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A Christmas Tale

Archive: 24 posts

A Christmas Tale...an original story for the festive season. A sllightly darker story compared to all the bright jolly glistening christmas themed levels out at the moment. Lots of secrest to discover.
Help a lost forgotten toy bring a little christmas magic into the life of a poor orphan locked away in the attic of a bleak house...



http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo195/liampatrickberry/xt.jpg


http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo195/liampatrickberry/xt1.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo195/liampatrickberry/xt2.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo195/liampatrickberry/xt3.jpg










an interactive movie with gameplay puzzles and platforming... all feedback appreciated and reciprocated, merry christmas

LBP.me link
http://lbp.me/v/8kmfnr
http://lbp.me/v/8kmfnr		2011-12-25 11:35:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Fabulous hybrid of cutsceen and gameplay intertwined, never quite played a level thats attempted it this way. Lots of cool special effects and a dark Limbo-esque atmosphere, which is later contrasted with a burst of wonderful color in the spirit of Christmas. A unique level from start to finish.2011-12-25 14:50:00

Author:
kaiju_kid
Posts: 329

Fabulous hybrid of cutsceen and gameplay intertwined, never quite played a level thats attempted it this way. Lots of cool special effects and a dark Limbo-esque atmosphere, which is later contrasted with a burst of wonderful color in the spirit of Christmas. A unique level from start to finish.

Thanks for the feedback kaiju.
I was hoping it would work as cinematic and playing experience without compromising each element. I thought the dark atmosphere would really suit the season and provide a contrats to all the white, light, bright snow filled levels at the moment, though the ending is a bright warming disneyesque finale. I will keep polishing and editing in the light of any feedback.		2011-12-25 19:14:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

I have this queued, will check it out soon and I am looking forward to it. Always interested in what you come up with.2011-12-26 03:51:00

Author:
shookie99
Posts: 447

I'll add it to my queue and anticipate playing it.2011-12-26 07:27:00

Author:
biorogue
Posts: 8424

Thanks guys! looking forward to your feedback.
If playing in multi-player mode try running past the scoreboard and a bit of fruit platorrming/wrestling to get to the alternate ending.		2011-12-26 17:21:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Great Christmas level that does a great job of mixing cinema and gameplay. Very good job on making an engaging movie with minimal dialogue but still manages to evoke emotion all the same. I am almost amused by your thought provoking dialogue, set pieces, and overall storytelling.2011-12-26 17:47:00

Author:
shookie99
Posts: 447

Great Christmas level that does a great job of mixing cinema and gameplay. Very good job on making an engaging movie with minimal dialogue but still manages to evoke emotion all the same. I am almost amused by your thought provoking dialogue, set pieces, and overall storytelling.

Glad to provide amusement. It was tricky to make the movie without dialogue engaging at the same time,happy you found it so. I think kaiju_kid does an even better job in his letter to santa without dialogue using the letter motif to carry the story. Some folks seem unhappy with the cut scene element but it is an interactive movie therefore hard to strike the right balance between gameplay and movie.		2011-12-27 13:52:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Hi there! While not generally a massive fan of the movie style levels this one was really good. I loved the interactive bits and dark spooky feel (the bassline for the song was awesome!). Very atmospheric and festive too with lovely touches throughout (magic stars!). Platforming was well put together and looked great - a little simple in places but too much would take away from the story. I know this has been mentioned above but i thought maybe a little dialogue wouldn't go a miss? Or maybe including the little girl a bit more during the level? Just suggestions.

Anyway, great stuff! I'm checking out other levels on your earth now...		2011-12-31 13:57:00

Author:
THe EGG
Posts: 75

Hi there! While not generally a massive fan of the movie style levels this one was really good. I loved the interactive bits and dark spooky feel (the bassline for the song was awesome!). Very atmospheric and festive too with lovely touches throughout (magic stars!). Platforming was well put together and looked great - a little simple in places but too much would take away from the story. I know this has been mentioned above but i thought maybe a little dialogue wouldn't go a miss? Or maybe including the little girl a bit more during the level? Just suggestions.

Anyway, great stuff! I'm checking out other levels on your earth now...

Thanks for the play and feedback.
The balance of gameplay to movie was tricky to get right. You wouldn't believe how much easier i had to make for folks (including creating visual clues to the vase puzzle at the start). I like the idea of maybe involving the orphaned girl more and might be able to implement some more cuts to her locked away in the attic, thanks!		2011-12-31 21:56:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Hi there, firstly thanks for the feedback you left on my level 'beam me up' I appreciate the positive feedback! I played your level yesterday and really enjoyed it, I think the music was great and really fitted into the theme of Christmas, magic and toys coming to life! i did feel like there were a lot of cut scenes and sometimes just as i was getting into playing the platforming bits it would cut away but having said that the cut scenes were really cute and I could see they made for a good story line so i didnt mind too much! I particularly liked the fairy, the self decorating tree and the building blocks that turned into sack bots (all nice touches) I also liked how you incorporated the pre made background into the level. Overall a really good and festive level! A yay from me 2012-01-02 10:39:00

Author:
dani-girl85
Posts: 14

Queued it I'm going to check it out tonight! 2012-01-02 14:29:00

Author:
Cpt Yanni
Posts: 36

Hi there, firstly thanks for the feedback you left on my level 'beam me up' I appreciate the positive feedback! I played your level yesterday and really enjoyed it, I think the music was great and really fitted into the theme of Christmas, magic and toys coming to life! i did feel like there were a lot of cut scenes and sometimes just as i was getting into playing the platforming bits it would cut away but having said that the cut scenes were really cute and I could see they made for a good story line so i didnt mind too much! I particularly liked the fairy, the self decorating tree and the building blocks that turned into sack bots (all nice touches) I also liked how you incorporated the pre made background into the level. Overall a really good and festive level! A yay from me

Thanks for the feedback dani!
I'm still working on trying to find the right balance between movie to gameplay (always tricky when making an inter-active movie level). The right proportion of each should make for a truly engaging level. Unfortunately too many movie levels on LBP aren't worth viewing so I'm hoping this may be the way forward but there again it might not please those who just enjoy a gameplay level. Gladyou spotted the use of incorporation of the background into the level, something that is too often ignored.		2012-01-02 22:34:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Lol the teddy bear and the song were just complete awesomeness! I loved the design of the teddy bear, the story behind it and the platform parts of your level. They were really good! I only have a couple remarks (but really, they may just look like a lot but I really searched for them to make a remark)

Couple of things that I've noticed that could be fixed/better/adjusted:
- Some of the legs of the spiders don't appear (in the beginning, the two spiders that you have to encounter).
- Some cutscenes with the bear don't make any sense. You should leave them out (like when he's just walking and accidently hits the cups). So maybe a bit too much 'watching movies'.
- A small 'bug' with the animation of the bear (in the third cutscene). He has to jump twice, maybe you could retake that scene (?).

To summarise; It's a cool level with some fine ideas and a nice design. I expected a little more platforming and less cutscenes but the platforming parts that were in there, were great! So yes, I want to play more of your levels !

Btw: Please play my (last made) level too! I would appreciate some feedback on it. (Castle Adventures: Save Princess Elisabeth)		2012-01-03 21:10:00

Author:
Cpt Yanni
Posts: 36

Great level.. I like the game/movie interaction (and the detail in the cutscenes). The only suggestion I can think of is to tie Sackboy into the story somehow.. maybe he's the Sugar Plum Fairy come to help the toys help the girl or something? 2012-01-04 01:36:00

Author:
Unknown User

Awwwww <3 That was soo cute! Okay, the gameplay part was a bit shorter, so I would talk more about an interactive movie. I think I would remove the text at the start, "no christmas for orphans" it didn't fit too much, I mean there's no text or speech for the whole movie so...

It really made my hearth melt And the bear's face, adorable when he smiles, he looks so happy
Original style and mix of game and movie. Bravo !

(I almost am shy of asking for F4F after this...)
Would you try my health meter toolkit ?
https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=62776-Health-Meter-Toolkit-All-your-health-meter-needs		2012-01-04 21:05:00

Author:
Unknown User

Lol the teddy bear and the song were just complete awesomeness! I loved the design of the teddy bear, the story behind it and the platform parts of your level. They were really good! I only have a couple remarks (but really, they may just look like a lot but I really searched for them to make a remark)

Couple of things that I've noticed that could be fixed/better/adjusted:
- Some of the legs of the spiders don't appear (in the beginning, the two spiders that you have to encounter).
- Some cutscenes with the bear don't make any sense. You should leave them out (like when he's just walking and accidently hits the cups). So maybe a bit too much 'watching movies'.
- A small 'bug' with the animation of the bear (in the third cutscene). He has to jump twice, maybe you could retake that scene (?).

To summarise; It's a cool level with some fine ideas and a nice design. I expected a little more platforming and less cutscenes but the platforming parts that were in there, were great! So yes, I want to play more of your levels !

Btw: Please play my (last made) level too! I would appreciate some feedback on it. (Castle Adventures: Save Princess Elisabeth)

Thanks for the feedback. Those pesky spider legs keep appearing and disappearing depending upon the veiwing angle. I think I can fix that with some cam adjustments.
I think adding an extra fade to the little orphan in the bear walking scene would help with the storyline a tad. I'll be leaving some feedback on your level soon, played it once already but wanted to re-visit for better feedback.


Great level.. I like the game/movie interaction (and the detail in the cutscenes). The only suggestion I can think of is to tie Sackboy into the story somehow.. maybe he's the Sugar Plum Fairy come to help the toys help the girl or something?
Glad you enjoyed the interaction. As with most tales of this nature some of the narrative should be left to the beholders imagination. For me the sackboy was assissting the bears passage to conjour the sugar plum fairy from parts found inthe attic, hopefully theres latitude for others to interpret the story how they like. Thanks for the feedback.


Awwwww <3 That was soo cute! Okay, the gameplay part was a bit shorter, so I would talk more about an interactive movie. I think I would remove the text at the start, "no christmas for orphans" it didn't fit too much, I mean there's no text or speech for the whole movie so...

It really made my hearth melt And the bear's face, adorable when he smiles, he looks so happy
Original style and mix of game and movie. Bravo !

(I almost am shy of asking for F4F after this...)
Would you try my health meter toolkit ?
https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=62776-Health-Meter-Toolkit-All-your-health-meter-needs

Will happily play and feedback on your level soon.
I was very tempted to make the level completely without dialogue as a counterpoint to all those movie levels saturated with pointless dialogue and squeaky recorded speech. Sometimes a simple tale simply told can be pretty sweet.		2012-01-05 16:42:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Sorry, I meant to comment on this earlier. I loved the magical feel of this level. You used the background brilliantly to create a feeling of small toys in a huge echoing attic where anything could lurk in the shadows, but equally where something wonderful could happen. It just had huge amounts of atmosphere and had a lovely Christmassy feel without ever straying into mawkishness.

I thought the mix of movie and gameplay was skilfully done. The cinematic elements allowed you to spin an engaging story and the gameplay, instead of breaking the spell, just let you feel you were somehow part of the story. I loved it. The interactive movie seems to have a lot of potential as a genre. I look forward to seeing more of it.		2012-01-05 22:07:00

Author:
shropshirelass
Posts: 1455

Sorry, I meant to comment on this earlier. I loved the magical feel of this level. You used the background brilliantly to create a feeling of small toys in a huge echoing attic where anything could lurk in the shadows, but equally where something wonderful could happen. It just had huge amounts of atmosphere and had a lovely Christmassy feel without ever straying into mawkishness.

I thought the mix of movie and gameplay was skilfully done. The cinematic elements allowed you to spin an engaging story and the gameplay, instead of breaking the spell, just let you feel you were somehow part of the story. I loved it. The interactive movie seems to have a lot of potential as a genre. I look forward to seeing more of it.

Thanks for the feedback little miss staffordshire Lass!
Glad you enjoyed yourself in the attic, I prefer the garden shed myself.
I'm really happy you think the interactive movie concept has potential, hopefully some better creators will switch over to this format because let's face it 90% of movie levels published on LBP aren't worth viewing. They don't engage the audience but here the audience is drawn into the action by having to play to facilitate the action. Often the pattern of MMs story levels is opted for Start of level cut scene-gameplay-end of level cut scene but using the interactive concept might actually produce more emotive participation and engagement. Thanks for playing, always happy to hear from a top player.		2012-01-10 14:48:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Very good visuals and cutscenes, but gameplay is minimal and generic.2012-01-13 01:51:00

Author:
Unknown User

Heh, Cant believe I actually played a number of your levels today/yday and not this one! (One being an Xmas one, guess it was last years, coz it wasnt this!)

Queued it up

#canpretenditstheseason		2012-01-13 19:58:00

Author:
Masseyf
Posts: 226

Very good visuals and cutscenes, but gameplay is minimal and generic.

Just like it says on the tin!


Heh, Cant believe I actually played a number of your levels today/yday and not this one! (One being an Xmas one, guess it was last years, coz it wasnt this!)

Queued it up

#canpretenditstheseason

thanks look forward to your feedback, any levels you want me to check out?		2012-01-14 21:14:00

Author:
EnochRoot
Posts: 533

Lol - Someone loves the holidays!

I was so confused!! I played another xmas level of yours, queued this one, just played it now and came on here to share my review and I couldnt find this thread (!). Searched my own posting list and couldnt see it there and went thru a few pages of the level showcase... So you have yet another xmas level, another I havent played and at this moment in time is sitting right next to this one (which is why I didnt see it initially!).

OK...

I guess you didnt need to know all that! Dizzy moment on my behalf! Altho you sure do love your xmas levels!.

So this was an enchanting level! You created a great atmosphere and story, just loved it! Very clever use of camera and decor, really went with the flow of the story. Gameplay was simple, but I know this wasnt your focus. One thing I would have done (and cant believe Im offering advice since Im poor with presentation myself!), but the orphan at the end would have looked better if she looked around a little, either to look at the other actor or just have a tag on some holo and move it around a little - she just looked a lil silly staring straight on - tiny tiny observation!!)

Loved it, charming =)		2012-01-16 13:25:00

Author:
Masseyf
Posts: 226

Ill check this level out!2012-01-19 05:47:00

Author:
Manny77607
Posts: 101


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