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Out of Africa (pics inside!)

Archive: 100 posts

Lvl name: Out of Africa
Creator: OCK
Location: East African coast (Kenya to be exact)

Here it is, pride and joy. 40＋ hours of work and a lot of headaches

. After playing a ton of user-made levels I feel very confident saying this is one of the best out there ( I know it's a bold statement but I really do believe it and I hope that does not come off as sounding arrogant ). I also had invaluable input from a few forum members who were generous enough to playtest the level before I published (more on that later). Below are extensive notes and pics on every aspect of my creation and I hope you take a few minutes to read through it all:

Pics:

Please note most of these pics were taken in Create mode and I apologize if the quality is less then perfect.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/3011203513_0823e20c18_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/3011203971_aafac3174e_m.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/3011203883_237a05480b_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/3012039840_b84fb6aa01_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/3011203667_ebd38e7c75_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3196/3011203609_6eb95572e6_m.jpg

Singleplayer and Gameplay: This level was designed for single player play due to the fact that my multiplayer experiences so far have shown a lot of lag, network disconnects and other problems that have made things less then perfect. There are also sections of the level that may cause framerate drops if played by more then one person. I wanted to keep the gameplay focused on action and light platforming which ultimately reflect the story I have created. The structure/layout is old-school left to right with only minor changes in elevation. All these decisions are deliberate and once you play the level I think you will agree that I made the best possible choice in this respect. I wanted to make the level accessible to all skill levels while making it rather difficult to ace (the prize is worth acing for) and I never wanted the player to feel frustrated (all checkpoints are double-life) or bored which I think I have achieved.

Story, Theme and Real World Inspiration: The theme is a safari in Africa that quickly takes turns for the worse and once it does, the action never lets up. I used the Savannah background and tweaked the fog and daytime levels to achieve the look I wanted. I believe I am also the first to incorporate an element of the background into the story/design of my level. Near the beginning of the Savannah there are village huts with fires burning in the background. I used this in the placement of my tribe warriors so that you are literally passing through their territory. I think it is a nice touch that most people will not even notice but it will be great for those that do. The tribesman themselves were inspired by the Maasai tribe of Kenya, Africa. This tribe often uses red face paint for decoration. This greatly influenced the design of my warriors. The Chief (boss character) is wearing a dashiki which is a traditional African shirt consisting of a patchwork of multiple patterns and all the animals are identical to there real life counterparts (in other words, no fire spitting giraffes

.

Custom Content: Everything in my level is custom! From the trees to the wildlife to the letters to all the structures you will be seeing. I also had to create custom stickers using the already available materials to disguise certain objects (making a block of stone look like wood for example) but mostly for aesthetic reasons. I wanted every single thing, no matter how minor, to ?look? African. I place a strong emphasis on cohesion and picking the right materials so that nothing looks out of place. I promise that this is one level you will play and not once think: ?that does not look like it belongs here? lol.

Writing: I put just as much work into what the characters in the level say as everything else. This has resulted in high quality writing that has humor and drives the story forward. There are certain parts (especially during the safari) that should genuinely have you laughing out loud so I hope everyone appreciates the writing as much as everything else.

Music, Sound FX and Camera Zones: I use two tracks throughout the level and they have been modified to best reflect whatever is happening on screen. From the safari up until the chief the track you are hearing only has percussion and drums and this really serves well in setting up the atmosphere for the level. The battle with the chief has his own track and once you get to the river the saxophone and drums dominate everything and you know you?re in for something special before you even see what is waiting for you up ahead. I have used A TON of sfx and made full use of the modifier here as well. So when you pass by the baby zebra it has a high pitched whine versus the adults that have deeper ones. Both chimp sfx were used on the monkeys and all are modified so the sound is very dynamic. There is too much more to name but rest assured I paid just as much attention to this aspect as everything else. I use a lot of camera zones, all designed to give you the best view of the action.

Photo Booths: I have not seen a level that has photo booths that make sense within the context of the story but I have that too . The bonus is that the pictures you get are really great so once again I hope everyone appreciates this minor detail.

A Word on Crocodiles, Hippos and Monkey?s: I put 10 hours into this level during the beta and once the beta ended I continued to work on the level in my head ( I am sure many of you have similar stories). One idea I came up with was having a river crossing where you are swinging from monkey?s arms over the snapping jaws of crocs. So I eventually get the game and what do you know, MM has something very similar to this in the Savannah levels (although there is no river). On one hand I thought ?well now I know it was a great idea since MM used it? and on the other hand I thought ?well I can?t really do that anymore because people are bound to say hey, we have seen that already?. But I did not want to give up on a great idea so I changed it around a bit and I think it is very different from what MM did and -dare I say it- maybe even better. I made hippos which actually makes more sense because they are the most dangerous animal in Africa, responsible for more human deaths then any other. And when do they kill humans? That?s right, river crossings by tipping over the boat. So not only is this section fun to play thorough (it is my favorite part of the level) but it is also based on real world fact (if Sackpeople existed in the real world that is)!

Playtesting and Community Support: I playtested this level over 100 times. No I am not crazy it's just that I would constantly playtest while making the level in order to take care of potential bugs/glitches/problems (and there were a lot). I am also very fortunate to have had the support of the following forum members: Docpac, ConfusedCartman, Aer0blue and Flakmagnet (flak graciously offered to playtest but did not get a chance before I published) who playtested my level during its development and upon completion before I published. They provided me with invaluable feedback that in some cases actually made me change around entire sections of my level. I cannot thank you guys enough and I appreciate all the input. It is further proof of just how great this community really is. Also a thank you to Donkeyshow who told me how to change the color of the gas

If you actually took the time to read through all of this then I really can?t thank you enough. The success of this level now depends on you. If you play it and genuinely like it then heart it and tell your friends about it. I have personally made it a point to try every level made by forum members so I do hope everyone checks this out. Last but not least a big thank you to my wife who lost her patience with me more then once during the making of this level (I was playing WAAAAY more then I usually do, it became an obsession). She?s the best!!!

2008-11-08 00:52:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

I'll look it up and play it, sounds exciting.

...

Yes, I read the whole thing. >_<

2008-11-08 01:00:00

Author:
Code1337

Posts: 3476

Thanks let me know what you think.

2008-11-08 01:03:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

It was fun, especially the river crossing part. I can tell you put a lot of time into this level. Well done.

2008-11-08 01:18:00

Author:
Cloud

Posts: 74

It was fun, especially the river crossing part. I can tell you put a lot of time into this level. Well done.

Thanks a lot, that whole section is my favorite part! I hope you hearted

2008-11-08 01:23:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

you sure did put a lot of work & thought into this

. I'll have a go on it when my copy of LBP comes.

2008-11-08 01:25:00

Author:
Sack-Andreas

Posts: 70

It sounds amazing! I'll have to check it out as soon as I get my PS3 tomorrow.

2008-11-08 01:26:00

Author:
Sack-Jake

Posts: 1153

Let me know what you guys think after you have tried it out

2008-11-08 01:28:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Wow. The texture use, monkeys, hippos... man, you went all out. I really liked the chief and the river crossing. Five star and hearted.

Btw, when I started the level there were zero plays. By the time I was done you already had 40 something. That's insane.

2008-11-08 01:37:00

Author:
docpac

Posts: 601

Thanks doc, I really appreicate it!

2008-11-08 01:51:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

How did you create the floating platform? I didn't see any winches or pistons.

2008-11-08 02:39:00

Author:
docpac

Posts: 601

The pistons are set to 0 as minimum length. I actually think it looks cooler this way

Link to pics added to first post

2008-11-08 03:00:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Very nicely done

Can't wait to see your next project.

2008-11-08 03:36:00

Author:
Unknown User

Very nicely done Can't wait to see your next project.

Thanks a lot man. I have a couple of ideas and all of them are VERY different both in style and gameplay then this one so we will see

Level has been republished. Added some more eye candy to the Chief ( I did not think that would be possible lol) and changed the way you scale the platform to activate the switch. It is a lot more user friendly now

2008-11-08 03:57:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Sorry I didn't leave feedback earlier!

Love the level. Very fun, but challenging. I don't want to ruin too much for those who haven't played it, but it's pretty innovative. The only thing I would suggest is this: find a way to a)lengthen the river area a tad and b)add a checkpoint halfway across. That way you don't sacrifice too much difficulty, but at the same time, people don't get put off by failure. That portion's a good chunk into the level, and it's a pain to do everything all over again just to beat one area. Other than that, I love the level. Good work.

2008-11-09 10:36:00

Author:
ConfusedCartman

Posts: 3729

Thanks a lot Cartman. Every bit of advice you have given me thus far has proven useful and now is no different

The level has been republished with the following updates:

- Platform has been added ot the middle of the river crossing. Based on some of my own experiences in the level I know this will relieve some of the frustration while still providing a challenge.

- A pleasant surprise has been added at the end of the level. The massive Out of Africa logo is no longer just for show...

- Some camera zones have been readjusted

- River wave in forground is now moving again

I would like to thank everyone who has played/hearted my level thus far. I am still doing some tweaking so any further comments/suggestions are more then welcome. More pics will be added to the link on the first post soon

2008-11-09 12:19:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Hello fellow dad lol
I'll just read the whole thread and i'll be sure to try this level when i get on in a while

2008-11-09 13:17:00

Author:
dorien

Posts: 2767

Thanks Dorien, let me know what you think

2008-11-09 14:13:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

This sounds awesome. Gonna search for it

2008-11-09 16:22:00

Author:
spentoner

Posts: 5

Played this, and the river wtfpwned me the first runthrough. >_> Which made blowing up that lion all the more satisfying... haha. Awesome level, OCK. Really original and different from what I've seen so far from other users.

Also: HA! Found everything hidden in the level... And had fun doing so.

2008-11-09 18:09:00

Author:
aer0blue

Posts: 1603

Played this, and the river wtfpwned me the first runthrough. >_>

LOL, thanks Aero! I added a platform in the middle of the river now to make it a little less punishing (although that's why you can use the trees to make your life easier). Thanks again for the playtesting

I plan on tweaking a few more things today.

2008-11-09 23:23:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Fun level overall. Nice work with all the original creations!

Only the bit at the end with the Lion King didn't seem to work for me. The cannon would not fire every time I used the grab switch. And even the lion king himself just ambled toward me until he got to a certain point and just disappeared...

2008-11-10 03:52:00

Author:
jfjohnny5

Posts: 20

Thanks for your comments johnny

Regarding the lion, you are warned twice before reaching the lion NOT to let him get too close. The reason is that the cannon will not fire if he is directly in front of it. This is a glitch that I really do not see any way around. To compensate I made the lions body out of dissolve material so that if you DO allow him to come too close it will triger a magnetic swithc that dissolves his body and allows you to pass by him and finish the level. I hope that helps.

Update:

- Made body of lion into dissolve to counter letting him too close to the cannon (see note above)

- Added and modified some speech bubbles

- Tweaked the river again so that ALL waves are finally moving (for some reason one of the waves kept stopping but I figured out the problem and it should not happen again).

- Readjusted some camera zones

There are still a couple of things I am going to change/add so keep the feedback coming, I appreciate it.

2008-11-10 07:33:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Any level that lets you shoot a lion in the face with a cannon is awesome. This is one of those levels...

2008-11-10 18:04:00

Author:
Voltiare

Posts: 646

Level has been updated:

- Added multiplayer close post. This level was intended for single player so I should have had that in there from the start.

- Changed the camera angles on the chief so you can have a better appreciation of how much detail/decoration went into the guy

(the angles are also more dramatic and work better)

- Duplicated the speech bubble on the first tribe statue and put it on it's head. I noticed many people prefer to jump over the windshield of the jeep when they reach this point instead of jumping down to the ground which may result in not triggering the speech bubble. Problem is now solved.

- Changed the speech trigger for the Chief's personal guard so that it triggers before the Chief's.

- Added more score bubbles to the giant Out of Africa logo.

- Lowered the railing of the Chief's personal guard so that when you jump off the floating platform the automatic "plane" detection should make it easier to jump off in the middle (best solution is just to jump off the platform to the right or left).

More updates will be added soon and then hopefully I can say this level is over and done with. Already hard at work on the next one, it's going to be special

2008-11-10 23:48:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

UPDATE:

- Fianlly figured out a great solution to the Lion King proximity problem. I now have the big cat rigged with C4 so if he come close to the cannon, KABOOM! I would actually encourage people not too shoot at him with the cannon just to see this happen, it's rather funny

I have changed some of the speech bubbles to reflect this tweak.

- I have zoomed out the camera on the Lion King so now you can fully appreciate when you blow him up to pieces.

- I closed a small gap between the second Zebra stone and statue during the battle with the Chief. It was possible to fall into this very small gap and therefore force the player to suicide. Problem fixed.

- I changed a camera angle to allow the player to see what happens when they destroy the Chief's personal guard and I added a couple of funny speech bubbles to the disconnected heads.

-　I added some more decorations to the score podium at the end and zoomed out the camera to allow the player to see the full scale of it. I hope you think it's as pretty as I do

Still doing minor tweaks, any more comments are welcome. Thanks once again to those who have played and hearted.

2008-11-11 08:45:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

I'd agree with adding a checkpoint halfway across the river. Mrs P got very frustrated with that part.

Can you also reduce the amount of camera shots at the beginning, its well done and in context, but after a few of playthroughs my PS3 kept telling me it had filled the memory and couldn't add more shots. Just one per level would be good etiquette I think.

Other than that I loved it. Thought the chief was very good and liked the tribesmen where you could bounce on their heads.

Nice one OCK

2008-11-11 11:04:00

Author:
Piratepete

Posts: 110

Hey, tried out your level. Overall, it's fairly challenging and visually pleasing

There were a couple of points to note though (but I may have simply missed something).

At the beginning when getting onto the vehicle, if you fall beside it, there doesn't seem to be a way to get back onto the stairs to get back on.

Also, while dragging the cannon around it got stuck against several spikes and a creature brain and started to drag them around. This made it fairly difficult to move forward.

Glad to hear you've changed some of the camera zooms, I never really saw what the Lion King looked like :hero:

2008-11-11 11:38:00

Author:
Gilgamesh

Posts: 2536

cool. sounds like your putting a lot of effort into this. I shall try it out when i get a chance

RSS

2008-11-11 11:40:00

Author:
RedSoakedSponge

Posts: 52

Can you also reduce the amount of camera shots at the beginning, its well done and in context, but after a few of playthroughs my PS3 kept telling me it had filled the memory and couldn't add more shots. Just one per level would be good etiquette I think.

As noted on the first post the camera shots are deliberate and one camera shot just won't do. I do not know why you keep getting a MEMORY FULL message. The game stopped giving me that message after the first one. After that it just automatically deletes pics and replaces them with new ones. Strange.

At the beginning when getting onto the vehicle, if you fall beside it, there doesn't seem to be a way to get back onto the stairs to get back on.

I have reduced the layer of the stairs by 1 thereby allowing anyone who falls off near the beginning to climb back up and hop on the jeep.

Also, while dragging the cannon around it got stuck against several spikes and a creature brain and started to drag them around. This made it fairly difficult to move forward.

The cannon is only meant to be used against the King, hence the speech bubbles. If you shoot it at the small lions the spikes will detach and impede the movement possibility of the cannon whereas if you just grab their brain everything will dissolve and leave a clear path to the King. I really don't see any easy way around this for those players that may use the cannon on all the lions but if you have any suggestions then let me know

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have re-published with the following changes:

- Thikness of stairs at the start of the level has been reduced by 1 (see note above)

- I have shrunk the size of the horrible gas in the 3rd hippos mouth. I found that if you hang onto the monkey above that hippo for too long there is a chance your feet will clip the gas and kill you. That is no longer possible

- The Chief has been added as an ACE bubble prize

As you can see I am still constantly tweaking, playtesting, and listening to everyone's suggestions. One thing I would ask though is that if you really do like the level then don't forget to heart. I personally think they need to change the hearting system and ask the player whether they want to heart or not after completing the level, the same way they ask you to rate the level and pick a tag. As it is you have to re-enter the play screen to heart and I think many people simply forget (I have forgotten a couple of times myself but great levels stick in your head so I went back and hearted them once I remembered

) Thanks again for all the great feedback.

Oh and I finally managed to ACE my level so it is possible

2008-11-11 13:19:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

The cannon is only meant to be used against the King, hence the speech bubbles. If you shoot it at the small lions the spikes will detach and impede the movement possibility of the cannon whereas if you just grab their brain everything will dissolve and leave a clear path to the King. I really don't see any easy way around this for those players that may use the cannon on all the lions but if you have any suggestions then let me know

Well, I just assumed I could use the cannon on the small lions. I suppose you could change their material to something that doesn't get damaged from explosions, that could be a good way to go about it. I just don't know if it won't break their walking mechanism

2008-11-11 13:36:00

Author:
Gilgamesh

Posts: 2536

Yeah I will tinker around with the possibilities tomorrow, I am off to bed now. Thanks again for the feedback

2008-11-11 13:53:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

As I said to you on the PS3, I think this is a very professional looking level and you could imagine it being a level in the game. Very good level and you have obviously put a lot of effort into this

- I have shrunk the size of the horrible gas in the 3rd hippos mouth. I found that if you hang onto the monkey above that hippo for too long there is a chance your feet will clip the gas and kill you. That is no longer possible

Glad you have done this as this killed me about a million times and i had to restart because of it twice lol
Think it was the monkey just after the check point

I was about to say this but I always read through the whole thread before saying something that someone else may have already said. (unlike others lol)

2008-11-11 21:19:00

Author:
dorien

Posts: 2767

Thanks a lot for your comments Dorien, it really makes me feel like all the hard work was worth it

And thanks for reading through the whole thread before posting, I try to do the same thing when I post

2008-11-12 00:18:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

i actually ran into this by chance on the front page. Its fun but the monkey part is uber tough

2008-11-12 01:24:00

Author:
Unknown User

Its fun but the monkey part is uber tough

While I agree the river section is challenging I think uber-tough is a bit of an overstatment. Like great platformers of old it's all about timing your jumps and waiting for just the right moment. I actually made it a lot easier by allowing you to grab onto the trees (it is possible to make it across the entire river without using the monkey's once, except in the middle!). I have made it across plenty of time without dying and as I mentioned in the previous post I managed to ACE the lvl yesterday. But thanks for your comments and I am glad you enjoyed it

2008-11-12 03:35:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Hello Ock, I must say finding your level amongst all the African levels was pretty hard but it was well worth the search. Here's a list of things that really worked well and that I enjoyed, and second list of things where things can improve imo.

Things that worked:

Attention to detail: Loved how everything was custom made and at no part did I feel that it was too empty.
The use of sounds and music. It's hard to believe how many levels are out there that don't use any sound effects or music.
Good use of camera angles. Many levels out there either don't use them at all or use them in awkward stages of their level that makes it hard to progress.
Loved the safari ride and the humor in hearing what the animals had to say.
Enjoyed the obstacles and bosses. Especially liked the river crossing.

Things that I feel can use some improvement.

Off the bat when I got into the tour bus I immediately thought to myself..."Sweet, I'll get to sit back a little and enjoy the ride" only to find out that there were prizes below and jumped off immediately. I missed out on the experience of looking at the animals from above and the chance to get the prize on the 5th zebra pattered tower.
Just like somebody mentioned, when I got to the canon something inside me to control of me and I started blasting everything in sight. I killed the little lions having to deal with some problems pushing the cannon forward.
For some areas I felt the dialogue was a little odd. The part where you get stuck at the barrier and its says "ERROR! We have...." For a split second I thought my game encountered some type of glitch. Also at the beginning of the Lion area I was a little confused with the push/pull text. I thought the lion was talking, not the cannon. Maybe you can do what I did. Make it look like the actual player/sackboy is talking or thinking to himself.

For example, Instead of the cannon saying, "I can be pushed and ...." Have the sack boy thinking, "Hmmm...Maybe I can use this old canon against the lion king"

Other then that It was a very well made level and it shows. I look forward to future levels.

2008-11-12 07:13:00

Author:
Traxxer911

Posts: 22

Thanks for taking the time to write so much feedback Traxxer, I really do appreciate it

Off the bat when I got into the tour bus I immediately thought to myself..."Sweet, I'll get to sit back a little and enjoy the ride" only to find out that there were prizes below and jumped off immediately. I missed out on the experience of looking at the animals from above and the chance to get the prize on the 5th zebra pattered tower.

There is one prize on top of one of the trees that you can grab and the jeep will stop until you hop back on. The rest for the safari portion are all on the ground and you can come back for them once you hit the obstacle and are forced off the jeep (alternatively you could always just replay the lvl

. But maybe I should add a speech bubble hinting that the player should not worry about collecting things because they will have a chance for that later

Just like somebody mentioned, when I got to the canon something inside me to control of me and I started blasting everything in sight. I killed the little lions having to deal with some problems pushing the cannon forward.

Despite the speech bubbles telling you only to use it for the king it seems that it's just human nature to want to blow everything up when presented with a cannon lol. I am still thinking of a way of tweaking this but if you do decide to blow everything up then it is probably easier to lure the King to the cannon vs pushing the cannon (just thought of something, will move the cannon past the 4th lion, good idea?).

For some areas I felt the dialogue was a little odd. The part where you get stuck at the barrier and its says "ERROR! We have...." For a split second I thought my game encountered some type of glitch. Also at the beginning of the Lion area I was a little confused with the push/pull text. I thought the lion was talking, not the cannon. Maybe you can do what I did. Make it look like the actual player/sackboy is talking or thinking to himself.

LOL at thinking your game glitched when that speech bubble activated but if you read through the whole thing I think it's pretty obviuous that it's a scripted event. I like the idea of making it look like your Sackperson is thinking something with the speech bubble and I just might use it

Thanks again for all the feedback and I said on your thread, I too look forward to what you do next.

2008-11-12 23:18:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Sounds pretty cool, it will be refreshing to have some decent dialogue. I should be able to play it later tonight.

2008-11-13 01:31:00

Author:
Hexagohn

Posts: 335

Update:

- I finally solved the cannon problem by changing the placement of the smaller lion and the cannon itself. You can now ONLY use to the cannon against the King as was originally intended

- Added a few more decorations here and there

- Tweaked a couple of camera zones

After all the republishing, retweaking and replaytesting the 40+ hours it took to make this level is now closer to 50+ hours but I think I can finally say the level is as "perfect" as it ever will be (although as a perfectionist I will probably never be fully satisfied lol). Still, I appreciate any more comments and feedback that people have and I once again thank everyone who has played and hearted

2008-11-13 23:22:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Just played it a bit ago, lots of fun. Just like you said every little detail plays in very well with the theme and story. You even matched huts from the background with the tribes. Very impressive, really is one of the best out there. Messaged you some feedback.

2008-11-14 01:20:00

Author:
Hexagohn

Posts: 335

Thanks for the compliments Hex, I appreciate it

I am happy you noticed the use of background, I have not seen it done before. I also have the massive Out of Africa logo at the end which is something else I have not seen before (having the name of a level within in the level itslef in some form or another). So thanks again hopefully more people will have a look at what I have made.

2008-11-15 00:57:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

I played it, really liked the safari ride and how you "take" pictures of the animals, I also had problems with the lion part, (played it before you made the tweaks, just never had time to comment here) But overall I think it was very well polished/right theme/and pretty difficult. Two Fins up!

2008-11-15 01:23:00

Author:
Whalio Cappuccino

Posts: 5250

reading through it all FTW!!!!

i'll definitely look into this it sounds so awesome!

2008-11-15 01:55:00

Author:
muttjones

Posts: 843

Thanks for your comments Whaaaaale and I hope you enjoy it mutt

2008-11-16 23:19:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

I just played it and it was amazing. The original animals, terrain etc. were a great change from the usual bare and dull levels. Highly recommended. 5/5

2008-11-23 14:20:00

Author:
Killian

Posts: 2575

5 stars and a heart.

This level is deserving of both.

Very original and well-presented.

I strongly urge anyone who hasn't checked this level out to go look it up

2008-11-24 01:32:00

Author:
xbriandeadx

Posts: 134

Thanks for the kind words guys, I really appreciate it. Especially since I admire the work both of you have done on your levels

UPDATE:

-Added some more decoration

-Adjusted swing speed on one of the monkey's arms

-Fixed wheel detachment problem on one of the tribseman

2008-11-25 00:10:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Very cool level OCK. Had a chance to play it this morning and it was lots of fun! Loved that all of it was original. You could have used pre-made safari animals, but you didn't, so kudoes

2008-11-25 01:18:00

Author:
KAPBAM

Posts: 1348

Very cool level OCK. Had a chance to play it this morning and it was lots of fun! Loved that all of it was original. You could have used pre-made safari animals, but you didn't, so kudoes

Thanks KAPBAM. After making this level I decided that all my future levels will have only custom content. I feel that the extra hours put in creating everything from scratch really make a level your own and gurantee that whoever plays it will be seeing things they have never seen before which I personally think is very important.

Thanks again to all who have played/hearted/commented thus far. I am about 50% done my next level and it is going to be special if I do say so myself

Anymore feedback is always welcome so if you have not tried my level yet then get to it and let me know what you think

2008-11-26 08:52:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Posting for prosperity. I will definitely play this level. One question though, why is this not on youtube? I think you and all other designers who put so much effort in levels are depriving yourself of a lot of plays when you dont have a video of your level.

2008-11-26 14:05:00

Author:
tyboogie

Posts: 96

Played this last night

Very good level, really enjoyed the custom feel and look. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. Also it is at a nice difficult level, not too hard or too easy

Well done!

*****

2008-11-27 14:39:00

Author:
Akanouk

Posts: 46

One question though, why is this not on youtube?

There is now a video up under the Community Spotlight episode 1 thread. However the video was taken durning from the earliest build of the level and so much has changed that I would really like to have another video done. I have not recieved a response yet regarding this so I may have to find a way to do one myself whenever I get a chance

Played this last night

Very good level, really enjoyed the custom feel and look. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. Also it is at a nice difficult level, not too hard or too easy

Well done!

Thank you kindly, I appreciate it

2008-11-29 23:46:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

OCK - I played your level a number of times on the weekend. I haven't finished it yet, I seem to always stuff up the river crossing, but those hippos and monkeys won't keep me from finishing it.

Initial thoughts (without finishing) great use of custom everything, love the story so far, and the integration with the background (subtle, but it adds to the atmosphere). I thought the movement of the river wasn't as riverlike as I expected from reading on the forum so was only slightly disappointed it wasn't cooler, that said it was only because I had very high expectations.
Well done, I'll post more when I finish the level!

Edit : Wouldn't you know next time I played it, I made it across the river first time! I enjoyed using the canon, but to be honest it felt a little cheap and not in keeping with the rest of the theme. We are on tourist that has now gone native and is killing the wildlife, with a big canon/gun ? I did enjoy the custom Out of Africa and the rain of bubbles.

2008-11-30 21:35:00

Author:
ALpha_7

Posts: 20

Initial thoughts (without finishing) great use of custom everything, love the story so far, and the integration with the background (subtle, but it adds to the atmosphere).

Thanks you. Story and custom content is something I will focus heavily on with all of my levels.

I thought the movement of the river wasn't as riverlike as I expected from reading on the forum so was only slightly disappointed it wasn't cooler, that said it was only because I had very high expectations.

Sorry I did not meet your high expectations

I still love the river I made though but hopeully MM adds a water tool in the future which will really help levels look more stunning.

I enjoyed using the canon, but to be honest it felt a little cheap and not in keeping with the rest of the theme. We are on tourist that has now gone native and is killing the wildlife, with a big canon/gun ?

When I first added the cannon I questioned whether it was the best thing to do. However, after recieving feedback most people really enjoyed it and it was a different gameplay element even if it only lasts about 10 seconds. Also, let's not forget this is LBP. Yes my lvl is based in a lot of realism but at the end of the day it is still LBP

2008-12-02 23:25:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

I played it yesterday, really loved the custom animals. At the final part, was there supposed to be a big boss lion? I kinda just activated the cannon by accident and couldn't even see it

.

The native chief was great but a bit too easy. The monkeys at the river part were kind of desynchronized, it was really dificult for me to cross that river

I loved the lions!

2008-12-03 02:41:00

Author:
carno

Posts: 24

At the final part, was there supposed to be a big boss lion? I kinda just activated the cannon by accident and couldn't even see it

Yes but it seems that the natural urge is for people to jump on the cannon and start firing like mad without even seeing what they are shooting at lol. If you walked a couple of steps further you would have seen the boss lion and have been treated to a funny speech bubble.

The monkeys at the river part were kind of desynchronized, it was really dificult for me to cross that river

I have adressed this multiple times but I will do so again: IT IS ALL ABOUT TIMING!!! You HAVE to time your jumps, the monkeys movement is like that on purpose. Also, you can grab on and swing from the trees making it possible to clear the entire river without even using the monkeys!

I loved the lions!

Thanks, I love them too

2008-12-03 03:50:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Thanks a lot man. The truth is that a lot of the levels created by the people on these forums is better then 90% of the stuff on the Cool Levels pages (and 90% better then everything else in general) and I noticed you gave a FPM endorsement to some of my favorites lol (The Domain, H.A.T.E, Razhotep's Tomb). Hopefully they change the system to so that our levels can get the exposure they deserve.I'd be up for the FPM system and God-of-Games word is law. He is judge and jury. He decides who lives and who dies.

2008-12-07 06:09:00

Author:
Voltiare

Posts: 646

This is one of my favorites! I thought the custom content was pure genius =] the lion is extremely adorable and everything was just so creative ^^.
The level of customization in this level as well as the Abandoned Coal Mine and "His" World (xbriandeadx) levels is what draws me in.
You did an amazing job here. I really can play this level time and time again just because it's so refreshing and enjoyable. I highly anticipate the next one from you ^^

2008-12-10 10:38:00

Author:
din0elle

Posts: 5

gee, I have to play this now... good luck with hearts.

2008-12-10 17:35:00

Author:
Ineedhelp9

Posts: 32

sounds very interesting, I?ll look it up and play it!

2008-12-10 17:49:00

Author:
Marynor

Posts: 7

Now that my level's out I can finally take a break and play other people's levels.

---

I managed to cross the river by pretty heavily relying on the sponge grab trick in the trees. It's an interesting alternative to grabbing the monkeys, but it felt like I missed out on some gameplay... ah well, it worked though.

The lion boss was a bit strange, in that I walked up to it to read the speech, as suggested, then went back to fire the cannon a few times and move it around, and then it was gone. I didn't see the lion blow up, just the after effects. It felt like I missed it, which was a shame.

And thinking about lions, it sounds like you have swapped the order of the little lions around so they are now killable by jumping on top of them. You might want to add roaring kind of sound effects on proximity switches to help with immersion. At the moment they make default whirling sounds when you are in proximity, it would be cooler if they roared.

Overall though it's an amazing level! I'm one of the many people that have hearted it!

2008-12-11 03:10:00

Author:
Elbee23

Posts: 1280

I've seen this level floating around for a while now so I figure I may as well see it for myself. (Goes to play level)
.................................................. ...................................
.................................................. ...................................
.................yeah it's pretty good.

Final Scor--Okay okay fine, that's not a real review, it's just that I'm a little sleepy.

What we are given here is a level that takes place in Africa (who could of guessed) where you happen to be the most unlucky soul on a horribly timed African tour group, and by horribly timed I mean having run right into a tribe of African folk who don't take kindly to outsiders, specifically you.

To begin, you ride on an overly large car, which normally I'd be complaining about what with LBP levels having this bizarre giant vehicle fetish, but then I remember that this is Africa we're talking about, not Disneyland. 2 notable things struck me about the car:
1) It runs on a player sensor, so simply being on it makes it go, and falling off at any time guarantees that you aren't allowed back on (technically it is your fault for not staying on the car like the tour guide said you should)
2) The back tire is not centered, causing a ride that's more unstable than the camera from Cloverfield, and on this note I now need to ask:
Was this done on purpose? If it was, then you have an interesting take on the common safari car and can visually feel the normal bumpy ride, and overall is a perfectly added touch. If it was an accident, then I ask that the author have his eyes checked because if not he may find himself finding God, I don't think it's possible to have created such a cool little touch like this without it being intentional.

Anyway, moving on the safari ends when your car's lack of self control runs you into the wall (hi-brow joke), and you revert back to being the most unlucky tourist ever to walk the plains when you run into previously mentioned African tribe. So needless to say, they attack you. First with a barrage of flaming spears via well placed emitters, then followed up with dropping burning boulders, of which they seem to have an infinite supply on the 3-4 story high building (I'm sorry, I think I just tried applying logic to a videogame, my bad). Getting through the spears usually results in 1-2 deaths the first time around, but once you figure out the trick.....it still sucks but now a lot less, so don't get hit by the errant missile. Killing the chieftain isn't what I'd call a chore, but the possibly of "rocks fall, everyone dies" kinda sucks, so be aware of it. Climb up the building, blow up the tribesmen, jump off the building, yadda yadda find some trees and monkeys. The trees and monkeys happen to be situated right above a misty lake with more crocodiles than a circus performance, so needless to say you swing from monkey to monkey (geez, did I just say that? "urg") until you reach the end, and normally I would call this really challenging except for the fact that trees in Africa happen to be made out of sponge and is pretty easily crossed without even grabbing a monkey.

Finally, you win, and the title "Out of Africa" is spread amongst 3 trees which glorify you with bubblicious fun, and then the exit.

So how is it? Pretty darn good, certainly a good amount of effort was put into the stage, the creativity behind just about everything is excellent, the platforming was there but didn't show off (which is both a pro and con), and overall it was fun and enjoyable. Granted it was a bit cliche at times, and it didn't feel at all like challenge was present, but a good level nethetheless,

Final Score (for real this time):
8.0 / 10
Maybe not the best level I've seen, but it certainly is better than most and for that reason I highly recommend giving it a shot. Especially since it kinda feels like 3 levels at once,

If anything in that review sounded somewhat illegible, let me know because I almost fell asleep writing this, sorry.

I'm going to bed.

2008-12-11 08:42:00

Author:
Shining Aquas

Posts: 353

Let me just say that's quite a level you have made. I truly loved the speech bubbles and humour, it was really well written.

I'm amazed as well at the shere volume of custom content. The whole level has a hand built and distinct feel. I really like the effect.

Thanks a lot man. All of my levels will feature 100% custom content and be story rich so I am happy you enjoyed the visuals/speech bubbles.

I managed to cross the river by pretty heavily relying on the sponge grab trick in the trees. It's an interesting alternative to grabbing the monkeys, but it felt like I missed out on some gameplay...

I would not encourage people to cross the river using the tress but it is there as an option if they are finding the river crossing too difficult (a lot of people have said they had trouble crossing this section so I guess it makes sense to have the option there).

The lion boss was a bit strange, in that I walked up to it to read the speech, as suggested, then went back to fire the cannon a few times and move it around, and then it was gone. I didn't see the lion blow up, just the after effects. It felt like I missed it, which was a shame.

And thinking about lions, it sounds like you have swapped the order of the little lions around so they are now killable by jumping on top of them. You might want to add roaring kind of sound effects on proximity switches to help with immersion. At the moment they make default whirling sounds when you are in proximity, it would be cooler if they roared.

I have probably tweaked this section more then any other in the lvl but it still seems like it is not perfect *sigh*. If you would have let the lion come a bit closer you would have had the pleasure of seeing his whole body explode lol.

For some strange reason MM made the Lion sfx available within speech bubbles but NOT in sound emitters. However I guess I can add speech bubbles that say ROAR to the lions with that sound effect. (in fact, I have a pretty funny idea of how to got about it).

Thanks for all your comments Elbee, I really do appreciate it. I had the chance to check out your level and I will leave feedback soon.

OK, here we go,

I've seen this level floating around for a while now so I figure I may as well see it for myself. (Goes to play level)
.................................................. ...................................
.................................................. ...................................
.................yeah it's pretty good.

Final Scor--Okay okay fine, that's not a real review, it's just that I'm a little sleepy.

Let me start by saying thank you for the unasked for review...

The back tire is not centered, causing a ride that's more unstable than the camera from Cloverfield, and on this note I now need to ask:
Was this done on purpose?

During the extensive playtesting I noticed this. I tried playing with it but then realized that it did add a nice touch and made the player feel like they were travelling over bumpy terrain. So the answer is Yes and No.

then followed up with dropping burning boulders, of which they seem to have an infinite supply on the 3-4 story high building(I'm sorry, I think I just tried applying logic to a videogame, my bad)

Your bad indeed, remember this is still LBP. Based on your train of thought every single level I have played in LBP has this "problem" lol.

The trees and monkeys happen to be situated right above a misty lake with more crocodiles than a circus performance

Wow, you just managed to insult me. Considering the time you took to write all this I am very surprised you did not bother reading through my first post which describes every single aspect of my level, including the river FULL OF HIPPOS. Now, even if you did NOT read my first post, how in the world could you think those were crocodiles? Oh wait, I am reading you were sleepy while playing this. Yes, VERY sleepy indeed lol.

So how is it? Pretty darn good, certainly a good amount of effort was put into the stage, the creativity behind just about everything is excellent, the platforming was there but didn't show off (which is both a pro and con), and overall it was fun and enjoyable. Thank you kindly.

Granted it was a bit cliche at times What parts were cliche?

Final Score (for real this time):
8.0 / 10
Maybe not the best level I've seen, but it certainly is better than most

Thanks. I personally think it deserves a 9/10 but I have my opinion and you have yours (and an 8 isn't bad). As for not being the best level you have ever seen, fair enough. I personally do not think there is such a thing as the "best level". There is a ton variety in LBP and for me there are only 3 types of levels: high quality, average and garbage.

Thanks again for the comments and I really do hope you now take the time to read through my first post because I do not think there is another creator that wrote such extensive notes on their level to give players a full appreciation of the thought process behind the lvl and why certain decsions were made.

Thanks again to all who have played and hearted. I am aiming to release my next lvl this Sunday so we will see if I can bring it altogether by then. What I can say is that I have spent a little over 60 hours on it and that it is more ambitious then Out of Africa in every way.

Keep your eyes on the Level Showcase thread!

2008-12-11 09:23:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

The screenshots of this level look amazing and the concept promising. I will definately check it out!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday I played your level. It was a bit hard to find (they should really fix the search engine), but when I finally found it, I was amazed!

The atmosphere you created really hit the right tone for me. The level has humour and the quality of your custom objects is amazing. It's not too easy and it's not too difficult allowing all sorts of players be able to enjoy it in its full length. I really loved it.

One aspect I found a bit weird was the Lion boss. Right after the speech it exploded the lion. The cannon hit the lion, but it was not completely killed yet. Some smoking gas-part remained and only after I managed to blow it up into a tree somewhere, I could continue.
Another part is where the monkeys help you cross the river. In the middle section (where you put 2 prize bubbles), it took me a while to grab that monkey right after the hole. I constantly turned up grabbing the ceiling instead of the monkey's arms. Could be my 'skills' ofcourse

All in all it was indeed what you promised. It's one of the best custom levels I've played so far. Keep up the good work!

/Laekroth

2008-12-12 09:48:00

Author:
Laekroth

Posts: 23

Yesterday I played your level. It was a bit hard to find (they should really fix the search engine), but when I finally found it, I was amazed!

The atmosphere you created really hit the right tone for me. The level has humour and the quality of your custom objects is amazing. It's not too easy and it's not too difficult allowing all sorts of players be able to enjoy it in its full length. I really loved it.

Thanks a lot man, I am really happy that you enjoyed it and that you took the time to leave your thoughts here.

One aspect I found a bit weird was the Lion boss. Right after the speech it exploded the lion. The cannon hit the lion, but it was not completely killed yet. Some smoking gas-part remained and only after I managed to blow it up into a tree somewhere, I could continue.

Before "speaking" with the lion another speech bubble should have activated where the parrot flies down and says: "Beware the dark mist! After defeating the King the mist will still remain!". All you have to do is jump into the background to walk right past the black poisonous gas. Please let me know if this speech bubble didn't activate so I can go do some tweaking tonight.

Another part is where the monkeys help you cross the river. In the middle section (where you put 2 prize bubbles), it took me a while to grab that monkey right after the hole. I constantly turned up grabbing the ceiling instead of the monkey's arms. Could be my 'skills' ofcourse

I intentionally made the whole river section to require precise timing (maybe too precise?) so yeah, you really have to time your jumps/grabs.

Thanks again for the feedback man. I actually had a chance to play your "Jungle Machina" level (hope I got the name right) and hearted it. As far as vehicle levels are concerned it is one of the top 3 I have ever played and I would encourage you to create a thread under Showcase so more of the users from these forums can check it out. If you do then rest assured I will leave extensive feedback on your thread.

2008-12-12 10:20:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Before "speaking" with the lion another speech bubble should have activated where the parrot flies down and says: "Beware the dark mist! After defeating the King the mist will still remain!". All you have to do is jump into the background to walk right past the black poisonous gas. Please let me know if this speech bubble didn't activate so I can go do some tweaking tonight.

I will check it out and let you know what I find!

I intentionally made the whole river section to require precise timing (maybe too precise?) so yeah, you really have to time your jumps/grabs.

Maybe I was just a little off yesterday then. I'll play your level again anyways and see if I can improve

I actually had a chance to play your "Jungle Machina" level (hope I got the name right) and hearted it. As far as vehicle levels are concerned it is one of the top 3 I have ever played and I would encourage you to create a thread under Showcase so more of the users from these forums can check it out. If you do then rest assured I will leave extensive feedback on your thread.

I'm happy you liked my level! I have actually made a post in the Showcase section (you can find it here (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=5831)), but there's just no feedback yet, so it went off to the next pages... if you hurry you can be first lol, I'm looking forward to your feedback

But this thread is about yours so I will not clutter it any further.

2008-12-12 11:07:00

Author:
Laekroth

Posts: 23

2008-12-12 20:45:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer

Posts: 1335

Just took some time to play through the level and I had a lot of fun with it! I loved the look and how it starts out as a peaceful safari with all the animals. As others have pointed out, the river portion is fantastic! Definitely my favorite part of the level and I loved the look of the hippos! Very well done!

Thanks a lot for your kind words, I appreciate it.

I did have one issue when I got to the lion at the end of the level though, I guess I must have hopped on and shot the cannon too soon, because I never saw the lion. Did I blast him off screen?

These lions are starting to give me nightmares lol. Yeah you probably blew him to kingdom come without giving the poor guy a chance to speak! I will fiddle around with the camera zone here, maybe that will help.

I am pleased to say that The Legion is pretty much complete and I should be ready to publish within the next two days. I will now be doing a lot of polishing and playtesting as well as using up that last little bit of the thermometer to make things as pretty as can be. Thanks once again to everyone for your support and keep your eyes on the Level Showcase!!!

2008-12-14 14:27:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

These lions are starting to give me nightmares lol.

That sounds like the small intestine in my digestion level.

I've made a quick fix for the intestine, and should be able to upload it when the servers are back. But it sure is frustrating having one bit of a good level not working as you intended. I feel your pain.

2008-12-14 16:52:00

Author:
Elbee23

Posts: 1280

Reading through this thread has me itching to play this level. I'll definitly be giving it a go next time I can get on LBP

EDIT:
I've since actually played the level... And I have to agree with everyone here - it is phenominal! The amount of detail is easily on par with the MM levels, and the gameplay is just difficult enough to keep it enjoyable and immersive.

Consider this level 5 star-ed and hearted

2008-12-14 17:46:00

Author:
Enter Sackman

Posts: 31

Wow Enter Sackman, thanks! I am happy you enjoyed it and that you thought it was worthy of a heart

2008-12-14 23:23:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

My pleasure

It's refreshing to see some intricate, well thought out levels for a change in amidst the recent flood of trophy levels.

I look forward to seeing your future work!

2008-12-14 23:55:00

Author:
Enter Sackman

Posts: 31

I played it, I thought it was fun, and very creative, I hearted it

2008-12-15 00:23:00

Author:
BloodFlameX

Posts: 349

Hey OCK, love the changes you made since the last time I played. They were small but very significant. Good work.

2008-12-15 02:22:00

Author:
Hexagohn

Posts: 335

I played it, I thought it was fun, and very creative, I hearted it

Wow, this is turning into a great day for a level I published over a month ago lol. Thanks a lot man, I really do appreciate it.

Default
Hey OCK, love the changes you made since the last time I played. They were small but very significant. Good work.

The fact that you actually went back and played the level again based on all the changes I have made over the past few weeks means a lot, thank you

2008-12-15 06:54:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

Your animal designs are totally awesome, close to some of the designs in the story levels...

I like the native design too... I like the premise, the start with the tour bus, the monkey swings (but the grabbable trees really make it awkward and slow), and the scenic shot of your custom lettering with the rain triggers - that gave it tons of personality.

The villager attack was especially cool - but I would recommend going back and changing their emissions to the spear from Oni's Volcano. The width of the flat flame tipped block just looks a little funky.

The terrain itself is very flat and the level plods along slowly... the platforming is nill, but I also have a level like this that is designed more for telling a story and setting a mood than providing a thrill so I understand what you were going for.

A minor point - the spikes behind the elevator cause an unnecessary death and falling behind the villager statue upon reaching the top is less of a hazard and more of an annoyance. I would try to spice up anything that's square with some more shape variety - if you look at your tree segment, the lower half is very cumbersome colorful and full and that's a look I like.

2008-12-15 08:46:00

Author:
Unknown User

Your animal designs are totally awesome, close to some of the designs in the story levels...

Thanks. I don't think my Zebras and Giraffes are anything to write home about (they simply serve their purpose) but I definitely feel like my Lions, Hippos and Monkeys are as good as, if not better then, any of the animals found in story mode.

The villager attack was especially cool - but I would recommend going back and changing their emissions to the spear from Oni's Volcano. The width of the flat flame tipped block just looks a little funky.

I will have a look at the design of this spear but since I only use custom content it would not be of much use to me. I know my spears aren't perfect but it is really a small portion of the lvl so I did not feel the need to make something ultra-detailed lol.

The terrain itself is very flat and the level plods along slowly... the platforming is nill, but I also have a level like this that is designed more for telling a story and setting a mood than providing a thrill so I understand what you were going for.

Everything regarding the design choices of my level are explained in detail in my first post. As for things plodding along slowly I have to say I am surprised you think so. I personally feel (and other have said the same) that after the safari the action never lets up which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. Still, I appreciate your point of view so thanks for that.

A minor point - the spikes behind the elevator cause an unnecessary death

I guess you mean after activating the elevator you tried to jump onto it from that wodden platform and ended up on the spikes right? Your supposed to jump DOWN and back into the foreground. There is a black arrow indicating this and I did not want to dummy it down by adding a speech bubble saying "now you must jump back into the foreground to avoid jumping onto the spikes" lol. Unfortunately the "plane detection" in the game is not perfect and I know other creators have had similar problems with some of their levels.

if you look at your tree segment, the lower half is very cumbersome colorful and full and that's a look I like.

Not exactly sure what you are trying to say but it sounds like you enjoyed the design of my trees

Thanks for playing and I will definitely check out your levels when I get a chance and leave feedback on your thread(s).

2008-12-15 10:36:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

2008-12-15 12:24:00

Author:
Unknown User

Hi OCK,

I had the pleasure to play your Safari level. This is an overall really beautiful and fun level. I applaude the total absence of bug while some of the mechanisms appears complex. I finished the level at my first play and replayed it two time befor giving these comments.

PRO:
- Theme of the level. Your theme is evident from the first to the last second of play. There is an overall consistency.
- You certainly didn't doubt about this, but i really like to find a lot of custom elements. Actually, ALL is custom content. You know my levels and know how i'm obsessed by custom elements. I think its give to the level a very personal aspect. This is the case for your level! I loved a lot your monkeys and your hippo and your customs ennemies.
- I LOVED A LOT your CHIEF! The construction of this part is really good and is great in term of gameplay. It is a big moment of the level.
- The End of the level is really Great! I loved so much your idea of the tittle at the screen just befor scoreboard. It's really beautiful and impressive. I'm now just jealous to not have had this idea first...Could never use it now!! :hero:
-Thanks a lot for the stickers you offer during the level. As my playing time is 95%/5% in favour of creating, i haven't some of them yet. I will think to your level when i would use them

SUGGESTIONS:
-I think your jeep could be improved. It is actually cool, but made in an single shape. Perhaps could you use texture to simulate doors and lateral glasses. Just some idea...
- I really, really didn't liked your "Papagai" bird. I think this is one of the less elaborate content of your level. While we meet him several time in the level, i don't understand you didn't construct a beautiful bird here! I think your popit is full of good element to do this, and you prove your full talent for this type of construct!

EDIT: Ok, i just see that the "stickers" you offer are "custom stickers"!!! Great, great, great! Thank a lot.

2008-12-15 13:42:00

Author:
Takelow

Posts: 1355

Yeah... I try not to use any story mode objects either... I respect that. a few exceptions, I HATE levels that use the a bunch of story level objects and templates. My complaints were only small details and nitpicking for feedback purposes. Hopefully I didn't come off like I was bashing it. It's definitely a completely unique level.

Perhaps for the spear... try shrinking a piece of single plane rubber material to invisible width and as small as possible using a triangle for space-saving purposes - then attach a skinny spear shaped object to the rubber piece, but make it only paper thin, so that it's currently "between" planes. Set it as the object for your emitters the same as before, and when it emits it will appear much thinner than before. I'm not quite sure how to lethalize them, but I suppose you could electrify or flame the tiny piece of invisible rubber and have it positioned at the very tip.

If I'm not making any sense, add me on PSN and I'll make one for you and send it to you.

Not a problem, I did not think you were bashing it. Thanks for your offer regarding the spear, very generous of you but just like I refuse to use stuff from Story mode I would not feel comfortabel using an object somebody else made lol. Still, I appreciate the offer.

-I think your jeep could be improved. It is actually cool, but made in an single shape. Perhaps could you use texture to simulate doors and lateral glasses. Just some idea...

I completely agree with you here. The jeep was the very first thing I made in the lvl and I guess I somehow forgot to go back and make it a bit more visually appealing so thanks for this.

I really, really didn't liked your "Papagai" bird. I think this is one of the less elaborate content of your level. While we meet him several time in the level, i don't understand you didn't construct a beautiful bird here! I think your popit is full of good element to do this, and you prove your full talent for this type of construct

You know I never even thought about this until now and I have to say that you are absolutely right. Especially when compared to the other things I created in the lvl the parrot could definitely use some work

-The sequence with monkeys and hippos was beautiful and visually fabulous. But i think the second part (after the checkpoint) was unnecessarily hard because it is difficult to be really accurate in this section. I think subtile modification of the monkeys arms coul ameliorate this.

A lot of people have had some trouble with the river crossing and I have answered many questions regarding it. I will look into tweaking some of the monkeys arms though in the interest of making things a bit more player-friendly.

So, i really enjoyed playing your level and there is few level online with such a high quality. Didn't hesitate one second: 5 stars and Hearted!

Thanks a lot for this and for playing. I am happy you enjoyed it and I appreciate that you took the time to leave all this feedback. I will make changes to Out of Africa once my new lvl is out which will be tomorrow morning.

It is midnight in Japan and I spent that last 6 hours polishing/playtesting my new creation. I am exhausted and will be going ot bed now

Check the Level Showcase tomorrow everyone (and not just for my level. There seems to be high quality stuff coming out of these forums on a daily basis so who knows whats around the corner)!

2008-12-15 15:20:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

this looks really good I will play in a minute then spend the rest of the day trying to ace it. Little Big Planet has removed the boredom from holidays

2008-12-18 07:27:00

Author:
Little Big Planet Legend

Posts: 79

this looks really good I will play in a minute then spend the rest of the day trying to ace it. Little Big Planet has removed the boredom from holidays

Thanks man, I just saw this. I hope you enjoy it, I recently made a couple of cosmetic changes. Good luck acing it

2008-12-20 03:06:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

That level was awesome!
i liked the river part

and the animals look good

2008-12-21 21:34:00

Author:
NICKOSHEEN69

Posts: 3

That level was awesome!
i liked the river part

and the animals look good

Thank you kindly, I am glad you enjoyed it

I am still working on redoing Papagai as Takelow suggested

2008-12-26 00:09:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

2008-12-26 04:30:00

Author:
Morri

Posts: 53

Well, just played and I thought it was fun, I really liked that everything is custom made, something that I enjoy seeing on user made levels as it shows the creativity as well as the talent of the creator.

The river section was very vivid and colorful, a bit difficult though as I end up using the trees more often than the monkeys which I think deviated from the main idea, even though you had a comment about using the trees on your speech bubble, but the idea was cool.

I think someone already commented on it, but the truck/jeep could use a little more work/details since it is mostly made of one piece, anyway, overall, great level!

Hey Morri, thanks for the comments. It is good to know that almost 6 weeks later people are still discovering my first "real" level lol.

Regarding the river, there have been dozen of posts regarding this section and many related to exactly what you just said. There is not much more I can say other then I tried to find a good balance and there is not much more I can do lol.

I completely agree regarding the jeep. I have been very busy with my other levels (and playing other user levels) which has prevented me from coming back and revamping the vehicle but I will some day.

Thanks again for playing. I will definitely check out your creations and leave you some feedback. If you get a chance then try out my latest level The Legion. I think you will find it much more impressive then Out of Africa

2008-12-26 04:39:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

No worries, at the end, it will always be your level and your vision, so we should all respect that too!

Will try your other level as well!

2008-12-26 04:50:00

Author:
Morri

Posts: 53

Hi OCK,

I just replayed this one and saw you that added a great Jeep instead of the old one!
Great improvement!

Your pannel presenting The Legion at the end is a good idea so.
I enjoyed a lot replaying it. Thank you

2009-01-19 12:57:00

Author:
Takelow

Posts: 1355

respect........ i didn't have the chance to play your level but the looks seems to pretty good... i will try it this afternoon........

i wont forget your easy psn name..........

2009-01-20 18:11:00

Author:
misterwonderloo

Posts: 164

2009-01-22 12:00:00

Author:
misterwonderloo

Posts: 164

well i allready played the level and i was disapointed.... i must say that the looks in the net pictures aren't so pretty in the game play... i think that the jeep is ok auto... but it could be more worked... he could really looks more to a real jungle jeep. I'm saying this because all the animals design are really cool and to be more consistent in a overall point of view this details are very important.

i liked the chief but i couldn't get to to platform in the left side... i tried and i tried and i quited....

What? You say you liked the look of the animals which were like half the level but you didn't like the jeep which was at the beginning and so you were disappointed? Because the animals are so detailed and the jeep isn't you don't like the level? The most ridiculous thing I have heard today.

2009-01-28 18:08:00

Author:
Hexagohn

Posts: 335

I've been meaning to play this for a VERY long time. It's absolutely superb, but I wasn't able to finish it, due to some weird bug I encountered during the monkey swinging. I can tell that this level is superb though, and I can also tell that it is one of the best.

5/5.

2009-02-03 12:18:00

Author:
Bear

Posts: 2079

Just played your level. It's certainly not the worst level I've played but to be honest your first post hyped it up a bit and I will say I was slightly disappointed when I played through it because it didn't live up to it.

It was an interesting level but there was a lot of moments where I thought "EH?" For example I'm still trying to figure out what that black penis shaped thing was that stopped the vehicle. But it might have something to do with the small penis shaped warriors that charge you.

I congratulate you on the custom content though. That is never easy. Although sometimes it lacked originality. Those crocodiles just reminded me of the ones in the LBP Story.

One last niggle. I thought the Lion King battle was anti climatic. I shot him with a cannon and killed him but he died off screen. I don't know if I was to push it towards and then shoot him but it just didn't feel like the end. The Chief fellow would have been more climatic and even then he was too easy to kill.

Still enjoyed it though. Good work. I gave it three stars!

2009-02-03 13:13:00

Author:
oldboyhammer

Posts: 9

well i allready played the level and i was disapointed.... i must say that the looks in the net pictures aren't so pretty in the game play... i think that the jeep is ok auto... but it could be more worked... he could really looks more to a real jungle jeep. I'm saying this because all the animals design are really cool and to be more consistent in a overall point of view this details are very important.

i liked the chief but i couldn't get to to platform in the left side... i tried and i tried and i quited....

Sorry the level did not impress you. I really don't understand how you did not reach the platform after defeating the Chief. You simply swing on the ball of sponge.

Thanks for playing and commenting.

I've been meaning to play this for a VERY long time. It's absolutely superb, but I wasn't able to finish it, due to some weird bug I encountered during the monkey swinging. I can tell that this level is superb though, and I can also tell that it is one of the best.

5/5.

Thanks a lot for this and I am glad you enoyed it

It was an interesting level but there was a lot of moments where I thought "EH?" For example I'm still trying to figure out what that black penis shaped thing was that stopped the vehicle. But it might have something to do with the small penis shaped warriors that charge you.

The black thing is called a statue... I don't recall making warriors that charge the player but perhaps the level magically edited itself.

Although sometimes it lacked originality. Those crocodiles just reminded me of the ones in the LBP Story.

*sigh* read my first post where this issue is discussed. They are hippo's NOT crocs.

Still enjoyed it though. Good work. I gave it three stars!

Thanks for playing and commenting. Feel free to check out my other levels, perhaps you will find them more impressive.

2009-02-03 13:20:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

The black thing is called a statue... I don't recall making warriors that charge the player but perhaps the level magically edited itself.

*sigh* read my first post where this issue is discussed. They are hippo's NOT crocs.

Thanks for playing and commenting. Feel free to check out my other levels, perhaps you will find them more impressive.

Oh, I though those black things that attack you after the "statue" were warriors of some sort so I started thinking twice about what the giant one was!

As for the hippo I suggest you change it's colour because if I'm not the only one to mistake them for crocodile then I'm sure there are plenty of others who have thought the same.

I tried your level 218 or something like that. I think that one was good.

2009-02-03 13:34:00

Author:
oldboyhammer

Posts: 9

Hi,

played Out of Africa yesterday and disliked a few things:
far too many photos (I always delete all ingame photos right after I played, because they stuff up my profile too much). I also wish I had the choice to decide whether I want to grab a prize bubble or not. As long as MM hasn't fixed the limited profile space, such things are an issue to me.
Meanwhile I avoid playing levels filled with prize bubbles and photos.
The photos can be deleted easily, but for the objects I have to switch to create mode, just to detect and delete them.
A choice would be perfect here! I.e. you could hang or place them somewhere visible so that it's up to the player if she/he wants to take it or not.

As for the hippos - to me they looked like crocs too.

Apart from this, I enjoyed the detail and the colours and the entire scenery.

Cheers from Germany

2009-02-03 14:44:00

Author:
juicy_fun

Posts: 5

You know, even though this game came out several months ago I think you should revisit it and spend as much time as you humanly can working on it. (also, 96 replies on this thread just aren't enough)

Here is my list of changes you should make:

1. Have a big sign with an arrow pointing at the statue that says "Statue -->". This will solve any gameplay confusion that could ensue. It is highly irritating to have to stand in front of an object for a really long time wondering what it is (also, using a phallic-shaped statue could end up causing a "good grief" action, so you may want to flatten the top of the statue or put a toque on it).

2. Have a big sign with an arrow point at the hippos that says "Hippos (not fat crocs) ---->". I stood on the rock entering this area for about 8 minutes wondering whether I should go in the water. If I had known they were hippos I probably would have given the monkeys a try (everyone knows hippos are safe).

3. If you could make the warriors charging you ACTUALLY charge you that would be great. Charging warriors that don't move are a little disconcerting.

4. The monkey tails look a little too much like arms. If you could make them thinner and position them at the buttocks of the monkeys, that would be fantastic.

Thank you for listening. I'm sure your wife will understand and allow you the time to revisit this game again.

Now, F4F - can you go review Splat Invaders Saga and Jacques the Acadian Warlord again? It has been several days since they have been bumped up to the top of the list, and I feel I'm more important than everyone else.

2009-02-03 16:06:00

Author:
CCubbage

Posts: 4430

2009-02-06 06:06:00

Author:
dkjestrup

Posts: 672

Can I add a suggestion?

To make the monkey arms easier, break the arm into two pieces connected by a sprung bolt. Also, I'd remove the pause time on the wobble bolts, as it would mean you keep your momentum: you would spend less time waiting for the correct timing: you having momentum just as the other arm comes up.

Hope you consider this, as no-offence, but you do take very harshly to critisism and often fail to see somebody elses point (no-offence, I swear!)

Thanks for your suggestion.

Regarding taking criticsim sharply I disagree with you. I am one of the creators who will take 80% of the feedback I am given and apply to my level. I will then update my thread and again graciously thank those who made the suggestion. The other 20% of feedback usually has nothing to do with improving my level in ways that matter or it is criticism of my core design aesthetic which I (and I dare say any other creator) really don't appreciate.

Having said all that I would now like to encourage you and everybody else to check out some of the other levels on this Showcase and leave those creators feedback who may not have recieved much. This was my first level and I think I have recieved more then enough feedback on it. That should not prevent anyone from checking out the level and leaving a word or two for me in game but at this point there is no need to post in this thread anymore and to gurantee that I will now lock it.

Thanks once again to everyone who has played/hearted/commented on the level, I really do appreciate it

2009-02-06 06:45:00

Author:
OCK

Posts: 1536

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