Author Topic: Clock Tower (SNES)  (Read 52409 times)

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Offline TerraEsperZ

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2013, 09:37:51 pm »
Thanks a lot everyone and sorry for the guilt trip. I just really wanted to finish this one as quickly as possible. And I've decided to keep "Cage Room" if only because that's how all the guides refer to it.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2013, 10:23:55 pm by TerraEsperZ »
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Offline TerraEsperZ

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2013, 10:06:24 pm »
Well, it's finally finished. I ended up using "1st & 2nd Chamber" for the caves since from what I've been able to find online, caverns would have referred to separate entry into the rock and these are more like 2 different chamber of the same cave system (I think). It might not be perfect but nothing is and just like in software development, you have to stop at one point and actually release something. So it's been sent and should be posted online soon.
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Offline JonLeung

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2013, 02:27:49 pm »
Well, it's up!  Thanks, Terra!

Also, I'm a little surprised that this appears to be your first Super NES (well, Super Famicom) submission, ever...?

Offline TerraEsperZ

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2013, 09:21:25 pm »
That's because my SNES emulator of choice, ZSNES, has little to no debugging features. Also, there's the fact that removing the background always leaves black (something that BizHawk is supposed to correct but the last time I tried a build it kept crashing the second a ROM was loaded) *and* the annoyance of the SNES almost always putting garbage in the last scanline of the display which makes capturing the full map difficult without additional tools. I would have loved to map more SNES games, believe me.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2013, 09:24:02 pm by TerraEsperZ »
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Offline snesmaster

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2013, 11:45:31 pm »
Here is a link to the latest interim build of BizHawk.  I have been using it to map Super Mario World, and so far it is working pretty good.  The main thing to do to prevent crashing is to not open up the graphics debugger window while the emulator is paused.  As long as you stick to that it should work good.

Here is the download link to the version I'm using.
http://code.google.com/p/feos-tas/source/browse/trunk/BizHawk.zip

Also there is an on going thread at:
http://tasvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13464

So you can offer your input and suggestions for the emulator there.  They have already added several of the features I have requested to make mapping games easier.  I think it will help if they know I'm not the only person that uses their emulator to map games.  So please request some good features from them.

Offline JonLeung

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2013, 08:44:29 am »
Ah, all I meant by that is that considering how long you've been around, how many maps you've contributed, and how often you've been honoured for the Maps Of The Month (if that counts for anything) - and it looks like you've been sitting on more maps than some people have even ever sent in - it just surprised me that this is your first map for one of the most popular atlases on the site.  Not a good or bad thing, just a statement of surprise, that's all.  But hey, looks like Rick/snesmaster has helped you out, so guess it was good that I mentioned so, and that you responded as you did.

Now that I see the full map, I am again intrigued about seriously playing through this game (if I can find the time).  I don't know if having 16-bit graphics makes things more or less scary.  On the one hand, the (now) low-res graphics probably make it harder to make some things out, but on the other hand, it probably lends more to the imagination and can make things freakier than they might appear.  I think if there are still-shot cut scenes (are there?) they can be scarier than full-motion video because there's more time spent seeing the detail in a particular shot.

But then again, if my experience with Silent Hill (I've played the first four games) is any indication, music and sound are really what makes things scary, not so much what you see.  And then of course, what you don't see is scary too, and since this game has a stalker...wow, I don't know if I'm psyching myself up to play this or scaring myself out of it.  It's interesting to note that even if I were to wuss out and depend on your map, that I can't expect some rooms to be open due to random chance, adding to the intensity when I really need to find a hiding place, I'm sure.

Offline TerraEsperZ

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2013, 10:55:04 am »
Don't worry. I was simply expressing some frustration because the SNES has great looking (and often really fun) games but the emulators available have traditionally been rather useless in facilitating the mapping process. Several of the maps awaiting release are actually for this system (though not all from good or even average games) and I have ideas for a few more games but a lot depends on the usability of BizHawk (or similar emulators).

Coming back to Clock Tower, it's definitely a stressful game the first few times you play thanks to the partially randomized room placement and the adrenaline health system where the more scary stuff Jennifer (the player) experiences, the more tired she gets and the greater the chances of tripping while being pursued and not being able to fend off the threats when they attack you.

There are also several different endings (some good, some bad) depending on how much you learn about the Mansion's inhabitants and the events leading up to the game and which of your friends live or die. If you really want to play, I suggest reading a guide simply to understand the controls and the health system because they are a bit confusing, but nothing more. And yes, there are a couple of still and partially animated screenshots during major events and they are pretty effective combined with the (sadly limited in terms of songs) music.

A fan remake of the game has been in development for several years called "Remothered". It seemed to greatly expand on the original game as well as doing its own thing judging from some early previews posted online. Recently however, it's been revealed that the game will be sold commercially with 3D graphics which means that the story and characters will be changed a bit (understandable) but also that the game might not be as effective in 3D compared to the early videos showing an interesting mix of video capture for the sprites and edited photography for the background with a lot of colored lighting effects.
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)

Offline nandoticon

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #22 on: December 06, 2013, 01:56:20 pm »
Great work with this map.
I'm developing a simple RPG to play with friends, and record a Podcast that mixes our play with the game review.
Basically, I'm using your map and putting tons of annotations on it to guide me through the RPG session.
I can send you this version with annotations, but basically spoils every aspect of each room.

Thanks for the amazing work with this map, I've just registered to this forum to comment that.
Cheers.

Offline TerraEsperZ

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Re: Clock Tower (SNES)
« Reply #23 on: December 08, 2013, 11:22:04 pm »
Thank you for the kind words :). I've been thinking of making a version of the map with annotations that would have shown all the dangerous and safe spots, but I was both afraid of leaving things out and worried about stupid things like fonts and not making everything look too cramped, and so I left things as is.

I hope your RPG sessions ends up being fun (and scary)!
Current project:
Mega Man: Powered Up (PSP)