Powerstick Man XE Central

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Thu May 14, 2015 1:15 am

For the last eight years, I've been gradually picking at my semipopular 2000-era RPG, The Adventures of Powerstick Man, to form a new massive update that's so huge that I've had to change the title to The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition just to show how unlike the original the original has become. And in that time I've released a scattered collection of documents and journals throughout the Castle Paradox and Slime Salad forums, as well as through old articles of HamsterSpeak, outlining its numerous updates and changes, and having those documents posted all over the place does nothing to remind me or anyone just how far this thing has come.

So, I've decided to condense everything I've written about the game into a single thread called "Powerstick Man XE Central" and make it the official source of new information from here on out. The first twenty posts or so will be old news ported over from old sources. To differentiate what's new from what's old, I'll mark each thread with an original posting date, and you'll know that anything marked with a date prior to today (May 13, 2015) is old news.

Feel free to leave comments if you feel inclined. Forum activity has been pretty weak lately, so, you know, do what you want. This will be here if you're interested in finding out more about where this gargantuan game is going.

If you'd like news and info on my other active games, check out "Entrepreneur Central" for Entrepreneur: The Beginning and...well...I guess that's the only other one that has a central hub at the moment. I'll do one for the others as I move back into progress with them.

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Thu May 14, 2015 1:31 am

I think this thread wants screenshots of new scenes :)

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Thu May 14, 2015 1:44 am

Bob the Hamster wrote:I think this thread wants screenshots of new scenes

Yes, and it shall get them...soon...

Let’s kick things off with the announcement that started it all, my journal titled “Chronicles of a Second Wind.” You can access the original journal thread, complete with a short retrospective from TMC, here: http://www.castleparadox.com/viewjournaltopic.php?t=462

March 16, 2007:

Chronicles of a Second Wind

How does a man driven by creativity get his brain to stop nagging him? A pressing question to a philosopher, maybe, but not to me. “Finish what you started” seems like a worthier battle cry for such an occasion—stop leaving the past unresolved—don’t go to sleep on an empty stomach (okay, the last one might be overkill). The message, it seems at its most rudimentary state, is to complete a project that the creator thinks is worth his attention in the first place. If it’s not valuable, it won’t nag him. Simple philosophy…in theory.

I caught the game creation bug back in the ‘80s, found a creation engine, and thus the means to see my computer game ideas come to life in the first half of 2000, and went to work on a project (of organized chaos) called The Adventures of Powerstick Man. It starred the hero of a mock comic I made in the early ‘90s about a tennis player turned spandex wearing crime-fighter who threw deodorant as his superpower. His story began with his birth as a superhero and ended after a short spelunking quest that earned him the coveted “Cove Ruby,” an item that didn’t really help him any. There was so much more planned for the game, with several new towns, a deeper story line involving the kidnapping of mayors, and a slew of pop culture parodies that would make the writers of Scary Movie groan. It was my gaming opus, and my ticket into an underground world of RPG making geeks, where popularity depended on the quantity of message board posts and the clever use of “elite speak,” where “e’s” became “3’s” and “t’s” became…something. And, like so many who fell victim to the black hole of message boards, I lost my steam after the first release. It was a fate I thought I could avoid. I was wrong.

I never learned “elite speak,” by the way, or cared to. My geekiness was intended to live in theory, not in reality. Anyway…

I tried to assimilate my identity into this indie-gaming world through various forms of writing, mainly through reviews of other people’s games. I spent nearly a year of my life critiquing these amateur projects, trying to wow readers with big ways to say little things. And I gained attention. Through my reviews, I became a valuable resource to the independent gaming community. I wrote articles on character development, fought for the appropriate use of dialogue, both in action and in presentation, and even submitted the occasional fanfic in the form of documentary radio scripts. It was a golden age for me in this secret world; I was like Roger Ebert, but younger and skinnier. And I couldn’t get back to my project.

The fire of participation died by 2002, and with it, several false starts on other games. The Adventures of Powerstick Man lingered in limbo, waiting for the day that its story would be completed. But that day never came. I tried to revive it a year later with a new presentation, calling it “Version 2,” but again the fire died as soon as it flickered. My passion for game-making hit a dead end, as did my creativity in all forms. I searched for other methods to keep myself plugged in with the fans (the few that called themselves fans), but my taste for the subculture faltered. Nothing ever got done with this group. Nothing ever got done on my hard drive. With personal crises taking over, I had nothing left to give to my creations. I burned out.

Several projects ate space on my hard drive by 2003, most of them with nothing more than a title screen and a couple of graphics. I still dabbled with my perpetually labored project called Tightfloss Maiden, which to this day remains close to release, as it was in 2001, but not close enough to actually unveil it. In the end, unfortunately, my desire to work on anything creative subsided in favor of personal misery. The golden age became a rusted age, and I couldn’t take it.

By the end of 2003, however, something remarkable happened: I went back to school. I was refreshed. And with the refreshed journey, I went back to my writing. I started revamping my old collections of short stories, releasing two self-published books by early 2005. In the last quarter of 2005, I wrote the first draft of my novel. Throughout all of 2006, I wrote and released my third collection of short stories to the public. And now, as I write this, I’m back in the editing stage of my novel, with a second novel in the drafting stage. Add these to the screenplay floating around various agencies for the Scriptapalooza contest, and it seems I pulled out of a major dive. But alas, something still lingers.

During a brief creative spell in 2005, I decided to return to the original version of Powerstick Man and add some features for an Extended Edition. My intention was to re-release the game as it used to be, but with more options for the player. It was a means to draw its fans back to the character and back to the charm that made it a cult classic (and also to spur interest in the graphically enhanced Version 2 that I hoped to also release someday). But again, after a slight addition to the character roster, I went on to something else—my novel. And there it sat untouched for another year.

And throughout that year, the unfinished project nagged me. Six years had passed without a fair attempt to finish it, or even to progress it, and it haunted me. I couldn’t stand it. But I kept putting it off, favoring the work on my prose over it. It was the annoying guest that refused to leave. It spilled over into my other unfinished gaming projects. One project became nine, all of them waiting for their turn to see the light of day. It was madness.

Finally, I reached the point that I couldn’t take it anymore. After spending a weekend dabbling with another creation engine that specializes in point-and-click adventures, I thought, “I could do this again.”

I’m writing this journal, in March of 2007, because the second wind is blowing, and I’m curious to see what becomes of it. Certainly, it could be a short breeze, destined to die in two weeks’ time. Or it could be a strong gale, lasting until the project sees an end. Either could happen, and I’m curious to see which becomes reality. My novel still demands my attention, as does my economic freedom—both of which are threatened by the idea of revisiting these old projects. But that marks the creator’s heart. A creator without passion isn’t a creator but a do-boy. He has to give his attention to these things anyway.

Having said this, I’ve put The Adventures of Powerstick Man on a new train, and I’ll record its journey in some form as it unfolds.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Fri May 15, 2015 2:21 am

(Current Update #1)

May 14, 2015:

To get this Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition news centralization started, here is a collection of links to HamsterSpeak articles and other sources too big or fancy for this section:

First HamsterSpeak Preview (HamsterSpeak #9 / November 2007)
This is the article that caught us up from the original release and gave the first details of the new version: http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue9/index.html

Second HamsterSpeak Preview (HamsterSpeak #19 / October 2008)
The preview that shows just how drastically the game’s old content has been revamped by comparing the Hotel Primex’s original one-room / one lobby sea foam green design to its modern three-floor palace that comes with reception area, lobby, library, restaurant, indoor swimming pool, halls, elevators, emergency stairs, mayor’s residence, outdoor ledges, rooftop, and air-conditioning ducts complete with tripwire maze: http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue19/index.html

OHR Icons: Powerstick Man (HamsterSpeak #38 / June 2010)
Probably the biggest explication of Powerstick Man’s past, present, and future. Gives some tidbits about the Extended Edition, but really goes way the heck beyond that: http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue38/index.html

Slime Salad Post: “OHR Confessional” (April 10, 2009)
A bullet list of random OHR thoughts and impressions with a section on Games and Powerstick Man: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtop ... 6574#26574

Slime Salad Post: “Sample Journals” (June 25, 2009)
A sample from my personal design journal: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2756

Slime Salad Post: “Fun Facts and Stats” (September 10, 2009 and October 1, 2010)
A list of stats from my in-progress games, including Powerstick Man XE: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtop ... 8323#58323
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtop ... 0233#70233

Slime Salad Post: “Parallax scrolling scripts” (February 20, 2015)
Shows off one of Powerstick Man’s parallax locales: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtop ... 590#113590

Slime Salad Post: “NPC Activation Checks and Displaying Items in Battles” (April 26, 2015)
Mainly a help question, but it does feature a video of one of my currently in-progress areas: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtop ... 589#115589

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Fri May 15, 2015 3:37 am

(Current Update #2)

May 14, 2015:

With the 15th anniversary of The Adventures of Powerstick Man’s start of development happening this week (I began work on this game on May 15, 2000), I figure it’s a good time to post all three official trailers in one location to show you guys just how far this game has come in action.

And it’s a good idea to watch the HD versions.

Trailer #1:
Song: “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by The Scorpions
Description: This is the introductory trailer to show off the first wave of improvements the Extended Edition has over the original. Much of the footage here is already outdated, but it’s a decent example of how far the game has already come.

https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.bursey. ... 5761437591

Trailer #2:
Song: “DiscoPsycho” by Alexander Damien
Description: This is the game’s first “new features” trailer, which highlights a few game mechanics that were unavailable in the original version. Specifically it showcases the game’s “anti-RPG” option, which allows the player to affect how he gains stats without necessarily fighting battles.

https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.bursey. ... 2545070821

Trailer #3:
Song: “Pure Energy” by Information Society
Description: Also known as the “energetic” trailer, the Extended Edition’s latest and longest trailer offers a healthy medley of various action scenes, locales, and sneak peeks to whet the appetite of anyone who’s even remotely interested in playing it. Was first created to promote the 2010 Heart of the OHR, but production issues delayed me about four years. It’s complete now!

https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.bursey. ... 6599877326

Hope you enjoy watching these, and hope they give you a great sense of things to come.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:14 pm

Originally posted April 24, 2008:

(From the post “A Battle Graphics World Premiere” on Castle Paradox and Slime Salad)

View the Castle Paradox discussion here: http://www.castleparadox.com/ohr/viewtopic.php?t=5740

And the Slime Salad discussion here: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=281

It’s been six months since I previewed The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition in HamsterSpeak. And six months, I think, is long enough to go without new information.

So, for your viewing pleasure, it’s time to give you a sampling of new features.

For the original preview (to see what’s changed since November), see the link below:

http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue9/index.html

Gameplay:

Perhaps the biggest change to come to The Adventures of Powerstick Man since the November preview and, quite obviously, since the December 2000 original release is the implementation of the “Field Stat Counter,” which increases heroes’ stats according to what they do in the field.

For example, if the hero changes direction at any point during the game, the Field Stat Counter will record it. If the counter reaches 1000 points, it will award the hero an increase of 2 agility points (or 3 if the hero is an agile type) and start over again.

By pressing “5” on the number pad, the player can call up a menu with a list of available heroes and select the hero of whose counter he wants to view.

Right now, three stats can be manipulated in the field: strength, agility, and defense. Strength increases when the caterpillar party swims in pools (or the ocean) or climbs ladders. Agility increases when the caterpillar changes walking direction. Defense increases any time the player enters a battle and comes out alive.

I may add a precision (aim) stat later if there should be a place for targeting objects in the field. Also, if/when James includes the global variables for enemies, the defense counter will change from surviving battles to taking points whenever an enemy hits a hero. Hopefully that’ll be implemented before I’m ready to release it.

Also, in some cases, certain NPCs can affect whether you have an easy game or a hard one. For example, in the original game, Powerstick Man could walk across fixed chemical pools in the first part of the factory to restore lost health. The pools were always in the same place every game, and the player could always count on the ease of level-busting in that area. However, in the Extended Edition, the player has two things working against him. The first, the pools are randomly generated, so there’s no guarantee the player will have enough pools in the same area (or even enough in the game) to keep up with the restoration. The second, there’s a janitor walking around the area cleaning up the mess. Once he steps on a chemical pool, he’ll mop it up and it’s gone forever. Give him time to cover the board and you’re out of healing pools.

Another new feature, or rather the extended version of an old feature, is the ability to access new objects including computers, bookshelves, and magazines.

There are other gameplay elements I’ll cover in a future HamsterSpeak preview, but that highlights the major ones.

The Graphics:

And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for (or rather the moment you didn’t know you were waiting for, but know now). In previews past, I gave you snippets of in-game screenshots. They all contained map graphics only. As of this week, however, I have something new to show: updated battle graphics.

For anyone who’s played the original, you’ll know the battle graphics were atrocious. The following screenshots show what they used to look like:

But like all things over time, they’ve improved. Enemies look nicer. And now, as of this week, the backdrops look nicer.

So, without further adieu, it’s time for the world premier of The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition’s improved battle graphics preview:

The first one with the vat animates.

That’s actually all I’m sharing for now. Look for a new HamsterSpeak preview in a month or two.

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition has an expected release date between December 2008 and June 2009.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:15 pm

Originally posted July 30, 2008:

(From the post “The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Legendary Edition” on Castle Paradox and Slime Salad)

View the Slime Salad discussion here: http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=361

Powerstick Man? What?

The Extended Edition is well into production, but still a long way from release. What's an impatient boy to do?

Play the Legendary Edition, of course.

Legendary Edition? What's that?

It's a Slime Salad exclusive download, that's what. It's the original game with those modifiers I never released to the public--like bus passes, for example. It was also called V1.1 for quite awhile.

It also comes with a ton of extras including the Extended Edition preview files (the ones you read here and on HamsterSpeak), the previously unreleased (and still unfinished) strategy guide, the official game advertisement for the 2001 OHRlympics, an updated version of the original short story called "Superheroes Anonymous," and the promo document for my unreleased game called Blind Date.

Is that all?

No.

It also includes the base file for what was originally going to be V2 (the one with the far better graphics). This is an incomplete game, but gives you an example of what Powerstick Man's future may hold after the Final Edition is released.

And finally, it includes the opening chapter of the new Cannonball City novel that I plan to publish (through a real publisher) in the near future. This is the true beginning of the Powerstick Man saga.

It's the only Pepsi Ranger approved Powerstick Man update prior to the release of the Extended Edition in 2009. It's also a cheap excuse to get the superhero back into the spotlight (if OHR House hasn't done that already).

So now that you know, what are you waiting for?

Download here:

http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewgame.php?t=360

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:17 pm

Originally posted August 13, 2008:

(From the post in “A Battle Graphics World Premiere” on Castle Paradox)

Okay, four months have passed since I posted this thread and I still have yet to write that new HamsterSpeak feature. But the good news is that four months left me plenty of time to make the game even nicer looking—and there’s nothing wrong with things being nicer looking, right?

As of last week I finished updating every battle backdrop leading to the big city, leaving me with only five backdrops left to update from the original game. That means production can speed up again (I think).

It also means the battles no longer look like garbage.

I could go into a new list of features about the game that you’ve never seen in the original, but I think I’ll save that for the next official preview. Instead, I’ll show you a brief sample of the new battle screens to whet your appetite.

And for those who actually played the Legendary Edition I posted a couple weeks ago, this will make you even happier (as I couldn’t imagine the original game’s screens making you happy).

First, I’ll show you what they used to look like. For this preview, I’ll be showing you screenshots of the beach and the cliff side fields.

The Original:

Look at that fine ugly blurring effect. And the gray lines through the fish are stellar.

Don’t you love those old splotchy bushes? How about that big-footed skunk?

The Extended Edition:

What? It’s actually tropical? And the ocean rolls onto the shore? And you can actually hear the waves swelling through stereo sound effects as Powerstick Man clubs a fish with a morning star? Holy crap.

The bushes are almost...normal. Freaky. And the skunks look like skunks. Wow. And how about those ambient birds twittering in the breeze as their hawk-like brethren prepare to eat some heroes? Oh, right. You can’t hear them yet. Sorry.

Yes, there are now sound effects populating the game. Yes, everything is and will be accounted for. Even those blasted computers will buzz when you try to read other people’s e-mails.

And Elwood Walker’s monitor finally sizzles in stereo surround sound when he breaks it after having to listen to the Chrono Trigger soundtrack for the umpteenth time.

And that’s all for now. Stay tuned for the next official preview in HamsterSpeak sometime soon.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:18 pm

2015 Note: This next batch of entries comes from my old “official” game journal on Castle Paradox. I’m posting only the “news” items here, but if you want the full dialogue involving answers to follow-up questions, access the full 22-post journal here: http://www.castleparadox.com/viewjournaltopic.php?t=718

Unless otherwise noted, assume the next few posts come from that journal or is cross-posted from “Hype Up Your Game Thread.”

Originally posted November 8, 2008:

Well, the impossible's been happening for the last year and a half. Ever since I announced in my journal topic called "Chronicles of a Second Wind" that I'd re-launched production on my 2000 cult classic The Adventures of Powerstick Man, I expected to burn out and shelf it within two weeks every day thereafter.

That, of course, was in March 2007, and so far I haven't shelved it.

And since I don't intend to kill production before the official release sometime in 2009 (or at some point close to 2009), I thought I'd go ahead and start the official journal on progress.

Now, this journal won't be the public version of the weekly progress report I've been keeping for myself and my playtesters for the last 61 weeks. That's something I use to keep myself motivated to work on the game, something I use to allow my playtesters ample room for effective feedback (which I rarely get--hint hint, playtesters). It isn't something I intend to share, mainly because it reveals a BUNCH of spoilers. As of now, I want to keep the surprises to a maximum. So this journal won't be the extended edition of my development notes.

I will, on occasion, use this journal to report new breakthroughs or anything cool in the game that I just want to share ahead of release (which is what I'll be doing in a moment once I get through the explanation, so stick with the present narration). For an example of what that means, consult the links to my older articles detailing new advancements below.

For reference, here are links to those previous articles and files that chronicled the latest updates (as recent as September 2008):

HamsterSpeak Article 1: The Official Preview

http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue9/index.html

Forum Preview: A Battle Graphics World Premier

http://www.castleparadox.com/ohr/viewtopic.php?t=5740

HamsterSpeak Article 2: Nostalgia Rewind: A Tour of the Hotel Primex

http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue19/index.html

Powerstick Man Trailer (featuring a music video of the song that Jimmy Knightly--Powerstick Man's alter ego--uses to enter tennis tournaments and rile the fans)

Note: You're better off right-clicking the trailer's link as a "Save Target As" if you want to save yourself some buffer stream trouble.

http://castleparadox.com/trailers/power ... railer.wmv

I probably won't be revealing any spoilers in this thread--and there are things worth spoiling this time around (as in I've been punching up the plot since the 2000 release). I will say that most of the new stuff ties in with the events in the novel I finished a few weeks ago, so the story is not quite as wild as the original version was. But there are still a number of inconsistencies to iron out or do away with to adequately update the game to the new story, so there are still things to spoil. As an aside to development, I'll probably work on those inconsistencies once the original game's presentation is fully updated.

Now, I'm not writing this journal as a promise to keep frequent updates posted here. But I would like to speak my intention to use it as a source for announcing new features and for sharing elements I'm proud of.

Having said that, I'd like to present to you, for the first time, the latest game footage involving the addition of midi music and sound effects. I could explain it all in detail here, but I'd rather let the videos speak for themselves.

I'm including "before" and "after" videos to show you the difference. Each block will reference the original version and the work-in-progress extended edition.

Please note that some of the footage in the Extended Edition videos may change as there are still features I'm adding as I go. You'll notice, for example, the inclusion of special text borders that weren't revealed in earlier screenshots or the trailer. I expect that sooner or later, while they're not implemented presently, that the game will also have those cool new portraits from Xocolatl to help enhance the story.

So think of these as outlines for the future.

Footage from the Fire and Ice battle of Primex (and some surrounding action):

The Original Game:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eZrw9_fofjc&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eZrw9_fofjc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

The Extended Edition:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yv6JlC_an6E&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yv6JlC_an6E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

Footage from Sandy Smack Island:

The Original Game:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EkJtMFSnIyg&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EkJtMFSnIyg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

The Extended Edition:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-CBXYWCLEGg&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-CBXYWCLEGg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

Footage from Cannonball City:

The Original Game:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GshX-hTNrfA&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GshX-hTNrfA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

The Extended Edition:

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3zWyPNmMpSg&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3zWyPNmMpSg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

So, as you can see, the game has gone far into production since the "Chronicles of a Second Wind" post, and has vastly outdone the original's quality. It's not a game I want to take too lightly, so I hope to keep pushing its boundaries as far as I can take them without making it excessive. I can't say for sure when I'll actually bring it to a stopping point, but now that the original version is almost fully updated, I think it's safe to say that the downhill battle is coming soon.

Well, that's it for now. I'll post new treats here from time to time, so keep checking back.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:19 pm

Originally posted November 9, 2008:

Oh yes!!! The original commercial that inspired the comic, which inspired the game, which inspired the novel (and in all things inspired the character) is on Youtube! I just saw it linked to my own video. Scroll to the second page and look for the old guy with the tennis racket. For all you kids who don't remember the 90s, THAT'S THE COMMERCIAL that started this madness!!! Go watch it and laugh.

2015 Note: TMC found the link to this commercial and posted it to the Castle Paradox journal on November 11, 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSQURA37uVI

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:22 pm

Originally posted December 12, 2008:

Many times a game will be criticized for its clichés. Castles, knights, blue-haired anime fighters. Little farm boys rising up from obscurity, thwarting plots to destroy the world. It seems creativity is exhausted when the same old same old resurfaces.

And yet, we seem to permit certain elements of the same old presentation over and over again without much say. True, graphics can change and we're happy. A story may forsake the castle for something more conventional—like a convention center—and get noticed. And of course we’ll spice up that tired old expositional dialogue to something that feels more natural and it’ll sit well with us. But is it enough? Do the threads of “been there, done that” still linger?

There are many ways to spice up the gaming experience to prevent the same old same old from happening. One such way is to give NPCs more to do than just to wander around like aimless drones.

Awhile back I wrote some articles that mentioned automated NPCs, but they only discussed the idea at surface level, and showed, at best, a couple screenshots. With this update, however, I thought I'd show one in action.

Meet Buck. I drew him last night. He may be a cowboy who's a little misunderstood by his female observer, but he's also a dedicated pool player. And nothing breaks his concentration.

Watch him as he goes about his business.

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MD-XT942z1E&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MD-XT942z1E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

Buck isn't the only automated member of the Cannonball Strip. Throughout the region, the player may stumble across NPCs who have better things to do than to wander around aimlessly. Some perform on a loop (as Buck does). Others react to objects they wander into (like the housekeeper in the Hotel Primex). But each automated NPC does one important thing: they go against the OHR NPC grain.

I share this as inspiration to anyone who wants to do more with their characters than to make NPC clichés.

The entire sequence took only a couple hours to draw and plotscript. And now Big Daddy's is more interesting than it was a few nights ago.

Give NPC automations a try.

And the last two seconds of the video reveal why we need a "kill (specific) script" command in plotscript, rather than killing one internally at specific time intervals if a condition isn't met (which is the case here).

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:24 pm

Originally posted December 13, 2008:

Moogle wrote:That is great.

As I watched that, I imagined scripting up a working model of pool for him to play, with a limited physics engine and everything -- then I realized you probably just had a looping animation. Much less trouble that way

I actually like the idea of a working model, but yeah, in the interest of keeping things simple (and moving) I made it into a loop.

Uncommon wrote:Good on you, man. I want to see more of this.

Fair enough.

I'll show you the other type of NPC animation: "The Wandering Hybrid."

The wandering hybrid is noticeably more trouble to use, as they tend to misalign notoriously (which is why loops are better until script multitasking and alignment adjustments are implemented), but they're more realistic and fun to watch when they work.

I'll show you one of the simpler hybrids. His name is Adley and he wanders the northeastern corners of a new area called "Squatter Village." I drew him about four months ago, and he's the subject of that unanswered plotscripting question in the thread called "Strange Happenings."

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wz6mNOQEuyY&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wz6mNOQEuyY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

The wandering hybrid relies on a couple timers. The first runs every five ticks to see if he's standing on the right spot and facing the right direction. If he is, the script that sends him into the swamp will run. Then a second timer will launch, running a "bathing" script every ten seconds that he's still in the water. The first script, meanwhile, will check for exit conditions (where the misalignment problems are most prevalent) and walk him out if he's on the right shore.

Both are easy to implement and only take a couple hours or less to make (including all the drawing). The looping NPCs are more reliable, of course, but both add dimension to the game.

TMC wrote:Awesome possum!
You are the only person who meets my high demands for NPCs!
And how I delight at all the bugs I might potentially find with that pool table!

The latest update (with the pool tables) should be available for playtesting tomorrow night if you're feeling ambitious (though I think you'll have more fun finding the bugs in Adley's scripting).

TMC wrote:My aim for the next couple OHR versions is to make things like this as easy (and bug free) as possible.

I can't wait for that. I'm sure more of these guys will show up as development continues.

Uncommon wrote:Hell, I want to see some kind of game that works solely around NPC automation now. Would that end up something like Majora's Mask, come to think of it?

Maybe, but that's definitely pushing boundaries of the OHR.

My other dream (which can't happen until script multitasking is available--at least not smoothly) is to develop an extended wandering type, which randomizes the distance an NPC will walk before turning from 5 to 20 tiles a pop. This allows a security-type NPC to cover much more ground in caper-type games. Where NPC automations come into play (and why script multitasking is needed) is that whenever the security NPC touches a door, the script will know to transport him to the linking door, where he can randomly cover another large distance.

I have a security agent who walks through doors in the Hotel Primex already, but he travels such small distances at a time that he isn't very effective at the moment. I've yet to get him to travel to more than two areas.

He's also a victim of the misalignment problem, which means sometimes he won't properly return, and sometimes he walks into dead space (which is annoying).

So my dream is to have a bug-free simultaneous scripting system that would prevent such agents of security from vanishing into thin air, or keep them pinned within 20 steps of their origin.

So that's the future of Powerstick Man's NPC automations. It might be a little like Majora's Mask, but then Majora's Mask is on a such a higher plateau that a little similarity is all that's likely to happen here. A smaller game with grander ideas might pull that off better.

But I still like the physics engine idea for the pool table.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:25 pm

Originally posted January 23, 2009:

Have some new info, videos, and related stuff to show, but I need to respond to an old comment first:

camdog wrote:I think you could probably implement the custom NPC movement now. Why not just call a plotscript with a for loop that goes through each NPC of an id of your choosing, making it move however you want, and nest it in a while loop that executes as long as you are in the appropriate map?

That would almost work, except that all other scripts would have to wait until the NPC finished walking, which would leave some automated NPCs frozen for a few seconds between animations. No, the custom movements need to wait until script multitasking is implemented. I already have stalled and sluggish animations in other places because of the single-script limitation. Don't want to make it worse.

Okay, now for some features.

One thing I set out to do early on in the revision process was to reform the gameplay to cut down the need for random battles. I know how boring it can be to wander around maps all day trying to level bust, just so you can kill off that boss monster and advance the plot. And The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition is no different. Sure, the battles are there in case you like to level bust (some people do enjoy that sort of thing). But what if you had enough?

Well, here are some options for you.

The Aura Scent:

A pricey device that requires a special item to unlock. But once it's activated, it scares all random enemies into hiding. As long as it's turned on, random enemies won't attack. You must be stocked up on batteries to use it effectively, as it consumes one battery every minute. Can be switched on and off at will.

The Lottery Ticket:

Didn't make any money during the Aura Scent's rampage? Go buy some lottery tickets at your local items shop and win what you couldn't earn. Costs $20 a ticket, but the reward can be anything. Odds are in favor of losses and low-yield winnings. $1000 jackpots are possible.

The Restaurant Permanent Stat Gain:

Need more than just a health boost? Boost your stats, as well. Dine at a restaurant, read the menu, search for your favorite meal and enjoy the rewards. Meals can be pricey, but the 2-3 point jump in selected stats are permanent.

The Cocktail Limited Enhancement:

Want something more powerful and immediate? Select a cocktail from your local bar. Each cocktail offers something different, from flirtations with the opposite sex to massive boosts in battle stats. Some cocktails will affect other gameplay elements like faster walking speed or halved enemy HP (a boost in intelligence to find that Achilles' Heel). Cocktails can only be consumed one at a time and effects last for five minutes.

The Experience Converter:

The coup de grace of the random battle shunt--this thing will make you ready for that boss battle in no time. Have extra cash lying around that you're sure you don't need? Take it to the Foxberry Experience Converter and drop in as many coins as you want. After a short video, your hard-earned (or won) dollars will transform into not-so-hard-earned experience. Just type in however much you want to convert and the machine takes over. Conversions can only happen to one hero at a time, so choose whomever you want to go in and sit back and watch as the magic happens.

(Thanks to James for implementing the "number from string" plotscript to help me make this thing work easy.)

The Field Stat Counter/Climber (unrecorded):

This feature has been publicized before, but for those who missed its old description, here's the rundown: It adds stat increases to heroes whenever certain actions have been taken in the field a set number of times. Agility points climb for every time the hero changes direction. Strength points climb whenever the hero moves up or down a ladder, swims, or tries to cut down a tree (special instance only). Defense points climb whenever the hero takes a hit on the field or in battle (this will become more effective when global variables in battles are implemented). And precision points (aim) climb whenever the hero makes a shot in basketball (subject to additional options later in the game). Stats increase whenever the climber reaches 1000 points. 2-point gains are standard, 3-point gains are given to heroes with specialties in the stat they're gaining (the dog gets a 3-point boost in agility, for example).

And that covers the Random Battle Evasion Techniques, which are now complete thanks to the inclusion of the Experience Converter.

Here's a video demonstration of how each one (minus the Field Stat Counter) works. Enjoy.

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cHJj2Imc8fI&co ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cHJj2Imc8fI&co ... edded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition is due out sometime this year if all goes well.

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:26 pm

Originally posted April 14, 2009:

So today marks the arrival of one of my greatest nightmares since I started updating this game, something that has lingered in my subconscious as an impossible feat. I knew this day was coming for a long time, and for the longest time I didn't know how I was gonna handle it. But now it's here and now I'm facing true game design terror.

(I'm over-exaggerating, of course. It's not really that bad.)

Today, I am updating the great Tidal Wave of Treasure Cove Cave.

If anyone played the original demo to the end, you'll remember that just before fighting the last available boss, there was an underground earthquake and subsequent tidal wave. You may also remember that the tidal wave was nothing more than a single airbrushed animated tile repeated in several columns that washed over the land bridge and made it impassible.

Well, the whole point in updating this game was to make everything look and play nicer, and so my mission was to redraw the wave to actually resemble a tidal wave.

So far I think I got it.

The next step is to rewrite the plotscript. And this signifies my true dread because it's one of the messiest plotscripts in the whole 870K file. And it only manipulates one set of animating tiles. The new tidal wave uses nine sets of animating tiles.

This is gonna be a pain, I just know it.

But I will be showing a video of it once I get it looking nice (though, it may not reflect the cave's final look because each level is gonna have a new color set). I'll need the reminder that the impossible isn't always so aptly named when it comes to design.

But yeah, after today, the rest is downhill.

Oh, and for those who are interested, the original game is about 90% updated now (not including extended areas).

I'm still toying with the idea of issuing a very limited special release of the original game with its new grand overhaul. There's no guarantee of this actually happening, but I am interested in knowing how many people out there would want to see the original game in revamped form.

Until then, I'll be posting a video once I finish reworking the tidal wave.

EDIT: Just to show you the disaster I'm facing, here's the original script, which includes the earthquake.

And no, I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote it this way. It was well over eight years ago and I didn't have a clue (but I got it working, at least).

Enjoy the train wreck.

Code: Select all

script,Tidal Wave,begin
suspend player
variable &#40;e&#41;
variable &#40;f&#41;
variable &#40;g&#41;
variable &#40;j&#41;
variable &#40;k&#41;
variable &#40;n&#41;
variable &#40;o&#41;
variable &#40;z&#41;
variable &#40;v&#41;
variable &#40;t&#41;
variable &#40;s&#41;
variable &#40;r&#41;
variable &#40;u&#41;
variable &#40;q&#41;
variable &#40;p&#41;
variable &#40;w&#41;
variable &#40;l&#41;
variable &#40;m&#41;
variable &#40;a&#41;
variable &#40;b&#41;
variable &#40;c&#41;
variable &#40;d&#41;
variable &#40;h&#41;
variable &#40;i&#41;
pan camera &#40;west,1,10&#41;
wait for camera
for &#40;e,1,10&#41;
do&#40;
set tag &#40;320,OFF&#41;
set variable &#40;j,random &#40;103,127&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;k,random &#40;60,71&#41;&#41;
set tag &#40;318,ON&#41;
set npc position &#40;18,j,k&#41;
walk npc &#40;18,south,2&#41;
wait for npc &#40;19&#41;
set npc frame &#40;22,1&#41;
if &#40;n<109>=119&#41;, then&#40;
set variable &#40;v,o+2&#41;
set tag &#40;320,ON&#41;
set npc position &#40;20,n,v&#41;
set tag &#40;319,OFF&#41;
set npc direction &#40;20,north&#41;
set npc frame &#40;20,0&#41;
&#41;
pan camera &#40;east,2,10&#41;
wait for camera
set tag &#40;322,OFF&#41;
set variable &#40;n,random &#40;103,127&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;o,random &#40;60,71&#41;&#41;
set tag &#40;319,ON&#41;
set npc position &#40;19,n,o&#41;
walk npc &#40;19,south,2&#41;
pan camera &#40;west,2,10&#41;
wait for camera
wait for npc &#40;18&#41;
set npc frame &#40;20,1&#41;
if &#40;j<109>=119&#41;, then&#40;
set variable &#40;z,k+2&#41;
set tag &#40;322,ON&#41;
set npc position &#40;22,j,z&#41;
set tag &#40;318,OFF&#41;
set npc direction &#40;22,north&#41;
set npc frame &#40;22,0&#41;
&#41;&#41;
set tag &#40;318,OFF&#41;
set tag &#40;319,OFF&#41;
set tag &#40;321,ON&#41;
camera follows hero &#40;0&#41;
set variable &#40;f,hero x &#40;0&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;g,hero y &#40;0&#41;&#41;
show text box &#40;1614&#41;
wait for text box
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
set variable &#40;r,79&#41;
for &#40;u,1,6&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
&#41;
suspend catapillar
set hero position &#40;0,86,60&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
set variable &#40;q,79&#41;
walk npc &#40;11,east,7&#41;
for &#40;u,1,7&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;q,s,208&#41;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
increment &#40;q,1&#41;
wait &#40;5&#41;
&#41;
wait for npc &#40;11&#41;
set hero position &#40;0,f,g&#41;
resume catapillar
show text box &#40;1616&#41;
wait for text box
resume player
set hero speed &#40;0,5&#41;
set hero speed &#40;1,5&#41;
set hero speed &#40;2,5&#41;
set hero speed &#40;3,5&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
set variable &#40;q,79&#41;
set npc position &#40;11,81,58&#41;
wait &#40;90&#41;
if &#40;check tag &#40;174&#41;&#41;, then&#40;
set tag &#40;327,ON&#41;&#41;
walk npc &#40;11,east,54&#41;
for &#40;u,1,23&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;q,s,208&#41;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
increment &#40;q,1&#41;
wait &#40;5&#41;
&#41;
suspend npc walls
write map block &#40;108,70,250&#41;
write map block &#40;104,66,250&#41;
write map block &#40;107,63,247&#41;
write map block &#40;107,58,250&#41;
write map block &#40;103,56,250&#41;
write map block &#40;108,52,250&#41;
write map block &#40;102,51,250&#41;
write map block &#40;95,49,247&#41;
write map block &#40;105,47,247&#41;
write map block &#40;101,45,250&#41;
write map block &#40;100,42,247&#41;
write map block &#40;105,41,250&#41;
write map block &#40;103,37,250&#41;
write map block &#40;108,37,250&#41;
write map block &#40;105,33,247&#41;
write map block &#40;102,31,250&#41;
write map block &#40;97,29,247&#41;
write map block &#40;105,27,247&#41;
write map block &#40;108,25,250&#41;
write map block &#40;106,22,250&#41;
write map block &#40;101,21,250&#41;
set variable &#40;p,110&#41;
set variable &#40;w,northwall+eastwall+southwall+westwall&#41;
for &#40;u,1,8&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;q,s,208&#41;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
increment &#40;q,1&#41;
wait &#40;5&#41;
set variable &#40;l,hero x &#40;0&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;m,hero y &#40;0&#41;&#41;
if &#40;m>=19&#41; then&#40;
if &#40;m<70>=l&#41; then&#40;
suspend player
suspend catapillar
suspend npc walls
set variable &#40;l,hero x &#40;0&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;m,hero y &#40;0&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;a,hero x &#40;1&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;b,hero y &#40;1&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;c,hero x &#40;2&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;d,hero y &#40;2&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;h,hero x &#40;3&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;i,hero y &#40;3&#41;&#41;
focus camera &#40;l,m,4&#41;
wait for camera
set hero position &#40;0,3,3&#41;
set hero position &#40;1,4,4&#41;
set hero position &#40;2,5,5&#41;
set hero position &#40;3,6,6&#41;
set tag &#40;315,ON&#41;
set npc position &#40;12,l,m&#41;
set npc position &#40;13,a,b&#41;
set npc position &#40;14,c,d&#41;
set npc position &#40;15,h,i&#41;
camera follows npc &#40;12&#41;
walk npc &#40;12,east,1&#41;
walk npc &#40;13,east,1&#41;
walk npc &#40;14,east,1&#41;
walk npc &#40;15,east,1&#41;
set tag &#40;317,ON&#41;
&#41;&#41;&#41;
if &#40;check tag &#40;317&#41;&#41;, then&#40;
walk npc &#40;12,east,8&#41;
walk npc &#40;13,east,8&#41;
walk npc &#40;14,east,8&#41;
walk npc &#40;15,east,8&#41;
&#41;&#41;
for &#40;u,1,8&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;q,s,250&#41;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
write pass block &#40;q,s,64&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
write map block &#40;p,18,6&#41;
write map block &#40;p,71,9&#41;
write pass block &#40;p,19,w&#41;
write pass block &#40;p,70,w&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
increment &#40;q,1&#41;
increment &#40;p,1&#41;
wait &#40;5&#41;
&#41;
resume npc walls
set npc position &#40;17,115,85&#41;
if &#40;check tag &#40;317&#41;&#41;, then&#40;
wait for npc &#40;12&#41;
wait for npc &#40;13&#41;
wait for npc &#40;14&#41;
wait for npc &#40;15&#41;
&#41;
write map block &#40;110,18,11&#41;
write map block &#40;117,18,10&#41;
write map block &#40;110,71,13&#41;
write map block &#40;117,71,12&#41;
if &#40;check tag &#40;317&#41;&#41;, then&#40;
walk npc &#40;12,east,7&#41;
walk npc &#40;13,east,7&#41;
walk npc &#40;14,east,7&#41;
walk npc &#40;15,east,7&#41;
&#41;
for &#40;u,1,7&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;q,s,208&#41;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
increment &#40;q,1&#41;
wait &#40;5&#41;
&#41;
if &#40;check tag &#40;317&#41;&#41;
then, begin&#40;
wait for npc &#40;12&#41;
wait for npc &#40;13&#41;
wait for npc &#40;14&#41;
wait for npc &#40;15&#41;
set variable &#40;l,npc x &#40;12&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;m,npc y &#40;12&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;a,npc x &#40;13&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;b,npc y &#40;13&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;c,npc x &#40;14&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;d,npc y &#40;14&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;h,npc x &#40;15&#41;&#41;
set variable &#40;i,npc y &#40;15&#41;&#41;
set tag &#40;315,OFF&#41;
set hero position &#40;0,l,m&#41;
set hero position &#40;1,a,b&#41;
set hero position &#40;2,c,d&#41;
set hero position &#40;3,h,i&#41;
camera follows hero &#40;0&#41;
Losing Battle
&#41;
end
else,begin&#40;
for &#40;u,1,9&#41;
do&#40;
for &#40;t,1,52&#41;
do&#40;
write map block &#40;q,s,208&#41;
write map block &#40;r,s,253&#41;
increment &#40;s,1&#41;
&#41;
set variable &#40;s,19&#41;
increment &#40;r,1&#41;
increment &#40;q,1&#41;
wait &#40;5&#41;
&#41;
write map block &#40;120,70,250&#41;
write map block &#40;124,70,247&#41;
write map block &#40;128,67,250&#41;
write map block &#40;121,66,247&#41;
write map block &#40;120,62,250&#41;
write map block &#40;124,62,250&#41;
write map block &#40;129,62,247&#41;
write map block &#40;129,59,250&#41;
write map block &#40;122,58,250&#41;
write map block &#40;124,57,247&#41;
write map block &#40;125,53,250&#41;
write map block &#40;121,53,250&#41;
write map block &#40;128,50,247&#41;
write map block &#40;123,48,250&#41;
write map block &#40;121,46,250&#41;
write map block &#40;128,44,250&#41;
write map block &#40;123,43,247&#41;
write map block &#40;120,41,250&#41;
write map block &#40;129,39,247&#41;
write map block &#40;124,38,250&#41;
write map block &#40;121,38,250&#41;
write map block &#40;124,34,247&#41;
write map block &#40;121,32,250&#41;
write map block &#40;127,30,250&#41;
write map block &#40;122,27,250&#41;
write map block &#40;127,25,247&#41;
write map block &#40;129,23,250&#41;
write map block &#40;120,23,250&#41;
write map block &#40;122,21,247&#41;
write map block &#40;126,20,250&#41;
wait for npc &#40;11&#41;
resume npc walls
&#41;
end
end

Pepsi Ranger · Post by **Pepsi Ranger** » Sat May 16, 2015 1:27 pm

Originally posted April 17, 2009:

Okay, this thing was a royal pain in the (pick your anatomical preference) to update. After one plotscripting disaster after another--three days later--I finally got something worth showing.

Now, keep in mind that this isn't final final. The section of cave that's in the video will eventually get a color change. Also, the end of the video shows the heroes entering the boss's lair, which triggers a script and a battle that I haven't updated yet. So there will be some incompletions in the last thirty seconds or so. But this will at least show you what the tidal wave looks like now.

I know it's not perfect. I may have to rewrite the base tiles to get this looking proper at the endpoints. And I think this is one of the few areas in the game that'll really benefit from having the Layer 3 feature implemented. But it works.

And if you watch closely, you'll see some bonus tricks that happen if you take too long getting across. Might be the first time in OHR history (to my knowledge) that additional members of the caterpillar party aren't safe from the environment (not including harm tiles).

And yes, if the party leader doesn't make it across in time, everyone is swept away and the game ends. So make sure you haul that superhero booty.

Here's the video. I forgot to turn the music down prior to recording, so it might be a little loud. It normally sounds better than this.

<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ReZ1tUB4p1c&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ReZ1tUB4p1c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>