Episode 2 Discussion Thread

[Willhart]

Master growing them up without mind control could have helped them to live without it. That actually explains why Demo and Iris still follow the artist master in the future (asmt).

I thought they are

following the Master in ASMT - not the Artist. Was there even mention of the Artist in ASMT? I haven't watched it in a while but I don't recall such - did I miss it?

I meant to write "master". Fixed it on the original post.

[sedron]

I'm not super up to date on the whole "episodic," thing, so could someone please explain to me why there are four whole episodes of this game planned?

3 reasons:
1) Because people are tired of have some many versions of smbx on their computer.
2) Because it people have an orderly stable environment to submit and test their levels.
3) Because having a (semi-)consistent and (semi-)interconnected game is kinda cool.

Also, not related to what I'm quoting, but, imho, if the game just ended as it did on the episode 1, I would have been ok with it. Sure, it's dark and doesn't tie up all the loose ends, but so did Planescape: Torment and I like Planescape: Torment. I think more games should tell you less and let you figure stuff out/speculate your heart out on your own. Explaining everything, leaves there nothing to ponder about and makes your writing lesser as a result.

Those reasons don't really answer why there's 4 episodes. The fact that it's episodic at all isn't my question, it's why it's going so long. Even being episodic doesn't really change things for reasons 1 and 2. There was already talk of changing the SMBX version for episode 2 (though I don't think it's happening,) and the environment for level submission has been fine regardless of episodic nature.

[Demolition]

Episodes 2,3 and 4 won't take as long as episode 1 to make, we already have the graphic and sound assets as well as a ton of levels to use. Episode 2 will probably be done sooner than a year.

Episode 4 is also going to be about a fifth of the length of the earlier episodes so it won't take long at all.

Originally Kood was planned to die at the end of this episode by Pily accidentally crushing him with the September planks and then teleporting in the old Kood in a fit of grief.

That may actually work better than the uncles killing him.

[Oddwrath]

Taking a break from the plot discussion, I have an idea to suggest. Look at this image:

Let's say those two levels on those two islands are almost completely unrelated aside from one thing: the end of the first island level and the beginning of the second show either beach or a harbor.
The ships themselves? All have the same level "template", so as to simulate a journey in these three levels. However on each "day", parts of ship change. Some doors are open, some are closed. Characters from the ship are introduced and change with each day.
Now we were talking before about have interconnected levels, like The Descent and the Subterranean Base in the Ep1. Well, maybe we should actually do a small collab this way and who knows, it may end up awesome.

[SAJewers]

Episodes 2,3 and 4 won't take as long as episode 1 to make, we already have the graphic and sound assets as well as a ton of levels to use. Episode 2 will probably be done sooner than a year.

Episode 4 is also going to be about a fifth of the length of the earlier episodes so it won't take long at all.

Originally Kood was planned to die at the end of this episode by Pily accidentally crushing him with the September planks and then teleporting in the old Kood in a fit of grief.

That may actually work better than the uncles killing him.

The devkit wasn't the reason why episode 1 took so long to make. It was because we were waiting on the OW and the cutscenes.

[Xirix]

Even if Episode 2 will take less time to make, do make sure the submission time for levels is a good amount... not everyone is super fast at making things.

[Demolition]

The devkit wasn't the reason why episode 1 took so long to make. It was because we were waiting on the OW and the cutscenes.

Cut-scenes were done weeks before the overworld was finished. Then after that months were spent testing levels. You guys treated cutscenes like they were a huge bottleneck but they were all finished about 70% of the way into the project.

Regardless me darkychao are going to start working on cut-scenes from the get go for this episode.

[docopoper]

Yeah. This series most certainly needs a heartwarming end. As far as the possibility of it not getting completed goes; we just need to make sure to have each episode have a moderately satisfying end. Like realistically the series could end right now or continue on since the plot has been very modular.

Also I think Uncle Broadsword should be the sort of character that tries to be a good to Demo but ultimately has an addiction to treasure hunting. It should be subtle for the most part though. He should usually be seen as either trying to help Demo or treasure hunting but we could have a very interesting character development point where he is torn between Demo and an item of great value and ultimately chooses the item (which I guess could be thing Kood gets killed for).

[Doctor Shemp]

Regardless me darkychao are going to start working on cut-scenes from the get go for this episode.

While I appreciate your sentiment in wanting to get them done faster, doesn't that pretty much guarantee that they won't fit the levels, since the levels won't be finalised, let alone the level order and division by world?

[docopoper]

Thar be all kinds of rushing ahead it seems. How long did we end up waiting after ASMBXT finished before starting A2XT? I don't think it was that long but I really remember being burned out at the start of it (as I am now). Also I really want to get my engine finished and I keep feeling like it never will get there since I've been stuck on one bug for a month now and I'm honestly quite disappointed.

I'll probably get over it in a while but right now I feel hopeless. I should probably take a small break from this or something.

[Demolition]

While I appreciate your sentiment in wanting to get them done faster, doesn't that pretty much guarantee that they won't fit the levels, since the levels won't be finalised, let alone the level order and division by world?

Planning out the overall plot counts as 'working on cut-scenes'. So far I've been trying to keep things vague enough to fit with any assortment of levels.

[Sturg]

It was three days after the finale when the A2XT discussion thread was made.

Still though, this does feel a tad rushed.

[shaman]

Episodes 2,3 and 4 won't take as long as episode 1 to make, we already have the graphic and sound assets as well as a ton of levels to use. Episode 2 will probably be done sooner than a year.

Episode 4 is also going to be about a fifth of the length of the earlier episodes so it won't take long at all.

Originally Kood was planned to die at the end of this episode by Pily accidentally crushing him with the September planks and then teleporting in the old Kood in a fit of grief.

That may actually work better than the uncles killing him.

I wish the assets was what delayed the game.

But please, let's NOT hurry. Let's do things at their own pace, and do it right.

[TiKi]

It seems the redigitiscool cheat is around here (0x008E7863), and if anyone wanted to hex edit it they would just have to change the char values it's pushing

I suggest koodiskoolaid

[Willhart]

It seems the redigitiscool cheat is around here (0x008E7863), and if anyone wanted to hex edit it they would just have to change the char values it's pushing

I suggest koodiskoolaid

It was originally meant to be"raocowisswell", when the cheat codes were given new names long a time ago.

[Mabel]

It seems the redigitiscool cheat is around here (0x008E7863), and if anyone wanted to hex edit it they would just have to change the char values it's pushing

I suggest koodiskoolaid

It was originally meant to be"raocowisswell", when the cheat codes were given new names long a time ago.

so we can change it to this now? cool

[Menshay]

She reveals that Nana Doormaze was her before she ascended to the role role of flesh lord

The elders are all going to be semi-important. Its will gradually turn out that they are actually all characters we have already met. Generator was the Key boss. Wind Is the Master and Earthquake is the Blood God.

I'm not so sure about this. I mean,

Foreshadowing is always interesting, but I feel this is more shoehorning stuff in, especially due to how different the elders as defined right now are from their roles. I guess it could be explained as shapeshifting or great old one powers or whatever, which would made sense for Earthquake which "canonically" has switched bodies at least once, but giant chicken to key honestly feels kind of too much.
More importantly, I feel the Flesh Lord is way too "important" in the "mythos" to make it just a transformation of another character. I mean, it has no defined personality or character or anything, but I personally see it as a way more eldritch and malevolent being than this. Or possibly some kind of parody of said ultragrimdark eldritch monsters. Anyway raocow's bio describes Nana Doormaze as a mostly neutral being, so if anything I could see her being controlled by the Flesh Lord in some fashion.

Also if one of the siblings ends up being linked to the Flesh Lord it pretty much has to be Nevada due to the whole plant thing. Maybe something like Nevada being a Flesh Lord cultist or a parody thereof.

[SAJewers]

I started the Tutorial level for Episode 2: http://www.mediafire.com/download/33waa ... /intro2.7z

No enemies yet, and needs a lot of graphics work done to it (if someone could make the bird better, and pretty everything up, that'd be great), but it's a start. Anyone who wants to work on it, go ahead.

Intent was to re-create stage 1 of this:

[Demolition]

I guess i'll work on it seeing as it's also going to serve as the intro cut-scene.

[sedron]

Also if one of the siblings ends up being linked to the Flesh Lord it pretty much has to be Nevada due to the whole plant thing. Maybe something like Nevada being a Flesh Lord cultist or a parody thereof.

I imagine Nevada and the Flesh Lord just kind of chilling out together. They probably have similar interests. Both enjoy flesh, for instance. Flesh Lord probably comes over to Nevada's apartment just to hang out and eat, watch some TV, maybe play a game or two.

[Menshay]

Yes please.

[Demolition]

It's written in the story bible and I mentioned earlier that Nevada has been in contact with the flesh lord all of his life.

[LovelyPenguin]

I'm hoping this is the right place to ask this, but how can I help with Episode 2? Like, what all is there left to do? My main strengths would be assisting with story or play testing, or to a lesser extent, making a level. Though if there is some other department that needs more love, I'll be willing to work there, if I can.

[TiKi]

It's written in the story bible and I mentioned earlier that Nevada has been in contact with the flesh lord all of his life.

it could be like final fantasy 4 where the flesh lord drove Nevada to evil by messing with his head his whole life

[Voltgloss]

I'm hoping this is the right place to ask this, but how can I help with Episode 2? Like, what all is there left to do? My main strengths would be assisting with story or play testing, or to a lesser extent, making a level. Though if there is some other department that needs more love, I'll be willing to work there, if I can.

Most everything is still left to do for Episode 2. For now, I'd suggest heading on over to the Level Review and/or Post Levels Here threads, downloading some levels from there or the wiki that others have submitted for possible inclusion in the Episode, play/test them, and provide feedback.