Super Mario Bros. X Forums

Magician wrote:Do we even know yet why the powerup hitting lava can sometimes trigger the game crash?
The first thing I did when I witnessed that happening was test it in various other levels. I noticed that only some of them actually cause the error when the powerup hits lava, meaning there's a certain set of parameters in the level that are causing the error to happen and the powerup hitting the lava is only the trigger. There could be any number of parameters, or multiple different sets that result in the error happening. I assume it's very complex if no one's managed to figure it out yet.

FanofSMBX wrote:Idk but Kevsoft said it one day and fixed it in Lunalua 0.7. If you have more than like 1600 something blocks it happens.

Villager103 wrote:OK, you are making your first SMBX episode, but you are not a savvy level designer. OK. I have been there before, but I will share some tips for you to become a renowned creator in the SMBX universe.
1. Never use vines, ropes or ladders in warp pipe sequences, unless there is another way to get to the other pipe.
If you do this, you are forcing your players to abandon their Yoshi's, Kuribo Shoes and any other mount behind.
Just keep it simple with a jump, slope or a springboard.

2. CGFX use.
CGFX is an important element in any level, because it sets the atmosphere. Try to stray away from vanilla SMBX graphics and use custom ones more.
However, don't use them too much, because as castlewars said, It's not about the graphics, it's how you use them.

3. Where to use slopes.
Caves:YES
Grassland:YES
Underwater:YES
Castle:NO
Toad House:NO
Desert:YES
Airship:NO

4. Don't place enemy spawners near eachother or at a fast rate.
Title says it all. Don't do it or you will make an easy 1-up generator.

5. Don't make your levels have inconsistent difficulty, unless your episode is Kaizo grade.
For a good episode, make the levels easy at the start of the episode, and as the player advances, make the levels harder. You still want the levels to be challenging, as they won't enjoy the level if it's too easy or too hard. Try to make most levels fall between, because you want a mix of easy and hard.

6. Use of block layers.
Moving blocks add atmosphere and challenge to levels. Try making platforms on hung on chains move up and down, or side to side, or making airships or boats bob up and down.

That's all I have for now, hope this helps some newbies.

Villager103 wrote:2. CGFX use.
CGFX is an important element in any level, because it sets the atmosphere. Try to stray away from vanilla SMBX graphics and use custom ones more.

Villager103 wrote: 3. Where to use slopes.
Castle:NO

castlewars wrote: There's no rule that states all episodes and levels need to have custom graphics. In fact, if you don't use custom graphics where it's not appropriate, it'll look more like the "classic" SMBX prior to 1.2, and it's gotten to the point where vanilla levels are really rare and CGFX levels have taken over. A good place to not use them would be when you want to give people a nostalgia boner by designing a level in the style of older episodes.

castlewars wrote: And here's another one, which is more aimed at novice level designers, but beginners can use it as well; try and innovate whenever you can, and come up with a new gimmick. Not all the gimmicks have been taken: there's plenty more fish in the sea. Try and look beyond SMBX's conventional limits and use the NPCs to the fullest by attaching them to blocks to create oddly-moving platforms.

Enjl wrote:In conclusion, it's easier and more rewarding to go with the flow and attempt some good atmosphere in your levels. On a sidenote, atmosphere partially distracts from terrible design.

castlewars wrote:

Enjl wrote:In conclusion, it's easier and more rewarding to go with the flow and attempt some good atmosphere in your levels. On a sidenote, atmosphere partially distracts from terrible design.

If you concentrate too much on the atmosphere and the graphics of the level, the design is going to suffer. A common newbie trap is to get distracted by cool fancy custom graphics just so their level will look "good", when in actual fact they've been distracted too much by them, so their level design slips (don't get me wrong, I fell for it as well). Remember, it's not about the custom graphics, it's about how you use them.

meowflash wrote:116. Don't make the player die whenever they get to the goal, unless there's a P-Switch and a coin bridge, or maybe a different goal where they don't die.

meowflash wrote:117. Below is a list of things in a level that are nope.

117a. Lava in grasslands = Nope
117b. Bosses in Toad Houses = Nope
117c. Spikes in a desert = Nope
117d. Mushrooms going into lava = Game Crash + Nope
117e. Getting many 1UPs from a room full of Goombas = Nope
117f. Too many Kamikaze shells = So much nope
117g. Mean and Nasty P-Switch Tricks = So much nope

meowflash wrote:119. Make sure the music fits the level COMPLETELY.

meowflash wrote:120. Do not put rude gestures in a level or you might be considered evil.

meowflash wrote:121. When making a hub, make sure you have the themes for ALL the worlds in different sections.

meowflash wrote:Ok, back on topic.

meowflash wrote:118. If you want to use SMB2 Bosses in an SMB3 level, make sure you SMB3 recolor them