The Wonderland Board

Oops, I didn't see the boulder-generator, so this means that even one of the wooden boxes is superfluous, on top of the two metal boxes.

I didn't even see that.

The intended solution was for each to finish on their respective sides. I guess I need to test better.

I would also like to announce that QFE will be a no-time-limit adventure. Hence, it is to played with the timer off. The reason for this decision accounts for the amount of testing involved. The fact is, over half the 200-level adventure is already complete, with no time limits set (IIRC only one level has a different time setting than the default five minutes). If I were to go back to every level and alter the time limit, I would need to test each and every level once more (probably multiple times) to get the right amount set. With there being over 100 levels to go back and re-test, it would just be too much additional testing.

On top of that, some levels probably wouldn't even fit within the 15 minute range (they'd require more time), so you wouldn't be able to win them anyway. I apologize for the possible inconvenience caused but I always play the game with the timer off, so it was just second-nature to leave the time alone. Plus, I personally feel that a timer isn't necessary, as to encourage exploration of a level at your own pace.

If there is disagreement regarding the above decision, feel free to post.

On top of that, some levels probably wouldn't even fit within the 15 minute range

That's not a problem - you can always add time-bonuses.

Well sure, but even still:

Tech Warrior wrote:The reason for this decision accounts for the amount of testing involved. The fact is, over half the 200-level adventure is already complete, with no time limits set (IIRC only one level has a different time setting than the default five minutes). If I were to go back to every level and alter the time limit, I would need to test each and every level once more (probably multiple times) to get the right amount set. With there being over 100 levels to go back and re-test, it would just be too much additional testing.

I am currently experiencing a technical issue with a level (somewhat of an unwanted glitch). If anyone is willing to help with this issue please PM me and I will assist with details.

Thank you!

Little bit of a bump here, isn't it?

Hey, so the past three years have been rough. Many dear ones passed, many "friends" came and went, I got in an almost-fatal wreck, just graduated high school, and moved to another state. Now I know where I'm going to college for at least one year but everything after that is currently a gamble. So, as a break from that stressor, I opened up my backup HD the other day in an attempt to find something from my past, and saw RTW in there. I instantly remembered this RTW adventure that I put so much into making.

Now I'm not going to go off on a gooey rant about the past, but I am going to say that I had a thought: I've put so much time into this distinct pack of levels in this game; why waste all that time by not finishing? You know what I'm saying? Recently I've been holding that mindset dear for many different projects on many different games. This is because before music became a big part of my life, many of my everyday projects included modifying different aspects of different games. And while that phase of life has passed, why should I let all that time spent go to waste?

I've slowly been getting back to this project, because it is a beautiful project that I'm confident would be a spotlight-stealer upon its release. Granted, I've always been slightly egotistic when it comes to my work, but that's because I've constantly been surrounded by people who tell me it isn't good enough. So I like to tell myself that it is.

All that aside, I'm aware that three years isn't a long time for this forum (we're going on year 11 or 12 now?). But it is for me, as someone who just got out of high school. Three years gave me time to grow up, and to think about other things. I've done all that. So now I'd like to say that although my time is no longer 80% devoted to this project, I'm still going to finish it because I have the desire to.

That being said, it's progressed much further since that last update in 2012. But I'll refrain from exaggerating on any materialistic and/or statistical information until I settle comfortably back into this project.

EDIT: Part of growing up was realizing that this project would take far longer than the original two months I advertised, so there's that...

Thanks for reading, and have a good day.
~ TW

ANNOUNCEMENT!! The Quest for the Five Elements will be receiving a rolling release starting on Friday, January 1, 2016!

On the first of January, the first two worlds will be released (the ones released with the demo in 2012, though they have been revised). After that, one world will be released each subsequent Friday. So, on Friday, January 9, the third world will be released, and so on. If all goes according to plan, the final world [world 18] should be released by April 22, 2016. There is a chance that it will not, however, and it would be foolish not to acknowledge this!

There are still a good 50+ levels that have not been created yet, which is why I suggest the possibility of complications. However, that's only about one fourth of the entire adventure. Since three-fourths are already done, I've decided not to hold up any further releases due to the last few levels not being done. I will still work to getting them done! I just finished up another world recently, for example.

But, I won't rush ideas. If the level sucks, it doesn't make the cut. Many levels currently need huge revisions because, well, they suck. Not every level (out of the 200 being released) will be top-of-the-line, mostly because we're talking about levels made in 2011 mixed with ones I made last week. But, if you've played the demo (which you should if you have not), you have an idea of how the adventure begins, and how that more of the focus is on story/scenery. The puzzles themselves develop over time.

Finally, a note: I considered attempting to gather testers prior to release. But, due to the huge lack of activity around here, I figured that there are very few people who will ever play this anyway. So, I'll just release it as is and patch things if needed. All levels will be tested by me, however, so no worries there. No level will be released if it isn't possible.

Some screenshots:

Sweet!

Any update on this? It's been at least two years since the "rolling release"; I don't mean to sound negative, but you could have at least loaded a couple worlds by now.

Since Tech Warrior has not logged into the forums any time within the last 2 years (2 years minus 12 days, to be precise) an update or a release seems unbelievably unlikely at this point.

Still, one can hope...

cloudrac3r wrote: Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:07 am Since Tech Warrior has not logged into the forums any time within the last 2 years (2 years minus 12 days, to be precise) an update or a release seems unbelievably unlikely at this point.

Still, one can hope...

I usually tell people that hope is often misplaced, but in this case it will only result in delayed gratification. For us both!

The Quest for the Five Elements is currently undergoing fine-tuning on its first fourteen worlds, after which time they will be released (this is about 140 levels). The last four worlds have not been made yet - whether they will be done in a reasonable time frame shouldn't even be a question at this point.

I'll share the story of what has happened and why it is three years late in a different post, because I am on the move right now. Mainly I will not allow all my hard work to go to waste - you will have your hands on this quest soon!

OKAY, let's dive into this a bit.

Back in 2015, as I was preparing the Quest for a rolling release, my computer experienced a fatal crash. After getting a new one, I found that a large portion of QFE's levels were completely gone - I was not able to restore them. Thankfully, all the old ones up until 100 or so were still in tact - but, I had spent a lot of time developing the levels that came after, as well as custom textures for these later worlds. Frustrated, I stopped working on the project - it was a very tough loss considering the hours that were put in, but now I have learned the importance of backups (thanks also to my MC worlds).

I finally decided, years later, that I am not going to let a few levels stop me from releasing this expansion pack which has now been in progress for almost ten years. I was just a kid when I started it! May God have mercy! Haha, well, better late than never. I have sat on this for a long time. It's time to finally bring it to life, because I really do love puzzles.

With that, first I'm going to attach three new photos of some of the newer levels:

The Cliffs of the Iceberg Caves:



The gang has a puzzle to solve in hell:



"Take the Long Way 2", on the edge of time:



Second, I have a few levels to release! Note that I will upload the full quest in sequential order - I simply am not yet ready to begin that process. So, for now, I've chosen three levels of moderate difficulty to tide you over. They are:

Lv41 "One Careful Shot" - A giant setup course, as you’ll need to carefully aim the scouge’s fireball to free the exit gate. Bonus points for the bonus coins.
Lv42 "Mindful Strategies" - This one is a moderately tricky course of mind games and precise timing. Solving it requires a lightbulb moment, until which you will be very puzzled.
Lv88 "Take the Long Way" - A unique “arena” puzzle that requires you to survive long enough for the exit gate to be unlocked. Bonus points if you kill all the monsters, but not before you need them!

Enjoy! More to come... I hope.

OK, Done the first one ("Take the long way").

Done the second one ("Mindful strategies") - thanks for the fun!

Done the third one ("One careful shot") - thanks for the fun!

Thanks Amnon, glad you had fun with these! I know you are a seasoned player, so I look forward to seeing how you tackle the expert-tier levels in this quest. I should start rolling out the full release here in a week or so.

Welcome to the Quest for the Five Elements rolling release! This massive level pack is designed as the unofficial fourth quest in the Wonderland series, taking place after the rainbow spirit invasion from RTW. It is heavily inspired by Wonderland: Secret Worlds, and you will be immediately immersed back into the world of Wonderland as you venture from world to world in search of the five elements that keep Wonderland together. They've been scattered across the universe! It's up to Stinky, Loof, Qookie, and Peegue to find them and return them to Wonderland.

Here is how the rolling release will work:

- One world to be released per week, and there are 18 total worlds. This will give me time to complete the last batch of levels, of which I still have about 40 to make. Hopefully I can maintain the type of free time I have right now - otherwise they won't get done.
- I considered making separate threads for each levels - indeed, some levels do deserve this - but, I decided it best to keep the entire quest together as much as possible. Just use this thread to discuss any levels you specifically want to discuss! I plan to make a separate thread for discussing level hints/solutions, which shouldn't be necessary until later in the quest.
- A full video walkthrough of the quest will be on the to-do following the final release of every world. This should be several months from now if not longer - that will be another large time commitment that I don't know if I can make after the large chunk of time the quest itself is taking to build.

With that, let's dive into World 1 - Stinky's Cove.

NOTE: If you downloaded the demo way back in 2012 (first two worlds), go ahead and delete it. All 15 levels have been updated, so go ahead and re-download. These are the official final releases.



Difficulty: 1/10 (Beginner)

The first world in this quest is a very WSW-inspired start to the adventure, as you begin in the same place you did there. Stinky and friends have completed their most recent quest to save the stinkers, and now they are safely back home. This world will not give you much in terms of challenge, but you will get a full introduction to the story at hand and enjoy some nice scenery along the way.

The Levels:

Lv1 “Welcome!” – An introduction to this quest level pack! Enjoy the scenery.
Lv2 “The Back Woods” – Another WSW-inspired level to start things off. You should at this point get a very WSW-feel, which is exactly the point of this quest. Even though it isn’t a canon journey in the official storyline, I want it to feel as though it is. That’s why Stinky’s Cove is canonically similar.
Lv3 “Boulder Puzzle” – A fun little puzzle that won’t take you too long to figure out.
Lv4 “Loof’s House” – A level mostly for the story, it is not very challenging but will show you Loof’s rather unkempt living situation. Don’t fall into the cracks.
Lv5 “Through the Forest” – Explore the forest and figure out the pathways first before you jump in with the boxes. Also, can you find all the bonus coins? Visibility is limited.
Lv6 “The First Element” – Your first conversation level. There are many levels that focus on conversation and storyline, so pay attention as these clues may help you later in the quest.

Download Notes:

Extract the full "Quest for the Five Elements" folder into your Custom Levels directory. Then, from here on out, just add each "world" folder inside this directory. Each world release after this will just include the "world" folder with the levels.

I played this first set again, but I already had previous scores for them all - are you sure that nothing was changed?

Amnon wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 2:43 am I played this first set again, but I already had previous scores for them all - are you sure that nothing was changed?

The opposite in fact - all levels have been modified, though some only slightly. In this set, I think only the time limits were adjusted, and "Through the Forest" was altered a bit to make the bonus coins more challenging. You say you already had previous scores after downloading? That's interesting! The file names are different, but I wonder if the game stores that information discreetly.

Sorry, I mistakenly unzipped the original set.

I now extracted the new set, played it and noticed the significant change in level 5.

Thanks, I will be looking forward to the next installment.

Now we'll move onto world two - which is the last you may have played from the original demo in 2012. All levels have been modified (the finale very much so), so go ahead and enjoy! I am definitely releasing this second set quickly after the first, because it will complete the updated levels from the original demo! And, we'll tie up the first stage of the quest as we move into the bulk of our journey.



Difficulty: 2.5/10 (Beginner)

The second world gets a little more creative with the puzzles, but I’m still easing you into the quest without giving you anything you can’t chew on. The Upper Elevators are a segment of the land between Stinky’s Cove and Wondertown, located at a higher altitude than the Windy Hills. They were separated after the invasion of rainbow spirits from RTW created Crystal Gate that has rendered the Lower Elevators haunted and uninhabitable. Hopefully you don’t end up down there… But for now, it's time to dive in and collect the element of earth!

The Levels:

Lv7 “The Lake” – A fairly long box puzzle that uses very classic teamwork strategies, like in “Through the Forest.” You do only have five minutes, though, so don’t spend too much time enjoying the scenery!

Lv8 “Gates and Such” – The first challenging puzzle in the level pack, in my opinion. It’s a simple gate puzzle that requires collaboration between both characters. Seasoned puzzlers won’t find it a great challenge, but it’s still a puzzle you’ll need to work out as you try to solve it. Fairly linear, though.

Lv9 “Crystal Gate” – Getting “Watch Your Step” vibes? Good, because this level is quite similar in terms of the type of puzzle. Just make sure you’re looking ahead, otherwise you will get stuck.

Lv10 “Crossing the Lake” – A box puzzle that requires you to think carefully about where you’re putting the boxes, as you’ll need to think ahead. It isn’t as linear as it looks.

Lv11 “Nearby Switches” – A bogus wall puzzle, but you know that going in. So, you should expect them to play a role as you figure out the level’s path.

Lv12 “Encounter Blockage” – A fairly linear puzzle but beware of the nasty surprise at the end of the course. Not a great omen of what is to come.

Lv13 “At the Gate of Wondertown” – A puzzle that is a little tricky until you figure it out. Then it’s fairly quick.

Lv14 “The Chamber of the Element” – The first speed puzzle of the pack, you will need quick fingers to get through this one. It isn’t too difficult once you master exactly what you need to do, but until then I would say it’s a challenging quick course.

Lv15 “Element 1: The Earth Element” – You’ve made it to the first element! It’s not a very tough puzzle – just make sure you don’t get too ahead of yourself, because you will need both characters working together quite liberally to get all the boxes submerged. Then you’ll have to be quick to avert the UFO motherships! Getting the last few bonus coins requires some creative work.


Download Notes:

Extract the 'world' folder into your Quest for the Five Elements directory that you got in world one. You can always make your own directory as well, if you don't have one!

Thanks, done the second lot.

Amnon wrote: Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:59 am Thanks, done the second lot.

Thanks for playing, Amnon! Lots more to come!

You've collected the first element! Now things start to get puzzling for Stinky and Loof as they venture into Wondertown, which is a full 18-level side adventure of its own! Your goal is to find Peegue and get answers to locate the Temple of Elements. Will you succeed?



Difficulty: 4/10 (Intermediate)

You’ve made it back to Wondertown! You will face some familiar scenery here, but you’ll quickly find out that many things have changed! Houses are gone, construction is rampant, the city is vacated – has Peegue gone rogue? You have a full side adventure in this world. You’ll be introduced to a variety of new challenges that will accelerate your pace in this quest. This world is a pleasant intermediate pack of levels perfect for the casual player, and there is heavy focus on story and scenery here. Have fun, but don’t drown in the sewers.

The Levels:

Lv16 “Back to Wondertown” – Welcome back! This one is a slightly challenging box puzzle, as it requires some careful attention to detail. You should be getting major WSW vibes from this – that will continue as you venture into the town.

Lv17 “Crossing the Streets” – More of an action-oriented level than a puzzle, though you will still need to be cognizant of your resources. Make sure you look both ways!

Lv18 “In the Middle of NOWHERE” – This level is a simple puzzle regarding that you have literally only one objective. But how do you accomplish it? That’s the real puzzle, so have fun figuring it out!

Lv19 “Short, but not So Sweet” – Quick action puzzle! You don’t have much time, so you need to plan a route that keeps everyone safe. As much as you can, anyway.

Lv20 “Mushroom Grove (again)” – Haha, if you weren’t getting nostalgia before, then you will now. This is literally a full recreation of the original “Mushroom Grove” level from WSW – one of my favorite levels from that game.

Lv21 “Survival” – This is a speed course first, as you need to be quick in order to stop the boulders from killing Stinky! I’ll leave you to figure out how to do so and get him to safety. It is a little difficult, but once you figure out the correct sequence, the rest of the level is easy.

Lv22 “Crossing the Wondertown River” – You will see that getting across the river is quite easy as there are multiple solutions – not just one path. Your main challenge is beating the clock – can you find the quickest way across?

Lv23 “The Water Orchard” – Fun little teamwork puzzle that is very much inspired by “Crossing the Lake.” You do have a few more things to keep an eye on this time, however.

Lv24 “Pesky Neighbors” – This one is a puzzle/action combo, and right away you will see why! So enjoy the puzzle, and have fun trying to get the bonus coins. Then I hope you have planned the best route to avert the pesky neighbors! It’s a little difficult.

Lv25 “Wondertown: Mayor’s District” – This level is a decent challenge as you need to use teamwork in some creative ways to succeed. The bonus coins will be an especial challenge to collect! But hey, I never said getting to Peegue would be easy. Enjoy the puzzle.

Lv26 “Picking Up Peegue” – Good story elements here, and the level is trickier than it looks. A large chunk of it is dedicated to the bonus coins, though, so you can skip a good chunk of the challenge. So, either grab the coin and pick up Peegue, or try to get all the coins! It will require some planning. And it will take longer than you think.

Lv27 “The Great Escape” – This is a full-on action level that requires quick movements and careful execution! Have fun escaping Wondertown.

Lv28 “Nasty Water” – Now you’re stuck in the sewers, where some nasty surprises await you. Try not to get hit by rocks, but this puzzle is not especially difficult.

Lv29 “Water Mysteries” – This is one of those levels that is not very difficult but can be very rewarding to complete… because you’ll never want to play it again. You will appreciate its place in the storyline, as you are trapped in Wondertown’s sewers. Plow through it, but don’t get ahead of yourself. The scouges can still take you off guard if you aren’t being careful.

Lv30 “Underground Waterpark” – A fun action/puzzle level that requires all three characters working together. Have fun planning out how to get those bonus coins at the end!

Lv31 “The Fate Gate” – Treat those boxes like your child… unless you would treat your child like a chew toy. This puzzle will be very rewarding if you can get to the bonus coins.

Lv32 “Hidden Valleys” – A cunning little puzzle this is, and keep an eye out for what lies at the end of the course.

Lv33 “The Chase” – You’ve reached the edge of Wondertown, but the patrols won’t let you leave! So now it’s up to you to be quick and evade them before they trap you in. Enjoy the finale, but don’t get caught up or you’ll lose! Tip: If you don’t use two hands, you won’t be fast enough for the bonus coins.

Download Notes:

Extract the 'world' folder into your Quest for the Five Elements directory.

Series 3 done, thanks!

Amnon wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:46 am Series 3 done, thanks!

Awesome! You're breezing right through!

This week, the gang reconvenes in the fields after their big escape from Wondertown. They're fugitives! What's their next goal? How will they find the sacred Temple of Elements? You'll find all the answers to those questions in world four!



Difficulty: 4/10 (Intermediate)

The Plains have been occupied by farmers, so just be careful not to trespass on their land! You’ll be traversing the fields as you ponder your next moves, having been labeled as fugitives by the patrols of Wondertown! Things are getting rampant in Wonderland. There are some puzzling levels in this world, though most are still in the intermediate range of difficulty. You can tell they are getting trickier, though, especially as you venture into its last level! Good luck and enjoy the fields.

The Levels:

Lv34 “A Talk with Some Friends” – Nice conversation level to get Peegue up to speed and to learn more about Wonderland and how to find the Temple of Elements. The parentheses indicates which character to switch to next! So, (S) means switch to Stinky; (L) means switch to Loof; (P) means switch to Peegue. A small puzzle is available for the bonus coins, if you wish.

Lv35 “Wondertown River Harbor” – Small puzzle but will get you thinking for a minute before you figure it out. Not too hard.

Lv36 “Flower Gardens” – Larger puzzle that requires a little exploration and planning to solve. It’s a fun adventure, though – and I agree with Stinky! The crops are likely to die soon.

Lv37 “Bioform Battlefield” – Big action level, though if you set it up correctly it is not very hard. You just need to set it up correctly.

Lv38 “Button Compilation” – I wanted to do a full puzzle inspired by the button puzzle in “Underground Waterpark,” so here it is! If you solved that one, then you should find this one not too hard. But think ahead!

Lv39 “Hidden Coins” – I definitely get a little devious with fake walls here, but you already know that going in! This is a larger-scale puzzle, but don’t worry – all the puzzle elements are visible! The only things hidden are the coins.

Lv40 “Guarded Escape” – Once you get all the coins, it’s a full action arena that you need to evade while you wait for the exits to open! Try not to get killed.

Lv41 “One Careful Shot” – A giant setup course, as you’ll need to carefully aim the scouge’s fireball to free the exit gate. Bonus points for the bonus coins.

Lv42 “Mindful Strategies” – This one is a moderately tricky course of mind games and precise timing. Solving it requires a lightbulb moment, until which you will be very puzzled.

Download Notes:

If you already downloaded the two levels from this world that I previously released separately (41 and 42), then you can either (1) have another go at them, or (2) copy those completed levels into this world folder. They should have the same filename! They have not at all been modified.

Extract this 'world' folder into your Quest for the Five Elements directory.

Done series 4, thanks for the fun!

Okay, I'm excited to bring WORLD 5 of the gang's incredible journey, which brings you to the first set of advanced levels in the quest! Have fun with these.



Difficulty: 6/10 (Advanced)

You’ve made it to the advanced levels. Stinky, Loof, and Peegue are back at the expanded Creepy Keep, which has upped its game since the last raid. In search of the map that will take you to the Temple of Elements, you will face a wide new variety of challenges, attempting to conquer all the devious traps that have been set up specifically to scare you. Will you be able to find your way to the inner keep? And is there a promise that the map you seek is even there? Only one way to find out… Good luck.

The Levels:

Lv43 “Gloomy Ghosts” – Short course introducing you back to the Creepy Keep, but you don’t have much time!

Lv44 “Launching the Turrets” – A puzzle first, then you get a fun action sequence to deal with at the end. This castle has gotten a lot busier, and you should expect more traps as you venture deeper inside.

Lv45 “Broken Fusebox” – This is an advanced level that requires good timing and precision. You also need to find a creative solution to the teleporter puzzle. Other than that, all I can say is… good luck!

Lv46 “Locked in the Dias” – A less active puzzle, the bonus coins here will require an addition challenge, if you can find them! Try not to overthink the puzzle, as you’ll just hurt your head.

Lv47 “Colorguard” – This one might look like “Button Compilation” at first glance, but oh boy is it much trickier. Have fun with this little puzzle, which is definitely an advanced challenge.

Lv48 “Discovering the Keep” – Definitely not as puzzling as “Colorguard,” but this one is more just a short puzzle that focuses on the storyline. So, enjoy it and keep your eyes peeled!

Lv49 “Guards of the Rooftops” – A very non-linear puzzle that requires some careful planning before you dive in. I wouldn’t say it’s as difficult as some of the others in this world.

Lv50 “Trapdoor” – This one is a classic action/puzzle level, and I would reckon the name itself should give you a hint of what you’re getting yourself into. Brace yourself for this one – it will give you a healthy headache until you finally solve it. It’s probably the hardest level in this world.

Lv51 “Rooftop Rumble” – A quick puzzle, but you need to move fast! You don’t have much time. Can you dodge the fireballs?

Lv52 “Secret Passageways” – This one is definitely a box puzzle first, but you also have an action sequence as well as a scavenger hunt to do as you locate the final secret passageway into the keep. So, it should give you some good variety!

Lv53 “The Keep” – This finale has a fairly deceptive puzzle to start things off, then it’s up to you to combat the traps that pop up in the level’s main arena. Also, you had better make the correct choice in the final challenge – it is not hard if you have been paying attention to the story! You definitely need to pay attention to every move – Stinky warned you!

Download notes:

Extract the 'world' folder into your Quest for the Five Elements directory.

ENJOY!