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Cunning Canyons


alan
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A new map came to my mind about a month ago. I let the idea grow a little until I was ready to create the map layout, which was 2 weeks ago. I nearly finished the map on friday and playtested it. I wasn't happy with the result (yet) - it was too small in my opinion. So I edited it again yesterday and about doubled the size. 

Of course I share it with you guys.

 

Just like the original developers liked puns in level names, this one is called

 

Cunning Canyons

 

yOZPZB6.png

 

Back Story:

Located in the same geological fault like Rock Hard (Level 13), this level continues just as narrow. The cave system is very complex. Following the gravity, the groundwater finds its way through cracks from Rock Hard down to Cunning Canyons. This is why Rock Hard is a rather dry cave system compared to Cunning Canyons: The groundwater formed rivers and the rivers carved canyons into the muddy rocks, leaving sedimentary deposits full of resources. Because dry and even ground is very rare in this cave system, it will be a special challenge to plan your head quarter layout. Nontheless the resources in the sediments are mandatory for our way home.

 

Map Objective:

Collect 85 energy crystals.

 

Difficulty:

Medium

 

Extra Challenge (CAUTION: SPOILER)

If you want to play the level your own way first, I suggest you not to open the spoiler. 

Spoiler

Try to solve the level without using the large catamaran. Use the Rapid Rider instead. Good luck!

 

Installation Instructions:

As the back story already mentions, this level will be located right below Rock Hard (Level 13), between Ice Spy (Level 15) and Split down the middle (Level 16). You need to win this level besides Level 15 and 16 to continue with Lava Laughter (Level 17). Of course Cunning Canyons comes with a custom map icon as well.

When using DATA method, place the folder "CunningCanyons" into Data\Levels\GameLevels\ as indicated by the folder structure in the zip file.

After that, open Lego.cfg located in the Data folder of your LRR installation. Scroll down to the levels section, beginning with Levels { ... .

Copy lines 5-94 of the zip file's Lego.cfg into LRR's Lego.cfg between two levels.

After that, search for "Level12 {" in LRR's Lego.cfg to get to Level12's section: Change the NextLevel and LevelLinks as shown in the zip file's Lego.cfg. Repeat this step with Level13, Level14 and Level15 (search for "Level13 {", "Level14 {" and "Level15 {").

 

DOWNLOAD

 

Have fun :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Even from the outset, the effort you put into it is amazing :0

- Custom icon

- Extremely easy install instructions; it's added on as an additional level, not overwriting anything, which is very nice. You could have made it easier by just pointing Driller Night's LevelLinks to CunningCanyons, but then you ruin the continuity of the level; but the install instructions are dead easy anyway

- RBG fog values which are very pretty

- astounding usage of elevation, partly to create land you can't build on but also to create veeery pretty waterholes

- comes with useful priorities set off the bat :D

 

 

Unfortunately the level itself isn't amazing, but this is mostly because of the game engine and the shoddy way in which I played (hadn't booted up LRR for a couple of months). In this map, you expand in all directions at once; which has the significant disadvantage that your economy is slowed to a crawl as your STT goes to one side of the map to pick up 1 ore, another side for a second ore, and back again for a third... ugh, but I can't really blame you as much as I blame myself.

 

The lack of land isn't really a problem. You've easily got enough for two Support Stations. Getting enough space for a Super Teleport shouldn't be tricky, but it was when I played because I didn't mine east enough, instead eviscerating all of the south and noticing random 2x2 flat squares I could build on :Pwhereas behind some Dirt I reinforced to stop the landslides where six lovely flat squares.... oops :P However, given how Large Vehicles notoriously suck hard, this just meant I didn't build any of them until I noticed that spot. Then I teleported down six Loader Dozers, upgraded their engines, and just went AFK to pick up the rubble :P

 

 

The level is not challenging at all. Providing you remember that the Tunnel Scout and Cargo Carrier actually exist (forgot the first until a good deal later, whoops...), it's a cakewalk. No monsters, no erosion (but two squares of lava gave me quite a fright!), and only occasional landslides which really aren't a threat. (Bonus points: you disabled random landslides, which is always a nice thing :P), not even any slugs. There is oxygen, but it isn't a problem, and were it disabled I wouln'd have noticed.

 

This isn't a bad thing as per se, and it was quite nice to be able to AFK for a while as my Loader Dozers pick up about 100 tiles of mess :P it's just that having played Time Raiders, and having played my own Time Raiders levels, my default is to arm 60% of my Raider Population with laser beams, build Electric Fences, and carefully think about blockading slug routes :P To find none of this was necessary just made me think you were saving a monster rush till later.

(Speaking of monster rushes, I realised using NPL scripts it'd be reasonably easy to make an invasion appear when your HQ is built up enough; or lower the scale of an invasion if you haven't even got a Support Station together yet)

 

 

I have some minor suggestions for improvement:

- Occasional messages from Chief congratulating you on managing to fit your buildings in the space you have could be nice

- Please remove those two lava tiles, they give me nightmares :P
- Put extra crystals in the "final mining spot." this just prevents me from having to teleport up all my Loader Dozers for their crystals :P

- Remove the oxygen requirements as this lulls the player into a better sense of security, hinting that they're not going to be monster mashed :P

- Find some way to stop me using a tongue smiley at the end of every sentence :P

 

 

 

It is a very good level, and I realise my feedback above diesn't sound like a compliment. That's because I've been playing difficult levels and have also been thinking how I can make my own levels difficult; hence it's strange to find a "puzzle" level which has no threats, and I keep thinking it's going to erupt into calamity in a moment :P

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