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Factory of Mystery Part 1: Where am I? (pictures and video)

Archive: 11 posts

You might recall that my first major level was called the Factory of Mystery. You don't? Eh, I don't blame you, that level was a mess.

It was basically a level where the idea is that a factory came out of no where, and you had to get through it. Originally, I planned to make a series out of it, but scrapped the idea.

Suddenly, I one day had the urge to pick that idea back up, and as a first step towards making this interesting, I decided to start over.

Return of the Factory of Mystery contains many new features introduced with the MGS level pack, most notable, a few materials, plasma balls, and of course the Paintinator (trophy get!!!). As well as a few general platforming challenges, this level shouldn't disappoint.

And now, cause I can now get pictures from the game, I have pictures this time!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/Entrance.jpg
Trapped right from the start?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/Smashers.jpg
I can already hear that squish noise.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/Paintinator.jpg
What good is a gun with nothing to shoot?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/RedPlasmaBot.jpg
That's better!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/SpinningPlasmaLight.jpg
This looks unsafe...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/Swinging.jpg
This looks less safe...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/gameguy888/Little%20Big%20Planet/ConveyorBelt.jpg
Time to shoot things on a conveyor belt.

18Ap_chKstQ
Thanks much aer0blue!
Everyone else, keep in mind, this video is a bit old, but most of the level design is still the same.

That's all for now. I'll probably start working on part 2 eventually.

Edit:
F4F has been taken off. As much as I'd love more feedback for this level, I'd rather more of it be given to Part 2 right now. Hey, if you wanna do both, I don't mind at all. You should probably play this before part 2 anyway to get the full effect.

Edit2:
Part 2 is now live! (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=7723)
And also Part 3! (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=20693)

2008-12-27 21:38:00

Author:
gameguy888

Posts: 159

Well lets start of with the good,

* The atmosphere is very good
* Got some good ideas mixed in the level
* I liked the whole idea with the first room, but it needs some work.

The bad,

*The first room is so easy to screw up, I made it up it my fourth try with the boxes. Fix it so its MUCH easier
* The level in general is very difficult, there is a reason why only 2 players of 130 players finished your map to the end.
* I died on the elevator with the grip machanism, the idea is good but take away the grip switch and add an sensor switch. Otherwise its too hard gripping it and avoiding all the plasma.

The level is maybe easy for you but for other players on their first, second or third try. Its near impossible. It has lots of potential your level, you just need to make it more player friendly. If you fix it then you have a great level

2009-01-03 12:40:00

Author:
FriedSackboy

Posts: 19

I've never encountered any problems with the first part. Even if you manage to get six of the boxes stuck on the floor, it's still possible to get up into the vent with the two boxes left (at least in every case I've encountered). It's a lot more tricky, but still possible. If there's some other way to mess things up, you'll have to explain further. I'm not sure how I could change this any, short of lowering the vent.

I don't recall why used the grab switch there. I had some reason to do that instead of a sensor switch, but now I'm looking back and wanting a sensor switch there too. I just haven't gotten around to swapping it yet. I can't play the game for a while, so it's kinda stuck that way for now. =

Also, it sounds like you missed the second path around the elevator. Just drop down on the other side of the second robot thing. That path is a little longer, but it should be much easier. To be fair, I didn't make it because the elevator was too hard (I actually made this path first).

Anyway, thanks for the feedback!

Edit: I've republished the level with a few changes based on this feedback. I also added a bunch more score bubbles, particularly to some rather empty locations.

Edit2: Name change and other random tweaks.

2009-01-03 18:18:00

Author:
gameguy888

Posts: 159

For starters ... wow you have a lot of freakin' levels published.

- Really enjoyed the idea behind the little puzzle at the beginning, however it's really frustrating and annoying to accomplish if you don't do it a certain way. I have never liked moving things around and stacking them in LBP because it's so awkward and difficult ... I would be willing to bet that a lot of (if not the majority of) people don't even get through that section before getting frustrated and quitting the level. Maybe glue some of the boxes together or something so you don't have to try and stack three individual ones up on top of each other like that. Even if it's easy to pull off the idea is still there and that's still going to be enough I think.

- Your level definitely does NOT deserve as low of a rating as it has at the moment, I am sure that the high difficulty has quite a bit to do with that. It seems that a lot of people who play little big planet don't enjoy a challenging levels but get frustrated and take their anger out by giving it a bad score for being 'too hard' ...

- Other than the first room I only have one other pretty big problem with the level. After you get the paintinator and go down the first elevator and kill the first enemy. You end up in that really big, pretty open area. The problem with this area is that there is no direction. I found myself knocking down the ball on the chain, going up to the platform with the guns shooting that you had to dodge and then going all the way to the right along the top.
At this point there was no where else to go up there so I dropped down to the save point and then went right. There is that area which you are actually supposed to come up from the bottom on a jetpack. However, I had no idea that this was the case and figured that I had to get down there somehow. So, I tried dropping down there and died and restarted, went back and did the same thing again.

- I doubt that I am the only person that would go up that platform and then head right along the ceiling and assume that you are supposed to continue right, it seems like the logical place to go ... bottom line is I think the room is too confusing and needs arrows, camera angles or something to let you know which way you should be going. Even though I enjoy challenging games and levels this room almost made me give up on the level.

= Anyway, there are some really great ideas and sections in this level which I really enjoyed. I really like the use of the paintinator to knock down that ball and chain by the second enemy. And I liked the idea for the first room a lot, and the lights in the room right after which you had to light up to continue. All of them are pretty difficult puzzles that you don't really notice at first, but when you realize what you have to do it's a very satisfying moment. Oh yeah, really loved the platform that went up while you had to dodge the bullets, that was really cool as well.

All things considered I gave it a 4 star. Although I really do think you need to tweak that big room, and the first area.

Oh, just noticed you were a fellow Michigander as well ... how you likin' this weather lately ?

2009-01-18 08:29:00

Author:
Coreymill

Posts: 85

For starters ... wow you have a lot of freakin' levels published.

What can I say, I enjoy create mode.

- Really enjoyed the idea behind the little puzzle at the beginning, however it's really frustrating and annoying to accomplish if you don't do it a certain way. I have never liked moving things around and stacking them in LBP because it's so awkward and difficult ... I would be willing to bet that a lot of (if not the majority of) people don't even get through that section before getting frustrated and quitting the level. Maybe glue some of the boxes together or something so you don't have to try and stack three individual ones up on top of each other like that. Even if it's easy to pull off the idea is still there and that's still going to be enough I think.

There's really little I can do without ruining the puzzle. I've honestly never had any problems with this thing, since I've been able to get out in every situation I've gotten the boxes into. And actually, you're probably right about people getting frustrated and quitting. I've brought some people here on multiplayer, and they can never seem to get up without me doing it for them.

- Other than the first room I only have one other pretty big problem with the level. After you get the paintinator and go down the first elevator and kill the first enemy. You end up in that really big, pretty open area. The problem with this area is that there is no direction. I found myself knocking down the ball on the chain, going up to the platform with the guns shooting that you had to dodge and then going all the way to the right along the top.
At this point there was no where else to go up there so I dropped down to the save point and then went right. There is that area which you are actually supposed to come up from the bottom on a jetpack. However, I had no idea that this was the case and figured that I had to get down there somehow. So, I tried dropping down there and died and restarted, went back and did the same thing again.

- I doubt that I am the only person that would go up that platform and then head right along the ceiling and assume that you are supposed to continue right, it seems like the logical place to go ... bottom line is I think the room is too confusing and needs arrows, camera angles or something to let you know which way you should be going. Even though I enjoy challenging games and levels this room almost made me give up on the level.

See, this is the kind of stuff I would never think of on my own. I'll go give some direction here.

= Anyway, there are some really great ideas and sections in this level which I really enjoyed. I really like the use of the paintinator to knock down that ball and chain by the second enemy. And I liked the idea for the first room a lot, and the lights in the room right after which you had to light up to continue. All of them are pretty difficult puzzles that you don't really notice at first, but when you realize what you have to do it's a very satisfying moment. Oh yeah, really loved the platform that went up while you had to dodge the bullets, that was really cool as well.

All things considered I gave it a 4 star. Although I really do think you need to tweak that big room, and the first area.

Thanks for the compliments. Too bad you didn't finish the level though, people keep telling me they like the last section. I'll go make a few changes.

Oh, just noticed you were a fellow Michigander as well ... how you likin' this weather lately ?

2009-01-19 00:02:00

Author:
gameguy888

Posts: 159

Too bad you didn't finish the level though, people keep telling me they like the last section. I'll go make a few changes.

Oh, I did finish the level it just took me three or four times through before I figured out how to get to that last area because I got lost in that big room. I think I had the second highest score, probably because I was pretty good at the beginning after playing it a few times : P

2009-01-19 00:16:00

Author:
Coreymill

Posts: 85

For those that are curious, Part 2 is now live! (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=7723) So feel free to check it out (even if you haven't played this part yet).

Of course, this doesn't mean I still don't want feedback on this level. Just felt I'd let you guys know.

I don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but I've fixed various things that were mentioned here now.

2009-01-19 23:29:00

Author:
gameguy888

Posts: 159

2009-01-20 04:28:00

Author:
RangerZero

Posts: 3901

The Part 1 is pretty good! I hearted it because really, I don't have much to complain about there.

You conveyor belt part is really cool. I loved it. The general ambiance is good and you made some use of sound, something many creator aren't bothering with. I liked the part where turrets shoot green plasmas at you and also that 4 way turret shooting at lightspeed. lol

That conveyor belt part took me longer than everything else in this level, so I certainly hope it's cool. >.<

There's much negative stuff I have to say about the levels, only suggestions about maybe making it even better. If you have some thermo left, I suggest decorating a little more or to include a couple more texture. The level feels a bit samey.

Yeah, decor isn't really my strong point. I'll likely go back and change a few things when I get a chance to next time I go home.

The part where those turrets are shooting green plasma as you grab suspended sack, I would suggest to make the turret more evident. Sometimes I felt that when in the action I wasn't exactly seeing where they would shoot next and I sort of passed this part with the fingers crossed.

Hmm... I'm not exactly sure I get what you mean here. Should I try adding camera angles to face the turrets, and/or make them more obvious to the eye in appearance? If that's not what you meant, you might wanna rephrase that. >.<

I also thought It wasn't easy to see where the turret are shooting in jetpack part too. Otherwise the level is really great, I gave it 4 stars and hearted it because it's pretty near "as good as it gets".

I do know that the plasma is coming directly out of the lights on the spinning lights. I guess the issue is that either they blend in some (probably the case) or you're just expecting them to be in the light path (which they won't be because they aren't going that fast... any faster would make this part much more difficult).

Thanks for the compliments and feedback.

2009-01-20 14:30:00

Author:
gameguy888

Posts: 159

Actually yes the reflex the player must have is to think the plasma balls are shoot in the lights.
Of course it will delay from the light since it rotates but maybe you can tweak the speed and lifetime of the emission to reduce the delay.

As for the turret, what I would personally do is to make their shooting edge more visible like a distinguishable canon barrel (using another material?) or a color applied on the edge. This way the player will notice more easily where the turret is presently aiming all the while there's alot of action.

2009-01-20 19:32:00

Author:
RangerZero

Posts: 3901

I actually had them shooting pretty fast at first, but the faster they fire, the less reaction time you have to evade the shots. So, I turned the speed down.

Actually, I wanted to use more of those rapid fire things like the one before the jetpack, but that would be impossible to pass. I had an idea recently that could work, but it would probably mean changing this area entirely (cause, honestly, I don't really care for it as it is).

2009-01-22 02:57:00

Author:
gameguy888

Posts: 159

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