Archive: 12 posts

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Jackofcourse's Guide to Creating [PSP] The base of this is my creating guide for the ps3. But pretty much all of it applies to creating on the psp as well so I thought I would post it here too. Seeing as they are totally different communities I'm sure there are members here that never venture over to the ps3 side of the forum. Note: Google Chrome messed up the layout so there's quite a few typos where spaces have been deleted...bear with me I'll get through them all eventually There are also a few tips regarding aspects that are new to create mode in LBP PSP in the second post. More will be added soon. 1. To plan or not to plan... Now I know everyone says always plan your level out and while this is definitely a good idea, you have to be flexible with what you're working with too. Many times I have ideas on paper or in my head, and then when you try to put them in the game you realise that it doesn't quite work that way and you have to 'LittleBigPlanetise' them. However, in terms of creating on the psp, it is probably wise to have a good idea of what you want to do before you try it. It is somewhat less forgiving than the ps3 version and as a result can get quite frustrating if you don’t be careful. 2. Getting Inspired 2.1 If you're struggling to think of something else to put in your level just mess around in create mode, play with the shapes and move stuff around, it is a good way to get inspired and come up with new ideas. (Usually it’s a good idea to do this in a blank level to ensure you don’t mess anything up you’ve created already). 2.2 Play other levels, but don't just try and get from the start to the end as fast as you can. Study them, look at how they've been made, analyse the mechanics. The level doesn't have to be amazing for you to be inspired by it, most creators will have at least one thing in their level that you think is cool, it could even be something that's not so great at the moment, but something that has potential and that you can build upon. Note; there is a big difference between being inspired and copying. 2.3 Ask friends and family. This one may seem a bit strange, I shall explain. Quite a few people who have seen me creating, who have never played LBP and are only familiar with it from watching me for 10 minutes every now and then, have come up with some decent ideas for me. The chances are that they won't be perfect and the idea they have won't be able to be implemented into LBP exactly (which is understandable considering they don't know that much about the creating aspect of the game), but it is something to work with, an idea that you can mould and shape into your own. 3. Aesthetics 3.1 Pick a set number of materials and stick to them. In my levels I tend to I use 3-4 background materials, and then a sponge material for things you have to grab. This technique, I believe, is the best way to make sure your levels are as professional and as polished as possible. It ensures that everything compliments each other (as long as the materials you have picked do, obviously). 3.2 Using both planes efficiently is very important. If your level does not need the 2 planes then simply do not use them. Using both when only 1 is required is just making more work for yourself, and also makes things that little more complicated for the player. If only one layer is needed, only give them one layer to play on. I tend to just use the amount of layers necessary for what I'm trying to achieve. So parts of them have 2 layers, other areas have just the 1. The planes can obviously be used very effectively for decoration and helpadd to the atmosphere of the levels. When doing this you must be very careful that you do not create problems for the players in regards to plane shifting. Always consider how others may play your level, a good way to physically test this out is to go through your level and just jump around even when you don't have to, this will help you seen if at any time your Sackboy move between layers unnecessarily. As a creator it is very easy to lose sight of how thelevel works, you know exactly when/how to jump, the general community doesn’t,and this can end up causing a lot of (very frustrating) problems with thelayers. Since LBP PSP only has 2 layers compared to the 3 available in the PS3 version it does mean that it isn’t as much of a issue, but it is still something that you should definitely be aware of as a creator. 4. Pacing 4.1 Pacing is one of the main points to creating a good level. No one wants to be running aimlessly down a corridor forever, Nor does it help if everything is too tightly bunched. If Sackboy is doing nothing but running for ages, it is very uninteresting as a player. Not only that but you are making more work for yourself by creating corridors and platforms that are unnecessarily long. Similarly having everything too close together can lead to frustrating gameplay and can also be a waste if you have some good visuals. Giving them the right amount of space can really benefit the feel of the level. 4.2 Another tip on pacing is to have a safe place after each obstacles/area for the players to rest for a moment (usually accompanied by a checkpoint). This doesn’t have to be a big area, something that just takes Sackboy a few seconds to jog past. Personally, this also helps me as a creator. After I’ve created an area of my level, I like to create a small platform and then it allows me to move on from there in whatever direction I like. It helps you see the level from a fresh perspective and ensures you aren’t distracted by what you have previously done. It can also help ensure things don’t break. By making the level in sections like this it helps split the level up and ensure that everything isn’t stuck together (and we all know what kind of problems that can cause). 5. Perseverance 5.1 The way I make things (and this can take a lot of time but I feel it's worth it) is once you think of a concept or obstacle make it in an area away from your level. Usually the first time you make something it isn't quite right and you have to change things...but if you change too many things it can start looking unpolished and ugly, or not working exactly right. Once you know exactly what you’re doing and how you want it to work, start it from scratch and remake it in your level. This ensures that it is built in its most efficient form as there will be no added bits that are unnecessary or parts that are unpolished. Obviously I’m not suggesting do this for everything as it isn’t always necessary, but with more complicated concepts it is definitely beneficial. This is even more important in the PSP version as as I mentioned earlier, it is far less forgiving than the PS3, and as a result it’s much harder to just ‘wing it’. 5.2 Another thing which is even more time consuming is be willing to adapt. Often when you’re making something you will think of a way to make it better, sometimes it can be right at the start of the building process (always nice), other times it can be when it is nearly done (not so nice). My advice is no matter at what stage of the making process you are at, if you have an idea that will make it better, implement it. I spent 2 hours making one part of my level the other day, only to think up something that would make it so much better just as I was applying the final touches. I deleted it all and started that part again. Although it is annoying at the time, when your new improved idea has been made, it is so much more rewarding. 6. Frustrations 6.1 Never get attached to an idea. There will be some ideas that you love, you will implement it, and it won't work as well as you had hoped, it could be that it's a bit fiddly, that it's too hard, or any number of other reasons. Saying 'Well you just have to do it this way and it's easy', is not an acceptable answer. The best levels are intuitive and as a player you always know what you have to do/where you have to go. I've played many levels where you get to a jump or something similar and it is seemingly impossible, you then watch the creator do it and he does something that you would just never think of. Just because it is possible but there's a little 'knack' to it, doesn't make it okay. 6.2 EVERYTHING must reset or have an alternate wa yacross. At no point in your level should you die and then be unable to complet eit. If you have an idea but it isn't possible for it to be able to resetitself, or for you to make an alternate route, then scrap it. No matter how good it is, it isn't worth making your level breakable. 7. Score Bubbles = Replay Value 7.1 Score Bubbles. I have a method with bubbles in that I put them in groups of 3. This is probably just for aesthetic reasons and because I believe they look better than one lonely bubble. 7.2 Anyway, my main point to bubbles is the quanity of them in the level. They should be placed into your level where they work nicely. You should never compromise the gameplay or look of a level by having an overly excessive number of bubbles in one particular area, after all, your level isn't about bubbles, they're just secondary. On most my levels the top score fits between around 2,000-4,000. For the standard platforming level I believe this should be around what the most should aim for. This is all definitely subjective, but personally, I like levels where there is a reasonable amount of bubbles so I can track what I'm doing, and not just be thrown into a pile of them getting a ridiculous combo that you can't really judge or plan. I believe being prudent with them, and only having them in well placed areas also helps the replay value. If I play agood level, and the bubbles have been distributed well, that will spur me on to play the level again and try and get the top score, because I know it's down to skill and not just a matter of getting lucky and being thrown into the bubbles in a particular way. 8. Prize Bubbles The following are rules which I believed should be followed when usingprize bubbles: 8.1 NEVER put them where they are unavoidable, , I just don't believe this is how they should be used. Use score bubbles for that. Prize bubbles should be placed in out of way places, places that take a bit ofextra effort to reach, maybe you need to poke around and explore to find it, maybe you need some extra special ninja like platfomring skills. If you manage to get a prize bubble, it should feel like an achievement. 8.3 Whereas with score bubbles your level should define where they are placed, I believe a prize bubble to be the opposite. If you want to put a prize bubble somewhere good that will have the players scratching their heads, that area will probably have to be custom built to accommodate it. Alot of people, if told 'you can't reach that', will try their utmost to prove you wrong. It's this human mentality that should be expolited here. (Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, I know an equal, if not more, amount of people who will just want to run through the level as fast as they can and not care about anything else). 8.4 Don't have prizes just for the sake of it, if you don't think there is anything in your level that anyone would find useful, then don't put it in. It really does have to be something special for someone to actually want it. Logic based items or cool contraptions are good kind of things to use. Things like custom made tables and chairs etc should be avoided. Everyone can make them themselves. I believe, if placed well, both score bubbles and prize bubbles can adda lot to the level. These are just a few of the things I stick to that help ensure a good return on replay value. 9. Sounds effects 9.1 Sounds can really add atmosphere and emphasise on the mechanics that are taking place. A lot of the time I think of a contraption (the stairs that go from 3 to 5 in Tribal Ruins [PS3] for example) and I think, 'oh yes that will look awesome!!'...then I make it, and it feel a little underwhelmed and that it's not as impactful as I first thought it would be. From experience, this is where sounds can really help. Without them that part seems quite tame and nothing that special or different, but with them, it brings it all to life and back like I originally thought it would be. Here is a few ways that I use them: 9.2 Multiple sounds: You can actually use them over the top of each other, so for example doors opening in Industrial Assistance (PS3), that noise is actually a mixture of mechanism engaged and metal impact. If you're not getting what you think is right from the basic sounds and the slider bar that changes them, try a few different ones over the top of each other and see how that works. The great thing about this is that you can just keep experimenting until you find something that works. 9.3 Similarly I often place more than one speaker to be used on the same part. I just copy the speaker and place it right next to the original and then change the slider bar on it ever so slightly, this can add a bit of surround sound effect or just simple make more noise soit has more impact. 9.4 The sound being used at the right time is also a big thing. Sometimes it's not always best to just connect them upto the switch that is activating where you want the noise to appear it's coming from. For example sections in my most my levels, I'll have it that you do something, then you'll hear the mechanism noise like something is working in the background, and then after a short delay the mechanics or platform will pop up and do whatever it's doing. Short delays like that and messing around with the sounds so that they're played just at the right time can add a lot of impact and emphasises on the mechanics it is showcasing. 10. Layout and Flow This is quite a big section and some of the points could probably have their own bit but it's all closely related so I'm going toput it all together. Getting the layout and pacing of the level is very important for the flow and creating those 'wow' moments. While I mentioned about pacing earlier it was more of a general overview as appose to commenting on the different areas in the level. 10.1 The start: Firstly, the obvious thing; it is a good idea to make the opening scene of your level as 'wow' as possible. As everyone knows first impressions are very crucial, especially when the choice of levels is so vast, so ensuring that it looks the best it can is imperative! 10.2 The middle/General points: Gameplay wiseit is a good idea to keep it simple at the start, as a rule levels should increase in intensity and complexity as the player gets further along. They're a lot less likely to want to continue if they keep dying straight away. Ease them into the level with some quite simple gameplay at first. Another good thing to do is if you have one specific contraption or idea that is going to be used throughout the level isto ease them into this at first too. I will use 'Die Save Reload' (PS3) as my example. The first puzzle is quite simple and even though it is the same premise throughout the level, it slowly increases in complexity and difficulty.This helps move the level along and keep it interesting. Flow is very important! 10.3 The end: Now the ending can be quite a tricky one to get right. I'll split it up quite generally into 3 different types. Boss fight, your average 'walk onto the scoreboard ending' and lastly, some kind of epic ride. Now a boss fight is probably the most common. Personally I'm not really a fan of them (as you can tell with the fact I've never made one). I feel they're only worth doing if they're truly innovative. If it's just 'dodge and shoot this massive creature until you hit it enough times to kill it' I'm probably going to have seen it a million times before so it's not going to thrill me. I'd suggest only making a boss if you really do have a new innovative idea that hasn't been seen before. Just a normal tame ending is a hard one to judge. It totally depends on the level, sometimes it can be satisfying, sometimes it can feel a bit of a let down. The 'epic ride' can be very good if done well. It doesn't have to be a vehicle ride or anything too complex. It's basically making the player get launched to the scoreboard sothey have no choice in the matter. This one is probably totally subjective, butto me, it just feels a little more satisfying than just plodding along until I reach the scoreboard. Once again I would like to point out that just a 'normal' ending is by no means a bad thing. It's just a hard thing to comment on because there isn't much I can say about it. It totally depends on the level itself. 10.4 Length: Now this is a very difficult one to get right and please everyone. It's pretty much impossible. Personally I feel it's better to leave them wanting more rather than less. It's much better to have someone saying 'omg that was awesome, I wish it was longer!' than 'this level is cool but it's kind of dragging...when's it going to end?'. I experienced this with FT2 (PS3), in my opinion, that level is far too long. I like my levels to be around the 5 minute mark, a level that you can jump in and have a quick blast on. For a few people this is too short, but I think that shouldn't effect their judgement of it, as a level should be rated on what IS there, not what ISN'T. It also depends on how well it flows and moves along, I try to get my levels to flow along quite quickly and feel like you're always on the move, which tends to make the level feel shorter than it actually is

2009-12-30 20:38:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

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Getting used to PSP create mode: Making shapes Now anyone who has used the ps3 create mode will be aware that you can add to shapes even after they’ve been placed and cut out holes out of them etc. Seeing as this isn’t an option onthe psp it is imperative that you get to grips with the corner editing tool. While it can take some getting used to, there is no doubt that this is one of the most valuable and handy tools at your disposal. In order to create organic shapes and real environments you have to use it to its full potential. TIP: You can actually corner edit more than one corner at once. If you draw a box around all the corners you wish to edit, you can move them all simultaneously. For example, if you have created a small platform for sackboy to walk across and then decide you want to make it longer, by drawing a box around both corners at once, it not only halves the work, but also ensures that they are kept just as parallel as they were before. Static and Dynamic This is probably the best improvement that has been made on the psp over the ps3. Not having to stick everything down with dark matter definitely helps. TIP: When placing all the shapes into your level, I would advise that you leave them as static until you are fully ready to set the mechanics up of whatever they are doing. This just ensures that if you unpause by accident everything doesn’t come crashing down. Of course, the rewind function is there if this happens, but it isn’t quite as reliable as the ps3 version and could end up rewinding further back than necessary. Rewinding alsoadds to the drifting bug that is currently bothering a lot of people. NOTE: When gluing objects together it will make them all share the same static/dynamic status (i.e, if you change one, they all change with it). Not sure how this would be helpful in anyway but just worth noting. Drifting bug Now the drifting bug is what is causing a lot of the create mode problems at the moment. When you rewind and unpause etc, it can cause materials and objects to drift from where they should be. However, there is a solution to this for the time being until Cambridge fix it. The bug doesn’t affect anything that has been corner edited, no matter how little. So anything that gets placed into your level, just corner edit it straight away to ensure this bug doesn’t affect you. (Credit to Gilgamesh for finding this workaround) TIP: An easy way to do this is to actually put in add an extra corner when you’re placing the material into the level with the brush tool, and then just choose the corner editor and delete it. Gluing Now gluing isn't as precise as it is in the ps3 version. The only options you have are to glue backwards or to the side (ps3 you can glue forwards and to specific objects too). Now due to it's limitations it is always better to be cautious when it comes to gluing. For example if you have two things in the front layer that you wish to glue together, but there is also something behind them in the back layer, then all 3 things would be glued together. This is because you can't just glue in a specific direction so anything that is directly touching the thing you want to glue, will also be glued. The easiest way to get around this is to simply glue things together away from everything else. This will ensure that the only thing you glue together are the exact things that you want. TIP:Similarly if you are gluing buttons/levers to the floor whilst there is a background immediately behind it, I would always advise you corner edit the background out of the way while you do this. It will just ensure that the button/lever is only stuck to the floor and therefore minimise any potential problems. Buttons and Levers Now this is another area where the game can be quite troublesome. Once you stick them down, it is very difficult to detach them. Selecting the actual switch and trying to delete it DOES NOT work in most cases, what will have is it will delete everything that the switch is attached to. (If you notice at the bottom of the screen where it should say 'detach' it actually says 'delete&apos. The only way to get around this once you have stuck them down is to click on the actual material that they are attached to, and you notice it gives you the option to 'detach'. This may sound okay, but you consider that there may be a lot of others things attached to this material that you don't want to unstick! TIP:There's two ways I have found to circumvent problem: Simply don't stick them down until your level is finished. (This is also advisable because of the drifting bug when it comes to levers.) Or, what I usually do, create a tiny bit of material and glue the lever to that. You can then place this bit of material wherever you usually would. If you do ever need to unglue it, it's not an issue because nothing else will ever be stuck to this material. I prefer to use the second method because I like to playtest my level often and I like every section to be totally finished before I move on, and this obviously isn't the case if you have unglued levers all over the place Will add more to this soon.

2009-12-30 20:39:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

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nice guide ill try and keep it in mind

2009-12-30 20:47:00 Author: gareth Posts: 81

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Hey jackofcourse, Thanks for putting this together! I read it all verbatim and found it as fulfilling, if not more, as an academic lecture. I felt every bit of advice was necessary and concisely written, especially the note on the repercussion of gluing objects together; I had problems with that. I'm sure this will be very useful for upcoming PSP creators who may be intimidated and overwhelmed at first. Thanks again for taking the time... Corner-editing everything, jeffcu28

2009-12-30 21:06:00 Author: jeffcu28 Posts: 648

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Thanks a lot Jeffcu The top one has been created for a while and just something I altered to make relevant to the psp. The second post is obviously quite new and is something I will add to when I'm creating and come across anything I think might be useful. I know it's a text heavy guide, it started off as quite reasonable but as I've added more and more sections it's obviously grew considerably. Hope it is helpful to some!

2010-01-01 18:01:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

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Thanks for this awesome guide! I have read it all, and this has really helpful knowledge for Creators who want to Create. You haz earned youself a bowl of cookiez!!!1!1!eleven1! (Misspelling Intended )

2010-01-01 22:11:00 Author: Black265 Posts: 208

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Added a new section in the PSP part (second post).

2010-01-11 00:00:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

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What do you do with emmiters moving the area were they are placed, I cant make my level because it heavily needs emmiters in both gameplay and logic. secondly what about pistons because no matter what i do most of the time the object it is holding up tilts even though its set to stiff. I'm just wanting to create this level in PS3 now but it wont get anywhere on the ps3.

2010-01-11 09:49:00 Author: robotiod Posts: 2662

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Great guide Jack, will be helpful when trying to finish my PSP level.

2010-01-14 20:51:00 Author: tanrockstan34 Posts: 1076

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What do you do with emmiters moving the area were they are placed, I cant make my level because it heavily needs emmiters in both gameplay and logic. secondly what about pistons because no matter what i do most of the time the object it is holding up tilts even though its set to stiff. I'm just wanting to create this level in PS3 now but it wont get anywhere on the ps3.Some objects seem to store up kinetic energy for some reason and will go nuts when attached to pistons. To solve this problem, just corner edit the object like you would in order to prevent the drifting bug. Objects on pistons will also tend to tilt if they are touching something, so make sure there's at least a tiny gap between the object and everything else, and don't attach anything to the object with rods, strings, etc.

2010-01-14 21:03:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

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Really good guide, I've already experienced most of these issues except the switches. Some really cool information with selecting multiple corners at a time and fixing the drifting bug, I'll need to keep those in mind. Anywho, something else to add is the issue with saved objects. (saved object meaning an object copied out of your popit, not an original that you made for that level and simply saved). 1: You CANNOT add to or alter a saved object. That means you can't detach parts of it, remove switches / mouths / etc. on it, add switches / mouths / etc. You CAN rotate the object or glue it to something but not much else. 2: You CAN utilize any switches that were saved along with the object, which means that you can connect them to other things in your level to have them work as activators, attach outside switches to parts of your saved object to activate them, and detach switches on your object that were originally saved as attached. Be careful attaching switches to dissolve material though, whenever a switch is deleted it will destroy the dissolve material as well. 3: You CANNOT edit the settings for a switch or mouth attached to your saved object. This means that whatever settings it had when the object was originally saved will be permanent for any copies of that object (you can still edit the original however). 4: You CANNOT save an object with emitters on it. This might be the root of some confusion so just thought I'd mention it. It's just a simple fail safe since an emitter has to keep track of an extra object, which means a saved object with an emitter would save multiple objects in one. (Just think how messy an object with multiple emitters would be.) 5: This was mentioned already, but if a saved object is glued to something and you try to delete that object, EVERYTHING that is glued to that object and EVERYTHING that is glued to anything that is glued to that object will be deleted as well. Be mindful of this and as Jack mentioned a good solution is to attach the object to a simple piece of material that you can set as static and slip into place without attaching it to anything else. A tip for saving objects. If you want to save two disconnected pieces as a single object (for instance you want to use it for an emitter or use it multiple times in your level) you can attach the pieces with a rod / string / elastic / whatever and set that rod / string / etc. to invisible. The two pieces will count as connected when you save them, but they won't be glued together (meaning they can still move independently of each other) and the two otherwise unconnected pieces will be saved together. One warning, any rods / strings / etc. saved with an object become permanent for any copies besides the original, so if you try to delete it you'll be getting rid of the entire object. But yeah, really good guide, this is just some things to think about.

2010-01-14 21:39:00 Author: SirPaper Posts: 150

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very good guide. i hope you or someone else does a guide on pistons, they hate me!

2010-11-14 01:34:00 Author: jimydog000 Posts: 813

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