Archive: 21 posts

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Hiya Everyone! Happy New Year! Soooo-- Have you ever played one of your own levels so many times you find it impossible to be objective any longer? Well I have and my name is Gravel... and I think I need your help! So I am nearing completion of my latest level, (another piece of my Christmas level that never saw the light of day) not by choice--but by thermometer. I am currently overheated but will find away around what I can. It is Named Fortune and Glory: Harrisons' Fjords. The Description reads something like this: Welcome to exotic Harrisons' Fjords-- What better pace to make a name for yourself? Discover the Treasure of the YETI, go whale-watching... explore! This and more is waiting for you at luxurious Harrisons' Fjords! Booking 1P accomodations now! Some screen caps: Peter Penguins ice floes woes... http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=913&pictureid=9999 Yeti have marvelous full-heads of hair... just be careful of the sideboards... (originally inspired by Christmas *sings* "...and a partridge in a yeti!" http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=913&pictureid=9998 Whale of a tale! http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=913&pictureid=9997 The keyhouse. http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=913&pictureid=9996 Where you come in: Over the next couple of days I'll need some beta-testers... don't know how many depending on the amount of responses (here) and feedback... Please don't be offended if I dont select you... nothing personal, just looking for a cross-cut of this site that is willing to give in-depth well thought feedback. As well post in eventual Level showcase... This level may not be for you, it has a trick beginning as well as a very unusual ending mechanic. It relies on text and exploration and unfortunately is a little emptier than I had hoped... It is my first work with featuring water. Anyone interested please reply in this thread or pm me. Thanks, Gravel

2010-01-01 16:50:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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I'm game, solely based on the clever title.

2010-01-01 20:05:00 Author: Schneidy-Man Posts: 7

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Me too. Good title. I'll be sure to look for it.

2010-01-02 13:26:00 Author: BasketSnake Posts: 2391

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I'm in. I've never had a thermo-heavy level before sooooooooooooo uhh can't help with that. Hope you don't have to split it into parts =(

2010-01-03 02:50:00 Author: Unknown User

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I have now placed a key for this 'Work In Progress' in my vault, "Gravel's Safe House" and am still looking for feedback while trying to keep its' rating intact. Thank You for your support and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas...

2010-01-05 15:59:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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So, I don't need a code to get into your safehouse? Or I do? Send me the code!

2010-01-05 16:05:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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My main account won't work with keys most of the time so I may beg for a guided tour? Send an invite over if I'm on and I'll gladly marvel at your eye candy Then scream at you (nicely of course) as I meet death in any number of ways. Love ya Gravel

2010-01-05 16:14:00 Author: Morgana25 Posts: 5983

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Cooooooooodeeeeeeee Pleeeeeaaaasssssseeeeee!

2010-01-05 16:40:00 Author: Unknown User

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I have Faith in you-- even though you do not in your self-- Trust in your self...You can divine the Truth.

2010-01-05 17:59:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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I have Faith in you-- even though you do not in your self-- Trust in your self...You can divine the Truth. Sounds like any combo will do! I will check it out this evening.

2010-01-05 18:51:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383

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hmmm i love the title sounds interesting. so yeah i would like to test it! hmm and for the thermo.. i already told ya some stuffs you can do ^-^

2010-01-06 00:38:00 Author: Joey Posts: 758

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Sounds like any combo will do! I will check it out this evening. "I never said anything of the sort! ...Scandalous! ...the implications are resounding!!! Do I sound outraged enough!?! I suppose next ya'll be trying to convince us that there's NO Santy Claus... he's just some hysterical group psychosis brought about by some horrible nerve agent terrorist attack... a psyche-heating blanket if you will... chicken soup for the soul?"

2010-01-06 01:42:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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LOL!! Oh well, I "guessed" the correct number once again! ..now only if the Lottery was so cooperative. I have to say as usual, WOW visually. However, I see the need for some fine tuning as far as game play. Not sure I like the Pop on entry bit, though it looked amazingly cool. However, do you have a thing for naked spotlights? That part doesn't quite make sense, but ummmm never mind. The little boat ride thingy with the jump feature is kinda cool. Though it seemed to me if I did actually make it to the bear without trying it, not sure how I would make it back to the fishy. So I finally was able to complete that sequence on a later attempt on the level. It also seemed that not always would the boat respawn at the dock if I wasn't successful springing up. I did make it past the bear, on through the water and up to the top of the next segement to the race. Though it was a later play that made me realize the race was in the other direction to the Santa and other such warm coated guys. At least I finally did see a finish line up there somewhere. If you do go to the left the water rises and you can access the entire first part of the level which doesn't quite make sense. When I went too far, the water lowered, I died and had no way to get back since the boat was now gone though I may have remembered that sequence incorrectly. Maybe segment that somehow or lower the water if they get up to the bear again? Not sure how you were wanting that all to transpire. Though the turtle was fun to sorta race if I was really supposed to go that way!! When I did go right for the race and did the bouncy things, if I missed I was in the water staring at a cool looking fish with no real way to get back up. However, if I did go a bit left I could have sat in the water and absorb all the dropping point bubbles till I hit a zillion points. ...ahhh but the secret is where is that danged scoreboard at that point to prove it? I suggest limiting the lifetime on those bubbles a few seconds. ..and what were the chattering teeth for? Oh well.. At any rate I popped and was able to get back up to the bearded bouncy guys and finally died and ran out of lives. I think you have some great elements in the level, really nice wondrous stuff I might add! I am just not exactly sure what all the intended paths are or if it is supposed to be semi free roaming. Please advise and I will give it another go!

2010-01-06 02:54:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383

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I played this last night. I can definately see potential here - it is nice visually and has good concepts. The biggest issue is direction.... I felt lost most of the way through and I started to have a feeling of just seeing random things. For instance, on the first playthrough: Sat in the cage for awhile waiting for something to happen. Had no idea I was supposed to pop so I swam around the cage for a bit. Eventually I killed myself and spawned somewhere else. I think you will lose quite a few players here. Personally, I would probably have the screen go black and kill the player after a bit. I got on the ice boat and drifted for a bit. Read the text box that told me to grab if I had problems. Jumped onto a button which bounced me into the air, to the left, and into death. Heading the text box, I then jumped on the button and grabbed - which then let me drop into the cavern on the right. I got to the top and went left and ran into a race gate. Since I approached it from the right, I thought the race was to the left... so I unsuccessfully started going to the left thinking I was racing (found out later the race was actually in the opposite direction). From that point on I was TOTALLY lost and had no idea what I was doing in the level. Now, keep in mind - on another playthrough I started to get the idea but I think quite a few people will get lost and decide your level is just a bunch of random objects and miss the point. Even on more of an "open world" level I would make sure the player is led through and it's clear what they are trying to accomplish.

2010-01-06 13:08:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430

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You know I respect you both and appreciate your time, patience, and help! Well it is a work in progress... but I am a little embarassed... I think it's a pretty good level and well... obviously, I am the one lost. As long as we have pleasing to the eye 'things' and 'unique' game mechanics this level is going to work. #1 Of course popping is unpleasant... and it should be unpopular... but it's got to be... I have to question though the lack of direction here? Like, the dialogue box saying "wake-up" the "popping" noise every 5 seconds accompanied by a floating sign that bursts through the surface of the water saying, "POP" directly to the right of the player isn't enough? I was trying to be crystal clear. The player is trapped, but I am not taking the players life-- Popping is integral or... points to the 'ending game mechanic' if I ever clarify the level enough. --I think you guys are mostly right... especially in open water direction is a problem... any ideas? #2 The race gate...(?) i dont get it. Isn't there only one way to go thru a race gate? Haven't we all been trained enough atleast to agree on that? [exasperated] The level must be pretty bad if I can un-train veteran gamers this quickly... The race goes to the Left [the direction the gate faces]. Down the cliff. [spotlite] Right on the angled ramp, now filled w/water [green neon emitted arrow] Up the flooded jump chute. [by use of the cute snail] Left through our 3 ice cubes. (then) Up (2nd jump pad) or Right (utilizing 'that' grab switch.) depending on your skills. Effectively the player passes the same set of obstacles three times. 1) No water. 2) With 1/2 water. 3. Full water. needing to adapt three different strategies... and I thought it was sheer genius... Pass three Yeti and your home free... Now I expected feedback like, "its silly to point to side ventures utilizing grab switches and magic mouths--when in the middle of the race... " Not do I go left? or right? The checkpoint disappeared... The waters getting deep... *glub* sputter* ack*

2010-01-06 19:49:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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Cool.. it is important to see the vision from your eyes so we can possibly translate that a bit to the rest of us. Really sounds like an awesome concept! Maybe if you block the path right at the gate until the number of laps you want are complete. Otherwise players can go right and skip your race like CCubbage and I did. The next part since I did indeed go that way once, is not allowing the player to go back all the way to the left past the bear. Otherwise the water level switch over that way drops the water level and you instantly die. Maybe a wall or some wacky other bear that says... Nooooo the race is that way!!! Also help them realize this is a 3 lap race. Possibly like Compher did in his race sequence. Another thought is in the Yeti sequence... is there a way to get back up? I can't remember. There is a fish in the cage, is that to signify that you need to pop again? ..again, what you have looks really cool and think it could be a fun concept, but I think what you intended isn't translating as you think it might. More than happy to try again or help you think through all this!!

2010-01-06 20:58:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383

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Of course popping is unpleasant... and it should be unpopular... but it's got to be... I have to question though the lack of direction here? The reason I specifically got confused was because I've never seen it done before. I've seen the player be killed in order to force him to another checkpoint, however I've never seen the player be expected to "pop" themselves without explicite directions to do so - especially at the opening of a level. Besides, it is actually "retrying" (even though we sometimes call it popping ourselves). Visually, it had the feeling of a puzzle - it was hard to see through the edges of the cage to realize there was no opening anywhere. Obviously, I figured it out after a bit... but I can absolutely guarrantee most players will miss this point for a while, mainly because its a play mechanic they haven't experienced before. As for race gates, they can be flipped either way and a race can go in either direction. I use both directions for races in Roll Out the Barrel. And since I approached the race gate from the right... and I thought I was headed in the correct direction... that's where I ran when the race started. --I think you guys are mostly right... especially in open water direction is a problem... any ideas? Generally in open-world-type levels clear instructions are contained at the moment you interact with the person/thing that gives you a task. For instance, in "Sack's in the City" a guy might tell you to find a key card at a specific address. That points you in the right direction. You may have done this, but I was really confused and lost by that time. I will try the level again and see if I can figure out some more of the pieces, but you will NEVER get feedback as valuable as the initial play. Even if I figured out everything in subsequent plays, in LBP generally you only get 1 shot at capturing the player.

2010-01-06 21:07:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430

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Well, you asked me to lock this, but I figure you'd probably prefer some feedback. Let me know if you still want it locked. Anyways, I was eventually able to figure out how to pop myself in the cage (the floating words helped), but I wasn't feeling the big exposed light. I'm not sure if you just like the look or what. Anyways, I started playing the level and the feeling I had through the whole thing was of confusion. (It's been a couple of days) but I wasn't really sure of my motivation for everything. There seemed to be a story, but I may have missed it. The platforming parts were clearer (I remember little launch pads), but then I got to a point where I wasn't sure what to do next. Then I fell off to the right into an area I don't think I was supposed to go yet. Confused, I turned it off. The best suggestion I have is to go into your level and play is like an idiot. Player confusion and getting to areas you aren't supposed to go to are never good in a level. I know you are trying to do something different, but you can't abandon the traditional emphasis on straight-forward gameplay. Just put yourself anywhere in the level and ask yourself "is it obvious what I'm supposed to do here?" I had the same feeling with the ghostbusters level. I hope you don't give up on this level, as it has some good stuff, but you may want to think about controlling the players movement more. Perhaps more linear? I don't know. I wish I knew what your end goal for the level was.

2010-01-09 16:46:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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Awww.. please don't have this locked Gravel. I am willing to give you much more advice, but I didn't hear any response back after my last comments so I assumed you were simply working on changes. If you are needing more plays after any changes as well as more thoughts and advice I am there for you buddy! Just keep me updated on how I can help!

2010-01-09 18:37:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383

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I just wrote two of the longest posts in my posting career... Those of you who read me know... that's saying something... in short it was the same post twice, as two separate power failures intercepted both messages. That makes about 15 PF's today! It's cyclical. About every eight months or so the world really pours down hard on me. It's payback for how truly blessed I am. Thank you all for your support, but, I fear-- what I am requiring to make successful levels-- goes far beyond the scope of any one thread. When I release this I will open the appropriate level showcase thread. I hope to see you all there. Lock this down please Compher... while I appreciate your sentiment and thank you for your time, more linear is just not the type of thing that is going to help a level that overheats when i power-up the ps3... I will take it to heart next time... please dont think ill of me... I just wasted over an hour of my time... and its the culmination... I really do respect you all. Thanks again!

2010-01-09 21:08:00 Author: Gravel Posts: 1308

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Locked by request.

2010-01-09 21:23:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338

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