Archive: 24 posts

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Hello, everyone. I'm not sure how many of you are aware or care, but I haven't made a level in quite some time (since December '08), the last being "Razhotep's Tomb". I needed a bit of a break to play my other games, as LBP was taking up too much of my time. However, I'm done with said break and have started working on what I plan to be a series of levels that will make up one whole series. The purpose of this thread is to keep a personal record of my progress, but I wouldn't mind outside input at all (hey, I'll need it eventually!). I probably won't post all of my future ideas regarding the series, however, as I don't like revealing all of them from the start. Treat this as a progress blog, if you will. Well, here goes. Story: The lush forests of CraftEarth are beginning to die and change into something new, something deadly. The hero(you) must uncover the mysteries behind this, only to find that he/she is part of something much, much bigger. Note: Extremely vague for now, I know, but I'll give out more info as time goes by. Design: Seeing as this is a story-oriented series, I can't cram it all into one level, so I've decided to split it into 5 different levels. The levels go as follows: Level #1 Level #2A Level #2B Level #3 Level #4 At the end of level #1, the player will be able to choose whether to unlock #2A or #2B, each one revealing a different part of the storyline. Playing both is not necessary, as the storyline information would be more "supplementary" than "essential". In addition, the two areas will vary greatly from one another, to encourage exploration. The whole design brings up a bit of a problem for me, though. Should I publish one at a time, or should I publish the whole series at the same time? I'm leaning more for the latter, as it makes it all more interesting, even if it'll take longer for you guys to see. Gameplay: As usual, I'll try to blend in a good balance of platforming and puzzling, as well as a bit of Paintinator here and there, while not overdoing it. I have some pretty good ideas for puzzles right now, which for a second might seem mind-numbing...but hey, that's what they're all about, aren't they? I'm trying to make creative use of the platforming, as I don't want it to be all "swing and jump", if you catch my drift. Timing and precision are key, although I don't want to punish with frustrating difficulty. Expect Infinite Lives, anyway. Paintinator might be used mostly for bosses and select enemies. I don't want to make this a run n' gun level. Presentation: This is what I'm focusing on the most. RT, my previous level, had a big downer. It was a pyramid. This limited me to use bland colors, and while I tried my best to make it look authentic, it just didn't do it for me. Maybe it was just me. I've seen other Creators do a way better job than me, regarding the whole Egyptian look. d: But anyway, I hope to kick it up a few notches this time around, making it a lot more pleasing to the eye. The sound effects and music...well...I've already got that covered. Miscellaneous: I'll be needing beta testers later on, and I'll be getting but a select few. More details to come. I'll also be posting pictures and perhaps a little something else later on. ;] Even if you're not interested, thank you for taking a couple of minutes for reading this. I'll post as I make progress. ... Hm. Estimated Publishing Date? Somewhere in June. ...Oh, boy. This'll be a long ride, doods.

2009-04-15 03:09:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Sounds cool, the branching story idea sounds great. I may be able to test if you need me.

2009-04-15 05:03:00 Author: Kog Posts: 2358

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Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me! Seriously though, if you need a beta tester, I'm your d00d, d00d. Sounds like an amazing series, even though ( like you said ) it sounds a bit vague for now. Can't wait to see your progress on this, I want to see some WOW factors by the way, ...or else.

2009-04-15 06:27:00 Author: Whalio Cappuccino Posts: 5250

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I'll beta test! I'm assuming this is a nature themed level, from the vague description? For ideas maybe.... Click my sig? Anyhow, I hope all goes well. Tbh I hope it is better than RT, as I very much disliked the visuals lol. You are a great creator though, so I'd be interested to see this series.

2009-04-15 06:53:00 Author: dkjestrup Posts: 672

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Thanks, guys. I appreciate your support, even if barely has been revealed. I'll provide a pic later tonight if possible to give an example of what I'm working on.

2009-04-15 06:55:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Very glad to see you starting something up sir. Will wait in eager anticipation.

2009-04-15 07:20:00 Author: Jaeyden Posts: 564

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April 15th, 2009 - 3:00am: I've finished decorating the fifth area of the level, giving the much needed "thorny and poisonous" feel. It can't be seen fully from the photos (exported from the game, thus the low quality), but they're the first I'm providing. The level is already halfway through on the thermometer, and I know very well why. The vines I'm creating are so "complex" that each of them take a small notch of the thermometer. I'm trying to delete as much as possible, putting away those pesky corners the players won't see. Still, they're a necessary sacrifice right now. I really want to nail the look. I suppose separating the whole series into 5 levels was a good idea, as I have more freedom with the thermo. Regardless, I have not forgotten about the most important aspect--the gameplay. There are already a few bits on the third, fourth and fifth areas. The sixth is where the real gameplay begins. Note to self: Raise the poisonous gas where I am standing on these photos. http://i44.tinypic.com/1zodw1f.jpg http://i41.tinypic.com/mcg85l.jpg

2009-04-15 08:23:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Those images look fantastic! Good job. I imagine the trees are very thermo-heavy due to the complicated shape and multiple materials.

2009-04-18 12:25:00 Author: Killian Posts: 2575

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... and again with someone planing an awesome level that destroys my hopes of me being able to ... Still, looks and sounds awesome, can't wait

2009-04-18 13:47:00 Author: RockSauron Posts: 10882

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April 17th, 2009 - 6:00am: After months, the game has reminded me how fast time can fly by. I managed to do quite a bit on the level, and as previously planned, more on the gameplay department. I have done area 6, 8 and another un-numbered area saved for later use. Area 7 is solely for story progression, so I'll work on that later. Much work is needed aesthetically right now, but I got the puzzles and challenges completed. Additionally, I added an enemy to the previous fifth area (pictures on my post before). I also fixed the gas on the fifth area. The enemy on Area 5 is a plant emulating a snake-like movement, blocking off the path on the bridge. Area 6 is a simple puzzle where players will use the Paintinator. It has more of a cinematic purpose than anything else. Area 7 consists of simple platforming from point A to B, to finally point C. I played a little bit with light sources in this area, using a "mirror" to reflect light. I'll probably do something like this on level 2B, and more complex, at that. The un-numbered area is a puzzle involving rotating platforms(one side of each platform being spiky), where players rotate one puzzle with a 2-way switch, but another rotates as well. The puzzle is complete once all platforms have their spiky sides pointing downwards. That is all for now, and yes, the complex shapes are really taxing on the thermo. >_< I'll work more on it on Sunday. And yeah, I know right now isn't 6am, or Saturday, but I finished all this progress at that time. April 21st, 2009 - 1:00am: Significant improvements have been made over the previous areas. Not only this, but I managed to get a nice bit of gameplay during the weekend, too. The unnumbered area remains without placement, but I'm keeping it for later use. The story is now also taking shape on a draft. Area 2 now has a nice "weather effect". While not perfect, it seems to emulate falling leaves fairly well. Enough to give off that certain mood I want, at least. Area 3 had a strange bug where the poisonous gas would disappear... That's been taken care of. Area 5's "battle" has been adjusted, repositioning the Paintinator for a more strategic battle. With this, the enemy has toughened up slightly. Area 9 has been divided into several segments. Segment A includes a simple Paintinator fight, followed by some swing-platforming. Segment B consists of basic jumps to help ascend players up the "tower", soon hitting a branch for them to swing onto. Finally, the top holds a mini-boss derived from the first enemy on the level. Its movement is better, and it consists of two phases, although they are simple ones. Once its health is down, it shoots in faster waves. After its health is down a second time, it dies, uncovering the path for the player to progress. Area 10 only has the outer frame done. It'll be used for story progression. Regarding the story itself, I'm quite happy with how it's turning out. I've already written the dialogue for Areas 6 and 8. Here's hoping players don't get bothered with too many magic mouths. I assume they won't, since this is a story-based series, after all... I'll change the camera angles to spice things up here and there.

2009-04-18 23:01:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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April 27th, 2009 - 8:45pm: Almost a week since I updated the log, and I've lost track of all the things I've improved and added! Off the top of my head, I can say the un-numbered area is now...well...numbered! I'm nearly finishing the temple itself. Just one more room to go, and I have a few ideas on my mind, but...I'm not sure which one to use quite yet. Perhaps I'll leave that room empty for now and move on to the other areas. It's better than to just add in a random little challenge... It would make the room seem unoriginal. Regardless, several other improvements have been done, such as a new enemy, improvements over the old ones, aesthetic updates, and so on. I've also incorporated the dialogue, even if the characters have to get fully fleshed. The Magic Mouths are there, at least. Let's see, what else... Hm. Not much is left other than make the characters, the last few areas where the level branches off, one more room for the temple (which would be the exit), and aesthetic tweaks here and there. Overall, I'm quite pleased with this. What's better is, that I can come back to the level later on after Beta feedback to tweak it accordingly before having it published, not to mention I could implement new ideas. I would provide photos, but...I'm rather "jealous" with this project right now, and aim to show but a few people, like I've said. Which reminds me... If any of you who had volunteered for the Beta-ing are still up for it, let me know again! I only need like two people right now, as I already have two others. Just, I'll probably need your help for the other levels, too. Again, let me know.

2009-04-28 01:44:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Again, I'm in.

2009-04-28 02:07:00 Author: Whalio Cappuccino Posts: 5250

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I can test if you would like.

2009-04-28 12:18:00 Author: Trevor Posts: 78

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OO! Pleease let me test!! I wanna test it! pick me! pick me! *trips over stone and falls flat on face* Pickck meaeea! SP

2009-04-28 18:12:00 Author: Cpt_Sainsburys Posts: 187

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I'll probably not have time to help if you needed it, but good luck in any case.

2009-04-28 18:13:00 Author: Echonian Posts: 279

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I can test if you would like. OO! Pleease let me test!! I wanna test it! pick me! pick me! *trips over stone and falls flat on face* Pickck meaeea! SP I would need the both of you to be as thorough as possible when you return feedback, now just "wow, that was hard" or something. xD If you feel you can be detailed enough, send me a friend request over PSN. Be sure to let me know it's you.

2009-04-30 01:05:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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I'll drop you a message tommorow. Just in case I forget, i'm cpt_sainsburys. I seem to be faily good with feedback, but If your not happy then i'll uh... *desperately scramble to think of some way he can repay Aer0blue* J/K. It shouldn't come to that. only thing is, if theres a glitch, it will happen to me, so I might come up with some wierd bugs no one else has found. SP

2009-05-01 07:55:00 Author: Cpt_Sainsburys Posts: 187

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Sending you a request right now, PSN is XrobinsonX. Edit: It appears you have reached the maximum amount of friends, thus not allowing me to send me request.

2009-05-01 15:14:00 Author: Trevor Posts: 78

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Sending you a request right now, PSN is XrobinsonX. Edit: It appears you have reached the maximum amount of friends, thus not allowing me to send me request. Holy--... Really?! Hm. Time to start deleting people, then! >:]

2009-05-01 15:36:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Sent the friend request.

2009-05-01 18:41:00 Author: Trevor Posts: 78

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I have as well. SP

2009-05-01 23:21:00 Author: Cpt_Sainsburys Posts: 187

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I think I accepted SP. I'll check again and send keys when I can. Weekends are usually busy for me.

2009-05-02 01:05:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Can I test too?

2009-05-02 06:27:00 Author: dkjestrup Posts: 672

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I only need some people for now. I think I already have more than I need. d: UPDATE: Progress has been slow due to Creator's Block. I have some interesting ideas for the later levels, but not for the current one. Too bad, since I'm almost finished. Maybe I should leave it alone and continue onto the other ones. Summer Break is just around the corner, so I can work on it plenty then.

2009-05-03 04:45:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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