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Towers of Patheon

Archive: 26 posts

Towers of PatheonNartules
Explore the deserted planet of the Patheon's, and discover why only their faithful Mechanical Mecori assistants remain.
all
The level is split into 5 distinctive sections.

I first tried to create the level that would function correctly. At this point I have not put many decorative touches on it. A new version I am working on is taking on this aspect.

I am trying to balance the level between user friendly, but fun. I am including additional options for upping one's score to involve a greater level of difficulty.

I appreciate all feedback, and I usually play heavily on the weekend. So if you don't receive my feedback immediatly for f4f, please allow me until the weekend to play your level as well

As of the last day I updated the level it had 15 plays and a rating of 4 stars.

Thanks in advance - oh and I will probably post some screenshots later on today 		2009-07-11 21:45:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

I just started playing through this level and I am sorry to say, but I did not really like it at all. The part with the tower was a pain at first, and then it takes forever to get to the top, just to go into an elevator to go back down...that seemed like a waste of effort. I went past the part with the balloons but could not keep playing because i had completely lost interest by that point. The level does need a lot of work to make it look better, which you claim to be working on. I think once that happens, this level might deserve another chance. Until then though, I would have to give this level a pass.2009-07-11 22:14:00

Author:
Spider-Jew
Posts: 1090

I did make a few adjustments this day, but found I could not copy over the level. I kept getting the try again later message. So i ended up having to delete it completely. I have to disconnect my internet to connect it to my ps3 so I will play one of your levels in a little bit

Thanks for the feedback		2009-07-12 00:59:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

In the beginning, I kept dying from random gas blotches and I kept strafing left and right because I didn't know what to do lol. I finally made it to the bottom with a single life left. When I got to the tower, however, I found it incredibly hard to dodge the lights. I spent 10 minutes trying to get up but I couldn't so I quit the level. I plan on playing it again later with a friend to increase the chances of making it up the tower lol. I didn't expect this level to be this difficult. Maybe I'm not fully awake. I can see the potential it has and the effort is there to make it look good. I'll give you more thorough input soon. In the meantime, I'd like a F4F on my new Fallout 3 level. There's a hard and easy mode and it doesn't matter which you pick

https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=p=237268&posted=1#post237268		2009-07-12 01:22:00

Author:
MrTran
Posts: 216

WHAT I'D CHANGE

Who is this mystical green star spaceship thingy? A camera-pan Magic Mouth would identify who's talking to me at the beginning of the level. Also, he fears Death by Wizard, but I never see what the wizard does to him.

It's a "niche", not a "nitch".

Speaking of which, those niches were useless to me. I figured out the lights pattern, but the tower climb was still incredibly frustrating. At the very bottom, the lights don't seem to correspond at all to safety - you just have to shoot up about twenty feet and hope you don't get thwacked before the pattern starts working.

Near the top, there's an "all lanes red/all lanes green" drop pattern. I understand this means that I'm supposed to find a niche and wait for the all green, but there never is a niche nearby - they're always above or below me. The two times I made it up (after several failures) seemed to be luck; I was in a lane but didn't get hit.

Every time I went up in the balloon grab sequence, I shot all the way past your backdrop. I suspect most people will do this. I bet you built it in such a way that the background obstructs Mm's background when YOU play it. Remember, I'm seeing it for the first time, and I'm almost ALWAYS going to hang on longer than you would...you know what's there!

I could not complete the boss. The electric maze does not seem to spit out a sphere when I hit the button. The random flying crap that throws you off the pack into a burning wall when you're trying to drop a sphere is frustrating, not challenging.

WHAT I LIKE

I like that you're using the Metropolis theme for a space level. It lends a sort of Chronicles of Riddick color scheme to the whole thing.

I like the tower puzzle for what it COULD be. I really LIKE the concept, but I want to see it tightened up a little.

The elemental sphere mazes is a nice idea, even though I couldn't whack the boss.

I like that you've restricted the platforming. Player move sets are the first, subconscious way a player responds to a level. "I can't just jump, I have to fly a contraption" is a nice way to tell the player that this is YOUR house, not some average-guy, run-and-jump-to-the-right-fest. Now all that's left, as I said earlier, is tightening it up a little.

I logged two plays, 3 stars, no tag. I was frustrated when I left, and I don't like putting bad tags on levels just because I'm upset. If you have questions, or want me to replay a future version, let me know. You're off to a solid start.		2009-07-12 01:33:00

Author:
coyote_blue
Posts: 422

I will be playing this level tomorrow. Just giving you a heads up ^^

Black-Toof :arg:		2009-07-12 01:33:00

Author:
BlackToof
Posts: 172

I think I'll try changing the wording up. I put that you should enter after you see the green lights. I should probably make it say, "A chamber is safe to use after the green lights have passed. Red lights signal approaching danger."

I'll give your level a play in a few minutes here and post later on today.

Thanks for the feedback.		2009-07-12 01:35:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

I want to thank everyone so far, who has added comments. Coyote_blue especially for giving such detail in what the level was doing wrong.

For Coyote's feedback

- I added a camera angle to show more of the original creatures face that is talking to you in the beginning, but Still left it so you can see the green lights.

- For the tower puzzle, I erased some lower lighting effects so that they will prove less confusing (the red lights at the bottom are gone so that you will only see the green letting you know the way is safe to enter)
- I spelled 'niche' correctly. Which by the way, I would love a spellchecker in LBP
- I added twice as many niche's so that they would be closer for people to fly into
- added additional lighting making the niche's easier to spot on your ride up

- at the top of the tower, I added additional story and visuals to explain why you have to ride down in the elevator.
- For multiplayer ease of use I added a timing sequence to the elevator shaft so that people are not left riding back after one person jumps out at the bottom.

- Balloon section had spawn times adjusted so that even if people hang on to the very last second they will stay relatively close to the action, but still have enough extra altitude to cruise over to the next drop spot.

Boss maze
- I took out 'the random flying crap'. I hadn't realized it was causing issues placing the sphere in the container
- decreased the length you need to hold the buttom in order for the spheres to spawn (although after I had made the change I got an idea to set a proximity switch so players just have to fly into the middle for a brief moment.


And last but not least I think I fixed the issue where it would not let me update the level, and instead made me create a whole new one. Which is a shame really I would have had around 40 plays on it already


For the original opening I also tweaked the area of affect for the boosters, to correspond with a larger area, so people do not have to stand on the edge of the original obstacle, and merely have to have at least a limb in a green light.		2009-07-12 07:23:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

Hi nartules,

Just tried to finish this level, but didn't succeed
I have to agree with what the people before me told, I didn't really know what to do at first with the lift and green lights, took me a while to figure that out. When you are finally down you have to go back up with the jetpack and dodge the lights (which can be a bit frustrating because it's a pretty long way back to the top)
What i didn't really get is what the button (which emits something blue) at the bottom is doing? i dragged it all the way up, but frankly i have no idea why...
The balloon part is pretty okay, allthough i've landed on a piece of dark matter and when i jumped to the right there was another piece of dark matter with a ton of bubbles on it, but once you were there, i couldn't figure out how to go back, had to kill myself there...
The sled ride was pretty fun and the part with the moving blocks near the scoreboard was kind of nice aswell, but i suggest you put a jetpack near the moving blocks (i didn't had my jetpack anymore when i was there, so i had to kill myself again in order to get a jetpack) There are also alot of visible pistons there, you might want to put them "invisible"
When i got past the moving blocks and pushed the button i got another kind of key, but i didn't know where i had to take it. I've tried to put it near the scoreboard but nothing opened and i couldn't get to the scoreboard
You have some nice idea's there, but it needs some fine-tuning imho.
(remove the dark matter and replace it with something else, put the pistons invisible and maybe add some arrows or make the level a bit less dark so it's easier to know where you have to go).

Also keep in mind that the beginning of a level is really important!
You start with the lift (where several people will have no idea what to do and get killed every 2 seconds) and after that people have to go all the way back up (and get killed several times again).
I can imagine a lot of people will give you a "frustrating" tag for that, maybe you can make the beginning a bit easier somehow...

misty.		2009-07-12 12:40:00

Author:
Mother-Misty
Posts: 574

I played this yesterday and had the same trouble as most others with the tower just being way too difficult and confusing. I gave up after about 10 minutes because even when I managed to get into an alcove it kept destroying the blue thing I was supposed to be taking up with me and I had to go all the way down and get another.

I see you've altered that since I played though so I'll have another go sometime.

Oh and MrTran just to let you know I was playing the level with a friend and if anything it probably made it harder because of the rubbish in game camera counts you out if you get too far apart that MM still haven't fixed and the fact that you both have to avoid being killed and get into the alcoves together which is tricky to say the least.		2009-07-12 13:25:00

Author:
mistervista
Posts: 2210

Hi there, i've just finished your level.

At the start of the level you get talked at by alot of people who say who they are, i still havent the foogiest who they are.

The first elevator wasnt too bad, took me a death to figure out that i have to guide to the green lights. I think it's because you cant see the gas so you dont know it's there.

The next puzzles involving green lights i thought were particularly good, i remember the balloon/green light part if found that fun.
Although on the 3rd balloon i held onto it for a long time and went high enough to get onto some dark matter.

i dont know if this has alternative endings but i chose to fight and did the 3 spheres, generally it went fine, i think i'd have liked some sort of audio or visual notice that when i put a sphere in that i had done it correct.
Because i dont recall any.

The main frame area at the start i thought looked good.

But i still dont know what most of the people were talking about. Someone hacked into the mainframe etc.

I did give it :star::star::star::star:
because i felt that it was good but perhaps confusing for some new players.

I'd appreciate it if you'd try my boss level for F4F:
https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=13609

Black-Toof :arg:		2009-07-12 16:31:00

Author:
BlackToof
Posts: 172

I see that the beginning, which was always a worry of mine is confusing a lot of people. I will probably change it considerably. Instead of having it as a death trap, I will probably take out the death fog, and instead add score bubble incentives for running back and forth. This will allow me to change the first dialogue box as well. So you know the thing your are standing in is the one doing all the talking. I could make the carriage creature have multiple eyes and mouths, which each talk a little at once. It just doesn't seem that the beginning is working out the way I had wanted.

For second tower sequence I will probably let people know why the blue key is important in dialogue as well as action. I could also make the initial take off easier as well, by adding some dissolve material to block the skyline from attack. and also make the initial take off easier, by adding in some dissolve material across the stretch of the lift so that the fireballs from above won't kill you as you start.

also the third balloon I had meant to be a little incentive for those who hold on longer. adding some arrows at the top as well as a few more directive walls and a way to get back without self exploding may be beneficial as well.

Thanks for the feedback again 		2009-07-12 17:30:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

Gonna replay the elevator. I understood it the first time; let's see if I think it's easier now or not.2009-07-13 04:44:00

Author:
coyote_blue
Posts: 422

I have made a few more changes, but somehow my elevator broke...So i haven't put the new version up yet. Going to fix it later on.

I took black toof and mother misty's advice and changed the final challenge up. Its going to look slightly different, and have a few more guiding pieces to show you the way. There will be visual and audio identifiers showing how the spheres dropped into their proper places interact with the level.

I think the changes will make the player feel more connected with the level, and feel good after they beat the bad guy and get a sense of accomplishment. I mean we all want to be a hero at some point.

I also fixed the problem Mother-misty pointed out where you get to the higher ledge and have to die to get back. Also gave me a chance to put in some more storyline.

This version will probably be out in a day or two. I am also going to play your level tonight black-toof		2009-07-13 05:10:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

I just got round to playing this again and the Tower is much improved now.

I'm just worried I'm playing a different level to everyone else though because you said something about the 2nd tower ? I'm confused. I just went up the tall one ( just to say I think that was a bit too tall as it seemed to go on forever just doing the same thing ) and put the sphere in the top then went across the balloons to the 2 sponges and chose the boss fight then the scoreboard after killing him. Am I missing something ?

With regards to the finish I would suggest you reposition the end race gate or make it so you can only get in from the left as I was really disappointed that after putting all the spheres in place the boss guy fell through the floor and as the race timer was still going I immediately rushed through the hole he fell out of but in doing so activated the scoreboard before the race gate because it was on the other side. Therefore I didn't get any points from the race. Grrr.		2009-07-16 19:15:00

Author:
mistervista
Posts: 2210

You know what, I didn't even realize that. I got a full red point on the thermometer left so I will definitely do that. I positioned it on the left side, when the fire room was the last obstacle, and people would just zoom through it. If I put it on the right side people should be able to score the points easier, it will only take a small move of the scoreboard. 2009-07-16 19:39:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

Just played... and... I couldn't get past that tower with the falling whatever.

sorry, but... I didn't have the will power to try and do that. Will try again, but that was just too tall and long for me D:		2009-07-16 20:19:00

Author:
RockSauron
Posts: 10882

I've heard that alot about the tower, I have made it about a 1/4 as short in an update that I was going to post later on today. It also has more decoration.2009-07-16 20:34:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

I liked the look of your level, I was very interested to see what was going to happen, but I had no idea what to do. I got to the top of the first tower many times, and I quite liked the idea with the red warning lights showing when the green lights would fall, but whenever I got to the top there was no way out.2009-07-16 21:02:00

Author:
RadicalStan
Posts: 99

I made an update just today (a little later then anticipated because i had to go shopping for 2 hours) Where a top to keep people safe extends, I could probably put an arrow or two pointing to the exit to the right or a few lights that are shaped like an arrow.2009-07-17 01:55:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

First of all, I'd like to say that this level has a few very good ideas. However, the entire thing has been made so complicated I can't understand it. I had no idea what to do with the green and red lights, I worked it out via trial and error, and at the end, I had no idea who I was "fighting" and why I was "fighting" him. Saying that, the actual idea behind the fight, and the entire level was very good. :star::star::star: and no tag. 2009-07-17 10:54:00

Author:
resistance1
Posts: 812

I just finished playing. I didn't play the original version, but I didn't have much trouble with the new version of the tower. At first, I didn't understand that I was only supposed to dodge the green, so I was trying to dodge both the red and the green by going into the alcoves. What I then realized is that the red is telling you were the next greens are coming and once I realized that, it was super easy. I think your idea of adding score bubbles to help guide the player is a good idea.

The creatures where pretty cool looking and the style of your level was pretty unique, but I do think the visuals could use a bit more polish. Some areas just seemed a bit blocky.

I enjoyed the balloon sections, but they were pretty tricky. I'd suggest you make the balloon smaller (so that the player weighs it down a bit more), have it emit longer, and allow the player to have a little bit more control over it.

Overall, this level has a lot of great ideas, but just needs a little polish. It's nice to see that you are taking feedback seriously though and working to improve the level. Keep it up!		2009-07-17 12:59:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer
Posts: 1335

Lots of cool ideas in this level, and pretty fun to work through it, although I have to say I couldn't follow the plot, didn't have a clue what it was about, lol. Some kind of crazy sci-fi story I think. Still,I have to say, it did feel like an alien world, so good job there!

I don't know why so many characters had to introduce themselves when you only met them once, unless essential to the plot I recommend removing the part where they all say their name.

:star::star::star::star: from me anyway, good job.		2009-07-17 21:32:00

Author:
LieutenantFatman
Posts: 465

Good point. I wanted to make a lot of characters, even though you only meet them once to give a sense of how bad, the last character is. So I will definetly take out the names. I ran into a snag making the tower considerably shorter. I think I will make it easier to get by the balloon sections by doing exactly what someone said and decreasing their size. I set up the timer for one person, but someone played that i know and told me that two people did not get enough lift to make it past the zones. I figure if i make the one tower a little shorter still I can recover some thermometer to help add a few more details to the level.2009-07-23 02:17:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

So in the most recent update (which will be posted by sunday morning) I have taken out all the creatures giving their names. Now they are usually just referred to as the Mecori. I believe i cleaned the story up a little more with having most of it given by the first five mouths who are apart of the original vehicle.

I shortened the tower to about 4/10ths its original length and added a few more retracting doors to highlight the importance of the pressing the purple button and added a few more atmosphere switches to make certain area's darker and lighter.

I tried to make the balloon's a little smaller and more manueverable but when me, and two friends played it together the balloons couldn't get enough lift to get us all over. Before listing the level I am going to give another talking mouth to help explain that after jumping on the balloon you can pull it to the right. My friend didn't understand that this helped you get across the pit.

If anyone has found the additional section, I made it so that it bypasses a hazard, as an additional reward for finding it.

I am going to the county fair, and my wife threatened to turn off the ps3 while i was building. (Thats why it won't be posted until tomorrow morning.

Thanks for all the feedback I really appreciate it.		2009-07-26 02:34:00

Author:
nartules
Posts: 38

Hey, I just got done playing your level, and thought it was pretty fun actually.
I have to agree that the beginning part with climbing the tall tower is a bit tedious at first but once you get the hang of it its no problem.
The balloon part was pretty interesting.
I also enjoyed the last part with the 3 orb part.
Id say the only thing that would need improvements definitely is the first tower climbing part, and some new camera angles for the chat scenes and such, but other than that I enjoyed it.
4/5 stars awarded for it 		2009-07-26 19:23:00

Author:
pyrimidhead
Posts: 45


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