Super Mario Bros. X Forums

Yeah basically what the title says, do you guys put "ceilings" on regular over world, desert, snow plain etc levels I used to do it a lot but not much anymore as it takes up block spaces and sometimes makes the levels a bit cramped.

It really depends on the theme in my case. Like Nintendo, I prefer to use open levels with no ceilings unless, like in the case of caves, they generally require them. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't use them though. Real grasslands aren't' always just flat, mountains and rocks can form overhangs and ceilings in some cases and this can add a lot of depth to a level, within reason that is. If I use ceilings on grassland levels for example, it's a good idea to have some sort of background fill tile that you can use as a back wall as well. This still gives you the depth, but also adds more detail and sense to what would be normally floating chunks of ground. I'll use ceilings where they'd look good, but otherwise I tend to not to.

Soooo many people do it. It's known as "antfarming" and it's usually done because of the massive screen size, just to fill it in. I don't really like it when people do that because grass levels aren't supposed to have them - they're meant to be open to the sky. Putting a ceiling actually makes it look more cave-like.

You do you man. I honestly think that grassland levels should be open, but as castlewars said, people like antfarming.

It depends. Level design should come first - if it works with the overall design, why not? It does feel a bit weird, but it's nothing major in my opinion.

It usually works in world 8 cases.
or forest levels.

I do add ceilings to it bc it also prevents people to fly over the whole level with the racoon or tanooki suit.

I do it really seldom but I did do it once or twice. Normally they should be open but sometimes they can have one.

A ceiling could make it feel like you're right next to a cliff side, even if the back wall is actually the "fourth" wall.

Sinem wrote:I do add ceilings to it bc it also prevents people to fly over the whole level with the racoon or tanooki suit.

I hate it when people do that because it's a sequence breaker that allows you to skip the whole level, so I try to design my levels to stop this from happening. But don't forget, Redigit did it as well in TI2, with Grassy Grass Hills.

I rarely use ceilings in an usual open area like grass, desert or snow-based level like that. This really depends though since like others said, I can use specific objects like pipes, wooden blocks, cement blocks or any terrains coming from above to prevent from skipping most of the section that I made... but it does have a fun factor in them aswell if you have the ability to.

I don't usually make levels that go straight to the right, the player is all over the place. In this kind of level, going up can make a "ceiling" into another part of a level. A stand-alone ceiling is annoying, yes, but a ceiling as part of the path is something good. My opinion anyway.

I like to do it because Redigit did it in one of his levels, and I guess that just gives me nostalgia. It can really become a nightmare if it becomes cramped though.

I don't see why shouldn't we use ceilings on grasslands levels. I do it only sometimes, though.

I do it most of the time but it depends on the setting of the level like if it's supposed to be easy no ceiling, and the opposite if it's hard.

I only do it to prevent levels getting skipped... And if I don't put ceilings, then I wouldn't really put any flying power-ups/items.

I think it's best to not thing about the logic aspect of this and think of the designing aspect. More often than not roofs are added so player's don't go above the level and skip it. In my eyes, there's nothing wrong with a roof, even in levels like forests and grasslands.

TNTtimelord wrote:I think it's best to not thing about the logic aspect of this and think of the designing aspect. More often than not roofs are added so player's don't go above the level and skip it. In my eyes, there's nothing wrong with a roof, even in levels like forests and grasslands.

Forests especially. A good leafy roof on a forest is not only cool, it's what you'd expect from a forest, right?

i usually don't put ceilings in levels unless it takes place within a closed space, such as a castle or a cave...
i remember that there's this sprite you can download for super mario world that puts a ceiling on top of the level so you can't fly over everything, i wonder if the same effect could be achieved in smbx?

arsenic wrote:i usually don't put ceilings in levels unless it takes place within a closed space, such as a castle or a cave...
i remember that there's this sprite you can download for super mario world that puts a ceiling on top of the level so you can't fly over everything, i wonder if the same effect could be achieved in smbx?

For sure! Just do an invisible block! It would be very hard to place correctly, but still. It is possible.