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Little Big Galactic Frontier: Project Icarus *Beautiful *Brilliant *Satisfying

Archive: 33 posts

Little Big Galactic Frontier: Project Icarus 01
PSN: dcf

Choose your power before landing on the frontier planet Kvasir. As a mercenary of the galactic frontier, its up to sackboy to save the colony from an out of control reactor. Can sackboy work his way into the reactor's core and save the day? For 1-4 players. The first in a continuing series.

EDIT Note: Boss has now been revised based on feedback.

Hi all,

I'm looking for people to play and provide feedback for my new level. For those that have played my first level, the plot will be familiar as this is a remake. I've learned quite a lot since I stumbled my way through the creator back then and I think it really shows in this new version.

I introduce a new gameplay mechanic: character selection. This gives sackboy one of four special 'mercenary' powers he can use while completing the level. The level fully supports 1-4 players. There's also a secret character that can be unlocked that has all four powers. However, you won't be able to unlock it just yet.
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=3942

Sackboy arrives in style. But what's wrong with the lights?
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4159

The only way to the reactor is through the construction site. However, with the power dangerously fluctuating the path is treacherous.
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4160

The construction site is enormous. Do I go straight through or take the time to explore?
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4161

A cyber mercenary can manipulate the circuit and open the lock.
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4162

A veteran mercenary can toss a grappling hook and swing through the site...
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4163

...like so. If the jump is missed, using the power again will reset the grappling hook.
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4164

Inside the reactor. Once I turn on the power I need to cross quickly before it goes off again!
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4165

I didn't move fast enough. The turbines have stopped turning and I'm stuck in the middle. I'd better move faster next time!
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4166

There's a lot of power moving through here. I'm getting closer to the core!
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4167

This is it, the entrance to the core. I wonder what awaits me inside?
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=4168

What awaits you inside the core? Well, I'll leave that a surprise for now. Those of you who played my first level should have a good idea. What I will say, is that this is probably the best boss I've made so far.

EDIT: Current maximum feedbacks is set at 9. I'll open up additional spots as I finish returning feedback for players.

1. graygoose (feedback returned on The Count of St. Claire Island) (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=11608&page=4)
2. comphermc (feedback returned on Aperture Science: Sackboy Chambers (part one) (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=12609))
3. dexiro (feedback returned on Fort Husky (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=10417))
4. Ygg_Barasil (feedback returned on The Mental Institution: Part 1 (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=12407))
5. sackdragon (awaiting feedback)
6. Open
7. Open
8. Open
9. Open		2009-06-01 17:26:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Wow, looks fantastic! Can't wait to try it, and I'd love to test it out for you. I really like your idea of a character selection.

PSN: comphermc		2009-06-01 17:34:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Key is sent. I should add that this is meant as the first in a series of levels. This has impacted two decisions I made in designing the level.

1) I treat this level as a tutorial with the powers you get from character selection. The implementation is relatively simple at this point, because I feel the concept needs to be properly introduced. After this level, I consider the power tutorial to be finished and can begin using them in a more advanced manner.

2) I want to hook players so they will want to advance in the series. Hence, this one has a lot of double life checkpoints and an infinite life checkpoint at one spot. The difficulty of later levels may be harder, but I would like most people to be able to finish this one their first time through. Replay should come from wanting to try the other powers or explore additional secret areas, not from failure to complete the level.		2009-06-02 00:48:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Sounds good, interested to see how you implemented the characters abilities

PSN: Dexiro		2009-06-02 00:52:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

As an additional method to access the level, I've added a key room. Code 5152.

EDIT: This has been removed since the level is now published and open to everyone.		2009-06-02 12:06:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Sounds interesting. I'll try it out.

Btw, this should go in the Find Other Happy Gadders (http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43) section. You can PM a moderator and ask them to move it 		2009-06-02 12:30:00

Author:
Sackdragon
Posts: 427

Hey dcf, I haven't gotten around to playing through it yet, but worry not, I haven't forgot about you. I had a friend over when you sent me the key, and we started the level, but didn't get very far. I'm hoping the single player is a bit more efficient, because with 2 players, the moving camera combined with the pulsing lights makes it very difficult to see what's going on.

One quick suggestion to start: perhaps the lifts in the character selection screen need to be tweaked a little (maybe triggered by a grab switch) because the lift wanted to start going up when I was standing behind it. Not a big deal because you can just jump from the side, but it was a slight annoyance. When you try to jump onto the lift, it rises out of reach (when standing right behind it).

Also, I know it's a large part of the level, but is it possible to either turn down the darkness on your atmosphere change or make the cycle faster. In the brief time that I played it, it seemed that there was a large amount of waiting around for the lights to come back on. If it were a little less dark, then the player could continue to platform, but as it is you pretty much have to stop and wait for the light to come back on. Again, I realize that the lifts are timed to the lights, hence the idea of speeding up the pulse. I think you said something about the pulsing changing when you get closer to the core, but I haven't gotten there yet. Having to stop and start constantly ruins the flow of a platformer (not at all to mean your level is poor).

Looking forward to finishing it when I have time.		2009-06-02 14:57:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Hey dcf, I haven't gotten around to playing through it yet, but worry not, I haven't forgot about you. I had a friend over when you sent me the key, and we started the level, but didn't get very far. I'm hoping the single player is a bit more efficient, because with 2 players, the moving camera combined with the pulsing lights makes it very difficult to see what's going on.

One quick suggestion to start: perhaps the lifts in the character selection screen need to be tweaked a little (maybe triggered by a grab switch) because the lift wanted to start going up when I was standing behind it. Not a big deal because you can just jump from the side, but it was a slight annoyance. When you try to jump onto the lift, it rises out of reach (when standing right behind it).

Also, I know it's a large part of the level, but is it possible to either turn down the darkness on your atmosphere change or make the cycle faster. In the brief time that I played it, it seemed that there was a large amount of waiting around for the lights to come back on. If it were a little less dark, then the player could continue to platform, but as it is you pretty much have to stop and wait for the light to come back on. Again, I realize that the lifts are timed to the lights, hence the idea of speeding up the pulse. I think you said something about the pulsing changing when you get closer to the core, but I haven't gotten there yet. Having to stop and start constantly ruins the flow of a platformer (not at all to mean your level is poor).

Looking forward to finishing it when I have time.

Thanks for the feedback so far.

Were there any spots in particular that gave you camera trouble, because I can always put a camera zone in. I've played it a couple times two player with people online and didn't notice it, but I'm so familiar with the layout at this point that it's hardly surprising. I'll tweak this a bit tonight as well. Some of the lifts group well as obstacles. A camera zone that zooms out and views the whole group at once may make a big difference for the multiplayer experience. I definitely want it to be fully compatible for up to 4 players, so that's really good feedback.

I thought I had the character selection lifts tweaked so you needed to jump down to ride the lift up. I'll play with it a bit more. Maybe I'll switch to buttons so you need to be standing on the lift for it to rise.

Regarding wait times, I definitely want to get that adjusted properly. There are probably three things I can change without much difficulty.
1) I can speed up the cycle. This will make some of the obstacles a little harder but definitely improve the wait time.
2) I can independently decrease the off time easily. If this gets shortened it might have the desired effect.
3) I can turn the darkness down a bit. I'm not positive that this (by itself) will help because you've still go to wait for the lifts to cycle. So I'll play with the other two first.
I'll play with all three tonight and see if I can improve the pace of gameplay to make it more exciting without upping the difficulty too much.

You'll be happy to know that the timing circuit is very different inside the reactor. You just flip a switch and move as fast as you can across the obstacle. If the power goes out you usually die and respawn at the switch and try the obstacle again.

I'll work on adjusting the wait times as soon as I get home. It shouldn't take long. I'll post/edit here and send you a psn message when that's ready. The other two changes (camera zone and character selection lifts) will take a little bit longer so I'll get this one done first.

EDIT: I've implemented some changes based on comphermc's feedback.

I've started going through adding camera zones to the obstacles that didn't have them. This should ensure that the camera is functional in multiplayer mode. I haven't done everything yet because I maxed out thermo. I deleted some of my stars in the background and freed up enough to do some more changes. I'll continue this process of adding camera zones later tonight and delete some more stars if needed.

I've replaced the prox based elevators used in the character selection with button based elevators. I've added a prox checker to the top so the elevators don't sink if sackboy jumps up and down. I believe this new implementation is a cleaner interface.

Finally, I've significantly reduced the off time and reduced the cycle time to compensate. This was a great suggestion from comphermc. I think it's made a big difference. I can adjust it even further if needed. I don't want to adjust it to fast because I'm so familiar with the jumps I could easily overshoot and make it require too much precision.

EDIT: I've finished placing the camera zones. I also went in and changed the mechanism in the reactor. Now, lets say you die early on an obstacle, you don't need to wait for the power to shut off. You can just hit the switch and it will immediately reset the time to the maximum.		2009-06-02 16:43:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

The edits sounds good, I'll be sure to try this out when I get my girlfriend to relinquish the TV. I didn't make a comment about having to wait for the reactor timer to reset to go again, but now that you've said something, I recall it a bit of an issue. Not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't played it, but I loved the multi-tiered boss, it was really unexpected for him to have "stages". Great work on that.

On an unrelated note, I've been working on a level that is based heavily on the aperture science portion of the game Portal (if you haven't played it, I really suggest you do so as soon as possible). It's been done before to a degree, but I am trying to emphasize the "feel" of portal, and was wondering if you'd like to be a sort of alpha tester for it (totally open to suggestions). The challenges are not too extreme - no expert jumps required, but there are a few unique type puzzles I have planned (one of which has already been implemented). It's not even halfway done yet, but I suppose I can publish and lock a modified half-version if you're interested. Let me know here or via psn.		2009-06-03 01:57:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

The edits sounds good, I'll be sure to try this out when I get my girlfriend to relinquish the TV. I didn't make a comment about having to wait for the reactor timer to reset to go again, but now that you've said something, I recall it a bit of an issue. Not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't played it, but I loved the multi-tiered boss, it was really unexpected for him to have "stages". Great work on that.

Let me be sure to give credit to Burnvictim42 who taught me how to regenerate brains.

If you give the level another play, please let me know wherever the camera gives you trouble so I can tweak it.


On an unrelated note, I've been working on a level that is based heavily on the aperture science portion of the game Portal (if you haven't played it, I really suggest you do so as soon as possible). It's been done before to a degree, but I am trying to emphasize the "feel" of portal, and was wondering if you'd like to be a sort of alpha tester for it (totally open to suggestions). The challenges are not too extreme - no expert jumps required, but there are a few unique type puzzles I have planned (one of which has already been implemented). It's not even halfway done yet, but I suppose I can publish and lock a modified half-version if you're interested. Let me know here or via psn.

I'd be very happy to give you feedback. I also played your ninja level and really enjoyed it. The challenges make you feel really cool for completing them (partially due to the difficulty and partially due to the atmosphere) without being frustrating. It's often a fine line and you really nailed it. I had a little bit of trouble with the fast moving brains but man was it cool when I got them. I even did a quadruple jump off the pair at one point!		2009-06-03 02:36:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

I'm playing as the mystic guy at the moment but i can't find anywhere to use my power

I'm not sure if i like how the lights turn on and off abruptly and the platforms slam against the wall at the beginning, it's a good challenge but i found it really annoying.

One thing i think is a really good mechanic though is charging up the electricity - like when you have to turn that crank and run across the platforms quickly. I think you should expand on that for the next level, but focus on making the platforms move and keep the lights on!		2009-06-03 15:26:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

I'm playing as the mystic guy at the moment but i can't find anywhere to use my power


The mystic one is near the beginning. When you first head into the construction site, head right past the boulders that are on fire. That one actually lets you bypass the first section of the construction site.


I'm not sure if i like how the lights turn on and off abruptly and the platforms slam against the wall at the beginning, it's a good challenge but i found it really annoying.

Can you help me out by letting me know how it annoyed you? Were the jumps too unforgiving? Was there too much wait time? Were the camera angles poor? Were you unable to tell where you were supposed to jump to next? Was it just the lighting? While it's too late to significantly alter the entire mechanism that runs that area, there are things I can tweak. I definitely don't want it to be annoying for players!


One thing i think is a really good mechanic though is charging up the electricity - like when you have to turn that crank and run across the platforms quickly. I think you should expand on that for the next level, but focus on making the platforms move and keep the lights on!

I definitely plan on introducing different gameplay mechanics as this series progresses and not just rehashing the same obstacles. One such mechanic will be a creature that drains electricity. When it is alive it can drain the power from an obstacle, causing it to stop moving. You can hit the creature's brain, which will start the obstacle moving again, at least until another creature appears. So I think this will play out similar to the crank and run gameplay that you enjoyed.		2009-06-03 16:14:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

If anything it was probably the lighting that annoyed me throughout the level, i just don't like being in the dark all the time or having the lights go off temporarily

It's just my opinion though, i'm sure other people didn't have a problem with it ^^

I like your idea to have creatures draining electricity too 		2009-06-03 16:27:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

By popular demand, I have adjusted the lighting!

In all seriousness, I realized that I was testing using a costume with glow in the dark eyes. So I could always see my sackboy while other people couldn't. I've adjusted the lighting and darkness to the point where one can see sackboy and the obstacles when it goes dark. Your visibility is much better with the lights on, but the lights are more for effect now, rather than completely obfuscating the level.

This should be a major improvement. I've also published the actual level under the name Little Big Galactic Frontier: Project Icarus 01.

If you enjoyed the level during beta please give the open version a play so I can get some good ratings. Thanks a bunch!		2009-06-03 19:12:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

I was one of the beta testers who played this level before and after playing it once more, i found that you have made alot of changes and aditions to this level.

I think the change in the lighting was a good decision dcf, it made me see the levels layout and appreciate the visuals alot better.

Also that point bubbles that youve added made it more interesting to play (i like the parts whe i have to work and do some platforming to score extra points)

I only died once on this level and not from the boss, but from my sheer stupidity lol.. Nevertheless i came 1st in the scoreboard! YAY!

The levels visuals are alot better than before, im quite impressed with what you did near the end.. I like the background a and the foreground, together they make a good contrast.

Suggestion:

The only part i failed to mention before during my beta test, was the "rubble" those are just round blocks of material that were lethalized. Those do not fit well with your level IMO. I think you should turn some of those into rocks, and less on the coal, and make it so that the shapes are unique not just round.

Overall:

I gave this level 5 stars and complex. I hearted you and your level.		2009-06-04 17:37:00

Author:
graygoose
Posts: 371

that boss was mighty impressive, though the slow-down was noticeable. nice work2009-06-04 18:49:00

Author:
ZipCity
Posts: 208

that boss was mighty impressive, though the slow-down was noticeable. nice work

I haven't noticed slowdown on the boss (except for the intentional part because the movement is on a speed switch). However, I have noticed some jerky rotations, which are a result of nesting a wobble bolt with a motorbolt. However, I actually like the effect it produces. It makes the movements of the boss fairly unpredictable, so it tests people's reaction time, opposed to just memorizing where/when the boss will attack. Was there a different slow-down that you were referring to or was this it?


I was one of the beta testers who played this level before and after playing it once more, i found that you have made alot of changes and aditions to this level.

I think the change in the lighting was a good decision dcf, it made me see the levels layout and appreciate the visuals alot better.

Also that point bubbles that youve added made it more interesting to play (i like the parts whe i have to work and do some platforming to score extra points)

I only died once on this level and not from the boss, but from my sheer stupidity lol.. Nevertheless i came 1st in the scoreboard! YAY!

The levels visuals are alot better than before, im quite impressed with what you did near the end.. I like the background a and the foreground, together they make a good contrast.

I figured you must have aced the boss with your score. The paintinator at the end only appears if you aced the boss, which gives you some additional point bubble access.


Suggestion:

The only part i failed to mention before during my beta test, was the "rubble" those are just round blocks of material that were lethalized. Those do not fit well with your level IMO. I think you should turn some of those into rocks, and less on the coal, and make it so that the shapes are unique not just round.

Overall:

I gave this level 5 stars and complex. I hearted you and your level.

Thank graygoose, I'm glad you enjoyed the level. I'll see about changing up those fiery boulders. I had originally intended to have a speech bubble saying something along the lines of "fires have been breaking out all over the city, without power we can't put them out. The streets are impassable, you'll need to climb the construction site to get to the reactor's roof." I cut this particular line of dialog because I felt there was already enough plot. However, I never went back and altered the fiery rubble in the street. It's a good suggestion. I'll need to figure out what I want to replace them with, especially the mystic power that accompanies them.		2009-06-04 19:00:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

It`s late right now so I`m off to bed. Your feedback shall have to wait til tomorrow, but I shall get it done. I feel since you found bugs in my level a month after I figured it was all said and done, that I owe you at least 3 bugs. I`ll need to be at my best!2009-06-12 02:28:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

It`s late right now so I`m off to bed. Your feedback shall have to wait til tomorrow, but I shall get it done. I feel since you found bugs in my level a month after I figured it was all said and done, that I owe you at least 3 bugs. I`ll need to be at my best!

Looking forward to it. Bugs must be squashed!!!! 		2009-06-13 01:47:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Well I didn`t find any bugs. I feel ashamed!

Great level. Wasn`t too fussed about all the faffing about at the start with stickers etc, and I didn`t really see how the level was affected by them all that much. The only time I saw my symbol, it unlocked a few score bubbles.

I also have the same complaint I have in a thousand other levels though. The camera angles during platforming sections. So often you pull the camera to the side to show what`s ahead, but it ends up skewing the player`s perspective making in unecessarily harder to judge distance and height.

Those points aside though and it`s great. Some solid platforming, and I really like the red/green platforms. The timed sections were good too. Maybe make it a little clearer that the power will run out. I know there`s a mention of it being temporary, but I assumed that just meant I`d be cranking more power points at the next section. It`s nearly 2:30am here right enough and it may just be me being tired.

Once I realised that there was a timer it was all gold though. Some good stuff that I hadn`t seen before.

All leading up to IMO the best boss in LBP. It maybe drags just a little. By stage 3 I was like 'Yeah I`ve done this already' but I can`t imagine you could add much more to liven up the last stage. And that shouldn`t take away from the complexity of it. The dwindling of the platforms was classic video game boss and made me smile.

Your level gets 5 stars and a heart from me.		2009-06-13 02:22:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

Well I didn`t find any bugs. I feel ashamed!




Great level. Wasn`t too fussed about all the faffing about at the start with stickers etc, and I didn`t really see how the level was affected by them all that much. The only time I saw my symbol, it unlocked a few score bubbles.

This is for a level series. The first level just introduces the sticker mechanic. They will become more interesting in later levels.


I also have the same complaint I have in a thousand other levels though. The camera angles during platforming sections. So often you pull the camera to the side to show what`s ahead, but it ends up skewing the player`s perspective making in unecessarily harder to judge distance and height.

Any particular spots? I'd love to fix any camera problems!


Those points aside though and it`s great. Some solid platforming, and I really like the red/green platforms. The timed sections were good too. Maybe make it a little clearer that the power will run out. I know there`s a mention of it being temporary, but I assumed that just meant I`d be cranking more power points at the next section. It`s nearly 2:30am here right enough and it may just be me being tired.

I'll think on it and see if there's anything I can do to make it clearer. I thought seeing the power level deplete would accomplish that.


Once I realised that there was a timer it was all gold though. Some good stuff that I hadn`t seen before.

All leading up to IMO the best boss in LBP. It maybe drags just a little. By stage 3 I was like 'Yeah I`ve done this already' but I can`t imagine you could add much more to liven up the last stage. And that shouldn`t take away from the complexity of it. The dwindling of the platforms was classic video game boss and made me smile.
Your level gets 5 stars and a heart from me.

Thanks for the compliments! I could add additional attacks to hit the top platforms, which would force sackboy to move more, but I don't want it to be too crazy! It's just the first level I don't have a lot of thermo left but I could probably add a little something to it if people think it needs something to vary up the 3 parts a little more.		2009-06-13 02:45:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

The parts had difficulty with cameras were at the area with the green/red platforms and the black background. I think it was pretty much at the part where they were introduced.

I didn`t see the power going back down. I figured that once it was up it was up. It was only when I was having a second attempt that I stopped and looked at it. Maybe I was out of the camera zone`s zone so that the angle returned to normal and I couldn`t see the top of the power bar? I seem to remember at that point standing near the bottom of that power bar, debating with myself whether it was getting lower or not, then running like hell when I saw that it was!		2009-06-13 02:53:00

Author:
Matt 82
Posts: 1096

The parts had difficulty with cameras were at the area with the green/red platforms and the black background. I think it was pretty much at the part where they were introduced.

I didn`t see the power going back down. I figured that once it was up it was up. It was only when I was having a second attempt that I stopped and looked at it. Maybe I was out of the camera zone`s zone so that the angle returned to normal and I couldn`t see the top of the power bar? I seem to remember at that point standing near the bottom of that power bar, debating with myself whether it was getting lower or not, then running like hell when I saw that it was!

Good suggestion! I'll make sure the camera zone extends far enough that you can see the power bar going down when you're moving right!		2009-06-13 02:59:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Hi dcf. First let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this level. Well done! I lost too many lives and finished 11th. I did not read the above reviews before playing, so please forgive me if I repeat anything.

Pros:
1. Very cool beginning segment being able to select player powers (I went with the Veteran)
2. Awesome job on the platforming challenges and grappling hook mix.
3. Great cinematic drama effect with the camera angles (this level looks massive too)
4. Enjoyed the mini-race, get-er-done ASAP feel of the challenge segments that required activating a switch and hand crank to generate temporary power for the lights and mechanics to function...Brilliant!
5. Your Boss, the Star Monster, was a very interesting concept. The twitchy movements added to the feeling of peril.
6. The ending segment was also well done with the halogram and global settings changes.

Well Done!

Now don't beat me up for saying this, as I struggled in making this decision, but I rated this level 4-Stars (not a bad thing, as it was very close to 5 in my mind, and I'll explain why below), Tagged Complex and Hearted you as an Awesome Creator. I will be checking out all of your levels in the near future.

Observations that I think will make this level a Solid 5-Star:
1. Cater to the Explorer a bit more--In the first platforming sections, there were areas where the camera zones did not allow me to safely venture back to prize bubbles I missed. The area that sticks out in my mind the most was the zone for the platforms before the grappling hook, and the zone that followed the grappling hook. I tried going back, but would have been forced to jump into the unknown, as the camera zone impeded the view.
2. The platforms made a slapping sound as they hit surfaces--that sound did not help with the immersion into this level, and was an audible distracion for me. I think this could be resolved by changing the Min piston length to somewhere between .5 and 2 for the those lifts hitting the floor, and the Max settings could be decreased by the same amount for those lifts hitting overhead surfaces. If I'm not mistaken, anything less than a small grid will allow Sacky to be crushed, and I think increments of 2.5 on a piston setting is approximately 1 small grid.
3. After turning the crank for the temporary power-up of the energy grid, I ran the gauntlet of platforms to the right, and wound up on the ledge of a short hallway. The camera angle was still looking left to the platforms, and it wasn't until I committed to explore the short hallway, that I discoverd I could not use the lift there as I did not have that power. By the time I got back to jump the red platforms, which provided the path upward and to the left, the grid was powering down, and the platforms dissolved. I had to use a life here to start over on that segment.
4. The Star Monster, which as I said above, is a great Boss concept. The first 3 variations of the platforms changing also gave some variety and dimension to this challenge. But without anymore significant variations in the Boss attack patterns at this point, I believe the Boss fight should have ended at the end of the 3rd Stage. There were several times when I just sood still while waiting for the brains to be positioned so I could destroy them. I see a few options here that would maintain pace, excitement and challenge interest:

4.A.) Keep the Boss as is and end the fight after the 3rd Stage, which will ensure the player remains engaged in your level, or
4.B.) Have a paintinator on a ledge on either side of this chamber, which can be reached from any combination of the variations of platforms through each stage--paintinators work wonders for keeping players engaged.
4.C Emit modified Bosses for Stages 4-6. The modified Bosses could be the same basic design with variations--i.e 1.) with intermittent shields that protected the brains periodically or brains positioned in niches making them accessible from certain angles only 2.) or intermittenly extending arms that fired Plasma balls, with either brains or invisible paintinator switches on the arms.
4.D You could also consider having the Star Monster start out with all of the variations on it (this would appeal to me the most in a Boss fight). As each variation is destroyed, a new Stage would begin. This approach would be the most realistic, as the player is chipping away at the Boss's defenses until it is totally destroyed.

This is an awesome level, and I highly recommend everyone play it!

Rick		2009-06-14 18:01:00

Author:
RickRock_777
Posts: 1567

- Personally, I found this level very confusing. Much of the time I had no idea if I was going in the right direction. It could just be me, but maybe some arrows or something placed around the level might help.

- The boss glitched up for me I think. When the battle started, the boss instantly crushed me, and whenever the boss would lower, what looked like electrified glass filled the foreground. --Actually, is that an attack? It looks sort of like a glitch, but I did die from it once... a few times. I like it, never mind.

- The turning of the generator was really neat. Although it was difficult to do alone, it wasn't frustrating, so I think it was well done.

- It is hard to hit the boss. At first, I was getting upset, but then it reminded me of what platforming bosses used to be like in the good old days. Also, the...progression...of the boss is SO AWESOME YEAH! I grew from hating it to really liking it quite fast.

- I would suggest changing the music. Every level and their little brothers have the MGS theme. While a good tune, it gets boring fast.

I rated it 5* and Tricky. While most of my comments do seem to be complaints, a post telling you what you did right isn't as constructive Sorry I took so long, I was having DNS errors the last few days, and then realized it wouldn't just go away.		2009-06-14 19:37:00

Author:
Shintetsuken
Posts: 7

Just played your level.

I liked the way I got special powers. Cool feature!

Overall nice graphics, fun gameplay, and really nice work on the boss (even though he killed me too many times)! Only thing that confused me was (like RickRock said under #3) the second temp-switch. It didn't give a clear indication that this also was a temp-switch. I went to explore the room to the right, only to find out that the power ran out. Then I was like and made it in time on the second try.

Rated 5*, fun-tag and a heart.

Btw, if you have some feedbacks left, could you feedback my level?		2009-06-14 19:45:00

Author:
Ygg_Barasil
Posts: 58

Hey everyone!

Thanks for the great feedback. I really appreciate it. I've pm'd some people privately, but I might as well let everyone know about the changes I'm considering. Interestingly they are the exact things mentioned by RickRock so I'll use his order:

1) I know the exact spot RickRock is referring to with not being able to get back up. I will add an easier way to get up and make sure it's included in the camera angle.

2) I somewhat liked the crashing sound myself as the power turned off and the platforms fell to the ground. I can change the lengths of the winches so it doesn't slam. Does anyone else have an opinion on this one? I'd like to hear some more thoughts before I play with it. Or maybe I'll just do it and see if anyone notices

3) I feel everyone's pain for the temp switch with the GenE power. I've known that's been a problem for sometime and tried to fix it with a camera angle. I'm not satisfied with the current situation. What I think I'm going to do instead is half the time to get up the platforms and then place another switch on the ledge for people to do the second half. I may also add a switch to the bottom in addition to the generator. This way people only need to turn the generator on once. From then on its just a matter of flipping a switch.

4) The boss. I'm thinking of making a fairly large change here. Instead of having 4 brains active at once I'd make it 1 brain at a time. I'd replace the motor/wobble bolt combination with just a wobble bolt so the brain would always be available (when the monster moves down to drain some power from the reactor). This would do a couple things. I think this keep the boss passing faster because there will be no waiting for a brain to come around.

I'm curious what everyone thinks.

Oh, and I'll be sure to check out your level Ygg_Barasil. I'm going to up the feedback number in my OP. I just don't want more than 5 open feedbacks at a time.		2009-06-14 21:00:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Man I'm so sorry that I haven't given you any feedback by now. As soon as I get to my PS3 I'll leave you feedback!2009-06-14 21:08:00

Author:
blizzard_cool
Posts: 752

Numbers 1 & 3 should now be fixed.

For 1 I just adjusted the camera a tad and added a platform.

For 3 I basically halved the power time in that area and added another switch on the ledge with the GenE power.

I'm really pushing the top of the thermo. Basically, every change I make I go in and delete a couple stars from the opening sequence because I'm maxed out. So there's not a ton I can do in terms of big changes. I'll play around with the boss on my moon some and then let you guys know if/when I decide to alter it.		2009-06-14 22:53:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Well I didn't finish the level but here are my impressions so far (I didn't make it to the half either).... sorry...

First impression:
The entrance is very cool. I was really surprised to see that you can choose 5 characters and that you can chose to play with 4 people. Big +! Does it stop here? No.
You come down rushing in with your super cool pod, like the latest space sackboy pimp (the pod really looks awesome!).
Meeting the first character. A lot of interesting dialogue, great story perhaps?

The gameplay:
Nice platforming, lots of secret bubbles & multi-path. The part where the power goes off and then back on is brilliant. How did you do that?

The looks:
The looks at the beginning are neat but the use of the materials later on... It really doesn't fit in the level.

I will edit this post later on with the full feedback (when I finish the level).
For now 5 stars, heart and didn't tag.

I hope you enjoyed the feedback 		2009-06-16 11:49:00

Author:
blizzard_cool
Posts: 752

Well I didn't finish the level but here are my impressions so far (I didn't make it to the half either).... sorry...

First impression:
The entrance is very cool. I was really surprised to see that you can choose 5 characters and that you can chose to play with 4 people. Big +! Does it stop here? No.
You come down rushing in with your super cool pod, like the latest space sackboy pimp (the pod really looks awesome!).
Meeting the first character. A lot of interesting dialogue, great story perhaps?

The gameplay:
Nice platforming, lots of secret bubbles & multi-path. The part where the power goes off and then back on is brilliant. How did you do that?

The looks:
The looks at the beginning are neat but the use of the materials later on... It really doesn't fit in the level.

I will edit this post later on with the full feedback (when I finish the level).
For now 5 stars, heart and didn't tag.

I hope you enjoyed the feedback

Thanks for the feedback thus far. I'll look forward to hearing what you think when you finish the level.

I'm glad you liked the character selection and pod descent bit. I'm intending for a series of levels and the idea is for the character selection to continue through all of them. This first level doesn't do a ton with the powers as I view this as an introductory level. Basically, it introduces the game mechanic and gives very basic uses for each power. Later levels will continue to use and build off of the game mechanic established here. I'm really trying to keep good 'game design' in mind while making these levels. Most important is to naturally build new concepts so people don't get overwhelmed or confused.

I've got a fairly big story planned but I'm trying to keep the talking to a minimum. I want it to be mostly show, not tell. I had initially planned 3 levels. However, when I made the second one it ended up being too much story and not enough action. I went back and remade what I'd done so far to incorporate what I've learned. What you see is the remake of level one. So I've currently got 6 or 7 levels planned for Project Icarus. The goal is to make sure that I maintain a high gameplay:story ratio throughout.

The power at the beginning of the level/construction site is done with this timing switch:
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=465&pictureid=3941
This picture was taken part way through creation so there are many more wires now It starts with a key on a flipper piston moving away from several key switches on the left. One key switch is set to direction the other to speed. I have it set so the direction switch turns off slightly before the speed switch. The speed controls the white LEDs while the direction controls the pistons that move the platforms. This makes it so the white lights turn on as the pistons extend. Then the pistons start to descend as the white lights simultaneously dim off. There is also an on/off switch in the key's path that turns on the warning siren at this same moment. Finally, an additional two switches on the path feed an RS latch, which is the lower mechanism. This digitally records whether the power is on or off. When the power is off, it turns on the red lights and contracts winches that are also attached to the moving platforms, causing the crashing effect.

If you could let me know in your full review which part you were referring to when you said the materials didn't fit, that would be really helpful!

thanks for playing!
-dcf		2009-06-16 20:14:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

I've been advised that this is a large enough change to warrant a double post. I have given the boss a fairly substantial revision. I would greatly appreciate it if people who have played the first version let me know what they think of the new one.

Basic changes:
1) Motorbolt removed and boss reduced to one brain at a time. No more waiting for the last brain to come around!
2) Safe spot removed.
3) Plasma ball attack mechanism changed to incorporate a speed switch. So the rate of fire of the plasma ball attacks starts off slow and increases as the fight continues.

These changes actually freed a substantial amount of thermo because I was able to remove redundant emitters and logic from the back side of the boss. This leaves me with some room to play around in any other areas of the level as needed. I have a couple ideas for how to spend it but I will of course appreciate feedback.

1) Add additional cinematics to boss sequence. Some global lighting changes during the actual fight could enhance the berserk sequences.

2) Fix up the area where the ground is on fire to make it fit the rest of the level a bit better.

Let me know your thoughts. F4F spots still open!		2009-06-18 01:28:00

Author:
dcf
Posts: 468

Hi dcf. I played the level again a few hours ago, and made some observations, although this time around I rated it 5-Stars, Hearted and a Brilliant tag (which assumes you will correct one issue I saw, which I'm confident you can). I also moved up to 4th place...Whooop!

My Experience On A New Path:
This time I acquired the Gene Abilities Power, and I really liked the new path I got to take when using the power jump lift--more awesome visuals; well done! And for me, the Boss ending was the perfect length, and I enjoyed the increase in difficulty--got plasma'ed a few times, and steady action eluding the plasma balls kept this section alive. I know I said this before, but I really like being able to have the option to choose a power in your level--it's unique and refreshing. You should check out AJnKnox's Attack Of The Borg 2, as he has a skill assessment feature in that level, during the training section--I like that feature as well (you guys have great minds).

Observations:
The camera at the section where there are 4 red lifts (just before the grappling hook); I saw that you improved the zone there (thanks), but the tracking is set way too tight. When I got on top of the structure, the camera did not follow, which made it difficult to see where Sacky could safely move. I would suggest backing the tracking off about 25%, and that should do the the trick. I saw nothing other than that.

This is a great level, and getting even better!

Rick		2009-06-19 04:43:00

Author:
RickRock_777
Posts: 1567


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