It's not a test of skill as much as it is a test of texture packs or trial-and-error, since you are forced to TPA out of most of the dead-ends. It's an annoying blockade that is so easily bypassed once you know the route.
Definitely agreed, a trial-and-error thing that forces you to TP out doesn't really have it's place in a climbing skill tower. I just warp'd out when I saw that part.
Only real reason it's a hassle is if you're trying to go through it quickly and you messup and have the start over : (. But yeah, I agree.
It would be really fun to have a new maze randomly generated for you each time you go. That would solve some of the problems as well as being a fun challenge to program.
I tend to y'know, turn off shaders, when they're becoming a hassle. Then I can flip them back on later.
The second maze I don't recall having that issue but neither really matches the parkour style you'd expect. I wouldn't mind as much if you could checkpoint in each room. I'll make it to that fence jump in the room after the piston room only to walk off without jumping. Then I'll quit cause it's not worth spending another 10 minutes to get back there.
I'm not mad. I just find it pointless, and not in tune with parkor, and the trial-and-error until victory approach turns off a lot of people.
So the TOD was actually something I built several years ago, and while not many people really finished it, there are a few levels I'm not very happy with. The glass maze, the dark maze on I believe floor 8 (stupid easy with fullbright), and the ice/lava spelunking that can be bypassed now by walking in the center of the block edges. I'd totally be interesting in replacing these floors with something more skill based.
I totally agree with this, luckily someone showed me the way in the glass maze for free. It would be a lot less painstakingly hard if we had some form of checkpoint. While it's super easy once you know the path it's still a pain in the ass to start all over if you get stuck on the next levels after it or die and then get forced to start over from the bottom. And maybe not completely remove it but maybe a revamp? The tower isn't impossible, and it even warns you at the begining of the tower that it'll be stressful. I wouldn't blame @Silent Artemis for wanting it to get removed from the TOD, spent an hour or so on that one level trying to figure it out myself until I gave up.