Level Creation Megathread

An upcoming game about Electricity, Magnetism, and Cephalopods
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testtubegames
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by testtubegames »

Wow, 4349 is indeed a lot harder. I played through it a bit (not in an official FBF sorta way... I allowed myself some 'teleports' :) )

I was a big fan of that shortcut I found right at the end -- jumping on those guns and all, but I see you sealed that pretty well up. I don't know if I'd be able to get all 3 stars in the hard version... like you said, there are many places that it's easy to die. But when I spawned right under the guns, I had a good time jumping up to get the star. Thought I'd head to the exit afterwards for a victory lap... but whoa, that one spike block sure made that a lot harder. And right at the end? You are one evil level creator! :twisted:

The middle column in between all those crates also made that part of the level a lot harder, too. I can see why you went and made an easier version, too!

I was also going to say -- I liked the change that made the first star (right above you) easier. But then I looked back and saw that part of the level hadn't really changed! I guess there's something to this "practice-makes-better" thing.

Also, liked the new sign in the easy version :D
NealCruco
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by NealCruco »

Thanks for the comments. Did you play both versions? The only difference between them is the very end- where you jump up to land at the door. In the easy version, it's tricky, but not really hard after a couple tries. In the hard version, it takes a lot of luck, because you have to align yourself almost perfectly with the door while you're offscreen.
On another topic, I've been exploring some new ideas for my next level, but haven't come upon anything promising. I need some inspiration...I wonder where Random gets all of his great ideas from?
A Random Player
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by A Random Player »

NealCruco wrote:Thanks for the comments. Did you play both versions? The only difference between them is the very end- where you jump up to land at the door. In the easy version, it's tricky, but not really hard after a couple tries. In the hard version, it takes a lot of luck, because you have to align yourself almost perfectly with the door while you're offscreen.
On another topic, I've been exploring some new ideas for my next level, but haven't come upon anything promising. I need some inspiration...I wonder where Random gets all of his great ideas from?
Nowhere, right now. I've apparently too many levels, so it takes forever to make a new one (and sometimes it randomly deletes some of my old ones). Many times I start by mapping out the large-scale structure, then adding more detail. I usually also start by thinking about what I want the player to have to do (avoid moving spikes? grid of missiles?). Sometimes I discover a cool mechanism and make a level based on that (ex. Winter Wind).
$1 = 100¢ = (10¢)^2 = ($0.10)^2 = $0.01 = 1¢ [1]
Always check your units or you will have no money!
NealCruco
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by NealCruco »

A Random Player wrote:Many times I start by mapping out the large-scale structure, then adding more detail. I usually also start by thinking about what I want the player to have to do (avoid moving spikes? grid of missiles?). Sometimes I discover a cool mechanism and make a level based on that (ex. Winter Wind).
Thanks! That might help me.
NealCruco
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by NealCruco »

Well, Random, you broke my designer's block. I followed your suggestion to think about what the player should do in the level. About 5 hours of design time later, I finished testing it.

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[The Electric Shocktopus-"756C; NealCruco"-eNrtVUESgyAM/AvnHBowOr6l47UfaG9M/16E0KCVomIPnTEEENxA2AS1gBUFfM2LIdcQMDYjxO2+EmwNHqz+aFQ4Hm+/AUBMXJjHbhkXMcT4CBV8uiKzQN/cJekF0862JUFi4gtltxwdCupFX0ZdnTuSRLzmAhM80v30aDRrvTVxxISGhBsQkubnqUn/JbdmfANA/p4YHWpcLMYd37GXJ5nBmBcULB09/H7tPZpAzWX0pPn0DlvR1EAC2CW6YUQWjhC9sZxySlGML2WIVQ8F18GpVTflu7vrGtNDS276ZLLqavclBJZeY6UL/iv3L4Hc+fv6tVA1YCcdw/MFweruDw==]
This level is all about precision, speed, and creative thinking. It has been tested and proven possible; however, I am hoping to set a new FBF record for most deaths on a level before a success. 180 is a pretty high goal...and honestly, I'm not entirely certain that this level is that hard. But one can hope, right? :)
Last edited by NealCruco on Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:54 am, edited 3 times in total.
A Random Player
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by A Random Player »

NealCruco wrote:Well, Random, you broke my designer's block. I followed your suggestion to think about what the player should do in the level. About 5 hours of design time later, I finished testing it.

Code: Select all

[The Electric Shocktopus-"756C"-eNrtVUsSgyAMvQvrLAwYrWfpuO0F2p3Tuxf5GMQPCu2iM74E/PCI4UV0AIQ9KNIdurYBsg11l2M2RMlchV92sKvZR2p8QSAdFKfA2K7zPIcc31OZH0Z0IlhyIg8Kq9hEjyVmMum2XCTrrhOybiCr0fGg8YmPuaKEu5LdfGkU9WY2Gc0wkCHQBlikeD2YbfGeoDW9AWB77yhpmw/m645T7fmM76B/L9zO1PK48aPbaEZV1ZhJvcwOG/ZwAhewDfzEFQ1wBPKkXbhQDGUsTRnES8C91z6IhzCHpz7UqoOG9O1LyRKMn7R9YGoYC1MwX7k/KWT2/+vXoGJCpiD9+wMVMu4g]
This level is all about precision, speed, and creative thinking. It has been tested and proven possible; however, I am hoping to set a new FBF record for most deaths on a level before a success. 180 is a pretty high goal...and honestly, I'm not entirely certain that this level is that hard. But one can hope, right? :)
This could totally make a great FBF level! That's all I'm going to say without spoilering the rest.

Here be spoilers! Don't open them if you haven't beaten the level (or plan to play it for FBF).

So I finally beat this. Not entirely formally - I split up the playtime since it was getting late. But I managed to beat it in
Spoiler: My final death count
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
206 deaths. (Specifically, 65 + 141). That should give you a measure of the difficulty.
But with all 3 stars. And no "cheating" or teleporting.
Spoiler: The hard part
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
I'd say that most of my later deaths were mostly due to these spikes (labeled with X):

Code: Select all

|▒▒█████████████████████████░░░|
|##     #            #     *█  |
|       X    #    #  X# X█#█#█ |
|   ##X   #  #   ##X           |
| █████████████████████████████|
| █           #        #      #|
You need lots of ninja-precision in those parts.

Many deaths however were from dying at one part, respawning, but not being ready, causing another death or two at the beginning.
The part with the switch was (spoiler for the section)
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
a neat little puzzle. The first few times I destroyed the floating sand blocks, not knowing they were useful. Also, the section in many places seemed impossible (ex. running from the cave to the left wall) but was always possible in the end. (In that case, you just had to time the switch carefully, which I had to think about some.)
At the very end,
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
I just held right and shift, mashed down, and hoped it would work. (It did.)
At the beginning:
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
Lol, a mini No Time To Waste
Also why do you keep making levels where you repeatedly die at the beginning immediately? :lol:
$1 = 100¢ = (10¢)^2 = ($0.10)^2 = $0.01 = 1¢ [1]
Always check your units or you will have no money!
NealCruco
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by NealCruco »

A Random Player wrote:
NealCruco wrote:Well, Random, you broke my designer's block. I followed your suggestion to think about what the player should do in the level. About 5 hours of design time later, I finished testing it.

Code: Select all

[The Electric Shocktopus-"756C"-eNrtVUsSgyAMvQvrLBowWs/ScdsLtDumdy8GaPBXVOyiMz4CCDwwvIBawIIEnJdhyBUEgbsACuW+5OcaPNh4awTfkRufECjo5vuxmedFDgV+pAo/XTGI4MkZPygNWD16LQlTSNfpJkV355A3hr70tvroyBkKa84oEVq6HW6NRiXPJtYMExkSbUBEGu+n5PTPuTXSGwCWr4nRPsfFYtzxE3t5kh6M54L8TCdPGF97jQZUc+k9qabeYS2WTpAANoltaJGFI6A3phMnsjCc8hSrngpunTOr7oqrh6sq00JNrvtUsuhqtzkG5oax0AX+yv1JIHf/v34NKibsFKR7vQHft+4W]
This level is all about precision, speed, and creative thinking. It has been tested and proven possible; however, I am hoping to set a new FBF record for most deaths on a level before a success. 180 is a pretty high goal...and honestly, I'm not entirely certain that this level is that hard. But one can hope, right? :)
This could totally make a great FBF level! That's all I'm going to say without spoilering the rest.
-snip-
Also why do you keep making levels where you repeatedly die at the beginning immediately? :lol:
I'm glad you enjoyed the level. You may be surprised to hear that you are the first person to beat 756C with all three stars! I tested all the individual parts multiple times, so I knew the level was possible (and not too luck-based). And I have been trying to beat the entire thing at once. But last night, I stopped trying at 80 deaths. Mainly because it was 1 AM and I had to be up at 6:30 AM.
Also, I put that instant-death mechanic in because I don't believe the spawn point should be a safe spot in hard levels. I might not always use it, but I have so far. I do believe, though, in having multiple safe spots in places where you have to keep moving. Sometimes you just need a break from the frenetic dashing, and pausing isn't good enough.
Update (2:42 PM CDT):
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
Well, I completed it out of sheer stubbornness. It's one thing to admit that someone else's (read: Random's) level is too hard for me to beat; it's quite another to admit that my own level is too hard for me to beat! So I finally completed it with 153 (80+73) deaths. Looks like I have a chance at reclaiming the "most deaths in an FBF" record!
Last edited by NealCruco on Tue Jun 16, 2015 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A Random Player
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by A Random Player »

NealCruco wrote:Well, Random, you broke my designer's block. I followed your suggestion to think about what the player should do in the level. About 5 hours of design time later, I finished testing it.

Code: Select all

[The Electric Shocktopus-"756C"-eNrtVUsSgyAMvQvrLAwYrWfpuO0F2h3Tu5fyaRCxqNhFZ3wJIPDA8ADVgBUGNqkWFqHIZASevQDy+T5zYxUe7HZxBN9R6p8RyCvn2rHP8wKHPD9QmR/P6EVw5EIcBBGnS15LzGTSZb5I1t0E5NxCNm9ffXj4FPk5M0r4mhymS6Mkt6PJaoaRDJE2wCKl66k5/7mwEr0BZrzofkiXwmRh3/Gz9/zELRjOBbmRRh7fv/YaTaiqycaGHXtM5+3rI99QIw1HQG60EyeKUNbKFC0eAq6jcS1uwhZ3U7RqgI5M86lk1dUeSgwsdWNlCPYr9ycbufvv9WtQNWGnIOPzBQhw7hY=]
This level is all about precision, speed, and creative thinking. It has been tested and proven possible; however, I am hoping to set a new FBF record for most deaths on a level before a success. 180 is a pretty high goal...and honestly, I'm not entirely certain that this level is that hard. But one can hope, right? :)
Hey hey, you edited the level and Shocktopus is starting at the top for some reason now.. (The stars are now impossible as well).
$1 = 100¢ = (10¢)^2 = ($0.10)^2 = $0.01 = 1¢ [1]
Always check your units or you will have no money!
NealCruco
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:26 pm

Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by NealCruco »

A Random Player wrote:Hey hey, you edited the level and Shocktopus is starting at the top for some reason now.. (The stars are now impossible as well).
What? I did make an aesthetic change (removing artifacts of a pre-publication level design), but nothing that should have affected gameplay. I know the version I have works; I'll just cut out whatever code is currently posted and replace it with the working code. Delete the code for the broken level from your quote. Thanks for telling me this...even though I have no idea what happened. How did you even find the problem?
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testtubegames
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Re: Level Creation Megathread

Post by testtubegames »

Wow. I just loaded that up that level briefly -- and died immediately. A good start! -- I'm excited to try it!

I'm planning to start up FBF next week (I'll be back working full-er time and in the office). So I'll do my best not to read those spoilers before then!
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