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Frozen in Time: The Celestial Clock Tower... the afterlife awaits!

Archive: 20 posts

Frozen in Time: The Celestial Clock Tower by narF72 (links also in sig)

It seems you have died, my friend. But instead of the afterlife, you are somewhere stuck in between life and death. This is the Celestial Clock Tower, a place which counts down the lives of mortal sacks until their clock chimes its last. However, it seems that every clock here has stopped, except one... yours, trapping you in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Surrounded by lost souls, you are the only one left. It's up to you to decipher the tower's riddles and restart the Celestial Clock, restoring the passage to the other side!

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/tanarri69/APhoto_3.jpg

After some serious reworking, I wanted to re-release this level in all its LBP2 glory, as I've picked up creating again. This is a story-driven puzzle/platformer level, inspired by series like Metroid and Castlevania. It is more open-ended than most platformers, extremely long and fairly difficult, but uses sticker keys to save your progress, open shortcuts, etc. Honestly, if you're looking for a level you can experience in 5 minutes, this isn't it. This is an experience best enjoyed while relaxed and able to take your time and think. If you're into this type of level, this will be one you won't forget =)

Here are some basic hints to help you along:

- Your main goal is to restart the Celestial Clock, and to do that you'll need to find the combination. While exploring, ALWAYS keep an eye out for these numbers.

- A secondary goal is to free all of the lost souls. There are 36 in all. In addition to the points and hints given by some, there's a special reward for saving them all.

- The tower is filled with small clocks. Most have stopped, but some are still ticking. The ticking ones are yours... each functions as an infinite-life checkpoint if you activate it.

- Take note of doors and passageways marked with an hourglass symbol. Some open shortcuts, but some open up huge areas of the tower, too.

- This level is best played solo, but does function with a group if you're able to communicate. Because of the open-ended Metroidvania style, it's not recommended for random group play.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/tanarri69/APhoto_5.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/tanarri69/APhoto_4.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/tanarri69/APhoto_2.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/tanarri69/APhoto_1.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb125/tanarri69/APhoto.jpg

SPOILERS

- The combination numbers will be between 1 and 12 and use the directions of a clock for their position on the dials.

- The hourglass keys must be obtained in the order: green, red, blue.

- Go far up and left to find the first key, and down for the next two.

- Each lost soul corresponds to a stopped mini-clock. If you're missing a particular soul, follow the hour hand of the mini clocks that aren't "lit" up.

- Two switches in the Underworks are required to open the lowest depths of the tower. If you're stuck here, check the side rooms.

- Think of Tezzarg's realm as one giant puzzle. If you open all the chambers at once, it gets chaotic and deadly. If you watch the behavior of each chamber, you can tell which are deadliest when opened and then open those last.

- If you see a strange symbol that you don't know how to activate, just move on. This level is built as a cycle within a cycle, and some things can't be unlocked until you've either played multiple times, or played other levels in the series.
http://lbp.me/v/qrt8b2

http://lbp.me/v/qrt8b2		2012-07-06 21:19:00

Author:
Unknown User

I know that excessive bumping is frowned on, but I didn't realize at first that my sig with the link didn't show at the bottom. (Thank you for fixing it, Lady Luck!) I also want to offer to play and offer feedback on levels if somebody plays mine.

Come on, I'm desperate here =P It kills me inside after all this work seeing this thread bump down to page 3 without even a single reply or play. Was my level advertisement not adequate?		2012-07-10 11:55:00

Author:
Unknown User

This series of levels is amazing. Certainly some of the most creativity and effort put into any levels that I have played in LittleBigPlanet.

The way the levels are intertwined is very unique and breathtaking. When I realized what was going on in the Echo Side, and how it related to the Soul Foundry, my jaw dropped and I lit up. Truly unique.

The levels are large and detailed, and the story is very intricate and deeply based in mythology. Expect to be a little confused at first as to what is going on, but this is by design. Like any good mystery story, as you press on, things will begin to click and you will be amazed.

Expect to get a lot of re-playability with these levels. As you go through them multiple times, each play will have you discovering something new and those who preserve in finding the secrets will get some absolutely useful rewards, that will actually provide you with something tangible to use and learn from, rather than some random new sticker.

I really hope these set of levels can get a MM spotlight someday. I would certainly nominate them for one. An incredible amount of time and work has been poured into these. Everyone needs to try them out.		2012-07-26 19:22:00

Author:
Unknown User

Seems interesting. Queued.2012-07-26 20:10:00

Author:
BillyCrash100
Posts: 134

Thanks MrBeens for your kind words and review =)

If PSN is up today, the level will be updated with a few minor tweaks and the fully-functional master key bonus. If anyone else out there is into Metroidvania-style puzzle platformers, give this a try please. I could really use more feedback, and will provide it in return!		2012-07-28 13:06:00

Author:
Unknown User

Sounds awesome, I love the Castlevania games. I have Q'd this and will probably play it again and again.

It's review time--- Okay so i played this level twice and I'm bound to play more. Why twice? Well the first time, I had gotten all the way to the green ky and I got the prize bubble, them went to my stickers only to find it wasn't there. I had prizes off. So i quit. The next time I was doing so well I made it all the way to the ice realm area. I finished couldn't tip the hourglass all the way so i looked a bit more and found where it told me the code for blue. Only to relealize I hadn't even looked for the red code. So I quit again. But I promise I will play more o this amazing level. Not only is the gameplay fun but the scenery was amazin with many distinct areas I almost felt like I was playing multiple levels so not only do you get a heart and a like from me I'd give it 5 out of 5 stars if i could. Keep up the good work		2012-07-31 23:28:00

Author:
SilverTriforce7
Posts: 183

*Save this spot for your review*

This looks intense.		2012-08-01 11:54:00

Author:
RakasaPlus
Posts: 136

It's review time--- Okay so i played this level twice and I'm bound to play more. Why twice? Well the first time, I had gotten all the way to the green ky and I got the prize bubble, them went to my stickers only to find it wasn't there. I had prizes off. So i quit. The next time I was doing so well I made it all the way to the ice realm area. I finished couldn't tip the hourglass all the way so i looked a bit more and found where it told me the code for blue. Only to relealize I hadn't even looked for the red code. So I quit again. But I promise I will play more o this amazing level. Not only is the gameplay fun but the scenery was amazin with many distinct areas I almost felt like I was playing multiple levels so not only do you get a heart and a like from me I'd give it 5 out of 5 stars if i could. Keep up the good work

Thank you for the review and the compliments =) It's always fun to hear the order in which people find things, or just the general thought process as you go through it. I wish there was a way to flag a level as "community objects required." There is a note at the start, but let me know if you feel that wasn't enough. I'd hate to frustrate too many more people who get all the way to the emerald key and realize they can't pick it up. Unfortunately, keys and community objects are all LBP2 gives us to track progress between levels, and some of those keys are used in other Frozen in Time levels, so it's the best solution I have.

You were very close to the end. You can still finish the level without saving all of the souls in the icy realm... but there are lots of points in that hourglass hehe. It is possible to shatter them or break that puzzle in a way that makes it impossible to save all 12, but that's intended. All you need to do to flag you as having "talked" to the timekeeper up there is to touch the large soul.

Let me know what you think if you finish... I wanted to make a level that takes some effort to complete, but it's rewarding for the ones who do =)		2012-08-02 01:13:00

Author:
Unknown User

I went into this level with high expectations. MrBeans review makes this level sound like God's gift to the world, so I was optimistic. I was surprised to find that it wasn't that amazing, but a decent level. It's definitely not focused on visuals and it is also a level from LBP 1. However what really bothered me is how uncoordinated the story and puzzles were, I felt they weren't really explained that well.

It wasn't THAT bad. The gameplay was very involved and I can see you put a lot of time into this level. The visuals weren't that great but it was still a fun and entertaining level at times (you weren't kidding when you said it was a long level haha). Anyway it's not a bad level, I was just expecting more, just work on the aesthetics and presentation.		2012-08-03 15:37:00

Author:
RakasaPlus
Posts: 136

I went into this level with high expectations. MrBeans review makes this level sound like God's gift to the world, so I was optimistic. I was surprised to find that it wasn't that amazing, but a decent level. It's definitely not focused on visuals and it is also a level from LBP 1. However what really bothered me is how uncoordinated the story and puzzles were, I felt they weren't really explained that well.

It wasn't THAT bad. The gameplay was very involved and I can see you put a lot of time into this level. The visuals weren't that great but it was still a fun and entertaining level at times (you weren't kidding when you said it was a long level haha). Anyway it's not a bad level, I was just expecting more, just work on the aesthetics and presentation.

I truly appreciate your review and honesty =) I prefer as many different points of view as possible, especially from those who think it needs work. It seems that some people think the level is amazingly artistic, and others that think the visuals really are lacking... some who think the puzzles are mysterious and brilliant, and others who feel they are disjointed and confusing. There's no in between, and I'm cool with that. But if you have anything specific that bugged you, please let me know. Was it the use of a few stock materials "as-is" just stickered a color, not enough decorations, maybe bad use of color? You said things weren't explained very well. How far did you make it?

The series was designed to be "old-school" and the simpler graphic style is intended, but there's always room for improvement. Even if rebuilt from scratch in LBP2, the basic style would probably remain. It's so massive that the thermo will limit me, though. Are there any areas that just cried out to you for more detail?

The idea is that you just arrive in this realm, with no clue why or how. Kali teaches you a little about the clock tower, and you find out that you have to use a combination to restart the clock, which is probably held by two timekeepers. (the map shows them at the very top and very bottom of the tower) *Some* confusion is totally intended, but if you thought it lacked hints in any particular area, I've love to know where. This is a non-linear level so exploration itself is the goal, but I don't want players to just wander aimlessly the whole time. This is one reason that saving souls is a constant sub-objective. The other main objectives are supposed to fall into place when you find keys, hints, etc.

You mentioned MrBeens' comments... His perspective comes from playing the whole series, including the original versions on LBP1. The perspective is much different when you've played the rest of the series and the story has been explained. He had some similar comments raging at me (and I deserved it!) about bad parts of the original levels and how much he hated different sections, and those were some of the most useful bits of feedback I've ever received ... so that's why I wanted to ask you the specific things you didn't like =)

(LOL at targetted ads on this site trying to sell me clocks and watches)		2012-08-03 19:13:00

Author:
Unknown User

Yes, I definitely remember raging at sections in the initial beta testing Most of those have give me little problems now, but initially after trying to make some jumps 20 times in a row and failing, I was ready to break my controller. The rainbow cloud bridge in level 2 really stands out in my memory, although I now somehow make that every single time on the first try.

There is still one of those sections in the first level (it's the 3rd picture in the initial post of this thread, with the gears you go inside), but I believe the problem mostly lies with the floaty game mechanics rather than the level design.

Definitely continue on with the series before forming a complete opinion of it. If you've just completed the first level once, then you've only experienced about 15% of the story and game-play.		2012-08-03 21:05:00

Author:
Unknown User

Yes, I definitely remember raging at sections in the initial beta testing Most of those have give me little problems now, but initially after trying to make some jumps 20 times in a row and failing, I was ready to break my controller. The rainbow cloud bridge in level 2 really stands out in my memory, although I now somehow make that every single time on the first try.

There is still one of those sections in the first level (it's the 3rd picture in the initial post of this thread, with the gears you go inside), but I believe the problem mostly lies with the floaty game mechanics rather than the level design.


The rainbow bridge in part 2 was made easier thanks to your feedback, so that's probably why =)

Going inside the gears in that part of the Underworks is a bit of trap... it's doable a few different ways, but it's probably easiest to climb them from the outside and not from the inside. You only ever have to get inside the gears for the few point bubbles that come out when you rotate the last one.		2012-08-05 15:26:00

Author:
Unknown User

Wow. What a great time to check Lbp out again, with you (hopefully) back creating. Anyway, I went to the LBP.me page and noticed that my old hi-score had been butchered . Time to play again, it seems.
BTW, I really, really hope you finish part 4 since I've been dying for the conclusion.
These are really (some of) the most epic LBP levels I've ever played.		2012-08-11 21:55:00

Author:
Arradi
Posts: 183

It's great to see you back, Arradi! =) A much higher score is now possible in the clock with the LBP2 changes and addition of the full master key race. My last run had plenty of mistakes, and I didn't use the "trick" to beat the boss without dying, so I'm sure it will be beaten soon enough hehe. I'm not sure if this was the case when you played, but you can also now win the ENTIRE level as a prize, too.

I am back to creating full steam (well, as much as work will allow.) Because of the way the levels build on each other, I wanted to get more players into the series at ground level, but much of my creating work lately has been on part 4. The platforming in that level is about 60% done, boss 1 about 80% done, and hidden area about 25% done. There isn't much updated on the test version because I can't put the bosses in until they are completely done, but I hope to have more testable this week. I will not stop creating this time until Angra Mainyu is destroyed by the Timekeepers!		2012-08-12 13:34:00

Author:
Unknown User

So... I've got some mixed feelings for the LBP2 updates.

First of all, the levels look better than in LBP1

Celestial clock tower:
The grappling hook actually makes the rotating cogs at the beginning fun to play. Putting the master key in the new location also is IMO better, BUT it glitches out sometimes. I was in the middle of a great hi-score run when the electricity around the cogs wouldn't go away. Also the logic seems more respondant, except on the lifts. Maybe use a directional combiner there?
Not really much else to say about this level.
I don't like you changing the scoring system because I'll have to get the hi-score again

Soul foundry:
The zodiac look better with holograms, especially with the way LBP2 treats horrible gas. I think the new look of the celestial key is a little too round, though. Not much to say about the spirit room, I was being dumb and couldn't figure it out(though I had completed it before) so I used the master key. After which I immediately figured the right solution...

Wind room: Much better. I don't know if it was dumb luck or what I actually new where to go this time and didn't have to wait hours to get there. Did you add some new clouds or something? Anyway, The water and earth rooms were pretty much the same, except for the lava-falls, which blocked my vision pretty perfectly.

Echo side:
OOOOoooh boy. This was REALLY glitchy for me. Scorpio wouldn't die (could be me being dumb again, though), Aquarius wouldn't attack (Again, maybe I was dumb), Cancer displayed his dialogue before getting the hollow key and was passable without it, too (not sure if intended). Virgo, Libra, Capricorn, Gemini and Taurus were alright.
The Leo fight consisted of me running under him and popping his brain along the way, After which Leo's face and mane were left floating in the Air
Also,after this I was transported into Sagittarius' lair, which worked correctly too. The Sagittarius fight actually functioned perfectly now! After getting the Shadow essence, the option to complete the level was missing, though and I returned to the "clock" room. I had forgotten to beat Aries, though and couldn't get out anymore. So I quit the level in mild frustration...

Turbulence:
Not much to say, since it's pretty WIP right now. I'd make more phase changers if I were you, though. Also, the only way up from the bottom was the tester teleport, which I doubt will be there in the final version. (Controlinators also make better teleports in LBP2 since they don't kill you) The level was fun to play, albeit a little frustrating when the checkpoint turned into a death trap during certain phases in some spots. The wind phase was especially guilty of this.

Oh, and about the entire-level-as-a-prize thing, i couldn't figure it out then and I couldn't figure it out now. I don't know what's so hard for me in it (the clues are pretty simple) but after hours(!) of trying I just gave up lol.		2012-08-15 17:25:00

Author:
Arradi
Posts: 183

I appreciate the in-depth feedback, and appreciate your perseverance despite running into so many Echo Side glitches. While the LBP2 conversion is complete on part 1, it's only partially done on parts 2-3. I focused on part 1 in this thread because it's the only one fully converted (though I *really* appreciate all your feedback on parts 2-4).

Celestial Clock - Hehe sorry about the score change... the only major change is that master key race which I didn't have thermo to fit on the old version. There will be no more big changes to the scoring system here now that the race is done. Did you get the ace prize with the hint, and then you tried to do what it said and it didn't work? LBP doesn't allow you to give away a level key as an ace prize, I had to do it this way. When you stand in the correct spots, you should hear a chime for each and a miniature clock opens up, containing the button that releases the key. You don't need to do anything else in the level to make the key appear... it's actually done this way as a backup too, in case I need a copy of my own level if my PS3 dies once again =P

Soul Foundry - There will be more logic and graphic updates to the Foundry, and I'll be adding more essence spots once the thermo gets below the danger level. The wind room did change quite a bit. A few clouds were tweaked, but the main change was the removal of "useless" clouds that would either bring you to dead ends or was just a flat cloud used for looks. I may add one or two useless clouds back in, but enough people like the new version that I won't add too many to make things more confusing.

Echo Side - Wow, I guess I have alot of work to do to get the thermo down here. Almost all the things you mentioned were things I never experienced in my playthroughs, which makes me think it's emitters and logic going wacky with the high thermo. When I changed this level over to LBP2, the thermo actually went *up* unlike the others. Did Scorpio still have lights lit? The lights in his room (in the shape of the constellation) indicate when his brood has been defeated, and there are one or two tricky ones like the one in the top right, or the one underwater that you need to kill with Wind. The Cancer and Leo problems were definitely glitches. You should need the hollow key to pass Cancer, and destroying all of Leo's creature brains shouldn't leave his head floating there haha. Aquarius needs to be summoned with an essence to start his battle. At this point, the music should change. Once you start pestering him by grabbing his "heart" too many times, his attacks will get more and more dangerous. The other issues you mentioned really sound like thermo glitches and I never encountered them, but it will take some serious tweaking to get that thermo down to a safe level. This sounds like it will be my main project once I get more of part 4 testable.

Turbulence - I'm glad you thought the gameplay was fun overall.. it's a really different kind of level and I want people to think it's chaotic, but not so chaotic that it lacks focus. Checkpoint death traps will not exist in the final version, and there will be more manual phase changers and time stoppers. To get around the Vortex with no tester teleport, you'll be able to use the "inner ring" where the jetpack is located, and this inner ring will have a few openings to different parts of the Vortex. There will be no teleporting in the final version, except for one optional part where death is part of the story. Ideally, in about the time it takes for one phase, you should be able to get to any other side by using the shortcuts. Much more of this is done on my moon, and I'll put up a new testable version once there's a boss inside to kill =)

Once again, I appreciate the perseverance through the glitches and the detailed feedback. None of those problems should happen when the LBP2 conversion is complete in the Foundry/Echo Side. It's a good thing I don't have to work today, because I have my LBP work cut out for me

EDIT - Stuck lightning gear glitch found and squashed (I think). One part of the logic was attached to the level background instead of the invisible hologram as intended.		2012-08-16 13:37:00

Author:
Unknown User

Wow. Right after you told me this, I went to check the level, trying the last method to get the key I could think of. Turns out it was the correct one! That was the truly most brain-bending puzzle for me in your levels... I can't believe I was so stupid though!

Speaking of stupid, now that you reminded me of their mechanics, it was indeed me being dumb on scorpio and aquarius. Also one last thing, why don't you ditch those piston-based bouncers in the clock level in favor of some much more user-friendly bounce pads

Edit: also, there's really no reason to use three-layer grabbies either. (unless it's for visuals of course.)		2012-08-16 14:20:00

Author:
Arradi
Posts: 183

Not much to say about the spirit room, I was being dumb and couldn't figure it out(though I had completed it before) so I used the master key. After which I immediately figured the right solution...


You know, I've always wondered what the correct solution for this room is; I always feel like I'm exploiting a glitch to solve it. Maybe narF can PM me the solution, so as not to spoil it here. I can get the 3 columns on the left lit up no problem, but then I get stuck as to what to do next. The chain on the jetpack won't let me reach the right side of the room. So I kind of fudge myself up to the jetpack on the right by creating a new key and standing on it. It doesn't seem like that is what you are supposed to do though.


After getting the Shadow essence, the option to complete the level was missing, though and I returned to the "clock" room.


That's bizzare, That never happened to me. Must be a thermo glitch where it didn't load everything properly?		2012-08-16 17:02:00

Author:
Unknown User

Yeah, it has to be a thermo glitch that would make that exit vanish. The option to complete the level should always be there, as long as you reach that last essence room.

I'll spoiler tag the solution to the spirit room.

This is the "full" solution, without using shortcuts. Create the key, drag it to the left, jump on it to reach the top of the first pillar and red switch, which makes that leftmost platform rise. This lets you pull the key up into the first slot.

Next, pull the yellow switch, which lowers the second "keyhole" and allows the second pillar to light up when you drag the key into it.

Jump next to the upper-left platform underneath the jetpack. From here, you can jump to the key which is still in the yellow slot, and drag it up the slope. Jump on it to reach the jetpack and give you just enough reach to toss the key into the third slot.

Drop onto the third pillar, and you can drag the key across the "conduit" that passes in front of the clock. You can slide it into the fourth keyhole, and then drop down on the blue switch.

The blue switch lowers the jetpack on the left so you don't need the key to reach it anymore. It also lowers a jetpack right above the clock. You can run along the moving clock hand to reach this, which gives you enough reach to drop the key into the last two keyholes. (I think this is where you may have gotten "stuck")

The time master key allows one shortcut. There are two other shortcuts... one is the ability to corner-jump from the key directly to the blue switch. The other one is the ability to jump directly to the 6th platform for that early jetpack.		2012-08-16 18:30:00

Author:
Unknown User

Aha, I don't think I ever thought to toss the key, and I know I never used the clock hand as a platform. I just always used your last shortcut listed.

This solution was just ingrained in me from testing the original version waaay back, so I think I never really thought too hard about the correct path.		2012-08-16 22:12:00

Author:
Unknown User


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