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#1

The Water Temple

Archive: 37 posts

http://lbp.me/v/1m6fp5

No, not *that* Water Temple!

After three months or so I've finally finished one of the levels in a concept I'm working on, the first of which is based around water (the other three being earth, fire and wind). The premise is that you must awaken three Zodiac gods, the three whose element is water and as such restore the source of all things water itself.

There are a mixture of gameplay elements:

- Each god grants you an ability via the creatinator to progress through the level.
- Environmental puzzles using your abilities to solve them.
- Brainteaser type puzzles embedded into the environment.
- An epic boss battle.
- A little Easter egg in regards to *that* Water Temple.

MAJOR UPDATE: I've added in a hint system that will guide you in the right direction with a dynamic arrow if you get lost, or give you a hint in exactly what to do.

In addition, the main dialogue driven custscenes have been spruced up quite significantly.

I'm doing F4F!

Without further ado, those all important screenshots!

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6120/aphoto17g.jpg

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/346/aphoto21.jpg

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/6117/aphoto12.jpg

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/2415/aphoto14.jpg

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/6146/aphoto20.jpg

Example of the hint system:

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3900/img0148yq.jpg		2011-06-17 18:53:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

this looks interesting will add it to the queue and leave some feedback after i play.
if u can check out my level called " Nature's Solitude" which is more of a visual scenic level with some gameplay.
lbp.me link http://lbp.me/v/0kn3j2
thread https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=57280-Nature-s-Solitude

thx, J		2011-06-18 02:21:00

Author:
juscallmeJ
Posts: 77

looks good, adding to the queue2011-06-18 15:54:00

Author:
biorogue
Posts: 8424

just played this level.
first off you can tell you put a lot of effort into this level and hats off to you. it really is an ambitious attempt.
i like the puzzle aspect, i solved the first two but then i got stuck trying to go back across the caves. This level may be a bit too hard for its own good. i think i only saw 4 people who completed out of the 30 plays so far so it may benefit from a subtle "go there" hint which shoudnt detract from the puzzle solving.
i really liked the animation effects and the zodiac sign effects, good job.		2011-06-18 19:59:00

Author:
juscallmeJ
Posts: 77

Hey, just played it, and it was ASWOME the cutscenes reminded me so much of Zelda (especially the last one ofc, my favourite song from the games ^^ ). The zodiac gods reminded me of the djini from golden sun and the way the creatornator upgraded reminded me of metroid, so if either of those were intentional thats cool. The best thing about it was the exploration and backtracking, it was just done perfectly. and as juscallme J said a lot of work must've gone into it, much respect.

I didn't find any bugs, but i found the bit where you had to freeze and unfreeze the geizers to make the platforms (after second god) very frustrating and it took me a while. i'd suggest just making the jump easier on the last one that carries you up to the next area, and adding more of a delay on it. Also the boss took ages because at first I thought you had to hit the orange hologram parts on the arms when the claws fire, and there was a very long time between attacks. So yeah it could probably do with a hint button if you have time.

hope you carry on with the series!		2011-06-19 00:13:00

Author:
Unknown User

This level shows a lot of promise. The dialogue and character designs fit the spiritual mood well (and the actual zodiac signsas well) I appreciate the fact and LBP level features puzzles for once. Although the design and theme of the level is outstanding it compromises the linear play and confuses the player. Most of the time I spent looking for where to go. You may want to assist the player while they are aimlessly walking around the cavern. Also the cut scenes are very nice but they seem to interrupt the gameplay and it ruins the "flow" hehehehe...... Anyway I didn't beat it because after meeting Scorpio and using the (Aqua... Aqua err I just knew it. What ever I like the name aqueduct) and using the "aqueduct" for the first time I fell in a pit of water and couldn't jump out. The checkpoint was over the pit and even if I got out by holding right after retrying the only reachable "aqueduct" was in the pit which I needed to progress. Anyway I hope you iron out the bugs because this level deserves positive recognition for all your effort. By the way if you give feed back on my level could you tell me the name of the second creatanator XD thanks.


https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=217136de3c&view=att&th=130a50fef9d4059c&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=file0&zw
Where I got stuck. xd		2011-06-19 00:26:00

Author:
Unknown User

just played this level.
first off you can tell you put a lot of effort into this level and hats off to you. it really is an ambitious attempt.
i like the puzzle aspect, i solved the first two but then i got stuck trying to go back across the caves. This level may be a bit too hard for its own good. i think i only saw 4 people who completed out of the 30 plays so far so it may benefit from a subtle "go there" hint which shoudnt detract from the puzzle solving.
i really liked the animation effects and the zodiac sign effects, good job.

Thank you for playing it. You have pointed out a concern of mine which is that less than 20% of the people who played the level have completed it. I think a hint system is definitely needed as I don't want the level to be difficult (I do want the puzzles to make people think, but not for it to be too hard that people give up) as I'd rather just people enjoy it. I didn't realise how long it was either while making it, it takes me 30 minutes to get through the level and I know what to do! Maybe that's another factor why people aren't finishing it. I've queued your level and will play / leave you feedback tomorrow.


Hey, just played it, and it was ASWOME the cutscenes reminded me so much of Zelda (especially the last one ofc, my favourite song from the games ^^ ). The zodiac gods reminded me of the djini from golden sun and the way the creatornator upgraded reminded me of metroid, so if either of those were intentional thats cool. The best thing about it was the exploration and backtracking, it was just done perfectly. and as juscallme J said a lot of work must've gone into it, much respect.

I didn't find any bugs, but i found the bit where you had to freeze and unfreeze the geizers to make the platforms (after second god) very frustrating and it took me a while. i'd suggest just making the jump easier on the last one that carries you up to the next area, and adding more of a delay on it. Also the boss took ages because at first I thought you had to hit the orange hologram parts on the arms when the claws fire, and there was a very long time between attacks. So yeah it could probably do with a hint button if you have time.

hope you carry on with the series!

Your description is insane! Pretty much every influence you describe is where I got my inspiration ha (or blatant plagiarism...). The original ideas came about from some beams I designed years ago for a Metroid game, so the creatinator abilities are direct copies of those (the Earth Temple will be based around gravity and the Wind Temple will involve time travel for example, little teasers there =P). The elemental nature of the levels are from Golden Sun, and while I didn't consiously do this, when my friends played early versions of the level they commented on the resemblence to Zelda... so I just had to put in some form of Easter egg for that. You explained everything in a nut shell!

I was concerned the geiser rocks may cause a few problems, I'll look into the things you mention and will add more cues about what to do there, while I'll also alter the timing and make the jumps easier.

For the boss you bring up a good point that the cycles are quite long. The reason I have them that long is because of the "everything in threes" law games tend to have, but thinking about it I don't see why I couldn't just have it open and close its claws once... then strike. Seems like a good idea. What you're effectively doing to it is freezing its claw in the pool of water below, which is why shooting at it is in effective until it's touching the pool, but I think from what the replies here have shown is that I do need some form of hint system. My idea is to have a hint flash up on screen if say the player hasn't frozen any claw within 30 seconds of the boss battle starting, for example.

Thank you for playing and your excellent feedback.


This level shows a lot of promise. The dialogue and character designs fit the spiritual mood well (and the actual zodiac signsas well) I appreciate the fact and LBP level features puzzles for once. Although the design and theme of the level is outstanding it compromises the linear play and confuses the player. Most of the time I spent looking for where to go. You may want to assist the player while they are aimlessly walking around the cavern. Also the cut scenes are very nice but they seem to interrupt the gameplay and it ruins the "flow" hehehehe...... Anyway I didn't beat it because after meeting Scorpio and using the (Aqua... Aqua err I just knew it. What ever I like the name aqueduct) and using the "aqueduct" for the first time I fell in a pit of water and couldn't jump out. The checkpoint was over the pit and even if I got out by holding right after retrying the only reachable "aqueduct" was in the pit which I needed to progress. Anyway I hope you iron out the bugs because this level deserves positive recognition for all your effort. By the way if you give feed back on my level could you tell me the name of the second creatanator XD thanks.


Thanks for playing. As above and in regard to my initial concerns I think a hint system is essential here, I don't want the level to be difficult to play in any way (though I do want the brainteaser puzzles to provoke some thought) especially where the player may be confused. I've tried to make each room have a distinct feature that may help to distinguish them apart (the temple with the water pillars, the large bridge, the aqua bricks etc.), but I appreciate that it's not so easy and my judgement is clouded being the one who made the level, so this is the kind of feedback I am looking for.

Oh no! You fell right down into the pit? That's what is supposed to happen, at the beginning of the level that passage is effectively closed off as the water is too high and you can't use the creatinator while swimming. Lowering the water after Scorpio, gives you access to this cave, in which you can then access the creatinator on your right that you mention, just beyond there is the next altar to change the water level again, you were on the right track!

I've queued your level (Bounce Bot?) and I'll leave you feedback tomorrow once I've played it.

The second creatinator is called Aquaclout, so pretty close.



Thanks for everyone's comments.		2011-06-19 01:57:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

Wow, I nearly didn't mention what it reminded me of becuase it seemed a bit abstract but i'm glad I did! Very interesting

I just wanna say personally i'd dissagree with what vmpop was saying about the cutscenes ruining the flow. In fact, in my original post I was actually going to mention I thought the pacing was great but I didn't wanna make my post too long But I can understand if you do decide to get rid of them, your choice. It's a shame becuase it would solve the problem of the level being too long but on the other hand they are a great way to explain new gameplay mechanics and story elements, and they break up the gameplay (hence making the pacing better in my opinion). Plus they are just entertaining ofc.		2011-06-19 15:40:00

Author:
Unknown User

Positives:
+The puzzle was okay, controls and everything worked fine
+The water freezing thing was pretty smooth
+Good work on the zodiac signs

Negatives:
-You have creatinators in the water that you cant use down there
-Think the level is somewhat kind of plan and could use more detail to bring out the looks more
-The music kind of made the level bore me some hearing it repeat over and over
-Like someone said above, I spent time looking around trying to find out what to do after I went all over and went under water to see things we creatinators we couldn't use.

Rated: Neutral		2011-06-20 01:29:00

Author:
Sabre_
Posts: 653

Queued this and will play tonight. If you get a chance, I'm really hoping for feedback on my new level Silence in the Library (http://lbp.me/v/1p8d0j) (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=58499-Silence-in-the-LIbrary)2011-06-20 01:57:00

Author:
silmedriel
Posts: 64

I just played your level, and I think that both the cinimatics, and the main idea were brilliant, and quiet frankly, I am looking forward to see your other levels, though at first it was a little confusing, but the odd floating guardian thing kinda told the story line, and finally the creatinator thing was amazing!nder
Please check out my car club level, I know its a Club, but I would like a fellow creator's ideas, so that I can make a bigger and better one!
Its on LBP.me under http://lbp.me/v/wpszp5 , thanks		2011-06-20 02:22:00

Author:
comeroiroc
Posts: 157

I have made the first major update with the inclusion of a hint system that pops up and helps if you get lost or stuck at any point when enough time has elapsed. It either tells you exactly what to do, or guides you in the right direction with a dynamic arrow. All other concerns brought up by people have been addressed too (the boss battle for example).


Positives:
+The puzzle was okay, controls and everything worked fine
+The water freezing thing was pretty smooth
+Good work on the zodiac signs

Negatives:
-You have creatinators in the water that you cant use down there
-Think the level is somewhat kind of plan and could use more detail to bring out the looks more
-The music kind of made the level bore me some hearing it repeat over and over
-Like someone said above, I spent time looking around trying to find out what to do after I went all over and went under water to see things we creatinators we couldn't use.

Rated: Neutral

Thanks for playing. But I can't help but feel you didn't play for that long? It's fair enough your comments on the visuals and music, but regarding the creatinator isn't it obvious that they'll be used later? I know they can't be used underwater, but that's hardly a negative seeing as you didn't progress very far into the level so they didn't become usable. I've updated the level now with an integrated hint system (it prompts you where to go with an arrow if you get lost). I'd appreciate if you could maybe give it one more try? In return, do you have any levels you would like me to give feedback on?


just played your level, and I think that both the cinimatics, and the main idea were brilliant, and quiet frankly, I am looking forward to see your other levels, though at first it was a little confusing, but the odd floating guardian thing kinda told the story line, and finally the creatinator thing was amazing!nder
Please check out my car club level, I know its a Club, but I would like a fellow creator's ideas, so that I can make a bigger and better one!
Its on LBP.me under http://lbp.me/v/wpszp5 , thanks
Thanks, I've queued you level and will leave you some feedback.

I've also queued other levels mentioned in this thread and will get round to leaving feedback also.		2011-06-21 16:47:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

Just played this level a few hours ago, and it is above average.

VISUALS:
The level has some good corner edits, but others are bland because of too many spiky corner edited materials. The level could use more stickers (other than the color ones) and decorations. The three zodiacs are a nice touch, though, and the ending scene looks fantastic.

SOUND:
This level has too many 30 second repeat cinematic musics. However, "Victoria's Lab" IntMusic and "The End is Nigh" are good choices for the crab boss battle music. The custom music at the end sounds good (It sounds familiar, did I hear that from "Zelda: Ocarina of Time"? Maybe it'll refresh my memory when I continue playing the 3D version from 3DS).

GAMEPLAY:
The creatinator usage is very clever, but the maze is completely confused and hard to know where I supposed to go. Good thing you added the hints. The controlinator puzzles are fun, but the last one's scale seems to be unbalanced. The boss battle is fun, though.

OVERALL:
The level has some cool ideas, but could use some improvements. However, it has good story and good use of the creatinator. Keep it up. Above average but mostly a yay.

F4F Cybernetic Adventures Gamma or Delta.		2011-06-22 02:05:00

Author:
JustinArt
Posts: 1314

Just played this level a few hours ago, and it is above average.

VISUALS:
The level has some good corner edits, but others are bland because of too many spiky corner edited materials. The level could use more stickers (other than the color ones) and decorations. The three zodiacs are a nice touch, though, and the ending scene looks fantastic.

SOUND:
This level has too many 30 second repeat cinematic musics. However, "Victoria's Lab" IntMusic and "The End is Nigh" are good choices for the crab boss battle music. The custom music at the end sounds good (It sounds familiar, did I hear that from "Zelda: Ocarina of Time"? Maybe it'll refresh my memory when I continue playing the 3D version from 3DS).

GAMEPLAY:
The creatinator usage is very clever, but the maze is completely confused and hard to know where I supposed to go. Good thing you added the hints. The controlinator puzzles are fun, but the last one's scale seems to be unbalanced. The boss battle is fun, though.

OVERALL:
The level has some cool ideas, but could use some improvements. However, it has good story and good use of the creatinator. Keep it up. Above average but mostly a yay.

F4F Cybernetic Adventures Gamma or Delta.

Thanks, really good constructive feedback. Regarding the visuals, my thermometer is literally at maximum so while some corner edits are detailed, I can't go and make some of the others more so. It's intended to be jagged in places, but I appreciate that it could also make it look unfinished. That said, stickers don't take up much thermo space at all, so I've been back and had a look through stickers I could use and have updated accordingly. I think it now looks a lot more lively and detailed.

The comments on audio has also prompted me to overhaul the music, instead now I have the general background music as Eve's Asylum minus the melody and drums - so it's more about the ambience and I don't think it's as intrusive or repetitive now. Music during the cinematics has slightly changed too. And you're right, the music at the end is from Ocarina, the Serenade of Water to be exact. I have it as a prize if you get 100% of the goodies in the level if I remember correctly.

The gameplay I can't do much about, unless completely changing parts of the level which I'm not prepared to do. I'm aware it has flaws though, it's only my second level in LBP and while I had ideas of what I wanted to put in the level I kind of made it as I went along one room at a time. I now know a bit of forward planning would have been beneficial and for the next level in the series (mainly due to the nature of it) I will be fully planning before building it. 		2011-06-23 23:27:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

Thank you for the feedback you left on my level Silence in the Library, I will go back in and try to improve it based on your suggestions, I'm sorry part two didn't work for you, it sounds like that "Yay!" was very generous indeed.

I also played your level just now and really enjoyed the concept and its execution. The videos ran a little long and slow for my taste, but I tend to be an impatient person. Added to that, I know you had concerns that the level was too long and while I disagree, I think that it would be good to put a completion time estimate in the description (I think I took about 30 mins, so warning would be nice).

The hints were great, well timed, and in my case, very necessary. I also appreciated the offer to skip the puzzle where you hold your controller upright as I was just getting frustrated when it said I didn't have to do it if I didn't want to. Of course this made me really want to finish, and it was a quick thing after that. Having the option to skip removes frustration from the equation so I think this was a very smart choice. I didn't investigate, but I hope it only becomes possible to skip the puzzle after you are informed of it; I would hate to press triangle right off the bat and miss my chance to try it.

I had a lot of trouble in the room with the 3 geyser platforms, the third one was very hard to hit because of the angle and height of the ground on the right side of it. I was forced to try to hit it from the left side, but couldn't get the angle right until I was on the ground between the second and third columns and quite stuck. I submitted a picture if this description is unclear.

I also wondered why you say in the description that this level is only for one player. Obviously I played alone so I don't know what happens with two, but what makes this impossible for 2 or more players? I ask only because I have put off playing this for 3 days because it said 1 player only and I very rarely play alone - I would have skipped it if I hadn't seen it on the forum purely based on the strict singleplayer policy. Even if it just said 1P recommended I wouldn't have hesitated, and I wouldn't complain if it wasn't perfect in 2P.

Towards the end, crossing the main bridge that had been broken most of the level, there was a visible string, I don't know if it was intentional but I assume not since it was the only on I saw in the whole level. Also, and this description is probably not good enough, in the lower rooms before you raise the water really high and nearly drown (at least if you are me ), a stalactite falls from the ceiling. I don't know, but it looked to me like it was supposed to form a path so you could get close to the water-raiser machine with the creatinator but it just fell in the water unceremoniously and I shot the machine from a distance. Just something that stood out in an otherwise very polished level.

The crab was confusing, but the hints once again saved the day. I seriously would have gotten no where without them, but I appreciate that they are not shoved in your face either. Overall, very impressive work and I think you did the concept justice. And again, thank you for your feedback on my level.		2011-06-24 00:43:00

Author:
silmedriel
Posts: 64

Thanks dude! Regarding your level, I'll always give a level a yay if it's well made and has a lot of effort put into it, even if it's not my cup of tea I can usually see why it may be right up someone else's street. So that's why I yayed your second level. The first one I yayed because it was well made AND I loved it.

I agree the videos are quite long, and I wish I could make it so that the player can skip subtitles as different people read at different paces... I choose the pace I did as I didn't want anyone to miss anything. And while I've kept it at the absolute minimum so the story is able to be explained... it still ended up long. I think I might take up your suggestion and add in the description it's over 30 minutes long. I'm pleased you liked the hints and that they've served their purpose, I'm sure you're aware it's difficult to judge how easy or hard a level you make is - and yeah the triangle button only becomes active when the game prompts you.

Ah the geysers. It's not meant to be frustrating and is in fact a puzzle. Regarding the picture you took, the puzzle is that the geyser on the right can ONLY be raised when the geyser on the left is lowered. There isn't a big enough gap to shoot at it if the right geyser is raised, which in your picture it is. I appreciate how this may be confusing though, there's a prize bubble beyond to the far right as well but maybe that adds to the complexity.

There's a huge chance that the level will fail if more than one person plays - there are a few points where objects are emitted (the freezing of the lake at the beginning, the bridge after killing the crab) and I use a controllinator teleport to get the player out of the way so the emitters don't fail. For this I have only taken into account one player, I don't see how I could do a fail safe system with up to four players (without a lot of logic) and if any of them DO fail the level is uncompletable - which would result in a lot of bad ratings. =P Other than those points few points nothing else is stopping four people from playing.

The final two points - the string is supposed to be visable, before the left side collapses it also is being held up by string, but I suppose it collapses so early on that this may not be evident. And the rock that falls... is just that. A rock that falls! I put it there for a little dynamic effect, but now you've pointed it out I can see why it may look naff haha. I'll make some changes to it.

Thank you for your feedback, it's most appreciated. 		2011-06-24 01:18:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

Interesting level!
I'll probably play this when I have time to.		2011-06-24 05:23:00

Author:
OcamposMoon
Posts: 135

Hi. Here you have my opinions of your level:

Pros:
- The argument about the Zodiac symbols (I like it) and the look of the Gods.
- The melting sequences are so good.
- Background music fits perfectly.
- The environment and decoration of the cave.
- The hints, the hints and the hints, they are very useful in this kind of levels!
- The final boss.

Cons:
- The length of the level (and thanks God there are hints...)
- The puzzle for Cancer God. Aim with the controller is so difficult >_<
- The Gods talk too much xD

Please leave me feedback at my level https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=56955-Math-Millionaire-Quiz

Just favorited your level ^^ Regards!		2011-06-25 21:48:00

Author:
ara_que
Posts: 63

Thanks dude! Regarding your level, I'll always give a level a yay if it's well made and has a lot of effort put into it, even if it's not my cup of tea I can usually see why it may be right up someone else's street. So that's why I yayed your second level. The first one I yayed because it was well made AND I loved it.

I agree the videos are quite long, and I wish I could make it so that the player can skip subtitles as different people read at different paces... I choose the pace I did as I didn't want anyone to miss anything. And while I've kept it at the absolute minimum so the story is able to be explained... it still ended up long. I think I might take up your suggestion and add in the description it's over 30 minutes long. I'm pleased you liked the hints and that they've served their purpose, I'm sure you're aware it's difficult to judge how easy or hard a level you make is - and yeah the triangle button only becomes active when the game prompts you.

Ah the geysers. It's not meant to be frustrating and is in fact a puzzle. Regarding the picture you took, the puzzle is that the geyser on the right can ONLY be raised when the geyser on the left is lowered. There isn't a big enough gap to shoot at it if the right geyser is raised, which in your picture it is. I appreciate how this may be confusing though, there's a prize bubble beyond to the far right as well but maybe that adds to the complexity.

There's a huge chance that the level will fail if more than one person plays - there are a few points where objects are emitted (the freezing of the lake at the beginning, the bridge after killing the crab) and I use a controllinator teleport to get the player out of the way so the emitters don't fail. For this I have only taken into account one player, I don't see how I could do a fail safe system with up to four players (without a lot of logic) and if any of them DO fail the level is uncompletable - which would result in a lot of bad ratings. =P Other than those points few points nothing else is stopping four people from playing.

The final two points - the string is supposed to be visable, before the left side collapses it also is being held up by string, but I suppose it collapses so early on that this may not be evident. And the rock that falls... is just that. A rock that falls! I put it there for a little dynamic effect, but now you've pointed it out I can see why it may look naff haha. I'll make some changes to it.

Thank you for your feedback, it's most appreciated.

No problem dude! (I'm a chick, btw)

I think the warning would take care of the long video issue, people tend to enjoy some storyline and videos are the way to go for that. It's just nice to know what you are getting into ahead of time. As for the subtitle skipping, I think we all wish for that feature!

Ha! It didn't even occur to me that the order of the geysers was supposed to be a puzzle, shame on me! Yes, I think the prize bubble is actually what threw me as I made a beeline for it with all the caution of a two-year old and then tried to hit the third geyser from that side, which looked possible but I couldn't do it.

I appreciate your judgment in the multiplayer scenario - I didn't consider the effect on the ice as I pretty much just marked that one off as "magic" in my head

Nice job with the level, really very well made, I just had to come up with some feedback to offer,or it would have been a "Yay!" and done 		2011-06-26 08:56:00

Author:
silmedriel
Posts: 64

Ok, after a quick glance through the thread, I can see that other people have highlighted similar concerns to what I have. The main one being that it was often quite difficult to know which way I'm supposed to be going. Now, I'm not one who likes to be spoon fed, I DO like to think, but I can see why others have the problem. The hints thing was a very welcome addition.

I think the controllinators look very out of place in a level like this. Maybe you could have disguised them in some sort of mystical waterfall.... or something of such nature?

I think there are too many music changes. Like just before the collapsing bridge. The game music changes, then it switches to a cutscene with it's own music, then back to the game music when gameplay resumes.

This is kind of related to the controllinators problem.... I think the names of the creatinators don't fit with the theme. They sound more like infamous 2 powers! I think if you were ever to do future levels with a similar them, instead of using creatinators, you could use a sackbot who gains new abilities whenever he awakes a Guardian, perhaps. Just a suggestion.

The siaxis puzzle was a good idea, very unique, but a little fiddly.

Now, this is a general feeling I have about a lot of levels, in that the boss battle seemed a little tacked on. Like it was there just for the sake of having a boss battle. The glass material on the floor only added to the frustration I feel when playing a lot of boss battles. It may just be that I'm rubbish at the game, but I think that this level didn't need a boss battle.

Cutscenes were a little long and dialogue heavy. Seemed more tailored towards RPG fans who like reading lines and lines of dialogue.

Nice use of holograms, especially in the end sequence.

Phew! After reading all that back, it would give the impression that I hated your level...... I didn't! I actually thought it was very good. I only highlight those point because I care

Now, I'm afraid I have an ulterior motive here (shock of all shocks). Could you please give my level, "You Sunk My Sackleship!" a go, with an online buddy? I'll be prepared to read through a nice list of constructive criticism, in revenge to what I have given you

It's the third one down in my sig.

Thanks.		2011-07-04 20:31:00

Author:
Ali_Star
Posts: 4085

Thanks for the feedback. I've come to the conclusion that there's very little I can do about people getting lost without severely altering the level layout, so I'm glad you did find the hints helpful.

As for the controlinators... I personally think this a downfall of LBP itself in that there's little you can do to hide a controlinator visually and audio wise. That said I did want to keep a sense of LBP-ness about the level, I wasn't going for total realism. Using the controlinators it makes it obvious to players they have to enter it, and I want the puzzle boards to be a recurring theme throughout this series.

I used the creatinator for similar reasons, it's far easier and has that LBP feel to it. However the main reason I didn't just give sackbots powers is because sackbots can't swim. =P Which would have been a major problem.

The music glitch you mention I do need to sort out, I'll not go into why but I couldn't get it to do what I wanted, I'll go back and have a tinker around again though.

I'm sorry you feel that way about the boss, I explained why the boss was there in the first place with water conlicting with fire, and was representative of Cancer's form being a crab. But I had always intended for the level to have a boss at the end.

I'll be sure to check out your level next time I'm online with a friend. 		2011-07-04 21:32:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

Loved the lvl but the lenght was really really long, thanks for the hints!!!!
Loved the boss
My ps3 freezed when i found the last water symbol,,,lol after 40min of play

Enjoyed and deserve more play!		2011-07-05 00:37:00

Author:
Sport_dude
Posts: 622

Thanks for the feedback. I've come to the conclusion that there's very little I can do about people getting lost without severely altering the level layout, so I'm glad you did find the hints helpful.

As for the controlinators... I personally think this a downfall of LBP itself in that there's little you can do to hide a controlinator visually and audio wise. That said I did want to keep a sense of LBP-ness about the level, I wasn't going for total realism. Using the controlinators it makes it obvious to players they have to enter it, and I want the puzzle boards to be a recurring theme throughout this series.

I used the creatinator for similar reasons, it's far easier and has that LBP feel to it. However the main reason I didn't just give sackbots powers is because sackbots can't swim. =P Which would have been a major problem.

The music glitch you mention I do need to sort out, I'll not go into why but I couldn't get it to do what I wanted, I'll go back and have a tinker around again though.

I'm sorry you feel that way about the boss, I explained why the boss was there in the first place with water conlicting with fire, and was representative of Cancer's form being a crab. But I had always intended for the level to have a boss at the end.

I'll be sure to check out your level next time I'm online with a friend.

Well, you can make it so the controllinator isn't visible in play mode. That's what I did in my first level, I had it so it looked like you were entering the "brain goo" (red jelly ).

I don't think the creatinators were the problem, just the names you gave them. Sounded like futuristic gizmos. I actually forgot about sackbots not being able to swim...... which would have been a bit of a problem with your level!

As boss fights go, yours wasn't too bad. It's just that I'm not keen on them in general. I just keep dying and getting more and more frustrated.

Cheers.... I would be sooooooooo grateful if someone at least played my level. I realise that releasing it on July 4th was probably a bad idea in hindsight, but still, 0 plays after about 12 hours or so is very disheartening after a couple of months work. I have other ideas for levels, but now I think that I'm not gonna bother.		2011-07-05 08:57:00

Author:
Ali_Star
Posts: 4085

Hi there (and sorry about my poor english),

I played this level yesterday and... my PS3 froze . I was not able to finish the level but I think i was near the end, so here are a quick thoughts about it :
I love exploration, so I won't complain about the way you make your level. I really liked how you make the creatinator evolve to add new abilities to the sackboy. The hint system was a good addition, the only part where it took me some time to find my way is how to go under the collapsed bridge at the beginning.
The creatinator's projectiles are maybe too big. Sometime it's hard to hit what you're aiming at because the projectiles hit the wall near your target. The boss battle was ok, I didn't understand at first that you have to hit the eyes during the second part, but once again you have added a hint, so that was ok.

Overall, I enjoyed what I've played, and maybe I'll give it another try (and hope my ps3 won't freeze).		2011-07-05 10:58:00

Author:
Slurm
Posts: 262

I always enjoy playing a temple themed level, especially if the creator has given it a unique visual interface like this one. The central plot device involving the zodiac guardians and the freezing/melting raising/ lowering of the water was well thought out and implemented. I found the directional flow of the level clear, didn't get lost once! A relaxing puzzling platform vibe with a challenging boss battle towards the end. I can see a lot of effort went into this and I'm guessing the thermo is maxed out?
Only gameplay issues I had where with the sixaxis puzzle and the boss (I'm not sure if the level is ace-able?). Depending on thermo left the only inprovements I would suggest would be to add more details to give it a more wintry feel in the frozen section:spot effects, icicles etc. Maybe touch up the visuals of the zodiac guardians and crab boss to make them seem more epic.
The music and cinematics were similar to the ones I used in my Ico temple level: http://lbp.me/v/0c632x

Overall good level structure, the hint system was a good idea too. I'd like to see a sequel.		2011-07-07 11:42:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

I always enjoy playing a temple themed level, especially if the creator has given it a unique visual interface like this one. The central plot device involving the zodiac guardians and the freezing/melting raising/ lowering of the water was well thought out and implemented. I found the directional flow of the level clear, didn't get lost once! A relaxing puzzling platform vibe with a challenging boss battle towards the end. I can see a lot of effort went into this and I'm guessing the thermo is maxed out?
Only gameplay issues I had where with the sixaxis puzzle and the boss (I'm not sure if the level is ace-able?). Depending on thermo left the only inprovements I would suggest would be to add more details to give it a more wintry feel in the frozen section:spot effects, icicles etc. Maybe touch up the visuals of the zodiac guardians and crab boss to make them seem more epic.
The music and cinematics were similar to the ones I used in my Ico temple level: http://lbp.me/v/0c632x

Overall good level structure, the hint system was a good idea too. I'd like to see a sequel.
Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, you're right the thermo overheats if I try to add even one more thing. I had to emit the entire ending sequence as I was so pushed for space, and as a result I was unable to decorate some areas as much as I wanted to.

But I am making a sequel, the Wind Temple, involving the air zodiac signs (Aquarius, Libra and Gemini) along with 3 new creatinator powers and... time travel!




Hi there (and sorry about my poor english),

I played this level yesterday and... my PS3 froze . I was not able to finish the level but I think i was near the end, so here are a quick thoughts about it :
I love exploration, so I won't complain about the way you make your level. I really liked how you make the creatinator evolve to add new abilities to the sackboy. The hint system was a good addition, the only part where it took me some time to find my way is how to go under the collapsed bridge at the beginning.
The creatinator's projectiles are maybe too big. Sometime it's hard to hit what you're aiming at because the projectiles hit the wall near your target. The boss battle was ok, I didn't understand at first that you have to hit the eyes during the second part, but once again you have added a hint, so that was ok.

Overall, I enjoyed what I've played, and maybe I'll give it another try (and hope my ps3 won't freeze).

Oh crap, your PS3 froze? Someone else said that happened to them as well... hope it's not a level bug. Thanks for the feedback dude. 		2011-07-07 17:56:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

I like your level. It's interesting, challenging, creative, and majestic. I like the elemental theme, and the story. The platforming is nice, although a bit trippy at parts. The puzzles are fun and challenging, but sometimes a bit too challenging. The scenery is beautiful and creative, though some parts of it look a bit bulky and blobby. The use of water in this level is amazing, and so is the use of the creatinator. This is a fun level, and deserves even more plays. The caves are fun to navigate and are made easy to thanks to the hints, and the little powers and changes in the environment are put to great use. I "yayed" it.
Cons: A bit too challenging at parts, small amount of awkward platforming, some slightly blob-ish scenery/platforms.
Pros: Fun, creative, attractive, amazing affects and cut scenes, great use of tools, great use of environment, good plot, helpful tips, challenging puzzles.
2011-07-16 02:24:00

Author:
Sackpapoi
Posts: 1195

Queued! I'll do the feedback in game! ;-)

Try mine if you get time.		2011-07-19 19:02:00

Author:
DizaumBR
Posts: 78

qeued up! I'll be sure to play it, then submit my feedback ASAP!2011-07-27 02:31:00

Author:
Crazed Creator
Posts: 177

OK! I played this level yesterday and I really enjoyed solving the puzzles and zig-agging back and forth in the tenple!

You really made a unique experience here with a good story and some neat puzzles.

Pros:
-Puzzles are unique
-Level design is great
-Uses tilt control at one point
-Awesome, unexpected, well themed boss battle!
-The Boss you created and how you destroy it is ingenious!
-The hint system was great

Cons:
-Tilt control segment is very hard, I know you csn skip it, but maybe lock the ones into place?
-The gods talk a bit too much to keep you enterained, maybe go through different cutscenes while the god is talking

As you see, there much more Pros than cons, so great job! And thanks for sharing this with the community!		2011-07-27 20:51:00

Author:
Crazed Creator
Posts: 177

Solid level.

Good story. Ending cutscene looked great also.
I did give up on that six-axis puzzle (triangle, phew!), the hint system was useful. Good plan.

My favourite gameplay element was how you used the claws as stairs. Smart.

One thing you could improve on, is the layer switching and corner editing.
For example on that first puzzle, I ran up (thinking I would climb up the shapes first) but then got squished as sackboy ran into a corner.
In that instance, you could just place a (hazardous) thin 0% hologram square over the puzzle, to block sackboy off.
Good layer switching/geometry for gameplay/platforming just comes with practice.

Keep it up. =D

No feedback required.		2011-07-28 06:53:00

Author:
midnight_heist
Posts: 2513

I played your level today and in the end I was amazed, stunned and couldn?t believe that I just played one level. This level has so much to offer and has clever usage of back tracking to get to previously unreachable areas. The atmosphere of the level was brilliant, nice and fresh and it also had an intriguing and mysterious story. The cinematography was splendid and I really don't have anything for constructive feedback.

Some of the puzzles were a little difficult to master and it wasn?t always clear where to go next, but everything else was just perfect. I love the ingenious way you designed the puzzles and the different powers of the Creatinators that have an effect on the water state and level and how it all relates to the story. Very clever.

If you have the time I?d like you to invite to play and give feedback on my level Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield:
LBP.me: http://lbp.me/v/2sznf3
Thread: https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=59483-Tubular-Bells-Mike-Oldfield		2011-07-29 14:48:00

Author:
DoodVogeltje
Posts: 81

OK! I played this level yesterday and I really enjoyed solving the puzzles and zig-agging back and forth in the tenple!

You really made a unique experience here with a good story and some neat puzzles.

Pros:
-Puzzles are unique
-Level design is great
-Uses tilt control at one point
-Awesome, unexpected, well themed boss battle!
-The Boss you created and how you destroy it is ingenious!
-The hint system was great

Cons:
-Tilt control segment is very hard, I know you csn skip it, but maybe lock the ones into place?
-The gods talk a bit too much to keep you enterained, maybe go through different cutscenes while the god is talking

As you see, there much more Pros than cons, so great job! And thanks for sharing this with the community!
Thanks for the feedback! I'm going to address your cons, I've already made the puzzle simpler by slowing down the speed the columns fall so it's easier to line them up. And a few people have mentioned about the cutscenes (after playing a level the other day with heavy static cutscenes I... got quite bored) so I'm going to spruce them up and I have ideas of how to do that. Thanks again.


Solid level.

Good story. Ending cutscene looked great also.
I did give up on that six-axis puzzle (triangle, phew!), the hint system was useful. Good plan.

My favourite gameplay element was how you used the claws as stairs. Smart.

One thing you could improve on, is the layer switching and corner editing.
For example on that first puzzle, I ran up (thinking I would climb up the shapes first) but then got squished as sackboy ran into a corner.
In that instance, you could just place a (hazardous) thin 0% hologram square over the puzzle, to block sackboy off.
Good layer switching/geometry for gameplay/platforming just comes with practice.

Keep it up. =D

No feedback required.

Thanks for the feedback and excellent idea! I know the exact section you mention where sackboy gets squashed and have implemented your suggested solution. Corner editting it another issue as I'm pretty much maxed out and it starts to overheat... I have hopefully made the sixaxis puzzle a little easier too by reducing the speeds the columns fall at.

I know you say no feedback required, but I'll do so anyway, ha.


I played your level today and in the end I was amazed, stunned and couldn?t believe that I just played one level. This level has so much to offer and has clever usage of back tracking to get to previously unreachable areas. The atmosphere of the level was brilliant, nice and fresh and it also had an intriguing and mysterious story. The cinematography was splendid and I really don't have anything for constructive feedback.

Some of the puzzles were a little difficult to master and it wasn?t always clear where to go next, but everything else was just perfect. I love the ingenious way you designed the puzzles and the different powers of the Creatinators that have an effect on the water state and level and how it all relates to the story. Very clever.
Thanks mate, really chuffed you enjoyed it. I'll check out your level and leave you feedback.		2011-07-29 18:29:00

Author:
Xaif
Posts: 365

Anything with inspirations from Golden Sun need to be tried out in my book. Love that game, and I'll probably be loving this level. Queued it up!2011-07-30 18:04:00

Author:
Mysteltain
Posts: 59

Great level with some amazing ideas and a good history. I would like if you work a little more on the level design. But everything else was great 2011-08-03 00:30:00

Author:
TUL10
Posts: 61

I just played your level recently and in my opinion, it's very good. Not great, since the level did look more cavelike than templelike, but that's beside the point.

The hint system was also a helpful hand, as well as the opportunity to skip the controller-based puzzles (that one where you had to tilt the controller I skipped) if it got tricky for the player to finish. The boss was also another high point, though the claws should look more like stairs since I keep aiming at other parts of his head, and not his fiery eyes.

Overall, it's a good level and I gave you a . To return the favor, can you post some feedback on my level Funoranium? Thanks!		2011-08-13 17:37:00

Author:
OcamposMoon
Posts: 135

hey, this was one long level! And i don't think it liked me very much either, i accidently restarted it just after i saw the second water diety, then i accidently returned to pod after i killed the boss..i was a bit mad to say the least. I did try again this time with a friend, i know the level is one player as i soon found out when the boss locked us in the checkpoint hole with no escape. But those are all my fault, anyway enough rambling...

Has an interesting story, and fitting music. I liked the light effects how everything went dark when the water dietys appeared so that just you and the diety were illuminated. The way the water unfroze an fell the first time is pleasing to the eye, and the freezethaw is a cool idea. Also the hints that appeared were a great help and reminder of what im doing, and thank you for putting in that skip option for the '69' puzzle, though i managed to solve it second time.

The only things i would change would be to put some invisible plasmafied hologram infront of the holes in the wall near beginning, just to save getting put in there when you got a habit of jumping rather than walking lol, and maybe some sfxs on the rotating rock puzzle? On and i would make the ice blocking the pipes at the beginning non grabbable,just seems more natural.

Overall i think it is a good challenging level, it's clear alot of work went into it, sorry i didn't finish, i will try again, i want to see the ending.		2011-08-14 23:07:00

Author:
gigglecrab
Posts: 232


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