Java is an awesome language to program in, never you mind Krice
I have to confess I don't like Java from a user's standpoint (as opposed to programmer's). You have to have a virtual machine, there's usually not an exe, speed issues... just little things that bother me. It's more of a quirk, really.
And yes, most games in Java aren't really very good - much like flash. The more mainstream a language is, the more people try doing stuff in it. The more people you have, and assuming 10% of all projects are decent and the rest suck, then yes, you'll see a lot more sucky projects. It's pretty obvious if you think about it.
In any case, I love your maps! They are really, really nice! I might not have played in them, but just form looking, I'm going to venture saying they are some of the best I've ever seen! I say this because you instantly get that idea that it was a dungeon, and that it's been left unatended for centuries, and so some parts have caved-in... none of it is perfect, it seems to have just the right amount of "abandon"!
As far as the cave level goes, it's also awesome! It reminds me of the first levels of Rune! I can imagine waterfalls in there, gloomy environments, mist from the dark, stale pools... very nice work! Congratulations! And the approach does indeed seem simple! I look forward to reading the more complete article!
Keep it up!
