Super Mario Bros. X Forums

I didn't see anything like this and thought it might be interesting to talk about. Topic should be self-explanatory but if it isn't, what do you do to motivate yourself to make levels/episode/anything? This might help people who need to get motivated, like me.

What I currently do, or at least what I'm doing for my episode, is that I made a list of every single level I have planned out, I get the music that fits my idea of the level, I write down the ideas and map out small portions of the level, I fetch graphics that might work for the level, and then I just make it. Although it doesn't do much, it's still something that has gotten 13 out of 30+ levels done.

I tell myself that I have nothing else to do and I need to flex my creativity.

Most of the time I get motivated by playing original mario games and see what "style" some levels have. For example, I have never created a unique ghost house or a final castle, so I play Mario games-mostly Super Mario World and NSMB games since they have the most 'smbx' design. As for actually doing a level and not quitting... always try adding something really creative where you last edited so you have a reason to continue the level -- you have something you worked on more than the rest so you have to keep your effort alive.

Watching Mario stuff.

MrPunchia wrote:Watching Mario stuff.

What he said (Kirby can help to)

Normally I see a tileset or something and I think "Ooh, I want to use that." Otherwise, I normally have to have a reason for making the level, such as a contest or episode.

I literally don't. I don't make levels until I have an idea/enough ideas that it's so good that I'm sure the level will be great. Then the thought of the level being great motivates me lmao.

I play underrated and forgotten ps2, ds and other systems games.
Like Super Princess peach, Pac Man World 2, donkey kong jungle climber,Spyro a hero's tail and so on.

I tend to make levels to test out a specific gimmick or idea I have. For example, in CC7, I wanted to try resetting the screen a lot. Besides that, I also had this split path gimmick stocked up since years and decided to take it in. Having goombas being the only enemies you fight in that level is just a smaller gimmick I came up with along the way.

Steins;Lab has a similar story, as I wanted to test out the time travelling gimmick with it.

While this method surely works and ends up in some (imo) neat levels, I often find myself having no clue how to go on. If that happens, I draw the next section on paper and impliment it into the game, with some minor changes along the way, just to get an idea of how I want it to continue. One example here: The entire level "Poorly Contructed Garrison".

Choco wrote:Normally I see a tileset or something and I think "Ooh, I want to use that." Otherwise, I normally have to have a reason for making the level, such as a contest or episode.

Sometimes I do that aswell, though these levels tend to be less interesting as I don't have the gimmicks and ideas to jump off of.

I usually play games other than Mario and analyze levels from those games to see what I can draw inspiration from to make something in SMBX.

I pull an idea off of my list entitled "Level names and themes I need to put in my Episode" (or maybe it's called worlds.txt, I'm not telling you) and make that. If I get bored I work on a different one, and this usually works because I have a lot of levels being made at the same time. Like, a LOT. It's like 10 now

I usually get my Ideas to get to the motivations out of my Head of what I watched at the earlier Days, Months and even Years back like original Mario Levels, sometimes other Games like Megaman and more. Other times, I just get the Ideas by myself and mark it as a regular Level by being enjoyable like finding secrets at a specific Point in a Level, getting through tough spots while it is manageable and more...

There could be more to talk about on my side but this is it for now on.

Emral wrote:

Choco wrote:Normally I see a tileset or something and I think "Ooh, I want to use that." Otherwise, I normally have to have a reason for making the level, such as a contest or episode.

Sometimes I do that aswell, though these levels tend to be less interesting as I don't have the gimmicks and ideas to jump off of.

The gimmicks usually just come to me a little after I start the level, but I see what you're getting at.

I usually start with one part of a level, maybe a boss fight or a house, and then build the level around it. As for motivation, I usually just make levels because it's fun

Make sure you don't get distracted, because starting a new level is a lot more fun that fixing bugs and small finishing touches.

I first get initial level ideas from the following:
-Levels in screens that I see (usually from users like zlaker or SM7)
-A tileset I'd really want to use
-A long sitting of playing contest levels.
-Various songs I discover, whether it be from a video game or like a song by an artist

The next step usually involves personal inspiration, whether it be a VERY long process of restarting the level, changing my ideas along the way, etc.

By the time I'm done, chances are my level will have it's own outside story to tell. From my long, ever-changing process of level ideas, some sort of reason as to why the level has a certain song or very certain set of graphics. Like my CC5's Mossdust Mountain. It was meant to show off the Shikaternia tiles I was in the process of creating. My CC7 level, Subcon Shivaree was actually part of a 2012 project between me, DarkChao, Deoxys, and Emral, and I assigned a level called "Shy Guy Shivaree" to Deoxys, which never got finished. Soon after, I revived the idea, deciding to mix some SMB2 tilesets. Sednaiur's pack made the mixing easier for me, and in short I made a happy little short level I consider a tribute to everyone apart of that episode group, especially Deoxys.
Western Winds Mountain originally was going to be a underground western level heavily based off Call of Duty's Black Ops II's Zombies map "Buried." It was going to include a lot of large old western BGOs (reghrhre was nice enough to find some from SMWC for me) and I also started making SMB3 perk-a-cola machines which actually turned out very well. Nevertheless I ended up scrapping the underground idea due to issues with finding just the right graphics anyway, and I just ended up making a regular desert level.
Forested Flight has virtually no backstory. I just decided to try out something cool gimmick-wise and I thought it would be funny to use Frozen music in the level.

Currently I'm torn on what I want to do fo CC11. I have a few ideas I've scrapped, including a magical forest that included Okami music (inresolved design style issues) and a Mountain with lava and magic aspects, which used Chad's Magical Malice Castle's palette (under consent of him).

TNTtimelord wrote:Currently I'm torn on what I want to do fo CC11. I have a few ideas I've scrapped, including a magical forest that included Okami music (inresolved design style issues) and a Mountain with lava and magic aspects, which used Chad's Magical Malice Castle's palette (under consent of him).

You haven't even started yet!??
I'm like halfway done!! All I need to do is write some more character dialog and polish up some parts.

12Me21 wrote:

TNTtimelord wrote:Currently I'm torn on what I want to do fo CC11. I have a few ideas I've scrapped, including a magical forest that included Okami music (inresolved design style issues) and a Mountain with lava and magic aspects, which used Chad's Magical Malice Castle's palette (under consent of him).

You haven't even started yet!??
I'm like halfway done!! All I need to do is write some more character dialog and polish up some parts.

I have about different levels started.

Everyone starts at different points. We have 6 months to make a level, I wouldn't imagine almost no one is in a rush.

TNTtimelord wrote:

12Me21 wrote:

TNTtimelord wrote:Currently I'm torn on what I want to do fo CC11. I have a few ideas I've scrapped, including a magical forest that included Okami music (inresolved design style issues) and a Mountain with lava and magic aspects, which used Chad's Magical Malice Castle's palette (under consent of him).

You haven't even started yet!??
I'm like halfway done!! All I need to do is write some more character dialog and polish up some parts.

I have about different levels started.

Everyone starts at different points. We have 6 months to make a level, I wouldn't imagine almost no one is in a rush.

yeah... I mostly started mine as a fun project, but then I thought "wow this is a really creative idea" and then I decided to make it for the contest. This is my first contest entry, so I didn't want to run out of time, but I guess I did start a little (a lot) early...

TNTtimelord wrote:

12Me21 wrote:

TNTtimelord wrote:Currently I'm torn on what I want to do fo CC11. I have a few ideas I've scrapped, including a magical forest that included Okami music (inresolved design style issues) and a Mountain with lava and magic aspects, which used Chad's Magical Malice Castle's palette (under consent of him).

You haven't even started yet!??
I'm like halfway done!! All I need to do is write some more character dialog and polish up some parts.

I have about different levels started.

Everyone starts at different points. We have 6 months to make a level, I wouldn't imagine almost no one is in a rush.

Exactly. I have no clue what I want to do for CC11 yet.

When searching for ideas, I usually play through Mario and other Nintendo games for inspiration, usually Donkey Kong Country/Kirby. I also search for pixel art when needing inspiration for the aesthetic part, as there are some amazing ones around.

Sometimes I just come up with a nice gimmick and try to base a level around that, though.