|
Will you be continuing the cheating in Keen 4-9 when the games are actually really good?
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2015 10:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 11:48 |
|
|
SirSamVimes posted:Will you be continuing the cheating in Keen 4-9 when the games are actually really good? Oh of course, but definitely not as often. I can think of a couple times when I would, but the main thing would be using the secret area cheat in my practice runs so I know where they all are in time for recording. But I don't have to worry about that for a couple months, at least.
|
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2015 15:21
|
|
|
Part 2: Boobus Bombs Near! This video would've been a bit longer had I had the original footage for Level 5, but oh well. Sometimes I'm just a doofus.
|
|
#
?
Feb 19, 2015 00:41
|
|
|
I have a memory of staying on the climbing pole just above the pea pod and leaving the computer for a while and when I got back it had spat out a ton of peas. It was a long time ago though. Good times.
|
|
#
?
Feb 19, 2015 02:19
|
|
|
Part 3: More Bang For Your Boobus Buck And that's a wrap. Keen Dreams is definitely the worst of the Keen 4 onward games, but that's because it's a beta, more or less. It's a very nice change after Keen 1-3 and especially 3 and I enjoy the colourful world, though it could use more variety. That's also it for the thread, in a couple months, we'll be back with the next three Keen games, but for now, I'll be moving on to a game where we'll have a Grand Time Always.
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2015 20:49
|
|
|
Thanks for the blast from the past! I played the Keen games a ton as a kid. It'll be cool to see the 2nd trilogy because I don't think I ever actually finished any of those.
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2015 21:18
|
|
|
Yep, Keen Dreams is definitely a thing, alright! Although "You've Got To Eat Your Vegetables" is still an awesome song, and I will stand by this. Thanks for playing through them, and I look forward to the 4-6 thread, where the BEST ENEMY IN THE SERIES lives! Hrm... Maybe I should record Monster Bash or something. Eh, I have enough I'm behind on already. Thanks for the thread, hope you archive it, because it was p. cool, and best of luck with the next one!
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2015 21:28
|
|
|
JamieTheD posted:Yep, Keen Dreams is definitely a thing, alright! Although "You've Got To Eat Your Vegetables" is still an awesome song, and I will stand by this. Thanks for playing through them, and I look forward to the 4-6 thread, where the BEST ENEMY IN THE OMNIVERSE lives! ftfy
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2015 21:59
|
|
|
JamieTheD posted:
I'll archive the entire thing when Keen 9 is done, which if everything goes well should be around September or so, but if I try and keep a schedule... 
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2015 23:04
|
|
|
Well this was a romp down memory lane, and I'm looking forward to watching the next three games so I don't have the compulsion to get them and replay them myself anymore. That's how this is going to work, right? Thanks for the LP so far - looking forward to the next set!
|
|
#
?
Feb 20, 2015 23:22
|
|
|
by the way, the John Romero Head final boss was Doom2. Cool videos, btw. Looking more forward to 4.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2015 07:57
|
|
|
Jonny Nox posted:by the way, the John Romero Head final boss was Doom2. And it was put in by the other guys as a joke.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2015 14:34
|
|
|
Don't forget the backwards and distorted video clip in that game. It's harder than I thought to find a good version of it reversed back, but here's one.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2015 19:37
|
|
|
The company is called "id", not "i.d."
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2015 11:16
|
|
|
Good times! I can't believe you actually went through every level in Keen 3. As a kid, I learned to outright skip the forts, and somehow I figured out the Caves of Oblivion really painlessly, so I actually had fun playing the game. If I'd been a completionist back then, I'd have lost my mind. Holy poo poo. Having played through all these games so many times, it's interesting to a.) hear other players' perspectives, and b.) see how the game evolved over the course of the trilogy. You can really see how in Keen 1, they were just getting their feet wet: few enemy types (and low enemy density in general), very simple AI, mostly basic level design, plain aesthetic, etc. But it's also a very "clean" game, with relatively few dick moves, and the challenges are pretty straightforward. The notable counter-example here is the Red Maze City, but at least it's optional. Really, Keen 1 is a good example of making the most out of simple assets. Bricks usually indicate hazards, dark areas tend to indicate trickier platforming, ammo pickups mean gargs are near. These aren't 100% indicators, but the designers still did some pretty clever things with what they had. Keen 2 is more ambitious. It's my favorite in the series, though it has its issues. The level design becomes more complex, and the enemies are both more dangerous and more numerous. Some basic puzzles make an appearance (using the scrubber robots as impromptu elevators, manipulating the Vorticons' jumping with the lights, outmaneuvering the elites) and the platforming becomes a good bit riskier. Unfortunately, the lack of checkpoints really starts to hurt, especially since the most challenging parts of the level are often at the end. The blue geometry and diamond-patter wallpaper also get monotonous, even though there's quite a bit more "scenery" than in Keen 1. The levels had their share of dick moves too, ranging from blind drops to unnecessarily dangerous goodie stashes. Still, I overall like the increased challenge and more complex interactions. Keen 3 kinda went off the rails, though there are things I like about it. The levels don't feel as samey as in Keen 2, and a fair amount of attention is paid to verisimilitude, in that housing areas are recognizably residential, military bases have barracks/barbed wire/missile silos, parks have trees and fountains, and so on (unlike Keen 2, where the 'Home' areas consisted of girder mazes and huge acid pools.) The levels are larger and have more to see/collect, too. But, as the videos illustrate painfully well, some of the level design is just atrocious. The earlier residential levels are okay, if cramped, but the later levels are just hosed. The not-New-York area has copy-pasted geometry, accidentally locks the player out of large sections of level, and is bizarrely short. The forts are absurdly difficult for no reason. The Caves of Oblivion play like developer spite incarnate. Even in the saner levels, there are places like the subway where you have to either expend a shitload of ammo or risk restarting the level, and the reward is a pittance. The platforming is too demanding for a game with such stiff and heavy controls, and the enemies are just bullet sponges instead of something to be outmaneuvered like in Keen 2. I don't have much to say about Keen Dreams, since I never played it as a kid. You can definitely see the changes they were preparing for Goodbye Galaxy! though. Keen 4 really is a giant leap forward for the series; everything from visuals to sound to interface to enemies... but this post has gone on long enough. Looking forward to the rest!
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2015 20:00
|
|
|
My Childhood! God the early 90s....
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2015 22:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 11:48 |
|
|
Looking forward to additional Keen games, but that was kind of neat. Gathering weapons through all the levels to take out the final boss, and all.
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2015 03:52
|
|
