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VR Virus

Archive: 26 posts

VR Virus
by Kato Regama
Level Link: http://lbp.me/v/jt-4bb
Previous Level: HERO ACADEMY (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=79303-Hero-Academy)
Next Level: MISERABLE MIRE (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=79305-Miserable-Mire)
Level Hub: http://lbp.me/v/k7f-4x

Level Two of Crystal Crisis 2 downloads you into a world of computers and virtual reality. A digital platforming experience with bitstreams, computer viruses, and binary waterfalls.

http://i2.lbp.me/img/ft/a82b7ebbe3bf19dd041ddc518b466a0f1a3eba0d.jpg
A leisurely stroll through a digital world with some funny computer references.

http://i1.lbp.me/img/ft/111d5cfd1093bed1474f9ff911475528322587fc.jpg
The bitstream can be a dangerous place! Shoot those platforms to make them safe.

http://i6.lbp.me/img/ft/766afbfb07da0a3bc119b6e32d08067950fe47b2.jpg
The digital world can be dangerous if you don't watch your step, so keep hopping!

http://i4.lbp.me/img/ft/fb40844a933a5714a2591bac4e2dff027d433c92.jpg
Meet digital deviant Razz the Firefly; boss of VR Virus. Watch out for his color-coded counter attacks!.

http://i2.lbp.me/img/ft/4d2cd9fef2188273a4023360d35226d302ce9fa8.jpg
The level concludes with the first meeting with the main villain of Crystal Crisis 2; Praxion.

Author's Notes: Recently the bitstream has been halved and some other erroneous objects blocking your view have been removed. Boss now flashes when it, and laughs when he counters. He also takes a lot less hits.

Pros: I still think Razz is a super easy boss. Platforms in the level are all aligned so you never have to hold your helmet laser at an odd angle to hit them. A reasonable number of enemies, and some fancy logic for the boss battles.
Cons: The parts people like, I hate ironically. I think the moving block part is horrible, and the binary waterfalls are a slowdown nightmare. The bitstream is way too short and boring. Boring boring boring. This whole level is no longer exciting for me.
http://lbp.me/v/k78ysy.		2013-04-19 16:45:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

I'll add it to the ol queuebag. Richardson hunh? You're about 150 miles north of me. Cool.2013-04-19 17:54:00

Author:
biorogue
Posts: 8424

Really? Cool!

Also need to add some screencaps for these later...

BTW...

Manny Calavera... AWESOME. Grim Fandango was the greatest game ever.		2013-04-19 19:03:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

I liked this stage a fair bit, but did have some issues with the camera movements, it makes it pretty difficult to see where you are going, coupled with the choice of materials (which does look good) and it gets fairly hard to work out some of the jumps.

Some areas felt like they needed better spacing for spawn points because of this, and other obstacles feel like they go on a tad too long.

The first section is an example of this, a really nice traversing section with jumping and shooting the platforms, I found myself wondering how much longer it was going to take. It wasn't boring, just felt like it went on for maybe 5 too many jumps.

So it really is more like it just needs a little tightening up and polish 		2013-04-28 05:10:00

Author:
Mr_Fusion
Posts: 1799

Thanks for the honest assessment! I agree the Bitstream area tends to drag. It actually used to be a lot worse! Platforms would go all the way up to the ceiling, and you had to wait it all out.

I think I can fix it if I end the bitstream segment at the first checkpoint. As for the cameras, I'm pretty sure I know which ones you're talking about. There's a hole you jump into and the camera tilts sideways for it. Also the first Razz Silhouette is not very user-friendly, with all the circuitous decor in the foreground. I'll take a look into these things.

Were you able to figure out, or even get to, the boss?		2013-04-28 15:59:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

I agree with what's been said already
The visual style works great with the music but a few parts seem to drag on a bit.
I couldn't manage to beat the firefly boss-it was too hectic for me to get the right color without being killed instantly.
With a bit more polish this level could be very good indeed.
(my level is in my sig)		2013-04-28 20:05:00

Author:
Radishlord
Posts: 706

With Razz he's easy if you simply pick a helmet and wait for his butt to change to the right color.2013-04-28 21:44:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

I really like this level. It's a very nice gameplay idea and it's fun to play.
The music for sure is excellent!

I don't like the second boss. He changes the colour so fast, that I wasn't able to shoot with the right weapon before he changes the colour again.
Or did I misunderstood the way to beat him? However: I enjoyed the level but got frustrated after fighting 15 minutes with this boss.

Overall it's a very good level 		2013-04-30 10:42:00

Author:
avundcv
Posts: 2526

Sounds like this one might be hard. In my queue. I'll be back with feedback for you!2013-05-02 15:27:00

Author:
peoriaspitfire
Posts: 359

Pfft. If you can beat DaVinci's hideout you can beat VR Virus. Unless you're colorblind. Then it might be a problem...2013-05-03 02:54:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

F4F ? VR Virus

Level Thread:
Good description and picture spacing.

First Impression:
Long intro, but I get how it sets up the level. There was some funny stuff to read??ROOKIE??made me lol. There were a couple of speech bubbles that went too fast for me, but I was busy looking at the level design. I liked the falling number bits. I was wondering how they would look if the brightness or color was tweaked just a small bit. I think the title scene could have used a bit more polish on the name and present font. It looks like you made your own and bravo for that! The ?Virus? font worked well. What?s the little animal thing after the intro? I made the far jump over to get him, but I couldn?t grab or kill him?

Environment:
I think I missed the seizure warning! XD The environment seemed to be pretty cohesive, but maybe a tad too bright in some areas. I think you could have pulled off a similar look and feel by adjusting the brightness/transparency on some materials. I like the recycle bin and documents in the second part! Nice touch.

Controls:
I found no obvious issues with controls. There were numerous times you had to be able to jump and shoot at angles which would make life difficult for younger players.

Gameplay:
The section of yellow platforming at the beginning was a bit too long and might be hard for a lot of players to complete. I think you can shorten that section to just 2 or 3 and it would work a lot better. The yellow winged creatures were cool, but it was hard to tell if you hit them or how many times you needed too. Maybe you could add an effect to let the player know you hit them. Perhaps you had a sound or something, but I couldn?t hear it over the level music. I really enjoyed the moving box platform section. It seemed to fit well with the environment you created and I would have liked to see more expansion on this combined with the number bits falling. I think making a couple of the gameplay sections shorter in the first part would help a lot with the overall flow. Now for the boss?that sure was an epic attempt, but he would probably make most players rage quit. XD I finished him off, but lost my internet connection during the fight, so my score of 18 measly points didn?t register!!!! I lost every precious point I had during the boss battle!!! The boss character and concepts were good, but the firepower and lack of escape options made it not as fun as it could have been. You did do a great job of letting the player know when danger was going to appear, so that I applaud. The switching color concept on the final boss was a good idea, but the spacing of the creatinator hats was too far. Perhaps a system where the player could change the color themselves instantly would have been a great solution? The final kill and cut scene when you kill the boss might have also dragged on too long.

Entertainment:
There were some real positives here and I think condensing a few game play sections and improving the boss would really help. I like the ending after the boss that alludes to the next part.

Replay Value:
The boss battle is so exhausting that a replay would be difficult to comprehend.

Overall Impression:
Yea from me for all the hard work I can tell you put into this.


Here are a couple of F4F choices for me. Unless, you have a lot of time, I suggest the ?LITE? version. Thanks!
AQUA-FRIED - The Lite Version (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=79484-AQUA-FRIED-The-Lite-Version)
AQUA-FRIED (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=78816-AQUA-FRIED-gt-(1-Player))		2013-05-04 21:51:00

Author:
peoriaspitfire
Posts: 359

Haha yay this level was awesome I have no idea if it was mm music or not (beauce I rarely use mm music) but it was cool
The atmosphere was epic. That's exactly what I like. Strange, futuristic, colorful but somehow dark, easy but not a bit boring.
It deserves Much mor plays! For me it's definitely not the last time playing it Good job.		2013-05-05 12:16:00

Author:
Luke_MK_II
Posts: 1121

Personally, I didn't like this as much as Her Academy or Miserable Mire. The Firefly boss was way too difficult, with attacks almost impossible to dodge, and I stopped caring about not dying altogether. However, the rest of the level was quite good.2013-05-05 14:38:00

Author:
Kalawishis
Posts: 928

Razz is the easiest boss of the lot. XD If you're having trouble beating him it's because you're trying too hard. Actually, Razz is the only one of my bosses I can fight without dying once. He'll even tell you exactly how to beat him if you shoot him enough with the default helmet from the save point. Red to red, green to green, etc.

Just pick a helmet, shoot until his butt changes to a new color, and stop. Then wait for it to cycle around. If you shoot him with the wrong color, he'll retaliate with an attack appropriate to the color. Red is bombs, Yellow is lightning, Green is plasma, Blue is gas. If he's attacking back, you're shooting him with the wrong color. You can beat him in less than a minute if you attack him with a more innocuous color like red.		2013-05-06 15:02:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

Looks worth playing. I'll give it a try later.2013-05-07 15:38:00

Author:
Unknown User

Razz has now been updated with the new Boss-Pod. If you're playing the level hopefully you've figured out how to activate info-pods. XD The Boss-Pod will offer tips to beating both Vertilla and Razz. They are optional. So if you know what you're doing you can skip them, or if you want pointers, they're available.

For example: Did you know Razz retaliates when you shoot him with the wrong color? So if you shoot him with Green when his abdomen is NOT green, he will fire back with a green attack.

ALL Crystal Crisis bosses now have these Boss-Pods just in case. I think people have been breaking Croaloa trying to ram him directly rather than deflect his projectiles...		2013-05-09 02:03:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

Amazing ill check it out..2013-05-09 05:39:00

Author:
Brutal
Posts: 184

All right guys, I have taken into consideration your notes Regarding VR Virus the level portion and have made some changes.

1. The Platform Jump in the tunnel has been cleaved in half, literally. You now have half as many platforms you'll need to jump/shoot.

2. A new section has been added, fulfilling the void of shootable platforms I took out. However, now some go sideways, some up, some down, etc.

3. Some of the more unusual camera angles have been altered to make it easier to see where to go.

4. A couple more enemies have been added. I'm working on a flashing indicator to show you're hitting them.

5. Some of the foreground clutter that blocked your view has been removed. Most notably at Razz's first appearance in the Background. You should be watching him not where you're going. XD

@peoriaspitfire - The little animal is a baby yeti, my LBP Mascot. He makes a cameo appearance at least once per level.		2013-05-10 14:42:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

Ok welcome changes they have improved the level , good work.2013-05-10 15:17:00

Author:
Brutal
Posts: 184

@kato – I think it's awesome that you've tweaked some of the things in your level to try and improve it. I applaud you for taking feedback and using it to improve or try new things. Did you happen to make any changes to the boss section and gameplay? Good luck!2013-05-10 17:12:00

Author:
peoriaspitfire
Posts: 359

I haven't been able to determine why people are having difficulty with what should be an extremely easy boss. The only thing I can think of, is that they're trying to switch helmets every time he changes color, and that they keep attacking even when they're using the wrong color. So I have included a new type of Info-Pod offering hints on how to beat him. The new Boss-Pod offers the following tips:

1. You must shoot him with a matching color helmet. (Red to Red, Yellow to Yellow.)
2. If you shoot him with the wrong color, he'll attack back.
3. His colors cycle continuously, so you CAN pick a helmet, and stick with it.

If you're not just idly sidestepping his butt-laser on occasion, you're trying WAY too hard. Last night I tried staying just on one of the side platforms the whole time, and I still never got hit once. He went down in under two minutes, and I wasn't really even moving.		2013-05-10 17:29:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

The trying to switch helmets thing is what killed me over and over, combined with hitting the boss with the wrong helmet. I finally did learn the right way to do it, but it took me quite a long time of raging! Most likely what’s happening here is that you know all the secrets and have played this boss a million times over and can do it in your sleep. This is all new to the first time player and of course he‘ll have a very different learning curve than you. You can see this come into play on something simple as a jump that is just a tad too far or in this case a more “complex” boss battle. It’s definitely hard to gauge as a creator how hard to make something since you are often so intimately involved with your own level. I know I definitely screw this up over and over! I think you’ve done well to improve things.2013-05-10 17:54:00

Author:
peoriaspitfire
Posts: 359

I have a strange question for anyone who has played this level.

"Did you make use of the Info-Pods?"

I'm expecting to see replies of "What's an Info-Pod"		2013-05-16 14:10:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

Okay, so I'm very curious about this level(And the series surrounding it), but I do have a question: Why is this called Crystal Crisis 2? Was there a Crystal Crisis 1? If so, where is it, because I can't find it(And I feel like I'm missing something that should be obvious).

EDIT: Nevermind, I just found the answer. Although, I do have two valid questions now: Why wasn't Crystal Crisis 1 published? And will it ever be published?		2013-05-25 02:30:00

Author:
Robo4900
Posts: 409

Crystal Crisis 1 is the first set of levels. They're not all that great by comparison, and I just don't have enough level slots on My Earth to publish both series. : ) CC1 takes 13 spots, CC2 takes 15.2013-05-25 20:43:00

Author:
Kato
Posts: 732

Ah, I see. Well, you could do what some people do, where they create separate PSN accounts for individual series, or you could get a close friend to upload some of the levels from the series on their account.2013-05-26 02:18:00

Author:
Robo4900
Posts: 409


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