Uploaded a new level again....
this is not cloud level, this is mountain level with some clouds and foggy "Gemini" word is my zodiac, so I named "Foggy Cotton Gemini" because I like it and looks unique. THIS IS NOT THE DOWNLOAD LINK LOL (NEW) I'M LYING
Last edited by Alagirez on Thu May 07, 2015 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A mountain/cloud styled level with numerous layer and event usage.
Design: The Design was very good for the most part, I like the way you incorporated layers and events in this level. The attention to detail was also very well done. There were also some very clever ways of moving from point A to point B in your level. There were some cases where I would get hit unfairly while the landscape was appearing because I jumped on it while the landscape was developing and an NPC randomly appeared and hit me. I would warn the player about that in the beginning of the level so this never happens, or use warning BGOs. There was another section in the level where I accidentally threw a propeller block away and I was stuck because the propeller block was the only way I could advance. I also couldn't backtrack because of the huge gap and lack of warp placements to the beginning. Also it would be a good idea to make a propeller block generator in that area and put a warp in the pipe next to the venus fire trap to the area where you find the propeller blocks. There were also a few unnecessary level transitions such as the transition when hitting the checkpoint, but that's not really a big deal so I won't take points off for that. Also I was able to skip a portion of your level in the first section because I had a leaf as a power-up so I could just fly up to the pipe. I would replace the leaf with a fire flower.
Score: 6/10
NPC Placement:
The NPC placement was great although at the beginning, a random buzzy beetle came from the top and hit me. I would use a cliff turning enemy in the spot before the first warp. I did like the variety of NPCs that you used. As far as the power-ups go, there were a few special blocks that had mushrooms in them which is pretty much useless if the player is already past the super stage.
Score: 8.5/10
Atmosphere:
You nailed the atmosphere here. The music fit, there was no clash or cutoff, and there were no broken death effects. I didn't see a problem with the atmosphere at all.
Score: 10/10
Overall Score: 8.2/10 Very nice level. This would have made it into the best if it weren't for the flaws mentioned.
A mountain/cloud styled level with numerous layer and event usage.
Design: The Design was very good for the most part, I like the way you incorporated layers and events in this level. The attention to detail was also very well done. There were also some very clever ways of moving from point A to point B in your level. There were some cases where I would get hit unfairly while the landscape was appearing because I jumped on it while the landscape was developing and an NPC randomly appeared and hit me. I would warn the player about that in the beginning of the level so this never happens, or use warning BGOs. There was another section in the level where I accidentally threw a propeller block away and I was stuck because the propeller block was the only way I could advance. I also couldn't backtrack because of the huge gap and lack of warp placements to the beginning. Also it would be a good idea to make a propeller block generator in that area and put a warp in the pipe next to the venus fire trap to the area where you find the propeller blocks. There were also a few unnecessary level transitions such as the transition when hitting the checkpoint, but that's not really a big deal so I won't take points off for that. Also I was able to skip a portion of your level in the first section because I had a leaf as a power-up so I could just fly up to the pipe. I would replace the leaf with a fire flower.
Score: 6/10
NPC Placement:
The NPC placement was great although at the beginning, a random buzzy beetle came from the top and hit me. I would use a cliff turning enemy in the spot before the first warp. I did like the variety of NPCs that you used. As far as the power-ups go, there were a few special blocks that had mushrooms in them which is pretty much useless if the player is already past the super stage.
Score: 8.5/10
Atmosphere:
You nailed the atmosphere here. The music fit, there was no clash or cutoff, and there were no broken death effects. I didn't see a problem with the atmosphere at all.
Score: 10/10
Overall Score: 8.2/10 Very nice level. This would have made it into the best if it weren't for the flaws mentioned.
thanks for the review! FOR LJs : Please don't review it until I fixed these problem.
PROX wrote:There were some cases where I would get hit unfairly while the landscape was appearing because I jumped on it while the landscape was developing and an NPC randomly appeared and hit me.
it would have been better if you had the NPCs appear as the land develops rather than afterward (you could put them on a different layer so they won't disappear after 0.3 seconds); it would help the level flow better than having a message box appear telling the player to wait.
Anyway, my review:
This is actually a pretty good level. The block placement is well done and there's even a little bit of NPC variation (just remember that using SMB3 Koopas, giant SMB3 Koopas, and restyled SMW Koopas doesn't count as NPC variation; they're all still Koopas). The parts where the player has to go down a certain path to open up another path were also implemented well and actually add to the level, most notably the P-Switch run; it gives the player enough time to make it to the other side but there are also some goodies that the player can get if he/she can react fast enough.
However, there are a few problems with the level. Firstly, the music doesn't really fit. Even ignoring the fact that it's obviously meant for a mechanical base, the song is too hectic for a peaceful level like this. I recommend this song instead:
Moving on: The Hammer Bros seemed kinda pointless since they're quite uncommon (pretty sure there are only 2 in the whole level), and when they do appear, they always seemed to be placed right in the way of the player's fireballs; I recommend making ledges for them, then moving them up onto said ledges (and adding a few more in the level while you're at it).
Also, in section 6, the Bullet Bills won't move when their bubbles are popped; not only does this look silly, but they can also be stomped easily. I know you set them to "Don't Move" so that the bubbles won't move, but that doesn't quite work out. I recommend replacing them with a different NPC.
Summary:
GOOD:
-Graphics aren't terrible.
-Block and NPC placement is done well.
BAD:
-Useless Hammer Bros.
-Music doesn't really fit the level well.
-Message boxes in the "a" events break the level's flow.
In conclusion: Although this level has a few flaws, it's still pretty good overall. I'd say this deserves a 6.5/10.
I think this level deserved a higher score personally. Sure, the flaws mentioned are still worth fixing but are also pretty minor. Also I really didn't have a problem with the music. Also my suggestion to the creator is that you explain the land development gimmick in a message block at the beginning of the level, that way it doesn't interfere with the flow of the level.
PROX wrote:Also my suggestion to the creator is that you explain the land development gimmick in a message block at the beginning of the level, that way it doesn't interfere with the flow of the level.
Well, the main problem with the land-development gimmick is that the enemies only appear after the land has fully developed. My suggestion is that the enemies and background objects appear as the land develops so that no message boxes are needed and the flow of the level is preserved. In other words, the Koopa that's above "a 3" will appear at the exact same time that the "a 3" layer appears, etc. After all, it's not like the land develops slow enough to require a warning, and if it did, the solution would be to have it develop faster, not add a message box saying "hey, I couldn't get this to work right, so I'm warning you instead of fixing it."
^ I can mirror that. The ONLY reason I got hit in that area was because I jumped on what I saw were vacant platforms, and enemies spawned on them after I landed. A message box saying "Please wait" is more of a bandaid than a solution.
you guys don't like my best gimmick just because the message box????....
Imaynotbehere4long wrote:@ andialifbatara:
When you went to fix this:
PROX wrote:There were some cases where I would get hit unfairly while the landscape was appearing because I jumped on it while the landscape was developing and an NPC randomly appeared and hit me.
it would have been better if you had the NPCs appear as the land develops rather than afterward (you could put them on a different layer so they won't disappear after 0.3 seconds); it would help the level flow better than having a message box appear telling the player to wait.
Anyway, my review:
This is actually a pretty good level. The block placement is well done and there's even a little bit of NPC variation (just remember that using SMB3 Koopas, giant SMB3 Koopas, and restyled SMW Koopas doesn't count as NPC variation; they're all still Koopas). The parts where the player has to go down a certain path to open up another path were also implemented well and actually add to the level, most notably the P-Switch run; it gives the player enough time to make it to the other side but there are also some goodies that the player can get if he/she can react fast enough.
However, there are a few problems with the level. Firstly, the music doesn't really fit. Even ignoring the fact that it's obviously meant for a mechanical base, the song is too hectic for a peaceful level like this. I recommend this song instead:
Moving on: The Hammer Bros seemed kinda pointless since they're quite uncommon (pretty sure there are only 2 in the whole level), and when they do appear, they always seemed to be placed right in the way of the player's fireballs; I recommend making ledges for them, then moving them up onto said ledges (and adding a few more in the level while you're at it).
Also, in section 6, the Bullet Bills won't move when their bubbles are popped; not only does this look silly, but they can also be stomped easily. I know you set them to "Don't Move" so that the bubbles won't move, but that doesn't quite work out. I recommend replacing them with a different NPC.
Summary:
GOOD:
-Graphics aren't terrible.
-Block and NPC placement is done well.
BAD:
-Useless Hammer Bros.
-Music doesn't really fit the level well.
-Message boxes in the "a" events break the level's flow.
In conclusion: Although this level has a few flaws, it's still pretty good overall. I'd say this deserves a 6.5/10.
andialifbatara wrote:you guys don't like my best gimmick just because the message box????....
I overall like the level, but that is NOT your best gimmick. However cool it may look, it impedes the gameplay. If you improve on it so that it doesn't impede the gameplay, that still doesn't make it any more than a visual flair.
On top of what Magician wrote, it's not the message box that's the main issue; it's the fact that the enemies appear after the land has finished developing rather than during its development. By adding a message box instead of fixing the issue, that just shows that you weren't willing to properly fix the problem. Sure, PROX was the one who suggested adding the text box, and that was the only solution he suggested, but you should always try to think of a different way to fix your levels' problems, only using text boxes as a last resort (including after removing the cause of the problem entirely).
