Archive: 36 posts

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PSN: Shade_seeker LEVEL: Pirates of the carob bean You start your journey on the Island where Carob is made. Visit the Factory and learn the complicated process of its production. On the way you'll meet the colorful characters that frequent the 'Carob bean' Inn, help Handy Mandy the handy man fix the Carob vending machine and try to find the combination for the lock that prevents you from entering the ship in the Harbor (the black bean) Once aboard the Black Bean the Captain will teach you how to use the cannon, and how to control the ship before allowing you to take it to the high seas. On your watery journey you'll battle with a scary sea monster from the deep before finally landing on a small tropical island where you can lay back on the loungers, soak up the sun and sip on its tropical specialty beverages. (There is now 'PIRATES OF THE CAROB BEAN TOURS' on the PS3) The fully working combination lock stopping you gaining access to the ship. http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0696.jpg The gate barring your way. http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0694.jpg The Carob Bean Inn http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0697.jpg Chatting with the Captain http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0700.jpg Handy Mandy trying to fix the Carob vending machine. http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0698.jpg Helping fix the vending machine. http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0699.jpg The front of the ship. http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0701.jpg And of course, the back of the ship. http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo300/simonsnr/Pirates%20of%20the%20carob%20bean/DSCF0702.jpg Ran out of Thermo, so no music, but no bugs that I know of (Please note that the combination lock is exactly like a REAL combination lock. If the numbers aren't correctly aligned then the gate won't open.) (EDIT: The lock the lock the lock. This needs to be said as everyone is having trouble with this part. The lock is a real, fully working, COMBINATION lock. It has one dial with SIX numbers on it. As with all combination locks, the lock will only work if the numbers are in the correct position. As there is only one dial (like a safe) each number in turn has to be entered correctly (in the correct order and centered before moving onto the next.) If it doesn't work the first time around it means you have done something wrong. It DOES NOT mean the lock is not working, I have tested, and re-tested this, and it works correctly every time, but it is not something that can be rushed. Take your time with it, check every number is centered before moving to the next, if it doesn't work, simply start again, but maybe a little slower Please, don't be too critical of a game that is a little challenging, that makes you think, and that gives you satisfaction when you complete such a difficult task. This level, like all my levels, is an adventure game (Zelda, Tomb Raider) It is not a platformer, (though it has platform parts in it) It has puzzles that have to be solved, and an in depth story line, with many characters that speak and inform you of various parts to the game. (This game will take an average player at least 25 minutes to complete.) (HINT) The lock will not work until you visit the Captain. The Captain hints at what the combination is, but doesn't actually tell you what it is. He explains where it is, and if you go to the place he mentions, you'll see the combination.

2010-02-14 23:02:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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playing fixing machine feeding cow-thing... WTF!?!

2010-02-15 00:43:00 Author: theswweet Posts: 2468

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problem found:ship is impossible to get out of the harbor!

2010-02-15 01:22:00 Author: theswweet Posts: 2468

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Hi sweet, thanks for finding that out! For some reason, all the waves moved when i published it, they were preventing the ship from moving...also, two of the speach bubbles cut the end of the last word off them. Sorted the wave problem and re published, as for the speech going to retry the new published version now... How did you ge on with it apart from that?

2010-02-15 01:30:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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no wonder the ship wouldn't move time to redownload again >_>

2010-02-15 01:54:00 Author: Spark151 Posts: 801

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did i finish?no...but it was fun! btw...no kidding with the lock...really hard!

2010-02-15 02:05:00 Author: theswweet Posts: 2468

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dam, hahah I got corrupted data after playing this level XD hahah oh well yeah, I lost some work, but I got a back up save file, although I don't think that'll help I don't got a corrupted save, my file won't load, that's all >_> Anyways, great level, but a song would have helped because playing the level doesn't seem right without noise. Too bad your thermometer was full. Overall 5 stars :star::star::star::star::star:

2010-02-15 02:43:00 Author: Spark151 Posts: 801

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YES, a new level by one of my favorite creators! Strange about the last word being cut off on your speech bubbles - I ran into that problem yesterday with my level. I just republished and it seemed to have sorted the problem. Playing the level now... Oh no, I'm hopelessly stuck! Either I'm dense or something is broken. (I'll put my money on door #1). I can't get into the ship, can't move the combo lock, and can't get past the crates to get to the bar. I've tried swinging and jumping and grabbing everything in sight and I've re-read the speech bubbles a hundred times. What do I do? EDIT: Figured it out! That was hard to find... For some reason my sack-dude wouldn't say on the back layer. EDIT #2: One of your speech bubbles is still messed up. The one that starts " ' Sniff ' thanks...." and the last bit I can see is "I haven't eaten a Carob ".

2010-02-15 03:02:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

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You can enter the bar or whatever that place is called

2010-02-15 03:05:00 Author: Spark151 Posts: 801

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Ok! Played, finished, loved it. As with your other levels, the obstacles are a bit obscure and it can take some bumbling around to figure things out, but this level is much more playable than even Lord of the Wings. The "pick up and play" aspect of your creations has definitely improved over your last few levels. As usual your scenery, decorations, and corner editing is incredible. There's just so much depth of detail everywhere it's fun to simply walk around and look at everything. I love how you decorated the inside of the ship and the bar. That's ridiculous! In a good way of course. I love the fact that more care and effort went into halfway-hidden areas that than you'd find in most other full levels. Everything is beautifully constructed, your characters are great, and your mechanical and logic assemblies are solid. Now, the humor gets its own paragraph! I should preface my comments with the fact that, as a child, I was often tricked into eating carob as a "delicious and healthy chocolate substitute!" Dis. Gusting. Sure, just like toothpaste would be a good substitute for cake frosting. So, right from the start I found the basis of your entire story just incredibly funny. And the farm... I really can't say much because I don't want to spoil the joke, but I will tell you that the payoff made me half-cough half-snort ginger ale backwards into my sinuses from the mouthful I was almost swallowing at the time. So, I will forever associate this level with an overly intimate smell of Canada Dry and uncontrollable coughing. So funny! It's wonderfully edgy of course, but I do have some concerns that perhaps the level might get moderated. I think it would be silly of course, but the risk is there. For my money it's totally fine even for the smallest of children with opposable thumbs, but you never know. Regardless, let me just say that your vision of a carob factory is 100% spot on. The originality of your puzzles continues to impress. They are so original in both design and implementation in fact, that they can be tricky to figure out just because you've never seen anything like them before. The fuse puzzle was well-designed, well-built, and fun to solve. I can't say quite the same thing for the combination lock, but what an ingenious contraption. I fiddled and fiddled and fiddled until I made the combination work. To be honest I don't know exactly how I did it right, and I'm afraid that many people just won't be patient enough to work it through completely. I *think* you're supposed to move the wheel without grabbing it, and once the number is showing (fully) you're supposed to grab the wheel.... right? Not intuitive at all and somewhat fumbly, but it does work. Some additional sounds when you get each number right might be nice, but then again a regular combination lock doesn't do that for you so I can see why you made it that way. I ran into a few other small problems throughout the level, but I have to say the combo lock was the main hurdle for me. As you can see from my earlier post I had difficulty figuring out that you can just walk into the bar. Most people will probably figure this out with no problems at all but it's not terribly obvious there's an opening there. A couple speech bubbles also seem to be suffering from the truncated-last-word bug. I mentioned one in my earlier post but I found one other... and now I can't recall exactly which one it was. I'll try to locate it again and let you know. Another speech bubble problem I had is that some of them seem to be triggering slightly out of order. Going through the bar you get the first part of the conversation, followed by the third. Then you go back and get the second bit and it seems a bit weird until you piece it all together. I'd say it's all not worth a republish, but those darned speech bubbles with the missing words are troubling. If/when you do republish I will most certainly play this again. 5 stars and hearted!

2010-02-15 06:55:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

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Good morning all. Another day off today, so turned both my psp on and laptop, oh what a lovely way to wake up: Some great feed back to the game and although only 12 plays 5 STARS YIPPIEEEEEE!!! did i finish?no...but it was fun! btw...no kidding with the lock...really hard! Yep, the lock. I KNEW this would be an issue, but it took so **** long to make and design I couldn't face the thought of scrapping it. It DOES work, but it works as a real combination lock, well infact it works like a safe lock. if you don't get EVERY number inline before moving onto the next, it mucks the whole sequence up. The basic workings are this. There are six blocks on pistons in the horizontal plane, each time you turn and align a number. ONE piston/block will move, allowing a ball with a magnetic key to drop. But of course the ball will only drop if the block it is sitting on moves (hence having to get the right sequence) (Taffey mentioned about adding a sound everytime you got a number right, well I DID try that, but then its so easy, all you have to do is keep spinning the wheel aimlessly until it you hear a sound, no fun in that) So YES its VERY hard, but I'd like to think that its obvious what to do, just tricky in implimenting it. (BTW did anyone have trouble working out how to get the combination, obviously, without giving away HOW you got it.) You can enter the bar or whatever that place is called LOL, glad you worked that out ok Spark, (UNLIKE some 'cough' ) And sorry to hear about the 'corrupt file Sparks,I cant see how it was my game, must have been coincidence, but bad luck all the same! Ok! Played, finished, loved it. As with your other levels, the obstacles are a bit obscure and it can take some bumbling around to figure things out, but this level is much more playable than even Lord of the Wings. The "pick up and play" aspect of your creations has definitely improved over your last few levels. As usual your scenery, decorations, and corner editing is incredible. There's just so much depth of detail everywhere it's fun to simply walk around and look at everything. I love how you decorated the inside of the ship and the bar. That's ridiculous! In a good way of course. I love the fact that more care and effort went into halfway-hidden areas that than you'd find in most other full levels. Everything is beautifully constructed, your characters are great, and your mechanical and logic assemblies are solid. Now, the humor gets its own paragraph! I should preface my comments with the fact that, as a child, I was often tricked into eating carob as a "delicious and healthy chocolate substitute!" Dis. Gusting. Sure, just like toothpaste would be a good substitute for cake frosting. So, right from the start I found the basis of your entire story just incredibly funny. And the farm... I really can't say much because I don't want to spoil the joke, but I will tell you that the payoff made me half-cough half-snort ginger ale backwards into my sinuses from the mouthful I was almost swallowing at the time. So, I will forever associate this level with an overly intimate smell of Canada Dry and uncontrollable coughing. So funny! It's wonderfully edgy of course, but I do have some concerns that perhaps the level might get moderated. I think it would be silly of course, but the risk is there. For my money it's totally fine even for the smallest of children with opposable thumbs, but you never know. Regardless, let me just say that your vision of a carob factory is 100% spot on. The originality of your puzzles continues to impress. They are so original in both design and implementation in fact, that they can be tricky to figure out just because you've never seen anything like them before. The fuse puzzle was well-designed, well-built, and fun to solve. I can't say quite the same thing for the combination lock, but what an ingenious contraption. I fiddled and fiddled and fiddled until I made the combination work. To be honest I don't know exactly how I did it right, and I'm afraid that many people just won't be patient enough to work it through completely. I *think* you're supposed to move the wheel without grabbing it, and once the number is showing (fully) you're supposed to grab the wheel.... right? Not intuitive at all and somewhat fumbly, but it does work. Some additional sounds when you get each number right might be nice, but then again a regular combination lock doesn't do that for you so I can see why you made it that way. I ran into a few other small problems throughout the level, but I have to say the combo lock was the main hurdle for me. As you can see from my earlier post I had difficulty figuring out that you can just walk into the bar. Most people will probably figure this out with no problems at all but it's not terribly obvious there's an opening there. A couple speech bubbles also seem to be suffering from the truncated-last-word bug. I mentioned one in my earlier post but I found one other... and now I can't recall exactly which one it was. I'll try to locate it again and let you know. Another speech bubble problem I had is that some of them seem to be triggering slightly out of order. Going through the bar you get the first part of the conversation, followed by the third. Then you go back and get the second bit and it seems a bit weird until you piece it all together. I'd say it's all not worth a republish, but those darned speech bubbles with the missing words are troubling. If/when you do republish I will most certainly play this again. 5 stars and hearted! Thanks for your long and indepth (as always) review Taffey So glad you got the Carob joke, I wanted to add an opening scene explaining what Carob was but alas, no thermo. (ROLF, toothpaste as frosting ha ha!! I so love your little comments) Pleased you appreciated the mechanics, **** it was hard getting the ship to move and roll with the waves, still cant fathom how all the waves moved when i published, they don't look quiet right now as what I did was a 'quick fix' but i think its still ok. Anyone have trouble killing the sea monster (Made the last part really hard to kill) Pleased you like the deails. The top half of the front wall of the INN , 'DID' lift up and out of the way on a piston via a sensor so you could see all the inside of the inn when you spoke to the captain, but i had so many issues with pistons in this game I had to scrap the idea (hence the reason for such detail inside) AS for the the game having issues about being rude.....hummmmmm...yeah I thought EXACTLY the same thing, but hey, if they supply the rude noises, they are there to be used right??? (cant say too much, dont want to give it away) Once again, about the lock. No you grab it to move it, the left side for large movements, the right for smaller 'touches', but you grab nonetheless. Weird about the speech bubbles, but two publishes didnt fix it, and i'm reluctant to loose my 12 five stars as its the most ive recieved, a shame, but i dont think it spoils it too much. (Did everyone work out the stepp ladder ok with the weird conversations going on in the bar?) Thanks once again all for your kind words, and stars yipeeeee!

2010-02-15 11:14:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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So glad you got the Carob joke, I wanted to add an opening scene explaining what Carob was but alas, no thermo.It's better that the world does not know. Before you know it we'd have carob mochas at Starbucks and bastardized carob M&M's and everything would be in UTTER CHAOS!!!! Oh, I meant udder chaos. [insert rimshot here] Pleased you appreciated the mechanics, **** it was hard getting the ship to move and roll with the waves, still cant fathom how all the waves moved when i published, they don't look quiet right now as what I did was a 'quick fix' but i think its still ok.Ah yes, the ship was very nice in its movement. You'd never know you had any problems with it at all - it behaves very shipish! No problem with the sea monster either - that was actually one of my favorite parts. AS for the the game having issues about being rude.....hummmmmm...yeah I thought EXACTLY the same thing, but hey, if they supply the rude noises, they are there to be used right??? (cant say too much, dont want to give it away)I agree completely! That stuff is just begging to be used. Weird about the speech bubbles, but two publishes didnt fix it, and i'm reluctant to loose my 12 five stars as its the most ive recieved, a shame, but i dont think it spoils it too much. (Did everyone work out the stepp ladder ok with the weird conversations going on in the bar?)No, it doesn't really spoil it. It's one of those minor 'ah well' kind of things but I don't think it detracts from the gameplay at all. And yes, I did work out the step ladder. Took me a moment but it was obvious I was missing something and then DUH, there's the ladder I've been looking for. It's been there the whole time!

2010-02-15 16:56:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

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Hello Shade_seeker. I liked this level a lot! The script was brilliant. My mum went through a health-food phase when I was growing up, so I too am familiar with the dubious pleasures of pseudo-chocolate. When you revealed where carob bars come from, not only did I laugh out loud, but some part of me deep inside recognised the fundamental Truth of your message. I strongly feel that Pirates of the Carob Bean is the Da Vinci Code of the carob-product industry, and I only hope that The Powers That Be do not learn of your work. I refer to the shadowy Puppet-Masters of the carob world: to maintain their obscene wealth and influence, they must ensure that the masses remain forever ignorant of carob's origin. By educating the populace, you threaten the financial interests of the Carob Elite, and you may be sure that They will not sit idly by as their profits fall. They have fifth columnists everywhere -- that harmless-looking fellow in the LBP Moderating Dept. may in fact be a ruthless agent of the Elders of Carob! I encourage everyone to download this level now, while they still can!! ...Er, sorry, lost the run of myself there. :blush: The combination lock was the weakest element of the level for me. The idea itself is great, but dialling the numbers wasn't fun. It felt a bit hacky -- I was worried I was jumping the gun, doing something I shouldn't have been trying to do yet. Maybe a couple of switches to turn the dial clockwise and anti-clockwise would have felt more deliberate and reassuring? That was the only real issue I had with the level. At the fuse puzzle, just a little more room to move about would have made the task feel a bit smoother, I think. Like Taffey, I was stumped for a while as to how to get inside the tavern. I had to go back and forth a few times, trying to see what I'd missed, until I accidentally walked inside. (I think I'd gotten fixated on the guy moving boxes, thinking I had to help him before I could get into the building.) When I boarded the ship, the practice duck-shoot was the first thing to attract my attention, so the captain's dialogue was out of place when I went to talk to him. And that's it for the niggles. The step-ladder worked fine for me -- I like the way you have it move. I'm glad you weren't able to expose the inside of the tavern: I enjoyed peering through the windows at what was going on; and Sackboy's conversation with the folk on the ground floor was all the more entertaining for being hidden. I got a kick out of sailing the ship, and the sea battle. And the final destination was a sweet reward for completing the level. I really like the structure of the whole thing. There's quite a bit to do before you get to board the ship, which gives sailing off a nice feeling of leaving the known world; and the ship's terminus felt like a really cool easter egg that I'd discovered, if that makes any sense. But I think what will stick in my memory is the horror...the secret horror that awaits all players of this level...in the Forbidden Zone behind the carob factory. I think you may have created LBP's own Soylent Green here.

2010-02-16 01:09:00 Author: Unknown User

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I loved the level it was amazing the key was a little slippery but overall it was a fantastic piece of work 5 stars and a heart.

2010-02-16 02:13:00 Author: tominater12 Posts: 87

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Hi, Shade_seeker. My congratulations - you did another great level. All things done very good, you did so many cool madded details, that I tired to amaze, when I meet with another one. Story is brilliant, many cool characters, as always - outstanding work with corner tool and stickers, very well think over design, great ship and its features, I can continue recitation of your level advantages, but must stop. Puzzles are great, but as always in your levels, it can be a little difficult for beginners. But it is your style and I loved it! Thanks again for great level and big game fun! My respect for you! And :star::star::star::star::star: and heart!

2010-02-16 09:23:00 Author: Domik12 Posts: 838

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Great level, best visuals ive ever seen, but the code lock was impossible. Perhaps some more clues, instead of 'it has six numbers in it'(maybe some notes hidden around town that you grab and they say something(like 'the first number is 1 less than the last number' or whatever)

2010-02-16 10:37:00 Author: Unknown User

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Well, I've played it and I have to say I was hugely impressed. The carob jokes were excellent, the visuals were stunning (I especially liked the ladder) and for the most part the gameplay and story moved along very smoothly. However, I haven't finished it yet as I still can't figure out how to use the lock. I found the code straightforwardly enough but cannot work out how to operate the lock, it seems to keep jamming between 1 and 6 and I can't turn it. I am sure this level is going to be worth 5*s, regardless what comes after the lock, but I'm still going to try again and finish before I give you an absolutely final word on that.

2010-02-16 10:50:00 Author: SalieriAAX Posts: 421

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(I've added this to my original post) The lock the lock the lock. This needs to be said as everyone is having trouble with this part. The lock is a real, fully working, COMBINATION lock. It has one dial with SIX numbers on it. As with all combination locks, the lock will only work if the numbers are in the correct position. As there is only one dial (like a safe) each number in turn has to be entered correctly (in the correct order and centered before moving onto the next.) If it doesn't work the first time around it means you have done something wrong. It DOES NOT mean the lock is not working, I have tested, and re-tested this, and it works correctly every time, but it is not something that can be rushed. Take your time with it, check every number is centered before moving to the next, if it doesn't work, simply start again, but maybe a little slower Please, don't be too critical of a game that is a little challenging, that makes you think, and that gives you satisfaction when you complete such a difficult task. This level, like all my levels, is an adventure game (Zelda, Tomb Raider) It is not a platformer, (though it has platform parts in it) It has puzzles that have to be solved, and an in depth story line, with many characters that speak and inform you of various parts to the game. (This game will take an average player at least 25 minutes to complete.) (HINT) The lock will not work until you visit the Captain. The Captain hints at what the combination is, but doesn't actually tell you what it is. He explains where it is, and if you go to the place he mentions, you'll see the combination. There were so many comments people made, that I find that if i just quote them, I miss out bits in my reply, so I've replayed 'inside' the quote IE: {SHADE SEEKER: Blah di blah} It's better that the world does not know. Before you know it we'd have carob mochas at Starbucks and bastardized carob M&M's and everything would be in UTTER CHAOS!!!! Oh, I meant udder chaos. [insert rimshot here] {SHADE_SEEKER:GROAN, ( secretly chuckling inside, but outwardly trying to show that I don't find such silly puns funny.......and failing!} Ah yes, the ship was very nice in its movement. You'd never know you had any problems with it at all - it behaves very shipish! No problem with the sea monster either - that was actually one of my favorite parts. {SHADE SEEKER} Glad everything was 'ship shape'!(Snare, ride crash&apos No, it doesn't really spoil it. It's one of those minor 'ah well' kind of things but I don't think it detracts from the gameplay at all. And yes, I did work out the step ladder. Took me a moment but it was obvious I was missing something and then DUH, there's the ladder I've been looking for. It's been there the whole time! SHADE SEEKER:Good to hear you didn't get stuck on that, it was something I worried people would. Hello Shade_seeker. I liked this level a lot!{SHADE SEEKER: Hi Wizball, and thanks} The script was brilliant. My mum went through a health-food phase when I was growing up, so I too am familiar with the dubious pleasures of pseudo-chocolate. When you revealed where carob bars come from, not only did I laugh out loud, but some part of me deep inside recognized the fundamental Truth of your message. I strongly feel that Pirates of the Carob Bean is the Da Vinci Code of the carob-product industry, and I only hope that The Powers That Be do not learn of your work. I refer to the shadowy Puppet-Masters of the carob world: to maintain their obscene wealth and influence, they must ensure that the masses remain forever ignorant of carob's origin. By educating the populace, you threaten the financial interests of the Carob Elite, and you may be sure that They will not sit idly by as their profits fall. They have fifth columnists everywhere -- that harmless-looking fellow in the LBP Moderating Dept. may in fact be a ruthless agent of the Elders of Carob! I encourage everyone to download this level now, while they still can!! {SHADE SEEKER: ROLF, man that was funny, on par with Taffy's 'Tooth paste for Frosting', funny stuff!} ...Er, sorry, lost the run of myself there. :blush: The combination lock was the weakest element of the level for me. The idea itself is great, but dialing the numbers wasn't fun. It felt a bit hacky -- I was worried I was jumping the gun, doing something I shouldn't have been trying to do yet. Maybe a couple of switches to turn the dial clockwise and anti-clockwise would have felt more deliberate and reassuring? {SHADE SEEKER: Good idea about the switches controlling bolts, I tried it when I first made it, but it either made it very slow to turn, or too quick to be accurate} That was the only real issue I had with the level.{SHADE SEEKER: Thats great news!} At the fuse puzzle, just a little more room to move about would have made the task feel a bit smoother, I think.{SHADE SEEKER: Yeah I thought that my self, but got a little lazy and didn't bother in the end, ended up changing the size of the fuses so it was more of a challenge} Like Taffey, I was stumped for a while as to how to get inside the tavern. I had to go back and forth a few times, trying to see what I'd missed, until I accidentally walked inside. (I think I'd gotten fixated on the guy moving boxes, thinking I had to help him before I could get into the building.){SHADE SEEKER: I like the idea people are getting stuck there, makes it fun, don't you agree?} When I boarded the ship, the practice duck-shoot was the first thing to attract my attention, so the captain's dialog was out of place when I went to talk to him. {SHADE SEEKER:Again, I was aware that might happen, wanted a speech bubble to say 'go speak to the Captain' kinda thing, but no thermo'} And that's it for the niggles. The step-ladder worked fine for me -- I like the way you have it move. I'm glad you weren't able to expose the inside of the tavern: I enjoyed peering through the windows at what was going on; and Sackboy's conversation with the folk on the ground floor was all the more entertaining for being hidden. I got a kick out of sailing the ship, and the sea battle. And the final destination was a sweet reward for completing the level. I really like the structure of the whole thing. There's quite a bit to do before you get to board the ship, which gives sailing off a nice feeling of leaving the known world; and the ship's terminus felt like a really cool easter egg that I'd discovered, if that makes any sense. {SHADE SEEKER: So glad you think the way I do Wizball } But I think what will stick in my memory is the horror...the secret horror that awaits all players of this level...in the Forbidden Zone behind the carob factory. I think you may have created LBP's own Soylent Green here. {SHADE SEEKER: lol, hope you didn't have nightmares like I did when I created it....brrrr.....brings shivers down my spine} I loved the level it was amazing the key was a little slippery but overall it was a fantastic piece of work 5 stars and a heart. {SHADE SEEKER: Short, too the point, 'nuf' said! Hi, and thanks Tominater} Hi, Shade_seeker. My congratulations - you did another great level. All things done very good, you did so many cool madded details, that I tired to amaze, when I meet with another one. Story is brilliant, many cool characters, as always - outstanding work with corner tool and stickers, very well think over design, great ship and its features, I can continue recitation of your level advantages, but must stop. Puzzles are great, but as always in your levels, it can be a little difficult for beginners. But it is your style and I loved it! Thanks again for great level and big game fun! My respect for you! And :star::star::star::star::star: and heart! Thanks so much Domik, glad you enjoyed it. How you getting on with your new game?} Great level, best visuals ive ever seen, but the code lock was impossible.{SHADE SEEKERlease read top of this post Paddy} Perhaps some more clues, instead of 'it has six numbers in it'(maybe some notes hidden around town that you grab and they say something(like 'the first number is 1 less than the last number' or whatever) Thats a very nice idea about the clues Paddy, I wish I'd thought of that, but no thermo = no can do! And Hi, and thanks for your comments, much appreciated! Well, I've played it and I have to say I was hugely impressed. The carob jokes were excellent, the visuals were stunning (I especially liked the ladder) and for the most part the gameplay and story moved along very smoothly. However, I haven't finished it yet as I still can't figure out how to use the lock. I found the code straightforwardly enough but cannot work out how to operate the lock, it seems to keep jamming between 1 and 6 and I can't turn it.{SHADE SEEKER: You need to go see the Captain before the lock will work salier(as in turn)} I am sure this level is going to be worth 5*s, regardless what comes after the lock, but I'm still going to try again and finish before I give you an absolutely final word on that. Sorry you didn't finish it salier, I promise you it is worth completing, though bear in mind, don't play it just before bed time, the see monster may well keep you awake all night!} Thanks everyone for the posts/ego boost, and sorry all of you find my game a little frustrating at times!

2010-02-16 13:55:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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This level has scarred me for life... whenever i see a lock I scream in anger and terror.

2010-02-16 23:17:00 Author: austimerr Posts: 385

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@austimerr How can you be so mean? @Shade_seeker Played it, and I love the pirate atmosphere! I like the bit of humor (example: cow + hay = delicious snack ), and the stickers were used immensely in a great way. The only thing that bugs me... well three things that bug are: * In the puzzle with the four keys, the left side is a bit tougher, mainly the top left corner key. It's to difficult to fit in. * Music would have been a great option. * The lock is a bit too complicated. Maybe if you add a 3-way switch with a motor bolt attached to the lock, because the problem is control that blasted dial, and that switch might help control it a bunch! Other than that, good job, and keep up the work! :star::star::star::star::star: and a ♥! :arg: (Lol, Pirate smiley! ) Peace

2010-02-17 00:57:00 Author: CyberSora Posts: 5551

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I enjoyed Lord of the Wings and I enjoyed this! A definite :star::star::star::star::star:

2010-02-17 08:43:00 Author: Fastbro Posts: 1277

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This level has scarred me for life... whenever i see a lock I scream in anger and terror. Lol austimerr, thnaks for palying. @austimerr How can you be so mean? @Shade_seeker Played it, and I love the pirate atmosphere! I like the bit of humor (example: cow + hay = delicious snack ), and the stickers were used immensely in a great way. The only thing that bugs me... well three things that bug are: * In the puzzle with the four keys, the left side is a bit tougher, mainly the top left corner key. It's to difficult to fit in. * Music would have been a great option. * The lock is a bit too complicated. Maybe if you add a 3-way switch with a motor bolt attached to the lock, because the problem is control that blasted dial, and that switch might help control it a bunch! Other than that, good job, and keep up the work! :star::star::star::star::star: and a ♥! :arg: (Lol, Pirate smiley! ) Peace Hi CyberSora Glad you enjoyed the game. Your three points: 1: the fuse room, yeah its difficult , be not too difficult. I know the left are harder, that was the idea, if you've played my other games, you'll get the 'running theme' of things aren't too easy in my games. 2; Music, thermo maxed to beyond maximum. 3: No comment (lol) Thank you very much for the five stars, guess it wasn't THAT bad then huh? I enjoyed Lord of the Wings and I enjoyed this! A definite :star::star::star::star::star: Cheers Fastbro, I just republished Lord of the wings, much MUCH easier now if you'd care to replay?

2010-02-17 23:18:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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Hidy Ho Shade_Seeker, I checked this level out yesterday and I was blown away by how good it is. The scenery is outright amazing, and I think that the humor is your best yet (wow, that whole cow incident was just awesome). I can't believe just how far you have come I still had some issue with the level though In general, it was much better than Lord of the Wings, but man did I have a hard time with parts of it. First of all, was I supposed to do some crazy kind of swinging with the lantern to get up to the captain? If that is the case, then it is rather difficult to figure out and accomplish in my opinion. I ran back on forth across the level many many many many times, and I just couldn't believe that THAT was what I was expected to do! Then, once I finally got up there, all I got out of the captain was that the lock took 6 numbers and to meet him on the ship or something??? I ran back and forth for another 5 minutes, and then I just gave up... I have said this before, and I guess I am either not getting my point across, or you just don't think that my opinion matters, but I really really really think that it would be good if you tried to make your levels a bit more intuitive. Playing your levels hurts me more than any other level I have played on LBP PSP OR PS3! I have played PLENTY of unintuitive levels, but most of them show little or no potential. Yours, on the other hand, are absolutely incredible! I mean, this level is fantastic, but there is no way you are going to climb highest rated when I end up finally giving up after half an hour. I am absolutely positive that plenty of people are giving the level 1 or 2 stars because they are getting so irritated and giving up. If you've played my levels, you know I am a bigger fan of RPG elements then I am of platforming, so you and I think alike (at least I think we do). We both have the run-back-and-forth thing going with the story developing as you accomplish goals. So I obviously don't have a problem with your levels doing this, and I actually like them more for it. The problem is that once the player runs back and forth a few times and nothing changes and they can't figure out what is going on, and they have already spent 15 minutes in the level, they are going to be SUPER irritated. Well, that's all I have got. I think that you easily have the potential to be one of the top 5 authors on PSP if you could just make your levels a bit more intuitive. Awesome work on this one, and I'll look forward to your next

2010-02-18 02:55:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

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Just finished. Amazing level. Bugs: 1. the final boss, sometimes if you keep shooting it, it topples over Improve: 1. Add music. I think you could maybe squeeze it in by deleting a few of the clouds, they seem quite complicated corner wise. im not a expert tho 2. if you have enough thermo(judge by the graphic probly not lol) id make the final boss shoot fireballs to add challange. What you should do is make a line of dissolve with a emitter on one end that shoots the fireballs, then attach a wobble bolt on the other end so it shoots in different directions.

2010-02-18 16:34:00 Author: Unknown User

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I have to say I REALLY enjoyed this level. The vending machine puzzle was excellent as was the scenery! That ship must have been absolutely painstaking to create but the end result is nothing short of stunning! I ran back and forth for a while, stuck (in a good way) on finding the combination for the lock but when I finally found it I felt very satisfied. Nice work! It didn't take me too long to discover it either - long enough to be pleasantly stumped but not too long so as to get frustrated. You'll be pleased to know that I, for one, didn't have any trouble operating your combination lock and it worked first time for me. I can't say enough how much I loved your pirate ship - absolutely amazing! And i enjoyed beating your mid-voyage boss too. All in all, a fantastic level. 5 stars and heart from me

2010-02-18 21:46:00 Author: Unknown User

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Hidy Ho Shade_Seeker, I checked this level out yesterday and I was blown away by how good it is. The scenery is outright amazing, and I think that the humor is your best yet (wow, that whole cow incident was just awesome). I can't believe just how far you have come {shade seeker: Thanks a lot Poo, very gald you liked that part of it} I still had some issue with the level though In general, it was much better than Lord of the Wings, but man did I have a hard time with parts of it. First of all, was I supposed to do some crazy kind of swinging with the lantern to get up to the captain? If that is the case, then it is rather difficult to figure out and accomplish in my opinion. I ran back on forth across the level many many many many times, and I just couldn't believe that THAT was what I was expected to do! Then, once I finally got up there, all I got out of the captain was that the lock took 6 numbers and to meet him on the ship or something??? {Shade seeker: You seem to be the only one that had trouble here, you must have missed the text about how you'd need a 'ladder' to get up to the top floor (where the captain was) I have no idea how you got up there with out it??} I ran back and forth for another 5 minutes, and then I just gave up... I have said this before, and I guess I am either not getting my point across, or you just don't think that my opinion matters, but I really really really think that it would be good if you tried to make your levels a bit more intuitive. Playing your levels hurts me more than any other level I have played on LBP PSP OR PS3! I have played PLENTY of unintuitive levels, but most of them show little or no potential. Yours, on the other hand, are absolutely incredible! I mean, this level is fantastic, but there is no way you are going to climb highest rated when I end up finally giving up after half an hour. I am absolutely positive that plenty of people are giving the level 1 or 2 stars because they are getting so irritated and giving up. {shade seeker: 80 plays, 20 hearts, 4 stars, so if about 10 players gave it 1 or 2 stars then the other 70 must have given it FIVE, so it would seem the majority of people aren't having the trouble you did.} If you've played my levels, you know I am a bigger fan of RPG elements then I am of platforming, so you and I think alike (at least I think we do). We both have the run-back-and-forth thing going with the story developing as you accomplish goals. So I obviously don't have a problem with your levels doing this, and I actually like them more for it. The problem is that once the player runs back and forth a few times and nothing changes and they can't figure out what is going on, and they have already spent 15 minutes in the level, they are going to be SUPER irritated. {Shade seeker: Oh dear oh dear lol, sending a chill pill your way} Well, that's all I have got. I think that you easily have the potential to be one of the top 5 authors on PSP if you could just make your levels a bit more intuitive. Awesome work on this one, and I'll look forward to your next If I'm honest, I read your post just before going out for the evening last night, and it REALLY irritated me. I was annoyed that you were the only one that didn't notice the step ladder. I was annoyed by your comments about how people would give it 1 or 2 stars because it was so annoyingly 'unintuitive'. (long pause to try and make you feel guilty) BUT............................ The more I thought about it, the more it sunk in how YOUR comment was the first to really hit home what my games are lacking. Cruel to be kind and all that, but it got me republishing the game with all the issues corrected (new thread entitled '(EASIER) Pirates of the Carob Bean' So, I think I've said this before, but thank you for your direct and honest views, and indeed, thank you for your extremely high praise hidden in and around the criticisms! Just finished. Amazing level. Bugs: 1. the final boss, sometimes if you keep shooting it, it topples over Improve: {Shade seeker: Yeah, thanks Paddy, I've sorted that in the new version} 1. Add music. I think you could maybe squeeze it in by deleting a few of the clouds, they seem quite complicated corner wise. im not a expert tho 2. if you have enough thermo(judge by the graphic probly not lol) id make the final boss shoot fireballs to add challange. What you should do is make a line of dissolve with a emitter on one end that shoots the fireballs, then attach a wobble bolt on the other end so it shoots in different directions. {shade seeker: Nice idea Paddy, I DID try it, but it made it too hard to dodge the projectiles while trying to fire back} I have to say I REALLY enjoyed this level. The vending machine puzzle was excellent as was the scenery! That ship must have been absolutely painstaking to create but the end result is nothing short of stunning! {Shade seeker:Hi Roddy, and thanks! Yep, I don't do things by halfs, I have more fun with the details, than I do with the puzzles, LOVE corner editing lol I ran back and forth for a while, stuck (in a good way) on finding the combination for the lock but when I finally found it I felt very satisfied. Nice work! It didn't take me too long to discover it either - long enough to be pleasantly stumped but not too long so as to get frustrated. {Shade seeker: Now THAT made me smile, Thank you!} You'll be pleased to know that I, for one, didn't have any trouble operating your combination lock and it worked first time for me. {Shade seeker: You are the FIRST person to say that Roddy, you, like me are in the minority im affraid. So happy that you had no trouble.} I can't say enough how much I loved your pirate ship - absolutely amazing! And i enjoyed beating your mid-voyage boss too. All in all, a fantastic level. 5 stars and heart from me Thanks Roddy, you may be pleased to hear that i'm about to start Pirates of the carob bean2' very soon, and the ship will be used again! Thanks to all, and do check out my new thread '(EASIER) Pirates of the Carob Bean' Shade seeker.

2010-02-19 16:47:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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Man, I read your reply and I actually started getting really worried... Your long pause sure did what you wanted it to, I was sure I was in for a serious rant, but boy was I happy to see that you actually just accepted that perhaps I was only trying to help I really did spend a long time in your level (probably the longest I have ever spent in a level except for Lord of the Wings, and I didn't even get on the boat in this one!!!), and I just couldn't figure it out. Sure, I may be an idiot, or maybe my brain just checked out for the day, but either way, I really felt like I should let you know how I feel. Obviously I care, or I wouldn't have played the level for soooo long, and then wrote ALLLLL of that feedback. I seriously think that you are an incredible author, and I'm very sorry that I have such a hard time with your levels. Perhaps I am just the odd man out, and if that is the case, then I'm sorry for waisting you time, but all I really want is for your levels to get the attention that they deserve! Keep up the awesome work!

2010-02-19 17:14:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

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On the duck shooting stuff: make it shoot it in an ark at medium/slow speed, maybe 5-6 in a row? That should be easy enough to dodge(make the material with the emitter attached with a wobble bolt, then make it move(wobble?) at a northeast- ish angle

2010-02-19 18:46:00 Author: Unknown User

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Man, I read your reply and I actually started getting really worried... Your long pause sure did what you wanted it to, I was sure I was in for a serious rant, but boy was I happy to see that you actually just accepted that perhaps I was only trying to help I really did spend a long time in your level (probably the longest I have ever spent in a level except for Lord of the Wings, and I didn't even get on the boat in this one!!!), and I just couldn't figure it out. Sure, I may be an idiot, or maybe my brain just checked out for the day, but either way, I really felt like I should let you know how I feel. Obviously I care, or I wouldn't have played the level for soooo long, and then wrote ALLLLL of that feedback. I seriously think that you are an incredible author, and I'm very sorry that I have such a hard time with your levels. Perhaps I am just the odd man out, and if that is the case, then I'm sorry for waisting you time, but all I really want is for your levels to get the attention that they deserve! Keep up the awesome work! Thanks so much for helping me 'see the light' Poo. I love people like you, and have allot of friends that are honest and open, it's a VERY good trait. I myself (as you more than likely, have noticed) am a 'say it how it is' kinda guy just like yourself, and yeah sometime the truth hurts, but if like you mentioned, it's done for the right reasons, then it's a GOOD thing. I'm very honored that 'Pirates of the carob bean' has been featured in the 'spotlight' in the psp section, and has gone from 81 plays to 444 in a little under 7 hours! (though no one has played the 'easier' version, they all went for this original version which is a shame indeed! (hopefully the wording will be changed in the 'spotlight' to make it clearer) On the duck shooting stuff: make it shoot it in an ark at medium/slow speed, maybe 5-6 in a row? That should be easy enough to dodge(make the material with the emitter attached with a wobble bolt, then make it move(wobble?) at a northeast- ish angle Thanks Paddy, I understand what you mean, and appreciate your enthusiasm, but in the end decided it was best left as it was (Maybe in the next installment?) Thanks to everyone that has praised and crytisised, i'll try harder to get it right first time next time Shade_seeker

2010-02-20 09:41:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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Congrats on the spotlight! It's great to see you getting all those plays in the past 24 hours. People are definitely interested in seeing what you will come up with next. i'll try harder to get it right first time next time That's right, you better remember that. NO MISTAKES next time OR THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE!!!!! Kidding.

2010-02-21 00:58:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

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Hey Shade_seeker, If you haven't already noticed, I'm incredibly vulnerable to exquisite visuals, and when I first laid eyes on your pirate ship, I had to order a restraining order for it because I was afraid it would kidnap my time and attention . I played, or at least tried to play, your first level Lord of the Wings, and as much as I wanted to love it, I just couldn't manage to finish. I always feel unjustified leaving feedback without experiencing a level in its entirety, so I hope you didn't take it the wrong way when I didn't respond... But this was a whole different experience, and contrary to everyone else's experience with the level (particularly with the lock), I managed to have an outright positive one without any mixed emotions (except for concern with regards to how other people would perceive the challenge). I played the first version of this level, so in the beginning, I was a bit turned off by the lack of music, but that was quickly offset by the loud visuals! I proceeded to the right, through the tavern, and met Handy Manny before entering the first challenge. To be honest, I wasn't completely blown away by the fuse puzzle as I've played similar mechanisms before. I did, however, really liked the intricate shapes that added a tinge of difficulty to the minigame. And then the carob farm scene. Oh my! For those who have yet to play this level, I will not spoil the humor, but that was outrageously funny. On another note though, the pneumatic tubing in the section was sheer brilliance, and I liked how you connected that scene to the vending machine. That was genius! Just another ode to your wonderful construction, I really liked the ladder, especially its mode of movement. Now I was a bit confused with the Captain's dialogue, and I somehow interpreted it to mean that the combination number is inside the ship, so I thought we just had to "wing it." Hehe. I stopped at every number while turning the wheel for what seems to be about two times, and voila, it miraculously unlocked. I only felt dumb after I had entered the boat and read the numbers on the side.... After that, the sea-monster shooting was as hilarious as the early carob farming scene. My only problem was that the big...err...monster tipped over while I was shooting, and I was afraid that the cannon balls would no longer reach it. I don't know if you addressed this in the later version, or if this was intended as I seem to be the only one pointing it out, but I thought it was worth a mention. Anyways, the design of the pirate ship was absolutely breathtaking, and I particularly liked the fencing around the ship as well as the perspective and shadows of the sail. That was masterfully done, and I can honestly say that that was one of the best pirate ships I have seen on the PSP to date. Enough of my rambling though. That was a phenomenal level, and I hope the Spotlight attention gives it more deserving plays. I'll be looking forward to playing more levels from ya! Here's 5:star:s, and a level and author heart. Being sucked through a pneumatic tube, jeffcu28

2010-02-21 06:39:00 Author: jeffcu28 Posts: 648

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Hellewwwww all, and appologies for being 'away' for (so it says on this thread) 3weeks!! A quick explanation: I was making a 'Pirates of the Carob bean 2' spent 20 or more hours on it over about a week, and it suddenly crashed on me and will no longer load AGGGHHHHH!! I lost ALL faith in the psp version at that point and so, lent it to a friend, and bought its big brother on the ps3, oh boy oh boy, what a treat!! (YEPPERS.....'Pirates of the Carob bean TOURS' is now published) Right, onto my long over due replies: Congrats on the spotlight! It's great to see you getting all those plays in the past 24 hours. People are definitely interested in seeing what you will come up with next. That's right, you better remember that. NO MISTAKES next time OR THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE!!!!! Kidding. LOL, only kidding Taffey? You get my hopes up, then DASH them away with that comment of only kidding! (JOKE!) Hey Shade_seeker, If you haven't already noticed, I'm incredibly vulnerable to exquisite visuals, and when I first laid eyes on your pirate ship, I had to order a restraining order for it because I was afraid it would kidnap my time and attention . I played, or at least tried to play, your first level Lord of the Wings, and as much as I wanted to love it, I just couldn't manage to finish. I always feel unjustified leaving feedback without experiencing a level in its entirety, so I hope you didn't take it the wrong way when I didn't respond... But this was a whole different experience, and contrary to everyone else's experience with the level (particularly with the lock), I managed to have an outright positive one without any mixed emotions (except for concern with regards to how other people would perceive the challenge). I played the first version of this level, so in the beginning, I was a bit turned off by the lack of music, but that was quickly offset by the loud visuals! I proceeded to the right, through the tavern, and met Handy Manny before entering the first challenge. To be honest, I wasn't completely blown away by the fuse puzzle as I've played similar mechanisms before. I did, however, really liked the intricate shapes that added a tinge of difficulty to the minigame. And then the carob farm scene. Oh my! For those who have yet to play this level, I will not spoil the humor, but that was outrageously funny. On another note though, the pneumatic tubing in the section was sheer brilliance, and I liked how you connected that scene to the vending machine. That was genius! Just another ode to your wonderful construction, I really liked the ladder, especially its mode of movement. Now I was a bit confused with the Captain's dialogue, and I somehow interpreted it to mean that the combination number is inside the ship, so I thought we just had to "wing it." Hehe. I stopped at every number while turning the wheel for what seems to be about two times, and voila, it miraculously unlocked. I only felt dumb after I had entered the boat and read the numbers on the side.... After that, the sea-monster shooting was as hilarious as the early carob farming scene. My only problem was that the big...err...monster tipped over while I was shooting, and I was afraid that the cannon balls would no longer reach it. I don't know if you addressed this in the later version, or if this was intended as I seem to be the only one pointing it out, but I thought it was worth a mention. Anyways, the design of the pirate ship was absolutely breathtaking, and I particularly liked the fencing around the ship as well as the perspective and shadows of the sail. That was masterfully done, and I can honestly say that that was one of the best pirate ships I have seen on the PSP to date. Enough of my rambling though. That was a phenomenal level, and I hope the Spotlight attention gives it more deserving plays. I'll be looking forward to playing more levels from ya! Here's 5:star:s, and a level and author heart. Being sucked through a pneumatic tube, jeffcu28 WOW, thanks jeffcu, you said some REALLY nice stuff there, im gutted I only just found it! So happy you 'kinda' didnt have any problems with the lock, and so pleased you liked all my little corner editing work. As for the: Music, the lock, and a few more hints, the 'EASIER pirates of the carob bean' addresses all of those issues, but no one seems to be playing it (A pride thing i recon) but my mate tells me the normal version has almost 800 plays, so really happy about that! Sorry I havent had the chance to play/review all the new games that have appeared in the past few weeks, I guess I wont be on here much now I have the ps3 version, so all I can say is well done to all, and its great to see the psp games are finally picking up a bit. Take care all, and hopefully see some of you over in the ps3 threads. Simon

2010-03-12 12:10:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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Try copying the level to another location, that might work!

2010-03-12 16:27:00 Author: Fastbro Posts: 1277

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Yeah thanks Fastbro, I tried that. I even tried to copy it onto another memory card, but it just wont load. I had the same issue when I tried to republish my first game spag n hetti. I should have learned my lesson to be truthful, regular saves in new save spots is the key!

2010-03-13 11:50:00 Author: Shade_seeker Posts: 328

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Hi, Shade_seeker! As I understand after loosing gameprofile you decided to go for PS3 LBP version. Is it true? This means that we will not see more great levels from you on psp. is it true too? It is very sad, because I have PS3 version of LBP, but I haven't time for create something on it. So all that I can do is play several levels per week (I have no more free time at home). I prefer to play and create on psp because I can do it while my way to work and back home (it about 2 hours per day). So my main question is: will you do new levels for psp or just for PS3?

2010-03-13 12:25:00 Author: Domik12 Posts: 838

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Well it was worth a try Shade_seeker! Like domik12 said don't stop making PSP levels!

2010-03-13 12:31:00 Author: Fastbro Posts: 1277

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