Archive: 16 posts

---

A Tech Demo of a Level I am working on at the moment. It is my first level so be gentle There is no music or major decoration just yet, I just would like to know if I am heading in the right direction with this and what experienced creators think. I have quite a few ideas set out at the moment, even for a series. My Problem is just turning those ideas into attractive levels. Any feedback is appreciated. I hope you enjoy playing it even though it is short! http://lbp.me/v/zcn7k0 Just for info: There is a Puzzle that uses the Controllinator and there is a hidden room that can be accessed with this puzzle (not that hard to find). There is also a Room of Fire challenge. The whole idea behind this is a series of levels like this that span a storyline. It is going to be an adventure with an ultimate goal and each level will unlock the next. I am playing with the idea of having the entrance to the last level opened if you have completed the other levels. They will be varied in themes (Temple, Desert, Water) to keep it fresh. I am playing with new ideas and am trying to avoid the "Pull Switch, steps appear" method.

2011-03-28 15:03:00 Author: Unknown User

---

Please look at this and let me know if you like it. I want to learn and expand my abilities and want to make high quality fun levels. Thanks

2011-03-29 07:37:00 Author: Unknown User

---

hmm, plenty of reads, no plays or comments. Guess I am doing something wrong, or it is all for nothing

2011-03-29 17:33:00 Author: Unknown User

---

It's your first level, man! Have some confidence; have some fun. Don't worry about plays and stuff yet. Just build it! (Then you can worry.)

2011-03-29 18:19:00 Author: Kanada Ten Posts: 87

---

I enjoyed what you've done so far with this level. The gameplay was varied and interesting - you definitely didn't go down the "pull lever and steps appear" route. I think with the addition of a story/context for the puzzles and with some more work on the visuals, this could make a decent level. I'd think of varying the materials some more in the final build, though. You'll probably get more comments if you are proactive about the "F4F" and give people feedback on their levels in return for which they should comment on yours. Good luck!

2011-03-29 22:24:00 Author: shropshirelass Posts: 1455

---

Yeh, I agree win Ten. Just chill out, no one ever expects perfection. It's a game that you should be playing for your own enjoyment (: Certainly, level wise it took me about 8 levels before i started making anything approaching decent. I'll queue this level (:

2011-03-29 22:43:00 Author: JonnysToyRobot Posts: 324

---

I tried to play this 3 times. The first time I got into the controllinator but the block it was apparently controllinating was stuck and i couldn't move it (I was also then stuck in the controllinator and had to restart). The second time I just skipped the controllinator and fell behind the platform things where I got stuck. The third time I realized the platform things were bouncy so i tried to see if i could get it going high enough to reach the bubbles but it didn't work out. I'm not really understanding the point of what is going on here, but so far the level design and whatever you were trying to do seem intriguing. Please fix it I want to see this idea fleshed out. I WANT TO SEE THE ROOM OF FIRE. but I couldn't get to it D: I'm not sure if I was just being dumb or if this level needs some serious fixing, but either way its your first level and its already cooler than mine was haha. I hope I don't seem harsh or anything I'm just saying what happened when I played it. Thanks F4F

2011-03-29 22:46:00 Author: LeastCreative Posts: 49

---

I tried to play this 3 times. The first time I got into the controllinator but the block it was apparently controllinating was stuck and i couldn't move it (I was also then stuck in the controllinator and had to restart). I forgot about the controllinator controls: he's got them set so that the L-stick moves them left and right and the R-stick moves them up and down. Don't know if that relates to your experience or not, but it was unusual...

2011-03-29 22:54:00 Author: Kanada Ten Posts: 87

---

Ohhhhh I thought it was weird that i could slightly move it (my first thought was that it was accidentally glued or something.) Let me try this level again

2011-03-29 23:00:00 Author: LeastCreative Posts: 49

---

Ohhhhh ok yeah so the level is actually pretty cool and i was just being dumb, I found a way to get on top of the place where the puzzle is by swinging from the sponge things This is way better than I thought it would be and the room of fire was pure danger. but perhaps you should make it more obvious that the block controls that way?

2011-03-29 23:10:00 Author: LeastCreative Posts: 49

---

This is off to a decent start with a good theme anyway. The first puzzle is strange, it took me a while to figure out I need to use both sticks. I thought I would need to park the block in all three spaces, but when I moved the block from the first space to the one on the far right, the puzzle completed itself I guess. The final room really wants to be 2D. If this room took up one plane instead of 3, then it would flow much better. As is, you find yourself standing behind jump pads a lot, which is just kind of silly. Also the sponges on the ceiling seem to have timers or counters on them? There is no indication of how they work. I nearly quit because I grabbed each sponge twice and nothing happened. The third time, they all disappeared instantly. We all know about the "rule of threes" but this seems to demonstrate a "rule of threes times three". The sackbot at the end made a futile attempt to speak to me. You don't know he's going to speak, and by the time you realize it, the level is over and his text bubble is gone.

2011-03-30 02:42:00 Author: discokrakken Posts: 108

---

Wow, awesome, thanks alot for the detailed Feedback! That is really going to help. Those of you with levels in the sigs are now queued and Feedback will be given. I can see that a few people had issues with the first puzzle. I am going to change the control to make it 1 stick only. At the time I thought 2 sticks were the way to go. That should make the Puzzle easier. Did any of you manage to unlock the secret room after the controllinator (all the way to the right?) So if the first puzzle only uses one stick the puzzle itself will be better? I am desperately trying to develop puzzles like that to make it more fun, as opposed to hitting switch combinations etc. As to the last room, yes they have counters on them and each need to be hit 3x. I was not all that sure about it and from the feedback I think it might not be the right way to go. Maybe still the grab pads with some sort of visual feedback to make it more apparent? I am trying to avoid using lights and stuff because I don't thing there would be electric lights in a temple *lol*. Hmm, maybe something with a stone dropping after you grab the sponge? It's wierd that they all disappeared at the same time, it is actually set that each sponge needs to be grabbed 3x before it disappears. I'll have to look into that, something seems to be wonky....will change the room to 1 layer, souns like a brilliant idea! Oh and the bot at the end thanks you for playing the level and mentions that it is a demo Thanks again for playing!

2011-03-30 07:54:00 Author: Unknown User

---

I can see that a few people had issues with the first puzzle. I am going to change the control to make it 1 stick only. At the time I thought 2 sticks were the way to go. That should make the Puzzle easier. Did any of you manage to unlock the secret room after the controllinator (all the way to the right?) Pretty sure I missed that actually. I don't remember anything that felt like a secret room, anyway. So if the first puzzle only uses one stick the puzzle itself will be better? I am desperately trying to develop puzzles like that to make it more fun, as opposed to hitting switch combinations etc. I think so, yes. If you were controlling machines that pushed the block around, it might make more sense to have a horizontal pushing machine and a vertical pushing machine. If it were something like that, then using two sticks would make a bit more sense. As is, you're controlling one object directly using two sticks when one stick would work just fine. As to the last room, yes they have counters on them and each need to be hit 3x. I was not all that sure about it and from the feedback I think it might not be the right way to go. Maybe still the grab pads with some sort of visual feedback to make it more apparent? I am trying to avoid using lights and stuff because I don't thing there would be electric lights in a temple *lol*. Hmm, maybe something with a stone dropping after you grab the sponge? You nailed it: Visual feedback (and/or audio feedback) is a must, I think, if the player must grab each sponge three times. If this room only took up one layer, you could use the back layers for decoration and visual feedback. I would suggest building torches that flame up using material tweekers when you grab each sponge. Much better than light bulbs, given the theme. It's wierd that they all disappeared at the same time, it is actually set that each sponge needs to be grabbed 3x before it disappears. I'll have to look into that, something seems to be wonky.... No need to do that, I misspoke... I grabbed sponges 1, 2, then 3... Then I grabbed sponges 3, 2, then 1... Then I grabbed sponge 1, it disappeared, grabbed sponge 2, it disappeared, and finally sponge 3. It works the way you want it to, just confusing without environmental feedback. Oh and the bot at the end thanks you for playing the level and mentions that it is a demo I figured it was something like that. You may want to set a cut scene camera in the magic mouth options so that he stops the player for a moment, otherwise most people are just going to rush right past I think.

2011-03-30 17:51:00 Author: discokrakken Posts: 108

---

I agree with virtually everything said here. I hope my post doesn't come across as harsh here, but I'll be honest, just hopefully not brutally ha. Ok first puzzle like everyone else I found the dual stick use weird and unneeded. In addition the movement of the block is awkward, it drifts too much and then it easily gets stuck on walls. I'd suggest that you make friction zero and reduce the drift. ...also, it's not really much of a puzzle. It's blatantly obvious what to do and isn't very difficult to do it. I'd suggest adding a layer of strategy to it. An idea would be to mimic that Eve's Asylum versus level in someway, you know the one where you control 2 sackbots and have get them both to the goal on their corresponding side of the screen? How about you do a similar type of thing. Double up your maze and you control two blocks with the one controlinator. The last room with the fire has issues as everyone else mentioned so I won't dwell. You need to make this more of a puzzle as opposed to randomly grab things to see what happens. For example, maybe you have to grab the sponges in order say labelled 3-1-2 from left to right. You can add visual hints like having candles along the bottom of the room directly under the sponges with 3 candles on the left, 1 in the middle and 2 on the right. This means the solution isn't obvious but it gives the player the opportunity to work it out. A small gripe I have with demos is that LBP levels are supposed to be short anyway. So having a demo is mostly worthless. In this case you yourself have mentioned how it doesn't have music, or decor or any bells and whistles... Which doesn't give any indication of how the final level will play out. To put it bluntly it was somewhat boring to play through because there was no narrative to set the scene, why were you there? What were you doing these things for? There is no music to create an atmosphere, so instead it feels like a linear set of puzzles. If you see what I mean. Please don't take this the wrong way, I know I haven't said anything positive, but feedback is feedback haha. I'll definitely play your level when you have it finished so if I don't see it in this forum be sure to send me PM. And have fun with it! =D

2011-03-30 19:24:00 Author: Xaif Posts: 365

---

Thanks again for the open and honest feedback. No need to appologize so much, I know it's far from being finished and I really appreciate all the feedback given here. It is motivating me to do more and do it better

2011-03-31 07:37:00 Author: Unknown User

---

Btw, I have left feedback on your levels and Xaif, I have queued yours for a play tonight

2011-03-31 07:45:00 Author: Unknown User

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

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