My First Level (potential series(?))

[allymender]

I'm not that great with Level Designer, but I learned a few things from ingame level codes, so here's a level prototype. Hope you enjoy, feel free to give criticism and/or advice.

Code: Select all

200x60~.2735cf16.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.14cf.184cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.106ah3aaah2.72cf.8cf7.106aa6.72cf.8cf7.106aeaa5.72cf.8cf7.106aeaa5.72cf.8cf7.106aeaa5.72cf.8cf7.106ahaa4ah.72cf.8cf7.184cf.8cf7.193cf7.193cf7.193cf7.80adaa5ad5.92cjcf16.90ac2.90cjcf17.116aa16.42aa6cf14aa12.66ad4aa4.36aa16.42aa5cfaacf13aa12.65abaa.43aa16.42aa32.110aa16.42aa32.43aa19.48aa16.42aa32.43aa19.48aa16.42aa32.43aa19.48aa3.3aa10.42aa32.43aa19.48aa3.3aa10.42aa32.43aa19.46aB2aa16.42aa32.43aa19.48aa16.42aa32.43aa19.48aa16.42aa4.71aa19.48aa16.42aa4.71aa19.48aa16.42aa4.71aa19.48aa16.42aa4.71aa19.48aa16.42aa4.71aa19.48aa16.42aa4.71aa19.48aa16.42aa4~.4336cf15.185cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.186cf14.103cd.cd.cd.78cf14.103cf5.78cf14.103cf5.78cf14.103cf2aycf2.78cf14.103cf2aycf2.78cf14.103cf5.77cf15.103cf5.77cf15.103cf5.77cf15.103cf2aycf2.77cf15.103cf2aycf2.195cf5.195cf5.195cf5.195cf2aycf2.195cf2aycf2.195cf5.188ae4.3cf5.188ae4.3cf5.188ae4.3cf2aycf2.195cf2aycf2.195cf5.195cf5.195cf5.195cf2aycf2.195cf2aycf2.195cf5.195cf5.195cf5~102;72;1520;3;3;0;75,80,80;0|101;160;1512;3;3;0;60,75,80;0|103;8;1520;3.25;3.25;0;;0|119;400;1512;1;1;0;70,70,70;0|302;1744;1056;1;1;0;;0|302;1808;1056;1;1;0;;0|302;1840;1056;1;1;0;;0|302;1712;1056;1;1;0;;0|111;1496;1544;1;1;-15;;0|255;1568;1544;1;1;0;;0|109;1536;1560;1;1;0;;0|102;1256;1920;3;3;0;;0|220;2312;1376;1;1;0;;0|219;2473;1376;1;1;100;;0|226;2632;1376;1;1;0;;0~103;760;1920;4;4;0;60,75,80;0|102;920;1928;5;5;0;60,70,80;0|103;1048;1928;5;5;0;60,75,80;0|340;1776;1144;1;1;0;;0|340;1776;1304;1;1;0;;0|340;1776;1464;1;1;0;;0|340;1776;1624;1;1;0;;0|340;1776;1784;1;1;0;;0|4;1696;1024;5;28;60,60,60|7;2848;1376;45,100,45;1;2;all;0;0;5;300;0;100;0;90;30;0;3;3;5;5;5;5;30;30;128;128;0;0;0;0;3;10;10;30;0;1;1;-;1;1;95;5;0;0;1000;4;0;1;1;;1|7;3032;1376;30,100,30;1;2;all;0;0;5;300;0;100;0;90;30;0;3;3;5;5;5;5;30;30;128;128;0;0;0;0;3;10;10;30;0;1;1;-;1;1;90;5;0;0;1000;3;0;1;1;;1|7;2976;1248;40,100,40;1;2;all;0;0;5;300;0;100;0;90;30;0;3;3;5;5;5;5;30;30;128;128;0;0;0;0;3;10;10;30;0;1;1;-;1;3;64;5;0;0;1000;3;0;1;1;;1|60;2944;1176;0;;1;1;6;|50;3120;1368;0;;1;1;2;|44;2288;1608;|40;2320;1616;|40;2320;1592;|40;2256;1616;|40;2256;1592;|7:plat;2064;1637;;2;1;all;0;0;5;300;0;100;0;90;30;0,-261:80,-325:144,-277;3;3;5;5;5;5;30;30;128;128;0;0;0;0;3;10;10;30;0;0;1;-;0;4;64;5;0;0;1000;3;0;0;1;play,plat:pl_wait,0,-1:sleep,10:reset,plat,0,1;1~0;208;1296;1;0;0|103;272;1504;2;2;0;60,75,80;0|103;96;1536;2;2.5;0;;0|103;32;1520;2;2;0;;0|103;128;1528;2;2;0;;0|451;1935;996;1;1;0;;0|452;1843;1011;1;1;0;;0|452;1975;1005;1;1;30;;0|101;1888;1016;1;1;5;;0|9:ride;1504;1376;50,80,60;4,2;aeahaeaaae4;all;0;0;5;300;0;100;0;90;30;64,32:104,96:160,160:248,96:352,0:256,-96:224,-224:256,-304:224,-384:256,-432:336,-456:448,-480:560,-448:608,-384:592,-192:512,-96:488,0:568,32:672,-32;3;3;5;5;5;5;30;30;128;128;0;0;0;0;5;10;10;30;0;2;1;-;0;1;64;5;0;0;1000;3;0;0;play,ride:pl_wait,0,-1:sleep,10:reset,ride,0,1;1;1;0;0;1|50;406;1484;0;;1;1;2;|58;568;1480;0;;1;1;5;|71;920;1392;0;;1;1;6;|74;1872;1016;0;;1;1;5;|55;1552;1344;0;;1;1;3;~4;0;1504;19;14;60,75,60,100,0,0,0,0,-20|4;704;1312;21;5;100,100,100,0|15;1184;1536;-1;-1;0;0;;|102;1256;1840;5;5;0;;0|4;1824;992;6;6;80,85,90|4;2144;1376;16;17;60,75|15;2432;1440;-1;-1;0;0;;|4;1184;1312;6;5;100,100,100,0|24;2128;1664|7:plat2;3264;1376;50,100,50;5;6;all;0;0;5;300;0;100;0;90;30;128,-96:224,-32:256,64:160,128:128,64:192,-32:320,-64:416,-128:384,-224:288,-192:320,-64:384,96:320,128:288,224:352,288:448,224:480,128:544,32:608,0:704,0:768,0;3;3;5;5;5;5;30;30;128;128;0;0;0;0;6;10;10;30;0;0;1;-;0;4;64;5;0;0;1000;3;0;0;1;play,plat2:pl_wait,0,-1:sleep,10:reset,plat2,0,1;1|15;4000;1376;-1;-1;0;0;;|4;4000;1376;5;17;45,100,45,100,0,0,0,0,-25|4;4160;1376;1;1;45,100,45,100,0,0,0,0,-25|4;4192;1408;1;1;45,100,45,100,0,0,0,0,-25|4;4160;1440;27;8;45,100,45,100,0,0,0,0,-25|4;4640;1376;12;2;45,100,45,100,0,0,0,0,-25|4;2432;1376;7;17;60,75|2;4496;1312|46;3248;1352;|1;2560;1376~forest%20prototype~allymender~12~11;0;0~1~27;0~0;0;3~1467330956~0.5~1,10,28,0,0,47,0,0,0,0,0,0

(wasn't sure how to condense this more, here's the whole code.)

ShroomEdit: Added code tags. You find this right in the menu for BBcodes (between "Quote" and "List"). Also you can submit this on the Portal.

[Niicola]

I don't think that's the most appropriate place to submit your level but... oh well, that's not my job.

I'm not the kind of guy who lies to people in order to make them feel better. Yeah, you already know it's not going to end well when it starts like that...
This level is bad. It isn't that bad, really it could have been worse, but that doesn't make it good. So what does this level need to go from "meh" to "hmm, not bad"?

Well, first I'm gonna ask you something. Did you honestly think it was a good level and why? This is a necessary introspection. I do this everytime before submitting a level. If you've indeed found reasons as to why this level is good then keep them in mind and we'll see if they remain after reading my reasoning :

• Length - This level is sooo short, I was a little frustrated. I'm not saying a short level is always bad, no that would make a lot of my little levels bad (100% not narcissistic). The problem here is that...
  
  
• Content - Your level is so dead empty it made me think of this website at the moment. There is near to nothing gameplay-wise. You do a few jumps then you ride moving platforms and that's it.
  
  I don't know how to explain it, this level feels abandonned to me. It lacks... motion... life... I don't know. No invisible hitbox (heresy!). No difficulty, no thrill. You made these platforms follow complex pathways for nothing because it requires no skill and it was only a mere loss of time, for you and for us. On the second transition I died while trying to land on back tiles because it was not obvious enough that they were on the back. Remember to always think like a player while play-testing your level.
  
  Nonetheless, I have to admit you managed to do some good things. You put transition but they weren't necessary so... yeah. The large square doesn't make it more challenging, it didn't even felt rewarding to be honest. You put some enemies, that's good but I have the feeling you just picked them randomly and placed them likewise. A crab, then a wolf, then a knight, then a mushroom, then a grock, then a mage... Seems like a lack of consistency to me. I would think otherwise if there was anything to contradict me but...
  
  
• Story - Not even any text. Yeah okay, there are "not bad" levels which exclusively rely on graphics but...
  
  
• Scenery - Your level isn't what I'll call appealing. I noticed you tried, you put color boxes and modified the color properties of some items but it doesn't make it a pretty level. The ground is too square-y to feel natural. Where are the hills and the slopes? It lacks of items in back layers (well at least it seems you understood layering).

Tl;dr : this level lacks of consistency and of content be it story-wise, gameplay-wise or graphic-wise. I guess by focusing on these things and by asking yourself more question about what people want when they play your level, you will improve quite fast. Remove the unnecessary to concentrate on what really matter (for instance, slightly recoloring an item people will not notice should not be your main concern). Start simple, learn the mechanics, get accustomed to the level-designer, find your own style, etc.