D2 Single-Player: Enemy Vignettes

[Naphtha]

Attention Deficit Creativity Disorder at its best. The mission set I was going to be working on has been put off for quite a while now that I have multiple project ideas to precede it... but this was actually one I wanted to release first. With permission from DarkFlameWolf, Sirius and DH, I've taken the 27 levels of Descent Vignettes and created an expanded port for Descent 2. The original levels have been tweaked to add extra secrets and powerups for D2 balancing, and I also added in three all-new secret levels to bring the total up to 30 and divide the level set more evenly into fifths. Secrets that have been added are often very tricky, and usually involve triggers in lights (so don't host with indestructible lights in coop ) or panels hidden behind illusions or beyond the line of sight. Every level has a Full Map and almost every exit tunnel has at least one secret panel, so look long and hard if you want everything!

The other major change to the set, however, was the inclusion of robots and bosses from The Enemy Within version 1.3 (i.e. the slightly less difficult versions from the 2010 update). Five of the main levels are boss levels now, using the boss ships from The Enemy Within as well. It definitely isn't an easy set by any means, and includes quite a few extra traps in some parts. Take your time as you go through these levels-- they're intended to make you think, so approach each area carefully.

Download link here:
http://www.enspiar.com/dmdb/viewMission.php?id=724

And a few teaser screenshots, courtesy of Sirius:

[Alter-Fox]

This looks like a neat idea.
If you'd like and if Pumo's ok with it, we could let you use the soundtrack that we wrote for Vignettes to use on Descent WiiWare (because of copyright issues the commercial release needed a different OST). That OST might as well get used somewhere, and continue the time-honored tradition of missions with the TEW bots always having soundtracks written by me and Pumo as well as midi sountracks from other games .
Even though my songs were written just after I wrote the TEW OST, so you shouldn't expect them to be much better than the ones from TEW... certainly not on the level of my current work. But still not bad. And according to Pumo there's at least one gem in there .

[Naphtha]

Now that you mention it, I might as well give the soundtrack a listen and include it as an alternative. I didn't know there was custom OGG content for Vignettes, but why not? Send a link my way and I'll definitely check it out.

[Alter-Fox]

Alright, I'll clear it with Pumo after I eat. I smell MEAT!!!!
EDIT: It is now cleared with Pumo. Uploading to mediafire now.

[DarkFlameWolf]

Well done. I didn't know what was going to come out of this when I agreed to have you use my work. But I'm glad my trust was well placed. I'll be LP'ing this in the near future for my channel. I'm a bit busy at the moment, but be aware that I am looking at this and I will definitely check out your 3 new levels!

[Alter-Fox]

For a while I'd thought that a vignettes-like mission for D3, where you can build the level objectives themselves around the level theme, would be (apologies in advance ) epic.
Of course you wouldn't be able to have robot swarms quite as enormous in a D3 mission because the bots are a lot tougher and faster. But some of us like that gameplay style of long dogfights against a slightly smaller number of enemies.

[DarkFlameWolf]

Having great fun but having trouble finding a few Full Maps. very clever on a few of them. You've taken a few cues from Lost Levels, you sneaky boy!

[Xfing]

I'm SOOO getting this. Feedback is certain to be given soon

[MegaDescent]

I like what you did to Level 16.

Converted it from fire (D1 version) to ice (D2 version) overall theme, so each theme gets the same number of levels, but kept the damaging sectors from D1 intact by revolving it around a refinery where heated oil flows. Cool idea!

[MegaDescent]

Also I noticed Levels 19/20 got swapped. So as far as I can tell these are all level order/theme changes:

-3 new secret levels (and 3 new secret exits) added
-Levels 14 and 15 swapped
-Levels 19 and 20 swapped
-Level 16 primary theme is ice now

[DarkFlameWolf]

Just noticed Xfling didn't give any feedback.

[Xfing]

★■◆●, you got me there. The difficulty got me and I don't think I played after level 5 since that, to be honest! I need to pick it up again

[MegaDescent]

****, you got me there. The difficulty got me and I don't think I played after level 5 since that, to be honest! I need to pick it up again

You probably want to drop to Hotshot or lower on this one. It's harder in XL than it is in Rebirth. But if you play in XL you can change difficulty whenever you want.

[Xfing]

I play Rebirth. And Hotshot is probably too much for me anyway