Hi tom.
as you might guess, I'm afraid I rather disagree on your assertion about
side scrollers.
it's possible that sinse you never played some of the later mega man or
metroid series, let alone mario, you've not seen some of the puzles
involved.
For instance, the lava puzle you scribe is actually very much like a similar
puzle to get a bonus in frost man's stage of mega man 7.
there are several icy ledges, some of which you closer than your actual jump
hight together, so that from the top of one ledge you can reach several
others, however some ledges may be too far away from the ledge with the
bonus item to reach it, and of course the ledges crumble under you weight
and disappear, meaning you need to plot a route much as you describe.
the only difference is your moving vertically not horizontally.
once again, remember that having a ful analogue jump system implies a ful
scale of movement arcs relative to the character's jumping hight, just as
even though you can only throw a ball a short maximum vertical distance, the
number of trajectories it can describe and even how far it flies can undergo
huge variation.
while I agree that as yet the problem of representing vertical space around
characters in audio has not yet been solved to the point that such puzles
can be attempted, that's not to say that other complex puzles couldn't be
developed.
For instance, super metroid had an item called a speed booster. This would
not just increase samas' running speed, but when up to enough speed, she'd
be surrounded by energy and would pass streight through enemies.
also, hitting down in that state would store her power for a very short time
(perhaps two seconds), where upon she could perform a massive jump
vertically or diagonally upwards.
The trick came in knowing when to stop running, and start storing power in
order to make the jump.
one of the most difficult items to get in the game for example required you
to shoot open a gate in one room with a small tunnel, then use the tunnel to
build up enough speed to get the booster going and speed into the next room
(you'd need to kill all enemies in the tunnel first).
in the next room, an energy tank was hidden high in the roof behind blocks
that only the speed booster could break, so you'd need to get it from below,
however there were also ledges scattered all over the room with only one
clear vertical path through them.
thus, knowing when to stop running, start charging and jump took a lot of
practice, and this energy tank was thought of as the hardest to get in the
game.
a puzle like that could be quite possible in audio I'd say.
You only flew upwards in a streight line and could hit from below, so no
problems about crazy arcs, and of course the art was defigning by previous
attempts where the energy tank was, thus letting you know when to stop
running and start boosting.
Then of course the controls and precision required to do this were soemthing
a player had to get good at. I took many many attempts my first go at this
tank, and even now that I've completed the game for 100 percent items more
times than I can count, I usually don't get it first time.
This isn't to say that I wouldn't want a 3D game, only that clever hidden
items, complex routes etc are just as possible in 2D.
I think once we have a side scroller not based just upon reactions, with a
true analogue jump system and some inervative use of audio positioning,
we'll be a good way to closing the gap on mainstream games.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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