A2MBXT beta testing

[Willhart]

Query whether the Nevada battle should be tweaked to remove that "stay where the meat spawns way in the corner" tactic pholtos used. Could we (i) replace the respawning meat with a respawning grass that, when pulled, provides meat; and (ii) extend the pushing wall so it covers the entire corner (i.e., without leaving a gap that small Demo can fit inside)?

That sounds like a good idea.

[docopoper]

Make sure the grass isn't too non-obvious though. You could even make it flash or something if it is. We don't want this to go back to a "What the hell do I do?" boss.

[Willhart]

I think it is visible enough as grass.
Nevada
- Extended the sidewalls.
- Meat now spawns as burried.

[Frozelar]

Oh shoot, uh, I could've swore I posted about this but apparently not?

I'm at my cousin's place and I won't be able to upload any more videos until I get back home because they have very limited bandwidth. Well, I guess since I won't be getting back home for several days, I may not be uploading many (if any) more videos? 'Cause, y'know, the deadline is apparently the beginning of August or something.

Sorry! :(

[SAJewers]

Just lower the wall so you can't stand there.

Frozelar: August 1 isn't a hard deadline at all.

[Frozelar]

Frozelar: August 1 isn't a hard deadline at all.

Uhm... oh. Well, I still won't be able to upload anything for several days, unfortunately.
Hopefully that isn't a big problem! Again, sorry about that.

[Willhart]

Could not upload attachment to ./files/2490_6ddcedf6cf587f2609250ccfdb07b45d. for some reason. I'll try reupload tomorrow.

[pholtos]

(How old is your computer exactly? I built this on a 8-10 years old computer and I don't remember any lag whatsoever, unless it's something with the overworld.)

It's not even 2 years old and was custom built. It's definitely the program, I have no problems with anything else.

You need to update your Base Game.

It got updated somewhere along the line?

[SAJewers]

Same time as the latest level update. http://www.mediafire.com/download/pxtd6 ... nstall.exe

[ztarwuff]

I did not really find getting trough that short cap on a shell too difficult for world 5.
Also, I'm somewhat opposed on making the level too easy or removing Jokes/Unique parts of them. We should atleast wait on Pholtos video before further changes.

It's not so much it's too difficult, it's that probably the player will play this before Euro Shell R&D, where it teaches you shell jumping. As for the Filter, it's easy enough to redo it in LunaDLL so it's still there, but takes no time.

Well, as I said in a prior post, why don't you bring my level forward so it will always come before it? Sure, it would mean shifting the map aorund a bit, but wouldn't it be worth it have a level (i.e. EuroShell R&D) to teach a skill that is required in a later level?

It'll give the game a more coherent feel rather than some random thing thrown together at random with little consideration for what will happen further down the line.

[SAJewers]

Have you seen the Overworld? moving that level would just take way too much work, since you'd have to pretty much shuffle everything around.

[Voltgloss]

I haven't played Lightning in a Box in a while, so apologies if this is not feasible - but could we simulate the effect of the disco shell obstacle (while also making it slightly easier) by replacing it with a few spaced springboards that the player uses to get across the spikes?

I say this as someone who, like Willhart, thinks the obstacle really isn't that tough - BUT, I agree with SAJewers' point that the obstacle shouldn't precede Euroshell R&D. And that it would be a tremendous pain to further change the overworld around.

[Willhart]

Axon might be able to come up with something difficult for filling that cap. I have no problems on the filter being made faster if it still exists somehow.

[Willhart]

Nevada fight with the moving side walls extended. I left the meat spawners unburied so that the wall will push the last one down if the player does not get a change to jump up there.

[Narolas]

I don't really get the "fixes" to poison tree.
putting pipes under the big plants in the section after the midpoint ok, even though I didn't think they were necessary since you don't even need to go down there.
But what's up with the other changes ?

There's plenty of coins and other things in the level to help you, you don't need a fire flower power up especially that early in the level. I don't understand the craze about "fixing" powerups, I felt like my level had a good balance and i've already put a fireflower later in the level. Also I like how plants look and fit in the level, i don't like powerup boxes.

And making the donut platforms wider, that's not a fix either that's a level design change. Is the level too hard, this section too frustrating ? I don't think so really, It's right after the midpoint and I wanted it to be a bit challenging, it's also very short. If you guys really think these are absolutely necessary, but frankly it's more an edit to the design of my level than a "fix".

[Willhart]

It was on the bugs list, so I considered it as an issue to be fixed. I belive that some of the donut jumps might have been a bit difficult for world 2 when used next to the plants. Feel free to change the powerup boxes back to bushes. They might fit better to the level.

Edit: I'll make a version of this level with slightly less changes for tomorrow. I think it can be a bit more difficult considering it's placement on the ow.

[docopoper]

Plenty of levels have had design element changes. We're just considering it part of the fixing process. In fact, your level has had a very small amount of changes compared to a lot of other levels because it was already quite good. This beta testing process has mostly been us going through the game and removing the parts we all agree are rough edges (and it's made the game so so much better).

The reason the platforms were widened is simply because it was too suddenly precise for world 2.

[Sturg]

Hey, if you guys want me to change the World 5 order I can totally do that.

[docopoper]

It doesn't seem worth it to me for the sake of a five second shell ride.

[Willhart]

There is no need to change world 5 level order yet. There could be stationary disco shells or something on the place of that one moving one.

[docopoper]

That would be cool. It would also act as a good introduction to the concept.

[Sturg]

What's this for? Is there like a 5 second level I'm not aware of or something?

Sorry I'm just a tad confused at the moment.

[docopoper]

We're just talking about the tiny (but kind of hard) disco shell riding section in Lightning in a box, which is before the mechanic is introduced in Euroshell R&D.

[Narolas]

cool, that seems fair to me then.
I can understand the difficulty spike thing, although i liked that extra challenge part.
The boxes aren't too much of an issue, but i prefer the look of the plants, and I still think beats are good enough for the first part considering all the coins you can use as ammunition.

[docopoper]

You can change that back if you want, It's still your level. I haven't seen the changes, but it was probably changed because it was brought up that far too many levels don't give out enough tier two powerups for no good reason and just have beets in powerup boxes. I know I never had very much undue trouble in your level due to a lack of tier two powerups, but it certainly was a prevalent problem in the game.