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Feral Tech: 90%

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Feral Tech: 90%SkillnCrossbones
Enter the Aptitude Wing of Feral Technology. There, you will be tested to your mind's limits and beyond.
A very difficult puzzle based level, with some medium-hard platforming aspects. If you're easily frustrated or bad at problem solving or meticulous jumps, avoid this level. You'll only leave angry and give me bad stars.

It took quite awhile to build this, so at least appreciate the effort put into creating new puzzles.

OH! Most importantly, be prepared to read. I went overboard with the exposition factor and as a result, there is a lot of text. Some of it is important if you plan to beat certain challenges, ALL of it is important if you plan to understand the story.


**UPDATED July 18, 2010**
I took it off my Published levels for a bit for an overhaul.

I worked on making it neater, better looking and more efficient (efficient as in I had more thermo room for some eye candy. It's still difficult and "unsmooth.")

It may not look much different, maybe, but I did put a whole lot more work into aesthetics this time around. Also: Logic. I cleaned it up and made it work better. FORpony THE THERMO!

So, I would much appreciate feedback and very specific suggestions for making it look better. I can't work with "it doesn't look all that great." Pretend that this level is the extent of my LevelArt Ability. (it is...)

Now, let me clarify. It isn't a lab, it is a series of testing chambers. There wouldn't be too many experiments being run along side you, save for the one or two encounters. It isn't an enrichment center built in the 80s/90s. It hasn't had enough time to be all rusty, and it still has caretakers and people working there. (This is a fairly important plot point.) So, I don't feel comfortable placing rusty grates everywhere because while they might fulfill the invisible Pretty Quota, they do not fit in.
But still feel to suggest away if you think you can convince me otherwise. I'm open to them, I just might RESIST YOU.

Something that's been there at the beginning but I never mentioned it:
There are four secrets. There aren't any prizes for finding all of them except for lots of points.
However, one secret opens another which is both an area and shortcut


Good Luck!		2010-05-22 04:34:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

Over all frustrating stage but not due to the logic puzzles. It is more so the construction of them. The elevator more so wasn't a puzzle but more so jumping on the button and hoping it doesn't get caught on the wall it is coming down on. As I came up from the elevator you could hear it hitting the wall. After that is the puzzle with the infinite life portal where you need to use the hook to guide the inf-portal to the other side. Th weight of the hook along with the inf-portal was too heavy and slowed you down to almost a near stop. Also the portal would get stuck on the hook to where I had to reload the stage numerous times until it didn't do that. The last part I played was the climbing of the tower where you are flipping the switches for the lighted platforms to move. I don't know if I am doing something wrong or there is a complete disregard for the maximum height your sackperson can jump.

The overall story reminded me of Portal and I really liked it. The puzzles I've played so far aren't difficult but what makes them difficult is the actual construction of them. More playtesting would smooth these out. I gave it :star::star: There is a lot of promise but definitely needs some more playtesting to get the puzzles to run smoother.		2010-06-05 03:55:00

Author:
Unknown User

Over all frustrating stage but not due to the logic puzzles. It is more so the construction of them. The elevator more so wasn't a puzzle but more so jumping on the button and hoping it doesn't get caught on the wall it is coming down on. As I came up from the elevator you could hear it hitting the wall. After that is the puzzle with the infinite life portal where you need to use the hook to guide the inf-portal to the other side. Th weight of the hook along with the inf-portal was too heavy and slowed you down to almost a near stop. Also the portal would get stuck on the hook to where I had to reload the stage numerous times until it didn't do that. The last part I played was the climbing of the tower where you are flipping the switches for the lighted platforms to move. I don't know if I am doing something wrong or there is a complete disregard for the maximum height your sackperson can jump.

The overall story reminded me of Portal and I really liked it. The puzzles I've played so far aren't difficult but what makes them difficult is the actual construction of them. More playtesting would smooth these out. I gave it :star::star: There is a lot of promise but definitely needs some more playtesting to get the puzzles to run smoother.

There was SO much play testing, dude. You don't even know
The elevator has never had that problem for me. I don't know what to do about that.

The Checkpoint getting stuck on the hook doesn't sound like a problem. It sounds like someone not using their brain. There can only be one hook at a time. Press the button and the hook that has the Checkpoint "stuck" will disappear and the Checkpoint will fall off of it.
None of my 12 play-testers had a problem with the weight of it. Are you holding X to go faster?

As for the tower, are you on the multi-colored bit? What do you mean disregard for how high a sack-person can jump? I've been up and down it many times, and 8/12 of my play testers managed it without help, and 3 of those in the first 10 minutes.

I work on making the elevator go more smoothly. I don't know what you want from the other puzzles to go "smoothly". I never intended it to be smooth. I wanted it to be hard and make you think a bit.		2010-06-06 09:16:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

An indication as to when or where the time starts when you do a puzzle would be good.
the hook on the checkpoint is real dodgy. i got as far as dragging the checkpoint to the bottom right, where i then lost because the gas is hard to see becaus it blends in with the background. the infinite checkpoint was positioned right in front of gas, so i respawned only to be repeatedly killed instantly. i suggest making the gas more clear and the maze less cornered - rounded corners would allow for easier dragging of the checkpoint, which is slow enough as it is.
i quit here because i had to, but i'll come try again soon.

from the above post- smoothly means possible without anything like: getting stuck, having to really force your way through, or glitches and bugs.

if you feel like F4F could you play my spelunking level?		2010-06-06 12:58:00

Author:
MegaBlob
Posts: 291

The puzzle timer is very intuitive. As soon as you start the puzzle, it starts too.

The gas used to be white but I didn't like it. I'll change it back.
I'll round it up then.

Why are you dragging it? You can carry it, you know.

He didn't report any glitches or bugs, besides the elevator, which I've taken care of, and you're the first to get spawn-killed by the new gas design. I keep trying to prevent it.		2010-06-06 13:08:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

Ok i've beaten thew level but had to restart because i got spawn-killed in the same spot again. the spot it happens is in the very bottom right corner of the gas (purple is much better). you could angle the this part so the checkpoint rolls off to the right and the claw re-emits, so even if one does get stuck here they won't get spawn killed. why is there gas at the bottom of the maze?
anyway the next few puzzles were clever, (Atomic number of neon, clever, but how is anyone to know this? however it is easily guessed). in the three color code puzzle, the 1's in the middle look like upside-down T's. the rotating platforms part was tricky, took me a while to figure it out.
when i got to the fibre door, i couldn't go through- then i was gassed and appeared by the 9x9 light puzzle, which i failed to finish - confusing but impressive.
there is a lot of death teleportation which reduces score.
i liked the lightning effects and the little rampage in the end, it was a cool scene. once you make your way through the level, the blandeness of the materials grows on you. it suits it very well. the logic seems to be spot-on in the puzzles.
the only thing is the claw and checkpoint puzzle, it is quite dodgey and i think this would put people off.

once you actually finish the level, its all pretty cool.		2010-06-06 18:49:00

Author:
MegaBlob
Posts: 291

I don't expect everyone to know the atomic number of Neon off the top of their head, but if you(not you specifically) own a PS3 and are playing my level, then I assume you have internet or books, or something and I have no sympathy for anyone who is unable to find information in this day and age... of information.
Also, you have two hydrogens (two electrons, one each, as illustrated in the level, and one oxygen (eight electrons) 1+1+8=10. It isn't relevant to Neon, but it is a second way of figuring it out, if you happen to be a player who doesn't read much.

There was a reason for gas on the floor, I'm sure, but I forgot. I'll take it off, you're probably right that there isn't a feasible reason, and it'd work better.

I'm going to tweak the the claw and checkpoint puzzle. I'll try to make it so you stop getting spawn killed. Sorry it happened twice! D:

The fiber door is a set-up for failure. This is a story thing, I want to emphasize how impatient and uncaring your caretakers are at this point.

The 9x9 grid of lights was one of my favorite things to make, EVER. The goal is to turn on all the lights. Every sponge you grab switches its light and any light it touches. For example, if you grab the top middle sponge, then the middle sponges light changes to the opposite of whatever it was (on/off) as do the top right and top left.
However, for no reason, it is prone to breaking. The grab switches will sometimes magically disappear and the lights will just flash on their own. Because of this, I set up a 2 minute timer that automatically teleports you into the next section. I really didn't want to let it go, I loved it too much.		2010-06-06 23:36:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

i had a laptop in front of me but didnt bother looked it up, i just guessed it. but the precise atomic number of neon was never drilled into my head in school or college and only for actually being educated i might not have thought to look up neon the element nor thought of its atomic number or molecular mass or whatever since the clue in the level only mentions neon and nothin else. getting up to look something up might be somewhat of a deterrent to completing a level. still, a clever concept.

1+1+8=10 from electrons is a terrible clue.
this bag of potatoes weighs 7kg, so how many chairs are in my house?

you should try make it so the 9x9 puzzle doesn't break. i have not seen anything like that before and would like more than 2 mins to complete it!		2010-06-07 01:11:00

Author:
MegaBlob
Posts: 291

I know it's a terribly clue. But it's there for people who don't read the clue.
Neon's atomic mass is 20.1797. I say in the beginning you need a 2 digit number.

I understand that looking things up isn't terribly convenient, but I don't know how else to do it. Count the electrons?

I've done my best with it, but I still cannot for the life of me figure out why the grab switches disappear. No idea what triggers it.

All I know is that if you grab them too rapidly., they're more likely to do it, hence the "Deliberate Slowly.. yadda yadda." Bit.

I can extent the time, if you want. I figure that most people are used to spending a chunk of time on the puzzles anyway, but I don't want them stuck in a room if the stuff is broken from the start.		2010-06-07 04:40:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

Hi Valgee! I played your level through, it took time and don't really know what happened on some parts, I just tryed few tricks to get, it took a lot of time though.

Pros
makes you either think and try stuff or just leave it.

Cons
Don't know what really happened, lol a lot of speak bubbles with lot of text, could be bit simpler.

you could add some helps or tips to make those things if they come too hard for people.
there wasn't a lot of thing around, you could do more for the look of it, if was a lab, but some bottles and put some tiles on the wall etc..

good concept of brain activity and something about gases.. gave it :star::star::star:		2010-06-07 10:48:00

Author:
Unknown User

Don't know what really happened, lol a lot of speak bubbles with lot of text, could be bit simpler.The entire idea of the level is that LBP doesn't have to be SIMPLE. I don't want to make it simple. You didn't know what was happening because you didn't read, or something. I don't know what to tell you.
I'm sorry if there's too much to read, really I truly am. But, as I said, I'm not simplifying it. At all.


you could add some helps or tips to make those things if they come too hard for people.
When levels tell how to solve things (e.g "Hey, x is in the way -camera cuts to a y on a z - Maybe I can find a y to open x". Ensuing quest to climb z.) it annoys me to no end. I am not a baby. ^That is not a puzzle. There was no point for that. Why not just put the Level Entrance at the Scoreboard? Then you don't have to write anything, and I don't have to think.

there wasn't a lot of thing around, you could do more for the look of it, if was a lab, but some bottles and put some tiles on the wall etc.
It wasn't a lab. It was a series of testing rooms. Testing rooms aren't adorned with pretty and crazy lights and paintings. Testing rooms are simple with two things: A Goal, and a series of methods to reach the goals.


It's supposed to be 'too' hard. In fact, I started the project back when the fad "HARDEST LEVEL DURR" was raging. I thought "These aren't particularly hard, per say, just tedious and require perfect jumps. It's all tactile without any sort of varying challenge." And then I thought, well, what if the hardest level in LBP actually made you use your head? Then this was born.		2010-06-08 03:43:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

lol i was so confused when i counted i was like why are there 10 circles...? eh, lets try it!

i got stuck on the revolving platforms when you climb the tower... with the red/blue/green		2010-06-08 04:29:00

Author:
johnrulz77
Posts: 835

Stuck how?2010-06-08 04:43:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

I just partially played it and boy it needs improvements. I had no clue what so ever what to do at the puzzle with the three numbers (I think it was the 4th one?)after getting the red number. The level definitely needed prettying up (Very little decorations and stickers. You don't necessarily need paintings and flowers but take example from my level Sacky Puzzles.).

I especially didn't like the part where you start off. In fact I hated it. It is NOT a puzzle to time switches. NOT AT ALL (and it makes me even more frustrated how in a comment above me you said that you hated these types of things too!). I just get extremely upset at those kind of "puzzles" and it didn't fit in with your story IMO because they said they tested intelligence not reflexes. This level has a lot of potential and could do with some optional hints. Message me when you fix some things and I'll try it again!		2010-06-08 21:57:00

Author:
singularik
Posts: 130

I very "Portal'-like level.

Pros:
Makes you use your mind, a lot.

Cons:
Visuals were bland
Where it came to the part with finding the 2 digit numbers, I got 2, but the green one was impossible, and I gave up.

Sadly, I wasn't able to finish. I gave it :star::star::star:.		2010-06-13 18:14:00

Author:
Phosphorus15
Posts: 463

When you say green was impossible, is it because you accidentally deleted the clue? Because I was always afraid that would happen, but I didn't know if I ought to fix it because doing so would make that part even more confusing.

I know, I know. Visuals are bland.
Getting told that is bland. BlAAAH
I cannot fix it, I am bad at aesthetics, and I don't know how to make a testing room still look like a testing room but also exciting.		2010-06-15 00:14:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105

Uppadayted! Check the OP.2010-07-18 15:38:00

Author:
Valgee
Posts: 105


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