Archive: 38 posts

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level name: Lost Ages: chapter one PSN: deftmute A mysterious entity summons sackboy into a realm that has been reduced to ruins to save the day. This level starts out slow with some basic platforming and leads into more serious platforming and some puzzles. There are two dungeons and they can be completed in either order. This level is currently rated 4 stars with 65 plays and 13 hearts. completing a dungeon unlocks hidden ways to earn points in the ruins above. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/elahrairha/LostAges.jpg title screen http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/elahrairha/halftower.jpg some ruins http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/elahrairha/windows.jpg more ruins TEASER: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/piu9w5x6LrI&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/piu9w5x6LrI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> I can feedback 1:1 Note: this level has gone through a complete rebuild since its original publishing. any mention of bats, tentacles, bosses, vr grid, or sound puzzles has been rendered obsolete. Now Reviewed: Little Big Review Group (http://forums.littlebigworkshop.com/lbp/board/message?board.id=promozone&message.id=27059&jump=true#M27059)

2009-06-15 14:16:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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I want to start by saying your level was very well put together. There were no rough edges, it was visually appealing, and the gameplay it offered (minus a few exceptions) was supurb. There were however a few issues I ran into while playing through. I'll separate them out by left dungeon and right dungeon. Left: At the first group of ruins, if you fall off, you go for a good ways down, then either land on dark matter OR can even land at the boss. Some gas below the ruins should do the trick. Also, in this area, with the jump across what I think looked like a broken bridge, the camera angle makes it pretty difficult, and there's a chip off of the end of the landing end, so even if you make it, you can kind of slide off. At the checkpoint right before where the boss is; the way the camera is angled it is nearly impossible to tell when to jump to get onto the moving platforms to the boss. After a few tries you get it, but thats 2-3 lives wasted that could be better spent on the boss. I think that's it for the left dungeon. Right: After you jump down all the way and land in the dungeon, if the player goes right instead of left, they will fall down onto what is presumably the floor in complete darkness, with no choice but to kill themselves to get back up. Gas or a wall should be fine there. Also, a checkpoint nearer to the part with the falling tentacles would be nice, but that may be just me. When the player dies on that part, having to run from the start of the dungeon and get back to the fight kind of takes you out of the moment. That's about it. Other than those few things, which can all easily be solved, you have an amazing level, sir! I thoroughly enjoyed the style. Especially the contrast of the dungeons to the rest of the level, it really makes you feel as though you've gone to a different realm or something. And your ruins were ridiculously fun to navagate. Platforming at its best! I can't wait to see what you make next!!! Now I feel pretty silly asking for feedback on my level from you. It's no where near as purdy or complicated. Oh well. PSN: AceDaCase. Lvl: Sack Full of Dollars The thread should still be on the first page.

2009-06-15 15:06:00 Author: AceDaCase Posts: 10

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erm... coulda swore i put gas in there i will look into those other spots and adjust accordingly. I'm glad you enjoyed the level, especially the ruins. I had worried that they would prove boring. did you check out "A Date With Suzie"? its my most popular level.... please dont judge me by it.

2009-06-16 05:56:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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Great level, deftmute! I just have to say. WOW. That was some of the best platforming I've seen in the game since Mm's levels. The temples were the most fun to navigate. The striking camera angles made it extremely compelling. That section on the left temple where you must jump and grab a basket sponge block was simple, but strangely satisfying. It just felt a whole lot like Ico. Especially with those puzzles which required transferring of the sponge block on the right temple. They were not at all boring. It kept my brain puzzled and the ambient music gave it a calming feeling. Those bosses were impossible for me. I just couldnt complete them and it left me frustrated. Just the fact that I have no idea what to do. Perhaps you could give more hints and add some light because it leaves me stumped. If you make more levels with some good mini enemies and platforming of that quality with some logic puzzles thrown in, I would come back for more plays. I give it Five Stars for that breath-taking platforming. F4F- JerkBall

2009-06-16 19:52:00 Author: navy_flip Posts: 19

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Hey there deftmute, I played your level a bit earlier. I wasn't able to finish it for two reasons: -The first time, I went left only to get the start of the boss area and not know what to do. On my last life (kept falling into gas) I finally figured out that you need to hit the sequence of buttons (I had trouble seeing them). I liked the idea, but it was unclear what to do. Perhaps you could lighten it up a bit, or even put in a speech bubble drawing attention to the buttons. -On the second time through, I went right and made it to the boss. I died on the part where the "tentacles" are supposed to fling you up (I think). Now that that's out of the way, let me say that your platforming in both directions was fantastic. I was first annoyed that the camera was fixed and didn't follow the player, but I got over it when I noticed the intricate and well designed progression. The camera angles worked for the style of platforming you used. Not to say the cameras weren't a major issue. They do need to be tweaked significantly! Since the cameras have "follow" turned all the way off, you need to make sure that once the player is out of one section, the camera changes so that they can see what is in front of them. When aligning the camera zones, always make them slightly smaller than the area you want them to work in, because they get fuzzy near the edges. However, the bit on the left where the sackperson is in the background and the grabbable square is in the foreground in the window was absolutely brilliant, as well as all of the other puzzles where you needed to retrieve the cubes to continue. On the other hand, I'd go so far as to say that your bosses killed your level. Camera issues and the fact that they are completely unrelated to the platforming sections ruined it for me (why, oh why, did you use the the VR training grid in a level that used ruins as platforming obstacles?). If I were you, I'd chalk this up to a learning experience and start making a new level that focuses solely on the platforming sections that you made in the first half, because they were truly fun and even made me smile on occasion. You would of course need to tweak your cameras a bit more effectively than you did here. Since you are allowing no "follow" on the cameras, the camera zones need to be aligned perfectly so as to not annoy the player, which can be tricky. I really did enjoy the first half of each side, even though some of the camera areas bugged me. If it were just platforming like that and then some related ending, not even anything too fancy, I would have 5 starred this. As it stands though, you are going to be bombarded with bad ratings and complaints about the cameras. I gave this 4 stars for potential, but I don't foresee you getting out of your current 3 star rating. I'm not trying to be harsh, I just want to make it clear that your platforming sections were brilliant, but need a little work with the cameras. But as you can probably see from other comments, small details can take away from the level. Let me know if you want any of this elaborated. I had a lot to say, and some of it may not have been clear. Since we are providing 'constructive feedback,' I really want to help you make the best level you are capable of making... Thanks, comphermc.

2009-06-17 00:41:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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Based on feedback, ive decided to put together another version of the level, replacing the current dungeons with more platforms/ puzzles. i knew boss design wasnt my strong suit, but every once in a while i explore outside my comfort zones. My ultimate goal, of course, is a fun level that will get lots of plays/ hearts. i agree the vr grid was out of place. i had been away from the game for a while, was working with the light/dark concept, (i know, i missed that bus. but, ima stickin' to my theme now ) and the vr grid is easily visible in darkness. What was your opinion of the painted glass/ light screen use on the other dungeon? i really want to use candles, but i have a hard time fitting them around the platforming while still providing good even lighting. i'm sure its probably obvious that i built my ruins by visualizing the shapes needed for certain jump patterns/ paths more than aesthetics. oh yeah and about those camera angles... i sometimes cant even see the zone box when i'm tweaking it. especially for the large zones. i'm going blind or something. but in some places i was able to use positional switches to refine the zones to pie shapes in certain areas.... now that i have a huge portion of thermo refunded, i should be able to hopefully clean those bigger zones up. Anyways progress on V2 is storming along due to cannibalization of concepts from other plans and should be up for play soon. oh and thanks for playing guys.

2009-06-18 16:42:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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sorry for the double post but i wanted to say: Version 2 is complete and has been published! it is an almost total retrofit now with added bonus: hidden ways to score points!

2009-06-21 05:43:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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Awesome news, I will be checking this out tomorrow morning. Edit: Alright, I played the new version just now, and I can say that the 'dungeons' on either side are much better than before, but I couldn't solve the little sound puzzle. I'm pretty tone-deaf, so I couldn't figure out the correct combination (there are 120 combinations to hit 5 buttons). Did I do something wrong? A few quick things: *Is it possible to lighten up the exterior platforming sections a smidge? The left side was the only problem here, as the very first little grabby box was hidden in the shadows, and the slight glare on my TV made it hard to see. *The skip intro mechanic is a little screwy - could you widen the window in which the player can skip it? *It's possible to just run to the right instead of dropping down and hit the finish. I doubt this is intentional, and I accidentally did this the first time playing. *There are sections in the dungeons on either side where you are required to drop straight down to continue. This as not immediately apparent. *I love the swinging grab pads to go down in the dungeons, but I would suggest an infinite checkpoint, as they are tough to get the hang of. *At the top of the first 'tower' on the right, the camera doesn't allow you to see that there is a ledge/hill to right - this is the biggest camera issue in the level. *Invisible dark matter would help a lot on this level. If there is somewhere you don't want the player to be able to go, turn off the grid and make a very thin rectangle of dark matter. When small enough, it will be invisible. An example of a good place to put this is in the section in the right dungeon where you have to swing down... I swung too far, and was changed to the front plane, landing on a candle. It you put up an invisible wall of dark matter in the front plane, this wouldn't happen. The platforming is fun, but I'm sad to say I couldn't finish it by conventional means (i.e., I did finish it by just running to the right at the beginning). I played both sides up until the sound puzzle. Let me know how to solve the it and I'll give it another go.

2009-06-21 05:53:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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but I couldn't solve the little sound puzzle. I'm pretty tone-deaf, so I couldn't figure out the correct combination (there are 120 combinations to hit 5 buttons). Did I do something wrong? I had worried those might be too hard. I also did not realize the # of combinations. In the left temple the key is to get all of them playing at the same time. the longest plays for around 20 seconds and the shortest is 7 seconds (order: 2,4,1,3,5) the right temple is opened by playing the right 3 notes at the same time. (1st, 3rd, and 4th) they all play for 10 seconds. If a wrong note is played the way is not opened. There is no indication that youve solved the puzzle either except that the player sensor switch that activates the swingy block to continue is functional. I do need to think of another clue but i don't want to just have some magic mouth spell it out for the player either. (maybe if it was on a timer....) possibly stickers along the way to that point? then i would need to put corresponding pictures with the switches. *Is it possible to lighten up the exterior platforming sections a smidge? The left side was the only problem here, as the very first little grabby box was hidden in the shadows, and the slight glare on my TV made it hard to see. well its set early in the am. i could switch it to noonish. *The skip intro mechanic is a little screwy - could you widen the window in which the player can skip it? hmm it's wired to be available throughout. youre standing on a wafer of dissolve with a grab switch on it. the grab switch prematurely activates a perma switched directional piston that activates the "end intro" sequence. which consists of activating a global light change and popping the dissolve wafer. ok nevermind i think i know what i did. the skip activates the end early, but i forgot to make it actually stop the intro from progressing. should be an easy fix. *It's possible to just run to the right instead of dropping down and hit the finish. I doubt this is intentional, and I accidentally did this the first time playing. um oops. somehow i musta popped my stopper. *There are sections in the dungeons on either side where you are required to drop straight down to continue. This as not immediately apparent. the checkpoint rooms? It you put up an invisible wall of dark matter in the front plane, this wouldn't happen. good to know, i'll see what i can do.

2009-06-22 03:28:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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I'm looking forward to this new version. I played the original, and the camera really frustrated me.

2009-06-22 03:59:00 Author: gulliver49 Posts: 106

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Yes, the checkpoint rooms halfway through the dungeon, not the entrance portion. A simple architectural arrow would do the trick. I will try and find some time to play this again with the hints for the puzzle rooms. I didn't even notice that some sounds play longer than others. Perhaps a magic mouth for the left could say something like "certain sounds play longer than others" and the one on the right could say "find those which are the same" or something... I don't know... Math side step: You have 5 choices for which button to press first, 4 choices for the second button, 3 choices for the third, 2 choices for the fourth, and 1 choice for the final button. That gives 5*4*3*2*1 = 5! = 120 combinations possible. Trial and error is absolutely out of the question. About the lighting - screw around with it. If it ruins the look of everything else, don't worry about it. It looks great, there are just some dark spots.

2009-06-22 04:05:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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just added down pointing christmas lights on checkpoint rooms. camera to top of tower. some riddle mouths, and made it noon. also did you notice that you can climb to the top of the right sound puzzle? you can drop down to the middle platform from there. i also made the lights above the wrong switches in that room a different shade so that you might be able to notice that some stand out. did you find the races? there is one for each side of the surface layer. intended to be run after the basket blocks are in place. oh yeah and thanks again

2009-06-22 06:34:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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WOW - it's very ICO like and it's kicking my butt. I've made it as far as the audio puzzle on the left side and yea - trial and error - not gonna work. The clue was great I figured out what it meant but it's terribly hard to figure out what's what and your average LBP player may not stick around to figure it out. Although to be fair - you probably have weeded out most of the average LBP players by that point with the platforming up until that point. I'm loving it - even though the camera's and sound puzzle are driving me nuts. It's looking like a hardcore platformers type of level to me. I'll report back if... I mean WHEN I can finish it.

2009-06-22 07:18:00 Author: Morgana25 Posts: 5983

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== Commenting as I go == - At the beginning ... I think you should just make it impossible to jump left. That way you wouldn't need to have the distracting looking gas in view and someone wouldn't jump off that way to see if there was something down below (like I did. lol) - Welcome, little one(,) to the Tower of Ages ... you missed the second comma. - Well, after talking to that guy I ran to the right and finished the level without doing anything. XD. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go back left or not since I died the first time I jumped down there so I went right even though I saw the end I wasn't sure if it was one of the 'fake' ones or something. *starts over* - This time I tried to jump off to the left thinking that maybe that way was open now ... since he did tell me to jump of the ledge and that looks like a ledge to me ... however, I died again. lol. Maybe I am supposed to jump straight down? ... *tries* ... yup, looks like that's the case. - Okay, so I still say if you just couldn't jump off the ledge to the left, that would be good and also blocking the finish right there at the beginning as well. If the left was blocked I would have tried to jump off it but wouldn't have been able to and eventually probably would have figured out that you meant to jump forward/straight down. + Went left first and gotta say that this part of the level is looking fantastic. Love the run down ruins here. + Made it up the first big set of ruins there and although the camera angles made it difficult to tell where I was going ... I actually really liked that about it. Have to kinda fumble around in areas I couldn't see to figure out where to go was a fun challenge and I really liked having to think/ figure out how to get up that section. + Through the second major section and it was more of the same. Still really loving both the platforming as well as the visuals. I would personally be sad to see the camera angles and slight challenge of the platforming to be changed. + Okay, made it inside here to this red area and WOW it looks awesome. Gotta say that you have some pretty epic visual skills. Loved how it looked as I was swinging down the side. Really sweet. + Nice little sound puzzle there. It was pretty easy to complete. + Dang, really dug that puzzle with the pieces hanging from the strings up above. Very clever. + Wow, your level just keeps becoming cooler and cooler in my eyes. Took me a couple tries to get that swing down to the other hanging pieces but boy was I ever rewarded when I did. That was awesome when I swung up and then grabbed on to the next big drop down swing thing and made it to the next platform. Really impressively designed platforming, swinging, and puzzle section so far. - Well crap. I am officially stuck. After grabbing this and letting it lift me up there is this big gap to the right and I don't know how to cross it. Only one life left and I don't want to die because your level has been so much fun so far. Tried knocking the candle off the edge in hopes that it would do something but it looks like that just made it so I can't see. lol. Okay, I died ... I have no idea what I was supposed to do at that section. Starting the level over now and going right instead. __________________________________________________ _______ + So it was more of the same to get to the temple area here again, which I am okay with because I loved the trip there both ways. Also liked the slight variation of the trip down the side of the structure on each side. One all swinging the other have some more wall grabs. - Something weird happened when I grabbed and held the middle light/chord and I wasn't able to read the speech bubbles. They kinda just went away. - Okay ... I was unable to solve this puzzle. At least I don't think I solved it. I am pretty sure I am just supposed to be duplicating the chord that's in the middle there. I thought I had the chord right but ... I have no idea what is supposed to happen when I do solve it. It's pretty difficult to remember what the chord sounds like since I have to run all the way up the sides to activate it and then try a combination and by the time I do that I forget what it sounded like in the first place. Also I am not sure how many notes are in the chord; it kinda sounds like three but I am not sure. If you wanted to make it a bit easier I would suggest that you make the chord you have to match easier/closer so you don't have to try and remember what it sounded like for so long (people have bad memories and the sounds just kinda blur together) If it were closer you could also try out a chord and potentially grab the chord you are trying to match and compare the two as they both are going. Also, knowing for sure how many notes are in the chord would be extremely helpful in solving the puzzle. ===== - I am still giving the level 5 stars and a heart even though I think it needs some help on giving some hints as to what is supposed to be done in those areas that I got stuck at, but pretty much everything else was absolutely great and I still love the level overall. Just wish I could finish it and I will ... once I know what to do. Really looking forward to any updates to this level as I think it is already really impressive and with some tweaking has the potential to be one of my favorite levels on LBP! === Okay, played through it again today and went left and figured out how to get passed that gap. It was the first thing that I thought of this time through ... not sure why I didn't think to check for something like that when I was there the first time. I guess just because I had never done anything like it to that point in the level. I don't know that it really needs changing ... since I didn't think of it at all the first time, but it was easy my second time through. I think if you just changed it to a double check point I may have been able to figure it out the first time through before trying to make the jump in vain a few times. - Wow ... after about 20 minutes of trying to figure out this chord thing I JUST NOW realized that you can walk behind the steps to the right and there is that swingy block there ... so I have solved that now. However, I REALLY think that pathway back there needs to be made more apparent. - Finally beat the level C: Looks like I am the first to beat it too since other people have scores of 0 and probably just ran right at the beginning there. But seriously awesome level. I love it. And if those few frustrating sections are changed it will easily be in my top three favorite LBP levels of all time. Great Work!! Sorry for writing so much ... love the level.

2009-06-22 09:31:00 Author: Coreymill Posts: 85

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Overall: Your attention to theme and clear, deep love for platforming really show through on this level. It is this "hardcore street cred" which also, unfortunately, made me quit before I was finished. I want to finish, but I have chosen not to, at least partially because I am just too lazy, and would rather ask for help than sit staring at puzzles, and crying inside. I would like you to take the following critique in that light: you can totally thumb your nose at my opinion, especially if your response to my notes is, "but that's what I was TRYING to do." Caveat: I go hate-to-love, not the other way round. It's a critique system I learned somewhere, which I like: you should never end any conversation with "and that's why you suck." HATE I hate, hate, HATE puzzles that are not solveable WHERE THEY ARE PRESENTED. I speak, in this case, of the left dungeon tone puzzle. I have no idea what fast to slow, high to low even MEANS. I understand you don't want me to play a scale...BUT THAT IS NOT THE ANSWER. I think the "120 combinations" remark earlier is probably more cogent than anything I can say. If there is some solution I should have acquired earlier, I submit to you that I did not find it. If there is a solution in your rhyming couplet, I did not discover it. Frak-all, if you want me to play a C Major chord, just say so. I'll go Google it if I must, and that would inspire less rage. And rage is what makes players-including me-stop playing. I was hardcore once...but now I am old. I read strategy guides, sometimes on the first playthrough, and I don't have a single platinum trophy for 100% complete. I'm here for the fun. I would have a "sound clue": play a sound or show a non-verbal pattern that somehow corresponds with what you want. NO WORDS. I can also GUARANTEE that ESL (English is my Second Language) players will read your couplet clue and immediately Return to Pod. Rant on infuriating music puzzle that made me quit ends. DISLIKE Any jump that forces me to land, while the camera is not close to frontal, on a platform that is only 2 small-grid squares or less across. There is one such, again in the "left dungeon", which requires you to distance-jump DOWN onto a piece of wood which is holding a retractable swingy bit. I missed this jump six times in a row before sticking it. (Player note: I have aced all levels but "The Bunker" in Story mode, because I refuse to try more than three times in a row to ace the level.) There is nothing cheap or fixable about this, it just is. I won't offer a suggestion here, it's ME who sucks. I will simply point out the obvious: most casual gamers will blame their failure on you. There is a point immediately before this jump that has the player jump left to right, into the camera, from a very shadowy place. This made me insecure about whether I was supposed to make the leap of faith, or whether you were hiding a grab switch. No fix is necessary. LOVE That's right, no LIKE category. Everything I liked about this level, I liked at the 4 and 5 star level. Anywho. Bit 1: Theming. You did an excellent[I] job reusing thematic elements to conserve thermo while making me feel like scrapping the entire Lone Ninja series and starting over...[I]after going back to college for visual design. Bit 2: Platforming Awesome. Sticking tricky landings notwithstanding, I feel you had an excellent handle on making challenging jumps "fair". You didn't hide landing spots, you gave the player space and time to visually decide whether a jump had to start from a stand or a run, and your "max distance" jumps, for the most part, didn't require "run on glass, jump at last instant at top speed, stop on a dime" garbage that's in all the HARDEST LEVEL EVAR/JUMP TRAINING/CAN U BEAT TEH HARDCORE levels...which I skip as if it were a tenet of my new religion. Bit 3: Story Compromise Choice. Letting twitch players skip your story is an act of courage and nobility. My Lone Ninja Ep 2 was originally a story monster. I then watched a pre-teen duo play the level, skip every piece of text, then send me IM tells asking me why nothing worked right. At first, I wanted to rage at them and tell them to read the directions. Then, I thought of 30-something German gamers, who might just be coming through to have fun, who would only understand 30-50% of my ranting anyway. The current version is 80% less talky now, and it has rated much, much better. Final thought: I can only tell you how I felt playing the level. I really would not like to see you change something only because I said I don't like it. It's clear to me that the vast majority of the choices you made, you made on purpose. If I'm not your target audience, ignore me. But DO, please, tell me how to solve the music puzzle. I want to see how this ends, and give a star rating based on the whole level, not just my current frustration.

2009-06-23 03:49:00 Author: coyote_blue Posts: 422

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Those sound puzzles may get removed or replaced as things are going. I am having a hard time coming up with sufficient hints. Solutions: (may have been changed since you played) left sound puzzle: each note plays for a different amount of time ranging from 20 seconds to 7 seconds. Play them in the right order and they will all be playing at the same time, at which point you run out to the exit to find a swingy block. order (from left to right): 2,4,1,3,5 which is low to high scale... the opposite of high to low and fast to slow, which may be too vague. Right sound puzzle: (no longer a chord, although it says it is) 3 notes are exactly the same and match the center platform note (the one that only plays while you grab it) 2 are different notes (their lights are also a slightly different color) all play for 10 seconds. play the 3 right notes (without any wrong ones) and run to exit while they are playing. correct notes (again right to left): 1,3,4 Any jump that forces me to land, while the camera is not close to frontal, on a platform that is only 2 small-grid squares or less across. There is one such, again in the "left dungeon", which requires you to distance-jump DOWN onto a piece of wood which is holding a retractable swingy bit. I missed this jump six times in a row before sticking it. (Player note: I have aced all levels but "The Bunker" in Story mode, because I refuse to try more than three times in a row to ace the level.) There is nothing cheap or fixable about this, it just is. I won't offer a suggestion here, it's ME who sucks. I will simply point out the obvious: most casual gamers will blame their failure on you. actually, that specific jump annoys me too, and will probably be tweaked. in fact there is another jump on that side i am tweaking out of self aggravation as well, where you run behind a wall and do a long jump. i had a swingy there originally but somehow it broke and i never replaced it because i discovered the jump was clearable without it.... not clearable enough though. I'm glad you like the appearance, I go to everyone else's levels and marvel at their attention to detail, and i feel so lazy when i look at my own copy pasta creations. - Wow ... after about 20 minutes of trying to figure out this chord thing I JUST NOW realized that you can walk behind the steps to the right and there is that swingy block there ... so I have solved that now. However, I REALLY think that pathway back there needs to be made more apparent. - Finally beat the level C: Looks like I am the first to beat it too since other people have scores of 0 and probably just ran right at the beginning there. But seriously awesome level. I love it. And if those few frustrating sections are changed it will easily be in my top three favorite LBP levels of all time. Great Work!! I can probably increase the light over there or something. I noticed you had scored points you can get more by hunting down butterflies around the surface ruins on each side after finding the sun sphere for that side. also there are races on each side for even more points scoring to further separate yourself from the 0 pointers.

2009-06-23 16:29:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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I searched this level but I couldn't find it. Is there anything else I should search?

2009-06-23 17:58:00 Author: bbdogdude Posts: 37

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I FINALLY FINISHED IT!! Wow, great level. I love what you've done with the dungeons. Your platforming has become my favorite in LBP. It just keeps going... your thermo must be filled to the brim! I probably spent a good half an hour playing the level, and I'm glad I did. I even managed to nab the top spot. +The bubble butterflies are an awesome idea - I got a bit bored of chasing them down, but I got the idea. Bubble-chasers will love these, but you might want to make a magic mouth telling the player that they are there... I only knew to look because you said something about it. +The dungeon atmosphere is fantastic. You have done an excellent job with the architecture, both inside and out. Nice use of the invisible dark matter as well. +The level has a very epic feel about it - I hope this becomes a series. +The speech bubble on the right helps a ton with the sound puzzle. -It took me forever to figure out the "key in your pocket" hint. I expended all of my lives on the left side trying to figure it out. Once I got it on the right, I had to replay the entire left side. You may want to consider infinite life checkpoints. -There is a jump where you have to swing on a grabby thing and jump down to a ledge with a roof on it, in the left dungeon. This is a tough jump. A suggestion is to make this ledge be run-down, dilapidated, so you have an excuse the "remove" the roof from the side of it. It would be a nice touch visually and gameplay wise, allowing the player a larger gap to hit. -The sound puzzle on the left is still really tough...I had to look at your little guide. All in all, the level was great. I wish people would give it a chance! 5 stars again and still hearted from me.

2009-06-23 23:41:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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well since you found it, what did you do to find it. when i searched lost ages all i found was a level called "It took me ages to make this level and i almost lost my girlfriend while making it" or something like that. so please i would like to know how to find this level cause it sounds awesome.

2009-06-24 00:24:00 Author: bbdogdude Posts: 37

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i dont know. try searching @deftmute.

2009-06-24 01:07:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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I got that same level when I searched 'lost ages', but also on that moon/earth thing was the actual level. Just look around...

2009-06-24 01:09:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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I want to enjoy this level, I really do, but I can't. Your level really frustrates me TC. I loved the visual and concept, but the gameplay is simply to aggravating to bare. First of all, every camera tool that you put in your level need to be thrown out the window. Platforming in your level is no joke and you have forced some of the most horrible camera angles I have ever seen in my experience with LBP. Sorry if this seems harsh, but I'm really frustrated with your level Your Camera tools give the most visually appealing angles, but when you actually play the level, they obstruct your view of where you want to go. Most of the time when I got past a certain part, it's because I just jumped in random places I couldn't even see, and some how got where I needed to go. Also, besides the camera, there are certain places where there is stone blocking the path you are taking. The player is in the 2nd layer of the level and stone is in the 1st, so you can't see your sackboy and can't time your jumps properly. I would try to keep all visual obstructions at bay if you want people to enjoy your level. It would also be nice if you changed the sponge type for those segments where you use them to swing across gaps. They sorta blend in with the dark areas of the background and are hard to see. Now, I went both ways in your level and dropped down into that underground section. There is sponge attached to the structure you have there but it's hard to see. Maybe put some lighting to show where it is and decrease the amount of fog. I got all the way to the two sound puzzles and that's where I gave up. Your level was horribly frustrating, but this was the last straw. "2 is sour, 3 is sweet" WTF!? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so feed up with the beginning of the level, but these puzzles were just ridiculous. You should edit the description of your level to say "Very Hard. Don't try this unless you like a challenge" because in all honesty, only people who love fighting bad camera angles and solving tricky puzzles will want to finish your level. Even I like a hard level every now and then, but difficulty should come from tough platforming or deadly traps, not fixed camera angles! And you can keep the puzzles in there if you want, but make sure you edit the description. BTW, since you're doing a F4F, try out my Moon Temple. It's called "The Moon Temple Beta" You can't beat it yet, but let me know how it is from what you see. You are great at visuals, so I'm sure you have tips for me to improve.

2009-06-24 02:45:00 Author: gulliver49 Posts: 106

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Very tricky platforming, and the cameras drove me nuts. I died to the left when you need to descend using the sponges. Didn't have the patience to retry and go through it all again

2009-06-24 16:50:00 Author: ZipCity Posts: 208

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I finally finished it last night with a friend of mine. OMG! Your level is going to provoke extremes in players. People will love it or hate it. For my opinion it is a hardcore platformer players dream. It's exceptionally challenging, very long and visually interesting. The thing I think that mades me want to finish it and deal with some of the if not THE trickiest camera angles on any LBP level I've ever played is that I respect the level. It's hard. Dang hard! But it's unapologetically hard - it wants to challenge you - it demands you commit to finishing it and will not give you any breaks as a player. Bring your A game or go home is what every section is screaming at me. I personally love that kind of in your face, "I dare you" sort of level but MANY players will feel frustration at best and downright anger mostly. If your goal is to test and get a commitment from a player I wouldn't change a thing. If, however, you'd like more mainstream players to get into it a few things would help. - less extreme camera angles and no blind jumps. - more checkpoints and make them infinite. - more clear help in the audio puzzles. You've just fried their brains getting to the puzzles and to have to rationally work through two mind bending audio puzzles is just too much for many. - length is really epic - maybe publish a version with only 1 side of the level for more casual players and leave the double sided marathon on for the hardcore guys. - After ALL the work and time it takes to finish.... a little more payoff at the finale would be nice. Just my opinion though. All that said I did have some technical suggestions for you. The puzzle where you move the sponges down so you can swing across - make the first sponge on the ground emitted with a way to kill the first one and replace it if it falls to the lower level. It seems a real shame that after an hour of fighting through the level you can be stuck if that thing falls.... I've seen it happen. Only by REALLY thinking it through were Silverleon and I able to improvise a way across that section. If you don't want to emit it put an invisible wall on the left side so the sponge CAN'T fall. Put a multiplayer warning on it too. I played it through with some friends and the sponges that appear with the triangles didn't appear on the right side of the temple with all 4 of us in it. Not the puzzle one but the one when you drop down and it's just there. Didn't have any trouble in single player so I'm guessing one of your sensors tweaks out with multiple players in that section. Put a few checkpoints in the initial climbing sections too. Mutliplayer - if someone falls behind they pop and it can be a long time before you get a shot at re-joining the game as there are NO checkpoints in the platforming sections at the beginning. In conclusion - GREAT level but only for very serious and committed players. Do not attempt if you don't have the right mindset for it or you'll just throw your controller down in disgust. IF, however, you are the type of player that thrives on challenge and wants to push your skills.... check this out! Thanks for sharing it! I gave it 5 stars and hearted it.

2009-06-24 17:22:00 Author: Morgana25 Posts: 5983

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Major Edit: Another version of the level is up with the sound puzzles replaced with a couple block-type puzzles. Puzzles now have a clear indication of success and are pretty straight forward. Checkpoints have been made infinite, and a couple have been added to the surface ruins. Some minor architectural tweaks to make things more user friendly. Had some thermo left after swapping out puzzles so i made an outro. I will play moon temple beta before i go to bed tonight but i have to diminish my stack of unwatched movies a tad first.

2009-06-25 03:05:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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These sound like solid updates, way to take advantage of the F4F system!

2009-06-25 03:12:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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I really do think this level looks amazing and has some of the most challenging and innovative jumps I have seen on LBP. I didn't finish the level, not because I didn't like it but because my skills are nowhere near good enough to get me through it!!!!

2009-06-25 12:55:00 Author: IceMaiden Posts: 1057

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The intro - beautiful sticker work... the sackboy standing in the shadowy figure's overcast in a lit doorway was just perfect. The deity speaking et-up at the beginning reminds me of a level called The Legion by OCK... as in it's setting me up for a real high-fantasy adventure, and I like that. The use of illuminated screen and glass down below where the paths diverse is just great. It gives them the illusion of motion and almost the look of a hologram. I'm heading left first, and I like the clean look of the sun stone on the patterned green sponge. I notice you've broken it up into slabs, which is presumably to allow more complexity in each set piece... good idea, and a good sign. So far the jumps feel a bit tricky with the angles and the plane shifting, but it only takes a moment to adapt and to slow yourself down... the angling and use of plane allows these environments to feel very winding and interwoven, and I like that alot. The use of ins-and-outs with tunnels and small observational block puzzles is great. Where there appears to be a solid wall, is a hidden passage - it reminds me of the beginning of Labrynth when an optical illusion is all that's stopping her progress. All I can say is this is my kind of environment design. The camera follow here is well done even though it's at minimum, and makes everything feel cinematic and puzzling, but I would recommend using an invisible piston block with a 180 degree, directional sensor switch that follows the player up (and left and right if possible), with the camera angled but at maximum follow - it should give you the angle you want, but never feel jerky as the player jumps and leaps. As is, it doesn't detract from the experience, so no worries. Great use of stickers and decoration throughout... lots of platforming mixed with the block puzzles... a great balance. I'm at this swinging spionge section where you drop down off a balcony after a free fall. It's excellent. Feels like Prince of Persia or ICO. I love the use of railings and archways in the architecture. I really like this momentum-based swing system that you have, where your drop gives you instant velocity. I haven't seen this kind of obstacle done before. One thing I would change here is that the sensor switches you use to activate the appearance of the swing blocks should be set to one-shot and give them an infinite life-span but only allow 1 at a time. That way they never disappear on you mid swing, and always reappear if you fail - unless that timing is part of your intended challenge. The "you need a sticker here" clue was perfect. Took me a minute to catch on, but I was like "oh yeah, duh!" when I thought about it. Well done. Heading right now... I notice the symmetry here, like a butterfly ink blot. I like that design. The design here is a breeze to navigate now, since I understand it from the last section, like it was a practice session. Shows that there is a definitive style here that carries through the whole level. Also worth mentioning is the change to night on this side... it fits because it feels like I've been here for awhile, and this world should be changing with time. Nice touch. Now that it's dark the placement of candles and LED's is really eye popping. For some reason, the next blue/red puzzle here opened the door for me when I only had two blue and the right most red block in place. wow... the floaty bridge is awesome. I really like the trial and error on understanding the second one. Also, nice use of sounds when things are activated now that I just noticed the magical energy sound. These are by far my favorite kinds of levels. The quiet, relaxing one's with a sense of artistry and mysticism in them, some puzzling bits and good platforming, that you can get lost in for a good 45 minutes or so. To me, they show the most care and time taken on part of the creator, to make it compelling the entire time and keep the player immersed.

2009-06-27 02:27:00 Author: Unknown User

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wow i come back to make a little update and i find such high praise.:blush: i'm glad you enjoyed the level. One thing. About that camera rig you described. I think something like that would be awesome and would definitely clear up alot of peoples' complaints.... i don't know if i could build it. Anyways, the reason i'm here: i have republished the level as new. when i first published it, it still had the awful boss sequences. so, if you liked the level, please go show your love to the new posting. PS i have no life and enormous amounts of free time. chapter two is in the works, hopefully improved through my education here. Also: because i never hear any mention of them, let me point out some secrets: Butterflies After retrieving the Sun Sphere from one side butterflies that spit out points when you grab them appear in certain places along the surface ruins along that side. For hidden parcel hunters. Races: at the center tower on each side there is a little walled off space with a doorway. if you walk behind there and move away from the tower you should trigger a switch that activates a race to the dungeon entrance for that side.... and then on your way back you can collect butterflies

2009-06-27 04:34:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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Uh-oh, here goes another 45 minutes of my life. As you've made changes, and this is one of my favorite levels, I MUST play it again. About the secrets - I found some of the butterflies, but not the races. I will look out for them... Give me about an hour to give it a go through... Edit: I'm back! Well, I know you probably just want to be done with this level, but I have a few things: I assume the race gates are meant for after you collect the sun thingy on that side. I tried it for the initial run, and there was not nearly enough time to make it before time expired. What you could do is expand the time interval and have them initiate automatically once you collect both halves. That way, the player knows that there are things to collect. Also, where exactly are the finish gates? I didn't see them when I was running through. I collected all the butterflies on the left this time, as I collected them on the right before. The left ones are easier to collect than the right, from what I remember, but I feel that the initial run on the left is harder than the first, so it makes for a good balance. I got the top score! (although only 3 people have finished it) There was a slight hiccup during the outro, though. I went up and it triggered a scene, but all the lights came on, and the blocked path to the exit never unblocked itself. I had to fling myself up and over with the wench. This is problem, as it was confusing and it seemed that I couldn't get to the finish. Unfortunately, people are not rating the new one well. It's unfortunate, because like I said, this is one of my favorites. It's truly difficult and looks great! And it only took me about 30 minutes this time, including the butterfly run.

2009-06-27 20:01:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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*Slaps TC* That's what you get for not fixing the cameras!

2009-06-27 23:20:00 Author: gulliver49 Posts: 106

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outro has been fixed and race times adjusted.

2009-06-29 17:47:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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Oh jeeez. Played through with a friend. Loved it. Spectacular. More on that later. I played through alone to do the secret things. Went through left side, lots of fun. Went through right side, just as much fun. Did race on left side, still fun. Race on right side... never ended. Ended up going through the right dungeon section again, and when I get back to the top, I grabbed the sponge in the middle that is supposed to take me to the end, but it swung too far to the side and broke. Now I'm sitting here, done with the level, over 10k pts, and I can't get to the end. But I didn't ace so I'll play again anyway. Some technical things: Maybe you could stick a grab switch on those swinging blocks marked by triangles, and while the block is being held, a new one won't be emitted, unless lifespan of the block is an intentional hazard. On the right side ruins, a section decorated with a ruby and an emerald, there is a basket. If I were careless, I could shove the basket right off the edge and then i'd be forced to restart the level. Unless that's also intentional, perhaps an invisible string could keep it from falling off. The section after it, and maybe others, have the same vulnerability. And for what I think of your level... One man, amongst seas of garbage, piles of rubbish, and heaps of refuse. One man, ankle-deep in gimmicks, trash, and generic crap. One man, able to rise above the gratuitous stickering and senseless wheels and gizmos. One man, seeing that all was not right, that continuing in the current state, there was no future for LBP. One man held firm in his belief that games were about gameplay, that entertainment should derive from the playing of a game, that he would make himself an instrument in effecting a custom level which would capitalize on this ancient, but not yet forgotten, belief. This man was Deftmute. A regular human would make a level the size of your top left ruin. A great creator would make a level the size of your left half. After clearing the first half, my disbelief at the size and scope was rapidly becoming pleasure, amazement, awe, and appreciation. I kept waiting for the "LEVLE OVERHETED LOL HEART ME??" spam to disrupt the great flow and pacing, but it never came. Just more and more great platforming. I've played through several times because it's just that good. On your level, more than any other, I felt like I was playing a game, not just checking out someone's clever decorations or vehicles. I hope part two can somehow be even better than part one, and am definitely looking forward to playing it.

2009-07-03 23:10:00 Author: tashi Posts: 60

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Technical things: i can probably fix those. the emitted swing blocks might be kind of a pain to fix, but you are not the first to complain on that so it will be worth it. im not sure whats up with the finish for the race, i will look into it. sorry about your bad play experience. i am glad you enjoyed the level. im sure i dont deserve the full extent of your praise. if you are interested i will be publishing an alpha version of the second chapter to try to get some advanced feedback soon. look for "beta key give away" under my id. i dont have a whole lot done yet, but i will be updating the alpha as i go. i will post the combo for the key here when i publish the level. combo is green, violet, red

2009-07-04 03:49:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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sorry for double posting and bumping, but i have updates. all bugs (that i know of) are fixed. this includes: right race finish should now be there. the final winch to the finish should no longer be able to go off to the side and break without the player really trying to make it. also QoL changes: magic swing blocks have infinite durations and can be respawned at will. puzzle switches have been labeled to indicate the color block produced. swing blocks in dungeons have been changed to a lighter material.

2009-07-10 05:43:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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Dam this level was long! But it was so epic! I love the whole puzzle platforming design. Very,very clever puzzles too, had me headscratching a snow storm of dandruff. Minor Gripes: Camera angles can be annoying sometimes, although i know the awkward camera angles are part of the trickyness. The length. I couldn't but feel that maybe this could have been split into 2 levels. People need a break you know! Anyway, Great level, very satisfying!

2009-07-12 20:20:00 Author: antman Posts: 84

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Congrats on the spotlight!!!

2009-07-12 20:27:00 Author: navy_flip Posts: 19

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just added a short teaser. i wanted it to be longer but my video editing skills don't exist. this is my first try ever. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/piu9w5x6LrI&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/piu9w5x6LrI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

2009-07-24 15:45:00 Author: Deftmute Posts: 730

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