Archive: 35 posts

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"You're an explorer searching for a lost civilization. While excavating in the desert, you come across an old book. Flipping through it, your hand brushes against the pages, and suddenly everything goes dark..." Celestia is an exploration/puzzle level. It's a new take on an old story. It's meant for single player, but should be possible with multi-player. Scroll down to see some pics - although I must say, because of the nature of this level, I'm hesitant to publish pics. So I tried to select pics that wouldn't spoil anything for you. Strategy Guide Now Available - Scroll Down! http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11686 Level Patch http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11683 Journal Room http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11684 A Telescope? http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11687 ?? ------------------------------------------------------------------- After completing the level, for those of you curious about the story of Celestia, please visit this site: Celestia: An Age Abandoned - The Untold Story. (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfMmNndGpkY2Rw&hl=en) There are spoilers in this document, so please play the level first. Also, let me know if you read this - I'm interested to see what people think after playing the level and reading this document. Strategy Guide (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfNW5xZ2M3a2c5&hl=en) - For those of you who need a little help Also, there is a "Making of Celestia" (http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/album.php?albumid=773) photo album in my profile if you'd like to check that out after playing the level. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Thanks goes to the creators of the LBPC Logic Pack!! I could not have created this level the way I intended it to be if it were not for your excellence in explaining logic systems/networks. Very Special Thanks goes to my level testers: Thanatos989 Agent Banana Burnvictim42 Ladylyn1 Soulforce ------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to all who play this level. My hope is that you sit back, relax, and let Celestia become your world - if only for 12 minutes or so..

2010-01-14 17:51:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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It looks great, I'll have a look soon.

2010-01-14 18:11:00 Author: Oddmania Posts: 1305

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Wow well done for publishing! I hope people see this level for what it really is and dont just give up if they cant work out the puzzles. A virtual 5 stars and a heart from me!

2010-01-14 18:38:00 Author: ladylyn1 Posts: 836

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Woah! This is an awesome level my friend! You put a lot of effort in it but the results really pay. Aweome enchanting atmosphere and a lot of cool contraption and puzzles. Nice use of water elements. I loved it! 5 stars and a heart!

2010-01-14 18:54:00 Author: OmegaSlayer Posts: 5112

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I am pleased with the final results, Powershifter. I know you've put a lot of work into this over the last few months. I think it's your best Myst-inspired level to date. Anyone who loves a good mystery should enjoy figuring out Celestia.

2010-01-14 19:30:00 Author: thanatos989 Posts: 248

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Hi again I feel ashamed, I haven't figured it out I got stuck after using the small submarine, and coming in the room with the two wheels and the switches. I tampered with the rails but I didn't seem to change anything. Anyway, I'll try again, it looks like a great level :star: :star: :star: :star: + 1 heart anyway :hero:

2010-01-14 19:44:00 Author: Oddmania Posts: 1305

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Hi again I feel ashamed, I haven't figured it out I got stuck after using the small submarine, and coming in the room with the two wheels and the switches. I tampered with the rails but I didn't seem to change anything. Anyway, I'll try again, it looks like a great level :star: :star: :star: :star: + 1 heart anyway :hero: Strategy Guide is now available! Look for it in my first post, or click here (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfNW5xZ2M3a2c5&hl=en). Thanks for giving it a go Oddmania!

2010-01-14 20:12:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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After completing the level, for those of you curious about the story of Celestia, please visit this site: Celestia: An Age Abandoned - The Untold Story. (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfMmNndGpkY2Rw&hl=en) There are spoilers in this document, so please play the level first. Also, let me know if you read this - I'm interested to see what people think after playing the level and reading this document. Just been on this... its really cool! Haha, I actually began to think Celestia was actually known as an age and that site was written by someone else! Until I saw ur name. Its a nice edition to the level and really fills out the story... although Im know starting to think that there were secrets I missed when playing through before

2010-01-15 09:25:00 Author: ladylyn1 Posts: 836

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Just been on this... its really cool! Haha, I actually began to think Celestia was actually known as an age and that site was written by someone else! Until I saw ur name. Its a nice edition to the level and really fills out the story... although Im know starting to think that there were secrets I missed when playing through before Thanks for reading that! Yeah, I don't want to give too much away but judging from your score you missed a lot. But to be fair, I'm not sure I had all the secrets in before you left for college

2010-01-15 13:38:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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Wow, a really great level you have there. I loved the puzzles and the hidden story behind it. Seems really interesting. The atmosphere you created with Celestia is fantastic, I love how it switches from night to day. Really well done! The ending for this level is actually one of my favourites out of all the levels I played. The music, lightning just fit perfectly. Although I ran into a glitch that spoiled it all! As you jump ontop of the building and are coming down. I hopped off and missed the bridge and landed in water! Lol. It is a really fantastic level, best fun I had in ages. It's a shame it's a 3 star. 5 stars and a heart from me!

2010-01-15 18:32:00 Author: AgentBanana Posts: 511

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Although I ran into a glitch that spoiled it all! As you jump ontop of the building and are coming down. I hopped off and missed the bridge and landed in water! Lol. I knew about that, but it rarely happens! I think it's because the island is shaking. Sorry it happened to you! Maybe I can fix that with some invisible dark matter or rubber? Or just put a sign down there that says 'Learn how to jump!" EDIT: I decided that it's not necessarily a glitch, and if it happens, that's the only time the player can ever see the bottom of Planetary Island (which I thought looked cool and was a shame people wouldn't see it). So, instead of making it impossible for the player to fall, I put some gas down there so eventually the player will die and go back to the previous checkpoint, and they get to see the big branches holding up Planetary Island. And yeah, I'm not surprised at the 3 stars - too many people looking for something to run through without thinking. Thanks for the great feedback and again, thanks for being an awesome level tester!

2010-01-15 20:19:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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Great ! I'm gonna read the guide and try to complete it

2010-01-15 22:05:00 Author: Oddmania Posts: 1305

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Since yesterday I've made some updates. I thought the underwater stuff could look better, so I added more stickers - Since I have room on the thermo, I think I might go back in and work more on that when I have time. I found a glitch that no one else noticed, so I won't bother explaining it, but just know that it's fixed! I also made this thread a F4F because .. well, I'd like more feedback, and I like giving feedback Thanks to everyone who gives this level a shot. I really put my all into this one, so I hope you enjoy it. If not, please feel free to make suggestions.

2010-01-16 22:56:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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The 3 star thing does bug me though. Too many 5 stars are rate 4 because people are too lazy to move the stick a tiny bit to the right and hit X. I mean if it's an awesome level that you liked give it 5 stars. Sheesh. Nevertheless, you know it's good and those with more than 3 active braincells know it's good. BTW I'm going to have to do this jump just to see the bottom now out of sheer curiosity. And I will probably call on you whenever I get my Sherlock Holmes 2 level going.

2010-01-17 02:44:00 Author: thanatos989 Posts: 248

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About time you did a new level my friend! Im loving this new take on Myst, adding that document tells me you put a lot of thought into this and for that, i'm relieved and glad! Im getting fed up with 2D levels that just involve jumping...or bomb survival... Anyway, i managed to finish it 1st time, no guide (go me) and i have to say, easily your best. loved the unknown of it all and a history you want to know more about! I love taking my time to think about things as to how to progress or if its just simply thinking about the story (as evident in my own)...and i usually get quickly bored of just being forced through a linear platform level that's simply to uptempo for me. I like the alternative levels, slower levels, ones that have you thinking and this is one. Loved the contraptions and puzzles, well made! Loved thd odd atmosphere complimenting the mystery. Loved the adding of secrets (those i found at least) Telescope was cool and all the machinery surrounding were well made. The grand finale was brilliant! Only quips were just general mistakes from the player, like crashing the cart that transports you to the final area and thus being permanently stuck. ...and personal changes, i'd have no music through out and only ambiance for the escape to D'ni. I felt much more presence when no music was playing. So to conclude, very well done and i reckon its your finest and you can also tell your a Myst dedicated! However, i still look forward to your entirely original project... Also, whilst you wait for my next project to play test, i did put another new one up here about 2 months ago out of the blue...you can find it here https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=19515-J-W-s-%7E-Sky-Fortress&highlight=fortress It wasn't a major project of mine, just an experimentation. Its my take on a more traditional level, all the while adding my own ways to it.

2010-01-17 15:11:00 Author: Lotus_Flow3r Posts: 165

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This was the first of your levels I’ve played and I loved it. I enjoy puzzle levels and I liked the way that in this case the puzzles were woven into the story and not just tacked on in a random way. It took me a little time to get the hang of things but I think in part that is because I know nothing about Myst so the story was hard to pick up on the first playthrough. It didn’t matter too much though, because progressing in the level was possible even if I wasn’t quite certain about the linking books and who the characters were. After playing I read your Celestia story (still haven’t looked at the walkthrough because I’m missing a prize bubble and I don’t want to cheat!) and this made things very much clearer when I played for the second time. For example, first time through, when I read the missing diary pages I thought they might be oblique hints for the player, especially the one about conserving power which was confusing as I was trying to turn the power on, lol! I wouldn’t worry about it though. As I said it didn’t stop me getting to the end and enjoying it all if in a slightly bemused way. I particularly loved the atmosphere you managed to create. It was really other worldly and mysterious. The highlight was the drama you managed to create for the climax to the level. The collapsing world with the earth tremors and lightening were brilliantly done. Great choice of music too. First time through I was so sure that something terrible was going to happen if I didn’t get out as quickly as possible that I rushed through heart thumping and missed some things. Again though, after having done it once it was obvious that I would have had time to explore, which I duly did on my next visit. The puzzles were clever and all worked well, although I did have some issues about seeing the beams of light in the telescope puzzle if certain of the global lighting changes coincided with it – probably just me though. There were some really nice visual touches – loved the large golden symbol and the room with the books at the very end (there’s a visible magic mouth there – not sure if that was intended). The overall simplicity of the look of the level was nice too. The secrets were a great addition and made me come back and replay until I had found them all (apart from one last sneaky prize bubble!). Do I get extra marks for spotting the discreet “I love LBP” sticker? It made me laugh anyway, as did one of the views from the telescope! This was a very impressive and absorbing level. It grew on me the more I played it and the more I was able to appreciate the details of the design and the depth of the story. Thank you. 5 stars and hearted. PS This is a really minor nitpick but at first I found the elevators rather counter-intuitive. I kept holding R1 and so instead of being able to get out at the top I would be sent back down to the bottom again! My fault really and I did get the hang of them in the end, lol!

2010-01-17 16:18:00 Author: shropshirelass Posts: 1455

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@ Lotus_Flow3r - Thank you for the awesome feedback!!! Only quips were just general mistakes from the player, like crashing the cart that transports you to the final area and thus being permanently stuck. lol!! How did you manage to break the cart and get stuck!? Did you crash on the left side of the map (starting point) or the right side (final destination)? Depending on where you crashed, I may be able to fix that. ...and personal changes, i'd have no music through out and only ambiance for the escape to D'ni. I felt much more presence when no music was playing. Yeah I thought about that, but I'm a big fan of using music to enhance the experience. So sometimes you won't hear any music, but when something drastic happens, music will kick in to add to the overall experience. It serves a couple purposes: It adds to the atmosphere and it sort of lets the player know that they're on the right track in an indirect way. I like to play with the volumes of the music as well. So when you solve a puzzle the music will come on, but at a low volume... but then you'll get to a certain dramatic point and the music kicks in full blast. But I understand where you're coming from - music is one of those things that will always be personal opinion, and with my music background, it's tough not to use it Honestly, I still wish I could import whatever music I wanted into a level because I have a lot of instrumental music that would fit very well in my levels. But I'm also thankful for what Mm decides to give us! Also, one more thing, I debated for weeks if I should add a background to Celestia or not. Some thought I should and others thought the opposite. Ultimately it was my decision, and I decided not to add one because most of the backgrounds didn't 'make sense' with the level, and they all made Celestia feel 'small', which is opposite of what I wanted. I needed Celestia to feel huge .. which is sometimes difficult to achieve in LBP. However, i still look forward to your entirely original project... Honestly, I'm not sure that will ever happen. I just love the idea of creating 'Ages' within the story of Myst (hence the words "Writer of Ages" under my name). The possibilities are limitless, and for me, I can't think of anything more I'd want to do than contribute to the storyline of my favorite games of all time. But you never know... I'll definitely check out that level of yours when I get some free time - probably tomorrow ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @ shropshirelass - Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback! And congrats to you!! As of the last time I checked, you not only beat my score (which I purposely made possible), but you claimed the #1 spot on the scoreboard! I enjoy puzzle levels and I liked the way that in this case the puzzles were woven into the story and not just tacked on in a random way. It took me a little time to get the hang of things but I think in part that is because I know nothing about Myst so the story was hard to pick up on the first playthrough. For me, weaving the puzzles into the story was really fun I'll be honest, when I first started creating I didn't have a thought-out story.. I just knew I wanted to create my own 'Age'. But after a couple days of creating it became clear that I needed a well thought out storyline before I went any further in the creation process. So I spent about a day working out all the details. This was invaluable because from that point on, I felt I had purpose for everything I created. Granted some things would change due to limitation, but for the most part I was very happy to say that in the end I was able to accomplish everything I wanted for Celestia. I love the fact that you didn't know the Myst storyline and yet you were still able to get through the level. That was my biggest concern - To make a level that any average sackperson can complete, regardless if they knew the basic storyline or not, without sacrificing all the elements that make up a 'Myst' type level (exploration, deep story, puzzles, etc). First time through I was so sure that something terrible was going to happen if I didn’t get out as quickly as possible that I rushed through heart thumping and missed some things. Awesome although I did have some issues about seeing the beams of light in the telescope puzzle if certain of the global lighting changes coincided with it – probably just me though. Spoiler! Yeah I felt like it wouldn't make sense if the beam of light was shinning during the night time, so it'll only appear during the day (which actually makes it a piece of the puzzle). If that's not what you were talking about, then maybe you were talking about the camera angles? (there’s a visible magic mouth there – not sure if that was intended). Thank you! I will fix that - and I can't believe that no one else, including myself, noticed it lol Edit - Fixed magic mouth Do I get extra marks for spotting the discreet “I love LBP” sticker? It made me laugh anyway, as did one of the views from the telescope! Extra marks for you! I forgot to put those in the strategy guide... thanks for the reminder PS This is a really minor nitpick but at first I found the elevators rather counter-intuitive. I kept holding R1 and so instead of being able to get out at the top I would be sent back down to the bottom again! My fault really and I did get the hang of them in the end, lol! Yep! All of the elevators, and the underwater tram car, only require a touch of the grab switch. This is thanks to the LBPC Logic Pack tutorials that I went through. I liked the idea of the player only having to grab a switch once and then let the elevator do the rest - I mean.. do we hold elevator buttons down in real life? Anyway, hopefully this is a technique that will catch on in other LBP levels. Thank you again for the amazing feedback - good luck finding that last prize bubble

2010-01-17 20:11:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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@Powershifter It was the cart that you have to take left via switching switches to line the track up...i accidentally plummeted into a gap upon missing the switch and as i said, couldn't cross. As for music, i meant that it adds to the atmosphere when there is no music. The silence just complimented it all as its an isolated, huge world. Remember in my Wrath Of The Sky, i chose the classical track, something Ice (cant remember) and looped the mellow beginning section even though drastic things were happening, it just made it much more haunting and gave the level uncertainty and mystery. But, this is your level, you know the game and this story, your the boss. As for background...NO! lol it would ruin it. i find the blank background haunting...its just a large open space...and that spooks me, like the sea or space. So keep none, especially if you want a spacious feeling.

2010-01-17 21:57:00 Author: Lotus_Flow3r Posts: 165

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Spoiler! Yeah I felt like it wouldn't make sense if the beam of light was shinning during the night time, so it'll only appear during the day (which actually makes it a piece of the puzzle). If that's not what you were talking about, then maybe you were talking about the camera angles? I should have realised. You're right of course. Just another example of the puzzle being fully integrated into the story! BTW let me know if you want me to put spoiler tags around any bits of my post. I tried not to reveal too much but do just say! I agree with Lotus_Flow3r about the background. Your instincts were correct. The vastness makes it all a little eerie and helps to give Celestia its sense of mystery and otherworldliness.

2010-01-17 22:46:00 Author: shropshirelass Posts: 1455

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It was the cart that you have to take left via switching switches to line the track up...i accidentally plummeted into a gap upon missing the switch and as i said, couldn't cross. Yeah that's the second time it's happened that I know of.. I think I'll put a fail safe that when you respawn at the infinite life checkpoint the car will respawn. As for music, i meant that it adds to the atmosphere when there is no music. The silence just complimented it all as its an isolated, huge world. Remember in my Wrath Of The Sky, i chose the classical track, something Ice (cant remember) and looped the mellow beginning section even though drastic things were happening, it just made it much more haunting and gave the level uncertainty and mystery. But, this is your level, you know the game and this story, your the boss. I hear ya I should have realised. You're right of course. Just another example of the puzzle being fully integrated into the story! BTW let me know if you want me to put spoiler tags around any bits of my post. I tried not to reveal too much but do just say! I agree with Lotus_Flow3r about the background. Your instincts were correct. The vastness makes it all a little eerie and helps to give Celestia its sense of mystery and otherworldliness. lol! No problem. I'm not sure that anything you said would really help a newcomer, but maybe tag the section that talks about all the stuff at the end. thanks And yeah, I'm glad both of you agree that there didn't need to be a background. I stressed over that for a while because a couple people thought I needed it.. but I'm glad I made the decision to leave it out.

2010-01-18 01:33:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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I've just completed three updates: 1 - I spent about an hour and a half on the mine car and it will now reset itself under several circumstances. I believe I've covered every possible circumstance, so please let me know if you encounter any problems (on any of the vehicles!). 2 - I sped up the elevator on Telescope Island by 1.5 seconds. I always felt it was a bit slow. 3 - I also updated the Strategy Guide (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfNW5xZ2M3a2c5&hl=en) and the Untold Story. (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfMmNndGpkY2Rw&hl=en) Lastly - No one has commented on this, but it has bothered me for a while. The reason the elevators do not have sounds (other than the electricity sound) is because I could not find a sound that 'fit' what I think they should sound like. I own most of the extra packs in LBP, but not all. So does anyone know of a sound that would emulate a low hum? Think of The Matrix, and on their ships they have those electrified circle pads that give a nice low hum. If you can think of something, I'll gladly add it - assuming the thermometer allows for it.

2010-01-18 18:45:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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Hello! I've been meaning to play your myst levels for a while and spotting this gave me just the incentive. I love this kind of open puzzle adventure, its so refreshing and means that LBP can just be played forever and ever. I want a race? LBP. I want a platforming thrill? LBP. I want an indepth, story based, puzzling, atmospheric romp?? LBP + powershifter says yes! I have almost nothing to add as constructive criticism so I'm just going to list things I like.... custom vehicles that are original and interesting Isolated Island with no background, very little tune and good sounds I thought the books were great, but i would have put them further from one another - Perhaps one book could be in the observatory earlier on. Rising island was amazing - although I thought I would be able to enter it at some point as it looked like it had a door at the top. Good puzzles, great atmosphere, fantastic finale, good (borrowed) plot, and refreshingly different. My suggestions would be.... Either make it harder or longer. Although there is an 'open feel' to this level it is actually surprisingly linear. In most cases I dont believe you can proceed without solving a previous puzzle. My memory of myst is that you have access to quite a few areas and you can solve puzzles in any order. Because you have to solve 'in order' this actually makes them simpler as everything you need is normally in front of you. Obviously I wouldnt expect you to change that now, but next time don't be afraid to go for it! I will go back and play your other levels soon to see what you did there. slight nitpick, but right at the start, when you try and approach the treasure from the left, you can SLIGHTLY walk behind the branch. this gives the impression that there is an opening there when in fact there isnt. Perhaps you could smooth it out to be level with the branch. Stickers of your logic werent that interesting sorry, but I loved the roman numerals clue. I'd like to see sticker hints - write text on a wall, sticker it, and make it a findable bubble. Then the player actually has to go 'read the clue'. If you are interested in doing any F4F, you could check out my meddling magpie level (if you havent already!) Heart for the level, heart for you - assuming you have more like this! A polite request to beta anything new you are making! and a big thanks for making this. Adi

2010-01-18 20:31:00 Author: TheAdipose Posts: 533

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A slight nitpick, but right at the start, when you try and approach the treasure from the left, you can SLIGHTLY walk behind the branch. this gives the impression that there is an opening there when in fact there isnt. Perhaps you could smooth it out to be level with the branch. Stickers of your logic werent that interesting sorry, but I loved the roman numerals clue. I'd like to see sticker hints - write text on a wall, sticker it, and make it a findable bubble. Then the player actually has to go 'read the clue'. Thanks for the great feedback! I'll see what I can do about the opening from the left. There is actually a sand pile there that prevents you from going further. But maybe you can only see that from the right? If I make it bigger so you can see it from the left, that might make more sense. I love the idea of sticker hints..... hmmm... I might just do that, as long as it adds to the story in some way. Also, that roman numerals sticker was more of a joke I purposely made this level on the "easy/medium" side of puzzle levels because it seems like most people don't want to think. The trickiest thing in making a level like this is making it accessible to most sack people. Some, like yourself, might find it easy and linear, but others will rack their brains for a while until they either progress through the level, or just give up. I would love to make a level someday where you have a big and open area where you could go anywhere and solve any puzzle in any order to achieve an end goal. But for now, thanks for visiting Celestia! I'll definitely give your levels a shot! Also, could you wrap spoiler tags around the first section I replied on? Thanks!

2010-01-18 21:27:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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Hi Powershifter (and happy birthday!) This is a superb level, I really enjoyed it. I can't add much to what's been said already, only to say that I wished I'd included some of the puzzles in my Hyper Cube levels! Brilliant stuff, and the way the level flows and is integrated with puzzles is very clever. Well done, good stuff. Have a heart (and a birthday smooch on the chops!)

2010-01-20 20:39:00 Author: MrsSpookyBuz Posts: 1492

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Hi Powershifter, This was great. A really challenging level, which is rare to find. I liked working through the puzzles - reminded me of playing through a Zelda game a bit. The ending was great, and the mechanical pieces of the level were very well done (the "submarine", the combination lock, the rising island, etc.). I was a bit confused on when and why the lighting was changing. I was not sure if it was time-based or based on the switches and where I turned them. Also, one thing I thought would be a neat add would be to have another light to shine when you have the two spinning wheels in the right positions. As it is you have to get all three before the reflecting light shines all the way through. Gave it 5 and a heart. Excellent!

2010-01-21 04:48:00 Author: pennydog Posts: 74

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Just finished playing.... my verdict? You nailed it! Fantastic atmosphere, well done puzzles.... I think in reading the text in the books I may have even gotten a few goosebumps.... it's been a long time since I got goosebumps! Only 1 small suggestion - when I first played through I got confused because I missed the underground cave. I got the clue that a switch needed to be pulled for power - I pulled the power to the lift (I didn't know it was a lift at the time) and some lights came on, so I THOUGHT that was a power switch which threw me off. The next time I played I explored a bit more and figured it all out. My only suggestion is maybe to have some light enimating from the cave so that if a person swims down there it's a bit more obvious - but that's not a "hard" critisism because I think if I had just looked around a bit more I would have figured it out. 5 stars and a heart!

2010-01-22 23:07:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430

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Hi there, I've been a bit slow but I finally played your level I've been very pleased to see it's having this Myst feel of being in some imaginary and magical world. You knew how to create some ambiance and the adventure feel definetely was there. I wasn't pull off by your story, I've actually been interested all through. It's the kind of intricate little story that draws you into the level because your basically doing what the story sort of is telling you. Also to note that some of your contraptions were very well made and interesting. I did the light puzzle hazardeously though, activating stuff before understanding the global puzzle. Lastly, I want to congrats you with the general orchestration of the level. The rythm was very nice and the last part where it crumbles was well done and exciting. You felt it was time to go to D'jn and you're actually excited to go there. Now I need a sequel to this level really. I don't have any major cons with your level outside some nitpicks: -I was sort of tired of the rusty metal after a while. Maybe it's because that material and the (yet beautiful) rock material are maybe overused. -I wish there was more secrets, places to find that don't serve much purpose outside maybe giving more bubbles and details on the background story. -I don't know what are the purpose of the last set of stickers right before the end. If it was something I was supposed to understand right away, it failed for me. -The level could use a tad more scenery or maybe a custom background would have made it even beautifuller. Well, great work buddy. I like adventure levels and this didn't disappoint. And before I rate this thing, let me plug you some level you might like to play: I made 2 adventure levels a while ago and I think they are still good. While completely different in style, you might like them for their are adventure levels (also freeroaming). Watch on my planet for Sack's In The City and its sequel Sack's On The Beach. :star::star::star::star: + heart (gave 5 in the game 'cause this level shouldn't be 3 stars imo)

2010-01-23 12:55:00 Author: RangerZero Posts: 3901

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Let me start by saying THANK YOU all for the wonderful feedback! I appreciate all the comments, the good ones, and the constructive criticism! About the suggestions/criticism - I've been thinking about them for a while now, so hopefully my decisions will make sense to you... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was a bit confused on when and why the lighting was changing. I was not sure if it was time-based or based on the switches and where I turned them. Only 1 small suggestion - when I first played through I got confused because I missed the underground cave. I got the clue that a switch needed to be pulled for power - I pulled the power to the lift (I didn't know it was a lift at the time) and some lights came on, so I THOUGHT that was a power switch which threw me off. As you know, the Island is on a night/day cycle. The lights sense when it is about to become dark out, and they turn on (some of them flicker a bit, but they all eventually turn on). I can see how both of you got confused because there is a slight random chance that you would pull a switch and those lights would come on.. even though the switches have nothing to do with the lights. I'm glad you (CCubbage) found the clue about the power needing to be turned on. Rather than making the power switch control the lights, I think there is another, more simple, alternative. I can reword the clue to something like this: "...hmm...the lights seem to be working fine, but the power seems to be cut from these switches...there's probably a main power switch around here somewhere..." Here's a spoiler for those of you who completed the level: The idea of turning the power on is really just turning on the required power to lift Rising Island into position. You then need to reroute the power by putting those big circles into the correct position through the switches and the last one manually. So the 'power switch' isn't a switch for 'all' of the power in Celestia - but only for Rising Island, because it takes a lot of extra power to hold that piece of land up! So I think the best solution, one that works well with the story and gameplay, would be to just change that clue to what I have above. Besides, if I made the lights controlled by the power switch, then the rest of the Island would go dark and I would need to add in 'flood lights', which I have no room in the thermometer for. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -I was sort of tired of the rusty metal after a while. Maybe it's because that material and the (yet beautiful) rock material are maybe overused. -I wish there was more secrets, places to find that don't serve much purpose outside maybe giving more bubbles and details on the background story. -I don't know what are the purpose of the last set of stickers right before the end. If it was something I was supposed to understand right away, it failed for me. -The level could use a tad more scenery or maybe a custom background would have made it even beautifuller. - I thought of the materials being seemingly overused, but in reality, I used several materials. A good basic rule of thumb when making such a complex level is to try to keep the material usage down so you have more room on the thermo to work with. So for Celestia, I used (off the top of my head) dark wood, rusty metal, glass, rock, and sand as the main materials. I also used several other materials on a smaller basis (different woods [tables, raft], dark blue glass [underwater], shinny metal [light puzzle], card board [logic], dark matter [logic, and holding stuff up], dissolve material [logic, bridge, books, etc], red sponge, and maybe some others I can't think of). To avoid having the look of the same material used all over the place, I tried to sticker everything as much has I could until the thermometer wouldn't allow any more. Also, I think using 4 to 5 main materials helps give the level a 'unified' feel. - I agree about the secret places. There are a ton of secrets, but only a few places throughout the level that I would consider a 'secret area'. I'll keep that in mind for the next level - The last set of stickers at the end were more of a "thank you" from me for playing (and completing!) the level. However, those stickers are still sort of a 'secret' because not everyone thinks to grab the books (you'd be surprised). The 3 stickers you get are pictures of Celestia from angles you can't get from the gameplay. And the quotes are from the games/books from the Myst series. All of them have to do with death or endings (Celestia came to an end), and I thought the few fans of the Myst series that are out there would really appreciate those quotes. - Unfortunately, even though I agree with you about more scenery, I ran out of thermometer. I know that's the common excuse among all of us creators, but I assure you it's true! Although I still would not do a background because Celestia needs to feel secluded. However, one thought I had that didn't make it in the final production was to have sea gulls come and fly beside you as you're riding the last vehicle to the final destination. I always thought that part was a bit bland, and the birds would have made it interesting flying beside you for a while, singing to each other, and then flying away. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks again for all the feedback!! I will update that clue and republish asap! EDIT - I updated the clue - hope it makes more sense now

2010-01-23 16:52:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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Don't worry, I know you're thermo-busted

2010-01-23 18:11:00 Author: RangerZero Posts: 3901

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:star::star::star::star::star: and hearted. Loved it.

2010-01-26 23:45:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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:star::star::star::star::star: and hearted. Loved it. Just so everyone knows, so far SawronZXZ has the high score, and it's by far. And there is a challenge to beat his score in my comments on the level. So good luck! @ Sawron - Thanks! I would challenge you on your high score but I'd rather other people figure it out. Just know that I know how you got a score that high Thanks for playing - glad you loved it! EDIT: I can't believe it, but after all this time someone on the PSN actually found a game breaking glitch towards the end of my level! Rest assured, I fixed it immediately 2nd EDIT: I also tweaked the logic of the underwater tram car a bit, so I think I'm finally satisfied with it. 3rd EDIT (trying not to *bump*!): As of today, 1/30/2010, Celestia has 37 hearts, which means it has the most hearts out of all of my levels (second place going to my first level from over a year ago, LMP, with 36 hearts). So yeah, I know it's not hundreds of hearts like a lot of you on here, but for me it's exciting

2010-01-27 15:07:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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Just to say that I replayed this over the weekend and was really impressed at the improvements you made while i was away. It shows as this level has a really high heart to play ratio and I think the hearts will just keep coming!

2010-02-10 08:44:00 Author: ladylyn1 Posts: 836

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Just to say that I replayed this over the weekend and was really impressed at the improvements you made while i was away. It shows as this level has a really high heart to play ratio and I think the hearts will just keep coming! Thanks! Yeah the idea for the ending was something that one of my friends came up with. When he suggested that you should actually see Celestia being destroyed, I knew I had to incorporate it somehow. Even though it's been a few weeks since I've published this level, and it's been spotlighted, it continues to evolve little by little. I think today was the first day that I've felt it's about as good as it's going to get. I'm incredibly happy with the level, and it's one of those rare levels that I can't seem to stop playing (even though it's my own!). I'm also glad that the story came out as well as it did. Granted, most people won't read the full story (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac4zpcbf2FJUZGRnOTRmczlfMmNndGpkY2Rw&hl=en) here at LBPC, but I think the main story line comes through well enough throughout the level. And .. in case anyone was wondering if I'm going to make a sequel .. let's just say that perhaps the ending has not yet been written Thanks to everyone who has played this - I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed creating it

2010-02-11 00:52:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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looks very kool so far, keep it up!

2010-02-14 19:49:00 Author: Woflgod Posts: 295

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looks very kool so far, keep it up! Thanks! Did you complete the level?

2010-02-15 13:48:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668

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