Level Clearing

[Awakenyourmind]

Here is my level. Several people have downloaded it and tested it in the testing and development thread. I've got feedback and fixed all the issues reported to me. The chest is in the top right corner of screen 6. It's a 1up for now. I didn't figure out about the chests until after my level was pretty much done so I didn't really have a place to put it.

Should be glitch free.

[kuposan3]

kuposan3: To fix the smasher you'd have to use ExGFX so that the smasher graphics use a different colour (one that doesn't appear) for that section of shading, and then change that colour in custom palettes to fit the colour it needs to be. About chests: as well as 5 dragon coins, each level will have a secret or hard to reach spot with a chest, in which will be some treasure with a small picture, a name, and a (usually funny) tagline, in the style of Kirby Superstar's "The Great Cave Offensive".

Late response: I have no idea how to do these things, so if it's not too much trouble a tutorial or some other assistance would be appreciated.

[flameofdoubt]

ProfessorDemetri: Amazing atmosphere. Amazing look. shells flying out you from just offscreen is a bit of a kaizo mechanic, I'd suggest at least taking out the first one (unless it's integral to the style of the level), as it's customary (again, unless it's for the style of the level) to have the player be indefinitely safe at the start at least until they move. Really like the foreground rock in front of Demo. Normally I'd say you're not given enough warning for each sawblade, but I think you're given enough clues that they might be there, such that the player should be cautious.

Wow! Two great levels for the price of one. I worry a little about them overshadowing each other, but they would flow well as long as the overworld showed a cave level near a grandiose castle. Any thoughts on that? Is there supposed to be exanimation on the sparkles below some platforms in the castle area? Still, mid-sparkle sparkles like that look a little odd. The invisible wall at the normal exit is still there.

Fix the invisible wall, maybe fix the 'kaizo'-start, and it'll be cleared

Franky: Working on critiquing at the moment. Thinking of how to put it is a little tricky. I'll get back to you when I've figured out what I want to say.

kuposan3: I'll try and work on some kind of tutorial for the palette thing, or an explanation (might take a little while because I don't have tonnes of time at the moment, but I'll try and make time). The chest thing is done by just making a secret room or area somewhere in your level that's a bit out of the way or hard to get to, and put some marker in there so we know to put the chest there.

[Awakenyourmind]

Dun dun dun!

It's no rush really. This hack wont be released for awhile. I am looking forward to getting this inserted though, so I can maybe get another level going. :)

[ProfessorDemetri]

FoD:
Thanks for kind words! :)
Invisible wall and beginning have been fixed.
Just wanted to upload another version to prove it.
Should I just take this straight to submissions?
Also, about the cave/castle backgrounds. Yeah I had hoped that this cave might be like a level before a castle level on the OW? Granted, that might not be possible, but I think that would be cool :) Thanks again FoD.

[limepie20]

You can submit it now. As long as you fixed what FoD said, you're fine.

[Ashan]

Time to copy and paste my comment from YouTube to a post on the forum!

Limepie sent chdata a request to help with some ASM for my level, so we're just kinda waiting on a response from him. I can't really do anything until he replies back, so if he doesn't do that, I might just have to put a "Heads up! There's some stuff screwed up in this level" message box or something.

Yeah. Great update.

[RivalNightmare]

Oh hey, Looks like I have been changing graphics.

And, yes. I think I'll change the BG colour.

[keckcellent]

Level 23 is ready for clearing. I didn't get much feedback from testing & development but I took what I got and changed it for the better. I currently don't have any music for the cave areas but I didn't want to waste a music slot with two small areas. I hope it would be possible to use tracks from other levels once they come in. Ideally a calm, cave theme.

Also, I'm not entirely sold on the name for the level so if you have any suggestions, I would be open to them.

Thanks!

[limepie20]

RivalNightmare:

rivAL 6-15_00000.png (5.4 KiB) Viewed 4227 times

For whatever reason, the left edges of these cave blocks act like the ones you can hop onjto from below. But all the other ones are like solid blocks.
Why does the midpoint have no midpoint poast? Sorry, but that just looks bad. If the graphics/palettes don't work in this level put in between trees or something. Also, you used the map16 block so when you die and come back the midpoint bar is there again. Use the one from the Extended Objects menu. Just fix those things and you're cleared.

keckcellent:
I don't really mind that the dino rhino things breath fire underwater but I think it would look cool if the fire was blue or something. If you can't do that, it's fine I jus think it might look nice. Demo's eye palette is acceptable but I understand it; palette 8 can be annoying so it's fine (unless that palette was on purpose). Also, add about 50-150 seconds. After you fix that, you're cleared.

Franky:

The messagebox at the start might be an issue, as we're not sure if Con will be helping you again in this game. Having that messagebox and puzzle and then the p-switch being 10 feet to the right is very disappointing. If you just have to pass some thwomps to 'solve' the puzzle, the puzzle might as well not be there. I was expecting half the level to be trying to find the p-switch. Either make it harder to find or take it out, as at the moment it just extends the time the player spends, without increasing the challenge they face. The frog after the horizontal and vertical thwomps sticks its head through the wall, and looks like you should be able to land on it, but you just fall to he ground. The horizontal thwomp in the same area, when it moves back to its original position, phases through the wall and carries on through the level; it looks funny but is probably unintentional. Waiting for p-switch blocks is annoying. If possible, fix that. key puzzle needs a reset door; if you throw it in the wrong place it's not retrievable and you're forced to kill yourself. That said, the gap for the key puzzle is far too wide, it's really, really difficult difficult to do and has to be in exactly the right spot, and stands out in the level in a bad way; please make the gap smaller or remove it. The messagebox after the key thing is really hard to understand and breaks gameplay flow. It would be better if you had puzzles that demonstrate how they work and how to detect them, rather than having to explain and make the player understand.

Overall the gameplay kinda needs an overhaul. Far too many of the challenges/jumps/obstacles can't be anticipated, and you've so little time to react and so little room to manoeuvre on a platform that you can't adequately test what's safe and what isn't. You have to guess and then you either die or don't, and so players will have to play the level over and again, meticulously memorising the puzzles rather than practising to become skilled enough to pass them. Ideally a really good player should be able to play the level through the first time without getting hit, but that's just not possible here.

The difficulty is a problem but there's also too much stuff going on in the level: thwomps, riding on moving platforms, on/off thwomp gimmicks, p switch puzzles. There should really be one central theme or idea, not thwomps everywhere on a moving platform. I also think thwomp levels should have a non-vanilla gimmick because there are a lot of thwomp levels and there should be something to separate them. The difficulty problem, I think, wouldn't be as bad if there is one idea because you are taking these different ideas and putting them into the same obstacle

[flameofdoubt]

Franky: Having played your level further, I've come to the conclusion that the problem isn't nearly as big as I thought it was. If you can fix all the challenges so they can technically be predicted the first time they happen, I'll be happy to clear it as just a very difficult level. There was some worry that there are a lot of thwomp-based levels already, and there are, but very few of them use moving rope, which is the main element used here, so that shouldn't be a problem. Your messageboxes could use a bit of rewriting as they're a bit too 'meta', they speak as if the player knows about lunar magic rather than as if they're talking directly to demo within that 'universe', so to speak. I originally disliked the p-switch at the start but it does sort of give the impression you're breaking in and that's just one of the lines of defence, though it might still be a bit too easy to reach the first p-switch. You still need a reset door for the key puzzle too, and ideally you need to see if you can make it a bit easier, as right now you get one chance and it's very difficult to make it in the right position, and even then it's very difficult to also get across it (unless I'm missing some kind of clever trick?).

As for the theme of the level itself, I really like the use of graphics and starry background, especially as it moves from night to dawn, good job there.

keckcellent: Love it, brilliant atmosphere. Can you change all the different flame graphics to be bubbles? You need to change what the munchers are to be something that fits the level better.

[RivalNightmare]

RivalNightmare:

rivAL 6-15_00000.png

For whatever reason, the left edges of these cave blocks act like the ones you can hop onjto from below. But all the other ones are like solid blocks.
Why does the midpoint have no midpoint poast? Sorry, but that just looks bad. If the graphics/palettes don't work in this level put in between trees or something. Also, you used the map16 block so when you die and come back the midpoint bar is there again. Use the one from the Extended Objects menu. Just fix those things and you're cleared.

Simple fixes. I've fixed them, I'll edit in an fixed version in the morning. Kinda late here.

[limepie20]

You're already cleared so you can take it right to the submissions thread.

[Awakenyourmind]

When I made that puzzle there was no P switch actually. The graphics I use (the animation) ruins turn blocks so I had to completely redo the puzzle. The P switch is close because I didn't want the player to have to carry a P switch around forever to do this puzzle (you guys don't really enjoy that if I am correct) the spikes are for the key you get, as otherwise the puzzle would be useless. I was going to put a pipe there but you guys don't use the SMB scrolling pipes it seems. If you did I could remove the spike part.

I will fix the message blocks and make the level easier.

Tell me, do I have til the next deadline (not the upcoming one) ?
If so I may just re-do the level, it's not gonna be easy to make it easy without ruining allot of the design ideas I had, and such.

[limepie20]

Just post an update before the deadline after this one. That should be July 13th.

[Awakenyourmind]

Just post an update before the deadline after this one. That should be July 13th.

Alright I will do that.

[keckcellent]

keckcellent: Love it, brilliant atmosphere. Can you change all the different flame graphics to be bubbles? You need to change what the munchers are to be something that fits the level better.

Thanks. I changed the munchers into spikes that blend into the landscape. I'm not a good sprite artist and changing the dino-torch's fire graphics to bubbles is very hard because of the way it animates on top of each other. The few attempts that I did were horrible looking. Plus, I feel that the SFX isn't right for bubbles. I changed the color to give it more of an acidic look (similar to the one side-cave). If that's not ok, I can try again or get someone else to work on it. Otherwise, I'll be submitting this tomorrow.

[RealLink]

12D is ready for clearing. I'm using standard music because I'm not good at choosing, and I don't think the level theme I went for really "has it's music", if you understand what I mean.

I was told to just say that you should savestate at the boss door, because I can't add another midpoint.

[7TC7]

Ok, submitting now because I think the classic SMW Ghost House Music fits the level incredibly well after all. I never realised how unsettling this song can be, before making this...
My level went trough a lot of testing and every problem should be gone by now.

Level Nr 15
P.Key's Mansion
1 Exit
The Red/Purple Coin in the first part of the level represents the chest

Have fun~

[capefeather]

Well, enough of sitting on this. I delayed for a while because I was still not sure if I wanted to add a boss or if there's something missing that I'm only sensing and not getting. I think that any boss that I'd do would just end up infringing on whatever's being done with Nevada, though. I also don't have much of an idea of where the chest would go. Another source of the delay was music. I just can't decide what kind of music to play in this level.

If the beginning looks like a remix of an existing SMW level, it's supposed to be like that. There's supposed to be a sort of implied narrative, but I fear that it may not be clear enough...

[limepie20]

RealLink:
The links on the ball n' chain look odd? Are they supposed to be paper clips? They should look more like paper clips or whatever they were supposed to be. In the boss, the goomba's that spawn sumo bros' lightning have their lightning cutoff. You can fix that by having them spawn to spaces to the right. If you're going to use vanilla music the boss needs boss music because it just doesn't sound right otherwise. After you fix those things, you're cleared. Also, there is no secret exit, right?

7TC7:
Why doesn't the sublevel with the keyhole have a background? It looks bad with the solid red background. The chest is too easy to get. You should hide it better, especially in a ghost house. The level kind of felt like it was missing something. I don't really like the blue and yellow rooms because they feel weird and out of place. It should seem more 'ghost-housey'.

capefeather:
You don't need to use the line for those grinders, there are non line guided ones and they dont even follow the line. It looks odd how the giant spikes are on mini spikes. You can just use map16 and flip them upside down. In the second room, the vines have a bad palette. No part of them should be brown. Overall, this level doesn't have much to it. It's just a vanilla castle with 'a bunch of things that are hard to dodge'. You should come up with some main idea to base your level around and go from there. You shouldn't just use enemies of all sorts. The first room was grinders and giant spikes and the second room was venus fly traps. Find something to bring this level together and not be all over the place.

[raocow]

Not having seen the levels at all, though, I like the idea of a castle that's based around venus fire traps. In a void, that's where I'd tell you to concentrate - a castle environment, but with a bunch of plant enemies!

[Patgangster]

My finished level.

A thing to note: I don't think I'll be able to submit it yet as it contains a patch that (as far as I know) is not yet in the BaseROM. Chdata said he would add it since it will only fix stuff and not change anything else, but I don't know if it went through (yet?). (It's the 'sumo bro flame fix' patch)

Anyway yeah, I do think it is ready for the 'clearing' stage.

[7TC7]

I'm not quite sure if I should post this here or go back into Testing & Development. Anyways, this is where I chose to go.

The no-background-thing was there, because I hadn't figured out how to change that in the beginning and then simply stuck with it (that level hadn't enabled backgrounds from the base rom). It's changed now to fit the rest of the stage.
The chest, now represented by a 3-up, was replaced into a new part of the level at the end of a hidden path in the gold-area.
The old place for the chest is now slightly harder to reach and gives a little bit of backstory and/or a hint for the chest. The gold and blue rooms should be somewhat explained by this, too.

Let's try this again.

[Terry von Feleday]

oh hey I can finally try to get my level cleared

level00c.ips

(848.23 KiB) Downloaded 157 times

Let's hope it's good enough that I can finally stop tinkering with it and fully turn my attention towards learning actual programming.