cleared. I climbed up to the shell and then jumped left with my umbrella over the sea. Many difficult tests again in order to find a GC (golden bird).
But unfortunately I am stuck on the left, unable to return because it is impossible to jump over the sea again.
Someone to help me please?

Hello guys,

After struggling for at least 2 weeks, I finally managed to beat the silver princess (I never thought I would get there, I was ready to give up and then finally I succeeded).
I then returned to where the fog cleared. I climbed up to the shell and then jumped left with my umbrella over the sea. Many difficult tests again in order to find a GC (golden bird).
But unfortunately I am stuck on the left, unable to return because it is impossible to jump over the sea again.
Someone to help me please?

I'm afraid I don't quite follow. Are you saying you got the golden bird, but then failed to return? I'm not sure what could cause you trouble there. There is a large body of water to the east of that, but with various small black platforms. Crossing it should pose no issue.

hello,
yes that's it : I'm at the very west of the level, I got the golden bird (in a hidden place) and I'm going around in a loop.
I cannot return because I am blocked in one place by an impassable body of water. To arrive here, I had jumped with the umbrella from the very top (where there is the shell house) to the west.
But don't worry kilicool,
... because through too many successive fights, the fun has desapeared and has transformed into fatigue...
(I was also very tired visually on these very pale screens where the projectiles are white, maybe because of my bad eyesight and glasses)
I'm going to take a break with this level and I'll come back to it later ;-)
Thanks for you help :-)

hello,
yes that's it : I'm at the very west of the level, I got the golden bird (in a hidden place) and I'm going around in a loop.
I cannot return because I am blocked in one place by an impassable body of water. To arrive here, I had jumped with the umbrella from the very top (where there is the shell house) to the west.
But don't worry kilicool,
... because through too many successive fights, the fun has desapeared and has transformed into fatigue...
(I was also very tired visually on these very pale screens where the projectiles are white, maybe because of my bad eyesight and glasses)
I'm going to take a break with this level and I'll come back to it later ;-)
Thanks for you help :-)

This part of my playthrough should explain how to get out of there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBqhIKMxwTY

I guess you must have trouble seeing the platforms because there is no impassable water blocking the return from that golden bird. Unless you're talking about leaving the island entirely. There's a boat for that.

indeed you are right kilicool64 :
I missed a small platform (at 26:50 on your video) which allows to reach the boat.
Thanks to you, I must have been super tired... that said, the silver priestess fight followed by this level full of challenges, for me it was really exhausting lol
Thanks ;-) Level completed !!!

Hello Shreeps,
After several weeks of break, I came back to your level to try to finish it
First I want to tell you that I am a fan of your levels and that I have finished all the others that you have done. I like everything about your levels in general, the intelligence of the level design, the giant maps, the visual beauty of the levels and the music you associate with them
But in this one the joy turned into frustration. I already found the fight against the silver priestess to be lunatic, but then after... impossible for me unfortunately to continue. And it's a real shame because I would have liked to discover more, so really it is frustrating for me 
I'm an average player and I can't stay an hour to go through a screen (it's stupefying) knowing that there are still 10 screens like that behind...
Sorry to send you this negative review, but I'm really disappointed that I can't finish a level because of the difficulty, especially when it's a level that I love. In any case, congratulations for the titanic work you put into creating it. Thank you and I hope I wasn't too harsh with you 
To conclude: excellent level but to be reserved for very strong players