Archive: 35 posts

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I have spent ages working on a new level, and want to get a couple of people to play it who won't just pan it for it's innevitable quirks that new levels suffer from. It is a level inspired by old black and white horror movies. If I can get some takers I will post it up today

2009-03-22 15:30:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Hi dobi6. I am always available to test any new levels although I must point out I'm not the best gamer in the world but not the worst either and would love to take a look. I am in the UK and mostly on in the mornings and late evenings UK time. Do bear in mind though I would probably have to test it on my own because i simply cannot play any levels online with other players due to the fact that internet speeds in this country are abysmal and in the area where I live are particularly bad. To give you an idea the best download speed I ever achieve is 0.9 Mbps !!!! and is not set to improve for at least 3-4 years !! Anyaway if you want me to give it a go just look out for me online or let me know with a message.

2009-03-22 16:09:00 Author: mistervista Posts: 2210

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You could publish it locked and send the keys to various folks - I'd be happy to test it for you.

2009-03-22 16:24:00 Author: Boogaloo Posts: 254

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I was planning on locking the level and just releasing a padlock level, so that I could email people with the combo and they could get it that way. I am not sure how to send people a key. I will try to publish it today locked and send you guys the combo Thanks!

2009-03-22 19:06:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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You have to be friends with the person. Actually it's a pain in the ***! You have to go into create mode, place the key in the level, object select it and then send it. Then the receiver has to go into create mode, place the key, switch to play mode and grab it. They could've made it simpler...

2009-03-22 19:11:00 Author: Boogaloo Posts: 254

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I made a workaround for it... I made a padlock level... I just have to email the combination, and you can go in and get the key in no time. I sent you an email about it

2009-03-22 20:07:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Testing? Sure! i'm always up to test levels, psn: Yarudark

2009-03-22 21:26:00 Author: Silverleon Posts: 6707

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I'll test it if ya want ~Nya

2009-03-22 21:46:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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So, what do you people think?

2009-03-23 13:29:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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If you PM me the code I'll be happy to test it for you in a while.

2009-03-23 13:47:00 Author: Killian Posts: 2575

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Hi. I just played it and although I didn't get that far I'll list my pros and cons so far and then give a brief summary. Here goes. Pros : (1) Great atmosphere (2) Great design (3) Infinite life gates always a plus for me (4) Great use of black and white lighting to reflect the old films as in your description Cons : (1) A bit too dark in places which caused me to die a lot simply because I couldn't see where to jump to (2) The infinite life gates need a bit of tweaking (3) Nothing else although I haven't seen it all yet Now let me clarify. I didn't realise there was a problem with the life gates until the first time i died and was sent right back to the entrance. I had activated the life gate as you instructed but had to jump up to it to do so and didn't notice originally that when I jumped down again that checkpoint disappeared and emitted another one that wasn't activated. I made sure to keep a close eye on them after that which was just aswell because it happened a lot. Is there any way to make them emit slower to give the player chance to activate one and then get out of the way before another appears? or reposition them slightly. With regards to the lighting, I saw the treasure markers scattered around and it looked like I needed to backtrack to get higher up to get at the treasure. I tried doing this near the beginning by jumping back across the tree branches but just kept falling in the gas because I couldn't really see if there was a branch to jump to. I was just taking a leap of faith. I had the same problem at the 3 skulls which is as far as I got. I thought I could see a couple of platforms between the creature and the ledge the skulls were on but I'm not sure. Either way I couldn't find any way to get up to them. I went as far right and left as I could and kept jumping but only succeeded in dying in the gas several times. There must be some gas on the floor where I assume you have to put the skulls because I died there although I couldn't see anything. I kept looking around for a solution but eventually ran out of lives ( obviously I didn't keep as good an eye on the life gates as I thoght I had ) but I was ready to give up anyway to be honest simply because it was too dark to see what to do or where to go. I hope I'm not being too hard on the level because of my failings because I love the idea and really want to play it to a finish. It's very intriguing and creepy and reminds me of the old 'Hammer Horror' films I used to watch as a kid. I loved them and am loving your attempt to recreate the feel of them which so far is excellent. Just one more thought. One of the things I used to love about those films ( in a weird masochistic sort of way ) was the way they made you jump when you were least expecting it and scare the living daylights out of you. Well it did me anyway ! They did that in the simplest way too just by having something suddenly appear in an instant often accompanied by an appropriate sound effect or shriek of terror. Have you incorporated anything like that in the level at all ? I noticed one similar instance with the swinging grabbable skull falling but that was more surprising than all out scary. Still a nice touch though. Well I hope this helps and I'm looking forward to having another go at it soon. Please feel free to tell me if I was being a complete idiot and missing something totally obvious at the 3 skulls section. ( It wouldn't be the first time for me and certainly won't be the last as I'm not getting any younger or smarter LOL )

2009-03-23 15:32:00 Author: mistervista Posts: 2210

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Regarding the three skulls section, there is a rolly cart that you can pull to get over to the tram with the lever and grab switch on it... I guess I need to put a magic mouth there to explain what to do. I will look about reworking the gates... maybe make them all with buttons instead of prox switches. As for the first treasure marker, there is a cave right at the sign that takes you to the left. There are a bunch of caves, and all the treasure markers are VERY close to where you need to go to get the treasure. I have not put in a lot of sections meant to scare you... But that is a REALLY good idea. I will think on that.

2009-03-23 15:51:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Turning on my PS3 now, lol. Couldn't get near it last night as I was looking after someones dog....

2009-03-23 16:14:00 Author: Boogaloo Posts: 254

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First of all great level! The atmosphere was fantastic and the lighting was really good. The platforming was also really cool with lots of secrets. The first problem I had was with the skulls section. I think you should make the see-saw thing just a little bigger as getting onto the platform is frustrating sometimes. I also noticed if you dropped the skulls in the wrong place you had to restart the level. Maybe new ones could be emitted if you mess up. Everything worked great from then until I got into the castle. On the first platforming section in the castle you can skip almost the entire thing by just jumping down at the start. You should put some spikes down to prevent this. The third speech bubble when you give your thanks is censored. There's a word in there that the game is doesn't like. The boss was original but disappointing at the end. Something should happen to him instead of a door just opening. I also think you should add some more decorations and stickers around the level. Overall it was great. 5*s and a heart.

2009-03-23 18:57:00 Author: Killian Posts: 2575

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More later about your feedback

2009-03-23 19:27:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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The first problem I had was with the skulls section. I think you should make the see-saw thing just a little bigger as getting onto the platform is frustrating sometimes. I also noticed if you dropped the skulls in the wrong place you had to restart the level. Maybe new ones could be emitted if you mess up. Just tried again and totally agree with what killian says here.I dropped the three skulls in although I shoved the first two off the edge of the platform before I realised there was a trapdoor ( maybe make that more obvious ) and nothing happened. I couldn't see any markers of any kind to show you where each skull should go. Also may be an idea to show the lift you are trying to get working when you enter the area as I thought it was the one with the trapdoor, that's why I didn't even try to jump to it.

2009-03-23 21:00:00 Author: mistervista Posts: 2210

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Very good ideas... I will definitely rework that area... I am not sure I want to put the skulls on an emitter, but maybe will work something else out. When you get it right, there should be a sound telling you so. And the light goes off. And when you do all 3, there is a cutscene telling you good job, and get to the lift.

2009-03-23 21:08:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Hey Dobi, great atmosphere in the level - the sound effects, lighting and architecture of the level are pitch perfect Hammer House of Horror, lol. The black and white works very well, and doesn't feel gimmicky at all. When you get to the first treasure (I think it's the first) on the tree, it's a bit of a pain that you have to go back down and around the pillars again. The hanging skeletons are beautifully done (the decorations are well worked throughout), and the hollowed out tree looks ace. The secret 'treasure' areas are top class too. I personally had no trouble whatsoever with the three skulls - the architecture in this area is particularly impressive, and I thought the puzzle played very well. I liked the touch of humour with the last skull. I would suggest adding a checkpoint between the slowly turning platforms and the timed spiked traps (which are very nice btw) - I didn't mind it, but some will have difficulty and get frustrated, infinite checkpoint or not, and younger players might rate you down for it. The architecture, again, in the next bits leading toward the boss are brilliant - there's a real spooky feel and the whole thing smacks of polish, no jags in the design anywhere that I could see. I'm not sure, but I think that the idea of the boss is to grab and activate one of the lights on the square thingy, and then drop down and go back round to the catapult to get the next one - and so on. What I managed to do is grab hold of it and activate all the lights in one go by jumping as it rotated... Great stuff man, top marks!

2009-03-24 00:03:00 Author: Boogaloo Posts: 254

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Thanks... Regarding the secret treasures... The first one is at the first marker... There is a cave there... Mistervista seemed to miss that one too. As for the treasure on the tree... I will think about moving it over. There are about a dozen secret treasure areas, and some are easy to miss. But if you get them all, you get my lightning effects (I have made a couple). As for the skulls... I didn't think it was hard to not screw up on this part - unless you were trying to... And they do tell you where they want to go... I am going to make the rolley teeter a bit bigger for people... and am thinking about making the trap door on the thing be with an on-off switch, rather than a grab switch. I will see if I can make a checkpoint at that one spot with the spikey traps... I wanted it to be hard as it is right before the ending. As for the boss... You are right... it is the idea to have to go around... I think I will speed it up, and make the grab material dissolve material, so you are forced down... And I plan to something cooler about killing the boss.

2009-03-24 00:18:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Just tried again and totally agree with what killian says here.I dropped the three skulls in although I shoved the first two off the edge of the platform before I realised there was a trapdoor ( maybe make that more obvious ) and nothing happened. I couldn't see any markers of any kind to show you where each skull should go. Also may be an idea to show the lift you are trying to get working when you enter the area as I thought it was the one with the trapdoor, that's why I didn't even try to jump to it. When you grab a skull, it is supposed to glow out of the grave it is supposed to go into. And will add a magic mouth telling you a bit more.

2009-03-24 00:19:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Sorry dobi, just played again and got past the skulls easy this time. I somehow missed that the holes were lighting up before because every time previously I grabbed all 3 skulls quick and pulled them all on to the lift together which meant all 3 holes were lit up at the same time so I was just guessing which they went in. As soon as i decided to take one at a time it was obvious. I didn't manage to finish though because I lost all my lives after dropping into the castle and trying to jump across some moving platforms high up where there was only a normal checkpoint.

2009-03-24 03:28:00 Author: mistervista Posts: 2210

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Weird... There are only a few normal checkpoints... I definitely have to put buttons down for infinite checkpoints. It doesn't fit the theme well, but it will work better. Not sure where you died... as there is an infinite checkpoint for almost everything, except for a couple placers on easy spots, and behind prize bubbles, so you have to risk your life to get the prizes.

2009-03-24 14:42:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Send me the code, I'll give you some feedback

2009-03-24 17:07:00 Author: Matt 82 Posts: 1096

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Can't add much to whatever`s been said. Certainly the look of the level is perfect and design is top notch. The infinite checkpoints need tweaking. I`d go with the button or have players grab a skull or something to create a new one. I didn`t finish as I triggered a new one without activating it and died near the end. The skulls in graves thing was good, though I`d make the trapdoor release a little more obvious. I knew what I`d be looking for to open it, but less experienced players would struggle just to find that I think. Other than those minor tweaks it`s a great level once again.

2009-03-24 18:03:00 Author: Matt 82 Posts: 1096

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Matt, Did you get to the "thanks" section? I mentioned you in it, btw. You deserved the thanks from all your help with the infinite gates.

2009-03-24 18:20:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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My review of "Little Dark and Stormy Night" by dobi6 Pros: 1) Great overall level, great atmosphere and challenging. 2) I got every secret except the last one near the boss. 3) Great idea to base it off old horror films, and the black and white is a nice touch. Cons: 1) I don't know if others had this problem, but I found the grab switches a little hard to see. Maybe sticker them a different color? But that's just me I guess. 2) Life gates are very hard to control. I remember dying once and forgetting to activate the checkpoint. (Of course I died and had to restart.) Maybe try emitting already active checkpoints? (I know there's a way to do it I just forgot) 3) The part where you have to jump across the gas on wobbling platforms was really hard for me. At that section I had roughly 3,000 points; at the end of that section I had roughly 500 points. Maybe make them wobble at a slightly less vertical angle. But again, that's just me. Score: Creativity: 9/10 Challenge: 9/10 Difficulty (Cakewalk-Masochistic): Very Hard Secrets: 9.5/10 Boss: 8.5/10 Competitiveness: 6/10 Overall Score: 8.4 Overall Difficulty: Moderate-Very Hard Notes: I know it's okay for players like me, (somewhat skilled) but I know that people like my dad (almost skilled) would have a very tough time with bits, especially the vertical wobbling platforms. Maybe crank the difficulty down a little to moderate-hard. Closing: To sum up what I said in the beginning, it is a very creative level with an overall score of 8.4/10, and moderate-very hard (depending on the player) difficulty. I definitely would rate this at 4.5-5 stars, and I definitely recommend this level.

2009-03-24 18:41:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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By wobbling platforms I assume you mean after the torture chamber, and before the snap traps? Maybe I will tweek them a good bit... They were made that way for a different room originally. Thanks for the help... I am going to try to get to everyone's changes today or tomorrow!

2009-03-24 18:55:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Yes that's what I'm talking about. Also, what is the level called again?

2009-03-24 19:17:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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Little Dark and Stormy Night

2009-03-24 19:20:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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K. Updated.

2009-03-24 19:31:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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Matt, Did you get to the "thanks" section? I mentioned you in it, btw. You deserved the thanks from all your help with the infinite gates. Aw I`'m gutted that I didn`t Will make sure I do though. No probs about the help though, anytime.

2009-03-24 21:14:00 Author: Matt 82 Posts: 1096

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I've placed my review i the comments since i rather writtem them right after i've played it for a better review. Pretty good except for the flaws i mentioned in the review.

2009-03-24 23:15:00 Author: Silverleon Posts: 6707

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Something I didn't add in my review which I think is in a forum somewhere- You should playtest this at all levels. That means, playtest at a master's level of skill, then moderate skill, the uber noob skill. That should put you in perspective.

2009-03-25 16:24:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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Something I didn't add in my review which I think is in a forum somewhere- You should playtest this at all levels. That means, playtest at a master's level of skill, then moderate skill, the uber noob skill. That should put you in perspective. Thanks... I am really tempering the hardness down from the few spots that area pain. Or at least trying to. I am not sure that I have a master's level of skill haha. I am trying to keep it somewhat moderate, but with the infinite life gates I want it a bit racheted up from there to keep it interesting for people. I will have the new fixes up in a day or two hopefully (depending on work schedule). Thanks again for you help!

2009-03-25 18:45:00 Author: dobi6 Posts: 359

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Check my response to your other thread also.

2009-03-25 18:57:00 Author: SawronZXZ Posts: 463

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