{ 2nd July 2012, Meatymod release v1.02 } Hey, thanks for downloading meatymod! First off, to play this mod you need an up-to-date Aquaria version. When you start it checks if it can run on your installed version, and if it can't, it will let you know. To install this mod, simply unpack this ZIP into your _mods folder: - On Windows, in the Aquaria program directory, such as C:\Games\Aquaria\_mods - On Linux, in ~/.Aquaria/_mods - On Max OSX, in /Users//Library/Appliation Support/Aquaria/_mods Note: On OSX Lion, the Library folder is hidden by default. Paste the following into a terminal to make it visible: chflags nohidden ~/Library New Aquaria versions are available here: http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=4313.0 [ In case you get stuck, there's a Q&A further down in this file to help you out. ] For feedback, questions, rants, bug reports, or possibly anything else, write me an email: - false.genesis@googlemail.com Or contact me on the Bit-Blot forums: - http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=65853 Or on Twitter: - @fgblurb -- False.Genesis ====================================== Useful links: Release thread: - http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=4339.0 ModDB: - http://www.moddb.com/mods/meatymod ==================== ==== SOME INFO ===== ==================== It took me longer than expected, but roughly 4 months after I started here's a complete mod: * 40 regular maps * 5 extra hard bonus maps (WAAAAAARP ZOOOOONES - Can you find them?) * 12 additional maps (transition, beginning, and ending maps) * 1 bonus form, replaces fish form * 4 Bonus items with very helpful effects. * Auto-recording and playback of replays (saved along with the game) * Save anywhere (Press ESC on a level map to open a custom menu where you can save, among other things) * Lots of hazards, including, but not limited to: + Saw blades, Saw blade shooters + Missile launchers + Gears + Lava + Sand + You don't really want to know + ... * The good old jumping physics from Aquaria that everyone loves! * And there is cake! ========================= ==== BACKGROUND INFO ==== ========================= The whole idea of making a Super Meat Boy themed mod was born basically as a brainfart while hanging on Skype with FrancesF, working with her on Labyrinth mod. (You should totally play it if you haven't already! It's awesome. -> http://j.mp/HcQRvQ ) This was shortly after the iPad release of Aquaria (Nov 2011), after "casual gamers" *cough* started appearing on the forum asking newb questions, and some complaining the game was too hard (although it was already made a bit easier for the iPad). So I was a little annoyed by this whining and decided to do something Aquaria-related that would be *indeed* hard. Having played through 3/4 of Super Meat Boy by that time, it wasn't a hard decision what to take as inspiration. Having worked on another Aquaria mod since ~ June 2011, I have had some time to dig through the scripting interface as well as the C++ core code, and knew my way around pretty well. (Side note: I have neither announced nor released this other mod. It's far from finished, and I have no time to continue working on it until at least late summer 2012.) So I took some scripts I already had (the gear and other random stuff), made a draft map called "meatboy", (which is now called "workingrobot"; consists entirely of gears in a shaft), and asked Frances to play it. She being unable to complete the map made me realize this was still *not* hard enough, and I decided to make a full-fledged mod resembling Super Meat Boy as much as was feasible. It needed a replay system, a villain (not hard to pick, at all), lots of scripting trickery, varying worlds/themes, many non-repetitive maps, and more time than I knew I would have. Quite a challenge. Frances offering her help with graphics made me accept that challenge. I started in the beginning on Feb. 2012, at that time working on 2 mods, until Labyrinth was finally released. From then, it was still a long road to go, but time management was easier. I really hope this mod will get some publicity... And maps contibuted by other people :) Who knows? In the /scripts/ subdir there is a file with some information about modding this mod. Feel free to do so if you like. I'd love to hear from you and include additional maps in the next release! Aquaria needs more mods. Go and make awesome stuff now! (And a sequel. Anyone in?) =============================== ==== THANKS & GREETINGS TO ==== =============================== Frances Fawcett - for the awesome additional graphics and advice. Daxar/MOM4Evr - for testing, finding bugs, and brainstorming Derek Yu - for the original Aquaria art that can be transformed into anything by just a bit of hue-shifting Alec Holowka - for writing that horrible but wonderful engine and actually releasing the source code. This mod would not have been possible without the open source release. (And of course both of them for making an incredible game that doesn't cease to enthrall me even 1.5 years after discovering it.) Edmund McMillen || For making super meat boy, and actually having the balls to throw a "Nintendo-Hard" & Tommy Refenes || game out into today's casual, wussy, and brown shader overloaded gaming world. Pixel - for making Cave Story Nicalis - for the remastered Cave Story soundtrack, of which I used one file in this mod. (They didn't reply when I asked for permission, so I assumed they didn't care.) And everyone who contributed to the Aquaria modding Wiki. ===================== ==== FUCKINGS TO ==== ===================== Everyone who announced a mod but never released anything. ( :P ) ============================= ==== Q & A, SPOILER-FREE ==== ============================= Q: Is there a difficulty setting? A: Sort of: - "Hard": Play with a mouse - "Very hard": Play with a gamepad/controller or touchscreen - "Impossible": Play with a touchpad Q: How to turn off the blood? A: Enter any level map, press Esc, and click on "No blood?". The spikes icon displays the current setting. - No blood: suitable for anyone - Blood on: The default. Roughly resembles the way it looks like in SMB. - Full gore: Better leave this off, unless you absolutely need Quake3/UT2004-like splatter for some reason. Q: How to get details about a level map and see my best time? A: Right-click the warp. Btw, it's green if the map was beaten, red if not, and it sparkles if it was beaten under par-time ("A+"). Q: How to playback replays? A: Enter the target map, press Esc to open the menu, and select "View replays". Extra items will also appear in this menu once found, and can be activated there. Q: Is there a "Dark World" like in Super Meat Boy? A: No, didn't have time. Q: Were you drunk when you made this whole thing? Especially the intro? A: As far as I can remember, no. Not at all. Q: Is any bonus item required to finish the game? A: No. Q: Will you make more maps? A: Not sure, but I'd love to. Each single email/feedback I get increases the chances drastically. Q: This mod is waaay too hard! Totally unplayable. A: Wrong. I have played through each single map to make sure it works. (And i used a cheap 10 Euro optical Microsoft Ready Mouse, nothing special.) The par time for each map is roughly my time + 5-10%. Q: This mod is waaay too easy! This is all you can do? A: If you're serious about it, write me an email with proper fuckings, and I'll try to make some harder ones if I have the time. Didn't want to exaggerate for the first release, really. No idea how the reception will/would be, at the time of this writing. Q: How does this ..... script work ? A: Don't even ask. You don't want to know. Q: Jumping is erratic/random/unpredictable! Precisely jumping anywhere isn't possible! A: It may seem like, but it is not. Jump height/speed is fixed and can't be controlled, but the angle is up to you. The final jump direction is calculated via (0.75*A + 0.25*N), where A and N are vectors. A is the vector from Naija to the mouse (aka. the intended jump direction), and N the wall normal (the vector that points away perpendicularly from the spot Naija is sitting on). For a more visual explanation, see jump_direction_explained.jpg in this directory. Q: Saving takes so long...? A: Yes, because all replays are saved in your savefile it gets pretty big in the end. This is normal. There is a limit of 50 replays per map, and having almost 50 maps that store replays this could reach a grand total of 2500! [ for slight spoilers, keep scrolling... ] ========================= ==== Q & A, SPOILERS ==== ========================= Q: Everything is dark! A: Don't attempt to do the Abyss before having sun form. After finishing one zone, you will get the form that you need to progress in the next zone. (Reef -> Abyss -> Desert -> Volcano -> Nightmare -> ???) Hats off to you if you manage to perform some sequence breaking. Q: How to prevent dying in the desert? A: Be in nature form. Q: And in the volcano? A: Be in nature form. Nature form = Heat immunity. *Not* lava immunity, though. Q: What's this door far up on the main map, the one that leads to all the other zones? A: It opens after beating every map in every other zone (warpzones excluded). Basically, as soon as you have energy form, the door opens and water level raises so it's actually possible to reach without breaking your mouse. Q: What? Cakes? A: In super meat boy you collect bandages, here you collect cakes. Having collected 5, 10, and 15 cakes gives an extra. They are hidden in difficult / hard-to-reach spots. Right now there are 15 cakes in total. Q: How to kill the final boss, that black glowing sphere thing? A: It can't be killed. Q: Can I continue playing after beating said boss? A: Yep. And you can improve your times, find remaining secrets, and also fight against that boss again. [ for even more spoilers, scroll even more... ] Q: Heeeeeelp, my screen is upside down! A: Congratulations, you made it quite far. Yes, this is intended. Have fun dealing with it. :) Q: Where are the warpzones? A: There is one warp zone in one map per area, except Abyss and Nightmare. Abyss has none, Nightmare has two. Unlike in Super Meat Boy, they do not disappear after a time, so they can be found easily. For further help, ask me. Q: What about this additional form? A: It allows you to create portals. Yes, *these* portals. Hold right mouse button to aim, then click left to shoot. Aiming also enters slowmo mode. (Originally, I wanted one half of the mod to be fully Portal-based puzzle gameplay, but eventually scrapped that idea.) Q: How to get portal form? A: Collect all 15 cakes. Q: Where's the last cake? A: In the last warpzone in the map "Energized". You will need to have beaten some of the other warp zones before you can reach the end. Q: Ok, how to *win* against the final boss? A: Hit it with anything that is NOT what his current form represents. If it's a saw, it's immune to saws, for example. If it's completely black or sucking, it's immune to everything. On a successful hit, your screen will flash and you will hear glass shatter and Naija laugh. It needs 5 hits. After that it drops a key that opens the door. Guess the rest. Who do you want to see dead after all that has happened? For maximum spoilers, see scripts/inc_mapmgr.lua. It has all locations of warp zones and cakes. Anything that's missing? Drop me a line and I'll include that in the next version.