31/08/2024 - "A Hero is Born" by Team CoW

[Sat42]

Map Title: A Hero is Born
Authors: Team CoW (Qtit, Frieza, Mman, ebd, Turboman, zacman and sana)
From: The Chronicles of Weedrow Vol. 1: The Quest for the Chalice of Awesome Evilness
Filename: CoW-01-Ahib.unr




Video Playthread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_Qd97T52YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlTqHasgHBE

Synopsis: "I have finally found it! This is the most crucial discovery of my entire life! I've never been so excited before! The Breathing Mountain's Temple. I was wandering three days thinking I'm going to die here, lost, forgotten. And then, I found a cave. It led me here, and now... I just need to find a way to open the gates."

Discuss!

[Semfry]

Note the playthrough is done with a slightly updated version Sat42 provided that isn't out yet.

Since I worked on it I guess I'll mostly keep to "making of" stuff. I didn't actually contribute any new content until map 2, but in getting it ready for release I did a bunch of fixing up the translator messages to fix typos and keep consistency in stuff like ellipses while keeping the individual flavour of each section as much as possible as well as adding a couple of things, on top of some bug-fixing, namely I recall the "assassination" quest in the pocket dimension area had basically no dialogue or was bugged in some other way I can't remember pre-release but works now.

While not even the biggest example in Weedrow 1 this also has an example of how insanely fast Turboman's mapping is, as I'm pretty sure everything after Takk lets you into the small city area is by him despite being built on the same schedule as everyone else.

[Sat42]

It's a pleasure to watch that playthrough, Semfry! given the nature of the map, showing everything - including the lose situations - is on point

Man, this is a great map - and in a unique way, too! The story-driven aspect makes me happy, and it can look absolutely beautiful from an art direction perspective (on top of being technically better looking than the mothergame of course).

The WTF nature of the story works very well thanks to the humour which is unabashedly self-aware (and it escalates further in the next map). This provides an excellent justification for the wild changes in theme.

And amidst all that you still get some gameplay, of course! just enough to keep you on your toes (in a very action-adventure way). It's the sort of thing that will be later augmented with a more bespoke gametype like firetrucks.

Honestly, anyone who hasn't yet played this and with the slightest interest in The Chronicles of Weedrow: The Quest for the Chalice of Awesome Evilness should just stop reading and book an evening to play through the campaign: it's full of delightful surprises!*

► Show Spoiler

I don't know which moment is my favourite, between meeting the Cow hologram and the monster reveal, figuring out the right path in a series of junctions (and the "surprise"!), the mighty Bloblet, the Rabbit, the storage dimension's "Shanty Town" with its cyberpunk feel... the whole damn map is a surprise, actually EDIT: love the hovertrucks and that sweet dynamic lens flare effect, too!

@Semfry: interesting tidbit of info there about Turboman (living up to his nickname), and regarding the rest I wonder what parts were made by Qtit, Frieza, zacman and ebd

*After Unreal: Forgotten, I think this was only the second major SP project to take advantage of the community patch 227 features. On that note: yes, 227I is still the last version on which this campaign will play properly from start to finish, but we'll get a new version out for 227K (soonish).

[ebd]

I am not sure how much commentary I can provide as a mapper. It was a lifetime ago that I worked on my part. My only prior completed SP release had been The Ibyn Complex, and prior to that, I had worked on some multiplayer maps from 2004... nevertheless, it was this pack that paved the way for Weedrow 2 and firetrucks, Star Shoal Chronicles, and much more work, most of it unreleased or reworked into other things.

I forgot just how good the build quality was from the other mappers, and a little bit how bonkers the writing was while still fitting together somewhat due to the comedy tone. I do remember I wrote "Takk the Unbeliever" to be a throwaway character with a ridiculous name and a nasty demeanor, but he ended up sticking around. I made him a lot nicer in during my second mapping section later in the campaign, but he is still a weirdo.

While not even the biggest example in Weedrow 1 this also has an example of how insanely fast Turboman's mapping is, as I'm pretty sure everything after Takk lets you into the small city area is by him despite being built on the same schedule as everyone else.

Weedrow 1 had zero planning, and each mapper had just two calendar days. Turboman made all of Shantytown in two days. How could any of us mere mortals compare to that sort of power?

Video later. It's nearly 3 am and I don't want to edit the footage now.

[Sat42]

[...]
I forgot just how good the build quality was from the other mappers, and a little bit how bonkers the writing was while still fitting together somewhat due to the comedy tone. I do remember I wrote "Takk the Unbeliever" to be a throwaway character with a ridiculous name and a nasty demeanor, but he ended up sticking around. I made him a lot nicer in during my second mapping section later in the campaign, but he is still a weirdo.

Hey that's cool to know! There isn't much detail, but even in the first encounter I always felt like Takk the Unbeliever was fundamentally a nice character, just a bit awkward and sort of defensive as a result and really, after all that he's been through, who wouldn't be? not that we're meant to read too deeply into this stuff lol

► Show Spoiler

I know the crazy narrative finds a way to bring him back, but I distinctly remember his murder being the one moment of this map to actually have a serious tone to it, in a somewhat "shocking" way after all the comedy stuff.

Weedrow 1 had zero planning, and each mapper had just two calendar days. Turboman made all of Shantytown in two days. How could any of us mere mortals compare to that sort of power?

Thanks for making that crystal clear

Looking forward to your video!

[ebd]

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

[Sat42]

Thanks for your video, ebd! Nice way to wrap up the MOTW