[PUZZLE-JAM] Raphael's Dominion

[late onyx]

Hii just uploaded, any feedback appreciated!
There 12 puzzles (16 stars total) with little story~

Follow in the footsteps of two robots, Kat36 and Risa05.5305 as they set about conquering a mysterious set of ruins left behind from days long past. Get a brief look into their differing psyches, and contemplate for yourself what it all means. Featuring 16 stars to collect and extra secrets to uncover, make your own way through Raphael's Dominion: The Silent Reign.

P.s. In some QR texts you might find blocked text - it's on purpose, not a bug.
It's my first puzzle making experience, so I'm sorry if there something wrong :D

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3438734668

[late onyx]

[PUZZLE-JAM] Raphael's Dominion

[ocean oxide]

Congratulations on the wow effect! I haven't started yet, but it looks wonderful.

[late onyx]

There a lot of effort in background~
Let me know how it was, if/when you'd finish^^

[arctic mauve]

Just playing through now. As a heads up, pretty sure Pause, Pause, Pause has an unintended solution.

You can jump over the fence from the platform

No need to use any other reciever or button

[late onyx]

oh thanks, will update!

[arctic mauve]

Having fun so far though, it must have taken ages to write all those QR codes but it really adds to the level

Also, I cannot figure out how to even start "Will take that with me", any pointers?

[late onyx]

omg I'm so sorry it shouldn't be like that x) I was adding thing else where and it's copied to window. I updated rn and will think for pause/pase rn x)

Just unsubscribe and subscribe back, it will update x)

[arctic mauve]

Ohhhh. Cheers. I was feeling a bit lost on what to do

[arctic mauve]

Will do

[arctic mauve]

||Not sure if this is intentional but in Pause the Pause the exit gate has no name so when you leave the time recorder does not stop. Shouldn't be an issue given how the puzzle is laid out, but I'd figure I'd let you know.||

[late onyx]

I think it's only for plasma barriers

[arctic mauve]

It is just for plasma barriers, I just said gate because my brain went "Ahh yes, exit area notable object"

Sorry for the confusion

You can do Heartbeat with three connectors if you wanted to

[late onyx]

Ye well, i guess it's whatever - for time recording x)

[late onyx]

oh really? hm

[arctic mauve]

Here's how

[late onyx]

I see!

I think I will leave 4 anyway, just because don't want to player suffer too much x) Maybe would replace receiver instead

[arctic mauve]

Also... you may need to raise the barrier height of Responsible Loader

[late onyx]

okay~

[arctic mauve]

Otherwise you will be able to steal every item in the Egypt area

[late onyx]

ye, I will update x) With pause,pause,pause
edit: updated; tho not sure for heartbeat, will leave as is; nnot a bad thing to have multiple solutions anyway

[zealous yew]

thank you very much for this lovely designed world. It's fun just wandering around not solving puzzles. thank you for your hard work.

[late onyx]

No, thank you for playing~

I did update since then, just little things for prevent player couple softlocks

ps update: deleted couple objects to prevent softlocking/unintended solutions, deleted button in "pause, pause,pause" - because it make softlocks when/if player leave with ladder; added some bushes (because it's never enough), fixed couple trees xd
pps update: did update because workshop lost preview image :\ + added some bushes ofc
ppps update: Added another plasma door to "heartbeat". Doesn't change anything for playthrough, but just for secure from sneaky bs. Fixed sneaky skip in "window trick" and "Will take that with me". Damn u windows :v

[late onyx]

Here some playthrough from Kuchiwo Tsugumi! Thank you~
https://youtu.be/3uZwVwadRkw?t=7082

pppps: after stream updated: added QR with hint in "pause the pause", made 3rd switch a bit more visible; prevent unintended solution "heartbeat" , fixed rock gap on beach

[frigid merlin]

Solved this one using only 2 connectors

I dont think I was supposed to do this one without jamming anything with the jammer lol. ||You can jump on top of 1 box from the other fan||

[late onyx]

ye, I thought to make smth more complex|| but hit soft limit >:C so left simplier like that||

[frigid merlin]

I "finished it", unfortunately the tretromino door bug is in place atm, will have to get through that door once they patch it 😦

I will upload my playthrough shortly. I haven't played many of the other submissions yet but of the ones I have this one is the winner for me in terms of visuals. The level of detail alone makes it a favorite to me. Puzzles were on the easy side with Pause Pause Pause probably being the most unique one

[late onyx]

Do you think would be better to replace all with tetramino for now? I will try myself to replay too hm

[frigid merlin]

I think so, maybe move them down out of the view and replace with a star door

[frigid merlin]

Here's my playthrough. I had already seen the outside area and gone through all the castle puzzles so I went a little bit faster there. You might find my playthrough of Pause Pause Pause a bit hilarious
https://youtu.be/-8j1qbtEtMU?si=yIBEh7CH98Mwgge0

[late onyx]

it's finny how you found # 3 just sniffed right into it xD
omg you didn't have to do everything at once at ||"to the end and back"|| but I'm surprised it's possible x)

[frigid merlin]

I had found all switches before but I forgot where that one was, until I sniffed it yes lol

And I was also wondering what that switch in To the End and Back was, I figured I didnt have to do what I did lol

[late onyx]

||it's for fan, you can hear it turning on||

[late onyx]

updated with star gate + added qr for fan
btw second intended solution for "to the end and back"

||I guess it was on diff height from start x) Well, will leave like that, still might tricky for mind||

[fair canyon]

A very beautiful level. Thank you.
||Also solved the Pause, Pause, Pause with placing the connectors on the fences ><||
I was also happy when I saw some of the hidden gargoyles. (Like in the tower, or under the stairs, and the Tony one :D)

Also fight with some engine bugs, and crashes 😄

[late onyx]

||how dare u xd didn't know that is possible, everything on fence is slippery hm perhaps another physical engine issue?||
Glad you enjoyed!~

Random thing - one of gargoyles, above pond where are two benches, rotated to ||a hidden place with QR codes :D||

[blissful sage]

Frustrating to play due to the requirement of outside puzzle stars to complete the map. "Press this to lower gate to fan. Lowers after star". What kind of instructions is that? I couldn't find any fan behind any "gate", no idea what fan am I meant to get.

[late onyx]

There a gate right behind wall in a same puzzle, but I see couple of people confusing by that. I will change~

[late onyx]

Updated~

[blissful sage]

Thank you for the clarification. I feel a bit dumb now, no idea how could I miss that fan

I now have all 16 stars

[late onyx]

I moved Fan too so player can see it more

about all stars to finish - I made it when only stars was available and didn't know when they will add tetraminos :
I'm not sure how to make it only by puzzles, since if I change to tetraminos it basically brakes whole level, recorders and rewind stops work and etc;
If I would do only 14 stars to finish - still would need to collect some outside stars anyway, and if I would do 12 - you can skip some egypt area if player collects extra 2 outside lol

I could make 12 star gate instead of 16 and add another gate after that which opens only by those 4 stars outside, but I think it would be even more confusing too x)

or make even more locks, like open that to open another thing, which I think unnecessary, and adding extra puzzles also impossible due limits of devices :\

[blissful sage]

How many stars were outside puzzles? If I remember correctly, it was four - so you can now place twelve tetrominos in the levels and leave the stars outside. I'm not sure what you mean by

If I would do only 14 stars to finish - still would need to collect some outside stars anyway, and if I would do 12 - you can skip some egypt area if player collects extra 2 outside lol

Tetromioes and stars can't be mixed in an arranger

I know the map was made before tetromioes were a thing in the editor

But regarding the visuals, I must admit, the environment looks incredible. Definitely pushing the editor to its limits.

[late onyx]

So i had problem with that, when I changed to 12 tetraminos

But i'm trying rn and recorders works right now, so they might fix that with hotfix? idk

[blissful sage]

Very weird. Now I understand. Thank you for the clarification.

I hope to see more maps in the future :)

[late onyx]

I planning to do more decorative map ;) Scaling things is huuge

ye so

if I do 12 tetraminos and add just 1 switch

it not available after just 1 use

[blissful sage]

That's really strange... I hope Croteam takes a look at this

[late onyx]

So technically, it will work, without that one last switch for fan in "to the end and back", but I'm afraid people would hit that softlock elsewhere due playthrough

https://youtu.be/rbegGjnQJGk
Can't upload in discord, but here youtube x)

So only happens when leave barrier

[fair canyon]

You mean which is watching the ||hide and seek QR codes?||. I found the QR-s myself, but I totally missed the gargoyle. 😄 I just went back to check it. 🙂

And yeah, here is a picture of the connector on the fence: (I think this is the ,,I know this is not the intended solution, but it is fun. And it is not so glitchy so maybe not an engine bug, just an oversight from Croteam, that it is not "slippery")

[late onyx]

Ye where ||hide and seek ;) It's okay to miss really, it's just little game design detail, there some little things like that show path without player realize or reward if he does follow little clues. More obvious example in other games - ropes where you need to climb or colorful cloth on ground, cracks in wall and etc || There another one detail like that - ||Kat36 was saying things about obelisk in 1 QR outside Egypt area, on preview image robot was pointed out to obelisk and there another QR from Risa in Egypt are saying about that obelisk, there little path in pond with empty space to obelisk too, so as reward - there one extra QR behind obelisk too :D Tho it doesn't change much for story||

lol i really can do that, in pixel but still :D

[late onyx]

but it's still does 😭

I can do two gates I guess, one with only puzzled and one only for outside, but I'm afraid it will break recorders again, will try

[blissful sage]

I only said it won't, not that it doesn't

[quartz aspen]

Just got all 16 stars! The presentation on this map is fantastic, you clearly spent a lot of time making it look great. I loved exploring the nooks and crannies with bits of dialogue that shape the characters and get you attached to them. Good puzzles too, most of the medieval ones were easy but solid and I liked the tougher Egypt ones too. I don't think I cheesed any either. My only nitpick is there was a pretty huge jump in difficulty between medieval and egypt that was a bit jarring haha. Great work!

[late onyx]

Update: Made only 12 stars from puzzles required to open the end game "StarGate". Other 4 stars outside of puzzles are optional to found and finding them just add a bit more of story. Changed some text, added/moved couple QRs. Added little "wires" in medieval area for clarify receivers destination. Added couple fences for Egypt area~

[worn bolt]

Attempting to rewind in recorder puzzles crashes the game for me. Love the world and atmosphere, but this issue is greatly hampering the immersive experience this map is capable of providing.

Is this the intended solution to ||Pause, Pause, Pause||?

[worn bolt]

Btw, in my opinion, the "wires" in ||Pause The Pause|| do not make the connections for the triple-door clear. The nearby QR code does a better job at it.

Outside of puzzles, the map looks absolutely stunning, and is really well made.

[late onyx]

oo thats new :D Nice

[late onyx]

Yeah but it's kinda hard to show anyway and it should be a bit harder, because it's 2 actions recording x)

[worn bolt]

This one requires a precise pause point. xD

[worn bolt]

If you're stuck in there, your only way out is to rewind and that doesn't work great with Recorders.

[late onyx]

Ye, recording pretty weird with new engine, I wonder if they will have to redo it completely, because i see bugs from other people about decives dissapearing and etc;
I have it too - if I change stars to tetraminos - recorder works only until you leave plasma barrier and just never again until restart game or reset xd

[worn bolt]

Finally finished it.

What an incredible experience! The puzzles were brilliantly crafted, striking the perfect balance between challenge and satisfaction. The atmosphere and storytelling added so much depth, making each moment feel purposeful and immersive. And all of this was set within a breathtakingly beautiful world. A true masterpiece. Thank you so, so much @late onyx for crafting this piece of art! 💖

[late onyx]

Thank you for playing~

[worn bolt]

I don't know what it would take to top this. I can definitely see this winning one of the two Croteam Choice Awards.

Anyway, back to the puzzle discussion - ||The solution to Heartbeat is beautiful, but it leaves one extra connector. Was that redundancy intentional?||

[late onyx]

||You can solve Heartbeat with just two connectors :D But I didn't want to make puzzles super hard, or perhaps will make similar concept in next map||

[worn bolt]

||Yep, you're right xD||

Btw, ||I fail to see the challenge in Responsible Loader. You can stack one side up, then get yourself up with one box on the other, while taking the Jammer with you by default. I felt like there was nothing to solve here.||

||It was like a tutorial level that showcases how box stacking works with fans.||

[late onyx]

||ye it meant to be simple one too x) I actually planned to do smth more complex but hit device limit :\ so perhaps needed to make everything higher or smth?||
||I test on my friend and he didn't understand, as much as "pause the pause" where|| || you can record connect red/disconnect/connect and stop recording and just put box on the way of mine instead of on it with connection of blue||

But in other hand, ||didn't want to make things super hard, or at least, not for that map||

[worn bolt]

Ah I see, ||the device limit can be quite a drawback at the moment when designing larger individual "levels" containing multiple puzzle areas.||

[late onyx]

||Originally there was bigger "heartbeat" as well and another extra puzzle, but I catch that limit then :D But I understand that is necessary to limit things||

[worn bolt]

||If I remember the environment accurately from when I played Responsible Loader, lowering the upper ceiling can reduce the maximum possible stacking in one single go. Combined with some other environmental obstacles it might be possible to create a problem there with an intuitive solution.||

[late onyx]

||it could be also to make everything higher, so player can't just jump from one to another||

[worn bolt]

I haven't tried using the Recorder yet, does the editor let you keep track of how close you're to hitting the limit?

[worn bolt]

||Yes, just the opposite perspective.||

||This is the only puzzle that feels odd, as if incomplete, everything else feels quite polished.||

[late onyx]

Nope, it just say "not available" on recorder if you over limit

and i had another problem; when I changed stars to tetraminos - recorders available, but until you leave any plasma barrier with name, and then not available

[worn bolt]

Using Recorders in levels is evidently a liability in its current state. I hope it improves soon, because I like the core concept of the Recorders.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the ability to fast-forward isn't in the game yet either.

I checked, the feature to Fast Forward is there, but it's not bound to any key by default

[late onyx]

There is, just not bound to key, ye

It works

Not as fast as rewind, but something x)

But if recorders not available with device limit - fast forward and rewind don't work too x)

[worn bolt]

Let's have a slight philosophical take -

Time already flies when we're doing something we love, so do we really wanna make it go even faster? xD
Well, yes, because we don't "love" waiting for a mine to complete its path. The faster we are done with trivial wait times the quicker we can get back to the parts we actually enjoy. xD

The system can have multiple modes for how fast we want to move forward or backward in time. Implementing and refining these temporal elements can take the puzzle-solving to an exciting 4D level.

[worn bolt]

Wait, are you saying the rewind/forward feature won't work if the Recorder is in a "Not available" state? If so, that sounds more like a bug, or I don't know, could be intentional too. xD

[late onyx]

I think all time-twisting-mechanics don't work if there over 200 devices or smth like that, not sure about number;
But it somewhat make sense because when you play record - you create a copy of every single device on whole map

includes boxes, fan cover, connectors, switches and etc

[worn bolt]

You're right. It basically creates two separate realities then projects one onto another. I believe, in the near future, either the limit will increase or they will figure out a way to optimize how the process is handled (so that it doesn't have to copy what stays the same in both realities/timelines; or to not account for items that are unreachable, etc, you get the idea).

Only time will tell xD

Anyway, it was nice chatting with you. Thanks again for creating this lovely map. See you again later, bye! 👋

[worn bolt]

I'm doing some tests and this behavior is consistent. It is can be replicated with any item that affects the limit.

Okay, I seem to have figured out the logic here.

When at 199 items (excluding Player, including the Recorder in question), stopping a "replay" (the playback from the Recorder) by walking through a Plasma Barrier will render the Recorder "Not available", as if it hit the limit. Walking back through the barrier doesn't seem to affect anything; only the act of stopping the replay by passing through a Plasma Barrier (in any direction) matters.

[late onyx]

o:

[late onyx]

Oh i didn't thought at all that player become an item as well :D
Thank you for clarify/tests in other channels about it~

[errant lodge]

"Responsible loader" is still escapable and "Pause the Pause" is a bit wonky, though the worse sin is this floating tree i found. great level though.

[late onyx]

👺tomorrow problem :v

[worn bolt]

The bottom-right picture is powerful. A symbol of defiance, an innate human drive to challenge limits - to break free and redefine the boundaries.

[frigid merlin]

The top-right picture is quite powerful too. It shows you can become comfortable with the imperfections of the world and find joy in it, and maybe do something about it.

[worn bolt]

Indeed. A wonderful perspective.

[late onyx]

Bigger update!
All stars inside puzzle changed to sigils, finally :D
Stars outside of puzzles same.

Remade "Pause, pause, pause" to make it easier, remade "Responsible loader" to make it a bit harder. Changed "Heartbeat" to make harder. Slightly changed "Snake" and "Punished"; Added Terminal in Egypt zone with hints~
Changed/added couple QRs, added another little decorative zone. Tiny updates visuals, nothing specific/important.

Might still do minor updates with feedback!

It might show 16\4 stars because of change to Sigil, but there not other way beside just restart progress|| (tho you can try to play as is, sometimes it require to collect less Sigils)||

[late onyx]

tbh I counldn't find that tree :D I guess it's some part of auto tree generation, tho I did check to be not random. Oh well

[frigid merlin]

I knew exactly what tree that was the moment I saw it. I saw it when I first played the map, I engraved it in my memory lol

[late onyx]

Oh i thought it on opposite side of map

[late onyx]

👺

[late onyx]

Made some playthrough here, all Sigils and Stars (I hope all QRs too, but could miss couple);
In some puzzles there more than 1 solution, I just made as quickest ;) And didn't record one terminal in Egypt zone, since there only hints for solutions.

https://youtu.be/QL3jDv6gib4

[worn bolt]

Nice update. Loved the new additions and refinements alike.

Here's a gap for you to fix in Snake's Escape -

||I couldn't access the button through the gap||

These walls have a purple aura around them that doesn't stay on constantly. Is this intentional (like a glitch effect)?

||Also, nice "tatto" behind the gargoyle xD
Did my Prisoner #665 serve as an inspiration? xD||

Loved the fun little additions in this area. Adds character to the map. Good job. 👍

[late onyx]

It's glitch

I have that too randomly on random objects, I assume texture node for generate moss or AO tweaking color or smth, or could be gpu interpretate things wrong, smth there with engine

[late onyx]

Oh tbh I didn't thought about that :D I thought would be funny to catch player in curiosity

same vibe

[worn bolt]

Damn, seems like it's more widespread than I thought.

It looks quite similar to the world glitch effects in the OG Talos Principle.

||Oh no, I hope Raphael is not gaining a mind like Elohim in the story and corrupting the simulation! 😱 ||

[worn bolt]

And it works, haha xD

I originally had an idea of having an intentional stuck spot with a QR printed on the back of the gargoyle - "Now you're forever stuck with me..." xD

||Btw, I also saw the Gargoyle on the castle looking over us all xD||

[late onyx]

||The thing is that jump there to see it pretty slippery and player might fail and hear things again x)||

[worn bolt]

||It's a smart placement of QRs. Plays on nostalgia, too.||

[late onyx]

||Well, Raphael is a bad boy there, so :D||

[worn bolt]

||Do you plan on expanding/continuing the story?||

[late onyx]

Hmm I'm not sure, I wrote it in a way so player can imagine ending of story himself (because there are afterward notes, not a straight present time storyline), but if delete just 1 QR at the most end - story can be continued.
||Like same afterward notes style with Risa goes in next map to look for Kat, or/and player get into Raphaels world to save them, generally strong Gehenna vibe lol||
||I do want to continue, but it takes a lot of time, need to work irl a bit :v||
||By own professional deformation I like design/story telling more, tho making puzzles is fun too and after Abyss I lost ability to calculate complexity of level||

||So I might continue, but not in very close future||

[late onyx]

Updated~
Fixed couple QRs too and added little hint in #1 QR switch also

[worn bolt]

Yes, it all takes a lot of time. No doubt.
Designing a story in such a way that it stays open-ended while also allowing for the possibility of continuation is one of my favorite storytelling techniques.
||I'd personally love to play as a character that finally "figures out" what Raphael is up to (mid-way during his own "journey") and decides to not only break himself out of the process but also attempts to free/liberate those who came before him. Only to find out (some twist). We can have some really creative, convention-breaking world and puzzle designs inside Raphel's Domain.||
||And yes, Into The Abyss can totally change one's perception of laser mechanics xD||
It'll be a lot of work, for sure, but you if you do decide to make it know that there will be many who would love to play it. Myself included! : )

[late onyx]

||So it's same as TP1/Gehenna story then :D ||
||It could be opposite plot - that Raphael was right and all "human" emotions and etc actually useless or interfering for them and they fail to finish some puzzle by placing quality of humanity first, but logic and critical thinking after; or even better - player become Raphael hehehe||

[worn bolt]

||OMG, that would explain the Raphael "versions" too! 😱 ||
||Have you considered multiple endings in an editor-made campaign?||

[late onyx]

Yes :v

[worn bolt]

So, do you see that as something you may try in the future? Not necessarily the near future, but any time.

[late onyx]

Ye, could be even both, like good path/bad path :D

[worn bolt]

It'll be so good! 😄
We'll essentially have full indie games within the workshop xD

[late onyx]

Free DLC x)

[worn bolt]

hahaha

[cunning stone]

Gorgeous game! I'm just playing it now. Your detailed attention to the landscape design is impressive, gives me some inspirations

[late onyx]

Thanks :D

[severe junco]

Awesome map! I completed it in about two hours. The puzzles are quite simple but engaging.
The visual aspect is exceptionally well done, and I think this is one of the most beautiful maps I've seen in the workshop.

I really enjoyed it! 😄

[late onyx]

Thank you~

[ebon mountain]

A bit late cuz I went to sleep while the video uploaded, but here's my blind playthrough.
Congrats on winning second place!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnx78fulWxA

[analog dragon]

Congrats on the award! I can't imagine how you were able to make all the neat puzzles and all of the set design in a week. Very impressive

[late onyx]

Thank you!~
Actually took ~50h, but I deleted couple puzzles via device lock

[late onyx]

Thank you so much C:
I will watch!~

[late onyx]

A bit unexpected solution in Responsible Loader, but if it's works - it works :D

[ebon mountain]

I honestly have no idea how I even solved that one. The logic eludes me

[late onyx]

omg you had journey with tetraminos puzzle door there xd

[ebon mountain]

And ironically, I had played "The Stacking Problem" just a few days earlier 😂

[late onyx]

You are natural QR/secrets sniffer, a lot of people miss some :D

[ebon mountain]

I'm sure I still missed a couple :P

[late onyx]

Yes :V but still
good job~

I think there 4 missed

||on back side of Egypt obelisk || and || back side of gargoyle where was Elohim words||
But those don't add much of story and very hard noticeable

oh and hide/seek place I think

edit 27 march: made small update - removed fan from Punished because it's confuse some players; added couple decorations/moved two QRs for more visible place

[cunning stone]

Curious how you made the long and narrow boards that sit on top of some stone curbs in the central area. They look like wood; I tried scaling the base planks, docks, etc but can't get that result.

[late onyx]

do you mean those?

those are canopy trim from rome, rotated upside down. It is a whole piece with plank

[cunning stone]

Ah! Of course. Nice use of that! 👍

[ebon mountain]

Oh that's so good! If only we had resizable blocks of wood

[late onyx]

Reuploaded here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3461479356