Archive: 27 posts

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For my GCSE coursework in media we had to make a homepage of a website. (Might expand...) We now have to make an article to put on the front page. The website may be dedicated just to lbp or perhaps everything PS3. Would any successful creators (Like aer0blue or Donkey show) be prepared to let me interview you? This may never be seen by anyone but my teacher, so don't be shy. Cheers for reading!

2009-01-16 00:30:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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Does it have to be somebody that has published a level? :blush:

2009-01-16 02:44:00 Author: Unknown User

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*puts donkey shows hand up*

2009-01-16 02:54:00 Author: Thee-Flash Posts: 3154

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For my GCSE coursework in media we had to make a homepage of a website. (Might expand...) We now have to make an article to put on the front page. The website may be dedicated just to lbp or perhaps everything PS3. Would any successful creators (Like aer0blue or Donkey show) be prepared to let me interview you? This may never be seen by anyone but my teacher, so don't be shy. Cheers for reading! I wouldn't call myself successful :blush:

2009-01-16 07:36:00 Author: Pinkcars Posts: 380

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I really don't feel like whoring myself as succesfull but an interview would be fun. I'm the creator of Jack McSetback & the Spiky Stone of Doom, which has near 60,000 plays and is still going strong. I'm working on the sequel but it has to be done next to 40 hour work-week, girlfriend and finding an appartment so it might be several weeks before it goes live. Just post the interview questions here or something so other people might enjoy the awnsers.

2009-01-16 08:37:00 Author: Wyth Posts: 263

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I could interview a few people and choose the best to submit as coursework and others to use if I ever make a website.

2009-01-16 16:17:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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I'd say go for aer0blue. Donkey already had an interview in a major publication. Spread the publicity love.

2009-01-16 16:47:00 Author: Voltiare Posts: 646

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I will just make a set of questions so anyone can answer. Answer casually but use some good vocabulary please.

2009-01-16 16:50:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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Well, there are a lot of great creators on the site, but sure, I'm willing to participate.

2009-01-16 17:28:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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I'm a creator, but most of my wonders haven't been published yet I'd like to say I'm amazing but then I'd look a bit big headed. Put it this way, I put A LOT of effort into making complicated contraptions. But there will be much better people to interview. Why don't you do some questions for everybody?

2009-01-16 20:20:00 Author: Pinchanzee Posts: 805

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Well, intresting topic for a website going for coursework. I may have to look out for that when I reach GCSEs

2009-01-16 22:13:00 Author: neonrage0 Posts: 284

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Well, intresting topic for a website going for coursework. I may have to look out for that when I reach GCSEs Only if you take media studies. Im typing the questions now.

2009-01-16 22:49:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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Intriguing... ... Yeah, do aer0blue :/. Even though it doesn't seem like something you'd need to put all that much effort in, but hey! That's just me american views talking >_<.

2009-01-16 22:55:00 Author: RockSauron Posts: 10882

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Lol. I have to use html to make the 'fanzine' style website. Then I need to write up an analysis and conclusion for it all.

2009-01-16 23:15:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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Well, I wouldn't call myself VERY successful, but my "Oculynth" level has reached over 14,000 plays (last time I checked was a few days ago) and over 1,000 hearts... so I guess I could be considered a 'moderately' successful creator, even though only 1 of my levels has reach such a status. (Pete's GGT still below 3,000 plays... though I can understand why...) I'd be happy to be interviewed should you consider those statistics satisfactory. (P.S. I'd love for Voltaire to be interviewed since "H.A.T.E." is my altime favourite LBP level!)

2009-01-17 00:35:00 Author: Avatar_of_Chaos Posts: 48

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Please answer as much as you can. What levels are you most known for and why? Have you got any levels in production? (Skip if necessary) Where do you get your inspiration and think of these ideas Being a great level designer as you are, have you got any tips for the budding new creators out there? What are your favourite user-generated level and why? Thats all for now, but I may need to ask individuals more questions to get relevant information.

2009-01-17 00:57:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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(P.S. I'd love for Voltaire to be interviewed since "H.A.T.E." is my altime favourite LBP level!) Seriously? I'm honored, but I was playing it again with a friend of mine and I kind've felt that it wan't as good as I remembered. The level was too frustrating and parts of it were messed up. I saw a peice of my background move around to reveal gaps. Hopefully, H.A.T.E._2 will blow it out of the water. Heh heh, I will answer. 1. What levels are you most known for and why? 2. Have you got any levels in production? 3. Where do you get your inspiration and think of these ideas? 4. Being a great level designer as you are, have you got any tips for the budding new creators out there? 5. What are your favourite user-generated level and why? 1. H.A.T.E. would have to be my most known level and I suppose it is because of the challenging puzzles/platforming and polished presentation. 2. H.A.T.E._2 is currently in the works as well as Project Shipwreck (Working title) 3. I mainly get my inspiration from Mm's level design. They have so many good ideas that I try to learn from them as much as possible. 4. Take your time to create a level. Even after you think you are done, playtest it over and over and continue to polish it. Putting in the effort of adding decorations, camera zones, and sound effects is well worth it if you want you level to stand out from the rest. 5. That's a tough one. Off the top of my head, I would have to say either Razhotep's Tomb or Afraid of the Dark. Razhotep's Tomb has really great gameplay while Afraid of the Dark has a great sense of presentation and mood that I haven't seen in other levels.

2009-01-17 00:58:00 Author: Voltiare Posts: 646

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These are the only two descent questions in my opinion... You're not gonna get any intruiging answers for the rest... Where do you get your inspiration and think of these ideas Inspiration can come in many forms, some people like to base a level on another game, or a film perhaps, but I'm more of an independant thinker. I make my levels around my own concepts, exploring the limits of the game. I suppose I've gained inspiration from every level I've played on LittleBigPlanet, each opening my eyes to new techniques and ideas. Even the terrible online ones inspire me, they show me what not to do to make my levels successful. Overall I'm inspired from all the other dedicated creators out there, without everybody else, I'm not a creator at all! Being a great level designer as you are, have you got any tips for the budding new creators out there? The one fundemental and crucial advice I could give is to plan ahead.. A level rushed is an idea thrown away. Too often people rush head-over-heels into building a great new level they have thought of, which causes them to build without really thinking. If you have a rough plan of the level layed out in your head, then you're level will be much more successful. I always start building a level away from LittleBigPlanet. I use the time when I'm not on my PlayStation to plan out my ideas, either in my head or on paper. But when I say plan, I don't mean think in your head where you want things to go, I mean think about all the switches you need, what they will connect to, what they will activate, what you're going to theme it on, what the storyline will be... The more details you know about your level before you start building, the less time you'll spend building it and the more successful and refined it will be! Y'know what they say, fail to plan, and you plan to fail! ;] Hope these are useful for your studies!

2009-01-17 18:15:00 Author: Pinchanzee Posts: 805

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Please answer as much as you can. What levels are you most known for and why? Have you got any levels in production? (Skip if necessary) Where do you get your inspiration and think of these ideas Being a great level designer as you are, have you got any tips for the budding new creators out there? What are your favourite user-generated level and why? Thats all for now, but I may need to ask individuals more questions to get relevant information. I'll answer the questions if I may. 1. I'm best known for my "Oculynth" level. I would assume that this is because it offers a fun, platforming challenge, and has taken some gamers upwards of 40 minutes to complete on their first run through. (At least, according to the messages they've sent me) A much smaller group of LBP gamers are fans of "Pete's Great Glass Tower", and those individuals are either a) masochistic or b) clinically insane, because the level is harder than month old custard. Yeah... I don't make easy levels. 2. I'm currently making headway with "Pete's Eternal Torture", which is my second foray into making a ridiculously challenging level. A few LBP mentalists (Including Flyojumper, the creator of the insanely tough "Flyo's Nightmare") have been asking for a follow up to "Pete's Great Glass Tower" since the game was released, so I feel like I owe them something, even if 95% of gamers will hate its punishing nature. I've also started on "Enigma: Cerebral Assault" which will be a puzzle based level, with a difficulty more in tune with what most people would find acceptible. (At least... I hope) 3. My levels don't really have a straight theme to them, and most of my efforts are put into constructing the various platforming elements. I guess when it comes to that, my inspiration comes partly from old school platformers, and partly just off the top of my head. 4. Make sure to have an idea of what you're creating BEFORE you start to create, and make sure that you spend LOTS of time making it work. Oh, and playtest, playtest, playtest. Not much else to say really... the rest is up to you. 5. As mentioned before, my favourite level so far is "H.A.T.E.". Why? Well... partly because it reminds me of the kind of level that I'd make myself. It strips the game down to basic platforming, and sticks in some very interesting puzzles as well. After completing each task I felt a great sense of achievement, and the final section inside the spinning wheel was just brilliant. It's long, challenging, well thought out, and concentrates on what I think, are the main things that a level should focus on. Platforming and puzzling. I can't wait for H.A.T.E. 2!!!

2009-01-17 22:37:00 Author: Avatar_of_Chaos Posts: 48

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What levels are you most known for and why? I'm know for Jack McSetback & the Stony Spike of Doom. The popularity for it stems from the atmosphere, polish and especially the stone/gravity based mechanics. Have you got any levels in production? Jack McSetback II (working title) is giving me a headache right now yet I will finish it in several weeks and I hope it will turn out great. Where do you get your inspiration and think of these ideas? The inspiration for the concept of my level came while I was trying to make a cool way to open a door. I didn't think anything out ahead of time and just started to make a nice opening for a Indiana Jones style temple level. Which in turn was inspired by the beautiful temple levels from MM. I felt a motor or wobble bolt to open a temple door would be stupid. A proven method of moving stuff in ancient temples are counterweights. It looked so well that I decided to use it as a theme through the level. After that I had some ideas about what I wanted to have in the level, like the ceiling coming down and the rolling rock sequence, mostly inspired by Indiana Jones' movies. Other contraptions like the elevator were a born out of need, when I need the player to be able to go up, they have to go in a cool and fun way. The inspiration for most of the contraptions is when I am away from the Playstation, as most people already have said. I think of something and crudely scribble it on a piece of paper, hoping to be able to get it to work. Some of my friends and my girlfirend (none owning LBP) come up with great ideas or inspire me Being a great level designer as you are, have you got any tips for the budding new creators out there? First of all: Playtest playtest playtest. Get a friend (locally is best) who's never seen the level, or the finished part, and let him/her play. Does he understand what has to be done? Is it fun doing it? Can the contraption be broken? When you test yourself, even if it is the 50th time doing it, you shouldn't be annoyed about anything and if you are there might be something wrong with the section. Secondly, for your own sanity build in sections. If you look closely you can see the MM levels do this too. Stick your sections on some pieces of dark matter so you can move them around, don't glue them together until the final build. This helps you stay flexible, you can copy sections or even swap them around if that helps the flow of the level. It also makes sure that your entire level won't break while unglueing, at worst it only breaks a section. What are(is) your favourite user-generated level(s) and why? I haven't played a lot of user generated levels to be honest. I've been meaning too but once I start creating I don't stop until (way past) bedtime. For my favourite I can think of now I'd say the last level from Geosautus, Abandoned factory overlooking a small village, if I'm not mistaken. (Your last question has some grammar issues )

2009-01-19 08:05:00 Author: Wyth Posts: 263

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Lol I wish I was known for any of my levels.

2009-01-21 12:31:00 Author: Hexagohn Posts: 335

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Lol I wish I was known for any of my levels. Well I like your levels. Especially your newest one...

2009-01-21 14:13:00 Author: Unknown User

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Lol I wish I was known for any of my levels. Ah just reply anyway, it's not that it will hurt and it might be a fun read, what harm can it do?'

2009-01-21 14:19:00 Author: Wyth Posts: 263

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What levels am I most known for? That would be Timmy's Dream and Heart of Gold. I believe the reason for this is that both of them offer a proper blend of game play mechanics and plot. They both follow something that isn't ordinary. They are worlds that capture the imagination of the player and in many ways the player can relate to the characters in one way or another. For instance in Timmy's Dream you play as a child in a fantastic world. Everyone was a child at one point and for that reason can relate to the story. Right now I am working on a project called Black Arts, it's very different from anything I have ever encountered on LBP and I am very excited. I always have something in the making. I have more ideas for levels then I can use, in fact I have made a thread here for the soul purpose of sharing my ideas. Obviously I don't have an infinite amount but I share the ones I don't have time for. I get inspiration from a number of places. I will see a movie, read a book, watch a show, play a game, and even other LBP levels. With my level Heart of Gold you play as Damian who is a gold hunter. I got inspiration for this from a documentary on discovery channel about illegal gold diggers. I tweaked the idea some and got gold hunters. I decided a fitting theme would be an action adventure and modeled my level after the video game Uncharted Drakes Fortune. Most often I just get an idea and think of it in terms of the game. I ask myself these questions: Would the mechanics work well using the LBP creator? Would it be fun? Could I make it look good? Will it have story? For me unless I can make all of these work it's not something I want to pursue. The first thing anyone needs to do is learn the creator. Beyond the tutorials you need to have some hands on experience with it. Get a feel for the mechanics and the functions. Just play around with the objects and materials. Once you get a feel for things start playing some levels, user made or the story levels. You will start to see how things work and that will give you ideas. Take those ideas and make them your own, everyone has their own style. Once you have a general plan for your level spend a little bit making sure it will all work out. Ask yourself these questions: Will the main mechanics of the level work with the LBP creator? Are they fun? Will it stand out? With tens of thousands of user made levels out there you have to make yours stand out. Once the level is made comes the hardest part. I call it "the sell." From descriptions to icons to threads on showcase fansites around the web you have to let people know your level is there. Communities like LBPcentral and littlebigworkshop are helpful for a number of reasons. As I said before they allow you to showcase your creations but you can also get a lot of constructive feedback and criticism that is essential. It being a community you will have to give back but its all a lot of fun and helping other people with their levels will ultimately help you with yours. My all time favorite is The Legion by OCK because it offers the same things I try to put in my levels. It's the kind of adventure that can only be described by the word epic. From the moment you start til you finnish the level is just entertaining. Another favorite of mine is Solidplace by Yarbone. Soldiplace is another favorite of mine and its very different from anything I have ever made, there is not any sort of plot or narration or characters but the level is just fun. It has a huge number of very good platforming ideas and everything flows. The level is just solid.

2009-01-21 16:49:00 Author: Hexagohn Posts: 335

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Wow, hexagohn i feel honoured :blush: Anyway don't try to interview me... the only thing you'll get are 1 or 2 sentences per question... :/

2009-01-21 21:34:00 Author: Yarbone Posts: 3036

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Wow, hexagohn i feel honoured :blush: Anyway don't try to interview me... the only thing you'll get are 1 or 2 sentences per question... :/LOL That's what I did. I guess I am a man of few words.

2009-01-21 23:25:00 Author: Voltiare Posts: 646

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LOL That's what I did. I guess I am a man of few words. I used most of yours as inspiration as I love H.A.T.E. She loves the homepage and the article. I only used 107 lines of html...

2009-01-22 00:05:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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