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using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines
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Message: 6656
Author: jetsetdanny
Date: 10/05/2010
Subject: "Jet Set Willy: The 2010 Megamix"
It was five years ago to the day that I released "Jet Set Willy: The 2005 Megamix", my second JSW project, which embraced a lot of material by other authors (including 48 rooms designed by Paul E. Collins, 12 rooms adapted from the Dragon 32 version of "Jet Set Willy", etc. and sprites by Darren McCowan and other people).
A few months after that release I realised that it is possible to manipulate JSW128 memory so as to add more guardian tables to the original two. Since there were also a lot of unused rooms in the game, the idea has been in my mind ever since that this free memory (empty space) should be used.
In 2007 I embarked on the task of preparing a Special Edition of "The 2005 Megamix". I did design some new rooms, but I didn't get very far in my endeavour due to extreme real-life constraints.
I have worked on the project on and off in the last three years, mainly during holidays, making significant progress in some periods and seeing the work totally stalled in others. The game was supposed to be "The 2005 Megamix SE", then "The 2008 Megamix", then "The 2009 Megamix" and finally it's going to be "Jet Set Willy: The 2010 Megamix".
As it is now, the game looks really good for a beta and then gamma release this year. I have finished designing and editing the rooms and there are no more free rooms (or guardian classes) left, so there will be no more "real" editing done, perhaps some tweakes and improvements here and there as I progress with the playtesting. Before I go into the final playtesting though(before the beta release) I still have to finish up the title screen and then do some manual hacking to enhance the game in some (minor) ways (my technical knowledge is very limited).
All going well, the game should be ready for a beta release in a few weeks' time.
Then it will be testing by whoever feels like it, plus writing the text file for me and preparing an Easy Version - because "JSW: The 2010 Megamix" in its entirety will be one of the most difficult JSW games ever released (possibly the most difficult one, but there's some strong competition out there) and most people will be discouraged soon after reaching "The Land of Great Hardship" (if they manage to reach it at all...), so the Easy Version is a must.
Which brings me to the question: will there be people interested in playtesting the beta version? Quite openly, I am particularly interested in Andrew Broad's time and willingness to do it, since he has been an invaluable source of feedback in the past. Before, say, the end of June and the beginning of December, will you have any time, Andrew, to do it? The only thing I can promise is that you will have a lot of fun with the brand-new rooms in The Land of Great Hardship (almost 80 of them) and the completely redesigned final run (hard as hell) and most probably it will be a *long* time before you play anything like this again (if ever - unless you release another game of yours, or Sendy comes back with a vengeance, or another masochist arises within the JSW/MM community :-) ).
Well, that's my progress report with a question mark at the end. I did hope for a beta release today, to mark the fifth anniversary of "JSW: The 2005 Megamix", but real life has been too demanding. At least I am pleased to announce an upcoming release which is now really, really not too far away.
Be on your watch, all ye masochistic Willy lovers...
Daniel
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