Metroid : Advent

[Quote58]

Hello people,
Metroid : Advent is a mini hack separate from my full hack, which I'm still in planning for. Advent, meaning waiting, is not a demo, but a hack of it's own. It does however showcase some of my custom gfx, which will be in the full hack. Advent includes 3 boss fights, over 20 items, beam doors, and tons of custom gfx.

Advent has 4 areas:
Jungle,
[spoiler][/spoiler]
[spoiler][/spoiler]
Chozo Ruins,
[spoiler][/spoiler]
SubAqueous,
[spoiler][/spoiler]
[spoiler][/spoiler]
[spoiler][/spoiler]
And the final area, which I won't spoil with a picture.

Credit:
-Approx. 8 hex edits found by various people
-Sadi/kej spinjump patch
-Rakki door speed ups patch
-Sadi beam split asm
-DSO tileset repoint [super useful]
-about 90% of the gfx are done by me, however some zm chozo blocks as well as zm plants were used, and I used Red Monkeys gfx collection so their all on one line. Other gfx here and there such as the leaves in Jungle, which were originally from Charmander106. I'll be editing them further as the hack is updated btw
-Beam door hex tweaks courtesy of Black Falcon.

I will be updating this hack to include more places to go, items to get, and bosses to fight. For now though, there are 10 missile packs (total of 105 missiles), 8 energy tanks, 2 heavy missile packs, and a secret boss fight. The ending % does not reflect that, but you can simply check with here to see.

One major thing to note though, is that the save stations DO NOT WORK
I even took the station plm out so that you didn't try it and fall through the floor infinitely. Ya, that happens. I'll fix it.
I suggest you save state at each save room, and don't bother else where, as it isn't a difficult hack.

So, this thread is to discuss the hack and if you have any bugs to point out, please do so.

One more thing, what's next for the hack?
Well here are some things I intend for it:
-another boss fight
-many new rooms, possibly a new area
-huge expansion on final area and secret area
-some asm I haven't had time to incorporate, but will only take a minute to make
-a few new items, one being a new beam
-x-ray visor/scope will be an optional item
-new enemy gfx, including bosses
-item screen name gfx changed

Edit: Forgot to add the not useful and very general story.
Samus finds herself on planet ASCII after following a space pirate colony ship containing her nemesis, Ridley. What she finds however, is stranger than she imagined. Hunt down and eliminate Ridely.

and probably much more, keep in mind that this is version 0.32

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60276829/Metroid%20Advent.IPS

[Cloud20]

Now Advent on Metroid Construction. :)
I liked the improvements of this version. It was very fun and jungles/subaquatic tiles are awesome.

[Quietus]

Firstly, I'll say I love it.  It just feels like everything is as it should be.  Good job. :^_^:

Secondly, notes:
[spoiler]I had eight tanks by the end, not seven.
A few of the doors going upward spit you out inside the doors.
Draygon's area made my map go screwy.
The green suit could probably do with being lighter, as it was occasionally hard to see yourself in the water area, especially when you'd gathered some speed.[/spoiler]

[MATHGODpi]

Beautiful hack. I'm loving it so far. However, I already find myself stuck.
[spoiler]In the room with the purple door near the beginning.[/spoiler]

[Quote58]

@mathgodpi
[spoiler]if you don't have missiles, get them, they're a couple rooms back. if you do, use them on the gate. If you're already past that, then, "-Beam door hex tweaks courtesy of Black Falcon." [/spoiler]

@Quietus
Thanks  :yay:
-about the energy tanks, I had added one for the newest version and I guess I forgot to account for it. Sorry.
-not sure what you mean about the doors going upwards. Now I get what you're saying. I'm not sure how to fix that as I don't know why it happens. Sorry.
-ya, the maps are, eh. I forget why that particular fight is incorrect with the map, but I know for one fight, the boss wouldn't work in any other area, so I had to have him off the map.
-well, it was originally lighter, but it looked much worse when not in the dark areas, so I made it darker, but I'll work on it.

[Quietus]

I forgot to mention that there were a few instances where you would jump up or fall down straight into an enemy (most often Skrees when jumping up), which is annoying.

As for the stuck-in-door problem, it's usually to do with the 'distance from door' setting.  Doors at the top of rooms, which you go through upward, need a higher distance to prevent you from getting stuck when you go through.  Normally the top cap, which you fall in, has 8000, and the bottom cap, which you jump up through has 01C0.  Check it's not set to 8000.

[Derakon]

Nice hack! I finished in 00:42 with nominal 37% item collection; I don't know the exact stats. Aside from the map errors (most noticeable, to me, in the room reached via green door from the landing site), I saw one tiling error:



I liked how quickly Samus moved, and the speed of the door scrolling as well. I do kinda wish you'd had the "Samus keeps her speed when landing" modification in addition to respin -- between the two of those you can pull off some nice acrobatics, like in Eris.

The beams were interesting, though enemies largely ceased being a concern once the scattershot was acquired. Incidentally, on the item screen the items still have their old names.

I never did get through that crumbleblock-morphball tunnel. Seems like the only thing that could have worked would be an insanely precise mockball; I'm glad nothing required was down that way.

I think my only complaints are a) using missiles on the grating is unintuitive (maybe replace it with something that can more recognizably be damaged?), and b) in the early game there's lots of skreebats and sidehoppers that you're just going to hit because you can't see them coming. Fortunately pseudo-screwattack kills everything anyway.

[MetroidMst]

Once you get another Morph Ball item your rolling speed is changed and it allows you to cross that bridge.

[MATHGODpi]

Embarrassed to say it... stuck again!  :blush: :blush:

[spoiler]Subaqueous - where Samus can't make the little hop due to the water. Went back and searched everywhere and can't seem to find any more available paths. Must be something obvious I'm missing.[/spoiler]

Edit- got past that part but I'm stuck yet again. :mad: I'll probably just wait until a walkthrough is posted before continuing.

[begrimed]

MATHGODpi:

[spoiler]There's a save room nearby where you have to bomb near the middle of the right wall.[/spoiler]

[Quietus]

Once you get another Morph Ball item your rolling speed is changed and it allows you to cross that bridge.

Oh, I thought it was granted by the[spoiler]Speed Booster.[/spoiler] :^_^:

[MetroidMst]

It might be. I didn't really notice it until I had the other item, but I also didn't Morph much in between collecting the two.

[Quote58]

It is indeed from getting spring ball. There will be more uses for it in future updates, same with the speedbooster actually. In any case, you can find the hex tweak on the hex tweak page of the main site, it simply changes the morph ball speed when spring ball is equipped. I thought it would be an interesting idea for an item.

@derakon
I'm not sure what map error in the room through the green door you're refering to, but I'll check and fix it if need be.
That room with the tiling error is actually just a filler room, I was on a time constraint and needed  to connect two places, so I simply found a room that was big enough to complete the map. However, in future updates that room will be replaced with a bigger area. I was vaguely aware of the tiling error, but now it'll bug me if I don't go and fix it anyway.
About the preservation of momentum, I'm not a huge fan of it, but it may be in future updates/mini hacks.
And in terms of stats, I'm sure there is at least one end percentage fix, I'll deffinatly use it, and the next update will include a proper ending %. but you can't have 100% unless you've beaten all /3/ bosses. So remember that for item collecting.

[Quietus]

preservation of momentum, I'm not a huge fan of it

I must admit that I'm not a fan either. :neutral:

Also, did you manage to check the stuck-in-door thing I mentioned?

[Quote58]

I did indeed check that Quietus, just now actually.
You were correct, I didn't notice the 8000, but it is now fixed, and tested. So in the next update, which I'm planning to include a lot more, you won't be getting slightly stuck in doors going up.

Other thing to note, I had not seen that the Jungle map was positioned rather poorly in some spots. The connections for a couple rooms have been fixed, so the map should be coherent, I will however go through the other maps as well, and make sure they work.

Edit: Checklist for next update changes. Feel free to tell me about bugs and such to add to this checklist.
-major expansion to Jungle √
-1 to 2 new boss fights √
-Chozo ruins expansion √
-All maps fixed √
-Working save rooms
-new enemy gfx possibly
-little graphical things that I'm in the process of fixing
-Beam balancing √
-new beam additions √
-total redesign of final area √
-better spore spawn fight √
-add slopes in the room I forgot to put slopes in.
-door cap position for a few rooms √
-Quick beam change HUD √

I'll update this post with √ next to items as they are completed.

[MATHGODpi]

[spoiler=Something I've noticed]After you beat phantoon, you can cycle back and return to his room to fight him again... as many times as you like.[/spoiler]

[Quietus]

That reminds me: When you exit his room, the door is broken.

[Quote58]

ya, I'm really not sure what to do about the door. It looks really good being out by one tile, but when you go back out, the door is in the wrong place, is there a way to fix that?
And you can indeed fight the extra boss as many times as you want. I'll be doing more stuff with those rooms for the next update, but for now, is that actually a problem?

[MATHGODpi]

Not really. Just figured it was worth mentioning.

[Quote58]

That reminds me: When you exit his room, the door is broken.

Fixed.
For the record, to change where a door cap appears in relation to a door, all you have to do is change the xi lower for a door going out left, and higher for a door going right.

[danidub]

Metroid Advent v0.32 map is online:

[spoiler]http://www.nordub.ca/Maps/Advent.png[/spoiler]

50 min. - 37%

[Cloud20]

Nice work like always Danidub :)

[Quote58]

That map is fantastic Danidub. I hope you'll make one for the revised and remade version that will likely be 1.0 when I put that out.

[Digital_Mantra]

So I gave this a play, and this is going to sound totally not me but.. the level design just felt way too busy.
Lush? Yes. But there's 'too lush' where the lush is overlushed with more lushness and it de-lushifies the lush.
Too much lush going on. Still a fun short hack though!

[Severin]

00:55, 37%.

A very fun, short hack; I haven't had this much fun with a Super Metroid hack in a while. While I completely adore your custom tiles (the artwork is *fantastic* and used to wonderful effect) I'm going to back up Digital_Mantra. Some of the environments are far too busy, especially in the underwater area. This isn't helped by the dark green palette for Aquatic Effect, which makes you very hard to see! In addition, in the Jungle, some camera angles make it easy to be hit by enemies that you can't possibly see coming. Also, in the hidden area you pick up an item, and then have one final challenge. However, going out of your way to complete the final challenge yields no additional rewards. You could grab the item and run backwards to escape, in theory.

The negatives are negligible in comparison to the positives, though. While level designs are sometimes counter-intuitive (sometimes you can move through pillars, sometimes you can't, and you can't tell when), the custom graphics are fantastic and the mapping is more or less there. You're good at placing hidden items (though I'd like to see more of them, instead of an E-tank sitting blatantly out in the open, in the middle of your path): either you know they're there and they're just out of reach, or a subtle cue takes you off to a completely secret area. Would love to see this expanded upon.