Painter General Release Announcement

[legeek]

Glad you like the artwork! It was a blast to put together...

 

I too need to get a Jagfree cart...

 

Cheers,

Ben

[Stone]

Perhaps someone should write a review which compares the ST-version and the version included in the BJL-ROm with the currently released version.

 

This one's got to be easier than the one in the BJL ROM, for the simple reason that the levels got jiggled by accident and the first 3 levels of the version in the BJL ROM are actually from a very long way into the game

 

So you should find a decent difficulty progression now, as opposed to the straight-in insane difficulty of the old version

 

I've not seen it since the beta, anyway, so I'll hold my tongue until my copy arrives

 

Stone

[Sinigord]

Hey All,

 

Just got back from Vegas last night to find out my Cable modem is down and I had to find an internet cafe to check my mail.

 

If you have ordered Painter friday afternoon or over the weekend, I will get these copies out just as soon as I can get into Paypal and get your details for mailing. Hopefully comcast will get this fixed ASAP.

 

It was great to meet all the Jag people that turned up at CGE. Hopefully you'll all enjoy Painter.

 

Regards,

 

Gordon

[Mendon]

One word describes this game: INCREDIBLE !!

 

Of course, I'm biased because I loved Amidar in the arcade and on the 2600. And when Painter was released for the ST it quickly became one of my 3 favorite games. And now Painter arrives on the Jaguar!! Everything from the scrolling Jagfest intro screen to the music, to the grid designs, to the names of the screens & passwords.... this is one quality piece of work!!! Gordon and Sinister Developments have done an fantastic job on this game.

 

The grid layouts are very well done and show an incredible amount of creativity. From very simple layouts to grids that seem to fill the entire screen, Painter never fails to test you. And if these regular grids weren't enough, the game throws in grids with invisible boxes!! Just when you think you've cleared a grid, the level doesn't end because you forgot where one of the boxes was placed and now must run around like a madman looking for that invisible box with the enemy closing in on you every second. Gordon is a sadist through and through!!

 

The way the game progresses is very well done as the increase in difficulty is perfect. The AI on the enemy is incredible and makes you think every second you play.

 

Every screen has a simple password (and some of them are hilarious) which makes starting up the game from the last screen you played very easy.

 

The music is very well done and fits right in with gameplay. The applause when you complete a level is a nice addition, as is the voice over that says "The grid will self destruct in 20sec's" or "Game Paused"

 

Lots of nice bonus's also, like the Hidden game.... you guys have got to finish this game!!!!

 

Can't say enough good things about this release. Painter is an excellent addition to the Jag library and is a game I'll be playing for a long, long time.

 

 

Mendon

[Sinigord]

Hi Mendon,

 

Thanks for the very kind words.

 

It's pretty hard to come up with 100 interesting looking levels. Glad you like the passwords and level names, I thought I might be on my own wavelength there

 

The hidden game... who said anything about a hidden game?? is not in the JagFest version of Painter. It's only in the General release version.

 

Oh, and it does get a bit easier for a while after level 49

 

Regards,

 

Gordon

[Mendon]

The hidden game... who said anything about a hidden game?? is not in the JagFest version of Painter. It's only in the General release version.

 

ACK !! My error; sorry. I never actually tried it on the Jagfest version I got. You showed it to me at CGE and I assumed it was on the version I bought. I just tried it after reading your post and you're right as the code didn't work on my version.

 

You really ARE a sadist!! Now you want me to buy the general release also, eh???? GRRRRRRRRR

 

Again, GREAT job!!

 

Mendon

[Stone]

Hiya Gordon,

 

It's pretty hard to come up with 100 interesting looking levels. Glad you like the passwords and level names, I thought I might be on my own wavelength there

 

I've always loved the level names Level 09 seemed to have some small changes from the last version I played though...it's just a little bit harder (before the enemy got stuck down the bottom and you didn't have to worry about it until the very end). Maybe that's a small AI tweak?

 

And yes, I am keeping records of the passwords, I'll pass them on to AA for the cheats section when I complete it, plus a coupla months so as not to stop people playing for themselves

 

The hidden game... who said anything about a hidden game?? is not in the JagFest version of Painter. It's only in the General release version.

Curiouser and curiouser At least one other egg still works though...

 

Incidentally, if there's 100 levels, why have 3 digits for the level number? You start on 00... Trying to give us hints?

 

I've been loving the music changes, I wasn't expecting to hear any new music for a long time but there's obviously plenty there I've heard 7-8 tracks, I think, though the music progression continues after you die and restart the game, so you won't hear the early music again for a while I'm very happy the Slam Racers music made it in there too, I always loved that

 

So it's all round at the moment, level20 is escaping me right now so I think I'll have another go after lunch Top job!

[edit: now it's level 32 with a nice Guide reference (the second ) Told you I loved the names ]

[2nd edit: now 37...even though level 25 frustrated me enough to guess the password to level 41 - how dedicated am I, eh? ]

 

Oh, and it does get a bit easier for a while after level 49

Well that's comforting

 

Stone

[Mendon]

Thanks for cleaning up this thread !!

 

It gets so tiresome of trying to read an interesting thread only to have it dissolve into another war.

 

Mendon

[Thunderbird]

Thanks for cleaning up this thread !!

 

It gets so tiresome of trying to read an interesting thread only to have it dissolve into another war.

 

Mendon

 

Not as tiresome as getting into a interesting conversation and having it cut off for no reason.

[Sinigord]

I've always loved the level names Level 09 seemed to have some small changes from the last version I played though...it's just a little bit harder (before the enemy got stuck down the bottom and you didn't have to worry about it until the very end). Maybe that's a small AI tweak?

I don't remember changing anything, certainly no AI changes.

 

Curiouser and curiouser At least one other egg still works though...

Sure Does!

 

Incidentally, if there's 100 levels, why have 3 digits for the level number? You start on 00... Trying to give us hints?

Not this time, the game can handle lots more levels. I just stopped at 100.

 

I've been loving the music changes, I wasn't expecting to hear any new music for a long time but there's obviously plenty there I've heard 7-8 tracks, I think, though the music progression continues after you die and restart the game, so you won't hear the early music again for a while I'm very happy the Slam Racers music made it in there too, I always loved that

Try pressing Pause and then A or B to select Music or Sound Effects volume, then try UP/DOWN as well as LEFT/RIGHT

 

[2nd edit: now 37...even though level 25 frustrated me enough to guess the password to level 41 - how dedicated am I, eh? ]

You're doing pretty well actually. 37 & 38 are stinkers. Watch out for 75 & 78... evil cackle...

 

Gordon

[+Saturn]

Holy crap!

 

I brought the mail inside with me hours ago and dismissed the white box as another God*amn AOL promotion and didn't notice the Sinister Developements return addy 'til just now.

 

*smacks self across the room*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*plays Painter*

[Mendon]

So it's all round  at the moment, level20 is escaping me right now so I think I'll have another go after lunch  Top job!  

[edit: now it's level 32 with a nice Guide reference (the second ) Told you I loved the names ]  

[2nd edit: now 37...even though level 25 frustrated me enough to guess the password to level 41 - how dedicated am I, eh? ]  

 

Damn Stone.. I'm only on Lvl 23. I thought I was addicted to this game but you bring all new meaning to the word!!

 

While playing Painter, I sometimes get the feeling that Gordon designed some of the levels when he was having a bad day. "The boss won't give me a raise????" (puts 127 invisible boxes in Lvl 83); "Toilet overflowed????? (add's 3rd enemy to Lvl 61); "Flat tire???? (increases speed of enemy by a factor of 15 on Lvl 44)

 

 

Keep us posted on your progress!

 

Mendon

[Sinigord]

Damn Stone.. I'm only on Lvl 23. I thought I was addicted to this game but you bring all new meaning to the word!!

But notice how we haven't heard anything for at least a day. I suspect he's having some problems...

 

To give you something to aim for, I completed all 20 JagFest levels and got a score of 761,291. I'm sure I could do a bit better, died stupidly a few times.

 

On the Standard 100 levels, I managed to get to level 44 from level 1 with a score of 936,227.

 

While playing Painter, I sometimes get the feeling that Gordon designed some of the levels when he was having a bad day. "The boss won't give me a raise????" (puts 127 invisible boxes in Lvl 83); "Toilet overflowed????? (add's 3rd enemy to Lvl 61); "Flat tire???? (increases speed of enemy by a factor of 15 on Lvl 44)

 

That's real funny... some of the levels I designed had to be deleted because I just couldn't finish them. I'm surprised I haven't broken any joypads yet. The 3rd enemy deal happened on level 41... I'm thinking Stone's thought up some new words for the blue meanies by now!

 

Hopefully, most of the Painters mailed on tuesday should be showing up at their destinations.

 

Gordon

 

Keep us posted on your progress!

Please do, I'm listening too...

[Sinigord]

I brought the mail inside with me hours ago and dismissed the white box as another God*amn AOL promotion and didn't notice the Sinister Developements return addy 'til just now.

Yes, perhaps I should have pointed out that the games are shipped in plain white DVD sized mailers with big address labels.

 

Have fun!

 

Gordon

[Stone]

I didn't have trouble, I just slowed down a bit cos my grandparents came to visit Level 39 now.

 

37 and 38 aren't really that bad, 38 would have been worse with another enemy...

 

There's one about 20-ish with 5 enemies, that's fun, if only for the 'ooooohhhhhh shiiiiiiiittttttt!' feeling you get when it loads

 

Level 41 is just evil

 

As for thinking up new names for the enemies, I don't really think it works that way. Like all the best games, your screwup is entirely due to you, so being angry with the instruments of your downfall is just silly. Just remember they all follow the same rules, all behave in exactly the same way in any given situation, and move at exactly the same speed as you

 

Also, if you know how to do a level but can't quite manage it, go off and have a break. Every time I did this I came back and did it in at most one life

 

I've been using the passwords so not getting any highscores. I'll run through the whole levelset again once I complete it and see how far I can get knowing how to do them all

 

And if you're having problems remember I betatested this game so you'd expect me to be reasonably competent at it

 

Stone

[edit: level 43 now ]

[edit: Let me guess...at level 44 you got tired? ]

[Sinigord]

As for thinking up new names for the enemies, I don't really think it works that way. Like all the best games, your screwup is entirely due to you, so being angry with the instruments of your downfall is just silly. Just remember they all follow the same rules, all behave in exactly the same way in any given situation, and move at exactly the same speed as you

They don't always do the same thing. There is one small element of randomness in there when the enemies can't see an obvious route to get to you. They pick a random direction, which is how pairs of enemies sometimes split up. Usually when this happens, there's some munching and crunching in your immediate future:)

 

I've been using the passwords so not getting any highscores. I'll run through the whole levelset again once I complete it and see how far I can get knowing how to do them all

I got all the way to 41 the other day and then lost 18 lives

 

[Let me guess...at level 44 you got tired?

That must have been it... I'll have another go today sometime.

 

Gordon

[Atari Smeghead]

I got all the way to 41 the other day and then lost 18 lives  

 

Gordon

 

I must say, it's a major testament to the game itself that the author AND one of the playtesters (Yes Stone, I saw your name in the credits, you lucky fella you!!) are still playing this game today!

 

I met Gordon at CGE (I was the little blonde guy who had you sign the CD case..oh and thank you for that!) and am really enjoying my copy of Painter.

 

It's a very fun, addictive game. I highly suggest everyone pick up a copy! You won't be disappointed. It's a highly polished, stylized game. Very sharp. There are so many extra touches in this game. It's worth double what I paid, IMHO. But thanks for keeping the price down. I spent WAY too much at CGE, especially at Songbird and B&C's booths.

So far, I can see nothing I would've added. Well, maybe a high score screen that could be saved on my Prot SE cart, but that's just nit-picky.

 

The CGE levels are fun, and it's nice to have a 2nd set of levels to jump to, when the main ones get so damned hard. Haven't thrown the controller yet, but I have sworn at the TV a few times.

 

Thanks for releasing this game, Gordon!

 

Randy

[Stone]

They don't always do the same thing. There is one small element of randomness in there when the enemies can't see an obvious route to get to you. They pick a random direction, which is how pairs of enemies sometimes split up. Usually when this happens, there's some munching and crunching in your immediate future

No, they always do the same thing in any given situation, because they follow set rules. The trick is manufacturing the situations to be exactly the same so you know what they're going to do

 

Not sure what you mean by them splitting up due to randomness tho...

Example needed. You're moving left with two enemies on your tail, and come up to a double-junction, where you have two choices a short distances after each other, both leading down. If you take the first turning down (to your left) then both enemies will follow you. If you take the secondpath , the enemies will split up. The first one follows you down the second path, and when the second enemy reaches the first turning it sees you're further down than it and makes the turn. This requires you to end up going left when you run out of track, otherwise you do get munched

 

I got all the way to 41 the other day and then lost 18 lives

But that's one of the easy bits! How many points until an extra life BTW? Somehow I always seem to be busy when it happens

 

[Let me guess...at level 44 you got tired?

That must have been it... I'll have another go today sometime.

Nope, a missed reference to the level title. Nevermind

 

Stone