DescentBB

DarkFlameWolf wrote:Because there is NO WAY you can get every single item in that supply cache before the mine explodes. So you need to pick and choose the best items to get in the time alotted. Cool?

Sounds like a Time Demo Challenge!

Good luck, I could never get all those items and still escape alive. Its just not possible. The maze back there is too convoluted. So you must pick and choose your items.

aww come on DW. you know us better than that!

DW! I got your level set the other day and I gotta say man, this is a FUN ride. On insane it can be kind of tough, I had some trouble with \"Submerged\" on insane since you have the concussion missile guys spawning right by the exit in the reactor room. In any case man I have to tell you that on level 10, \"The Great Escape\" that's some of the most fun I've EVER had playing single player and dog fighting against robots. The only other time that may have you beat is a dogfighting training level made by Jeff250 where he changed the aiming algorithms of the bots in d2 making them lead with insane accuracy. Props to him for doing that, but as far as PURE descent dogfighting against robots, you've won the platinum medal. I put a demo up on youtube of me playing it




Take care brother and thanks for the mission set!!!

Thanks for the video! That was fun to watch. I'm glad people are having a fun time with this set! Its a good deal easier than The Enemy Within released a while back for Descent 2, but its still tough! If you haven't beaten the entire set yet, you got loads more fun left! Don't forget to stop by the secret levels on level 11 and I think 19. Good times it is. The last few levels will be punishing but what I've seen of your skills, you probably won't break a sweat!

Update:

The new version doesn't have the issue I described earlier with starting on levels already completed. For some reason, an earlier update on this didn't actually post.

That's good, I thought it wasn't any issue on my end when I made the mission set, it had to be a Descent version issue.

This looks really amazing. I'm hoping to get time to play through it soon. While I like all the versions of descent a lot, I still have a special affinity for Descent 1. At any rate, it looks like a lot of fun. Keep up the good work.

well, the latest versions of d2x-xl killed this mission in terms of secret level 1. Upon loading up Secret level 1, it crashes to desktop everytime. I reported it as a bug, but he states it 'works for him.' but I no longer can enjoy the first secret level anymore in d2x-xl. So for those who want to complete the entire campaign, you'll have to play it in Rebirth.

Edited due to double post.

DarkFlameWolf wrote:....So for those who want to complete the entire campaign, you'll have to play it in Rebirth.

I really don't care what program people use, however, just because it doesn't work for you. Doesn't mean it doesn't work at all.
In stead of say that "you'll have to.. blah, blah".
How about asking others to confirm the crash? Like most, if not all games. It can take more then one person to confirm a bug. Even if the dev says he's not able to reproduce it.

So, other then me, can someone else please (using XL) confirm this bug?

Um... yeah I can try when I remember.

well I just tested it on 3 other computers, using the same setup and the default setup. It still crashes. So it isn't my computer. Furthermore, I remember having trouble with that particular secret level when I was making it. It was a matcen issue. (reason probably because in Rebirth, those matcens blast out Fusion Hulks, but in d2x-xl, they put out drillers, super hulks and heavy drillers. Explain that one to me!)
But if it 'is' the level at fault, then I have no idea how I'd fix it.
So regardless, it isn't just one computer that crashes with d2x-xl on this secret level. Its more. I tried explaining that to Diedel, but he's basically shot down everything I report now. So I might as well let the public know what I've found instead. I let him know about the level issue, but not sure if he'll look into it or not, but at least he knows about my development problems with it.

DarkFlameWolf wrote:well I just tested it on 3 other computers, using the same setup and the default setup. It still crashes. So it isn't my computer.

... and how did you go about doing this? Use the same install and setup from the first PC - transfer those files to the other PCs?

DarkFlameWolf wrote:Furthermore, I remember having trouble with that particular secret level when I was making it. It was a matcen issue. (reason probably because in Rebirth, those matcens blast out Fusion Hulks, but in d2x-xl, they put out drillers, super hulks and heavy drillers. Explain that one to me!)

The following is from the DMB2 and DLE-XP:

Sounds and looks like a Rebirth bug and not XL.

DarkFlameWolf wrote:So regardless, it isn't just one computer that crashes with d2x-xl on this secret level. Its more. I tried explaining that to Diedel, but he's basically shot down everything I report now. So I might as well let the public know what I've found instead. I let him know about the level issue, but not sure if he'll look into it or not, but at least he knows about my development problems with it.

That bug report has and always been open. He never once closed it. Plus he's still waiting for more info he has requested in that ticket.

Do keep in mind that if the problem doesn't repro for him, there's a good chance other people playing the level set will be just fine as well. Hopefully we can figure out why.

well, I take what I said back about the closed ticket and xl not working. (although it still crashes for me and I swear to you that I did no such driver or OS updating.)

meh, crashes happen. It's hardly a personal insult.

<slight bump>
I'm starting through this (D2X-XL, seems fine, no crashes so far), and I have to say I'm really enjoying the smaller level-design.

My only critique is that some of the levels (at least the ones I've been through so far) don't have an energy center until you're over halfway through the level. I'm playing on Ace, so I'm running out of energy earlier, and having to make weaponless-runs through crowds of bots to try to find an energy-center. Was this by design? If so, it's evil.

Probably not an accident, indeed.

let me think here,
level 1 - has a ecenter pretty close to the start.
level 2 - not the same, but its easy to get to quickly
level 3 - I'll admit this one, the ecenter is pretty far in.
level 4 - its pretty close to the start
level 5 - its moderately far, but not unseemingly so
level 6 - I'll admit this one, its at the end of the level.
level 7 - its far if you don't know where you're going
level 8 - not far if you know where you're going
level 9 - its pretty deep in, I'll say
level 10 - its pretty close to the start
level 11 - pretty close to the start
level 12 - Other side of the level, but its easy to get to
level 13 - its moderately far
level 14 - its in the boss room, so I'd say that's pretty deep in
level 15 - Its a good ways into the level and only on a sidepath many can miss
level 16 - its halfway into the level
level 17 - you can't miss it just after the starting area
level 18 - its midway through the level
level 19 - Its midway through the level
level 20 - its moderately far into the level
level 21 - its close to the start
level 22 - its close to the start
level 23 - its far if you don't know where you're going
level 24 - its just inside the fortress
level 25 - its pretty close to the start

both secret levels do not have ecenters.

I have one problem. Every time when Im near to yellow doors in level 25, the game shut down. Doyou have some idea how to eliminate it? I use D1x-rebirth... Btw I have really fun with this levels so hope someone can help me:)

Its a bug in the rebirth program that causes this, its been noted. And Zico has currently fixed this bug but as of yet, I do not believe he's released the fixed version yet. Why? I'm not entirely sure.

because his releases generally include a great assortment of fixes. I've not known him to do \"micro release\".

ok, thx, finally I did with a really lot of loads and saves again and again until it worked:)

...

yeah, sorry about that, until he finally releases a new version of Rebirth, you're just going to have to suffer through the bug in level 25. It sucks, but oh well. :-/
d2x-xl doesn't have this problem though. But last I checked (I haven't downloaded a new version since .144 because its so stable and later versions (up to .150+) that I've tested seem to break that, so I can't verify its continued existence), you couldn't get into secret level 1 in Vignettes without d2x-xl crashing. So you pick and choose which you think is worse.

Tested secret level 1 on 1.14.193, no crash.

I used the astral cheat on level 25 to fly directly to the boss room, the D1X crashes got too frusterating...but kudos, it *is* incredibly well made.

Its a bug in the D1 engine itself based on robot path-finding. I guess that particular layout of the level screws with robot path-finding when they are finding routes to get to you and it crashes. This was verified by Zico when he fixed it in an upcoming version of d1xrebirth which should have the bug non-existant by that point.

Oh... that's interesting to hear.

I know, this bug was apparently fixed in the interim between Descent 1 and Descent 2's release.

DarkFlameWolf wrote:Its a bug in the D1 engine itself based on robot path-finding. I guess that particular layout of the level screws with robot path-finding when they are finding routes to get to you and it crashes. This was verified by Zico when he fixed it in an upcoming version of d1xrebirth which should have the bug non-existant by that point.

It was actually intentional. Interplay knew that people might be able to beat the game on insane, so they added an even harder difficulty. See, the robots stopped trying to shoot at you, and are instead using software beams to lock up your game. It's quite an innovative idea actually.

What's the title of the level 19 music? I really liked that one. I remastered it in FL Studio, and I want to give it its correct title. (Knowing DFW's missions I would have looked in the credits, but the mission doesn't seem to have them. I guess in D1 it might need to have briefings for that?)

Stroodles wrote:It was actually intentional. Interplay knew that people might be able to beat the game on insane, so they added an even harder difficulty. See, the robots stopped trying to shoot at you, and are instead using software beams to lock up your game. It's quite an innovative idea actually.

Good one!

gameaddict11707 wrote:

Stroodles wrote:It was actually intentional. Interplay knew that people might be able to beat the game on insane, so they added an even harder difficulty. See, the robots stopped trying to shoot at you, and are instead using software beams to lock up your game. It's quite an innovative idea actually.

Good one!

I try.

All videos are now available for Vignettes!

Many thanks to DarkFlameWolf and his crew for releasing new and extremely high quality mission packs.

I've just finished Vignettes and I really liked it!

The dog fighting element of these levels is really fun!

Please keep up the good work!

And here was I thinking her gender was not that well-kept a secret

I won't even bother correcting.

Regardless, I'm glad you like the level set. I tried my best to make each level have at 'least' one dogfighting room. Because you simply do not get enough of that fun-ness in the original Descent campaign.

How embarrassing for me... Sorry about that DFW!