Idle Explorers (Spelunky, um, thumbs)

[Security_Tubbs]

Today, after two consequtive days of embarrassing failure, I managed to succeed a little. I got the furthest I've ever been, died at 4-3, I think. Most of the time, I was completely out of ropes and bombs, which made every jump down really scary. Regardless, I managed to kill one of those giant mummy guys using the environment, and I managed to slip by one of the Anubis-looking creatures that shoot those homing purple rings.

 

However, the most unbelieveable stroke of luck happened in the ice caves. Despite progressing as carefully as I could (without any bombs and ropes), I managed to get myself stuck in a pit with a 3 blocks high ledge to get out. The only items I had was the compass, and a clay pot in my hands. There were some UFOs flying a bit to the side, but they wouldn't come close enough to shoot out the floor or anything. My only hope was to throw the clay pot at the UFOs and hope they'd crash nearby, creating an exit for me. So I jumped, aimed up and went for a long throw... The pot hit the upper corner of the ledge.

 

But holy shit, there was a green snake in the pot! Nearly shitting my self due to the glimmer of hope, I took one damage from the snake. However, I regrouped, waited for the snake to get into ideal position, jumped on it, bounced up and grabbed the ledge. I was back in business.

 

Later I died to a trap in the temple. Without thinking about it twice, I scoped the area for places to escape the boulder once I grab the golden idol. Unfortunately for me, they're not boulder traps anymore in the temple, and I still had no bombs.

[Nappi]

My best run so far in terms of length and points: 

 

 

Definitely not my best run in terms of early game performance, though. I spend a full minute or so trying to detonate an explosive grate with a rock (only to give up), killed a damsel with a mattock, and used up all my bomb (and the mattock) before the black market.

 

Random observations: I hate the bats. The only way I'm able to kill them without a risk of taking damage is to hide in a tunnel and wait for them to come at me at eye-level. I am also afraid of a ghost.

 

 

The main reason I'm posting this is that I'm really pleased about the way I died.

[Nachimir]

That is one spectacular death Nappi

 

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[Nappi]

Thanks! 

 

I was trying to land on top of that Tiki trap without using the jetpack to avoid being hit by both the scorpion and the Mario block. Instead, I got hit by practically everything in that general area.

 

The amazing thing about Spelunky is that it practically never really frustrates me. I didn't feel bad about that death, for example, even though I was so close to reaching Olmec for the first time today.

[Security_Tubbs]

Most spectacular death.

 

The amazing thing about Spelunky is that it practically never really frustrates me. I didn't feel bad about that death, for example, even though I was so close to reaching Olmec for the first time today.

I agree. I love that the difficulty in the game comes as a combination of rather simple and fair systems. And while it allows for insane maneuvers to clear the difficulties, it's not necessarily required (a more careful and slow approach is often available). And it's not about jumping on 1-pixel-wide platforms to avoid a screen-wide floor of spikes.

[hammerpants]

Things were going pretty well until the Black Market Blunder.

 

[Trip Hazard]

Most spectacular death.

 

I agree. I love that the difficulty in the game comes as a combination of rather simple and fair systems. And while it allows for insane maneuvers to clear the difficulties, it's not necessarily required (a more careful and slow approach is often available). And it's not about jumping on 1-pixel-wide platforms to avoid a screen-wide floor of spikes.

 

Agree with both you and Nappi. Much has been made of difficulty in games recently (are games getting too easy and leading players by the hand?) and what constitutes a "fair" death. I don't think I've died even once in Spelunky and thought that it was unavoidable. Death is always a result of a mistake or mistakes made by myself, so I'm always learning and improving. And, sometimes screwing things up completely, but that's still fun

[Nappi]

Yup. Most of the enemies and traps can be overcame the first time you come across them, while a few (like the arrow trap and the mario block) may cause an unexpected death on the first encounter. Once you are familiar with the limited number of systems, items, enemies and traps (and this doesn't take too long), defeating Olmec or Yama should be fairly simple. Except it isn't, because you suck. And that is awesome.

[elmuerte]

I screwed up the idol in 1-2

[Trip Hazard]

"You learn something new every time"

 

Truer words have never been spoken

[Nachimir]

An entertaining shopkeeper death today:

 

[Trip Hazard]

In which I, once again, complain about popular Youtubers. 

 

[Security_Tubbs]

I call bs on todays daily. On 2-3 you can't reach the exit without bombs. Unless you're immune to piranhas.

[Trip Hazard]

I dunno, I've seen others do it, with speed and dexterity. I didn't have the balls myself, so used my second-to-last bomb. Made it all the way to Olmec though, and beat the game for the 2nd time *fistpump*

[hammerpants]

I found myself in the black market with no bombs or ropes and probably 4 or so shopkeepers still alive. Decided to make a mad dash toward the exit and *almost* made it before dying right next to the exit. With the ankh wasted, I decided to head to the mothership once again.

 

[elmuerte]

Reached 2-3 where I came to my end. I was playing much more controlled than the last few weeks.

[hammerpants]

Reached 2-3 where I came to my end. I was playing much more controlled than the last few weeks.

 

That poor golden firefly you whipped on 1-2...

They're worth $5000 money if you just collect them.

[elmuerte]

ugh... I forgot about that, just like I forgot about the climbing gloves I was wearing

[Nachimir]

I screwed up the exit on 2-2, totally timed some shots wrong and got beaten to death by an almost dead, unarmed shopkeeper. Also, completely failed to spot the black market when it was right in front of me and would have been a safe exit.

 

[Irishjohn]

ugh... I forgot about that, just like I forgot about the climbing gloves I was wearing

 

I don't buy climbing gloves anymore, they screw me up more than anything, much like the weird "hanging off edge and getting bopped by mob beneath you" effect.

[hammerpants]

I don't buy climbing gloves anymore, they screw me up more than anything, much like the weird "hanging off edge and getting bopped by mob beneath you" effect.

 

I used to feel this way, but now that I'm used to them I prefer having them. They still screw me up occasionally, but they offer a tremendous amount of value in terms of mobility and giving you options that you wouldn't otherwise have.

[Irishjohn]

True enough... it's one of a couple of things in the game that make it easier to be more liberal with ropes, too.

[Trip Hazard]

I think the climbing gloves are a pretty good match with the jetpack, because if you've been a bit liberal with the fuel and find you're running out, you can usually cling to *somewhere* and recharge. But, they do definitely screw me over at times as well (less so now I'm used to them)

[Nachimir]

I played pretty badly today and had nothing left by the time I got to the black market. I am fairly proud of the recovery near the ghost at 6:50 though.

 

[hammerpants]

This starts on 1-3 because OBS was doing terrible things, so I had to restart the stream a couple times. I don't think going to the mothership was a bad idea, but I need to be better at dodging the alien queen's laser blasts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFWke-Okz7U

Edit: right around 23:00 I sneak past a shopkeeper to get to the exit, but man was it close.