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The Temple of Energy

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The Temple of Energyhalomcap
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1319&stc=1&d=1252759640Legends whisper of an ancient place. A place full of life and fervor. The Temple of Energy. Inside many wondrous things can be seen and found. Even the ultimate treasure, sought after by tens of thousands before you... The Energy of the Universe.
all
My newest level; my first legitimate platformer.

Hidden inside this level is the device I use to create the effect as seen in my plasma light show. (Points to signature.) Along with 6 other prizes for a total of 7. They may not all be useful, but I did take the time to add information/tutorials to all of them so that when you get them you're not totally lost, lol (I hate it when I get a prize and I place it and wonder..."what the heck is this for? *delete*" lol)

The level itself is heavily themed on sleek ambiance created by cool lighting and some awesome use of plasma in different ways. Has a couple cool puzzles too.

Now...I should have gone to sleep at least 6 hours ago and thus I'm too tired to try and think of a better way to describe my level. Time for sleep. -.-

Pictures!

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1322&stc=1&d=1252759994

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1323&stc=1&d=1252759994

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1320&stc=1&d=1252759994

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1321&stc=1&d=1252759994		2009-09-12 14:04:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

I look forward to hunting for this hidden prize.2009-09-12 15:29:00

Author:
Jagrevi
Posts: 1154

I look forward to hunting for this hidden prize.

Same goes for me 		2009-09-12 15:30:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Hey holamcamp.

I played your level, and even found the first 3 prizes (you hid them so well!). Unfortunately, I couldn't finish on account of the puzzle puzzle. I know it said that I needed to make the thing in the middle, but after like 10 minutes of making zero progress, I was forced to quit.

Did I miss something, or is it just that difficult?

One little suggestion for your wheel puzzle: make the little triangles slightly bigger. They were pretty small. It may have been an aesthetic choice, but still.		2009-09-12 17:29:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Stunningly beautiful. So clean and elegant. You put your special effect to really good use there by the end, I stood to the side for a while hoping the colors would change. The Sackboy puzzle had me stupified for a few minutes, I started putting him together upsidedown first. I absolutely loved the room full of energy, it was so much fun to jump around in there. Awesome level. Nice work.2009-09-12 20:19:00

Author:
Kipmonlin
Posts: 251

Hey holamcamp.

I played your level, and even found the first 3 prizes (you hid them so well!). Unfortunately, I couldn't finish on account of the puzzle puzzle. I know it said that I needed to make the thing in the middle, but after like 10 minutes of making zero progress, I was forced to quit.

Did I miss something, or is it just that difficult?

One little suggestion for your wheel puzzle: make the little triangles slightly bigger. They were pretty small. It may have been an aesthetic choice, but still.
It was actually a technical mandate. XD

Those wheels, the original design, they were so heavy they couldn't move under the power of a single jetpacked sackboy. So now they're filled with floaty and made of cardboard so that they can move freely, but the downside is that they will move on their own, lol. When I'm editing I need to go back to the puzzle and realign the triangles after awhile because they start falling under their weight, rotating the wheels. If I make them larger they do not stay stationary. :|

Oh and I'll change the clue to the puzzle puzzle...you're actually creating a large sackboy in that puzzle...^^;



Also, my prizes are hidden well because my level is so sleek, so anything other than well hidden would be really obvious, but do you guys think I should maybe add some sort of hint? Like Maybe that small white flower you see on the spawn gates...I could also put that in the area of a hidden prize, or something.

There are seven prizes by the way. 		2009-09-12 20:35:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Played this earlier (in search of prizes of course ;p) Was very impressed. It took quite a while to get that sackboy puzzle done... a visual cue would be nice. I thought i was trying to make the symbol in the background, or a giant plasma ball, until my brother pointed out that the pieces would fit on the floor, and i realized it looked like a pair of legs.

Great use of lighting and color, highly enjoyable level.		2009-09-12 21:03:00

Author:
Burnvictim42
Posts: 3322

Played this earlier (in search of prizes of course ;p) Was very impressed. It took quite a while to get that sackboy puzzle done... a visual cue would be nice. I thought i was trying to make the symbol in the background, or a giant plasma ball, until my brother pointed out that the pieces would fit on the floor, and i realized it looked like a pair of legs.

Great use of lighting and color, highly enjoyable level.When I was making it I thought I needed a visual clue as well so I made that floor thing...lol. Well, I just updated the clue to the level telling people it is indeed a large sackboy. :3

EDIT: I would like to point out that it may be hard for me to add anything to the level. My thermometer is so full, in fact, that I can't even place another point bubble. Not one bubble. O_O So full in fact that there are only specific times when I can save because at certain points the configuration of the moving parts in the level (mostly the waving elevators) cause it to overheat. XD (It likes it when they're all nicely lined up at the top or bottom more than mid way...)

EDIT 2: Yes, please retry the level with the updated hint. ^^;;; :blush:

EDIT 3: BY THE WAY, thanks rtm223. That puzzle uses demitter tech as a start/reset function. I found that the cardboard pieces were liable to breaking or getting stuck in random places, and that sometimes it would just be nice to start over if you have a pile of pieces on the floor. I wouldn't have had the slightest clue on how to do it if I hadn't learned about demitter tech from you. XD		2009-09-12 21:23:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Unfortunately, I couldn't finish on account of the puzzle puzzle. I know it said that I needed to make the thing in the middle, but after like 10 minutes of making zero progress, I was forced to quit.

Same here. TBH, I thought the puzzle was quite badly introduced. You go from an intitial puzzle that literally tells you the solution, to this one which is very cryptic. The text says "make me" while looking at a sponge... not helpful then you have some very abstract shapes, I couldnt' for life of me work out what were joins and what were edges of the shape, I can't view all of the pieces at once, re-orienting them was a pain, and the only visual clue to the solution is a flower thing on the back wall - which I believe is a red herring. Also I was nursing a rather bad hangover (this would not be a critisism of your level though )

Sorry if this sounds like I'm really slating the level, I'm not, but I think a lot of people are going to quit at this point from frustraion - I just simply had no idea what was expected of me here


edit - just saw your post above 		2009-09-12 21:30:00

Author:
rtm223
Posts: 6497

Oh well, at least some of you guys got past the first puzzle
I did the wheels puzzle, 2 diagonal platforms came out of the floor (I noticed that both have leds on them), then I moved forward just to see a wall with wobble bolts and another with a paint switch, but there's no sign of a paintinator.

I really liked what I've seen of the level so far...		2009-09-13 07:06:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

When the diagonal pieces come out they go through a short lightning cycle then emit something that lets you shoot paint balls.

Edit: UGH. Somehow I managed to save it overheated. When testing it online I was collecting score bubbles and such before the wheel puzzle, so when the time came the level was no longer overheated and the puzzle worked.

However, if you did NOT collect any score bubbles the level remained overheated and thus the entire wheel puzzle would not function properly as it needs to use a few emitters. Can't emit on an overheated level. :|

So I just went in and deleted some random score bubbles from here and there, causing the overheat to go away. Furthermore I just tested the republished version by completing the wheel puzzle without collecting any bubbles, and it works again.

How annoying. -.- Would not have had this problem is the level somehow didn't allow me to save overheated. I mean, normally it stops you, telling you that you can't save if it is overheated. But when I just copied the level back to my moon and jumped in before anything happened it was telling me about the overheat and I was like wtf. :|		2009-09-13 08:52:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Sounds like you are having all sorts of problems here.

I would suggest that once it gets sorted, and you get a few people telling you that the level was a success, you republish anew. Consider this just a testing stage

I will try it again later today.

-----

Edit: finished it. I thought it was pretty good. Not great, but not bad either. You had a consistent theme which was nice, and you obviously know how things work.

Highlights:

+lightning effect
+hidden prizes
+light show
+wobble bolt mechanisms
+"full of energy" room

Lowlights:

-the sackboy puzzle wasn't the easiest to work with. It was easier when I knew what I was doing, but still tough to position them correctly.
-The "crawler" vehicle section was a neat idea, but it seemed shaky, and it was impossible to get all the point bubbles it seemed.
-the spikes in that spike section were high enough that if I was on the edge of the ledge, they would still kill me.

All in all, I would've given it 4 stars, but that laser light show prize bumped it up to 5. Hearted.

------

Obviously, I managed to find that laser-light-show prize and was pretty impressed. Really tricky idea! (I found 5 or 6 of the prizes)

I tried it out a few times with stiff springs, and I got some weird stuff. I think yours is better. That was not at all what I expected. I can understand why your thermo was hurting so much... that thing took up 4 bars of thermo at least, lol.		2009-09-13 13:29:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

I loved the level.
First of all is quite unique in atmosphere and has a very fluid movement.
The wobble bolts sections are awesome.
I think that you would have to scrap the lower crawler and leave only the one on the floor, since the second remains behind and is not sync'd.
The plasma effect is awesome.
5 stars for you.		2009-09-13 17:09:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

Awesome, thanks guys. XD

Oh and about my plasma show effect, remember there are infinite possibilities.

I would have to say that the most important part is simply tweaking the settings on the device itself to achieve cool patterns. I must have tweaked the ones you see for like 30 minutes each, lol

Edit: Oh yeah, it DOES kill the thermo, lol. Though, that exact one does more so than other variations. Especially because I let the settings so loose. Since I didn't want people to hear the emit and vanish sounds I left the emitter to let the plasma last for quite awhile with many possible at once, which is the real killer. I'm sure if those settings were tweaked down the therm would jump down at least some bit. :3

Yeah that crawler has always given me trouble, lol. I think if I tinker with the two halves (which are not directly connected, lol) I'll be able to get them to sync. Also making the "seats" stable, and by seats I mean that lower one. :|		2009-09-13 21:23:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Really enjoyed this level.

+ Spectacular lighting
+ Nice use of Plasmify Object glitch
+ Great material usage really lends itself to the high tech minimal style I think you were going for.
+ Wonderful color choices in the lights - look great
+ Loved the plasma light show
+ Liked the story - interesing religious/phillisophical overtones
+ I liked the blended plasma energy puzzle

Not too much I didn't like:

- the sackboy puzzle wasn't hard to figure out but a tiny bit hard to line up. I liked it but can understand some people's concerns about it.
- the "ride" was cool but seemed a little shakey. I didn't have any problems with it but in a level full of rock solid and powerful visuals it seemed a little meek. Also not a big deal - just my impression of that area.
- I'd bring up the scoreboard a little faster but that's just a matter of opinion too.

Gave it 5 stars & hearted it. Nicely done!		2009-09-14 22:10:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

Thanks for the replies everyone. :3

Hey I've had some comments posted from people telling me the level is broken. There were some problems early on but I fixed those, so now I don't know wth they're talking about because every time I go through it it works fine. Has anyone run into any problems?		2009-10-06 00:52:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

I think it's the gun. The thermo is maxed so sometimes the gun won't fire plasma i the beginning I think.

btw - congratulation on spotlight 		2009-10-06 05:42:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

Ah, I guess I try and find somewhere to save on thermo then...ugh, might be hard as I pretty much already deleted everything excess as I could...

Thanks. :3

*super wide eyes* LOL THAT IS AWESOME. I've been so wrapped up in my projects that I haven't checked the last few spotlights, and yet there I am!!! 		2009-10-06 07:16:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Yeah, but we must do something to bring it to Cool Pages. 2009-10-06 07:40:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

Okay, I managed to delete a bunch of excess dark matter and also removed a few point bubbles that I thought detracted anyway. The high score can't be obtained anymore, but meh, this isn't a score based level anyway.

I hope this finally fixes the problem, because if not I have no idea what else I could remove. :blush:

The Cool pages would be pretty cool. 		2009-10-06 09:32:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Well, the only way to get it on cool pages is to republish it in a separate locaion on the planet. You only get 7 days to get on cool pages anymore. So from the minute you publish the clock starts ticking. Check out RangerZero's "Everything about Cool pages" thread - he explains it in great detail.2009-10-06 15:55:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

I tried this level a while ago and gave up at the second puzzle. After reading this thread today, I decided to give it another go! Thankfully I was able to finish it this time!

Pros:
- The visuals were stunning in parts (light show at the end, WOW!)
- I liked all the secret areas - I think I found 5 or 6?
- The story was really cool (well written too)
- The lighting throughout the level was nice
- The huge eye ball was a simple idea, but so cool to look at! I liked that you electrified some of the material around the eye ball
- I liked the idea of the split vehicle
- I loved all the moving parts that were connected with wobble bolts
- The room where you have to jump was fun
- I thought the color puzzle was a brilliant idea
- Again.. the ending was awesome!

Suggestions:
- The sackboy puzzle took me a while to complete, even though I knew what it was supposed to look like. Once I realized the trick with the legs, then I was good to go. Maybe have some sort of hint pointing the player in the right direction? Like some have said before, a lot of people might quit at this point if they get stumped (I did the first time!). It was also difficult to maneuver those pieces, but I'm not sure that can be helped.
- The check point just before the sackboy puzzle - you might want to consider moving that. I died about 4 or 5 times and it was just a little annoying to have to run back. I think it would work well if you moved the check point to the small square room with the flower, just to the left of the puzzle.

Overall:
5 :star:'s
Tagged: Beautiful
Hearted
Great Job!!		2009-10-06 16:58:00

Author:
Powershifter
Posts: 668

So I added another checkpoint just after the spikes/before the puzzle room and I think the therm is okay with it. :3

I also added another speech bubble about the puzzle that should help a bit...I may change it's activation though, so it doesn't set off until the puzzle is started. I don't think there is much more I could add to help though without just telling people the order of the puzzle, lol (no way to change the puzzle either as the therm is way to close to the top to even tinker with it)		2009-10-06 23:34:00

Author:
halomcap
Posts: 41

Is that the ATIS mighty eye?2010-06-04 21:01:00

Author:
ValinKrai
Posts: 21


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