Archive: 45 posts

---

I just published my second PSP level which is called "Lost at Sea" (PSN: amazingflyingpoo). This level is a bit of a departure from my normal style because it is more of a platformer rather than focusing on RPG/Adventure elements. In this level, a woman arrives in a bar and begins telling the bartender the story of how she ended up there. You play through her story, and as you play it will cut back to her telling the story so it continues to feel as if you are actually playing a story that is being told. I've noticed that most PSP levels don't offer much pressure when you are playing since we only have Infinite Life Checkpoints to use, so I tried to implement a unique way of using the checkpoints so that you only have one life for the level. If you die, you go through an ending cut-scene and then the level ends. This way there is a bit of pressure not to die, but not to fear, I tried not to make anything very hard. There are 4 endings that you can see, and the ending you get depends on how far you get before you die. Since you only get one life and there are multiple endings, I was worried that people wouldn't like the fact that there is an intro, so I made it so you can just press "R" to skip the intro and any cut-scenes in the level, but I would advise you to watch the cut-scenes and intro for at least your first play through of the level. Make sure to read the text completely before pressing "O" to shut the text bubble, because some bubbles (and the intro) will prompt you to press "R", and if you just shut the bubble, then you may be confused what to do. One last thing, the level does have slow down issues. I tried wiring things up so they didn't move while they are off-screen and such, but it just doesn't help. I did a lot of experimenting to try to fix it, but there is just too much in the level I guess. Anyway, hopefully it doesn't hamper your experience. Here are some pictures from the level: http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt179/amazingflyingpoo/LostatSea2.jpg?t=1263918819 http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt179/amazingflyingpoo/LostatSea4.jpg?t=1263918882 http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt179/amazingflyingpoo/LostatSea8.jpg?t=1263918925 http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt179/amazingflyingpoo/LostatSea1.jpg?t=1263918952 http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt179/amazingflyingpoo/LostatSea10.jpg?t=1263918989 http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt179/amazingflyingpoo/LostatSea7.jpg?t=1263919014 Thanks so much for playing!

2010-01-19 17:03:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

Sounds very interesting! Will be sure to give it a go later! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT TAKE PLACE IN A BAR. THINK OF ALL THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE GOING TO PLAY THIS AND BECOME ALCOHOLICS. THIS WILL BE BANNED FOR SURE.

2010-01-19 17:26:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

---

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT TAKE PLACE IN A BAR. THINK OF ALL THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE GOING TO PLAY THIS AND BECOME ALCOHOLICS. THIS WILL BE BANNED FOR SURE. Thanks for that Jack Very appropriate I don't call it a bar in the level, so hopefully I won't be messaging you about this level on a daily basis like I do with "Now and Then"

2010-01-19 17:37:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

OH ****!!! Just played through on my first run (got the best ending ) ****ing BRILLIANT!!! O_O I loved the story telling method, the story was really great, the scenery was well done yet not too serious and the puzzles, my word the puzzles were just great. O_O I think... I think this just jumped to my favorite level. *passes out* Ok, now to go kill myself for the other endings.

2010-01-19 17:38:00 Author: SirPaper Posts: 150

---

I can't wait to play this! Now and Then was possibly one of the best levels so far and if this is as good as that then I'm a happy Sackboy!

2010-01-19 17:43:00 Author: Fastbro Posts: 1277

---

Its really a great level! Really nice ideas with the puzzles, good lenght, nice looks (much better than in your first level in my opinion) and of course a great story! Its a shame that it has slowdowns... they can make some jumps difficult and you have just one life... But besides that everything works just perfect. 5 stars + heart! Well done! (Btw: i had the best ending too )

2010-01-19 18:07:00 Author: Arrestor Posts: 363

---

Played it earlier. Nice little level and and a fun original idea with it. The two puzzles I seen were fantastic. you one where you had to pinball the dissolve upto the top...when I realised what you had to do I thought 'no way that's a bit optimistic!' and while it isn't easy and did take me a few goes, it is great and doesn't come at all tedious. The other puzzle worked really well too! The slow down did take a bit of the enjoyment, and when added to a slight issue with small platforms, angled cameras and having to jump from one layer to another, it will possibly add a bit of unfair platforming for a few lesser players, but I don't want to dwell on the slow down too much as it is the easy thing to comment on. Overall another great level, and probably my favourite of yours (but I guess we both already knew what was going to be the case with this one)

2010-01-20 00:11:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

---

AWESOME! I come in here expecting it to just be a normal day and Afp publishes a new level! Can't wait to check it out.

2010-01-20 01:27:00 Author: FULLGORR Posts: 245

---

I played it and thought it was a strong level. I like the way you run your levels tho as clearly seen it came with a cost too. I have been playing around with starting a level with a starwars like start like yours and i think its a wonderful way to enhance the storyline the level tells. I loved the first puzzle and the 2nd was pretty good too it was impressive but i would have liked a little more chalenge. I beat the level with all the endings and loved it good work. I will expect this too join top rated Pg 1 or 2 in no time.

2010-01-20 02:10:00 Author: stk_ogre Posts: 7

---

Hey poo, This level was absolutely awful. Just kidding. With all the good reviews here I thought I would shake things up a bit . You are a master at the art of storytelling. Let's be honest though, the story wasn't off-the-wall original, but the way you presented it was truly an innovation. Most of the community levels seem to prioritize gameplay with the story merely as an accessory, but a few great story-tellers like you seem to showcase the story above all other elements, and use gameplay to compliment it. That to me is extremely difficult, but you executed it so well with your amazingly unintelligible (at least to me) technical prowess. I mean the precision with some of the puzzles like the pinball mechanism must have taken a lot of fine-tuning to work as flawlessly as it did. While your characters, particularly the wife, didn't blow me off the water in terms of design, I loved how well you incorporated her into the story. The different levels of narration was truly mesmerizing, from her first person account speaking with the "bartender" through the actual flashback reliving the moment. This sort of gives a movie-like effect reminiscent of the narration in Titanic. Furthermore, I love how she wasn't static in the cave section and reappeared every now and then to interact with the player. And the little added extra pressure for avoiding death really worked for me. The healthy dose of stress not only compliments the emotion evoked by the story, but also keeps the player more aware of the environment. The lag didn't bother me at all, I must say. If anything, it actually helped me with the platforming because my sackboy would've certainly fallen off had the controls been too sensitive. What else can I say other than an out-pour of praise for your storytelling and technical skills? I want to be nitpicky as I usually am, but there's nothing to pick on here. I think these two levels officially make you the Homer (not the Simpsons one ) of LBP on PSP! I can't or rather refuse to compare this to Now and Then: I think both are equally deserving of profound merit, and I love both equally. This is a no brainer: 5:star:s, level heart, and I hearted you already! If this gets moderated, it will become personal... Waiting for another wave, jeffcu28

2010-01-20 02:21:00 Author: jeffcu28 Posts: 648

---

Thanks for all the feedback! It is really too bad that there is a slow-down issue, but I actually felt how Jeff did when it comes to the platforming, I thought that it made it a bit easier, but I guess it all depends on what you are expecting when you make a jump I was more upset about the slow-down because it can just be annoying to be moving so slow all the time. I am very happy to hear that everyone is able to finish the level, because I was a bit worried that parts of it may have been confusing (on the boat, when your wife saves you, the lift with the 2-way switch, etc...), but it sounds like things are pretty smooth except for that stupid slow-down. I really appreciate all of the kind words!

2010-01-20 03:17:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

I like how you made different endings of the level nice choice on that

2010-01-20 03:28:00 Author: Spark151 Posts: 801

---

Nicely done poo! You have outdone yourself this time for sure. LOVED it. If old school choose-your-own adventure books had a one night stand with LBP, the result would be this level. Absolutely brilliant. Honestly, I didn't bother to read your thread or even the level description before downloading and playing this. I was thrilled to see what you would come up with next, and I wasn't disappointed! Your platforming is solid and enjoyable, the story is subtly complex in a simple straightforward way, and the visuals are impressively cartoony. Or cartoonively impressive. You know what I mean. Anyway, I love the way it is presented in cutscenes, and the concept of playing the level as someone else tells the story is pure genius. GENIUS I tell you. Everything worked flawlessly, except my thumbs that is and I killed myself in the temple. It wasn't until that moment I realized this was a multiple ending level, and I think I actually said holy s... uh, I mean doo doo... out loud. Wow. Just, wow. Of course I had to play the level a bunch more times to make sure I saw all the endings, and all of them are awesome. Ok, so there's some slowdown but it really didn't bother me. I think it's probably due to the large amount of fire and gas effects, plus overlapping bounding boxes resulting from all of your intricate cave details. Sounds like you've already done what you can to address it, so it is what it is. Thankfully your platforming is entertaining and non-punishing, so the slowdown doesn't detract from the overall experience of the level at all. Hmmm... gripes? Well, perhaps a few very tiny ones. There's a couple places (literally two) where there aren't any sounds, or the sounds are hard to hear. The first is the cannon on the ship (love that part!!). I know there's a cannon sound there, but it is very quiet. It could be due to the fact that the camera is zoomed out, in which case there's not much to be done about it. You could add multiple "explosion" sound objects tuned to slightly different frequencies, but the better way to do it would be to add a "big impact" sound object to provide a little more punch to the sound. Definitely not worth a republish, but I gotta complain about something, right? The other spot I'd like a sound would be when the hanging crate drops to the floor, but again very minor. Your characters are simple but endearing, and it's your style. I say leave them exactly as they are. 100% home-grown sweet LBP awesomeness here. 5 stars and a heart without even thinking about it. You already have a creator heart, so no soup for you!

2010-01-20 03:28:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

---

I actually did say "HOLY [doo doo]" out loud several times when I first saw the pinball puzzle and realized what it was. XD And I didn't really notice the slowdown too much, but then there were never any instances where slowdown would affect your ability to get through the level, so it doesn't seem like an issue to me.

2010-01-20 04:15:00 Author: SirPaper Posts: 150

---

If old school choose-your-own adventure books had a one night stand with LBP, the result would be this level. That's the perfect description right there.

2010-01-20 04:24:00 Author: jeffcu28 Posts: 648

---

amazingflyingpoo, your level is fantastic! I played with all endings and it was wonderful!! Way of story presentation - it is very cool. I loved it. Idea with ship, waves and cannon - you are Genius!!! Design of cave is very good, I was really impressed during gameplay. Temple and its puzzles - WOW!!! Pinball like puzzle - its something unreal. I can not imaging how much time you spend to do all this work in you way. But you did it and my great respect for this! Idea with story teller in bar - it is very good! And of course - different endings - its fantastic! You are a master of story and great level designer! My 5:star: and heart for the level and I already hearted you as a creator! Thank you very much for your work! And additional thanks from Russian LBP Community! I share the news and impression after your level on russian LBP forum and I think many peoples will download it for trying!

2010-01-20 11:18:00 Author: Domik12 Posts: 838

---

Wow Domik12, thanks so much for the incredibly kind words, and not only that, you were also kind enough to promote my level on the Russian forums. That was awesome of you. I'm happy to hear that you liked the boat part of the level. I was a bit worried about that part because I thought that people may see that part and just think that the level was going to be a survival challenge. That is one of the reasons that I wanted to make sure to have the sign which says "You saw ending 1: Reach the Caves for a better ending", so that people would realize that there is a lot more to the level if they die on the boat. I'm also happy to hear that people like the pinball part of the level. Since I couldn't test the level with other people since the game is single player (unlike LBP on PS3), it was hard to tell if people would be able to catch on to what you are supposed to do, but it seems that it is working fine for everyone. Once again, thanks so much for the feedback and for playing the level

2010-01-20 13:57:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

Domik's post reminded me.. I totally forgot to mention the brilliance of your puzzles. I loved every last one of them, and they are all amazingly creative. The "pinball" puzzle was probably my favorite, but the "red pillar" section and ship sequence were also amazing. I saw a little hint of your red coal / black coal puzzle from Now and Then in all of those areas, and I liked it. I couldn't test the level with other people since the game is single player (unlike LBP on PS3There is a work-around for that, although I don't think any of us has officially tried it yet. You can use adhocParty to share levels with other players for beta testing purposes. Of course, you need to coordinate a specific time to meet up on adhocParty but that's not vastly different than PS3 LBP. If you have stuff that you want tested and/or looked at in the future, I'd be happy to help you out.

2010-01-20 19:08:00 Author: Taffey Posts: 3187

---

Wow. It's the first thing that comes to mind after playing your level. Just wow. "Now and Then" was a masterpiece, a technical wonder that no one has matched yet. You set the bar really high, and to be honest, I didn't even think you could surprise us again. But boy, you did it. "Lost at Sea" is probably the most impressive LBP PSP level to date in story-telling, puzzles and technical innovation (multiple endings, flashbacks...). The story was a bit cliche, but it's told in such a way that it keeps you interested and anxious to know more. I loved how each chapter had a tension moment where you can die: you can actually feel the pressure on the character, even the despair when you lose. The ship chapter was perfectly crafted, exciting, clever and much better than whole levels dedicated to a single minigame. The cave chapter wasn't as good, IMHO, although there were nice touches, like lowering the trapdoor to get through (how did you do that? I've tried creating similar things and never get them to work). And the temple chapter was just perfect: the first time you see the puzzles, you think they won't work, or they will be frustrating. But they're not, they're precise and intuitive. As for the downsides, my only complain is about the aesthetics. I think that quirky look worked for "Now and Then", but I didn't feel it this time. I don't know, the story was too epic for cartoonish characters and environments. That said, there were actually some cool parts, like the temple, specially the entrance. I would like to point out more things that need improvement, so you can get better... but I can't think of anything else. 5 stars and hearted. Thank you for your levels.

2010-01-20 20:17:00 Author: Lleonard Pler Posts: 277

---

@Lleonard - Thanks for all of the feedback. It is very interesting to hear that you thought the cave was the weakest part of the level, because I thought it was the best part Either way, I appreciate the constructive criticism. I would say more in response, but I already sent you a PM. There is a work-around for that, although I don't think any of us has officially tried it yet. You can use adhocParty to share levels with other players for beta testing purposes. Of course, you need to coordinate a specific time to meet up on adhocParty but that's not vastly different than PS3 LBP. If you have stuff that you want tested and/or looked at in the future, I'd be happy to help you out. Thanks so much for the offer Taffey! I was actually reading a thread about this recently, and I would be super excited about it if I had a PS3 right now. My wife and I moved to China in October and we will be here until July, and while we are here I do not have my PS3, so I cannot use the ad-hoc functionality Thanks so much for the offer!

2010-01-21 11:39:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

I just played this level and I was extremely impressed. Obviously I already knew what you were capable of from "Now and Then", but I was still surprised by what you managed to acheive in "Lost at Sea". What makes this level so unique is the storytelling. The gaming sections are all very good, in particular the boat section that I thought was really clever, but the fact that you have all of these completely different sections tied together by dialogue cutscenes, and incorporate the multiple endings, is really impressive. Granted, it's not the greatest story ever told, but we're all familiar with the create mode's limitations and it is peppered with some really great moments - I especially loved the part where the ledge collapses beneath you as you grab on to the lowered rope. If I could change one thing about this level, it would probably be the wife's appearance. I think she could do with some hair at the moment, she looks a bit strange and frightening as she is - a bit like Su Pollard. As with "Now and Then" the level is really quite unlike anything that anyone else in the community is doing and for that reason alone it is definitely worth checking out. I gave it 5*s and I've finally worked out how to do creator hearts, so you got one of those too.

2010-02-04 10:54:00 Author: SalieriAAX Posts: 421

---

Amazing. The level starts out innocently enough with the narrative, but then you get into the first flashback and that sets the tone for the whole level. The story is fairly straightforward, but it's delivered in a way that made me interested in finding out what happens next. The first time I died before the ruins, I thought I would simply respawn and could continue on with the journey as usual, but then I found out that there were multiple endings! My subway ride was ending so I couldn't wait to be able to replay the level and finish the story later on (which I did). The puzzles and mechanisms you made are very interesting. When I first got to the "pinball" puzzle, I quickly figured out what it was supposed to do and thought: "No way, this can't possibly work!" and yet it worked flawlessly on my first try. Although the characters are a little simple, I didn't feel that they detracted from the level at all. Unfortunately the slowdown was a bit of an annoyance, but I know it can't be helped. :star::star::star::star::star: and hearted.

2010-02-05 22:44:00 Author: Gilgamesh Posts: 2536

---

Thank you both so much for the detailed feedback! I will try to not have as ugly characters in my next level if I can help it. Character design is definitely something that I could use some improvement on, but with the 2.03 update allowing us to use the corner edit tool without making a sticker disappear, there may be hope for me yet

2010-02-18 09:07:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

Great level and again amazing story! 5 stars and heart

2010-03-11 13:27:00 Author: himoks Posts: 734

---

Hey amazing level, this is one of my favorite levels. You can see i got the second highest score The objective of this level is to get the best end but that better if you do so with more scoring. I think

2010-03-11 16:26:00 Author: memorex Posts: 91

---

I think I still have the #1 spot. This is a great level AP and my favorite of yours. The only issue I had was the fact that getting the best ending did not net the most points.

2010-03-11 21:36:00 Author: Xenon Posts: 306

---

Hidy Ho Sackfriend! I woke up this morning hoping that Now and Then would be unbanned, but instead I found that not only is Now and Then banned, but so is Lost at Sea! I just wanted to let you all know that I am trying to collect all of the level banning records like: Most Banned Level and Most Levels Banned at Once :-) Anyway, I have already contacted people about the issue.

2010-03-30 03:54:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

Poo, I must say, your patience impresses me almost as much as your level-making skills.

2010-03-30 11:26:00 Author: Unknown User

---

wow, your holding up pretty well for the fact that the best LBP levels ever made are banned for the 10th or 11th time? i lost track after the 5th time

2010-03-30 11:35:00 Author: Lilman1101 Posts: 91

---

I've passed it on...once again! Hopefully they will be resolved quickly!

2010-03-30 16:20:00 Author: jackofcourse Posts: 1494

---

Thanks so much for your help Jack! I really appreciate it :-) I'm guessing that there isn't any unacceptable content in the level since it was featured, so I'll just hope that it comes back soon :-)

2010-03-30 16:25:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

It is my great pleasure to review this level. I managed to play it just before I was banned! Story + Very well told through past-tense narrative + Multiple endings was unheard of until this level + Different "stages" of the story are each very unique from each other Gameplay + Good level of difficulty + Different "stages" of the story have unique and fun gameplay elements + Transition between different "stages" very smooth and well done Final Thoughts You've done it again. That's all I have to say. Final Score::star::star::star::star::star: And a heart.

2010-03-30 21:25:00 Author: xero Posts: 2419

---

Woo-hoo! Thanks for the awesome review Xero! I will never get tired of your great review method :-) I'm very glad that you liked Lost at Sea so much. It's odd, because it was probably the level that I got the most good feedback for, but it's also the lowest rated level out of all of my levels (at least at this point). My guess is that the multiple endings/one death bit turned some people off to the level, but oh well :-D At least the people who matter (my friends on the internetz) like it :-D And not only did I find this great review when I woke up, but I also found that Now and Then and Lost at Sea are both un-banned! Hurray!

2010-03-31 00:53:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

And not only did I find this great review when I woke up, but I also found that Now and Then and Lost at Sea are both un-banned! Hurray!I noticed this today when I went online as well, and there was much rejoicing! Oh yes, one thing I forgot to mention in the review... the puzzle with the falling circle was amazing. The one where you hold R to move all 6 "paddles". It was a really great idea, and fun to do! You sort-of had to juggle the circle up to the top and into the hole. Top-notch.

2010-03-31 00:57:00 Author: xero Posts: 2419

---

This is an amazing level by an even more amazing poo Congratulations 5*+Heart

2010-04-02 21:53:00 Author: MTVirux Posts: 69

---

i can't get past the massive wave that englulfs the ship

2010-04-12 17:42:00 Author: crazy555 Posts: 59

---

I'm a fan of your levels so I'll definitely play this one later.

2010-04-13 02:57:00 Author: X-FROGBOY-X Posts: 1800

---

@crazy555: i can't get past the massive wave that englulfs the ship Your not supposed to. That is part of the story. The idea is that you need to survive to get close enough to land. The next cut-scene should explain what happens (if you die before the big wave then one thing happens, and if you die once you reach the big wave then another thing happens. Just let the cut-scene finish. @X-FROGBOY-X: Awesome! I would love to hear what you think

2010-04-13 03:30:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

i played this level ages ago. but i still remember how awesome it is! I had to play a few times to reach the end. good job poo!

2010-04-13 04:41:00 Author: Alismuffin Posts: 1328

---

Thanks a lot ali :-) It's awesome to hear that you still remember it even though you played it a while ago!

2010-04-13 08:43:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

well ur levels are hard to forget :3

2010-04-13 08:57:00 Author: Alismuffin Posts: 1328

---

This is a good level. The story was very well told, and I liked the music you used in the bar place. The first chapter was very well made, and so was the second. I didn't know this had multiple endings either, so I'm about to go and play this gem again. :star::star::star::star::star: and a well deserved heart.

2010-04-13 14:50:00 Author: X-FROGBOY-X Posts: 1800

---

Woo-Hoo! Thanks for the feedback X-FROGBOY-X! I'm glad that you liked the level :-) There are 4 endings in total (1st = die on the boat, 2nd = die in the cave, 3rd = die in the ruins, 4th = reach the end of the ruins). Thanks so much for playing :-)

2010-04-14 02:07:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

---

sorry dude but does the cut scene start after You respawn behind the card board?

2010-04-24 17:57:00 Author: crazy555 Posts: 59

---

Wow, my level just doesn't seem to work that well for you crazy555, sorry about that :-( The idea is that you either die from the small waves hitting you (which gets you an ending right away), or you die from the big wave hitting you (which gets you a cut-scene where the bar tender and the wife talk) and then you are taken to Chapter 2 in a cave. Does that answer your question? If you make it to the big wave, then just read the text in the bar and then you should be taken to the next part of the level.

2010-04-25 04:32:00 Author: amazingflyingpoo Posts: 1515

Posts: 1077139    Threads: 69970    Members: 9661    Archive-Date: 2019-01-19

Aus dem Archiv wurden alle persönlichen Daten wie Name, Anschrift, Email etc. - aber auch sämtliche Inhalte wie z.B. persönliche Nachrichten - entfernt.
Die Nutzung dieser Webseite erfolgt ohne Speicherung personenbezogener Daten. Es werden keinerlei Cookies, Logs, 3rd-Party-Plugins etc. verwendet.