myk
webbed digits
Posts: 14316
Registered: 04-02 |
traversd said:
Well hidden early in the map to be an advantage?
This is a good option, or you could also place it later but before a relatively complex area of the level. In E1M6 it's in a maze-like area and might help a confused player in there.
A gimme pickup towards the end to help get all secrets?
This seems like a waste compared to the previous option. I'd rather leave later secrets for other items unless the very end of the level has some complexity that benefits from the computer map.
Small maps don't always call for it, but should larger maps always have one?
No, but the more complex or confusing they are, the more sense it makes.
Essentially, it serves two purposes. It may offer some help during the initial exploration. After that, it's the power-up that becomes most useless, but it remains an excuse for a secret area which can be useful in speed running. In that sense, it's nice because it doesn't offer benefits. When doing all kills and secrets, the player sometimes gets too powerful from getting all the goodies. If one of those doesn't really add to his arsenal or defense, that is minimized without making the secret look pointless.
I don't think it should be hidden too well, but intelligently. If you hide it too obscurely, most players will miss it the only time it's fully useful. Hints may help here, or you could make it viewable yet inaccessible like the one in E1M7. You can barely see it on that ledge, and some might even miss it the first time around. That one even has two ways to access it; by running from the rising pillar over the gap or by finding the switch that raises the connection to the bridge border.
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02-03-10 11:29 
