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Sherlock Holmes 2: African Adventure

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Sherlock Holmes 2: African Adventurethanatos989
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17408In the sequel to LBP Sherlock Holmes, Sackboy again stars as Watson, this time to help Holmes save his housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson from the evil master criminal and big game hunter Col. Moran. Cruise down an African river, avoid sack-eating crocodiles, get past a family of hippos and keep you head as you enter the land of the head hunters.
http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17409

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17410

http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17407

I would also like to thank Babydoll 1970 for her help with this level. Thanks, BD!

I appreciate any feedback intended to help improve the level. I'm sure there are plenty of things I never thought about. I will gladly return F4F, just let me know what I can do for you.		2010-05-24 22:40:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

OKay.. here we go!

This was a lot of fun to play, particularly with sackbuddies! A feel-good level that doesn't take itself too seriously. I'll go through the positives first:

Terrific opening title sequence - good lettering. Simple and humourous (sliding down the front).
Lovely, clean, stylised look in a similar vein to your other levels. I loved the reds and yellows - some really pretty sections.
Really nice use of stickers in the jungle sections (although it looked like some had moved slightly out of position).
The gameplay was varied and there were some really, REALLY tricky parts too (more on that later). Nice to have a 2x section (that was new!)
There was good variety of environments (water, boat, jungle, etc) and that kept it interesting.
Great looking characters and creatures - especially the crocs. Very awesome! Perhaps the best I've seen, imho.
I like the lock and key combo in the water. Much more appropriate than the last combo.
I liked all the hidden bubbles and those that rewarded you for exploring.
I liked the continual downward movement without feeling like the spaces were stacked on top of pone another or cramped, so well done.
Some hilarious multi-player moments when trying to traverse the obstacles.. loads of fun. The level itself has a humourous feel to it.

Now... some things that could do with a bit of attention:
1. SOUND!!! Music and effects!! This level is crying out for more sounds and there are such awesome places they can be used, too, like the tiger and the crocs. They need sound. You could use some music in your title sequence as well to heighten the excitement - or at least some sound effects.
Some of the cameras need tweaking. The ones near the camel are the most obvious, another one that could be removed or tweaked is just after the drop with boulders and before the monkey - both Holmeses are visible in the one camera frame.
The 2x section.. one of the buttons is loose and fell into the water. We managed to jump on it in the water, which was actually pretty funny, but it needs sticking down.
The elephant was a bit tricky (esp. in multi-player) and didn't seem to drop it's trunk for quite a while. I was also sad to see no steaming poop
I think that the timed section needs to be lengthened a bit. Apart from the fact that I lost almost all my bubbles on that wretched section of wheels with spikes on, when doing it in multi-player, it took forever and the checkpoint remaining visible meant we had no choice but to keep trying. i didn't make it even close to within the time either time. Not even remotely close. But we are also pretty crap, so some people might rip through it with no issues.
There are spaces above both crocodiles which you can swim right through and see the logic that's supposed to be hidden.
You could possibly do with putting a warning in the intro that people need community prizes on, as I couldn't progress (had CP off) and had to restart, which wasn't a major issue as it was near the start.

Finally - and this is just my personal opinion - I think the dialogue could be a little more involved. You are one of the finest wits I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and I was honestly expecting a little of that in the level dialogue (as Holmes himself was quite a wit), but it was reasonably generic. But that's totally your call.

If you want a hand with any sound placement, etc, I'm more than happy to give you a hand. I plan to be on today actually (all things going to schedule).
Great job, thanatos 		2010-05-25 02:40:00

Author:
BabyDoll1970
Posts: 1567

Thanks so much BD, I really appreciated your help as well. When I fix all these little gaffs, I will fix a huge one as well. Namely, not thanking you in the About the level blurb. Sorry for the oversight. I guess when you've been working on something for so long you just want to get done with it. But that's why we have this forum. Thanks again2010-05-25 04:05:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

I recently tried your level, although I noticed a couple things that BD mentioned I didn't mind all of them. I wasn't very good at the tricky parts, but maybe that's just me... /cough probably /cough. I like the use of water in your level, often people, in my opinion, put water in as an afterthought but you made it a dynamic part of your level. Overall I'd say it's a pretty decent level. Best of luck with the patching of your level. Thanks for posting ^.^2010-05-25 04:48:00

Author:
ElementalPenguin
Posts: 83

Thanks Elemental Penguin, I appreciate your comments as well. I have begun to make the changes, but it's going to take a little bit yet. I hope to have everything up by tomorrow.2010-05-26 03:17:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

Yay a new Sherlock level! And Adi and I both agree that it is your best work yet, both in terms of aesthetics and gameplay.

A few of my favourite things:
- The pace, the activities and the scenery kept changing, so I never got bored. Honestly quite an achievement with my attention span.
- The boat was very cool with it's steam and it's waterwheel (btw, was the wheel actually powering the boat? I couldn't work it out).
- All the animals looked great, and I genuinely jumped the first time I encountered a crocodile (no, I didn't heed the warning).
- You did a great job hiding points bubbles, making exploring fun.
- Fun platforming, which for me was pitched at a good and accessible level.

One suggestion: It was really good to have a x2 section, but I wonder if you could take the idea a bit further and make it a bit more of a challenge than standing on buttons? Even if not, the right hand button wasn't glued down, and we nearly knocked it into the water!

Overall though, definitely a fun play 		2010-05-26 20:59:00

Author:
Clarie
Posts: 13

To answer your questions, Clarie, yes the wheel mechanic actually powers the boat through the water. When water first came out, I spent some time playing with different water wheels and found out the darn thing actually works. I took BD's suggestion to add more sounds, and now it uses the steam engine sound as it chugs along.

I will think long and hard about the x2. It is too simplistic and should be more of a puzzle I think (it is Sherlock Holmes after all). The unglued button thing makes me laugh though. That's just like me.

I'm also working on some more clever dialogue stuff as well.		2010-05-26 22:46:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

Sorry for the double post, but it has been a few days. I did go back and fix a lot of what was wrong, following many suggestions from all of you. Thanks so much for the help.2010-06-01 04:05:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

I had great fun playing this last night - definitely my favourite of your levels so far. It had both some great visuals and fun, and in places challenging, gameplay.

Nice start to the level and I loved the stickering/decorations on the boat. For some reason, it reminded me of the African Queen - perhaps it was the chugging steam noise. The crocodiles were superb and, like Clarie, I jumped out of my skin when the first one shot out. In fact all the animals were great, the hippos, the monkey and the elephant too. Your levels have a distinctive, slightly stylised look and it worked really well particularly in the jungle sections. You use colour well.

The gameplay got off to gentle start with some nice puzzles and bubble stashes but then definitely ramped up in difficulty. The race is fun with some tricky sections to keep you on your toes. But then just when I was feeling a bit smug despite messing up the elephant?s trunk section, everything suddenly got a lot tougher, lol, and I proceeded to lose thousands of points! It was all a bit of a revelation...in a good way...I think....

No real negatives except perhaps one thing. Because I was playing as a single player, I didn?t bother to approach the 2x section. This meant I didn?t activate the checkpoint there. When I then died on the spiky wheels in the race, I re-spawned miles away at the timed bridge section which was frustrating, especially with it being a race. Perhaps you could tweak that checkpoint by the 2x section to give it a bigger radius. I also got stuck in a couple of places exploring for bubbles in holes that turned out to be Sack traps ? my own fault really!

Cool level - easy on the eye, varied, challenging and fun ? everything LBP level should be. It deserves a lot more plays!

:star::star::star::star::star: & <3

EDIT: I just replayed part of the level and realised you do have another checkpoint before the tricky bits of the race. In my rush I must have failed to activate that one too - my fault!		2010-06-02 22:35:00

Author:
shropshirelass
Posts: 1455

Good stuff Thanatos I enjoyed it - and I left you some comments in a pm.2010-06-03 14:32:00

Author:
Powershifter
Posts: 668

Thanks a lot guys. I just realized there is a problem that occasionally happens around that race checkpoint and you go zipping back to the timed bridge. I have since fixed it on my moon, but I think I have to explore those "sack traps" too. I'll republish with the fixes very soon.2010-06-03 22:16:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

Great job!

First of all, you did a great job with the scenery. You effectively used all three layers to your advantage and created a dynamic environment. The animals, people and other items are look good and are appropriate. Rmt mentioned that you needed to add some sound, but that has obviously been fixed. The sounds you used added quite a bit to the level and music suites it well.

One thing that sets the PoTC levels and most community water levels apart is how the water is used. In Mm's water levels, you must drain the water to make blockades sink, move objects so they'll float, and move through water environment. Most community water levels don't use things like sink/float properties of different materials or use the water to add to their level. You however incorperated the water as part of the level. A good water level can be one of the most fun levels IMO.

The only real problem was the difficulty. I didn't have any real problem (I'm not whining), but the were several places that need some minor correction. (Time delay bridge, jump to tiger paw, skull hop). Also consider your completion rate: 1/3 Notice that for every person to finish the level, one person hearts it. If you get that completion rate up, you could get quite a few hearts.

:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: <3

(Watch my blog this weekend as I might be posting about this level.)		2010-06-04 14:55:00

Author:
Sonic42
Posts: 19

Thanks a ton Sonic 42. I hadn't really considered what you said about completion rates, but it makes sense. I think I should have a little tweak on the tiger paw; it's just a tad too fast.2010-06-04 16:44:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

Okay, here's my opinion on the level:
Pros - The platforming and puzzles, while simple, made for a great and really fun level. I absolutley LOVED the boat section, and the crocs scared the living daylights out of me! The characters and creatures were very well designed, and the ending gave me a giggle.

Cons - The part with the sliding platforms on the pillars I found quite difficult, almost to the point of frustration, but that may be my playing skill and not your level design! Some areas I felt were a tiny bit empty on the sticker side of things, particularly the area with the lock-and-key and the elephant, but you only need a few more bits of random plant and you're done there really. On the spinning wheels during the race, I would avoid using spikes. This is simply because if you touch the side of a spike while spinning, without the player knowing you can be killed. This can be a little frustrating, so it may be better to replace them and spilt the circles up so they have sponge -> fire -> sponge -> fire, but that's just one option.
All in all, a fantastic, funny level. :star::star::star::star: and a great big <3.		2010-06-04 17:54:00

Author:
Unknown User

Thanks a ton Sonic 42. I hadn't really considered what you said about completion rates, but it makes sense. I think I should have a little tweak on the tiger paw; it's just a tad too fast.

Next time you publish a level, try this:

Use quick play to get in a game with someone/group of people. At the end of the level in progress (when the group is back in the host's pod) click 'Leave to my Pod'. Almost always someone will follow. Now go to your level. While playing try to lag behind and die a lot. Let your guest play the level. Watch where they have trouble. Then go and make the appropriate changes.		2010-06-04 19:17:00

Author:
Sonic42
Posts: 19

Next time you publish a level, try this:

Use quick play to get in a game with someone/group of people. At the end of the level in progress (when the group is back in the host's pod) click 'Leave to my Pod'. Almost always someone will follow. Now go to your level. While playing try to lag behind and die a lot. Let your guest play the level. Watch where they have trouble. Then go and make the appropriate changes.

Ha! That's too funny an idea to pass up! Rather like dragooning folks to come play my level. LOL. Hey, whatever works, right?!		2010-06-04 19:37:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

I really enjoyed your level it had a nice visual style to it and the platforming wasn't dificult at all. I had no problems with the level and I really liked the rotten banana throwing monkey. I gave the level :star::star::star::star:. Good Job!2010-06-04 21:39:00

Author:
Unknown User

Really liked the different uses for the animals throughout the level. The only thing I had problem with is finding the key and not knowing where to take it. I ended up finding the 2 player area and ended up breaking the key. When I found the lock to where the key went to I didn't have it and had to reload lol. Maybe an arrow or some point bubbles to lead the way would help out a bit. Other than that solid level. Gave it :star::star::star::star:2010-06-04 23:25:00

Author:
Unknown User

*The boat is awesome. It's the clearest "wow" factor in this level. I spent a lot of time puzzling out how it worked - even what planes it exists on is somewhat surprising. I would think I'd figured out how you built it, then it'd drive right through a layer I thought it occupied.

*Great diversity of elements. Driving, platforming, swimming...the mixup held my attention well.

*Massive visual improvement from the original Sherlock Holmes.

*I love that the cannibals are so eloquent. Heightens the bizarreness of the ending.

*The camel seems thrown in. Don't think there's much to be done, but a possible alternate opening might be to ride the camel past the opening title splash. Makes the camel ride longer, and makes Sackboy look like he's just traversed the Sahara to get to Holmes. If that makes sense to you, that's the biggest point I'd make.

From a technical perspective, don't assume the player will jump down onto the camel. I didn't, and I ended up hopping around trying to find a way to get on the camel from the front layer...not knowing I could have just run left. Whenever I build a sequence, I play it to see if it works as intended...then I purposefully try to play it wrong, and see where that gets me.		2010-06-05 15:20:00

Author:
coyote_blue
Posts: 422

Great level. :star::star::star::star::star: from me!

Pros:
Great visuals
Ever changing scenery was perfect!
Game-play was good
Alligator part was extremely fun!
The river boat was well built, and fun to use.
The story line was very interesting.
Great ending!

Cons:
The monkey banana part was way too difficult. I probably sent 10 minutes passing it.
When you come to the X2 part, I thought you had to complete it to move on, so maybe making the key to open the door more visible may help

Great level, though! 		2010-06-05 23:34:00

Author:
Phosphorus15
Posts: 463

Okay, I just made a bunch of fixes and tweaks. I tweaked the emitters for the bananas on the monkey to dial it down a notch. I also went up a half second on the tiger paw. Doesn't sound like much, but it makes a difference. I added a couple stationary mid-way platforms on the sliding platform things at the end. I took the spikes from 4 to 3 just to add a bit more space in between, but I decided not to remove them completely. I do like a challenge, and I suspect others do to. It is tough balancing challenge with too frustrating to finish.

I added a mouth to tell you to do the 2x before bringing the key to the lock and I made a dissolve barrier on the key chamber so that you have to the lock and activate the mouth warning. I stuck a wobble arrow pointing toward the lock too. That should alleviate problems with the key area. But if you bring the key to the lock, it will drop down the water and there will be no way to get up to the 2x.

I thought about following Coyote's suggestion on the camel, but I couldn't swing it without having to move a bunch of stuff. It would just impact too much. I wish I had thought of that before now, but oh well.

Thanks so much to all who have offered feedback so far. I know your input has made this a much better level..		2010-06-06 03:45:00

Author:
thanatos989
Posts: 248

Nice level. Although the first half felt unpolished but the boat design is good and the hippos are well made. The monkey part is awesome and I laughed out loud at the the end of the level [I wish KFC is still around]. Good work. 4 stars.2010-06-06 04:41:00

Author:
JustinArt
Posts: 1314

I took the spikes from 4 to 3 just to add a bit more space in between, but I decided not to remove them completely. I do like a challenge, and I suspect others do to. It is tough balancing challenge with too frustrating to finish.


Thankyou! That will make a heap of difference as that space between the four spikes was so tight that you had to grab in the exact spot or you'd get spiked on the rotation of the wheel. Now I can finally get the score I richly deserve as that little sucker of an obstacle robbed me of all my points pretty much every time. woo! Thanks


Oh, and P.S. Congrats on hitting Cool Levels 		2010-06-06 13:21:00

Author:
BabyDoll1970
Posts: 1567


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