Unused Rooms

[Norbert]

I've analyzed all the rooms of the original PoP1 game that are not in use.
(I looked at the DOS port, but Apple II has the same rooms.)
I've marked the most interesting unused rooms with yellow.

As you can see, one of the things I found is that room 20 of level 13 still contains an old version of room 20 of level 12.
Mechner copied the entire level 12 to level 13, then he didn't use room 20 in level 13, and he later modified room 20 of level 12 to be more difficult.
So, I discovered a bit of PoP development history.

Three collage images attached below.

[David]

an old version of room 20 of level 12.

With a small red potion!
It wasn't really useful, because it's quite hard to lose only one HP instead of dying on that level.
(And the prince's HP will regenerate anyway before the shadow fight, due to a special event that may be a bug.)
In the new version of the room, it's actually easier to lose one HP, with those loose floors.

Level 8, room 11 (with the two level doors) reminds me of a scene in Goldeng's video about that level... (around 1:07)
Unfortunately, his videos are "unavailable"!

About the different modifiers in the rooms of level 14:
They match the alterations done after a level is loaded.

Level 6, room 19: It's the same as room 19 on level 5, which is also unused.

Level 10, rooms 21-24: They somewhat remind me of rooms from level 1.

[salvadorc17]

Some of those are just empty rooms! but also seems there is secret exits?

[atrueprincefanfrom18]

I found a minor similarity in the image Norbert posted:

Level 6 - Room 8 (unused) is same as Level 10 - Room 13 (used)

That means Level 2 was copied to Level 14, or vice versa.

Interesting how the development takes place!

(And the prince's HP will regenerate anyway before the shadow fight, due to a special event that may be a bug.)

I don't think so that it maybe a bug. As players playing first time have no idea how to get past shadow, some people would put down their sword and try to run the other direction (they may have lost lot of HPs in the fight). So, I think Jordan may have realised this during alpha (or beta) testing and then added the regeneration of health points - the special event.

[dmitrys]

I have a theory about that special event. One thing that I have noticed when developing an alternate storyline, where you join shadow on an earlier level, is that prince's hitpoints do not regenerate when you go from level 12A to 12B because it is a simple room change.

While that does not matter when you join the shadow because it gives you an extra HP from the potion he drank on level 5, that logic might not have been there initially. Maybe prince originally could join shadow without fighting. So it was a way to start level 12B with full hit points since there is no easy way to lose a HP without dying between that room and the end of the level.

And it easy to lose a HP when making the loose tile fall on the top row for a player who does not how to crouch at the right time.

[David]

One thing that I have noticed [...] is that prince's hitpoints do not regenerate when you go from level 12A to 12B because it is a simple room change.

It's not a simple room change, though it looks like that to the player. (Did you mean it this way?)
The regeneration is prevented by a special event, handled in these parts:
https://github.com/NagyD/SDLPoP/blob/ma ... 000.c#L840
https://github.com/NagyD/SDLPoP/blob/ma ... 003.c#L158

[dmitrys]

One thing that I have noticed [...] is that prince's hitpoints do not regenerate when you go from level 12A to 12B because it is a simple room change.

It's not a simple room change, though it looks like that to the player. (Did you mean it this way?)
The regeneration is prevented by a special event, handled in these parts:
https://github.com/NagyD/SDLPoP/blob/ma ... 000.c#L840
https://github.com/NagyD/SDLPoP/blob/ma ... 003.c#L158

I did not phrase it correctly. I realize that there is a level change happening but the code flow is different. HPs do not get restored (see the attached video).



It is not an issue in the original game because the shadow gives you all your hitpoints (+1) back. But it was obvious because there is a way to unite with the shadow sooner. It can also happen, even in the original DOS POP, if you fall two floors at the very end of level 12A.

I think Jordan Mechner might have added that shadow hp unification logic later and never removed the original event.