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Shadow of the Llama (Spotlighted! Woot)

Archive: 40 posts

Hey dudes,
I've been lurking these boards for a little while, feasting on the amazing creations in the community spotlight.
Now I humbly submit my level for playtesting

Name: Shadow of the Llama
PSN: Tig-W

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2637/aphoto5w.jpg
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1305/aphoto7.jpg
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2976/aphoto.jpg

If you like llamas, or Shadow of the Colossus, you'll hopefully have a blast with this.

A visit to a mysterious llama shrine goes wrong, resulting in chaos and a stampede. Ends with a huge SotC-style boss battle.


I really wanted this to be worth playing, so I spent a few months on it.
It's my first publised level though so go easy Enjoy!		2009-04-16 00:47:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

Looks good, going to play it!

Feedback:

Cool visuals and entrance, very nice. Simple, but really good

Seriously cool tipping tree!

The noughts and crosses sign doesn't need to be there lol!

The rubble, while nice, is weird. You don't usually get that much rubble from a tree?

The llama farm sign is ugly. Try searching @Lite_Sleeper and play is "font cache" level. He gives away some brilliant fonts there. The MM ones are ugly!

Now the visuals could use more spicing up. Twisting trees or distant hills in the bg, for example.

Lama moving the wheel is really cool!

Very cool entrance to the mine-ish area. Some better story explaination wouldn't be amiss.

The llama stampede was VERY cool!

Llamas for platforms was cool

Eek! MM clouds! Make your own NaOw!!#!@!!11!

The llama platforms might be hard to figure out for a first timer

The part where you ride a llama was cool, but it had a tendancy to wheelie. I liked the lamas with points on their backs, inventive.

The boss looked cool, but was pathetically easy, and when I beat it, the tail was detatched and kept moving. To fix this, attatch a protected brain to the enemy, and wire a switch up to it, triggering the brain when you kill it.

In short, the level was pretty cool, although it teetered off towards the end. I'd rate it 7.5/10, or 4 stars, which is pretty good, and I'll even heart it. Needs more detail, and some parts were a bit ugly. Great first attempt.		2009-04-16 01:35:00

Author:
dkjestrup
Posts: 672

ah, thanks for the great feedback!
I'll definately look into making those changes. I agree that the level ends suddenly - I failed to disguise the fact that my thermo ran out heh.


Also, I made the boss easier after commenters expressed frustration. Now I'm trying to think of a way to make it harder again- in a way which is fun but not frustrating.

thanks again, I'll check out your creations 		2009-04-16 03:41:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

Could you check out the level in my sig (click my sig) and if you want to play what I'm working on in tandem to that, search my name, play my "Le Grande Jardin Key Level" and enter the code 822431. Then play "Le Grande Jardin" for me.

If you want to, of course. PM me or post here.		2009-04-16 04:15:00

Author:
dkjestrup
Posts: 672

Just had a play of your level. I'm typing as I play.

+ Nice start, liked the trees and details in the background
+ Loved the llama spinning the wheel just before the farm
+ The whole section of the llama's spinning the wheels looked fantastic
+ Level looks really nice, good use of materials and details
+ The llama stampede was brilliant, made me and the wife laugh
+ I laughed and smiled all the way through at the llamas, excellent characters
+ Great llama ride
+ The boss was awesome, really well constructed and it moved great, when I first saw the red thing dangling I was a little shocked, guess what I thought it was lol!

- Left Bank Two playing in lifts is getting old for me, no biggy though
- Mag key visiable on the first llama that leaves the cage
- Some parts a little lacking in detail, the section after the stampede and the albino llama room
- A leap of faith into the gas to get the llamas up might confuse some.
- Mag key visiable on albino llama, I can see why now because there's also one to open the door, maybe make the llama look a little different and put a sticker of it on there instead
- I went up in the lift after the llama ride and for some reason thought the llama I had ridden had to go in the hole. I dropped off the lift and had to restart because I could'nt get back on the lift

Great level, I had a smile on my face throughout. I loved the llama characters. The platforming was spot on, kept the theme of the level. I can't wait to see what you come up with next

*****, cute, and hearted

My F4F is in sig		2009-04-16 11:11:00

Author:
GruntosUK
Posts: 1754

hey dudes, sorry for the delay - I'll check out your levels and leave feedback as soon as I can get back on my console 2009-04-16 22:29:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

This is a really funny and cute level! I have to say I love your llama characters, I think i want one as a pet! The patchwork one please!

I enjoyed the quirkyness of the wobbly tree as you enter the level and the silhouette of the llama as you run across the bridge - nice touch. The door mechanism with the Llama statues is fantastic! Great shapes for the llamas and nice mechanics to get to the top (bubble fountain looks great when it goes off too.)

I loved that you gave the Llamas personality and when the first one pops up from the pen I laughed outloud! The stampede is cute too. Best part of the level and the trickiest for me was bouncing on the heads of the llamas in the gas box. Seriously funny and fantastic design!

I liked your boss llama too (although the "dead" llamas on the walk up to him are really sad.)

There are a coulple of areas that are less decorated and dark than others but since you've got so much going on in other places it's not as big a negative as it could be. You might want to balance out some of those areas with more decoration to even it out more.

Overall great level design and a wonderful sense of humor 5 stars! Thanks for sharing it!		2009-04-17 05:29:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

Hi Tig, I'll take a look at your level asap. I can't even play the game at the moment because the servers are down yet again ( Error 403 message every time ). I'll try again later.2009-04-17 11:22:00

Author:
mistervista
Posts: 2210

This level was hilarious! There were some great creations throughout the level and the the moment when the llamas stampede is priceless! The was probably my favorite moment, but there were a lot of enjoyable sequences. The ending boss comes to mind. I loved the way it looked and it was fun to take it out as well!

I did find multiple areas that were somewhat frustrating to navigate. One example is the area where the llama heads pop up through the gas. Because of their wobbliness, the jumps are pretty tricky, especially since you don't know exactly where the next llama will be. There were also a couple other areas where I had trouble with my Sackboy transferring to the wrong layer. These were mostly smaller, more confined areas.

I had a lot of fun with the level and even laughed out loud a bit while playing it. Well done!		2009-04-18 04:52:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer
Posts: 1335

Hi Tig, Finally got connected and played your level

I agree with mrsupercomputer about the Llama heads in the gas. That's a bit too difficult because you can't seem to get a proper jump and also you could do with putting some info before it to let you know what to do because until I just took a leap of faith into the gas I didn't even know they were there.

Also the boss at the end although very clever can be really annoying when trying to climb up inside. I did it first play through straightaway no problem but the second time i just couldn't climb up inside for the life of me because the momentum just kept throwing me down again. I did it again eventually but was tearing my hair out by that time.
Then when I managed to kill the boss it didn't all dissolve and i fell to the ground and got stuck under a large piece of it.

Apart from those issues i really enjoyed it and thought it was very well made and good fun overall. I particularly liked the Llamas near the start that were turning the wheels around and the way their arms/legs were moving looked very good.

The worst thing about it is it's your 'First level' ?? Jeez i've made over 30 levels now and i still haven't made one that good. I hate you LOL

Seriously, it's a great level and the mind boggles at how good your future levels are going to be.		2009-04-18 09:57:00

Author:
mistervista
Posts: 2210

Awesome, hilarious level. Humor goes a long way in a game.

First, the good stuff:

+ I liked that all of the "Humor" things were very well polished. The llamas on one wheel actually works, when the heads that you jump on spring up, it looks hilarious, and most of your machines are just plain awesome
+ Bringing the llama with the key on him to the hole was very fun. Bouncing around while holding a llama = win
+ Llama stampede! Seriously, that part was perfect! It was honestly like something out of a movie.
+ Intro was cool, especially the tilting tree
+ Funny, funny, funny. This is only the 3rd level in LBP that actually made me laugh out loud. The other ones were made by MM

Now, the bad:

- In the beginning when you go down the lift, I immediately jumped off of the lift when I got down. It was very hard to get back up on the lift. The only reason I was able to get back on was because I jumped onto the candle to get back on the lift. I think you could just add a small platform so that people can get back up.
- The Llama boss froze my game. When I grabbed his nose, the PS3 completely froze.


I would have given it 4 stars if my game hadn't froze

F4F: Frost (in sig)		2009-04-18 23:09:00

Author:
cornontheCOD
Posts: 150

wow... this forum is awesome!

Fantastic feedback from everyone, I've managed to find and fix a bunch of problems in the level.

For anyone who's interested - the lift to the boss now resets its position if you fall off it; the mini-llama at the racing post has stopped doing backflips; and the boss leaves less debris so you won't get stuck underneath it. Also, the crappy-looking sign at the beginning is replaced with something nicer.


There's still more stuff to fix, clearly. I'm not sure how to solve the difficulty issues with the boss... As mistervista pointed out, sometimes you can kill it in seconds, whereas other times you'll get jostled around in its belly forever. It just seems to be the unreliable nature of the physics. A lot of people don't seem to notice there's another (easier) route onto the boss from the back, so perhaps I need to improve my signposting.


Thanks to everyone who left feedback, I'm off to check out your levels now 		2009-04-19 21:52:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

That looks like some pretty epic/original stuff, I'll have to check it out
I'll give you my thoughts on it when I have the time.		2009-04-20 00:30:00

Author:
Pitcard
Posts: 779

Gratz on the spotlight! You deserve it!2009-04-20 06:33:00

Author:
dkjestrup
Posts: 672

Congratulations on the spotlight!!2009-04-20 07:23:00

Author:
Zwollie
Posts: 2173

Way to go on the spotlight Tig-W! this level is fantastic! everyone owes it to themselves to check it out! I wish I was getting some response from this site, not one comment on my level from here so far! I know you've tried it out, and thanks for that!

If anyone reading this wants a great Jack Skellington costume, check out my level, It's getting great reviews!
http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq273/yensid71/1Jacklevel2.jpg
http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq273/yensid71/1Jackslellington3.jpg

Its a great walkthrough of Halloweentown and other locations from Nightmare Before Christmas. If you like the move, you will enjoy the level!		2009-04-20 13:04:00

Author:
RE_pulse
Posts: 17

this was a great level. my roommate and I played it last night and had lots of fun. it was a blast, setting off the llama stampede and watching him get inadvertently caught in it .

we had trouble with the magswitch llama. he wandered over the platforms and got shot up into the ceiling there and stayed. it took us forever, but he finally managed to fly up there and get the llama down.

the boss fight was epic and fun. my favorite part was the "boss" sticker on hit back, in case you weren't aware of the fact. i love subtle humor

overall a great experience. well deserving of the spotlight! 		2009-04-21 17:04:00

Author:
ReverendWolf
Posts: 21

Just played this, it's seriously fun. The different kinds of llamas in this make the level really cool and unique.

Pros:
Excellent graphics
Great swinging tree and entrance to level
Awesome boss fight
Cute llamas

Cons:
Some visible grab switches
The llama head bounce part was kinda tricky

5/5 stars and hearted. 		2009-04-21 20:55:00

Author:
Entity
Posts: 274

Thanks for the comments Reverendwolf and Entity! Glad you had fun with it. It's really awesome when people notice the silly details I put in.

I'm going to get to work making the llama head bounce a bit easier.. it seems that thing is slightly too tricky at the moment.		2009-04-22 13:08:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

I discovered this last night. Loved it. Had a couple of problems with the mag switch Llama too. The wheel kept catching on the ledge, but tbh i doubt there is much you could do about that.

Also didn`t know how to beat the boss. There was a switch at the front that I managed to get a hold of but couldn`t trigger it so had to take the easy finish. What was I doin wrong?		2009-04-22 14:35:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

I'm posting for two reasons - one, because I think the level looks great and I'd give it a shot if I had my PS3. Two, because I want to test the new feature I added, and this level thread is on the verge of 20 posts. Let's see if it updates in the next 10 minutes.

EDIT: Fantastic. It's not exactly instant (imagine the server load!), but it's fast enough for our purposes.		2009-04-23 01:59:00

Author:
ConfusedCartman
Posts: 3729

Great level... And very different indeed... Didn't expect to see so many llamas in one level... HAHAHA!!! Very fun, and awesome design...

Really enjoyed the great scene with the giant llamas operating the wheels and the great tree scene at the start... Also the stempede was great, definitely thought that was a big surprise, didn't except the screen to shake the way it did, awesome work with that part...

Also the boss, is great too, abit frustrating to climb, but don't bother fixing it, there is nothing wrong with it, it's just my skills with timing need to improve I think...

Also I agree with the first lift, you definitely need some sort of step to get back on it, it's a struggle, cause it's too high...		2009-04-24 14:20:00

Author:
BalaBombz
Posts: 50

Also I agree with the first lift, you definitely need some sort of step to get back on it, it's a struggle, cause it's too high...

I finally got some time to fix that problem.
A lot of people had an issue with that lift... I never noticed it myself, because I had always intended that section to be completed in a different way: jump on the signpost next to the first llama, then jump and grab the winch light.
Actually, come to think of it... how did I ever expect anyone to try that?

thanks for the feedback 		2009-04-30 22:00:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

Amazing level! The stampede was my favourite part, but the whole level was fantastic. Really well designed - the llamas arm movements at the start: really smooth really really nice looking.
I couldn't really figure out the boss though, I'm guessing I was supposed to get around to his collar or something, but once I decided that's what I was trying to do, I kept having difficulty with my jumps and I ran out of time.
Regardless, it was a really awesome, quirky level, and definitely one of my favourites now. 5/5, heart, etc... No pressure on the f4f thing, but if you want to, I suggest APG or ETTSPL in my sig.		2009-05-01 01:34:00

Author:
Grethiwha
Posts: 61

I too would like to know how to beat the boss. I was swinging on what I thought was a switch on his neck as a red light was on, but couldn`t seem to do anything from there.2009-05-01 21:29:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

the way to defeat the boss is climb onto his head and grab his glowing red nose. Then you'll get a jetpack which you can use to pull the switch on his chest, blowing him sky high

I should probably make that grab switch visible so it's a bit clearer what to do.


big thanks guys, I'll give feedback on your levels soon 		2009-05-01 23:13:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

I randomly played this with my friends the other day and we had a fantastic time. I ended up showing it to my husband and our friend Vmethos, too, and they were laughing the whole way. I hearted the hell out of your level, left some pictures and will probably play it a million more times because it was HILARIOUS! great job! ^_^2009-05-06 02:53:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

that's probably the nicest comment I've recieved xkappax. thanks, I'm glad you had fun with it 2009-05-09 00:35:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

A: A full-on llama stampede, that's what!

Congrats on making the funniest level I've played since Eddy Mitter.
I thought the platforming was fine, and the aforementioned stampede was funny, but what I really want to talk about is that freakin' awesome giant llama at the end! He really looked great.
It's stuff like that llama that gets my mind racing about what I want to do in my next level. Again, it was sweet!

The only thing I would mention is that I wasn't able to figure out at first to swing on the overhead light in the underground llama enclosure at the beginning. I might have missed a hint or something though.

Sweet level, four stars!
Keep up the good work!		2009-05-11 01:26:00

Author:
skumchunk
Posts: 57

that's probably the nicest comment I've recieved xkappax. thanks, I'm glad you had fun with it

Oh, don't worry about it. I really like levels that are silly! And it was, yet it still had great mechanics. The stampede was brilliant!		2009-05-11 04:05:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

This is one of my alltime favorite levels, EVER! This one will never get old.2009-05-17 04:52:00

Author:
DrunkenFist_Lee
Posts: 172

I really liked this level's presentation. It seemed abnormally good! The llamas were so cute! The whole level's llama theme was great throughout the whole level. The level looked great and was fun to play. The boss was also lovely. I really enjoyed playing this level!
4 stars/ Cute

BTW! Can you do F4F for my new level please? It's in my signature below. If you get suck go here: exaltedyawn.webs.com
I hope you enjoy! Thanks!		2009-05-19 03:01:00

Author:
Noroibito
Posts: 211

That was amazing. I was laughing while losing lives in that bouncy llama gas pit!

I'm going to play this many times, I know it. Recommending it to my friends, I am.

By the way, I tried desperately to break it, and only found one spot I could 'escape' the level - the giant rising llama after the cloud pit; if you jump off its head to the right, you can see one of the enormous spotlights. But that's hardly a complaint.

Five stars and hearted. Make more now.

If you're a pinball player, you might try my pinball adventure level.		2009-05-19 04:47:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342

you planning on making a sequel?2009-06-07 18:35:00

Author:
blizzard_cool
Posts: 752

hey dudes, sorry for neglecting this thread (real life getting in the way)

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I hope to get back into lbp soon and I'll try out all your stuff.


you planning on making a sequel?

hey blizzard.

in all honesty... I sorta made this level as though it was the only one I'd ever make.
That's why it's really random... I was just trying to cram all my best ideas into a single level. Now that Ive managed it - and it took so **** long - I'm not sure I've got enough ideas and time left in the tank for any more levels!

but on that note, the endless creativity of people on this forum continues to amaze me :hero:		2009-06-12 20:44:00

Author:
Tig-W
Posts: 106

I fell in love with this level when I played it! I especially loved the opening on the trees that would sway. Then the whole llama stampede was fun and it was just an overall great level! I can't wait to see any future levels if you put anymore out!2009-06-14 20:44:00

Author:
GrahamLif3
Posts: 386

GREAT level! Wow, this was so much fun Hearted and 5'd!

The theme was perfect, you stuck with it throughout with llama signs, llamas duckign their heads away in the background, llamas.. EVERYWHERE!. This was a total blast of a level.

I did find a grammar error a the "ANCIENT EVIL LURKS AHEAD" sign. you say "adviced" but it should say "advised."

The end boss... omg, what a piece of genius. It was HUGE but fun! (I didn't kill him the first time!)

But that's nothing, this thing is a 10/10 of a level and what epic is made of!

If you are still F4Fing, can you try out my Dark Water chapter 1? (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=29229-Dark-Water-chapter-1)		2010-06-25 01:54:00

Author:
RSQViper
Posts: 302

I'm sorry, but he isn't even on LBPC anymore.:/ Look at the date- this was made last year.
As much as he would appreciate it, the creator will not see this.
Lock?		2010-06-25 02:10:00

Author:
JspOt
Posts: 3607

I'm sorry, but he isn't even on LBPC anymore.:/ Look at the date- this was made last year.
As much as he would appreciate it, the creator will not see this.
Lock?

The creator replied just a few comments above yours. 		2010-06-25 02:34:00

Author:
RSQViper
Posts: 302

The creator replied just a few comments above yours.

In 2009. That was more than a year ago.

I'm gonna go ahead and lock it. If he comes back, we can unlock it.

2010-06-25 04:11:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338


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