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The Count Of St. Claire Island by "graygoose" "SPOTLIGHTED" Pics inside

Archive: 55 posts


If your familiar with the story of "The Count Of Monte Cristo", the story of this series is very similar to it, but i added my own personal touch to the characters and made them a little different than the original.

The Cause and Effect levels definitely had influence on The Prologue but i made it my so that the effects were shown in a different manner. I think its safe to say that im probably using the same function as what TripleTremelo's and lil-klash' levels behind the scenes.

And as For The Chapter 1 this has been done and could have came out 1 and a half month ago, but i needed a back story hence The Prologue was created. All i can say for Chapter 1 is, i made it as beautiful as i could possibly do.

After 4 months, a few creator blocks, 2 corrupted saves, a few unsaved updates and the distraction of Killzone 2.

If you would like me to Play or do F4F on your level please say so and i will do so..

Also If you find any difficulties in the level, please mention it in your feedback as well as, i have issues with making my levels too hard for the average gamer

So without further delay I present you:

The Count Of St. Claire Island: Prologue

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0018.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0019.jpg

The Count Of St. Claire Island: Chapter 1

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0017.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0010.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0014.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0015.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/gray0goose/stuff/000_0007.jpg

Acknowledgements

Thanks For:
Blizzard_Cool,
Luckyshot,
Asmadon,
XkappaX and her BF Jerry,
Whaale and
Junno_Draco

for Beta Testing and finding bugs and glitches.
2009-05-16 20:21:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


This level is amazing, gameplay and looks! Short review:

Gameplay: I love it. It has a bit of a challenge!
Looks: the level it self & the character (includes enemies) are brilliant
Boss: looks good & is fun
Goose: I didn't see one single goose

5 stars & heart, tagged brilliant!

Wait for you feedback until I'm done with my level...
2009-05-16 20:51:00

Author:
blizzard_cool
Posts: 752


Looks promising.2009-05-16 21:00:00

Author:
SawronZXZ
Posts: 463


This level is amazing, gameplay and looks! Short review:

Gameplay: I love it. It has a bit of a challenge!
Looks: the level it self & the character (includes enemies) are brilliant
Boss: looks good & is fun
Goose: I didn't see one single goose

5 stars & heart, tagged brilliant!

Wait for you feedback until I'm done with my level...

Thanks BC! ill be adding in the acknowledgements in a minute. let me know when your level is up

EDIT:

No Goose logos on this one
2009-05-16 21:05:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


Wow! Just brilliant! I loved pretty much every aspect of this level.

Pros:
+Characters all look beautiful
+The story was immersing whilst not interupting the gameplay
+Some unusual and clever ideas
+The section with the platforms and you have to get them to the top
+Shamelessly plugging your other level.......in a secret area!
+Just the right length

Cons:
-The small mushrooms tended to not push me high enough in the air, but it didn't stop the level progressing - just getting more score

I loved this level, and found very little wrong with it. 5 stars and hearted for a very good reason, it ROCKZ!

Could you please F4F my new Level, MineCart Madness
Thanks
2009-05-16 22:19:00

Author:
Coxy224
Posts: 2645


Wow! Just brilliant! I loved pretty much every aspect of this level.

Pros:
+Characters all look beautiful
+The story was immersing whilst not interupting the gameplay
+Some unusual and clever ideas
+The section with the platforms and you have to get them to the top
+Shamelessly plugging your other level.......in a secret area!
+Just the right length

Cons:
-The small mushrooms tended to not push me high enough in the air, but it didn't stop the level progressing - just getting more score

I loved this level, and found very little wrong with it. 5 stars and hearted for a very good reason, it ROCKZ!

Could you please F4F my new Level, MineCart Madness
Thanks

LOL! WILL DO SIR and Thanks for your Feedback!
2009-05-16 22:29:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


I tried this today, and I must say. I'm impressed. At first I thought I was in for a just sit and watch experience, and I was like, ok this is really cool looking anyways. I'm always game for just about anything. Then I actually got to play. YEAH!! Anyways I really liked the whole thing I thought it was unique, and very well executed. I really don't have any criticism for this as everything worked great. GREAT WORK!!!

could you give feedback on my level (mountain marathon) thanks.
2009-05-16 23:44:00

Author:
smasher
Posts: 641


I left you a bit of feedback in the comments.2009-05-17 00:05:00

Author:
Syroc
Posts: 3193


I liked this, though there were a few moments where I wasn`t sure what was happening.

- The trees that shake. It was at times hard to see what bits were branches you could walk on and what ones you couldn`t.
- At one point a note comes up about an optional mini-game. I don`t even know what the mini-game was. I just went right. If it`s just a part where you can collect some point bubbles I`d leave out the note as I wasn`t sure where the mini-game ended and subsequently which parts were now necessary again.
- The bit with the columns. There`s a good (overwhelmingly so) chance that I`m just dense, but I had not a clue what was going on. I wasn`t even sure if I was meant to go that way in the first place but once I hit the infinite checkpoint I had no choice but to stay down there. Staying on the platform raised them up, which was fine, and staying on it too long caused a bomb to drop which was fine also. My problem came with the platforms flipping. There didn`t seem to be any warning, so often I`d jump onto another column to avoid a bomb only to find that it moved while I was in mid-air. If there`s a pattern, the bombs dropping don`t really allow you to observe it. I was also told that the middle platform was safe from traps, but as I jumped there first, I was hit by a bomb (which didn`t come with a warning light btw) The only thing that allowed me to finish the level was that I jumped onto the platform with the cannon, and jumped over that. It felt like I wasn`t meant to be able to do that though.
- In the clouds, there`s a big arrow telling you to go right at one point, so I do. Only to find a room advertising another of your levels. I thought there was a switch or something in there I was missing to continue, so jumped about for a while before eventually noticing there was another way. That arrow was not very helpful.


Overall I think it`s a very good level. There are excellent character designs and some beautiful sets too. I also think that while the level is challenging, it`s not too hard. My problems all came from when the level moved from challenging, to confusing. There were alot of 'wth??' moments as I fell off something that I couldn`t see or got lost etc. With a few small fixes in that department, the level is up there with the absolute best imo.
2009-05-17 01:27:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096


- The trees that shake. It was at times hard to see what bits were branches you could walk on and what ones you couldn`t.

Ive checked on this and i didnt have any trouble noticing the walkable paths, i even added those red lights that also acts as a safe spot for the shaking part. I think that your TV may have darker output, thats probably why you were having difficulties figuring out where to go.


- At one point a note comes up about an optional mini-game. I don`t even know what the mini-game was. I just went right. If it`s just a part where you can collect some point bubbles I`d leave out the note as I wasn`t sure where the mini-game ended and subsequently which parts were now necessary again.

Did you talk to the horse? because the horse asks you a favor at one point and that is the minigame i mentioned ingame.


- The bit with the columns. There`s a good (overwhelmingly so) chance that I`m just dense, but I had not a clue what was going on. I wasn`t even sure if I was meant to go that way in the first place but once I hit the infinite checkpoint I had no choice but to stay down there. Staying on the platform raised them up, which was fine, and staying on it too long caused a bomb to drop which was fine also. My problem came with the platforms flipping. There didn`t seem to be any warning, so often I`d jump onto another column to avoid a bomb only to find that it moved while I was in mid-air. If there`s a pattern, the bombs dropping don`t really allow you to observe it. I was also told that the middle platform was safe from traps, but as I jumped there first, I was hit by a bomb (which didn`t come with a warning light btw) The only thing that allowed me to finish the level was that I jumped onto the platform with the cannon, and jumped over that. It felt like I wasn`t meant to be able to do that though.

- Awww i knew this was gonna happe and i risked it anyway In anycase, to further explain how the boss battle works... Theres 5 platforms and each one of them flips in a pattern. to be able to beat that part all you have to do is go to the last one that just came back from flipping, because that would be your safest spot for the traps. the trap pauses are also long enough for you to be able to get to a new safe spot.

Now for the cannon balls, each time you land into any platform the skeleton warrior will always shoot you, but theres lag in each shot which gives you time to stay on a platform longer, thus the warning light comes on when your staying too long. while doing this your also required to pay attention to the traps. Do this in a little over a minute and your on your way to kill that skeleton.

But i really have taken your opinion on the matter so i added an optional grab switch that turns off the traps making the boss fight easier for the ones who are having trouble with it.


- In the clouds, there`s a big arrow telling you to go right at one point, so I do. Only to find a room advertising another of your levels. I thought there was a switch or something in there I was missing to continue, so jumped about for a while before eventually noticing there was another way. That arrow was not very helpful.


As for that arrow, thats understandable and i turned it into a recatngular sign instead, also i added arrow stickers to point where your supposed to go.

Thanks for your Feedback! Do you want any particular level, that i could give feedback on?
2009-05-17 02:36:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


I thought this level and prologue were fantastic. The best I've played in quite awhile. The silhouetted etchings, narration, design and storytelling in the prologue were genius. I had so much fun in Chapter 1 every step of the way, and was completely immersed in a great world, full of character and life. Every object and and setting was very thought out to have a cohesive look, nothing too curvy to take up too much therm, but never simple looking... custom clouds and all, I hate when people use the cloud object instead of their own. The storm section was great, with the lighting effects, and all the rain you managed to pack into this level. There was tons of variety and lots of platforming, the easter egg promo room was cool (especially the name), and I thought the bonuses for LBPC members was a great touch.

I like the enemy designs... the boss was really unique too. It reminded me of Ghouls and Ghost, and Castlevania a little.

I seriously enjoyed these, and thought I'd leave you some feedback. Anybody who hasn't played these, really should. It's not often someone will go to such great lengths just for the introduction to their saga of levels.
2009-05-17 05:00:00

Author:
Unknown User


Wow, you had me at "The Count of Monte Cristo". That was one of the most incredible and ingenious books I'd ever read, and that, along with the massive amount of positive feedback you appear to be getting, is a thing that will obligate me to play these levels.2009-05-17 05:07:00

Author:
Astrosimi
Posts: 2046


Oooh, this sounds like heaps of fun.
Today is the day I promised myself to complete my "to play-book"

Last minute entry
2009-05-17 06:08:00

Author:
Zwollie
Posts: 2173


Did you talk to the horse? because the horse asks you a favor at one point and that is the minigame i mentioned ingame.

Don`t think I spoke to a horse. I think once or twice I missed stuff by just heading onwards.



Thanks for your Feedback! Do you want any particular level, that i could give feedback on?

Nah, don`t worry about it.
2009-05-17 17:14:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096


oo! is the final version of this published! Awesome! I will check it out as soon as I'm able. I know Vmethos was very interested in seeing this one as well! I'll see if he'll play it with me and Catiers tonight!2009-05-17 17:38:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569


Hah! okay, I just had an idea for multiplayer coz i know its gonna be quite difficult in The cloud scenario and Forest Scenario. I think by adding additional double checkpoints to the old ones would make it easier... and perhaps a switch that triggers them all to come about would do..
.
.
.
.
Man, as i was typing that it just came to me i should just turn all checkpoints to infinite ones. Geez...

Edit:

To the People who Intends to play, in order to understand the story, its better to play the Prologue level first.
2009-05-17 17:53:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


Wow, what can I say that already hasn't been said. These levels were both brilliant. The prologue is one of the best I've ever seen. The story also is a very nice touch so we can see why we are playing as sack boy.
The First episode was also a blast to play. Although the monkey at the start of the level has seemed to have fallen over. The level's visuals are lovely and the boss at the end was refreshing. This may become my favorite series. Hope to see more!
Prologue: 4 stars: Great
Episode 1: 4 stars: Brilliant: Hearted!

:blush:BTW. Do you think you could do F4F please? My newest level is in my signature below. Thanks I'll really appreciate it!
2009-05-18 02:21:00

Author:
Noroibito
Posts: 211


Okay. First off, this level is gorgeous, the boss is great, and I loved it when I was beta testing it.

I broke all the rules when I played this. I played this 3 players (me, catiers, and vmethos)

We had a bit of a situation right at the beginning. ..
The monkey was gone!!!!!!! It was insane! It was like this ghost monkey was talking to us! Then we walked a bit, and the monkey was lying on the ground! I think he had one too many!

Also... we have a fairly light display, and the level seemed a tad bit too dark. Not way too dark, just a little. We had our gamma up all the way, too. One suggestion would be to possibly place a global lighting tool at the beginning of the level that allows the player to set it on a lighter setting if they need it to be.

Also, there is one thing to watch when dealing with multi-player.
At the end of the level, if anyone died on the boss, and the other players attempt to cross the scoreboard, the dead players will respawn under the scoreboard on your switches! Vmethos and I kept landing on your switches and then we'd pop ourselves and land there again! I think it has to do with the fact that you have the bottom of the scoreboard covered.

Anyway, regardless of all of this, I gave it 5 stars. I'll heart it under my account (we were playing under larry's and I think he hearted it)

Great level! ^_^
2009-05-18 03:15:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569


Prologue: 4 stars: Great
Episode 1: 4 stars: Brilliant: Hearted!

BTW. Do you think you could do F4F please? My newest level is in my signature below. Thanks I'll really appreciate it!

Sure Thing Noroibito, ill give you feedback. thanks!


We had a bit of a situation right at the beginning. ..
The monkey was gone!!!!!!! It was insane! It was like this ghost monkey was talking to us! Then we walked a bit, and the monkey was lying on the ground! I think he had one too many!

LOL! Kappa Thats creepy and, the monkey wasnt supposed to do that, im pretty sure i glued the butler down, but ill investigate. Thanks for pointing it out.


Also... we have a fairly light display, and the level seemed a tad bit too dark. Not way too dark, just a little. We had our gamma up all the way, too. One suggestion would be to possibly place a global lighting tool at the beginning of the level that allows the player to set it on a lighter setting if they need it to be.

I think thats a really good idea... and ill probably implement it if either i choose to keep its current setting. If not, ill Just turn up its brightness.


Also, there is one thing to watch when dealing with multi-player.
At the end of the level, if anyone died on the boss, and the other players attempt to cross the scoreboard, the dead players will respawn under the scoreboard on your switches! Vmethos and I kept landing on your switches and then we'd pop ourselves and land there again! I think it has to do with the fact that you have the bottom of the scoreboard covered.


As for this issue, it think its because i chose to use the shrinked and cut off score board, itll probably fix itself if i keep its bottom part.

Thanks for the Nice Feedback Kappa and Noroibito. I appreciate it
2009-05-18 04:20:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


OK here we go...

I am going to put these in the same thread as I wrote thoughts for both the Prologue and then your level.

Prologue:

Very cool intro, very artistic comic style! The scenery/style made me think of Gus Van Sant.

The 2nd guy on the roof of the library's, speech bubbles disappears too fast couldn't read it. While going through the library I can see the shiny blue thing tracking across the bottom (I guess this is what we are riding in)

Use of the global lighting tool is cool and love that it also has some platforming in it. Love the almost story book page feel you create with the story sets!

And the story your telling is great, well done and very thought out!

Awesome Job! 4 stars and an Ingenious tag.


The Count of St. Clair Island:

1st impression: Very cool atmosphere

The monkey butler is laying over on his side so I don't even notice him when I read the intro...(If already fixed please ignore)

Wondered how the monkey couldn't find a key he had been near when up on the platforming sections...Boom walk right up and theres the key...seems too easy.

Cool bit of platforming to get there.

The mushroom are cool and add extra challenge.

Love your custom characters.

While it was very cool it seemed to go on a bit long to me (IMHO). You had some really good platform elements and an excellent story to go with it.


5 Stars Platformer tag and hearted.
2009-05-18 05:04:00

Author:
AJnKnox
Posts: 518


I just played the levels Greygoose, loved the prologue, a nice way to build up the story for the actual level. The scenes of the princess and the skeleton king very nice, they looked great.

And so on to the first part. It looks good, nice materials and lighting. I had no problems that others have experienced with the monkey etc. I don't know whether they have been fixed or not. Good solid platforming here to, took a me a couple of goes to get across it.

I could'nt work out what to do at the tree ?? I skipped it.

The cloud section looks fantastic, I love the rain effect and the background. Nice challenging area to, and I liked the outer heaven room, nice touch. And the tree section was also tricky, challenging but not everly hard. All of the your platforming sections are extremely well balanced.

I liked the boss, nice and tricky, I admit, I used the easy mode though

All in all great level, I did'nt find any problems really. Its was enjoyable from start to finish, very well produced and a nice challenge. Cant wait for part 2

*****, beautiful and hearted
2009-05-18 10:47:00

Author:
GruntosUK
Posts: 1754


Wow! These levels are great!

I love the prologue. Your 'movie' was very well made & entertaining. I love the farting lady. And the time-lapse part was very cool.

The 1st actual level was even better! Great gameplay and puzzles. I love the whole section jumping around on the clouds. And your twitching trees were brilliant! I LOVE TWITCHING TREES!!! AAAAHH!!! The minigame with the apples was great, too. The bouncy mushrooms were fun. The boss was great. And I love your choice to use infinite checkpoints throughout. That lets people just 'enjoy' the level, without getting too stressed out.. I approve.

I really don't have any complaints at all.. I don't really think it's necessary to explain the boss ahead of time, but maybe some people would get stuck on that... ?

Anyways, 5 stars and hearted. Let me know when there's more.
2009-05-18 11:59:00

Author:
DrunkenFist_Lee
Posts: 172


Before I start, I'll just say I gave the level 5* (think I forgot to heart, but I'll do that when I play again). Nice visual, great enemies - love the look of them and that you've reused the concept of attack from behind from karas. I also liked the way you introduced a repeated gameplay element at the beginning and ran with it throughout (mushrooms). For the most part great gameplay but I've got a list of nit-picky comments about the level:

On the initial platforming section, I found it very disconcerting planeshifting between front and back layers, skipping the middle one out, and also found my sack auto-shifting onto the candle flames.
steps, in my book, are a bit of a no-no in LBP, sacks can't use them and I jsut find it awkard mashing x to get up them.
I felt there was too much text in the level, especially the hints. "R1 to grab" is a little unnecessary, especially in a level that uses a lot of ceiling swinging. If players don't know basic controls, they won't beat this level. If you think the level needs hints then maybe have a hints on/off selector at the beginning or work infostones(tm) into the level (iconic / runic stones that can be grabbed for a hint, if you get stuck). I'm really not a fan of being told how to do something in advance. It takes away my pleasure in working it out for myself.
Point 2 on text - some of the text that was just for background stuff (maybe "there's another skeleton warrior"?) had a cinematic camera. By all means keep the text in, but don't force my sack to stop, especially when I'm in the middle of racking up a points combo.
Point 3 on text - "their quite scary", stuck out for me as a mistake (referring to trees).
The yellow sponges if the section is too difficult are ok, I guess; but yellow sponge kinda looks out of place in the dark gloomy visuals. Maybe sometihng like infostones could be used for skipping as well (different symbol / shape)
On the boos fight, it felt very wrong to me that the cannon was fired and then a few seconds later, the cannon ball had sought out my new location. I don't know if this could be changed, even if you wanted to, it would totally change the dynamic of the fight I guess
Unfair deaths:
On the boss fight, I died jumping to the first platform as the trap opened when I was in mid air. Retrospectively, probably not an "unfair" death as I could have observed the pattern, but after dying you want to get back on those platforms because they are moving down.
On the apples game, I died grabbing the first apple because of a text box off screen. As a side note, have you considered wiring the apples to monster brains so you get points stright away?
I got shook off one of the trees while respawning. Could this be fixed by disabling the shake for x seconds if the sackboy dies?
At one point there was a path that turned into a cliff just after you run behind something. Can't exactly remember where, think there was a hill on a further back plane just before a checkpoint. This was possibly me not paying attention.



So yeah, a list of nitpicks, none of which are major and I hope at least some of them help! But to reinforce my original statement: this level is awesome.


Edit: I think there were a couple of slightly awkward camera angles as well. Can't remember, I was playing at 2:15am.
2009-05-19 09:05:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497


The 2nd guy on the roof of the library's, speech bubbles disappears too fast couldn't read it. While going through the library I can see the shiny blue thing tracking across the bottom (I guess this is what we are riding in)

Thats probably because my switches that activate them are too close ive separated them further apart and, thus gives you time to read them. Thanks for mentioning that.


Wondered how the monkey couldn't find a key he had been near when up on the platforming sections...Boom walk right up and theres the key...seems too easy.


Well About that, Lets just say the monkey was ignorantly blind lol!


The monkey butler is laying over on his side so I don't even notice him when I read the intro...(If already fixed please ignore)

As for Edward the Monkey Butler, he is now back to his original spot, these nglued objects seem to bounce around when you unpause during create, and as a creator you dont see everything especially, on a big level.



I liked the boss, nice and tricky, I admit, I used the easy mode though

Yes! indeed, thats the reason those Sponges are there, because in LBP, there are so many players that have different skill levels. and thus i wanted to make it that everyone who plays my level, would enjoy it.

The Only payment is i get to tease the players a bit HEHE!


I really don't have any complaints at all.. I don't really think it's necessary to explain the boss ahead of time, but maybe some people would get stuck on that... ?

I take it that you didnt have any problems with the boss, well done man. Although, Ive Beta tested this level before and 95% of the players didnt know what to do with the boss. so i feel its really necessary to do so.

Thanks for your Feedback guys!

EDIT:

As for the Global lighting switch option, ive added that switch that turns down the darkness of the level by one notch. and it does make a difference for people who are having trouble with it.

Also The Bookcases have now been replaced by a more realistic object.
2009-05-19 09:07:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


Well frankly, these were amazing. I five-starred them and hearted them, and you

I couldn't find anything wrong with them, at all. Very nice job.

Even after reading the boss description it took me a few seconds to realize you meant I needed to go up and over to him, but I might have just skimmed over that part.
2009-05-19 19:43:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342


I loved them both! Beautiful storytelling, great characters, fantastic landscapes, excellent challenges and generous "help I can't do this part" sponges. Really well done!

Only thing I saw was a visible green mag switch on the far right edge of the mansion (I think it might be on the gate - hard to tell)


5 stars & hearts!
2009-05-19 20:00:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983


Played this level last night and it was absolutely mind blowing i am looking forward to the rest of the series.2009-05-19 20:04:00

Author:
Perks
Posts: 4


Same here. Really great stuff! Awesome Prologue. What I saw of the first chapter was fantastic. Unable to finish because of lag and multiplayer but I will save any other comments till I've had a chance to finish it proper. Really looking forward to it!2009-05-19 22:32:00

Author:
Jaeyden
Posts: 564


I've only got up to the the prologue. I have yet play chapter one; I'll play it later on today. So far I really like the visuals especially the ones at the beginning. The silhouettes looks very vibrant. I liked the movements on the silhouettes. But, I kind of thought that the beginning was dragging a little too long though. It wasn't until 3/4ths of the way that I actually started playing the level. But, if that was intended since is a prologue, I can let that go. So far the prologue, 4/5 stars. I'll check out chapter one later today.2009-05-19 23:02:00

Author:
Strikebomber
Posts: 18


Hey graygoose, finally got around to playing your level, very good.

The beginning of your prologue was very confusing, and seemed like it had nothing to do with the story.Otherwise, nice characters, I especially liked the one sitting down, looked 3D.Best part of he Prologue though, was when the guy when the girl asks for a ride, to me that was suggestive and had LOL written all over it. The only real let down of the level for me was realizing it wasnt about the count of monte cristo.
Onto the actual level!
I also noticed like someone else how the butler spends years looking for a glowing red key 20 feet away from where he was standing Something annoying to me was that you had a cutscene camera bubble for every single skeleton that came up, I can see them, This is minor. I thought your shaking trees were awesome, as well as your boss battle. I figured out how to beat the boss after dieing a couple times, the platforms raise! But i can definately see how players can get confused, seeing as how they move slowly its hard to tell.
Overall i thought your level was great, but was confusing/annoying at parts.Nice job
2009-05-20 02:40:00

Author:
Jrange378
Posts: 573


Rtm223


# On the initial platforming section, I found it very disconcerting planeshifting between front and back layers, skipping the middle one out, and also found my sack auto-shifting onto the candle flames.

Well i dont think i can do anything about the plane shifting, im pretty sure that your talking about the space in the Bookcases and the Pillars that you jump from. See if i were to put something in the middle plane it would definitely ruin the aesthetic look that im trying to portrait. The place is a Mansion.

So if i were to choose from player comfort or Aesthetic, i choose the latter.


steps, in my book, are a bit of a no-no in LBP, sacks can't use them and I jsut find it awkard mashing x to get up them.

Once again, Its for Aesthetic. I too and everybody have to put effort on climbing stairs. And your not even a supposed to be a Sack Doll in the first place, Your the Count Of St Claire.


I felt there was too much text in the level, especially the hints. "R1 to grab" is a little unnecessary, especially in a level that uses a lot of ceiling swinging. If players don't know basic controls, they won't beat this level. If you think the level needs hints then maybe have a hints on/off selector at the beginning or work infostones(tm) into the level (iconic / runic stones that can be grabbed for a hint, if you get stuck). I'm really not a fan of being told how to do something in advance. It takes away my pleasure in working it out for myself.

About this, this is my attempt to let every player know how to play the level. since some players are ignorant and not as smart as other players are. Its true that its a sort of a spoiler for the level, but i cant risk it enough, i would get plenty of questions later on, how do i do this how do i get that if i dont at least let them know they can grab that little knob on the wall.

Im not sure that you noticed that after i instructed that you can grab the first knob, i never said anything else on the rest.


# Point 2 on text - some of the text that was just for background stuff (maybe "there's another skeleton warrior"?) had a cinematic camera. By all means keep the text in, but don't force my sack to stop, especially when I'm in the middle of racking up a points combo.

Point taken. ill do something about that.


The yellow sponges if the section is too difficult are ok, I guess; but yellow sponge kinda looks out of place in the dark gloomy visuals. Maybe sometihng like infostones could be used for skipping as well (different symbol / shape)

Point Taken. Its a sponge because that was a last minute update and an addition to the level. Those were never there before, not until i found out that some people are still having a hard time playing my level. so i had to make a fix ASAP!

Ill make another fix on its next update.


On the boos fight, it felt very wrong to me that the cannon was fired and then a few seconds later, the cannon ball had sought out my new location. I don't know if this could be changed, even if you wanted to, it would totally change the dynamic of the fight I guess

Thats not supposed to happen.. I too am confused, the function is very simple. You saty long enough on a platform, Skelly notices you and fires cannon, Cannon ball drops on your location. If your still there, you die.

So my only, assumption would be, you were probably jumping all over the place and you end up where a cannon ball landed.


# Unfair deaths:

* On the boss fight, I died jumping to the first platform as the trap opened when I was in mid air. Retrospectively, probably not an "unfair" death as I could have observed the pattern, but after dying you want to get back on those platforms because they are moving down.
* On the apples game, I died grabbing the first apple because of a text box off screen. As a side note, have you considered wiring the apples to monster brains so you get points stright away?
* I got shook off one of the trees while respawning. Could this be fixed by disabling the shake for x seconds if the sackboy dies?



As for the traps in the Boss Fight, i believe that it isnt an unfair death, because you are aware that those were there and operational.

For the Death on the apple minigame, Ugh! Point Taken. i thought that i already fixed that, perhaps i have, but was there a chance that you played it before my last update?

Because that apple was supposed to be in the middle of the big mushroom cap, so when you grab it, your just gonna land back down safely in the middle.

As for the tree shaking, that is accidental and yes, its somewhat unfair, but im afraid it has to stay that way.


At one point there was a path that turned into a cliff just after you run behind something. Can't exactly remember where, think there was a hill on a further back plane just before a checkpoint. This was possibly me not paying attention.

Im not so sure about your talking about here, perhaps you can elaborate some more?

With all that said, i really appreciate your feedback, thank you and im glad you enjoyed the level.
2009-05-20 07:04:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


Sent you a message, really liked the level.

But one small thing I should mention, the part where the horse (?) explains the apple mini-game, I was walking past and the text bubble popped up and disappeared, So I glimpsed at it, but couldn't go back and read the other ones explaining what to do.

I guess if you just make the radius on the sensor a tad bigger, or make the first bubble have a camera angle.

Maybe it was my fault, I'll have to play again.
2009-05-20 07:32:00

Author:
TripleTremelo
Posts: 490


As for that Rob29 I think that happened to me once, and i made a fix to it then, because i was only using half the diameter of the prximity sensor (only on top, nothing non bottom) i made a fix then, but then i guess it happened to you as well, im terribly sorry.

ill see what i can do.

As for the Plane shifting that the candle is causing, i have decided to remove it, since it doesnt take away much of the Aesthetic design. But The bookcases are staying put.

Also now the Cutscene for that skeleton in the forest is now gone.

Sponges are still yet to be replaced.

Updates are still on their way. Thank you!
2009-05-20 08:01:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


I played the prologue and first chapter and as people have been saying, they were quite enjoyable.

- The prologue started out REALLY slow. With the car driving about 3 miles an hour to get to the library. I usually like things that are pretty slowly paced but, even for me, this was a bit too slow. Once you got the book I didn't mind the pacing of the level. However, even though the beginning was a bit slow the visuals were really impressive as were the mechanics that went behind making it all work.

- The first chapter was fun to play and I don't really have anything too negative to say about it, or the prologue for that matter. However, as is the case with about every single level that I play, there were some grammatical errors and things that just didn't make much sense in both the prologue and first chapter if I remember correctly. I didn't take notes on the areas that had problems because I have pretty much given up on anyone making levels without spelling something incorrectly or having some sort of problems in their speech bubbles. One mistake that I do remember is that you say the thunder shouldn't hit you while you are grabbing onto the cloud. This should really say that the lightning won't hit you, because thunder is the noise while the bolt of lightning is what you need to worry about hitting you.

- Anyway, really impressive visuals in both levels and they were fun to play.

F4F is not needed because I don't have anything that I need feedback on at the moment. Just one really old level is up at the moment, but I almost done with my next level.
2009-05-20 23:34:00

Author:
Coreymill
Posts: 85


Well i dont think i can do anything about the plane shifting, im pretty sure that your talking about the space in the Bookcases and the Pillars that you jump from. See if i were to put something in the middle plane it would definitely ruin the aesthetic look that im trying to portrait. The place is a Mansion. So if i were to choose from player comfort or Aesthetic, i choose the latter.

Yep, to alter this minor annoyance would mean rebuilding pretty much from scratch, which clearly isn't worth doing. Aesthtic and gameplay don't need to be mutually exclusive, but it's very hard to shoehorn one in later.


Its true that its a sort of a spoiler for the level, but i cant risk it enough, i would get plenty of questions later on, how do i do this how do i get that if i dont at least let them know they can grab that little knob on the wall.
It's true that in general LBP players son't seem to want to have to stop and think, where other games would be fine like that. I wouldn't say get rid of it completely, but there are ways to avoid it being so "in your face" all the time.


Thats not supposed to happen.. I too am confused, the function is very simple. You saty long enough on a platform, Skelly notices you and fires cannon, Cannon ball drops on your location. If your still there, you die.
Now this one is odd. I swear there was a second or two delay between the firing and the light shining. But there isn't. My bad.


As for the traps in the Boss Fight, i believe that it isnt an unfair death, because you are aware that those were there and operational. Yeah I rushed.


That apple was supposed to be in the middle of the big mushroom cap, so when you grab it, your just gonna land back down safely in the middle.
Is it a specific apple that sets off the mouth, or any apple?


As for the tree shaking, that is accidental and yes, its somewhat unfair, but im afraid it has to stay that way. On my second time through, I noticed that there are checkpoints on both the shakey trees, but not the friendly tree (the one that gives you a hand)

[QUOTE=graygoose;207729]Im not so sure about your talking about here, perhaps you can elaborate some more?[quote] Yeah, that bit was really obvious and easy to not die on.... *

I'm looking forward to part two, to see what you come up with and I'm sure everyone else is too.

* I'm gonna put down the starred items to me having been up for 19 hours when I played, then posting my review after 4 hours sleep!
2009-05-20 23:42:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497


Just finished playing and... wow! That might be one of the best prologue levels that I have seen. Yes there is only a little gameplay, but it was so fun to watch! I loved the way you had the real world look and then the fantasy kingdom look. Such contrasting styles, but it works so well with they way you are telling the story!

As for the actually level, I loved it too! The visuals were great and I loved the designs of the characters. The gameplay was a bit tricky at times, but you often provided easier paths allowing both casual and hardcore LBP players to enjoy it. I loved the section with the clouds, the shaking trees, and the boss! All great stuff!

The only problems I ran into were a few awkward camera issues (i.e. when you exit the castle, it's hard to see the skeleton) and there were a couple moments were I'd try to jump to area, only to get stuck in another layer. I also noticed the music box was visible at the end and wasn't sure it was supposed to be or not.

Anyway, I thought this was a great prologue and level. I can't wait for the next installment! Well done!
2009-05-21 05:40:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer
Posts: 1335


Mrsupercomputer

The only problems I ran into were a few awkward camera issues (i.e. when you exit the castle, it's hard to see the skeleton) and there were a couple moments were I'd try to jump to area, only to get stuck in another layer. I also noticed the music box was visible at the end and wasn't sure it was supposed to be or not.

You probably died huh? well my objective on that was to surprise the player with its 1st skeleton encounter. perhaps ill widen its proximity range a bit.

As for that music box. good job noticing it, coz i sure didnt lol!

Thanks for the feedback!

Coreymill

- The first chapter was fun to play and I don't really have anything too negative to say about it, or the prologue for that matter. However, as is the case with about every single level that I play, there were some grammatical errors and things that just didn't make much sense in both the prologue and first chapter if I remember correctly. I didn't take notes on the areas that had problems because I have pretty much given up on anyone making levels without spelling something incorrectly or having some sort of problems in their speech bubbles. One mistake that I do remember is that you say the thunder shouldn't hit you while you are grabbing onto the cloud. This should really say that the lightning won't hit you, because thunder is the noise while the bolt of lightning is what you need to worry about hitting you.


LOL! ill change that. Thanks for the correction.

As for the dragging Prologue, its slow because it allows the reader to read the texts and dialogues (some are slow readers)

I have a fix for this that comes to mind. that allows the car to go faster while cruising and slower while engaging into dialogues.

it'll be a possible update.

Thanks for the Feedback!
2009-05-21 08:52:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


With the apple, I think what happened was that I was a little all over the place the first time and came to that apple from the right hand side. When I grabbed it I was probably still holding the analogue stick left and didn't think to let go of the stick. Possible solutions I can think of are:
1. briefly emmit a funnel of dark matter so you can't die (will look weird but camera will probably be off screen)
2. Hook the apples into creature brains (off screen so you don't get a funky noise), this way you get points as you grab, but less encouragement to go back to the horse.
3. Wait for the player to land on the mushroom again before triggering the mouth (use an and gate where one of the inputs is connected to a permentant switch based on the apple being grabbed.
4. Just leave it - one death on an infinate checkpoint can be tolerated really.
2009-05-21 10:39:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497


I just played both levels and thought the design and the work involved were amazing but I couldn't finish the second one.

It's a shame because The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favourite films/books ever and was really looking forward to this but the difficulty is just way too much for me and it's far too dark to see where to jump to.

I grabbed the sponge up the tower but it didn't make it noticeably lighter at all.

I got as far as the horse/apple part but then in the forest section I just couldn't get over that tree for the life of me. I knew what to do I think ( using the momentum of the tree shake to move left and right and up at the same time ) but it was just too difficult and once again too dark which was the biggest problem as I couldn't see where the safe platforms were at all. I tried for about 15 minutes on that part alone before losing all my lives and it took me so long to get there I wasn't going to restart and go through all that hard work again.

I was expecting a great story level with great visuals but it ended up being a marathon platforming session in almost total darkness. I left feeling totally drained and disappointed.

I still gave it a 4 star rating because I can see there is a massive amount of work in there and very well done. It just wasn't for me , sorry.
2009-05-21 14:18:00

Author:
mistervista
Posts: 2210


That prologue looks really great! Love the style and the silhouettes are fantastic! Wondering how you did that...
The landscapes are really great as well, a piece of art man!
(while admiring them, i thought it might be cool to add a thin layer of moving material on a bolt, like a small piece of scarf/hair on the girl, to give the impression the wind is blowing and make it a bit more dynamic, or add some small blinking leds in the sky on the night landscape)
Besides that I can't really say anything people before me haven't commented i think, the only drawback for me was the music in the 1st part of the prologue, it doesn't really fit with the gfx-style imho.

all in all, a very nice piece of work with an unique gfx style, loved it.

misty.
2009-05-21 15:52:00

Author:
Mother-Misty
Posts: 574


I just played both levels and thought the design and the work involved were amazing but I couldn't finish the second one.

It's a shame because The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favourite films/books ever and was really looking forward to this but the difficulty is just way too much for me and it's far too dark to see where to jump to.

I grabbed the sponge up the tower but it didn't make it noticeably lighter at all.

I got as far as the horse/apple part but then in the forest section I just couldn't get over that tree for the life of me. I knew what to do I think ( using the momentum of the tree shake to move left and right and up at the same time ) but it was just too difficult and once again too dark which was the biggest problem as I couldn't see where the safe platforms were at all. I tried for about 15 minutes on that part alone before losing all my lives and it took me so long to get there I wasn't going to restart and go through all that hard work again.

I was expecting a great story level with great visuals but it ended up being a marathon platforming session in almost total darkness. I left feeling totally drained and disappointed.

I still gave it a 4 star rating because I can see there is a massive amount of work in there and very well done. It just wasn't for me , sorry.

- Im not sure if you knew this, but your not supposed to use any momentum on the tree shake, because even for me that would be near impossible.
Your supposed to use the red grabable checkpoints in each tree while it shakes, then move on to the next checkpoint while it pauses.

I assumed players would already know this when they first encounter the first small shaking tree (that was my attempt to let players know whats up ahead)

- As for the Global lighting switch that turns down the darkness, it may not be noticeable but the level does loses some darkness ( it was only turn down by one notch, perhaps i may turn it down a little more)

- The story isnt really related to The Count Of Monte Cristo but in a way its Similar to its storyline. The way the Count in St Claire got turned into a sackdoll and wasnt able to move for 7 years was in a way very similar to the Count of Monte Cristo being in prison for a very long time as well.

And the tragedy of losing their loved ones is also similar in that matter.

- Im terribly sorry for your disappointment. 15 min of ultra mad frustration (i could only assume that)

- Perhaps you can give it some time, wait for my chapter 2 and you'll definitely want to play chapter 1 again.

Thanks for your feedback!

Mother-Misty


Besides that I can't really say anything people before me haven't commented i think, the only drawback for me was the music in the 1st part of the prologue, it doesn't really fit with the gfx-style imho.

- Your the first to say this and let me say i totally agree with you, because even i know this. before i published i was really playing around wih other music, some works well, but i couldnt get them to balance out in the first half. I know its confusing, what i just said. But as for now itll be in its current setting until ive played around with other music and get them to intro, chorus and end right.

Thanks!
2009-05-21 16:31:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


I tried that first with swinging on the grabs in the tree but I couldn't get anywhere near far enough to reach the next. I just kept falling in the gas. That's why I figured I must have to use the tree shake.2009-05-21 20:04:00

Author:
mistervista
Posts: 2210


Oh yah greetings.
I've played this map few days ago. Iam excited. Many scripts, a small "story" and few effects. Only part i hated was that with the clouds, had my problems with it. The subquest with the horse was funny (jumping up by giant mushrooms to get the apples ;P ). All in all, great map. If i remember right, posted a ingame comment.

Rk

Btw: I like the skeletons ^^
2009-05-24 00:08:00

Author:
Roflk1ll3r
Posts: 5


wow, i well was well impressed with the prologue (looks like some major logic was used in it) and even more impressed by the first level/part.

>the story is class, one of the best around.
>visuals are top notch.
>music also be rockin, but that garden theme i thought was kinda out of place in the clouds.
>lengthy, but never gets boring.
>apple mini gaming is cool
>atmosphere is spooky and gloomy
>excellent enemies, not like the usual block, eye and wheels
>clever boss battle
>infinite lives are a blessing (its not overly hard, but nobody likes having to start over, i could afford to be reckless
>BUT there was a trigger sticker needed (optional)? i have my community prizes set to off so i may not have picked it up, if its the case where you cant use the sticker if community prizes are set to off, you could give a warning or something
>5 star, heart + already hearted you ages ago
>make another
>or else
2009-05-24 01:16:00

Author:
MegaBlob
Posts: 291


Just played your prologue and I had to come around and praise it. IT'S REALLY FREAKING AWESOME.

Seriously, I don't even know what real feedback I will contribute. I only have positive things to say of this level so far.

-Story is good. You're very lucky because I am easily annoyed by levels with too much text or story. I almost fell asleep at some point but when the book started... WOW.

-You have a nice scenic sense and you decorated your level well. I love when stuff animates as I read the story. The part with the seven days or month or whatever, the part with the castle and then it's the night with thunder and everything. It was awesome.

-Your level is unique. I can't believe i'm still playing stuff that feels unique even now. I guess its because of talented people!

5 stars and heart for you. I'll go play chapter one now.

.
2009-05-24 05:04:00

Author:
RangerZero
Posts: 3901


Wow, I'm really digging the art direction here

definitely going on my queue
2009-05-24 06:03:00

Author:
Aurongel
Posts: 221


Ok so I played chapiter 1 and you pretty much leave me my jaw dropped. Your level is SUPER BEAUTIFUL. And the story is nice. I love the part in the clouds, I love the forest too. The level was long, intriguing and gorgeous looking.

I couldn't grab all the fruits in the tree though. I feel the mushrooms are a bit messy to use.

.
2009-05-24 07:04:00

Author:
RangerZero
Posts: 3901


O.O Wow, I didn't think you could outdo your MGS level but you did! This level was Great and very fun. The prologue was also great, I love your characters and how when he was looking at a book he didn't like he threw it away . Great job, hearted!2009-05-24 07:52:00

Author:
brnxblze
Posts: 1318


Now that their sspotlighted, i thought i should bump this up from page 2.

Its a pretty new set of levels guys... so, to those who hasnt played them yet, youre very welcome to play em.

Also, these 2 levels were only in the cool levels section for 3 days, so it only got a thousand plays each...

Its really hard to get it there in the first day of publishing so im kinda hoping that when The Count... Chapter 2 comes out, itll bring me some plays for these 2.

Enjoy!

EDIT:

Can someone please tell me how to edit my Thread title... ( i want to add "Spotlighted" in it)
2009-05-30 06:58:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


Graygoose, you have to edit your first post again to change the title once more.
You have to do it in advanced mode though.


Btw, I havent given you feedback on your levels yet have I?
Well....I loved them

By now you already know what most people like about them but here are the few things that stood out for me:

+ The Visuals are top-notch
+ You have a superb sense of humour
+ The storybook was brilliant, I was planning on doing something like that myself actually.
+ Very nice athmosphere

- I thought the cartrip went a tad too slow in the prologue :blush:

I gave both of them the 5 stars they deserved, hearted them both and tagged the prologue with "Ingenious" and the first chapter with "brilliant"
Very well done, Graygoose!!
2009-05-30 07:49:00

Author:
Zwollie
Posts: 2173


The Prologue is ingenious, I love the way it's structured and how you are easily swept away from reality (which you captured very well) into a dream world where you are then introduced to the story. The transition is very nice, the only suggestion? I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but a few more uses of grammar, maybe? Sorry if it sounds bad but since the entire series revolves around a book...You know...

Anyway, 5 stars and hearted. I have yet to play Chapter I but I'll give feedback when I can.
2009-05-30 13:59:00

Author:
KoRnDawwg
Posts: 1424


The Prologue is ingenious, I love the way it's structured and how you are easily swept away from reality (which you captured very well) into a dream world where you are then introduced to the story. The transition is very nice, the only suggestion? I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but a few more uses of grammar, maybe? Sorry if it sounds bad but since the entire series revolves around a book...You know...

Anyway, 5 stars and hearted. I have yet to play Chapter I but I'll give feedback when I can.

Thanks! But i was wondering which dialogues were you talking about so i can take look and correct them.
2009-05-30 16:25:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371


Feedback commencing:

not really feedback but more of an idea. so here goes:

with all the glitches we find in lbp everyday and your skeleton king being able to curse people means he has some form of "magic" or should i say "glitch" get it? no? lol use the glitches in LBP as spells he can conjure up in your levels such as:

1. 3d effect
2. no color
3. silhouette
4. invisible floors
5. connecting an item to an eyeball so the items increases in size and moves around almost like if it was alive.

thats all i have for now but i could see the setting. the count is about to enter the skeletons lair. he appears and tells you how much of a nuisance you are to his plans and that he can't believe you broke the curse and are a moving sackboy. he then says "since you can move as a sackboy, you would be fitting as my PUPPET!" and then the screen dissolves into black and then shifts into the one of the glitch stages and him laughing at your future demise which of course you will make up a way that the count can conquer. so that's my idea for a future level, maybe during the end.

and another idea i have come up with maybe like a groups of special skeleton warriors like how bleach had the arrancar and naruto had the akatsuki and so on, they could be called the "previous counts" or the "re-animated" or something witty and cool...well thats all i have, you know my psn so hit me up whenever you finish and need the beta testing, still waiting for the key so yea
2009-05-30 18:23:00

Author:
Shadowcrazy
Posts: 3365


Hey there, I just got done playing both levels, and enjoyed them very much. I was disappointed with how many people have tagged the prologue as rubbish - I thought it was beautifully done. It's obvious that you have an artistic talent outside of lbp, and it's great to see that translated into your levels. They were both a great time, but there were a few gripes (definitely didn't take away from the level):

I couldn't master the bouncing mushrooms, but it was not a huge deal - no high score for me.

The spelling errors kind of detracted from the story. I totally understand though, as typing in lbp sucks.

I had trouble with the boss. I had no problems with the pattern of the traps, I just kept screwing up the jumps, and then I would have to start over. I blame it partially on it being so late here, and I'm tired.

Great work though. Looking forward to the next installment. Sorry to hear about your misfortunes with creating the prologue.
2009-06-05 06:34:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338


Cross posted:

I just played both the prologue and the first chapter.

I'm a big fan of levels that combine an original story with great gameplay, so you've definitely got me hooked. The artwork in the prologue is absolutely incredible. Some of the best I've seen on LBP.

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=477&pictureid=4092

It's a minor nitpick, but I'd recommend unsquaring the tops of the platforms in the picture below. Everything else is so organic that they stick out like a sore thumb.

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=477&pictureid=4093

I really enjoyed the prologue. I've been toying with the idea of building a prologue in a similar fashion. (I've got the thing scripted out, I just need to put it together.) However, this puts what I've been planning to shame!

Oh, and I definitely enjoyed the translation between levels and books as well as the idea of the count being cursed into a sackboy.

***************

Here's a couple minor nitpicks for the actual level, before I go into the real feedback.

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=477&pictureid=4091
Visible dark matter. This is near the Metal Gear room after you grab the lower sponge.

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=477&pictureid=4090
I got crushed the first time I landed in this position

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=477&pictureid=4089
Global lighting tool is visible.

As a player I tend to do a lot of exploring. I actually went the top route and found the key that way instead of going the bottom route. I fell at the end and walked back. This messed up the dialog a tad.

I thought the skeleton bad guys were very well done. It's hard to make a real platforming challenge from standard enemies. So the idea to make them invincible in the front so the challenge is climbing the terrain to get behind them was very clever.

I liked your continued use of the hand over hand climbing mechanism with R1. For the most part, throughout the level, the platforming was challenging but not frustrating. Prize bubbles did a good job showing the way forward. The only place I had a bit of trouble was climbing the tower. I thought the awnings were in the thin layer and didn't realize I had to jump on them. This made me fall quite a few times until I figured it out. Also, some of the grab points on the tower didn't feel very thematic. They were just sort of there to facilitate the climb. Of course making them thematic could also make them harder to see. So maybe its best that they stand out. I also had a somewhat difficult time turning the mechanism at the bottom after I had grabbed the second key. Maybe if it was up a little higher so sackboy could grab it in the air. Trying to grab it on the ground and rotate it was a little tough. Although maybe loosing the strength of the bolt might do the trick.

Next up we've got the trees. I thought these were great. They gave the level a great feel. On top of that they were good platforming elements in and of themselves. The red lights were easy to spot but also felt thematic, which is the perfect combination. The tree shaking was really violent and could really send sackboy flying. These parts were a lot of fun.

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=477&pictureid=4088

The mushroom jumping minigame was well implemented. I like having optional challenges in a level. As for the mushroom jumps in general, I recommend adding a thin layer to the front of the mushroom. Media Molecule does this with their jump platforms. (I mimicked them and did it in mine as well.) The thin layer prevents sackboy from ending up under the jump platform. This happened to me a couple times while jumping. I would land under the mushroom. The switch you use is set to directional, instead of 1, so sackboy doesn't get crushed. The mushroom top just hovers above his head and sackboy generally needs to suicide.

I thought you implemented some of my boss AI concepts into your boss quite well. The traps were programmed, requiring sackboy to do some pattern recognition. The bombs from the skeleton's cannon aimed for sackboy's position if he stayed in one spot too long. My only real suggestion here is to try to visually link the bombs falling with the cannon a little more closely. Maybe a flash from the cannon or laugh from the skeleton could be added to the sequence?

All in all, I really enjoyed this level and I'm looking forward to seeing you continue the series. I gave both levels 5 stars. The prologue got beautiful. Level 1 brilliant. I also hearted you and both levels.
2009-06-05 14:50:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468


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