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#1

Vertigo!

Archive: 70 posts

Vertigo is an original arcade-action shooter inspired by Tempest and Asteroids! It incorporates a unique game mechanic which takes place entirely within a giant spinning wheel using a jetpack.

Destroy wave after wave of asteroids, comets, robots, enemy space craft, and giant globs of electric space goo all from the privacy of your living room! All while collecting tons of point bubble combos in an attempt to hit the leader board!

So calm your nerves, get your jetpack-boost-button ready, and prepare yourself for arcade action as you've never experienced in LittleBigPlanet!

COMMUNITY CONTEST!

Take part in the community contest which ends on Tuesday, May 26th at 7:00 AM EST. 1st place 750 experience points, 2nd place 500 experience points.

PHOTOS!

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/CubbageC/Vertigo/P1010015.jpg?t=1242967615

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/CubbageC/Vertigo/P1010016.jpg?t=1242967649

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/CubbageC/Vertigo/P1010017.jpg?t=1242967684

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/CubbageC/Vertigo/P1010018.jpg?t=1242967726

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/CubbageC/Vertigo/P1010020.jpg?t=1242967758

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/CubbageC/Vertigo/P1010021.jpg?t=1242967789		2009-05-22 12:05:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

right at the beginning i jumped straight onto the bookcase and it fell over landing on the switch so i couldn't pull it

it's no big deal because it's at the beginning, but you might want to stick it down with something 		2009-05-22 12:55:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

Played it quickly and it's a cool arcade game, will certainly try again later to get a higher score.

(love the purple rotating gas behind that checkpoint )

misty.		2009-05-22 12:57:00

Author:
Mother-Misty
Posts: 574

I'm definitely in on this one. I had a blast playing it earlier!2009-05-22 13:12:00

Author:
Y2Josh23
Posts: 10

This is really addictive!
i haven't gotten far yet though because i'm terrible at it ^^

pros:
- so far i love the shooting mechanism,
- i like how you need to kill different enemies in different ways
- the difficulty curve was very well made

cons:
- The long wait at the beginning and after you die is really annoying
- Some of the faster enemies do seem a bit unfair, but maybe i just haven't found out how to dodge them yet

No.1 at the moment 		2009-05-22 13:15:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

This is really addictive!
i haven't gotten far yet though because i'm terrible at it ^^

pros:
- so far i love the shooting mechanism,
- i like how you need to kill different enemies in different ways
- the difficulty curve was very well made

cons:
- The long wait at the beginning and after you die is really annoying
- Some of the faster enemies do seem a bit unfair, but maybe i just haven't found out how to dodge them yet

No.1 at the moment
You MUST use the "X" button to boost in this game. I'm going to put something at the beginning to say that.

The wait every time you die is absolutely necessary... there's a small logical roll-back, AND it has to wait for all the enemies to clear away so the checkpoint can be re-emitted. It's kind of a trade-off on the technology.

I had Y2Josh23 do a single play on it before I published it, and he made it through the whole thing in 1 shot, so I know it isn't cheap, but definately if you're not boosting it could be a problem.		2009-05-22 13:39:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

i am boosting but those star shaped enemies seemed a little too fast to dodge - maybe my reaction's just too slow though

it's still a great level 		2009-05-22 13:47:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

I had Y2Josh23 do a single play on it before I published it, and he made it through the whole thing in 1 shot, so I know it isn't cheap, but definately if you're not boosting it could be a problem.

I gotta play it again now that you've ramped up the difficulty a bit. Now that I know how to destroy the triangle enemies it should be much easier to play. I had to dodge three triangle enemies firing their weapons plus dodge the metors, it got a little hectic but definitely not too hard.		2009-05-22 14:08:00

Author:
Y2Josh23
Posts: 10

Played this for a bit last night with Grantos. It's a masterpiece of addictive gameplay, a cool mechanical idea, and it looks awesome. I don't think anybody else could have made this, especially with how much it switches up as the difficulty ramps up and the look starts to change. btw that foggy section in the respawn area - that looks really awesome.

It really shows the era you come from in game design, which is a huge plus for me, and stuff like this always amazes me with what LBP can be tricked into being.		2009-05-22 14:59:00

Author:
Unknown User

it's rubbish.




nah i really liked it. tis great fun in sp and a great competition in mp. having played the beta with a couple of different folks I noticed that most don't know how to kill the triangle things until they're shown.

I take it now the testing's done I have a key I can't delete in my toolbox? 		2009-05-22 15:56:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

Well you know I love it cubbage, I'm well addicted to it. Its excellent to play and replay, the balanced and difficulty ramp is spot on, with each play you get that little better and than little bit further. The visuals are top notch to, I love all the effects.

I just got the high score, 5500 or there abouts. I found out how to kill the things that were causing me the most trouble. I was on one life, and not far off the top score, and man my hands were sweaty.

5 star, brilliant rating, god knows how many times now. I can only give you one heart unfortunatly.

Great work, I love it.		2009-05-22 16:38:00

Author:
GruntosUK
Posts: 1754

I just played the release version and I can definitely notice a change in difficulty (compared to beta). I still finished it but I died twice this time. Now that I know how to beat the triangle guys, it's actually harder because I want to go in and take them out. If I just leave them alone it's a lot easier. High score of only 6,500 or something like that, I'll keep working at it!2009-05-22 18:22:00

Author:
Y2Josh23
Posts: 10

What can I say? This level just oozes quality. From the intro to the gameplay. Looks like you've got another winner on your hands. GREAT WORK!!!!!

could you check out my ( mountain marathon) thanks.		2009-05-22 19:30:00

Author:
smasher
Posts: 641

Really enjoyed playing that one - very immaginative and fun game. Of course, there is a learning curve, but it's pretty nice and you get the idea of how to defeat each enemy.

Pros:
+Fun gameplay
+Very addictive
+Nice art style
+Good intro
+All the mechanics that have gone into it
+Pretty much everything else

Cons:
-Minor suggestion really, the sponge floor at the beginning is annoying for me as I always grab it instead of the switch (very minor though)

Rated 5 stars and hearted. Can't wait to play more 		2009-05-22 20:09:00

Author:
Coxy224
Posts: 2645

OH GOD WHY
WHY IS THE CAMERA ANGLED

xD

I loved it. I want to steal ideas from it but I have such a queue of ideas it'll probably be unrecognizable.

Anywho. Top score is now 15,000 ish

Very perfect level. The sponge floor at the beginning is a little annoying but I easily overcame my need to grab it.		2009-05-22 21:31:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342

OH GOD WHY
WHY IS THE CAMERA ANGLED

xD

I loved it. I want to steal ideas from it but I have such a queue of ideas it'll probably be unrecognizable.

Anywho. Top score is now 15,000 ish

Very perfect level. The sponge floor at the beginning is a little annoying but I easily overcame my need to grab it.
Man I hope I don't have to change the floor at the beginning.... I went through every type of material, and that's the one that I thought "hey.... I LIKE THAT! I'd put that carpet down in MY house!!!".

I know I could do a sticker of it.... but it just wouldn't look exactly the same.		2009-05-22 21:33:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Aw no, don't change it, it looks perfect. Once you grab it once it's easy to just jump-grab the switch every time. 2009-05-22 21:36:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342

Awesomeness! I played this a while ago so here are my thoughts:

+ Very addictive yet challenging at the same time.

+ Original concept, love it!

+ Great replay value.

+ The theme is interesting - did you try and set it out like a TV games show? If so, I think you've carried that out very well.

-- It would help if you gave a couple more instructions regarding how you use the guns, it took me a while to figure it out, but I got that hang of it.

Overall, an excellent challenge. Great work, 5 stars + heart.

And if you have time...

F4F: "Ephemeral Dream" Heel Custom Music Level		2009-05-22 21:37:00

Author:
KoRnDawwg
Posts: 1424

Dude that was awesome omg, the misty purple gassy explosiony shiny everything that ends with a "y" background is amazing.

I also love how the background of the actual playing field changes as well, this level is amazing.

PROS:

+That background is beautiful
+Addictive, difficult but fair
+New innovative game play design
+Music fits well with the specific moment
+Great replay value
+Oh and you gotta love the "ARE YOU READY!?" Spazzilicious.

CONS:

-May cause nausea
-Hmm, actually I have one. When you die, and respawn, the platform under you should disappear instantly, you have no idea how many times I die instantly on my second life because of this. It just restricts me from going down and there are a lot of times when the obstacles are in front of me and I can't move.

After I leave the level, it shall be hearted, 5 starred, and tagged "rubbish".

Ahaha, only joking.		2009-05-22 22:54:00

Author:
Whalio Cappuccino
Posts: 5250

Ok, I fixed a few details based on request:

The book case can no longer fall on the switch at the beginning

Whaaaaale - I made the platform disappear quicker after respawning into the game arena.

Korndawwg - I will definately play your level this evening (my son is playing WII sports right now....)

Thanks everyone for the support so far! There are still plenty of points to be had in this game. It is possible to break 30k if you create some good combos at the end!


-May cause nausea

Well.... that's the point, now isn't it? Do you think I called it "Vertigo!" because it's a cool name? No... while creating the game I realized it made me a tad sick! 		2009-05-23 00:00:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Pop quiz CCubbage. You said it was based on tempest yeah? Awesome game, was it Jeff Minter that created it? I'm sure it was, a one man game creating machine that's sadly lost these days with big budget games. I remember copying a simple version of space invaders from a commodore 64 magazine at the time, took hours never worked

I did manage space invaders in Pascal, with ASCII characters many years later, and many years ago 		2009-05-23 00:07:00

Author:
GruntosUK
Posts: 1754

I believe Jeff Minter did "Tempest 2000" but not necessarily the original Tempest. And I believe he also had a hand in the XBox 360 visualizer.

Interestingly, however - the visuals to this game were inspired by "Tempest 2000" - or, at least, the lighting scheme.


Edit: Yup, it was Dave Theurer who did the original Tempest. Looked it up.		2009-05-23 00:19:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

This is possibly the most addicting mini-game since the falling bombs thing. I seriously could not stop myself from playing. It was just so satisfying to destroy the enemies and get that high-score. Loved the fact that you have three lives, gives an oppurtunity to all the n00bs out there, including me! 4 starred, tagged brilliant and hearted! F4F: The Cave Ruins2009-05-23 00:38:00

Author:
galacemiguel
Posts: 179

Wonderful job, and even better idea to do that contest. I can totally see people playing this over and over again to get the high score (number 2 right now- had to take a break BC perfectionism started kicking in @.@)

The levels definitely a challenge in 1 player... particularly those big stars that make barfing noises, and a lot of fun with others (played with my brother and we got the top (lol) 2p score).

Only real problem i had was the emitted starting platform thingy... On several playthroughs it ended up killing me BC i tried going down to dodge things, and got stuck on the platform BC it was still there. I'm not sure that you can really adjust the lifetime of it though, so i'll just try not to die ;p

SPEAKING of dying... that was also a little frustrating to me when you had another life... seeing as you lose your points twice >.> But it definitely works with what you've got, all i'd suggest is maybe adding the option to just walk away with your points- a few times i got booted back in to immediately die (and i knew that would happen- darned tracking enemies >:O) and ended up not passing up a person D:

Again, wonderful level, 5* and hearted, no F4F necessary.		2009-05-23 01:21:00

Author:
Burnvictim42
Posts: 3322

This is possibly the most addicting mini-game since the falling bombs thing. I seriously could not stop myself from playing. It was just so satisfying to destroy the enemies and get that high-score. Loved the fact that you have three lives, gives an oppurtunity to all the n00bs out there, including me! 4 starred, tagged brilliant and hearted! F4F: The Cave Ruins
Noooo! I've been compared to a falling bomb minigame!!!!!

Do I have to give F4F after someone compares me with a bomb minigame???? No problem, will get to it this evening! Maybe I'll compare your level to a trophy H4H level I saw earlier....




Only real problem i had was the emitted starting platform thingy... On several playthroughs it ended up killing me BC i tried going down to dodge things, and got stuck on the platform BC it was still there. I'm not sure that you can really adjust the lifetime of it though, so i'll just try not to die ;p

I decreased the time it's there, so it should be a bit better. I have to leave it in there a tiny bit because lag could prevent it from being there and stop the entire game. I've played with this a bit.


SPEAKING of dying... that was also a little frustrating to me when you had another life... seeing as you lose your points twice >.> But it definitely works with what you've got, all i'd suggest is maybe adding the option to just walk away with your points- a few times i got booted back in to immediately die (and i knew that would happen- darned tracking enemies >:O) and ended up not passing up a person

This should be avoidable, even with the tracking enemies. When they see you the guns take a bit to extend before they start firing, so you have enough time to get out of the way when you're respawned.

But yes, each time you die and respawn you lose some points.... but it happens to everyone, so it's fair. 		2009-05-23 01:54:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Noooo! I've been compared to a falling bomb minigame!!!!!

Do I have to give F4F after someone compares me with a bomb minigame???? No problem, will get to it this evening! Maybe I'll compare your level to a trophy H4H level I saw earlier....

I've just published a 550 different prize bubble prize level, and you get to blow up the xbox 360 times. Never mind addictive gameplay, my level is where it's at Hearts a plenty		2009-05-23 02:48:00

Author:
GruntosUK
Posts: 1754

I've just published a 550 different prize bubble prize level, and you get to blow up the xbox 360 times. Never mind addictive gameplay, my level is where it's at Hearts a plenty
Ya know... this reminds me of a dream I had where I was trying to publish a level.... got up to page 5 on cool pages.... and was suddenly drowned out my about 50 bomb dropping mini games that swallowed my level up....

Oh... wait a minute... THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK!!!!

Back on topic... I did some additional lighting effects that happen at the end of Vertigo at the last section.		2009-05-23 03:24:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

That's an awesome level CCubbage - but you already know that

I'm going to have to practice more - #18 right now.

I love your scoreboard and the reflective floor - really interesting looking.
5 stars - hearted - and bound to keep me busy for a few days until I come to terms with my inability to score better. 		2009-05-23 05:22:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

i played it hours ago, and i was either 6/7/8th...

but with burn destroying the scores.... im prob 10th.....

anyway great level!

but those star-shaped thingies love killing me...		2009-05-23 06:11:00

Author:
johnrulz77
Posts: 835

I finally tried that tonight. You just made another awesome level there. And yet again some original and very interesting mini-game. I suck at your level though. I would need some serious practice to have a decent score.

I wish there was some negative to say but there isn't much, it's so good. I love your intro, the "are you ready", the messages on the squashing ceiling, the background, etc. Your ennemis are also interesting but i've seen only 3 of them. I suppose there is more if ever I get better

Anyhow, continue your good work buddy.

.		2009-05-23 06:29:00

Author:
RangerZero
Posts: 3901

I finally tried that tonight. You just made another awesome level there. And yet again some original and very interesting mini-game. I suck at your level though. I would need some serious practice to have a decent score.

I wish there was some negative to say but there isn't much, it's so good. I love your intro, the "are you ready", the messages on the squashing ceiling, the background, etc. Your ennemis are also interesting but i've seen only 3 of them. I suppose there is more if ever I get better

Anyhow, continue your good work buddy.

.
Thanks man!

Looks like Burnvictim has hang of it.... he's up there with "me" level scores now!

Man, my heart/play ratio is starting to really stink with this one! 		2009-05-23 10:48:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

this level was utter crap.
I tagged it rubbish, and gave it one star.
then I spammed your comment section with "THIS SUCKS!!!!"

Sorry, but no.
__________________
Jungle Madness (PICTURES INCLUDED)
https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=p=198963#post198963


:arg:

Pro's:
-I really like the crushing part at the start
-when you die you get more chances :kz:
- nice enemies
- oh and I loved the shooting system, having to hover infront of an arrow to shoot there....awesome!

cons:
- Had a little headache from dodging all those enemies while the screen was turning around.

Hearted and 5 stars.		2009-05-23 11:23:00

Author:
oldage
Posts: 2824

Played this yesterday a few times and LOVED it

Got to about 10th but sounds like I might be more like 30th now

I loved the visuals and I was wearing the new count sackula costume and it always makes me laugh when he's squished for some reason

My missus was watching me play while she was watching the TV and said she wants to play this (she loves mini games).

So when were not too busy (VERY busy weekend ahead ) we will be playing this A LOT 		2009-05-23 13:45:00

Author:
dorien
Posts: 2767

cons:
- Had a little headache from dodging all those enemies while the screen was turning around.

This is actualy a plus. Do you realize how long it took me to figure out how to cause motion sickness while playing LittleBigPlanet? This is a great technology!


I loved the visuals and I was wearing the new count sackula costume and it always makes me laugh when he's squished for some reason

I saw the picture you uploaded. Had a pretty good laugh on that one!		2009-05-23 14:19:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Man, my heart/play ratio is starting to really stink with this one!

You should check out my level - that has the worst heart to play ratio EVER!
But it always happens with challenges like this 		2009-05-23 14:49:00

Author:
Coxy224
Posts: 2645

This, my friend, is awesome. Seriously. Amazing.
I didn't last long, so I'm gonna give it a few more tries. 		2009-05-23 16:34:00

Author:
ARD
Posts: 4291

This is actualy a plus. Do you realize how long it took me to figure out how to cause motion sickness while playing LittleBigPlanet? This is a great technology!



I saw the picture you uploaded. Had a pretty good laugh on that one!

oh why you 		2009-05-23 16:44:00

Author:
oldage
Posts: 2824

O.K. well I was 9th last night. Then 11th when I got on tonight. I managed to squeak my way up to 7th just now. Had one run where I had like 10k on my first life, then scored 0 on my next two and finished with 7k..lol. Awesome level. Awesome challenge. Vertigo inducing - yes my head is spinning after an hour in there. Great challenge progression and variation in difficulty. 5* for sure.

I love this level but after playing it so many times I find myself getting impatient and wanting to be back in the action during that down time between lives. Is it possible to shave a couple seconds off of it?

Thank you for this level. Gonna go give another few tries before bed. 		2009-05-24 08:31:00

Author:
Jaeyden
Posts: 564

O.K. well I was 9th last night. Then 11th when I got on tonight. I managed to squeak my way up to 7th just now. Had one run where I had like 10k on my first life, then scored 0 on my next two and finished with 7k..lol. Awesome level. Awesome challenge. Vertigo inducing - yes my head is spinning after an hour in there. Great challenge progression and variation in difficulty. 5* for sure.

I love this level but after playing it so many times I find myself getting impatient and wanting to be back in the action during that down time between lives. Is it possible to shave a couple seconds off of it?

Thank you for this level. Gonna go give another few tries before bed.
I would LOVE to squeeze a few more seconds out of the re-enrtry... but alas, I can't....

The problem is that I have to make sure the entire play arena is totally empty before I can respawn the player. The delay is how long it takes the play area to reset, not really something I chose. If I don't, there's a chance the checkpoint won't emit back into the play area as an object would be obstructing it.

I tried creating logic per object which makes them self-destruct when the player leaves the arena, but that caused 2 other side effects - a) it kicks my thermo over the edge, and b) the player collects the brain points, which isn't really fair at this stage.

So, unless they allow me to add C++ code into LBP, that's about the best I can do....		2009-05-24 11:02:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Ok, so I had a try at this level, and I couldn't get a very good score at all. That a side though, this level is AWESOME!!! It's a great, addictive arcade style level with a genius way to shoot. I'll get to the pros and cons now:

Pros:
+ Very original gameplay
+ Funny start, getting crushed
+ You get more then one chance, and you get crushed more than once in the level too!
+ Genius controls
+ Nice, simple enemies
+ Excellent visual effects
+ You get crushed (as you can see, I like getting crushed in LBP)
+ It's just overall a great use of the jetpack, and paintballs

Cons:
- It's a bit too hard for my tastes

Overall, I gave this level 5 stars and a heart. It's a great, original, addictive arcade game, where you get crushed!		2009-05-24 14:54:00

Author:
lk9988
Posts: 1077

Ok, so I had a try at this level, and I couldn't get a very good score at all. That a side though, this level is AWESOME!!! It's a great, addictive arcade style level with a genius way to shoot. I'll get to the pros and cons now:

Pros:
+ Very original gameplay
+ Funny start, getting crushed
+ You get more then one chance, and you get crushed more than once in the level too!
+ Genius controls
+ Nice, simple enemies
+ Excellent visual effects
+ You get crushed (as you can see, I like getting crushed in LBP)
+ It's just overall a great use of the jetpack, and paintballs

Cons:
- It's a bit too hard for my tastes

Overall, I gave this level 5 stars and a heart. It's a great, original, addictive arcade game, where you get crushed!
I'm glad you liked it! (and getting crushed!).

The "getting crushed" part was kind of an experiment. Like some other levels that use teleportation, I had to crush the checkpoint and emit one somewhere else, as well as kill the player to put them in that checkpoint.... so I figured instead of simply killing the player with a whisp of poison gas I would MAKE IT LOOK COMPLETELY DELIBERATE and totally crush a room and the player into oblivion. I was hoping to avoid lower ratings by really making the death entertaining.

Mission Accomplished.

I did do a change the hopefully will drive players to attempt to get further. I'm a little afraid people are taking this as a simple survival challenge level instead of truly trying to get further and seeing what there is... so I've added "Stage" signs for each section of the level, such as "STAGE 1".

It's too bad it's a bit hard for you... the ending on this ones pretty classic.		2009-05-24 18:45:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

I've barely lasted 10 seconds after the intro. Anyway, the level was pure ownage. Aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, challenging gameplay.... I love it. Let me heart it when I get the chance.2009-05-24 19:13:00

Author:
Ninteen45
Posts: 67

Pros: Beautiful, addicting, arcade, cute death sequences.
Stage 3's my favorite. Perfect mix of challenge, speed, and variety.
Near the end, though, when it goes comet-fasteroid-comet, the fasteroid breaks the comet and leaves a bit of nearly-invisible horrible gas behind that I've flown into more than once. It disappears quickly, but it's there long enough to be a problem.

Having played this eighty gajillion times now, I can actually provide thought-out inputs

The last floaty star, the one that comes from bottom right to top left, stays in the level too long - it floats back down and kills me while I'm collecting my score circle. Annnd I can't see it coming (at all) because of the camera being soOOOOoooo below center. It seriously feels like it's cutting off a third of the play field during the floaty stage.

What I would suggest to at least give players a chance (there are two or three other floaties that you just have to memorize - there's no way to see them and react in time) is to put a camera on each enemy / at least the floaties. Have it centered on them and have about half full 'player follow' - that way the camera will adjust a bit to say, 'Hey, look out, there's one of them dagnabbed stars incoming'
I have found it impossible to get past the floaty section without knowing when the floaties appear on top. They literally kill me the same second they are visible. While it's great and arcadey to have memorization available, making it necessary for just these three enemies detracts from the fun factor.

Another qualm I have is that I can't see the plasma ships' shots. They're pink, on a background that's exactly the same shade of pink, and if I watch their guns to see when they're extended I get shot by the other plasma ship. I'd suggest white, blue, or if you're feeling contrasty, green plasma instead. Even purple might work.


And lastly a question - While I've seen where the asteroids, fasteroids, and trianglers come from (those are the official names now, btw. ), I can't for the life of me figure out how to expect the comets and floaties other than memorizing them - are their emitters attached to a different layer? 		2009-05-26 05:53:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342

Beautiful design, fun arcade gameplay & awesome enemies.
At first I thought you put a magnetic switch on the jetpack but then I just noticed you used the motion switch.
I think the level was really awesome. I enjoyed it.

How about if you made a slower version with the "one caries and one shoots" formula?		2009-05-26 07:25:00

Author:
blizzard_cool
Posts: 752

Now that the contest is over and it isn't a "fair" thing, I'll see if I can do a few adjustments.


The last floaty star, the one that comes from bottom right to top left, stays in the level too long - it floats back down and kills me while I'm collecting my score circle. Annnd I can't see it coming (at all) because of the camera being soOOOOoooo below center. It seriously feels like it's cutting off a third of the play field during the floaty stage.

I'll see if increasing tracking fixes the camera a little. The camera is actually dead center, but it's also fixed on the background wheel off-center, which is what gives the whole level the particular effect. Also, I'll see what decreasing the time the stars stay helps. Are you using a wide screen or a standard screen?


What I would suggest to at least give players a chance (there are two or three other floaties that you just have to memorize - there's no way to see them and react in time) is to put a camera on each enemy / at least the floaties. Have it centered on them and have about half full 'player follow' - that way the camera will adjust a bit to say, 'Hey, look out, there's one of them dagnabbed stars incoming'
I have found it impossible to get past the floaty section without knowing when the floaties appear on top. They literally kill me the same second they are visible. While it's great and arcadey to have memorization available, making it necessary for just these three enemies detracts from the fun factor.

I timed each object coming onto the screen so that if you stay in the middle it was possible to dodge all of them... I did, the other day, decrease the speed by which the stars shoot out so this should have helped, but I'll take another look.


Another qualm I have is that I can't see the plasma ships' shots. They're pink, on a background that's exactly the same shade of pink, and if I watch their guns to see when they're extended I get shot by the other plasma ship. I'd suggest white, blue, or if you're feeling contrasty, green plasma instead. Even purple might work.

I can see them fine on my TV, but with a slightly different contrast it could be a problem - I'll change the color of the plasmas tonight.


And lastly a question - While I've seen where the asteroids, fasteroids, and trianglers come from (those are the official names now, btw. ), I can't for the life of me figure out how to expect the comets and floaties other than memorizing them - are their emitters attached to a different layer?

The comets (fasteroids!) are controlled by 2 separate emitters, and the stars and floaties are 3 separate emitters.


How about if you made a slower version with the "one caries and one shoots" formula?

Ah... a flying paintinator design... maybe. It might be difficult to engineer because of each player needing to get into their separate gear AND the level not operating if one of the players dies.		2009-05-26 13:31:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Using widescreen projector I am. Maybe it was bumped and is projecting a little onto the ceiling? I didn't even think to check 2009-05-26 18:14:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342

Naw... it's probably the camera.

Anyway, I made the following changes:

Increased the player tracking on the camera a bit so it would follow you around a little more.... I can't do any more or I lose the "Vertigo" feel, but I think it's a bit better.

The space ships now shoot blue plasma which makes them easier to see

The eletrified star goo are now smaller, so it's easier to dodge them.

I'll look at the comet's trail being left behind later.		2009-05-26 18:25:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Like the addition of the Stage numbers. Last I checked, I was in the top 4 or 5 think I can improve that score quite a bit.2009-05-26 21:12:00

Author:
Jaeyden
Posts: 564

Love the changes, those ships were still the same difficulty but without the random death from invisible plasma. <3

Trianglers still shoot weird colors but it's possible that's my projector; the techie who owns it said it has a hard time with reds.

I didn't die at all in the floaty area but I didn't notice a size decrease either; still felt like I had to really really dodge. Looking back now (when I last played I hadn't realized it'd been updated until the plasma ships) I see that they were smaller. Approved!

I rated this 5 stars each of the million times I played it. Never had reason to lower it 		2009-05-27 11:09:00

Author:
Loius
Posts: 342

Love the changes, those ships were still the same difficulty but without the random death from invisible plasma. <3

Trianglers still shoot weird colors but it's possible that's my projector; the techie who owns it said it has a hard time with reds.

I didn't die at all in the floaty area but I didn't notice a size decrease either; still felt like I had to really really dodge. Looking back now (when I last played I hadn't realized it'd been updated until the plasma ships) I see that they were smaller. Approved!

I rated this 5 stars each of the million times I played it. Never had reason to lower it
Cool - I also retimed that one "fasteroid" you were having a problem with so it misses the other asteroid (so it doesn't leave gas behind).

I had one REALLY good game of this last night and topped 30k! Man, if you nail that last section you can pick up a ton of points.		2009-05-27 13:18:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Wow, great survival arcade game, this! I'm sure a lot of switches and mechanics went into getting this working. Anyway, I've only got around 3,000 points so far (I got to stage 4).

I really like the different types of enemy waves, the background effects are also sweet!

5 stars/hearted/FUN!		2009-05-27 21:00:00

Author:
Entity
Posts: 274

Wow, great survival arcade game, this! I'm sure a lot of switches and mechanics went into getting this working. Anyway, I've only got around 3,000 points so far (I got to stage 4).

I really like the different types of enemy waves, the background effects are also sweet!

5 stars/hearted/FUN!
Thanks, glad you like it! Yes, the switches are the complexity of this level. It actually took me about the same amount of time to build this as it took me to build my full levels, except here practically the entire level is hundreds of magnetic switches and emitters!		2009-05-28 00:02:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Love the visual style of this level

Definitely taking notes...		2009-05-28 00:18:00

Author:
Aurongel
Posts: 221

Thanks! I started playing around with this type of lighting when I did Splat Invaders II. The idea is to turn off ALL the lights, and then completely light everything by creative placement of LED's and spotlights with foggy turned on (HUGE spotlights in some cases).

If you get a chance, you should check out Splat Invaders II if you like the visual style of this level.		2009-05-28 00:28:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

What a cool concept for a level! You really have these arcade style games down!

Loved it.. though hard as heck for me to do well! Really challenging and horribly fun level!

There is really nothing I can find wrong with this level, though I did list a few to ponder.

Not sure I like the color correction choice if that is what is doing it. Just makes it hard to see stuff at least on my screen during the first round. Seems like the lighting is pretty glaring, especially at the center. ..also on the 3rd round.. love the color, but almost blends in with the shots from those wacky triangle shooters that appear towards the bottom.

Only other thing I could find to nit pick is I seem to die more than a few times as soon as spawning in due to something whizzing in before I ever arrive. Probably my bad luck that I need to do better and not die in the first place!!! ..and on that same after dying topic, it seems to me the next attempt before getting squished sequence takes quite awhile. ..though that might just be me wanting to get back in there!!

Awesome level!! I will be playing this one quite a bit!!		2009-05-28 18:06:00

Author:
jwwphotos
Posts: 11383

What a cool concept for a level! You really have these arcade style games down!

Loved it.. though hard as heck for me to do well! Really challenging and horribly fun level!

There is really nothing I can find wrong with this level, though I did list a few to ponder.

Not sure I like the color correction choice if that is what is doing it. Just makes it hard to see stuff at least on my screen during the first round. Seems like the lighting is pretty glaring, especially at the center. ..also on the 3rd round.. love the color, but almost blends in with the shots from those wacky triangle shooters that appear towards the bottom.

Only other thing I could find to nit pick is I seem to die more than a few times as soon as spawning in due to something whizzing in before I ever arrive. Probably my bad luck that I need to do better and not die in the first place!!! ..and on that same after dying topic, it seems to me the next attempt before getting squished sequence takes quite awhile. ..though that might just be me wanting to get back in there!!

Awesome level!! I will be playing this one quite a bit!!
Thanks for the input!


Not sure I like the color correction choice if that is what is doing it. Just makes it hard to see stuff at least on my screen during the first round. Seems like the lighting is pretty glaring, especially at the center.

No, this isn't color correction - it's actually a whole bunch of HUGE lights setup with different colors combining into the center to create the glaring light (plus material that would cause glare!).... and it was on purpose. I worked hard to get that exact effect.... It COULD be different on another screen, but it looks kind of cool on mine. It used to be much brighter until Matt_82 complained during my beta.


..also on the 3rd round.. love the color, but almost blends in with the shots from those wacky triangle shooters that appear towards the bottom.

I may actually change the plasma ball color on those triangle guys - changing it for the spaceships worked well.


Only other thing I could find to nit pick is I seem to die more than a few times as soon as spawning in due to something whizzing in before I ever arrive. Probably my bad luck that I need to do better and not die in the first place!!! ..and on that same after dying topic, it seems to me the next attempt before getting squished sequence takes quite awhile. ..though that might just be me wanting to get back in there!!

The pause after you die is to allow all danger to completely clear off the screen so when you get teleported back into the arena there is nothing to kill you (that wouldn't have killed you in the first place ). So, when you go back in get your boost button ready and be prepared to get out of the way. The deaths when you go back in are never cheap, but you have to be ready.		2009-05-28 18:44:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Thanks for the input!


The pause after you die is to allow all danger to completely clear off the screen so when you get teleported back into the arena there is nothing to kill you (that wouldn't have killed you in the first place ). So, when you go back in get your boost button ready and be prepared to get out of the way. The deaths when you go back in are never cheap, but you have to be ready.

Most welcome!


Ahh... gotcha. Thanks! ...though now I know it's just me being slow.

I think the funniest thing about those triangle things is when I wrestle them to pop them, once I do I end up flying way over into the path of something else.. sort of a Yea!! Awwww!! Maybe they are supposed to be able to pop when shooting at them, but never seemed to make any progress that way.

..but I will try yet again soon enough!		2009-05-28 19:09:00

Author:
jwwphotos
Posts: 11383

Nope, the triangle things aren't supposed to pop when you shoot them - it was me forcing you to get out of the middle. However, I also meticulously timed every object that flies by, so there's ALWAYS time to go after the triangle things right away, kill them, and get back in the middle. But in some cases, if you're slow something dangerous suddenly whizzes by.... so, you have to be quick. Also, the plasmas fire out just far enough from the center of the triangle things so that you can safely fly close around it without getting hit.2009-05-28 19:13:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Hi there CCubbage,

I managed to find the time (sigh) to play your level the other day and it's yet another great arcade game you made for us!!


The challenge builds up nicely and is, most of all, a lot of fun and original!!
Great visuals wich I always find very important in these "one room challenges".
The rotating "gas-fan" is an especially cool visual addition.
I actually have no idea how to do that and I would love to know the way you achieved this.

Gave it 6...I mean 5 stars and tagged it "Fun".
Then....I also decided to heart the **** thing!!

Great work!!		2009-05-29 06:54:00

Author:
Zwollie
Posts: 2173

Hi there CCubbage,

I managed to find the time (sigh) to play your level the other day and it's yet another great arcade game you made for us!!


The challenge builds up nicely and is, most of all, a lot of fun and original!!
Great visuals wich I always find very important in these "one room challenges".
The rotating "gas-fan" is an especially cool visual addition.
I actually have no idea how to do that and I would love to know the way you achieved this.

Gave it 6...I mean 5 stars and tagged it "Fun".
Then....I also decided to heart the **** thing!!

Great work!!
The "gas fan" effect is actually pretty easy. I took the crescent moon shape, rotated it 4 times and stuck the material together to make a fan out of cardboard, put a really small piece of dark matter behind it in the center, and attached with a turn bolt. Then, I turned it into gas. Then, I copied the whole thing and reversed it, and put a different color gas. Then I put each in a different layer. So they were spinning in opposite directions. Finally, I shined a HUGE foggy spotlight from below on it.

I got the idea for the spinning gas originally from Jaeyden's "Starstruck 3" where he did a background swirly spinning black hole this way (by the way, if you haven't played Starstruck 3, which is an older level, it's pretty amazing!)		2009-05-29 13:54:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Oh, so it's actually as easy as that.........silly zwol...

I do get impressed by moving gas real easily.
Did ya see that!! It moved in a slightly diagonal direction!! OMG!!

Thanks for sharing, Ccubage!!		2009-05-29 14:06:00

Author:
Zwollie
Posts: 2173

I just checked this out and I'm very impressed! Very well constructed! I have a terrible game score, but that's my fault.. 2009-06-01 11:49:00

Author:
DrunkenFist_Lee
Posts: 172

I just checked this out and I'm very impressed! Very well constructed! I have a terrible game score, but that's my fault..
It's ok, you just have to persevere - usually it takes about 10 times before people get the hang of it.....		2009-06-02 15:07:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

ok i just played this and this is a very unique mini game.
at first i didnt know that i was supposed to fly over the arrow to make it shoot but that is probally just my own stupidity.
at first it was hard but after a few time of playing i got the hang of it.
the difficulty level was just right
overall this level was great fun, 5 star		2009-06-04 20:09:00

Author:
Sonic5411
Posts: 712

I must say i got really impressed by your level, when i scoop around in the cool levels browser(wich i rarely do) i think most of it is what should i say? "garbage"?. but i must say when i found yours i really loved it. looks like you put alot of effort into it and i think it's fun to play. i played it around 1hours untill i captured the 1.st place.

Map is Dialed, keep up the good work Ccubage!		2009-06-04 20:44:00

Author:
Pollybmx
Posts: 4

I must say i got really impressed by your level, when i scoop around in the cool levels browser(wich i rarely do) i think most of it is what should i say? "garbage"?. but i must say when i found yours i really loved it. looks like you put alot of effort into it and i think it's fun to play. i played it around 1hours untill i captured the 1.st place.

Map is Dialed, keep up the good work Ccubage!
Wow! First place? That means you beat me! I'm seriously totally impressed.

And yes, I spent a LOT of time on this level, even though at first glance people consider it a little "mini game". The logic, emitters, and brains eat up every ounce of thermo - and every obstacle was carefully placed and play tested for positioning so that the entire level would be fair.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, and definately glad you beat the high score - great job!

Also, I definately wouldn't consider the other levels garbage... but this particular level was definately not designed for the general LBP audience - it was designed to be addictive and heart-pounding which is the type of level you probably prefer.		2009-06-05 12:17:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Just got my butt kicked, but had fun while doing it! This is a very inventive mechanic for a survival challenge and I think it works very well. I loved all the details you put into it. Everything from the "Are you ready?" to the purple gas swirling behind the checkpoint. Very cool and very well done!2009-06-06 14:57:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer
Posts: 1335

AwsoThe attention to detail and lighting are fantastic. I loved the gameplay, even though I sucked . spent about an hour on it trying to beat morgana, but no luck .
Brilliant tag, :star::star::star::star::star: +<3.

For F4F could you play my watson worl level thanks.		2009-07-05 14:43:00

Author:
Cpt_Sainsburys
Posts: 187

Ok, first off, what took me by suprise was the detail. This isnt your average survival level, its a BEAUTIFUL survival level with attention to detail. The color scheme was spot on and had a scifi?acid trippy feel to it that i just loved. The gameplay was very intuitive, as instead of piloting a ship, or using the paintinator, it uses sackboy as a strange flying joystick. i like very much. Great level. 5/52009-09-10 05:50:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

*sigh* looks like someone else took the name Vertigo. My original name for my level WAS Vertigo.*sigh* back to the drawing board...2010-04-01 22:34:00

Author:
Woflgod
Posts: 295


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