I'm talking about this little treasure:
click here for higher res
I loved playing this thing back when I was a kid. Its official levels have some major problems, though, from my perspective, including inordinate punishment for dying. Yet I find its engine to be something special, and this year I decided to do something with it.
So hey there, I'm GameTrekker. I've been watching raocow... basically since the SA days, actually. Yet I've never interacted with this community even though it's always seemed cool. Also game design is my passion, which brings me to the reason I now have an account on the Talkhaus. I'm here to show you all...
Lode Trekker
What is it?
Lode Trekker is my... romhack-type-thing for Lode Runner Online. It can't accurately be called a romhack, especially since it was made using LRO's built-in level editor, but it was still an ambitious project that took me months to complete. Now it needs playtesting.
What's it like?
It's technically a platformer, but you can't jump in Lode Runner games. It'll make sense once you play it.
Anyway, much like many romhacks, Lode Trekker is designed to be a complete experience, albeit a very different one from the official levels. While the official levels focused mainly on combat and quick thinking, Lode Trekker is much more about puzzle solving. The challenge here is learning the many mechanics of the game, remembering them, and figuring out how to use them together to get those pesky pieces of gold!
Because of this, there is much less of a demand for dexterity and quick thinking in Lode Trekker. If you know the solutions to every level, most should be pointlessly easy to complete. I was inspired partly by The Witness in the creation of these levels, teaching players the skills they need simply through experience and then expecting them to put the skills together later on. Yes, if you have never played a Lode Runner game, you can still enjoy Lode Trekker!
It's also important to note that I put in extra effort to eliminate trial-and-error gameplay from these levels. I want my puzzles to be tough but fair!
I put a lot of time and energy into this thing and I really want to know what people think of it!
Where can I download it?
First you'll need a copy of Lode Runner Online. It's now considered abandonware, so you can get it for free. Also, installation is straightforward. Here's the best place I've found to get a copy: http://www.fireyour.it/loderunner/
Next, download Lode Trekker! http://www.mediafire.com/download/h0ia4 ... rekker.pzl
Don't forget my commentary file! (This has some important information in it.) http://www.mediafire.com/download/c0vxo ... %21%29.txt
To play, go into Lode Runner Online and click on the floppy disk icon in the upper left. Then select my levels file. You can choose which level you want to start at using the up and down arrows in the upper right, or by clicking the larger icon to their left.
The game uses nine buttons: four for movement, two for digging, one for using small bombs, one for using items, and one for picking up/putting down items. You can configure these by clicking the check mark in the lower right. Also, pausing the game is done by pressing ctrl-P.
Lastly, here are some screenshots:
