[CAMPAIGN] The Ascent

[hiiplayhw]

Hello,

I am releasing my map. This is not a 'balanced' map. This is a map of slaughter, destruction, and many "I CAN'T EVEN SEE MY CHARACTER!" moments. Traveling through the five areas will hopefully give between 1-2 hours of play time on medium difficulty (2-3 if playing local co-op). This map is most fun when played with one paladin (REQUIRED), and 1-3 non-paladins.

After playing it with roommates twice, I think it's fine to release it. The map was designed with local shared camera and respawn mechanics in mind, but it should be playable online as well. There is purposely a ton of money so that you can 'level' fully at nearly every bonfire. Team work with paladin is designed to be necessary on local multiplayer, though certain parts will probably be null in online multiplayer.

You will die. A lot. I recommend the double lives perk. Zerg rush is a legit and hilarious strategy in this map. Turn it into a simple game of which of your friends will die the least and it's a great time.
 
As a side note, it might not be clear to anyone who doesn't read the text of the first NPC that the upgrade areas in this map are bonfires (ala Dark Souls). Simply find one, stand by it, and open it like any other merchant. The first one is located by the first checkpoint you come across.

Special thanks to the creators of two mobs used in the map. They created the spider and ghost mobs. Also thanks to the creator of a trap tutorial map pack, which I used to learn trap design. All of these parties are from this forum, so if it was you, thank you. Finally, last, but not least, Kashlavor -- your thread, and specifically information about mob design, made my map possible. Making my first customized red bat was huge. 

Available in the Steam Workshop http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=479488389

[Flemse]

Hi, we tried your map, and it was enjoyable until the spike area(s).

[hiiplayhw]

My roommates had trouble with it until they used the D-pad instead of an analog stick. I recommend doing the same.

[Hipshot]

Yea, the spike areas are very tricky with a controller, my friend started using the Dpad too. Still, difficult.

Also, I suggest making the firetraps a LITTLE less damage, they almost feel like the spike traps now.

[Flemse]

It's not really about the controller, I simply don't enjoy that type of gameplay. The game was really fluid up untill the spikes, but then it comes to a complete halt, where everyone is inching along, complaining/cursing and trying to find any exit to end it as fast as possible. There was a collective sigh/moan in the group when we cleared the first area and found that the next one was an even tighter spike maze. We simply didn't have fun anymore, and we chose to quit the campaign before using all our lives up.

I think it's a shame, because everything else was really nice, and I think it could be great if you simply took out all the spike mazes. But I also realize some people like this kind of gameplay, and of course I don't expect you to tailor your campaign to my tastes

[Hipshot]

I understand what you mean, I have never seen so many deaths as my friend had, when we completed the level, he had died well over 250 times, myself some 45 or so (unlimited lives). Man did he die from those spikes. I think that's why people might vote down the level at the workshop, also, perhaps cause they don't understand the need for a paladin in the level.

[hiiplayhw]

I can empathize with your criticism, and if you want to down vote something because it's too hard, go for it. My roommates and I enjoyed the difficulty of the map as-is, and it was an ongoing design process with them testing it. It's too bad you won't finish it, but it might also be a good thing you stopped where you did. I might consider making a 'lite' version once everything else is updated, removing the narrow spike level and certain amounts of mobs, but the subsequent floor would probably stay as-is and I may remove the 'good' ending.

The problem with the fire was that it was initially lower damage, but it gave the paladin enough time to dash through some length and survive to, say, skip the last tile or two and hit a checkpoint (which I wanted to avoid on non-local multiplayer since he could leave the rest of the party behind on a certain level). I might drop the damage on the 2nd update slightly lower, but it might not be enough to avoid the almost-guaranteed death.

[Flemse]

I'm not going to downvote it, I really liked what was there up to that point, and you put some real efford into it.

[apollocarlos]

really nice map!
but my friends and me got stuck at this place: http://i.imgur.com/1eMI1AK.png?1
the four columns of spike appear at the same time for a short moment, which makes us could not go through.
is it a bug or we missed anything before we reach this place?

[hiiplayhw]

Hello,

Thanks for the message. Any chance you can explain a little more of the timing or make a short youtube clip of it? It may be the same bug I experienced when entering floor 8 and then going back to floor 7, but I have never seen it occur prior to entering floor 8 after many tests. Those spikes should be 3 on and 1 off, or all off, at any given time. 

[apollocarlos]

hi, you can watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV85Y2UThS0

[hiiplayhw]

Thanks for the clip! I see what you're saying. It's just what I described, but strangely I didn't have any syncing issues until entering the 8th floor and going back to the 7th floor. I assume you have not yet entered/cleared the 8th floor yet? Are you and your friends playing on the original version, or the updated version? The most recent update will not allow you to leave the 8th floor until it is finished, and you can't enter the 8th floor until you have finished the 7th floor part in question from your clip.

Is the line that's off/closed still killing you?

[Luktom100]

Hey there, could you please upload you're addon to some kind of sharing service? I really would like to play it and i have the GOG version, so no steam. Im desperate on playing this one